Tiwtch, still weighing the options of messing with Mox or actually being a decent person, finally makes a decision.
"Yeah, probably should go get one. I mean, its not like you're exactly trying to hide who you are right?" She starts flipping through some tabs on her smartphone before flipping it over and showing Mox the screen.
"Phero is a company that sells really secure devices for supers, all sorts of options. A bit pricy, but I can talk to my sponsors and see if we can work out a deal for some products. How about it?"
Even at more of Kilt's not-so-subtle insults, Twitch still refused.
"Can't. I promised my viewers a parkour video today. Nothing gets ratings up that a girl in tights running all over the city. You're welcome to join me, I mean, if you can handle a bit of running?
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Manifest takes a deep breath as he sees the situation unfold. Come on, come on, you can do this. No need for a fight.
"I imagine with powers like yours it's hard to keep things under control. You must worry about causing too much damage... Or accidentally hurting someone."
...not this time. Not this time. Not this time.
A few gestures signal the mage linking up to the spaces outside this realm. A slight blue glow makes itself known from his left sleeve, as does similar red one from his right, as a connection is made through him.
Tracing a shape through the air, the glow from Manifest's sleeves briefly shifts to green as a great stone wall appears in the space between the two parties, separating them from each other and expanding as the youths try to go around it. Manifest steps toward the youths, trying to project a calm he isn't feeling. "But he himself didn't do that. So why attack him?"
"Why do this at all? You might feel better for a bit, but it won't get your friend out of the hospital. It might get more of them put into a hospital if his friend hears you did something to him. Then what?" Tired eyes peer through his mask as Manifest tries to gauge the group, their leader in particular. There's no need for a fight. No need for a fight.
Moxie is temporarily distracted from the offer of food. "Can it be shoes? I wanna be like Mike. You mean like Jordans? They'll put me on stuff and give me a phone? Righteous! What about the flop-phone thing? I saw some phones at the Circle J last Tuesday, but they said no contract. Does that mean they don't come with a kicks?"
Twitch makes her counter-offer, conspicuously food-free, and Moxie not-so subtly chimes in with: "Ooh, compromise: The running thing, then the gnocchi. Gets us out on the streets even, and gives us a chance to scope out Comrade Justice and the Jackboot Force." She pops an invisible collar and gun fingers. "Eh? Kilt? Yer not a'scared of a coupla little girls? We'll totally rock him, Twitch, I mean, common, he's like a million pounds of jacked bod, how fast could he be?"
Shawn's eyes flit back-and-forth from Twitch to Moxie. 'No way, I can't go running! My back's still messed up! But if I win, I get to show up Twitch, AND go on a "date" with Moxie...No, no no! I need to take it easy...but getting to show why I should be leader...ugh, I'm gonna regret this...'
He cocks an eyebrow. "Heh. Alright then. A two-leg race. First one's from here to JF HQ, second's from there to Wanda's place. Loser on the first leg has to go in and ask about classes, loser on the second leg has to pay for dinner. Winner gets bragging rights, and...team leadership for the rest of the week IF you win BOTH. All powers and tools are free to use, but no interfering with or attacking other racers." He drops his case on the couch and flips it open, revealing a freshly washed kilt and newly polished claymore. 'We all start from the lobby for the first leg, and from the front steps of the HQ on the second. Any objections? No? Good."
As he unfurls the kilt and checks to make sure all of the throwing knives are secure, Shawn glances at Siphon. "You in?"
Twitch raises an eyebrow as The Kilt lists off the rules for a game she suggested. She could add a few rules to spice it up and make it fit with her normal streaming themes, but introducing the race as a Kilt original was probably fine too.
"Sound's good to me." Twitch agrees as she grabs her backpack. Inside was a case that contained her two streaming drones. Fast little cameras that were responsive enough to keep out of the way of most trouble.
"Though I honestly don't mind asking HotHead for the course since I want to work out the details with him. How about whoever loses the first leg has to do a one on one stream with me? I fI lose, then I'll be 'serious' for the next incident. Sound good?"
"You really want me to race too?" Siphon asks the 'Kilt.' "Why don't I judge or something? Besides, it's not really fair for you."
