Run Red Rover

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It was a dark night with not much light coming from the waning gibbous moon. Our friends have been assigned the ultimate covert mission; they will head to Vendoland and back without being spotted by a single non-abstract algebraist.

They have been planning for hours and have taken every precaution conceivable. They have dressed completely in dark clothes with dark trench coats. 2e and Po have been assigned the dangerous task as the spies and they have enlisted two lookouts, J and S.

The plan is flawless. J and S will go on ahead acting completely natural. When the coast is clear, they will yell back the code phrase, "Run Red Rover." P and 2 will then proceed ahead, careful to stay in shadows and dashing to safe spots as needed.

The time draws near and J and S leave the safety of Purgatory. They approach the steps as they have done numerous times before. When it is finally safe, they whisper back the code. 2 and P tiptoe to the top of the stairs and creep down. Only a couple more short movements and they escape the oppression of the densely populated building into the fresh air outside. Our friends take an early breath of the night air as it seems the hard part is over.

P and 2 hide in the shadows cast by the building while J and S move ahead. They walk carefully across the sidewalk and S ducks into the nearest bush leaving only J exposed to the non-algebraist who walk past. After only a moment J looks around and does not see a single person. At that same moment 2 hears a door close in the distance. She looks around and sees a single woman leave the science building. For now the woman is too far away to see them, so 2 relaxes thinking they are not in danger.

J looks around again and to the dread of 2 and P he signals the "all clear". He whispers across the distance, "run red rover." 2 looks at P, then they look at the woman who is approaching and realize they cannot leave. 2 tries to point to the impending danger but it is no use, J does not see her. He raises his voice to a stage whisper and again proclaims "Run Red Rover." 2 and P become even more nervous and again try to point out the stranger walking in their direction. Sensing that it is no use, they crouch even lower into the shadows.

Frustrated J makes a final attempt at signalling our friends in the shadows and he yells out "RUN RED ROVER" just as the young woman walks past him. Panicked J looks at the woman and then looks to the bushes, where S is still hidden, and says, "I guess I'm not a very good spy."

Fortunately only J is spotted and the mission is not compromised.

Mission Impossible: VendoLand

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It's 10pm and hunger strikes our friends. They have all been up since 6am and are destined to remain in Hell for another 2 or 3 hours. 

Hell has no food, they will have to venture out. But to where? The snack bar is closed and they only have a few dollars for food. 

They muster up all their strength, whatever remains after the ravages of Hell, and muster all their bravery to go to the only place where they may find the remnants of food. It is located deep in the heart of the library and closely guarded by ... well, no one is really certain who they are, they only know that someone or something is out there and we can't see them. 

Their only hope of survival is to not be spotted on their trip to... VENDOLAND!

Fortunately, for our friends they knew many spy maneuvers that would help them reach their location safely. So, for the first time here are the ...


Top 10 Ways to Stay Undetected on a Secret Mission
10. Work in groups of at least 2; 3 is best, but no more than 5.
9. Dress entirely in dark colors.
8. Send one person (two at most) ahead to secure an area.
7. Don't tell others about the mission.
6. Have a code phrase to signal an all clear - like Run Red Rover.
5. Hide in shadows, behind trees and in bushes whenever possible.
4. Secure the help of a voice that no one else can hear, to warn you of danger.
3. If you fear being spotted, freeze in place so no one notices.
2. When others are in the area, become invisible by hiding flat against a wall.
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1. Make sure the other people on the mission would be good spies!

Purgatory Found

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Our unenlightened 'heroes' have found themselves in a place with no escape. They work till 2 am and must wake again by 6am. They begin to find comfort in Hell until one seemingly ordinary night, they are asked to leave.

Where should our friends go? If they do not finish what they have started they may stay trapped within the grips of Mij forever? 

Alas, with no options they wander hopelessly until they find a warm comforting room, smaller than Hell, with a protective shelter. A shelter, that to many appeared to be a table, but to our friends it was safety. The warmth of this new room was infinite in comparison to Hell. 

It became clear, on inspection, that this room was sacred, it was safe, it was Purgatory. A small beacon of hope before they had to return to Hell.

Using Purgatory as their base, 2e and Po venture to Hell to discover why they had to leave. Although grateful to have a place such as purgatory, they are aghast at what they found. 

Young students being initiated into a horrible math cult. Had they known, they may have been able to protect these kids from the evils of 'tutoring' but it was too late.

They returned to Purgatory hoping it's warmth could heal them. Instead, unbeknownst to them, it will become a source of conflict and jealousy.