Thevshi

Velocity’s Gather Info checks (via Well Informed) Warp: 16 El Heraldo: 30 Kit: 24

Giang smiled slightly as Mali's eyes went wide and commented on her power being "cool." The small sphere of water then shifted into a small Chinese dragon and began flying in small circles in the air. "I first started showing signs of my powers when I was about thirteen." She replied. "I had always been a fairly good swimmer, but one day, I was swimming in the river near the village I was raised in, and I just, how would you say…'took off'? I had never swam that fast, though I am a good bit faster now. My ability to control water developed not long after, and I have learned to use it in a number of ways since."

Megan just smiled as Gail began to ramble a bit. The young blonde was still dressed in her work attire, a black, St. John Collection shimmer boucle satin dress with a matching jacket. Glancing in the direction the other young woman had indicated for a moment, Megan then looked back to the secretary and gave her another smile. "Thank you Gail." Starting off down the hallway, she looked at the various pictures that decorated the walls. Just as Gail had stated, she could hear a guitar coming from up ahead, and continued in that direction until she came up to a window looking into the rehearsal room. Coming to a halt in front of the window, the blonde spotted Angus inside, playing an electric guitar. A warm smile came to Megan's face as she gave the other young woman a small wave.

"It often depends upon the situation." Giang began as Mali asked her about techniques and stances. "But I generally begin by focusing on defense at first, to provide time to more fully assess a situation. But lately, when I am ready to focus more on offense, it has been less often with my martial training." The Asian teen held out her right hand, as she dumped some of the water from the now half empty water bottle Mali had given her. A few inches above the palm of Gaing's right hand, the water stopped in midair, before forming into a perfect sphere as it continued to hover in place.

GM A short while later! An armored FCPD van was making its way across Centery Bridge with a patrol car escort clearing the midday traffic out of its way. Inside were a trio of STAR officers, keeping a close eye on the still unconscious forms of Mindfire and Bonebreaker. Both supervillains were bound with power dampening manacles for when they woke up, which hopefully would not be until they were already at Blackstone. Suddenly, a beam of energy struck the side of the patrol car, flipping it over onto its side. The armored van swerved to the right, just managing to avoid hitting the damaged patrol car. The three STAR officers in the back of the van moved to try to get a look out some of the view ports at where the attack was coming from as the driver began to accelerate. The van had not gone very far before a second beam of energy struck the rear driver-side tire, blowing it out completely, along with part of the rear axle. The van swerved out of control, the officers in the back grabbing a hold of whatever they could to keep from being thrown around. Somehow the driver managed to keep van from flipping over, but it had come to a complete halt, and was not going to be going anywhere on its own. The officers had barely a chance to start picking themselves up when a dark clad from suddenly appeared inside the back of the van, delivering a powerful kick to the midsection of one of the three officers, knocking him into the side of the van and into unconsciousness. And just as quickly as he appeared, the figure was gone again, leaving two very confused officers behind. Another blast of energy struck one of the back doors, blowing it inward with enough force to knock over one of the two standing officers. The third was looking down towards his companion when the dark clad figure reappeared behind him, knocking the officer to the ground with a blow to the back of the head. A glowing figure floated down in front of the open back door of the van, looking at the two unconscious villains inside. "Well, you two did your part, even if you couldn't avoid being captured. But lucky for you, our employer still has need of your services." Glancing at the dark clad figure, the man added, "grab Mindfire and get out of here. I'll bring Bonebreaker." The dark clad figure scooped up the unconscious redhead and in an instant, both were gone. The glowing man picked up the large form of Bonebreaker, and then flew them both out of the back of the van and off into the sky!

Ari (and everyone else), the Freedom League is sending Velocity to liason with the group, fill them in on what is known right now and point them in the direction of where to go to get back into the fight (one of the nearby control boxes). So, if your ready, I will make an IC post :)

Round One: Velocity: 60 (fatigued, 2 HP) Zoom Dark Fist 1: 46 Zoom Dark Fist 3: 37 Zoom Dark Fist 2: 36 Zoom Dark Fist 4: 27 Dark Fist 5: 23 Ye Quan: 18 Dark Fist 3: 18 Dark Fist 1: 10 Siphon: 9 (3 HP) Dark Fist 2: 9 Dark Fist 4: 7

"That is a very worthy philosophy." Giang replied in a sincere tone, noting the change that came over the other teen as she spoke about her style. "That is part of what Vovinam seeks to teach." Giang then replied. "As I indicated earlier, Vovinam does not favor Hard or Soft, but seeks teach how to apply each in the correct relation to overcome a particular problem, both in combat and in daily life. It is to remind one not only of trying to find the correct harmony between Hard and Soft, but also that one’s goal should not only be to help oneself, but also to help others live in peace and harmony."

