Intro: Trained from a young age in the mystical arts, and keeper of the robe of the wizard Merlin, Rick Pennington uses his uncanny powers to protect Stevenson as The Adept.
The battle was waged. On the Quadrangle of Central Illinois University, Dragonfly and White Diamond threw punch after kick after powerful energy blast at the Nexers, people who were under the sway of a drug called Nex. The Nexers were possessed of amazing strength and resilience, which made them especially dangerous in a fight. Now, for some reason, they'd all converged on the Quad.
Ten to one were not good odds for anyone, Dragonfly mused as he kicked yet another Nexer in the face, knocking him away from a very concerned student. At least, he reflected, White Diamond had shown up to give him a hand. Twenty to one was even worse, and those light blasts of hers had quite a kick.
As they fought, Dragonfly occasionally glanced over at the young woman he was fighting with, wondering who she was under that mask. Once, their eyes locked for a brief second, before necessity drew them back to the melee.
It was getting tough to keep track of the bystanders, Dragonfly thought, before he was again districted. "Diamond, watch out!" One of the Nexers had come up behind her with a motorcycle of all things, and was preparing to smash her with it.
White Diamond, a thin-framed young woman dressed in white dazzle, with thick, curly black hair, crouched, and a barely visible shimmer sprung up immediately around her. The cycle hit, but the metal and rubber parts of the bike disintegrated immediately. The fuel tank combusted, knocking her assailant back 20 feet and into unconsciousness.
The crowd of Nexers was beginning to disperse; their hit must be wearing off. Dr Patel had shown him tests about its affect on the human body. It ran really rough for about an hour, and then quickly exited the system.
Dragonfly was more concerned about this sudden gathering and exodus. It was almost like they were under some sort of control.
"Dragonfly, Sirens!" White Diamond shouted. The campus police were coming. They'd round up what was left of the Nex flash mob. Amid cheering from the students they'd helped, Dragonfly prepared to take off. He'd managed to avoid questions from the Authority so far. Better to keep it that way. He had very little worry for White Diamond. She always managed to disappear. Turning to take off in the direction of Langley Hall and his dorm room, he was shocked to find someone standing basically in his face.
Dragonfly prepared to attack, but the young man, a brown-haired, bearded student in skinny jeans, a jacket, and sweater, held up a hand.
"Hey, bro, easy. I need your help. Both of you."
"Okay, you want to talk, let's do it elsewhere. I need to get scarce right now."
Dragonfly looked around nervously, but the police still hadn't made their way to the Quad.
He motioned White Diamond over.
"Uh, you know me, I guess," Dragonfly said, "this is White Diamond. We work together, sometimes..." he said tentatively.
"Yeah, I know. Name's Rick. Some people call me The Adept. If you'll talk this way, I can explain." Rick gestured toward a narrow corridor between two campus buildings.
Dragonfly nodded, and the trio moved between the buildings and out of general view. As soon as they were out of view, Rick moved his arm in a semi-circular pattern, and an image appeared in front of them. Dragonfly was immediately on the alert. "You wanted to go somewhere private? Here it is." With that, Rick walked into the image, and it was as if there were a door. From inside, Rick said "You guys coming?"
Hesitantly, first Dragonfly, then White Diamond walked through the portal, which closed instantly behind them. The room they were in had a couple couches and chairs, as well as an old desk. The only source of light was a window, which was largely molded over. The light was indirect; that window must be in a recessed well.
"My own secret HQ," The Adept said, pouring himself some tea from a pot on the desk.
White Diamond looked around. "There's no door!" she exclaimed.
Rick chuckled a little. "Not aside from the ones I make."
"I've heard of you," she said. "The Adept. I'd forgotten. You're some kind of sorcerer or something, right? I thought you were an urban legend."
"Hardly," The Adept said. "I'm as real as you, White Diamond."
Dragonfly was getting nervous. Adrenaline was still pumping from the battle, he really wanted to hit the skies and patrol, and it was almost dinner time. Aaron had an appearance to make in the cafeteria.
"What up, Rick?" Dragonfly asked.
Rick looked at Dragonfly, taking a sip of his tea, and said nothing for a few moments.
"I have certain powers," Rick began. "Powers of perception, powers of dimension. Some call it magic. Whatever it's called, its potential is unlimited. I, on the other hand, am quite limited. My skills are of a more subtle nature. The problem at hand requires a certain level of brute force."
Dragonfly folded his arms, but his wings twitched slightly. He didn't care for being thought of as a thug. But if this Adept was one of the good guys, and in need of help, the least he could do is listen.
"There's a proverbial 'storm coming'. Something big is on the horizon; I feel it like mystical ozone. The air is charged with it, growing more every day. Makes me edgy. Soon, very soon, I guess, there's going to be a situation that calls for both right and might. I need to be able to get in touch with you two, when it happens. I can get us to the right place at the right time. You and White Diamond can help with any resistance we meet."
"What kind of 'resistance'" White Diamond asked curiously, playing absentmindedly with a teacup near the desk.
"I have no idea, but let's face it. When things go wrong around here, there's usually a certain amount of the physical involved, and I deal mostly in the spiritual."
Dragonfly could see his point. Still, he was hesitant to give his true identity to someone he'd just met. He hadn't even told White Diamond his real name yet, nor had she done so for him, and they'd known each other for three weeks now.
His mind racing with ideas, Dragonfly was about to suggest disposable phones, when the light in the room decreased substantially. Turning around, he saw no more White Diamond, but a beautiful young lady, if somewhat plainly dressed in a T-shirt and jeans.
"You can call me if you need me, Rick," she said. "If you have a phone, I can send you my number now. The name's Emily Fine."
Dragonfly rolled his eyes. Well, so much for secrets. He reached up and untied his own mask, realizing it was the first time he'd shown anyone his true identity since he took up the wings. "Aaron Majesky, Langley hall."
Rick stood up, placing the empty teacup on the desk, and smiled at both of them. "My full name is Rick Pennington. In more public appearances, I go by The Adept!" Raising his arms in a flourish, a robe covered with mystic runes appeared around him, though his face was no more disguised than before.
The three stood together, silent, for a moment, as if an agreement had been made. They were no longer three heroes working alone. They were now a team.
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