I apologize for missing these details, you see I'm primarily an arena RPer so action with 3-4 people can be overwhelming and I do miss things, also posting after 4 things happening sometimes confuses my perception of when things are happening and who's actions are taking place,first second etc. I'm not too sure of how the blast would effect a moving target, if you let me know I can edit to reflect that.
Honestly, I'm not sure what my blast is about to do. It's just a concussion blast. Basically like getting punched by force.
Ok, I'm not trying to be rude...far from it, actually...but I'm sure we are all just flailing our arms and facedesking over this last post. I get Graffiti feels she needs to prove herself and is trying to one-up Rose. But you might want to pump the breaks on this a bit. Our characters are still heroes, whether they like each other or not and scrapping with someone you literally just met, doesn't seem hero-like. I'm not telling you what to do, just giving you something to consider.
But, besides that, there seem to be some things that are skewed in your post, event-wise. First off, Rose is currently inside the building trying to save Ditch, it doesn't appear that was taken into account. Also, Omega fired a blast in Ditch/Rose/Walker's direction, which also seems to be missing...and speaking on that, if Graffiti actually ran past Omega into the building to approach Rose, she'd get a taste of that blast.
Again, please, please don't see this as an attack. I'm simply trying to clarify some things.
Omega tensed further when Wraith thrust her hand into Walker’s ribcage. He had seen her take people out that way a time or two while doing his rounds, and he was really getting tired of how much she was screwing things up. Her complete disregard for life at such a young age was extremely disturbing. Then...
Oh shit!
Everything happened at once. Omega’s eyes darted to Ditch kicking Graffiti’s gun and quickly shifted back to Walker as he freed himself and took a swing back at Wraith. He was in a boxing stance and ready to take another swing and Omega rushed forward to stop it. Ditch had beat him to the punch, however, and tackled Walker into another wall. As Walker phased through, taking Ditch along, Omega reached for dead air as he tried to grab for his teammate. He landed with his palms on the wall and turned quickly to face the rest of the group.
“Dammit, guys! What the hell were you thinking!”
Rose burst through the doors closest to her and Omega sprinted for the same door intending to follow her. He skidded almost to a halt and leapt through the open door, quickly scanning for movement in the direction that Walker had entered. Walker and Ditch had not gotten very far - probably just tumbled into the room - and it appeared like Rose was struggling to separate Walker from Ditch.
"let him go! We warned him, it's done! We need to help him get away from the murderers!"
Omega couldn’t help but agree. Wraith and Graffiti had gone fucking postal and, at this point, things were way out of hand. He didn’t really think that Walker should just leave, though, because the mission wasn’t simply to warn him of Umbra; he already knew of the threat. The mission was to keep him from Umbra. Ditch had spent a lot of time tracking this guy down and Omega wasn’t about to release him back into the wild. But first order of business was to get Ditch free.
“Brace yourselves, guys!”
As Omega ran up to the group, he fired a more concentrated blast directly at Walker, attempting to knock him back away from his teammates.
Omega felt a twinge of disbelief as Wraith punched Wall Walker square in the nose. It was a good hit, too. Blood was everywhere. It seems she’s dropped her little bubblegum persona and let the real Wraith come out. This allowed enough of a distraction for the team to surround him. It really did seem like an ambush, and it was probably going to be harder now to convince him that they were on his side.
As the group gathered, Raven Tale had dismissed her summoned wraith, which was just fine as far as Omega was concerned.
"How do you fair? I was told you were injured, is that true?"
“I’m alright. Just got shoved down. Your creepy bride scared the crap outta me, though. Got right in my face. I thought she was gonna eat me or something.”
Slightly flustered, he looked over at her with his arms folded. His expression changed, though, when he noticed something that he hadn’t before. She had a cast on her left hand. He wasn’t really close enough to see it earlier, but it was definitely a cast. Could it really be her? She seemed so different… His brow furled as he was now thoroughly intrigued, and he decided to tuck that information away for a little later.
