[IC] 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝘃𝗲𝗹𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲: 𝕊𝕥𝕣𝕖𝕖𝕥 𝕃𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕝 ℍ𝕖𝕣𝕠𝕖𝕤

[ThisIsFine]

[ThisIsFine]

Raphael - Location: Scouring for snacks- Tags: Open

The snow fell steadily outside as the sun set. The city never stopped moving, and another inch of powder wasn't going to change that. The temperature fell. The slush created a muddy mess in the gutters. It was shaping up to be a miserable night.

Even more miserable on an empty stomach. Raph knew he couldn't lay around in his nest all night. Getting a full eight hours was dangerous, as he burned through his energy stores even in his sleep. He groaned as he tossed the thick blanket aside and hauled himself up. His makeshift home was a small, long forgotten storage room above a canning factory. The heat from the machines below kept it above freezing on nights like this. The broken out window covered with a blanket wasn't the best insulation, but it was his only entrance and exit.

Raph stretched his wings a little. In the small space, he couldn't open them all the way. His bundle of blankets and pillows had been donated by various acquaintances. Raph wasn't sure if he could call them "friends"; he wasn't the most social and his people skills were severely lacking. Sometimes these acquaintances also provided him with food. It never lasted long, however. His nutritional needs were high enough to put a buffet out of business.

He moved the window cover aside and looked down at the tiny cars and people traversing the streets below. Without further hesitation, he plunging into the icy air. His white wings unfurled against the black sky and caught a draft that pulled him up. Raph took to the skyline to search for a decent enough spot to steal food. Most of the restaurants nearby had taken to dousing their leftovers with bleach before throwing them away to ward off the homeless. Raph had to hunt further away for viable dumpsters to dive in.

Location: - Searching for a friend Tags: Open

He wondered what the cold felt like as he watched the bundled up humans scurry around the sidewalks below. Quasar loved people watching; they were such interesting creatures. But he couldn't lose sight of his true mission here. He hadn't floated in the same spot for twelve hours for nothing, after all.

Finally, his patience paid off. A young man that had been waiting on the corner got into a car that pulled up. He tossed his heavy backpack into the back seat and climbed in. The car pulled away like normal. Quasar flew from his spot and drifted after it from above, careful to not lose it among the sea of traffic.

Eventually, the car lead him to an old mechanic shop. This was what he had been searching for. As the car pulled into an open bay, the entity drifted through the wall to have a look around. They wouldn't notice him as long as he didn't make a scene. The first thing he saw was guns, cash, and white bricks. Yeah, this was definitely their base of operation. Or, at least, one of them.

Quasar left. He'd seen enough, and now he just needed to find a fellow hero to partner with so they could take care of this.

[Th3King0fChaos]

Location: Out on the streets looking for a dumbass he knows is probably cold and hungry in his car, also just looking for trouble.
Interaction: None as of yet - Open
Mention: Raphael @ThisIsFine

---

White is the color of the day. Christopher had spent his day doing different things: a funeral to a man who died and the family wished for white to be worn, a wedding where the snow lightly covered the area and made the bride weep of joy, and a man who came weeping at Christopher's feet because he relapsed to doing cocaine again. The life of a Pastor is very strange, sometimes your days are calm and easy, almost peaceful with only your daily needs to be is to do the services and stay to allow for those who wish to confess to do so, and be someone to confide in. Yet today was a stressful one, honestly what stressed him out the most was the snow. He knew hundreds of homeless live on the streets, and the cold has taken many lives.

Christopher has always left his doors open, he knew the church often was warmer than the streets, often times Christopher went out and invited those he found on the streets to sleep in the church, often telling them that the doors are always open and unlocked. Many take it, well except for one idiot, who he knew was probably out at this time. Chris was always wondering why he found Raphael out on the streets at night, he still hasn't figured that one out yet, but he knew he needed to find the dumbass before he freezes to death. Christopher gets into his car and starts heading off, his first stop is home, where he spends time with his wife. Cooking dinner with her, watching a movie, and a few other things.

Maybe an hour before the sunsets, Chris began loading his car up, hiding weapons and gear away in secret compartments that would be hard access without knowing them, incase he gets pulled over by the police. After which he starts grabbing a large piece of cloth from the back seat of his car. He unfurled it and looked at it for a moment before he threw it over his car's roof and began readjusting it until it sat nicely. He began fastening it down by opening his doors and having the loose cloth get closed in as he makes sure it is tight be fore he headed off. With the seriousness of a clown, he left with a chuckle as he headed into the city, as the large tarp on the top of his car said: Hey Asshole -John 1:6-8.

Why did it say this? 2 reasons, well one reason but the second one is to cover for the first. the first reason is to get the attention of an asshole who like to live in high places and flies, and the second reason, if someone questioned it, he could direct them to the passage, John 1:6-8, and get away with his same line every time, "I use this as a way to get people interested into reading the Bible, because if something so crazy was there many wonder if everything they hear was true or not. It will sometimes get people into the door and allow them to experience what Christianity truly is. Then it makes those who 'read' the Bible try to play it like they know that's the actual passage or an interpretation, and those who actually read the Bible know I'm just screwing with people and can call out those who only use the words of the bible out of vanity".

[RogueFox]

Location: Her apartment

Interaction: Katiya

It had been a busy day at the Fine Choice, the grocery store she worked at. Sadie was a shift manager there, working 9-5 on the weekdays. Some people believe she got the position by being the daughter of the owner, but this wasn't true. She earned it through hard work since she started at 17. It wasn't exactly a glamorous or high paying job, either, so she let those comments slide off her back.

Now however, it was finally time to eat. The pizza she had ordered for her roommate and herself just arrived, and they had to get a full stomach for their nightly plans. She carried the 4 pizza boxes to the table in her kitchenette. It was small and attached directly to the living room, with just enough space for a small dining table. Now, four boxes of pizza may have seemed a bit excessive for two ladies in their mid to late twenties, but Sadie knew that having a lot of food was all too important with her roommate, not to mention, Sadie had quite the appetite herself.

"Yo, Kat! Pizza's here!" She put two boxes on the table, then two on the counter so they were all easily accessible. She opened them, revealing a cheese pizza, a pepperoni, an all meats, and a deluxe. She grabbed a slice of cheese while she waited for her friend, the appetizing stretch of gooey hot cheese clinging to the other slices. She sprinkled some red pepper flakes on her slice and took a bite. "Kat, I'm telling you, this new place is delicious. It doesn't beat John's of Bleecker, but it's damn good."

