[IC] Adolescent Heroes (Teen Titans Inspired)

[twave]

Spark - Something in the Dark

While everything seemed peaceful through the forest there was something that was not part of it present. Of course she wasn't, but beside her. Noticing slight details and sounds was not a difficult thing for her. However, she might not get to thinking or acknowledging it for a moment.

Mom doesn't like what I'm out during storms. She doesn't understand... I need to study. What What was that sound? My hands are cold...

Continuing on for a few moments she rubbed her hands together to warm them up as she went along. She could have used her power to warm them up quicker. But she had worked out that using her ability out in the open was a bad idea. Rocking back and forth she hummed a bit before coming back to that sound. Whirling around she scanned the area. Ordinarily she would be able to see things moving that normally would be invisible. People and things had a static charge that she could see at times, right now though the humidity and rain muted that significantly.

Miffed that someone might be watching, which was a rather odd response, she stamped a foot down which made a splash in a puddle. "Stop looking at me!" The moment of frustration died out and she returned to normal. Drumming her fingers against her thumb she looked around casually before leaning against a tree.

[Leaves]

Marcus opened the driver's door on the surveillance van. He noticed a key already inserted in the ignition once he climbed into the seat. Feeling the leather of the steering wheel, he breathed slightly. The fellow only drove a couple of times prior. Marcus lied since he did not want to pass up driving a vehicle on the road. He listened to the Kurt groan about the mission and the possible assailant.

"I mean, kids are annoying. They sometimes smell bad. It's possible the kidnapper might have been onto something," he joked. His tone stayed serious though which may have made him come off as too brass. Marcus turned the key and started the van. The engine roared slightly and muttered on. "Get in, lame-os." He commented.

---

---

Liz continued her search for sister throughout the forest. The giggling seemed like everywhere at this point. The sound appeared to be omnidirectional. Her laughter wasn't loud, but difficult to pinpoint. Fortunately, Liz did find a strange encounter in the forest. As she began transferring herself to a tree, she noticed a slight shift in the rain.

With a quick glance, she could see her sister on the ground. The young girl waved her arms and legs in a half-radius. Instead of snow angels, Liz's sister became occupied with creating mud angels. Her mouth slightly moved as if she was talking. By quick inspection, nobody else was around the vicinity. Every now and then, the young girl would stop moving her mouth and let out a giggle.

---

A kid emerged from behind a tree. He titled his head to the side. The kid did not mind the woman found him out. Even then, the stalker did not know how she became aware. Taking a few steps closer, he observed Lydia relaxing against the tree. He panted a bit, his fascination created drool from the corner of his mouth.

"You are a strange lady," he giggled. He opened his mouth and tilted his head back to catch some rainwater on his tongue. Turning his head back, he eyed the woman. "Do you like the rain too? I like the rain a lot."

[Old Amsterdam]

Marksman - Forest Interior

---

Liz looked down in confusion. That was definitely her sister, but...

Why on Earth was she making mud angels?

"Sis! What are you doing out there!" She yelled down, carefully moving closer though the trees. Her gut was overpowering her desire to rush to her sister, something was definitely weird and she didn't like it.

"You've scared me half to death. Why didn't you come home, Sis?"

[LemonZest1337]

Curtis "City dragon"

Curtis opened up the back of van winching as he over extended his shoulder. He was still coming to terms with how to felt to actually get badly wounded. His good arm drifted over to his bad one and he rubbed his shoulder as he sat down in the back of the van.
He was closing the doors when Marcus made his 'joke' Kurt was sorely displeased. "That's not funny Marcus. Nobody that young should be in this kind of danger... It's... Barbaric." That last word seemed very strange coming from a lizard man. A brief hiss escaped Kurt's mouth then his tongue flicked and he got into a position where he hoped he wouldn't obstruct any vision.

He closed the back door after being called a lame-o. What the heck even is a lame-o?... He then went back to thinking about how they might go about finding the children once they get there. And how was he going to hide himself in public, well at least the heavy rain would help him. Then he remembered the thunder and lightning then shivered. Come on Kurt. Brave it. For the children...

[twave]

Spark - Something in the Dark

"Not the rain, no." Rubbing her hands together she leaned her head forward to keep the drops out of her face, the bill of her cap directing the flow of water away from her. "Makes things muddy and slick." Folding her arms she put her hands under her arms to warm them up.

