[color=gray][color=white]"Ryza. Ryza wake up."[/color] the driver said as he shook the sleeping girl with his free hand.

Ryza groaned, shifted and stayed asleep in the passenger seat. The driver clenched his teeth, [color=white]"Never seen somebody sleep so deeply in a car seat..."[/color] he muttered and started shaking her again, [color=white]"Hey. Ryza. Open your damn eyes."[/color]

Ryza took in a deep breath and exhaled, still sleeping. he driver shook his head and then got an idea. He quickly started to swerve on the road, [color=white]"Oh my god! Shit! Look out!"[/color]

Ryza woke up instantly, gripping the door handle tightly. Her eyes were wide open, [color=darkturquoise]"Holy fuck what?!"[/color] Ryza darted her gaze all around and when she discerned that he did that to just wake her, she grimaced. [color=darkturquoise]"You could've just woke me normally, Lucas..."[/color]

Lucas rolled his eyes, [color=white]"Don't even get me started..."[/color] the van left the tunnel they were driving in and the moonlight bathed the black vehicle. The moment they got into direct moonlight, Ryza's eyes began to glow a low blue.

There was a road sign, Chicago - 10 miles. Some other vehicles were driving along the interstate to and from the city. Orange street lights periodically passed, filling the vehicle and drowning out the glow of Ryza's eyes. Lucas side glanced over to the girl, not saying a word as he looked at the gems inlaid in Ryza's hands. A minute after he had successfully roused Ryza from her slumber, he finally spoke again, [color=white]"Your team is headed to Chicago now, figured I'd let you know."[/color]

Ryza groaned again and tried to go back to sleep, [color=darkturquoise]"You could have told me that after I woke up on my own time..."[/color] she closed her eyes.

[color=white]"There's one more thing. We're not going straight to them. I got a call while you were sleeping, there's some criminal activity that the local authorities are having trouble thwarting. The brass wants to see what you can do first hand."[/color] Lucas turned the van onto an off ramp to head onto another freeway.

[color=darkturquoise]"We're a military organization aren't we? And we're doing police work... Sorry but I don't think the blues not being able to do their jobs requires me to intervene."[/color] Ryza yawned.

[color=white]"We think the criminals are linked to your teams next target. It's relevant."[/color] Lucas said, nudging her to keep her awake, [color=white]"Get suited up."[/color]

Ryza opened her eyes again, looking at the street lines as they passed. She sat there for a short while before climbing into the back of the van, there were crates and lockers with combat gear in the back. Ryza looked at it all and clicked her tongue, mumbling something in Japanese. She started opening some of the boxes and looking at all the different doodads. Lucas looked in his rear view, [color=white]"You look confused."[/color]

[color=darkturquoise]"No shit I'm confused, Mr. G-Man. I'm no soldier, all this crap in front of me is just a bunch of straps and clips."[/color] Ryza said as she pulled out a bulletproof vest, flipping it around to find its proper orientation. She caught onto what it was and set it aside, needing to get the combats underneath on first.

[color=white]"They might be an awkward fit. This gear is meant for... Bigger guys. Just try to make do."[/color] Lucas kept his eyes on the road as the noises of Ryza changing filled the silence. A couple grunts and gasps could be heard as she clearly had no clue what she was doing with the gear.
[center][h1]__________[/h1][/center]

Twenty minutes later, Ryza finally spoke, [color=darkturquoise]"I'm gonna need a pretty comprehensive lesson on this shit when get to base."[/color] she looked down at herself, she was a couple sizes too small and it showed. Her gear was mostly put on improperly but it was on enough that it did its job.

[color=white]"You're gonna need a weapon too. Police reports say these guys are armed and dangerous."[/color] there was a dead silence, [color=white]"Please tell me you know how to use a gun."[/color]

[color=darkturquoise]"I -do- know how to use a gun... Sorta..."[/color] she opened the locker and pulled out a carbine, pointing it in the direction of Lucas as she looked it over.

[color=white]"Jesus, girl! Barrel down!"[/color] he exclaimed.

[color=darkturquoise]"Jesus, man! Screw it! I wont use a bloody gun!"[/color] she threw it back in the locker with a loud thud, [color=darkturquoise]"All I need is~... This."[/color] Ryza grabbed a large blue water jug and hefted it to her feet.

Lucas raised an eyebrow, [color=white]"Water? You gonna use a super soaker on them?"[/color] a small smirk formed at the corners of his lips.

Ryza shook her head, [color=darkturquoise]"I didn't tell you everything there was to know about me, G-Man. Fire isn't my only weapon."[/color]

The van slowed down and Lucas got out, police sirens could be heard off in the distance. The streets were clear of pedestrians and cars save for a couple of cop cars pulling up to greet them. An officer came out and looked at Lucas, [color=white]"Sir. We've been told to cooperate with you."[/color] the officer said, [color=white]"Although I don't exactly know who are why we are, but when it comes down to these thugs, we could use the extra help."[/color]

Lucas nodded and moved to the back of the van, unlocking it, [color=white]"Don't worry gentlemen, we'll handle this situation from here on out. Just stand at the ready in case we're not enough."[/color] he grinned and opened the back of the van.

Ryza stumbled out, pulling the combats up a bit, [color=darkturquoise]"Shit! How does anybody walk in these things?! I mean I feel like a fucking gangster like out of those american movies."[/color]

The police officers were perplexed, they expecting something a little more... Professional.