[Mintz]

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Location: Sadie's Apartment

Interactions: Sadie

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Another day has come and gone. Work at Fine Choice was simple as always, stacking the shelves through her 9-5. Could Katiya do better?....Perhaps. But she appreciated the simplicity of her job, leaving her mind open to more pressing concerns of hers. Such as now, crouched in her small room of the apartment, writing in a red-bound journal superbly close to her face, handling a pencil that looked more like a toothpick in her hand.

"December 28th, 2025. Still no luck. The common crooks we find are lacking in information, as always. Perhaps even more than before. I still have no answers...But I will find something. Maybe not tonight, or tomorrow, or even next year. But I will find something. Ya tebya lublu, mama & papa. I will find you."

She was stirred from her writing by shouting from her roommate and fellow Mutant Sadie Eran, with claims of pizza arriving. As if in response, her stomach growled as Katiya gave a small laugh. Well, that was that. Putting up her journal, she shouted out. "I am coming!"

Audible struggling could be heard. Needless to say, New York apartments weren't made with someone like her in mind, but she took it in stride, crawling her way through her door, through the living room, and into the kitchenette crouched next to her companion. "Mm. Is that so? You have good taste, so I'm sure it is good. Here, plate." Casually reaching into one of the higher shelves of the kitchenette with her upper set of arms, she grabs the both of them plastic plates. From Fine Choice, of course.

With that, she went about snatching two slices of the all-meats and two from the supreme, getting them situated on her plate before she begins digging in. No words were spoken as she cleaned through her first slice, but she gave a nod of approval. It was certainly as good as Sadie had claimed.

As she got to the next, however, Katiya spoke up. "Any leads tonight, or will it be one of those goose hunts again?"

[The Man Emperor]

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Corvus Rodin Helston, the Arclight

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Location: Rooftop, looking out from a sniper's scope
Interaction - Quasar
Mentions: Picture Perfect, Archangel

I just want you for my own
More than you could ever know
Make my wish come true
All I want for Christmas is you
You, baby…

The lyrics of 'All I Want For Christmas Is You' wafted in from a nearby restaurant directly below Corvus' vantage point, filling his ears with that same tune that had been nearly played a hundred times today. It wasn't like he minded, but he often wished that they'd switch to something else after the first fifty times that this song had been blaring out. He had often told them to try other songs when Christmas came, but alas… Mr. Alonzo just liked it a bit too much. Old man didn't want anything to change, and so there it was, ringing out for the 101st time. He would sometimes scroll through Picture Perfect's Instagram feed, but that was just to pass the time a bit more. He just had dinner...

Corvus peered back into the scope of the antiquated Lee Enfield rifle; a precious relic that had been maintained for the last fifty or so years. It was used by his grandfather during the Second World War, a soldier that had barely evaded capture by the Wehrmacht during the evacuation of Dunkirk. When the war ended and the soldiers returned home, the gun was kept at home, maintained throughout the years as a display piece. That would have been the weapon's continual state… until the Chitauri attacked New York.

Corvus quickly banished those thoughts of the past as he focused upon the present. There wasn't anything in particular that he was looking or waiting for today; he was merely on a sort of patrol. Criminals were plentiful in these parts, so days weren't usually dull. So far though, there hasn't been anything. Maybe Kingpin had been gracious enough to lay off for the holidays, unlikely as that might be. Or the mafias and crime groups had been busy in their own private celebrations, perhaps?

*Caw*. The crow sitting on his shoulder, whose name was Ted, complained, letting out several cries that would have been quite out of place in Christmas season New York.

"What?" Corvus glanced towards the bird after whom he was named. "I just fed you five minutes ago. That wasn't enough?"

*Caw*.

"Okay, you want me to get up and go to another watchpoint?"
*Caw*

"You don't? Then what?"

*Caw*

"You want me to give Archangel some food? It's not like he's easy to find, big wings notwithstanding?"

*Caw*

Corvus simply shrugged, peering through the scopes once again… and lo and behold, he saw the incorporeal form of Quasar floating around an old mechanic shop right across the street. It wasn't that easy to see, but he had sharper eyes than what was humanly possible, so he saw it, somehow.

He and the Quasar knew each other, to an extent at least. Ted was a bit iffy around the space ghost, but he wasn't all that too terrified. For now, at least.

"Now does he have a phone…? No, unlikely…"

Corvus sighed. "I gotta come down there myself by the stairs, then…"

The man stuffed the gun into a cloth covering, and proceeded to walk down the stairs of that dilapidated building...

[Fading Memory]

How It Started

PICTURE PERFECT

IN

"Trouble In Little Italy"

The camera pans across New York City. We all know what it looks like, but the camera is getting paid by the frame and it knows how to milk the investors without getting scolded. It's a quality camera. It knows its job. It makes New York look quite stunning in its sparkling snow-coated splendor. It's been doing this a long time. It could remember when that building was just bare beams and hard hats and lunch pails. Good times.

The camera slows. It dreaded this next bit.

Soon it pans over a familiar skyscraper, bearing a familiar Media Logo. The music swells in a somber manner. The camera blinks.

---

"He... handled that last one well." The woman admitted, her voice faltering briefly over the word 'handled' through clenched teeth. "So far he's kept up his slogan. Every job ends with a 'Picture Perfect Finish'. His dedication to maintaining a high standard continues to be documented in the analysis reports."

At this juncture in her dialogue, her hand lifts itself as if it had not realized it had received the instruction to do so and slowly brushed a stray strand of violet hair out of her eyes and over her ear. Task completed, the hand then gracefully descended back to her waist where it clasped with its twin companion in a professional manner.

"Furthermore, his popularity continues to rise steadily. He is favorably viewed on all platforms he maintains accounts on. His powers appear stable, though his confidence grows with each success. It is my proposal that we advance with Stage Three plans ahead of schedule."

She already knew approval would be met; The Overseer had already personally instructed her to go ahead with Stage Three, this meeting was merely a formality for the Investors.

"Let us test the bounds of his confidence."

---

"Check it, this place is Il Cortile, one of the most well known eateries in Lower Manhattan. Ya boy made a reservation for tonight months ago; they get packed in the holidays and it's the only way to guarantee a seat."

The red haired man was done up well tonight; his typical modern techwear had been spruced up to adapt to the fine establishment he was attending without sacrificing his distinctive style or the high-cost function of the unique clothing aesthetic. Propped on his table was a high end camera, standing on a tripod and aimed at Sullivan as he made an effort of playing to the device.

"It's not the most expensive place in the City by far- but that stuff ain't my vibe to begin with. I'd rather be in comfortable, familiar, places like this when I go out with you guys." He flashes that million dollar smile at the camera. Mentally advising himself to remember to do an aesthetic speedup of this part in post, he allows himself to relax and browse the menu.

Time passes, and soon he checks his watch as he senses a notification incoming. His eyes briefly peruse the scrolling text. His eyes widen.

