Member
Tim the Yeti
LG
January 13th, 1:12 AM
The Hawthorne, Boston
Karen sat with her head down at the main bar of The Hawthorne, seated between Clio and Starfire, her two new personal bodyguards. Surrounding them were dozens of patrons who were engaged in the usual revelry associated with such establishments.
The atmosphere was a happy and lighthearted one, and yet…Karen herself was looking rather gloomy.
The Boston concert on the eleventh of January had gone down without issue. Karen had rocked and R&B’d her way through her latest album, and performed several encores in addition. She even performed some of her older songs, for the younger fans in attendance; something the company would have normally grumbled about.
But not that night. No, to use Sterling Record’s words, it was a “narrowly averted disaster” for their PR department, as two concerts being attacked in a row could very well have brought the tour to an end. Just the fact that nobody was injured made it a much needed gasp of air for them.
Karen had also been grateful, of course. Exhausted, but grateful.
She had spent the entirety of the twelfth sleeping in, enjoying the stark contrast that the silence of her hotel room offered to the previous night. The downside to this was that, by the time she awoke, it was already night.
And after the attack on the first of the month, her bodyguards had given her a curfew of seven in the evening--unless she was performing, that is.
Well, fuck that.
“Old enough to shake my ass in front of thousands of strangers, but not go out when I want, or drink what I want,” grumbled Karen into her glass full of grape fruit juice. ”There’s seriously something wrong with that, don’t you think?”
Yes. It sounds like the human aging process is difficult.” Starfire agreed, not sure how Karen’s age related to drinking beverages and shaking her ass. Star’s spot at the table was empty, but every once in a while she plucked awkwardly at her jacket or sleeves. She’d never worn clothes this restrictive before. Black wasn’t really her color, either.
Clio cupped her chin a hand, elbow propped up on the bar. Her free hand traced circles around the rim of her martini glass. She had been evidently more irritable and tired the past few days, and it showed in the way she simply grunted at what Karen had to say. Whenever she was on the job, she was attentive and precise, but in moments of relaxation like these her melancholy showed through.
She hadn’t gone out as her vigilante self in days. Nor had she had to use a sufficient amount of magic. She felt drained. Turning in her seat, she stared out into the bar. “Sitting here brooding isn’t going to do anything but lead to more brooding.”
”I’m not brooding,” said Karen broodingly, taking a heavy gulp of her juice. Her eyes darted between Starfire and Clio. ”But if you don’t want to sit here, then what do you want to do? It’s been a while since I’ve visited Boston.”
Starfire glanced back and forth between her two friends, who were acting much grumpier than usual. ”What about a show? What kind of shows are there?” After a moment of thinking, she leaned toward her friends.
”Do you both need to go to sleep? How often do you need that?” She whispered, as if it was some kind of embarrassing secret.
”Wi, manman, mwen bezwen tan ti bebe mwen an.” Clio mumbled sharply, blowing out a heavy breath of air. The alien blinked, confusion apparent on her face. ”The last thing I need right now is sleep, Star. I need action before I implode.”
Karen hastily nodded her agreement. “Yeah, and I’ve been sleeping all day, remember? I couldn’t be more wide awake if I tried.”
Starfire looked concerned over at Clio. ”You will implode, Clio?” She asked.
”Yes, Star, I will truly implode if I don't get some form of excitement in my life." Clio's face was twisted into something serious, as if she were struggling not to cry at the revelation.
Starfire looked shocked. ”Oh, no, Clio!” She exclaimed. ”How long do we have? Should I attack you right now? ” She said, beginning to rise from her seat.
Karen placed a hand on Starfire’s shoulder, shaking her head. Concern had now overtaking her previously sombre expression. ”She’s speaking figuratively, Star.” Starfire sat back down, still looking worried but now understanding that Clio wasn’t in immediate mortal danger.
Karen then turned to Clio and reached out to cup either side of her face. The other mage looked as if she was about to have some sort of breakdown, all of the sudden. At the touch, Clio's eyes went wide and she flailed, bumping into the patron behind her.
”Woah, hey, hey, hey! Breath, Clio!” Karen gasped, having intended to try and focus her friend on the encouraging words she would’ve offered. Instead, she found herself appeasing the startled man who was now wearing his glass of gin. Starfire frowned, not knowing what to say.
”My friend is having a hard time, sorry!” Karen apologized.
The older man glared at the three of them, before stalking off towards the bathroom. At least he hadn’t recognized Karen; he was a bit out of her audience’s demographic.
Clio closed her eyes, released a breath, and stood from her seat. She smoothed down her pantsuit, eyes still squeezed tight. She couldn't just escape, which frustrated her to no end. She was on the job, and these were her friends, abandoning them would leave her with no one. ”Let's...get out of this place?" She said tentatively, one eye flying open.
Karen smiled gently to her, nodding. ”Sure. It was getting a little stuffy in here anyway.”
Throwing her head back, she downed her juice and set her glass on the bar counter before sliding down to her feet. Pulling her beanie down over her head, she glanced to the other two girls before heading towards the door. Starfire stood, adjusting her top and followed.
She really had no idea where they were about to go, but some fresh air would probably do Clio a lot of good.
Clio followed Karen out the door, and as soon as she was out it was like a bloodhound on the prowl. Her neck craned, and she was on high alert, seeking out any sounds or disturbances in the night. ”C'mon," She called to her companions, sprinting in her heeled shoes toward the nearest alley.
”Um, okay?” said Karen, offering Starfire a shrug.
Starfire, eyes strikingly bright in the darkness of the early morning, gave a passing glance towards Karen before following in a half-run after her friend Clio. She turned the corner and got a bead on her friend. Clio and Starfire first met in an alleyway. Perhaps Clio liked alleyways more than she realised?
Upon entering the alley, Clio created a spiral staircase of shadow up to the top of the building to the left. A surge of energy went through her, and she sucked in a giddy breath. She quickly ascended the staircase, looking down to make sure her partners were following. She had never had to trouble herself with extra people before, but there was a first time for everything.
Starfire unsteadily walked up the spiral staircase. It was like some kind of dark inversion of her own transversal abilities. Quietly, she followed behind, her Earthling made shoes stomping silently up to the roof. Once to the top, she adjusted her jacket and sleeves again, looking unquestioningly at her friend Clio.
