"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 6, 2018 16:59:37 GMT
Paladin Am I more than you bargained for yet? | "Tosh? I know you're only like, twenty-five but you sound like you were born a hundred years ago."
Paladin shrugged, "I'd love to back you up, but unless you're giving me a ride it might take me a while to get there. Give me a call next time and I'll start running."
She grinned, Celerity didn't know that Paladin was an orphan, but she had long got past the point where people making that mistake offended her. "Well there is one guy, we've been dating for a few months, I've met parents and everything, so I think it's pretty serious."
She leant back against the wall, "Roomies good, she's just really good company you know? Although her career is really taking off right now, so she's not around much. Not that I am… You know how it is…"
Hero work was not a career that leant itself to large amounts of spare time. Official shifts tended to run all day and a lot of Heroes worked outside of that official time. Most publicity-based appearances happened outside of scheduled shifts, and on top of that there was always a chance that you might get called out for an emergency. It didn't help that Paladin was one of the more well-known Heroes, and therefore tended to get tapped for a lot more than was strictly necessary, even when the Heroes already there could have dealt with the problem. The issue was that she could never really say no. It would look awful for a start, but worse, what if the one time she didn't go someone died. In that situation, where she could have done something and chose not to, it would have been her fault.
"How are things with you anyway? I haven't heard any big stories out of New York recently, you guys been keeping extra quiet over there?"
| © 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, 2018 15:50:25 GMT
Paladin Am I more than you bargained for yet? | Paladin actually ground her teeth as she watched the older woman walk away with a dismissive comment. She was tempted to simply go after her now, there was no way the vigilante could outrun her over open ground, and certainly no way she could beat her in a fight if it came to it. But she'd already ignored the liaison's instructions, and she'd said to Cory she'd let her be. Being judged for what she did was hard though. Paladin did as she had to do, she followed the law. Punk had set herself up as her own little judge and jury. Even if she didn't seem the type to become an executioner, it grated to be told that you were self-righteous by someone like that. Paladin followed the law.
She turned away from the retreating figure to look back at the raging blaze, tapping her ear as she did so. Her link with the liaison went live once more.
"I'm watching you right now, I know you just let her walk away?"
She shook her head, "Yeah? She saved a man's life, if we arrest her for taking that risk then no one will step in to help if we need it in future."
"And what if she does some serious damage to someone?"
"Then I'll deal with her."
There was a burst of flame from the building, followed by shouts from the direction of the fire engine and the men clustered about it in bright clothing. There was little else she could do here now. She started to turn away from the fire, speaking once more.
"OK, where to now?"
The voice at the other end sounded smug. "So about dealing with her?"
The Hero glanced over in the direction Punk had gone, "Are you f&*king kidding me?"
A side effect of Paladin's power was that, when she wanted, she could move almost silently. The sound made by movement is simply converted from kinetic energy, and it was easy for Paladin to simply absorb all of the kinetic energy associated with her.
That meant that when she landed in front of Punk, she did so with barely a whisper. She didn't bother with a dramatic landing, no dropping to one knee, just a gentle flexing of the legs. It was a sign of how angry she was that she dispensed with the theatrics she normally so enjoyed.
"You a&*hole. You just couldn't help yourself could you?"
She didn't move, staying exactly where she was. "I ignore instructions, ignore the fact that you are a known vigilante, I give you the credit for saving that man. And you pull this sh$t? I guess that's what happens to you when you stick your neck out for someone."
| © seadra of gs |
|
|
"I don't want to be ordinary, got too much to give..."
ALIAS
Paladin
CLASSIFICATION
Brick
POWER
Kinetic Energey Absorption
AGE
19
Hero
|
Jun 29, 2018 16:45:23 GMT
Post by Alice Morrow on Jun 29, 2018 16:45:23 GMT
Paladin Am I more than you bargained for yet? | Alice smiled angelically as Nate prodded her in the chest. "Damn, you just know me."
It wasn't exactly often that Alice could indulge, but she knew there was no one she would rather stay in, eat dessert and veg on the couch with. Nate just got her, and she loved snuggling up next to him with something on the TV that she wasn't really paying attention to. The thought was made all the more attractive by the fact that they so rarely got the time to do such things together.