He watched as Graffiti threatened Walker after Ditch, Raven, and Rose tried to calmly talk him down. This was getting out of hand. The objective here was to warn him not beat him down. This team thing was clearly unstable and this was only the start. Ditch may have had good intentions here, but, in the end, everyone had their own methods and motivations. If this was how the team operated on a simple mission like this one, how on earth were they going to defeat Umbra? There was almost no point in warning Walker or Shifter about danger if it was just inevitably futile.
Just when it seemed it couldn’t get any crazier, Ecto decided to swan dive right into Walker’s body. Omega just looked on in exasperation. If Walker wasn’t willing to cooperate before, it was doubtful that he would after being pummeled and possessed. Electing not to further stir this pot, Omega stood ready for Walker’s next move.
Adrenaline pumping at full, Omega threw the front door to the apartment open and darted through it at full speed, hoping to catch glimpse of Walker before he phased through another wall. As soon as he cleared the door, however, a pair of hands grabbed him from behind and propelled him into the wall in front of him. He was already going pretty fast, so the extra momentum made for a hard hit. He lost his footing and crashed shoulder-first into the wall -- inertia causing his other arm to fling up and hit the wall as well -- before stumbling down onto his right side. He quickly twisted around to see the source of the ambush, and had just enough time to see a man with black-brown hair disappearing through the wall into the next apartment.
Dammit, I fell for the oldest trick in the book…
Immediately, Wraith phased through the wall next to the door from which Omega had just emerged. She quickly glanced in his direction before darting off in pursuit of Walker. A few seconds later, the creepy wraith from before had appeared right in front of Omega, inches from his face. It was on a whole other level of horrifying being this close to her. He instantly stiffened, each muscle as tense as steel wire. A deadpan expression washed over his face as he began to sweat a little, never taking his eyes off of her. The wraith lingered for a few seconds before letting out another blood-curdling shriek, which was strangely muffled yet ear-splitting at the same time, and racing off once again in the pursuit of Walker. Omega then let out the breath he had been apparently holding and relaxed just the slightest bit, finding extreme relief in the fact that the wraith was on his side.
Omega spotted Graffiti at the door as he was getting to his feet. He had to make a split-second decision on which direction to go in: he could go the direct route and make his way through the next apartment with Wraith, probably having to take out another wall or window to keep up with Walker, or he could go out and around to the side of the building hoping to cut Walker off as he came out, which would take a few seconds longer. He decided on the latter, hoping his speed would make up for the few precious moments that had been lost already.
“C’mon! We can cut him off around the other side!”
Sprinting past Graffiti, he burst through the front door of the building, seeing Rose, Ditch, and Raven Tale as they rushed past. He called out as he ran to catch up to the group.
“Staying behind him isn’t going to get us anywhere. If we can get ahead of him, we can trap him. Rose, how do those wall gadgets work?”
As he cleared the corner of the building, he could see that Walker had just emerged with Wraith right on his tail and Ecto swooping down on him from above.
Omega noted the arrival of each his teammates, first of which were Raven Tale and Rose. It was going to be very interesting to see how well they worked together.
"Hey everyone, what's up? Everything cool?"
“All good, dude. Just waiting for the rest of the team.” He gave Ecto a thumbs up and saw Wraith coming up right behind him. She spouted off a line about how she missed everyone, but Omega could see right through the ‘sweet little girl’ act. He’d seen her in action and she was pretty brutal and a little full of herself. Hopefully, being around other supers and growing up a little will check her attitude a bit.
And speaking of attitude adjustments, when Graffiti arrived she immediately started making enemies once again. Her first question was harmless enough:
Is gravity effective against wallwalker? I assume that youve been doing this longer than I have and maybe you've had to tangle with solid object phasers before?
“Well, you don’t really go against Wall Walker as much as you go after him. And my powers allow me to be pretty mobile. This guy gets all over the place, so you better be ready for a wicked chase.”
Then, Graffiti turned to Rose and pretty much dissed her right on the spot. Ditch and Raven had instantly come to her rescue before Rose herself gave her a piece of her mind, and Omega just shook his head. It almost seemed like she was a little insecure about her own powers - thinking that they weren’t as good as someone whose power was more ‘flashy’. She needed to get a hold on that quick, lest she become the weak link on the team. She would be another one to watch.
