[IC] Heroes are we

[StarBoi]

"Bring him to me." The man commanded calmly. His face menacingly glaring as he turned his head to look at the young child from his desk. "And the girl too."

"Yes, father." The young girl held a vacant expression as she replied. Her long silvery hair hung behind her and bellowed as did her dress when the air conditioning kicked on above her in the office. "I shall do as you ask."

"You had better, your brother has been gone far too long, out frolicking with this vigilante girl doing who knows what? I need him here, with us. Do not fail me this time, Eve."

---

Ash/Ryu

The city of Bellhaven was his home. An average city with average sized buildings which were perfect for parkour just like the neighboring city of Fallbarrow. Either city would be a great place for him to do his vigilante thing in.

What had started out as a normal day was just about to turn into a crazy ass one. He went to school, hung out with Jet, but when night fell, all hell broke loose. Ash didn’t quite know what he was in for when he followed the police scanner that night, but he was about to find out.

Ryu was in hot pursuit of the other male. "Stop now!" He shouted over the sounds of the city. The alarm had gone off not long ago at the jewelry store and he was alerted by the police scanner not long after that. After which he was able to catch up to the robber in no time. The villain looked back at Ryu with a small smirk, he wasn’t wearing a mask as Ryu was, so his identity was not hidden.

Leon/Hex

It was a present he was concerned about. Leon had waited at least a month to put his plan into action. And then days to find the perfect gift. A silver chain with a large diamond pendent. It truly was the perfect gift and worth way more money than he could afford. That’s why he had waited for a night she was tutoring to leave and he had to be gone a few days to find the perfect gift AND he had to be out of town so she wouldn’t catch him. But wherever he went, she always followed.

Hex ran from rooftop to rooftop with ease. He had left Fallbarrow in an attempt to not get caught by his girl, Runo or as she called herself while working, Blade. From behind him he heard scuffling up the side of the building and saw another male, this one in a mask, get to the top and look toward him. Hex stared at him with disdain. “Oh boy, another hero.” He muttered under his breath. He heard his footsteps like someone stomping on glass in hefty boots. Every sense enhanced, he could smell what deodorant the teenager was wearing, could see the stitching on his clothes in the dark. By the time Hex had finished analyzing the boy, the other still had not looked up at him, it had only taken a split second. Once he was done he took off.

This teen was fast, he chased him across the rooftop easily as if he had done it thousands of times before, which he probably had. “Stop now!” The teen shouted from behind him. Hex looked back at the boy with a smirk. He wanted to fight and he seemed unarmed, this would be too easy. Skidding to a halt, Hex turned quickly. “I’m sorry, did you want something? You seem to be so gracefully following me, I might have thought you wanted something.” He spoke arrogantly.

“You’ve stolen something that doesn’t belong to you.”

“Oh? It may just be a gift for someone special, can’t you let it go. Just this once? I haven’t got the money at this time to actually purchase a gift.”

“I can’t just let it go.”

Runo/Blade

Her tutor was sure boring. It was about damn time he left her alone. When he finally left she quickly got up to lock the door behind him, not even walking him out. After which she hurried to change into her Blade outfit and ready her weapons that she never used. This night was different, she was going to search for Leon or Eve, whoever she could find first, hopefully Leon. She needed to know if he was okay and only Eve would know.
------
“Oh gods, what has he gotten himself into this time?” Her boyfriend wasn’t around. It wasn’t unlike him to just disappear but he always came back, however he had been gone a few days and she was worried Eve had gotten to him.

“I’ve located him in the city of Bellhaven.” Eve said from behind Blade.

“Please don’t tell me… you killed him…”

“That was not my orders.”

“What exactly are your orders, Evie?”

Eve’s face became a glare from behind Blade. “That’s classified. Do not call me Evie.”

Without another word the young girl disappeared into the darkness. Blade shook her head, I’m lucky she’s not out to kill me. “Best be off than. Before Eve gets to him.”

The trip did not take long by motorcycle, perhaps a few hours, nothing more. She followed the sound of sirens and hoped they would lead her to her significant other.

Jet/Blackbird

Nothing was normal for Jet. School was… well it was school, when she wasn’t being talked about behind her back she was somewhere being aggressively romantic with Ash. Deep down she loved him, but she would never admit it, they were on different sides. They could never love each other. That night she decided to follow him home, follow him out onto the town. That’s when she found him with Hex. Things were about to get very interesting.

Blackbird watched from higher up as Ryu chased Hex. She knew about these two, Ryu’s secret identity was in fact someone she cared deeply about. The other, Hex, was someone she had heard about through rumors. He was a teenager named Leon Vultura, his father Ray Vultura was a famous crime boss, someone to be feared. When Hex stopped to fight Ryu, he made a move that surprised both Ryu and Blackbird.

“Right… there!” He removed the sword from his sheath on his back and threw it straight toward Blackbird. The teenage girl dove out of the way as the sword flew past her and landed not far from her on the rooftop she stood on.

“Who do you think you are!?” She pushed back her hood to glare at Hex from above.


“Blackbird?” Ryu looked up confused. “What’re you doing here, doll face?”

Her expression showed she did not take kindly to the term, ‘doll face’. “Observing.”

