Lady Seraphina

Unlikely Heroes

BlessedWrath (Weaver)

Samantha Cole

Christian was the first to awaken. Through the haze of minor head trauma, two things made themselves readily apparent: First, that his wrists and ankles were held fast to the chair he was seated in, and second the smell of blood. The distinctive crackle of plastic sheeting resonated with the movement of his feet, and that sound mated with the tone of a digital watch backlight. Both echoed in the volume of the chamber in which he was held captive.

"I see you're awake," came a mellow tone from an area approximately in front of Christian. "That's good. I have an appointment not long from now."

There was a brief silence during which it could be surmised that the young man was gathering his thoughts. His tone was calm and even; the practiced restraint of a professional. The rustle of foreign silk told the story of a tightened necktie.

"I regret the rashness of my associate. He has never conducted himself in a manner quite befitting the station of his peers. Although it was necessary to detain you, I cannot help but feel as though it could have been handled more appropriately."

Another sound made itself known. This time it was Italian leather. The sound was brief, deliberate; as if in response to a stimulus. The sole scraped against a cement floor too smooth to coincide with alley streets. The man's voice now emanated from a point to the left and about eight feet in front of Christian.

"Obviously we have a situation," he continued. "You and your counterpart have stumbled upon one of our points of infrastructure, and we clearly cannot allow that breach of security to go unchecked."

There was a pause and an inhale, followed by the silence one might expect of a man in mid-thought.

"Yet, I cannot see my way clear to assume malice where ignorance might well be an explanation." Some pacing ensued, which could suggest contemplation or unrest, though it was unclear as to which best described their new enemy. "On the one hand, you penetrated directly to a point of vulnerability with the ease and precision of a strike team. On the other hand, you were ready to leave it as you found it."

The pacing stopped abruptly, followed by the striking of a match. A plume of smoke assailed the air during another brief silence. Apparently this was a pipe man; rare in these days.

"So you see my dilemma," he said between puffs. "If I kill you, I have to run cleanup for two more bodies. If I leave you alive, I have to wonder...what do you know?"

Unlikely Heroes

dpickle

Patrick "Pat" Anderson

"... Should we tie him up or do something else?"

Well it seemed like Jenna was able to subdue the man one way or another. This fact alone made Pat doubt the man was actually a threat. He also lacked a gun. Under normal circumstances Pat would have left the man to nurse the remains of his shattered pride, but these were far from normal circumstances.

He couldn't shoot the guy. Even with Jenna being right there and his own nagging conscience being against it, firing a gun at this range would put him back into migraine induced paralysis. Doing Ester's wonderfully demonstrated "lead pipe to the back of the head" technique would work, but a convenient blunt object wasn't available. Then Pat remembered his experience with the Doctor earlier that day, as well as what happened when he pushed the last guy.

"I've got a stupid idea."

This was by far the stupidest thing Pat had ever done. Getting close enough touch a hostile and significantly stronger man while having one arm tied up with a gun he couldn't use. Cursing under his breath, Pat crouched down and cautiously placed his hand on the man's side hoping that what happened to Wilson would also happen here.

Unlikely Heroes

Izkripp

Vida Curacio

Vida grinned at the response that she received from Tom. "Anything! Anything!" She almost cheered at she approached the shaken man. "What should I do? What should I do? I could touch you all over. Oh or cut off a finger. Heh That would be nice." She pulled back a little from him, but just so she could laugh at the thoughts that were going through her mind. When she had regained her self a little she started to approach JC again, but before she could touch him a noise same from just above them. Though the sound was insignificant to the others that were around the noise was nerve wracking for the malicious rabbit. She looked up at the cat that was watching the scene below with little care. When their eyes locked Vida 'tsk'ed loudly. "How dreadfully it seems that my fun is over."

"Time for you to wake up."

Vida looked up from her lap at the Man that was in front of her. It was strange that he was starting be feel normal to her. She didn't shy away from him like she first did. "I wasn't a sleep though."

"True, true. Never the less it is time for you to go."

She didn't say another word as she stood up.

