Technically, the 70's didn't look too different from 2016. Obviously people didn't dress the same—but no one seemed to think their group stood out—and there were no cell phones or anything, but otherwise it was pretty much the same. But Ramona knew she was in the 70's, and that's what made it cool.

Ray didn't seem to believe it either. The two walked side-by-side, both looking around in awe. "This is unbelievable," he said with a laugh, "1975."

"Right?" Ramona agreed, nudging him with her elbow. Behind them, Professor Stein was talking about science or something, Ramona didn't know. She was tuning him out, too busy having fun to listen to his science talk.

"I've never been to 1975," Rip said, his hands in his coat pockets. "It's rather colorful."

"Were you expecting it to be subdued?" Ramona asked. "It's the seventies, Rip! Bell bottoms and flower power! This is the furthest thing from subdued!"

Rip looked at her, eyebrow raised. "Yes, you are...correct," he said. The group approached a set of stairs heading up to the rather impressive-looking college where Professor Boardman worked.

"So, where can we find Professor Boardman?" Kendra spoke up from behind them. She seemed just as in awe as Ramona. Though, they weren't that far apart in age, the 70's was like ancient history for both of them. Even though Kendra did reincarnate, neither she nor Carter said anything about living through the 1970's. Which, if Ramona was a reincarnating hawk demigod, she would talk about eras she'd experienced all the time. So she was pretty confident that Kendra had never seen this before either.

Rip turned back a little to answer her. "In his lecture hall," he said, "Come on." He started jogging up the stairs, leading them to where Ramona assumed Boardman's lecture hall was. The rest of the group followed.

—

The lecture hall was empty when they passed through. Not a single person was in sight, despite the dozens of desks. Class must not be in session, Ramona thought.

Rip led them to the front of the room, where an office door stood partially open. Inside the office, an older-looking man sat with his head pillowed on the desk, either asleep or dead. Ramona really hoped he was just asleep.

Kendra seemed to jump to the worst conclusion. "Oh man, we're too late," she said, her shoulders slumping in disappointment.

Rip tapped on the door, leaning in. The man started, sitting up abruptly and adjusting his glasses. He had curly whitish hair, and, while older, had few wrinkles. He looked kind. "I'm sorry," he said, taking in the group in front of him. When his eyes landed on Kendra and Carter, they widened. He stood, approaching them. "You. Both of you." He moved as though he was going to reach out to them as he looked between them. Kendra and Carter looked at each other, frowning.

Carter asked, "You know who we are?"

"I've been studying you my whole life," Professor Boardman said, his eyes still wide in awe. "Ever since, as a child, I first heard the story of Chay-Ara, High Priestess of Horus, the hawk god, and her lover, Prince Khufu. I hoped and prayed this day would come."

"Well then, looks like we came to the right place," Rip said. A bit of an understatement, Ramona thought, but she kept her mouth shut.

Professor Boardman looked at him with a frown. "I'm sorry, who are you?"

"A fellow historian," Rip said, taking a breath, "here to discuss another passion of yours: Vandal Savage."

Boardman looked back towards the hawks. "There's no way of telling your story without telling his also," he said. "Come, I'll show you my research."

He led the group back into the main lecture hall, gathering some books and papers along the way. Ramona couldn't help but be intrigued by the story. Neither Carter nor Kendra had said anything about how they became reincarnating hawk demigods. She wasn't sure if they just didn't remember, or if they didn't want to talk about it. Either way, Ramona wanted to know more, and it looked like Boardman would be able to tell them.

"Four thousand years ago," the Professor began, "Vandal Savage was a priest, secretly in love with a priestess." He turned to Kendra. "You. Or rather, you in your first life. But you were in love with another." His gaze shifted to Carter. "Prince Khufu. Savage, or Hath-Set as he was then known, learned of the affair and was consumed with jealous rage."

Carter turned to Kendra with a smirk. "You believe me yet?" She just rolled her eyes at him.

Boardman continued as though Carter hadn't said anything. "-Which drove him to murder you both. And prayed for the hawk god, Horus, to damn the objects of his hate for all eternity. But Chay-Ara had a prayer of her own: that Horus would protect them forever. But another life was bound to theirs by accident."

"Savage's," Kendra said. "That's why he wants us both dead."

Boardman nodded. "My theory is that the three of you were exposed to the same radiation by the meteorites that fell that night."

"We all share the same power," Carter said, as though he'd just realized it.