“Who are you and what are you doing with Hex?” There was another, a fourth person, this one seemed to be a hero, judging by her appearance. But the fact that she was pointing a loaded crossbow at Ryu said otherwise. This was Blade the hero from Fallbarrow, no doubt about it, Blackbird knew her stuff, knew the heroes, knew the villains and the otherwise neutral.

“Back. Off.” Blackbird drew her knife and pointed it toward Blade.


“Tell me what’s going on.” Blade said with authority.

“Hey Blade! Aww did you come to save me? You shouldn’t have.” Hex laughed and shoved his hands in his pockets looking past Ryu at Blade on the rooftop.

“Yea… can someone tell /me/ what’s going on?” Ryu demanded.

“It’s Blade and Hex. From Fallsborrow. They shouldn’t be here, go back to your own city.”

“I’m afraid I can’t let that happen. See, this boy here has taken something rather valuable. Despite its value it’s stolen and those who steal, get locked up for a long ass time.”

“Tch.” Hex rolled his eyes. “Come on, Blade, let’s go home.”

[c3p-0h]

Wes/Likho

"Found you," Wes said to himself as he looked down at his target. He was sat high on a Bellhaven rooftop, amber eyes scanning the streets below. A lone girl walked down the sidewalk. She seemed unremarkable – short and slender, carrying a schoolbag and looked to be on her way home from a long day of classes, even though it was already dark out. Wes had been looking for this girl – Aya Lynne Germain – for weeks. After years of hunting, she was the first real lead he had to the enigmatic Healer. The monster who'd murdered his parents. Apparently this girl was connected to him somehow. Or at least, she was connected to Cosmos, one of the Healer's lap dogs. No one knew who Cosmos was, or what they were capable of, but there was no denying that the Healer kept them close. Getting to Cosmos would be the first real step Wes had to the maniac.

Wes tightened his grip on his bo staff. The General's rough voice rang through his ears, chastising him and reminding him to be careful. He could practically feel her hand swatting against the back of his head for his rashness. But anticipation thrummed through his veins like electricity. Straightening up, Wes backed up and took a running jump to land on another rooftop, following Aya. The street was deserted. And she was right there. He couldn't help himself as he drew himself up to his full height, a striking silhouette atop the rooftop against the moonlight. He built his voice up in his chest like courage and shouted down at her.

"Hey!"

Aya/Cosmos

It had been a long day. The Healer had forced her to relocate to Bellhaven, which meant transferring schools and moving into a new apartment and a whole heap of exhaustion on top of her already hectic and anxiety-ridden life. How had she even gotten wrapped up in that monster's madness? Not for the first time, Aya thought sadly of her father, and what he would say. What he would think.

She walked down the street alone, taking comfort in the quiet of the night. She'd stayed at the library until closing, attempting to catch up with a whole semester's worth of work in her new classes. A single word shattered her peace.

"Hey!"

Aya jumped and looked up, towards the voice. Standing on the rooftop closest to her was a hooded figure, tall and imposing, holding a long staff. A single amber eye looked down at her from behind a mask. Her blood froze as recognition dawned on her. She knew that figure. Likho, the Healer's most devoted enemy. The Healer didn't seem particularly threatened by him – he seemed more amused, than anything at Likho's dedication in hunting him down and stopping whatever plans he could. But just because a wolf didn't find a cat threatening didn't mean a mouse wouldn't. And in that moment, Aya felt very much like a mouse.

So, she turned and ran back down the street.

There was no doubt in Aya's mind why Likho was shouting down at her. He'd found out about her somehow, and her connection to the Healer. Maybe he even knew she was Cosmos. Either way, a confrontation with Likho could only end poorly for Aya, and she ran as fast as she could. She heard the sound of pounding footsteps above her, knowing he was chasing after her. He'd jumped from the rooftop and made his way to the street. He was gaining ground fast.

She knew she wasn't completely helpless. She could stop him in his tracks with just a touch, if she really needed to. But as far as Aya was concerned, that was the nuclear option. No one aside from the Healer knew about her, and what she could do. She wasn't about to risk exposure if she could help it, especially to someone like Likho.

Heart pounding in her chest, Aya suddenly turned and ducked into an unlocked building. A winding staircase led her up and up, the beat of Likho's footsteps syncing with her blood. Aya reached a door and yanked it open, finding herself on the roof. She barely managed to slam the door shut behind her when she turned back to find… not what she was expecting.

Before her stood four different people, all in odd states of dress. They seemed to be having some sort of argument when Aya had barged onto the scene.

Aya froze when she saw them, Likho momentarily forgotten. Her eyebrows drew together and she opened her mouth.

"Uh…"

But she was cutoff when the door swung open behind her. Aya was in mid-turn when Likho tackled her to the ground. She let out a cry of surprise as she went down, the rough gravel of the roof scratching against her cheek. In an instant, Likho had her pressed into the ground, both wrists trapped against her back in an iron grip and a knee against her back. Aya tried to struggle, but the pressure on her back just grew, Likho unmoving.

"Ok," he said. Aya's mind spun with her options. Talking would get her – and Likho, for that matter – killed. She was acutely aware of the bare skin of his fingers digging into her wrists. He was touching her. If she had to, she could use her power. But that meant exposure. "Now wh–"

He cut himself off, presumably as he finally realized they weren't alone on the rooftop. The grip on her wrists barely loosened in surprise, only to grow painfully tight again. Aya squeezed her eyes shut.

