Excellence 2.2
The next morning I holed up for a while reviewing the video of the spar like I was obsessed.
Play, watch, replay.
Rewind, repeat.
Skip back a few seconds.
Again.
Again.
I watched the moments I remembered feeling the rush of energy at. I watched the stunts I pulled that I shouldn't have been able to manage without actually invoking my power. I watched Victoria's facial expression after the last counterpunch, and as I dislocated her arm. On some level, I had come very close to death in that last move; she could have simply closer her hand over my face.
As it was, I had allowed her to save face, her temper had vanished, and I had earned respect proportional to how much hurt I had put on her. That wasn't . . . normal, I think.
The glances Panacea kept giving me through the rest of the day didn't make me feel better, either.
I restarted the video again.
I was trying to figure out how I knew the things I did about barehanded fighting without pulling on the power. The paintball gun and the training knife flowed in easily; too easily. Instincts and reflexes overtook me during both of those tests. Here, I was definitely better than I was before triggering, but not extraordinarily so. It was like I had an academic familiarity with unarmed combat, but I just wasn't feeling it naturally. I made plenty of mistakes- but when I made purposeful moves, I made them well.
As I watched, I found myself mentally noting where I would have struck her with a stun rod or a knife to disable her after the hardness she had broke each time. I tried not to dwell too long on those thoughts. I know that various soldiers say things like "have a plan to kill everyone you meet," but I was just a bit shy of the demographic to actively want to practice that mindset. Regardless, I was a lot more focused when considering a weapon's use in hand.
Finally I got tired of rewatching and went out to meet the day. Dennis greeted me with a formal, mocking martial artist's bow, then mimed a bunch of chops and kicks while making odd noises. I bopped him on the head and moved on.
After a few more tests, I was free to wander again. On a whim, I downloaded a bunch of Bruce Lee flicks and brought them to one of the big classroom auditorium chambers on a thumbdrive. One visit to the break room later and I had soda and popcorn. Adequately prepared, I sat down to watch a real pro chop, punch, and kick while making odd noises. Missy wandered by, saw what I was watching and returned with a drink. I offered popcorn, and then we both kept watching.
Carlos joined us for a bit, and swapped out with Dennis when they switched patrols. In the back of my mind I wondered why they hadn't send me out on duty yet, but I figured they wanted to keep testing me due to the unconventional nature of my power. In any case, everyone on the Wards popped in but Dean, as Dean was busy elsewhere before and after his patrol shift.
By the time the final credits rolled, Missy was dozing in her seat and everyone else had gone to bed but me. I shook her and guided her back to her room, then returned to my own. After a quick internet research session on Jeet Kune Do later, I went to bed myself.
For the next couple weeks, every day I set aside some time for practicing unarmed fighting. I knew I simply wasn't built for raw force, so I worked with what I had, and tried to internalize the philosophies of the style. I didn't focus so hard on any specific moves or actions- I just image trained in various situations where I might lose or not have access to a weapon. I minded things like twitch reflex redirection of the full force my body was capable of in a single arbitrary direction, dynamic reaction to the flow of energy as it became motion or force, and the constant addition of showmanship and flair (the psychological warfare aspect that attracted me to Bruce Lee in the first place). Done properly, he melded all aspects of fighting into a seemingly over-the-top show. This meshed perfectly with what I had discovered about my own powers during the spar. Awe is a weapon every bit as deadly and distracting as a knife or a gun, if wielded properly.
After watching me practice a bit, my fellow Wards all politely refused my offers to spar, much to my amusement. Miss Militia took me up, however, a few times a week when she wasn't otherwise occupied. I could feel my progress as I practiced. On some level it felt more rewarding than the 'cheating' nature of my instant competence with weapons. Miss Militia was initially skeptical of my occasional seemingly wasted movements and chaotic battlefield antics, but after we sparred in a holographic office building setting she stopped doubting me. She also added 'no papercuts' as one of the rules for subsequent spars.
Just as I started my 'final' round of tests, Glory Girl filed an official request for me to join her as a guard at an event in the coming week. Director Piggot approved it pending my acceptance, and let her meet with me to try to sell me on the job.
"So basically, we get paid a grand each to stand there, look pretty, and scare away any troublemakers."
"And this is at a stagehouse?"
"Yeah, they rented the whole place for the event. It will probably be boring as hell, but I don't say no to easy money."
