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A young man walks into Captain Fawcett Spaceport and breathes a sigh of relief. He was wearing a red and blue t-shirt with a spider design on it, with a brown jacket over it, and a pair of khaki pants. The man was wearing gloves, but that was not suspicious during November in the Midwestern United States. He was grateful for the uneventful flight from Legion World to Earth and he was happy to be able to turn on his phone on again. His expression darkened as it would not turn on.
"Do you need any help, Sebastian?" A familiar voice said. He turned his head upward and saw Emily Sivana. She was wearing a black t-shirt with a lightning bolt insignia, with a white and gold jacket over it, and a pair of jeans.
"Why isn't it working?" Sebastian asked. He handed his phone to her. She fidgeted with the buttons for two minutes before handing it back to Sebastian.
"I think the battery is dead. You're going to have to buy a new phone in Fawcett City," Emily stated.
Sebastian asked, "Do you think we will get the permits?"
"I know we will get the permits. My father works for the Secretary of State now," She said.
Sebastian asked, "How are things between you an your father?"
Emily paused,"Better. We both want them to be better so therefore they are better." She decided to change the subject, "I heard you got a place in Charltonburg. How do you like it so far?"
"It's really great. I enjoy the pink sunsets..." He was interrupted mid-sentence by the appearance of another of their travel mates.
-------------------- Go with the good and you'll be like them; go with the evil and you'll be worse than them.- Portuguese Proverb
From: Illinois | Registered: Jun 2010
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"Wait until we get to the Philippines, then." The air shimmered as Invisible Brainiac appeared. He had on a black collared shirt with a small yellow patch on the sleeve that showed a map of the Philippines. It went well with his light yellowish skin and the small eyes that betrayed his Asian heritage. He, too, wore a pair of jeans, and had a small backpack. He also wore a wide grin, looking much like a teen who'd just been allowed to drive his first car. "You both got my itinerary?"
"Yes. It was quite long." Emily said. "But thank you for your extensive research."
IB grinned again. "I hope it didn't bore you, but I've always been fascinated by everything to see on Earth. Promised myself I'd see it one day, after escaping the corporate takeover. I can't believe we finally get a chance to be back!"
"We're not here purely on pleasure, though, remember that." Sebastian pointed out. "The LMB and Legion World need us to give them a good report on the state of Earth."
"All the more reason to really go all out and enjoy ourselves," IB winked. "Hey, we have cash, we'll have no problems getting around, and..." - he pulled out his omnicom for emphasis - "we have all the information we could possibly need. What more could you ask for?"
He put his hands on his lower back and stretched. "Besides, after all that's been going on, I could use a break."
Both Emily and Sebastian paused for a moment, to see if IB would elaborate further. He didn't.
"So," IB said, "where's the rest of our party? I'm ready to get this show on the road!"
"Well," Sebastian said, "they should be here any minute..."
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Angdar circled where the others were. Flapping his wings lightly to simply keep himself afloat...more riding the air currents than anything.
I'm really glad they let me come along, he thought as he pulled his wings in a bit.
He came in fast, at least to what most people would think, and lifted gently up a few feet before landing in front of the three that had already gathered.
He was dressed in a cut off white t-shirt that had been specially made for him to accommodate his wings. He wore a pair of Beige pants and boots. He stretched his shoulders forward a little as his wings folded in.
"Thanks again for letting me come with you guys on this trip. There are so many stories and myths surrounding Earth that any chance to actually come here is a real trip for me," he said rather fast. Stumbling over several words. He was nervous, and felt oddly comfortable around this group. They were all close to him in age, most (if not all) were older than he was. He had also spent most of the last three years in military training to be a Thanagarian Wingman.
He closed his eyes as his mind flashed back to Thanagar and the things that had led to him being here on Earth. He opened them and saw that the three were looking at him. "Sorry...memories of some not so good times."
He whipped his head around looking for something. "Who's hungry?" he said flashing a wide smile and motioning to a food vendor nearby.