Karen wasn’t afraid of magic. It would be difficult to be when it was a constant presence in her life, whether she liked it or not. Still, Clio’s sort of magic was strange to her. Different than her own. It was Chaos Magic, she knew, even if she hadn’t wanted to say it out loud. The stuff flowing through her friend was the very same power that corrupted Timothy Vanz and made him attack her.
Still, she followed after Starfire, ascending the shadowy steps while wrapping her arms around herself against the chill of the night. It was easily the coldest night she’d felt in...well, a while.
Clio's eyes scanned the horizon, and for a moment, all was still. She waited. Then, she began to run, sprinting toward the edge of the building. At the last second, she jumped off the edge, arms flailing as she leapt to the other building. Behind her, a bridge of shadow formed between the two buildings, mostly for Karen.
She continued leaping between buildings, creating a bridge between each structure, seemingly inexhaustible. They must've moved at least a block when she stopped. She crouched at the edge of a rooftop, staring out into the street below her. A man was walking beneath her. Scrawny, with a stride that gave away his lack of confidence. About twenty paces behind him, a van was creeping along the street. Tinted windows, no lights illuminating a license plate.
Perfect, Makaya thought. She held up a hand to halt the girls behind her.
Karen stared down into the alley, panting lightly. She engaged in regular exercise, getting in her hour of cardio each day. Even still, all this leaping about had winded her quite a bit. Worse, she had no idea what they were even doing!
”Clio,” she whispered, ”what the fuck?”
Starfire glanced at her friends. She had dropped to one knee and was looking at the man, and then back to the van. Clio looked like she was planning some kind of ambush. Not having said anything since the bar, Starfire was now trying to remain stealthy. Stealth wasn’t exactly her people’s strength, but a basic method she was taught was to cover her eyes with one hand, peaking through the fingers using her left eye. Starfire was curious as to what her friend was doing and kept silent, letting her friend concentrate.
”Not Clio!" Makaya hissed, still staring down at the man and the van that was steadily getting closer.
Karen raised her brows at the response, but said nothing.
It's about to happ-I know, dammit! Let the star do her work, alright? Makaya groaned inwardly. The van had completed its approach.
In a matter of moments, the door was pulled open, the specimen was pistol-whipped and grabbed, and the van was peeling off. Starfire raised her eyebrows and leaned over the roof.
Makaya rose from her crouch, raising a hand to crash the car with a solid wall of darkness. As she did, though, no magic came.
"What the fuck! Clio, is this you?" She asked herself, struggling to form the wall.
“Why are you talking in third person?” asked Karen, though her eyes followed the path of Clio’s hand to the van, a chill running up her spine when the man was struck with the pistol. “Oh shit, is he being abducted?”
Starfire turned around and saw Clio cursing and glanced to Karen. ”I think so. We should do something.” She said, turning around and standing to her feet. Glaring and biting her lip she began summoning a bolt in her hands. Her stare traced the back right wheel of the van. After a second of charging, the bolt would have the kinetic force of a grenade, though without the lethal shrapnel. Putting her right leg forward Starfire stretched her left arm back and prepared to throw the bright green energy that trembled with explosive power within her palm.
”W-wait!” Karen said, placing a hand on Starfire’s wrist, her eyes wide with shock. ”You might hurt that poor guy they just dragged in there!” The alien turned over her shoulder and paused, the bolt fizzling into non-existence.
The screech of the van’s tires pierced the night, and Karen turned to see the van begin to speed away. Although she didn’t want Star to potentially send it tumbling across the street, she also didn’t want them to get away. Sucking in a breath, she pointed her index and middle fingers at the front tire that was still within her sight.
”Arcanum sagitta!” said Karen, a purple lance of light launching from her fingers to pierce the tire just as the van was making a turn. Once more the air was filled with the screech of tires, the van veering off course and smashing into a parked moving truck.
Smoke began to rise from the engine, and the driver could be heard swearing.
Starfire nodded at Karen then turned to the edge of the roof. Rolling her neck she took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart. ”Torshezebah,” She whispered to herself. With that, she took a step off the roof. About a foot down of falling, her forward foot popped like she fell onto a trampoline. It echoed with sound like a ping pong ball being hit very hard while a firework went off indoors. A flat green disc expanded from her heel and then faded with the sound. Another step, another step, gaining speed, the pops growing louder and the discs spreading farther.
A few moments later she was over the van. Like an acrobat she spiralled through the air and landed hard on the roof of the van, her pantsuit being tossed this way and that, the nicely fitted attire becoming unbuttoned and extremely ruffled. Rolling off she landed by the driver side door. The driver, dressed in a thick hoodie and a balaclava, looked bewildered and frustrated at this sudden inexplicable turn of events.
Makaya, during Starfire's acrobatics, had completed her argument with herself...for the time being. She stepped off the side of the building similarly to her friend, but rather than bouncing back up like a trampoline, she landed on a squishy platform of darkness. Taking large steps on multiple platforms of shadow, she walked straight onto the street, approaching the fray on their level.
Glancing above her at Karen, she created a spiral slide down to the street. The other girl seemed capable, but it would just be faster this way. Karen, for her part, seemed to appreciate the effort and immediately launched herself down the slide.
”Wee!” cheered Karen as she hit the ground. She then blushed lightly and cleared her throat. “Who said that?”
Leaving that behind, she ran forward toward the van. The simplest solution would be to crush it, but she felt like Clio would make her magic falter again should she attempt to do anything that could injure the innocent within.
The driver turned and reached for something, but the alien outside the window was upon him. Forming a hard light shield around her fist, she punched through the glass sending it shattering. She wrapped her hands around the man’s collar and pulled hard, attempting to wrench the man out the window. “Hghk!” The man wordlessly articulated his discomfort as the seatbelt kept him in place as he was choked against.
Frowning, she punched him across the face and he recoiled, stunned. The passenger revealed herself finally having a clear shot. Starfire’s eyes widened and she ducked out of view as gunfire wizzed pass the driver and out the window. “Augh, what the hell!” The driver cursed. “You almost shot me! I can’t hear anything- Jesus!”
“I was trying to hit her!” The passenger said defensively, still aiming her pistol toward where she last saw Starfire’s glowing green eyes. Starfire knew the villains inside only had a few ways out. The driver had his door, the passenger had her door, and everyone inside the main van, including the victim, had the double doors at the rear of the van to escape.
