@clanjosSounds interesting! I look forward to seeing your character sheets. :3
Blackstripe Member
That superhero/magic/pirate person
STATUS: If you haven't figured it out by now, your choices don't matter. 8 yrs ago
- Last Seen: 6 yrs ago
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- Blackstripe 9 yrs ago
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8 yrs ago
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If you haven't figured it out by now, your choices don't matter.
9 yrs ago
Watching all the pieces...watching all the pieces fall~
9 yrs ago
Yeeeeeeah...so you know how to Beep Beep like a Sheep, I see!
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12:55 AM, March 13th
East Haven Residential, Hub City
"Right. The sooner we find him and get out of here, the better." Question says, tracing his hand along the wall as he continues. "Got sick once after chasing a criminal through the sewers. Was inactive for a week after that." He continues in silence, listening to the sounds of the sewers and trying to think of where the Electrocutioner would go.
---
"You should invest in protective gear," Grim noted in a low rumble, raising a hand to tap one finger against the gas mask covering her face. "Animals get ... creative when cornered." Then the vigilante gave a slight shrug, dipping her head to run the flashlight along the ground before back up and forward, with only a slight glance at the trash beside them. People always flush things they aren't supposed to, and she didn't particularly want to deal with something radioactive and huge. Not tonight, at least.
"Of course, the safest way is to just not do it." Wise words on deaf ears, no doubt.
---
Arcana didn't have much to say in that moment, her mind currently focused on avoiding breathing in any of the nauseating fumes that permeated the air. It took her a few moments to recall that she didn't even have to breathe in the first place, which was of no small relief to her.
The trail was much easier to follow now, since the footprints left by The Electrocutioner were clearly visible in the muck that stained the concrete beneath their feet. Each step the trio made echoed through the cavernous sewers, the cackle of their feet only opposed by the sound of flowing waste and distant voices.
For many minutes they would continue to press onward, to the point where it seemed like they had been walking for at least half an hour. It, in some ways, reminded Karen of when she was pulled into The Rock of Eternity...except with many more discarded jock straps and tampons floating by them.
At last, however, their journey lead them to an opening in the otherwise narrow corridors of the subterranean labyrinth. In this expansive region, burn barrels illuminated the darkness, and disturbed murmurs reached their ears as shadows began to rise.
Over two dozen figures began to rise from where they had been squatting, all of them slowly approaching the strangers. Each and every one of them wore tattered rags, their hair frayed and wild. Sallow, crooked teeth glistened in the oscillating light of the flames as they sneered warily at the intruders.
"Uhh...hi, we're the um..." Arcana shifted her eyes to either side of the room, "Department of Housing and Urban Development?"
They didn't seem amused.
---
The Question came to a stop as the trio was approached by a group of homeless people, all looking as derelict as the sewers they called home. Arcana tried to lighten the mood, or maybe that was just her nervous excuse. Either way, the hobos didn't budge.
"... I've got this." With that, he pulled out his wallet, removing a hundred dollar bill and waving it in the air. "Who wants the dollar? Huh? Who wants it?"
---
'Unstable,' Grim noted silently as she watched the antics of Trenchcoat, baiting those before them like dogs. For a moment she actually approved, thinking he was offering a bribe - but no. With a low noise the vigilante merely reached over and grabbed Trenchcoat's wildly waving arm to yank it down, glare unseen beneath the mask. Her other hand gestured to the homeless before pointing downward, to the last of the gigantic footprints they had followed in a silent question.
Really, some people just weren't made for this line of work but everyone wanted to put on a mask and pretend.
---
"They're not animals, y'know," Lady Arcana muttered to the Question, stepping forward to spread her arms. Offering the homeless before them a warm smile, she decided to start by introducing herself. "My name is Lady Arcana, and these are my friends Grim and The Question."
She gestured to the pair behind her for a moment before continuing. "We're looking for someone very dangerous, a man in armor? They sometimes call him 'The Electrocutioner'."
"We know who you are," an old man at the front of the assembly wheezed out, leaning heavily on a knotted piece of wood from who-knows-where. "Didn't expect to see you here, just thought it'd be him."
The old man gestured towards Grim.
"He told us there'd be a reward if we brought him your head," he explained. "Wasn't sure if he was legit, but we don't have a lot of opportunities here. Still, he didn't say nothin' about no Lady Arcana. We hear you've got the power of the devil, and we ain't gonna mess with that."
Arcana lightly scratched the back of her hood, uncertain how to respond to this.
---
"Just tell us where he is, and we'll leave you alone. Don't, and you'll learn the true definition of pain." Question threatened, crossing his arms and scowling beneath his mask. Truthfully, he didn't know why they were wasting their time with these scum, but he didn't voice that aloud.
---
Interesting. Despite their numbers Grim didn't feel particularly threatened, and doubted she would be even alone. Twenty years experience didn't make one afraid of a group of untrained homeless men. Still, it was nice not having to actually engage them by Princess' mere presence. Maybe she should offer her an internship, devil powers and all.
More than that though, it confirmed that Electro knew she'd be coming after him, was expecting her. That was mildly concerning, if only for the fact it meant that he was probably preparing a trap. It would be something to look out for. However, once again back in her silent persona, Grim merely tilted her head toward Question, silently acknowledging his statement as true. It'd be easier for everyone involved if they just pointed out where the one who offered the reward went.
---
Arcana sighed, really not wanting to hurt a bunch of confused and desperate homeless people. Thankfully, they didn't seem to like the idea of fighting her, fearing her powers. It was always nice when she was able to diffuse a potentially hostile situation with her mere presence like that.
"Yes, tell us where the man who told you to hurt my friend went, Satan commands it!" She broadened her arms and lifted into the air in an effort to be intimidating. Many of the hobos quickly shuddered in fear, backing away from them.
The old man stood his ground, but was noticeably shaken. "A-alright, fine! Just d-don't cast any hexes on us, y'hear?"
Pointing to the opposite end of the room, the de facto leader of their little community quickly stood aside. "We don't know where he's staying, but he went further into the tunnels. That's all we know!"
---
The Question stood in awe as Arcana intimidated the hobos into backing down, a small smirk forming under his mask. "Heh," he quietly chuckled as the hobos backed away. The leader, though shaken, pointed them in the right direction. Question tipped his hat, saying "thank you for your time," before tossing the one hundred dollar bill at the leader and walking deeper into the tunnels with the other two.
---
That worked out well. Better than her usual luck, actually. Grim hummed lowly as the three in their little justice group continued onward to follow the directions, the sound rumbling in the voice modulator. It was even nice that the Unstable Fedoramancer actually gave up the change he was waving around. Still, the vigilante waited patiently until they were passed the homeless campground before speaking once more.
"Satan commands it?" Was the first thing that escaped her mouth, amusement coloring the words. A slight shake of her head though and Grim moved on. "Electrocutioner is expecting us. At least, he's expecting me. Be on your guard." Taking point once more Grim merely resumed scanning the way in front of them with her flashlight, heat optics flickering back on once more.
---
"Hey, you can't say it didn't work!" Lady Arcana lightly protested, folding her arms.
It felt like they had been down here forever at this point, and it didn't seem like their journey was close to ending. How far away from East Haven must they be at this point? Did that Electrocutioner guy really travel all this way to get to Commissioner Lessee's house? If that was the case...
"He must have had a reasonably detailed map of this sewer system to come up right beside his house like that," Arcana noted after several more minutes of walking. "I wonder how difficult it is to get something like that?"
The trail stretched on for another fifteen minutes, before the tracks at last came to an end in another expansive room. This one had a sole occupant, crouched at the far end. Grim would recognize him as Benjamin Wilcott, aka "The Electrocutioner". He did not currently appear to be wearing the armor he used to murder the mafiosos back in Gotham all those years ago, however.
He was surrounded by a simple bedroll, a table, chair, and what appeared to be a small portable radio. The room itself seemed to be flooded, with everything but the elevated section at the back being knee-deep in water.
He had already been gazing at the entrance of the room as they rounded the corner, and he offered a small chuckle at their arrival.
