[IC] Never Normal - a Superhero Vigilante RP

[Blazion]

Well. There were some things that Reaper was expecting from the team assigned to Wall Walker, but an utter train wreck wasn’t one of them.

The team starting to tear each other inside out – literally, if she’s getting the read off what they’re saying about Ecto right – definitely wasn’t one of the things she was expecting. It took time to get people used to each other, in a team or hunting in a pack. Out on the field wasn’t the time to start nipping at each other’s heels to jockey for position however, but it seemed the others didn’t get the memo. Really, and she was worried about Levi? At least he kept his theatrics in the theater.

So Graffiti was off, with nothing but her colorful addition to the wall to remember her by. Soon even that would be painted over by whoever was hired to work on this dump. As for the other apparent source of their trouble? Wraith was slinking around like a kicked puppy with her tail between her legs, no doubt aware of the looks of others as Ditch spoke to her. Well, except for Raven Tale anyway, though the blind vigilante still spoke in her defense. At least Wraith’s destruction seemed unintentional. Then Ditch was in front of her, leaving Wraith to sort out their problems with Ecto as Reaper focused on their apparent leader, leaning back with her palms flat against the stage once more in an echo of their first meeting.

“A doctor, yes. Discrete. In my service,” Technically on her payroll, but considering that Ditch already knew who she was she was sure the hacker could figure that out. As for the others? A little mystery wasn’t bad, especially since who knew if someone else would break off after Graffiti? “Ecto. Talk to me before you leave. I’ll refer you to him. He’ll check you over.” But, well, mystery didn’t mean she couldn’t look after the others, especially if it was as serious as they seemed to make it. Her piece wedged between Ecto and Wraith’s conversation the redhead then turned her blackened eyes to Ditch once more, continuing where she left off.

“Scarlet was hurt on finding her. The wound got more aggravated in a scuffle. Bandaged it best we could.” Here Reaper paused, glancing to her teammates, the ones who had her back during the entire ordeal. At the moment she was really glad that they hadn’t split down the middle. “… Then Umbra’s men showed up. For Scarlet. Four of them. Did something to make us slow, like thinking in molasses, but weren’t expecting us. I distracted them. Tank got Scarlet out. I shadow stepped her away while Levi and turn Back covered us. After the doctor, came here.” The question in Reaper’s voice near the end was obvious as she turned from speaking to Ditch to look over the three men once more. Honestly Tank, Turn Back, and Levi didn’t look too worse for wear, especially considering they were not only outnumbered with her loss but against the men under employ of Umbra. A little singed if she was looking correctly, but not too bad. Reaper bowed her head just slightly in acknowledgement of their actions.

“The offer stands to you three especially. I was not there to help defend you from any injuries. If you need medical attention my Doctor will provide it.”

[Inertia]

Interacting with: Hq peeps

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---

As soon as Levi groggily entered the hq, he slunk to a dark corner and rested against the wall to catch himself. Seems like the injury from the second floor collapse took a bit more toll than what Levi thought it would. The conversation happening around him were as if they were silent whispers, barely audible to Levi though he did get a general gist. For some reason, Walker's team was worse for wear than them who went for Scarlet.

With one eye slightly ajar he silently watched the other conversing under the guise of darkness. Levi himself could feel the subtle and short glances of worry or wonder thrown at him, but he took no heed of it, instead focusing on recuperating. Now focusing on the conversation between Ditch and Reaper, with Ditch expressing concern- or rather distrust at Reaper taking the initiative to get Scarlet a doctor, Levi honestly didn't care nor mind. Not many doctors are actually willing to operate on superpowered individuals.

Levi dosed off and on during the conversation, he was also very tired apparently. Walking up when Reaper said;

“The offer stands to you three especially. I was not there to help defend you from any injuries. If you need medical attention my Doctor will provide it.”

"N- Not necessary." Levi replied, both eyes now open in an attempt to not make anyone worry about him, unintentionally stuttering. "... Tend to the others, they seem more worse for wear than me."

[Lasrever]

Wraith

That was actually better than Wraith had expected. It wasn't exactly complete forgiveness, and she doubted that her actions would be forgotten for quite a while, but she'd half expected to end up like the wall in the alley had. The words, while not seeming too harsh, were painful for her to hear. A difference between killing and justice? A last resort? Justice was the only reason she'd killed in the first place. If that's true, what does that make me?

It seemed that she wasn't out of the woods though. All that had really changed was that her fate was up to Ecto now instead of Ditch. Ecto. The guy who she'd torn a hole into by accident, which probably hadn't scored her many points. Did she even deserve forgiveness? From him, or from anyone else? The people she'd killed... Ecto hadn't deserved to be hurt, but did any of them? She'd never even considered that they'd been innocent at the time, but some of them had to have been.

Surprisingly enough, Raven was actually the first one to speak to her. "Wraith, did you even have knowledge of Ecto being in harms way?" Wraith shook her head firmly, replying as quickly as she could.

"I didn't know. I tried to give him time to get out, but even then I didn't think-" she said, cutting off her sentence as soon as Ecto started to speak. It probably made sense to pay attention to him. At the end of the day, he was basically the one deciding Wraith's fate. She listened, as he told his story about the car thief of a few days before, and how he dealt with it. When he turned to look at her, it felt as though her stomach was a block of ice when he asked his question.

"Tell me. Would you have killed him?" Ecto seemed genuinely upset at the idea that she would. She wasn't sure what he wanted from her, but she had a feeling that those in the room who knew more about her 'exploits' would call her out if she lied. She felt sick, almost dizzy, but managed to keep a somewhat composed tone of voice as she started to answer, though anyone who cared to look at her face, or even her body language, could probably tell her real state of mind.

"Are you asking me what I would have done a few days ago? If you are, then my answer is yes. I've killed a lot of people just like him. It might not be the one you want to hear, but you've given me a chance and I'm not about to repay that by lying to you. But if you're asking what I-I'd do now-" her voice cracked slightly, the fear and confusion she'd been struggling with over the past few hours boiling to the surface, shattering her cool, collected mask. She knew she was making herself vulnerable, knew she was just showing herself as weak, but she couldn't keep it together anymore.

"S-sorry." she muttered, clenching her fists. "If you're asking me what I'd do now, if I found someone like that, then I don't know. I just- I just don't know, okay! I don't know if I'd kill him! I don't know if I was ever right! I don't know if I am any better than a murderer!" with the loss of her put-on personality, she just sounded like a scared little kid, but she was too preoccupied to even think about it.

"I-I was trying to do the right thing. It's just-" she was glad for her physical mask at that moment. It meant that no-one could see how close she was to crying, since the silver hid her tears. When she finally finished speaking, her voice was barely more than a whisper. "If what I did was wrong, if none of them deserved it, then I really am a monster, you know?"

Ecto could judge her on that. He'd have to, seeing as Wraith couldn't even bring herself to look at anyone in the room. She didn't want to see them look back.

[Artifex]

The debriefing was uninteresting in the beginning. Nothing Omega hadn’t just been a part of. He stood in a spot near the middle of the crowd, taking in the words of each member. He heard Raven Tale mention weaknesses, hers being silence. That might explain the music addiction. He didn’t really have any to speak of, so he brushed the question aside. He did however make a mental note to remind the others about his gravity fields. If they were going to fight together, that was definitely going to come into play, and his teammates would have to know how to deal with it.

Omega listened a bit more intently as the conversation turned to Scarlett Shifter. Apparently, she had ended up in bad enough condition to need a doctor. Wall Walker had been roughed up, but not nearly enough to need a doctor. He wasn’t really sure if this was good or bad, though keeping her out of Umbra’s clutches was surely a win for them. The other team worked extraordinarily well together. This gave Omega a bit more hope for the overall group even though he knew how bad things had turned out so far. Most of the damage done on their side was done to the team itself.

Speaking of which, the conversation had turned to Ecto and Wraith’s dilemma. Omega had been preoccupied before when it happened, and he didn’t really see the actual consequences of what Wraith had done while he was inside Walker’s body. Now as he listened, he was thankful that Ecto hadn’t died, and it was thanks to the only one of them who couldn’t actually see him. Ecto had turned the conversation down a different path, questioning Wraith’s true motives.

"Tell me, would you have killed him?"

Omega was really interested now. He would finally get a bit of insight as to what made Wraith tick. He had been watching her through the entire mission, and she looked a lot more shaken up now than when she arrived at the orphanage. He watched her break down a little, looking less like a hard-ass and more like the young girl she really was. It seemed that being part of a team and having everyone scrutinize her actions had caused her to question her morals and her methods.