Omega tensed slightly as Ditch donned her mask and called out to Walker. He fully expected Walker to run, even though Ditch’s words didn’t sound threatening. But, honestly, what else could you do if seven vigilantes showed up at your spot saying they wanted to ‘have a few words?’ He hopped off the wall as soon as Walker ran. Raven Tale immediately summoned one of the creepiest things he had ever seen in his life. Ho-ly shit...what the hell is that thing? He watched as Raven and Rose dashed off and quickly followed suit.
“Wraith, Ecto! You guys can keep up with him the best! Let’s go!”
Omega let up on his personal gravity just slightly so that he could move a little faster without completely floating around. He sprinted and blasted out a window that was nearest where Walker had gone through the wall. He jumped through the hole and did a forward roll into the room, which happened to be a bedroom, and listened for running footsteps.
“There!”
He was still close by but quickly gaining ground and Omega took off in Walker's direction.
Manny woke the next day ready to take on the world. The previous day had been pretty satisfying and his dark emotions had been successfully pushed aside. Supers were disappearing way too quickly, and he hoped that Ditch would be able to locate Scarlet Shifter and Wall Walker before Umbra got to them as well. He needed to be prepared for when Ditch called him to action, so he immediately set to training, this time with heavier gravity.
After his session, he decided that he was going to go visit his father, since he saw his mom and brother yesterday. He got dressed and headed up to the garage through his hidden entrance. Manny’s dad owned a construction business, simply named McClain Construction Co., that was located in Midtown near the financial district. This time Manny opted for his bicycle - his usual mode of transportation for moving through the city.
When he arrived at McClain Construction, only the office staff was present. His dad was probably out on site, so Manny gave him a call.
“Hey, Manny,” his dad had his number programmed in, so of course he knew who was calling.
“Hey, dad. Where you workin’ today? I’m down at the office. Came to see if I could give you a hand today.”
“We’re not too far away. Got called to fix the walls that the mighty ‘Captain’ decided to plow through. Damn supers...always tearing things up claiming that they’re ‘saving the day’. Does keep me in business, at least.”
“Dad…”
“Oh, not you...you know what I mean. Just come on down. We can use the help.”
“Be there in a bit.”
Manny hung up and headed to the site. Upon arrival, Manny instantly facepalmed and started rubbing his temples. It was a huge freaking mess. Captain D-bag had done it again. Manny really didn’t understand why anyone liked him. He was just an arrogant prick who just threw his weight around and smiled for the cameras...at least that’s what Manny thought. Scenes like this just emphasized the notion.
Manny helped his dad’s crew for a few hours before receiving a text from Ditch. Miss Cauldwell’s Orphange for Young Children, Mermary Lane. That’s not that far from where we were the other night. Looks like duty calls. He told his dad he had some things to take care of, and found himself a discreet place to change into his hero wear - which proved to be slightly difficult in the middle of Midtown during the day. He hit the rooftops as usual and made his way to where Ditch was waiting in the slums.
As the orphanage came into view, Omega spotted Ditch waiting across the street. He was surprised to see her without her mask, though she did still have the same baggy hoodie. She really just looked like a normal inconspicuous girl. He landed on the roof of the building where Ditch was leaning and walked to the edge. He then continued over the edge walking 90 degrees perpendicular to the ground down toward his teammate and stopped when he got right next to her. He crouched and laid back as if he were on the ground with his arms folded behind his head. Ditch didn’t really break her gaze on the orphanage.
“It’s kind of quiet. Aren’t there usually a bunch of screaming children in an orphanage?”
Manny’s ears perked up a little at the mention of the music store. He was always happy to be in the company of another music lover. He could see, though, that the girl was frustrated, possibly with herself, for getting lost. She was apparently blind, judging by the cane, and was probably used to independence. He tried to sound as if he was helping someone who wasn't blind, not wanting to add to her frustration.
“Well, you picked the right person to ask. I actually grew up around here, so I know this town like the back of my hand...and actually, you're right. The music store just back this way. You probably got sidetracked and walked past it. Happens to me all the time.”
