"I don't want to be ordinary, got too much to give..."
ALIAS
Paladin
CLASSIFICATION
Brick
POWER
Kinetic Energey Absorption
AGE
19
Hero
|
Sept 24, 2020 18:41:04 GMT
Post by Alice Morrow on Sept 24, 2020 18:41:04 GMT
Paladin Am I more than you bargained for yet? | Paladin shrugs. "Maybe, but at least with metas that struggle to control their powers they have somewhere to go. Some cities it's much harder." Like New York. The city was now so hostile to metahumans that there was little option for a meta other than to hide their abilities, and if that wasn't possible, to leave. Somehow there were still metahuman crimes there, which hardly helped the situation.
Paladin was bright enough, and certainly well meaning, but she didn't understand a lot of the deeper things that she left to people like Dominic and Claire. They understood that San Francisco was a hotspot precisely because she was here, metahumans that looked up to her and wanted to be like her, and those who saw her as a rival and wanted to prove their strength against her. All she knew was that she seemed to be dealing with a different Villain every week, each more arrogant than the last.
"There are loads of metahumans here, and I don't really know why, you'd have to ask Dom, I mean, Mr Weaver, about that sort of thing. He understands the statistics and things, I just fight crime."
She glances sideways at the bone clad Hero as she sucks another piece of lamb from her fingers, relishing in the juicy flavour of the meat. "I always wanted to be a Hero, even before well... The powers and everything. I just loved that shit, y'know, and seemed like something that would always be a dream. Then obviously I got my powers and the rest..."
Paladin was one of the few documented metahumans that predated the event. Half a dozen blurry videos exist in a thousand places on the internet, with even more theories about why it was that she had exhibited powers before the clouds of biochemical agents had appeared in the sky and changed the world.
She licks the fingers of her gloves, before turning her attention back to her gyros. Now that she has picked out a lot of the filling it's actually possible to eat the meal as originally intended, and she takes a bite from the wrap like food. Chewing thoroughly, clearly enjoying the intense flavours, she swallows before continuing. "What made you change your mind? About being a Hero I mean."
| © seadra of gs |
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"I don't want to be ordinary, got too much to give..."
ALIAS
Paladin
CLASSIFICATION
Brick
POWER
Kinetic Energey Absorption
AGE
19
Hero
|
Post by Alice Morrow on Sept 2, 2020 8:33:23 GMT
Paladin Am I more than you bargained for yet? | "Careful." Paladin winks, "Don't let him get too generous, or he'll be demanding autographs."
She reaches up as the swarthy New Yorker leans down from the hatch of the truck, passing her a wrap in thick paper. The heat of the fresh food is already penetrating the wraps, though she can't feel much of it through the gloves of her costume. They're custom made though, and well fitted, so despite the high performance and resilient fabric they are made of, she doesn't lose much in the way of dexterity.
"I know what you mean. Before I was a Hero I used to live in a hole, there was literally enough space for my bed and a hotplate. And I struggled even to afford that for a while."
She'd actually spent several months on the streets, though mostly she was camped out in the warehouse Dominic had leased for the six of them. He'd put her up somewhere once he'd found out that she was sleeping there, promising that it was just an advance on the life she would have when she was a Hero. He'd been right. Money was no longer the uncomfortable topic it had once been. Although it was uncomfortable in a whole other way now.
Nicos leans down from the hatch with Menagerie's order, handing it to the bone clad Hero. "You can give me and autograph next time eh?" He grins and pats the counter of his truck, then looks about and scratches his head theatrically. "Though I don't know where I will put it."
He laughs as the two Heroes walk on, Paladin picking carefully at her overstuffed lamb gyros in an attempt to eat it without the whole thing exploding in her hands.
"It's good here, people like seeing Heroes around, at least mostly. It helps that the MNRU is here too, so even when unstable metas do show up usually there is someone to help them." Pausing and looking back at the distant haze that was their battlefield only a few minutes ago. "It's just hard work making sure that people stay positive about it." She glances sideways at her companion. "I guess you've had to deal with that more than I have?"
| © seadra of gs |
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"I don't want to be ordinary, got too much to give..."