So Starfire decided to reposition quickly to the front of the van. She did a quick pop onto the moving truck the van crashed into and began charging up her starbolts. Not sure of where she went, the passenger and driver were taken by surprise as the windshield shattered and they began being battered with intensely hot, high velocity spheres the size of a basketball.
As the pair of idiots that had been driving the van began getting assaulted by orbs of green fire, an Acolyte --who, before giving up his name to their Great Lord, was named Rebastian-- of the Nameless Cult scoffed. These pitiful thugs were anything but useful. He had long ago sensed magical energy, but it wasn't being put off by this wielder of flame.
No, there were others who wished to disrupt his Lord's work.
"I sense magical drivel." He spat, turning and throwing open the back van doors with the power bestowed upon him by his Lord. Telekinesis.
Upon seeing the two approaching women, he pointed at them, sending forth his group of thugs. "Kill them!"
The five thugs, some carrying makeshift clubs and others pistols, hopped out of the back of the van and charged.
Makaya cackled, and as the first round of gunfire went off she threw up a shield of darkness, a sort of test to see if Clio would allow the magic. It worked flawlessly, absorbing some of the bullets like jello before they clinked to the ground, harmless.
Karen stopped beside Clio, having finally caught up to the others. What the hell were they even doing down here? This was all completely out of left field!
God, how did she wind up in this situation? She had just wanted to go out for a night on the town, and now they were being shot at! There were, like, five of them, too! What the hell could they do against so many people? It was only thanks to Clio that they weren’t being riddled with bullets right now!
No, shut up and focus, Karen.
Sucking in a breath, she drew upon the Arcanum that flowed through the ley lines. Quickly thrusting her finger at the nearest thug’s weapon, she said, “Zestaino!”
Almost immediately, the gun began to glow red. Screaming, he dropped it onto the floor of the van where it began to smoke.
With a gleeful giggle, Mayaka sent a chunk of the wall forth, causing it to wrap around the body of a gunman mid-shot. It was very similar to her attack on Timothy, though this time she didn't plan on releasing the void midway. She shoved it down his orifices, raising a hand to make the darkness expand and cause him to explode. It had been so long since she'd been out, she just wanted to stretch her legs a little, have fun.
As she went to do this, though, her magic sputtered out. Not just the darkness within the gunner, but the shield protecting her. The gunner collapsed, unconscious, but otherwise unharmed. ”I swear to fuck!" Makaya growled, shaking her hand in front of her face. ”You're going to get me killed!" Knowing the self-centered attitude wouldn't work very well, she added. ”And Karen, think of Karen!"
At this, the thinning magic roared back to life. A barrier formed once more, a half cylinder surrounding the two women. Makaya turned to the singer, huffing. ”Ya know, if you-never mind, just help me!"
Meanwhile, Starfire was occupied with the driver and passenger. The two of them undid their seatbelts and dived out of the car for cover, their seats blackened and charred. Quickly, the pair began firing up at the green-eyed woman standing on the roof of the moving truck their van had crashed into. Yelping Starfire withdrew her energy into a protective shield. While Clio’s shadow barrier absorbed the bullets like jello, Starfire’s hard light armor send the bullets ricocheting and pinging off into the distance. Ten bullets slammed into the armor around her skin in rapid succession and she could feel it failing. Quickly, she drew the armor away from her self and launched a Starbolt at the driver. It hit him square in the chest and he fell backward, the wind knocked out of him. Starfire cried out as a bullet dug into her unarmored side. Focusing on her armor again, the rest of the bullets bounced off. She leapt off the truck and onto the passenger, sending the gun scattering. The woman looked up at her, and Starfire could only see her wide eyes that quickly shut as Starfire punched her across the face.
Starfire vaulted over the hood of the car and saw the driver trying to recover. He raised the gun and fired, hitting Starfire in the shoulder. Fortunately the armor caught the bullet but it was starting to hurt. She delivered a swift side kick to his jaw and knocked him out. Putting a hand to her ribs, she winced as her fingers were slick with her dark crimson blood. The pantsuit was ruined! Hearing a commotion from the back of the van she focused up and hurried to aid her friends.
Back at the rear of the van, Karen had busied herself by casting more Zestaino spells at the gunmen, depriving each of their weapons as Clio focused on maintaining her barrier. As hard as it was to believe, it almost seemed like they were winning! Winning a fight they had no business being in!
Fantastic!
”Zestaino--that’s the last one!” said Karen, glancing to Clio.
Her friend’s earlier ramblings hadn’t been lost on her. She had clearly been…talking to herself. Not even in a casual way, either--more like a full on argument! It was something she would definitely have to talk to her about, once they were out of danger.
The Acolyte cursed the thugs as they dropped their heated weaponry like the cheap dolts-for-hire they were. It was time for him to step in and get the sacrifice back safely. Speaking of which, where was the sacrifice?
The back of the van was entirely empty. Stomping like a child throwing a fit, the child of the Nameless Lord raised his hands, summoning up his magic. He tugged at the barrier of darkness, and successfully ripped it away after a moment of back and forth with the chaos mage who had summoned it.
"Fight, before I use you as bludgeons!" He roared to his hired, weaponless guns.
Makaya couldn't believe herself. She had really lost her barrier to this puny thing that decided to call himself a mage? She was going to get back at him for that. Darting forward, she made contact with the first thug. Summoning up her daggers --which were more reliable than her magic at this point-- she weaved beneath a clumsily thrown fist and hit him straight in the nose with the blunt part of the blade. A crack could be heard, and a cry of pain flew from the man's lips.
She wasted no time in glancing behind her, only hoping Karen was still backing her up while she fought her way through the thugs.
“WAAH!” screamed Karen, running away as one of the thugs began to chase after her. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw the longer-legged goon was starting to gain on her. Swallowing hard, she pointed at his shoe. ”Zestaino!”
The thug howled immediately as his shoe was lit on fire. Using the opportunity, Karen closed her eyes and kicked him upside the head with all of her strength, sending him tumbling head-over-heels onto the ground.
Slowly opening her eyes, Karen stared down at the prone form of her assailant. The sound of Clio fighting the remaining kidnappers quickly pulled her attention back to the van, her knees reflexively locking together at the formidable opposition her friend was up against.
Forcing herself to take a step forward, she did the only thing she could think of and began casting more Heating Charms at the thugs’ shoes. She had never drew this heavily upon the ley lines at any point in her life before, and her body was starting to ache.