"I see." Giang replied when Mali admitted that she had been sneaking out to fight crime when the Headmaster had discovered her and reveled the fact to Mali's father. While Giang had been able to recognize Mali's fighting style as Muay Thai, she was not familiar enough with it to know its philosophy and teachings. "I could see how some might say that was very foolish, but I would think it is also very brave. Not many would think to take such a risk, particularly without powers." She paused a brief moment and then gave a small smile, "but then most who would say that are likely not as skilled a fighter as you." "One of the styles I was trained in is Vovinam." She then continued. "And my master always had me greet him with the same salutation every day, 'Iron Hand over benevolent heart."

"Caught?" Giang asked with a slightly puzzled look on her face. But then she seemed to consider something and gave a small nod. "Is it common that the students here were first encountered using their powers by an older hero before they become students? Or do some of them find their way here in other ways?" The night Raven had found her trying to escape men working for her father was still quite fresh in Giang's mind, as it had been little more than a month. The Asian teen was still not exactly sure why Raven had been in Singapore that night, the mysterious woman had certainly not explained.

Monday, February 4, 2013 4:30 PM Though the late afternoon air was rather cool, the sun was shining as Megan Howell made her way down one of the tree-lined streets of Riverside. She had left work at her internship with Summit Transnational a bit early today to take up Angus Stone's invitation to see the small recording studio she owed in this part of town. The young blonde had met the former pop star during the Midnight Society's holiday party back in mid-December. But given the holidays, starting her internship at Summit, as well as Angus' own busy schedule, it had taken until now for Megan to be able to take her up on the invite. Looking around as she made her way towards the address Angus had given her, Megan smiled as she took in some of the sights of the bohemian neighborhood. I really need to try to get down here more often. The young woman thought to herself. Especially now that it is an easy monorail ride from my apartment in the Wading Way. Reaching the street the studio was on, Megan turned to her left and walked down another block before coming to a stop in front of a building with the sign *Zenith Stuido* out front. Well here we are. She through as she opened the doors and made her way in. "Good afternoon," she said to the receptionist inside with a warm smile. "I am Megan Howell, and I am here to see Angus Stone."

Giang gave a slight nod as Mali mentioned living her entire life in Freedom City and how she preferred to stay focused on Muay Thai instead of branching into other martial arts styles. "I can understand the desire to remain true to your original style." When the other girl mentioned the schools training facilities, Giang looked about a moment as well before looking back at Mali. "Yes, the school is very well equipped for a wide range of activities. It is certainly well beyond what I had growing up, though I was content with what I had then." "How long have you been a student here?" Giang then asked the other Asian teen.

Velocity listened to Fleur's response to Silver Spider's question, as she indicated that the Bee Keeper that when nuts was not the real one, but a robot. "Robot huh? Well, things are still pretty bad, but at least good to know he and those other heroes are not really going nuts and killing people. Is there any idea where the real heroes that have been replaced might be?" When Fleur moved over to help Jubatus, the speedster looked down at Silver Spider, still not quite sure what to make of the fact that it was some she had known for years. Pushing that from her mind, she gave the other heroine a small smile. "Hi there, I'm Velocity. We didn't really get a chance for introductions earlier." Once Jubatus was healed and back up on his feet, Velocity looked over his way as she answered his question. "Not as much as you might think really." She began. "That teenage girl that blew up the building, well, if it really was a teenager and not another robot, teleported away after the Bee Keeper robot managed to blast both of you. I tried to put him down, but could certain take a hit. I figured it would be best to lead him away from the two of you, so I got him to chase me." "Then I put in a call for some assistance for you two and dealing with the Bee Keeper robot over the Freedom League channel and Fleur responded. So I led the robot into a trap where she contained him and then we made our way back here to help the two of you. So, you know, its maybe been about minute or so since he blasted you and Silver Spider."