"If what I did was wrong, if none of them deserved it, then I really am a monster, you know?"

Omega had a solemn look on his face. He had actually been waiting for this moment, not nearly expecting it to be this early on. Wraith, in a way, needed to be rebuilt if she was going to be a functional part of this new team. Addressing all of these issues at the start was invaluable.

“Look, Wraith, you’re not a monster. Misguided, reckless, and even childish...but not a monster. I’m not gonna tell you that any killing you did before was justified. Like we all say, it is a last resort. And even then, it isn’t to be taken lightly. But now that you are starting to see that there’s a different way to operate, we can help you. As a matter of fact, we can all help each other. We’re all so used to doing our own thing and being our own way, and clearly, that mindset doesn’t fly in this new environment. We all signed up for this of our own free will and we have to learn to work together in order to succeed.”

He turned to the cluster of vigilantes that dealt with Scarlett.

“If I’m being honest, the rest of us can learn from you guys. You seem to have come together pretty well already. We need to play off of that and make this team thing happen. Umbra has taken down so many powerful supers already, so we know he can’t be taken down by just one person. And with his army steadily growing, we don’t have a whole lot of time for selfish goals or petty arguments. I joined this team because I believe in what Ditch is fighting for and I believe in the abilities of the people in this room. I’m not gonna let Umbra win and I hope all of you share that same sentiment.”

He wasn’t really expecting to make some grand speech, but after what he had seen in this last mission, he was still slightly on the fence; yet he hoped that something positive would start to show itself and confirm that he made the right choice in partnering with these other vigilantes.

[General Scales]

“We’re alright. Glad to see you made it back in one piece.”

Girard was glad that the arrival brought some relief to the rest if there was any to be had, which from Ditch it seemed to be the case. Though as he listened it became more and more clear how serious the other team's mission had ended up which looked bad. Hearing Reaper's question as she made her presence known walking in the front door, he was glad to see the woman safe, and the reply from Ecto clued him in before Ditch ever had the chance to speak. Something had gone wrong more to do with the team rather than with Walker which could have meant nothing good for the odds of success let alone injury for any teammates involved. The look between Wraith and Ecto gave away some of whom were at fault but he had to know just how far this whole mess went honestly because it could be a continued issue. He paid careful attention to what Ditch had to say for the time being because he needed to know if this was fixable.

“I kicked Graffiti off the team. She wanted not only to spill unnecessary blood, but struck up a fight with a fellow team member for no reason. Their actions were lethal to the mission, and I ended up letting Walker go. I couldn’t gain his trust. It only could’ve gone downhill from there.”

The big man had removed his helmet by this point and let out a sad sigh which mirrored his expression at the whole debacle and as he continued to listen between his two teammates as Wraith's demeanor shifted to show just what the younger woman was hiding, insecurity. The fact they had a person kicked off the team and lost Walker was immensely concerning to boot because that was two more vulnerable powered people for Umbra to get at but at least they managed to get Scarlet out of harms way as some consolation. He looked over to reaper who was explaining briefly what had happened on his team's end and it was right on the money though he guessed the energy hit must have affected the rest of them more than him at the time but other than that it was just a few crucial details that were missing. He also heard Raven Tale talking about explaining weaknesses and he honestly would agree that it could make the difference when it came to teaming up so he would make a note to put the information out there. It didn't occur to him once Reaper mentioned the doctor pointedly at them but his mind put it together and he had no use for one at the moment or under normal circumstances so he kind of just gave the woman a negatory head shake to answer her.

Once Omega started talking Girard took a moment to listen mostly out of respect for the other man but because he generally spoke the truth when he saw or heard it. None of what he said could have been better placed as he dealt with the major issue Wraith was facing which in a semblance he had dealt with himself, self control. As for the team mechanic it was hard not to agree that adjusting to it might be hard for some of the others and hell even himself occasionally at times but it had to happen or they would get nowhere. Believing in Ditch's cause was one thing but a united effort to give Umbra a biblical whooping was the ultimate goal and one the big man was fully behind ready to help anyone with a common thought on it. But he had something to say himself more specifically to Wraith so he moved over giving Ecto a quick nod wanting to excuse himself shortly before he crouched in front of the shorter vigilante to maintain eye level.

"One of the hardest lessons I've ever learned was knowing when to hold back or how much and I'm still learning, its never too late to start either but remember if anything we all are willing to have your back in some form or another." Tank said in a, relatively quiet but calm voice, and giving her a warm smile afterwards meaning every word as he spoke them.

He got himself back up maintaining his expression looking over towards his ghostly comrade for a moment before making his way over to Omega reaching a hand out for a modest shake.

"If you still got some hope in the rest of us how could I say no to getting some old fashioned teamwork organized around here, and then we can show Umbra what he has to worry about between all of us who are still standing here ready fix the problem." Girard said using the handshake as a thanks for pointing out why the Scarlet team succeeded but also as an extension for how it would be a great thing to truly have each others backs at 100%.

[Blaine Crommet]

"I don't know if I'd kill him! I don't know if I was ever right! I don't know if I am any better than a murderer!"

Ecto stared at Wraith with ghastly, glowing eyes. She seemed really distressed, even confused. Is it possible that she never knew better than to think about this? Is she really grasping the consequences of her actions just now? She looked like she was struggling with the idea that she might not be as good as she thought.

Then again, it COULD be just an act...

"If what I did was wrong, if none of them deserved it, then I really am a monster, you know?" Wraith looked away, not being able to look Ecto in the eyes. She seemed so heart-wrenchingly miserable, so helpless, that Omega and Tank started comforting her.

"...you’re not a monster."

"...we all are willing to have your back in some form or another."

Ecto's eyes widened, seeing how quick the others were to come to her help. Yeah, sure, Tank is not known for caution - not that he needs it -, but Omega's response suprised him. If they are willing to give her a chance, well... we ARE supposed to make a better world. And helping someone misguided is worth giving a shot.

"Look, I... we all know that things didn't go exactly as planned, and that nobody wanted this whole mess. And it's not that I got wounded - which hurt like mega hell by the way, not the point, so... Of course you could not have known that I get the same injuries as the one I'm posessing." He glanced at Raven Tale. "Aaaand yeah, shifting back takes a second and I'm kinda vulnerable in the process. I'm also quite possibly not invincible when it comes to magic or elemental stuff, especially air." He thought about Graffiti. If Umbra gets his shadowy hands on her... that could mean trouble.

"Anyway, I'm ranting. What I meant was... Nobody questions that you were trying to do good, it's just that... what Ditch said. You gotta stop. This. Shit. Okay? And if she and Omega says that you are okay, then, I guess... I trust their judgement. So as far as I'm concerned, we're good." - He really, really hoped that Wraith was not playing them.

"And you owe me like, a pizza or something."

[CloudyBlueDay]

Ditch swallowed. In all honesty, she hadn’t wanted to put so much pressure on Wraith. Ditch knew she was young - - while yes, she was mislead, doing wrong thinking she was doing good, the girl had just had her nose punched in and she’d gotten nothing but accusations. Raven and Ecto were putting her on the spot, asking her what she’d do, if she’d do again, and Ditch found herself awkwardly drumming her fingers on her thigh or glancing at her watch.

“Scarlet was hurt on finding her. The wound got more aggravated in a scuffle. Bandaged it best we could.” Ditch bit her lip. “I was aware she’d been injured but not that badly.. I trust she is safe under this doctor’s care.”

“… Then Umbra’s men showed up.” And Ditch visibly tensed, widened eyes locked on Reaper as she spoke. “..I’m going to need all the information I can get on the people who attacked you. If you need to tell me at a later date, that's fine. I understand you're exhausted." Ditch nodded slowly. "I have no doubt we’ll meet them again, and it will help us to be much better prepared. But otherwise, I am extremely glad none of you were seriously injured aside from Scarlett.”

Her gaze fell on Levi, and her expression softened. “..Levi, sit back down.” The cyber vigilante said firmly, shaking her head. “I swear, the death of us all will be us insisting we’re fine.”

Wraith was beginning to seem a bit more unsure with her tactics, though not giving them up just yet, which Ditch could perfectly understand. What brought a small smile to her face was both Omega and Tank’s responses to the teen vigilante’s plight.

“None of us our perfect, Wraith.” Ditch said. “I’ve done a lot of bad things. I’ve made mistakes. But I’ve lived, and I’ve learned. And so will you. I have faith that you will understand with time. And we’re here to help you.”