"Who the hell are you?" Likho asked, muffled voice flat and guarded.

[StarBoi]

Who the hell are you?

It would be any moment before the group of vigilantes and otherwise would be at each others throats. That was before the other two interrupted the spat. There was a long, awkward silence before any one spoke or reacted. They all simply stared at the two newcomers, one of whom looked simply to the mask-wearers on the rooftop. It was clear the group knew not what to do, rather, they would have gone back to arguing. But the hero in Ryu and Blade couldn't let a /hopefully/ innocent young girl be detained by whoever this other masked person was. Ryu acted first but was quickly outdone by Blade who had a sword and crossbow to her advantage. They both dashed toward the male and female who were new to them and were ready to attack. Blade with her crossbow and Ryu with his hand-to-hand combat skills.

Ash/Ryu

Ryu bolted toward the newcomers, hoping to free the girl from the other as quickly as possible. Forgetting the conflict he was previously in allowed him to focus on the priority at hand. The girl. The girl was what was important now. Before he could reach them a crossbow bolt whizzed past him, going for the left shoulder of the other teenager. Ryu skidded to a halt just feet from the boy and girl. "Who are we? Who the hell are you?"

Leon/Hex

He had heard the pounding footsteps quite a bit away but thought nothing of it until the duo appeared randomly on the rooftop that already had occupants. However, Hex cared only a little bit for the girl's well-being. All he cared about was his Runo, or Blade, mostly Runo. Things always managed to get too serious for him when she started a fight, so for the time being, he was going to stay out of this one. That is, unless she needed back up. So, he decided to hang back, hands in his pockets, glancing around. His eyes stopped on Blackbird, she was one hell of a looker, especially in her get-up. A leotard under a cloak wasn't much clothing whatsoever. He could dig it. He lept up, a rather high leap for an average human, but he was far from average, and landed beside Blackbird with his hands still in his pockets. "So, what shall we do?"

Runo/Blade

She didn't need to get in too close to fire her weapon. In fact she could shoot at a distance of about 50 yards and still make the shot. This, was nothing, a handful of feet at best. The running part was an added challenge but nothing she wasn't used too. Blade took removed a crossbow bolt from it's quiver on her back. Once she loaded and took aim she knew that there was no possibility that she could miss. "I'm justice, I'm not so sure about you." She spoke casually as she fired the bolt aiming for the boy's shoulder. It flew past Ryu and would hopefully hit it's target, or at least make him got off the girl he was pinning.

Jet/Blackbird

As much as she wanted to help she wasn't going too. Blackbird was still unnerved from the argument earlier. It wasn't like her but when it came to Ash she was rather protective. There was a task at hand and she was still deciding whether she wanted to assist or not. With a hand held out she was prepared to throw the new boy off the rooftop with her powers if necessary. Blackbird ignored Hex's question and continued to watch the vigilante's diligently. "Don't you have anything better to be doing? Now would be a good time to get out of here, Leon."

"Oh, right... I can't do that. Not while she's in harms way."

She wasn't sure who Hex was referring too, the girl, or the hero. However, she did not care. Ash and the newcomer, Lihko, was her main priority.

[c3p-0h]

Aya/Cosmos

Aya couldn't make out much from where she was pressed to the ground, but it was easy enough to piece together that the four on the roof had not been expecting them. There was shouting, the sound of footsteps, the sharp sound of something cutting through the air. There was a sudden increase of pressure on her back and then – none at all.

Blood rushed back to her wrists as Aya scrambled with this new freedom. She crawled forward, as far as she could get from Likho, before flipping onto her back, still trying to get away while sitting. A slash of blood, tar-black in the dark of the night, was drawn across the edge of his left shoulder. The thick material of his jacket began to stain, a flower blooming across his arm. His amber eye was narrowed and immediately the long staff that had been strapped to his back was in his hand. He stood crouched, ready to charge forward and engage. The silver of his two sai at his waist glinted in the moonlight, as though eager for action.

Then his eye cut to her, and Aya froze.

"Justice," he repeated at the girl who'd apparently spoken. His gaze never left Aya. "Well this is about justice," he said. His eye finally turned back to the other girl and Aya felt the breath escape her in a rush at being freed from his gaze. "And it has nothing to do with you."

Wes/Likho

Wes was glowering under his mask, eyes trained on the two blonds in front of him. The other two had made themselves scarce, hanging back on a distant roof but he made sure to keep an eye on them, lest they try anything. The night air bit at the fresh wound on his shoulder. The girl was quick and had good aim, he'd give her that. He'd dodged as soon as he'd seen her raise her weapon, and had still managed a scratch. It wouldn't be happening again.

He looked back at Aya, small and scared as she stared at him with wide brown eyes. Angry scratches dirtied her cheek, her collar bones, down her shins – Wes clenched his jaw as he took in what this situation looked like to an outsider.

He didn't relax his stance, but released one of his hands from his staff to point a finger at Aya.

"This girl is connected with at least one dangerous criminal, probably more."

"I - what?" she stammered out, her voice frail and halting.

"Don't." His voice cut through the air, low and sharp. The girl's mouth snapped shut. "I just need answers from her, that's all."

"Y-you tackled me to the ground!" she said, her voice incredulous. It was still hesitant and wavering, but when Wes looked back at Aya there was a new sort of spark in her.