In a moment of clarity she focused on the boy. "What are you doing out here? It's not safe to be out in a forest during a thunderstorm." As the patter of rain continued to fall she stepped forward. The lightning wasn't bad but there were rumbles in the background.

Oh yeah, there was also strange things going on. Did this kid count as strange? Not particularly considering her own situation. Odd perhaps that he would be out when kids were going missing. Did he match any of the missing kids? Going back she referenced all the pictures in the news in her head. Going through them in the blink of an eye she pointed back toward the houses. "You should go back inside."

[Leaves]

Marcus rolled his eyes at the response. He considered a gray line for jokes and his humor stood right below it. His previous comments were only playful. "I think you are too sensitive, my dude." Chef Object frankly spoke out. He sighed and knew that this ride would last too long.

---

Marcus obviously lied about his driving experience. Once the garage opened up for the vehicle, the ride seemed dangerous. Every turn was hard and swift. The chef's hands gripped tightly on the wheel as he concentrated on the road ahead of him. The sound of cars honking only pissed him off; however, they had reasons. So far, Marcus drove past three red lights and almost hit two pedestrians.

Marcus rolled down his window aggressively. "Hey! No, you can't drive!" Batteries and change were thrown at the side of the vehicle throughout the drive. Marcus also had trouble driving over speedbumps; he never slowed down nor did he stop. Driving over them quickly must have made Kurt's ride unbearable in the back.



One More Post and We Will Reach Our Destination.

---

---

The young girl stopped her laughing immediately. She twisted her neck to see Liz standing above her. For a brief moment, she stared at her older sister while breathing through her mouth. Her strange behavior stayed unsettling. Eventually, she smiled spontaneously and began climbing up to her feet.

"Hi, Sis. Have you been chosen too?! I have been playing with the others!" She flailed her arms to the side and hopped frantically. Her enthusiastic mannerisms appeared too young for her age. Mud dripped and sprayed because of her constant movement. Even then, the pouring water did not make her shiver.

The little sister tilted her head. Her eyes opened wide and her jaw dropped in shock. It might take a while, but Liz would find out that her sister did not give her eye contact. By matching the direction of her pupils, Liz could tell her eyes were looking behind her. Her pupils moved slightly to follow something moving. Before Liz managed to turn around and see what her sister was staring at, she heard frantic running.

The noise of someone fleeing began to fade out deeper in the woods. Liz's sister took a few steps in the direction. "No! Don't leave! I thought she was chosen! Please! I'll behave!" She shouted sporadically. Her sister proceeded to kneel down in the mud and throw her arms into the ground. She continued to throw a temper tantrum.

---

The kid cackled at the woman's response. He held his hands up to his mouth. "You're funny, lady, but you're not the boss of me. No one is. Anymore." He flashed a gigantic smile. Though childish, it demonstrated only an unnerving atmosphere. Did the kid smile too hard? His grin stretched from one cheek to the other.

"You are different. He likes different. You should come with me." He approached Lydia with a heavy march. "We are a family. No one else. You will appreciate it." He giggled and raised his hand to grab Lydia's arm.

---

@t2wave@LeamonZest89@Old Amsterdam@1Hawkeyes

[LemonZest1337]

Curtis "City Dragon"

Curtis hissed and flicked his tongue proving marcus' comment, proving Marcus right."Just hurry up and drive..." Kurt grumbled she settled down in the back of the van. This peace didn't last for very long, it was clear that Marcus had bent the truth when he said he could drive. And now Kurt's stomach was paying for it, each turn making his insides shake left and right. Each speed bump making his insides shake up and down. Kurt wasn't sure how much of this he could take, I'm going to hurl! he thought as his face somehow turned even more green.

He would voice his displeasure with Marcus' "driving" but he feared opening his mouth would let his insides fall out. He was in complete agreement with most of what the other angry drivers were saying about Marcus. At this point Kurt's tail had stopped moving indicating just how awful he felt. The sooner he got out of this van the better. He then looked up as Marcus yelled at some other people telling them they couldn't drive. Irony...