She was glad that Nate had no issues with her work life, and equally she had no problems with his. Several times Alice had to rush out and suit up in the middle of a date, when some situation demanded her personal attention. Multiple times Nate had been late because he'd had to deal with a particularly troubled patient. They were obstacles that littered their busy lives, but they understood each other's busy schedules, and the careers they had chosen.
"You're right," Alice was grateful for the offered escape route, the icy looks and passive aggression had been driving her crazy. She'd been worried about what might happen tonight, and it seemed that exactly what she'd worried about had come to pass. Carol definitely didn't approve, although at least Lewis seemed ambivalent. She'd never thought she'd have a boyfriend's mother hate her guts, at least now she had that added experience. She wasn't sure if it was personal, or just because Alice represented everything she didn't want Nate to be.
It didn't take them long to evacuate the apartment, and Alice leaned against Nate's side, her head against his shoulder as he sighed. "Your Dad was nice."
She stood up straight again and took his hand as they continued down the corridor. "At least you don't need to worry about meeting my parents…"
| © seadra of gs |
|
|
"I don't want to be ordinary, got too much to give..."
ALIAS
Paladin
CLASSIFICATION
Brick
POWER
Kinetic Energey Absorption
AGE
19
Hero
|
Jun 28, 2018 16:56:41 GMT
Post by Alice Morrow on Jun 28, 2018 16:56:41 GMT
Paladin Am I more than you bargained for yet? | Paladin mentally took stock of the energy she was currently carrying around. It was probably enough to take on the cryokine, but she knew better than to take the risk. She glared over at him for a moment, before transferring the glare back to the other young woman, who now she came to think of it, was probably older than she was.
"Well then, I want you to take it off him… whatever you did."
Paladin strode confidently across to the skinny guy, taking up position in front of him, and catching him around the throat the moment he started to move again. His eyes bulged in apparent shock at her sudden appearance before him. He clutched at her suit, and she noticed the frost beginning to form on the surface, though she couldn't feel it yet through the heavily insulated material. She stepped in close, nose to nose with him.
"Are you sure you want to do that. Your buddy's already gone. Now this is the last time I'm going to extend the offer. You wanna give up?"
She felt him swallow, hard, then he nodded very carefully, as if he were afraid she was going to squeeze and make his head pop off. Paladin admitted to herself that it was tempting to do it to the scrawny little bastard. She let go of him and stepped back, he immediately dropped to his knees and placed his hands on the back of his head.
"Look at that, you're learning."
Then she turned in search of the girl, spotting her before she could escape through the door.
"First, damn that power is awesome."
The genuine excitement in her voice was obvious. Alice had always been a nerd, and when super powers had actually turned out to be real she had been the one who had been determined to turn them into Super Heroes. She'd never actually met someone who could do what this girl had just done though. Then she remembered her position and tried to put some disapproval in her voice.
"Wasn't that a bit risky 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
|
Jun 24, 2018 10:18:32 GMT
Post by Alice Morrow on Jun 24, 2018 10:18:32 GMT
Paladin Am I more than you bargained for yet? | Alice mused on Nate's response for a moment, before nodding solemnly. "Probably smart."
Alice nodded, it was true, the meal plans she and Ashley followed were occasionally a little intimidating. Alice's in particular was purely functional, her ability made her powerful, but it didn't technically make her strong. While she was sure that her agent and advertisers weren't complaining about the aesthetic effects of her regimen she did it for functional reasons.
"Are you kidding? I always deserve dessert, and you better remember it."
She looked at him meaningfully, before prodding him in the chest and picking up two plates, balancing a third on her arm before taking them through to the dining room. She threw a joking comment over her shoulder as she went.
"To the rescue!"
The dessert was delicious, but mostly marred by the unspoken tension between Carol and Alice. There wasn't much conversation, perhaps a little, enough to be polite, but Lewis seemed to take any opportunity to eat in silence, and Carol's responses often left Alice feeling uncomfortable and out of place. It was intentional on Carol's part, which somehow made it worse.
Fortunately it wasn't long before the meal was over, and Alice was eventually coming to the end of her glass of wine. She was glad that the Havelocks, or more specifically, Lewis had been generous with the refills. Alice wondered if she had seen sympathy in his face as he'd refilled her glass for the last time, and maybe it was a little less than there had been before. That meant she'd be able to get out of there a little more easily. She glanced over at Nate.
