[center][h2][color=#06FAD9][b]Avulse[/b][/color][/h2][img]http://img08.deviantart.net/a395/i/2016/276/5/7/unknown_error_by_kawacy-dajrgjx.jpg[/img][/center][hr]
Out of city limits, beyond all the authority of most, and outside of their control regardless, a silhouette approached. With Ash City's suburbs in sight, the masked figure's feet touched street and soon after, sidewalk. The first house came into view. Rather than a white picket fence, it was one of cold metal and barbed wire. His [url=https://ae01.alicdn.com/kf/HTB1kHg1JVXXXXbYXpXXq6xXFXXXl/Free-Shipping-circus-troupe-Cosplay-Happy-font-b-Face-b-font-font-b-mask-b-font.jpg]smiling mask[/url] revealed his amusement as he ran the fingers of his right hand over the part of the fence without barbs. He continued walking, his fingers dragging against the fence's metal links, before finally, after walking the length of it, he grasped several links in the fence, and [i]pulled[/i] with a sharp tearing motion. In a single action the fence's metal was stripped bare, the fence itself condensing and reshaping in his hand until it formed a cuboid lattice, before becoming a spherical lattice, then an octagonal lattice, ad infinitum, the changes occurring swiftly.

The man began tossing the lattice into the air, catching it each time as it fell, as he walked along his merry way. After several more minutes a corner store came into view and he chuckled to himself lightly as he walked across the street and entered the parking lot. With a deft and dexterous movement of his hand he manipulated the metal lattice and it sprung out into needle tipped cords that speared outwards and struck all the nearby cameras.

Passersby reacted in shock, surprise, and a few even took a step closer, calling out. [i]“Hey, you! The hell do you think you're doing!?”[/i] One man yelled towards him, the stranger making his way across the street to reach him.

Turning ever so slightly, his stance shifting, he let his head turn, looking over his shoulder at the stranger who had managed to cross the street to reach him. As he turned, that same smiling mask came into the stranger's view, and it was in that moment that they stopped. [i]“Oh. Oh no...”[/i] uttered the man as he apparently began to realize just who he was looking at, and what that meant. [i]“Oh god,”[/i] the man said, now louder. The stranger began to turn, but before he could start into a run, the masked figure manipulated the mechanism in his hand, the metal cord retracting in an instant as the entire mechanism shifted its form. In a moment it was something resembling a gun, before he reconsidered entirely.

The stranger bolted, trying to get as much distance as he could whilst the object of his distress hesitated, then reconfigured the metal lattice into cord and something like a javelin. Taking a step forwards, bracing his body, before hoisting the weapon back with one hand, the other gripping the cord, and then thrusting it forwards and into flight through the air. The stranger looked back and threw himself to the side, rolling into the grass in an attempt to avoid the javelin, but he had miscalculated for as the weapon reached the zenith of its master's throw it split into hundreds of smaller metal projectiles, before pelting the sidewalk, asphalt, and grass where the man stood, some of the metal piercing his limbs and even chest—though none of it was fatal.

There were gasps, and numerous people reaching for their phones to call the authorities, but the villain was faster, having already walked to a telephone pole and placed his hand upon it, his right hand still grasping the cord from the 'javelin,' he had thrown. After a brief time he tore his hand free of the wooden pole before making contact again, slamming his hand into the surface. In response the wood [i]rippled[/i] and then in one fell movement split where it held wires, before slamming down upon the wires, severing them completely.

He smiled beneath his mask, noticing a man who had exited his home with a rifle, which he was raising to aim in his direction. He waved his hand at the man dismissively before turning away and walking towards the corner store.

At the motion, the telephone pole's wood shot out as shrapnel and struck the man, plugging the barrel of his gun and blinding him all at once. The villain laughed quietly to himself at the sound of the civilian's screams. However, in the relative quiet of the morning...his voice was like thunder in the streets. Nonetheless, he made his way into the store by way of pushing the door open, hand in contact with the glass.

