=Near Washington D.C.=
The night was young as the two teens touched down on their hover boards, surveying the area carefully. Close by was a large warehouse, the location of the energy signature being inside.
"So, any ideas what it is?" Tyson inquired, stepping off his board before slowly walking towards the warehouse, flexing his fingers and wrists as he did so. Pale blue energy danced around his hands like a swirling wind, matching his love of speed.
"Given all the possible things it could be that actually exist, I don't know. Could just be raw crystite reacting to something," Ashley shrugged, taking the lead as they approached a side door. Giving it a try, she cursed when it turned out to be locked.
"May I?" Tyson teased, placing a glowing hand over the lock, using his telekinesis as a key. After a few seconds, he was rewarded with the satisfying click of the door unlocking. "After you," he bowed, gesturing for the red haired pyrokinetic to lead.
"You're a dying breed," Ashley mumbled, stepping through the doorway with Tyson two steps behind. Inside were several storage containers, some stacked on top of each other, forming corridors. With caution, the two teens navigated the containers, remaining vigilant while being ready to grab their weapons at an instant's notice.
"I'm sensing three people's presences here. One's unconscious, not sure about the other two," the telekinetic whispered, peeking around a corner before continuing.
"Can you locate them?" the pyrokinetic inquired, orange flames flickering around her hand as Tyson tensed, frozen in concentration.
"They're…..right behind us!" Tyson shouted, diving at Ashley, pushing her behind a container as bullets whizzed towards them, most caught by a pale blue glow as Tyson held his hand forward. Looking towards the rafters, he spotted a mounted mini-gun, something that hadn't been there before.
"My partner left to handle other matters. I believe you'll find it's just me," a feminine voice purred, coming from behind him. With unnatural speed, he somersaulted behind a container, bullets flying past where he once stood while strange, pale peach goo hit the floor.
"Well, this exciting enough for you?" Ashley questioned, reaching for her sword hilt.
"It'll do. I'll try and find the source of the energy signature while you deal with this madwoman," Tyson replied while reaching back, the sound of metal clicking as his swords attached themselves to his arms.
"Fine. Try not to get ripped to shreds," Ashley teased, vanishing down a corridor. With years of practice behind him, Tyson leapt towards the opposite container, landing feet first and running along it, the gun following yet unable to hit the speedster as he leapt over the rafters, slicing the gun from its mount, before landing back on the ground.
Moving like the wind, he picked up on the energy that had caused the alert, homing in on the source within seconds, skidding to a halt next to the only wooden crate in the area. One swift move was all that was needed to loosen the lid, his swords sliding back so that he could lift the lid without doing anything to the contents.
"What in the….?" he gasped. Inside was a girl, no older looking than thirteen, with short black hair. Her skin gave the impression she was of Asian descent, her attire being a black hoodie, dark jeans and sneakers. On her back were large dark grey and black feathered wings.
"Must have been the unconscious one I sensed. We need to get her out of here," he mumbled to himself, only for similar pink goo to hit his arm with enough force to send him flying back. Once he hit the end of a container, the goo held his arm there, hanging him above the ground.
"Oh goody. Cue a 'hanging around' pun," he muttered, watching as Ashley ran into view, her sword hilt now holding a blade of pure flame.
"How's it hanging?" she taunted, her icy blue eyes casting a teasing glance at the stuck speedster.
"Funny," Tyson quipped, rolling his eyes at his comrades remark. The almost good atmosphere lasted a few seconds before something dropped from the rafters, knocking Ashley's sword from her hands before firing the pink goo at her, holding her against the end of a storage container.
"Never let your guard down. It could lead to a sticky situation," the attacker mocked. Her hair was a vibrant blond, her eyes a dark hazel. She looked to be in her early twenties, wearing a sleeveless top, the top half black with the bottom a dark pink, and black trousers with pink stripes, her combat boots a similar combination of colours.
"You two can call me Felicity. And yes, I have powers like you two. So, care to tell me why two heroes are trying to steal Magnus Corp property?" the new villainess questioned, walking towards Tyson.
"Property? That's a damn person inside the crate!" Tyson growled, trying in vain to take a swipe at the mercenary, irritated at how she stayed out of his reach.
"I don't care. As long as I get my money, I don't ask questions or do anything outside my pay role. Just business," Felicity shrugged nonchalantly. As she turned to face the pyrokinetic, she flew forwards, then into a shipping container like a ragdoll.
"Sorry. Just business," Ashley mocked, burning through the goo imprisoning her before sending a fireball at the stuff pinning Tyson's arm, before reclaiming her sword hilt.
"Thanks. Though that stuff's still stuck on my arm," Tyson mumbled, using his telekinesis to rip the crate apart, freeing the girl inside.
"So she's the reason the Windraker's sensors went off?" Ashley asked, having made sure the mercenary was out for the count.
"Looks like it. Best call in the Airblazer to get her back home with us," he sighed, lifting the girl into his arms while Ashley spoke into her wrist communicator, the two of them heading outside.
The medical lab was quiet, the odd beep of one of its many machines occasionally sounding over the mechanical hum. It was this quiet that Shannon Winter's never liked. If the resident healer and water elemental had to listen to it, it meant someone was hurt. Recently, her only patient had been Cody, whose prank on Loretta had had some nasty repercussions.
As such, she'd just finished patching him up when her best friend and Tyson had brought the winged girl in. She had no external injuries, and internally looked to be fine. As such, she was in a 'stasis pod', a device designed to house a patient until they woke from a coma, like the one this girl seemed to be in.
"Anything new?" a low, raspy, female voice whispered, sending a slight shudder through the healer as she turned to look at the newcomer.
"Nothing new. She's still out cold," Shannon explained, her ocean blue eyes meeting the obscured, deep amethyst of Miranda Simmons, the darkest member on board the Windraker. With raven hair reaching just past her waist, some of it hid her pale face from view. She wore a simple black tank top, ripped black skinny jeans, black goth boots and black fingerless gloves.
"Right. Don't you think you ought to get some sleep?" the shadow controller sighed, her normally impassive expression softening slightly. Shannon's shoulder length plum tinted hair was slightly messy, her blue eyes trying to stay open. Her dark blue jacket was tied around her waist, revealing a dark red top, while dark blue converse and jeans completed her attire.
"I guess you're right. As much as he can be annoying, Cody doesn't deserve me taking out any grumpiness on him if I don't get sleep," the healer yawned, the two friends leaving the unconscious winged girl alone in the med lab.