Alice would happily enough announce that she had a shift early the next morning, but she would probably receive less acceptance and more glares from Carol. Nate would hopefully get less of those icy stares if he said something similar to get them out of 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
|
Jun 16, 2018 16:39:08 GMT
Post by Alice Morrow on Jun 16, 2018 16:39:08 GMT
Paladin Am I more than you bargained for yet? | ”I’ll try not to, but you know I’d sell you out straight away.”
His proximity, and his arms around her were intensely reassuring, and she drew more courage from it than she’d thought she would.
”Yeah it was me remember? I didn’t offer her a chance to meet up with Stephen. Well she’s definitely not meeting up with him now.”
Her defiant tone was somewhat muted by the fact that she was speaking into his chest. She glanced in the direction of the door, knowing that Carol was sat at the table in there. She wondered if Lewis had come back with the wine yet, and whether or not Carol was bitching about her to him. Somehow, she doubted it, Carol probably thought herself as above bitching. Alice was glad she wasn’t.
”Good, cause I don’t trust it either, that starter with that main? Everyone knows that’s what ‘The French Laundry’ has been recommending. She totally thought she could slip one over on me.”
Her tone changed somewhat at his teasing comment. ”Hey,” she protested, punching him in the ribs. ”Are you saying I’m fat? I’ll have you know I need the sugar for all that late night running around the city.”
Alice glanced at the door again, aware that Carol would be developing her own suspicions right about now. ”Should we ask if she wants us to bring dessert out? We’re in here anyway, and it’s probably going to be something simple and chilled.”
She laughed as she realised what she’d said, ”Like, in the fridge or something.”
| © seadra of gs |
|
|
"I don't want to be ordinary, got too much to give..."
ALIAS
Paladin
CLASSIFICATION
Brick
POWER
Kinetic Energey Absorption
AGE
19
Hero
|
Jun 14, 2018 17:48:49 GMT
Post by Alice Morrow on Jun 14, 2018 17:48:49 GMT
Paladin Am I more than you bargained for yet? | Alice was not the sharpest knife in the drawer, she’d come to terms with that a long time ago, but she was not stupid, and the clear insinuation from Carol caused her to clench her fists in frustration beneath the table. The suggestion that the only reason she hadn’t become a chef was lack of ability or effort made her furious, and it was unlikely that Carol could not see the reaction she had caused.
She forced a smile onto her face. ”Thanks, that’d be great.”
Grateful for the intervention of her boyfriend, Alice followed Nate into the kitchen, and narrowly avoided simply smashing all of the plates in her hands. She smiled faintly, grateful for his concern, and tremendously tempted to take him up on his offer. Carol hadn’t been super welcoming in the first place, and now the reception was outright icy. She mulled over it for a second, but eventually shook her head.
”No,” she firmed up her tone, ”No, I can’t let her know she’s got to me. Even if she kinda already knows.” Alice was no stranger to how bad a liar she was, which made concealing her identity as Paladin more challenging sometimes, and certainly made this evening harder. ”I know it’s not like a competition or anything, but I don’t want to feel like I like her win. And we can’t run out on your parent’s the first time I meet them. Your dad has been pretty nice…”
She finished stacking the dishwasher and pressed against him. Speaking into his shoulder ”you totally warned me this might happen as well.”
She remained there for a moment, drawing strength and comfort from his proximity, before moving away. She did so slowly, reluctantly, but with a slightly stronger smile this time. ”Anyway, when have I ever been able to say no to dessert?”
| © seadra of gs |
|
|
"I don't want to be ordinary, got too much to give..."
ALIAS
Paladin
CLASSIFICATION
Brick
POWER
Kinetic Energey Absorption
AGE
19
Hero
|
Jun 11, 2018 20:09:53 GMT
Post by Alice Morrow on Jun 11, 2018 20:09:53 GMT
Paladin Am I more than you bargained for yet? | She thought over it, she would definitely broach the idea with Stephen before she mentioned it to Carol. He might jump at the chance, or he might express the same opinion she had and decide to get as far away from the woman as possible when she was connecting.
”Yeah, I can’t really do that to him, at least not without warning, I’ll ask him what he thinks.”