"What's the event?"
"A bunch of ladies from around the area all meeting up for some kind of rally or something. Lame, but they have cash."
"Sure, why not? My boss already signed off on it."
"Awesome! I'll see you there Friday night! Here's the address. Wear that outfit!"
Before I could protest that the costume I was (still) running around in was but a draft version, she had gotten up and bolted from the room.
Huh.
The rest of the week before Friday was basic training on aspects of being with the PRT that apply to everyone, mundane or cape. First Aid I passed with flying colors. Researching the local capes and identifying them on sight went smoothly too. I was expected to name their powers and classes, and have a general idea of who I would potentially try to fight alone, and who I'd not be allowed to engage without backup. Finally, I was shown the relative values of the different parts of town, and the priorities we were expected to follow if things went bad in multiple places at once. I didn't object out loud at the time, but I made a mental note to research the logic behind some of the rankings. I definitely didn't like how my old neighborhood ranked well below Emma's. I smelled graft.
Glenn had remained evasive about the next version of my costume. Dennis' Youtube video tapered off its popularity, and the cape message boards had a bit of buzz over "The new BB girl." After hearing about the job I was taking, Chris whipped me up a fresh set of those invisible camera drones, this time with no teleport function. He said they had a special surprise instead, but I wouldn't have to worry about it as it'd be automatic.
Finally, Friday evening arrived. I was not too thrilled to be prancing around in the Glenn suit, but I figured it wouldn't matter for a quick guard job. I met Victoria behind the building, and we started to make our way backstage, where we'd split up and take position just offstage to either side. I opened with my biggest question.
"So, uh, did you ever figure out what the event was about?"
Glory Girl shook her head.
"Nah, I was asked to come by a friend of my mom. I would have dragged one of my cousins along but she wasn't interested. Amy doesn't do bouncer work, so you were next on the list of girls I knew that would work as a candidate."
I decided not to comment on that. I fielded another question.
"What kind of group has the cash to rent capes at a grand a head?"
Once again, Victoria shrugged.
"Dunno. They don't seem to be a local outfit, though. Oh, here's the stage. You take stage right, I'll take left."
After a quick moment of confusion after Glory Girl turned right, I scrambled to my left and slipped over just behind the curtain. I got a glimpse of a very full audience, mostly women. There was one woman on stage at the podium, who seemed to just be dialing back from a very intense rant. A cheesy march-like tune played from the speakers in the background.
"-and that's why we have gathered here today! For the future! For the children!"
She got a standing ovation from the crowd. I turned by back to the audience, and leaned back trying to read the banner strung above the stage.
MOTHERS AGAINST VIDEOGAME VIOLENCE
FIRST ANNUAL CONVENTION
WE ARE NOT AFRAID!
Oh dear Christ!
As if waiting for me to finish my horrible realization, the lights and background music cut out, plunging the entire auditorium into blackness. I immediately started channeling my (now more or less fully charged) power into my muscles. The speakers crackled, then hummed as something new jacked in. A very loud (and unfortunately familiar) voice boomed out, causing everyone to flinch.
"No Escape."
The woman who had been at the podium had stepped off if the direction her voice was coming from was any indication. She was yelling something that got drowned out by the new speaker. Glory Girl and I both stepped out onto the (very wide) stage, but neither of us ran due to the darkness. I could hear the murmuring of the audience start churning up towards panic. Suddenly, I felt a breeze of displaced air, and I sensed something massive float down from above. I had barely gotten my forehead brand to full brightness before the woman who had been leading was flung offstage, up and over and behind the audience if her initial vector and velocity was any indication. I didn't hear her hit the back wall or land, just her scream fading into nothingness as she grew more distant. A second voice rumbled forth.
"Foxes only."
When visibility came back, it wasn't from the stage lights. The walls and ceiling were gone. The floor around the audience was gone. The curtains and backdrop were gone. A soft, purple-white glow rose from the starry cosmic backdrop that faded into view. The woman hadn't hit the walls or floor because there was nothing to hit, only a bottomless void.
In the middle of the stage were two figures with crossed arms standing back to back, one facing me and one facing Glory Girl. Two familiar capes known for their signature style. A party that would not tolerate a gathering such as this in their city, at any cost. Both were young men, wearing what seemed to be flight jackets and otherwise military-looking gear. Each wore a headband with a pair of furry fox ears. The slimmer one, facing Glory Girl, brandished a small remote in one hand and finished their introduction.