Call Me - Sally

It was the first message he'd received from her in months. He reached over and turned the camera off. He pulled out his phone and was already dialing her number on it as he stepped away from the table. By the time he stepped outside, the dial tone was heavy in his ear.

I'm sorry, but your call can't be connected at this time. Hang up and try again later.

His eyes widened again, staring at the phone. He squints. Full bars. Bill paid. He looks up; there was a cellphone tower right there, on that rooftop. After a few more suspicious glances between his phone and the tower, he flipped back to his texts and began typing;

Hey what's u

His thumbs hovered over the screen. He was briefly frozen, his brows furrowing deeply as he scanned the recent texts. There was no sign of the one he'd just received just now. He stuffed his phone into its secure pocket and lifted his arm to look at the Watch once more, tapping at its screen;

It, too, had zero indication of having received any such notification. He didn't have much time to ponder this strange occurrence, though. A sound made his head whip up and forget his situation immediately. He was soon sprinting down the sidewalk, weaving between people with hasty apologies as he pushed through the steadily increasing bulk of onlookers.

Someone had just called for Help. There was screaming. How could he not run to the rescue?

---

The scene where Picture Perfect arrived was one of pure chaos. A car had crashed- but that wasn't even the tip of the iceberg. A fire Hydrant nearby was erupting nearby, four door sedan haphazardly parked atop it. There were pedestrians arrayed around the scene in varying states of injury. In the distance, police cars raced up the streets. Picture Perfect skidded to a halt as he burst through the throng of the crowd and onto the scene-

Coming to a stop face to face with the barrel of an assault rifle aimed by a ski-mask wearing man who seemed just as surprised to see Picture Perfect as Picture Perfect was to see a fully automatic firearm aimed at his face. Neither man moved. Picture Perfect eased into a smile.

"Robbery, eh?"

This was always the moment panic gripped someone's eyes. When they realized they couldn't move. Picture Perfect slowly swiveled his head, surveying the scene; four men, ski masks, duffel bags, hard cash falling out of the car as the other three scrambled to their feet and broke their dazes. The car had halfway hit the brickwork of the building, halfway thrown itself into the glasswork of a storefront, and in classic New York Style nobody was bothering to leave.

"Bad choice. Those bills are marked, dude, and even worse you didn't even pick a good suit to get arrested in. Really, man, you gotta style if you're gonna try to take the shortcut to fame and fortune- Is he really wearing sandals in December? Guys come ON!"

---

"Target on scene. High risk scenario going as projected, target's presence already neutralized threat of collateral damage and excess injury. Target's capability known as 'Flash Mob' growing more confident with each interaction. Comfort level with firearms increasing, no longer exhibiting the same wariness target once did. All in all, Show Stopper is right; bastard's getting more confident."

The figure was standing in a conveniently shadowy spot, secluded in an empty for-rent office space that had been abandoned to the yule-tide vacations of its inhabitants. Briefly a scarred face is lit by a match being struck and brought to light a cigarette, the dull glow of the quiet flame and the ember-burn of the cigarette granting a shadowed hollowness to the face of the man. A deep breath, an exhalation of smoke.

"I vote we just kill 'im now and save ourselves the headache later. If we keep watching him grow he'll eventually-"

The voice that crackled through the earpiece was clear, concise, and brokered no discussion;

"He is not to die. He is to be studied. His power is Project Mastermind. We must see him grow, for his growth is ours. Stay on task."

The man fell silent at those words. Gloved hands tightened briefly, the one holding the box of matches relaxing and tossing the item lazily into the air and catching it. The sound of cardboard smacking leather thudded into the air thrice before he grunted and slid the matches into a winter coat's pocket. His now free hands then occupied themselves with the task at hand.

He took up a controller, and peered into its viewing screen. Another exhalation of smoke briefly obscured the camera feed of a drone, flying through the air and weaving between buildings. It was following a pair of cop cars, speeding through the streets...

---

Picture Perfect dusted his hands, standing triumphantly in front of a heap consisting of four would-be-robbers and their, in his eyes, excessive firearms. High threat robberies like this were a rarity, and privately he was thankful he'd been on the scene to stop it-

But openly, he threw his hands out wide and beamed at the onlookers as they applauded.

"Another day, another problem solved- that's just the way I like it!" He declared with a laugh as he performed a little celebratory jig. "Can you believe these guys? The rest of us work hard to make ends meet and get on camera and they decide to take the shortcut to their fifteen minutes-"

He guffaws comically as he swaggers towards their wrecked vehicle, the water pressure beginning to subside slowly and steadily lessen the cascade of water raining over the area. He confidently reached into the back seat of the vehicle and hefted out the large duffel bag of hard cash, hoisting it above his head in one hand to show it off to the crowd.

"This is gonna go right back where it-"

Sullivan blinked. He wiggled his fingers. There was supposed to be a bag there. He frowned and risked looking up, somewhat perturbed as to why he no longer felt there was a large bag of money in his hand. Alas, when he looked up there was indeed no longer a large bag of money in his hand. He wiggled his fingers again, then shielded his eyes quite unnecessarily- years of physical habits died hard- and turned to gaze off where a majority of the audience had turned to look.

"What- Is that- Really?" He expressed incredulously.

A drone- a sizable one, at that- had suddenly swooped in and hooked the duffel bag straight from his outstretched hand. He grit his teeth privately and locked onto the device in his gaze, following it with ease as it soared upwards and away- but it was too far. He couldn't sense the strange grip he could impose on things. He couldn't stop it. It was too fast, too far.

For the first time in a long time, Sullivan was at a loss for words. It was a strange sensation to him. The loss of the audience's attention and adoration was tangible. It was heavy. It made his mouth dry faster than a carton of salty crackers ever could. Licking his lips to whet them and buy himself a social moment alike, his mind raced.

This was, as far as his public career was concerned, decidedly not a 'picture perfect' finish. But Sullivan was a scrappy man and not one to take this insult anything besides 'in stride'.

Whirling back around to the crowd in an explosive display of energy he pointed towards a bystander who was holding up their phone-

"Yo! Did you get that on video- please tell me you did! That was straight fiiiiiiiire! I need to see it again."

And just like that he swung what was building into an embarrassing last-minute failure of showboating into a social event he was a part of rather than victim to. Sidling up to the person as he watched the video on their phone and charismatically ingratiated himself with the nearby citizenry, Sullivan's eyes memorized the drone in this video.

Fool me once, shame on me. Fool me twice-- you can't fool me again.

"Bruh, send this in to my website. I can already feel it, this one's gonna be a hit."