Her body ached. That was the first thing she noticed as she staggered. She put her hand on her head trying to gather what had happened to her. The last thing she remembered was being held by one of the guys. Then she remembered the pain that had followed. "W-w-what happe.. happened?" She managed to say as she glanced around. This wasn't were she was. She had moved. She looked up to get a better look at her surroundings. As she did she moved her hand away from her head, just enough of her hand entered her vision that she noticed something wasn't right. Locking onto her hand she looked at it in its grotesque form. Her breathing slowly started to pick up pace until she was on the verge of hyperventilating. Not being able to accept what she saw she put her other hand beside the one she was looking at. They were both mangled. "W-w-w-wh.. How?" Her knees finally gave out making her drop to the ground. Now in a state of shock Vida couldn't process anything outside of her vision and unfortunately the only thing in her vision was her hands.

Unlikely Heroes

Kirra

Jenna Baxter

"I-I'm serious, stay down." Jenna said as she saw the man start to shift around. What was she going to do if the man tried to attack her? She had a knife so she could defend herself. But could she stab someone? Could she stop the man from getting up? Did she have the strength to hurt someone which could possibly lead to their death if the stab wound wasn't cared for quick enough?

A slight wave of relief came as Pat joined her and although she felt a bit guilty for relying on an older man for something that could be potentially dangerous, she knew he could help as she remembered back at the breakfast table. She didn't understand exactly how his power worked but she knew he could cause pain like Vida but instead of something that manifested physically, it was something else.

"What should we do about him?" Jenna asked Pat as she watched the man carefully for any sudden movement. "We can't just leave him here, who knows he might do. Should we tie him up or do something else?" Jenna said glancing toward the older man for guidance.

~.~​

Whether it was due to being shot, the warning from the two girls or his power starting to wane away, the grip Tom had on JC loosened. Pushing the man towards the ground, JC landed with a loud thud. "Tie him up, knock him out or do whatever you want with him but you better hurry. The police will be here shortly and I doubt having them involved with our mess and the people involved with these powers would be a good idea. We don't have much time." Tom said before slumping towards the ground so that he could address his injuries.

Unlikely Heroes

Ryver et Rhine (Dear Karma)

Callie Wright

Cal kneeled down. Her fingers found a weak pulse and she breathed a sigh of relief. He was going to be fine. She used her jacket to make a small pillow. There! He should be comfortable enough till he was fully awake. Truthfully she doubted sending Vida towards the berserk fed was the smartest idea. A million things could go wrong. Urgh! Why was she so stupid? Her hand clutched her throbbing head when she tried to stand up. She was reluctant to try again, but sitting here wasn’t much help to anyone. A faint glimmer caught her attention. Cal crawled unsteadily towards the said object. The sensation of the cool metal was a welcomed distraction.

Cal, have you fired a gun before? Nope!

Lady Luck owed her one anyway. The blonde airhostess undid the cache and aimed for Tom’s knee. Part of her mind was yelling for her to stop. She quelled it. Vida was getting too close to the man for comfort. Swallowing hard she steadied the gun. Not a scrap nor a squeak could be heard in the few seconds following a very loud bang. Her gaze waivered a little. Did she hit the man? She definitely didn’t hear the sound of a bullet ricocheting off the asphalt surface.

Blood streamed down her palms. Cal gripped the gun even tighter as she tried to keep her hand steady. Her tongue flicked across the still moist surface of her upper lip. A salty, coppery taste filled her mouth which made her stomach churn once more. The only sound she could manage was a small mousey squeak. Vida, Vida… please be okay! Please!

“D-drop him!” Her voice sounded strain and natural. She hoped no one else detected the slight tremble. Fear was not welcomed at the moment. Not in a situation where it was life and death. She raised the gun to the air. Another shot echoed. “I’m serious. The next shot will be where it hurts.”

This isn't a movie Cal. More people are going to get hurt. Thanks to you. The men are going to be so mad. She swallowed again. The river of blood flowed with a renew vigor, staining the edges of her sleeve. She was quite sure it wasn't a good sign that she didn't feel pain anymore. Getting bitten twice by a gun was supposed to hurt. Well no one would notice from that angle, she hoped. Maybe not the fed.

