Thevshi

Giang gave a faint smile as Kat joked about every hero seeming to know about Claremont. "Well, I have only met a few others from the Freedom League when Raven brought me here to Freedom City, but they all certainly seemed to know about the school." The Asian teen regarding the woman that Kat had spotted, dropping her voice slightly as she answered. "I am doing well, thank you for asking." She replied. "It has been a little bit difficult, but it is actually rather...comforting to be back in something of a scheduled routine. Though I am still getting used to some of what we do at the school, there is much of it that was like the training I received when I was growing up in Vietnam." "In any event, it is far preferable to the alternative." Giang had fully intended to stop at that point, but looking over at Kat, she was aware that her statement would only serve to raise more questions, or lead to speculation on what it meant. "When Raven found me, I have been living on the streets of Singapore for about three weeks." She added quietly.

Velocity felt a feeling of relief that Warp seemed to finally be relaxing a bit. It was not much, but it was something. The speedster returned Warp's small smile with a wide one of her own. "Well, that's all I can ask." She replied as the teen stated she would try. When Warp asked if there had ever been incidents as bad as the recent events, Velocity let out a small sigh. "Yeah, there have. The most obvious is the Terminus Invasion, though I was just a toddler when that happened. But I have heard about it from Captain Thunder, Lady Liberty, Daedalus and Raven, who were all there. And back when I was on the League's active roster, I spent an hour or so reading over most of the reports on some of adventures of both versions of the League. There have been more than a few I am afraid to say." But then the speedster brightened up, a wide smile coming to her face as she stepped next to Warp and turned to face the same way as the teen was, putting one arm around her shoulder. "But listen, don't start dwelling on when the next catastrophe will happen, you'll get grey hairs that way. Instead, let me give you another little bit of advice. Training to do better, getting out more on patrols, etc, all that is good, especially if you really want to stick with this. But, you have to give yourself permission to just live your life as well." "You're only going to be a teenager once, well, unless you have some unusual superpower or something, and you deserve a chance to enjoy it, at least some." She stopped a moment and looked slightly down at Warp, gesturing with her free hand. "Listen closely, you-deserve-the-chance." "You cannot be everywhere, all the time. You need to take time for yourself. Me? Sure this weekend I'll probably zip around town some during the day, stop a few minor crimes here or there. Hopefully I'll be nearby to help some people in ways that don't involve fighting, you know, keep someone from falling off a ladder, or help some old lady get her cat out of a tree. But tomorrow night, I am going on my second date with a guy I met a couple of weeks ago, and, should things go as well as our first date, I look forward to a nice long kiss goodnight. And then I will be seeing him again Sunday when we get together with some college friends of his and their girlfriends to watch the NFL playoffs." "So Warp, can you promise me this weekend you will take some time to just be the teenager behind the mask?"

Giang listened to Kat's answer, noting that she mentioned having to spend some time learning to control her abilities. While the Asian teen was not certain what those abilities might be, she was not going to pry if Kat did not want to explain further. Then Kat turned the question back on Giang, asking if she had started late because she had need to learn to control her powers as well. The Asian teen was quite for a brief moment as she considered the question, as she was still not entirely certain how much of her past she should reveal to her classmates at Claremont at this time. "No, nothing like that." She replied. "I did not start until earlier this month as it was only last month that Raven found me."

Velocity listened as Warp talked, nodding slightly as she talked about keeping herself busy, and was not surprised that she was still blaming herself for hesitating or not being quick enough. "Well, I certainly know about trying to keep busy and not think about things." The speedster replied with a small smile. "I used to do that a lot when I started out, though, homework did not really help much, unless I forced myself to slow down and do it at normal speed. But I would spend time with my friends from my high school, practice new dance routines, make out with my boyfriend, and a ton of other things. Intentionally or not, I still manage to find ways to be stay busy. Since Tuesday, in addition to time helping to clean things up around the city, I have a job that has kept me very busy, including a sixteen hour work day yesterday." "But as useful as keeping busy is to help give yourself a bit of time to process everything and get some distance, it is only delaying what you need to do, namely letting yourself feel the emotions associated with seeing, and unless I am very mistaken, probably for the very first time, a number of people die on Tuesday." The speedster paused for a moment, looking closely at Warp as her hand on the teen's arm gave a reassuring squeeze. "Maybe you're not quite ready to do that Warp. But you have to promise me that you won’t keep putting it off for too much longer."