Unfortunately, Alice’s fears about Carol’s reaction had not been unfounded. Nate’s mother fell into a disapproving silence when she discovered that she had been asking a dish-washer and part-time diner cook advice on her meal. Her comments following the revelation seemed pointed and barbed, particularly the note about ambition. It was worse because for Alice it wasn’t for lack of ambition that she wasn’t already in the process of becoming a professional chef.
She stared at her plate, pushing the remains of the main course around the porcelain. She glanced up to Nate, smiling hesitantly, grateful that he had stuck up for her. She didn’t say anything.
What could she say?
It wasn’t as though she could explain that the reason for her failure to pursue that career was because she already had one that kept her busier than Carol could imagine. While she was sure Carol would be thrilled to find that Paladin was sat at her dining table and dating her son she somehow doubted that the socialite would believe her if she said as much. Judging by the slightly fixed smile she had already very much made up her mind regarding the latest girl her son had brought home.
At least dessert was next, although the atmosphere of the occasion had turned slightly more icy than it had been earlier. Clearly Carol had thought that at least Alice had a respectable trade and some skill in it, instead she had discovered that she worked in a diner, mostly washing dishes, and only as cook when the regular cook was off sick. That might be a waste of Alice’s talents, but with her time taken up by Hero work she couldn’t afford to dedicate the time it would take to actually becoming a professional chef. Instead she practised dishes on Ashley, and now Nate, enjoying the new found culinary freedom that a regular paycheque had granted. Why was she worrying about justifying that to Carol? Because she really wanted to impress her boyfriend’s parents.
”I know it’s not much now, but I have to make my way up, and a lot of the programs are expensive, I’ve got to save for them first.”
She only wished she felt as confident as she sounded.
| © seadra of gs |
|
|
"I don't want to be ordinary, got too much to give..."
ALIAS
Paladin
CLASSIFICATION
Brick
POWER
Kinetic Energey Absorption
AGE
19
Hero
|
Jun 11, 2018 13:44:49 GMT
Post by Alice Morrow on Jun 11, 2018 13:44:49 GMT
Paladin Am I more than you bargained for yet? | Alice nodded, she didn't exactly have anything to measure parents against, but she supposed that Nate's weren't all that bad, they didn't seem to argue that much. Even if they didn't exactly seem head over heels in love with each other. Maybe it was because they didn't spend much time together, it certainly seemed conducive to idyllic life if you weren't interested in the same thing. Alice couldn't imagine being married to someone that she didn't want to spend time with. Nate being here was about the only thing that was helping to keep her sane right now.
"Oh." Suddenly it made sense why Carol had focused on the thought of Stephen, and why it had been dropped so soon, she'd expected Alice to offer an introduction. Maybe she would, Stephen would probably appreciate having a personal connection to someone like Carol, she was wealthy after all, and had connections. It could only help an up and coming fashion designer. "Maybe I'll ask him if he wants to, he might get mad if I let him miss out on it."
She made a mental note to mention it as a possibility if Carol brought it up again, though she hoped that it wasn't mentioned again. She took a sip of the new glass of wine, it was much better than anything she and Ashley could comfortably afford. She almost choked on it at Carol's next question, and it took her a moment to recover.
"Uh, no, it's only a small place, I don't think you'd know it."
Unfortunately, Carol wasn't going to take no for an answer, she insisted, until eventually Alice, shamefaced, was forced to confess the name of the tiny, cheap little diner she worked the occasional shift in. She'd love to work in a high-class restaurant, but she simply did not have the time to pursue that career, right now. It was definitely her not-so-secret dream.
| © seadra of gs |
|
|
"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 Jun 9, 2018 17:32:38 GMT
Paladin Am I more than you bargained for yet? | "I suppose that's true. I'm not surprised your Dad is so quiet, how does he get a word in edgeways?"
She glanced in the direction Lewis had disappeared in, maybe that was why he spent so much time in his office, it was the only way to get some real peace and quiet. Nate had told her a little about his parent's, but she'd found it a little hard to believe that they might have such a stand-off relationship, but she could believe it now that she'd met them. They both seemed pleasant enough, but in an entirely different way, as if they just happened to have met here, not that they lived here together. Not that Alice had a great deal of experience when it came to parents. She'd met the parents of friends, but the closest relationship she'd had was with Stephen's parent's, and they were divorced.