The cashier already had a shotgun raised and aimed, but the glass shattered and shot forwards first, slicing the man's fingers clean off before he could react. [color=#06FAD9][b]“Nice try mister,”[/b][/color] he said with amusement as the cashier clutched his mutilated hand, a look of clear agony and hatred in his eyes as he tracked the villainous cape. [color=#06FAD9][b]“Besides, I'm not [i]robbing[/i] you, I'm merely reassembling some loose material into something more...”[/b][/color] he whirled his hand in a circle midair, as if trying to find a word there, [color=#06FAD9][b]“... practical.”[/b][/color]

The cashier practically growled at him as he responded, [i]“Yer not taking nothing from this store boy and if ya do, mark my words, this'll be the last city you see with free eyes.”[/i]

Beneath his mask, the cape raised his eyebrows even as he tilted his head and brought a finger up to his chin. [color=#06FAD9][b]“Mmm, I don't think so, [i]sir[/i],”[/b][/color] he said, before grabbing the man's ruined hand and slamming it down against the counter, eliciting a pained grunt from the man. In the same moment his free hand made contact with the register and after a moment, pulled away, causing it to come apart in the same motion. His mask smiled at the man, before he turned away, waving his free hand at two girls who were hiding in a nearby aisle. The two appeared to be sisters, one very young, perhaps six, while the other was in her adolescence—not that it mattered to him. It made him frown beneath his mask as he exited the store, but the expression was a fleeting one.

His smile returning as he looked out upon what was now an empty street aside from one lone figure, a man wearing an ill matched orange and blue skintight suit, cape and all. This time, he outright laughed, hand to stomach, body curling over a bit, before he recovered, only to find the cape frowning a bit. It appeared to be more frustration than anything else. [color=#06FAD9][b]“Oh you [i]must[/i] be kidding. You're new,”[/b][/color] he said, looking the cape up and down, [color=#06FAD9][b]“In fact, I'd be willing to bet on you not being sanctioned, and trust me...I'm not a man who bets without odds stacked disproportionately in my favor.”[/b][/color]

[i][b]“Doesn't matter,”[/b][/i] the greenhorn cape responded, trying to sound brave, even managing to be somewhat convincing to the bemused villain. [i][b]“I'm going to stop you before you get further into the city,”[/b][/i] the cape said before he began walking towards the masked villain, who, in response, leaned against one of the gas pumps, and picked his fingernails. The hero paused, frowning again, but before he could speak again a voice issued from behind the smiling mask, [color=#06FAD9][b]“You know, gas is quite explosive if introduced to the right chemicals. All it'd need is a little [i]spark[/i],”[/b][/color] he said, his eyes looking up from his fingers to mock the hero's. [color=#06FAD9][b]“You do anything and let me tell you, the entire reserve of gas stored beneath this station goes [i]boom[/i],”[/b][/color] he stood up fully, using his hands to, rather theatrically, make an explosion.

The greenhorn cape would notice that even as he spoke the gas pumps were already changing shape, their screens suddenly displaying the word [B]ARMED[/B] after only a mere three seconds. The villain smiled as the realization that he couldn't leave before evacuating the immediate vicinity came over him.

Walking towards the boy hero, he continued speaking, [color=#06FAD9][b]“Oh, and by the way, knocking me out will act as a tidy little [i]killswitch[/i] for all the life signs of those nearby so swiftly perish the idea, mmm?”[/b][/color] He patted the kid on the shoulder, looking at him before he passed, [color=#06FAD9][b]“But don't worry, there's no timer...yet. Not so long as you make sure [i]no one[/i] calls the authorities nearby. I'll find out pretty quick if they do and well, I'll flip the switch.”[/b][/color] He paused a moment, giving the hero a conspiratorial glance, [color=#06FAD9][b]“I imagine I don't need to illustrate [i]again[/i] the chaos that would cause. Now, you go take care of your neighborhood. Take care, hero boy,”[/b][/color] he said, slapping the cape's back as he walked away, everything about his demeanor confident...no, [i]cocky[/i] as he swaggered away.

The greenhorn hero on the other hand, had clenched his fists and his jaw, standing still for a long moment before swallowing his pride. After another moment of gathering his wits he sprinted into the corner store and looked around to see if everyone was alright. The cashier wasn't, but waved him off with his still intact left hand. [i]“Don't worry about me boy, spread the damned villain's message, and then get yourself to the PRT buildin', they're the only chance we've got.”[/i] The hero's brow knit with worry and confusion, [i][b]“What do you mean sir?”[/b][/i]

The cashier looked up, jaw muscles tense, eyes serious as he met the boy's own. [i]“Because that there wasn't no normal villain, boy. That was [i]Avulse[/i] and he turns good to do cities...into ghost towns.”[/i][hr][center][h2][b][color=#000000]G[/color][color=#19000E]a[/color][color=#32001C]e[/color][color=#4B002A]l[/color][color=#640039], [/color][color=#970055]V[/color][color=#B00064]e[/color][color=#C90072]r[/color][color=#E20080]e[/color][color=#FB008F]n[/color][color=#E20080]s [/color][color=#970055]E[/color][color=#7D0047]s[/color][color=#640039]t[/color][color=#4B002A]r[/color][color=#32001C]a[/color][color=#19000E]d[/color][color=#000003]a[/color][/b][/h2][/center][hr]
Her kiss wasn't startling, but it [i]did[/i] interrupt his train of thought briefly, the entire thing stopping, though not derailing, she'd have to try harder than that to cause that sort of thing. When she drew away he gave her the most subtle of smiles, barely a quirk to his lips or a glimmer of real emotion in his lightly glowing pink irises. Then she retreated and he turned to his desk, his the train of thought starting once again, and running while he worked till it reached its conclusion.

