i'll be the bigger man while you act like you're innocent

Although Madelyn was fully aware that using one's ability against a human in anger, even those that richly deserved it was bad, the brunette couldn't seem to silence the part of her that had felt good about using her power in that way. Sure, she hadn't necessarily gone by the book, but she hadn't really obstructed justice either. The criminal had been apprehended and taken alive no less, which with the volatility of her ability was nothing short of miraculous. She had actually felt rather proud of the display of control over her power until Paladin had started in on her. Why was she expected to preserve his life when he was more than willing to take hers and everyone else's in the bank if it had come down to It? She hadn't asked for these abilities or the responsibility that came with them. 

Maddy had always been prone to having trust issues and she imagined that her reluctance to place her life in someone else's hands was simply one more manifestation of that. "I suppose in my case self reliance has always been both a blessing and a curse. The damsel in distress role has just never fit me. It seems to me that the best way for me to have faith in a knight in shining armor is to be that knight."

While the brunette realized that this was in fact real life, her fascination with comic books and the heroes there within had taught her that all superheroes possessed a mild mannered alter ego of some sort. As Paladin seemed to suggest that there was some truth to her speculations, the nineteen year old found herself wondering who Paladin's alter ego was.  What was her real name? Did she have any hobbies? Or maybe a day job? Offering Paladin a casual shrug in response, Madelyn replied " Well, it is good to know that you don't have to be Paladin all the time. Like you aren't going grocery shopping or pumping gas in your costume. I barely have much of a life as it is from a social perspective that is so I don't think that would be much of a problem for me. Don't people on your life ever wonder why you something is always coming up or do you have some people that know the truth?"

As Maddy reflected back on the most recent instance in which someone had voiced their frustration with her power, the teenager's cheeks flushed a little. " Well, I suppose that the circumstances surrounding  its use may play a part in one's assessment of its usefulness. I imagine that anyone you've punched or thwarted in their attempts to engage in criminal activity might feel that your power is a nuisance. To say the least." As Paladin beckoned her to follow Madelyn obediently fell into step with her adding "Well, assuming that I can get a handle on that whole blowing things up part. That is really what tends to make people think that my ability is annoying. You are right about one thing though. My powers are a part of me now and I am not ashamed of them. "

i'll be the bigger man while you act like you're innocent

As reluctant as she was to admit it aloud, Madelyn was forced to at the very least admit to herself that Paladin had a point. While she would have liked to use the excuse that she was simply trying to insure that the kid didn't get away, the larger truth was that she had been furious that he'd gambled with her life as he had. She was a human being and yet he'd turned her into little more than a bargaining chip when she'd only been trying to help. Surely, Paladin could understand why she had reacted in the manner that she had.  Still, she supposed that gaining mastery over her ability couldn't hurt.



"Ok, fair enough. He threatened my life and I was pretty pissed off about it, but I wasn't trying to kill him. Punish him maybe in the sense of making sure that he got captured, but definitely not kill him. To be honest, I'm not even sure that there is a lethal component to my ability.  However, I am in no way ready to test that theory because you're right. I don't want to have that on my conscience." While Maddy wasn't bashful when it came to discussing her ability, the brunette often did feel a little awkward about the topic. Most likely because all the conclusions that she'd drawn about the inner workings of her power were more of a result of her own research and theories as opposed to actual scientific findings.



A pensive expression flickered across the nineteen year old's face as she replied "It really took alot of practice to work up to being able to freeze a whole person. For a long time I could only freeze inanimate objects, then eventually I learned how to freeze animate objects but still only small ones that weren't moving very fast. Now, I can freeze most things of an average size of varying speeds. Regardless of what I freeze though, it has always been perfectly suspended animation.  No movement at all. "



The teen carefully considered Paladin's words, her brown quirking in bewilderment as she responded "Training your powers extensively does seem pretty great and undoubtedly useful in the field. I am sure that there is much benefit that can be derived from it. I guess its just hard for me to leave my safety and well being in anyone else's hands. I am not sure that I can ever be the type to simply wait for my knight in shining armor to arrive to save me, but I am fairly sure that I can put more effort into learning how to mind my own business and not get in the hero's way."