"He said you would come, Grim...he said you might bring friends, too," Benjamin gently stroked the radio, smiling to her. "I knew he wouldn't lie to me, not him, not him, no, no, no..."
---
A slight head tilt, another low hum, but Grim didn't move forward. Instead she just examined the man across the room from them, taking in his little hideout and appearance. This was ... different, to say the least. Ge wasn't this unstable last she had met him, she doubted prison cracked him so thoroughly either. Plus it did provide some back up to what Arcana mused out loud before, that he may have had a map - and considering he was in Gotham up until a week ago, it seemed reasonable he had help.
Why, though?
"Who?" Was all Grim offered to the hulking man, even as her fingers moved to one of the pouches on the left of her belt. Withdrawing a single brass lock pick the vigilante tossed it forward to land in the water, checking to see if it sparked. With someone named Electrocutioner it was better to be safe around water with them.
---
Benjamin appeared to be dressed in a simple wifebeater and blue slacks, both horribly dirty and stained partially green. On his back, however, was some sort of...metallic backpack. His smile also grew when Grim tossed the lockpick into the water. It did not spark, indicating that the room had not been electrified.
Arcana simply frowned at the man who had framed her from across the room, letting Grim deal with him, given her familiarity with the criminal.
---
Question, not being a complete imbecile, followed Arcana's lead and stayed back. However, it didn't stop him from analyzing the villain and his surroundings. "Hurm. Grim, if you're going to do something, now might be the time to do it. He's kinda freaking me out."
---
Grim didn't respond to the Question, too focused on Benjamin. More specifically her goggled gaze had finally landed on the odd metal contraption on his back, examining it. A bad feeling had settled into the pit of her gut between his mannerisms and not even having the suit, but with her two companions waiting for her to take point and not even a visible trap the odds seemed tipped in their favor.
Maybe that was the source of the feeling, since things never went to plan that easily.
Loitering however wouldn't get this resolved any quicker, and devil girl behind her was hesitating. Finally without a sound Grim raised her left hand, and from the bottom wrist of the gauntlet shot out a hook spear that impaled easily into the ceiling of the sewer. Her fingers wrapped around the durable wire that was connected to it before taking a running leap, easily clearing the distance to land on the other side. A slight twitch of her pinky against a part unseen in her gloves had the hook line withdraw in itself and return, while Grim's left glove suddenly let out sparks.
Time to see if Benjamin Wilcott had anything shocking in store this time.
---
Ben's eyes twinkled when she lodged her grappling hook into the ceiling. Immediately finding his feet, the device on his back filled the room with an azure light. Working its way over his form in but a second's time, he was soon encased in a suit of smooth metallic armor that made his old outfit look like a bunch of rusty cans.
"Yes, come to me, Grim! I've been waiting for this!" He released a mechanical snarl from behind the shining helmet that had encased his head.
The very moment she touched the ground, The Electrocutioner unleashed a spiderweb of electrical currents through the moist concrete. "Witness the power he gave me! The power to kill you, who so hypocritically condemned me for seeking justice!"
---
'This is new.' As soon as she heard the spark of electricity Grim's left hand shot up, the hook shot once more shooting out to slam into the ceiling. The mechanism pulled her right up, and with practiced ease the electricity sparking at her own palm turned off. She doubted it would be very useful now. Still, quick reflexes could only work so much and despite her work a low hiss escaped her clenched teeth as a pulse of the electrical current ran through her, the clench of her jaw the only reason a scream didn't tear through her throat at the brief, painful shock.
As it was her 'landing' was still a bit unsteady as the climbing claws on her right glove extended, her slamming them into the wall beside her as the hook shot brought her to the ceiling. It kept her balanced enough to focus down on Benjamin, eyes darting over his suit looking for any weakness that could be exploited. The helmet no doubt would stop her anesthesia, and there was absolutely no chance her defib would do anything against her.
Still, Grim had a few tricks up her sleeve.
---
"The last time we faced one another, you held all the cards," Electrocutioner proclaimed, "but this time the deck is stacked in my favor!"
His armor didn't appear to have any glaring vulnerabilities in it, although the device on his back from which it had emerged remained present. Still, Grim wouldn't have long to observe, for Benjamin swiftly extended a gauntlet towards her and unleashed a powerful current of electricity through the air, the relatively low ceiling allowing it to strike the wall rather than simply arcing down into the ground.
"Killing you will be the last step in achieving my revenge! My final strike against the injustice of this world!" He proclaimed, his voice still distorted by the armor that encased him.
~
"...Uh, do you need any help there?" Arcana called out from the other side of the room, watching with no small amount of apprehension as Grim seemingly struggled against the armored criminal.
She got the impressive that they were the prideful sort, and didn't want to insult by rushing in and taking care of things for them.
---
With the claw dug into the wall it was simple for Grim to use her feet to kick off it and detach, the hook shot still in the ceiling allowing her to swing away as more electricity coursed through the concrete.
'That's my trick,' Grim couldn't help but think grumpily, but to the two others called out.
"You did insist on coming, didn't you?" Another twitch of her fingers had the hook shot suddenly release a few more feet of line on the swing back, dropping Grim enough that she just raised her feet and slammed the heel of her boot directly into the Electrocutioner's fancy helmet, her other foot hitting him square in the chest of his new suit. The hook shot released at the same time, allowing the vigilante to drop into a crouch and kick her leg out in order to sweep his feet in the stumble, aiming to drop him into the sewage water to the side of the platform.
---
The Electrocutioner stumbled only slightly in response to her twin kicks, a loud ring echoing through the room, and likewise a third chimed when she tried to knock him off balance, her calve meeting metal. Cackling in glee at his seeming invincibility, he loomed over his hated enemy, casting a glance to the water. "What, do you want me there? You should've just asked!"
Turning, he voluntarily leaped down into the water, the lockpick she had thrown in earlier immediately sparking to show that it was now electrified. "Yeah, you can either come down here with me, or stay up there, in the shooting gallery!"
Extending his hands towards the elevated platform, he began unleashing current after current of electricity, each one arcing through the air to crash down into the platform where she was. "Let's see how an Urban Legend dances!"
~
Lady Arcana continued to observe the battle between the two old enemies, her lips tightly pursed. She had been interested to see what this person called Grim could do, but this hardly seemed fair. He was in some kind of weird super armor!
Having had enough when he began to spam electricity at her, she lifted off the ground, clearing the distance between her and The Electrocutioner in an instant as she touched down into the water. She barely registered the electricity that immediately surged through her as it was simply absorbed into her form.
Turning to face her the very moment she landed, The Electrocutioner turned and spread his arms. "Ah, at last! A proper challenge for the new, improved Electrocutioner! He told me you were strong, said I would need this armor to defeat you! When I bring him your head, he'll surely reward me!"
Glancing to both Grim and The Question, he clenched his fists dramatically. "Are you ready for the greatest show ever witnessed by man? Are you ready to see the death of a GodDYHAABH!"
The Electrocutioner was now lodged into the far wall, a hole about one foot deep now scarring the concrete. Lady Arcana slowly lowered the fist responsible for the makeshift architectural reconstruction.
"I wonder who he kept talking about?" She pondered.
---
"More than likely, he was talking about his handler from the Illuminati, who sent him here to cause chaos under the guise of vengeance." Question said, leaning against a wall a safe distance away from the fight. Finally, he set his propped up foot down on the ground. "So, we'll just drag him out of here and take him to the police, correct?"
---
A slight twitch of her eyebrow, unseen underneath the mask, as Grim stared at the crater now in the wall. Way to make a woman feel useful, Princess Puppy. Of course outside the mask Grim's face remained impassive, her humming lightly once more. Almost as an afterthought the vigilante turned back to Lady Arcana, dipping her head in a slight bow.
"Thanks," She rumbled lightly through the modulator, allowing a bit more appreciation to color her words. "Reports weren't lying about your strength." Her eyebrow twitched again hearing Trenchcoat, idly wondering if he was insane and Princess kept him around as a joke, or a pet. Then again she had so much sunshine Grim could probably tan by her, likely she actually thought of Trenchcoat as a friend.