Ditch took in a breath. “So, um.. Not to brush off our other problems or anything, but I.. I owe some sort of explanation for my actions. There.. Was an.. Er.. I.. I used my powers.” Ditch crossed her arms and chewed on her lips some more. “So, yeah. My powers. Whup. What a surprise. I’ve got ‘em. Basically they only activate when I’m angry and I’ve got little to no control over them and I blow shit up. Haha great.” She was rushing her words, clearly trying to get it over with, but she paused. Enough secrecy. If you want this to be a team, you need to trust them. “..okay.. That was bad. I’m sorry. Let me try again.”

“I didn’t have powers the majority of my life. I built my entire vigilante name without any superpowers at all. I was perfectly content with not having them. But, you know, the universe works in mysterious ways, and here I am. As I said before. I haven’t.. Haven’t quite debunked what exactly my powers are, they just.. They don’t turn out good for me in the long run. I.. ended up passing out for a few minutes. Omega had to help me walk back here. It wasn’t pretty.”

Ditch glanced at Raven Tale. “So I guess.. That’s my weakness, while we’re on the topic of it. I’m not going to keep any of you here any longer. I know we’re not.. an .. official team yet, and I know I’m not your official team captain, but I wanted to say, you all did a great job, and you’ve gotten us one step closer towards stopping Umbra. There might’ve been bumps, we lost a few members, but I have more hope than I’ve had in a long time.” She gave the people in the room a weak smile.

[CloseEnough]

Raven actually felt bad for Wraith. She was young, confused. She could sympathize with that, to be doing something your entire life and not be fully sure its even right. Thats how they all felt, at least one point in time. Raven had to end that idea when she injured someone for the first time. Even when she was defending another, she still did not feel right to cause pain. It must be worlds different from killing someone though. She could not even imagine knowing that you may have innocent blood on your hands.
Ecto accepting the idea that she can be helped though, had indeed gained a bit of respect for him by the blind woman. A small smile appearing on her features, she bowed her head a bit. Only to turn her attention back to Wraith.

"Non of us are as powerful as we could be. So, we must work at our trade, one day you'll be able to answer those questions you just gave yourself." Tapping her cane on the ground, she forced herself to stand. "Use it as a goal, a beacon for your path. One day you'll be able to stand by your ideal's without so much as a stutter. Though Ecto is right, you should treat him one day."

What really captured her attention was Ditch. Her powers, almost no control over them, and yet they were beyond dangerous. "Tis a good thing to know. There are other's who activate their abilities in a similar way." She was already going through the names that she read about. Supers who's abilities would spark due to emotion, last she checked it was common. Just not as crazy as Ditch's. Hell, even her own abilities changed depending on emotion, the angrier she was with the story she read, the more vicious the beast can be sometimes. Good thing it was hard to make her angry.

Though she did not agree they did a job well done. Raven still bowed her head when Ditch said it was okay to leave for a bit. She needed some time to think, some time to try and hone her skills so she wouldn't drag anyone down. "You know how to reach me at any time. I'll still come back."
About to head outside though, Raven began to still. An idea forming in her head, her senses pin pointing Omega. If she was going to help the team, she might as well start working with a team mate. Manny, she already knew who he was, so it was only logical to at least acknowledge him. Passing by the larger male, she patted his shoulder. "Come with me if you have time."

She wasn't comfortable enough with her team to talk to all of them. But one by one? She could handle that. Hopefully she could at least. Hopefully she was not making a mistake in trusting a team mate. Would he rat her out? Its not hard to ruin her life just by knowing her face. One wrong step and everything she worked for could be torn from her fingers. No, don't think like that, you can't make your team out as the enemy.

Walking outside, Raven went a ways away from HQ, leaning on the side of another warehouse. Her body beginning to still as she enjoyed the cooling air. It was a nice night, a tiring one that she was done with. But at least the air was crisp. The sound of cars dotting the rode, the flapping of wings from birds and the scurrying of rats. It was dump here, but even than, she couldn't help but find a way to enjoy the place.

[Artifex]

It was very satisfying to see the positive response that the team was having in this moment. Everyone appeared to be on board with helping Wraith deal with her problems rather than chastising her for past mistakes. Ecto even found it in himself to forgive her. Omega gave a small laugh when he mentioned Wraith owing him a pizza and couldn’t help but to agree. It seemed this team was going to be alright after all.

He accepted Tank’s handshake with a genuine smile. He appreciated the big man’s humility in spite of his size.

"If you still got some hope in the rest of us how could I say no to getting some old fashioned teamwork organized around here, and then we can show Umbra what he has to worry about between all of us who are still standing here ready fix the problem."

“Hell yeah, dude. We’re gonna rock his world.”

Omega regarded Ditch carefully as she began to speak about her abilities. It seemed her lack of control came from her lack of experience using them. He assumed that everyone had gained their powers at a young age, but apparently that wasn’t always the case. When she finished, he gave her a warm smile and placed his hand on her shoulder.

“We’re all in this together now. We’ve got your back.”

He gave her a thumbs up and turned to the rest of the team.

“Take care, everyone.”

His faith in the team now restored, he made his way out, giving a small salute. As he walked, he felt a pat on his shoulder and turned his head to see Raven Tale.

“Come with me if you have time.”

He kind of expected them to be having at least a small chat after the mission. Now that he thought about it, she probably recognized his voice. He didn’t speak any differently out-of-costume, and he’d seen how well she could decipher distinct sounds first hand. He let her leave HQ ahead of him and waited just a moment before following her out. He wasn’t sure how this conversation was going to go, since no one outside of his family (and now Ditch) has ever known is identity. He was certainly intrigued.

He left HQ and looked around trying to see where Raven went. He saw her round the corner of a warehouse and made his way over, taking the higher ground. Omega simply walking from point A to point B was pretty uncommon. He dropped down and landed softly near where Raven Tale was leaning and folded his arms.

“Looks like I had some time...so, what’s up?”

[CloseEnough]

"

[Blazion]

None of the men forming 'Team Scarlet' offered up information about the fight after Reaper had left, which likely meant that nothing important came. It was rather curious considering the difference in numbers, but she could only assume they had managed to escape.

Her suspicions were confirmed when Turn Back stepped up, clearing his throat. "Well, this has all been incredibly enlightening, but I can't help but notice we never actually finished the Scarlett report. Just to sum up quickly, after Reaper got her out, we found ourselves surrounded by the four goons mentioned. They all seemed pretty angry, but the girl; the one who didn't have metal skin called for a retreat or something. Another woman showed up, I think sh emust have teleport powers. They all got out in a second, though I'm not sure why they didn't try to pick any of us off. Even grabbing one of us could have proved useful. Anyway, after... Taking account of everything, we headed back here."

Well, it wasn't exactly what Reaper was expecting, but at least it filled in a few holes. Teleporter was new, and Turn Back was right - not grabbing one of them was odd. The vigilante eyed him for a moment before addressing Ditch quietly.

"I'll get a report done for what I saw of the four I fought, but the others will likely have more information since I only engaged them briefly," With her part said Reaper slid off the stage, rolling her shoulders to release some of the tension in them. Technically Jasper would be writing the report while she dictated, but Ditch didn't know that. The vigilante eyed the others and after a moment also offered up a parting comment, "... And for the record, a lack of darkness is my weakness. Flood lights, being in the air - don't expect me to fly anywhere." Though, Ditch's own words were rather intriguing. Reaper had her powers from the moment she was born, if her father's stories were to be believed. Considering that she didn't have a memory without them she was inclined to believe.

With her piece said Reaper gave one last bow of her head towards Ditch before approaching Levi. She spoke with him briefly, only to give him Dr. Stagelson's address before glancing over to Wraith and Ecto. It seemed Omega and Tank both had Wraith's situation under control, as well as Ecto's own forgiveness, so she merely dropped into the shadows to step out beside Ecto and acknowledge him quietly.

"Ecto. Unless you're being stubborn like Lightning Bug, my doctor will look you over if you need it. 1016 Striferon Street. Dr. Stagelson. He's discrete if you have to ... explain anything. And don't worry, it's my tab." A pause then, hesitance. "... If you decide to go there just tell him Zoey sent you." Nothing wrong with a first name, right? There's probably plenty of people named that. Giving a small nod, both at her reasoning and to Ecto, Reaper once more dropped into her shadow without another word and reappeared at the entrance. It was time to follow Omega and Raven Tale's example and get going - though if her sense was correct those two didn't get far, considering their beacons met up on the side of another warehouse. How interesting.

Meanwhile Turn Back had stepped outside to take in the cooling night air. The rain had come in and he enjoyed the smell it brought. Too much of the city smelled stale, old. The rain smelled fresh and new. He slipped his hands into his pockets and closed his eyes, simply enjoying a rare moment of peace, and an even more rare moment of... Almost happiness. That is, until his fingers found the scavenged bills in his pocket, and he pulled them out.