Makaya was starting to react to her magic as well, though she was far from burning out. She had switched to a tactic of knife fighting and shadowmancy, throwing off her enemies with assaults on both sides. She did nothing too lethal, but at this point she wasn't even sure if Clio could stop her. The chaos flowing through her veins was like steroids, and as she drew upon the cracks between the planes, she knew she was regaining control of this vessel.
With the aid from Karen, Makaya was able to cut a clear path to the acolyte through her opponents. A gravelly giggle ripped through her throat upon seeing him. She hardly noticed when a thug's unconscious body flew toward her. It slammed into her side, the weight of a sleeping body sending her to the ground. Makaya looked up in shock as her blades were ripped out of her hands, but she quickly summoned them back to her person. She rose to her feet, throwing a dagger at him which he held in midair only for her to summon it back.
The game would've been fun, if she weren't pissed.
The Acolyte was seemingly unbothered by the rage in his opponent's eyes. He could sense the Chaos coming off of her, similar to his own but different all the same. She was evidently used to her magic, which meant she had to have been utilizing it for some length of time. His only question was… "Who is it you serve?"
“Arcanum Sagitta!” shouted Karen, drinking as heavily from the ley lines as she could to power her Arcane Arrow, launching it directly towards the Acolyte. She fired one, and then another, the first two being equally as powerful, but the third notably less so, and the fourth being little better than her standard blast.
Falling down onto her knees, Karen grasped her arms as her body began to shiver with pain. Shit, she had really pushed herself way too hard tonight…
Solely focused on the woman before him, the Acolyte was caught off guard when the first two bolts of magic struck him square in the chest. The blasts that came with the streams of purple magic were enough to knock him backward, onto the pavement. The other bolts flew above him, but he was already out of it.
As he saw stars, Makaya was quick to react. She approached, daggers in hand, ready to end this once and for all. Something nudged at her though, and she turned to look at Karen. After all, it had been her companion who had taken the man out. The poor girl was on the ground, looking worse for wear. She cursed her weaker self.
Taking a heeled boot, Makaya stomped on the Acolyte's head once, just heavy enough to put him out cold and form a big, split bruise on his forehead. Turning around, she strolled over to the girl, holding out a hand to pick her up.
”You're gonna be alright." She promised, voice pitched higher than usual. She didn't want to dilly-dally. ”Nothing a lil' R-and-R can't fix."
Karen slowly noddled, forcing herself to her feet. Her legs wobbled slightly as she took deep, steadying breaths. ”Yeah...I’ll be fine. But let’s call the cops and get out of here.”
At that moment, Starfire finally showed up, preparing her hands for a blast attack. She relaxed when she saw that the rest of the goons were taken care of, whether scrambling away holding stab wounds or plain unconscious. Putting a hand over the bullet hole in her side, trying to hide her newly ruined pantsuit she walked over to the other two. Unfortunately there was an exit wound as the bullet passed through her body, so the pantsuit was doubly ruined though Starfire didn’t notice.
”Clio, Karen, we won!” She celebrated. She focused on Clio.
”Also Clio, what was the purpose of this activity?” She asked, glancing around at the recovering goons and beat down acolyte.
Karen grunted, rolling her shoulders--and immediately regretting it. ”That’s a good question. I just wanted to have a fun night on the town, not feel like I’m on the period from hell.”
Makaya smirked at her two companions. ”Had to stretch my legs, haven't had my time in a long time." She inspected Karen warily, before doing the same to Star. She noticed the girl cradling her side, but she seemed good enough to walk. Plus she had that special healing thing, she'd be alright.
“Yeah, we’re going to have to talk about…that, when we get home.” said Karen, taking out her burner phone. She often used it to call in pizza or obtain other items, since having “Karen Hernandez” show up on the other end was more trouble than it was worth in most cases.
She looked up the number for the local police, before starting to dial it. A hand was quick to snatch the phone out of her grip, Makaya's eyes flaring.
”What are you doing?"
Karen blinked in confusion when her phone was snatched out of her hands. ”Hey! I’m...just calling the cops, like I said. What are you doing?”
”Getting time with the culprit. The cops are probably coming this way as we speak." She looked around, throwing her hands in the air. ”Do you see the victim?"
Karen scanned the area, frowning. The only ones there besides them were the groaning thugs on the ground and the Acolyte. ”I guess he must have ran. Can’t blame him. We should leave these guys to the cops though--we’re in no shape to follow up on anything, Clio!”
”Stop-" She looked extremely frustrated, but stopped herself short. ”You may not be in any shape, but I am. This guy is a weirdo, it's obvious." Makaya pointed at the sleeping body. ”There's something going on here."
Karen frowned deeply. She was sore, she was tired, she was shaken up from having to fight a bunch of armed thugs. Clio was being strangely difficult tonight and she just didn’t understand why. She didn’t even like the sound of her own name, apparently. “I agree that there’s something going on here, Clio--something that’s way beyond us right now! Star is hurt, I’m hurt, and you’re...well, something is clearly going on with you, because you’re not acting like yourself!”
Makaya's head was beginning to hurt. Clio didn't like this conflict. She was a pleaser who wanted to keep her job. Pathetic! It was pathetic! She groaned, cupping the sides of her head. "Fine! We've wasted too much time."
Karen reached out to snatch her phone back from Clio, and finished calling the police. There was only a single ring before a woman on the other side answered. “Um, yes...I would like to report a kidnapping on…”
She glanced up at the sign across the street. ”McKenzie Avenue. The perpetrators are unconscious.”
Ending the call before the operator could respond, she turned the burner off. She’d probably have to get a new one after this, since the cops had that number now. ”There...now, can one of my bodyguards maybe help me back to the hotel without getting me shot at?”
Starfire bit her lip and looked regretful, finally speaking up. ”You are right, Karen. I should have told you to stay on the roof before I did something foolish. I am sorry.” She approached her employer and stood dutifully by her side, reaching out with her free hand to take Karen’s.
Karen shook her head, and accepted Starfire’s hand. “Well, at least it’s just magic burnout. I should feel better in a day or two.”
Makaya watched the two of them, before sighing and nodding. She was slowly losing steam, it was time for her to retire. ”Whatever ya say, boss. Would you...er...prefer a cab?"
Karen laughed wearily. “Thanks, but I’m good with Star. I prefer orange to yellow anyhow.”