"Taking him to the police is correct, though. Once they run him they'll know his other crimes. I'm interested in the box he had." Grim gestured to the wall, pointedly asking Arcana. "Grab it for me, will you? I'd rather not step into the water."
---
2:48 AM, March 13th
Hub City Police Department
"Aaaaahhh...so what you're sayin'," Police Chief Herbert Morris idly chewed on his late night doughnut, "is that this guy was the one who wasted the Commish?"
Lady Arcana slowly nodded, "That's right, officer. If you check his record, you'll see he has quite the extensive record behind him."
The Police Chief, from the ten or so minutes she'd known him, seemed to embody every "lazy cop" stereotype she'd ever heard. Even still, someone as apathetic as him surely couldn't ignore this sort of evidence. Benjamin was now handcuffed, stripped of his armor before they had even brought him in. Grim had, after all, wanted to take a look at it.
"You know, you're a criminal too, right?" He finished off the glazed pastry, smacking his lips against his fingers. "I should haul you in alongside this wacko, but, eh...whatever. Just don't hurt any of my boys, and we won't have a problem."
The cops had trained their guns on her when she had first arrived with the Electrocutioner, but had at least carried enough sense with them not to start a fight. "No worries, Chief. I'd like to be on good terms with the HCPD if I can be."
"Yeah, well, that's not my dec-"
She didn't care to hear him drone on any longer, and so vacated the police station with all due haste. Besides, she was more interested in speaking to her fellow vigilantes on how everything went down.
"Alright, he's in custody now," Arcana landed in front of the duo of costumed crime fighters, her eyes immediately falling to the device she had handed over to Grim. "Sorry that I broke it. Hopefully it can still tell you something, though!"
---
"... Do you think dogs can understand what we say, or...?" Question asked, attempting to break the silence, only for Arcana to arrive soon after. "Ah, she's back." Arcana explained that Electrocutioner was in custody, and apologized to Grim for breaking the device that gave Electrocutioner his armor.
"Hunh. More than likely made from technology designed by the aglets. That is to say that once its user has been incapacitated, captured, or killed, it is unable to work again. So, good luck I suppose."
---
Another eyebrow twitch, as Grim was completely and utterly content with Trenchcoat being silent as she examined the box. Turning it around in her hands, tapping on it, all but shoving her hands in it - that could wait until she was back in Gotham. Then... that, from Trenchcoat. Grim breathed out a heavy sigh once Princess arrived back, looking up to her with a small noise.
"Don't worry about it, if you didn't break it I probably would've," Grim responded to the other vigilante. Carefully setting the bulky thing on the ground Grim then straightened up, giving a short nod to the two. "I appreciate the help," She intoned lightly, though behind her mask she did side eye Trenchcoat.
---
"I'm glad we were able to work together to bring him and clear my name," Arcana replied with a warm smile. It was always great when she could befriend other heroes! And this one was really cool, with their grappling hook and claw gloves and fancy detective flashlight...maybe she should try and get one of those?
Nah, Sam would probably just tell her there was a spell for it, and then tell her she wasn't ready to learn it yet.
"So what's next? Are you going back to Gotham?"
---
"Most likely. It seems like Hub City didn't need me with you around," Another slight nod of her head in acknowledgement of the prowess of the other hero, though she did eye some of the dirt along the white of Lady Arcana's cape. Almost absently she reached up and brushed it away with the black of her gloves, fingers catching the clasp near her throat and carefully straightening it, before drifting up and adjusting the hood of the cloak as well. Satisfied she turned fully to the Punctuation, and following up her movements from before her hands rose and began to neaten up the way his tie laid against the shirt and throat. "You as well, detective."
---
Question could only stare in shock as Grim fixed Arcana's coat, before straightening his tie. For several moments after she left, he was silent, before turning to Arcana and saying: "Grim is definitely a woman, more than likely a mother at that."
---
Lady Arcana blinked in surprise when Grim began cleaning her cloak, and even adjusting her hood at the end, before turning to fix The Question's tie. For some reason, it all reminded her a lot of her mom, before her death, and she couldn't but smile even brighter than she already had been.
"Have a safe trip back home, Grim. I hope we'll see each again!"
After all, there would always be more bad guys to fight, and more adventures to be had. That was just how it was for heroes like them!
And then the Question dropped his final theory for the night. And it actually made sense this time. "...Holy shi-"
East Haven Residential, Hub City
"Right. The sooner we find him and get out of here, the better." Question says, tracing his hand along the wall as he continues. "Got sick once after chasing a criminal through the sewers. Was inactive for a week after that." He continues in silence, listening to the sounds of the sewers and trying to think of where the Electrocutioner would go.
---
"You should invest in protective gear," Grim noted in a low rumble, raising a hand to tap one finger against the gas mask covering her face. "Animals get ... creative when cornered." Then the vigilante gave a slight shrug, dipping her head to run the flashlight along the ground before back up and forward, with only a slight glance at the trash beside them. People always flush things they aren't supposed to, and she didn't particularly want to deal with something radioactive and huge. Not tonight, at least.
"Of course, the safest way is to just not do it." Wise words on deaf ears, no doubt.
---
Arcana didn't have much to say in that moment, her mind currently focused on avoiding breathing in any of the nauseating fumes that permeated the air. It took her a few moments to recall that she didn't even have to breathe in the first place, which was of no small relief to her.
The trail was much easier to follow now, since the footprints left by The Electrocutioner were clearly visible in the muck that stained the concrete beneath their feet. Each step the trio made echoed through the cavernous sewers, the cackle of their feet only opposed by the sound of flowing waste and distant voices.
For many minutes they would continue to press onward, to the point where it seemed like they had been walking for at least half an hour. It, in some ways, reminded Karen of when she was pulled into The Rock of Eternity...except with many more discarded jock straps and tampons floating by them.
At last, however, their journey lead them to an opening in the otherwise narrow corridors of the subterranean labyrinth. In this expansive region, burn barrels illuminated the darkness, and disturbed murmurs reached their ears as shadows began to rise.
Over two dozen figures began to rise from where they had been squatting, all of them slowly approaching the strangers. Each and every one of them wore tattered rags, their hair frayed and wild. Sallow, crooked teeth glistened in the oscillating light of the flames as they sneered warily at the intruders.
"Uhh...hi, we're the um..." Arcana shifted her eyes to either side of the room, "Department of Housing and Urban Development?"
They didn't seem amused.
---
The Question came to a stop as the trio was approached by a group of homeless people, all looking as derelict as the sewers they called home. Arcana tried to lighten the mood, or maybe that was just her nervous excuse. Either way, the hobos didn't budge.
"... I've got this." With that, he pulled out his wallet, removing a hundred dollar bill and waving it in the air. "Who wants the dollar? Huh? Who wants it?"
---
'Unstable,' Grim noted silently as she watched the antics of Trenchcoat, baiting those before them like dogs. For a moment she actually approved, thinking he was offering a bribe - but no. With a low noise the vigilante merely reached over and grabbed Trenchcoat's wildly waving arm to yank it down, glare unseen beneath the mask. Her other hand gestured to the homeless before pointing downward, to the last of the gigantic footprints they had followed in a silent question.
Really, some people just weren't made for this line of work but everyone wanted to put on a mask and pretend.
---
"They're not animals, y'know," Lady Arcana muttered to the Question, stepping forward to spread her arms. Offering the homeless before them a warm smile, she decided to start by introducing herself. "My name is Lady Arcana, and these are my friends Grim and The Question."
She gestured to the pair behind her for a moment before continuing. "We're looking for someone very dangerous, a man in armor? They sometimes call him 'The Electrocutioner'."
"We know who you are," an old man at the front of the assembly wheezed out, leaning heavily on a knotted piece of wood from who-knows-where. "Didn't expect to see you here, just thought it'd be him."
The old man gestured towards Grim.
"He told us there'd be a reward if we brought him your head," he explained. "Wasn't sure if he was legit, but we don't have a lot of opportunities here. Still, he didn't say nothin' about no Lady Arcana. We hear you've got the power of the devil, and we ain't gonna mess with that."