GM A scowl forming on her face as she wiped a bit of blood from her chin, Mindfire’s glowing eyes quickly locked onto the yellow speedster. "Last time we met you were lucky I focused most of my attention on your electricity wielding friend. This time I won't be as generous!" She screamed as the ghostly flames flared around her hands as she brought them up in front of her. Similar ghostly flames appeared around Velocity, causing her to cry out in pain as she was staggered backward as Mindfire's mental power stabbed into her mind. Bonebreaker grinned at the speedster’s pain. "I'll deal with you in a moment speedy." He commented. "But first.." With that he leapt towards Raditron, swinging his meaty left hand. The fist connected with the glowing villain, who was a bit surprised by the attack. *WHAM* Once again nearby windows rattled from the impact of the powerful blow, and Raditron was sent flying backward to smash into the side of a parked van, causing a massive dent before falling to the pavement in a dazed heap. "Bonebreaker, you idiot!" Mindfire screamed, shocked that he continued his attack on their fellow villain.

Mindfire lashes back at Velocity with Telepathic Torture, perception ranged attack, DC 25 Will save. Velocity only gets a 18 on her Will save, so she is bruised and dazed. Bonebreaker attacks Raditron, getting a 25 on his attack roll which is a hit. Raditron’s toughness save vs DC 29 is a: 16, which is more hurt than I want him this early, so I will reroll (giving each of us a Hero Point), getting a 14 +10 (for reroll) so 24. He gets another bruise and is also dazed. So with Raditron dazed, YB is up!

Banter aside, Velocity knew this was going to be a tough fight, particularly with the addition of the third villain, who matched the description of one of the ones who had helped these two escape police custody the last time. Not wanting to let Mindfire get going, the speedster was off in a yellow blur, closing the distance in the blink of an eye. "Really, a lovers' spat? And you two seemed like such a happy maladjusted couple." She quipped at the redheaded villainess as her right hand shot out with a *CRACK* as it broke the sound barrier. *WHAM* The supersonic punch connected with Mindfire's jaw, staggering the woman back a step or two, but she remained on her feet. However, the speedster was already gone, speeding back away from the villainess and coming to a halt a short distance away close to where Young Britannia was hovering in the air. "Good to meet you Young Britannia. I'm Velocity." She called up to the other superheroine. "The redhead is Mindfire, a pretty nasty psychic, so it might be good to get her out of the fight fast. The big guy in green is Bonebreaker, your typical bruiser. The other guy…I’m not so sure, but he matches the description of one of the two who helped these two escape from police custody. According to reports, he blasted apart a patrol car with an energy blast."

Velocity will use Defensive Attack to start, dropping 2 from her attack bonus and increasing her defense bonus to +17. She is going to try to punch Mindfire. Ouch, she gets a 29, which is a critical thanks to Improved Critical 2 on her strike (making it a +18 damage attack). That means Mindfire makes a DC 33 toughness save. Wow, she gets a 31! (still a bruise though).

Tsunami is shifting her array to Water Control (ie move object limited to water). She can make a 1 foot x 1 foot column of water up to 50 feet high in a standard action, so, depending upon the height of the ship, that should put her up alongside it to see the deck. She will be riding the column up thanks to Water Walking as it goes (SC, let me know if that does not seem right to you). Oh, and she has her forcefield up now.

Tsunami had been about to call to the others with what she saw down under the docks, but then Mali stepped out into view and began speaking with this "Knuckles." While everyone's attention focused on Mali and her conversation with the gang leader, Tsunami had moved herself closer in, ready to come ashore if Mali needed the help. But then she heard Cerys message through the comm. unit about a suspicious freighter. Looking along the dock, the Aisan teen noted the ship. "Understood, I will take a look." She replied quietly as she turned away from the scene taking place under the pier and slipped back under the surface of the water. With speed far beyond any Olympic swimmer, Tsunami closed with the underside of the vessel in mere moments. Moving so she was along the aft side of the ship away from the pier, Tsunami came back up to the surface of the water once again, peering up at the large ship. Focusing on the water underneath her, the Asian teen began rising a one foot column of water up into the air alongside the ship, with her balanced in a crouch at the top of the column.