"You ran," he said shortly.

"Some masked lunatic corners me on a deserted street in the middle of the night and I'm not going to run?!" Wes was annoyed to see there was actual logic in her statement. When she put it that way. "And-" Aya turned to look at the two vigilantes, her eyes turning pleading. "Please, I – I don't know what he's talking about I was just walking home from the library and –" she looked back at Wes. He was slightly mortified to see her eyes were watering. But his certainty that she was his key was unwavering.

"You do know," he cut her off. "And you're going to tell me about Cosmos."

[StarBoi]

Runo/Blade

The duo had seen what he had done to the girl and they were not having any of it. By now the two heroes, unintentionally stood side by side. Her with her crossbow held downward but ready to shoot him once more if necessary, him with his hands open and up prepared to strike. However, when the girl scurried away from the supposed justice-seeker, Blade replaced her weapon on her back and knelt beside the girl. "It's alright, I won't let him hurt you anymore." Blade told her with a serious expression on her face. The girl hadn't seem to notice, the supposed hero was busy distracting her with his words filled with venom. The female hero stood, listening to their conversation intensely trying to figure out what was really going on. At one point the girl who had been attacked turned to Ryu and Blade with tears in her eyes. "Please, I - I don't know what he's talking about, I was just walking home from the library and-" The other vigilante stopped her, saying something about someone named Cosmos. Blade had had enough. "You better explain and fast. We won't just stand here and let you beat on an innocent."

Ash/Ryu

Ryu was only getting more frustrated. There was a reason he was described as a hot head and he went by the name dragon. When the mask was on his secret identity personality was lost and his vengeful and angry personality of Ryu came out. There was no undoing it. Whoever this other kid was he wasn't making a good first impression. "Nothing to do with us, huh?" Ryu spoke through tight teeth, clutching his hands into fists in front of him. "I think it has everything to do with me considering you're attacking an innocent on my turf, tough guy." There was a pause from the vigilantes as two newcomers spoke back and forth. "I just need answers from her, that's all."

"Answers...?" The temperamental one looked down his hands now clenched at his sides. "How about you just leave her alone? There are, in fact, other ways to find answers, rather than attacking someone..." He was trying to keep his cool but it was becoming more and more difficult.

Leon/Hex

He watched with a bored face. Could this day get any more convoluted? "What do you think he wants answers about, hm?" Hex asked Blackbird curiously. When she did not respond he sighed and plopped down on the edge of the rooftop to watch.

"Could she possibly be connected to your father?" Blackbird wondered allowed.

"Wait, what? Her? Yea right."

"Just a thought."

Jet/Blackbird

Things were getting interesting. Lihko wanted this girl but for what reason. He said he wanted answers but about what? Her grey eyes watched with a hint of curiosity. Hex spoke to her and she ignored him momentarily before wondering allowed, "Could she possibly be connected to your father?" When he responded she replied, "Just a thought." It seemed as though a fight was about to break out between the vigilantes, and Blackbird was going to have to jump in and fight by Ryu's side. However, something Lihko said caught her attention. She knew of Lihko and his search for the Healer, but if he was searching for Cosmos to get to the Healer, and this girl had some answers. Well, things could get interesting around there. Blackbird lept up and flipped in the air, landing on her tip toes between Lihko and the other vigilantes.

"I'd hate to get in the middle of this little fight, but if she has information on Cosmos and the Healer, I'd love to find out what she knows."

"The Healer?! You mean the guy you told me about??" Ryu looked up suddenly, unclenching his fists.

"Yes. Exactly the guy I told you about." Blackbird looked at the girl, directly into her eyes. "Well, tell us what you know and we will let you go."

[c3p-0h]

Wes/Likho

Wes immediately tensed when the dark-haired girl jumped back onto the roof, though the movement was subtle under his clothes. He felt a small wave of accomplishment when she seemed to be on his side, though. Or at least, wanted the girl to talk. Wes watched Aya's eyes widen at this turn, her eyebrows pushing together.

"W- let me go?" she stammered out. "I'm a captive now?" Her voice, though still small and frightened, was getting stronger now. Wes turned a bit more to face her, though never letting his attention waver from the strangers.

"The Healer," his voice cut through her, and she blinked back at him, "has been one of the most elusive criminals in the world for decades. He's not on any official registry or list. Only the criminal underground started connecting a string of seemingly random crimes to him Glasgow in the 20s. From there he moved to Germany. Siberia. Down to China. Did a couple of decades all over Africa. The first crime connected to him in the States happened in 1989 in Vermont. No one can figure out how he does it, why, or if it's even the same person." He broke eye contact with Aya to regard the other four. "He kills, but with no discernible target. Steals, but never what's really valuable. Sometimes he just goes in and destroys something. Other times, he'll break in and do nothing at all."

He turned back to Aya.

"Something's been different the last couple of years, though." His amber gaze locked back on Aya. She was marble-still, staring back with wide brown eyes. "He's been using more finesse. He's not just killing people who stand between him and what he wants, either. The Healer has someone else with him now, someone people are calling Cosmos. I don't know how they do it, but they take people out without injury, without chemicals. Everyone says its like they were dreaming when it happened. Cosmos even does solo runs for the Healer, more and more often.

