Electra

The sudden jolt cost the getaway driver control of his car, sending it careening down the street with Erin still pressed flat against the roof. It hopped the curb and looked like it might go straight through the plate glass window of a closed cafe, then hit a lamppost instead with a loud screech of abused metal and a poof of deploying airbags. Erin flew off the roof of the car at the impact, but managed to grab hold of the streetlight's top bar and flip herself around. She dropped to the ground just as the airbags were starting to deflate. "I'd stay in the car, if I were you," she told the robbers conversationally. "We're a lot faster than you are, and you probably don't need any more head trauma today."

Erin didn't have to be told this time to hang on, tightening her grip as the bike sailed through the air. The landing tossed her up against Trevor's back, but they both had good enough balance that it wasn't a problem. Grinning at the incongruity of his courtly gesture, Erin leapt off the motorcycle with the ease of someone who'd spent dozens of hours training in how to maneuver on moving vehicles and gave the passenger-side window a sharp rap with her knuckles. The glass cracked, then shattered all at once, pieces decorating the lap of the very startled robber sitting in the passenger seat. "It's time to pull over," she advised them sternly." The passenger seemed to think that was a really good idea, but the driver was a stubborn cuss, or just really, really stupid. He slammed on the brakes to try and throw the heroes from the hood of the car, then flipped a u-turn and began zipping the wrong way down the very narrow one-way street!

Stesha passed a few seeds from hand to hand, rolling them between her fingers as she thought about what to say. "It was... it was weird," she said awkwardly, not knowing how to put it all into words. "The whole thing, from beginning to end, it was like a nightmare, like something that wasn't even real. Taylor and I were out shopping, for baby stuff," she explained, "and we went to this cute boutique. Civilian clothes, everything was really just normal. I think I was trying to get her to buy some mobile or something. Then all of a sudden Dark Star shows up, not Derrick, but Dark Star, and he's acting so strange. Talking about how he's going to enjoy killing us, the sort of thing you'd never hear him say in a million years." Rather than keep playing with the seeds, Stesha threw them in a wide arc across the lawn, letting them fall where they would. "I couldn't figure out what was happening, but Taylor said it wasn't him, it wasn't Derrick inside the Dark Star thing. He started to do that gravity thing he does, where he just beats the hell out of everything, but he was aiming straight at Taylor. And I know she's strong, but what about the baby? So I tried to get in front of her, tried to get some plants up to protect us, but he was... god, it all happened so fast. All I even really remember is flying through the air, and how much it all hurt. I mean, really, really hurt, more than I thought anything could."

Erin broke off when it became obvious the retreat was in full effect, holding her bat and observing the wide swath she'd cut through the room. There was no real carnage, hardly even any blood, just a whole lot of dazed and sleeping little animal critters. "Right," she said, leaving the bat open for the moment, just in case. "I guess that's taken care of. But I still can't find the little rabbit thing that took my beacon." She walked a few steps, as though she might miraculously spot him among the unconscious attackers on the ground.

Stesha lost some of the color she'd just gotten back, revealing a noticeably green undertone to her skin that hadn't been there before. She turned her head to look from Derrick to Taylor, then to the plant that was already beginning to wilt behind her. It was far too much to take in right then. "But everybody's okay?" she asked, glancing around, "and the bad guy is gone?" When she got nods of confirmation for that, she sighed and looked back up at Derrick. "Can we go home now? I just... I need to put some clothes on." And a lot of other things, but that would do for a start.

Straightforward edits for Wander this month, mainly going for the new caps: 2pp to skills 2 ranks Sense Motive 3 ranks Stealth 3 ranks Acrobatics 1 rank Attack Focus Melee 2 ranks Strength 1 rank Protection 2 ranks Impervious Add Improved Crit to bat (0pp) DONE BY SHAENTHEBRAIN

The little creatures may have gotten the jump on Erin, but she'd gotten her start fighting against swarms of implacable enemies, and she didn't let them keep the advantage for long. Of course, these harmless little creatures were hardly zombies, and she kept herself firmly in check as she began mowing them down, tapping them to knock them unconscious rather than trying to take their fuzzy heads off. They didn't take a lot of fighting. She started with the ones surrounding herself and James and began working outward, so fast she was almost impossible to see. After a few moments of that, she started feeling like Little Bunny Foo-foo among the field mice, but there were some situations where some simple head-bopping was clearly called for.

Stesha's tired. She goes on seven.

"Sorry," Erin said firmly to the dog-faced creature, "but it's not your choice whether he stays or goes, no matter how good he... smells. Whatever. He gets to make the choice on his own, and we're going to make sure he has the opportunity to make it. So why don't you all take a big step back and give us some room." She reached out to pull the threatening spear away from the dog-faced creature, but made no move yet to draw her own weapon.

Sure, count Wander in. She hasn't seriously injured anyone in ages, so she can probably be trusted in a sparring match. Besides, getting some practice with other heroes might help her expand her rather limited repertoire. :D

He saw the driver do a startled double-take upon seeing the hero keeping pace with him, but these criminals were either stubborn or stupid. Their car had some speed on it, though. The crook peeled off down a side street, tires squealing as he accelerated for all he was worth. On the bike, Erin secured her grip on Trevor and hung on for the ride. "That street dead-ends in three blocks," she called to him. "They'll have to turn or stop by then!"

Stesha goes on 1! Big finish!

Wander: Down The Rabbit Hole New Sound Midnight Express Monsters in the Streets Enter...the Squid! Beach Party in Winter A Day Without Powers Midnight Meeting Gazing Into the Abyss Wander also has a vignette for the month. She also did the 20 questions. She has completed the HellQ, but only received one point for it. There is also an expansive Wiki Page related to Wander's home dimension. Fleur de Joie One of These is not Like the Other The Dragon Wakes Hero Work Green With Envy Childhood Dream Party Crashers Stesha also did a vignette this month. She has completed the HellQ, but only received one point for it. Also, Electra spent a good deal of time revising the HellQ for the good of all mankind.

