Current Energy: 11
Current Training: Inner Peace (7/10) Currently 3 to Complete
Monday, January 17th, 2011
Hebert Household, Brockton Bay
'Emmy, tell Dad we're going.' Taylor orders you as she rushes to put her shoes on.
'He's not going to be happy.' You point out.
'Better he knows I'm gone so he can hide if something happens here.' Taylor says resolutely.
You suppose that's not an unreasonable expectation. If someone is watching the house and sees Taylor leave then Danny would definitely be in trouble if he was just sleeping in bed.
'Got it.' You answer, quickly bumbling your way up the tiny stairwell and then ghosting into the elder Heberts bedroom.
"Danny. Hey buddy, need you to uh- wake up. Just a bit." You call out, shaking the man out of his slumber. It isn't really that late in the night yet, but you suppose that as a working man Danny probably has a habit of sleeping and rising early.
"Wuh?" He mumbles blankly at you as he acclimates to consciousness once more. You can faintly sense your Master making it out to the backyard of the house as he does so.
"Hey so, Taylor's friend from school- Greg? He's dying or something so we have to go help him. We'll be back in a bit I swear." You explain quickly to him.
"What? Can't you just call 9-1-1?" Danny blurts in confusion and annoyance.
"What's that? I can't hear you I'm-" You say suddenly, having felt your Master's presence rocket into the sky and out of your range- just in time to discorporate you and leave you blinking away tears as you find yourself suddenly falling from a great height.
"All abooooooard!" You yell, having long since gotten used to the sensation of falling infinitely.
'You are so weird.' Taylor says fondly to you as she begins to sprint across the skies.
Monday, January 17th, 2011
Brockton Bay
Finding Greg isn't really that hard. Or at least, Greg's general location anyway. Your Master just got near the address he listed and then slowly started to arc her way down when it became clear that it was surrounded by three car sized lizard dog things.
Stopping a few stories above the monsters, she takes the time to snatch you out of the air and hurl you towards a nearby rooftop, presumably so you don't land on top of one of the things.
'Man. You know the sensation of imminent death wasn't great at first but once you get used to it-' You begin stretching your arms and bouncing from foot to foot with nervous energy.
Taylor ignores you, instead withdrawing her shoddy little burner phone and calling Greg again.
"Greg? The address you gave me has... guards. Should I kill them or...?"
"Oh god no! Absolutely do not attack those! Hang on I'll come get you, is there anyone else out there?" Greg asks desperately.
"Just me and Emmy," Taylor confirms with a quick look around.
"Good, I was worried- anyway. Hang on." Greg answers, hanging up. A few seconds later, a side door on the squat abandoned building he was apparently in opens up, and the boy himself stumbles shakily out of it between two of the giant monster dogs. He looks around quickly, turning left and then right when it becomes obvious Taylor isn't standing in the street.
"Up here." She calls to him as she descends the rest of the way to the ground, staying out of easy reach of the monsters.
"Taylor? I didn't know you could fly!" Greg says excitedly.
"It's more like walking on air." Taylor answers with a disappointed shrug.
"Huh. Shit! Okay so is Panacea on the way because he's getting really pale and I don't know-" Greg hums in awe before blinking and then frantically continuing.
"No." Taylor says succinctly as she follows Greg into the building, warily eyeing the beasts to either side of her. You follow along behind her invisibly, having used your intangibility to jump from floor to floor inside of the building you landed on instead of having to dive straight off the roof.
"Wh- Grue is dying! I thought-" Greg blurts stupidly, stumbling as Taylor brushes past him.
"Hey man don't worry, we got this." You say confidently, appearing next to him and preventing him from falling over. There is the light of recognition in Greg's eyes as he sees you, and he purses his lips in worry as you return to invisibility and follow after your Master.
"G-Man, I gotta say, for a dork you have some surprising connections." A laconic voice calls from further into the building as Taylor follows Greg's directions to a room that looks like it was once the break room for employees of the abandoned storefront you are now in.
"...What happened here?" Taylor asks cautiously as she approaches the group of people in the room.
There are four of them, and only one seems to be in good health. Laying down on a decrepit couch is a large man in black motorcycle leathers, wearing a stylized helmet with a skull on it. Blood is seeping from a wound on his side, where an arrow has apparently shorn straight through him from front to back.
On the floor, also laying down, next to him, is a girl in a skintight purple and black body suit with blond hair that you faintly recognize from somewhere, unconscious and with blood trickling from her ears and nose in rivulets.
In a corner, as far as she can apparently get from everyone else, is a girl wearing a tattered green coat, staring warily at everyone else as if deeply confused.
And in the center of it all, sitting on a stack of boxes, is a pale boy wielding what looks like a homemade sceptre, a shirt that doesn't fit right, pants that fit too tightly, and a porcelain mask that reminds you somewhat of Parian's albeit lacking any humanoid features.