ALIAS
Paladin
CLASSIFICATION
Brick
POWER
Kinetic Energey Absorption
AGE
19
Hero
|
Aug 26, 2020 11:08:10 GMT
Post by Alice Morrow on Aug 26, 2020 11:08:10 GMT
Paladin Am I more than you bargained for yet? | The smile on Paladin's face is fainter this time, as her eyes take on the glazed, far away look of memory. "Yeah, the whole point."
She snaps back suddenly, looking guilty. "It's the reason I still do it." Paladin is not enamoured of her role as the face of the Program, she never wanted to be famous, her desire to be a superhero had always been born from powerlessness and the way she identified with the characters in her comics. Now she's one of the most well-known figures in the world.
"I do sometimes wonder if I'd do it all again the same way?"
No, she wouldn't. But she'd still be a Hero, even if she had to go on talk shows and appear at galas.
The street meat van is indeed on the way back, and Paladin points him out as they approach, as well as giving him a little wave. "I grew up here, so I really know the city well, if you ever want a tour out of costume just let me know, I'd love to show you round some of my favourite spots."
The man behind the counter is very tanned, with thick black hair and an immaculately white apron. The scent of spiced meat is emanating from the window as they arrive and Paladin grins. "Oh so good. Hey Nicos."
The man has a New York accent as he responds "Paladin, always a pleasure to see you, and a new Hero? I don't know you!"
On the walls of the van are numerous photos, posters and designs associated with the Hero Program. On the back wall of the food truck, in about the only spot there is space for such a thing, there is a framed, signed photograph of Paladin.
Paladin gives him her order, lamb gyros with all the trimmings, then hands over a few bills. The swarthy chef accepts them gratefully, then gives Menagerie a pointed look, "Yours is on the house, the first taste is always free for a Hero." He winks good naturedly, then busies himself about the cart preparing the food for them. While he does so Paladin turns to Menagerie.
"So did you manage to get a place near the Program building? I've heard rents have gone sky high there since everyone reckons it will be safer to be closer to us."
| © seadra of gs |
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"I don't want to be ordinary, got too much to give..."
ALIAS
Paladin
CLASSIFICATION
Brick
POWER
Kinetic Energey Absorption
AGE
19
Hero
|
Aug 20, 2020 18:12:11 GMT
Post by Alice Morrow on Aug 20, 2020 18:12:11 GMT
Paladin Am I more than you bargained for yet? | Paladin looks at the rubble around them, blowing her cheeks out. "Yeah, there's always more paperwork when there's property damage though. This wasn't our fault, but we've got to make sure we record it for insurance purposes blah blah blah."
She shrugs, grinning, "I really did not think that I was signing up for more homework when I became a Hero, but I guess nothing is ever what you expect it to be."
Pensively, she watches as the MCV roars to life and pulls away. There are three metahumans locked up in there, but possibly only two that deserve it. Maybe Megan is right, filling in that paperwork quicker will be the best move, partly because it might lead to the woman's progress through the system going faster.
"You're right, maybe it'll help that striker if we get the paperwork filled in and sent off quick. I think her life is about to change, a lot."
She doesn't look back at the dusty haze of the collapsed building. There had only been one explosion, what kind of power was that girl wielding that she could do this with one blow? Paladin des not envy her situation one bit. Maybe she'll drop in on her later, check that she's doing OK, she knows what it's like to lash out with an ability you don't have full control over.
"It's probably about a ten minute walk for us, and I don't know about you, but after that fight I'm starving, I know a great little street meat guy that's usually on the route back. Fancy something?"
She starts to lead the way down the street. Pausing only a moment as the MCV pulls around a corner and out of sight. She frowns. "Come on, lets go."
| © seadra of gs |
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"I don't want to be ordinary, got too much to give..."
ALIAS
Paladin
CLASSIFICATION
Brick
POWER
Kinetic Energey Absorption
AGE
19
Hero
|
Post by Alice Morrow on Aug 8, 2020 11:33:21 GMT
Paladin Am I more than you bargained for yet? | Alice couldn't blame Sunny for wanting to preserve an image of how they looked, it just hadn't even crossed her mind. She'd have to ask the blonde to send her the picture so she had a memory of this herself. That way she'd know for sure it hadn't been some sort of bizarre dream.