Arcana lightly scratched the back of her hood, uncertain how to respond to this.
---
"Just tell us where he is, and we'll leave you alone. Don't, and you'll learn the true definition of pain." Question threatened, crossing his arms and scowling beneath his mask. Truthfully, he didn't know why they were wasting their time with these scum, but he didn't voice that aloud.
---
Interesting. Despite their numbers Grim didn't feel particularly threatened, and doubted she would be even alone. Twenty years experience didn't make one afraid of a group of untrained homeless men. Still, it was nice not having to actually engage them by Princess' mere presence. Maybe she should offer her an internship, devil powers and all.
More than that though, it confirmed that Electro knew she'd be coming after him, was expecting her. That was mildly concerning, if only for the fact it meant that he was probably preparing a trap. It would be something to look out for. However, once again back in her silent persona, Grim merely tilted her head toward Question, silently acknowledging his statement as true. It'd be easier for everyone involved if they just pointed out where the one who offered the reward went.
---
Arcana sighed, really not wanting to hurt a bunch of confused and desperate homeless people. Thankfully, they didn't seem to like the idea of fighting her, fearing her powers. It was always nice when she was able to diffuse a potentially hostile situation with her mere presence like that.
"Yes, tell us where the man who told you to hurt my friend went, Satan commands it!" She broadened her arms and lifted into the air in an effort to be intimidating. Many of the hobos quickly shuddered in fear, backing away from them.
The old man stood his ground, but was noticeably shaken. "A-alright, fine! Just d-don't cast any hexes on us, y'hear?"
Pointing to the opposite end of the room, the de facto leader of their little community quickly stood aside. "We don't know where he's staying, but he went further into the tunnels. That's all we know!"
---
The Question stood in awe as Arcana intimidated the hobos into backing down, a small smirk forming under his mask. "Heh," he quietly chuckled as the hobos backed away. The leader, though shaken, pointed them in the right direction. Question tipped his hat, saying "thank you for your time," before tossing the one hundred dollar bill at the leader and walking deeper into the tunnels with the other two.
---
That worked out well. Better than her usual luck, actually. Grim hummed lowly as the three in their little justice group continued onward to follow the directions, the sound rumbling in the voice modulator. It was even nice that the Unstable Fedoramancer actually gave up the change he was waving around. Still, the vigilante waited patiently until they were passed the homeless campground before speaking once more.
"Satan commands it?" Was the first thing that escaped her mouth, amusement coloring the words. A slight shake of her head though and Grim moved on. "Electrocutioner is expecting us. At least, he's expecting me. Be on your guard." Taking point once more Grim merely resumed scanning the way in front of them with her flashlight, heat optics flickering back on once more.
---
"Hey, you can't say it didn't work!" Lady Arcana lightly protested, folding her arms.
It felt like they had been down here forever at this point, and it didn't seem like their journey was close to ending. How far away from East Haven must they be at this point? Did that Electrocutioner guy really travel all this way to get to Commissioner Lessee's house? If that was the case...
"He must have had a reasonably detailed map of this sewer system to come up right beside his house like that," Arcana noted after several more minutes of walking. "I wonder how difficult it is to get something like that?"
The trail stretched on for another fifteen minutes, before the tracks at last came to an end in another expansive room. This one had a sole occupant, crouched at the far end. Grim would recognize him as Benjamin Wilcott, aka "The Electrocutioner". He did not currently appear to be wearing the armor he used to murder the mafiosos back in Gotham all those years ago, however.
He was surrounded by a simple bedroll, a table, chair, and what appeared to be a small portable radio. The room itself seemed to be flooded, with everything but the elevated section at the back being knee-deep in water.
He had already been gazing at the entrance of the room as they rounded the corner, and he offered a small chuckle at their arrival.
"He said you would come, Grim...he said you might bring friends, too," Benjamin gently stroked the radio, smiling to her. "I knew he wouldn't lie to me, not him, not him, no, no, no..."
---
A slight head tilt, another low hum, but Grim didn't move forward. Instead she just examined the man across the room from them, taking in his little hideout and appearance. This was ... different, to say the least. Ge wasn't this unstable last she had met him, she doubted prison cracked him so thoroughly either. Plus it did provide some back up to what Arcana mused out loud before, that he may have had a map - and considering he was in Gotham up until a week ago, it seemed reasonable he had help.
Why, though?
"Who?" Was all Grim offered to the hulking man, even as her fingers moved to one of the pouches on the left of her belt. Withdrawing a single brass lock pick the vigilante tossed it forward to land in the water, checking to see if it sparked. With someone named Electrocutioner it was better to be safe around water with them.
---
Benjamin appeared to be dressed in a simple wifebeater and blue slacks, both horribly dirty and stained partially green. On his back, however, was some sort of...metallic backpack. His smile also grew when Grim tossed the lockpick into the water. It did not spark, indicating that the room had not been electrified.
Arcana simply frowned at the man who had framed her from across the room, letting Grim deal with him, given her familiarity with the criminal.
---
Question, not being a complete imbecile, followed Arcana's lead and stayed back. However, it didn't stop him from analyzing the villain and his surroundings. "Hurm. Grim, if you're going to do something, now might be the time to do it. He's kinda freaking me out."
---
Grim didn't respond to the Question, too focused on Benjamin. More specifically her goggled gaze had finally landed on the odd metal contraption on his back, examining it. A bad feeling had settled into the pit of her gut between his mannerisms and not even having the suit, but with her two companions waiting for her to take point and not even a visible trap the odds seemed tipped in their favor.
Maybe that was the source of the feeling, since things never went to plan that easily.
Loitering however wouldn't get this resolved any quicker, and devil girl behind her was hesitating. Finally without a sound Grim raised her left hand, and from the bottom wrist of the gauntlet shot out a hook spear that impaled easily into the ceiling of the sewer. Her fingers wrapped around the durable wire that was connected to it before taking a running leap, easily clearing the distance to land on the other side. A slight twitch of her pinky against a part unseen in her gloves had the hook line withdraw in itself and return, while Grim's left glove suddenly let out sparks.
Time to see if Benjamin Wilcott had anything shocking in store this time.
---
Ben's eyes twinkled when she lodged her grappling hook into the ceiling. Immediately finding his feet, the device on his back filled the room with an azure light. Working its way over his form in but a second's time, he was soon encased in a suit of smooth metallic armor that made his old outfit look like a bunch of rusty cans.
"Yes, come to me, Grim! I've been waiting for this!" He released a mechanical snarl from behind the shining helmet that had encased his head.
The very moment she touched the ground, The Electrocutioner unleashed a spiderweb of electrical currents through the moist concrete. "Witness the power he gave me! The power to kill you, who so hypocritically condemned me for seeking justice!"
---
'This is new.' As soon as she heard the spark of electricity Grim's left hand shot up, the hook shot once more shooting out to slam into the ceiling. The mechanism pulled her right up, and with practiced ease the electricity sparking at her own palm turned off. She doubted it would be very useful now. Still, quick reflexes could only work so much and despite her work a low hiss escaped her clenched teeth as a pulse of the electrical current ran through her, the clench of her jaw the only reason a scream didn't tear through her throat at the brief, painful shock.
As it was her 'landing' was still a bit unsteady as the climbing claws on her right glove extended, her slamming them into the wall beside her as the hook shot brought her to the ceiling. It kept her balanced enough to focus down on Benjamin, eyes darting over his suit looking for any weakness that could be exploited. The helmet no doubt would stop her anesthesia, and there was absolutely no chance her defib would do anything against her.
Still, Grim had a few tricks up her sleeve.
---
"The last time we faced one another, you held all the cards," Electrocutioner proclaimed, "but this time the deck is stacked in my favor!"
His armor didn't appear to have any glaring vulnerabilities in it, although the device on his back from which it had emerged remained present. Still, Grim wouldn't have long to observe, for Benjamin swiftly extended a gauntlet towards her and unleashed a powerful current of electricity through the air, the relatively low ceiling allowing it to strike the wall rather than simply arcing down into the ground.
"Killing you will be the last step in achieving my revenge! My final strike against the injustice of this world!" He proclaimed, his voice still distorted by the armor that encased him.