"And this girl, Aya Lynne Germain, can be seen on camera staking out locations days prior to Cosmos' jobs on at least three different instances." Aya seemed to stop breathing. Wes looked at her, this small, frightened thing, and new he had her. Her mouth opened for a moment before snapping closed again. Her eyes darted to the others, before finally falling on Wes again. Her mouth opened one more time, her voice a small whisper.

"Please," she said, her eyes watering. Her head started to shake. "Please, you don't know. He'll kill me." Her words shot through him like an arrow, something softening imperceptibly. Wes took a step towards her.

Aya/Cosmos

Likho stepped forward, and Aya couldn't help her flinch. He froze. Stopped moving. Aya heard what might've been a sigh.

She was so stupid, so so stupid. How could she have let herself be caught like that? She'd thought she'd been so careful, but Likho had found her, and the Healer would find out and she was dead, everyone on this roof was already dead.

"Look," Likho's muffled voice seemed less hard-edged now, more hesitant as though he were trying to think of a way to handle her. "You're not – no one's going to hurt you. Whatever the Healer has on you, we'll –"

But Aya was already shaking her head, eyes squeezed tight. Likho had been after him for close to a decade, and was still nowhere. Finding Aya wouldn't help him like he hoped. He had no chance and he didn't even know it.

[StarBoi]

Runo/Blade

"Look." Blade crossed her arms over her chest, looking at Aya. "Whatever is going through your head, there is five of us. And I'm sure at least three of us here won't let this evil man hurt you." The girl's tone was gentle despite her posture, there was no way in hell she was going to let this man of destruction, the Healer, hurt this girl or threaten her any longer. "My name is Blade, a vigilante from Fallbarrow. I don't believe in coincidences. Something brought us all here together tonight. Perhaps to protect this girl, not to beat her up. Eh?" She cast her gaze on the blonde vigilante who had been hunting the Healer.

Ash/Ryu

"As much as I hate to say it, I gotta agree with Blade. The name's Ryu and if the Healer is involved then we should be taking him down together as a team. Not fighting each other." He was calmer now. His heart and soul was more concerned about the Healer and the girl before them. If she was in some sort of trouble with the Healer it was up to them to protect her. This vigilante took his turn to kneel beside the girl. "Aya. Please let us deal with the Healer, if you know anything about the Healer you gotta tell us. Believe me we can handle ourselves. At least, I know I can."

Leon/Hex

"Tch." He didn't feel like helping any one. In fact, he really just wanted to take his prize and leave. The necklace he had stolen for Blade was burning a hole in his pocket and he wanted to show it too her. "Hey! Why do we need to go after the Healer and protect Aya anyways? Can't we all just go back to where we came from and forget this meeting ever happened?"

Jet/Blackbird

Blackbird was losing her patience with Aya. "The Healer may or may not be human. But the point the others are trying to make is that we can destroy him with ease. You just have to have a little faith. Although. I'd rather not work with the vigilantes against The Healer. I'm smarter than that. Together we could defeat him but I'd rather not. Not my business. not my place. If you three would like to take him on by yourselves. Go on ahead."

"But Blackbird..." Ryu almost whined.

"I'll think about it. In the mean time." Her gaze rested on Lihko. "You stay out of trouble and don't go leading these two to their deaths. Alright?"

[c3p-0h]

Wes/Likho

Wes was frozen as he watched the strangers introduce himself and… partner up with him?

"Ok, hang on," he cut in, annoyance staining his voice. "I'm not leading anyone anywhere." He pulled his hood back and ran a hand through his hair. "All that's gonna happen is she," he pointed at Aya, "is going to tell me everything she knows about the Healer, and then I am going to deal with him. Alone. If you wanna take it upon yourself to protect her then by all means. Don't let me get in your way."

He looked back at Aya, surprised to see her finally pushing herself to her feet. She winced a bit at the various scrapes littering her body and Wes felt a twinge of guilt at that. At least it looked like they'd stopped bleeding. When she'd finally reached her full, unimpressive height, Wes waited. Her eyes were glued to the ground, not meeting the gazes of anyone else.

"I," she started, only to close her mouth again. Her eyebrows crinkled together as her gaze darted over the ground, as though her answers were hidden there. "My dad died. A few years ago. My mom's not really around. After… I got put in the system and… there's good people, I'm sure. People who do it for the right reasons and care for the kids they take in. I just… didn't meet them."

We shifted his weight, glancing around at the others. He wondered where Aya was going with this.

"I tried running a few times, but they always found me and brought me back to…" Her mouth was still open, some unsaid word trying to force its way out of her throat. She clamped her mouth closed again and took a breath before continuing. "I did something. You could call it self defense, but it doesn't…" Her voice wavered and her eyes started to glisten again. "The Healer found me after. Said he could protect me, take care of me if I just –" Aya brought hand up to wipe at her eyes. Wes glanced at the others, uncomfortable and frustrated – pissed as hell that the monster would victimize another person like this. Wes needed to end him. He needed Aya to tell him how to do it.

She clamped a hand over her mouth, as though that would halt the emotions threatening to overtake her. Her eyes squeezed shut. Wes stepped forward.

"Hey," he said quietly, trying not to startle her. Awkward and unsure, Wes slowly raised his free hand. Aya didn't seem to hear him. "It's ok. You're ok." He lowered his hand to rest it lightly on her shoulder.

And then the building they were all standing atop exploded.