Registered: Sep 2011
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"I know I am," said a voice and they turned to see their last companion, Renly Fox, leaning on the ship with an apple in his hand. "But I recommend you hold off on filling your bellies now since there are much better restaurants to be fond within this infamous city."
He stepped forward with a wolfish smile on his face, genuinely pleased to meet his companions. He wore a black hat with one side flapped upwards on the right, and the other down normally; draped across his shoulders was a collared red cape that opened up to reveal a splendid red and green vest and pants. Underneath was a white shirt with the top buttons opened. He was thin but muscular and clearly much older than the rest, somewhere a little over. Yet the curly brown hair falling out the back of his hat revealed no gray hairs at all, and his pencil thin moustache and pointed chin bear were brown with hints of red. Emily and Sebastian, who had many conversations on Terran history in the past, exchanged a look: he appeared to be something right out the Tudor era of England.
"Let me say first its an honor to meet you all, and you have my deep thanks for allowing me to accompany you," he bowed slightly as he said so. "Journeying to Earth with a small cadre of Legionnaires is an excellent way to get to the head of the line, and as a show of thanks, I offer any services I can provide us throughout the trip." As the four of them took their measure, they noticed he cleary had a rapier sticking out on his belt on the left side and on his right was a thermo-blaster holstered securely.
Sebastian bluntly stated the obvious: "Who are you?" he said.
"Renly Fox," he replied immediately, "humble spice merchant who is excited to see the sights and wonder of the mother-planet, Earth."
Emily Sivana, whose intelligence and cleverness were common among her family, knew immediately this was a lie. But she said nothing as so far, it was a harmless one.
"Welcome aboard Renly," said Invisible Brainiac, extending his hand to shake it. "Cobie told me a little bit about you and said you were trust worthy. That's enough for me."
"Excellent," said Renly. "Three of you I recognize from the holo videos for your adventures and exploits and the fourth I look forward to meeting."
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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The fivesome soon found themselves in a quaint little diner in the heart of Fawcett City.
"Wizard Burgers? What an interesting name," said Angdar.
Sebastian glanced at Emily; he knew about her family's history with the wizards. The girl genius said nothing.
IB took out a piece of photo paper and waved his hand. A few moments later, a picture developed on it. He carefully inserted the developed picture into the album he brought along with him. Renly looked on with interest. "That's a very clever application of your powers, young man. None of your holo videos mentioned that."
IB regarded Renly for a bit, then smiled. "I don't usually show off everything that I can do in battle. Being able to surprise my opponents has saved my life many times before." He fingered his side as if tracing a scar. "I don't mind letting my trusted teammates know, though." There was an emphasis on "trusted".
Renly nodded, as if in understanding.
"By the way, has Everyday Girl replied to you?" asked Emily.
IB shook his head. "Haven't heard. Too bad, she'd be a lot of fun to have along."
Their food arrived just then. Angdar looked at his burger curiously. "What is it made of?"
"Haven't seen anything like that yet, huh?" IB said. "Don't worry, it's actually pretty tasty. You Thanagarians eat beef, right?" IB took a large bite, and his burger dripped ketchup and mustard.
Sebastian stroked his chin as he tasted his. "That is some delicious beef. I wonder where they import it from."
"Fawcett City has its own ranches," Emily explained. "We're highly self-sufficient. It seemed a practical way to go, given how large we've grown."
"Your family has deep roots here, I believe?" Renly asked. Or rather, commented. Both IB and Emily could tell he already knew about the Sivana family history.
Still, Emily humored him. "Yes, we go back a long, long time. That is why I will handle the itinerary for this segment of our tour."
"I look forward to that," Renly said.
Angdar, who had tentatively taken the first few bites of his burger, was now devouring it with gusto. "This is succulent!" he said between bites. "I should recommend that Legion World include this in its cafeteria menu."
"Hey, say cheese, everyone!" IB said as he held out another piece of paper. With a flash, he recorded the first of many memories they would create on their trip.
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Emily Sivana led the group towards the Sivana Mansion. They passed the Yzgartylian consulate and turned onto a street which was clearly revitalized recently. They hit the road block in the form of a tour group of tourists.
