Chance Meetings

[Thevshi]

Night had fallen over Freedom City, but even after the sky had darkened, Midtown was still a busy part of the city. Many of the restaurants in the area were still bustling with people, while others were finally making their way home after very long days at work. Others were just enjoying the still mild evenings of the early fall.

High up above the city streets, a bolt of lightning streaked through the air from a rooftop, briefly illuminating several floors of a nearby building that had been in shadowy darkness. The flash of light, and faint *crack* that had accompanied the lightning bolt caused a few people to glance upward, but by they time they had reacted, the bolt was already gone.

Up on the rooftop the bolt had originated from, a man in a black leather jacket and jeans stood in the center of the roof, electricity crackling around his hands as his eyes tried to track a yellow figure moving so fast it was blurred.

The figure came to a sudden halt halfway around the edge of the roof, the blur becoming a very attractive young woman in a yellow costume with black stripping down the sides. A brown ponytail swished behind her, continuing on in the direction she had been moving. The young woman's mouth was in a playful grin, the upper part of her face covered in a mask and hi-tech looking goggles.

"Was that the best you can do? That wasn't even close!" Velocity called out to the man. The youngest member of the Freedom League had been running through Midtown when she had spotted the dark clad man breaking into the high-rise. When she had approached him, he had immediately attacked.

"Now its my turn." She added, before she became a blur of motion once more, speeding towards the figure, covering the distance in a fraction of a second. As she came up to him, her fist shot out far faster than the human eye could see, connecting with the man's jaw. But even as she was delivering her blow, she felt electricity course through her arm, her muscles tensing up as she fought to pull back her arm but was unable to do so. Thinking quickly, something that only took her microseconds, she continued moving past the man, lessening the impact of her punch, but also breaking contact with the electrical field that was just surrounding his body.

The electricity wielding man's head snapped to the side slightly from the punch, but he only staggered a couple of feet but otherwise remained on his feet. As Velocity moved past, she felt the muscles in her arm relax as she was able to control them once more. The sensors in the back of her goggles picked up the man raising his hands once more, relaying the image to the HUD on the lenses of the goggles. Thus when another lightning bolt leapt from his hands, she easily dodged once more as she began running around the edge of the roof once more.

"Nice little trick there." She said as she circled. "That just means I'll have to play hardball myself." With a sudden movement she turned back towards the man, speeding up to far faster than the eye could see. This time however she did not run straight at him, but aimed just to the side. As she drew close, she accelerated even faster, her body breaking through the sound barrier as she went.

A loud BOOM echoed off the nearby buildings, as a massive sonic boom was generated. The shockwave of the sonic boom radiated outward from Velocity, slamming into the man and sending him flying backward. Skidding to a stop as the shockwave dissipated, Velocity looked back over towards the man to see him try to push him self upright, only to collapse back onto the rooftop before going unconscious.

"Whew." The young speedster muttered, as she relaxed slightly after dealing with the supercriminal.

[Aragon1888]

Megan was walking home after another disappointing day. One would think, in a town this big and with this many governments operating out of it, that someone would need the services of a universal translator. Maybe I'll try the courthouse tomorrow. She was walking into her building, preparing mentally for another night of scrying, when she heard a loud BOOM above her. Well that's... unusual. Suppose I had better check it out.

She slips into the entryway, out of view of the street, and takes a quick look around, sighing as she does so. I hate this skulking around stuff, but I'd rather not have maniacs at my door constantly. Raven changes quickly, covered completely by her cloak within seconds. She mutters strange words, seemingly only with meaning to her, before whispering, "Fly Through the Night."

Instantly, she appears on the roof near the back side edge, just in time to see a figure try to struggle to his or her feet before falling back to the roof. She takes a quick look around and notices the figure in the yellow jumpsuit, still standing. Raven readies herself to take a defensive position, if necessary. She calls out, "What has happened here?"

[Karma]

The entity known as Archangel swept through the sky, scanning for any signs of trouble that would require her intervention. She had mixed feelings about the fact that she didn't see anything. It was good that there weren't any problems, but she had been looking forward to a chance to put herself to the test--and besides, what if the fact that she didn't see anything just meant that she had missed it?