She looked out of the window, the view really was amazing, and probably fifty percent of the price of the apartment. There were no fires blazing across the landscape it was true. Her phone was in her bag, and there hadn't been a whisper from it all night. It was on silent, but a call from the Program would override that. She'd been praying for a call before they arrived at the Havelock's apartment, but those prayers had gone unanswered. Not that it was going as bad as she'd been afraid it might.
"That's true, she seemed to like that, but I feel like she wasn't that thrilled. Should I have invited her to our next get together or something?"
She grinned, then dropped it to a polite smile as Carol re-entered. "Do you need any help with the main Carol? Anything I can carry?"
| © seadra of gs |
|
|
"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 Jun 9, 2018 9:02:09 GMT
Paladin Am I more than you bargained for yet? | The blast missed Paladin by less than two feet, any normal projectile might have been nearly unnoticed, but she felt the beads of sweat pop. The thing was pure concentrated heat, and it seared the air itself. The asphalt beneath her feet was warm and sticky. She glanced in the direction it had come from, seeing Celerity had launched a flying tackle into the man. It was a mistake.
The asphalt she was stood on showed no sign of being inconvenienced, surging up her legs and across her torso, it began to harden almost instantly as more and more of the stuff began to pile on, locking her into and uncomfortable upright position, movements now basically impossible. The metahuman responsible looked triumphant, striding forward as more and more of the material surged across the ground to add to Paladin's prison.
"Ha! Punch through that!"
Paladin's stores of kinetic energy weren't unlimited. She was like a battery, and like a battery she couldn't recharge herself, she was dependent entirely on outside sources. She'd absorbed a lot of energy during this fight, but she's also released a lot. She could feel the energy she had dancing in her skin, filling her with an exhilaration and an energy of her own.
The asphalt ruptured, and while Paladin wasn't completely released from the cocoon her arm shot out, grabbing the unfortunate asphalt manipulator by the collar and pulling him in close. His forehead struck the jagged edge of the broken material, and he went down hard, blood spilling from the rough gash on his face. Paladin stepped out of the now crumbling construct, shaking her limbs out and rolling her head on her neck as though she was just warming up.
Then she turned to the last metahuman on their feet. "Does this have to go on? We both know that all you can do now is waste my time. And I don't want to hurt anyone else."
The woman looked at the cars around her, at her two friends, sprawled unconscious on the floor, and meekly knelt down and put her hands on the back of her head. Paladin let out a breath, not that the woman would have posed any sort of challenge, given that her abilities seemed to be kinetic in nature, but because she now didn't need to beat anyone else into submission. It wasn't as fun as it had always looked in the comics.
She glanced over towards Celerity, tapping her earpiece as she did. "Three Villain's apprehended, two unconscious, one surrendered, need a pick up. Asphalt manipulator, and two Blasters, but one of them just makes stuff she touched go really fast."
There was a murmur of an affirmative in her ear, and Paladin stepped over to the surrendered woman, producing a zip tie from her belt and gently fastening her hands behind her back. She did the same with the manipulator, propping him up against the wall of a building, on the sidewalk. Who knew if he needed to actually touch asphalt or not, but it was a sensible precaution to get him away from it until a clean-up crew arrived. Her next words were to Celerity.
"Thanks for showing up, not sure how I would have dealt with these three without you. I owe you one."
| © 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 Jun 6, 2018 17:35:07 GMT
Paladin Am I more than you bargained for yet? | Entering the kitchen, Alice was momentarily dumbfounded. It wasn't that she was surprised, just struck so completely by jealousy she had to struggle simply to regain basic control of her body. The whole thing looked like it probably cost more than her apartment. It was finished in much the same style as the living room, and Alice struggled to envisage how much Carol must spend on redecorating.
Alice had one high quality kitchen knife that had been a graduation gift from Stephen's Mom, Carol had a whole set. The whole place was gleaming, and while Alice kept her kitchen in as good, if not better condition, she doubted that Carol got her hands dirty herself. She stared at the gleaming double oven, wondering how hard it might be to carve it out of the wall and take it home, before spotting the plates left on the counter. Grabbing both, she inspected the plate and the food upon it, before quickly heading back into the main room, realising she had probably taken a little longer than would have been expected.
"Sorry, I just have to say I love your kitchen, it's like my dream to have one like that. I am so jealous."