As Paladin indicated that she didn't wish to see Madelyn get into any kind of trouble, somehow the teenager couldn't help but to note the superhero's sincerity.  Maddy shook Paladin's hand eagerly, listening intently as she outlined the perks of the hero program which seemed to range from a deep sense of satisfaction to chic costumes. A soft giggle erupted from the young woman's throat as she added "Well, that costume is pretty chic and I'm certain that the fame is nothing to sneeze at. How do you manage that by the way? Are you able to have a private life at all?"



For some weird reason as a breeze drifted in from outside tousling Paladin's hair, Madelyn found herself briefly transfixed by the movement of the strands before finally shrugging off the trance adding "Really?  Most that are aware of it consider it to be a bit of a nuisance. You're the first to see any value in it."

i'll be the bigger man while you act like you're innocent

The moment that Madelyn had uttered her defense of her actions. The nineteen year old realized that her words would be misunderstood. Sure, being a hostage in a bank robbery was certain to put anyone in an emotionally charged state but didn't everyone react differently to such sutuations? Offering Paladin a casual shrug, Maddy replied "It's weird but to be honest I was fairly calm until the kid grabbed me. It was only him threatening my life that put me in an emotionally charged state. If I had the freedom of movement to attempt to freeze him then that likely would have gone pretty badly."

Even while the brunette was aware that her ability was dangerous in some ways, she'd never been able to successfully implement the explosion aspect on a human being before. This of course didn't mean that it wouldn't work only that it hadn't before.Truthfully, she didn't even know how it would work. Would they just spontaneously combust? Could she just blow up a specific body part? Focus on a particular organ? There was so much of her ability that was still shrouded in mystery and perhaps that was what the hero was referencing.

Shaking her head as Paladin suggested that her ability appeared to be some form of time manipulation, Madelyn responded " You know that's what I thought too when it first happened, but now I think it is actually more biological in nature. I can see these little flecks that no one else can seem to and nearly everything is comprised of them. I think they may be molecules. They are always in motion and I seem to be able to either slow them down or speed them up. When I slow them down it creates some sort of suspended animation effect, but when I speed them up...things explode."

The bank was eerily deserted as EMTs were tending to the hostages, although most of not all of them were virtually unharmed. It was the criminals that were in need of the most medical attention, interestingly enough. Not that it would matter, as they would likely be carted off to prison immediately after being patched up. As Paladin spoke again, Madelyn shifted her focus back to the hero adding "The boy tried to kill me so I am not sure that angry cuts it. As he was running, I seriously doubt that I would have actually killed him. It is a bit more difficult for me to blow up a moving target than to freeze it. I wasn't really trying to be a hero, just keep him from getting away with almost killing me. Still, I get it. Leave the hero business to the professionals. "

Extending her hand as the superhero introduced herself, Madelyn replied "Nice to meet you. I'm Madelyn." Paladin's follow up question caught the brunette off guard as she stammered "Program? Like the Hero Program? No, I guess I never really thought about it."

@tagmctaggington ▪ ### ▪ note here 

i'll be the bigger man while you act like you're innocent

Rather absent mindedly Madelyn tilted her head from one side to the other in an attempt to work out a 'crick' in her neck completely oblivious to the fact that those around her were gaping in abject horror at what they had just witnessed. One would almost think that her fellow citizens had never seen a metahuman exercise their ability in public before which was just ludicrous as it was virtually impossible to watch TV these days without coming across a hero taking down a bad guy with their power and then taking a few moments to pose for a photo op before riding off into the proverbial sunset. Still, she supposed that to be fair seeing it on television and observing it close up and in person were likely two very different things. For that matter to her recollection, the brunette couldn't recall having seen an ability quite like hers before.