~
"...Uh, do you need any help there?" Arcana called out from the other side of the room, watching with no small amount of apprehension as Grim seemingly struggled against the armored criminal.
She got the impressive that they were the prideful sort, and didn't want to insult by rushing in and taking care of things for them.
---
With the claw dug into the wall it was simple for Grim to use her feet to kick off it and detach, the hook shot still in the ceiling allowing her to swing away as more electricity coursed through the concrete.
'That's my trick,' Grim couldn't help but think grumpily, but to the two others called out.
"You did insist on coming, didn't you?" Another twitch of her fingers had the hook shot suddenly release a few more feet of line on the swing back, dropping Grim enough that she just raised her feet and slammed the heel of her boot directly into the Electrocutioner's fancy helmet, her other foot hitting him square in the chest of his new suit. The hook shot released at the same time, allowing the vigilante to drop into a crouch and kick her leg out in order to sweep his feet in the stumble, aiming to drop him into the sewage water to the side of the platform.
---
The Electrocutioner stumbled only slightly in response to her twin kicks, a loud ring echoing through the room, and likewise a third chimed when she tried to knock him off balance, her calve meeting metal. Cackling in glee at his seeming invincibility, he loomed over his hated enemy, casting a glance to the water. "What, do you want me there? You should've just asked!"
Turning, he voluntarily leaped down into the water, the lockpick she had thrown in earlier immediately sparking to show that it was now electrified. "Yeah, you can either come down here with me, or stay up there, in the shooting gallery!"
Extending his hands towards the elevated platform, he began unleashing current after current of electricity, each one arcing through the air to crash down into the platform where she was. "Let's see how an Urban Legend dances!"
~
Lady Arcana continued to observe the battle between the two old enemies, her lips tightly pursed. She had been interested to see what this person called Grim could do, but this hardly seemed fair. He was in some kind of weird super armor!
Having had enough when he began to spam electricity at her, she lifted off the ground, clearing the distance between her and The Electrocutioner in an instant as she touched down into the water. She barely registered the electricity that immediately surged through her as it was simply absorbed into her form.
Turning to face her the very moment she landed, The Electrocutioner turned and spread his arms. "Ah, at last! A proper challenge for the new, improved Electrocutioner! He told me you were strong, said I would need this armor to defeat you! When I bring him your head, he'll surely reward me!"
Glancing to both Grim and The Question, he clenched his fists dramatically. "Are you ready for the greatest show ever witnessed by man? Are you ready to see the death of a GodDYHAABH!"
The Electrocutioner was now lodged into the far wall, a hole about one foot deep now scarring the concrete. Lady Arcana slowly lowered the fist responsible for the makeshift architectural reconstruction.
"I wonder who he kept talking about?" She pondered.
---
"More than likely, he was talking about his handler from the Illuminati, who sent him here to cause chaos under the guise of vengeance." Question said, leaning against a wall a safe distance away from the fight. Finally, he set his propped up foot down on the ground. "So, we'll just drag him out of here and take him to the police, correct?"
---
A slight twitch of her eyebrow, unseen underneath the mask, as Grim stared at the crater now in the wall. Way to make a woman feel useful, Princess Puppy. Of course outside the mask Grim's face remained impassive, her humming lightly once more. Almost as an afterthought the vigilante turned back to Lady Arcana, dipping her head in a slight bow.
"Thanks," She rumbled lightly through the modulator, allowing a bit more appreciation to color her words. "Reports weren't lying about your strength." Her eyebrow twitched again hearing Trenchcoat, idly wondering if he was insane and Princess kept him around as a joke, or a pet. Then again she had so much sunshine Grim could probably tan by her, likely she actually thought of Trenchcoat as a friend.
"Taking him to the police is correct, though. Once they run him they'll know his other crimes. I'm interested in the box he had." Grim gestured to the wall, pointedly asking Arcana. "Grab it for me, will you? I'd rather not step into the water."
---
2:48 AM, March 13th
Hub City Police Department
"Aaaaahhh...so what you're sayin'," Police Chief Herbert Morris idly chewed on his late night doughnut, "is that this guy was the one who wasted the Commish?"
Lady Arcana slowly nodded, "That's right, officer. If you check his record, you'll see he has quite the extensive record behind him."
The Police Chief, from the ten or so minutes she'd known him, seemed to embody every "lazy cop" stereotype she'd ever heard. Even still, someone as apathetic as him surely couldn't ignore this sort of evidence. Benjamin was now handcuffed, stripped of his armor before they had even brought him in. Grim had, after all, wanted to take a look at it.
"You know, you're a criminal too, right?" He finished off the glazed pastry, smacking his lips against his fingers. "I should haul you in alongside this wacko, but, eh...whatever. Just don't hurt any of my boys, and we won't have a problem."
The cops had trained their guns on her when she had first arrived with the Electrocutioner, but had at least carried enough sense with them not to start a fight. "No worries, Chief. I'd like to be on good terms with the HCPD if I can be."
"Yeah, well, that's not my dec-"
She didn't care to hear him drone on any longer, and so vacated the police station with all due haste. Besides, she was more interested in speaking to her fellow vigilantes on how everything went down.
"Alright, he's in custody now," Arcana landed in front of the duo of costumed crime fighters, her eyes immediately falling to the device she had handed over to Grim. "Sorry that I broke it. Hopefully it can still tell you something, though!"
---
"... Do you think dogs can understand what we say, or...?" Question asked, attempting to break the silence, only for Arcana to arrive soon after. "Ah, she's back." Arcana explained that Electrocutioner was in custody, and apologized to Grim for breaking the device that gave Electrocutioner his armor.
"Hunh. More than likely made from technology designed by the aglets. That is to say that once its user has been incapacitated, captured, or killed, it is unable to work again. So, good luck I suppose."
---
Another eyebrow twitch, as Grim was completely and utterly content with Trenchcoat being silent as she examined the box. Turning it around in her hands, tapping on it, all but shoving her hands in it - that could wait until she was back in Gotham. Then... that, from Trenchcoat. Grim breathed out a heavy sigh once Princess arrived back, looking up to her with a small noise.
"Don't worry about it, if you didn't break it I probably would've," Grim responded to the other vigilante. Carefully setting the bulky thing on the ground Grim then straightened up, giving a short nod to the two. "I appreciate the help," She intoned lightly, though behind her mask she did side eye Trenchcoat.
---
"I'm glad we were able to work together to bring him and clear my name," Arcana replied with a warm smile. It was always great when she could befriend other heroes! And this one was really cool, with their grappling hook and claw gloves and fancy detective flashlight...maybe she should try and get one of those?
Nah, Sam would probably just tell her there was a spell for it, and then tell her she wasn't ready to learn it yet.
"So what's next? Are you going back to Gotham?"
---
"Most likely. It seems like Hub City didn't need me with you around," Another slight nod of her head in acknowledgement of the prowess of the other hero, though she did eye some of the dirt along the white of Lady Arcana's cape. Almost absently she reached up and brushed it away with the black of her gloves, fingers catching the clasp near her throat and carefully straightening it, before drifting up and adjusting the hood of the cloak as well. Satisfied she turned fully to the Punctuation, and following up her movements from before her hands rose and began to neaten up the way his tie laid against the shirt and throat. "You as well, detective."
---
Question could only stare in shock as Grim fixed Arcana's coat, before straightening his tie. For several moments after she left, he was silent, before turning to Arcana and saying: "Grim is definitely a woman, more than likely a mother at that."
---
Lady Arcana blinked in surprise when Grim began cleaning her cloak, and even adjusting her hood at the end, before turning to fix The Question's tie. For some reason, it all reminded her a lot of her mom, before her death, and she couldn't but smile even brighter than she already had been.
"Have a safe trip back home, Grim. I hope we'll see each again!"
After all, there would always be more bad guys to fight, and more adventures to be had. That was just how it was for heroes like them!
And then the Question dropped his final theory for the night. And it actually made sense this time. "...Holy shi-"
Looks good to me, @Dblade26!
