"Did not know about dis registration... perhaps I should register it?" She asks, uncertain, since it seemed that such thing was difficult to do. "Or, wif small pieces, if we cut it one and den anoder, piece by piece, we can minimize de loses if one of your friends flees wif it?"
"I am living wif Wendy, yes, but it would be shameful of me not paying her back if I can do so... and I want to spend on food, fun..." She enumerates just a couple things. "Dat square fing you speak wif oders and look photos and information... stuff."
"'S no secret night swimming's a trip anyways, Lil Ziss," Megan says with a broad smile. She holds up a finger in the universal 'wait a sec' gesture as she gradually sheds some of her bulk, her battle wetsuit hanging looser and looser off her still mighty frame. She then fiddled with a bit of ornamentation down just below the bottom of the zipper and with a rubbery squeak, it sucked itself down to a practically vac-sealed fit.
"But if we're heading somewhere sunny, let's hit up the Reef! I've got some, uh, family out there..."
"However," She says, looking at Ziss' attire, "You have other things of value that I could sell for you. Being from off world, there must be something unique that you can't find on Earth you have that my contacts would happily pay up front for, because they can't get it anywhere else. What else are you willing to trade?"
Over the Ear Buddies, the Darling Derby calls out, “Heyyyy, peeps, got some great news. The Hatrix family has seen fit to purchase an underground skate park! I’ll be working on a gadget for the base. Will send you the address if you wanna—“
A clang and metallic tinkling is heard over the Buds.
“—f%&+~*”
DD accidentally ends the call.
When she realises that she had completely misunderstood Tumbler, she looks even more embarrassed. "Oh, you did not mean me, right? I don't have anyfing else dat I could sell aside from my stones." It was not her intention, but she mentions the word 'stones', plural.
"'S no secret night swimming's a trip anyways, Lil Ziss," Megan says with a broad smile. She holds up a finger in the universal 'wait a sec' gesture as she gradually sheds some of her bulk, her battle wetsuit hanging looser and looser off her still mighty frame. She then fiddled with a bit of ornamentation down just below the bottom of the zipper and with a rubbery squeak, it sucked itself down to a practically vac-sealed fit.
"But if we're heading somewhere sunny, let's hit up the Reef! I've got some, uh, family out there..."
Diego slips an arm around Meg's waist and pulls her close. He looks up at her and says "I had somewhere else in mind," before the pair of them vanish in a crimson puff of smoke!
Ziss mentions stones, but she doesn't go after the bait that easily. "That I could find a buyer for in less than a week, have your money ready by the week after that. If you have other minerals that might have technological applications or have use as an energy source, I could also work with that too. But anything that you could dig up out of the ground on this planet won't be worth the hassle of moving them on the black market."
Megan staggered as space warped around her, digging her heel deep into the sand to keep her balance, then abruptly she stopped, facing due north, and took a looong sniff.
She opened her eyes, a humanly toothy grin spreading from cheek to cheek. "Dude, I haven't been to Mediterranean in ages. Last time there were these Magmons threatening to pull down... Crate? One of the islands, whatever, but yeah, they were gonna melt through the bottom of it and send the whole thing sliding into the sea. And I was like 'Yeah? Nah' and they were like trying to cook me or trap me in a lava vent, but then Sea King shows up and-
"Nah, yeah, it's been a minute. Love the Mediterranean though, it's like the chillest place to float."
***
**clank**
**clank**
**CLONK**
An arrhythmic rapping loudly sounds against the window a couple rooms down from Ziss.
Megan is outside with her surfboard, a big smile and a few more rocks to try signalling with.
"Jailbreak time lil dude! We've got some gnarly waves hitting the beach for the next bit so everyone's gonna be there. Let's make a day of it!"
Wendy opens the window. “Hey Me—FUHUCK?!” Wendy closes the window just in time to deflect another rock.
She opens it again. “Please don’t throw rocks at the bulletproof glass. We have a doorbell. And five fembots already alerted us to your presence… and I gave you the address, so you wouldn’t feel you have to sneak. You’re not exactly subtle.
