Round Robin 18 by Star



 Stephanie frowned, as she thought over the day's event. Her and Holly

 had spent the day trying to piece together the strange events that had

 been occurring since all the girls on the list had agreed to meet.

 Shannon had disappeared, and now Raven had e-mailed her and told her

 someone had tried to kidnap Peter. Or was that catnap Stephanie

 thought again with a giggle.



 Shaking over her head how she could be thinking about making jokes at

 a time like this she resumed drying her hair. For some reason she was

 still so tense. She had thought a warm shower would relax her, but in

 fact she still felt like taut.



 Holly had spent most of the day looking over her shoulder, and had

 been obsessed with the fact that someone was trailing them. It had

 taken everything in Stephanie's power to convince Holly that she was

 imagining things.



 Of course now she wondered if she had begun to imagine things too. She

 had been positive that she had seen Eric Carr this afternoon. She had

 been looking around the Café where Holly and her had decided to eat

 lunch and seen him watching them. But this was impossible since Eric

 Carr was dead.



 Dropping the head towel into the laundry basket she opened the

 bathroom door and stopped wen she realised her room was pitch black.

 That was strange she was positive that she had left the light on, she

 thought suspiciously.



 Stephanie gasped when the bedroom lamp was flicked on, and she stared

 in shock at the man sitting on her bed.



 "Why is it I wonder women take so long in the bathroom?" The man mused

 and she continued staring, her mouth wide open.



 Stephanie closed her mouth and then closed her eyes, silently counting

 to ten and muttering "You are not real. You're just a figment of my

 imagination."



 Hearing a snort of laughter she stopped short. Figments of the

 imagination weren't supposed to laugh. Opening her eyes she glared at

 Eric Carr, who was sitting so nonchalantly on her bed, as if he didn't

 have a care in the world.



 "I can't believe you're not dead." She gasped and he shrugged holding

 out his arm.



 "You're welcome to feel me. I assure you I'm flesh and blood. All

 man." He drawled with a wicked grin.



 He yelped when Stephanie leant over and pinched him. Pulling away he

 glared at her when she nodded "You're right you're flesh and blood. A

 figment wouldn't make such a big fuss over a little pinch."



 "Well if you're going to be that way I won't tell you why I'm here."

 Eric sniffed, and Stephanie sighed, "I'm sorry okay. I'm just a little

 shell-shocked. It's not everyday I find a man who is supposed to be

 dead in my bedroom."



 Eric nodded "Well I wouldn't be here if you hadn't spotted me." He

 replied softly.



 "So that wasn't my imagination. You were following us. Why?" Stephanie

 asked.



 "For your own safety. As I'm sure you are aware strange things have

 begun to happen. Everyone in Kiss_Girltalk is in danger."



 Stephanie shook her head "Why would anyone be after us. We're only a

 list that talks about Kiss."



 Eric rolled his eyes "If only that was the case."



 Stephanie stared at him in confusion "What do you mean?"



 Eric stood up and began to pace the floor "Well for instance do you

 really think that you got this job because you're a good journalist?"

 Noticing Stephanie's angry expression Eric shook his head "Oh please

 you really believed that?"



 "I happen to be a damn good writer!" Stephanie said indignantly, her

 eyes darkening in anger.



 "Calm down there." Eric said hastily, as he noticed the fire in her

 expression. "I'm not saying you're not a good writer but that's not

 why you were chosen."



 "Well then why don't you tell me then?" Stephanie said before

 muttering under her breath "I'm sure you're going to anyway."



 "It's part of your destiny." Eric said, taking in Stephanie's opened

 mouthed expression.



 "My what?" She said, wondering if Eric was slightly crazy.



 "Your destiny. But it's not just you. Do you really think it's just a

 coincidence that all you girls are on this list?"



 "Well yeah actually I do." Stephanie said, watching Eric shake his

 head.



 "If it's not coincidence what is it then?" Stephanie said before

 answering her own question sarcastically "Let me guess its fate."



 "Exactly. Now you're beginning to get the big picture." Eric said,

 slapping his hand against his leg.



 "No I'm not really. Why don't I ring Holly and she can listen to this

 too." Stephanie said, beginning to reach for the phone.



 "You won't get hold of her." Eric said with a grim smile, making

 Stephanie pause and look at him.



