The Vigilant (Newspaper) War Unites

[Glowing Vigilance]

A somewhat strange question

Where... have I been? For a month I have been gone and for a month thins continued unabated. Not that I mind, I personally don't want anyone to feel obligated to care about my natural existence in this life, I have super powers and despite what a few people think, I can use them effectively.

Now for the what part. I've been around the world in the course of 35 days, from Paragon to London to Paris to Prague, Bombay and then onto Hong Kong, Tokyo and finally with a lay over in Los Angeles back here to Paragon.

The why is simply this, I was kidnapped. Believe me, the pair of them weren't geniuses, I can attest to this as hey, I got away didn't I? Now I'm sure most of you all well know I've outed myself as both a lesbian and the daughter of a major Arch villain and Lord Recluse's right hand man Doctor Aeon but I guess the men who captured me didn't get the memo that I am to not be mentioned nor for lack of a better word messed with at anytime henceforth since this doctrine was made. That's why I guessed my kidnappers were as smart as they were coordinated.

The Who and When are also easy as it was last month and I'm the one in question.

The How however is where the real story lays its foundations.

The how is answers thusly with a very long and possible boring story that I'm well aware might prove to be equally as boring as the history class you're probably reading this in to break the monotony of the said teacher and rest assure, he'll probably be reading this after class as well. So, onto what really happened that brought these long series of events including myself circling the globe.

It started at the end of March a week after spring break. My computer had been sputtering like it normally did but it was also having a few other problems. I'd called Mana in to work on it as his tech knowledge was savvier than mine. I can build advanced robotics but I just can't wrap my head around video cards... I love irony. Regardless. That night I was aiming to work on a Vigilant but I think this presses much more than my other one and thus this beats it in priority I would think.

That night I was on my way back from a nice pizza place in the northern part of Founder Falls. It sucked because I didn't even get to keep the left over slices I had with me. And to further prove these guys were not too bright, they forgot to take away my purse. The first one was straightforward, namely, he was in armor and told me very angrily that I wasn't going anywhere. I shot a nuke bolt his way as a way of giving him my response. The other one came from behind and chloroformed me. I wound up I was trapped in the hold of a very small fishing boat. They'd mistakenly forgotten to tie my hands and as stated previously, they'd forgotten to take my purse.

Well, I'd like to say it could've been harder for me to escape but it wasn't, they had port holes. I burned my way through the glass and squeezed out the hole and started swimming away. I'm pretty sure they didn't realize I was gone until they reached the Rogue Isles waters. As I treaded water and let the tide move me I ran across a small fishing fleet of Britons bound for the port of London. They gladly took me aboard after I explained my problem. They asked if I wanted to head back to Paragon as it wasn't too far away. I declined as I thought about taking a break as Spring Break was very uneventful for me. They shrugged and we were bound for London. A couple days later I was standing on the wharfs of the Thames.

There I went and got myself some new clothes as my old ones smelled of saltwater and a hotel room. Thankfully they except Visa. After probably the most enjoyed shower I've ever had and a nice rest I was out and about exploring the London scene. I picked myself up a novelty Union Jack t-shirt and got around to trying some fish and chips which are basically the equivalent to our hamburger and fries. I was there for three days before I set out. I wasn't ready to head back to Paragon yet as I realized that this traveling thing might work to help me answer a few internal questions I'd been in conflict with since the beginning of the new year.

I headed to Paris, France. There I was met with Cigarettes, a small riot and a general disdain of foreigners. So I gave them spit, the evil eye and a smack to one of them that took their stupid peachfuzz mustache right off their smug face. During my stay which was two days and I was booking a bus to Prague in the meantime I went to a flower shop. It was there I was hit with the first guilty feeling of home and who was waiting for me across the puddle (Ocean). Picayune, Marie, I know you'll probably only skim through this so I figure I'll bold your name because it might do better to get your attention over the simple plain text. You were the real reason I even returned to Paragon city. I missed you most of all and I hope those flowers I picked up from the botanist are as long lasting as he said they were.