Starfire gently tugged at Karen’s hand and began walking at a brisk pace back to the well-lit and safe luxury of the hotel.
The atmosphere was a happy and lighthearted one, and yet…Karen herself was looking rather gloomy.
The Boston concert on the eleventh of January had gone down without issue. Karen had rocked and R&B’d her way through her latest album, and performed several encores in addition. She even performed some of her older songs, for the younger fans in attendance; something the company would have normally grumbled about.
But not that night. No, to use Sterling Record’s words, it was a “narrowly averted disaster” for their PR department, as two concerts being attacked in a row could very well have brought the tour to an end. Just the fact that nobody was injured made it a much needed gasp of air for them.
Karen had also been grateful, of course. Exhausted, but grateful.
She had spent the entirety of the twelfth sleeping in, enjoying the stark contrast that the silence of her hotel room offered to the previous night. The downside to this was that, by the time she awoke, it was already night.
And after the attack on the first of the month, her bodyguards had given her a curfew of seven in the evening--unless she was performing, that is.
Well, fuck that.
“Old enough to shake my ass in front of thousands of strangers, but not go out when I want, or drink what I want,” grumbled Karen into her glass full of grape fruit juice. ”There’s seriously something wrong with that, don’t you think?”
Yes. It sounds like the human aging process is difficult.” Starfire agreed, not sure how Karen’s age related to drinking beverages and shaking her ass. Star’s spot at the table was empty, but every once in a while she plucked awkwardly at her jacket or sleeves. She’d never worn clothes this restrictive before. Black wasn’t really her color, either.
Clio cupped her chin a hand, elbow propped up on the bar. Her free hand traced circles around the rim of her martini glass. She had been evidently more irritable and tired the past few days, and it showed in the way she simply grunted at what Karen had to say. Whenever she was on the job, she was attentive and precise, but in moments of relaxation like these her melancholy showed through.
She hadn’t gone out as her vigilante self in days. Nor had she had to use a sufficient amount of magic. She felt drained. Turning in her seat, she stared out into the bar. “Sitting here brooding isn’t going to do anything but lead to more brooding.”
”I’m not brooding,” said Karen broodingly, taking a heavy gulp of her juice. Her eyes darted between Starfire and Clio. ”But if you don’t want to sit here, then what do you want to do? It’s been a while since I’ve visited Boston.”
Starfire glanced back and forth between her two friends, who were acting much grumpier than usual. ”What about a show? What kind of shows are there?” After a moment of thinking, she leaned toward her friends.
”Do you both need to go to sleep? How often do you need that?” She whispered, as if it was some kind of embarrassing secret.
”Wi, manman, mwen bezwen tan ti bebe mwen an.” Clio mumbled sharply, blowing out a heavy breath of air. The alien blinked, confusion apparent on her face. ”The last thing I need right now is sleep, Star. I need action before I implode.”
Karen hastily nodded her agreement. “Yeah, and I’ve been sleeping all day, remember? I couldn’t be more wide awake if I tried.”
Starfire looked concerned over at Clio. ”You will implode, Clio?” She asked.
”Yes, Star, I will truly implode if I don't get some form of excitement in my life." Clio's face was twisted into something serious, as if she were struggling not to cry at the revelation.
Starfire looked shocked. ”Oh, no, Clio!” She exclaimed. ”How long do we have? Should I attack you right now? ” She said, beginning to rise from her seat.
Karen placed a hand on Starfire’s shoulder, shaking her head. Concern had now overtaking her previously sombre expression. ”She’s speaking figuratively, Star.” Starfire sat back down, still looking worried but now understanding that Clio wasn’t in immediate mortal danger.
Karen then turned to Clio and reached out to cup either side of her face. The other mage looked as if she was about to have some sort of breakdown, all of the sudden. At the touch, Clio's eyes went wide and she flailed, bumping into the patron behind her.
”Woah, hey, hey, hey! Breath, Clio!” Karen gasped, having intended to try and focus her friend on the encouraging words she would’ve offered. Instead, she found herself appeasing the startled man who was now wearing his glass of gin. Starfire frowned, not knowing what to say.
”My friend is having a hard time, sorry!” Karen apologized.
The older man glared at the three of them, before stalking off towards the bathroom. At least he hadn’t recognized Karen; he was a bit out of her audience’s demographic.
Clio closed her eyes, released a breath, and stood from her seat. She smoothed down her pantsuit, eyes still squeezed tight. She couldn't just escape, which frustrated her to no end. She was on the job, and these were her friends, abandoning them would leave her with no one. ”Let's...get out of this place?" She said tentatively, one eye flying open.
Karen smiled gently to her, nodding. ”Sure. It was getting a little stuffy in here anyway.”
Throwing her head back, she downed her juice and set her glass on the bar counter before sliding down to her feet. Pulling her beanie down over her head, she glanced to the other two girls before heading towards the door. Starfire stood, adjusting her top and followed.
She really had no idea where they were about to go, but some fresh air would probably do Clio a lot of good.
Clio followed Karen out the door, and as soon as she was out it was like a bloodhound on the prowl. Her neck craned, and she was on high alert, seeking out any sounds or disturbances in the night. ”C'mon," She called to her companions, sprinting in her heeled shoes toward the nearest alley.
”Um, okay?” said Karen, offering Starfire a shrug.
Starfire, eyes strikingly bright in the darkness of the early morning, gave a passing glance towards Karen before following in a half-run after her friend Clio. She turned the corner and got a bead on her friend. Clio and Starfire first met in an alleyway. Perhaps Clio liked alleyways more than she realised?
Upon entering the alley, Clio created a spiral staircase of shadow up to the top of the building to the left. A surge of energy went through her, and she sucked in a giddy breath. She quickly ascended the staircase, looking down to make sure her partners were following. She had never had to trouble herself with extra people before, but there was a first time for everything.
Starfire unsteadily walked up the spiral staircase. It was like some kind of dark inversion of her own transversal abilities. Quietly, she followed behind, her Earthling made shoes stomping silently up to the roof. Once to the top, she adjusted her jacket and sleeves again, looking unquestioningly at her friend Clio.
Karen wasn’t afraid of magic. It would be difficult to be when it was a constant presence in her life, whether she liked it or not. Still, Clio’s sort of magic was strange to her. Different than her own. It was Chaos Magic, she knew, even if she hadn’t wanted to say it out loud. The stuff flowing through her friend was the very same power that corrupted Timothy Vanz and made him attack her.