Shawn considers Twitch's proposition, then grins. "You're on Brat."
He looks sideways at Siphon as he dons his titular item. "Of course! Race'll be more fun that way, it'll help with team building or whatever." Gingerly he slides the scabbard of his word over his lower back. "Besides, with nobody to tap for power you're in the same boat as me, yeah? What's so unfair about that?"
Moxie intercedes on an imminent awkward situation. "Nobody? You did say all powers were free to use. -or do you have some gnarly bones in your bagpipe? Afraid Siphon will see the life-size cut-out of Sean Connery in your bedroom? S'not like it's never going to happen, right? We gotta cross that bridge early. Unless you wanna go powerless..."
Siphon can't keep the grin off her face. "Someone hasn't been paying attention." She stays silent while Miss Moxie makes more outdated references and waits patiently to begin the contest.
At the start of the race, Siphon concentrates and summons one of the Mad Mime's energy shields. It tilts on its side and she steps on it, balancing like it's a hoverboard. She gives a small salute to the Scotsman, then rushes off on the floating energy.
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"Ah-ah! No INTERFERING, remember? Means she can't tap any of us...and it's only one poster of him..."
The Kilt freezes for a moment as he watches Siphon fly away. "I THOUGHT YOU SAID THEY WEAR OFF!" he yells after her. Recovering quickly, he starts sprinting for the nearest alley. 'No way I'm gonna outspeed them, but if I remember my streets right I might know a shortcut...'
Just a little something...
Twitch weaves the light into a blue tinge and as the Kilt runs off he sports a spiky main of blue with a small word bubble following him with the words Gotta Go Fast!
As for Twitch herself, She sprints off, one drone following her and another switching around her teammates.
"Place your bets! Place your bets!" she shouts up tot he drone. One of the functions of her chat stream is that folks could place a bid token on one of the results of the race. It was free of course, no sense in actually taking money through gambling, but the winners did receive special emotes to use.
Twitch weaves the light around her to give a Tron aesthetic. She begins running down the sidewalk, moving through the crowd, before she starts climbing a path made of light on the nearby buildings.
Moxie hops a few steps on each foot, putting her heels back on. "A floating platform? Yawn. I call this one Moon Shoes." After a running start, Missy hops a banister, and with a sharp intake of breath, lands on two cylinders of elastic force...
Launching into a summersault and up onto the roof of the apartment complex. She tears off across the roofs of buildings.
Manifest
oh, look, the big hero, here to save the poor, helpless Living Weapon. the girl says, turning on you. you definitely recognize her. it's Talla, from your english class. you have seen the other two in the halls.
Where the hell were you, or the other freaks, when that f!+!er attacked Connor?
THE KILT
Well... the good news is you think you know which park you're in. the bad news is that you prbably took a wrong turn, because the JFHQ is near the city centre, and you're in the east area. there is shouting from nearby., what do you do?
Siphon and Miss Moxie
you two are neck and neck, Siphon running above, and Moxy moving like the worlds strangest rabbit. what will you do to pull ahead, and maye become team leader?
Twitch
Siphon controls the disk, lowering it down to the same level as Moxie so she can talk with her while she bounds along.
"Doing good, Moxie! Hey, you know I don't want to be leader, right? How about we try for a tie? You can lead, and I get my meal paid for!"
As the shouts dully echo, Kilt rolls his eyes as he drops into a combat stance. 'As if tonight wasn't going badly enough! I really hope I get to punch somebody in whatever is going on over there...' His claymore clanks in its scabbard as he moves toward the disturbance.
Moxie spins in place to look at Twitch's progress. "Looks like all-" Moxie holds her breath to bound back into the air. "-you gotta do is-" Another bounce. "-beat Twitch. Loser buys. Where's Kilt gone?" Moxie's not letting up, but she hasn't tried to pull ahead yet.
Perhaps it was a bit too much to start with, but As the threads of light come together to create a tron cycle. It only gets a few meters before speed and force of the slope she's riding on pushes the hardened light past its limit, and the Tron cycle disperses leaving Twitch to skid down the light track she's created.