In Prague I was much more welcomed as the city gets many tourists due to the natural Gothic architecture and the fact that it seems to be the ultimate spot for filming for Hollywood films in Europe. I worked my way through the shops and purchased myself a pair of shoes, a nice pair of American converse from a little mom and pop store in the downtown section. Fitted with the high tops, I trekked my way to the local airport and booked passage to India. The flight was 6 and a half hours and for three of them, I had to deal with a screaming baby. I'm assuming we all HAD an experienceing with a screaming child on a flight to somewhere over the course of an hour or two so I won't go into details.

Upon landing in Bombay I was shocked to see the difference in this culture. The lack of some things such as running water and indoor plumbing in major housing districts along with the lack of people living IN homes and more on the street also threw me off from what Prague, Paris and London were like. I checked into a local hotel which treated me like a queen. I didn't mind the treatment but I was beginning to realize that even though I was out of country and even though they hated me they still treated me differently for all the wrong reasons. On a whim I sought out a Buddhist temple to try and find my balance or at least get some advice in finding my balance...

There I met Pun Quo, a nice Indian whom I was some what intimidated by despite to his size. He smiled more than a child molester in a playground full of elementary kids but let's not dwell on THAT image. He did the whole chakra thing with me, meaning he did a really nice massage. I checked out of my hotel that next morning and spent the next five days in the temple trying to find my center and gain my balance. Oh and for the record, girls, if you wish to lose weight fast, I highly recommend this, they don't eat much and they aim to keep people working. Despite the physical labor and the lack of good food, I found the humble life style a nice change up. Alas I was meditating inside when I thought of Marie again and thus I was forced to leave and make my way back to Bombay. Pun Quo gave me a small piece of advice if I can call it that. "You're powers of healing are never to be questioned as they are a gift to be used for the greater good of humanity. Never let yourself think for a moment that you are not as good as someone else. You and them are not beyond each other, you are all one."

I left for Hong Kong, another long plane flight, minus the sucktastic screams of a 1 year old. I landed with a small fervor in my step. It was two days past easter and I was beginning to wonder if I should even bother staying in Hong Kong for the night. Well, as some things happened because one seems to find trouble, trouble found me instead. I was on the streets grabbing some food at a local noodle shop. With gun fire and sirens I did what anyone else would do. I ate my noodles and tried to stay out of it. Course when you hear an explosion that nearly rocks you out of your seat you THEN get involved. A small war zone had been established. Recluse minions, I could tell by the suits, spider legs and all. I walked out into the crossfire with my hands up. They opened fire without hesitation as its in the rulebook for them never to negotiate. I blew up the car behind them with a neutron burst which seemed to get their attention. After 'handling' the bad guys; which in reality was me looking at them and telling them it'd be wise to say they never heard this and the operation was bust due to 'unforeseen reasons' would be in their best interest.

The next day I left Hong Kong for Tokyo, Japan. The view from the plane was astounding and I was sitting next to an old Japanese couple whose language I couldn't understand minus bits of engrish (Japanese pronunciation of English. They can't say L's very well.) In Tokyo I was hit with more lights and such to cause an epileptic seizure than I'd previously thought imaginable in a single space at any given time. I ended up looking around for all kinds of things including but not limited to; One Japanese Katana, One Kimono Dress, a pair of slippers, one of those hair clips that I see all the time and one leather jacket. I visited Okinawa and Kyoto as well as I figured Japan had a lot of things to do. And just to say, I was still getting lovesick and homesick as well. I ended up with pretty much everything but the Kimono but the slippers rocked enough to counterbalance. From Okinawa, I booked a flight to Los Angeles. The in flight movie was Kill Bill Vol. 1 and it basically was another shot of PURE irony in my life.

I had a 3 hour lay over in Los Angeles which didn't give me much time to spend and believe me you can spend a long time in L.A., the city is a ADD person's paradise. The flight back to Paragon left me exhausted, I was wanting to get back to my dorm. It'd be a month of jet setting around all these locations and the only thing making me wish I wasn't still in Asia or Europe or India was Marie. I missed you. If I didn't have anyone else around this school I probably would've just left and called it a day but I came back because I love you.