[Old Amsterdam]

Marksman - Forest Interior

---

Liz started at the questions and continued odd behavior. Chosen? So there is someone behind this. But why?

Having dropped to the ground, it took Liz several seconds to recognize that her sister wasn't looking at her but past her. Before she could turn and look, however, something made a mad dash deeper into the woods, and her sister began to have a melt down. Which was something she hadn't done for years.

Liz made a mental note of which direction the fleeing subject had made as she approached her sister slowly.

"Sis, come on. You need to come home. This isn't right. It's not safe. It's... It's wrong . So wrong. Please!" She pleaded, gently - but forcefully - holding her sister's shoulders.

[twave]

Lydia - Forest

@Leaves

Yes, something was definitely wrong with this boy. While she didn't express it outwardly she thought about the odd behavior and words. The signs implied that this boy was out here seemingly of his own will and had joined some group. The whole thing screamed something out of a film involving cults but perhaps that was reaching without further understanding.

Standing awkwardly she watched as the boy marched up. Given the circumstances Lydia didn't feel that she had much to worry from the boy himself so no effort was made to prevent the arm being grabbed. Making sure she had a balanced charge to her body she wanted to make sure she wouldn't draw and stray bolt of lightning. Someone so close would still likely be heavily impacted. "Okay." If the boy was one of the missing children then he would likely be taking her to wherever the others were. And if she was completely off base then there would probably be no harm. Either way she didn't doubt her ability to keep herself safe.

[Leaves]

Marcus sighed and laid his head on the steering wheel. The driving portion of his day certainly proved exciting, but he never considered so many careless drivers. He groaned and mumbled to himself before putting his hand on the key. Turning it, he shut the engine off and parked the car. Of course, Marcus thought he correctly placed the car beside the curb, but the vehicle was on the sidewalk!

"We're here. Let's get this over with," Marcus opened the driver's door and jumped out of the SUV. He looked around to see anything out of the ordinary. Nothing seemed out of place. The neighborhood looked an average place for middle place families. The suburban houses appeared plain in Marcus' eyes.

"I parked in the smack center of the area of the kidnappings. I believe this what our best bet. So what do you guys what to do? Surveillance or just start knocking on other people's houses?"

---

---

The younger sister made the trip back to the house unbearable. Liz dealt with all of her screaming and scratches. Never did she see her sister act like this. Her feet dragged which only prolonged the trip. Something kept pulling Liz into the forest. Her dialogue became distorted by frequent yelling and crying.

When they finally got home, Liz accompanied her sister to her room. Her sister only began to start scratching at the walls and roll around on the carpet.

---

The kid grinned. "Okay, follow me into the forest." He began skipping deeper into the woods. The boy then stopped his tracks and asked a few questions. "What is your name? Your hobbies? Favorite part of the body?" He flashed another smile.

---

@t2wave@LeamonZest89@Old Amsterdam@1Hawkeyes

[LemonZest1337]

Curtis "City Dragon"

Kurt groaned as he slowly opened the back of the van and basically fell out. He went to talk then held his snout shut with one of his hands to help stop him from vomiting."Y-y-yo-." Kurt had to hold his mouth shut again before swallowing then shivering a little at the putrid taste of his own bile."You are crazy!" Curtis then coughed a few times and wiped his mouth. He grumbled knowing complaining further wouldn't get anywhere. He then looked at the houses."Yeah I'm not sure that people would take a lizard man knocking on their door well. So if you are going to do that I'll look in the forest? That could work?"

He seemed a little unsure of himself, after getting drilled in the shoulder he was kinda left feeling a bit vulnerable. If this threat was anything like what Mr.Russo put them up against it would be equally if not more deadly. All tho he had no evidence to back this train of thought it was still speeding off at full bore. His tail twitched a little indicating his fear, plus the storm didn't help his mood making him a tad jumpy. This emotion probably looked strange on a lizard monster but it was how he looked nevertheless.

[Old Amsterdam]

Marksman

Location Varies

---

Liz shivered as she watched her sister, trying to think of what to do.

"Sorry, sis, I've got no other choice...." She muttered before jumping onto her sister and starting to recite a spell.

Trapped between light and dark
Between the hearth and heart
Dream deep, dream long
Until I come to finish this song

Instantaneously her sister fell asleep, dreamless and timeless.