Counting the money, Turn Back sucked in a breath of air in surprise. He'd expected something like a few dollars, but... These were hundred dollar bills. Seven of them, to be exact. That had simply been discarded. Did Reaper grab the wrong stack? Maybe this was her rent money or something. He had to find her.

As luck would have it, as he turned to go back inside he saw her just coming out. "Reaper!" he called, jogging over to his teammate. "Back at Scarlett's house, when we got attacked by the goons, you uh... I think you threw the wrong money." He said, holding out his hands and offering her the slightly crumpled bills.

Reaper stopped short to look over at her alias being called, only to raise a brow under her mask seeing Turn Back approaching her. Initially she prepared to give Dr. Stagelson's address again, assuming that's what he approached her for, only to stop short as he held his hands out. A few change bills were in his palms, and automatically Reaper's hand moved - but to her back pocket to feel the empty space. Only one thought flooded her mind.

"I forgot to pick up my clip," She muttered under her breath, before focusing back on Turn Back, though his words puzzled her. "... No, that was the right money. Using real money tends to work better for distractions."

"Well... No no, what I meant was I--And I don't mean to pry, but did you accidentaly throw you rent money or something? This... I mean, that's a lot of money." Turn Back said, his hand starting to tremble as it sank in that he was giving away enough money to take care of all his problems for the month.

"My... rent money? No, I have people that process rent if someone doesn't have direct deposit set up. I don't collect the rent myself." A little shrug, though Reaper began eyeing Turn Back's trembling hands, her head tilting just slightly to the side. "... Are you alright?"

Turn Back paused slightly, his hand tightening around the bills. What had she meant? She collected-- No, she had people to collect rent for her? Who was this girl? "So... What you're telling me is... This is chump change to you?" He asked, showing her the bills again.

"Well... yeah. It was just the change I had on hand." A frown tugged at Reaper's lips underneath her mask, and she couldn't help but eye the money in his hands more intensely. "... I don't suppose you picked up my clip did you?"

Turn Back blinked, sighing slowly and trying to keep his thoughts in order. "No. No I did not. Reaper..." He stepped a little closer, lowering his voice so anyone passing by wouldn;t be able to hear. "Who the hell are you? This right here," He said, pointing to the money. "is enough that I would be able to eat this month and most of next. And you're telling me that everything in that clip, of which this is just a few bills, is your change? What is going on?"

Reaper began to tense as every syllable left Turn Back's mouth, and after a moment turned her gaze away. Out of habit one of her hands rose to slip beneath her hood, rubbing against the back of her neck roughly. Once again her thoughts flitted back to the fight, throwing all that money - she wasn't expecting to be questioned by one of her own teammates. It was just some change. Yet, distractions did have their benefits...

"I'm just... a little more well off than others, not much but enough. Listen, ah, since it's not that much why don't you keep that? I'd rather you eat and have enough energy for our next encounter." Even her words sounded a bit confused though near the end, as though puzzled how Turn Back couldn't have enough to eat. In all honestly Reaper certainly was, despite trying to put up a confident front.

Turn Back crumpled up the bills again and shoved them back into his pocket, reaching up and pulling his bandana off afterwards. "Reaper, I don't think you understand. You must have thrown thousands of dollars back there. And you're worried about the clip. Seven hundred dollars isn't 'not that much'. Not to most people. You're not 'a little more well off', you can't be. You have to be super rich. If you don't want to tell me who you are then fine. But we have to get on the same page here; throwing stuff like that around is going to make someone like me very angry one day."

"Look," Reaper's fingers were pressing into her neck harder now and she closed her eyes briefly to breathe in deeply, trying to calm her agitation before focusing on Turn Back once more. "We needed a distraction to get Scarlett out. I don't usually throw my change around like that, but we were being affected by something when they came in." Her black eyes narrowed, trying to memorize Turn Back's facial features without his bandana on. There was something familiar about him, but other than a nagging feeling at the back of her mind she couldn't place him - he wasn't someone that risked everything by showing others the face beneath the mask. She knew if she stuck around long enough it would likely get out who she was ... but with any luck Umbra would be done long before that.

Sighing in exasperation, Turn Back turned away for a moment taking a step away and trying to calm himself. "Look, I'm sorry. I just... Money's a big factor for me. It is or everyone down here. I'm half a step above poverty, and... You probably don't understand it, but that's really really hard. Having to chose between having power or food, running water or your phone bill..."

"... No, I don't really." Zoey finally let her hand drop, watching TB's back with her frown only increasing, along with the discomfort in her tone. "I was born into wealth, so none of that is really something I'd had to deal with. But, I mean, the money will help right? How much can a loaf of bread be - ten dollars?"

Turn Back's breath hitched as he processed what Reaper had just said. "Ten... Dollars... Ten dollars worth of bread would be enough bread for three months. The bread I can afford, the damn WonderBread they sell for fifty cents a loaf, the shit that gives you cancer, that's what I can afford. Barely. On a good week." His voice had changed now, it was more distant and cold. No inflection or pitch to it, this was the sound of aomeone trying to hold onto control.

"... Why would they make bread with fifty different scents?"

Turn Back swung around again, digging int his pocket and pulling out a few pennies. He stepped forward and shoved them at Reaper, his nostrils flaring in anger. "Cents! The tiniest portion of money! This is as small as it gets! Fifty of these buys me a loaf of bread, and the shittiest loaf out there! The bread tastes like nothing, but it's something to eat! It'll kill me one day, but it means I have food for the week!"

Reaper quickly backed up, fingers catching one of the pennies and examing it up but soon focused on Turn Back with puzzlement, not to mention a growing temper. Her teeth grit underneath her mask and her muscles rippled as she shifted in a weak attempt to lessen the tension building in her body.

"Why are you getting angry at me?! I'm sorry for your circumstances but I haven't even done anything to you!"

"Because you don't get it, and you never will! You say things like 'oh that's not much money' not realizing that I don't have to chose what parts of my life I can do without this month, you don't even know what a penny is! You sit up there in your pristine castle on your high horse, coming down to help out the poor poor people who can do nothing for themselves, and you don't even understand how real people live!"

"What the fuck is your problem? I came out here to help like anyone else - I've done vigilante work for years! And just because I have money suddenly makes me less qualified than you?" The shadows at Reaper's feet began to react, climbing up her legs and twisting around her torso as it fed off her anger. Her hands tightened at her side, jaw tense as she tried to control herself. She would not be a repeat of what happened with the other team. "You don't even know who I am aside from having money, Turn Back. Take your ... 'scents' and fuck off." The hooded vigilante flicked the penny towards Turn Back, and promptly looked away. Picking out a shadow of one of the further warehouses Reaper dropped into her own, disappearing.

Turn Back watched Reaper go and yelling into the night sky, venting his frustrations in the best way he knew how. He paced the street for a moment before reaching a decision. If she didn't care about it, there was a house full of thousands of dollars that would just go to waste otherwise. He threw the hood of his ruined hoodie up and began running back towards Scarlett's house, intending to come back to the theater afterwards.

[Lasrever]

Wraith

Wraith wasn't exactly feeling fantastic, to say the least. She didn't really respond to Omega and Tank's support at all. It wasn't as though she didn't appreciate their words, as a positive distraction from her thoughts at the very least, it was more that she doubted that she could speak without bursting into tears. In a way, their kindness made it feel worse. She'd have almost preferred for them to throw her out for Umbra, since that would give her a reason to feel angry, sad, scared, something.

As it was now, her feelings had overwhelmed her almost completely, leaving her feeling numb, almost frozen. Where before, her thoughts had been a whirlpool of confusion, now there was nothing happening inside her brain. It was as though she'd just shut down instead of dealing with it, which didn't seem to be the best coping mechanism.

She just wanted out. She wanted to move, to run, to do something other than just stand in the room while everyone was sitting there, being so damn comforting and kind and good and everything else that she just wasn't. Even Ecto had forgiven her, although he didn't seem completely sure.

She forced a smile as he joked, replying with false, forced confidence. "If we're all fine by the end of this, you can have any pizza you want." she said, looking at Ecto, although she couldn't quite focus, being caught up in her thoughts. Raven and Ditch commented as well, but she was zoned out before she could register what they were saying with anything more than a muttered thank you.

How? How are they all so... Forgiving? it confused her, scared her. She didn't get it. How are they still acting like they're just normal people? Why are they being so kind to me? they were trying to help. She couldn't get mad, they were trying to help. They weren't doing it on purpose, weren't trying to rub it in, but it felt like it all the same. Like they were making sure that she knew she wasn't as good as them. Making sure I know they didn't end up like me.

