Ions and Argent

[Angelica]

Ionica does not look too pleased with having her leg embraced, but she chooses not to react, since the girl isn't really a threat. "Uhm, bye," she then simply comments as the girl runs back to her family, leaving Ionica alone again. As this happens she does look rather uncomfortable, not knowing what to do.

Fortunately for her the Emissary comes to her save and asks if they should leave, to which she nods. "Yeah, not really sure what we're doin' here and stuff," she says with a shrug. "Are you sure we can't find any super-bad guys to stop from doing bad stuff?" Ionica then comments with a small pout.

[MarkK]

Once they leave, he pauses and turns to her at her question, considering.

"Alright, now the speech then, to explain what we were doing there. There are not always super bad guys to stop from doing bad stuff. But that doesn't mean you stop trying to be a hero when there aren't. You can punch as many of them in the face as you want, as hard as you can, it won't make any of the problems we just saw any better. It won't make the lives of those people any better. And with all our great power, or amazing skill, or unstoppable will, if all we can do at the end of the day is allow people to spend another day in their suffering, how heroic are we really? How great, how amazing, how unstoppable?"

"Whether you inherited your abilities, were blessed with them, trained yourself to some mystic enlightenment to achieve them, or gained them by accidental, the world is a place where that was possible. Where you were able to become so much greater, so much grander. To experience things almost the entire world will never know. Do you really feel punching a few guys in the face is enough of a repayment to the world for that?"

"And I know, I know. You feel you don't have the skills for anything beyond finding super bad guys to punch in the face. Honestly though, the most important things I did in there were help process forms to make a line go faster, and sit and talk with a young man to convince him to keep trying to go to rehab. Nothing of that takes much more than being willing to work with people, to offer yourself up to them and say 'I'm here to help, please tell me how I can.' It is such a small thing to say, but it is the world."

"And I know, you can tell me you feel you don't need to put on a costume to do any of that, anything small, or less exciting, whether offering comfort or even yeah, pulling that cat from a tree. But... yes you do. Think back on that place. How backed up were the lines? How thinly strung out the staff? How many people do you know really willing to no questions asked, reach out and help a stranger, however they can, even in the smallest of ways? You can say that a different sort of person with different sort of skills should be doing it, but are they? But you.. you're a super hero, flashy, dynamic, exciting, powerful, beautiful, glorious. You have been given a life so far above what most people can realize. You know the sky. You get to have these oh so very thrilling fights you're hoping for. To a normal person, you're almost incomprehensible, too far apart to feel real, connected to. And yes, you're going to find a great many people who you will need, must to punch right in the face to stop them. And you will become famous for that, held in awe."

"How much power then do you think it has when someone like you gets involved in even the smallest of concerns? Even the most mundane amd basic of problems people have? Even if you can't fix them, how much of a force do you think is in a gesture that says 'I'm going to do whatever I'm capable of to help you, even if I can only just listen'? Instead of living above, fighting above people as some unknowable flashy, distant figure, you're living /with/ people, you're fighting /for/ people, you're making yourself part of their lives. And the great thing about that? It gets people to thinking that with all you could have instead, all the same you are giving of yourself, of every part of yourself, however you can, well maybe they can do something of the same. Maybe those small things they think someone else should do, that they can't do, that they have no way to help, maybe instead they decide to try and help anyway. And maybe others will see them do that. And maybe then they will be inspired too. Maybe a doctor who does have those medical skills will see you trying to help those people, and realize he can use his own abilities to do so. Maybe figures of wealth, of political power, will realize they too have their own ways to help. It is from the smallest of acts of aid, of compassion, that such a spirit of goodwill can spread"

His eyes shine as he speaks, his tone resonant.

"Can you imagine what a community would look like when the people in it, when they look to each other and see someone they might say to 'I'm here to help, please tell me how I can'. Instead of being isolated from each other, instead of ignoring each other, seeing faceless shadows they cannot feel the hurt or needs of, refuse to feel the hurt or needs of. Can you imagine how many problems would not exist if people were just willing to help each other? The most exciting thing about you Ionica, about me, about all the people like us, is not our powers, is not the battles and adventures we can have. The most exciting thing is that our powers, our adventures, are what give us the chance to be the start of that change, the chance to start humanity living better than they do. To take the wonder of the world that gave us our powers, however it did, and to offer humanity that wonder as a part of their lives."

"I have seen this force, I have felt it.. that clinic? There are those that entirely could do more there than I, devote more time, given my own duties from, yes, punching super bad guys in the face, to diplomatic functions. But that I am there when I can, giving of myself, how I can, it has drawn attention. It has drawn other volunteers, even some financial donation. Who knows how, in enough time, the spirit of that might spread?"