Okay, probably time to get to initiatives: Velocity gets a 60. The four gang members on Zoom get: 46, 36, 37 and 27. The five normal gang members get: 10, 9, 18, 7 and 23. And the gang leader gets a an 18. So, currently we have: Velocity: 60 (fatigued, 2 HP) Zoom Dark Fist 1: 46 Zoom Dark Fist 3: 37 Zoom Dark Fist 2: 36 Zoom Dark Fist 4: 27 Dark Fist 5: 23 Ye Quan: 18 Dark Fist 3: 18 Dark Fist 1: 10 Dark Fist 2: 9 Dark Fist 4: 7

Giang smiled slightly as Mali mentioned Tai Chi while explaining why she preferred Muay Thai. "Yes, I do not believe Tai Chi would be the right fit for you. I was thought to adjust between soft and hard as a situation dictates. I would not say what I was taught was better, only better for me, just as Muay Thai is better for you." The teen then nodded when Mali asked if her name was Vietnamese. "Yes, it means 'river' in Vietnamese. I grew up in a small village in the northern part of Vietnam." She replied, before asking in return, "Mali is Thai, correct?" When the other teen mentioned her tattoos, Giang turned her head slightly, as if to look at them, before she replied, "Thank you, I suppose. But in all honesty, they were not my choice. I have had them for as long as I can remember." She then gave a slight nod. "You are correct, the center tattoo is 'Kan', the I Ching trigram for water. The others, including some you cannot see, are related to the Wu Xing, or more specifically, to the 'element' water in the Wu Xing."

Giang turned slightly to look back at the balance beam before looking back at the other girl with a small nod. "Yes, it has been a bit too long since last I had the opportunity to do so." She replied. She took the offered water with another small bow. "Thank you." She said before opening the bottle and taking a drink. The Asian teen then glanced over at the heavy bag Mali had been working out on before looking back at the other teen. "You are trained in Muay Thai?" She asked, though it seemed rather rhetorical. "A true hard style. But that seems to suit you very well."

Megan gave a small smile as Jennifer mentioned having to handle late night video conferences with partners around the world. "Well, I would say it was part of being the low person on the totem pole, but Amir keeps even longer and odder hours himself." Megan ordered just a water and salad when the waitress came by. Her smile then broadened as Jen mentioned her looking happier and asked if she had met someone. "Well, work is great and all, but yeah, I have started dating someone. We met at the Millennium back at the start of last month, when I went out with some of my co-workers to celebrate my first week at Summit. His name's Kyle and he used to play football for the Southside Eagles, and was on the team when they won State back during Samantha’s Senior year at North Bay. He then played at FCU on a scholarship."

As Fleur arrived, Velocity stood back a bit, not wanting to get in the other woman's way as she tried to help Silver Spider. The speedster still could not believe that it was Jen. "Yeah, been back since last month, though been a bit quite save for stopping a couple of rampaging villains over in Hanover back before Christmas." The speedster replied to Fleur's comment about being back in town. She then shook her head when the green haired young woman asked if she had joined a new team. "No, just happened to be in the area when the shooting started here, apparently so were a few other heroes. Everything seemed normal at first, then Bee Keeper just went nuts and started killing the bikers and Russian mafia guys."

Taking a seat across from the other young woman, Megan nodded in understanding as Jennifer mentioned being really busy and mentioned the unpleasantness from the middle of last month. Yeah, I know you were pretty busy during that. The blonde thought, recalling when Jennifer's mask had been torn while fighting the robot Bee Keeper III in the Fens. Of course, Jennifer did not know that the blonde across from her was also Velocity. "Oh jeez, please don't remind me of that day." Megan replied, referencing what the media was calling the Day of Wrath. "I had been at an early morning meeting for some real estate deals Summit and Amir had made in the Fens when I almost got caught in the middle of some gang shootout. Luckily I was able to avoid that, but my nerves were so shot I headed home, thought just as well considering." "But, otherwise things with my internship are going great." She then continued. "I work with some great people and there is a larger variety of interesting and complex things to work on. Though, I sometimes have to keep strange hours, especially if I am working on something with other Summit offices on the other side of the world."

Outside, Megan Howell climbed out of the back of a cab that had brought her from Summit Transnational's headquarters in the Wadding Way. After paying the cabbie, she turned to look at the restaurant, as the daughter of a well known attorney here in Freedom City, she could appreciate its name, even if her father was not a litigator. Stepping inside, the blonde young woman quickly scanned the room, looking for her friend. It only took a moment for her to spot Jennifer back in a booth. "Hey Jen!" Megan said with a wide smile as she came over to the booth. "How have things been? Hard to believe it has already been more than a month since we saw each other at the party!"