The superhero was speaking again, however it took a moment for the nineteen year old to realize that the woman  was in fact addressing her.  The hero gestured towards the cryokine that was still very much frozen in place before indicating that they would discuss what she'd done. Glancing towards the thug, Maddy started "Yeah....about that... listen there's really something you should..." However, before the young woman could finish her sentence the caped crusader had shifted her attention to the remaining thug whom looked completely freaked out by the entire situation. The smart thing to have done was likely to simply surrender, how the burly hoodlum once again proved himself to be far more brawn then brains by drawing his gun on the teller that he'd already terrorized once before.



The next sequence of events took place so quickly that it was actually difficult for Madelyn to sort out what had taken place. All she knew was that shots were fired and yet somehow the teller remained unharmed. What happened next, on the other hand, was perfectly clear as the hero pushed the thug which not only launched him into the air, but across the room. As he hit the wall with a sickening thud, Madelyn winced.  That had to hurt, Maddy thought to herself. He wasn't likely to be mobile any time soon. That's if he was even still conscious.  With both criminals out of commission there seemed to a inaudible collective sigh among the hostages almost as if a fog had lifted off of her fellow patrons.



As the hero spoke into her headset, the once deathly still room slowly began to come alive with nervous chatter. While some whom had been recording the encounter on their mobile devices were reviewing the footage, others were taking the time to contact family members to make them aware of their status.  With her report made, the superhero then instructed the hostages to clear out and find the uniformed officers whom she assumed were standing ready to receive statements. Apparently, an ambulance had also been dispatched not that it seemed wholly necessary. A faint buzzing at her side reminded the teen that her purse was still secured fixed around her shoulder. 



Digging out her phone, the teenager unlocked the device to find several missed calls from the groomer. Pursing her lips together tightly, Madelyn glanced towards the hero and then back towards the opening that had once been a doorway that the other hostages had begun to file out of.  Taking a deep breath, Maddy scurried towards the ext hoping to fall in with the masses and be forgotten about or at the very least overlooked but to no avail as the superhero singled her out for the conversation that she had previously promised. Anxiously, the young woman began to twirl a strand of hair around her finger rather furiously.



Taking a deep breath, Maddy blurted out "Ok, but you should probably make it quick because he's not going to stay like that forever. I can reverse it but it tends to wear off on its own anyway."

@tagmctaggington ▪ ### ▪ note here 

i'll be the bigger man while you act like you're innocent

Despite the lanky frame of the leaner of the bank robbing duo Madelyn's assailant was deceptively strong as he ensnared her in his viselike grip. While Maddy highly suspected that freezing an entire person would be significantly more difficult for the kid than freezing an inanimate object had been. The brunette didn't dare underestimate the resolve of a frightened kid whom felt as if he'd been backed into a corner. From the moment that he'd accosted her, the nineteen year old had struggled against his grasp. However, as she began to feel a slight chill forming at the base of her neck, the teenager's movement abruptly ceased. The tension in the space could be cut with a knife as the once boastful hero now appeared to be erring on the side of caution.

The smile that the woman offered did little to soothe Madelyn's frazzled nerves as the aggressor's hand contracted ever so slightly when the superhero addressed him. "I....I don't want to hurt her. I don't want to hurt anyone, but I will if I have to.," the kid cried out. Not that Maddy considered herself to be a particularly morbid person or had ever given any serious thought to the matter, but in the few times that she'd imagined her demise not once had she considered it would come as the result of being frozen solid. As the younger criminal considered the hero's words from across the bank the muscular older man bellowed "You trying to cheat me! I said I want all the money in the register! Put it all in there!"

As he barked at the teller, the burly thug slammed his fist on the counter with enough force to reduce the structure to rubble. The kid had begun to shake and while Madelyn was grateful for the slightly reduced grip that the quivering enabled, the brunette couldn't be certain whether the criminal was quaking from fear or rage. As her would be savior continued her 'negotiations' with the hoodlum, Maddy couldn't help but to think that perhaps threatening someone as skittish as this miscreant might not have been the best course of action.  It would seem that the large one had become aware of the hostage situation taking part a few feet away from him and decided to weigh in advising his partner to disregard the hero's words.