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I TRY DAMMIT! I TRY! I CAN'T HELP EVERYONE!
Tiredness and anguish fray at Manifest's nerves, and he finds it a little harder to hold his tongue and be civil. "Freaks? Really? That's rich. I saw those sparks between your fingers, so I'm pretty sure I'm not the only freak here. Or did you mean something else? People come up with a lot of ways to be dicks to each other, so what did you mean?"
"No, no, I'm sure you don't care. Back on point - I was patrolling, just as I was today. Doing what I could to help people out. And yes, those people weren't you or your friends, because I didn't know that it was happening, or where it was happening, when it happened - because my powers don't let me know about every single fight that happens, or be in every place."
The red glow from his sleeve darkens and intensifies as the trio's shadows grow longer, taking on monstrous shapes with piercing eyes as he half-summons shades in each one to hold them up if they try something. "But this isn't about me? This is about you, throwing blame about for what happened regardless of if it's deserved. You, not giving a s$+$ about anyone but yourselves. You, going out to threaten, and probably beat the s%+% out of someone just because you think they're friends with someone else you have a grudge against, instead of taking the time to look after those friends of yours who already took a beating. I'm sure you're doing them a lot of good."
Judging eyes surrounded by metal stare the three down, shades itching to be formed and let loose from their shadows. "You figure Jake's lonely in the hospital? Or are you not worried about that, because he's unconscious and none of you cared to stick about in case he woke up? Is he out, wondering why nobody's there for him?...nah, that can't be right, can it? I can't be thinking straight. He's your friend, just like everyone else who got attacked that day. I'm sure you care about them all, and made sure you know how they're doing right now and that they don't need your help, right?"
"I mean, what kind of prick would ditch them, go off to satisfy themselves as they're suffering, and pretend they were doing it for them?"
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Conditions: Concerned
For Manifest to be such a nervous wreck, Siphon had to have rejected him. Either that or Amir managed to really, really pushed his buttons. Either way, it was clear that Manifest wasn't much of a threat after all.
Amir sighs at his underhandedness, somewhat disgusted with himself. He had deliberately said and did things to make Manifest uncomfortable. And all for Siphon. Of course, Amir would be lying if he said that it had nothing to do with getting out of the marriage, which could potentially be called off if he could claim he had a girlfriend that he was 'already courting'.
His phone goes off, just a text. Amir pulls it from his pocket. He had missed quite a bit of Twitch's chat, and there were a few messages for NeverEndingLove, but it'd have to wait. His little brother, Rana, had just asked if he "leveled a building". Amir quickly types out a response.
Rana: You leveled a building?
Me: It wasn't me. I just happened to be nearby. It was the magic guy, Manifest.
Truth be told, it was really a mix of everyone who brought Salvo's down; heroes and villains. It was just easy to let the guy who's 'magic' take the fall for it. And besides, how much damage could his own sand possibly have done? Not to mention that Amir wasn't in a position where he could afford to shoulder any of the blame.
But, feeling a twitch of guilt for what he did earlier, and realizing that wording it in the way that he did throws Manifest completely under the bus, Amir sends another message. Manifest was alright, Amir was cool with him. As long as Siphon and him kept their distance, and were just friends, then he and Amir would be friends as well.
Me: It only happened because of the bad guys there. He didn't have a choice.
Heading back inside as he sends the texts, Amir calls out to The Team, "Sorry about disappearing like that guys. I had to call my coworker and–" He looks around the room, everyone is gone. "–Uh..." He checks the patio, the bathroom, even his own bedroom, but no luck. "... Hello?"
The phone buzzes again, a notification this time. "LIVE NOW: Twitch". Amir logs onto the stream.
"Place your bets! Place your bets!"
People were flooding into the chat. Apparently there was some kind of race going on. Amir recognized the street. They weren't far from his apartment complex.
"Should I join in?"
Amir imagined himself gliding across the road in a chariot of sand. Despite his late start, he'd surprise everyone by taking first place. It'd be awesome. Siphon would be impressed for sure.
But then he sees Twitch fall, and he cringes. "That looks like it hurt." Amir's fantasy of being awesome fades away, replaced by concern. "Someone should check on her."
