Video

[stretchy_girl]

[Before hitting the button to broadcast Gemini takes a moment to rearrange her face, sculpting it into someone a little more innocent. Glasses, check, nervous smile, check, and she's ready to go.]

Um hi everyone! I uh...I'm Sarah Rainsford and I've just arrived here, here being Maurtia Falls specifically. It's a little overwhelming to suddenly be in a whole new world all alone without any friends, but I guess I'll manage. I've been given a nice job and a home so it can't be all bad right? [A weak smile, blah blah blah, there's nothing else she needs to say to establish her pseudo-character, so on to the important stuff, finding out who here might be a threat to her.]

I just wanted to know if there's anyone out there from my own world. I'm from a city called Metropolis, has anyone heard of that? Maybe Gotham? Although that's not a very nice place, but it would be kinda nice to talk to anyone from home.

[Now to see which fishes come and bite at the bait she's dangled for them.]

Comments

[pyrogue]

I -- what, when? I - I left years ago.

[ Which is true, mostly, but his return stint didn't have any deaths, though... maybe. He's simultaneously horrified and taken off-balance -- the Rogues usually tried to limit casualties, though there's enough for it to be believable. ]

I'm sorry.

[stretchy_girl]

One of your 'heatblasts' or whatever set fire to her apartment building, trapping her there. She was five weeks pregnant and you burned her alive.

[A tear drops from 'Sarah's' eyes as she stares at Mick with loathing. Gemini's really quite enjoying herself taking his emotions and twisting them ruthlessly with an event that actually happened, at least without her fictitious cousin.]

Sorry doesn't even begin to get there.

[pyrogue]

I'm really, truly sorry for what happened to your cousin.

[ She's obviously upset by this and he reacts instinctively, holding up his palms, heart pounding.

But he's still confused and a few seconds later he realizes why –- he has no idea who she's talking about. And sure, there was always some collateral damage but Rogue Rules were very strict about killing women and a pregnant woman would've been a big no-no (somewhat chauvinistic but Captain Cold kinda was). Whenever there was a death, newspapers would publish it afterwards even if he was unaware of the time and Cold would have given him a big dressing down. But that never happened. Mick doesn't remember that… and he was also trying to remember any apartment buildings.

She seems so upset he doesn't want to accuse her of lying, but it's definitely strange. Maybe it's an alternate universe thing. He knows the version of himself and other universes that people told him about isn't quite the same. She's obviously not from Len's universe but maybe there's been a mistake.

He still feels pretty shit. ]

What -- what was her name?

[ He phrases it not like an accusation but like a man wanting to pay tribute or something like that, hesitant and apologetic. He doesn't want to upset her further. ]

[stretchy_girl]

[Gemini's reaction to his apology is to begin to cry, little quiet sobs wracking her frame as liquid rubber that looks identical to tears welled from her eyes and rolled down her cheeks. It's purely a cover, as she can see the confusion on Heatwave's face and interpreted it as him doubting some part of her story. So she dialled up the emotion some more, using it as a shroud to avoid the question.]

You're not fit to speak her name! She was going to name her little baby Amy or George and now, now...

[She breaks off, sniffling, battling her tears and staring at Mick with hatred. Then she reaches forward and cuts the connection, the last image through being of a broken woman, one who smiled cruelly a moment later, satisfied at a job well done.]

[pyrogue]

[ Mick stares at the comm after the connection is cut, confused and unsure -- he'd remember that, right? But she was so upset...

He'll give her some space, figure out if she was talking about an alternate universe or...
copycat or... something. It's gonna bother him all day now, and probably for a while. But there's nothing to do about it now. ]