"Final Destination."
Über and Leet, in the flesh.
[***]
For a few seconds, the world was still. Then the screams from the audience started. Leet pointed the remote at them for a second and they went silent. I glanced over and it looked like they were still panicking and screaming. A 'mute' function, I guessed.
As I had played my fair share of video games (mostly back when I was friends with Emma, because her family could afford all of them), I became very wary of the air above the stage. I knew what was coming. Before I could shout any sort of warning to Glory Girl, however, Über charged.
My world was suddenly limited to myself, Über, and the small portion of the stage I could reach on the next fraction of a second. If I spread my attention any further, I'd be crushed. He was on me so quickly I forgot to respond as my chosen style dictated I should; with an interception and counter.
His first few blows were mildly telegraphed and somewhat weak. Probing strikes? He was trying to gauge my reflexes, perception, and strength. I deflected the blows as best I could without being fancy or invoking my power. Knocking his arm away, I became very aware of its muscle tone. At that second I had absolutely no doubt that if he wanted to, with an opening, he could probably end me with one strike. His power, the ability to learn anything at terribly accelerated rate, applied just as much to personal body conditioning as it did to any other skill.
I was far from the first person to quietly be thankful that he stuck with Leet; if he chose to, he could be a terrible menace (or a wonderful hero). As he seemed to lean towards villainy, his antics with his partner were as harmless as we could hope for him to be.
I hopped back from his initial flurry of blows and stayed in motion, hopping slightly from foot to foot and having my arms a bit away from my sides, cycling from fists to open hands, waving in small circular motions. When I first practiced this 'non-stance,' I felt patently ridiculous. However, watching my opponent, I observed his gaze cycle between my feet and arms and center of gravity. He wasn't laughing. His eyes narrowed and he lunged forward, right arm out and grasping for my left arm.
I snatched that right arm with my left hand, pulled him forward and down, then brought up my left knee. He threw his head back to avoid taking the blow full force on the chin. Twisting suddenly, he was free of my grasp and readying a new stance. His face was expressionless, his focus was on my body as a whole. I suddenly got the feeling he was now taking me much more seriously than he had a few seconds ago.
Victoria was busy dodging shots from Leet's laser pistol gadget. He wasn't letting her get close. However, when she took to the air, he waggled a finger at her.
"Hey now, flying is cheating!"
She was having a much easier time dodging his shots in three dimensions.
Right as she was about to rush in and strike him, a gigantic white shape came down on her from above.
A fully scaled animatronic Master Hand crushed her like a bug.
"Ugggh . . ."
Or had tried to, at least. The gigantic floating white glove picked her up by her head with its thumb and forefinger, and Leet started laughing wildly.
"Fortunately I have a flying ally of my own! How does it feel to be taken out by something stronger than yourself for once?" He began peppering her with shots from his gun as she struggled. The lasers didn't seem to be actually hurting her or damaging her costume. Apparently they were playing the game reference straight.
Meanwhile, Über and I squared off. As he was moving much less than I was in our 'idle' positions, it would be to his advantage if we drew this out. That is, if we were both mundane humans. As it was, I was pretty sure I could keep up this little ready-stance dance all day. We started circling slowly. I closed some distance.
With a shift of my weight I was in his face, heel digging in to his foot and a shove putting him off balance. He grabbed my shoulder and my free hand slapped away a blow to my solar plexus. He's not playing around anymore.
Before I could press my attack, he twisted and an elbow was introduced to my ear. I hopped free of him and lashed out with a straight punch in case he decided to follow through. He didn't, and my fist hit air.
He nodded and shifted his stance again. I was beginning to worry. Each exchange was teaching him far more about "Fighting Lightshow" than I was learning about "fighting Über." I could not win this as a conventional brawl.
That said, the further he tuned himself to fighting my good-but-not-super martial arts, the more he'd be off balance when I switched gears and went for the win.
If the clobbering Victoria was getting was any indication, I'd need to do that soon.
Über came at me again, and I was now sporting a few new bruises and a bleeding lip. I didn't even scratch him in that exchange. It was about time to use my first trick.
[*****]
Intermission
Chris was on the roof of a nearby building, swearing quietly to himself.