There was no time to grab his sand gourd. Instead–as he rushes to lock the patio door, then get out through and lock the front door–Amir reaches out and manipulates the sand from one of the open bags in his room. It flies out of the bag, through the air, and gathers under Amir feet, forming a wave of sand that he rides ontop of. Not quite the chariot he had imagined, but still a convenient way to get around.
With the apartment secure, he speeds off to Twitch's side. The sand wave carrying him much faster than his legs ever could. He calls out to her as he gets close.
"Are you okay?"
The Doomed has Influence over...
Siphon (Character Creation)
The Doomed labels themselves as...
Danger : +2
Freak : +1
Savior : +1
Superior : -1
Mundane : +0
The Doomed is running out of time...
Doom Track : 1/5
Doomsigns: 1/6
- 1. Bolstered
Amir
You didn't think to cal, tell us you're okay? 32 are in the hospital!
<3 Gabby
He did that? Why does he need you if he can level buildings
-Rana
Manifest
Oh yeah, you and your kind are doing so much good, like in aurora, or Glasgow, or Oklahoma city. people like you have done more damage than any other group in history, and no one calls you on it, because you play the heroes, pretend you do it all in the name of altruism. you recognize Talla's rhetoric. you would guess she is a fan of Crispin Harridan, a noted "Neoable-mishap remembrance" activist (just calling him a pure human rights activist will start a very heated discussion if not everyone is in agreement. she and her friends back off sudenly as the images flicker.
Another super who responds with their power the second they're challenged! the guy, Randal maybe, says. what do you do?
THE KILT!
you rush in, to see manifest in front of three teens. He seems in the middle of summoning in heavy hitters. Another teen is climbing around one of manifest's weird metal walls. everyone seems rather angry. what do you do
Siphon & Moxie
You both arrive at the JFHQ, out of breath and sweaty. but the Kilt and Twitch are nowhere to be seen. Ingress (a junior force portal-maker) is talking to a group of tourists/cape-chasers. Dante an the rest of Junior Force will no doubt be inside. what do you do?
Twitch
You are F$#+ING JOKING.
Manifest's filter evaporates, making a path for the swelling bitterness behind it.
"You know, just one question before we take this any further. If you're so convinced that I'm a selfish, evil bastard only doing this for publicity, wealth, or god knows what else, why even bother challenging me on why I wasn't helping you? I mean, surely you don't believe I would help, right? You've probably seen enough from the media to know the problems I cause, so why ask? Was it trying to deflect? Perhaps you were just looking to get a response you could rationalise to fit your narrative. In any case, you didn't really care what I answered, did you?"
The shades warp to mimic their natural shadows, their piercing eyes now glued onto the trio's own shapes, and Manifest's tone turns mocking and acidic. "It doesn't matter what I say at all, really. You're going to ignore it, pretend any valid points I make don't exist, and continue to spew words that aren't even yours. The blind words of a spiteful little girl that wants something to cling to that'll make her feel better."
"I'd say you're no better than a child, but really, most children I've had the pleasure of talking to are more mature than you. Or perhaps it's that they're still trying to think things through on their own, even if that isn't the easiest thing to deal with. Kids, I can talk to. They're not always the smartest people I can talk to, they don't always understand, but a surprising amount will at least think about what they're saying and reply as best they can when you give them something they can get on some level."
"How about you? How do you hold up outside an echo chamber? Because really, it doesn't matter what you say either. Your words are empty, sourced from a man whose speeches are half bigotry and scaremongering, and half advertisements for his own merchandise. There's rumours he's even looking into discreet gene therapy that he can pass off as a peak of normal human ability - all thanks to his new line of products, of course. He'll be a secret freak if that happens, manmade instead of born, only instead of destroying buildings, he'll be tricking the nervous and vulnerable out of their cash. And, of course, pretending it's for Altruism's sake. And really, what's the worth of anything said by someone like that?"