How It's Goin'

Enter, Picture Perfect
Scene: New York City (Queens; patrolling around a Pizza Joint known as Joey Doug(h)'s Pizza (H)ole); Winter, snowfall, approaching New Year's Eve.
Interaction: Open

It had been an eventful day. The morning started with a breakfast vlog, lead into an exercise update, and ended with a late morning meeting with a local small-time band. From there, he'd delved into a lunch that was interrupted so rudely* and spent most of his afternoon in interview with the police and reviewing footage with witnesses.

Finally it was time for dinner, and damned if Sullivan wasn't starving. Headphones over his ears, eyes glued to his phone as he walked the snowy streets, Sullivan positively vibed along the familiar streets of his home turf. Oh, Queens, you woman of a city. She could welcome you home, Queens could.

He paused at a street corner, occupying the space against the pedestrian walk signal that was quite prestigious at crosswalks, to await the legal and official time to cross. His destination was nearby- a positively bangin' pizza joint. Skipping lunch had made him crave childhood memories and hot food alike.

Watching the video for the last time, Sullivan was satisfied. The video was a quality example of the modern 'meme'; it portrayed he, as Picture Perfect (naturally), standing and holding a bag of money above his head just for a strange drone to come speeding through the air and snatch it from him. However, as opposed to the mysterious and perplexing events of the real world scenario, this rendition had personified the drone with sunglasses and a backwards baseball cap that read 'Get Smoked', and played a common musical tune of gangsterific success over the scene as it sped away with the money.

Salvaging image by embracing the failure. It was a new tactic, but one that Sullivan could be satisfied with. As it turns out, occasionally being one-upped is good for the Ratings. People like their heroes to still be human and fallible. Go figure.

Sighing, he finally put his phone away and let his music wash over him as he looked upwards into the snow-filled sky. His mouth watered. He could practically taste the food already. Queens has the best pizza; he'd tried some from everywhere in the city, but no matter where he went or how much it was recommended to him, the childhood memories of eating at these same-old pizza places always kept him coming back for more.

Joey Dough's Pizza Hole. Finally graced with permission to cross by the crosswalk gods, Sullivan silently continued his pilgrimage to this most holy of Mecca's. The sign was rustic- downright dilapidated, really, as both H's were missing. Joey Doug just didn't have the same ring to it. Pizza 'Ole was alright, though, by his estimation.

Stepping into the parlor he pulled the headphones back so he could enjoy the atmosphere of the place...

"Oh look who just walked through my goddamn door- It's Sully!" Cried the familiar voice of Joey Dough himself...

And soon Sullivan was back out in the Wintry air, large pizza supported in one hand, singular slice in the other. Nothing hit the spot quite like a hot slice of pie as you patrolled the cold.

_{*= See: "Trouble In Little Italy"}

[ThisIsFine]

Raphael - Location: Chris's car - Tags: Chris

Raph had very sharp vision, even at night. He could see a rat dragging a slice of pizza down a storm drain from one hundred feet up. This made it easy to spot the obnoxious sign plastered to the top of a familiar car. Raph rolled his eyes, but banked down nevertheless. He definitely wasn't going to pass up a free, easy meal. And maybe he also enjoyed the company. A little. Not that he'd ever admit it.

He dipped below the skyline and hovered for a few wingbeats until the car stopped at a red light. Then, he dove and landed quietly beside the passengerside door. Raph folded his wings in completely, at all three joints, so he could fit. Uncomfortable, but fine for a short amount of time. The woman in the car next to them didn't seem to realize that the light had turned green, too busy gawking at the angel that had just descended and let himself into a sedan.

He cleared his throat awkwardly after shuffling around in his seat to get comfortable. "Hey," Raph grunted towards Chris. His social skills definitely needed work.

Location: - Startling Corvus Tags: Corvus

Movement caught Quasar's glowing, unblinking eyes. He recognized the familiar form of a friend entering the stairwell of a rooftop. Quasar moved towards him, specifically at the speed of light. From Corvus's perspective, it would appear as though the ghostly form had simply materialized right in front of him.

"Arclight!" Quasar barked cheerfully. His voice crackled and popped as though it was being fed through an old timey radio. "I'm so glad you were nearby. I've found the base of operation of some nefarious drug runners for the Tracksuit mafia. You know, the ones who refer to everyone as their brother? I believe if we worked together, we could make short work of it."

Quasar's face was emotionless and empty as usual, but he sounded eager.

[Sanity43217]

Aleksandr Vasilievich was a tired man. Singlehandedly fighting crime in New York felt like a never ending battle. It had been two years since he started systematically dismantling organized crime. Picking up where the Ronin left off. Yet he couldn't help noticing things weren't getting better. If anything, they were getting worse. He was tired. He stretched his fingers. They were tight. After a full day and most of the previous night, fighting in an underground fighting ring, run by the tracksuits. Everything was tight. He looked at his watch. It had been nearly twenty hours since he went out to infiltrate that fighting ring. He needed sleep. He took a swig of the vodka on his nightstand to numb his nerves. He poured a bit on a rag and dabbed it on the fresh cut on his forehead. The familiar sting causing him to wince.
Sasha took another swig and felt the alcohol clear his sinus. The strong Russian liquor reminded him of his father. He often liked strong Russian things. Like his mother, who often said you shouldn't drink. "You need a clear head for this kind of work." He would remember her saying. Aleksandr, or Sasha as he was called by friends, not that he had many left these days, walked into his bathroom of his expensive penthouse apartment. He washed his hands. Placed his phone on the counter. Turned off the lights and got undressed. Pushing his clothes into a neat pile in the corner, and moved into the shower. It was a large modern shower. With one of those rain fall heads. Turning it on, Sasha knelt down under the flow of the water. Feeling the warm water caress his body. He closed his eyes and focused on the now. In an attempt at what his therapist would call grounding or something similar. If he was being honest, he never really listened to his therapist. He was only seeing him because his parents were worried about him. Focusing on the sound of the water, and the feeling of it sliding over his skin, he was finally starting to relax.

[The Man Emperor]

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Corvus Rodin Helstrom, the Arclight

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Location: Inside a dilapidated building
Interaction - Quasar

"Arclight!" Quasar barked cheerfully. His voice crackled and popped as though it was being fed through an old timey radio. "I'm so glad you were nearby. I've found the base of operation of some nefarious drug runners for the Tracksuit mafia. You know, the ones who refer to everyone as their brother? I believe if we worked together, we could make short work of it."

And just like , Corvus yelped, almost shrieked in a high pitch even. "Ah! Lord lovin... Bloody hell mate, you just nearly scared me to death!" Corvus had nearly slid and fell down backwards towards the dusty concrete floor at Quasar's sudden zooming. He swore that he just spotted the cosmic entity floating in the street below and now that he was nearly out of the door...