Ouch, well, it was always a given who would go first. As this fight will be a bit tough, I am giving YB +1 Hero Point. Round One: Velocity: 63 (Unharmed, 2 HP) Mindfire: 21 (Unharmed) Bonebreaker: 15 (2 bruised) Raditron: 14 (2 bruised) Young Britannia: 4 (Unharmed, 3 HP)

We should probably get to initiatives at this point :)

After being separated from Angus by the crowd, Megan had taken the opportunity to duck out of sight before she was speeding down an alleyway far faster than most could follow. A second later, she was several blocks away and on the rooftop of a building, already changed into her Velocity costume. Stowing her bag with her normal clothes in a space near some of the mechanical for the building, she was then off again in a blur of yellow, speeding off to come back towards the scene by the coffee shop from another direction. The yellow clad speedster came skidding to a halt just as Mindfire finished telling off Bonebreaker, her long brown hair of her wig swishing up from the sudden stop. "Funny Mindfire, as I recall, you were not doing so hot yourself." She called out with a grin from a nearby intersection. "So, speaking of that girl, nice to see you two again. This time I'll make sure you end up in Blackstone."

GM Having used the crowd to separate herself from Megan, Angus slipped out of sight and was soon transformed into Young Britannia. Flying up over the back of the coffee shop, she saw the glowing was already back out in the street, trading blows with the larger man he had called Bonebreaker. Just then, the two combatants were surrounded by what appeared to be ghostly flames, which served to push them apart, at least for the moment. Across the street, Young Britannia spotted an attractive redheaded woman in a red and black skintight bodysuit. Ghostly flames swirled around her and her eyes glowed with a yellow/orange light as she looked at the two figures. "That is enough boys!" She called out, though she clearly seemed to be enjoying the little brawl between the two men. Pulling himself free from the ghostly flames that had stopped, him, the one called Bonebreaker looked over at the redhead with scowl. "I thought we had something good going, but you just go and toss me aside for this loser!" He replied, gesturing towards the glowing man who was also freeing himself from the ghostly flames, though with a little less ease than Bonebreaker had. "I'd be careful who your calling a looser." The glowing man stated with a sneer. "If it was not for me, you'd be rotting in Blackstone right now." The redhead gave Bonebreaker something of a coy shrug. "Well, it was nice, but like Raditron said, he kept me out of prison, while you almost got me locked up because you got beat by a girl!"

Tsunami gets a 14 for stealth as she goes to the water, trying to stick to 100' from the pier for now.

"I will stay in touch." Tsunami replied over the comm. unit as she moved off towards the edge of the water before slipping in. While not any faster than a normal person on land, once in the water, Tsunami was far quicker and more maneuverable. With relative easy, she slipped under the surface of the dark water and within moments had swum out to about a hundred feet from the underside of the dock that they had been observing. Satisfied she was likely a decent distance away, the Asian teen slowly came back up towards the surface, her head just coming up above the water so she could try to see what might be going on under there.

Checking in (though I will mainly be watching for a little bit ) Somehow I roll really badly for Gather Information with a 19. But, with the Knowledge (History), I will take 20 (this representing Megan spending some time back when she was at Cambridge to look into the background and family history of the guy she's dating, because she tended to have lots of free time, and was curious. After, Quickness 9 lets her read up on things pretty darn quick ). So, with that, she gets a 30.

"Well, I have never heard that name." Ricky replied as he rubbed his temple slightly. "But…I have heard about those underground fighting rings. A chance for some up-and-coming fighters to make some cash, particularly if they bet on themselves and win. But I also here that for those that really prove themselves, the various rings around town are a feeder for something bigger." "I am afraid I don't know anything more about that." He stated, before he quickly added, "but, I do know that tonight one of those underground rings is taking place in a warehouse here in the Fens."

Though she had a natural affinity for the water, like Kat, Giang had never been to an aquarium before. Like the other teen, Giang was fascinated by the various marine life they saw on the way towards the jellyfish. Though she still retained her general calm composure, the smile on her face certainly indicated she was enjoying herself. When they reached their planned "start," the Asian teen took out a small notebook and began making some notes in a mix of English and small, precise Chinese characters, as she read over the placards beside the exhibits and spent time watching the graceful movements of the very alien jellyfish. As the two moved over towards the tank containing various rays next, the teenager glanced over at her companion. "If you do not mind my asking, have you been at Claremont long?"