"You're self-centred and in denial about it, you're too narrow-minded to consider anything that doesn't match what you already think, regardless of how true it is, your need to feel validated has you parroting one of the world's most deviously disguised salesmen with his words taken at face value, and honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if the only thing keeping your group together is that nobody else will take you. I have to wonder how much in-fighting has been going on behind the scenes."
"Now, don't get me wrong, I'm sure there's a decent person in you somewhere. Someone I could talk to, someone worth spending time with and engaging in debate. You've just buried it deep, deep within yourself, locked up and crushed into the blackest depths of your soul where nobody can hear it scream. It's easier to cope that way - with your misery, and with yourself."
As the Kilt crests the hill and takes in the scene, he raises his hand to get Manifest's attention, only to be cut-off halfway through by the mage's rant. Then Kilt notices the warped, eye-bearing shadows at the feet of the group of three. '...S%~$ S%#@ S+$# S&!+ S%!!!'
"MANIFEST!" the Kilt hollers as he runs down the hill. "Take it back a notch! They're just stupid kids!...they are just stupid kids, right?" He jogs to a stop next to the Maker Mage, facing down the group of three. "What the hell were you guys arguing about? I love a good fight as much as the next guy but DAMN!"
Manifest's gaze whips to the Kilt. "Take it back a notch? I'm guessing you mean the shades. Those things won't hurt them. Sure, they'll find hard to move if they try to start a fight, but they're not going to get hurt from those things. I'd be keeping an eye out for arms, if I were you. Uramidt still starts acting up on his own if I get worked up."
He gestures towards the trio. "Those three were just after a decent scapegoat they could take out their frustrations on, and while that's bad enough alone, their victim-to-be was a kid with powers. Not sure who would have ended up more badly hurt if that went on, but injuries were assured. I can appreciate that they don't like that their target's 'friend' attacked them, but really, that was a dumb idea."
"It's not everything, but it's what set up this s+#! show."
"Why did we come here, again?" Siphon asks as she steps lightly off the energy disk. She takes a covetous glance at Ingress, thinking about all the things she could do with her power.
She shrugs that fancy off, looking back to Moxie and scanning the are for signs of Twitch and the boys.
Twitch harrumphs as Amir comes to her aid. She didn't like it. She didn't need his help, she only a little behind was all.
She get's up on her feet, her Tron costume still wrapped around her and shoots Amir an exasperated look.
"Thanks, but I'm fine. If you have time to worry about me, join the race already."
She would have to rely on an old trick to make up time. She focused an intense amount of hard light under her to boost her into the air, and from there she formed glider-like wings to help sail her to the goal
"Kilt said loser asks about classes, but that doesn't mean we can't do scope these dweebs. Come on, photo op!"
Moxie jogs over to Ingress and shakes their hand aggressively, pausing to smile at the tourists. "Hey JV, just wanted to show our new pal Siphon here yer digs! I know I turned down enrollment and all- out-of-decade tuition, you know the deal. Anyway, no hard feelings even, just wanted to give the newest hero the same chance you guys gave me. If you could give her the low down on what she might expect if she were to dawn the sicknasty spandex- that was a compliment in the '80s." Moxie continues to shake the kid's hand, placing her index finger across their wrist to follow their pulse as she winks at the tourists.
Siphon smiles enigmatically at Ingress, standing off to the side with her hands resting lightly on her hips. She watches Ingress's reaction to her, wondering if the portal-hopping hero will be hostile even after Columbia had vouched for her.
"That's fine, Moxie. I've fought enough heroes to know what it's like. Flights, fights and tights. Right, Ingress?"
Manifest and kilt
Aww, look at the little cape lose his cool and throw a tantrum the second he's called on his s%@~! says the third member of the trio. all three have hardened their expressions. it would seem they are the kind of person doubles down when things go south.
You're f$&%ing typical, freak. Talla says, practcally spitting the word You anna talk about echo chambers? Like the friggin' 29 news, or Para-humans magazine, ir the Neo-online directory, or the hundred other media outlets dedicating to feeding every damn freak with spandex on's ego? or the government constantly downplaying collateral damage and lives lost because you so-called superhumans can't just keep your powers to yourselves, or duke it out without leveling a couple blocks!
the young man not involved in the current altercation approaches THE KILT, and whispers to him Listen, I don't know if you guys have, like, comms or secret signals or soemthing, but he needs to stand down, He cannot hurt them, It'll just make things worse for me and my friends
twitch
Moxy and Siphon
Ingress seems pretty pleased to see Moxy, but visibly flinches as he catches sight of Siphon. might be some bad blood there still.