"Almost like Sleeping Beauty, without the softcore rape and stuff..." Liz sighed, falling back against the wall.

The sound of a vehicle outside caught her attention, before it cut off and she could only assume they're stopped outside.

Carefully checking her sister one last time, Liz moved to the front door, peering through the window. There were...a boy was talking to a lizard man? What... What... She couldn't process what was going on. We're these people responsible for all of this? For her sister's madness?

Moving to the backdoor, Liz climbed up to the roof. Popping over the top, she crouched by the gutter and materialized her bow, pointing it at the unknown group as the lizard finished speaking.

"Hey! Who are you? What are you doing here? WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY SISTER?" She called down to them. "Answer me or I'll turn you into Swiss cheese, or worse!"

[Leaves]

Marcus stretched his arms and looked around the vicinity. The houses did not have any personality. Each house looked exactly the same. Even then, the concept of a kidnapper in the neighborhood might possibly be the most action the area as received. Marcus betted that nothing ever happened here.

Stretching his arms, he looked at Kurt. He scrunched up his face and wondered what the lizard man inferred. "Why am I crazy?" Marcus had no clue on the lizard man's actions. Did he want to throw up? Marcus shrugged the odd behavior. Looking at the houses again, he wondered how he was going to investigate.

"Well, of course, you can't do that. Wasn't there some spy equipment in the van?" Marcus put his hands up to protect himself from the rain. The pitter patter of the liquid was the only sound available. Everything else was silent. His skin started to feel cold and wet. The atmosphere brought an uneasy feeling on him, almost something ominous.

It was then that Marcus heard the sound of a nearby woman. He jerked his head side to side to find the voice. "Damn it, Kur-Dragon. You're out in the open," Marcus quickly blamed the appearance of his teammate. Then again, the teen almost said his real name out loud. Through the rain, Marcus then found the source of the voice.

She's got to know something. Marcus gritted his teeth and held his hands up. He wondered if he was really meant for this. The woman looked non-threatening compared to the monsters he faced before. She pointed a bow and arrow toward him which only raised the question of "Who uses a bow and arrow anymore?"

Marcus squinted at the young woman. Two possibilities stood: she is the kidnapper or an accomplice. Marcus tried calming the person down. "Please do not shoot. I have the right answers for you. It's in my pocket," he calmly spoke out as his hand slowly dug into his pocket. He tried to look as non-lethal as possible.

Finally, he pulled out a rubber ball. Marcus smiled as he popped it into his mouth. "There's your answer," he said with a grin. With a few seconds, he squatted to the floor and leaped toward the roof at the woman.

---

---

@t2wave@LeamonZest89@Old Amsterdam@1Hawkeyes

[LemonZest1337]

Curtis "City Dragon"

Curtis enjoyed the feeling of the rain on his scales but he hissed quietly as some of the water seeped through a slight gap in his bandages and into his shoulder wound. He then frowned at Marcus"Your driving! That's why you're crazy!" Kurt sighed and put a hand up to his shoulder to try and adjust the bandage a little. He stopped himself knowing it was probably a bad idea. Kurt grumbled at the question about the spy gear"I don't know. If there is it's probably broken at this point..." Kurt's attention was then grabbed by the voice of a yelling girl he looked up at the girl who had a bow aimed at him.Heh that's not going to do much...He thought to himself he hissed again from rain getting into his wound.

He frowned at Marcus shifting the blame onto him, and his near slip up with the name. He grumbled to himself "Oh yeah blame it on the lizard... Real original... He said this fairly quietly so it was most likely drowned out by the rain. Kurt then refocused on the girl with the bow. He'd gone to speak but Marcus was already running his mouth.

Then Kurt face palmed. Marcus had just said to this girl who could well be related to one of the victims that he had the answer to their question of "WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY SISTER!?" buy pulling out a rubber ball and eating it. Was he actually stupid!? There was only one way for that to be interpreted! And it was not a good thing! He then watched Marcus leap at the girl and went to try and grab him but he was far to slow. "Dammit Chef!" He yelled now forced to watch what happened next.