Absently, part of him noticed the shower turn off in the background, his attention to his surroundings peripheral, but he still heard her approaching, shifting his awareness of her and his surroundings back into the front of his mind before she draped herself on his neck, pressing her chest against his back. She was doing it intentionally, he knew, trying to get a rise out of him. Make him [i]attack her[/i] in that way she liked oh so much. He didn't relent, he didn't show any reaction, but instead continued staring at the screen, focused. After a long moment of silence and a window or two popping up unbidden, he replied the slightest of frowns forming on his brow, [b][color=#000000]“[/color][color=#040002]I[/color] [color=#0D0007]w[/color][color=#11000A]a[/color][color=#16000C]s[/color] [color=#1F0011]c[/color][color=#230014]o[/color][color=#280016]n[/color][color=#2C0019]t[/color][color=#31001C]e[/color][color=#35001E]m[/color][color=#3A0021]p[/color][color=#3E0023]l[/color][color=#430026]a[/color][color=#470028]t[/color][color=#4C002B]i[/color][color=#50002D]n[/color][color=#550030]g[/color] [color=#5E0035]w[/color][color=#620038]h[/color][color=#67003A]a[/color][color=#6B003D]t[/color] [color=#740042]t[/color][color=#790044]h[/color][color=#7D0047]e[/color] [color=#86004C]n[/color][color=#8A004F]e[/color][color=#8F0051]x[/color][color=#930054]t[/color] [color=#9C0059]m[/color][color=#A1005B]o[/color][color=#A5005E]v[/color][color=#AA0061]e[/color][color=#AE0063]s[/color] [color=#B70068]s[/color][color=#BC006B]h[/color][color=#C0006D]o[/color][color=#C50070]u[/color][color=#C90072]l[/color][color=#CE0075]d[/color] [color=#D7007A]b[/color][color=#DB007D]e[/color][color=#E0007F],[/color] [color=#E90084]b[/color][color=#ED0087]u[/color][color=#F20089]t[/color] [color=#FB008F]i[/color][color=#F6008C]t[/color] [color=#ED0087]a[/color][color=#E90084]p[/color][color=#E40082]p[/color][color=#E0007F]e[/color][color=#DB007D]a[/color][color=#D7007A]r[/color][color=#D20078]s[/color] [color=#C90072]w[/color][color=#C50070]e[/color] [color=#BC006B]h[/color][color=#B70068]a[/color][color=#B30066]v[/color][color=#AE0063]e[/color] [color=#A5005E]s[/color][color=#A1005B]o[/color][color=#9C0059]m[/color][color=#980056]e[/color][color=#930054]t[/color][color=#8F0051]h[/color][color=#8A004F]i[/color][color=#86004C]n[/color][color=#81004A]g[/color] [color=#790044]m[/color][color=#740042]o[/color][color=#70003F]r[/color][color=#6B003D]e[/color] [color=#620038]p[/color][color=#5E0035]r[/color][color=#590033]e[/color][color=#550030]s[/color][color=#50002D]s[/color][color=#4C002B]i[/color][color=#470028]n[/color][color=#430026]g[/color] [color=#3A0021]t[/color][color=#35001E]o[/color] [color=#2C0019]d[/color][color=#280016]e[/color][color=#230014]a[/color][color=#1F0011]l[/color] [color=#16000C]w[/color][color=#11000A]i[/color][color=#0D0007]t[/color][color=#080005]h[/color][color=#040002].[/color][color=#000000]”[/color][/b] He glanced at her, not turning his head enough for her to reach his lips, he knew her far too well for all of that.

His hands left their position, one moving to the mouse, which he moved to the program that had just opened. He typed in several passwords with one hand, while he clicked with the other. After a brief two seconds the window expanded to fullscreen and several short video clips displayed in succession.