Miss Moxy, I'm glad to see you're okay. he says, all smiles Diode and I were kinda worried when you ran off after calling us... "Jackbooted pinko Buttnuggets" was it? but, you know, the offer's still on the table.
As for Siphon... I suspect she has more expirience int he field than you and I combined. An ethics proffesor would probably serve her transition better than I could.
The Kilt blinks a few times, then T's his hand in front of him. "Okay, timeout! Everybody just stop!" He points to each individual as he addresses them. "Manifest, call off the ghouls and power down. If you want to make a point to these guys, THOSE (he points at the shades) are just gonna make things worse. You, head b+#&@ of the b+!%# trio, quit b+!!@ing and actually explain what happened to whoever it happened to. AND BE FACTUAL. B#!!& 2 and B*~%$ 3, stuff it while the leaders here talk. And kid..." He assesses the photokinetic before reaching into the folds of his kilt and extracting a roughly-cut business card. "Take this and get out of here. Call me on this number when you reach your friends. We'll talk then, after we've figured out what's going on." With a flick of his wrist he uses his off hand to extract a throwing knife. "And if ANY ONE of you gets the bright idea of chasing after him, I'll cut off ALL of your b$@&$y pinky toes. GOT IT?"
'...holy f@~* that was bad-ass!'
"An ethics professor?" Siphon echoes with a mix of amusement and insult. She gives Ingress a slow clap as she walks up near him, getting within his personal space. "That's rich. Tell me, is it unethical for a lioness to eat a gazelle?" she asks softly, beneath the hearing of the onlookers, all the while giving him a very predatory look.
"Yeah..." Moxie sucks air through her teeth. "Sorry I had to jet, Dante came on a little strong, and I just get upset when there are so many lines to toe."
Siphon chimes in with an alarming line out of the discovery channel, and Moxie tries to help out. "You remember when Owl Man and Magna Carta split from Uncle Sam and Indominous, back in the fifties? Panurgic was practically founded on that argument."
Moxie is distracted by the arrival of Twitch, and turns to wave her down.
It's impossible to see, but you can practically hear Manifest's teeth grinding. "If I wanted to make a f&$%ing point to them, I'd have to be completely un-powered, Kilt. And even then, I'd doubt they'd listen. They hear what they want to hear, see what they want to see, and ignore anything that doesn't suit them, latching onto whatever little thing will get the attention off them. They're pathetic, and I pity whoever has to deal with them daily."
An inhuman hand starts to reach from a swirling circle in the air for the head of the boy at the back. The wall vanishes and the eyes in the shadows blink out as Manifest turns and points at it the reaching hand. The hand pauses. "No. I don't care if you think it's a good idea. It's not. Stop it." The hand slinks back reluctantly, before the circle winks out of existence.
"Kilt, I seriously hope you can talk some sense into these three. I doubt it, but as the 'non-freak' here, you've got better odds than I do. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have someone else who needs a talking to." Manifest walks to another area of the park and...starts aggressively scolding the air. You can't see anything, you can't hear anything but him, but he's acting like he's talking to a child with chronic behavioural issues.
THE KILT
Not a super, just a traitor The second male says, turning to you. Another victim of "hero-envy" I pity you.
Moxy and Siphon
Okay, this one I've gotta hear. How are you like a lion? Ingress asks, as the crowd looks on, though admittedly from a bit of a distance.
Siphon blinks at Ingress's question, which wasn't at all related to the one she had asked. "No, I didn't say that at all. Pay attention. I asked you if it's ethical for the lioness to hunt and kill the gazelle. You know, if it's ethical for the strong to prey on the weak. What do you say to that, hero?"