Erin didn't seem concerned by the ramping up of hostility around them, but James was close enough to note the subtle tensing of her body as she prepared to fight if necessary. "Because you're in a strange place far from home, and you don't actually know what these creatures want with you or why? You know, when this sort of thing happens in movies, it's because the new chief gets thrown in a volcano after a day or two of pampering?" She shrugged. "There certainly are plenty of these folks living here, couldn't they have picked one of their own to be in charge if it were a good job to have?" Erin wasn't much of an expert on politics, but she knew movies. "Besides, if you decide to stay here, we're going to leave, and we'll probably lose track of the dimension you traveled to," Erin continued. "If you get into trouble, or you decide you don't like it here anymore, you'll be stuck, maybe the only human being on this whole world. No superheroes, no police... no women," she pointed out. "But you're a grown man, it's your decision. If you want to stay, we'll get out of here." She made as if to turn around and head out.

Stesha's eyes widened, her grip tightening on Derrick's arms. "I died?" she repeated, her voice no more than a whisper. "That can't be right. I mean... I know I got hurt, I remember that. But I'm right here. I feel fine now. There must have been a mistake, you made a mistake or something and I just needed some time to get better." She looked up to Derrick for confirmation.

"The usual mix," Erin repeated, the edges of her lips quirking up. "Interesting. You should definitely get together with Eddie, then. He'll be around somewhere, you'll probably be bunked near him. Where are you from?" she asked. Asking questions about the new guy's background was safe with so many people around, it was much less likely that she'd be asked any pressing questions in return.

"Yeah," Erin agreed, looking out into the darkness that surrounded the puddles of light cast by the streetlights. "Sounds like you've already worked out most of what you want to do, you just have to figure out the specifics. I guess the Freedom League looks good because it's like built-in backup. Even if you don't have a lot of friends who are heroes, the League is there if you need a hand." She was quiet for a minute, then straightened, putting a hand on Trevor's shoulder. "Hey, slow up," she told him. "Look over there, on your eleven. That looks like a strobe-light alarm." From down a side street, a white light flashed on and off, accompanied by the very muffled whine of an alarm.

Erin looked around. "You're in another dimension," she told the man. "We followed you here so that we could get you and take you back to Earth Prime. I'm glad you've been treated well while you've been here, but it's really a much better idea if you come with us now and let us get you home where you belong."

"I don't think you've got anything to worry about," Erin decided thoughtfully. "Even if the hero thing doesn't work out, if you can build a motorcycle that will go a hundred fifty miles an hour without making a sound unless you want it to, the world will beat a path to your door. Or you could be a stunt driver, easily. But if you want to be a hero, I think Claremont's probably the best place to figure that out. You're only a junior, right?"

In the meantime, I've set up a little chat room offsite that may take the edge off, if people are desperate for chat. ;-) I hope this link works: http://www.chatzy.com/884981128071

"Sure," Stesha said with obvious pleasure. "It's the biggest park in the region, we could work here all night." She poured a handful of seeds into Moira's palm. "Here, toss these out wherever you want them, they'll grow." As Moira tossed seeds, Stesha focused power on them, sprouting and growing them with magical speed. The air soon became floral and fragrant, the ground bright with color even in the dark. "How is it, being back?" she asked after a few minutes.

Erin hesitated, choosing her words. She didn't want to lie, but too much truth just made everything more depressing. "I taught myself some of it," she told him. "I got a chemical injection when I was fourteen that gave me all the strength and stamina and that, but I taught myself how to fight and stuff. Since I've been here, they've been working hard on teaching me how to refine it. Working with the bat, and all the acrobatics. It's a totally different style, and it takes a lot of work. Sometimes I train five or six hours a night. But it's paying off." She shrugged, a move he could feel her make with the way they were pressed together on the bike. "I'm hoping someday to be good enough for the Freedom League. Not, you know, Lady Liberty good, but good enough."

Stesha smiled, reaching into her bag. "This is the easy part," she assured Moira. Planting flowers didn't bother her a bit, not when there were no monsters or villains or crazy doppelgangers barreling down on them. She drew out a handful of seeds, sorting them in the darkness by touch, and began scattering them. As soon as they touched soil they began to grow, stretching out long stems and unfurling petals. She'd gone mostly for tulips this evening, in a rainbow of colors scattered with cheerful daffodils and gorgeous fat hyacinth stalks. "It's definitely spring! Don't you love it? I'm so glad we're both here to see this one."

"Well, I don't do a lot of patrolling either," Stesha said, "but you never know what' going to crop up along my route. There's a lot of petty crime in parks, even in a nice place like Freedom City. I'll drive this time." Stesha pulled her cowl back up to hide her colored hair, then took Moira's hand as she reached out to touch the little bonsai tree. "Let's start big, Freedom City Park." They came out in a sheltered little copse of trees, just coming into their spring foliage. Stesha took a deep breath and looked around with a smile, obviously happy to be in one of her favorite places. "It's going to be a good night," she decided. "What colors do you feel like?"

"Well sure, maybe the mist is more effective," Erin joked, "but the motorcycle is way more cinematic. How much did you have to practice before you could drive like that?" The lights of Freedom City shone wavering reflections in the water they drove past, casting the path along the shore into a soft late-night twilight. There were surprisingly few people around, so that it almost seemed they were alone in the city. Oddly, it didn't make Erin feel nearly as uneasy as it usually would have.