Aya/Cosmos

Aya watched the different vigilantes talk about what to do, almost seeming to reach some sort of consensus for what to do about the Healer. About her.

Voices warred in Aya's head, telling her to come clean. Others shouted back that doing so would only get everyone on this roof killed. She couldn't just deny that she was involved anymore though. Likho had her dead to rights, and now it seemed the others had come to the same conclusions. They wouldn't let her leave without answers. But maybe Aya didn't need to give away them all.

And so she began. Her history wasn't something she spoke of often, and it showed with how raw the harsh edges of her life cut at her.

She clamped a hand over her mouth and squeezed her eyes shot when a sob fought to break free. God, this was pitiful.

Likho, clearly uncomfortable, was stiff and awkward beside her. But he still tried, in his way. Aya felt a hand, warm and heavy beneath the glove, make its way to her shoulder. And then there was chaos.

Something erupted beneath them, and there was an explosion Aya felt more than heard. It rattled her bones as the roof lurched and started to crumble. She was fairly certain she screamed. The hand at her shoulder moved, replaced by a pair of arms wrapping around her. The world was a mess of smoke and ash, the aftershocks still ringing in her ears. When it came back into focus, Aya found herself lying in the rubble, dusty and shaken. New pains arced through her body, but nothing debilitating. Though, she supposed it was hard to tell through the shock. Her eyes found Likho, a short distance away. His body moved in a sluggish, pained manner, but he didn't seem to much worse for wear. Her sense of hearing trickled back to her. Dogs barking, people shouting, car alarms blaring… they slowly formed the backdrop to the chaos.

Aya searched for the other four. Instead she found a tall, cloaked figure standing in the distance. A man made of inky black, darker than the night sky. A short, flat hat rested atop his head. Both gloved hands rested on a long walking cane. In place of a face was only a long, beaked mask, glassy circles in the place of eyes.

The Healer.

She felt her heart stop, fear freezing her veins. The Healer watched for a moment. Then he turned and slowly faded into the night. Aya looked back to the others, watching them all get their bearings. Then she forced herself to her feet as quietly as she could, and disappeared. Aya escaped without anyone being the wiser.

[StarBoi]

Things began to get interesting. Lihko seemed uninterested in teaming up with the other heroes which was to be expected. He wanted to take down the Healer on his own, which was also understandable. However, Blade and Ryu were just as stubborn and wanted to help not only protect Aya but also bring in the Healer. At last, Aya stood and surprisingly began to speak. It seemed as though she was going to tell them everything which was what they had hoped. But no one could be sure what details she would leave out. Her story seemed like a sad one but then again most of them had tragic pasts no doubt. Blade, being more of a sensible female wanted to comfort Aya as Lihko had tried but felt he had already beaten her to it. Blackbird on the other hand simply listened with her arms folded across her chest and eyes laid dead upon the female speaking. She was more no nonsense and wanted the details if it would lead Ryu to the Healer she would have to come along as well, to keep him safe... not that she cared or anything. Ryu waited patiently, his anger from before completely subsided, his Ash side coming forward a bit and feeling sad for the girl before him. Hex was different than the others. He didn't feel much for any of them except Blade. Not even the girl who was practically pouring her heart out to them. The teen watched from the other rooftop, looking down at them with his hands in his pockets, feeling the necklace over with his right hand. He hoped the drama would end soon so that he could go home with Runo. There was a familiar sound that he couldn't quite place his finger on, he raised his head the split second that the building exploded beneath the feet of the others. He couldn't act fast enough, but he would try. Hex lept down from the rooftop, attempting to tackle Blade and protect her from the rubble and the fall. It was almost a failure but he felt her in his arms and simply closed his eyes, turning his body over slightly so she wouldn't be crushed beneath him or rubble, but just protected in his arms.

Runo/Blade

She couldn't tell what had happened. All she knew was that there was a loud noise that had to have been an explosion and then she was in someone's arms. Who's she did not know. It must've been Leon's, right? Only he would try to shield her like this. Everything was so loud, the ringing in her ears was what she heard mostly, than there was everything else after it had subsided. It was like the entire Earth had gone into chaos. So much noise. Desperately she squirmed to get her arms free to cover her ears but it wasn't going to work he was holding her and they were being crushed by so much rubble. Blade groaned quietly and at last opened her eyes to see Hex's face just inches from her's. "Leon..." She whispered in a wheezy voice. He seemed to be unconscious. "Hex. W-wake up."

Leon/Hex

Something must have struck his head because he was out cold. Maybe he hit it when they fell to the ground. The side of his face was a bit scraped and somewhat bleeding but nothing too serious. The main problem was the rubble crushing him and Runo. "Hex. W-wake up." He hadn't heard her but began to move anyways. "Nnn... Runo... what the hell happened?" He groaned just as much as she had. Everything hurt, but it didn't matter, he had protected her and that was what mattered.

"I don't know... it's so loud. I can't even think straight."

"Give me a minute and I'll get us out of here." He moved his arms to cover her ears.

Jet/Blackbird

There was no predicting it. But instinctively she moved to stand in front of Ryu and made an orb of pure darkness around them before the entire building collapsed. There was nothing to it, Blackbird knew what she was doing. Of course, of course there was a chance she'd get hurt and the shield would disappear, but she was sure she could hold it. The orb began to fall, it shielded them from any heat and flying shrapnel but once it hit the ground and the rubble began to fall on top of them Blackbird began to weaken. A large piece of wall fell on top of them and the orb shattered and disappeared into nothing. She lay on top of him, unconscious. "Blackbird! Hey!"