The first was of what appeared to be a man in a white smiling mask walking down the street in the suburbs of the city, before the angle changed, revealing the man running his hand along a fence, before that fence basically folded itself into the figure's hand. The clip stopped and the next played, showing the same figure walk to a gas station before there was a flash of movement and the camera's screen turned to static. Gael replayed that one again, slowed it down slightly, then moved on, his brain slowing it down further and running over the footage in a simulation, revealing something shifting in the figure's hand before what appeared to be some kind of projectile thrust out and destroyed the camera.

The next two videos were differing views on the same two situations, but they were a bit fuzzy. Gael clicked onto a different portion of the program after a moment, letting Fae process the information that had taken him effectively no time to understand before he swapped over. He hit a key on the laptop, unmuting the speakers, before plugging it into a sound system. He then hit several play buttons in unison, and a cacophony of phones ringing followed by frantic voices came through all at once. It would be impossible for Fae to understand any of it. After he'd listened to the calls three times, he let each play one after the other, letting her listen.

They were all similar. Every one of them gave a description of the figure, was calling the police for vague assistance, was trying to contact the PRT, or was calling an ambulance for someone injured, as well as several calls for repairs to various locations. To Gael they spelled one thing, trouble, and not the sort he liked. Abruptly, he tapped her on the head lightly, his signal to her to get up. When she moved her head, he would rise from his seat, before pushing it into the desk. He extracted his phone and began dialing a number, ready to make a call.

He glanced at Fae, expression a mixture of serious and blank, before he spoke, the phone not yet ringing. [b][color=#000000]“[/color][color=#090005]I[/color][color=#13000B]'[/color][color=#1C0010]l[/color][color=#260016]l[/color] [color=#390021]b[/color][color=#430026]e[/color] [color=#560031]r[/color][color=#600037]i[/color][color=#6A003C]g[/color][color=#730042]h[/color][color=#7D0047]t[/color] [color=#900052]b[/color][color=#9A0058]a[/color][color=#A4005D]c[/color][color=#AD0063]k[/color][color=#B70068],[/color] [color=#CA0073]p[/color][color=#D40079]l[/color][color=#DE007E]e[/color][color=#E70084]a[/color][color=#F10089]s[/color][color=#FB008F]e[/color] [color=#E70084]s[/color][color=#DE007E]t[/color][color=#D40079]a[/color][color=#CA0073]y[/color] [color=#B70068]h[/color][color=#AD0063]e[/color][color=#A4005D]r[/color][color=#9A0058]e[/color] [color=#87004D]f[/color][color=#7D0047]o[/color][color=#730042]r[/color] [color=#600037]a[/color] [color=#4D002C]m[/color][color=#430026]i[/color][color=#390021]n[/color][color=#30001B]u[/color][color=#260016]t[/color][color=#1C0010]e[/color][color=#13000B],[/color][color=#090005]”[/color][/b] he paused, walking over to her, tipping her chin up with his free hand, before kissing her deeply. Her thoughts and every tiny reaction informing him as to how to do so. After only twenty seconds, which likely felt like a blissful eternity, he drew away, letting his hand brush her cheek before he exited the room, closing the door behind him. He licked his lips once he was out of sight, then hit the call button.