[color=white]"Ryza, the police have them coming down that road. Just get in position before it's too late."[/color] Lucas ordered as he pinched the bridge of his nose. He mumbled and sighed, [color=white]"Already making our organization look bad..."[/color]

Ryza walked out into the middle of the street alone, dragging the water jug rather obnoxiously with her. Once she got it into place, she took the lid of the jug off and kicked it over, letting is spill the large quantity of water inside of it into a sizable puddle on the street. She took a few steps back and looked over her shoulder to Lucas, [color=darkturquoise]"I definitely haven't told you much about myself yet, G-Man."[/color] a cloud obscuring the moon passed and her eyes started glowing blue again, unsettling the observant police officers.

Lucas was expecting a fireball in her hand but when the air around her hands seemed to fog over, he tilted his head, [color=white]"What the hell?"[/color]

Ryza pointed her hands at the puddle of water and it all suddenly just flash froze. The police officers lowered the weapons and stared in awe. She then manipulated the ice and forced sharp jagged edges out of it, making an impromptu spike strip. Ryza then looked over to one of the cops, [color=darkturquoise]"What kind of car am I looking for?"[/color] she hollered.

The cop took a moment to respond, [color=white]"A-uh... A Dodge Challenger, 2010 model. Black."[/color]

Ryza shook her head, [color=darkturquoise]"Americans and their muscle..."[/color] she mumbled and looked back in the direction she was pointed at. She could hear the screeching wheels and the powerful engine just around the corner. Over the radios behind her, she could hear the pursuing police breaking off so they didn't fall into whatever trap may be laying in wait. Ryza reached into her pocket and pulled out an iPod, sticking the buds in her ears as she stood there in wait.

The moment she saw the car drift around the corner (sloppily in Ryza's eyes), she grinned and hit the [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2ySqF3GT7M&index=2&list=RDT1_nnQ6oq5A]play[/url] button on her iPod. Ryza then started forming razor sharp shards of ice out of the mist surrounding her hands. Five shards were formed and they floated by Ryza's shoulders. The glow in her eyes brightened up and she flung her right hand out quickly, one of the shards at her right shot at the car toward the driver. It missed intentionally, but it was enough for the driver to panic and try to make evasive maneuvers. She sent another one at the Challenger.

[color=darkturquoise]"Too fast. Turning too sharp."[/color] she shook her head, [color=darkturquoise]"I feel like I could make a lot of money off of racing these chums... Drag racers, no skill in maneuvering."[/color]

The car swerved and was now headed toward them at its side. She sent another ice shard through the drive side window, straight into the neck of the steering wheel. The driver tried to turn it but it was locked in place. Then they hit the ice spike strip, destroying the vehicle's tires. Ryza watched as it skidded closer and closer to her. She clenched her fists tight, more mist started to form in front of her on the street. She clenched her teeth and raised both her hands high into the air, a one foot thick wall of solid ice rising from the mist as she did. It was taller than her and as long as the car that was headed her way.

Ryza turned to face Lucas and the awed police officers. She was still listening to her 'mood' music when the car slammed into the wall of solid ice. Her eyes glowing an intense blue-white. Her arms were still raised as though she were some magician that had just performed some magic trick. Ryza had a flare for drama and showing off. It made Lucas wonder how many times Ryza had served out vigilante justice while she wandered Japan.

[color=darkturquoise]"Aaand for my next trick!"[/color] Ryza yelled so everybody could hear her. She flung her left arm outward and the wall shattered at her command. The thugs inside the car were disoriented from the sudden ambush. Ryza was already casually opening the door to the driver seat. The thug realized she was there and reached for his gun, he found an ice shard in his hand instead. The man screamed. The other thugs started to come to but found themselves with a shard poking each of their necks, [color=darkturquoise]"Don't move, boy-ohs."[/color] she wink at them with her impossible glowing eyes.

The police were frozen still for a moment but realized that it was their cue to move in and apprehend them, they did just that. Ryza shattered all of the ice she had used to stop the criminals, it all pooled back into water and ran off into the drains. She stepped back, hands at her hips as she watched them all get arrested, they looked back up at her with fear in their eyes.

Lucas stepped up next to Ryza as she started to ravel up her iPod earbuds. [color=white]"What happened to the whole fire thing?"[/color] he asked, studying the mist around her hands.

Ryza looked at the time on her iPod, [color=darkturquoise]"Three hours."[/color] she said.

Lucas blinked, [color=white]"What?"[/color]

[color=darkturquoise]"Three hours until the fire thingy."[/color] she pointed to the slowly brightening horizon, then to the moon.

Lucas nodded slowly, [color=white]"I see... It changes with day and night."[/color]

[color=darkturquoise]"Bingo."[/color] Ryza said and she started taking the uncomfortable gear off right on the street.

[color=white]"So I guess that'll determine your codename. What do you think Astral?"[/color] Lucas inquired as Ryza started making her way back to the van.

[color=darkturquoise]"Sounds cheesy, but I don't give a shit, you can me whatever as long as its not butterfly."[/color] Ryza climbed back into her seat, [color=darkturquoise]"Now lets get to base. And don't wake me up this time."[/color] she closed the door.

Lucas looked back at the cops and the criminals for a moment, [color=white]"I'll swing by the precinct later to question these individuals, I already have clearance to go behind your locked doors. Oh and one last thing, forget what you saw here."[/color] he waved is hand, there was a small ripple in the air and everybody paused.

The senior police officer nodded, [color=white]"Good thing they got in that car accident then. You wouldn't be questioning them tonight at all, sir."[/color]

Lucas grinned, [color=white]"Good thing indeed."[/color] he headed back toward the van and drove off to bring Ryza to her team.[/color]