Crystal, Paul, Garrison, and Abim settle themselves in their slightly-cramped room to pass the night while Nimue goes off with her mysterious French artist-friend to pass HER night. Crystal looks around the fancy French hotel room. She cannot believe they are here! Here in the dreaded cyber-realm that they've all been terrified of entering! But after a few cleverly-placed fake implants and fake IDs, it's been very easy to get around here! They still should not get a false sense of security. They are in constant danger. Which is what makes the paradox of relaxing in this comfortable bed so crazy! How can she possibly be relaxing...in the cyber-realm!! While she's pregnant, even! Oooh-- that reminds her!
She looks around the room again. Garrison is banging on the sword he's been working on. Paul is inspecting his new disrupter-gun with a look of almost religious reverence on his face. Abim is busy doing something swami-ish, she's sure. It looks like no one's planning on getting sleep anytime soon. This would be the perfect time to try to use her decoder ring.
She gets a little grin on her face and rummages in her bag. After a moment she pulls out a folded-up ticker-tape and reads it slowly, a lazy smile on her face. It's the response the Blue Scarab sent to her after reading the letter she handed him before they left Nile.
Crystal's letter:
"Dear Dirk,
It looks like we'll be leaving tomorrow, and we've all been so busy trying to save the planet that I haven't had the chance to tell you how I feel about you. I meant to tell you last night, but we got kidnapped before our date had even begun! So now, while you're out saving the city, this may be the only chance I have for a while to tell you what I've been thinking.
I will always remember the first time I saw you! You were bigger than life-- no pun intended! You filled the room with your personality and presence! And I couldn't take my eyes off of you! I can't explain why, but I felt so drawn to you...I had to get to know you! I was so attracted to you! But I'm sure you've figured that out by now!
Our first date was the most exciting night of my life...and our second date blew that one away, if you know what I mean! I have loved every moment we've spent together, and I cannot wait until the next time I can see you. I hope I have even a portion of the affect on you that you have on me. You are so handsome, so noble, such a gentleman-- and an incredible lover! Your life is an inspiration to me! I want to change the world through music, but you actually get out there and change the world directly.
I know you are busy...very busy...but I want you to know that I'm your girl, no matter what realm I'm in. After meeting you, no other man could ever compare! As long as I live I will never meet another Dirk Smalls. We may both be busy with our separate quests, but we both need companionship and love...someone who will come home to us, or someone to come home to. If there is a way, I would love to be that someone for you. I love you, Dirk. I will try to see you soon.
Yours always,
Crystal"
And Blue Scarab's response:
Dirk Smalls smiles in the dark of the Scarab-cave. He turns his leather chair around and brings the note to his lips. He looks over at the Scarab-transmitter and wheels his chair over. He takes off his Mystery Men ring and places it in the transmitter. He begins to adjust for frequency and begins to type.
"Dear Crystal,
Your letter was a ray of sunshine in this hero's heart. It is not easy to live the life of a Mystery Man. Life on the edge, running across rooftops chasing down a dread supervillian. It can get very depressing. However you are that light in the darkness. The source of strength to me. I will wait until you return to tell you of my true heart's feelings for you. Some things need to be said. Out loud. In private.
I shall see you when you return, Crystal. Be safe and remember, always get at least eight hours of sleep and brush your teeth after every meal.
The Blue Scarab."
Crystal sighs contentedly and kisses the part of the ticker-tape with the Blue Scarab's signature on it. She especially loves that last sentence because it is so Dirk! She gets excited goosebumps whenever she reads the part that says he has things he wants to tell her in person, and that she is his ray of light in the darkness! Maybe he DOES love her back! Oh how she hopes he will be excited to hear her news!
Crystal scoots up on her bed so her back is resting against the headboard, and she pulls out her ring. Holding it to her lips, she speaks quietly into it.
"Calling the Blue Scarab. Come in Blue Scarab." she says into the tiny microphone.
Meanwhile...
The Blue Scarab stares down the wall of the building. He rubs his chin as he considers if he'd survive a jump from this height. His decoder ring starts flashing and he smiles.
"Ah a message." he says. He looks down at the readout. "It is from Crystal. I wonder if she got my letter?" he says. He brings the ring to his lips. "This is Blue Scarab, hello Crystal."
Crystal gives an excited little giggle when she reads that he's there-- and then wonders if the giggle came across on HIS ticker-tape! She covers her mouth to stifle more giggles and bounces a little on the bed like a teenager. Then she finally clears her throat and speaks into the ring.
"Hi Dir-- I mean Blue Scarab!! Wait...first I need to be sure this is really the Blue Scarab and not someone who's gotten a hold of his ring! Tell me something about my body that only the Blue Scarab would know!" she says, and then blushes a little and covers her mouth as she giggles again.
The Blue Scarab looks at the ticker tape and raises an eyebrow. "Well you know your doctor would also know...as well as your parents. How do you know they haven't gotten ahold of my ring?" he says. He rubs his chin considering the situation. "Hmmm well you have a small birth mark on your right inner thigh." he says into the ring. "And you like to make small chipmonk noises when you are excited."
This time Crystal can't conceal her laughter, and she turns bright red and giggles-- earning the stares of her companions. She holds up the decorder ring, and they all nod knowingly or roll their eyes, and go back to what they were doing. She clears her throat again and smiles, speaking into the ring.
"Ah but my doctor and parents wouldn't have memorized that birth mark, nor would they know the second detail you gave...one would hope!"