Still, she followed after Starfire, ascending the shadowy steps while wrapping her arms around herself against the chill of the night. It was easily the coldest night she’d felt in...well, a while.
Clio's eyes scanned the horizon, and for a moment, all was still. She waited. Then, she began to run, sprinting toward the edge of the building. At the last second, she jumped off the edge, arms flailing as she leapt to the other building. Behind her, a bridge of shadow formed between the two buildings, mostly for Karen.
She continued leaping between buildings, creating a bridge between each structure, seemingly inexhaustible. They must've moved at least a block when she stopped. She crouched at the edge of a rooftop, staring out into the street below her. A man was walking beneath her. Scrawny, with a stride that gave away his lack of confidence. About twenty paces behind him, a van was creeping along the street. Tinted windows, no lights illuminating a license plate.
Perfect, Makaya thought. She held up a hand to halt the girls behind her.
Karen stared down into the alley, panting lightly. She engaged in regular exercise, getting in her hour of cardio each day. Even still, all this leaping about had winded her quite a bit. Worse, she had no idea what they were even doing!
”Clio,” she whispered, ”what the fuck?”
Starfire glanced at her friends. She had dropped to one knee and was looking at the man, and then back to the van. Clio looked like she was planning some kind of ambush. Not having said anything since the bar, Starfire was now trying to remain stealthy. Stealth wasn’t exactly her people’s strength, but a basic method she was taught was to cover her eyes with one hand, peaking through the fingers using her left eye. Starfire was curious as to what her friend was doing and kept silent, letting her friend concentrate.
”Not Clio!" Makaya hissed, still staring down at the man and the van that was steadily getting closer.
Karen raised her brows at the response, but said nothing.
It's about to happ-I know, dammit! Let the star do her work, alright? Makaya groaned inwardly. The van had completed its approach.
In a matter of moments, the door was pulled open, the specimen was pistol-whipped and grabbed, and the van was peeling off. Starfire raised her eyebrows and leaned over the roof.
Makaya rose from her crouch, raising a hand to crash the car with a solid wall of darkness. As she did, though, no magic came.
"What the fuck! Clio, is this you?" She asked herself, struggling to form the wall.
“Why are you talking in third person?” asked Karen, though her eyes followed the path of Clio’s hand to the van, a chill running up her spine when the man was struck with the pistol. “Oh shit, is he being abducted?”
Starfire turned around and saw Clio cursing and glanced to Karen. ”I think so. We should do something.” She said, turning around and standing to her feet. Glaring and biting her lip she began summoning a bolt in her hands. Her stare traced the back right wheel of the van. After a second of charging, the bolt would have the kinetic force of a grenade, though without the lethal shrapnel. Putting her right leg forward Starfire stretched her left arm back and prepared to throw the bright green energy that trembled with explosive power within her palm.
”W-wait!” Karen said, placing a hand on Starfire’s wrist, her eyes wide with shock. ”You might hurt that poor guy they just dragged in there!” The alien turned over her shoulder and paused, the bolt fizzling into non-existence.
The screech of the van’s tires pierced the night, and Karen turned to see the van begin to speed away. Although she didn’t want Star to potentially send it tumbling across the street, she also didn’t want them to get away. Sucking in a breath, she pointed her index and middle fingers at the front tire that was still within her sight.
”Arcanum sagitta!” said Karen, a purple lance of light launching from her fingers to pierce the tire just as the van was making a turn. Once more the air was filled with the screech of tires, the van veering off course and smashing into a parked moving truck.
Smoke began to rise from the engine, and the driver could be heard swearing.
Starfire nodded at Karen then turned to the edge of the roof. Rolling her neck she took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart. ”Torshezebah,” She whispered to herself. With that, she took a step off the roof. About a foot down of falling, her forward foot popped like she fell onto a trampoline. It echoed with sound like a ping pong ball being hit very hard while a firework went off indoors. A flat green disc expanded from her heel and then faded with the sound. Another step, another step, gaining speed, the pops growing louder and the discs spreading farther.
A few moments later she was over the van. Like an acrobat she spiralled through the air and landed hard on the roof of the van, her pantsuit being tossed this way and that, the nicely fitted attire becoming unbuttoned and extremely ruffled. Rolling off she landed by the driver side door. The driver, dressed in a thick hoodie and a balaclava, looked bewildered and frustrated at this sudden inexplicable turn of events.
Makaya, during Starfire's acrobatics, had completed her argument with herself...for the time being. She stepped off the side of the building similarly to her friend, but rather than bouncing back up like a trampoline, she landed on a squishy platform of darkness. Taking large steps on multiple platforms of shadow, she walked straight onto the street, approaching the fray on their level.
Glancing above her at Karen, she created a spiral slide down to the street. The other girl seemed capable, but it would just be faster this way. Karen, for her part, seemed to appreciate the effort and immediately launched herself down the slide.
”Wee!” cheered Karen as she hit the ground. She then blushed lightly and cleared her throat. “Who said that?”
Leaving that behind, she ran forward toward the van. The simplest solution would be to crush it, but she felt like Clio would make her magic falter again should she attempt to do anything that could injure the innocent within.
The driver turned and reached for something, but the alien outside the window was upon him. Forming a hard light shield around her fist, she punched through the glass sending it shattering. She wrapped her hands around the man’s collar and pulled hard, attempting to wrench the man out the window. “Hghk!” The man wordlessly articulated his discomfort as the seatbelt kept him in place as he was choked against.
Frowning, she punched him across the face and he recoiled, stunned. The passenger revealed herself finally having a clear shot. Starfire’s eyes widened and she ducked out of view as gunfire wizzed pass the driver and out the window. “Augh, what the hell!” The driver cursed. “You almost shot me! I can’t hear anything- Jesus!”
“I was trying to hit her!” The passenger said defensively, still aiming her pistol toward where she last saw Starfire’s glowing green eyes. Starfire knew the villains inside only had a few ways out. The driver had his door, the passenger had her door, and everyone inside the main van, including the victim, had the double doors at the rear of the van to escape.
So Starfire decided to reposition quickly to the front of the van. She did a quick pop onto the moving truck the van crashed into and began charging up her starbolts. Not sure of where she went, the passenger and driver were taken by surprise as the windshield shattered and they began being battered with intensely hot, high velocity spheres the size of a basketball.