"Do you want it in chronological order or by how fucked we are?" The pale boy says casually, twirling his sceptre in one hand.
"Regent. Seriously man, I asked you to keep pressure on this!" Greg yelps as he runs into the room, quickly darting to the couch and putting pressure on side of the man who is obviously bleeding out. You want to hurry over to heal the guy but can't help but notice the way that your Master is currently eyeing Greg as if examining an insect.
"You're villains." She says carefully, watching Greg for any reaction.
"They mostly only rob the other Gangs though!" Greg adds quickly, looking to Regent worriedly.
"Only cus it's easier." Regent hums, then leans towards your Master and faux whispers, "We're totally villains."
"Greg. Why, are they villains." Taylor asks again, pinching the bridge of her nose.
"Well you see when someone else has something that you want very very much-" Regent drones.
"Regent, shut the fuck up." Greg hisses at him, before turning an embarrassed look on Taylor.
"Look I can explain later okay? Please?" He asks desperately.
"...Fine." Taylor says with a sigh, although you notice that at some time during the conversation her sword has ended up firmly in her grasp, point sharply dug into the dirty carpet beneath you.
"Nice, all right let's get you moving buddy." You say, appearing next to Greg, being very careful not to step on the Girl on the ground.
Energy: -1
With the long ease of practice, your paws begin to glow, and you infusing the healing energies of chi into the dying man. It takes a few minutes - not only does his wound have to heal, but his body has to eject the arrow that is lodged in him. Curiously, you find it takes much longer than it should for this to happen. By the time you are done though, the man on the couch has grown still, his breathing coming easier and unlabored.
"Should I do her too or?" You ask, point down at your feet.
"Please," Greg says tiredly. And you move to do so.
Energy: -1
"So. 'G-Man'." Taylor drawls, although you can tell she is extremely off-put by the situation. Her hands are gripping the hilt of her sword so hard that her knuckles have turned white, and she's making sure to keep everyone in the room in her line of sight.
"It's my gamertag." Greg explains lamely.
"Not a Cape name?" Taylor pushes, eyes narrowing. Greg snorts at her with a forlorn laugh that sounds as though it is coming from the pits of despair.
"No I- I just wanted to have some friends okay? I was just hanging out with Regent when he started getting undressed and ran out here!" Greg complains lamely.
'He's totally lying.' You opine as the blond on the ground begins to groan and sit up.
'I know. He called that guy Grue and acted like he knew them.' Taylor notes back.
"Ow. I hate Trumps. Trumps are the worst." The girl complains as she stumbles to her feet, then turns to eye you and Taylor.
"My heart goes out to you. Truly." Taylor drawls. You note, with some satisfaction, that she has managed to switch out to the imposing version of herself she typically falls into when very serious about something.
"You should be careful yourself. I don't know what she's calling herself but Shadow Stalker's new partner means business." The blond says with a shrug.
"Are they still outside?" She asks, turning to Greg.
'They know each other.' You say.
'Yeah...' Taylor responds, troubled.
"I don't know. No one shot at me when I went to get Taylor but..." Greg trails off, shrugging.
"Ehem." You cough, drawing the girls attention.
"Sorta don't know what's going on here." You say, raising one hand.
"Oh I got this one. Shadow Stalker started shooting at them, Grue got clipped, Tats had a seizure, and Bitch started freaking out about her dogs." Regent chimes in.
"Didn't understand 'em." Mutters the girl in the corner.
"Yeah that's about the gist of things. I know this is alot to ask but do you think you could maybe stall them a bit? So we can get away?" 'Tats' says pleadingly.
"Your villains. Why shouldn't I just let Shadow Stalker capture you?" Taylor fires back.
"Because she's not going to capture us. Grue was going to die before you showed up. Stalker isn't even with the Protectorate anymore. They'll probably announce she's eighteen and left the program of her own accord in a few days. Sooner if it comes out she's using lethal force. And her new partner is everyone's problem. You wouldn't like it very much if your 'friend' here just suddenly disappeared now would you?" The girl says, her smile turning vulpine the longer she talks.
Taylor looks like she's going to say something to the effect of 'screw you', but 'Tats' tilts her head slightly to indicate Greg, who is still nervously shuffling about near the couch in his day wear. Taylor bites her lip and then glares at the girl.
"What were you even doing out here tonight anyway? Robbing a jewelry store? And you better be at school tomorrow Greg." Taylor snips, clearly having already made her decision but not wanting to admit it.
"Trying to sign a new independent. Spitfire. You should look her up." Tat's says pleasantly, apparently completely ignoring your Master's considerable ire.
'What's the plan?' You ask your Master.