To be fair, everything she'd said to them had mostly been honest. She hadn't exactly been in the mental state to put together a lie. The truth of her feelings was slightly different. Everything she'd said about the guilt, about fear, about killing innocents and what that made her... Well, most of it was true.

She hadn't necessarily lied, but the guilt that she felt wasn't completely about the killing. She wasn't sure if she agreed with it always being a last resort yet - there were people who didn't deserve to live, and killing was the only way to bring them to justice. So, the killing wasn't it, not exactly. Killing, by itself, wasn't the reason she feared that she was a monster of some kind.

The issue wasn't really that she'd been a killer, a 'murderer'. In truth, she doubted that she'd never do it again. The problem, the thing that made her feel so sickened by herself, was how much she'd enjoyed it. The power it gave her, that feeling that came with having total control over whether someone lived or died. Hell, she'd even enjoyed the look in their eyes as they'd realised there was no way out. And that feeling, that rush of adrenaline, was what scared her so much.

Because despite how disgusted she was, despite the horror she felt at having the blood of any number of innocents on her hands... There was a part of her that craved that feeling. A part of her that wanted to kill again. A monster inside her head. The part of her that was Wraith, rather than Kara.

She looked up at the members of the group, and gave a small smile, fighting back the wave of nausea that washed over her. "I don't know how well I'll be able to fix things, but..." she sniffed slightly, trailing off a bit. "I'm sorry. And I'm at least gonna try and make it right as best as I can."

She had to control herself. For her sake, and the memories of the people she'd killed. She had to.

[CloseEnough]

"It's so straining to hear you when you're travelling through the space of time." Raven still leaning on the wall, her arms crossed. She waited till she heard the response before tilting her head slightly up. "I simply wished to speak with you. After all, you're the only one in this entire world now who knows me under the mask. You’re even the only one to know that Aurora has abilities."
A smirk on her features she shrugged. "I noticed the change in your speech pattern and breathing during the mission. What set it off?"

“I saw your cast. There can’t be two blind girls your size that happen to have that same cast,” Omega said, grinning and putting his hands on his hips.

A sigh escaped her, wispy mist leaving her lips, travailing through the cooling air. Of course it was the cast, note to self, cover up injures.
"I was wondering if you wished to work together in the future? Train, speak, learn about each other's skills so we are more efficient in the future. You have a lot of power, but I noticed it's not something that can be just thrown into a group and work, we have to learn to work with it right? Gravity manipulation if I'm correct.”
Ain't that the truth, if what she read about gravity was the same with this guy. Than she could be in a lot of trouble if she didn’t know what to listen for.

“You know it's interesting that you should ask that. Just now during the meeting, I was thinking about how you all would be affected by my gravity fields in a team situation. No offence, but you're kind of one of the people I was most concerned about in that respect. Being blind in zero gravity would be extremely disorienting if you don't know how to deal with it. So, yeah, I think that'd be great if we train together and stuff.”

“Really now? Seems I was right in speaking with you. I’m no good in water so should not surprised that it would be the same here. Gonna be interesting getting the hang of it.”

Her mind made up, Raven reached to her mask, her hand waving over the bone like texture. The surface moving in waves as though it were water that had been disturbed.
It only took a few moments before the Raven mask of Nevermore dispersed. The face of a small, albino, her eyes closed and features almost doll like, lying beneath. The night light reflecting off the paleness of her skin, causing her to look almost like a phantom.

"I guess I owe you another introduction, Aurora Lorell, I'm a competitor in the Olympics. It's why I'm not as comfortable as the others in taking the mask off. One wrong move and I could ruin my career.”

Omega watched as the mask was dematerialized and the girl he knew as Aurora was revealed. She reintroduced herself in a more proper way, and he was both surprised and humbled at the amount of trust she was putting in him. If he was literally the only person in the world to know her true identity, then this was an immensely huge deal. He took her hand and also repaid the courtesy.
“Manhattan McClain. I'm not anything as fancy as an Olympian, but as you know, I am a music lover. Man, it really is amazing all the things you do without being able to see.”

A smirk appearing on her features, Aurora began to bow her head.
“Couldn’t live being hand held my entire life. Don’t sell yourself short though. Music is indeed something to be proud of.”

Reaching into her pocket, Aurora began to mess with a slip of paper between her fingers before offering it.
It was for her second number, one she gave to business partners. Least it was something. “If I give you my number, do you promise not to abuse it?”

He accepted the slip of paper with her number and put it in his pocket.

“You don't have to worry about me abusing anything. I'm not much of a phone person. I'll send you a text in a bit so you can have mine, too.” He paused as he considered what he just said. “You can get those, right? Texts, I mean...or do I have to voice call every time?”

Shaking her head, Aurora began to laugh. A light thing that bounced off the wall next to her. “My friend, do not worry.” Holding out her phone to show it had no screen, she began to run her index finger over a grey pad that took it’s place. Small bumps appearing on the surface.

“It sends braille, it's how I been able to keep up with everyone. So yes, texts are fine.” Putting the device back, Aurora leaned to the wall, looking about in thought, only for a yawn to take place.

“Guess it was a long night, by the way. Sorry my wraith, almost everything I ever brought here had caused fear somehow. But when she broke the personal space rule, it was because you were on the ground or something and she was trying to make sure a team mate wasn’t in need of help. She’s kind of my eyes in a way.”

Omega slightly shuddered at the memory of being inches from the undead bride. “Well, it's not every day that I get to be face-to-face with nightmarish creatures. I’ll just have to get used to her.”

Offering a sheepish smile, her ears turning pink, she pushed herself off the wall. “Don’t worry, she’ll never hurt you unless I ask. I promise.”
With the words spoken she reached up, putting her mask back on only to start calling forth Dullahan. The sound of hooves entering her ears, only to be muffled by the humm of a motorcycle engine. “You did good out there, hopefully I’ll be able to offer more support next time.”

“Now, you're the one who's selling herself short. If it wasn't for your...Grim?...than I wouldn't have been able to catch Wall Walker. And I'm sure Ecto would've been a lot worse off if you hadn't healed him.”

She didn’t say anything, her ears turning red, she found herself rubbing the back of her neck as she felt around for Dullahan.

Omega looked at the motorcycle that she had summoned and he was suddenly very puzzled. He was surprised he never questioned it before.
“That's a nice bike...but, how...how does a blind girl ride a motorcycle?”

Climbing onto the seat, to her feeling like a saddle, Raven grabbed hold of the reins, hands resting on the handles. “Her name is Dullahan, if you give a blood offering to her in the place you call home, you’ll see what she really looks like, this is just an illusion.”

“So, you good on being able to get back home? I’ve heard of people being drained when using abilities. Well, you seen it Ditch is one of them. Hope the woman is okay.”

“Oh yeah, I'm perfectly fine.”

“Good, guess I’ll see you around.” The engine flaring to life, Raven hugged the beast close, the Dullahan rearing up for a moment. “Home” the words spoken she sped off. Taking the albino round the corner and away from view.

[Blaine Crommet]

"If we're all fine by the end of this, you can have any pizza you want."

"Cool. We gotta make sure it's something Raven would like as well, she deserves half of that." - He gestured towards the blind vigilante who was leaving, along with Omega. Oookay...? Looks like they are... getting to know each other. Which is good. Right.

Reaper and Turn back left as well, and as Reaper passed by, she offered him to a private doctor. An underworld physician? Or...a doctor for supers? That sounds... awesome. Is there such a thing? There should be.

"Thanks Reaper, I think my healing factor kicked in, so I'm good at the moment. I swear, I'm not trying to be cool here." - he added, laughing. "I'm just tired, that's all. But I'll definitely go check him out, I would have some... questions. Thanks." He gave her a smile as she left HQ.

He WAS kinda tired though. But before going, he turned to Ditch.

"Hey, look, if that's all, I'd love to go home and get some sleep, but before that... Would it be possible to get each other's contacts? Or set up some secret chatroom-like thingy? It would be nice to be able to reach other for whatever reason. What if we run into something we need some help with, or someone would prefer to train together? Not like, right now, just a thought."

[General Scales]

Girard was pleased with the turn out on the Ecto and Wraith front since most everyone seemed willing to forgive and forget also the handshake with Omega was something he felt good about along with his response. The woman would get some help as she needed it. As far as forgetting to speak his mind about a weakness it made him feel a bit stupid but that could be easily resolved. However, when it came to the whole mission he had limited knowledge of what had actually happened since his first move had been to run with Scarlet so it was going to be more up to the others to give a proper response. He would most certainly give Ditch what he knew about Rebel tomorrow because honestly the woman looked like she was due for some rest. Her recollection of using her power only made the big guy a bit concerned for Ditch though it was for a reason he couldn't properly express for lack of knowledge. All he knew was an unstable power triggered by anger was not a great thing something which he had been told and seen the results of himself. It might be another subject the two would have to discuss away from the others or with them if it came to it.