As the pair of idiots that had been driving the van began getting assaulted by orbs of green fire, an Acolyte --who, before giving up his name to their Great Lord, was named Rebastian-- of the Nameless Cult scoffed. These pitiful thugs were anything but useful. He had long ago sensed magical energy, but it wasn't being put off by this wielder of flame.
No, there were others who wished to disrupt his Lord's work.
"I sense magical drivel." He spat, turning and throwing open the back van doors with the power bestowed upon him by his Lord. Telekinesis.
Upon seeing the two approaching women, he pointed at them, sending forth his group of thugs. "Kill them!"
The five thugs, some carrying makeshift clubs and others pistols, hopped out of the back of the van and charged.
Makaya cackled, and as the first round of gunfire went off she threw up a shield of darkness, a sort of test to see if Clio would allow the magic. It worked flawlessly, absorbing some of the bullets like jello before they clinked to the ground, harmless.
Karen stopped beside Clio, having finally caught up to the others. What the hell were they even doing down here? This was all completely out of left field!
God, how did she wind up in this situation? She had just wanted to go out for a night on the town, and now they were being shot at! There were, like, five of them, too! What the hell could they do against so many people? It was only thanks to Clio that they weren’t being riddled with bullets right now!
No, shut up and focus, Karen.
Sucking in a breath, she drew upon the Arcanum that flowed through the ley lines. Quickly thrusting her finger at the nearest thug’s weapon, she said, “Zestaino!”
Almost immediately, the gun began to glow red. Screaming, he dropped it onto the floor of the van where it began to smoke.
With a gleeful giggle, Mayaka sent a chunk of the wall forth, causing it to wrap around the body of a gunman mid-shot. It was very similar to her attack on Timothy, though this time she didn't plan on releasing the void midway. She shoved it down his orifices, raising a hand to make the darkness expand and cause him to explode. It had been so long since she'd been out, she just wanted to stretch her legs a little, have fun.
As she went to do this, though, her magic sputtered out. Not just the darkness within the gunner, but the shield protecting her. The gunner collapsed, unconscious, but otherwise unharmed. ”I swear to fuck!" Makaya growled, shaking her hand in front of her face. ”You're going to get me killed!" Knowing the self-centered attitude wouldn't work very well, she added. ”And Karen, think of Karen!"
At this, the thinning magic roared back to life. A barrier formed once more, a half cylinder surrounding the two women. Makaya turned to the singer, huffing. ”Ya know, if you-never mind, just help me!"
Meanwhile, Starfire was occupied with the driver and passenger. The two of them undid their seatbelts and dived out of the car for cover, their seats blackened and charred. Quickly, the pair began firing up at the green-eyed woman standing on the roof of the moving truck their van had crashed into. Yelping Starfire withdrew her energy into a protective shield. While Clio’s shadow barrier absorbed the bullets like jello, Starfire’s hard light armor send the bullets ricocheting and pinging off into the distance. Ten bullets slammed into the armor around her skin in rapid succession and she could feel it failing. Quickly, she drew the armor away from her self and launched a Starbolt at the driver. It hit him square in the chest and he fell backward, the wind knocked out of him. Starfire cried out as a bullet dug into her unarmored side. Focusing on her armor again, the rest of the bullets bounced off. She leapt off the truck and onto the passenger, sending the gun scattering. The woman looked up at her, and Starfire could only see her wide eyes that quickly shut as Starfire punched her across the face.
Starfire vaulted over the hood of the car and saw the driver trying to recover. He raised the gun and fired, hitting Starfire in the shoulder. Fortunately the armor caught the bullet but it was starting to hurt. She delivered a swift side kick to his jaw and knocked him out. Putting a hand to her ribs, she winced as her fingers were slick with her dark crimson blood. The pantsuit was ruined! Hearing a commotion from the back of the van she focused up and hurried to aid her friends.
Back at the rear of the van, Karen had busied herself by casting more Zestaino spells at the gunmen, depriving each of their weapons as Clio focused on maintaining her barrier. As hard as it was to believe, it almost seemed like they were winning! Winning a fight they had no business being in!
Fantastic!
”Zestaino--that’s the last one!” said Karen, glancing to Clio.
Her friend’s earlier ramblings hadn’t been lost on her. She had clearly been…talking to herself. Not even in a casual way, either--more like a full on argument! It was something she would definitely have to talk to her about, once they were out of danger.
The Acolyte cursed the thugs as they dropped their heated weaponry like the cheap dolts-for-hire they were. It was time for him to step in and get the sacrifice back safely. Speaking of which, where was the sacrifice?
The back of the van was entirely empty. Stomping like a child throwing a fit, the child of the Nameless Lord raised his hands, summoning up his magic. He tugged at the barrier of darkness, and successfully ripped it away after a moment of back and forth with the chaos mage who had summoned it.
"Fight, before I use you as bludgeons!" He roared to his hired, weaponless guns.
Makaya couldn't believe herself. She had really lost her barrier to this puny thing that decided to call himself a mage? She was going to get back at him for that. Darting forward, she made contact with the first thug. Summoning up her daggers --which were more reliable than her magic at this point-- she weaved beneath a clumsily thrown fist and hit him straight in the nose with the blunt part of the blade. A crack could be heard, and a cry of pain flew from the man's lips.
She wasted no time in glancing behind her, only hoping Karen was still backing her up while she fought her way through the thugs.
“WAAH!” screamed Karen, running away as one of the thugs began to chase after her. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw the longer-legged goon was starting to gain on her. Swallowing hard, she pointed at his shoe. ”Zestaino!”
The thug howled immediately as his shoe was lit on fire. Using the opportunity, Karen closed her eyes and kicked him upside the head with all of her strength, sending him tumbling head-over-heels onto the ground.
Slowly opening her eyes, Karen stared down at the prone form of her assailant. The sound of Clio fighting the remaining kidnappers quickly pulled her attention back to the van, her knees reflexively locking together at the formidable opposition her friend was up against.
Forcing herself to take a step forward, she did the only thing she could think of and began casting more Heating Charms at the thugs’ shoes. She had never drew this heavily upon the ley lines at any point in her life before, and her body was starting to ache.