“I really mean it!” She yelled for additional emphasis.

Awhile more. Awhile more. She’d probably conk sooner than that. The edges of her vision started to turn blurry again. Her numerous wounds and bruises were going to hurt like hell tomorrow. Well, they would, if she was still alive after this. “I’m gonna count to five. Okay? 1…2…”

Unlikely Heroes

Prince of Seraphs

Christian Tylers

Sam didn't respond to Christian's warning but her pace increased slightly. Not as much as Christian would have liked, he still felt uneasy about where they were but they were getting out of the area. The shopping district couldn't be more than two blocks from here and it'd have a numerous amount of people and plenty of security cameras about. Just as Christian was starting to think his anxiety had simply been a symptom of his developing 'power' there was a sharp thunk like the sound of a weapon connecting with bone. Sam's hand ripped from Christian's grip as she fell to the pavement with a thud, out cold. "Sam!" Christian shouted trying to locate with his ears exactly where she had fallen.

It was a testament to there attacker's skill that Christian hadn't heard him coming. Clearly feeling no need hide any long just faced with a blind man there attacker's footfalls became audible. From the sound of his footsteps Christian could tell it was a big man, if he had to guess he'd say taller than he himself was, thickset but most likely more from muscle than fat. Christian's mind summoned up a picture of Arnold Schwarzenegger that it pasted over the area there assailant was occupying. This wasn't an all together uncommon means Christian had for picturing his surroundings especially when it came to people. Christian dropped to the ground and felt around until his hands touched Sam's leg. He crawled over to her feeling for her head. There was a nasty bump and she was bleeding. Her blood soaked into Christian's skin. Christian wasn't an expert by any measure but he was fairly certain the wound wasn't life threatening, as long as it received attention soon.

The attacker seemed to be taking his time, Christian might even have said that the man was enjoying the moment. "Pity really," the man said. "Nice lookin' girl. All that leather kinda gives off the loner vibe but hey, I'm not picky. She's gonna have one hell of a headache when she wakes up." The man sounded almost conversational. He'd clearly done this many times before and enjoyed it. "What about you glass eyes, tell you what, I like a challenge." Christian heard his voice getting closer and the ruffle of a fine fabric, the man had knelt down next to him. "You wanna run I'll give you two minutes head start." he said letting out a chuckle like they were friends making a bet at a bar.

Back in foster care Christian had learned early on that if you didn't fight for what was yours it didn't stay yours for long. There had been a girl back then, dodged the system a lot, grew up mostly on the streets fending for herself. While they were in the same home she'd taught Christian that in any fight the weakest point was there eyes. Soft and malleable they broke so much easier than skin. For that to work though Christian needed to know where the man's eyes were. He needed a reference point.

"You with the TSP?" he asked not actually caring about the answer only that there was one.

"TSP? Lord you two must be in more trouble than I thought if..."

Christian' focus latched onto where the attacker's mouth was based on his talking. Christian pushed himself off the ground at the attacker, he grabbed the side of the man's face and clawed at his left eye.

"CRAZY SON OF A BITCH!" the man shouted to the sky. Christian felt the membrane of the eyeball giveaway and his nails started to scrap off eye goop. In another second the man gripped Christian by the shoulder and tossed the blind man off himself. The assailants strength was impressive. Christian scrapped his hands badly as he rolled across the ground. He came to a stop his head pounding. He heard footsteps in the street that signified the man had gotten to his feet. "You're gonna pay for that." the man said his jovial air and light attitude gone.

Christian didn't have the strength to stand, he heard the whistle of something being swung through the air and in a second it collided with his head. Christian held onto consciousness just long enough to feel liquid dripping from the man's face onto his skin. Christian surrendered to the darkness confident that the hitman would never forget his face. Even if he was going to kill them both.

Unlikely Heroes

BlessedWrath (Weaver)

Samantha Cole

There was no way for Christian to know how right he had been in that moment. Sam was too busy deciphering the last bits of data from her contact with the phones, as well as trying to figure out how she fit into her new role with the Reformers, to see the man coming. As for Christian, the brief flash of his second sight had been just enough to define the term 'hindsight'.