She sat down once she had distributed the terrine, smiling her thanks at Lewis for the wine. Chablis, so it had obviously been chosen to pair with the dish. It was a good pairing, and Alice wondered if it had been Carol or Lewis who had made the choice. She smiled at Carol, and then looked at Nate as soon as his mother looked away. She was wishing right now that she had taken several more substantial sips of wine by now, maybe it would help her relax a bit.
"I'm sure it will be delicious, it looks it."
A few minutes later she had sampled enough of the terrine to make a decision. It was good, certainly better than she had expected, but she had also tasted better, and though she wasn't particularly immodest, she was pretty sure she'd made a nicer one herself.
"Oh my god Carol it's lovely."
Of course she couldn't pass on that thought to Carol, Nate might seem to enjoy deliberately antagonising his parent's, but that didn't mean Alice wanted to join in the game. She certainly didn't want Carol as an enemy; she couldn't see that making her life any easier.
It wasn't long before they had finished the appetiser, and Alice leaned over to talk quietly to Nate as Carol rose to check something in the kitchen. Fortunately Lewis had already gone to fetch another wine for the next course.
"So does she hate me yet?"
| © seadra of gs |
|
|
"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 Jun 6, 2018 16:44:27 GMT
Paladin Am I more than you bargained for yet? | Punk was a lot more prickly than Paladin remembered, but then towards the end of their meeting she had really not wanted anything to do with her. She'd been the one telling Paladin how to behave, how they shouldn't get involved with 'them'. She now knew that 'they' had been the Families, although she knew very little beyond that. She'd met two of their agents, nearly killed one of them, and the Doctor had once had some sort of connection to the shadowy group. She knew little else, even Dominic had been unable to uncover much more information, at least, that he had shared with her.
It was strange how the tables had turned now, and Paladin was admonishing Punk for the same behaviour. She smiled a little at the reference to her 'costume' that first night out. It had been what she had to hand, and certainly wasn't as good as the costume she now wore. "Yeah, this outfit is much better."
She didn't miss Punk tensing up when she told her what her liaison was telling her to do. She had trained and still was training in various unarmed combat styles, but even with the free pass her ability usually gave her, she could read some reactions in others. She cocked her head to one side. She'd intended it as a friendly gesture, to show that she wasn't going to arrest her just because she'd done the right thing. "That's funny, because you and I both know that's bullshit."
Perhaps climbing into the burning building to rescue someone had not been illegal, but the Program and the SFPD had enough of Punk's activities on the books to lock her away for a very long time. Only the fact that Paladin had been a vigilante before the Program, and that Punk had taken the risk to save someone's life was holding her back. It was like the woman had no sense of self-preservation, or was so confident in her own abilities that she genuinely thought, however mistaken, that she could possibly go up against Paladin.
Her jaw tightened imperceptibly at the jibe. Some Heroes had been able to accept that they couldn't save everyone; it simply wasn't within their power. But Paladin had learned that lesson the hard way, discovering the very aspect of her abilities that could have saved her friend's life a fraction of a second after he had been shot dead. Dominic, her liaison and various other members of the Program had pulled her in multiple times to remind her that she was still mortal, that she couldn't stop every disaster or save everyone, but that didn't make it any easier.
"I'm doing this as a sign of respect to why you do what you do, but if you want to throw that in my face, that's fine. Maybe I won't be so nice to your self-righteous ass next time."
| © seadra of gs |
|
|
"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 Jun 4, 2018 19:23:55 GMT
Paladin Am I more than you bargained for yet? | Alice was thrilled to have actually managed to impress Carol with something about herself. Technically it was the person she was connected to that had impressed Carol, but Alice was still counting it. After all, she had known Stephen for a very long time. "I know him pretty well, he's been my best friend for like 8 years. We used to have sleepovers and things when we were little."
She still considered him a best friend, and still talked to him, though strangely he'd never gotten around to meeting Nate. Of course he'd helped them escape the after-party, but that hadn't really been a proper meeting, just two minutes of hurried changing and a quick hug of thanks and goodbye. Maybe she shouldn't mention that Nate had also met Stephen in that case, although that might just get him into trouble with his mother for withholding such information from her. Of course Alice would have no problem introducing Stephen to Carol, especially if it earned her approval, but she hadn't moved in this world before, and the thought to offer simply passed her by.