It only took him a minute to tell the right people what he needed to, before he hung up, and then headed back into his room, all business now. [b][color=#000000]“[/color][color=#020001]N[/color][color=#040002]o[/color][color=#060003]w[/color] [color=#0B0006]t[/color][color=#0D0007]h[/color][color=#0F0008]a[/color][color=#11000A]t[/color] [color=#16000C]I[/color] [color=#1A000F]h[/color][color=#1C0010]a[/color][color=#1E0011]v[/color][color=#210012]e[/color] [color=#250015]t[/color][color=#270016]h[/color][color=#290017]a[/color][color=#2C0019]t[/color] [color=#30001B]t[/color][color=#32001C]a[/color][color=#34001E]k[/color][color=#37001F]e[/color][color=#390020]n[/color] [color=#3D0023]c[/color][color=#3F0024]a[/color][color=#420025]r[/color][color=#440026]e[/color] [color=#480029]o[/color][color=#4A002A]f[/color][color=#4D002B],[/color] [color=#51002E]I[/color] [color=#550030]w[/color][color=#580032]a[/color][color=#5A0033]n[/color][color=#5C0034]t[/color] [color=#600037]t[/color][color=#630038]o[/color] [color=#67003A]a[/color][color=#69003C]s[/color][color=#6B003D]k[/color] [color=#70003F]i[/color][color=#720041]f[/color] [color=#760043]y[/color][color=#790044]o[/color][color=#7B0046]u[/color] [color=#7F0048]r[/color][color=#81004A]e[/color][color=#84004B]c[/color][color=#86004C]o[/color][color=#88004D]g[/color][color=#8A004F]n[/color][color=#8C0050]i[/color][color=#8F0051]z[/color][color=#910052]e[/color] [color=#950055]t[/color][color=#970056]h[/color][color=#9A0057]a[/color][color=#9C0059]t[/color] [color=#A0005B]m[/color][color=#A2005C]a[/color][color=#A5005E]s[/color][color=#A7005F]k[/color][color=#A90060].[/color] [color=#AD0063]I[/color][color=#B00064]t[/color][color=#B20065]'[/color][color=#B40066]s[/color] [color=#B80069]q[/color][color=#BB006A]u[/color][color=#BD006B]i[/color][color=#BF006D]t[/color][color=#C1006E]e[/color] [color=#C60070]d[/color][color=#C80072]i[/color][color=#CA0073]s[/color][color=#CC0074]t[/color][color=#CE0075]i[/color][color=#D10077]n[/color][color=#D30078]c[/color][color=#D50079]t[/color][color=#D7007A]i[/color][color=#D9007C]v[/color][color=#DC007D]e[/color][color=#DE007E].[/color] [color=#E20081]Y[/color][color=#E40082]o[/color][color=#E70083]u[/color][color=#E90084]'[/color][color=#EB0086]d[/color] [color=#EF0088]t[/color][color=#F20089]h[/color][color=#F4008B]i[/color][color=#F6008C]n[/color][color=#F8008D]k[/color] [color=#F8008D]t[/color][color=#F6008C]h[/color][color=#F4008B]e[/color][color=#F20089]r[/color][color=#EF0088]e[/color] [color=#EB0086]w[/color][color=#E90084]e[/color][color=#E70083]r[/color][color=#E40082]e[/color] [color=#E0007F]h[/color][color=#DE007E]u[/color][color=#DC007D]n[/color][color=#D9007C]d[/color][color=#D7007A]r[/color][color=#D50079]e[/color][color=#D30078]d[/color][color=#D10077]s[/color] [color=#CC0074]o[/color][color=#CA0073]f[/color] [color=#C60070]c[/color][color=#C3006F]a[/color][color=#C1006E]p[/color][color=#BF006D]e[/color][color=#BD006B]s[/color] [color=#B80069]w[/color][color=#B60068]i[/color][color=#B40066]t[/color][color=#B20065]h[/color] [color=#AD0063]t[/color][color=#AB0061]h[/color][color=#A90060]a[/color][color=#A7005F]t[/color] [color=#A2005C]e[/color][color=#A0005B]x[/color][color=#9E005A]a[/color][color=#9C0059]c[/color][color=#9A0057]t[/color] [color=#950055]o[/color][color=#930054]n[/color][color=#910052]e[/color][color=#8F0051],[/color] [color=#8A004F]b[/color][color=#88004D]u[/color][color=#86004C]t[/color] [color=#81004A]y[/color][color=#7F0048]o[/color][color=#7D0047]u[/color][color=#7B0046]'[/color][color=#790044]d[/color] [color=#740042]b[/color][color=#720041]e[/color] [color=#6E003E]w[/color][color=#6B003D]r[/color][color=#69003C]o[/color][color=#67003A]n[/color][color=#650039]g[/color][color=#630038].[/color] [color=#5E0035]I[/color][color=#5C0034]t[/color][color=#5A0033]'[/color][color=#580032]s[/color] [color=#53002F]u[/color][color=#51002E]n[/color][color=#4F002D]i[/color][color=#4D002B]q[/color][color=#4A002A]u[/color][color=#480029]e[/color][color=#460028].[/color] [color=#420025]D[/color][color=#3F0024]o[/color] [color=#3B0021]y[/color][color=#390020]o[/color][color=#37001F]u[/color] [color=#32001C]k[/color][color=#30001B]n[/color][color=#2E001A]o[/color][color=#2C0019]w[/color] [color=#270016]w[/color][color=#250015]h[/color][color=#230014]o[/color] [color=#1E0011]i[/color][color=#1C0010]t[/color] [color=#18000D]b[/color][color=#16000C]e[/color][color=#13000B]l[/color][color=#11000A]o[/color][color=#0F0008]n[/color][color=#0D0007]g[/color][color=#0B0006]s[/color] [color=#060003]t[/color][color=#040002]o[/color][color=#020001]?[/color][color=#000004]”[/color][/b] He met her eyes, his gaze unwavering, never straying to the rest of her, his undivided attention aimed towards [i]her[/i] as a person, rather than her as a [i]woman[/i]. There was too much to do, he didn't need the distractions that came with regarding her as the latter...not for the moment at least.