He struck without warning. His footfalls were the practiced stealth of a professional hitman. Sam felt something hard and heavy connect with the base of her skull and she went down with a lifeless thud. The man immediately turned on Christian, giving nothing close to a second thought for his first victim.​

Unlikely Heroes

dpickle

Patrick "Pat" Anderson

"You okay?"

Pat's answer seemed to depend on his reference point. Compared to the now unconscious individual lying in front of him Pat was doing just fine. Compared to himself five minutes ago and he was in the "very much not okay" category. Still, Pat couldn't really complain. This was the second time he had found himself in the middle of a gunfight and the second time he gotten away without any bullet holes.

Pat slowly got up, grabbing the unconscious man's gun in the process. He was no crack shot, especially not in his current condition, but it was better than nothing. Pat quickly looked himself over, he had some scrapes on his hands from the fall and his pants were torn but otherwise he was unharmed.

"I'll be fine, lets go see if anyone else needs help."

After a quick glance around the battlefield Pat started to head towards Jenna as she seemed to still be in active combat.

Unlikely Heroes

Jack Skidder (?)

Jack Skidder

Blink.

Jack took a deep breath and held it for a few seconds before freeing it again.

The night was just cold enough that he could see the cloud of exhalation. He looked deep into it and concentrated on excluding any extraneous sensory inputs.

He'd begun to understand that if he kept his head in the moment and concentrated only on the things he was feeling—sensing--he'd get an almost four-dimensional image of how reality would unfold.

In his mind's eye he “saw” the tendrils of an oddly shaped spiderweb. It wasn't symmetrically round, cone shaped, or even square, but constantly warped as though the prey it had snared were almost able to escape one by one.

The mosquitoes fought hardest of all.

Mentally, Jack gently plucked one of the gossamer strands. Its recoil was like a note that traveled through multiple dimensions of time—not just forward and back, but along the same axes as reality itself, insulating and distorting its harmonics—and touched the very edges of the world like electrons caught in quantum entanglement.

Somehow, spider aside, this web was alive, and Skid Row Jack had to figure out which strand to pluck, how hard, and when to release. “If I had a few more of me we could put together a band,” he mused.

But when the music of that one-note chord died, Jack saw its effect. A car on the east end of town developed a spontaneous flat tire from a nail that had somehow lodged itself underneath. Just as one annoying little gnat had broken away from the web.

It was a good thing it had only been pulling out of a parking space.

Jack realized he'd gone mentally blank for a few seconds and then realized he'd dropped a set of keys he'd been holding ever since he'd come outside to start his own car.

He looked at his hand and gasped as he perceived the face of the spider staring back at him.

It was himself.

Unlikely Heroes

ArcanicNeon (ReganOs)

Ester Gardner

Ester held the pipe in her hand, the ice slowly corroding the pipe as she gripped it tightly. 'Hey. I don't know how i'm doing this.' she explained. 'I'm just as scared as you are, trust me I'm completely new to this.' She slowly scooted her way towards the man. 'But unless you plan on putting that gun down, I have slight intentions of whacking you with this.' She threatened. 'Please.'

'Yep, this is how my life's going to end. Real good Est, make your way towards him with a frosted pipe in your hand. He's definitely going to load one into you.' She thought. Ester didn't want to hurt the thug, but she didn't want to drop the pipe either. She was torn whether to talk her way out of it or defend herself.

As Ester made her way towards the thug, she noticed him move his gun from her to Pat. 'No.' She muttered. Suddenly, she got an idea. Ester noticed how she was just out of the thug's sight, opting her to give him a good whack on the head. As the thug had his sights set on pat, ester made his way behind him. This was it, Ester was going to do something stupidly heroic. She was going to save someone's life. She has talked teenagers out of suicide before, and has been called a hero but nothing like this.

Ester breathed in. Quickly jogging up to the Thug, Ester pulled the pipe back.

THWAP!

The Thug collapsed to the ground, Ester immediately pulled her eyes from the thug to Pat. Swallowing, she gripped the pipe. 'You okay?' she asked.