Legal information: Neither author owns anything, and we are poor. So if you must sue us, expect to obtain our livelihood: An expired public library membership, and a ratty pair of running shoes.
Oh yeah, also some instant pudding mix, and a box of tamales.
Author's Note:
Shiney: Well, here we are. Another great chapter. Tramp couldn't be here right now because he's busy sleeping off a night of hard partying. But, enjoy, one of our larger ones yet, and one actually hinting at PLOT. Yay.
Bad Day Part 1
Another day in San Francisco, the shining daylight, the blistering , the populace out and about in abundance. The streets that seemed to radiate heat off the black top, the honking of horns and the pounding of the pavement. It was a normal day in the city. Well, for most people at least. For Johnny Appleseed it was one of those few rare occasions she could act like her old self. Herself before the experiments and the disaster. As most people crime fighting is tough business you risk a lot while fighting and this is not limited to clothes one of Johnny's more recent skirmishes had left her with very little choices and that had to change. After her mother had sent a care package with enough money to keep her for a bit, after subtracting living costs Johnny still had some left over to go clothes shopping which meant she had to drag her conscience with her. So there she was fighting tooth and nail with, Price.
"But it looks so cute!" she whined, as she had picked up something… A dress. It was indeed cute, Price had to admit, albeit from a cynical point of view, as he didn't understand why he had to come here with her, not that he didn't enjoy being around her. He just didn't like spending four hours looking for just the right thing when he could usually find something in ten minutes. The dress was subtle, a dark green fabric that went well with Johnny's coloring, with smooth fabric that Price couldn't identify. It was simple on its basic level, smooth fabric that hugged the curves, but didn't overtly advertise them. Above this level were small ruffles, not covering the dress, but angled, accentuating the gentle image of the dress. Small, curving straps rested on the shoulders, and it stopped just below the knee, which was where Price had to be practical. "It is… cute. I won't lie, but keep in mind that if you wear something like that, you'll be showing off your circuitboards." He said, not trying to be rude, but he had to be honest.
"I know" she said a little saddened by that fact but she lightly punched his arm just a little tap and lightly felt self conscience about her circuit board. Normally but she felt like having her time. Ever since the incident, as it had been dubbed, her more girly side didn't get to see day light much and she felt like she should dress up just once even if no one saw. "But that's not the point…" she said as she lightly held the dress up and held a small smile. She had brought Price because he would see the more practical side of things and this was everything but practical. She couldn't fight in this, nor could she very much wear it out a lot, it was supposed to be something special. She looked at it then at Price. "But…but..." she wasn't getting anywhere fast and she knew it so she decided to play her trump card. "Can I at least try it on?" she asked in almost a whimper.
Price thought for a moment, and wondered to himself why she seemed to be asking him permission. "Yes, you can try it on, you can even get it if you want, and I think it looks great. I'm just saying, you may have to deal with people who aren't as forward thinking, nor appreciative as I." He said, then quickly shook his head, feigning a loud yawn. He was starting to talk like Percival sometimes, and it was inconvenient. He'd have to start being more careful. "Anyway, Go ahead, I'm just saying, make sure that you really want it before you get it."
She giggled a little and told Price to sit still and wait why she headed off to the changing room and got the room. She let her thoughts slowly spill out into her head with nothing to specifically to focus on she started to think of her more recent and memorable encounter. She lightly slid off her blue jeans with a couple of shimmy's and lightly folded them and set them on the bench. She lightly twirled her finger in her hair; a nervous habit of hers. "Sir Percival." She murmured trying to put a finger on the guy. She started to strip to her undergarments which included black cotton bra and panties as she lightly slipped into the emerald dress. She slid her hands through and lightly drummed her fingers against her circuit board. She thought on the man, and how he just seemed built for battle; how he kept going even though he didn't have powers. To her that was a power she wished she could have. The power to continue to fight even with natural limitations; to go on no matter what. She sighed and banished the thought form her mind with the mumbling. "I hope that doesn't come back and bite me in the ass." She murmured and lightly tried on the heels that came with dress and for some reason she began to feel self conscious, and it wasn't about other people seeing her less than human parts. In truth, it was more that Price was going to be the one to see her. She lightly slapped her face and just stopped thinking; it was getting her into a train of thought that was hurting her head, not to mention being a little weird. So she stepped out with her left foot a little hung back as she looped her left arm around her back to grab her right. "Well?"
Price looked up suddenly, and focused himself on the scene in front of him. His eyes widened almost before he realized it, and he coughed quickly to try and hide the gesture. He wasn't sure why, but he always struggled to hide his emotions, even from her. Just a long childhood of being paranoid about everything, he supposed. It was weird by anyone's standards, nodes beginning just in front of her elbow, faintly glowing green as it continued down her arm, becoming more and more detailed until it reached her hands, where metal was clearly visible. It wasn't that he necessarily had a techno fetish, but he felt that it added to her unique charm. That, and his feelings for her were always volatile, all the more intense when she seemed someone other than a reclusive brawler. "You look amazing in that, forget what I said earlier." He said, not even thinking about how that may come across. He was just being obvious.