In the end when it came to powers the only one he knew for sure about was his own, he respected that they all came with challenges and circumstances behind them that he would have to find out. Like how Ditch wasn't born with them which he was quietly thankful for in knowing way. A power like that or his was difficult to cope with so probably for the best her family didn't have to deal with what his did. Though he figured now would be good as time as any to note his own weakness for future reference.

"Far as weaknesses go, if it ain't some form of physical or head on attack its going to get through eventually. Still need to eat, drink and breath too if that counts." Tank said not entirely sure how to put it beyond that.

Soon after a little more conversation more and more of the vigilantes seemed to be disappearing into the night, sounded like it might be raining. He decided that was probably his cue to get moving himself and eat dinner once he got back home though he would be mulling over what happened during the day for several hours most likely.

"Have a good night the rest of you." Girard said giving a wave as well before making a slow plod towards the door and confirming the weather before putting back on his helmet.

The big man made for his apartment keeping an eye out as he went for any trouble because he was not yet off duty as far as he was concerned hungry or not.

[CloudyBlueDay]

Ditch rested her gaze on Ecto. "It's a possibility for the future." She said. "I won't be giving out everyone's information. That's up to them if they want to share their contacts with you. For now, you'll reach the others through me if necessary, or by coming here." Ditch crossed her arms. "Give it time, Ecto. For now, go home. Get some rest. We're done here today."

Ditch was the last to leave the auditorium after it had cleared out. The emptiness of such a large space was daunting to her now. She left with a renewed feeling of hope, one that had slowly but surely been leaving her after all those years of fruitless effort.

We're coming for you, Umbra. She thought to herself as the doors closed behind her.

Chapter Two - END

---

Chapter Three - Blue Skeletons

Channel 7 - Millennium City News!

"Good evening ladies and gentlemen, I'm Scotty Declan, and this is channel 7 news with a breaking first story! The famous hero Lava King has followed in the series of missing of powered individuals since the appearance of the villain Umbra. At first feared for being such a destructive force Lava King has slowly entered the hearts of everyone for the valiant job of keeping this city safer and cleaning away the criminal elements. In other news a large explosion which left no traces of a cause rocked Mermary lane not far from the orphanage, where thankfully the children were away on a field trip sponsored by the Shrine family at the time, afterwards during a police investigation of the scene millions of stolen dollars found in bags, stolen by the shady Wall Walker, were discovered in the headmasters office who is now under investigation. A shame that so much money was kept from improving the lives of the poor orphans however it was seized by the police in a follow up to an ongoing case of suspected corruption on the part of the headmaster who is now in custody. Now a short break for the weather with our wizard of meteorology Oscar Fontaine, what’s the forecast looking like Oscar?"

"Thanks Scotty. In the vein of more bad news, we unfortunately have a bad weather front moving into the city. The rain that was predicted to peter out overnight has stuck with us, leading to a dark and dreary day. Signs point to the rain breaking around dusk tonight though, with clear skies continuing into tomorrow. Back to you, Scotty."

"Things are looking up it seems both in the weather and in crime fighting it seems. Today the infamous Wall Walker, a thief who has been plaguing banks across the city has finally been caught all thanks to Captain Powerhouse, our glorious and heart filled strong man, who followed through on his promise to bring the thefts to an end. Lets go to our own ace reporter, Sarah Fortune, who is currently on the scene where the heroic bruiser is receiving public thanks from the mayor for his contribution outside the precinct holding Wall Walker."

“Thank you Scotty, for your superb work once again! I’m on site outside Millennium City’s Power Police Precinct where just a short time ago Captain Powerhouse succeeded in his nerve wracking threat to bring Wall Walker to justice. As you can see behind me on the steps of our city’s greatest Mayor Sentren has arrived to give his personal thanks to Captain Powerhouse, and of course here we are to give you the latest – let’s listen in.”

“Citizens! We’re gathered here today to thank one of our most illustrious men for once again keeping peace in our fair city; a man of justice, a man of morals, a man that every person in Millennium City can look up to in order to do the right thing. It is because of this man that we can say justice has been served and the streets are once again safe to walk, as the notorious Wall Walker has been safely handed over to our men in blue. Please, join me in celebrating our prestigious city hero, Captain Powerhouse!”

“Thank you Mayor Sentren. It’s an honor to once again be able to help our city, and fulfill the promise I made last time I crossed paths with Wall Walker to crush the roach beneath my boots.”

“The city thanks you for it, Captain Powerhouse, as does every citizen who lives in it.”

“… And there you have it, Scotty! Captain Powerhouse is sure to add this to his long list of accomplishments, and here’s hoping that he won’t be needed for a long, long time. Back to you, Scotty!”