He had totally lost the signal from the whole set of camera drones when the pocket dimension opened inside the stagehouse. They had automatic orders, with certain priorities requested by Director Piggot; firstly, to keep eyes on Lightshow at all times, and secondly, to use the red laser implements to blind the inevitable camera drone(s) that Leet was using to record.
That said, he had maintained a niggling feeling of doubt about this entire mission. Something about Taylor's comments earlier implied she might not have been aware of the nature of the event.
Which was stupid, of course. Piggot gave her the option to take the job personally. There's no way she'd have left out the nature of the event and the nigh inevitable crashing of it.
Right?
Regardless, what was set up as an impromptu sting turned totally FUBAR when the interior of the stagehouse vanished. Now Über and Leet had an entire auditorium full of hostages and god-knows what kind of carnival of horrors set up for a group of angry, jealous mothers who lost the battle for their children's affections to entertainment software.
That this was actually shaping up to be a full fledged Protectorate, Wards, and PRT operation just added to his worry. They'd be humiliated if this op went to hell. These two villains were slippery as eels, and arrogant to boot. That they managed to publicly broadcast their antics and turn a profit irked the PRT to no end.
Chris had been ordered to add the laser pointer feature and blinding logic after the obvious success of the earlier drone/teleport beacons. Well, 'success.' He ran a hand over his hoverboard nervously. He was somewhat on probation for his stunt; if Piggot caught so much as a whiff of an unapproved tinker device in use of his manufacture, he'd be innovating new screws, nuts and bolts for a month in a dusty office somewhere as punishment. Or something like that. He was sure it would be appropriately horrible.
The drones integrated bits of Armsmaster's target recognition technology, the same hover tech his board used, and a few other tinker tricks from other heroes he'd crossed paths with. Plus a laser pointer in each one. The teleport trick was something he'd studied from some confiscated gear- he hadn't considered that copying a Leet device would potentially invoke Leet's weakness. Stupid, stupid. That said, a blast of minor radiation was far less catastrophic than an exploding teleport beacon mid-transport, but . . . it was still a terribly reckless idea. He just had the inspiration to jam all the bits together when Taylor's case presented itself, and went off full blast from there.
He sighed and kept his eye on his wrist controller. The second, the instant, that Lightshow was back in range, he had to call in the strike. He was the only one with eyes inside.
He was totally unprepared for a screaming, flailing middle-aged woman to spontaneously appear three feet in the air above a dumpster across the street and unceremoniously fall in.
A PRT squad was on her in short order and helped her out; her enraged babbling unfortunately didn't help them determine the video game that was today's 'theme.' If they knew that they'd at least have an idea of what to expect next.
Shaken, but not completely out of it, Chris focused back on his wrist and maintained his vigil.
[***]
I really did mean to try my first trick. Honestly. Just, once Über was suddenly aware how much of a disadvantage I was at when he was in my face and constantly pounding, I didn't really have much of an opening to change the pace. I was also aware of the increasing lightness of his blows.
Not that he was hitting me any less hard; it was just that the energy of the strikes was being spread across my entire frame, magnified, and channeled into whole-frame kinetic force. I felt myself being knocked back more and more, just like the video game in question.
During our exchanges I once again noted the laser pistol on his belt, and noted the bat on his back. Yeah, a Homerun Bat. If I remembered correctly, he didn't even need to wear me down to 'finish' me; one full power strike from that bat would send me out into the starry void- and then to wherever the angry mother on stage wound up- even if I was otherwise intact. Hopefully, the destination was nowhere deadly; this was a rather family friendly game, after all.
As I panted and caught my breath after another volley of strikes, I considered that. Why Smash Brothers? Why a harmless game when facing this particular group? Was there some meaning there? Was there something I could exploit?
Über and Leet were not killers, usually. Most people caught up in their 'episodes' could get out with their health intact by playing along and/or staying out of the way. Occasionally they kicked a puppy or otherwise reinforced their villainous nature, but it was usually by accident that someone got seriously hurt during one of their heists.
Well, by accident or ignorance of the video game they were running with that day. Case in point: Victoria trying to fly during a Smash Brothers themed fight. For that she was quite literally slapped down.
Back to Über, however. I was now aching in a few places quite badly. The constant throbbing was gradually drawing my focus. He had broken off and exchanged a glance with Leet, as Glory girl was now pinned in yet another humiliating way by the Master Hand robot. Well, humiliating to her at least, if her yelling was anything to go by.