[Old Amsterdam]

Marksman

@t2wave@LeamonZest89@Leaves @1Hawkeyes

Liz reacted quickly as the boy came flying at him. Apparently he was called Chef? That was a quirky name. And the lizard was... Dragon? Kur?

But now wasn't the time to think. Slapping a hand onto her shoulder, she quickly called out "Velocius movere!" (Latin for Move Faster)

In a blur of movement, Liz moved from where she'd been to the next roof over, raising her bow and touching her thumb to the mark on her index finger as she aimed. "Movere intendunt!" (Latin for Moving Aim)

She released the arrow, quickly firing two more which glowed a bright white, and watched as they didn't fly straight, but rather seemed to hone in on the boy as he flew towards the roof.

She wasn't aiming to kill or injure, of course, but to pin him by his pants to the roof.

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY SISTER!?" she screamed again, her focus entirely on the boy.

[twave]

Lydia - Into the Woods

@Leaves

Other than the odd behavior of the boy walking out further into the forest the young woman didn't mind being lead per se. One part of the forest wasn't that much different from another. Her enjoyment of walking in the rain was interrupted though by their sudden stop and following questions.

And to the questions she seemed to turn away instead of cooperating all the sudden. She wagged her finger and shook her head slightly. "No no no, I'm not sharing any more." Looking off into the distance she seemed to forget where she was going and started to walk off in another direction. She had put something out here one day and left it. Maybe that's why she came out here. Hard to say, thoughts jumping around too much.

[1Hawkeyes]

Ally "Agent" Estrada

Ally shifted back and forth in the seat of their armored van. She was convinced that Marcus was going to be a far superior driver than her. At least she knew the basics of driving on the street. This felt like Marcus's first time behind the wheel! As Marcus made sharp turns, she felt her stomach shift from side-to-side within her abdomen. She felt the blood leave her face as her face paled from motion-sickness.

After they came to a stop from the hell ride, Ally jumped out of the vehicle as quickly as possible. She was thankful to be on solid, unmoving ground. The issue now wasn't how to fix their stomachs, they had to find a game plan. Before they could do that, Chef and Dragon began to bicker. From the first time she met them they never seemed to have a successful chemistry, but their jabs at each other wouldn't get anything done.

As Ally was about to speak up, her stomach sickness now subsided, a girl about their age appeared and shouted, "WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY SISTER?"

"Hey, we didn't do anything!" Ally, well, technically Agent now, defended, raising her hands in the air. Although Agent didn't appreciate this girl pointing her bow at them, Ally understood why. If anything she could always shift into her metal form to protect herself from an incoming arrow. "You're missing your sister? We're here to help you find-" before she could finish, Marcus had popped a rubber ball into his mouth.

"Chef, don't!" Agent shouted, reaching her hand out as if she could grab him. It was too late! The teen already bounced to the woman wielding the bow. Agent shook her head, shocked by the rash actions of Chef. To her it was obvious that the teenage girl with the bow was affected by the kidnappings. Why couldn't Chef recognize this? They could've talked it out without any trouble, but now a battle was uncountable about to ensue.

"Dragon, we have to go stop Chef!" Agent told Dragon. She didn't exactly wait for a response before running towards the scene. Her mind was focused on stopping Chef from further-worsening the issue. They needed as many allies with as much information as they could get if they were going to save the kids.

[Leaves]

Chef Object watched as the woman fled to the next roof over. He whispered a curse word under his breath. He expected her to freeze in fear or become unable to move. Furthermore, the woman kept a bow on her which meant a ranged attack. Marcus could tell she wanted space between them in order to launch her arrows. Marcus landed on the roof with a thud. His impact sent some roof tiles onto the ground.

Marcus jerked his head to notice the woman sent arrows, as he predicted. His eyes opened wide once he witnessed a strange phenomenon. Strangely, the arrows coming at him were not realistic. They glowed and cut through the wind easily. Overall, Marcus acknowledged the appearance was bizarre. "Magic?" Marcus clenched his teeth and asked to himself. He could not contemplate the concept. It did remain true that he had prior experience dealing with magical entities and monsters, but he wished he wouldn't have to fight another individual accustomed to magic so soon.