Leaving via the window was easy, Alice might not be in the habit of sneaking out of windows anymore, but she had developed something of a habit of leaving buildings by any method other than the front door as a Hero. With surprising grace she dropped from the edge of the roof to the manicured lawn below, landing without a sound. There was a moment of absolute stillness as her feet touched the grass, even the fabric of her dress hardly moved. Then physics realised what was going on and reasserted itself with a gentle swish as the fabric of the dress settled back down again.
It would probably be even easier for Sunny, the other Hero could casually ignore gravity in a way Alice had always dreamed of. She was even pretty sure it was one of the reasons she displayed such amazing balance in the enormous heels she always seemed to be wearing. Alice was surprised to find that she was a little jealous.
That jealousy was easily pushed aside as she spotted the lights of the Uber turning into the street. Waving back at Sunny, she moved swiftly across the lawn to flag down the white vehicle. The driver was a slightly older man who matches his image right down to the white shirt and the black fleece he wore in the air conditioned interior of his car.
He got out of the drivers seat and rounded the vehicle before she can reach him, opening the door for her. Surprised, she realised that he must get a lot of business in this neighbourhood, and judging by the size of the houses, people were probably accustomed to having the door opened for them. She slides in and across the wide back seat, waving Sunny in beside her.
"Come on, we can go to a bar first then from there to a nightclub!"
| © seadra of gs |
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"I don't want to be ordinary, got too much to give..."
ALIAS
Paladin
CLASSIFICATION
Brick
POWER
Kinetic Energey Absorption
AGE
19
Hero
|
Jul 22, 2020 18:24:32 GMT
Post by Alice Morrow on Jul 22, 2020 18:24:32 GMT
Paladin Am I more than you bargained for yet? | Paladin's face fell.
"You had to go and say it didn't you?"
She steps down from the piece of rubble she'd been perched on, landing with barely a sound and nary a puff of dust. The white of her suit is definitely decidedly dirty now, the dust clinging to it despite her ability. She can absorb kinetic energy, she has very little power over friction, and the clouds of dust are still hanging in the air. The visibility is better though, and Paladin's disappointment is clear on her face.
The voice of Paladin's liaison sounds in both of their ears, only the barest hint of amusement in her tone. "Speaking of paperwork, I'll send the report template through to you Menagerie, you should be set up on the system already. You already have the template right Paladin?"
Paladin scratches her head, "Uhhh… I think I lost it?"
"Already sent you a new one."
"Damn." Paladin mouths, before speaking loudly enough for the earpiece to pick her up. "Thanks! Appreciate it!"
Clicking the earpiece off, she turns to Menagerie. "Yeah. We get looooaaads of paperwork." Her tone is reminiscent of a high school student who's just reminded they have homework due in for tomorrow. It makes sense. Heroes, in many cases, wielded incredibly destructive powers, and the Program always wanted to make sure that they had done their best to keep destruction to a minimum. "We can go back straight away to do it, or keep going with the patrol. Either way we have to do it pretty quickly though."
| © seadra of gs |
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"I don't want to be ordinary, got too much to give..."
ALIAS
Paladin
CLASSIFICATION
Brick
POWER
Kinetic Energey Absorption
AGE
19
Hero
|
Jul 17, 2020 11:51:13 GMT
Post by Alice Morrow on Jul 17, 2020 11:51:13 GMT
Paladin Am I more than you bargained for yet? | "MCV is enroute Paladin and Menagerie, ETA is 5 minutes."
At least they wouldn't have to wait too long for someone to show up who could deal with the two metahumans who had been disabled, and the third that Paladin could hear Menagerie talking to. An MCV, short for Metahuman Containment Vehicle, was a heavy truck retrofitted to accommodate metahumans that would be otherwise difficult to restrain. They had a variety of specialist equipment including super-heavy manacles, insulated cells and sedation drips for metas that even those pieces of equipment couldn't deal with.
While Menagerie is gone, Paladin walks over to the recumbent form of the unconscious teleporter. He shows no signs of coming round any time soon, and she simply settles for picking up his gun. Kicking it away would do little good if he's still capable enough of teleporting when he comes round, but she doubts he would want to fight her for it.