Leet looked down at something on his wrist between shots.
"Shit! The camera's blind!"
I was just about to start backflipping away and changing up the game when Über reached to his side and pulled out his laser gun. Since Leet's gun had thick purple beams, this one was probably the 'native' gun to Fox McCloud in the game. I knew that much but I didn't really remember what the difference was, otherwise. Well, other than that the 'pickup' gun Leet had was supposed to run out of shots after a short while.
If Glory Girl's continued stuttered cursing and jolting was any indication, Leet had overlooked that detail in his design phase.
Über shifted to a defensive stance and started looking around for the cameras while keeping ready to fend me off with the gun. I smiled. The opening was more or less given to me on a silver platter. I took a deep breath and released it, feeling strength and power flow into my muscles. I doubled my raw power. If I trained, I could increase my native physical strength and double that with my ability later. I kept it in mind.
For now, Über needed a lesson in flair. His beating was methodical and professional, but . . . it didn't look that impressive. That should have been the absolute last thing I was thinking about at the moment, but somehow I knew it was the key to everything.
"Oy, where are you looking?"
Über's head snapped back to me, and then he looked at my forehead.
"What the-"
Before he could finish, I had cartwheeled towards him. I followed it with a forwards flip, intending to land on his shoulders, but I would up standing on a translucent spherical shield projected around him instead.
Good enough.
I barely heard his muffled
"Leet! Look out!"
and so Leet definitely didn't hear it, thus he was completely surprised when I landed next to him, and stun-rodded him in the gut as he stared at me slack-jawed. I grabbed the gun that he dropped and spun around, whipping it up at Über, who had me in his sights as well. I was now glowing visibly, sunset aura visible around me.
Mexican standoff. Classic.
"You know, if you hadn't pulled out your gun, you would've won," I said.
"Oh?" His voice was deep.
"I don't have any special ability with hand-to-hand combat."
I snapped off three shots. Two at him so he'd return fire while dodging and one at a wide angle on the glossy stage. The beam bounced off the floor, then up into a stagelight, down onto the Master Hand bot, which shuddered and allowed Victoria to pry it off of her and chuck it into the air, where it righted itself. Über came up out of his dodging roll and was still.
"Thanks. Took you long enough, though."
"Hey, I was fighting Über. Leet's a pushover, in comparison."
I didn't fail to note the slight clench of Über's free fist at that.
"The guns don't hurt you, they make it easier to fling you. You 'lose' if you get flung offstage into the bottomless pit. Or if you get flung up too high. All the hurt they've been laying on us is making us easier to launch. If Über hits you with his bat, you're gone. That hand can probably send you flying too if Leet gets serious."
"Grrrr."
Note to self: Glory Girl hates not being taken seriously.
"Just stay on the ground and send them flying! Then we'll probably be able to get out of here!"
"Got it."
She dashed for the fallen Leet and I started circling Über again while peppering him with shots. He had his chance to crush me, but it was my turn now.
[*****]
Laser pistol in one hand, stun rod in the other, I circled Über and herded him away from Leet to the other side of the stage. They had a lot more to gain from synergy and cooperation than we did. His return fire was simply deflected off my stun rod as I swatted his beams before they could harm me.
That said, I wasn't exactly hitting him with my stray shots. I wasn't putting my all into it; I didn't need to. He was moving where I wanted, and once he was there I'd be able to pick him apart at leisure.
Once he was at the corner of the stage, I shifted to firing directly at him.
With a flicker of his bubble shield my beam bounced right back at me and hit me before I realized what had happened. I fell back on my ass and couldn't move for a second. My moment of paralysis wasn't ignored, and I was suddenly under a rain of laser shots, ramping up my 'damage' and keeping me immobile while not sending me flying too far. I was spasming and jerking too much to defend myself, so he kept up the attack until he was close enough to snatch the stun rod and laser gun from my trembling hands. He stepped back and stopped shooting me, then holstered his gun.
"So, no special ability with hand to hand, eh?"
I caught my breath and stood up on shaky legs.
"Nope."
"Then why didn't you open up with your stun rod?"
I blinked.
"Didn't need to."
His head tilted at that.
"You seemed to be serious enough aside from that one stupid call. You even fought well. Extremely well. Are you sure you're thinking . . . clearly?"