"Morning Freddy." Sam replied with a small smile. The public defender was about forty, though he looked a bit younger, despite always seeming to be tired and overworked. He was dressed in a pair slacks, and, as was usual unless he was appearing in court, the top button of his shirt was undone and his tie loosened. Making his way into the office, he nodded to Harry as the other made his way out. "Hey Harry." He replied, avoiding the seat indicated before sitting down in another. "Well, you are welcome, I had a feeling you two would be able to sort that all out. In fact, that is why I am here. Mr. Klaus was released this morning, charges dropped. He and Mrs. Klaus should be stopping by later to thank you in person and work out the details of paying whatever they owe you as they can. Along those lines, now that his name has been cleared, there should be no reason for his insurance company to withhold payment on the policy. You guys don't happen to know an attorney that might be able to help out with that? I know a few, but they are probably a bit too expensive." "Oh, and one other thing," he added, suddenly remembering something. He reached into his briefcase and took out an envelope which he tossed onto Harry's desk. "You caused the police a little bit of embarrassment by so quickly rooting out the actual arsonist after they had focused on Mr. Klaus. I think they want to try to quite that all down a bit, that's a crime stoppers reward for catching that Firebug guy."

Detective Stines primarily focused on Mess as he began talking, smirking ever so slightly as he joked about the police department messing up with arresting their client's husband for the arson at his store. But then she nodded slightly, "well, if everything pans out with what you and your partner have uncovered tying the fires to this guy," she jerked a thumb back towards where Firebug was being put into a paddy wagon, his hands in some sort of high-tech looking restraint, "then it should not take very long for your client's husband to be released." She paused a moment, then continued. "Well, I think we have everything we need from you two right, if we think of anything else, we know where to reach you. So you are free to go, I am sure you could probably use some rest after tonight." With a small nod to the two private investigators, she then turned and started into the shop to examine the rest of the crime scene. The following morning… Freddy and Harry were back at their offices when the buzzer for the front door rang. Looking out, they saw Sam Gannon standing at the door.

Velocity had been working on trying to put out the fire when her goggles picked up Silver Spider starting to pass out as she tried to walk over to Fleur. In a flash of yellow, the speedster was over in front of the slightly taller woman, catching her before she had fallen too far. "Silver is not looking good Fleur." Stated the speedster as she did her best to gently lower the other heroine down to the ground. Once Silver Spider was down, Velocity got a clear look at the half of her face exposed by the ripped mask. Jen? The speedster thought in surprise, recognizing her old friend that she had most recently seen at the Midnight Society's holiday party.

Even though it was a Sunday morning, Claremont Academy did not lack for students who would be up early on the weekend for some extra time training. Though for whatever reason, this morning the school's gym currently had only one additional occupant. Giang Trang was poised at the end of one of the balance beams in the gym, the length of the beam behind her. She was wearing black yoga pants and a white cami top, while her feet were currently bare. Both hands extended out in front of her, she took a short breath, then exploded into movement, executing first one back handspring and then another back along the beam, before finishing with a back ariel. As she landed, one foot in front of the other, the Asian teen ended up having to whirl one of her arms in a clockwise motion to help properly maintain her balance. There was a small frown on the teens face as she realized the chaotic weeks that had followed her leaving her father's home in Hong Kong had left her more out of practice than she had thought. Hopping off the beam, she went over to pick up a towel and her bag so she could make her way to the showers. But then she noticed that the other teen who had been there in the gym as well had finished with her work on the heavy bag. Giang hesitated a moment, not sure if she should bother the other teen right now. Though this might be the opportune time to introduce myself. She thought to herself before she started over to where Mali was seated. "Excuse me. You are Mali correct?" She asked as she drew near. "My name is Giang Trang. It is an honor to meet you." She then added, given a slight bow with her hands together in front of her as she spoke.

The first officers on the scene did not seem too happy with the presence of Mess and Hound, but they do lower their weapons and start taking statements from the two private investigators as well as take over custody of the unconscious Firebug. Several of the officers follow Hound inside as he explained what all had happened. A couple of others deal with the optometrist, managing to calm him down some. Hound had just come back outside when he saw an unmarked police car pull up to the scene, out of which stepped Detective Kimberly Stine. In her mid-thirties, Detective Stine was rather cute, probably too cute to work in a place like the Fens, but she had worked hard to show she was tough enough to handle one of Freedom City's roughest neighborhoods. Speaking briefly with current officer in charge, glancing over at Hound and Mess as she did, the detective then made her way over to the two private eyes. "Well, you two certainly seem to have been busy." She said as she drew near. "Not bad. I will be sure to get the information on the evidence to the right people over in the West Side precinct that were investigating the arson there." She paused a moment and then asked, "so, any particular reason you two were looking into this?"