Ash/Ryu

"Blackbird! Hey!" She had shielded them both. They had both tumbled a bit in the orb but were otherwise safe upon landing. Jet lay on top of him the final crushing blow from the piece of wall had made her lose consciousness. He gritted his teeth with one arm around her and attempted to push the wall off of them. "Shit..." It was crushing them both. It was so hard to focus with the noise but he wasn't going to let that affect him. Ryu would keep trying until he pushed the rubble off of them. However, he was only human and it would take more than one person with one free arm to get the wall off of them. "Nngh! Little help!!"

[StarBoi]

(shit sorry, blank post)

[c3p-0h]

Aya/Cosmos

Aya grit her teeth against the pain as she ran down a street and ducked into an alley. Her ears rang, her heart thumped in her throat, her pain sped through her body like blood through her veins. She almost tripped when she turned, still clumsy and disoriented from the blast. She could feel blood, sticky and hot, dripping from her temple. Aya slammed her back into the crumbling brick wall of a building. Leaning her head back, she jammed her eyes shut and tried to keep time with the pounding of her heart.

Aya sank down onto the asphalt, curling in on herself. Her dirty, bloodied palms rose to press into her eyes.

"Hello, Aya," a voice chilled her to the marrow. Her head snapped up. "Out for an evening stroll?"

Aya looked up to see the Healer towering before her.

Wes/Likho

Wes groaned as he pushed himself up through his pain. The world vibrated in his ears, through his bones, and he grit his teeth as he discovered new injuries. His right shoulder was a mess of torn flesh and blood. His ankle hurt a little too much when he tried to support his weight on it.

Sound began to trickle back to him. The blast had thrown the city into chaos, and it wouldn't be long before people started emerging from the woodwork.

He heard one of the others calling for help. Biting down hard, Wes forced himself to his feet, fists clenched in pain as he did so. He gave a small shake of his head, as though that would be enough to wipe his injuries away. He did his best not to limp over to the blond boy, grabbing one edge of the wall.

A growl forced its way out of him as he struggled with the boy and the wall, but eventually it was raised just enough for the trapped girl to slide out, if she was conscious or if someone would grab her.

Wes looked around at the others, taking stock. All the bodies were moving at least. All… four.

Shit.

"Aya's gone," he all but cursed. Had it been the Healer? Was she somewhere in the rubble? Had this all been staged? Worry stained his frustration as he thought of the scared girl just moments before. "The hell was that," he said more to himself than the others.

[StarBoi]

Ash/Ryu

When Lihko came over and helped lift the wall just enough for them to escape, Ryu took Blackbird under his arm and squeezed out from beneath the ruins. "Thank you." Now standing, he held Blackbird in his arms, bridle style, keeping her close. "We should go help the others."

"We're okay!" Hex had pushed the pile of rubble off of himself and Blade and was now standing with her at his side. "At least, she is, heh..." He placed his hand on the back of his head, smiling and chuckling. This caused him to wince and clutch his side. "No, no, wait. I'm fine, honestly."

Ryu raised a brow at Hex who was now being tended to by Blade who seemed overly concerned about someone who she was supposed to oppose. "Riiight... If you say so, man." In his arms Blackbird began to stir, he looked down at her with his brows knitted together in worry. "Hey there, pretty birdy, you feeling okay?" His attempt at joking didn't seem to phase her, she opened her eyes slowly and didn't seem to have heard him.

"Wh...what?"

Jet/Blackbird

"Wh...what?" Her voice was naught but a whisper. After a moment the teenager realized that she was being held, but unlike her normal self, she didn't seem to mind. "Lihko... what happened to the girl?" Blackbird turned her head toward the vigilante she had been speaking too. "She must be here somewhere right?" It had occurred to her how awkward it was speaking to someone from someone else's arms. "Ryu put me down, I'm fine now."

"If you say so, doll." Gently he set the girl down onto her feet and brushed her shoulders off a little bit. "There, good as new."

There was no doubt in her mind the girl had escaped, if she was in the rubble she would have emerged by now right? There was always reason to double check. Blocking out the obnoxious sounds of the panicked city, Blackbird held out both hands in front of her, her hands glowed black and most of the rubble began to take on the same aura and floated up into the air. "She's not here..."

Leon/Hex

"/That/ was a demonstration of power, my friend. Or you know part of a hunt. Not quite sure yet." He said to Lihko.

His heightened senses were irritating him. The sounds were louder for him than any one else, the dust in the air agitated his sensitive nose and he could almost taste it when he breathed in. Now clutching his side he realized just how hurt he was, landing so hard may have caused him to fracture a rib or two, however he cared not as long as his girl was okay. She seemed mostly unharmed besides a few scrapes and bruises. "If it were quieter I could hear her. Talking, breathing, walking. Anything. but it's so damn loud" It was beginning to take a toll on his head giving him a massive headache. "Ughhh." He groaned once more and place his free hand on the side of his head in pain. "Blade can we get out of here now."

"Not until you return what you've stolen!!" Ryu spoke aggressively toward Hex.