I almost gave that some thought, but I wasn't going to fall for his obvious mind game. I didn't need to listen to the babbling of some pathetic criminal that was about to go down hard.
Wait.
Pathetic?
This was Über. One of the potentially most dangerous capes alive if he chose to be. But I could take him.
What?
Where did I get off thinking he was pathetic? I never thought that! I . . .
It clicked.
Glory Girl.
Her emotional aura.
I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. My shaking stopped. I felt it, a wave washing over me, soaking me in . . . arrogance. Confidence. Self-righteousness. It was 'helping' me as much as it was hindering our opponents. But I didn't need any of that emotional backup. It was warping me.
I mentally turned to the wave and rejected it. Something inside me surged up and blasted out, mentally scouring the foreign influence from me.
Immediately a rush of fear and revulsion washed over my mind. What was I doing? I was going easy on Über? Did I want to get wrecked on my debut as a cape? No! Screw that noise! That's not me!
My breathing hurried, and I shuddered. Shaking my head a few times rapidly, I reset my stance and faced my opponent once more. I calmed myself.
"Thank you for that. Really." I was completely sincere.
"No problem. Victoria there tends to forget how much she fucks with her friends' minds as much as her enemies, and while usually I'd keep quiet and just pound you . . . you were trying to be fair even while under the Asshole Aura. Figure that deserved some professional courtesy."
I nodded.
"I won't ask for my weapons back; just know that I'm new at this and don't really know how far my ability goes when pushed."
He nodded back.
"Bring it, hero."
I charged. This time there was no fancy theatric approach. A blur of blows, not to hurt him so much as get him guarding. A three punch combo, and a kick . . . that launched me up and into a backflip away from him, power flowing into me as I landed hard on the edge of a particular plank on the stage.
A plank that stretched out to underneath Über's right foot.
My foot went down, and the other end went up- more than mine, because the fulcrum of the plank happened to be much closer to me. As such, Über was launched a good ten feet into the air.
Fun physics fact: without some kind of ability specifically tailored to motion or gravity, you cannot move your body outside the arc of a given throw or fall (before air resistance and terminal velocity come into play, at least). That said, as a martial artist, Über was now in the worst possible position: he had no control over his landing spot or fall speed, leaving him on a very predictable path for the next couple seconds.
I kicked myself forward as hard as I could, flying at him at full speed. I rotated my body in mid-air, coming at him with a kick with my full body weight behind it . . . which he promptly grabbed, flipped himself over, and used as a stabilizing platform to kick off of me and land back on stage, sending me flying towards the edge. I landed in a slide and came to a stop right on the right edge of the stage, then stood up. He was frowning.
"I thought you shook of the stupid arrogance."
I smiled.
"I did."
He was quiet for a moment, and then his eyebrows slowly went up as he noticed what I was twirling idly in my hand.
[***]
Victoria wasn't happy.
Not happy at all.
The giant stupid glove-hand-thing was able to smack her around despite her force field. That wasn't supposed to happen. She wasn't being injured at all, but she was being moved around- more and more as time dragged on and she kept taking hits.
That was the troublesome part. She was used to tanking most hits, and avoiding blows she would otherwise normally ignore was a slightly alien mindset to her. Every time she went to send Leet over the edge, the hand came down fast and hard. When she focused on the hand, Leet peppered her with some dumb toy or another that he kept pulling out of nowhere.
This time it was a . . . flower? Wait, what is he doing with that- oh shit!
She was being bathed in flames as the hand floated up out of the inferno.
Fire . . . flower? Isn't that fucking Mario? What the hell is this? Nothing else about this is Mario! They're breaking their own rules!
"Arrgh!" She flew forward into the fire, fist extended. The fire stopped and the felt the impact as a (quickly shrinking) bubble shield popped into existence around Leet. He opened his mouth to comment, but Glory Girl wasn't having any of it.
"JUST! GO! DOWN!" Three blows, each sending a round dent crunching down into the wood of the stage. Leet's smug expression faltered for a moment as his footing inside the bubble shook. He had to crouch as the bubble continued to get smaller. The bubble popped, and she reared back for one more blow . . .
And the hand swept and knocked her feet out from under her. She had taken Lightshow's advice to heart and was focusing on flying 'down' to compensate for the extra inertia she was being given by all the weird attacks. That she didn't account for a basic sweep led her to falling down hard, which was followed up by the hand wrapping around her and pressing its thumb over her face.