“Anyway, yes Ziss may come out to play. Kindly bring her back in the condition she was borrowed.” With a dejected look, eyes cast to the floor, she slowly backs away from the window.
Looking at Tumbler, she gets curious about her outfit. "Do not mean to offend you, but why are you wearing boy clofes?"
She was delightfully surprised on how easy and fast the Hatrix were able to do the deal, certainly through contacts that Tumbler with her dark connections could not reach. By the end of the week, Ziss was a millionaire, even if she doesn't really cared for all that money and that is was likely that most of it would go to some charity when she inevitably jumps to another worlds in the future.
"Don't... say it is bulletproof..." Ziss says to Wendy too late. "Don't tempt her!" She laughs as she pops her head besides Wendy's.
"On my way!" She yells to Megan as she takes her surfboard. "Don't worry Wendy, I'll be back wifout any baby!" She jokes before climbing down the stairs. Unlike Megan, she isn't comfortable walking around town in her swimsuit (even if it was a not revealing one piece), so she wears shorts, a shirt, and sneakers, all basically brand new.
Now, if you don't have any other business, I need to exercise and you need to leave," She tells Ziss, waving her off to the door.
Ziss is very calm, and her face doesn't show malice. It would seem her question was indeed born of curiosity and ignorance. It also doesn't show regret about asking the question.
"Tank you again for your help, Tumbler." She says before she leaves, closing the door.
"Why's it taking so long for you to get downstairs, brah? I know you're not afraid of a little drop like that. 'Sides, I'd catch you anyways."
With a gesture she offered to carry Ziss's board, and with a toss of one shoulder offered a ride to Ziss herself.
Before leaving though, with a reluctant sigh she asked, "Should we bring DD? She says she doesn't have powers but that was a hell of a guilt trip."
Ziss dismisses Megan's offer of helping her carrying the board and herself with a smile. "I can do it, tanks."
Looking back at the window, she adds. "Wendy is busy working on fings for de new base... but we can ask... WENDY!!! DO YOU WANT TO SURF WIF US?"
As they wait for a reply, Ziss catches herself eyeing Megan's ever present swimsuit. It was obvious that she did not mind being looked at, otherwise she'd dress clothes over her swimsuit and a one piece like Ziss's. "Megan, do you like people looking at you?"
Wendy immediately rises into view and sticks her head out the open window.
She leaps out!
A very very dark brown tail shoots from the back of her shorts, retraces the arc from her jump, and latches onto the window. She presses a press-on nail and the ‘tail’ tightens like a bungee cord, slowing her fall from the high window.
“Yes! My Bung-Hole is a success!”
She turns her hips so Megan and Ziss can see a union-suit-esque ‘trap door’ is flapped open in the back of her shorts—revealing another layer of clothing with a bungee cord tail.
The tail drags behind DD as she runs to Megan and Ziss, embracing each. “Thanks for the invite! But next time, okay? You two have fun guilt-free! You’ll see what I’m working on—it’s huge!
“Never underestimate the power of a self…fff**+, my skates are off.”
She walks back to the house, grabs her cord, and uses it to wall-walk back through the window she leapt from.
Issue #2! The Scintillating Second Act!
It's been a quiet week since the raid on The Talisman. Darling Derby has been busy getting the new base the Hatrix family has gifted to her up and running. The rest of the Bay Watchmen have spent their time as they saw fit, whether with each other or alone. But summer vacation is in full swing, and it's difficult to resist the siren call of the coast! Especially for Crimson Tide, who has alternately convinced, cajoled, or blackmailed the group into spending the day among the sun, surf, and sand! Some of you might view it as a valuable team-building experience--while others might consider it a mandatory punishment to endure...
Whatever the case, get your bathing suits and suntan oil ready, because the Bay Watchmen are hitting the beach!