"Okay, okay, I see. Tracksuits, doing their typical business in the city. In Christmas season... of course. That's just par the course for them, bloody idiots. Alright, love, we will have to show these strangely wholesome yet annoying tracksuit wearers the reason why drugs are bad."

Corvus looked down, quietly placing his hand on a holstered pistol, causing it to glow in a gold shine, if only a little bit. "That, and I'm a bit bored with nothing to do. Alrighty then, lead the way, space person."

[RogueFox]

Sadie grinned as Katiya seemed to enjoy the pizza she had ordered. She took the plate and put a slice of pepperoni, leaving the heftier pies to her friend. She went to the couch and turned on her ps4 and pulled up Netflix and put on an anime she'd been watching. "No leads that I know of. We're probably gonna be searching around allies and stuff like always." She finished her slices before long then got more, polishing off a pizza and a half to herself. Her power had a tendency of making her hungry, but she was still not as impressive at packing away the carbs as Katiya.

After she finished, she went to her room and got changed into her X-uniform. The suit was mostly yellow, with dark blue pauldron-like plates on her shoulders, and dark blue plates on her knees. A there was a trapezoid shape of blue on her stomach area, just above her red X belt. Her boots were reminiscent in style to Moon Boots. The suit was shock absorbent and bullet proof, and definitely made hero work a bit safer for Sadie than it would be otherwise. The suit had a more modern padded and armored look than the traditional spandex. She returned to the living room with a grin at Katiya. "See ya out there, Quadra." She went to the small balcony access and hopped down to the street two stories down, floating down harmlessly.

[Mintz]

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Location: Sadie's Apartment/Streets of New York

Interactions: Sadie

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No leads. Well, it wasn't very surprising; her and Sadie were far from detective material. Still, it grew irritating that over the past few months, the thugs have seemingly been retracting themselves away from the world....Some might think they were cowering, but Katiya had worse suspicions. Still, that wouldn't change her day-to-day. So she gave her roommate a simple nod to show she was listening, having already cleared her plate and going for seconds. She kept to herself in the kitchenette. Partly because she wasn't interested in binging a show right before their real work began, and also because the living room scarcely had room for her.

It wasn't long before Katiya had her fill; the whole meat pizza was nothing but an empty, greasy box, and the supreme was left with only a few meager slices. Still, she went about diligently cleaning up, tearing away at the cardboard pizza boxes for easier disposal while her free set of hands went about zip-locking what was left of their scrumptious dinner and throwing away both their plates (the living room was only a stretch away for her, after all).

Shortly after, she watches her friend dart off to her room, no doubt to put on that silly little suit the school gave out to some of the more promising students. Kat had her own too, of course, but...She was never much about things like that. Still, it helped to keep Sadie safe, so she couldn't argue...Even if it did look a bit ridiculous. This line of thought was only compounded upon when her roomie actually popped out again in her full X-Man garb. Most wouldn't catch it, but the stoic face of Katiya Sokolov twitched with stifled laughter seeing the suit, for only a moment. Being together for two years helps you pick up on things like this.

With that, though, Moonjumper said her farewells to 'Quadra'. Kat rolled her eyes. She still wasn't sure what to make of that silly little nickname people had started giving her. Guess they got tired of referring to her as 'that four-armed girl'. It wasn't long after that she began making her way out as well, briefly considering some wintry attire before shrugging it off. It wasn't that cold out there, at least by her standards from home.

With a practiced amount of care and precision, Kat wriggled her way through the living room and out to their balcony, finally able to stand up properly in the briskly chill air of an early New York evening. She spent but a moment taking it all in, before getting a firm grasp on the railing, and with a quick breath, hoisting herself over it and landing with a notable thud right by her partner in 'crime', the snow of the street shifting from the weight of her impact as Katiya went about straightening herself again, stretching out before glancing down towards the gravity-defying heroine.

"So....Where to first?"

---

---

Location: Rooftops of Queens

Interactions: Open

---

---

Who knew roofhopping could be so fun?! Well, Hi-Volt did, that's for sure! The day for Jenna Beltran had been like any other; handle school-work at the university, prep for tests, text her parents about her day, the usual. Later on, at about 8:30, she'd be doing her internship program at STARK Industries 'till 12-ish. But still...She got off of the University and 5, and went to her job at 8:30. What's she do with that small window of spare time, you ask?

This.

"WOO! HELLO, NEW YORK!"

If someone was paying attention, a streak of light blue crossed the roofs of Queens as this shout came to pass. It was difficult to make out the individual, given how fast they seemed to be moving, but you could catch glimpses of orange and black if you were quick enough. This, of course, was none other than the fledgling new star of the streets of New York, the simply electrifying Hi-Volt! While she'd only been around for the better half of a year, they were making a splash; not many vigilantes around nowadays had a power as flashy as hers, and she hasn't been afraid to flaunt it! While she herself doesn't seem to mess around with social media, there's certainly a buzz about for this new spark lighting up the Big Apple's dismal nights.

Hi-Volt could barely make out the things she was running past, hopping from roof to roof with an electric crackling of the air signifying each leap of faith, her speed blurring things out. But it didn't make it any less exhilarating for her! This was the most she'd tried flexing her speed before, and needless to say from the cheers of joy passing over the air of Queens, she was enjoying stretching this talent of hers.

However, she did have to stop eventually to catch her breath....Oh! And actually do the, y'know, vigilante stuff. That was important too. "Phew! Worked up a sweat there...But...I guess...This rooftop's as good as any for looking around!" She muttered to herself, still gasping for air. She might be fast, but her body wasn't ready for long-distance travel like that...

Plopping herself down on the edge of the rooftop, Hi-Volt took in the scenery through the visor of her helm, admiring the snowy landscape while trying to scope out anything big in the works...Though she couldn't help but catch a whiff of something below her. Looking down, she realized she'd stopped right over a pizzeria. Just her luck...Sure, she'd eaten, but instant ramen didn't compare to some fresh and hot pizza. But her budget was, er...Pretty nonexistent. So with a sigh of indignation, she set herself to keeping an eye out. If nothing interesting happened soon, there was always more rooftops to hop...

[Th3King0fChaos]

Location: In his car -> Olive Garden
Interaction: Raphael @ThisIsFine

---

Christopher has been driving for maybe 10 minutes, normally it can take anywhere between a few minutes to an hour to finally find Raphael. Seems today was Chris' lucky day, as he saw in his peripheral view white wings, as he heard the door open. Chris looks over for a moment and throws a small smile at the large birdman who had stepped into the car. As when the green light shows Christopher starts driving, Christopher waited for Raphael to get comfortable before talking. Finally, Raphael seemed to find a comfortable place as they began their drive, Christopher heard the simple greeting, and it seemed his communication skills are getting better.

