I pulled out a slip of paper that said this week's prompt is: fatal Now it's time for you to slay everyone with your response!

I'm getting images of Jason and his femmes fatal(es)!

Prompt# 185-- Fatal ***************************************** The three of them watched from their hiding spot as Galactor soldiers scurried about the compound, running this way and that like ants whose anthill had been kicked over. All except the four well armed guards standing sentry at the underground tunnel. That was where they needed to go. Floodlights illuminated the stronghold, spots of blue-white glaring in the inky darkness. "That's it." Joe nodded towards the reinforced entryway. According to the blueprints they had seen, the door was at least three feet thick and more than likely there were more guards waiting for them on the other side. "We're running out of time..." Jun told them urgently, glancing over her shoulder. "I think we should storm them." Ken said, blue eyes quickly appraising the situation, Birdrang at the ready. "If we move now, they'll never know what hit them." "This could be a fatal mistake!" Jun whispered, crouched down next to him, ducking her head to avoid the search lights, even as she pulled out her yo-yo bomb. "We don't know for sure if it's the right location!" "Fatal for them you mean," Joe growled cocking his gun and locking a soldier in his sights. "Let's do it." "Jun, you're with me. Go high. " Ken told her. She nodded and began to move into position. "Joe......" "On it..." came the reply around a mouthful of shuriken. "Ready?" Ken asked rising smoothly to his feet, a fierce gleam in his eyes. "On three..."

Redbird: Get 'em team!

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RIgirl: He's certainly keeping her on her toes. A little healthy competition can be a good thing!

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mylari: Can't wait to find out who's behind this. Poor Jason, misery heaped upon misery! Mark and Princess are probably gonna pay for their amusement!

So, whoever planted the feather swimsuit had to be in the room while he was changing in order to steal his clothes that quickly.... So could still be in there, since they're unlikely to get out without being spotted!

My inner imp is too busy giggling with delight for me to speculate who's behind this!

lol - I think I know who did it, still working on the why... I giggled drawing the image and every time I write or read about Jason's plumage plight...

He was shivering even though only the hot spigot was on, and it was turned up all the way. He tilted his head so the water would hit the top of his helmet and run down his visor. Dried blood started rinsing off, coloring the water with streaks of red as it swirled down the drain. He grit his teeth as he tried to slow his breathing and stop the tears streaming from his eyes. Joe could've handled this, he thought, he's killed lots of Galactor goons without running away to cry like a little baby! So why can't I --? His breath sputtered just before the full-blown sobs came. He leaned against the nearest wall. He never heard the locker room door open, or the footsteps that quickened their pace. He did notice the other set of boots when they altered the swirling pattern at the drain. "It's not my blood." Jinpei's voice was flat as he answered the question he thought was coming. He didn't look up to see who was with him. "It won't come off unless you stand under the water." he heard the now-familiar Warsovian accent say. He felt a pair of hands grip him just below the shoulders and pull him under the showerhead. Then one hand let go just long enough to adjust the water temperature. "The others," the Condor impersonator said, "they think you ran away because you have no belly for this." Jinpei didn't answer. He just shivered. "Not as easy as beating a small woman, eh?" "Huh?" Jinpei said before he remembered his backstory, the foundation of his cover. "Killing for Galactor isn't as easy as beating your foster mother." "She deserved it." Jinpei wanted to kick himself for sounding so infintile. "And they didn't?" "They never bothered me." The fake Condor let out a grunt. "Look, life is fatal. What you do with that fact is your business. But you need to get some balls now because the others won't hesitate to throw you on the carcass pile to rot with the Rus embassy."

EW: Aw, poor Jinpei. At least he gets some unexpected semi-sympathy.

Wow, I'm so far behind on reading these! I'm totally lost. However, I definitely enjoyed reading all the latest installments despite that fact. Great work everyone! Hopefully, I can keep better track of everything from here on out!

RB -- love the image of Joe getting ready for action -- go, Joe! RI girl -- interesting interaction between Jun and RI -- I like the fact that RI gets more screen time, and (to mix my metaphors) some good press at the same time. I agree with Jun that he does have a certain "je ne sais quoi" type of charm. Mylari -- it doesn't matter if Jason isn't happy wearing feathers -- WE are! Oh man, that's one image to treasure. EW -- Jinpei is really growing up fast with this assignment, no?

//"How come you're on base on a Saturday evening?" asked Princess, getting back from work at the Snack J and finding Jason lounging in the ready room, magazine in hand, coffee on the table in front of him. "Hmmm? What?" he said absent-mindedly. "You know what -- don't avoid the question! What happened to Sofia? I thought things were going well between you two." Jason looked as if he didn't know how to phrase what he would say next. "Because she's dangerous," he said finally. Princess laughed. "Dangerous? That little Spanish girl? Don't be silly! I know you have a history with dangerous women, but Sofia has been vetted. Come on, Jason, she's NOT a Devil Star, if that's what you're afraid of." "She's fatal. Even her friends said so." Princess, more puzzled than ever, sat down beside him. "You lost me, mate. When did her friends tell you she's fatal?" "At a party. I met some of her old classmates from Spain, here for their studies. One of them took me aside, pointed at Sofia, and whispered 'muy fatal, amigo mio, muy fatal'. Now I don't speak Spanish, but I understand "fatal" when I hear it. Happy now?" Princess started laughing. Slowly at first, then so hard she had tears running down her cheeks. She gasped for breath, then hugged her team-mate tenderly. "Poor, poor Jason. Once or twice bitten, four times shy, that's what you are. Idiot, didn't you know that in Spanish, this is a compliment?"//

DT: LOL, poor Jason

DT - I don't speak Spanish either, so I can completely understand Jason's POV in this one. I'd probably think the same thing... Guess he needs to bring a translator with him LOL.

yeah, I agree, fatal in any language, sounds bad, how was he to know otherwise?

¡Qué baribaridad! Jason might have missed out on having a non-lethal lady for once!

Jason has no luck! Smart man to stay away from her though!

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KT: Oh boy, poor Joe. She's jealous then she's lying then she's proposed to! Worse, Ken's particularly noticed and he's going to get grilled afterwards! I'm a little surprised that Nambu would be so cavalierly be giving Joe the keys to an apartment to take his supposed high school-attending girlfriend to, but if this is early in the series I guess Joe is 18. Waiting to see if the next post starts with Joe's head exploding!