Miracle City, a spicy cesspool of crime and it's protecter was right in the middle of a fierce battle.
"Jump, duck, dodge, kick him in the head" the voice of Frida was heard, watching her best friend Manny tap his fingers along the buttons on the arcade machine. after months of practice, he was about to do it, he was going to beat the final level in Headkickers 3. Manny prepped himself as the screen went a dark hue of red as the cabinet showed a message. "Game Over, you are so super dead" Manny simply huffed, having spent his last token.
The two left the Mayan Arcade, trading the cool airconditioned building for the hot sun as they walked on the sidewalk. Frida suggested ice cream, pointing to an ice cream truck as Manny put his hand into his pocket, feeling around the pinch of loose change in his palm, moving the coins with his index finger counting the warm pieces of metal.
the two pooled their money together but only had enough for one of those crappy ice pops that they would have to share as a bright blur passed buy them, cutting the truck in half.
NOOOO! all that ice cream... gone to waste" Frida mourned, slamming her hands on the ground as the driver was clearly concerned for his life, getting out of the front half of the truck and running off. The two turned to see the culprit, the beam of energy being shot from the wrist of Manny's rival, the crow themed villainess; Black Cuervo.
the girl swooped down towards the two halves of the truck, flying through the mess as it exploded with a mixture of metal and dessert wrappers. Black Cuervo smirked with an armful of frozen treats cackling with laughter as she was showing off her spoils "Nothing like ice cream to cool off on a hot day, right El Tigre. if you beg me... I might let you have a lick".
Manny simply stared as the black-haired villainess, unwrapped one the popsicles, taking a long drag with her tongue as Manny looked at her, demanding she put the ice cream down as she looked at all the wrapped treats in her left arm, holding out the right hand which had the unwrapped popsicle, taking another lick before biting the top off, intentionally getting under his skin as he was clearly overheated.
"That's it" Manny decided, as he spun his belt buckle engulfed in green flames as he changed into his superhero (or supervillain) identity 'El Tigre'. the tiger boy shot his chain claw at Black Cuervo. getting a grip on her jetpack as she bolted off in the air, taking El Tigre with her.
"I'll just... stay here" Frida stayed at the truck, looking through the wreckage for something salvageable, watching the two costumed kids fly through the city: or more specifically Cuervo flying and El Tigre hanging on. retracting his chain the tiger slingshot himself towards Black Cuervo, hanging on her back which meant she could not use her blaster as she had to resort to her talons, dropping the armful of ice creams into the park as kids swarmed around the frozen treats.
seeing her spoils spill over the ground, Cuervo crushed the remaining popsicle in her hand, thick grape syrup running down her glove as she zipped over the roads, blindly swatted her talon glove behind her back at El Tigre who was hitching a ride on her back, holding her shoulders, slamming his claw into her jetpack as the sounds of mechanical failure were heard. the two dropped from the air rolling around.
"My Jetpack, you will pay El Tigre" Black Cuervo declared vengeance on the tiger boy as she drew out her talons, striking a fighting pose as El Tigre did the same with his claws. the two stared each other down, coated in syrup and ice cream as another battle between the two enemies was about to begin. well, it would have if not for her wrist, which started beeping. From look on Manny's face, he was confused as Cuervo simply retracted her talons and tried starting her pack which sputtered.
Manny heard some words under Cuervo's breath, but he did not catch them as she looked over, seeing a parked cab with a driver eating a hoagie. like a flash of light she bolted into the car, holding her arm blaster at the driver.
"Flock of Fury HQ, STEP ON IT!" she called out as the cab zipped off, leaving a confused Manny wondering why she bolted on their fight. It was very unlike her to leave before the fight had concluded, reverting back to Manny Rivera as he was still covered in syrup, licking his arm.
As the cab drove off and Cuervo noticed El Tigre stopped following her she breathed a huff, it was later than she initially thought, she never planned to start that conflict with El Tigre, it just happened.
The raven themed villainess loved fighting El Tigre with a passion, always looking for a reason to start a fight or commit a crime just to get his attention. to embrace in combat with him, like an elegant dance of skills, to just spend time with him, even if they were beating the crap out of each other.
Which made her feel worse now, all that build up and teasing and no payoff, no climax. she realized her mother would get furious that her outfit was dirty before the big museum heist that had been planning, and she should have been home by now, going over final plans as she rocked back and forth nervously.