"She's one of them, she can't be trusted. That girl is our ticket out of here. The minute you let her go, she'll kill us both," the ruffian blustered. As the hero and the hostile robber went back and forth the young man seemed to grow more and more irritable by the moment. "Shut up! Both of you, just shut up! I need to think," the kid shrieked. The kid's gaze drifted from his partner back to the superhero as he considered the woman's words before finally crying out "Screw this." Releasing his grasp on the nineteen year old's neck, the kid shoved her forward. Caught off guard, Maddy stumbled a few steps before finding her footing. Anticipating that the hero would see to the well being of the hostage first, the kid bolted for what was left of the front entrance. 

Oh, no you don't, Madelyn thought to herself as she lifted extended her hands in front of her a few inches apart from her torso with her fingers facing towards the robber. Maddy squinted a little as tiny dots visible only to herself appeared to consume the kid's slender frame.The microscopic dots were swirling about furiously, however as the heiress focused on each speck they gradually slowed down until they had all ceased movement leaving the young man suspended in something of a jogging position. Breathing a sigh of relief Madelyn stated "Well, glad that worked Otherwise, things could have gotten a bit messy. You know I tried that on my stepmother's vase last week and ended up shattering the thing. Man, she was pissed. Not quite sure why. Personally, I think that I did her a favor. It was pretty hideous."

Bringing her hand to the side of her neck, the brunette began to absentmindedly rub the area where a red bruise had formed as she murmured "Ow..."

@tagmctaggington ▪ ### ▪ note here 

into the darkness

[attr="class","itdscroll"]A gust of wind whipped the silky strands of Madelyn's mousy brown locks into a frenzy easily piercing the delicate fabric of her jacket as she stepped out into the bitter, unforgiving cold. The nineteen year old shivered a bit as she dug a set of keys from her purse. Albeit with a bit of reluctance to leave her alone, the last of the volunteers had finally left for the night giving Maddy time to tidy the community outreach center before locking up. " Cold, Cold, Cold," the brunette muttered to herself as she hastily jammed the key in the lock and gave it a sharp twist. There was definitely a piping mug of hot chocolate in her near future, Madelyn mused.

As she withdrew the key from the lock, the young woman couldn't help but to note what a difference a year made. A year ago even with the possession of both mace and a taser, Madelyn wouldn't have dared visited this side of town in broad daylight better yet at night. Of course back then her hands weren't lethal weapons either. Stifling a yawn as she started across the street, Madelyn caught sight of a shadowy silhouette out of her peripheral. Curiously, the nineteen year old turned her head just in time to see a blond casually strolling down the street.

Sauntering down Rodeo Drive or taking in the sites on Hollywood Boulevard, the young woman wouldn't have garnered much if any attention at all.  However,  east of Golden Gate Park after nightfall, the blond stuck out like a sore thumb. Perhaps she was lost,  Madelyn reasoned.  Lifting her voice several octaves above her normal speaking voice, Maddy called out to the woman only to have her words die on the wind.  It's not your business Maddy, just go to your car, the brunette silently chastised herself.

The teen had turned to do just that when the lovely lady turned down a darkened alleyway. Seriously!?  It was like this woman actually WANTED to be mugged. If she turned away now then she'd surely have this woman's blood on her hands if something nefarious went down. Swearing under her breath, the brunette secured the strap on her shoulder and scurried after the naive tourist. A bit winded, the heiress was forced to stop for a moment to catch her breath.

Stopping just short of the alleyway that the stranger had turned down, Maddy arrived just in time to see two rather sketchy looking characters turn down the alley behind the blond. "Son of a b*tch," Maddy breathed was she dug what appeared to be a small tube of lipstick from her purse and silently crept up behind one of the thugs.