Christopher returned the greeting with a, "Hey Raph, pick a station you like". Chris gave over the radio to Raphael as they started their drive over. Chris started to make light conversations, asking about was it warm where he was, if the shoes Christopher gave him are doing well, as he remembered as they neared and Olive Garden, " Oh yeah! I got a jacket in the back that doesn't fit me, when I tried putting it on I kinda ripped it a little. It's still good I swear! I was wondering if it fit you". Christopher gestured to the back seat as it was a thick black jacket with fur on the inside of the jacket and the hood of the jacket. As the most noticeable thing is 2 large 'rips' that are right where Raphael's wings would fit in.

Christopher threw Raphael a smile before he got out and said, "Well we're here, we'll talk about what I found out as we eat". As Christopher began walking into the Olive Garden, doing so to force Raphael to make a quick choice, so he has less time to try and make up a reason to not accept the jacket.

[Crimson Flame]

Location: Queens, Joey Doug(h)'s Pizza (H)ole)
Interactions: Open

Today had been an awful day. All the Karens decided to come out in force at work. All of them complaining about wanting to speak to the manager for some trivial bullshit. He couldn’t wait to get out of this stupid waiter job, and make out onto the bright lights of broadway. Sadly, that dream was looking further and further away. None of the shows he auditioned for had called him back. Not even as unamed villager number 5, or an understudy. He couldn’t wait to get out there and punch the shit out of some lowlifes tonight…

The one good thing about today, were his lovely followers. Though, there were a few hate comments, but all the likes and positive made up for it. He browsed his instagram feed as he walked into Joey Doug(h)'s Pizza (H)ole) to get dinner. After the kind of day he had at work, Pizza really hit the spot right now.

After buying a box of Pizza, he walked outside, and took a selfie outside with a slice of pizza in his hand almost to his mouth for the gram. #Dinnertime.

[Sanity43217]

The gentle barrage of warm water caressed Sasha's naked form as he knelt under the shower in the dark. "I am a good person." He said to himself. HIs mind flashed back to him kicking a guy's knee sideways before putting a bullet in his brain. "I do good things." He said to himself again. His meditation was interrupted by his phone dinging loudly. The screen lighting up the dark room. Sighing he stood up. Turned off the water ad grabbed a towel. Wrapping it around his waist, he picked up his phone. It was time to get to work. Sure he hadn't slept in over twenty four hours, but one didn't systematically fight crime by taking breaks. Aleksandr decided early in his career, that since crime never sleeps, neither can he. At least that's what he told himself every time he had a triple shot expresso and went out on patrol to save having to sleep. Definitely not because when he slept, he was forced to relive memories of his criminal days. Even if that's what his therapist said.
"Alexa, play Sasha's Get Psyched Mix" The bassy edm music began to play throughout his apartment. The russian stretched his fingers and rolled his shoulders. Getting ready for the night ahead. He moved from his bathroom to his wardrobe. Sasha picked out a pair of black dress pants and a white dress shirt. Putting them on, he put on a black leather belt and black dress shoes. He picked out a set of silver cufflinks that matched the silver chrome of his belt buckle. He turned his tie rack to view his collection of ties. Picking a burgundy one, he expertly put it on and tied it. He grabbed a black business jacket. He holstered a 9mm pistol in a shoulder holster under his jacket on the left side. Then walked out into the living room. Grabbing a guitar case from beside the front door. "Alexa, put the music through my headphones." With that, he put in one headphone into his left ear, double checked that he had everything. Phone Wallet Keys. With everything checked, he calmly left his penthouse apartment and got in the elevator that would take him down into the underground garage.

[DDVicky]

Location: New York Streets, Brooklyn

Interactions: Quadra and Sadie (Thing 1 and Thing 2..Great)

Mentions: Archangel (Winged Racoon) and Picture Perfect (Polaroid)

On this chilly, winter evening in the streets of Brooklyn, two sisters walked side by side. One being obviously the older one and the younger one excitedly rambling about something that clearly excited her

"And did you see Picture Perfect's video today? It was wild! He beat up like five people! With guns! But then this drone took all the money like fwoosh! and flew away! Thugs these days are getting smart! Using tech and all, you know? If I were there, I woulda just chucked a good rock at it and BAM! Money recovered, drone trashed!"

The younger one, Dolores said, making dramatically unecessary motions to accompany her tale while her sister nodded with a blatant look of disinterest. Social media wasn't exactly what Daniela focused on and found the fact that putting your face on the internet, especially as a hero, was the dumbest move you could pull. Only way to get away with that is if you were a national treasure or a genius playboy billionare which, in Dani's opinion, Polaroid was neither. Her sister seemed to think otherwise and was one of the rabid fans of the social media celebrity; the tamer kind of rabid. Dani enjoyed recording things, which was what she was doing right now but never planned on publishing it. Not because she thought it was bad or anything, just that she didn't want to.

"Too bad you're not a superhero or on social media considering your age"

Dani gave her twin a smug glance to which the other's cheeks puffed up in annoyance

"I can! I'm way older than you and you know it!"

"You skipped five birthday cakes, sis"

"Hey!"

"Superheroism and social media is a 'This Tall To Ride' attraction. Get the rest of the Teenage Perks Bundle in a few years for the cheap, cheap price of free"

"You should be one then! You have the camera skills!"

"No. I have to look after shorties, that's my super-turf"

Dani grinned slightly as she gestured to her technically younger sister's height. Bickering like this was pretty normal for the sisters atleast nowadays that the awkwardness of dissapearing wore off unlike their parents.

"You know people don't like it when you shove that camcorder on their faces. What are you even doing?"

"Recording the moment, sister so neither of us have to rely on our memories"

"Wait so it was on all this time!?"

"Yep"

"Next time, record me using my superpowers! Then we can post it on the internet and become viral super registered heroes!"

"Doubt that mom's gonna like it..Just for that reason, I'll consider it"

Adjusting her beanie, Dani set her camcorder up to get a nice shot of the sun just in time to see..A lady slowly falling, almost as if she were floating, off a two storey building, followed up by a lady with twice more arms than necessary landing a few feet from them. Were they bad guys? Heroes? Not mainstream ones that's for sure. Dani knew that such an opportunity to meet more superpowered folk didn't come in a wooden platter like this so she did the only thing she could do..

Grabbing her currently fangirling sister's scarf and do a 180. Fuck that, they were leaving and taking another route to the diner.

Except the scarf was surprisingly light. The teen looked at the red-and-pink scarf with puppies then at her sister who had run up to the women so fast she could be considered a super-speedster.