Now you know the real answers to all the major questions except one. How was I able to finance all this? All those flights and hotel rooms and good and spending on trinkets (The Katana and Slippers are not included in the trinket category)? Like it or not, Dad has left me with a near inexhaustible bank account. It gains money through legitimate avenues of profit and it all piles up in this account with my name on it. Please, do not let your prejudice get in the way, I'm not spoiled but I do have a problem respecting some of my friendships.

Now of course, I'm left sitting here wondering what next great adventure will be awaiting me. Admittedly, I know the faculty will be generally angry and I wish you all who read this to understand, at no time even during my capture was I in any immediate danger and I wish for everyone to relax about this situation. I don't want to be sought out for questioning nor reprimanded. All things have been dealt with accordingly and there is no requirement of any faculty or administration in any of this matter what so ever. I remember the consequences of my actions, especially concerning this paper's record of being controversial.

So, with that, please don't blow this mess out of proportion as there no mess to investigate nor expoilt in anyway.

I hope this helped you through the boredom of your history class.

- Summer -

[Glowing Vigilance]

Summer sat there typing solemnly at her computer. The dust was spewing out the back in small clumps and floating into a large pile underneath. It was late and again she was growing weary of working on all these school assignments she'd neglected in her travels. The word on campus was she was lying. Summer deleted a misspelled word. She started typing full speed again, her eyes were itching sleep and she let out a soundless yawn of her bodies continuing disapproval for pushing itself so hard. Summer worked past that, focusing mentally on something more. When she typed, she'd forgotten the very fact that these people were saying anything, she'd forgotten that these classmates and people on this campus were even in existence when it was just her and a page with a blinking bar begging to be moved with the ebb and flow of words that floated invisibly in the air above her.

---
---

And Now for the News

It's come to my attention through some re-reading that I've lost my original intention in the somewhat strange popularity of this paper once had. I look back at my first article written some months ago. Back when I was focused on writing for the sake of information about the world and not myself. I got caught up in my own life problems and I abused my journalist power to try and did things that if my past self had seen, she would've spit on me. So I'm aiming to change this. It's no one's place to waste everyone's time with mindless and boring dribble about their personal life. That's why websites like facebook and myspace exist. My paper is neither facebook or myspace.

So, I figure it's time for some news. Some things we may dully be aware of but not quite so informed on as to make a decision. Sigh, so I'm going to quit talking about what I'm going to do and do it.

---

Recent Weather Activity causes Flooding and Tornadoes in the Mid West.

It's come to my attention that in the past several days, there's been a rather nasty rash of violent storms in the mid west. With the general flatness of those planes, flooding is very prominent and the sighting of a tornado isn't out of the picture either. From the looks of it, both have happened and neither has been precedented for this decade. A little town in southern Kansas called Greensboro was annihilated after a Tornado leveled the city's buildings and outlying suburbs. Too make matters worse, power lines were cut and roads were completely blocked due to debris. Add in the fact that heavy rains around the surrounding area made a marsh of everything and that just complicates the matter even more.

The the regions of Kansas City and all the way down to the western southern tip of Missouri, there's been reports of flash flooding. Thankfully, the president has labeled this a disaster zone and it rightfully should be or we may have had another New Orleans. Granted some of the heroes from Paragon have taken the call to assist in this matter as it is in everyone's best interest to try and clean this mess up in a speedy amount of time.

---

PCC or Paragon Comic Convention

Thousands turned out for Rhode Islands largest pop culture event this weekend drawing crowds of nearly 20,000 people all looking to talk with each other about the generally order of things including if Han Solo really shot first, who is stronger, Superman or Thor and all the other general non-sense that swirls around these conventions. From the looks of it, the show was a success as the turn out was up 50% from last year and the guests that garnered the support from the people here in Paragon really did a nice job to keep this show as a yearly occurance.