"And every time he kills you," Boardman agreed, "it passes to him. That's what maintains his immortality."

Professor Stein blinked. "That's impossible," he said.

"That's where you draw the line?" Ramona turned to him, eyebrow raised.

"Unless," Ray said to Stein, "the meteorites contained a mutative element, like the particle accelerator that caused your powers."

Stein nodded to him, as if suggesting that he had a point, then turned to Boardman again. "But without evidence, you're asking us to take you at your word."

"It's not my word," Boardman objected. He indicated the hawks, who both looked at him in confusion. "It's theirs. But you still don't remember me, do you?"

"We knew you in our past lives." Carter said, which was a really obvious statement in Ramona's opinion. She'd figured that out, come on Carter.

"You've told me your entire story," Boardman said, moving towards another pile of papers, "stretching back through the ages, but when I first knew you, it was after World War I, and your names were Joe and Edith." He pulled something out of a folder, and moved back to stand in front of Kendra. "Edith Boardman."

Well, Ramona hadn't guessed that. Kendra hadn't either, and she frowned, examining Boardman's face. "Wait, I... We were related?" she asked. "I don't remember you, I'm sorry." She shook her head.

"Don't be," Boardman said, with a small smile. "You always warned me that if I ran into you in your next life, you might have forgotten me." He held up what looked like a photo, handing it to the hawks. "That's us at the World's Fair." His gaze was firmly on Kendra's face as he said, "You're just as beautiful as I remember you, Mother."

Also completely unexpected.

"How old were you when..." Carter trailed off, not willing to say the words, apparently.

"You two were murdered?" Boardman finished. He must have had time to get over and deal with his parents' murder, whenever it was. "Ten. My whole life, you taught me to be careful, to keep moving, always one step ahead of Savage, but after tracking you for four thousand years, he'd gotten good. He found us in the middle of the night at a fleabag motel in North Carolina. You hid me in the closet, made me promise that no matter what I heard, I'd stay put. And I did."

"Holy shit..." Ramona breathed. "That must have been terrible."

Boardman nodded, glancing at Ramona. She saw the pain still left in his eyes, and swallowed thickly. She couldn't imagine what that experience was like.

Rip took a step towards Boardman and the hawks. "Sorry to interrupt you...family time," he said, seemingly also blindsided by the idea that past-Kendra and Carter were Boardman's parents, "but we were hoping you could tell us a bit more about Savage's current whereabouts."

Boardman blinked, then said, "He hides in the shadows, never drawing too much attention, but every lifetime, placing himself near the seat of power," He turned on a projector, which showed several images of leaders, with Savage circled in the background. He wasn't very attractive, if you asked Ramona, "sowing seeds of destruction. Who remembers the name of the man who whispered in the ear of Gavrilo Princip and convinced him to start World War I?"

"Why?" Ray asked, "What does he get out of that?"

It was Stein who answered. "The more the world is focused on destroying itself," he said, "the less it notices an immortal psychopath in its midst."

"Oh, we're sure he's a psychopath, then?" Ramona asked. "Cool. Glad we're on the same page." She'd already thought that—if Savage was willing to kill because the girl he liked was dating someone else, he was crazy in her book. Honestly, why would anyone think that was a good reaction?

"A psychopath with the ultimate goal of subjugating the entire planet, yes," Boardman agreed, nodding to Stein.

"He killed your parents, Professor Boardman," Rip said, taking a couple steps closer to the professor. "Something tells me you know where to locate Vandal Savage."

Boardman eyed him for a second, then said, "I have an educated guess." He picked up a leatherbound journal that looked like he'd had it for a long time. "A lifetime of research on Vandal Savage that all points in his direction. This should help you find him, and the vengeance that has eluded me all these years."

Rip took the journal, muttering a "thank you" to the professor. He tucked it into his coat pocket, and then Stein cried out, holding his head. "Jefferson..." he said, "something's happening to Jefferson!"

Rip looked at a device he pulled from his pocket, and his eyes widened. That can't be good, Ramona thought. "We seem to have a little problem back at the, uh, vessel," Rip said, "There's an intruder. We really must be going now." He turned to Boardman. "Thank you for everything," he said, then darted out the door.

—

1722 words.
Sorry this one took a bit longer to get done! I've been very busy and distracted lately. But I finished it! Also, we're five chapters in and still not done with the pilot.
What do you think of this chapter? Of Ramona's interactions with everyone? Let me know!
💛Ema