"Thank you Sarah! I'm afraid that's everything we have for tonight folks at home, but tune in tomorrow for your number one source for news, Channel 7! Stay safe and be good!"

~~~~~~

Four days. Four days since you'd heard anything from Ditch. Suspicious? Maybe. Perhaps you were just grateful for the time to think and recover. Maybe you’d tried texting her through the number she’d last contacted you with, but no response. Only if you were lucky would you catch her at HQ, and even then she wouldn’t stay long.

But after days of silence, you finally received another text message from Ditch.

“I have new info on how Umbra has been capturing heroes. A game changer. I know we got off to a shaky start, but I want to give it one more go. HQ, 11pm.”

Her message was enticing; new info. A “game changer”. New info meant new hope, more of a chance. The number of heroes was slowly but surely dwindling.. Time was clearly running out. Alright, You think. One more go.

But she’d never showed. You’d been sitting around HQ for almost over an hour, heavy rain pounding down on the [luckily] recently patched up roof, and there was no sign of Ditch ever being there that day. The place was empty, no trace of her, she sent no other messages.. Was she coming at all?

BANG BANG BANG BANG.

Abrupt knocking on the double doors, enough to make one jump in surprise. “Th-they’re fucking l-locked.. Dear god.. Who locked the damn doors?! Open up! Please!” Must’ve locked behind the last person to enter. The voice was clearly Ditch, filled with panic. Whoever opened the door would find her standing there, eyes alive with fear, absolutely drenched from the rain.. and in her arms, was an unconscious boy.

He was incredibly thin and frail, so much that it was almost hard to look at him. His clothing was ripped and torn, and provided him no safety from the sudden chilly weather. His exposed skin was covered in various cuts and bruises, some even still bleeding, as well as many painful looking scars. The most noticeable scar were two slashes on his left cheek - they looked freshly healed.

“H-he approached me in the streets and then he c-collapsed in my arms and I.. I didn’t … didn’t know what to do..” She stammered. Ditch had never looked so afraid. She was holding the child tightly, though she looked extremely tired. He was maybe only a little older than ten years. His dirty and unkempt white hair fell between his closed eyes and past his ears. He had to be from the streets.

“He’s he’s.. gotta be cold, and.. And hungry, and I.. he just.. He j-just passed out, and.. his.. His eyes, th-they glowed.. He’s super, he’s gotta be, and I just..c-couldn’t.. l-leave him..” She got choked up, unable to continue.

[Blazion]

“I could be studying right now.”

Another flash lit up near the back ceiling as Reaper checked her phone once more, the light nearly blinding her steel-blue gaze – no point keeping them black right now. It was quickly blinked away only to be replaced with an aggravated sigh. Still no message from Ditch, or anyone else either. The screen went black and Reaper replaced the device in her pocket once more before her arm went behind her head as she lounged on her shadows, glaring moodily at the ceiling and ignoring her supposed teammates beneath her. Initially the vigilante had been on the hanging platform once more, but as more time passed soon Reaper had the shadows behind the great red curtains moving, solidifying above the platform for what she now laid on. It wouldn’t be inappropriate to call it a hammock.

Despite her aggravation Reaper was worried. It was nearing midnight with no sign of Ditch, and while there was a chance that the girl had played them for something, it was much more logical to assume something had happened. It wouldn’t be the first time, with Lava King the latest victim of these disappearances. How did one even go about capturing a giant monster made of rock and lava? She doubted Ditch would have a chance if caught alone … or at least that they’d know about it from the explosions that would rock the city.

In a city like Millennium City spreading out to find one person would be almost impossible. Nonetheless as time ticked on Reaper parted her lips to suggest the crazy idea, only to still as something in her surroundings shifted. From the mass of darkness that made the city in her mind’s eye a blob separated as it got closer. Beacons. Approaching quickly. She almost thought initially that it was one, but as they got closer it became more distinct. One average. The other smaller, lighter, less dense; akin to a child, or someone who lived a very boring life.

All at once the shadows at Reaper’s feet disconnected from the red curtain and slowly lowered, allowing the vigilante to casually slide down and land easily on her feet. She completely ignored the others gathered to walk to the edge of the stage and jump off, only to stalk towards the door. The banging started halfway on her approach but Reaper’s stride didn’t break. It was relieved to hear Ditch, though the panic in her voice was cause for concern. A quick flick of her fingers had the door unlocked, and Reaper flung the doors open with her eyes narrowed. Yet the name of the other vigilante died at the tip of her tongue as she took in the pathetic sight before her.

Though Reaper froze up her shadows didn’t, acting almost on her own as at her feet two long tendrils akin to tentacles rose up behind her, reaching over the vigilante’s shoulder, one touching the boy’s limp hair and the other moving to Ditch’s arm. It di explain, a little, why Ditch was so late. She was a vigilante just like them after all, and, well, Reaper didn’t hunt in her teenage years to not know what to do after falling in a river – or getting drenched, in this case.

“It took you an hour to get him here?” The redhead finally hissed, even as her the two shadows now moved with purpose. The one near Ditch’s arm latched on to curl around the blonde and pull her as Reaper moved further into the auditorium once more, the other shadow slamming the doors shut before disappearing back into the darkness. In one smooth motion as she walked Reaper yanked her hoodie over her head – the first aid kit and her bottle of mace spilled to the ground - only to place the oversized garment on the stage’s edge away from Tank’s destruction.

“Set him down. RT, you can heal can’t you?” Reaper’s gaze, still remaining steel-blue glanced to Raven Tale even as she retrieved her phone once more. “He has some injuries. And the rest of you – give him your jackets. He’s freezing, we need to build a nest. I'll see if I can get hold my doctor for a late night patient."

[CloseEnough]

It was cold, the busy streets passing her by, mist clinging to snow white hair that slowly began to turn grey with the passing hours in smog. Her iPod playing a relaxing tune on a portable speaker. She made her way down the streets, expecting to go to the abandoned arena that her and Manny began to train at.
It was an interesting few days. Ditch had not really spoken much, no one on the team actually. It was just her and Omega, and honestly, she sometimes regretted picking him as a training partner. Dealing with zero gravity was not something she was taking too easily, when it weighed on her summons it felt heavy to breath, when she was taken up she could barley find out where she was. It was even more disorienting than if she was thrown in water.

Her phone vibrating, she fished it out of her pocket. The smooth surface in her hand causing her to ignore a cat call from some random teen. Guess Ditch wanted the team back, she couldn't keep the smile from pressing on her lips. Turning down an alleyway, pulling up her hood as she summoned her mask, calling forth Dullahan, Raven tale began to take shape.
With practised hands she began to make another text to Omega. "Guess practice is cancelled." Indeed it was, and work was called forth.

Hopping on the bike, she was at HQ in a half hour. Just in time to escape the rain, her ebony cane in hand, she dispersed the motorcycle that followed her. Listing to others, guess she was a little late, but than..Where was Ditch?
Shrugging her shoulders, Raven bowed her head. "Good to see you guys again," maybe Ditch was getting this, game changer. Perhaps she was just preparing for it. The woman was smart, she would be fine. So, she sat near the stage, bringing out her iPod again, carefully switching to ear buds and using an ear to pass the time.

Though as hours passed, worry began to ebb at her mind. She wouldn't have gathered everyone if she was ill prepared. She was not that kind of person. At first she was annoyed, thinking she could have gotten a coffee before she came here. Now she was worried that something may have happened to her team mate.
"Do you th-" about to ask what may have happened. Raven shot her head up, frozen for a moment before she stood. She could hear Reaper already, the woman has to know. "Someone's outside, running.." Not even a moment later she heard the banging, Reaper opening the door, for Ditch to all but fall into the building.
It was obvious the woman was in distress, cradling something in her arms. Listening to the explanation though, she found her breath caught in her throat. She was holding a kid? He didn't even sound like one, more like a dog, a starved one, he was so light, so cold. Kid had to be in bad shape, and a super? What happened to him?

This was why she was a vigilant, to keep such things from happening. Following after them, she knelt down near the tiny shape. Gently taking his arm only to feel that he really was cold, and soaked to the bone. Without a word she began taking off her coat, covering the kid while exposing her own porcelain like skin.
"RT, you can heal can’t you?"
A chill ran down her spine at the question. Of course Fuax was needed, he was always needed. The bird decided to no longer listen to her, after he found out she was not as captured by his story as she was as a child. "I'll see if I poses the ability. But I can not promise anything."

Flipping open the book, Raven began to run her fingers over the pictures. Trying her best to listen to the wing beats of the Phoenix, feel the comforting feathers, as she called his line. "May his wings of everlasting fire guide you well, only to help those who fell." Her voice having a slight plea, a edge that she hoped would reach the bird.

In a beautiful call, a even note, she felt the talons of the Phoenix dig into her shoulder. "My friend, please, I must ask for your help." Yet the bird only stared, flapping it's wings in defiance.
"It is a child's life I ask you to help. Please, offer tears and heal his wounds." She felt the weight of the creature lean forward, looking over the child, judging him in a way. The same way it done to every human from this plain. She hated that look, but she had to keep him, she couldn't loose Fuax now.
"Heal him" her voice raised only a bit, but it was enough to anger the beast. Flapping it's wings, it dug it's talons in her shoulder, crying at her in rage. He was not going to listen to her, she wasn't connected enough to him, her link was weak. And thus, she let the child down.
Crimson ran down her arm before she closed the book, dispersing the beast in a flash. Her breathing slightly laboured, she leaned back, taking in a deep breath. "Forgive me, I'm useless here..."

Thats exactly it, she was useless. Her coat was helping more than she could. Making sure the talon marks on her shoulder were fine, she began to stand. Better not to crowd him, maybe someone else could help him out right now, instead she moved away. making space for anyone who still had a hand to lend.

Least TB and Zoey knew what they were doing. "Is there any water bottles? Fabric? He'll fare much better if they can be heated."

[Korkoa]

TURN BACK