She was about to turn and go to patrol another area of the city, when a brilliant flash somewhere behind her caught her attention and the sonic boom that shortly followed held it.

She turned and looked around, spotting what seemed to be the end of a fight, evidently between two superhuman individuals.

Archangel moved closer. She hadn't been in Freedom City for long, but she was pretty sure she could recognize a member of the Freedom League. Which was good, since it let her know that the right side seemed to have already won the fight. But it didn't hurt to check.

The figure in the sky hadn't exactly been trying to keep out of sight, but now she moved closer to the roof and made her presence obvious. She appeared to be a young woman with long red hair worn loose. She wore a gray robe that hung past her feet, tied at the waist with a white cord. She wore a gleaming gold breastplate and carried a long, shining golden trumpet. All of which most people would probably notice after the large gray wings protruding from her back.

"Are you in need of assistance there?" she calls out as she approaches the rooftop.

[Thevshi]

Velocity's goggles, designed by Deadalus, included infrared and ultraviolet filters, as well as image enhancing technology. She spotted the cloaked figure as "she" appeared at the edge of the rooftop. The speedster did not react immediately, waiting to see what action the new figure made as she casually pulled out her Freedom League communicator.

When the figure asked a question instead of attack, Velocity relaxed just slightly, and turned slowly towards the figure, giving her a smile. "Oh not much, just a typical night of stopping a superpowered criminal."

As she was facing the cloaked figure, the young speedster spotted the flying figure approaching as well, looking up into the sky as she shrugged. "For the moment things are pretty well under control. Was just going to call for police to collect this guy. Thanks for the offer of assistance though."

[Aragon1888]

Raven walks over to inspect the figure on the ground. "He does not look to be seriously injured. However, perhaps we should wait on informing the authorities, Are you sure he was working alone? And what was his purpose here?"

After finishing this sentence, she begins muttering, almost as if to herself, and her hands fly out from under her cloak a few times as she gestures. After a few seconds she says, "Raven Omniscience." A faint purple glow can be seen from under her hood. "I'll check the building."

[Karma]

"It never hurts to check," Archangel says with a nod at Mystic Raven.

She alights on the rooftop and steps toward Velocity. "Did he hurt you?" she asks, holding out her empty hand. "I can heal."

[Thevshi]

The speedster shook her head when the winged woman asked if she was hurt. "No, nothing serious. I was able to break away from the electrical field he had up around himself before I really got hurt."

"I'm Velocity by the way." She then added by way of introduction while she watched the clocked woman to see what she might discover.

[Aragon1888]

The glow fades from Raven's eyes a few minutes later. "I do not sense anything out of the ordinary. My magic is not perfect, but it seems this miscreant planned on accosting helpless people by himself." She sighs inwardly. I suppose I should show at least a modicum of sociability.

Raven reaches up, moving her fingers over the runes stitched into her cloak's hood for a few seconds, muttering strange words again, before smirking slightly as she pulls her hood off her head. Hopefully that will make anyone watching think twice before trying to rip my hood off. The lowered hood reveals raven-black hair growing down to where her neck meets her shoulders with some tucked behind her ears, a set of sharp, piercing deep purple eyes, and an "all business" expression, as the smirk faded before her face was visible, fixed on Velocity. "You may call me Raven; it is nice to meet you, Velocity." She turns to the winged figure. "I must admit, I am relatively new to this city; it is common to meet angels here?"

[Thevshi]

Velocity waited as the cloaked woman completed whatever it was she was doing to look for more criminals. when she reported it all clear, the young speedster shrugged sligthly. "Not surprising, there are lots that find out they have powers and think they are unstoppable."

When the cloaked woman took off her hood and introduced herself, Velocity gave her a slight grin. "Raven huh? You do know there is another heroine in this town by that name right? She has been at the superhero thing for quite a while too."

She then looked over at the winged woman that was with them as Raven asked her question, this time Velocity's grin broadened. "I've actually met one or two that looked like an angel."

[Aragon1888]

"I have heard some word of her. I assure you I meant no disrespect. I had no knowledge of her when I chose my name. Thankfully, I have heard our looks and abilities are quite different, so the opportunity for confusion is minimal." Raven cracks a small smile despite herself. "It's been a while since I've had a real conversation. This is... actually quite nice." She turns back to Velocity. "So, Velocity, your ability is speed? You can run fast enough to create a sonic boom?"