"WOAH THAT WAS SO COOL ARE YOU GUYS SUPERHEROES OR SOMETHING I NEVER MET ANOTHER SUPERPERSON SINCE MY UNCLE STEVE HE'S NOT CAPTAIN AMERICA BY THE WAY JUST AN ALIEN ARE YOU GUYS ALIENS WHAT'S YOUR SUPER COOL ORIGIN STORY CAN YOU PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE MAKE ME FLOAT TOO MY SISTER CAN DO IT BUT SHE DOESN'T BECAUSE SHE'S A BIG MEANIE AND-"

'Aw fuck-'

Dolores was now spreading family secrets and the parasite of embarassment

"DOLORES!"

Dani yelled as she marched over there, stopping her older/technically younger sister's tirade. First thing she did was the scarf back on the girl since she didn't want her to get a cold. Next thing she did was clamp her hand on the younger and turn to the two ladies who she dubbed Thing 1 and Thing 2, not bothering to even smile.

"Sorry but stranger danger. My sister has a very wild imagination don't mind he-SHIT"

Dani let go to nurse her now bitten hand and glare at Dolores who stuck her tongue at her

"You said a bad word!"

"Now's really not the time to focus on my language-"

"Mama's gonna wash your mouth off with soap!"

"Cool cool now shut as much as I wanna ignore the ladies here I don't wanna be rude"

"You just said that out loud"

Dani looked back at the two ladies, then back at Dolores while rolling her eyes, snapping her camcorder shut.

"I know. Don't care enough"

[Fading Memory]

Location; Sol System, Sol 3, United States of America, New York, New York City, Queens, Some Frigid Street
Interactions: Hi-Volt, Jackpot

---

"--Mm." Picture Perfect stopped. Multiple things had caught his interest all at once, and it was difficult to articulate them all while burning your tongue on a pizza whose melted cheese content made it more closely resemble cooling magma than traditional concepts of Pizza. This is what he gets for making rough guesswork as to the speed it'd cool in the snowfall laden air. Beating himself on the chest to help clear his throat, he hastened his chewing and swallowing process post-haste.

First thing's first, something truly spectacular was going down; Some dude was taking a selfie with a slice of pizza and that always warranted acknowledgment. He'd never met or seen this guy before in his life, but he could appreciate the grindset of the pizza selfie. Everyone had to start somewhere, after all. Briefly considering jumping over there and offering a small boost to what he presumed was some small-time fish in the big pond of social media with a personalized joint-photo, he shook his head of that idea; if some superhero had come to crash his early game, he'd have been at least a little annoyed and have felt cheated of the climb.

This made his brain's strange calculus finally acknowledge the blue streak of lightning that had stood out in his enhanced vision like a trail of neon through his present filter settings. He turned his head upwards and followed the path of the streak through the air until he eventually settled his gaze directly on Hi-Volt, who was taking her breather atop a rooftop. This is when his mind clicked that two birds could theoretically be killed with one metaphorical stone.

"Hoo boy-- Didja see that, holmes?" He declared boldly to the other pizza-consuming-gentleman, unknown to him as MJ. "I think we've got another live one on the streets tonight."

And with that not-really-an-invitation-but-socially-inclusive-declaration, Sullivan set off at a trot along the snowy streets in a much more mundane fashion than Hi-Volt was seemingly interested in possessing. Ambulation was for those who can't jump across rooftops, after all. Once he made it the short distance to reach the area beneath Hi-Volt's perch, the red haired man lifted his free hand to his lips and let loose one of those high pitched and absolutely piercing whistles that one learns through having experienced it prior in life. Just trying to get her attention in the classic style of New York, really.

"Yo, supes! Hungry?!" He yelled up to her, gesturing towards the box of pizza in his outstretched hand. "It's dinnertime and even the baddies get the munchies!"

If there was one thing people had said about Sullivan prior to his awakening to superpowers, it was that he had a set of lungs on him.

[The Man Emperor]

---

---

Konstantin Salazar
The Wanderer

Interaction: No one. For now.

---

---

"Public menace, friend, and... who? These people just can't make up their minds!"

Konstantin quietly sat on a bench, taking in the cold winter wind that blew across the street. Anyone that bothered to take their attention towards this coat clad, sunglasses-wearing man might have thought he was a spy waiting for a colossal screw-up to happen somewhere, anywhere in the city, or a bored tourist that had been disappointed by what New York had to offer this year. Or just a guy that liked to read newspapers in an age when everyone just uses cellphones to look for news on the fly.

All of these couldn't be further from the truth, as he was the Wanderer; one of many vigilantes that ran around New York City now that the Avengers had disbanded and the greatest existential threats to humanity extinguished. His power, fueled by a magic gemstone embedded deep into an ancient necklace that he almost always wore, were of portals and solidified energy. The press called him the Wanderer because he often appeared in various crime spots seemingly at random, cornering criminals with a shield of energy that flickered with azure light. He certainly didn't use the same magic as the Sorcerers that some individuals might be familiar with, as the color schemes are quite different...

At times, he'd be bothered by people who were fans, which prompted him to wear facemasks and pretend to be sick almost all the time. Konstantin certainly had never killed anyone in the line of this 'job', so that was somewhat of a plus. It really was a wonder then why certain personalities had labeled this portal-maker a menace to the people when all he had done was help them.

Well, not in the past, anyway. But disappearing for five years had its effects on his worldview.

Still, he was bored. With the days leading up towards New Year's Eve getting rather dull, Konstantin had mostly been watching the news for something interesting. Politicians were being weird, and the police were less responsive than usual. All in all, he smelled a deeper conspiracy within a byzantine machination of organized crime, but there was little he could do to investigate. Most goons were rather unhelpful when it came to vital information, which made it harder to figure just what kind of madness was happening.

"Welp," Konstantin muttered to himself and opened up a portal that led towards one of the places he liked to dine in: Joey Dough's Pizza. Who didn't like pizza anyway?

Quickly, he strode through, closing the shimmering purple gateway with a flick of his wrist. He would quickly find himself face to face with at least three other vigilantes: Picture Perfect, Hi-Volt, and Jackpot. Are they in for an impromptu gathering now? Who's gonna be next.

"I'm not interrupting anything, am I?", Konstantin offered to the redhead man whose name he struggled to remember. "Just here to get myself a nice box of pizza."

We all kind of know each other, though...