Manny paused a second and smiled. “You look like you're by yourself. This might be a little forward, but would you like some company? I was planning on hitting up the music store myself.”
“Must be nice growing up here, much calmer indeed.” The voice at her side offered assistance, some that she was reluctant to take, yet she still gave a smile. The same one that many told her was either soothing or unnerving. He seemed nice, his breathing was even, no ebbing patterns or biting lips. He wasn’t hiding something, though he seemed to change his demeanor a bit. Not by much, but enough to notice. “Is it really? Oh dear, seems the commotion got my ears mixed up.” Her own voice showing disappointment in herself, Aurora ran a hand through her hair. Least luck was on her side, whoever this was, was heading there himself. Another music enthusiast, on the same street as herself? Bit too convenient for her liking. Though if something happened she could fix it. Tilting her head in a bird like fashion, Aurora ran through a list of ideas in moments. Well if she got lost again, it would be an even harsher blow to her pride than gaining a companion who was heading the same way. “So long as it's not troubling you, than I would actually enjoy the company.” Hopefully whoever this was, was not someone who needed to help with every little thing. Who knows, maybe he was someone who she could put up with for the next hour or so.
Listening to his shoes hit the sidewalk she began to follow. Her cane resting just above the surface of her path, moving side to side like a metronome. “I’m sorry I forgot to ask your name. My own’s Aurora.”
“I'm Manhattan...but everyone calls me Manny. That's a pretty name...Aurora.”
He was glad she accepted his company. He didn't usually impose upon people like this, but he was kind of on a high at the moment, having just seen his family, and felt like passing on the feeling. He continued on until they got to the corner.
“Manny? Sounds like a book I read just a few months ago.” Smile on her features at the idea of a good book, she began to ease into the same walk pattern as her companion. Her head tilted slightly down as she listened to her surroundings.
“We're gonna have to cross the street so, hold on a sec.”
Manny pushed the button to change the ‘WALK’ light and waited. He noticed there was a small crowd waiting on the other side to cross. Nosey onlookers still making their way to the alley scene. He couldn't blame them though. It was very rare to hear gunshots go off in the middle of town during broad daylight hours, and since there was a police presence, people figured it was safe to check things out.
“Just so you know, there are good bit of people about to cross coming this way. If you need to hold onto to me or something, you can go ahead.”
He hoped he didn't sound too patronizing. He had never really helped a blind person before and he wasn't really sure how much he should intervene.
“Yeah, about nine of them in total,” least she thought it was about nine, when Manny spoke of the group on the other side of the street. The words began to mull together like paint in water, footsteps blending far too harshly to figure out their age or gender.
“No thats okay” biting the inside of her cheek at the offer she brushed it of. He offered, he didn’t insist. No reason to get annoyed from a kind gesture. Her cane in hand she tapped it on the street to find how large the drop from the sidewalk was. The sound of movement causing her to follow. Steps from the others and mulling voices acting likes waves and throwing her off ever so slightly. She kept her pace near Manny. A white figure standing out like a beacon.
One of the people tripping over her cane caused Aurora to fall forward a bit. Catching herself last minute, continuing on her way and waving off the male who began to apologize. Though she was sure to catch the mumble of her needing sunglasses. Climbing to the sidewalk she gave a sigh, as she began to smell pizza once more. “Starting to figure out where I am, crossed this place, or near here.”
Manny lifted his chin slightly as the delightful smell of pizza wafted through the air. They were about to head past one of his favorite pizzerias, and the scents of tomato sauce, fresh baked cheesy crust, sizzling sausage, and basil made Manny’s mouth water. He hadn't eaten lunch yet - in fact, it where was going before the he heard the gunshots - and he was pretty much starving, but food would have to come after music.
“The store's straight ahead almost to the end of the block. By the way, you were pretty accurate in your count back there, with the nine people. That's an amazing talent to be able to tell all that by sound.”