[Karma]

"Partially for lack of a better name, I've been calling myself Archangel. I've only been in Freedom a short time myself, but as far as I know I'm the only angel. I don't think I'd be surprised if I learned I was wrong, and I doubt I'm the only one who looks the part."

She steps a bit closer to the defeated man and looks him over. "I hate to leave anyone hurt, but if I heal him here he'll probably wake up and either try to flee or attack us, and just need to be taken down again.

"I don't mean to cut off our conversation, but perhaps we should deal with him first?" she asks, looking toward Velocity, who has some authority after all.

[Thevshi]

"Yeah, you guys do have a bit of a different look, and abilities are certainly different." Velocity agreed with a nod. When Raven asked about her abilities, she nodded again and gave a broad smile. "Yep, one of the fastest people on the planet. Normally when I break the sound barrier, the sonic boom isn't too big, but when I need to, I can create one that tends to flatten bad guys."

The speedster then looked over at Archangel as she introduced herself and gave her a nod. "Nice to meet you Archangel." She then looked down at the crook as the winged woman mentioned the unconscious criminal. "Oh yeah, him."

Lifting up her communicator again, the speedster connected to the police frequency. "This is Velocity of the Freedom Squad, I am going to need a STAR team at…hmm, one sec." She said as she realized she could not tell the officers how to get where she was.

"Be right back." She said to the other two before she was then gone in a blur of yellow. In a second she was down the side of the building and was out in front of the building. Then she sped back up the side of the building and came to a halt back in almost exactly the same spot she had been standing in. Holding the communicator back up, she began speaking once more, "yeah, sorry about that. I have a superpowered criminal on the roof of 1444 Forest in Midtown."

After getting confirmation that a team was on their way, she looked back at the other two on the roof and smiled. "Well, now we just have to wait. My least favorite part."

[Aragon1888]

"Yes, waiting would seem to be something you're not used to. But I forget my manners. I know I already said this to you, Velocity, but nice to meet you." This time as Raven says it, she brings her palms and fingers flat against one another in front of her and gives a small bow. "Nice to meet you as well Archangel." Raven turns to Archangel and gives her the same bow before turning back to velocity. "I must say I'm fascinated by this STARS, I believe you called it. This is a unit of people without abilities trained to deal with those that do who break the law?"

[Karma]

"Hello then, Raven and Velocity." Archangel says with a small bow.

"I would actually think you might like a chance to slow down. They shouldn't take that long to respond anyway, should they?"

Archangel then turns to Raven. ""Personally, I'm interested in all the super-humans in this area. You said you are a mage?"

[Thevshi]

"STAR Squad? They are just a branch of the FCPD. None of them have powers, but they have some special training and equipment that helps them in dealing with metathreats." Velocity replied as Raven asked about the unit.

She then gave Archangel a grin as she replied. "Slowing down for a bit isn't too bad, but they will take a looooonnnng time. They have to get here, then they have to get all the way up here. But least I don't have to wait alone this time."

[Aragon1888]

"I am..." A small frown creases Raven' face. I suppose calling myself a monk would invite too many unwanted questions. Her frown disappears, replaced with a barely noticeable smile. "Yes, I have heard that those with talents like mine are called mages. Though I have also heard terms like 'witch', 'wizard', and 'warlock'. I must say, I prefer 'mage'. The others can have... negative connotations.

Her grave tone turns to one of curiosity as she takes her first truly good look at the angelic figure before her. "Forgive me if this is impertinent, Archangel, but the myths and legends about angels are so varied. I would be interested in hearing about your capabilities."

[Karma]

"'Wizard' has negative meanings? I'm not sure I'm familiar with those."

Archangel thinks a bit about Raven's question before answering. "No, I don't mind. Let's see... Where I'm from, we're more like spirits, different from how we appear in this world. When I agreed to come here, I agreed to take a mortal form--so I can die here--which is somewhat shaped by the expectations of the people around when I arrived. Which might explain the differing ideas.

