ic Room of Danger (seventh edition)

[EternalPhoenix]

The scene…well, actually, neither Valerie Cain (alias, among other names, the heroic Wayward) nor Yamazaki Moe (aka the vetted rookie hero Sensus) quite knew where they were. Or how they’d gotten to this random city street. The street was lined with restaurants, bars, and clubs of seemingly every possible variety, and tonight business was booming. Before either heroine could reflect on what was going on here, a door burst open to one of the music clubs. Sobbing people poured out of it in one of several ways; either staggering as if their muscles wouldn’t work properly, attempting to return their dinners and drinks to sender, fleeing in terror, careening off walls and cars as if blind and deaf, or (worst of all) clutching their ears in clear physical agony. Clearly, something had gone horribly wrong in that establishment.

Edited December 2, 2017 by EternalPhoenix

[Blue Rose]

Val wanders the street, hoodie up and shades on so she isn't immediately recognized, when a stampede busts out of a nearby club.

 

What the Hell...?  Well, that ain't right.

 

She makes her way over to the group, and tries to bring a little order to the chaos.  If nothing else, make sure no one gets trampled, and maybe get a few answers, "What happened?" she asks on of the more stable looking individuals as she wards off the runners from stepping on someone who stumbled and collapsed before helping them up and to the stability of a nearby wall.

[Cool Homosapien]

Moe peered into the psyches of the mob, they were definitely scared. But this place didn't seem right, so this mob scene didn't see right. "Is that Wayward," she said to herself seeing the pop star helping out. If this were another time, she'd be thinking of her autographing something. But now she had work to do. As quickly as she could, she reached into the psyche of as many people of she could to calm them down. Not that this scene of chaos let her choose targets well enough, but she didn't hit Wayward.

 

Making her way forward to the other hero as she cleaned up the messed up emotions, Moe waved. Wayward was one of those pretty people. Nothing wrong with that! She knew it was just a silly little crush. When she asked what happened Moe, still in her street clothes, piped up. "Some of them are being manipulated emotionally." She looked to Wayward with a smile, "uh, I enjoyed your last single." She went back to calming down the crowd with her control of emotion.

[EternalPhoenix]

Wayward had snagged one of the staggering people. The man was, well, trying not to cry like he’d just learned his entire extended family had died. He was not succeeding. Val actually had to prop him up, as between the sobbing and whatever was wrong with his muscles, he was just about unable to stand upright. The man babbled something about a special concert, with a female performer who danced in terrible ways and a poor young woman with her who was just so sad. So sad. And then he wept anew.

[Blue Rose]

Yeah, that's definitely weird.

 

This could do for a closer look.

 

At a gap in the exodus, Val ducks low and dives through, for the first cover she can find.

[Cool Homosapien]

Moe lost track of Wayward in the rush of things. Not that the small psychic vampire was to be noticed in this madhouse, she was just trying to fix things. The less of a mob this was, the better. Once the stampeding was down, she made her way into the building where the bad dancer was. She could have blended in with the crowd if she wasn't going counter to it. "Coming through,  coming through," she repeated as she continued to calm people's psyche's down.

[EternalPhoenix]

All at once, the last of the crowd had gone by. The place was empty except for one spot. Two people were on the small stage with a piano. One wore a little black dress and sat confidently on the lid counting money. The other wore baggy clothes and sat despondently on the piano bench. The former spoke to the latter. “I’m telling you, Dee. Now that we’ve got powers we can do whatever we want.” The club’s bar was in the back, and this was the cover Wayward had found. “You and me, Dee? We’ve got it made now.”

 

Dee looked like she was going to speak…and then didn’t. Then, with visible mental effort, she pushed out some words. “I’m glad you’re happy, Bev.” This was not the voice of a happy young woman. Not at all.

 

Bev hopped down off the piano. “C’mon, cheer up Dee. We’ll get dinner and a movie. It’ll be great. A few moves from me and a little of you, and we’ll not only not have to pay; we’ll have more cash to burn.”

 

Dee pondered that for a little bit. “I’ll give it a try. For you, Bev.”

 

“Thatta girl. Let’s blow this dump.”

[Cool Homosapien]

No one was paying attention to the small woman going through the crowd, so Moe had the time and made the effort to switch into costume. By the time she was done she was through the crowd. Two women were on stage  Both very pretty, but not as pretty as the one she thought she saw outside. "Jeez, is every hero and villain in this town at least a seven," Sensus said as she made her way up to the stage. "Now, if you were smart, you wouldn't move. But I've heard reviews. You move very badly."

[Blue Rose]

Hm?  Who's this?

 

As someone new enters the stage, talking like another cape, Val takes interest, and decides this may be a bit of a show.  These two newly minted villains don't seem like the sort who could be especially dangerous.  This might make for a good show.

 

The star digs out some cash from her pocket, puts it near the register, then grabs a glass and pours herself some Jack.

[EternalPhoenix]

Bev frowned. Hard. “Man, you can’t swing a cat in this town without hitting a hero.”

 

Dee’s expression didn’t shift one iota, but Wayward got the distinct impression (from a twitch of Dee’s eyes in that direction) that the depressed young woman knew the heroine was behind the bar. “It’s Freedom City, Bev. It’s how it is. Heroes everywhere.”

 

Bev was still displeased. “Yeah, I know. But she insulted my moves, Dee. I’m a great dancer. S’not my fault people get screwed up when I do it now. It is more useful, though.” She turned her attention to the newcomer. “Listen, tiny. I just sent a hundred people heading for the hills. With one performance. Go mind your own business before I start feeling inspired again, kay?” She took Dee’s hand. “My friend and I have dinner to catch.” She smiled impishly. “After all, I was the show.”

[Cool Homosapien]

Sensus mocked astonishment at every 'deed' the woman noted. Hand across the heart, back of hand on head, both hands on cheeks, all punctuated with gasps. When the two tried to leave, Sensus stopped the silliness. "See, that's where I'm going to have to stop you, ladies," she pointed as they walked away, "I may have not gotten on the force, but I can make a citizen's arrest!" She put her hands on her hips and glared at them, "now, do you want to come peacefully, or do you want to resist arrest?" Putting her hand to the side of her mouth, she whispered loudly, "coming from the one in the costume, I'd not try to resist arrest!"

[Blue Rose]

Aw.  She's trying to banter.  That's adorable.

 

Val shakes her head and downs her shot.  Looks like she might be needed on this one.

 

Staying quiet, she pulls her collapsed staff from her cargo pocket and stretches a bit behind the bar.  It's not far.  She can probably bolt across the distance before anyone can react.