"DRIVE FASTER!" Cuervo ordered as the cab driver floored it, have no regard due to the glowing purple blaster attached to the villainess' wrist. Cuervo simply bit her finger, hoping she could get home in time and by some miracle she was only 5 minutes late as the taxi stopped at its destination. Cuervo left the cab, walking to the giant bird shaped building, hearing a dry cough behind her.
"Hey Cuervo, pay the fare" the cab driver replied as she turned, blaster drawn but the driver wasn't budging, admitting he had no problems driving supervillains, but they still had to pay the fare. not wanting to waste time, she simply reached into her pocket, throwing a handful of bills "There, just leave".
after seeing the cab drive off, she approached the door, holding her wrist to the door as it clicked open as she entered the building, the door locking behind her. once she was in the clear Cuervo pressed two buttons on the sides of her helmet as a clicking was heard and Cuervo lifted it, removing the purple eye mask underneath, exposing her civilian identity as Zoe Aves, she made note to wash her outfit and take a shower, glad her outfit was washing machine safe.
"ZOE, why are you late" a voice said as the black-haired girl made haste down the hall to where her mother and grandmother were standing over a table lined with holograms and blueprints.
"I'm only...7 minutes late" Zoe replied, checking the clock on her glove as her mother Carmelita Aves aka Voltura looked over the 13-year-old girl, asking what happened to her costume. Zoe explained the incident with the Ice Cream truck and that her Jetpack got wrecked, not telling her that El Tigre was the one who did it or that they fought, scratch that; they DIDN'T get to fight.
"You cannot heist like that, covered in syrup. I want you in the tub and your suit in the wash before tonight" Voltura ordered, looking at Zoe, seeing the slash marks in her jetpack, putting two and two together as she glared at her daughter.
"You were fighting with the Rivera boy" Voltura called out, running her finger along the gashes in the pack. "This is serious, how are we supposed to steal the Emerald Eyes if your pack is not working".
Zoe rubbed her shoulder nervously, claiming she could fix it before night as it was probably just a severed tube that could be replaced, if it came down to it, she could use one of the prototypes. Zoe made the excuse of heading to the bathroom to get away from her family, opting to talk with them after they've cooled down.
after making her way to the bathroom, Zoe took a shower, scrubbing the thick sticky syrup from her skin, and washing it out her hair, the congealing mixture of colors falling off her, swirling together into a muddy grey before swirling down the drain.
Stupid Manny for destroying her jetpack, making her ride a taxi home, and the soreness of the tumble starting to kick was careless even by his standards, she was lucky she was so close to the ground. If Zoe was higher that fall could have seriously injured her, or worse. Zoe cursed the tiger as she scrubbed her hair, a pink foamy covering her and smelling of strawberries.
Zoe questioned herself, if they were up higher...would he have saved her. The girl found herself drifting in her imagination, that scenario playing in her mind.
Black Cuervo was flying high among the rooftops, El Tigre clinging on to her back, when the sound of sputtering drowned out all the noise, the raven dropping like a stone, about to end up splattered on the road. the young villainess closed her eyes, preparing to meet her ancestors; expecting a splat which never came.
when she opened her eyes, she saw the street below her, and she dangled, the jingling of chains. El Tigre wasn't fully a hero, but he wouldn't have let her parish. no grabbed her with his chain, the other arm hanging on the ledge of a nearby building.
"El Tigre, you saved my life" Black Cuervo said in adoration, clearly wooed but the act which excited her as he chuckled, saying he could never let her end up as road pizza, pulling her up with his free arm which was now around her waist as they hung there, Cuervo asking how she could ever repay the deed of saving her life. "You can repay me with a kiss".
Her heart fluttered, leaning in, kissing her hero, as she two locked lips, the sun setting as they hung there. "Oh Manny, I waited so long for this moment"!
This was nirvana, the final destination for her. El Tigre, Manny Rivera kissing her as the orange sunrays bounced off them, despite the risk of danger it was no less romantic, in fact it made it more romantic, the thrill, the danger it was exciting as Cuervo was in pure euphoria. "I Love you Manny."
"And I love you Zoe"
"Zoe...Zoe... ZOE!" The young girl's fantasy was cut off by Voltura knocking on the door, telling her to hurry up. after rinsing off and drying with a towel, Zoe put on a bathrobe, while her Black Cuervo outfit was in the wash. no matter how much space the youngest Rivera took up in Zoe's head she needed to clear her thoughts and prepare for tonight's heist.