Manny really was impressed, almost wishing he possessed such an acute alertness. At that moment, his thoughts quickly flashed back to last night to Raven Tale. It was quite the coincidence that he'd meet two blind girls in less than 24 hours, though he didn't 100% confirm that Raven was blind. He really only used the clues there to assume so. This girl, though, was definitely visually impaired. And, plus, Raven, spoke like she was in Macbeth.
Following the instructions, Aurora kept walking, tilting her head when she heard Manny’s comment, how she was actually correct. “Really? Thought I would be off, more sounds the less accurate on an area.” The tips of her ears turning pink at the compliment, she began to listen to Manny. His breathing changed, yet muscles tensed and stride becoming more jumpy.
You could feel the music oozing from the shop as they arrived, and Manny couldn't help but beam in excitement. Still on his music high, he was almost giggly when he spoke.
“Here we are, Miss Aurora...after you,” he said as he opened the door to let her through.
“Excited are you?”
It was actually quite funny hearing the change. It was like a yearling that was about to be let out into some open space. The door opening before her, Aurora was engulfed in waves of music. She could smell the sweet aroma of a worn out record case, the pages of sheet music. A local band had their album playing, and she had to admit, they were actually good. “Oh, thank you” dipping her head in thanks she began to move inside. The smaller space causing her to be a bit more careful with her movements. “What can I help you with today?” Seeing the albino, one of the workers greeted her on the girl's right. Head up to try and pinpoint him, “umm, just here to find some records is all.” She was always looking to extend her collection. Ever since she gotten it in her best friends will, Aurora was determined to continue the hobby in her name. Though it only took a year for her to become slightly obsessed with the oversized music disk. “Take a left, right next to the window, you can’t miss it.” Nodding her thanks, she pinpointed Manny, wondering where he was going as she used her casted arm to feel for anything sticking out in the path. She could feel the three fingers uncovered, brushing Cds, old and worn with much love. Stopping only when they passed the familiar, almost fabric like texture of a record case. Her face lighting up when she began to realize how many boxes were here. “I knew I made the right choice in coming, oh wow this is awesome.” Manny wasn’t the only one affected. She began sounding like, a high schooler swooning over a football star.
Manny smiled at Aurora’s delight in the records. She seemed to love music as much as he did. This place was pretty much melomaniac heaven.
“These kinds of places are a rare find these days. Everything's digital and computerized. I mean I have an iPod with tons of music on it, but nothing really beats vintage.”
Manny picked up a record case and spun in on his finger.
“What I really came for, though, is a guitar. This is actually two stores in one. They have instruments, too. Been awhile since I got a new one, and this place usually has a great selection.”
“You play?” Interest grabbed, Aurora listened as Manny grabbed one of the records. Trying to focus on what he was doing with it yet she could not pinpoint it. Guess it was too light to make a distinguished sound. “Thats amazing, I’m kind of terrible when it comes to playing anything really.”
Running her hand over one of the records, she made a mental note to figure out what title it was. Listening and collecting music was one thing, but to be able to create it? Now that was a gift that was truly something.
Manny slid the record back into place. He cruised his way further into the store to where the instruments were. Guitars of all shapes and sizes lined the walls. Some amps and a few keyboards were placed here and there. He set to work making his selection.
Making a small stack of records based on touch, Aurora began to move about the store. Aware of the set of eyes from the employee at her back. There was so much here, it had such a welcoming scant, aged knowledge. Her hand brushing a set of bongos, cases and more, she found a pair of headphones. Smile on her features the woman set her stack down, feeling down the wire to unhook the device and enjoy it’s secrets. A small laugh escaping her at the realization that it was the same band that played around the store. A few moments of listing though had caused her to take off the headphones. Her body becoming still, finding Manny in moments as she began to make her way over. “Guitars?” Her records held close she collapsed her cane, reaching out with her good hand to feel the instruments before her one by one. “Huh?” Tilting her head at one of the creations she began to try and figure out what she was touching. It was a guitar, hung lower to the ground than the others. Yet it felt different for some reason. “I wonder if there’s something wrong with it.”
As Manny was perusing, he watched Aurora as she browsed the store, carefully and playfully taking everything in. She was like a kid in a candy store and her expressions made Manny smile.