 "Why not?" she asked, and he sighed in frustration "She's been

 captured. Peter wasn't the only one they were after tonight. Holly was

 also on the list of captures, and I'm sure she wasn't the only one

 either."



 "Captures.are you saying the person who was trying to kidnap Peter

 kidnapped Holly?" Stephanie asked, beginning to feel like she needed a

 strong drink.



 Eric nodded in frustration "It's my fault. I should have been watching

 her but needed to talk to you. I thought with her extra sensitive

 senses that she would be okay. But for some reason it was an easy

 capture."



 "Her extra-sensitive sense?" Stephanie asked weakly, groaning aloud

 "Are you telling me that Holly was right. Someone was following us

 today?"



 Eric nodded "Two of Buttercup's goons. I had to follow to make sure

 that they didn't capture Holly."



 Stephanie frowned "Why Holly? Why not me?"



 Eric grinned at her pique "You're a delicate."



 "A what?" She asked, making a face at the fact she was being called

 delicate.



 Eric sighed heavily "Let me begin with the fact that everyone on

 Kiss_Girltalk are not on the list by coincidence. You don't all love

 Kiss by coincidence. It's all been born into you, and it's been woken

 at different times in each of your lives. Every single one of you has

 some special ability. Holly's is supposed to be her keen sense of

 danger. There are others that can foresee things, others who can step

 through time. Then there are ones like you."



 Stephanie looked at him slightly dazed "Foresee the future- you mean

 like fortune tellers?"



 Eric shook his head "Not quite like that. Even stronger than that.

 Unfortunately Buttercup has a device that can prevent them from seeing

 what is going to happen in their lives or anyone else linked to Kiss'

 future. In fact he's so cleverly a device that will make them have

 false images of the future. A way of misdirection if you like."



 "Buttercup? I really need a drink." Stephanie murmured, moving over to

 the liquor cabinet, and beginning to pour herself one.



 Eric took it off her "No. You need a strong head. I haven't finished

 yet." Drinking the liquor in one gulp he watched Stephanie cock her

 head to one side.



 "You said others that can step through time? If that's so how come

 they've never mentioned it?"



 "They don't realise that they can.not yet anyway. Buttercup will be

 going after them first. Why do you think he stole Shannon? She is one

 of those time travellers. An incredibly strong one too."



 "And you said then there are others like me? And what do you mean that

 I'm a delicate?" Stephanie demanded to know.



 "First of all there are many different types. A delicate is one that

 has to be handled very carefully. Raven is one. Dynasty, Shandi, and

 Melissa are a few others."



 "Okay so why is she so delicate?" Stephanie asked.



 "A delicate draws their strength from the inside. I'm not quite too

 sure what her powers are but they are strong enough that Bez will not

 lay a hand on her."



 "And who the hell is Bez when he's home?" Stephanie asked in

 exasperation.



 "One of Buttercup's strongest enforcers.or so I have been told. I've

 never had the displeasure of meeting him."



 "And are there anymore as delicate as Dynasty, Shandi, Melissa, Raven

 and I? Or are we just the lucky ones?"



 Eric tutted "Sarcasm, sarcasm. Lady M is another, and so is Lorie.

 There are others I'm sure but I'm not aware of them."



 "So why am I a delicate? Can you at least tell me whatever power I may

 have?" Stephanie asked.



 "Ah yes. Bez also won't touch you." Eric murmured.



 "Who said I'd let him touch me?" Stephanie snorted



 Eric sighed "You see that is why Buttercup is leaving you to the last

 minute. You are too defiant. He'd have a fine time breaking you down.

 He does so like to break people."



 Stephanie scowled "Well I'd just have to tell him I'm not into that

 sort of thing."



 Eric frowned "This is serious damn it."



 Stephanie sighed "You still haven't told me my so called power and

 destiny."



 "You have the rage. I know there is one other that has it but I'm not

 too sure who."



 "The what?" Stephanie asked in surprise.



 "The Rage. You draw your powers from your anger. A deadly force to be

 reckoned with, and something you have had since you were born."



 Stephanie shook her head in denial "No I have no such thing. So I have

 a little temper. You've got the wrong woman."



 Eric arched his eyebrow "Have I? Tell me have you ever been so angry

 that you've just wanted the skies to open up and wreck havoc?"



 Stephanie frowned "So? Everyone wishes that sometimes."