The tour guide said,"This is the famous Sivana Mansion. The original was completely destroyed in a battle between the Wizard's Champion and Thaddeus Sivana III. His wife, Olga--" She was interrupted by Emily Sivana.
"His wife's name was Tatiana Sivana nee Godunov, which explains the Russian influence on this building. The church across the street was heavily financed by Thaddeus after she complained about the lack of churches in a predominantly Eastern European neighborhood," She explained.
The tour guide blushed, "Have you been here before?"
"Yes, I live here. Can we please get through?" Emily asked. The tour guide motioned for the group to make a path for the group of five. She rang the door bell three times before there was an answer.
"Emily! It's been so long," Venus exclaimed as she hugged her niece.
"It's only been a month since Georgia's wedding..." Emily said.
Venus replied, "I know, Rex Wilson was a good choice for a husband. But please, all of you, come on in," The group went inside the house. The exterior seemed to reflect the interior very well and was decorated with heirlooms and gifts throughout the centuries. Invisible Brainiac paused for a minute at a glowing green vase behind glass. Is that what I think that is?
"I'm sure it's just a diamond," Renly commented in a hushed tone.
Sebastian whispered, "I own a mineral company. Trust me, that is not a diamond."
"...and so you can get the permits from your father's office tomorrow. Tonight he's meeting with the ambassador from Punkus," Venus said to Emily. Before she even asked, Venus continued, "Your uncle is staying with Georgia and Rex in Switzerland. But don't worry, we will find you a husband soon enough. It's too bad James turned out to be your third cousin on your mother's side. I like James."
Emily said weakly, "Yes, Aunt Venus. What are we having for dinner?"
-------------------- Go with the good and you'll be like them; go with the evil and you'll be worse than them.- Portuguese Proverb
From: Illinois | Registered: Jun 2010
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Angdar had fallen slightly behind the others. His eyes darting from one heirloom to another. He had not seen things like this on Thanagar. These types of artifacts were hoarded by the rich and powerful of Thanagar. He blushed a little at the realization that he was in a house of a rich and powerful family on Earth.
He was still carrying his bag. He had not allowed anyone else to help him with it. He set it down gently on the ground and turned to wander towards another display.
He was engrossed in a painting on the far wall when he heard Invisible Brainiac grunt behind him. "What do have in this thing Angdar?" He said as he struggled to lift the bag only inches off the ground.
"Oh, sorry IB," Angdar said and moved quickly to help his new friend by grabbing the bag from him.
Invisible Brainiac felt the bag lighten as soon as Angdar put his hand on the strap, and was amazed to see him fling the bag onto his back like it weighed nothing.
Angdar Fel noticed the puzzled look on his face. "I brought a few weapons along," he said. "A Wingman never goes anywhere without being prepared."
"That thing weighs a ton...I mean like a literal ton..."
"Kind of," Angdar said as he and Invisible Brainiac turned and started walking to catch up to the others. "I have a collection of Nth metal weaponry. Without the correct Genetics, they weigh a lot...a whole lot, but with the correct dna graphs, they weigh next to nothing."
Invisible Brainiac nodded. He had heard of Nth metal weapons from Thanagar, and that they had strange properties. "That explains that, he said as they caught up to the others.
Registered: Sep 2011
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"One thing I love being on Earth is that few people recognize us," IB whispered to Sebastian and Angdar. They were relaxing in the Sivana Mansion's sauna. IB was lying down, eyes closed, a big smile on his lips.
"I would have thought the fame you earned would be appealing," Angdar said curiously. "Don't you enjoy the adulation of the crowds?"
"It can be nice, sometimes," Sebastian pointed out. "And sometimes, it can get tiring. I like having a good reputation, but I don't like being followed around and mobbed wherever I go."
"Unless you're being followed by a crowd of scantily-clad women," IB teased. He caught himself quickly, though. "I'm just kidding, Sebastian. I know it's not very moral."
Sebastian just gave a nod. He had high moral standards for himself, but he also did not enjoy imposing them on others. Besides, the relaxed atmosphere wasn't conducive to arguments.