Tumbler showed up for the beach excursion wearing a wetsuit version of her normal attire, though she had tucked the cloak away for now. One sleeve was notably pinned shut over the stump of her arm to keep the saltwater out. She also came with her own surfboard, already waxed and ready to catch waves.
When she saw the group, she waved at Megan first. "So it's been a couple months since I've caught waves, but I'm sure I can follow your lead here," She said, showing some confidence in her skills. She gives Megan a flirty wink and a toss of her hair with her hand.
Tumbler also looks towards Darling Derby, speaking to her. "I've heard about the base - is it just going to be for us or will the rest of the Hatrix be around?" She asks. "I'm a little worried about what your elders might think of me hanging around you."
Meanwhile, Diego was roaming the beachfront, talking to any bikini-clad beauty that will give him the time of day. He is wearing red and black floral surfer trunks and dark sunglasses. A beaded necklace with a large shark tooth in the center hangs around his neck and rests against his chest.
Wesley arrives in the Audi A5 convertible that his parents got him when he turned 16. He hauls down to the beach a large umbrella, a couple folding chairs and several beach towels.
He sets up on a clear patch of sand and plops down in the chair, pulling out a dogeared book on Mesopotamian architecture.
"Whoa. How did you even come up with an idea like that DD? And uh, why out the butt?"
As Derby withdraws back into the house, Megan takes a moment and gives Ziss's question some real thought. "Not really? Like, I look awesome, and I don't have a problem with other people knowing it, but this is just comfy. I'd dress the same if no one was around too. Why? You feeling shy Lil Ziss?"
Megan shows up in a different sharkbite-themed swimsuit, gives Diego the time of day ("Nice necklace - is that one of mine?"), but then immediately beelines for the breakers, calling over her shoulder to Tumbler, "You can only follow my lead if you keep up!"
“Just a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants idea!” DD calls back to Megan.
Tumbler glances between Megan and Wendy for a brief moment, before giving the Legacy a nod. "Talk later, I don't want to be left behind," She tells her as she takes up her board and heads to the breakers with Megan.
It's a little bit telling that she's having trouble with her board until she gets into the surf, paddling out and following the shark woman further out. "You really gave Sea Dragon a run for his money," She comments as they wait for a good wave. "He doesn't usually get to fight someone in his weight class from what I hear. But don't worry, he's unlikely to come looking for a rematch with you," She points out.
"You've spent a lot of time with Derby before the team started?" She asks, turning as it looked like they would get a good breaker soon. "Ever meet the other Hatrices?"
”Hell naw, chica! Got this one from Hammerhead when he tried to bite through my blade,” he says as he manifests his crimson colored psychic blade around his fist. ”He’s still a little sore about it, so I’m told,” he replies with a wink.
As the surfer girl heads for the water, and is trying to coax Carmen out with her, Diego makes his way over to Derby. ”So, señorita,” he says as he drops his shades a bit down his nose and smiles at her wryly, ”Megan talked us into comin’ out here. What’d you wanna do when you got here, beyond showing off that fine body of yours?”
Ziss doesn't get Wendy's pun, so she simply looks watches her climbing back to her window.
She tries to understand Megan's answer, but something still doesn't make complete sense to her. Her swimsuit was made of two pieces, while Ziss's had only one. Despite Megan claiming she did not care for people looking at her or not, she did chose to wear something that revealed her belly. Both their swimsuits appeared equally comfortable.
"I don't like when men look at me in dat strange way, as if dey where hungry." She confesses, a bit embarrassed and afraid. "I wish I had not dese thick legs..."
Ziss arrives with Wendy, wearing her not revealing one piece swimsuit under her regular clothes. Not wanting to wast any time away from the ocean, she stops by Wesley's large umbrella to leave her clothes there, taking care with her moves as she undresses, not to bend in any provocative ways.
"Wait for me!" She yells at Megan and Tumbler.
The Darling Derby shows up on a Surf and Turf Board—that’s an oversized board that can roll on sand and float on salt water. Her press-ons control the wheels!