Eventually the MCV arrives, escorted by two patrol cars. The uniformed officers look on as the MCV officers climb out of the back. Under Paladin's watchful eye two men clamp the super-heavy manacles around the brick's unresisting wrists. It's clear when the two men let go just how heavy they are, and the man groans as his arms are dragged towards the ground. He certainly won't be able to do much damage with those on. One of the officers escorts the man towards the truck while the others lift the teleporter. Paladin comments, "He's a teleporter, Menagerie got him with a squirrel so it looks like he has to take things with him when he goes. I'm not sure if that extends to handcuffs though so you might have to be careful."
One of the officers nods, and Paladin takes a step back as she leaves them to do their jobs. They have all sorts of tricks now for containing people, but it seems there are still very few ways to contain a teleporter short of simply keeping them unconscious. Of course it depends on the nature of the ability.
The uniformed patrol officers head in the direction of Menagerie and the explosive striker. Paladin would have gone with them but preferred to stay here and keep an eye on the loading of the MCV. Menagerie should be able to explain that the girl had surrendered to the officers.
| © seadra of gs |
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"I don't want to be ordinary, got too much to give..."
ALIAS
Paladin
CLASSIFICATION
Brick
POWER
Kinetic Energey Absorption
AGE
19
Hero
|
Jul 15, 2020 10:23:14 GMT
Post by Alice Morrow on Jul 15, 2020 10:23:14 GMT
Paladin Am I more than you bargained for yet? | There is a nasty crack as the horse skeleton's hooves impact the teleporter's head. Paladin winces. Physical injury is mostly a thing of the past for her now, but she'd had eighteen years without abilities, plenty long enough to learn what pain felt like. Besides, she'd experienced more than enough pain to last her a lifetime in the accident, the one that had led to her death, resurrection, and abilities. It seems a lifetime ago now.
She glances up at Megan. "That, was pretty nicely done, I guess once you have enough skeletons you can just control an area. It must be pretty nifty."
A fist glances off her shoulder and she frowns, turning her gaze on the heavy man she's currently holding down with one hand. "Is your brain made of metal too? You lost idiot."
This time he attempts to punch her in the stomach. Either he's just that angry at being beaten by a girl, or really that stupid. That Paladin's true power is to absorb kinetic energy is actually a fairly well-kept secret. Most people think she's just extraordinarily tough. Unfortunately that means there's always a brick or two that thinks he can punch her until he gets through her fabled resilience, not realising that doing so only gives her yet more power.
Sighing, she continues. "Look, either you stop hitting me now and I don't make you regret everything else so far, or I have to subdue you by the time they show up here with a truck big enough to take your steel ass away."
By way of response the man beats at her wrist. Paladin rolls her eyes, then, waiting for a gap in his blows so she can switch the direction the energy is flowing, she flexes her palm. Even that tiny movement is enough for her to magnify the kinetic energy involved, and the 'blow' in the centre of the man's solar plexus forces all of the air out of his lungs. The concrete beneath him cracks.
This time the man stops. "Thank you."
Finally able to turn her attention properly back to her companion. "Sorry, some of these guys really don't know when to stop. I should stay here with him just in case he gets ideas before they show up with a truck for him."
She stands, no longer worried about keeping a hand on the metal man, who is now lying with his head on the concrete as he struggles to recover his breath. Gesturing back the way she had come, her voice becomes tinged with concern. "I left the striker over that way. She surrendered to me straight away, said these guys were trying to convince her to join them. Whatever her power is it clearly has a hell of a kick. I had to knock her out just in case but she'll probably be coming to soon. Could you go make sure that she's OK?"
| © seadra of gs |
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"I don't want to be ordinary, got too much to give..."
ALIAS
Paladin
CLASSIFICATION
Brick
POWER
Kinetic Energey Absorption
AGE
19
Hero
|
Jul 10, 2020 17:27:50 GMT
Post by Alice Morrow on Jul 10, 2020 17:27:50 GMT
Paladin Am I more than you bargained for yet? | The more damaged edge of the building?
That tells Paladin precisely nothing. Probably because of her proximity to the explosive meta, the tall Hero seems to be in area of the battle ground that is filled with clouds of dust so thick she can barely see ten feet. Not for the first time, Paladin wonders whether she should get a compass built into her suit somehow, although Stephen would probably have a fit.
"Fuck."
It's at that moment that she hears Menagerie shout out. She grins, the new Hero has some good repartee, but she's also leading her right to her and the brick. Paladin turns, aiming herself where she heard the shout coming from. Dropping down, she takes what can only be described as a runner's pose, except when she pushes off the shockwave throws her forward at a far greater speed than any normal human.