Turn Back had been hanging out by the stage, kicking a piece of rubble around as the group waited for Ditch. He'd experimented with his newfound power over the past few days, holding his hand above a candle, then above the range on the stove, on the way here he had even dunked his arm into a fire barrel, freaking out the homeless people using it for warmth. Other than some singed hair though, it all seemed to be working. He had a new power, the ability to absorb heat. It wasn't fire, as he'd originally thought, but the heat itself, taking that into him and using it to power his attacks. beyond that too, he'd discovered it gave him another benefit. He was tougher when holding onto that heat energy. His hand had slipped making dinner one night after experimenting, and the knife had just bounced off his skin instead of sending him to the hospital. The more heat he held, the tougher he was. Very useful for attacks he didn't see coming... It would take some getting used to, holding onto energy longer than he liked, but perhaps it was worth it.

His thoughts turned to the events of earlier that week, specifically what had happened after he'd left his fight with Reaper. He had gone back to Scarlett's house and gathered the money still lying around, as well as the clip Reaper had been so concerned about. In all, it was about three thousand dollars, and she just didn't care. He sighed and let his thoughts move on, having found Reaper again and getting the name of the doctor she was recommending...

Three days ago...

Jason Graves walked uncomfortably through the hallways of the doctors office, having gotten the address from a very tense conversation with Reaper. He finally arrived at the right door, balancing the tributes he'd brought for Scarlett. He opened the door and cleared his throat as he looked inside to the hospital style bed. "Scarlett? I, uh... Well, you've got a visitor, I guess."

Scarlett sat up in the bed, head turned towards the window. The bags under her eyes and her pale skin made her look sickly, but her posture and yearning look betrayed the fact. Her arm was wrapped heavily in bandaging as well as a sling. Upon Jason's arrival, her head turned sharply, looking the vigilante over, eyes narrowed. "..It sure looks that way." She muttered, voice hoarse. "What do you want?"

Jason took a deep breath and stepped inside, closing the door behind him. He waved his prosthetic arm, hoping she's recognize him from that. He didn't like explaining that bit. "I came to apologize actually." He said, extending a box of chocolates towards her. "For my part in what landed you here. I panicked and didn't realize you weren't trying to hurt me."

Scarlett's gaze followed Jason's prosthetic, saying nothing but clearly remembering what had transpired. "..I appreciate the gesture, but chocolate upsets my stomach." Scarlett mumbled. "It's alright, I suppose. An understandable reaction. Giant tigers are life threatening after all."

Jason paused awkardly before putting the chocolates away, clearing his throat. "Well in that case, maybe I can get you something else..." He said, producing the biggest jar of catnip he'd been able to find. "There were better ways to handle the situation. I am sorry."

Scarlett blinked, staring at the jar for a moment before bursting out laughing. It wasn't a long laugh, but it was genuine. "I could've handled the situation better too," She said with a weak smile. "I can't control my powers very well, as you might've seen."

Jason chuckled, setting the jar down on her bedside table and crossing his arms. He was glad the tension had broken, and he showed the feral woman his fake arm again. "Neither can I sometimes, that's how I got this. It's a learning curve I suppose, figuring out how you do what you do and why. And when your powers are connected to emotions, it gets harder."

"You lost your arm because of your powers?" Scarlett whispered. "..damn." Her free hand traveled to her bandaged shoulder, fingertips touching the bandaging lightly. "I would very much like to keep my arm. Doc says there's hope... It would've been handy to know their was a doctor that treated supers, by the way." She snorted. "Not going to get a lot of places with these eyes, huh?"

Jason chuckled at that, looking around at the room. "It really would have been nice to know about this. I'm not sure how Reaper knows about this place, but... Well, let's just say I got really lucky when I lost my arm. Almost didn't make it, nobody in this city treats supers. Except this doctor, it seems. I'm glad we had Reaper with us, she knew where to get you. Actually..." Jason cleared his throat, changing the topic a bit. "I'd like to ask, i you don't mind... Do you have any idea why Umbra would be after you? It's just that after you passed out, some of his goons showed up..."

Scarlett bit her lip in thought. "Umbra, huh?" She said, a small smile creeping up on her face yet again. "There's a number of reasons he could want me." She said slowly. "Hasn't he.. Been kidnapping Heroes, though? I don't quite fit the theme." Scarlett chuckled. "For my powers, I guess? For my history, for my family.. No one knows what he wants."

"Well regardless;" Jason said, pulling a bottle of rum out of his backpack and setting it on Scarlett's bedside table, "They didn't get you. And you're on the mend now. We'll figure out what he wants, and how to stop him."

Scarlett grinned. "Well, look at you." She joked. "Chocolates, catnip, and rum. What else ya got there? Maybe a puppy or two?" Scarlett leaned back on the pillows proposed against the headboard. "You've got a team going, huh? Against Umbra?"

Jason laughed again, pulling up a chair and sitting beside the bed. "I've got like, Mary Poppin's backpack here, you never know what'll come out of it." His expression became more serious as the conversation shifted to Umbra. "We're... Trying. We have someone who seems to know a lot about him, and we're working together. Trying to, at least. None of us have ever really done the 'hero' thing before. But we're making it work. Right now it's a matter of damage control until we can pull a plan together. Saving people, staying ahead of him. I think you could do it too, if you wanted. I know you're not really the hero type, but most of us aren't either."

"I don't think I'd fit in well with your group." Scarlett said, almost wistfully. "I'm not a hero, nor a vigilante. I think you know my rep. I'm not one to save the day." She brushed a piece of bright-red hair behind her ear. There was truly no way it was her natural hair color. "S'alright. I'm better at working alone anyway."

"Hell, I'm no hero either." Jason said, leaning back in his chair. "I'm a pretty bad vigilante, if I'm being honest. I ain't out there to save people, I'm out there to hurt the ones who think they can take advantage. But maybe we can be better than that..." He coughed and smiled at Scarlett. "Don't listen to me, I'm no idealist. Just some guy hoping for the best. If you don't think you're a good fit, that's fine. It's not my place to try and give you advice, to be honest."

"Heh." Scarlett muttered at Jason's ramblings. "Maybe some other time. I'm not fit to be doing anything right now anyway." She smiled back at him. "I, uh. Never got your name." She paused. "I mean.. I.. Well.. I might've forgotten it." She mumbled. "Sorry."

"Oh, it's fine." Jason said with a small smile. "We only officially met the once, when you came into my office. I'm Jason Graves. Don't go spreading that around though, I need to keep the superpower thing a secret."

"Oh, don't worry, Jason. I can keep a secret." Scarlet said with a smirk. "The media picked an ironic name for me, seeing as my name's actually Scarlett n' all." She laughed. "But, uh.. Thanks. For taking me here, and saving me from Umbra, and uh, helping me with my taxes."

"That's what we're here for, Scarlett, I suppose. We're going to stop him. We're going to save the people he's kidnapped. We're going to make this city safe again. Well, as safe as it's ever been, I suppose." He said with a smirk. "But I think there's going to come a day soon here, when we'll be fighting. The biggest fight of our lives, against a very powerful enemy. And I don't want to push you or pressure you Scarlett, but... It'd be nice if we had someone backing us up if we need it. If you're ready."

Scarlett stared at Jason, heavily considering, before letting out a little sigh. "The bastard needs to go down anyway. You can call me if you need me." She proceeded to grab a piece of paper from the bedside table and write down her number with her good hand. "I can't guarantee I can be there, but if I can't I'll try to send some friends your way." She nodded. "Take care, Jason. And try not to die."

Jason took the paper gratefully before writing his own number on another one and giving it to her. "Thank you Scarlett. Just being willing to be there means a lot to me. To all of us. That's my number there, if you ever need anything... Well, I can't offer too much financially, but if you find yourself in trouble I'll do anything I can to help you. Thank you Scarlett."

Now...

Reaper's movement and the banging at the door shook Turn Back out of his revire however, and he turned his attention to what was going on there, his eyes widening as Ditch came through the door holding a young boy, soaked to the bone. Turn Back sprang to action immediately, hopping up onto the stage where Reaper set her hoodie and pulling his off as well, reaching out to wrap the child in the warm, heavy material. He gave pause as Raven Tale tried to use her healing magic, sighing as it seemed to fall flat. He turned around and grabbed his backpack, digging through it and pulling out a bottle of water and several granola bars, laying them on the stage he was kneeling on for the child. "Reaper's right," He said, though the words pained him a bit. He was still angry with her for what had happened the other night. "he needs to be warmed and he'll need food and water. Slowly though, not too much at once or he'll make himself sick. Raven, it's alright. You did what you could, and that's all anyone can ask."

Turn Back reached out and put the back of his hand on the child's forehead, pulling at away almost immediately. "He's burning up, he has a fever. Probably caught something out in those godforsaken streets. We need to bring his temperature down a little." Turn Back laid a hand on the child's forehead again, focusing his power to see if he could absorb just a little bit of the heat from the boy. "We still need to keep him warm though, it's a balancing act at this point. I'll try to stabilize his fever, somebody else should check his cuts, see if there's an obvious infections."

[Artifex]

Omega paced the floor of the newly renovated headquarters. Well, he was walking as if he were on the floor, but was actually strolling around on the high ceiling of the auditorium. He had been checking the integrity of the repairs, seeing as they were in the middle of a rainstorm and Ditch had yet to arrive. It was quite odd when he thought about it. Ditch had always been the first to show up the previous couple of times she called the team together, so he assumed she was the punctual type.

He looked up -- or down rather -- at his fellow vigilantes and a pleased grin formed on his face. It looked like most everyone had made the return trip, and it seemed the team was solidifying. With the steady flow of supers being captured and the threat of Umbra increasing, it was good to see things coming together. He had even started training with Raven Tale in the past few days, something that he had only done alone before.

Just as he bent down to examine the ceiling once more, a loud series of bangs rocked the barely-furnished auditorium and echoed throughout the room. He looked down to see Reaper already headed to the entrance. He could faintly hear Ditch’s voice screaming through the door, and she sounded panicked, though he was too far up to hear exactly what she was saying. She burst through the door as Reaper opened it cradling a small, unconscious child and Omega’s eyes widened behind his goggles. Even from his current position, Omega could see that the kid was in bad shape. He quickly descended landing on the ground as Reaper rushed the boy to the stage, followed by Raven Tale and Turn Back. With first aid, warmth, and provisions already being applied, Omega turned to Ditch who was still standing at the entrance, soaked and shaken. He figured he didn't want to overcrowd the operation, so he proceed quickly to help her.

“C'mon, let's have a seat.”

He walked her to the nearest couch while simultaneously keeping an eye on the vigilantes helping the child. Not trying to increase her panic, he spoke in a calm but urgent voice.

“Alright, calm down and tell me what happened. A little slower this time.”