12:53 AM, March 13th
East Haven Residential, Hub City
"Wha-" Lady Arcana whirled when somebody just...appeared in the hallway. She hadn't heard their approach at all, which was really something given how quiet the house was at this point. They were dressed in black, with their face covered in some sort of goggle-mask combo. She couldn't quite tell if it was a man or a woman, even as they drew closer and began fondling the door frame. They then swept past the both of them without a single word. "Um, rude?"
"Just gonna blow us off, huh?" Arcana muttered, watching them shine a light across the walls and floors from their visor-thingy. While not that much could be seen from the walls, she immediately noticed that the light revealed a series of rather disturbingly large boot prints along the floor. They seemed to lead both to and from the bedroom door.
And then the stranger spoke. It was a deep tone, but something about it didn't sound quite natural. They claimed the one who did this was one of "theirs", whatever that meant, and that they were apparently called "The Electrocutioner".
"Wait, so you know the one behind the murders here?"
East Haven Residential, Hub City
"Wha-" Lady Arcana whirled when somebody just...appeared in the hallway. She hadn't heard their approach at all, which was really something given how quiet the house was at this point. They were dressed in black, with their face covered in some sort of goggle-mask combo. She couldn't quite tell if it was a man or a woman, even as they drew closer and began fondling the door frame. They then swept past the both of them without a single word. "Um, rude?"
"Just gonna blow us off, huh?" Arcana muttered, watching them shine a light across the walls and floors from their visor-thingy. While not that much could be seen from the walls, she immediately noticed that the light revealed a series of rather disturbingly large boot prints along the floor. They seemed to lead both to and from the bedroom door.
And then the stranger spoke. It was a deep tone, but something about it didn't sound quite natural. They claimed the one who did this was one of "theirs", whatever that meant, and that they were apparently called "The Electrocutioner".
"Wait, so you know the one behind the murders here?"
12:52 AM, March 13th 2020
East Haven Residential
"Eh?" Arcana turned when she heard a familiar voice, the unmistakable mask and trenchcoat catching her eye immediately. "Question! Why are you here? I'm investigating the scene of my alleged crime. I thought maybe I could figure out who is trying to frame me, but..."
She reached up to scratch the back of her hood, her eyes glancing about the room. "I'll admit, I'm not much of a detective, eheh."
Wait.
Thie was perfect, wasn't it? The Question was probably a really good detective, right? He had to be, he was wearing a trenchcoat!
"Maybe you could do better, though? Do you see anything weird here?"
East Haven Residential
"Eh?" Arcana turned when she heard a familiar voice, the unmistakable mask and trenchcoat catching her eye immediately. "Question! Why are you here? I'm investigating the scene of my alleged crime. I thought maybe I could figure out who is trying to frame me, but..."
She reached up to scratch the back of her hood, her eyes glancing about the room. "I'll admit, I'm not much of a detective, eheh."
Wait.
Thie was perfect, wasn't it? The Question was probably a really good detective, right? He had to be, he was wearing a trenchcoat!
"Maybe you could do better, though? Do you see anything weird here?"
12:50 AM, March 13th 2020
East Haven Residential
This...was a lot more difficult than she expected.
Getting in wasn't the hard part. No, the hard part was in the realization that she basically had zero detective skills.
It wasn't as if they taught courses on forensic science at Hub City Elementary, or anything even close. She had watched some episodes of CSI once or twice, but nothing seemed quite as obvious here as it was on television. There were chalk outlines for the bodies, and lots of stuff was knocked over. The bed sheets were partially tossed in the floor, lamps lay turned over and broken...there were burns on the walls, too. All in all, it looked like there was at least a bit of a struggle.
Not to toot her own horn, but if she really wanted to kill someone...she didn't think they would have any time to make this much of a mess.
"Umm...where to start?" Arcana chewed lightly on her lip.
East Haven Residential
This...was a lot more difficult than she expected.
Getting in wasn't the hard part. No, the hard part was in the realization that she basically had zero detective skills.
It wasn't as if they taught courses on forensic science at Hub City Elementary, or anything even close. She had watched some episodes of CSI once or twice, but nothing seemed quite as obvious here as it was on television. There were chalk outlines for the bodies, and lots of stuff was knocked over. The bed sheets were partially tossed in the floor, lamps lay turned over and broken...there were burns on the walls, too. All in all, it looked like there was at least a bit of a struggle.
Not to toot her own horn, but if she really wanted to kill someone...she didn't think they would have any time to make this much of a mess.
"Umm...where to start?" Arcana chewed lightly on her lip.
11:13 AM, March 12th
Hub City Elementary
"She definitely did it," Bret Morris stated confidently, a chunk of his roast beef sandwich dancing about in his mouth for all to see. "She wasted that wrinkly old potato!"
Averting her eyes in disgust at his lack of basic table manners, Karen sighed. "Don't be stupid, Lady Arcana doesn't even kill criminals. Why would she kill the police commissioner?"
"Why not? He was always talking shit about her. I would've roasted his ass too!" Bret cackled, bits of sandwich speckling the table.
Clarissa gently shook her head, resting her cheek against her knuckles. She'd already wolfed down her modest lunch, and was apparently just there to enjoy the conversation, as it were. "Well, we're lucky you aren't a superhero, then. You can't just go murdering the cops, even if they're really shitty cops."
"Man, I would just fuck up anyone who gave me shit," Bret boasted. "I'd make them give me every game that came out for free! No, actually, I'd have them make games just for me, exactly like I wanted them! And if they didn't, POW!"
Rolling her eyes when he smacked his fist into his open palm, Karen quietly stirred her fork around in her mashed potatoes. She hadn't eaten much of her lunch today, what with the news reports of the police commissioner's death. It was difficult to have much of an appetite when you were being accused of murdering someone, after all. While it's true that he constantly badmouthed her to reporters, calling her a "rogue" and a "vigilante", among other less flattering names, he had honestly not been that big of a hindrance. It's not like the police were eager to pick a fight with her, or anything.
It honestly kind of hurt, that people could take such accusations seriously. She'd been working so hard to gain everyone's trust, and they just-
"Hey, Karen," Clarissa reached out to touch her arm. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, what's wrong with you, Hernandez? You've been acting sulky all day," Bret added.
Pulled from her thoughts by the pair, Karen shook her head. "Ah, yeah, sorry. I'm just spacing out; I didn't sleep too well last night."
She could see that Clarissa was worried about her. She knew what was up, unlike Bret. Karen might have called her to meet up last night so she could squall like a baby over the news. Clare was a saint for putting up with her. "Really, I'll be okay, Clare."
At least, she would be once she sorted this horrible mess out.
12:48 AM
East Haven Residential
It had been eating her up all day, but now she was finally here.
The scene of the crime. Her crime, to hear many tell it. Police cars were still out front, and tape cordoned off the house from the rest of the rather pleasant neighborhood. It would've been difficult to sneak in during the day, even for her, so she had to wait until well after dark to sneak in.
Naturally, the place was locked up tight, including the windows. Still, the backyard was left rather vulnerable...a pretty glaring oversight by the HCPD.
Gently touch down on the grass, Lady Arcana quietly approached the nearest window. Extending a finger, she allowed a trail of electricity spark from it. The small current quickly ran beneath the window, and soon enough the lock on the other side was undone. Even after four months, this was about as much "magic" as she could manage. Samantha thought she should keep on focusing on mastering her physical abilities for the time being.
In any case, the window easily slid open following this, and she now stood inside the home of the man she had allegedly killed. According to the news articles she'd read, they had found him and his wife burned to a crisp in their bedroom - burned by a powerful electrical current, the autopsy had said.
While the bodies had obviously been removed, maybe there was something else here she could find. Some clue.
Hub City Elementary
"She definitely did it," Bret Morris stated confidently, a chunk of his roast beef sandwich dancing about in his mouth for all to see. "She wasted that wrinkly old potato!"
Averting her eyes in disgust at his lack of basic table manners, Karen sighed. "Don't be stupid, Lady Arcana doesn't even kill criminals. Why would she kill the police commissioner?"
"Why not? He was always talking shit about her. I would've roasted his ass too!" Bret cackled, bits of sandwich speckling the table.