Angdar laid down as well, stretching himself out, though keeping one eye open. Force of habit from his military training, IB thought. "I have never experienced anything like this on Thanagar," he shared. "And I likely would not until I reached the higher ranks of the army. Right now, I would not leave this place for any less than four scantily-clad women. Just joking, of course," he added with a smile. "I am not as hungry as Invisible Brainiac."
"I don't think anyone here is," added Sebastian.
IB laughed a little at that. "I'm no angel, but... that's a story for another time. Right now, I just want to enjoy the luxury. We'll be hitting some rough places later on." IB reclined once more. "I can't wait."
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An unremarkable man stood outside the Sivana Mansion, pretending to listen to the tour guide. He was the type most people would dismiss as an average man: average height, average looks, average clothing. The perfect spy.
OF the five figures who'd entered a while ago, three were known to him. Those three were cause for alarm; all high-profile members of the LMB. A fourth was a Thanagarian wingman. The fifth looked of no consequence, but could not be ignored based on the company he kept.
His orders were clear. Observe, but do not engage unless there is cause.
He would not stand a chance, anyway. If there was cause, heavier artillery would have to be brought out.
He walked silently along beside the tour group, acting the part of a somewhat bored young man. All the while, his sharp mind recorded everything he saw.
After being closed off for so long, Earth would not open up so carelessly.
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Emily had a nice long chat with Venus about potential husbands. Venus was sore about not being able to make a match between Emily and James, but knew the family needed some out breeding. She took out a book and Emily pretended to be interested in the conversation.
"How about this one? The tattoos are a little unsettling but the matchmaker assured us he was of good breeding," Venus suggested.
"Uncle Lex forbid us to associate with Green Lantern villains after that incident this summer," Emily pointed out.
Venus paused to collect her thoughts, "You are correct, let me take him off the list. However, if we flip the page we get a handsome young man." She flipped the page to reveal photograph of a man with a violet aura around him. It was signed Hal Ferris.
Emily vaguely remembered the name and then commented, "Hal Ferris of Ferris Sweeteners? Sebastian introduced me to him at some business function, but I don't know him at all. He does not seem the type for love."
"This is not about--" Venus was interrupted by the sudden appearance of Invisible Brainiac. He was a bit surprised when she was not frightened and simply put aside the book.
Invisible Brainiac asked, "Have we decided on sleeping arrangements?"
Emily said, "Yes. You are going to room with Sebastian and Renly will room with Angdar."
"That's a wise decision. I have noticed takes awhile for Sebastian to trust people," Invisible Brainiac said in agreement.
-------------------- Go with the good and you'll be like them; go with the evil and you'll be worse than them.- Portuguese Proverb
From: Illinois | Registered: Jun 2010
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"...the connecting flight boarding for Tokyo has been delayed for twenty-four hours due to weather conditions," The loudspeaker announced. A young man who couldn't have been older than twenty-three walked out the Captain Fawcett spaceport in disgust. He had been sent to re-establish ties between the yakuza organizations on Legion World and Earth. His superiors in Tezukaville were anxious to untangle the twisted ties that bound the two groups of organized criminals. He wore a t-shirt with a phoenix logo and a pair of jeans.
He walked down the street and entered the Binder Subway Station. The young man bought a subway ticket and got on a train. He decided to find a cheap hotel to spend the night and see if any business could be done in this tiny city the next morning.
"Hey, buddy! Do you want a flier?" An energetic man asked. The flier was for a local concert by a band the young man had never heard of.
"No thank you," The young man replied. The solicitor forced a flier into his hands and was going to give a sales pitch, when the young man formed darkness into a solid knife and cut it into tiny pieces.
"What the--?" The solicitor said in fear. He backed away slowly from the young man as if he were a demon.
"Leave me alone or next time you will lose a finger," The young man demanded. The solicitor was relieved when the train stopped and the doors opened. Nobody bothered the young man for the rest the trip. ~~~
Sebastian was not happy. He had a feeling he would not be happy until he bought another phone. He was happy when the bedrooms were assigned because the Sivana Mansion was unnerving to him. The mixture of ancient heirlooms and futuristic technology was a bit overwhelming.