• Bun-G-String
• Falsie Floatie
• Falsie Wallet
• S/undress
• Grouch-O2 Glasses
• Fish-Eyed Lens
In addition to the usual hat and glasses, DD has a sundress with a sunflower motif, and is otherwise barefoot as she rides along the sand.
When Diego joins her, she smiles, “I just wanna catch some waves, some sun. Maybe go for a run? And if no one’s looking…” She whispers conspiratorially, “I got a new gadget I’m dying to try out.” She giggles. “Don’t tell the others, haha! I don’t wanna kill the fun.”
She removes her hat, and a string hooked to her dress whips it off her body. All that remains is a teeny coppertoned string bikini.
“Race ya to the water!”
”What’s the winner get?” Diego asks mischievously.
“Ogled,” she replies as she runs to the water, the back of her swimsuit leaving little to the imagination.
As the others race to the water to enjoy the surf, Wesley sits alone on his chair with his nose in a book. A voice nearby calling his name gets his attention. Looking up, he sees a bikini-clad Ashley Mills waving at him.
"Hey, Wesley! Is that the Darling Derby splashing in the water? Do you think the other Bay Watchmen are around?" She smiles eagerly, looking around the beach. "That Arcanum guy saved my life the other day. I never got the chance to thank him properly..."
Diego had considered teleporting ahead to win, but decided to stay just enough behind the young Hatrix to maximize his view…
Megan shrugged, a little uncomfortable with the ground being trodden."'S'not really something you can get rid of by covering up though, Lil Ziss. Creepers are gonna creep, and 'sides, you can always get me to scare 'em off. Or throw them over the nearest building. But me? I'm of the opinion that thick thighs save lives, so I say be glad you got 'em. If you don't want to show 'em off or anything, then do a sundress or some boyfriend jeans or something. I'd give you a loaner, but we're not exactly simpatico in size." Her eyes rolled back in her head like she was taking a particularly large chomp. "Probably Deedee has something nice and perfect for you to borrow."
***
"Oh Hammerhead's such a whiner! There's nothing more easy-come-easy-go than a tooth, but that sounds exactly like him. God, every time we've fought he like, floods my inbox afterwards with every reason why he didn't beat me, again. I swear - once he sent me an actual doctor's note!"
***
"Why wouldn't I want a rematch?" Megan was honestly perplexed, "Do you know how few swimming villains there are that I haven't fought like a half dozen times? Let alone another bruiser? I just hope he's working on his striking in his downtime. He was focusing too much on the grapple, but up in the air, or in one of those weird ocean-floor bubbles, a heavy hit solves a lot of problems. Wish it solved the Hatrices. They just get so friggin' snooty, even though they only fight bad guys in barely a quarter of the planet. I don't know Derby that well but-" She beamed, her eyes darkening into pure black orbs. "Big one coming - hold on!"
As the others race to the water to enjoy the surf, Wesley sits alone on his chair with his nose in a book. A voice nearby calling his name gets his attention. Looking up, he sees a bikini-clad Ashley Mills waving at him.
"Hey, Wesley! Is that the Darling Derby splashing in the water? Do you think the other Bay Watchmen are around?" She smiles eagerly, looking around the beach. "That Arcanum guy saved my life the other day. I never got the chance to thank him properly..."
Wesley sets down the book and looks in the direction Ashley was. "I think you're right! And that's the shark girl out there in the surf." He toys with the idea of telling Ashley that he was Arcanum, but it felt a little odd. Even though it's not like the Curator couldn't out him whenever he wanted.
"Oh, is that him?" he points, just as he conjures up a psychic doppelganger of his superhero persona.
The Arcanum he creates is wearing patterned red-and-gold swim trunks and is far more buff than Wesley is -- or was, prior to his transformation. In a concession to vanity he had improved his physique somewhat subconsciously. The doppelganger also has the regular swirls and motes of arcane energy he adds to further set him apart from his mundane disguise.
"Hello!," he controls his psychic construct to say if/when she goes up to him. "Ms... Ashley, wasn't it?"