If any students have attended, leave a message in my locker or under this paper and we'll discuss an interview.

-Summer

---

Spring to Summer

Well, the rains are beginning to give way to the heat of a probably large amount of sunshine and fair weather. We all know the general disdain to sunburn outside the few of us with the power to absorb Solar Energy and convert it into whatever may be needed at the present time. As for warning, well I can only assume we know the whole sun block and skin cancer routine and I know I won't pay attention to any stupid warning like that. Still, remember, it'll get hot and if you feel dizzy get inside as sun stroke isn't fun and is a serious matter. This goes for the Nun's as well, black robes + sun light = Oven.

---

Anyway, i figure this oughta do it for the most part on what I'm aiming for. And since I can't seem to think of much more, I'm going to willingly throw myself to the mercy of my mind and get some sleep and hopefully wake up on time to get to my classes and dump this school work off.

- Summer

---
---

Summer saved the document and put it in her ever expanding folder of Vigilants' that she'd been making. The fact that she'd let fame get to her and popularity swoon her into talking about herself kind of rubbed her the wrong way now that she was looking back on it. God she was a bitch. Her mind wondered about that last one she'd put up and the fact that it was her cramming a story down people's throats. She didn't have a right to do that. They didn't have to read it but that's not fair to the people who did and got nothing but the angsting, stupid and generally boring wit that she'd put into that.

She let out a grunt of disgust for herself and closed the document window and shut off the monitor. Summer got up from her seat and fell onto her bed with a flop and rolled her face onto the pillow and get some sleep.

[Glowing Vigilance]

The first few hours…

It has been one day since the largest offensive this planet has witnessed since the first Rikti War. Old faces we’d seen on posters have come back reminding us of one true and horrific threat that aims to engulf us all in its wake. There were no warnings, there were no signs. Like any predator they struck without notice and they struck as hard as possible.

I’ve stood on the trenches of this. I’ve seen it first hand. A lot of people died yesterday and many would’ve never had a chance to say goodbye. There are those who will stand against the horrors of this threat. They’re the faces you see next to you. The ones’ who sleep in your dorm rooms with you. Your friends, your family, your teachers and your students. All those faces are in the trenches; along side one another, taking care of one another. They’re throwing themselves to the risks selflessly and with disregard. I talk of the people who’re not even old enough to drink, yet they’re brave enough to stand up against things that make grown men run in fear. Our students face down threats to which most people will never see. Their courage and honor against the darkness is both admirable and appreciated.

In the first few hours, we all were somewhere. The sirens went off; some of us thought it was a drill. The crushing shadows of those ships threw those thoughts carelessly away as the eyes turned upwards to see the wrath of these invaders. The world stood still and for one second, all of time stopped as we all realized that every callow fear we had within us paled in comparison to that which loomed just hundreds of feet over our heads. As I said, they came without warning, they also came without mercy. I saw people cast away as heroes ran into the fray attacking with reckless abandon at these aliens. I found myself right behind them, forgetting that I had a life to live. We won, others didn’t. I spent hours saving lives as I’m sure did others. The very fact that this scum chose to attack the innocent brought about pure feelings. Rage, aggression, hate, words that used in hostility towards something.

I refuse to let this trash attack and get away with it. I will not be the only one to stand against them. I’m standing between them and us and like them, I will strike hard and I will strike without mercy. They’re not innocent and their crimes are so inhuman that the normal rules of engagement no longer seem to apply. Fighting them tooth and nail is fighting them on a new terms for some and regular terms for others. There is too much to risk to lose this. I can look at anyone and have a reason to fight. I can stare them down with just the thought about what they did earlier.

However, among all this talk of fighting with everything we have, we must use caution. Misdirected, this energy could end up being used against us; it could destroy our very selves. We need to stay focused, strong and united. This whole matter supersedes our pride and prejudice. Our cares and wants are not a concern to this. We must cast them aside and stand. I’m pleading with friends and foes to put this hatchet in the ground for now. We're all in this together and the last thing we need is something to tear us apart from the inside.

Summer