Makaya was starting to react to her magic as well, though she was far from burning out. She had switched to a tactic of knife fighting and shadowmancy, throwing off her enemies with assaults on both sides. She did nothing too lethal, but at this point she wasn't even sure if Clio could stop her. The chaos flowing through her veins was like steroids, and as she drew upon the cracks between the planes, she knew she was regaining control of this vessel.
With the aid from Karen, Makaya was able to cut a clear path to the acolyte through her opponents. A gravelly giggle ripped through her throat upon seeing him. She hardly noticed when a thug's unconscious body flew toward her. It slammed into her side, the weight of a sleeping body sending her to the ground. Makaya looked up in shock as her blades were ripped out of her hands, but she quickly summoned them back to her person. She rose to her feet, throwing a dagger at him which he held in midair only for her to summon it back.
The game would've been fun, if she weren't pissed.
The Acolyte was seemingly unbothered by the rage in his opponent's eyes. He could sense the Chaos coming off of her, similar to his own but different all the same. She was evidently used to her magic, which meant she had to have been utilizing it for some length of time. His only question was… "Who is it you serve?"
“Arcanum Sagitta!” shouted Karen, drinking as heavily from the ley lines as she could to power her Arcane Arrow, launching it directly towards the Acolyte. She fired one, and then another, the first two being equally as powerful, but the third notably less so, and the fourth being little better than her standard blast.
Falling down onto her knees, Karen grasped her arms as her body began to shiver with pain. Shit, she had really pushed herself way too hard tonight…
Solely focused on the woman before him, the Acolyte was caught off guard when the first two bolts of magic struck him square in the chest. The blasts that came with the streams of purple magic were enough to knock him backward, onto the pavement. The other bolts flew above him, but he was already out of it.
As he saw stars, Makaya was quick to react. She approached, daggers in hand, ready to end this once and for all. Something nudged at her though, and she turned to look at Karen. After all, it had been her companion who had taken the man out. The poor girl was on the ground, looking worse for wear. She cursed her weaker self.
Taking a heeled boot, Makaya stomped on the Acolyte's head once, just heavy enough to put him out cold and form a big, split bruise on his forehead. Turning around, she strolled over to the girl, holding out a hand to pick her up.
”You're gonna be alright." She promised, voice pitched higher than usual. She didn't want to dilly-dally. ”Nothing a lil' R-and-R can't fix."
Karen slowly noddled, forcing herself to her feet. Her legs wobbled slightly as she took deep, steadying breaths. ”Yeah...I’ll be fine. But let’s call the cops and get out of here.”
At that moment, Starfire finally showed up, preparing her hands for a blast attack. She relaxed when she saw that the rest of the goons were taken care of, whether scrambling away holding stab wounds or plain unconscious. Putting a hand over the bullet hole in her side, trying to hide her newly ruined pantsuit she walked over to the other two. Unfortunately there was an exit wound as the bullet passed through her body, so the pantsuit was doubly ruined though Starfire didn’t notice.
”Clio, Karen, we won!” She celebrated. She focused on Clio.
”Also Clio, what was the purpose of this activity?” She asked, glancing around at the recovering goons and beat down acolyte.
Karen grunted, rolling her shoulders--and immediately regretting it. ”That’s a good question. I just wanted to have a fun night on the town, not feel like I’m on the period from hell.”
Makaya smirked at her two companions. ”Had to stretch my legs, haven't had my time in a long time." She inspected Karen warily, before doing the same to Star. She noticed the girl cradling her side, but she seemed good enough to walk. Plus she had that special healing thing, she'd be alright.
“Yeah, we’re going to have to talk about…that, when we get home.” said Karen, taking out her burner phone. She often used it to call in pizza or obtain other items, since having “Karen Hernandez” show up on the other end was more trouble than it was worth in most cases.
She looked up the number for the local police, before starting to dial it. A hand was quick to snatch the phone out of her grip, Makaya's eyes flaring.
”What are you doing?"
Karen blinked in confusion when her phone was snatched out of her hands. ”Hey! I’m...just calling the cops, like I said. What are you doing?”
”Getting time with the culprit. The cops are probably coming this way as we speak." She looked around, throwing her hands in the air. ”Do you see the victim?"
Karen scanned the area, frowning. The only ones there besides them were the groaning thugs on the ground and the Acolyte. ”I guess he must have ran. Can’t blame him. We should leave these guys to the cops though--we’re in no shape to follow up on anything, Clio!”
”Stop-" She looked extremely frustrated, but stopped herself short. ”You may not be in any shape, but I am. This guy is a weirdo, it's obvious." Makaya pointed at the sleeping body. ”There's something going on here."
Karen frowned deeply. She was sore, she was tired, she was shaken up from having to fight a bunch of armed thugs. Clio was being strangely difficult tonight and she just didn’t understand why. She didn’t even like the sound of her own name, apparently. “I agree that there’s something going on here, Clio--something that’s way beyond us right now! Star is hurt, I’m hurt, and you’re...well, something is clearly going on with you, because you’re not acting like yourself!”
Makaya's head was beginning to hurt. Clio didn't like this conflict. She was a pleaser who wanted to keep her job. Pathetic! It was pathetic! She groaned, cupping the sides of her head. "Fine! We've wasted too much time."
Karen reached out to snatch her phone back from Clio, and finished calling the police. There was only a single ring before a woman on the other side answered. “Um, yes...I would like to report a kidnapping on…”
She glanced up at the sign across the street. ”McKenzie Avenue. The perpetrators are unconscious.”
Ending the call before the operator could respond, she turned the burner off. She’d probably have to get a new one after this, since the cops had that number now. ”There...now, can one of my bodyguards maybe help me back to the hotel without getting me shot at?”
Starfire bit her lip and looked regretful, finally speaking up. ”You are right, Karen. I should have told you to stay on the roof before I did something foolish. I am sorry.” She approached her employer and stood dutifully by her side, reaching out with her free hand to take Karen’s.
Karen shook her head, and accepted Starfire’s hand. “Well, at least it’s just magic burnout. I should feel better in a day or two.”
Makaya watched the two of them, before sighing and nodding. She was slowly losing steam, it was time for her to retire. ”Whatever ya say, boss. Would you...er...prefer a cab?"
Karen laughed wearily. “Thanks, but I’m good with Star. I prefer orange to yellow anyhow.”
Starfire gently tugged at Karen’s hand and began walking at a brisk pace back to the well-lit and safe luxury of the hotel.