Finally the dust seems to clear and she comes out of it, dropping one foot down to catch her and let her absorb her momentum before she crashes into the combat. She arrives just in time to see the metal man swing another clumsy blow towards the Hero.
"Awww… I guess the Tin Man really doesn't have a heart…"
Reaching out she snags the wrist of the hand that has just aimed a blow at Menagerie. The man tugs at it and she feels a sudden surge of energy rush into her. He's obviously packing a little more than just toughness, she's definitely fought stronger, but paired with basically indestructible skin it must be a potent combination. Normally when taking someone down she'd use her strength and momentum, but this guy had to weigh at least three hundred pounds. She pushed forward, throwing out kinetic energy into her arm and heel simultaneously. If he'd been the weight of a normal man he'd of somersaulted. As it was he went down hard. The concrete cracked and Paladin found herself kneeling beside him with on hand on his chest.
She ignores his blows, each metal fist simply stopping when it touches her as if they were just intended to be love taps. Turning to Menagerie, she bears her teeth in a feral grin "Damn girl, you could have picked an easier guy to fight for your first time out. You coming after my fans or what?"
That just leaves the teleporter unaccounted for, and there is another snap as he appears before them with an evil black gun raised. Paladin has nothing to fear from a handgun, but she doesn't know how touch Menagerie's suit is. If she lets go of the tin man he might be able to get back up though.
| © seadra of gs |
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"I don't want to be ordinary, got too much to give..."
ALIAS
Paladin
CLASSIFICATION
Brick
POWER
Kinetic Energey Absorption
AGE
19
Hero
|
Post by Alice Morrow on Jul 7, 2020 11:35:31 GMT
Paladin Am I more than you bargained for yet? | Teleporter. Damn. That would be a problem. There aren't many metahumans that Paladin can't deal with once she gets her hands on them, but that would be more than half of the challenge now that there is a teleporter in the mix.
The haze of dust is still making vision almost impossible and Paladin casts about for some sign of the off-white of Menagerie's costume. There's nothing, no sign of her at all amongst the rubble. "Menagerie, where are you?" In her distraction she doesn't notice the approach of three men bearing guns. Unfortunately for them the thick dust obscures too much of their vision for them to realise which Hero they've just opened fire on until she comes hurtling out of the dust.
She breaks the nose of the first with her boot heel, before flinging an elbow into the second's throat. They both go down like a sack of rocks, with only one left. She grabs him by the front of his shirt and with surprising strength yanks him forward towards her. He's taller than she is, despite her natural height and her heavy boots. "Where the fuck is your boss?"
He raises a trembling finger and points off in the direction from which there suddenly comes the sound of what sounds very much like bones breaking. "Much obliged."
She sinks her knee into his flabby gut, then drops an elbow on the back of his head as he bends forward. Those three should be out for the count. Right now she had to prioritise her fellow Hero. "Do your best to slow him down Menagerie, I'm coming."
With so little visibility jumping seems pointless, so she sets off at a run, each stride covering far more ground than any normal human would be able to.
| © seadra of gs |
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"I don't want to be ordinary, got too much to give..."
ALIAS
Paladin
CLASSIFICATION
Brick
POWER
Kinetic Energey Absorption
AGE
19
Hero
|
Post by Alice Morrow on Jul 7, 2020 9:32:21 GMT
Paladin Am I more than you bargained for yet? | It took… a while…
Alice was the kind of girl that spent the absolute minimum amount of time in front of a mirror. She didn't often dress up, and when she did it was usually just in a nice pair of jeans, not a dress and certainly not with this amount of makeup on. It was a miracle Sunny ever managed to save anyone, surely she didn't spend this long applying makeup everyday? That seemed a silly question, Alice had never seen Sunny without heavy makeup.
It took a moment for Alice to realise just how much her appearance had changed. The process had been gradual, even with Sunny's practiced hand and it meant that the transformation had almost crept up on her. She stared at herself in the mirror, turning her face a little in each direction. She didn't quite feel herself, but she did look good, she certainly couldn't deny that.
She turned to Sunny with a grin on her face, reaching out to lightly tap the other girl's hair. "Just need to die your hair blue then, people will think we're twins."