“It's just unfinished wood. Nothing wrong.”
Manny was grabbing guitars giving them a once-over before returning them to their racks until he found one that he liked.
“Y’know you could get good if you practiced enough. That's really all it takes...dedication and a love for what you're doing. My dad taught me how to play when I was young. I like to play while my mom sings. She has a beautiful voice. Well, I think I found one.”
“Oh, guess not really used to actually instruments.” The tips of her ears turning red Aurora listened quietly, eventually showing her records at the counter. The man behind it happily reading the titles as she picked through them. “I’d love to learn, though my current passion kinda keeps everything else back. Practice every day, just like you.” A smile on her features, the thought of riding on her mind.
Yeah, no way she could squeeze in learning how to play, now that Ditch is on her hide and a team she has to hold up. “Well, least I could keep collecting, trying to finish my third wall.” Picking up her bag she moved out of Manny’s way. Waiting for him to finish his business before following him out.
Manny patted the guitar and held it at arm's length examine it once more. He brought the guitar to the counter and paid for it; then he had it held behind the counter.
“I'm just gonna grab a bite at the pizza place a few doors down and I'll swing back by to pick this up. No need to take it into the restaurant.”
As he walked out with Aurora, he turned to her with a genuine smile on his face. “It was nice to meet you, Aurora. Glad I could help you find this place. Maybe I'll see you around.”
Manny held out his hand, even though she couldn't see it. But somehow, he figured, she knew what he was doing.
The paper bag in hand she used her cane once more. “It was nice meeting you as well, I’m always around the city, if you see me don’t be a stranger.” Quickly moving her cane to her casted hand she took his own. Her senses figuring out a few new pieces of information. He was known for work, palms harsh and grip strong. Physically fit, nodding her head she began to part ways. Moving down the street to find an abandoned section.
Moving quick she summoned the Dullahan, putting her records in it’s saddlebags while retrieving a full helmet and coat. Her features covered she climbed on, the bray of a horse yet the roar of an engine she road away, the beast knowing where home was. Contacting her family to make sure they knew she was okay.
Manny watched as Aurora made her way down the sidewalk and around the corner. Their little acquaintance had made his day even better than it was before. Since the better part of his time was spent either taking out bad guys or preparing to do so, it was nice to meet someone good every once in awhile. He went over to the pizzeria for lunch, then dropped back by the shop to grab his newly purchased gift to himself. He walked back to the hospital where he left his bike, hopped on with the guitar slung over his shoulder, and made his way back into the city and back home.
After saying his goodbyes, Manny left the hospital feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. It was quite a welcome feeling after the rush of grief he had last night. He needed to be focused and in top form if he was going to be any help to the team. The growing threat of Umbra was serious business and he wasn’t about to let everyone down on the first mission.
As he started through the parking lot toward his bike, he heard what sounded like gunshots in the distance. It sounded pretty far, but he was sure that’s what it was. If he could hear gunshots in a noisy city like Millenium, he could definitely distinguish them in a quiet town like this. Figuring that he had no time to start his bike and fight traffic, Manny started sprinting into town. The closer he got to the scene, the more panicked and curious people were. Following the crowds, he came to a stop when he saw that they were gathered around an alley. A couple of cops were keeping the people back as another was questioning a man in cuffs. He seemed to be out of it; like they woke him up from being unconcious. He was holding his arm like he was hurt. But he was the only one there. And yet other people seemed to be panicked for a whole other reason. Manny didn’t quite understand what was happening.
Why’s that guy hurt? Was he the victim? He looks like he was the perp...and why is he the only one? Someone else had to be there...I’m confused…
As the crowd got thicker, Manny decided to leave it to the cops. He wasn’t Omega right now. He backed out of the crowd and turned to see a girl leaning against a wall, looking flustered.
Was she the victim? No...she doesn’t look hurt. Maybe not...but she still looks like something’s wrong...
It didn’t look like anyone was paying her any attention, so Manny went to offer his help.
“Excuse me? Are you alright? You, uh, look like something’s bothering you.”
Blazion