Venus had assigned him a room that had not been used for a long time. He was happy to see a phone, but it did not have buttons but a strange circular shape on top. Phone, TV, Dresser, Two beds...two beds?
-------------------- Go with the good and you'll be like them; go with the evil and you'll be worse than them.- Portuguese Proverb
From: Illinois | Registered: Jun 2010
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Renly Fox had drifted away from the others, taking time to explore Sivana Mansion. Specifically, he wanted to take in all of the wonderful artifacts and paintings they had on display. Renly knew many of them by sight alone and the realization of that made him laugh; who would have thought he'd be an expert in art and antiquity? Though considering how he gained that expertise, it made it seem more reasonable.
"Mr Fox, I see you are delighting in the Sivana family heirlooms," said a voice and Renly turned to see Emily's Aunt Venus entering the room with his young companion in tow. They had not expected to see him in here as they were crossing through the Mansion.
"Emily, good companion, why have you not introduced me to this ravishing creature?" he said heartily, grabbing Aunt Venus' hand and kissing it, then bowing deeply. "Forgive me for being so forward madame, but I do believe cupid has struck me deep just now."
Aunt Venus blushed. "Flattery will get you everywhere," she replied.
Emily Sivana found the entire exchange a little weird. "Renly, you don't even know if she's married," she said.
"Nor do I care," he smiled again, this time a wicked wolfish grin that Emily did not like but caused Aunt Venus to smile.
"I'll leave you with your dashing companion, then," said Aunt Venus exiting the room slowly, as Renly watched her leave.
Emily Sivana eyed him carefully, taking his measure again and trying to figure out what his purpose was for being on this trip. "What makes you so interested in this room?" she asked. "The others were off enjoying time in the sauna."
"I enjoy a nice suana as much as the next," said Renly, "but I couldn't pass up a chance to see many of these items again."
"Again?" she asked, surprised.
"Of course. I once was in possession of them, though never the owner." He flashed that wicked grin again. "Somebody had to get some of these artifacts to Earth for the willing the buyer. 29th Century paintings carry a hefty price on the black market, after all. It's not so much the painting I'm remembering, but the way I spent the money afterwards..."
He laughed to himself and then he too left the room, trailing where Aunt Venus had gone a few minutes earlier.
Emily wasn't sure she was too happy with what she just learned. Is he a smuggler, then? she thought. Sebastian would not like this at all.
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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He walked around the house for a while, hearing conversations happening somewhere nearby.
[I]None of my business[I/] he thought as he saw some ancient weaponry in one of the rooms. He entered and admired the shields, swords and other weaponry around the room. The suits of armor were amazing to him, as a flier, he could not imagine wearing something so cumbersome. He could see the benefit for a walker, but he needed freedom.
He found his bags in a room and dug through them, finding a tank top. he threw it on and changed his shorts. He quickly exited the room and tried to get his bearings to the outside.
As he moved throughout he house, he almost ran right into Emily and her Aunt Venus. "I'm so sorry," he said, "I just kinda need to stretch my wings outside and take a quick little fly around."
Aunt Venus nodded. "Just through that room there is the door you are looking for," she said pointing to a door to his left.
"Thank you Ma'am."
He turned to leave and then glanced back. "Hi Emily."
He then continued through the doors and outside.
Once outside, he stretched his wings out and sighed. They had been starting to cramp a little, being kept furled up for so long. Aside from the quick flight around the station, he had not had a chance to just fly around and enjoy himself.
He looked around and judged the breeze and then brought his wing in close to his body and slipped his shoes off. He then started running across the grass until he was sprinting and jumped as high as he could. Close to 20 feet into the air before he let his wings unfold again and catch the air. He was whipped backwards and twisted his body to begin his flight proper.
Forgetting all his training, he smiled widely and shouted in a bit of excitement. Flying for him was different than the others in the Wingman Academy. They flew because it was part of the job, but he enjoyed it in a way that even other natural fliers without wings could not. The wind flowing through his feathers felt great.