 Eric nodded in consent "Yes but we both know that where you are

 concerned it has happened. The circumstances surrounding your birth is

 enough evidence."



 Stephanie shrugged "You mean the fact the valley flooded? That's

 nothing to do with me. I'm only going to tell you once again that

 you've got the wrong woman."



 Eric shook his head "I'm sorry maybe I was wrong. You're right the

 floods, the storms, the breaking glass, and the unfortunate incidents

 with ex boyfriends are just coincidences. I apologise and won't bother

 you again."



 Eric walked towards the door, smiling when Stephanie said softly "How

 do you know so much about me?"



 He turned and faced her "I've always known about you. You, Shannon,

 Raven, Holly and everyone else."



 Stephanie stood up and began to pace the floor "So why did I get this

 job then? What's my position in this?"



 Eric smiled wickedly "It was purely simple. I convinced Peter to get

 you the job."



 "I thought that Paul and Gene would have been more in charge of that.

 Why didn't you tell them to hire me?"



 Eric shook his head "They can't know that I am alive. Not yet anyway.

 If Buttercup ever found out I was still alive." His voice trailed off,

 and Stephanie sighed "So who is this Buttercup then?"



 "We don't know. He's a man of a million disguises, and can change his

 appearance with the blink of an eye. He has a particular birthmark

 though. In the shape of."



 "A buttercup right?" Stephanie asked and Eric nodded in approval "Very

 good you're learning. But we've gone off the track. I mentioned to

 Peter that we needed to keep a close eye on you, and the best way

 would be to hire you. All he had to do was mention your name and let

 Gene and Paul think it was their idea to hire you. It worked very

 nicely."



 Shaking her head Stephanie mused "I always thought I was different.

 And with the list it felt like there was a closeness, like a family."

 Turning to Eric she said, "What will Buttercup do if he captures us?"



 Eric said grimly "The worse things you could ever think of. Most

 likely drain you of your gifts. Could you imagine what he would do if

 he got hold of the power to step back in time? And the changes he

 would make? The first one would be that no Kiss ever existed."



 Stephanie bit her lip "And he has Shannon.didn't you say she was a

 strong time traveller?"



 Eric smiled "I have reason to believe she is no longer in his grasp,

 and if she was it wouldn't matter he has no idea that she is a

 traveller. He knows about Lorie, Raven and yourself. But won't touch

 you until he knows he can thwart you. Holly he is also aware of, and

 is a different matter. I fear he could hurt her greatly."



 "So what exactly does Buttercup want?" Stephanie asked curiously.



 "Power. To bring Kiss down to their knees and destroy us. Gene was in

 his grasp at one stage, and he will stop at nothing until he has all

 of us under his control again. He wants each of our powers."



 "Your powers.are you telling me the rumours are true?" Stephanie

 asked, looking at Eric in wonder.



 "Rumours?" Eric questioned, his gaze narrowing. "What have you heard?"



 Stephanie shrugged "Just that those so-called abilities in the comics

 were in fact real."



 Eric swore fluently, and Stephanie grinned, "So it is true. What are

 yours?"



 Eric shook his head "I can't tell you that. Tell me does everyone else

 believe that about us?"



 Stephanie smiled "I think it's just us girls on the list. I guess we

 knew. Must have been our keen instincts."



 Eric nodded "It would have been."



 "So what happens next?" she asked, still slightly bewildered by

 everything that she had been told.



 "Nothing. You don't tell anyone about me. Peter is the only one that

 knows you know. If Buttercup does discover that I am alive, and that

 you and Peter know about it then you would be in even greater peril.

 I'll contact you whenever I need to talk to you both." Eric said,

 tugging on his jetpack.



 Stephanie stared at the jetpack "So that was you that night."



 Eric nodded "It was. I was sure you hadn't recognised me though. That

 is why I didn't approach you to now."



 Stephanie shook her head over the craziness. Noticing him ready to

 leave she asked quickly "What about Holly? What can we do to help

 her?"



 Eric shrugged "It's out of my hands now. She will have to use her own

 wits to survive this one."



 Stephanie watched as he gave a jaunty little wave and dived off the

 balcony. Sitting down she bit her lip, and wondered what she had got

 herself into by agreeing to tour with Kiss. This could be the end of

 Kiss in more ways than one if Buttercup's plans worked. Tilting her

 chin stubbornly she was determined to make sure that it didn't.