Except for the fact that Alice was nearly 6 inches taller than Sunny of course. The tall heels that Sunny was wearing would probably alleviate some of that difference though. Alice looked back to admire herself in the mirror once more. "I look pretty good though don't I?"
Snapping herself out of admiring herself, she grabbed her phone. "We have to go then while we still look this great. I'll get an Uber."
She stilled any possible response as she continued, "I know we drove out earlier, but the whole point of this is meant to be sneaking out. We can't do that if we drive off in your pink Bentley. I'm going to get it to pick us up on the other side of the street, he'll be here in five minutes."
Crossing to the window, Alice levered it open. "Come on. I haven't snuck out the window in years, lets go!"
| © seadra of gs |
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"I don't want to be ordinary, got too much to give..."
ALIAS
Paladin
CLASSIFICATION
Brick
POWER
Kinetic Energey Absorption
AGE
19
Hero
|
Post by Alice Morrow on Jul 4, 2020 14:52:38 GMT
Paladin Am I more than you bargained for yet? | Paladin doesn't quite go storming in face first, instead landing on a roof adjacent to the pillar of smoke. She moves forward to the edge of the roof, her footsteps making no sound as she absorbs the impact of each step. She speaks, the earpiece picking up her voice with ease. "Can you connect me to Menagerie, we should be on the same channel for this."
The collected, professional voice of Paladin's liaison responds immediately. "Linking you two in."
Visibility was poor, dust and haze obscuring details and making it difficult to make out exactly what was going on. What was evident is that this wasn't a completely planned event. There was no bank here, no smashed and crumpled armoured truck. This wasn't some attempted robbery like she'd expected.
A smattering of gunfire breaks out amongst the rubble, though Paladin doesn't react other than to turn her attention in that direction. There are a handful of men there wielding pistols and other compact weaponry, clearly this is some sort of gang conflict, kicked off by metahuman muscle. This might make things harder.
There's another explosion, and a burly figure goes flying across the impromptu battlefield, his flight only halted when they impact a wall. Digging themselves out of the crater they have created, they drop down and out of sight, but not before she can make out that their skin is gleaming metal, where it's not scorched that is. That must be the brick, clearly they're on the opposite side from the striker.
The striker has to be the greater threat, bricks can be dangerous, but only because they're hard to stop for most. If this one just has metallic skin then they probably won't be able to do much damage. Paladin orients herself in the direction the explosion came from, then with a running start, jumps off the roof.
She doesn't bother with a dramatic Hero landing. Effortlessly absorbing the impact of her fall and springing forward into a run. The striker comes into view, a short woman in a torn tank top. She has a mohawk, a nose ring and three lip piercings but contrary to her fierce appearance, she throws up her hands in terror as Paladin approaches.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I surrender, it's not my fault I swear."
She sounds like she's in complete panic, either she's telling the truth or she's a really good actor. Paladin has always seen the best in people, but she can't take many risks here. She skids to a halt, "Hands behind your head, face down on the ground, do it now!"
The woman does so almost immediately. "He wanted to recruit me, I didn't want to join, he wouldn't leave me alone and then he said he was going to hurt me."
She's face down, so Paladin can't see, but it sounds like the woman is crying. "It's alright, we'll be able to sort this out, but I'm going to have to make sure you're not a threat. I'm sorry, but don't fight back or it'll just be worse for you."
Explosions meant that it was unlikely the woman could be easily restrained. Paladin puts her in a chokehold. There are a few brief moment's where the woman struggles, but it is more through instinct than anything else. No explosion is forthcoming and a few seconds later the woman ceases struggling as she loses consciousness. Paladin lays her down carefully and with regret, before zip tying her to the rebar protruding from a hefty chunk of rubble.
"Now connected to Menagerie."
Paladin stood, "Hey, Menagerie, a load of guns here, I can handle them easily, but I think the brick might be our main problem. I haven't seen the traveller though!"
| © seadra of gs |
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"I don't want to be ordinary, got too much to give..."
ALIAS
Paladin
CLASSIFICATION
Brick
POWER
Kinetic Energey Absorption
AGE
19
Hero
|
Post by Alice Morrow on Jul 3, 2020 15:16:59 GMT
Paladin Am I more than you bargained for yet? | "Wow. That's lucky. I've pretty much lived here my entire life. I hadn't even left the state before I became a Hero."
