| − | * ''' "Brian" ''', August 28, 2006. (SPECIAL Monday game, postponed from Sunday) | + | * ''' "Brian" ''', August 28, 2006. (SPECIAL Monday game, post-poned from Sunday) |
| − | ** ''RECAP:'' We open on the steps of the Capital Building with a crowd, a judge, a bible, Brian Jaffe and the words: "I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter: So help me God." <br> A month later, Brian is sitting behind his vice-presidential desk in the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OEOB Old Executive Office Building], behind a mountain of paperwork and with an army of staffers. Vivian's on her way out the door for a vacation while Brian's facing a dizzying number of tasks and struggling to prioritize them (including demands from the Sudanese government to return Zaida) when he gets Julie Young on the phone - she wants to get another lawyer to represent her against Daniel, but Brian persuades her to give him one more chance. A minute later, Monica's voice rings in his head - she's ready to talk about their deal in Seattle and Brian arranges to meet her for dinner later that night. <br> Before that meeting, though, Brian has to talk to President Cheney. The gruff man seems almost disarmingly harmless - asking Brian to head up national Kwanzaa celebrations because of his Jewishness - but he also debates recruiting Godlike into the armed forces and having them take point in Iraq and Afghanistan and he deftly evades the Milos/Maggie "procedure" when Brian mentions it. <br> That night, Monica shows up in a little black dress, fully ready to do whatever it takes to get her parents back from Milos' clutches. Brian learns a little about where they're from (Southern California) and what they've done (amateur jazz pianist), but little that will help him in his search; he also manages to resist Monica's advances, at least for now. That's when Arthur, Jack and Mandy show up for a planned poker game and Monica slips out the back for secrecy. She (accidentally?) leaves her black purse behind, though, and Jack notices but comments only to Arthur, who rifles through the purse at super-speed. Brian asks for everyone's help finding Monica's parents. <br> Days later, Joelle calls Brian at the office: she's ready for their lunch date. Just one problem: Brian is supposed to meet with the North Korean Ambassador now, a man it's dangerous to keep waiting. Indeed, no sooner does Brian sit down with the man than he explains that, in three days, North Korea will publicly open its arms to the Godlike: serve in the Korean army and reap huge monetary rewards. Brian points out the foolishness of this plan, but the Ambassador is adamant: unless the US undergoes full nuclear disarmament, North Korea will announce in three days time. That's when Brian's private phone rings.<br> On the line is Brian's father: a godlike has taken his mother hostage in Maine. A quick call sends Arthur racing to the scene, while Brian returns to the North Korean Ambassador. "My mother's been taken hostage a thousand miles north of here," Brian says. "I made one call and there's already someone on the scene to deal with the problem. That's not the US Government, that's just me. I'm not someone you want to screw with." The Korean Ambassador is non-plussed, but only offers a minor concession: "Family is important; go and help your mother. We can give you three weeks to resolve this and speak with your President." Brian wraps his secret service agents up in his gravity field and takes off for Maine. <br> Brian lands and quickly surveys the scene - the police have surrounded his grandmother's house; his mother is inside, her hands melded around the radiator and bleeding from the stomach, with Mongrel standing over her, leering; Brian's grandmother is with EMTs outside; and Humans First is trying to get the whole thing on tape from the bushes. A quick call to Jack brings Merlin online and solves the last problem, while a second call has Mandy blazing a path to Maine. Arthur tries to slip The Knife into Brian's hand, but Brian shakes his head. "I want to do this legally," he says. "I want the bastard to stand trial." Arthur's reply is short: "I have no interest in taking him alive." | + | ** ''RECAP:'' ??? |