Crystal covers her mouth and giggles again, and then clears her throat and continues.
"Now I know it's you! It's so good to be talking to you again! I got your letter! I keep the print-out in my bag and pull it out everynight to read it! I cannot wait to see you again, Dirk! We are in France with cyberpapacy all around us, but we are safe. We are doing well on our quest! How are you and the Mystery Men? Is everyone well?" she asks, wanting to make a little small-talk before dropping the bomb!
The Blue Scarab smiles when the ticker tape comes out. He sits down on the ledge and thinks a moment. "Oh yes," he says into the ring. "We are all fine. Mr. Strange is continuing to seek out Dr. Mobius. Ah also there is a new Mystery Man out there. We are watching him closely to see if he is Mystery material. He calls himself; DeathHawk."
Crystal sits and ponders this for a moment before answering. "Wow! That's great! I hope he turns out to be a good one! We're all still trying to figure out what we want our Mystery Men names to be! We've come up with some funny ones, but no good ones yet! I was thinking I want to be Black Raven because my super-power is flying and my hair is very dark and my clothes tend to be dark, too. Plus it would be good for stealth if my costume were black, don't you think? Also a raven is very significant in my earth-religion for being a representative of the powerful, warrior-form of the goddess, and...ravens like shiny things like crystals!" Crystal adds at the end with a little laugh. "What do you think?"
The Blue Scarab chuckles. "Why yes! Black Raven would be a wonderbar name for you, Crystal!" he says into the ring. "Wait? Did you say you were in the cyberpapacy? Great Scott! What in heavens name are you doing there?"
Crystal smiles. "Remember the tiles we've been finding? We found 2 more here! Don't worry-- we'll be leaving as soon as we can! We've found a group of underground revolutionaries who have been helping us! They said that the Cyberpope is in league with the Sinister Brotherhood! That the two have been crossing back and forth into each other's realms in search of artifacts and other things! We haven't seen any Sinister Brotherhood here since we arrived, though. I'm glad you like my name! I'll tell the others!"
The Blue Scarab stands up alarmed. "Egads!" he says into the ring. "That explains it! Oh vile villiany! This is far more reaching than we had thought! I will speak immediately to Mr. Strange!" he says. "Please be careful, Black Raven. The cyberpapcy is no place to make a mistake!"
Crystal smiles, pleased, when Dirk calls her by her new Mystery Man-name, and is also pleased that she gave him some news that will help the Mystery Men!
"Don't worry! We're going to leave tomorrow! None of us want to be in this realm longer than we have to!" The Blue Scarab's last statement about "making a mistake" reminds her of the reason she's contacting him in the first place. Rather, an accident not a mistake. But a very happy accident! She hopes!
"I have some news to tell you, Dirk! We're both in such dangerous jobs that I didn't want to risk waiting to tell you until the next time we're together! I thought it would be important for you to know now...I'm not sure why, but I just felt it was so. Dirk..." she takes a deep breath, suddenly nervous, "I just found out...I am pregnant with your child! I am carrying your baby! I am happy. I know it must be a huge shock. I am being very careful with myself. Oh I hope you are happy, too!" she says, clutching the decorder-ring tightly in her hands and waiting with held breath.
The Blue Scarab blinks and sits down again. "My baby?" he says. "Egads!" he says into the ring. "Black Raven this is excellent news! I shall wish to see you as soon as possible! When can you return to the Nile? We have much to discuss!!"
Crystal exhales and sits back in relief, her eyes teary. "As soon as possible, Dirk. As soon as possible. We've been talking about making that our next destination. I'll see if I can convince the others! The tiles we found are a map to a place closer to where you are...we've talked about leaving the tiles in safe-keeping in another realm before going...I will keep you updated on where we are. Oh I am SO relieved and happy that you are happy!!" Crystal gives the ring a little kiss in her relief. "I love you, Dirk! You don't have to say anything back, but I just wanted to say that!" she beams, rubbing her mostly-flat tummy with a contented smile on her face.
Blue Scarab smiles and speaks to the ring. "Blue Scarab, Black Raven. This is an official channel." he says. "Now I must get back to fighting crime. It is a never ending job...but someone has to do it. Message me when you can, Black Raven. Blue Scarab out." he says. He looks over the city scape and smiles.
"Good-night, Dirk! Sleep well and be safe!" she says into the ring. "Black Raven out." she adds, and then switches off her ring with a little grin. That was fun using her new Mystery Man name! Oh he's happy she's pregnant!! Yeeay! What a relief! What a sweet man! She beams and runs her fingers across the long, long ribbon of new ticker-tape that she'll be adding to her beloved collection. Then her brow furrows and she gets a concerned look on her face.
'Oh no...Dirk can never leave Nile, and I always wanted to settle in Aisle when all of this is over! Oh but even if Dirk COULD leave Nile, would he want to? His life is being a superhero in Terra! He might slowly wilt if taken to another realm away from the other Mystery Men where he didn't know his purpose! Oh but there are many evil creatures to be fought in Aisle! He might find new purpose! He'd be PERFECT as a knight for the Queen! But...'
She feels huge guilt thinking of taking Dirk from his home-realm...but she doesn't want to settle there. It's just not her. She's not at peace there like she is in Aisle...except when she's in Dirk's arms. And she could never choose between him and Aisle! It would break her heart! And what about their baby! It needs to be with both of its parents! Oh gods...
Crystal covers her eyes with her hands and sinks down in her bed. She spends the night in sleepless turmoil.