The Kilt rolls his eyes. "So on top of being b@&#%es you're hard of hearing. I told you to shut up B#+&& 2. Fine then. You want to do this now? Not actually solve any problems just bicker about 'em?" Tucking his hand behind his back, the Kilt motions for the powered kid to go. "Fine then. First of all, it's not envy, it's admiration. I admire what they stand for, and I chose to stand by them." He begins pacing as he talks, trying to have the trio's eyes follow him away from their victim. "If I envied them then I would want their powers. That's a definite no. I don't need powers, and I don't want them."
"As for me being a traitor, I don't quite think you understand YOUR position in this. As far as I can tell, YOU THREE are traitors. Traitors to brave men and women who risk and will even lay down their lives for you, and you, what? Attack them from the comfort of your computer chairs? Get off your self-entitled asses to go acost a kid who pretty clearly had no interest in hurting you in any way? Lemme guess, you guys follow that leech Harridan's garbage, don't you? Or maybe that slug Beckett? Or how about Ms. 'Oh-So-Brave-Speech-Maker' Molly Fold? You do know that she paid-off Captain Collision to just stand there while she ranted right?"
Condition(s): None so far
Amir had expected Twitch to be a little more appreciative of him coming to check on her. He looks up at one of the drones. Maybe it had something to do with her crash being caught on camera? Was she afraid that the crash made her look bad?
"Wait–!", shouts Amir, trying in vain to get Twitch's attention before she speeds off. "What race? Where are you going!"
Mounting his sand wave once more, Amir enters the bike lane, doing his best to follow Twitch while observing all the rules of the road. Traffic lights, stop signs, hand signals. The works. With her flying high above the city skyline though, he soon loses her.
Upset at being left behind again, he pulls off onto an empty stretch of sidewalk and sits down on a mound of his sand. Maybe if he opened the stream again, he'd be able to see where Twitch and the other were at, or were headed. But, taking out his phone, Amir blanches as he realizes that he's missed texts from his younger brother and sister. Looks like the 'tide' is starting to come in...
Rana: He did that? Why does he need you if he can level buildings
Me: It was the bad guys too. And like I said, I just happened to be nearby.
He quickly types out a message for Rana, before focusing on Gabby's text. Amir could send her a text in reply, but in this case, maybe it'd be better just to give her a call. Which he does, dialing her number. The Team would have to wait; eveeen though he didn't want to make them wait.
"Hey Gabby, it's me. I'm fine. Sorry for not calling sooner," starts Amir. "I just got home, had to call work, and now I'm having to head out again to meet a friend."
The Doomed has Influence over...
Siphon (Character Creation)
The Doomed labels themselves as...
Danger : +2
Freak : +1
Savior : +1
Superior : -1
Mundane : +0
The Doomed is running out of time...
Doom Track : 1/5
Doomsigns: 1/6
- 1. Bolstered
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Siphon
I think that the strong preying on the weak is how animals behave. I like to think that I'm better than that. I think that the strong should protect the weak. from monsters, like the chosen, or profiteers like Stygian, or from fires and disasters, and from the people who buy into that anarcho-capitalist, social Darwinist, Ayn rand crap. he stares hard. is he playing this up for the crowd, or really this passionate? you can't tell
THE KILT
Okay, Scotty MacTraitor, you wanna go. the male says, raising his fists Kick his super-loving ass, Randal one of the females says.
Amir
We were worried, once they mentioned your name. no one said who was injured. Bro, you can't get hurt now. you don't want to be all bruised up i the pictures, or when she first sees you, right? Gabby asks. in the background you can here your mother asking Is that him?. what do you do?
The Kilt stops pacing, allowing the male to approach and successfully shifting the group's focus 180 degrees. He smiles a far too friendly smile.
"THE NAME..."
The hooligan throws his first and last punch, which the Kilt easily sidesteps.
"IS SHAWN..."
A kilted knee slams into the assailants jaw with enough force to send his head snapping back.
"TRAVIS..."
As Randal recovers the Kilt grabs him by the collar and head-butts him in the nose.
"MCGREGOR."
Another knee slams into the young man's chest, sending him toppling wheezing to the ground.
"Alternatively, you may call me the Kilt, Mr. McGregor, or Sir."