Lewis' answer didn't really clear up Alice's confusion, but not wanting to seem stupid she nodded with an expression that she hoped conveyed understanding. It was about what she had understood from Nate, but maybe it was just something she was never going to understand. She laughed gently along with his chuckle; she struggled to see Nate in a boardroom wearing an expensive suit. Nate happened to own several expensive suits, and she happened to think he looked damn hot in all of them, but she still couldn't imagine him in a boardroom. He very much seemed to want to avoid that in his life. She couldn't blame him, she'd sat in on a few meetings concerning her image with Dominic, and she had been tempted to simply leap out of the window rather than sit and struggle through it.
She looked up suddenly as Nate's mother re-entered the room, plates in hand. After all, this was the main attraction of the evening. Alice liked Nate, but she loved food. Carol might not be a professional chef, but then neither was Alice, technically. She sprang up, perhaps a little too eagerly, she really hadn't understood Lewis' description of his job after all, and moved towards the door into the kitchen.
"Sure. What're we eating?"
She was already willing to make a guess from the glimpse she had caught and the tantalising wafts from the kitchen, but it was the meal the hostess had prepared. To guess would just be rude.
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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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Post by Alice Morrow on Jun 3, 2018 10:01:04 GMT
Paladin Am I more than you bargained for yet? | Paladin frowned at the sarcastic response, not just because of the tone with which it had been delivered, but because something was niggling at the back of her head. This woman seemed familiar; maybe it was the clothes, the voice, or something about the ability. But something about her definitely spoke to a memory in the back of her head. She just couldn't quite place her.
Her jaw clenched at the response to her question, it hadn't been intended as an insult, but then she was willing to bet the other woman knew exactly what she meant and was taking it as an opportunity to needle her. She wouldn't be the first person who had acted in such a manner; there were those who thought that she'd sold out. People who thought that being paid to do this job was selfish and greedy. A few vigilantes had thought the same thing, and it was becoming clear that this woman was definitely amongst that crowd.
She forced herself to relax. She'd just saved a man from a burning building, she deserved at least a little slack, even if she was a cocky bitch. Instead Paladin gestured towards the firefighters and police officers crowding the scene. "Yeah, do you want to try saying that to them as well?"
It was true, Heroes were effectively glorified Police. They had abilities that set them apart from normal humans, and they used them for the good of the public. Paladin received a small salary from the federal government for her services, enough to live on, but it wasn't much. Dominic had ensured that her life was now more comfortable. She'd trusted him with her image and he'd repaid that trust a thousand fold. She wasn't wealthy, but she was far more comfortable than she'd ever imagined being.
"The only difference is my face is on billboards, and trust me, I'd love not to be up there."
She hated being a celebrity. It had its moments, taking pictures with kids and putting in appearances at charity events, but she didn't like being the centre of so much attention. Dominic had warned her something like this might happen, but she hadn't understood just what it would be like. She realised that there were reasons for it beyond celebrity though, reasons that went beyond her or Dominic or any one Hero.
Luchadore
That was it; she had met this woman before, in the alleyway outside of her apartment beating up a bunch of thugs. It seemed that things hadn't changed much, except now Paladin was a licensed Hero, a household name and an icon across the nation. Clearly Punk wasn't impressed.
"Yeah I'm doing pretty well for myself, I can eat and pay rent now, so that's a nice change."
She reached up and tapped her ear. The feed in the earbud cut off. Her liaison wouldn't be happy, but they had been muttering for the last few minutes about how she should just arrest Punk and be done with it. It was awfully tempting, but the vigilante had just saved someone's life. Who knew if Paladin would have been able to find him in the burning building?
"Look, I've got a guy in my ear telling me to cuff you, but you just saved a guy's life. And I know you from… back then so I'll cut you from slack."
Vigilantes had been illegal since the launch of the Hero Program. Well that wasn't true, they'd been illegal for years before then, but stricter laws had been put in place and Heroes had been drafted in to curb the rising vigilante population. Several had become Heroes themselves, some had tried to go it alone and been tracked down and prosecuted, others had just disappeared.
"But you know that operating as a vigilante is illegal."
It was taking all of Paladin's now limited sympathy for the other woman not to simply subdue her.
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