That had been a rollercoaster.
"So wh-" The explosion interrupts her, and Paladin's head snaps around. There is a cloud of smoke rising over the buildings several blocks away. Though the source of the smoke and the explosion aren't visible, it's clear that it isn't just a simple demolition.
The liaison starts speaking into her ear not even a second later. "Paladin, metahuman incident in downtown."
"I know, I just heard it, Menagerie and I are about three blocks away. We can see smoke. What do we know?"
The person on the other end of the line is female, efficient and very calm, it probably helps that she is sat in one of the most secure buildings in San Francisco while she speaks. "At least three metahumans reported, one striker with explosive capabilities, a brick and what seems to be a traveller."
Paladin swears quietly as she looks over to Menagerie. "We need to get there quick. I can go ahead and stall them while you get as many of your guys," she nods at the squirrel on Menagerie's shoulder, "together as you can. But do it quick."
This time Paladin soars off without Menagerie, leaving rushing air in her wake.
| © seadra of gs |
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"I don't want to be ordinary, got too much to give..."
ALIAS
Paladin
CLASSIFICATION
Brick
POWER
Kinetic Energey Absorption
AGE
19
Hero
|
Jun 30, 2020 14:40:39 GMT
Post by Alice Morrow on Jun 30, 2020 14:40:39 GMT
Paladin Am I more than you bargained for yet? | "Yeah, that's how it felt the first time for me too. It gets less scary every time, but I still get a rush. It's probably one of my favourite parts of my power."
Beginning to walk, Paladin takes the lead. She grew up in this city, and it doesn't take long before she falls into a path born of habit. She doesn't even have to pay attention to where she's going. Sometimes the patrols are pre-planned, at other times they're free to take whatever route they choose. It keeps things random and hard to predict, it's not unheard of for wannabe Villains to try and make a name for themselves by going after Heroes. Mixing up the routes reduces the chance of such attacks.
It is a nice enough neighbourhood, relatively clean, with a mixture of people on the streets. A few people pause to take photos of Paladin and the new Hero. Most don't bother stopping though, there might be crowds around the Hero Program building, but most of them are tourists. When you live in San Francisco you see Heroes like Paladin pretty frequently.
"So how come San Francisco? Did you choose it? Or did the Program send you here?"
| © seadra of gs |
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"I don't want to be ordinary, got too much to give..."
ALIAS
Paladin
CLASSIFICATION
Brick
POWER
Kinetic Energey Absorption
AGE
19
Hero
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Jun 29, 2020 18:52:59 GMT
Post by Alice Morrow on Jun 29, 2020 18:52:59 GMT
Paladin Am I more than you bargained for yet? | Paladin's grin widens as Menagerie's hand slips into hers. That won't be quite enough. She pulls a little harder, just enough to catch the other Hero off-balance, despite, or perhaps because of her heavy armour. At the same time she steps in with a gesture that is reminiscent of a body check. Her other arm goes around Menagerie's waist.
"Ready?"
She doesn't bother waiting for Menagerie to respond. Throwing a cocky salute to the crowd, Paladin bends her knees, then jumps. She doubles her normal release of energy to pull Menagerie with her. She knows from experience that doing so without a secure grip around someone's torso is liable to dislocate their arm.
She leaves a wind whipping up the hair and clothes of the passers by and journalists as she and the bone armoured Hero soar away through the air.
This is what Paladin loves, she might have dreamed once of flying. Her power hasn't seen fit to grant her that, but it's the next best thing. She laughs in delight as she scans about the skyline, then looks down to see where they shall land. This ability does require a hell of a lot more precision than flight.
Speaking of precision… Paladin swings her legs round just in time to catch them as they hit the ground. The speed they hit should have reduced both of them to so much jelly and fragments of bone. There is no brutal impact, no sudden crunch of bone and no pain. Instead they land as if they'd dropped off a kerb.
She releases Menagerie from her grip, stepping away to give her space. "So probably not quite what you were expecting. And sorry for the rush, otherwise we'd never have gotten out of that crowd."
They're in a street several blocks away from the Program offices, having covered hundreds of feet in a matter of seconds. One of the benefits of being able to break the laws of physics on a whim.
"Want to walk from here?"
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