The Kilt's boot slams down onto Randal's chest.
"Call me Scotty again, and I'll use this..." He unsheathes the silvery blade strapped to his back. "To cut out your filthy tounge. Got it?"
He raises the blade and points it at the two remaining acosters. "Now that you three are done sticking your collective ass out the window, I'll ask again. WHAT EXACTLY HAPPENED BETWEEN YOU THREE AND THIS MYSERIOUS OTHER?"
Siphon claps her hands, delighted. "You do understand!" she applauds, making sure the crowd hears her this time. "Oh, I'm so relieved. I wasn't the strong preying on the weak. I've been sick with a rare cellular disorder all my life, you know. I've been one of the weak ones. So I'm just the weak preying on the strong."
She waves to the crowd, leaning in close to Ingress as if they are best friends now. "Thank you so much for your approval. I was afraid you wouldn't understand. We've all made mistakes in the past, haven't we?"
She watches Ingress closely, studying him for signs of bad acts in his eyes.
As Shawn raises his voice, Manifest diverts his attention to the ensuing beatdown. Pity for Shawn's victim mixes with envy that Shawn got to beat the crap out of him in the first place. He didn't get the privilege of being allowed to do that.
For so, so many reasons.
Something seems to catch his attention elsewhere, and he signals to another spot of empty air. "There you are. Haven't seen you in a while. Yes...yes, I know, I know. I'll get to it. Listen - you know my route, don't you? Would you mind going over my run while I'm busy? Let me know if something happens?"
"...are we really going to do this? I bloody well know you have nothing better to do."
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Siphon and Twitch see it. Something in Moxie's eyes, or in the muscles of her jaw. She's not looking at the tourists, or the cameras. She's looking at Ingress like she hasn't seen him before... Like she's sizing him up... Like she's taking aim.
Anarcho-capitalist? Like that's a bad thing? Little Marxist punk probably wants a public cape registry!
The Kilt
F#*$in' psycho. Talla says as she goes to pick up Randal
We were attacking him cause his friends attacked Connor. you need to show the freaks that they can't just do as they please the second female says
Siphon, Moxy, and Twitch
Ingress is one of those capes with a lot more power than he usually advertises. He mostly redirects powerful attacks into outer space, or less powerful ones to opponents, or creates portals to Antarctica, and buries people in snow. but you've seen him go all-out. Against The Charon (a powerful life-maker). He opened portals to the superheated crater of a volcano, or sent his creations plunging to the Marianas trench... and he sent The Charon into the void of space, to end the fight, killing him.
Maybe you have problems, maybe you really are one of the weak. I'm not sure I buy it. but that doesn't mean you should prey on people. he steps backward as you try to cozy up to him. You're saying you do't feel remorseful, that you think your actions were justified because of your illness? nearly killing Azure, hospitalizing a few hundred people over the past few years?
"They got better," she says. "The lioness preys upon the weak, the sick of the herd. And you're right, that's how animals do it. I couldn't live off the sick or elderly -- they wouldn't recover."
She puts her hands on her hip as he retreats from her. "And most of those hundreds? Bad guys. They were henchmen of the types I used to work with. How do you think I charged up before a fight? So I probably did more good as a villain by putting them out of commission for a while than you've ever done."
Her eyes narrow, and the playful smile fades from her lips. "I'm not saying I don't feel remorse. I'm saying, it's complicated."
Twitch touched down off her light trail, sliding on it like an ice skater. She turns to her cameras, and shrugs.
"Can't win them all folks, but hey, that's why they won't let my call this team Twitch and the Holograms."
She looks around to see if she came in last, but surprisingly she doesn't see a sign on the McGregor kid. But it does seem like something was starting to kick off in a very McGregor fashion. Touching her control console, she controls her drones to get a bit closer.
Nothing like a bit of social dominance to get the audience going.
Normally, she left the cameras off for the more personal stuff, but if they were going to have a fight in front of crowd, Twitch wanted to be sure she could get a good angle for it.
"Hey Ingress, can I call you Ingress? I mean, you know you could end the conversation like that." She snaps her fingers for dramatic effect.
"Just leave."