[color=lightgreen]"Merle. Merle Moreau."[/color]

Alex sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Merle Moreau. The last person he'd expected to see up here. It'd been nine years since they'd both seen her. Nine long years. It had been at Nicole's funeral, that time. After that, Alex and Shirl had packed up and gone home...

[center][h3][url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=riZck9O-kBU][b]Nine years prior[/b]
May 27th, 2015
3:32PM[/url][/h3][/center]

[indent][i]"...and so it is with a heavy heart that I commit to rest Nicole Schuester, a great friend, mother, and an inspiration to us all with her bravery and sacrifice for the greater good."

Vivian Pang stepped down from the podium, wiping away a solitary tear with a scarlet, gold-embroidered handkerchief that swiftly went back inside her handbag. From the front row, Alex could see that she'd been crying too. Who wouldn't have? Nicole was a much loved member of the Fourth. The priest that took over Vivian's place addressed the sombre crowd.

"Would anyone like to share their memories of the departed before she is returned to the embrace of God?"

As several men and women looked around for any potential takers, Alex rose. He strode to the podium as the murmuring around him died down into a dead silence. After a brief moment, he spoke.

[color=lightgreen]"Members of the Fourth Division, comrades, friends. You know me as Sciath, but for today, my name is Alexander Mackey. Nicole was...a dear friend of ours, me and my sister Shirleen. For those of you that can't tell, we're not local. Shirl and I hail from London, England. Merle Moreau picked us up from there because she required assistance from outside the US. When we reached the States, the first person to come greet us was Nicole. We made friends with her after that, fast friends. She introduced us to her family too, a little joy because, well, her family was so close knit."[/color]

He sighed as his words trailed off. He could remember meeting Nicole's children for the first time, little bundles of joy that were in awe of all the cool things they could do. Shirl had made some cute light bubbles for the kids to play with, smiled and laughed as she watched them chase the little orbs of light around Nicole's back yard...

As he continued, his voice wobbled a little. The memories did not bring back nice feelings, they did not.

[color=lightgreen]"The day she disappeared, we were part of the supers with her. When I came to, I wanted to look for her so badly, and I did. We did. Everyone did. I...I wanted to find the man responsible. Do horrible, horrible things to him for what he'd done. But none of us could. Then, this happened and..."[/color]

He trailed off again, unable to continue with his train of thought. The crowd stared at him as he regained his composure and began to speak again.

[color=lightgreen]"Nicole, she really was an inspiration to us, my sister and I. She was just so brave and courageous. A little brutal, sure, but in the end her actions spoke louder than her words did. She wanted to protect her family. A shining example of a parent, someone we both looked up to a lot. We will always hold her memories in our minds, and may she rest in piece."[/color]

As he finished his impromptu speech, his gaze slowly traveled to her casket. Nicole lay within, eyes closed and face impassive, but her thin lips curved in a small smile. Barely visible was the line that separated her head from her body, when Desecration had killed her. She was clad in her costume, sans headgear, and she looked like she was asleep but she wasn't.

She was dead.[/i][/indent]

[h3][b]Now[/b][/h3]

[color=lightgreen]"It's been nine years, Merle. What're you doing here again?"[/color]

A sigh.

"I need your help."

[color=lightblue]"With what? More death? Haven't you had enough of that already? Nine years ago, when we were fighting Desecration? And just two years ago, when you lot were fighting those aliens?"[/color]

Shirleen piped up from next to him. He could tell she was angry; her voice was harder, with an edge to it. She was getting mighty testy.

"It's...yes."

His sister threw her arms up in exasperation as he sighed and rubbed his face with his hands.

[color=lightblue]"What now, Merle? Another senseless escapade? Something to while away the time and maybe get more innocent people killed?"[/color]

"No, it's -"

[color=lightblue]"It's what? Face it, Merle. My brother does not want to live that life again, and neither do I. And I did not come to this fancy dinner to get pulled into another suicidal scheme of yours!"[/color]

As she turned to leave, Alex stopped her with a hand on her shoulder. She struggled against him, but his immense strength and immovable posture made it impossible.

[color=lightgreen]"Shirl. She's serious. She wouldn't have bothered us otherwise. Merle's been away for nine years, and if she wanted to bother us during that, she would've come to us. But she didn't. So why now, Merle? Explain yourself."[/color]