"Yes, we understand the added layer of difficulty." Mr. Ling replied as Harry mentioned the fact the teen was a metahuman might complicate things. "But, from your reputations, the added complexity is not something you are unaccustomed to. Mr. Zhou is fully prepared to provide generous compensation in light of the additional difficulties that may exist." When Harry asked about any personal effects, Mr. Ling had a slightly surprised look. "I certainly have nothing of the sort." He replied. "And I am not certain I would be comfortable making such an. . .unusual request to Mr. Zhou."

Making their way into the bar, Harry and Freddy looked carefully around, making sure there were no apparent mobsters this time. Not seeing any, nor any of the bikers from the last visit either, they made their way over to where Lucy was sitting with Ricky. Ricky nearly started out of his seat when Harry spoke up, though both Harry and Freddy's timely placed hands made sure he stayed put. "Oh, hey Harry, Freddy." The weasely man said in greeting. "Yeah, I was just trying to find out what I could do to help." He added as Harry mentioned his ability to help. He relaxed ever so slightly as Freddy moved off to watch the door and Harry took a seat a little further down the bar.

GM Outside, the glowing man on the car had stood back up, looking over at the taller figure in green standing in the middle of the street. "Okay Bonebreaker, you got your shot, now you had better be ready for mine!" With that, he flew across the space that separated them in a moment, swinging his right fist at the other man. *WHAM* The impact echoed down the street, the windows of the coffee shop quivering slightly from the force of the blow. But the large figure addressed as Bonebreader was slightly staggered by the blow, but then quickly recovered. Reaching up, he grabbed a hold of the glowing man and then in a quick motion, twisted and threw him right towards the main window of the coffee shop. The window exploded as he smashed through, landing on a display in the middle of the shop which crashed to the floor, coffee mugs and other breakables smashing to pieces. Whatever hesitancy the other customers may have had, it was gone now, as a few screamed, and most started fleeing for an exit or some form of cover.

Megan had gotten up as she nodded at Angus' suggestion that they get back from the windows. "I think the guy in green tore smashed up a neighborhood in Kingston back in December." She said. "I am not sure about the other one." The blonde young woman started backing away from the window as other patrons in the coffee shop were all standing, looking outside with a mix of fear and curiosity, uncertain whether they should be running yet or not. She was not at all certain how she was going to get clear of this to try to get out there, let alone how she could get Angus to leave for some place safe.

Mr. Ling gave a small nod as the two private investigators made assurances about their ability to find the missing girl. Reaching into the inside pocket of his suit jacket, he removed a small envelope, which he opened. First he drew out what was clearly a check, which he sat down in front of him on the table. "Here is the check to cover you initial retainer." He stated, sliding it slightly forward towards Harry. "We will of course, want to have clear invoices showing the time put into the investigation." "As for the particulars of Mr. Zhou's missing daughter. Her name is Xian Lou, and she does speak fluent English, as well as Mandarin, Cantonese and Vietnamese." He reached into the envelope once again, this time taking out a picture, which he also set on the table and slid forward. "This is the most recent picture available of her." He stated. "She is a few inches over five feet, and not quite one hundred pounds, to my knowledge. I am not aware of any particular marks or features I am afraid." Looking down at the picture, saw it was of an attractive teenager who looked to be about sixteen or seventeen and was clearly of Asian descent. She had long black hair and was dressed in western style clothing. She appeared to be standing alongside a pier or other waterfront location, and in the background was a skyline that Harry did not recognize. The picture itself was slightly hazy, not out of focus, but not as crisp as one might expect. "Unfortunately, we cannot say for certain how she came here, or even if she is truly here or not. But she is a rather headstrong and adventurous girl, and somewhat infatuated with the stories of Freedom City. You see, she is a metahuman."

Giang looked over at the map offered by Kat, giving the slightly younger girl a warm smile of her own. "Well, I believe we should try to see as much as possible to be sure we have enough to write about for our report." She studied the map again for a moment before she continued, "The jellyfish and rays seem an appropriate enough place to start." The two teens were soon at the ticket booth by the entrance. Thankfully the line was rather short at the moment, and soon they had made their way inside. Just inside the entryway, they found themselves standing in front of a massive seawater tank that rouse up to the floors above them. A wide variety of saltwater fish and marine mammals were swimming around inside the main tank, entertaining children that were gathered along the observation decks on the floors above.