He shakes his head.

"You don't have to do exactly what I do. I am not saying that. But to really help people, you have to do something. Look for ways to reach out to those around you, to improve yourself to reach out to those around you. That is what the world, what people ask of you in exchange for your gifts, whether they know they ask or not. You are so mighty. Too mighty not to find a way to answer their call. Do those small things, and watch in time how big, how great they become."

"Too often.. I too often hear those say that the problems of the world, of society outside of our super powered battles are so big, too big, beyond us, outside our talents. Or even worse, that big things have to be done about them. That our vast power should vastly reshape the world in some dominating, dictating gesture. But it is those thoughts that are the problem. It would be those gestures that are too big, coming from on high, too above people, beyond them, too imposed on them to make them better in their hearts, to last when the strength of that forceful action ends. Because yes, those problems are complex, and part of them is human nature itself. But it is the gestures over the smallest of things that forge personal bonds, that link you to people, that form a chain from you, that forms to another, and another, and another. The world's ills are vast, but when all of man's compassion is one day together? When so many come to view each other as not strangers, but as family? You face those ills in a group far bigger than those problems, with the many skills you don't have to apply to them."

"And all of that begins, all of that, with the small gestures, with personally reaching out. /That/ is what we were doing there today. That is why I patrol. That is why I fight giant space robots one day, and pull kittens out of trees the next, with the same enthusiasm and vigor. I am doing my part to send the world on a path towards goodness. It is my hope that you will start doing that too. To me, that is what being a superhero is."

He smiles earnestly at that, but then sighs.

"But yes, I am now going to go find some super bad guys to punch in the face, if you want to still come with me."

[Angelica]

It is great that the Emissary gives out a huge speech about responsibility and about helping the community, but with Ionica it unfortunately seems to go into one ear and out of the other, leaving her utterly confused and unable to understand most of it. Rather than say so though, she nods and shrugs. If Emissary says so, it's probably right, right?

"You really think I'll become famous? That would be so awesome!" she then simply comments, her brain having ignored almost everything else and just focused on that little part...

[MarkK]

He just stifled a very small sigh, then took aloft at that.

"Have you any experience in fighting enemies with powers?"

[Angelica]

"Uhm, no. But it can't be that hard, right? Aim, punch, win, right? If one does not work, do it again." Ionica says with a small smile. "Or is there any secrets of villain hunting that I don't know of? I am new to this, yaknow."

[MarkK]

"Other than flying around at a regular patrol? Read newspapers, watch the news, browse the internet seeking reports on where crime and strange incidents tend to cluster, and make ready to patrol there to see what you can find. Keep an eye out for odd trends. Eventually earn enough trust with the police that they might specifically call you during a crisis. Make friends with an investigative sort of superhero that you can ask to look into leads and follow them up."

"As for the fights themselves.. they can indeed be that hard. There are many different sorts of powers and capacities out there, and no two beings will quite fight in the same way. People will have different strengths and weaknesses. You have to be ready to adjust to them as best you can. The main thing you can do for that is regularly train yourself, or seek training."

He flew along further at that.

[Angelica]

Ionica follows the Emissary, listening to his ramblings as she flies. As the Emissary makes his statements about how to find villains, Ionica glances away. "Patrolling it is then. Ain't no way I'm gonna use the stupid innanets or read stupid papers," she then mutters, not really being able to follow the rest of the directions with her very limited education. "Train, train more, then fight, got it. Uhm, how can I train, I mean I can lift... uhm, lots, so weights don't really work I think."

[MarkK]

"Find another hero that's somewhere around your sort of strength, excercise with them, have mock fights. Get access to a training room enhanced to deal with your level of strength."

He shakes his head to himself and tried to use as many simple little words as he could as he continued.

"As far as other things, today is an example of why it's good to make conne- friendships with detective types. Gangs have been getting spon-.. ah.. help lately. One group was given robots from the Foundry. A friend of mine that keeps their ear to the ground for such things has noted this starting a sort of competition and race to buff themselves up similarly. Arms race, that kind of thing. I'm trying to put a stop to it. Send a message that doing this just means superheroes will be way more active on them. Another group figured if one used science, they'll use magic. Somehow they're being backed up by minor demons. My friend helped me find out where they base themselves, I'm heading over there to bust the whole thing up."

[Angelica]

"Ain't got no training room," Ionica says with a shrug. "Ain't like I need it, yaknow."

She then sighs. "I dunno any of those detective people. I ain't got many friends and stuff. Ain't it easier to just patrol and find 'em?"

[MarkK]

"The people you want to fight constantly train to push themselves and make themselves better at what they do. If you don't do the same, you're going to.."