"Hey calm down hot head, it's just a gift for my girlfriend, I was gonna pay for it later on."

Blade's eyes widened a bit and she looked away. "So um... you have a girlfriend, eh?"

"Of course I do!" He smiled at her.

Runo/Blade

"Look, Ryu. I'll take care of this one when the time comes, but right now we need to find Aya." It was obvious from Blackbird's search that Aya was no where to be found in the wreckage. If what Leon says is true, this was done by his father or sister... maybe even the Healer or all three of them, this is bad...

"This wasn't an accident."

"Of course not." Blackbird had set down all the rubble and now turned to face them all. "If not the Healer then someone else did this. A person one of us here knows." Her eyes shot toward Hex.

"You're saying /they/ did this? How would you know that if I don't."

"I think you do, Hex."

"Well if it was who I think it was we all better get out of here before we get sniped."

[c3p-0h]

Wes/Likho

Wes dropped the slab with a grunt when the girl was free of it. Dusting his hands off, he listened as the others spoke. All the while he scanned the city, looking for Aya. He was almost certain the Healer had some hand in this – the timing was too perfect. Of course the moment he had a solid lead, something like this happened. He couldn't discount the others being involved in some way.

He pulled his attention back to them to hear two of them discussing something in too cagey a manner.

"If someone wants to explain before we get sniped, that'd be great." He really didn't have the patience for this you know i know he knows shit. He bent down and wrenched his staff out from the rubble. "Otherwise, I'll just go find Aya on my own." Let these people deal with this mess. It was their turf after all.

Aya/Cosmos

Aya was frozen, her blood painfully still in her veins as she looked up at the long-nosed mask. Blank, glassy eyes stared back down at her.

A gloved hand reached out to her. She couldn't help but flinch. He waited for a long moment, before curling his fingers once in a beckoning motion. Aya forced her hand up to place it in his. Fingers curled around her in a painless, but inescapable grip. She let him help her to her feet.

"There we are." His voice, honeyed and muffled behind the mask, raised the hair on her neck. She wanted to throw up. "Let's go find somewhere to enjoy the show, shall we?" Aya could only walk after him, numb with fear, her hand still trapped in his.

[StarBoi]

Ash/Ryu

"Yes I would like to know what's going on. If we are in danger, shouldn't we get the hell out of here??" Ryu shifted his feet uneasily. He looked around the other rooftops trying to spot a sniper. But he wasn't trained for this sort of thing and wasn't sure what to be looking for. A scope? A head sticking out? How well were they able to hide? "Blackbird?" His gaze was now cast upon the one who was accusing Hex of something. Something no one else was sure of it seemed. By now the hot head was getting more and more nervous and with this came the anger. "I demand to know who is going to shoot us and why. And if you know who caused this explosion and risked innocent lives I want to know that information as well!" This was the last chance for the one known as Hex. The criminal was already walking on thin ice with this vigilante and well, Ryu really wanted to beat the shit out of the kid for causing so much trouble.

Jet/Blackbird

While Lihko was speaking, Blackbird was doing the same thing Ryu was, scanning the rooftops for a sniper. The one pursuing Hex was said to be young but very well trained. Whoever they were, they concealed themselves quite well. "Hex. If you'd care to give the others a rightful explanation."

"What?!" He winced, speaking hurt, almost as much as the noises that were only just now starting to settle down. The teen wondered where the cops always were at times like this, if they were on their way he surely had to get out of there as soon as possible. "Why do I have to... agh... Why me?"

"Because this is your fault. And as far as Aya goes, she's gone. the Healer probably has her with him at this very moment. So save yourself the trouble of hunting her alone and just wait to hear what Hex has to say. It may lead us to why this explosion happened and maybe even to the Healer is my hunch is right."

Runo/Blade

Blade fussed over Hex as if she knew him as more than just a common criminal from her town. When winced as he spoke the look of concern on her face, despite the mask, was obvious.

"D-don't fuss so much over me Blade, you know you're not even supposed to like me." He muttered to her. "Right but, you are injured after saving me... I feel kind of bad. Hex, if you could tell us what's going on and soon, that would be great. I really don't feel like dying today, especially not by a bullet wound to the head."

Leon/Hex

"Alright. I'll tell you. Not that it's any secret. It's practically common knowledge. My dad is a crime boss and my sister is a trained sniper. They've been hunting me down for a few years trying to get me to come back and work for my father. But I do my own thing, /obviously/." He pointed to the Anarchy symbol on his chest with his thumb. "Anyway. This was most likely down by my sister, the whole explosion thing was to catch us off guard, injure and/or kill us and get her guys to bring me in. But..." He gripped his side tighter but was smirking as he did so. "/YOU FAILED/" He shouted out to the rooftops. "You can't kill us..." Hex turned back toward the others. "Okay she's mad time to run. If Blackbird is right though. My father has some connection to the Healer which is why Aya disappeared too. The blast... was a distraction so Aya could slip away." With the shake of his head he cursed under his breath. Should have seen /that/ coming. The sound of sirens was coming nearer and nearer, Hex looked up with a look of panic. "Oh shit, we /really/ gotta go. Come on Blade, back to our city. NOW."

Before any one could move their was the sound of several tires blowing out in the distance and the screeching of brakes. "Eve..." Hex whispered. "She took out the cops."