"I can fly and heal, as I said. I'm mortal, but I don't have to eat or sleep, and my form is a bit mutable--I may not look quite the same next time we meet. I can also speak different languages, if I need to. The armor represents that I am far more resilient to damage than humans, and I would have a holy weapon in hand if I needed it. Not that my instrument is useless, either.

"I can't tell you much more than that about angels though. I'm mortal here, and things that mortals aren't supposed to know for sure--if I knew them before, I had to give up that knowledge as part of the package."

Archangel moves closer to the super-criminal and sizes him up. "Velocity, you said that they had to climb up here and then bring him down. Would it help if I carried him down? I'm definitely not as strong as some of your acquaintances, but I am stronger than most humans. I think I can do it."

[Aragon1888]

"'Wizard' may not have a general negative connotation, but it does typically have a male connotation. Much as I sometimes do to hide my true sex so as to create an air of mystery, I would prefer the more gender-neutral term." Raven looks over to the criminal still laying unconscious on the roof. "That sounds like a good idea, Archangel; that would certainly make things easier on the authorities. My only concern would be if he were to wake up as you were attempting to transport him. I can fly, but I cannot support much more than my own weight when doing so. Should he struggle, there may not be much we can do to keep him from plummeting to the ground."

[Thevshi]

"Well, I think the Harry Potter books have changed how plenty of people view the terms 'wizard' and 'witch', but I'll use whatever term you prefer." Velocity said with a shrug. She then nodded at Archangel's question if whether moving the unconscious criminal down to street level would speed things up. "Yeah, that would speed things up a lot." She replied. "If you think you can handle carrying him, we can move down there to wait for them. If he wakes up and tries to get away, I have a trick or two I don’t use much but could stop him from splatting on the sidewalk."

[Aragon1888]

"Well then let's move him down there then. I'll hover alongside in case there is any trouble. Raven makes strange gestures again and mutters strange words. As she finishes, she lifts off the ground a few feet and hovers there, pulling her hood back up, waiting for Archangel to deal with the criminal.

[Karma]

"I don't think it will take long enough to get him down for him to wake up and struggle," Archangel says as she moves over to the man.

She gently lifts him to see how much he weighs, then carries him to the edge of the roof.

"I think I'll be fine, but it never hurts to make sure. Thank you, Raven," she says before carrying him over the edge and to the ground below.

(Assuming he's about average size, Archangel should be able to carry him. If he's particularly large, she might need Extra Effort, but the fatigue won't affect her much anyway away from any action.)

[Thevshi]

(ooc I don't think you will need extra effort with a Str of 16)

As the other two began to fly down towards the street level, Velocity ran back down the sides of the building, covering the distance in seconds. She was waiting down at the street as the others joined her. They did not have too long to wait before police vehicles began to arrive and the criminal was soon in their custody.

A short while later the police had taken statements and departed, leaving the three heroines standing on the sidewalk where a small crowd had started to form.

"We should move on unless we want everything we say to appear the paper tomorrow." Velocity said to the other two as reporters could be seen among the crowd, as well as a few photographers.

[Aragon1888]

Raven looks out at the crowd as she speaks. "Then I shall take my leave. It was a pleasure meeting both of you, though I am sorry I was not able to be of more assistance." She once again mutters strange words and makes gestures under her cloak before whispering "Fly Through the Night." She vanishes, leaving behind only the image of a large, black raven for a second or two.

[Karma]

Archangel willingly reports to the police, although she doesn't have much to say. When Velocity mentions the reporters and Raven leaves, Archangel says "Very well. I don't mind speaking, but I missed most of the action and don't really have anything to tell them. If you're done here, I think I am too."

Archangel lifts slightly into the air, and then says with a laugh, "I'd like to say that I hope to see you again soon, but I don't think it's usually a good idea to wish for a situation where several superheroes have to meet up."

[Thevshi]

"I can understand that." Velocity replied to Raven's mentioning not wanting to talk to the reporters. She gave a little wave as the other heroine departed.

The speedster then looked over to Archangel and gave her a smile. "Supercrime isn't the only thing that brings a lot of us together. Me and some others helped do some fundraising for a charity back before the Summer. Things like that come around from time to time."

"But anyway, give a call to Freedom Hall if you ever need some help, if none of the other Freedom Leaguers are there, they can get ahold of me."