Police cars swerved and twisted to dodge traffic as they struggled to keep up with the two Variants traversing the rooftops. Eventually, after a few sharp directional changes, Flea was able to shake the cops off of his tail. Inverse, however, was another problem entirely. No matter how suddenly Flea would cut in another direction or how far he would leap, Inverse stuck to him like glue.
Damn, this dude is fast...I mean, I'm keeping up, but barely. Time to switch things up…After the closing the gap a little with a few well timed maneuvers, Inverse concentrated on Flea's jump path, trying to predict his next landing spot.
Gotcha. He pinpointed an area on the rooftop in front of Flea and increased the gravity. Once the short man landed, he immediately tumbled, flinging his duffel out in front of him. His entire body suddenly felt heavier, like he had just been dunked in lead.
"Aaaaah...what the hell!"
Inverse landed on the roof near the little guy.
"End of the line...wait, I already used that one…...I need some more material...""Let me up, asshole!"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa…language, little guy.""I'll show you little!"
"Well...I'm waiting..."Inverse opened his posture as a challenge to the extremely aggravated Variant. Flea grumbled profusely as he struggled to lift himself off the ground. Inverse gave a sly smirk and snickered out loud.
I could watch this all night...huh…?Inverse's banter was interrupted by the subtle hum of electric motors. As he turned toward the direction of the noise, a M.A.D surveillance drone headed straight for him and his tiny hostage.
Sigma-881 has visual on two male Variants. Green Level Agile. Alias: Flea. Red Level Distortionist. Gravity Manipulation. Alias: Inverse. Proceeding with detainment.He already knew it was his cue to go. When the drone came within range, a pair of launchers protruded from underneath its body, each equipped with a round of shock darts. Without hesitation, the darts fired toward the pair. Inverse was able to use his powers to dodge the projectile altogether while Flea, of course, wasn't as fortunate. He took a direct hit and was instantly subjected to a few thousand volts of electricity. Inverse released his hold on Flea and made for the duffel bag, scooping it up before sprinting at top speed toward the edge of the roof as the drone tried in vain to hit him with another dart.
One Variant, Flea, has been detained. Sigma-881 in pursuit of Inverse.Inverse continued to traverse the high ground. As the buildings got taller, he ran along the sides of them, maintaining his distance from the M.A.D. drone. He spotted an open window ahead of him and saw an opportunity to lose his pursuer. He dropped into a baseball slide and 'fell' into the open window, launching himself into what appeared to be a bedroom. He was immediately met with a startled scream from a woman standing in front of a large mirror in nothing but a towel, seemingly about to get dressed. As he stood, she clutched the towel to her body.
"Oh! Sorry!...wait, why would you be doing that with window op-?"The drone appeared in the window and fired another dart, which lodged in the wall as Inverse evaded it and bolted from the room. He made his way out of the apartment and into the hallway.
Gotta go up. He found the entrance to the emergency stairwell and discovered he was several stories from the top floor.
Lost immediate visual, switching to thermal optics...Variant has entered emergency stairwell, likely heading for the roof. Proceeding to roof for intercept.Inverse hopped over the railing into the open space and 'fell' upward toward the ceiling. He grabbed the railing at the top floor and flung himself over, landing directly in front of the roof exit.
Yeah, that drone is probably right outside…but I got something for him...He manifested a small black orb that hovered over his palm. As he burst through the door, he threw the orb out in front of him while tumbling to dodge yet another dart. Both the drone and the dart, along with some loose debris, were forcibly pulled toward the orb that was now hovering in the air.
Losing control of movement. Variant's escape is imminent."Well, it's been fun," Inverse mocked as he shot the drone a bird and launched himself into the air, leaving the drone pinned in midair.
Sierra/Incinera
– Midtown –Incinera met a group of firefighters in the stairwell as she moved the group of young scientists to safety. The rescue team seemed to pause when they noticed she had been walking through the flames in barely any clothing and emerged completely unscathed.
"Help them! Get 'em out of here!"The firefighters snapped back into action and lead the scientists downstairs. One of the rescuers offered Incinera an oxygen tank, which she was actually quite grateful for. The fire seemed to be getting under control as others pitched in to help, including a...werewolf? When the remaining occupants were shuttled out of the lab, Incinera decided not to stay for any longer than she needed to and made her way to the roof. There was a giant metal contraption that was cascading water onto the building.
The hell did this thing come from?She walked over to the edge of the roof and peered down at the chaotic scene below. More rescue vehicles and workers than she could count swarmed the streets and she noted to herself that some of the more professional-looking types were most likely with N.O.V.A. She really hated dealing with the agency in general and definitely didn't feel bothered to at the moment. She backed away from the edge and sat down, leaning against one of the legs of the metal-water-thingy. She removed her mask and coughed a few times while she brushed debris and ashes from her hair.
This had to be Underground…they're always doing the stupid shit…but why burn down a chem lab? What would the Underground gain from something like that? Seems extreme even for them...there's gotta be more to it...
"Yoooo, Rocky Road! I know you're in this mission, where you at? It's Scavenger, I can give you guys a pickup!"Graffite nodded as he received the call. "We're heading towards Tech Alley. The cops are gaining on us, so move your ass!"
"Who the hell is this guy?" Ruby said when she noticed Dante looking like he was preparing to engage them.
"Who cares? Wreck him!"
Dante pulled a pair of shades from his pocket and donned them as a countermeasure against being identified. He conjured up a blue knife and hurled it in the direction of the pair of Variants, then immediately followed it with two red knives. The action was so quick that Ruby and Graffite had no time to react. The blue knife precisely cut the strap of the duffel Graffite carried causing it to fall to the ground, and the red knives exploded at each of the Variants' feet, sending them flying in different directions. Graffite slammed into the wall of a nearby building while Ruby tumbled and rolled in the street. As the pair struggled to get to their feet, the police screeched to a stop behind them and drew their pistols.
"NHPD! Remain on the ground and place your hands behind your head!"
"Fuck that," Graffite huffed as he got to his feet.
"Hey! Get down or we will open fire!"
Of course...shoot first, ask questions later…Graffite broke into a run directly toward the officers.
"Stop!"
As the police fired at the Variant, he simply shrugged off every bullet and continued his sprint unfazed. When he reached the first officer, he knocked the pistol from his hand and knocked him unconscious with a fist to the jaw. He then continued to make his way through the ranks, disposing of each officer in kind. Meanwhile, Ruby got to her feet and spat a bit of blood onto the ground.
"Alright, you little shit, you wanna play?!" Ruby shouted in Dante's direction. She then conjured a large blade made of crystalized blood in each hand and dashed toward Dante.
Here we go…Dante created two more blue knives as Ruby took a swing towards his upper body. He ducked under the blade and deflected her second attempt with the other blade with a knife. The battle continued in a wild flurry of motion.
Blazion