Clarissa gently shook her head, resting her cheek against her knuckles. She'd already wolfed down her modest lunch, and was apparently just there to enjoy the conversation, as it were. "Well, we're lucky you aren't a superhero, then. You can't just go murdering the cops, even if they're really shitty cops."
"Man, I would just fuck up anyone who gave me shit," Bret boasted. "I'd make them give me every game that came out for free! No, actually, I'd have them make games just for me, exactly like I wanted them! And if they didn't, POW!"
Rolling her eyes when he smacked his fist into his open palm, Karen quietly stirred her fork around in her mashed potatoes. She hadn't eaten much of her lunch today, what with the news reports of the police commissioner's death. It was difficult to have much of an appetite when you were being accused of murdering someone, after all. While it's true that he constantly badmouthed her to reporters, calling her a "rogue" and a "vigilante", among other less flattering names, he had honestly not been that big of a hindrance. It's not like the police were eager to pick a fight with her, or anything.
It honestly kind of hurt, that people could take such accusations seriously. She'd been working so hard to gain everyone's trust, and they just-
"Hey, Karen," Clarissa reached out to touch her arm. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, what's wrong with you, Hernandez? You've been acting sulky all day," Bret added.
Pulled from her thoughts by the pair, Karen shook her head. "Ah, yeah, sorry. I'm just spacing out; I didn't sleep too well last night."
She could see that Clarissa was worried about her. She knew what was up, unlike Bret. Karen might have called her to meet up last night so she could squall like a baby over the news. Clare was a saint for putting up with her. "Really, I'll be okay, Clare."
At least, she would be once she sorted this horrible mess out.
12:48 AM
East Haven Residential
It had been eating her up all day, but now she was finally here.
The scene of the crime. Her crime, to hear many tell it. Police cars were still out front, and tape cordoned off the house from the rest of the rather pleasant neighborhood. It would've been difficult to sneak in during the day, even for her, so she had to wait until well after dark to sneak in.
Naturally, the place was locked up tight, including the windows. Still, the backyard was left rather vulnerable...a pretty glaring oversight by the HCPD.
Gently touch down on the grass, Lady Arcana quietly approached the nearest window. Extending a finger, she allowed a trail of electricity spark from it. The small current quickly ran beneath the window, and soon enough the lock on the other side was undone. Even after four months, this was about as much "magic" as she could manage. Samantha thought she should keep on focusing on mastering her physical abilities for the time being.
In any case, the window easily slid open following this, and she now stood inside the home of the man she had allegedly killed. According to the news articles she'd read, they had found him and his wife burned to a crisp in their bedroom - burned by a powerful electrical current, the autopsy had said.
While the bodies had obviously been removed, maybe there was something else here she could find. Some clue.
@CrazytazerYour profile is accepted! Add it to the character section, please. ^^
@Blazion@CrazytazerSure! Go for it, both of you!
10:37 AM, March 7th; 2020
43rd Jefferson Condos, Hub City
"So, just for the record, you were the 'Lady in Red'?"
"Yes, that's right."
"How strong are you? How fast?"
"I'm not sure, I never really found a limit to my strength, and it's hard to tell the exact speed I'm flying at most times."
"And Lady Arcana isn't your real name, of course," Cassandra McKenzie tapped a well-manicured nail against her Galaxy S11, ready to enter her response.
Arcana shook her head slowly, "Eheh, it was the name given to me by The Wizard."
Cassandra tapped away at the digital keys of her smartphone at speeds Karen didn't think a normal human was capable of, only to abruptly stop and quirk her brow. "...'The Wizard', you say?"
"Oh um, yeah he's..." She scratched the side of her face, "well, he was the one who gave me this power."
More tapping against the screen preceded an insightful incline of the reporter's head, a satisfied grin working its way across her admittedly attractive face. "So you weren't born with these powers?"
"Ah, no," Arcana uncrossed her legs, having taken a seat across a small glass table on the balcony of Cassandra's luxurious penthouse. Man, what she wouldn't give to live in a place like this! "He...chose me to inherit them from him, and then he died."
Cassandra's head drifted to the side at this while she entered the information, though her crystal blue eyes never stopped trying to pierce through to her soul. At least, that's how it felt. "Why did he choose you?"
"Well...that's, um, well it's complicated," she replied sheepishly. "I would honestly rather not get into all of that, sorry."
Despite the reporter's frown, she nevertheless continued with the interview. "Fair enough. How about the costume, then? Did this...'Wizard' give you that, as well?"
"Yeah, actually!" Arcana laughed, glancing down at herself. "It just came with the powers. I like it, though. It makes me stand out, so people won't think of me as some 'shadowy spectre' or anything."
Smirking at this, Cassandra leaned forward slightly. "You look to be around college-age. Is that about right?"
"Uh, yeah. Something like that," She lied, scratching her face.
Her smirk only seemed to grow in that moment, a gentle breeze causing her golden blonde tresses to gently sway. "Great. Now, inquiring minds will want to know: what's your height, weight, measurements?"
"Uh, well, I'm 5'10 and weigh around 150 pounds," she answered, feeling her cheeks redden at the final part. She knew the answer, of course, since she had taken measurements in order to find outfits that fit her Arcana form, mainly to go undercover when a kid would be out of place. Not that they ever fit perfectly...and she apparently could just transform her normal uniform into any fitting outfit she wanted, with the appropriate understanding of her powers. She was still working on mastering that, though.
"40-28-40, size 14...at least that's the least worst fit."
Arcana was startled when Cassandra released a heavy cackle, her head arcing back for a moment. "Oh, now that's bound to stir more than a little jealousy in any girl not a hundo P secure in her relationship. But let's dispense with the trivial questions and ask the one everyone really wants to know: why are you here?"
Pausing for a moment at this, Arcana closed her eyes. "I'm here to help."
"To help? Help who?"
"To help everyone," her eyes parted to stare directly at the reporter. "To help everyone in need, or in danger, regardless of where they live. To inspire others to do the same. It doesn't take superpowers to be a hero, after all, just the willingness to make a difference. I just want to make the world a better place, if I can."
Cassandra seemed genuinely surprised. "That's it?"
"Well, sure. What else?" Arcana chuckled.
"Some are afraid you're going to take over the world with your power."
"Eh, really?" She blinked. "What would I do with all of that? Sounds like a headache to manage."
1:23, PM, March 8th
The Wedge
"Wow, it's so weird seeing you give an interview for the Hub City Daily," Clarissa exclaimed, the newspaper rattling in her hand against the wind. "How'd you even contact her?"
Karen grinned, kicking her legs out as she sat beneath the train tracks above with her best friend. "I still had her number from when I rescued her as 'The Lady in Red' a few months ago, and I thought it might help people trust me more, y'know?"
"Well it does let everyone know you're not some alien, at least," she snickered. "Not that anyone in The Wedge thinks that."
At her friend's words, Karen turned to stare out at the part of town where she had spent pretty much her entire life. It was considered one of the most dangerous places to live in a city that already had the highest violent crime rate in the country. It's only "rival" for that covetous title was Hell's Corner, in the northeastern part of Hub City. For the longest time, the gangs had ruled these streets, doing as they pleased.
But that had changed over the past three months. Helping to repair the damage done by Wilhelm's attack had gone a long way towards winning her the trust of the people here, and had made fighting the gangs a lot easier in turn. With folks here more willing to rat out drug dealers and their suppliers, it made finding their dens a lot easier. Even if she couldn't always count on the cops to help her, she could at least still burn the gang's stashes, and thus severely damage their profits. Without their drug money, they then tried to resort to more brazen tactics: robbery, kidnappings, extortion.
That, too, she was able to counter through the growing trust of her community. People would tell her what they saw, they would talk to her, because they knew she would protect them from retaliation. And she did, even if it meant she had to stay out really late at times. In all honesty, she hadn't been getting all the sleep she wanted, and her grades had suffered a bit for it...but it had all been worth it in the end.
"Wow, it's another cop," Clarissa noted, watching the patrol car sweep past them on its new route. "It's been so weird seeing them around these past few weeks."