He paused and made a little bit of a face at how he was having to phrase things.

"Get the... crap kicked out of you, eventually. Not be able to make any heroic difference against them."

"As for the rest, so long as you are generally polite and considerate to the other heroes you encounter just for going at your job, you'll make friends like that as you go. But yes, you can also patrol. But that will mean mostly facing the sorts of crimes that don't involve people with superpowers. Muggings, assaults, robberies.. Many of your patrols will be very mundane from day to day. That's just how it goes."

[Angelica]

"Uhm, so you're sayin' I should be lifting planes and stuff, so I could train? You think the people at the airport will be happy about that?" the blonde ditz comments with a shrug. "Ain't like I can just go to a fitness center or some stuff like that." With that said she shrugs once again.

"If patrolling gives ordinary bad guys, not super bad guys it's kinda crappy. I ain't got no tv or stuff and I dunno any P.I's. Ain't easy being a super hero." The last is said as she pouts.

[MarkK]

He halts abruptly in mid flight, straightening upright then and looking to her with a considering sort of expression.

"If you don't mind my asking, why do you want to be a superhero?"

[Angelica]

"Uhm, because it's the right thing'n'stuff like that? Besides I'm getting bored when I ain't doin' it, kay? Ain't like I'm rich and wealthy and got lots of money to keep myself busy'n'crap." the Ionic girl says after a moment of consideration.

[MarkK]

His head tilts.

"Why is it the right thing to do? There are many other ways you could alleviate your boredom, and you could likely find many ways to make money off of the use of your powers."

[Angelica]

"It ain't like I need money, yaknow. A bit would be nice, but uhm, I kinda don't need much... well, not really anything." the Ionic girl says with a shrug. "And I dunno, helping people just makes me feel all funny and nice inside, so that's how I know it's the right thing to do, right?"

[MarkK]

"If you like how helping people makes you feel, wouldn't that be a nice trade off for when you help them in the ways you otherwise find boring or difficult?"

[Angelica]

"I don't like helping people that way," the Ionic girl mutters with a shrug. "I ain't that good with stuff like that'n'such, yaknow. It's just so boring boring boring." The last is said with a sigh and then a pout. "I ain't gonna be any charity worker'n'stuff, I just punch bad guys, that's what I can do."

[MarkK]

He shakes his head.

"I was speaking of the other sorts of crimes you'll likely find on patrol."

[Angelica]

Ionica blinks, having completely and utterly misunderstood the Emissary's previous comment.

"Oh. I thought you're like talking about that doctor job in that clinic," she then comments, casting a glance into a wall, anything to avoid Emissary's eyes. "'cause that was borin' lots'n'lots." She then shrugs. "But eh, I can punch and lift stuff, so it's not borin' to be super heroin' that way, right? It's gonna be awesomely cool."

[MarkK]

He stifled what would have been a very quiet sigh anyway.

"We're going to arrive at the warehouse in question soon. How fast do you feel you can fly, at maximum?"

[Angelica]

"I dunno... Fast I guess. Much faster than cars and big airplanes. Ain't like I got any way to mea... uhm... check how fast I fly." Ionica says with a shrug. "How fast are you? If we are just the same fast, we would both know."

[MarkK]

"Well, for my part I am not all that much faster than a big airplane, so if you'll just keep pace with me.."

He began to fly higher at that, such that by the time they were over what looked to be a run down warehouse district, it was barely visible from the sky.

[Angelica]

Ionica is faster than a big airplane and it actually seems that she's forced to hold back on her flying speed as they ascends, making her get ahead of the Emissary a couple of times, stopping up to let him get ahead and then get ahead again.

"Uhm, I think I'm faster than that," she then comments. "I'm flying faster than those small military airplanes."

[MarkK]

"I'll keep that in mind.."

He looks back to the city below for a moment.

"Alright, the idea is this. If they see the both of us, they'll be less likely to want to fight, and may simply just scatter and hide. If it's just me, odds improve that they will try and jump me. I'm going to move the fight to directly below where we are right now. Given your speed, you should be able to join it quickly. It's a basic strategy, but the more direct plans can be effective just for that reason."

He takes out a cell phone from his pocket, fiddling with a few buttons before handing it to her.

"When this beeps, fly straight down as fast as you can and tense to hit something. I'll get someone moved into your path of attack."

[Angelica]

Ionica listened to the instructions, trying to remember all of it. As the hears the last one, it all gets much easier. When hearing a beep, just charge in. Can't be that hard can it? So she gives the Emissary a nod to show she has understood it and then starts waiting. After about 5 seconds of waiting she starts flying in circles and other figures, just to keep time occupied.