"You're a real stream of consciousness thinker," Tumbler compliments as she gets ready on her board, catching the wave moving with Crimson Tide along the break. She's actually fairly competent at this, though she's hardly taking any risks as she rides the wave. Her board barely wobbles as it moves across the water.
She also notices Derby coming out in a scandalous bikini that certainly was eye-catching for how little it seemed to cover on her. She was certainly brave. Tumbler clasped her hand against her elbow, tucking her stump underneath her arm.
"You wear something like that surfing, you're going to go topless before long!" She shouts out to Derby, hoping she takes the advice and puts on a wetsuit shirt at the very least. Of course, it's because she's not paying attention that she ends up having to swerve out of the way of crashing into Megan from behind, going flat on her board to avoid wiping out.
"I mean, just because you're part shark doesn't mean that you have to fight only sea themed villains. White Rabbit was at wits with Atomic Knight, the Silver Sting, Whippoorwill, Horus, even Kix and Knuckles," She name drops some heroes. "Just saying, there's...oh gods can't believe I'm saying this...plenty of fish in the sea."
She glances over to shore, and does a double take. "...Uh, why are there two Arcanums talking to that girl? Did you know he could do that? And...that one there is looking good..." She says, watching carefully.
Ziss appears lost in her thoughts for a moment, but then she smiles at Megan. How tick tighs can save lives? She asks, curious and once more joyful as they walk towards the beach.
"Who is everyone dat will be on de beach?"
---
Ziss takes the wave after Tumbler and as she swims back to their spot, she notices Wendy in her bikini. Ziss's mouth opens in shock and she is speechless for a moment... staring, not discreetly at all.
DD dives into the water. How her hat stays on or why she refuses to part with it’s a family secret.
Seeing that Diego didn’t teleport, she taps her nails and makes a come-hitherish gesture which Diego might notice is a hand motion to steer her Surf-and-Turf Board toward herself.
The board floats to her; she volleys on.
“Since you’ve gotten a good look at my body, yes, I work out. Note the lack of love handles.” She grins, but wonders if she should explicitly say—Yes. Yes, I should. “I mean no touching. That’s not synonymous with ‘no riding.’
“Teleport aboard if you want!”
She removes her derby, flings it high in the air! A cord attached to her wrist extends to accommodate the flying derby—large ‘petals’ fan out until the hat seems to be a really big sunflower. The wind catches and the Darling Derby is pulled along on her board—she’s para-sailing!
"You wear something like that surfing, you're going to go topless before long!"
DD responds as she parasails by: “Inconceivable! My bikini is made of a special material designed to fit snugly, even under stress and attempted penetration. Both top and bottom are equipped with gadgets! Admit it—I’m white and nerdy, but you’re internally debating about being impressed!”
Diego smirks and indeed teleports on board. He wobbles awkwardly before asking ”I know you said no touching, but where’s a guy supposed to hold on if not to the driver?”
Ashley lets out a little fangirl *squee* and rushes over to “Arcanum.” ”OMG! Yes, it’s Ashley. Ashley Mills! You are just, like, so incredibly cool! I’m so glad that you’re here. I thought, um, maybe we could hang out some time? What do you like to do when you’re not, you know, being a superhero?”
Diego smirks and indeed teleports on board. He wobbles awkwardly before asking ”I know you said no touching, but where’s a guy supposed to hold on if not to the driver?”
”Fine, but you can only touch me from the ankles down.”
She makes a twirl and a tug on the cable—the ‘sunflower’ spins, causing the Darling Derby to lift off.
She flips in the air—feet landing on Diego’s shoulders!
She flicks her wrists, guiding her Hat-Hangar to catch wind, and parasail Diego a little further from the beach, provided he can keep his balance. “Like flying a kite, ain’t it?” she calls down from atop his shoulders.
Wesley stays underneath his beach umbrella as he remote-pilots "Arcanum.""I appreciate the praise, but I have to be careful. There may be... villains... who would want to put you in danger to get to me. I can't let that happen."