Karen smirked at this, nodding. "I guess they were getting tired of being shown up, so they decided to actually give a shit about us."
She shouldn't be too harsh, though.
While she did most of the work when it came to breaking the gang's stranglehold on The Wedge, the cops did at least make sure it stuck by arresting those that hadn't fled. Plus, their presence freed her up to focus on other parts of the city. While she still wouldn't call it a great place to live, The Wedge - a nickname for their collection of neighborhoods - could finally start down the road to becoming a healthy community again, now that the gang wars were over.
"Hey, want to go check out the new candy store that opened on 4th Street?" Clarissa hopped down to the sidewalk, anticipating her positive reply.
"Do you even need to ask?"
In the months since the attack on Hub City by the convicted war criminal Wilhelm Silber, headlines around the world had been increasingly dominated by news of those possessing extraordinary, even outright impossible abilities. A few had used theirs to help and even protect, while others had sought personal gain at the expense of those around them. Still, most had simply continued to try and live a normal life, a number even appearing on television or social media to display their bizarre powers for the public and discuss how it had impacted their lives and the lives of those they cared for.
Government agencies the world over had initially struggled in vain to suppress knowledge of these supermen, these metahumans, as the scientific community called them. Upon realizing the futility of such, they instead started taking measures to contain the growing threat they posed. Their exact methods varied, but their motives were generally the same: fear. Fear that humanity's destiny was no longer in its own hands.
The world was changing, and for many, their future was uncertain.
43rd Jefferson Condos, Hub City
"So, just for the record, you were the 'Lady in Red'?"
"Yes, that's right."
"How strong are you? How fast?"
"I'm not sure, I never really found a limit to my strength, and it's hard to tell the exact speed I'm flying at most times."
"And Lady Arcana isn't your real name, of course," Cassandra McKenzie tapped a well-manicured nail against her Galaxy S11, ready to enter her response.
Arcana shook her head slowly, "Eheh, it was the name given to me by The Wizard."
Cassandra tapped away at the digital keys of her smartphone at speeds Karen didn't think a normal human was capable of, only to abruptly stop and quirk her brow. "...'The Wizard', you say?"
"Oh um, yeah he's..." She scratched the side of her face, "well, he was the one who gave me this power."
More tapping against the screen preceded an insightful incline of the reporter's head, a satisfied grin working its way across her admittedly attractive face. "So you weren't born with these powers?"
"Ah, no," Arcana uncrossed her legs, having taken a seat across a small glass table on the balcony of Cassandra's luxurious penthouse. Man, what she wouldn't give to live in a place like this! "He...chose me to inherit them from him, and then he died."
Cassandra's head drifted to the side at this while she entered the information, though her crystal blue eyes never stopped trying to pierce through to her soul. At least, that's how it felt. "Why did he choose you?"
"Well...that's, um, well it's complicated," she replied sheepishly. "I would honestly rather not get into all of that, sorry."
Despite the reporter's frown, she nevertheless continued with the interview. "Fair enough. How about the costume, then? Did this...'Wizard' give you that, as well?"
"Yeah, actually!" Arcana laughed, glancing down at herself. "It just came with the powers. I like it, though. It makes me stand out, so people won't think of me as some 'shadowy spectre' or anything."
Smirking at this, Cassandra leaned forward slightly. "You look to be around college-age. Is that about right?"
"Uh, yeah. Something like that," She lied, scratching her face.
Her smirk only seemed to grow in that moment, a gentle breeze causing her golden blonde tresses to gently sway. "Great. Now, inquiring minds will want to know: what's your height, weight, measurements?"
"Uh, well, I'm 5'10 and weigh around 150 pounds," she answered, feeling her cheeks redden at the final part. She knew the answer, of course, since she had taken measurements in order to find outfits that fit her Arcana form, mainly to go undercover when a kid would be out of place. Not that they ever fit perfectly...and she apparently could just transform her normal uniform into any fitting outfit she wanted, with the appropriate understanding of her powers. She was still working on mastering that, though.
"40-28-40, size 14...at least that's the least worst fit."
Arcana was startled when Cassandra released a heavy cackle, her head arcing back for a moment. "Oh, now that's bound to stir more than a little jealousy in any girl not a hundo P secure in her relationship. But let's dispense with the trivial questions and ask the one everyone really wants to know: why are you here?"
Pausing for a moment at this, Arcana closed her eyes. "I'm here to help."
"To help? Help who?"
"To help everyone," her eyes parted to stare directly at the reporter. "To help everyone in need, or in danger, regardless of where they live. To inspire others to do the same. It doesn't take superpowers to be a hero, after all, just the willingness to make a difference. I just want to make the world a better place, if I can."
Cassandra seemed genuinely surprised. "That's it?"
"Well, sure. What else?" Arcana chuckled.
"Some are afraid you're going to take over the world with your power."
"Eh, really?" She blinked. "What would I do with all of that? Sounds like a headache to manage."
1:23, PM, March 8th
The Wedge
"Wow, it's so weird seeing you give an interview for the Hub City Daily," Clarissa exclaimed, the newspaper rattling in her hand against the wind. "How'd you even contact her?"
Karen grinned, kicking her legs out as she sat beneath the train tracks above with her best friend. "I still had her number from when I rescued her as 'The Lady in Red' a few months ago, and I thought it might help people trust me more, y'know?"
"Well it does let everyone know you're not some alien, at least," she snickered. "Not that anyone in The Wedge thinks that."
At her friend's words, Karen turned to stare out at the part of town where she had spent pretty much her entire life. It was considered one of the most dangerous places to live in a city that already had the highest violent crime rate in the country. It's only "rival" for that covetous title was Hell's Corner, in the northeastern part of Hub City. For the longest time, the gangs had ruled these streets, doing as they pleased.
But that had changed over the past three months. Helping to repair the damage done by Wilhelm's attack had gone a long way towards winning her the trust of the people here, and had made fighting the gangs a lot easier in turn. With folks here more willing to rat out drug dealers and their suppliers, it made finding their dens a lot easier. Even if she couldn't always count on the cops to help her, she could at least still burn the gang's stashes, and thus severely damage their profits. Without their drug money, they then tried to resort to more brazen tactics: robbery, kidnappings, extortion.
That, too, she was able to counter through the growing trust of her community. People would tell her what they saw, they would talk to her, because they knew she would protect them from retaliation. And she did, even if it meant she had to stay out really late at times. In all honesty, she hadn't been getting all the sleep she wanted, and her grades had suffered a bit for it...but it had all been worth it in the end.
"Wow, it's another cop," Clarissa noted, watching the patrol car sweep past them on its new route. "It's been so weird seeing them around these past few weeks."
Karen smirked at this, nodding. "I guess they were getting tired of being shown up, so they decided to actually give a shit about us."
She shouldn't be too harsh, though.
While she did most of the work when it came to breaking the gang's stranglehold on The Wedge, the cops did at least make sure it stuck by arresting those that hadn't fled. Plus, their presence freed her up to focus on other parts of the city. While she still wouldn't call it a great place to live, The Wedge - a nickname for their collection of neighborhoods - could finally start down the road to becoming a healthy community again, now that the gang wars were over.
"Hey, want to go check out the new candy store that opened on 4th Street?" Clarissa hopped down to the sidewalk, anticipating her positive reply.
"Do you even need to ask?"
In the months since the attack on Hub City by the convicted war criminal Wilhelm Silber, headlines around the world had been increasingly dominated by news of those possessing extraordinary, even outright impossible abilities. A few had used theirs to help and even protect, while others had sought personal gain at the expense of those around them. Still, most had simply continued to try and live a normal life, a number even appearing on television or social media to display their bizarre powers for the public and discuss how it had impacted their lives and the lives of those they cared for.
Government agencies the world over had initially struggled in vain to suppress knowledge of these supermen, these metahumans, as the scientific community called them. Upon realizing the futility of such, they instead started taking measures to contain the growing threat they posed. Their exact methods varied, but their motives were generally the same: fear. Fear that humanity's destiny was no longer in its own hands.
The world was changing, and for many, their future was uncertain.
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