An awkward moment stretched on, for an immeasurable time, but then the two were moving on, purchased dress being carried by Price, of course.
Later on, the two were at an ice-cream parlor, again at Johnny's insistence. While Price would have never gone there himself, he never, ever would have complained. It was quality time that he never had to explain as his cynical self, spent with Johnny. They were sitting across from each other, and they were each having something unique to them. Johnny had Mint which led to an eerily green overtone to everything about her, Price not much better with dark brown hair, hazel eyes, and dark chocolate ice cream. Anyone who walked by would have noted their conversation, and thought they would have made a great couple, but good times simply can't last. They overheard from a police officer chatting with the parlor owner, more specifically, his radio as it called out a local robbery taking place at the U.S.A.A. Bank. Johnny' tensed up, realizing another opportunity, and then her face fell as she became aware that she was being caught between duty and pleasure. Price just sighed, brushing the issue aside. "Go, have fun. I'll take care of all this, and take the stuff in time. " She nodded, and said "Sorry." And just like that, she was off. Price sighed a bit, trying to remember where the U.S.A.A. bank was. Maybe he couldn't have any kind of normal life around her, but Sir Percival wasn't normal.
At the bank in question, people were terrorized, fleeing in horror, smoke churning from windows consumed by flame. Of course the bank wouldn't burn down, it was solid reinforced steel, but all the nice wood paneling, spackle, office furniture, etc. That was all expendable. Several people were standing quite calmly in the bank, one of them laughing not so calmly. A young man with a spiky white hairdo was floating around the bank, every inch of skin covered by black and red leather, chains, a trenchcoat, and a mask with a gleeful demonic appearing face. Jack Bale, a Psychotic Pyrokinetic, Sociopath, and general not-nice guy. He floated, babbling internet memes and obscenities as bank security was forced to flee or be reduced to cinders. Nearby, all ground-bound were more oddballs. An older dark-skinned man with a long graying mane of hair, a vicious scar crossing horizontally between orange-yellow eyes, dressed in a business suit with two modern pistols in hand. With him were a number of thugs, most looking like grizzled street toughs and gang members. Lucas D'Vampe, founder of the Hellraisers. Beside him stood a blonde woman who's business suit did little to restrain ample… Assets, as she looked around with rose-tinted glasses. She held a more futuristic assault rifle in hand, and with her were obvious PMC troops, or mercenaries for the vocabulary challenged. General Vanna, the group's technological knowhow and military connection. By now, the security was gone, and someone else was walking up. A young girl, no more than sixteen with long flowing hair in a shade of red you saw on fire engines or in anime. In addition, massive red cat ears poked through the long hair, and a similarly red tail poked out from the martial artist's Gi that she wore. Amy Bale, the adopted daughter of Jack. She walked up to the vault, a massive metal door recessed, held in place by countless hydraulic steel locks, bars, and computer systems.
Her ears twitching slightly in irritation, Amy grabbed a hold of the door, and began to pull. And she continued to pull. At first, it was ridiculous, but she continued. Slowly, there came the sound of steel groaning, the door began to bend, steel beginning to scream, and at long last…. The bars that served to open the lock tore away in her hand, sending her flying backwards with a surprised yell. She cursed a bit, standing up and chucking the piece of steel that weighed almost eighteen times was she did aside, and scowled at the wall. "I'm going to have to go through it the hard way." The girl said, analyzing the door. "Give me another two or three minutes, and I'll have it open. Go to the front and get ready for the capes, I need to focus." Lucas and Vanna nodded, walking out. Jack floated out, forgetting to turn himself right side up as he exited, calling to the young cat-girl "Make Daddy proud!"
Back at the entryway, Johnny was already walking in the shattered glass door. New waves of police were coming in, and it was generally looking bad for whatever small time villains had managed to attack a bank. That's when General Vanna and Lucas D'Vampe reminded law enforcement who they were. Vanna's rifle gave some technological noises, not unlike a synthesizer, and a shield, her own specialty technology appeared first around her, Lucas, and then their followers. Their next step was to open fire. Thankfully, Johnny had time to dive behind a pillar. Some of the police storming in weren't so lucky. "Quickly!" Lucas said, waving his left hand, pistol held high. "Cut us a way out of these motherfuckers to the ride out!" Vanna nodded, adding "The rest of you, prepare to help transport the money out of the vault." At that point, the advance began, bulletproof money-hungry murderers advancing on law-enforcement. Johnny stayed out of the way for the moment, but she was interrupted by several things happening around the same general timeframe. First, she noticed Sir Percival again, diving through a window frame that had anything else burned out of it a while back. Next, even as the guns were fighting their way out, they heard the sound of screaming steel once more, and this time, the floor shook as Amy came forth, riding the vault across the floor in a massive shower of sparks. Percival leapt in time to avoid becoming crushed by the vault door, but had the misfortune to land facing off with Amy.