Even then, he figured the training simulation "made" up what happened. He denied most of it, but the arrows only convinced him. Marcus stepped back and attempted to find his balance as the arrows were sent. He began moving to the side when his eye caught the directional pattern. Chef Object gulped after realizing the arrows homed toward him. Frantically moving around the rooftop, he utilized his rubber powers to jump into the air and dodge the first projectile.

Upon landing, the other arrow struck his left shoulder. Marcus groaned, he quickly responded by holding onto his arm. He could hear Ally and Kurt down below; however, the pain blocked his hearing. "Okay, you're done!" The boy shook off the pain and attempted to block it. He started running across the roof to gain momentum. Pushing onwards, he leaped again with an incoming fist from his right hand.

---

---

"You're really mean," The boy whined. He put his arms behind his head. He began putting more sound on his feet. This was him passively trying to stir a tantrum. The kid disliked the cold shoulder and wondered if this decision was best. Annoyingly, he would keep stopping only to turn around and look at the woman.

Once a moment passed, he stopped immediately and looked around. He closed his eyes and held a hand to signal the woman to stop moving. "Shut up. Don't talk," he ordered. He waited a full minute before speaking again. His attitude turned from his original playfulness to something foul. "Do you hear that?" He asked.

The kid turned a full 360 degrees and looked at the woman. "One of our own has been taken. Everyone is going to get her back," he pointed to the sides of the forest. Lydia then sensed or heard other people moving through the woods. Their movements were quick and aggressive. "Come help us. The person responsible needs to be punished," he smiled. In a flash, the boy took in a running speed and waved to the woman to keep up. His sprint was unimaginable for a kid.

@t2wave@LeamonZest89@Old Amsterdam@1Hawkeyes

[LemonZest1337]

Kurt looked over at Agent as she stated her intention to stop Chef, he couldn't agree more he again hissed from the rain then followed after the much faster Agent. He watched Marcus get pinned with a glowing arrow, he couldn't hear what Marcus had muttered because of the distance and rain but he couldn't be feeling good. Kurt got the the wall of the building that this unknown attacker was positioned then he looked over at Ally. "I can give you a boost up! If we're quick we might be able to stop this before anyone takes more hits!" Kurt put his hands one over the other and held them low to the ground in the iconic pose signifying he was ready to give a boost. Being this close to the wall of a house made much less rain hit him and for this he was grateful. He gestured up towards the roof with a nod of his head."Hurry!" Kurt urged seeing Marcus had already flung himself again. Kurt wasn't happy throwing someone else into harms way especially one of his new teammates, but he had no choice. And he had a feeling this wouldn't be the last time he'd need to do it, he didn't like this feeling.

This was not a good mission so far, they had literally just gotten out of the car and now they were trying to defuse a fight between a teammate and one of the victims they were meant to be helping. Perhaps Mr.Russo had picked the wrong batch of misfits? Well Marcus was the one who'd messed everything up so far. Maybe he just screwed up with Marcus.

[1Hawkeyes]

Ally "Agent" Estrada

"Crap," Agent muttered under her breath as Chef was shot in the shoulder. Now that their teammate was hit, the situation was different. Although her main focus was still stopping the fight, she had to be much more wary of enemy attacks and Marcus's temper. But how will we get up there?

"I can give you a boost up! If we're quick we might be able to stop this before anyone takes more hits!" Kurt shouted to Agent. He assumed a crouching position and Agent nodded, readying herself. She had never done anything like this before, so she had to make sure she did it right.

Agent took off in a sprint, trying to map her foot placement to make it exactly on Kurt's hand. Even though they had some rest before, it wasn't nearly enough to recover from most of the damage they received earlier. Muscles Ally didn't even know she used while running felt like they were tearing apart. Once close enough, Agent jumped, using the energy created from both her legs and Kurt's boost to reach the top of the roof.

As soon as Agent hit the roof, her body went from flesh to titanium. Marcus held his fist back for a retaliation while it seemed the archer might've been reloading another arrow onto her bow. Agent was conflicted, unsure whose attack to prevent. In the end, Agent faced Marcus's direction, ready to stop him from delivering his punch. Even though the archer shot Marcus, it was in defense more than anything. Stopping Marcus was the only way to show the archer they weren't enemies, that there was a mix up.

"She's not the enemy!" Agent shouted over the intensity that flooded her senses, "We're not the enemy!"