He had also let his hair grow a bit since he left Thanagar. He had kept it short while there, due to training regulations...but now that he was free of them, he let it grow somewhat out of rebellion to those that had enforced the rules. All the rules, written and unwritten.
He flew higher and higher. The cold that came with the higher atmosphere not bothering him at all. Part of his mutation...he was built for this. He was naturally able to withstand the cold in the upper atmosphere. His skin was tougher than most anyone. His eyes were sharper than anyone he knew...except maybe the Daxamites he had heard of.
He arced down towards the city and decided he was going to have some fun.
Registered: Sep 2011
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Invisible Brainiac strode cheerfully into the room he'd be sharing with Sebastian Sage. Plopping his backpack down on the floor, he leaped onto the unoccupied bed with a happy sigh.
On the bed beside him sat a quiet Sebastian. He looked to be concentrating.
IB turned to Sebastian, waving a hand in front of his face. No reaction. He paused; he knew about Sebastian's powers and the havoc it played with his memories and perceptions.
Perhaps being on Earth was overwhelming him, a little.
Sebastian would probably never be his best friend, since the two young men shared such varied interests. Still, IB got along well with him and already considered him a friend.
And friends knew when their friends needed some alone time.
*************************************************
Sebastian opened his eyes, his mind much clearer now. It helped to take time to sift through his thoughts and memories.
Glancing towards the clock, he muttered to himself. It was still mid-afternoon. He really needed to adjust to the different time zones on Earth.
He stretched, then stood up to head to the restroom. It wouldn't do to sleep now and be unable to wake up tomorrow.
He was mentally listing down the things he needed to accomplish when he noticed the note taped to the bathroom door. "Sebastian,
Funny how we're still writing to each other even when we're roommates, huh?
I noticed you were meditating a while ago. Are your memories bothering you again? You seemed quite peaked at the stimuli here on Earth.
I don't really know everything you're going through, so I don't know if I'll be much help, but if you want some soothing experiences in Fawcett City, here's something you might like.
The Fawcett City Floating Garden is a treasure renowned planetwide. It boasts of some of the most intriguing flora, arranged by habitat. Butterflies, songbirds, rabbits and other native Earth fauna are given free reign to dart around. Enjoy this slice of Earth beauty to the tunes of the Fawcett City Orchestra and wonderful fireworks designs of Hoshi Pyrotechnics.
I'll be heading there at 6:30pm to catch the sunset - I hear it's an awesome view. Care to join me?
IB
PS I also left notes for Emily and the others. But you can meet up with us later on if you want some solitude. I just thought you might want to watch the show alone together, if that makes sense."
Tacked to the note was a brochure and map leading to the Garden.
Sebastian paused for a moment, then smiled. Looks like rooming with IB wouldn't be so bad after all.
posted
IB streaked through the sky, eyes closed, hands outstretched. He was wearing only shorts and his trademark prism necklace.
He also had on a visual illusion of sunglasses. He didn't actually need them - his light powers could lessen the glare from the sun. But he thought they'd look cool.
In the past two hours, he'd taken a dip in the city pool; zipped through the Fawcett City Planetarium; jogged to the top of the mountains overlooking the city; and sampled some more authentic Earth cuisine (Tawny Hotdogs - the Best Hotdogs in America!).
This was the life he had dreamed off before he joined the LMB. Just jetting from place to place, not worrying about money or hotel bookings or travel times. Unlike some of the others, he truly relished his powers. Before he'd gained them, he never thought he'd be able to do this.
Taking out his omnicom, he checked his to-do list. He'd accomplished in just two hours what it would take anyone else a day and a half to do.
Next up was the Fawcett City Aquarium; then he'd head to the Floating Garden where hopefully Sebastian and the others would join him. For the evening, the old Haunted Railway Tunnel.
But first...
He zipped on over to the beach. He'd worked out this morning, and he was feeling pretty confident in himself. Maybe he'd find someone interested in a nice day around town.
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