I'm being such an idiot, Wesley thinks.
Diego was quite pleased with the turn of positioning. ”I dunno. Never flown a kite before,” he calls back, his thumbs rubbing gently back and forth across Derby’s ankles.
Ashley looks a little crestfallen. ”Oh, right. Of course. Well, if you ever do get some free time... Here’s my number.”
She whispers the digits in “Arcanum’s” ear and gives him a kiss on the cheek. ”Call me sometime, okay?” She smiles and skips away.
”Yeah well, this is more like 30% kite-flying, 55% surfing, and 19% human pyramid—and 1% tickling, Diego!
She whips her wrist around, causing her sunflower-esque Hat-Hanger to twirl and tilt. The Surf-and-Turf Board makes a wide turn. Just ahead, waves are building up. The other girls are surfing. And Wesley seems to have picked up a girl… and a twin brother?
She thinks aloud, “The Surf-and-Turf Board is a base supporting Diego’s weight, under the condition that Diego maintains balance; the Hat-Hangar is supporting my weight, but from above, so it’s not supporting my weight completely; Diego is playing with my ankles, thus is unfocused, yet remains balanced… therefore, I am supporting his ability to balance” and receiving a rather pleasant ankle massage, which I must not admit aloud.
“Let’s catch that wave!” Her board is heading for a big one!
Diego suddenly sounds nervous. His grip shifts from playing to firm on her ankles as he calls up ”Wait…WAIT! I’ve never surfed either!!!”
Wesley commits the number to memory despite himself. He has his doppelganger wave goodbye and then enter the surf where he can relax his concentration to let the construct disperse into the waves. He goes back to his book, but his mind can't help running through various scenarios. Hi Ashley, this is Arcanum. Would you like to visit my Arcane-cave? Hi! I know you're into me, but I think you should consider going out with Wesley. Wesley Andrews. You just talked to him. >sigh<
Derby and Dervish head toward the big wave, but before they reach it, the water surges beneath them as a massive claw darts out of the water to snare the Surf-and-Turf Board! An enormous lobsterlike monstrosity looms up from beneath the surface, displacing the water around it.
The elephant-sized creature has the body of a humongous spiny lobster, but it has no head. Instead, where the head should be, the upper torso of a familiar bisected rotting corpse has been grafted onto the lobster body. The sodden mummy glares at Derby and Dervish with glowing green eyes. ”Grr! Argh!” it declares angrily! The lobstrosity’s claws clack and its broad tail thrashes!
”Oh, f!+~ me, not an invitation.”
Over the Ear-Buddies, ”Heyyyy Bay Watchmen, there’s a mumster after me. That’s half-mummy, half-lobster, all-f$*+ed-up. Remember, our adoring public will whip out cell phones and record what goes down, so let’s look good!”
With her free hand, she reaches into her bikini top and pulls out a falsie. The bra-padding inflates when it hits the water! It quickly expands to be notably larger and more stable than the Surf-and-Turf Board!
Wesley partially feels grateful for the distraction even though the monster was disgusting, but still can't help but feel irritated at the intrusion on what was a sort-of nice day. Thankfully, all eyes were on the creature, so it wasn't hard to transform in the confusion and shock.
Arcanum floats into the air as he centers himself and readies the magical powers he can bring to bear. The aura around him flashes, bright even under the Pacific sun.
"I don't have my stuff wif me!" Ziss replies on the ear-buddies. She stands up on her surfboard, looking around and thinking how will she be able to help...
Ziss can see that right now, Derby and Dervish are in the greatest danger. The monster seems focused on them and likely won’t threaten any bystanders so long as you are fighting it. The creature certainly doesn’t seem to be susceptible to her words, though some of her teammates are susceptible.
Ziss knows that, while Derby and Dervish are in danger, Dervish could easily blink them out of there, but then the bystanders could be in danger. "Derby and Dervish... keep de fing busy until people can flee!"