Johnny charged in, as it would be several more minutes before any other capes arrived. After all, they hadn't set up a generalized communication system here yet like they had in paragon, and word spread more slowly. Her limbs charged with electrical power as green lightning crackled against the ground where her feet had been, she dashed out at incredible speed, leaping over obstacles with Olympian ease. Closing in on the older man, she charged her limbs even more, flying around in a flurry as he brought his pistols to bear. He fired several shots, most miraculously missing as the electricity guided her nerve impulses along at truly superhuman speeds, allowing her to be dodging the moment Lucas' expression said he was going to shoot. On the vault door, Sir Percival had his sword drawn, advancing on Amy steadily. She just shrugged, cracking her neck with a sound comparable to 2 x 4's snapping. He charged in, his sword flashing. Barely missing the first several blows, she reached up with one hand, and winced, surprised. His sword dug in, drawing blood from her hand, but his two-handed overhanded swing had been stopped dead by her now cut palm. Amy was stunned, as this was the first time something had hurt her in the past two years. Most things like bullets, missiles, and spells just bounced off. Percival however, was also stunned, because with his strike being stopped so easily, and barely doing any damage, he now knew just how fucked he was. "Shitballs." He said, as Amy grabbed his sword, and bodily hurled him up over her head, slamming him back into the metal door, snapping most of his ribs in one fell swoop.
Johnny swung around, delivering a charged roundhouse kick while airborne that snapped the gun out of the old man's hand, and she winced as she came down on it. "That hurt, you've got a grip for an old fucker." She said, charging at him. "Thanks," He said, drawing some weird wooden carving from his jacket. "It takes a lot to steal good strength these days." As he held the thing high as she came back in to deliver what she thought would be a finishing punch. Some weird black dust shot from the ground like a sooty explosion, and her world went dark as she was chucked backwards in a series of flips before landing bodily, temporarily blinded. Vanna was talking to one of the mercenaries, and nodded, turning to the others. "We're good, we need to go, now." She said, walking outside to find Jack playing with another pair of capes. "Already?" He asked, the demonic face on his mask twisting into a hideous frown. "But grandmommy, I was having fun playing with the capes!" He said, pointing at the two severely charred beings in the ground, and several more burned corpses. "Now, Jack." Vanna said, a vein twitching in her forehead quite visibly. Sighing, he flew off, still forgetting that he was upside down. Lucas wasn't far behind him, and inside, Amy turned to leave. "Did I say, I was done, with y- you, y-yet?" She heard, and turned around to see the blonde rising to his feet. She blinked, surprised as she realized this kid didn't have any powers at all, or at least, none that seemed to help him. "No, but I did. Try and take it easy, you're injured." She said, and even as she was delivering this warning, she charged in as he began to bring his sword to bear. Grabbing his arm, she snapped it like a twig, and grabbing his other arm, she rammed the sword into his own stomach. It was like playing with a ragdoll with as much strength as she had. This time, Percival dropped like a sack of potatoes, and did not rise. Quickly, Amy made her escape with the rest of her 'family.'
Not long after, as paramedics were coming in, Johnny began to get her eyesight back, wondering what it was that had occurred, and she saw a terrible sight. Percival lay there on the vault door, an arm lying at a wrong angle, sword embedded in his stomach. She rushed over, looking at him. "Oh god, jesus…." The words sputtered from her lips she moved her hair out of her sight and shuttered as her hands went to the pierced stomach that the dark red blood gushed from and horrible memories started to flood her mind another friend another time and a very bad car accident she didn't cry but she just tried to slow the blood flow "Fuck, what can I do for you" she said as a slight tremor racked it's way from her lungs, hearing paramedics coming in, scrambling to their location. "Medical treatment, would be, n-nice." He muttered dryly. "Maybe a quick, painless death as opposed to this bullshit?" before in losing most of his ability to breathe, he slipped into unconsciousness.
She gave a cracked laugh "Freaking retard, should have got your armor from the shop" she muttered heatedly trying hard as she could to stem the flow of blood that gushed between her fingers and her circuitry. The way it felt gave her shivers and she banished thoughts form her mind as he fought keep life in the strange man. She dared not pull the sword out of his stomach. In the dim destruction she couldn't make out half of man with the bruises that formed around basically every part of his body. Soon enough, the paramedics were there, and he went off with emergency medical professionals, dealing with the other burn victims and gunshot wounds. All in all, it was a bad day for the heroes.
Author's Note:
Shiney: Yay, another fun chapter, and we finally see that our heroes can get their shit rocked. Tune in next time, and bring chicken wings.
The_Tramp_Truffle: CHICKEN!!!