'Mmmph!'
Victoria couldn't breathe.
She had gotten a few pointers from other 'Alexandria package' capes on how to deal with choke-situations. It was a common enough tactic that there were a few old standby responses for brutes. Namely, enter an environment so harsh that your assailant folded before you ran out of breath. That most brutes could hold their breath longer than normal was a small blessing.
Still, when the hand floated up with her in the grip and started spinning wildly in different directions, it didn't take long for her to completely lose her bearings. If she tried to fly in any direction she was like as not to send them both careening 'out of bounds' or whatever the stupid setup was. No way was she going to leave Lightshow up against these two creeps solo.
Well, no way barring she'd die otherwise. She was pretty sure that even if the nerds won they'd not actually kill them.
Then again that was before she just lost her own temper and tried to beat Leet's face in at full power, which led to her current predicament.
She flexed her arms and tried to bring them up and away from her body, to no avail. She could feel the hand as it squeezed harder in response to her struggling.
Wow, she was dizzy.
This might be bad . . . feeling sleepy . . .
[***]
Über whipped out both laser pistols akimbo and started raining fire on the new girl as she brandished his Homerun Bat like she owned it. She took off running in a wide circle around him, hopping and spinning as she went to dodge his fire. He led his shots and alternated beams, but she slipped around them like a snake. The corona of illumination around her was getting brighter and brighter.
Once she had circled halfway around him, she turned on a dime and rushed right at him. He aimed above and below and fired a pattern down through her and out to the sides; utterly undodgable if she didn't take to the air.
Light assaulted his eyes as a column of brightness exploded from her. A sunset-red cape manifested in the light sphere just behind her and swooped around in front of her to block all the shots.
Shit.
He triggered his bubble shield just as she slammed a foot down and screeched to a halt- right outside of the bat's strike range.
What?
Before he could react she reached high up and flung the bat down onto his shield. It bounced up behind her into the air. Above Leet and over him.
Above the Master Hand, and then down towards it.
"Oh shit, Leet look out!"
But his voice was muffled by the bubble. She smiled, crossed her arms, and tossed her hair back with a flick of her head as the bat spun and fell and landed on the spinning Hand- which sent the robot crashing straight down as if it had been hit by a truck. Leet went flying a few feet as it crunched down into wood and steel as it was embedded into the stage.
She didn't turn around to look, keeping eye contact Über the whole time.
Über just stood there for a second as Glory Girl pried the crippled robot off of her, and Leet stood back up from his fall.
Not good.
Not good at all, but he was smiling. Leet was muttering something he couldn't make out, but the new girl just amped up her grin.
The bat, which had bounced off the hand and back into the air for a moment, was snatched out of the air just as it was about to land on her head. The blinding light and cape appeared again for just an instant as she did.
Über shook his head slowly.
"I don't feel like playing dirty after that. So, before we escalate this any further, a deal: we walk, hostages leave unmolested."
The new girl glanced back at Glory Girl, who was gasping for breath. She turned back to Über.
"I can't say what's waiting for you outside the stagehouse. For the hostages I'll take the deal. Leet, you agree with Über?"
A moment passed, and the skinnier villain blinked, tore his gaze away from the ruins of the robot, and responded.
"Yeah. Sure. Ten seconds after we're gone the pocket closes and everything goes back."
Leet limped over to Über and leaned on him as they moved to the edge of the stage. Apparently that fall did more damage than was immediately obvious. Before they jumped off, Über turned back.
"New girl. You got a name?"
She nodded.
"Lightshow."
Über chuckled.
"Perfect."
"It was fun, boys. I'll try to keep them from editing you in our recording too much!"
Leet gaped in outrage and started yelling something as Über pulled them both over the edge. The 'out of bounds' sound triggered, and Lightshow turned to Glory Girl.
[***]
I walked over and nodded. The audience wasn't screaming anymore, and a few shouted thanks could be heard from the various women clinging to their seats.
"Clean end, everyone's safe."
"You believed them?"
"Honestly? Yes. Über wouldn't bother to lie about that. This entire set-up allowed them to escape clean as soon as they 'lost;' I wouldn't be surprised if wherever they exit happens to be out of state or some- what's that sound?"
We both looked around for the hissing noise, and I only noticed the bob-omb a fraction of a second before it bumped into Victoria's leg and exploded.