[RogueFox]

Location: Outside her apartment, Brooklyn

Interaction: Katiya [ @Mintz ] Dani [ @DDVicky ]

Moonjumper grinned over at her partner in anti-crime after she landed heavily next to her. "You really gotta work on the light landing." She laughed as she joked with her, getting back at Katiya for the snicker she noticed when she had come out in her x-uniform. Not even a full minute later though, they were confronted by a young excitable girl. Moonjumper couldn't help but smile at her enthusiasm. "I don't know if I'd call us super heroes, but we do our best to help the citizens of New York. We ain't aliens either, look at the suit." Her voice was light and she had a wide smile as she pointed at the X belt on her x-uniform. "We're mutants, and I can't really make anyone else float. Your sister sounds pretty cool though." She looked over at Dani when Dolores mentioned her sister being a meanie. Despite the age gap, they looked very similar. As the two girls began to bicker, she laughed a little to herself, and when she heard Dani exclaim that she didn't care, Moonjumper shrugged. You can't win them all over. "It was a pleasure to meet you girls, but Quadra and I should be going, work to do and all that." She grinned and gave Dolores a wink. "Be good out there, Kid." She wasn't about to pry into a teenagers life about having powers, especially not a stranger.

Sadie looked over at Katiya with a grin. "Great kids, huh? She mentioned her sister making her float. Wonder what that's about." The two didn't have to go far to find trouble, as right in front of them, two armed men ran out of a deli holding a bag, a literal grocery bag, of money. Sadie took quick stock of the situation, checking where civilians were, it was pretty crowded. She knew a direct approach wasn't a good idea. She looked back at the girls. "Get out of here! We'll take care of it!" She hopped into the air and floated next to Katiya, the men were pushing their way through the crowded sidewalk which was slowing them down a little. "Alright, you know the drill, throw me over to them, try to get me high up so they don't see me coming." *Moonjumper braced herself, ready to be thrown by her giantess of a roommate.

[ThisIsFine]

Raphael - Location: Olive Garden - Tags: Chris

Raph remained silent during the car ride. He accepted the new jacket without protest, as it had gotten far too cold for pride. Once inside the restaurant, it became clear just how bad off Raph was when it came to social interaction. He was visible uncomfortable being surrounded by so many other people. He insisted on sitting with his back a wall. He jumped every time the waiter approached the table.

He went for his tried and true: the endless pasta bowl. Of course, as many unfortunate restaurant chains had found out, Raph's definition of "endless" hit different.

Once their drinks had been delivered, salad and breadsticks demolished, and Raph was down one pasta bowl, the winged wonder finally spoke up.

"I found out about another base," He said softly, trying not to be overheard. Raph had obtained this information through...questionable and no doubt violent means. "There might be another angel there."

Raph's most deaded thought during these raids was finding another angel: seeing that the High Order was successful in creating another one of him. It hadn't happened yet, thankfully, but the threat was always looming.

And

Corvus Rodin Helstrom, the Arclight

"Sorry," Quasar sheepishly apologized for scaring his cohort half to death. He perked up at the call to action, though. His incorporeal form flew down the stairs and phased right through the door at the bottom. He paused on the street to let his human companion catch up.

"I'll go in first and make them waste some bullets," Quasar announced before going to do just that. He drifted across the street and through the wall of the auto shop. "Hello tracksuits!" He greeted cheerfully, "I-"

"Bro, what the fuck is that, bro?"

"I dunno' bro, but it gives me the heebie jeebies."

"Bro, shoot it!"

"Oh, I didn't even get to introduce myself," Quasar said with mild disappointment as a spray of bullets flew right through him.

"Bro, it's not dying!"

"Keep shooting, bro!"

They didn't seem very...situationally aware? The hail of lead paused as, inevitably, the Tracksuits ran out of ammo and had to reload.

"Mr. Arclight, I believe now would be a good time," Quasar offered his hidden accomplice.

Sure enough, Corvus emerged from cover, brandishing a single pistol in his hand. Strapped to his back was the scoped rifle that he usually used, but it was clear that in such close quarters, he didn't intent to wield it.

"Hello, bros. I'm sorry for this.", Corvus fired a pair of unaugmented shots in quick succession, hitting both of the Tracksuit mafia members right at the shoulders. None of it were intended to be lethal shots, but if they tried something after that, the next thing would be a gun being slammed to their heads.

"Alright, you tossers.", Corvus hissed as he took hold of one of them at the collar while pointing his pistol at the other one, half expecting him to try to get up. "Any other nearby dens of yours around here? Talk, please."

He wasn't asking nicely, even if he said 'please'.

While Corvus shook down the tracksuits, Quasar drifted around the hideout, scoping out the drug and weapons hoard. Movement caught his eyes as another bro lurked in the shadows, gun in hand, about to spring out and no doubt shoot at his companion.

"Close your eyes!" Quasar gave a brief warning to Corvus before producing a blinding ball of light that set the dingy room ablaze in pure white.

"My eyes! My eyes bro! I can't see!" The Tracksuits cried out and stumbled for cover as the flash all but blinded them. It was over as soon as it had happened. The fashionably questionable fiends were rendered almost helpless as they shambled about, tripping over old auto shop equipment and feeling around for an escape route. The room would seem as though it was almost pitch black dark to them, even though it was back to the same light level as before.

"Bloody hell, did you just blind them?" Corvus waded amongst the trio of shambling, whimpering Tracksuits, heading towards the table where some of the drugs were being assembled in bags.

"Crystal meth, no doubt," Corvus said with one look at the bags. "Welp, now that they're completely out of this world... I guess I'll just do the next thing."

He pulled out a phone from one of his trenchcoat's many pockets. He was calling the New York Police Department, in an effort to inform them of a drug bust.

"Hello, officer. I've got some... good news, or bad news, if the holidays are taken into account. Anyway, a friend and I have busted a drug den right in front of Alonzo's Pizzeria. It's the old autoshop, with some of the Tracksuit Mafia folk currently indisposed inside it. You might want to hurry, they need medical attention."

Just like that, he hung up, and quietly put his hand on the cloth mask that covered his face. Corvus then looked around, searching for anymore funny Tracksuit business. "I suppose that the... thing is temporary?"

"Their sight will return to mostly normal," Quasar assured Corvus. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Although, I've been wrong about human anatomy before…"

Incapacitating the bros until the cops arrived was fairly easy. "Well Arclight, it's been a pleasure doing business with you," Quasar said as red and blue lights filtered in through the windows, "But I believe my work here is done."

He took that cue to float away through the ceiling, no doubt to find more criminals to stalk.

"Aaaand just like that, he's gone," Corvus shrugged to himself as Quasar disappeared. He was quite used to that... and the assumptions that were made about how humans work. "Alright, you lot." He looked down at the shambling bros with nothing but a deadpan expression. "Cheerio. I'm outta here."

Corvus slithered away, crossing into the alley through the back door of the ancient autoshop. There will be more incidents like these before New Year, no doubt...