Unlikely Allies: Pt 2 IC

[Fox]

Shaking her head, Dragonfly gave the last standing fighter a side full of shockwave, taking him clear off his feet and away from the group before he landed in a heap.

"Fire and mud. Not our day."

[Raveled]

Ironclad stood, rubbing at the side of her helmet with one hand. "I have a flight system. I knew coming down into the mud would be bad, but I couldn't let them grab Worm and drag her off." She moved a little ways off, leaning against the wall with one hand. "So get the cannon off her, so we can go up in the daylight and I can wash all this muck off."

[Fox]

Dragonfly shook her head, kneeling down in the muck to reach under the weapon and mess with something. "Good plan. Still. At least you weren't set on fire." She apparently found what she was looking for, and the cannon detached and pulled away from Worm's arm, letting the young woman just slide it off. "Or shot."

She held the cannon up for a moment, critically inspecting it as she turned it over in her hands. intact stable unused - good - salvage a couple parts - destroy the rest Little lines ran across it, the cannon turning and folding in on itself before vanishing into nothing. Wiping muck off her now-empty hands onto Worm's back, she pulled out a couple zip-ties and bound the villain's hands and feet. going nowhere - too much trouble to leave loose

The young woman took a moment to glance around the room, at all the breathing, unconscious bodies. will be a lot of paperwork - pity the police

[Raveled]

As Dragonfly knelt down to tie up the villainess, the Worm twisted under her grip. A hand came up, slapping the heroine away. As Dragonfly staggered back from the unexpected assault and Ironclad turned, targeters drawing a bead on the Worm, the villainess pulled a short cylinder from her jacket and tossed it into the air. It exploded with the light of a sun and the sound of an artillery assault, and when the barrage of light and noise faded the Conqueror Worm was no where to be seen. Ironclad stood there for a moment, gauntlets half-raised to attack. She screamed out a profanity that would've shocked a sailor and kicked the wall savagely, leaving an imprint and shaking embedded dirt loose ten feet away.

[Fox]

Dragonfly stood there stunned, and twitched a little as her eyes cleared to see no sign of the villain. "Wh..." She twitched a little, and then began a short, rambling string of curses in three languages. should have - could have - why how what - @#$@@#@*&^@#*&$@*$@&$@*&%@

When she finally got her tongue back under control she reached under her visor to pinch the bridge of her nose. "Got none of them. 50 or more worthless flunkies, but no real villains. Heads, masterminds. Just....hhh. At least I - we - got m--..the cannon first."

[Raveled]

Ironclad shook her head, casting her eyes around. "Well, at least we know to watch this place now. They won't be using this place again." Ironclad reached up to rub at her armored forehead. "Of course, the city has, uh, eleven other storm basins pretty much identical to this one, but at least this one is cleared." She sighed and stepped close to Dragonfly, eying where the cannon had been a moment ago. "Anyway. Want to get out of here?"

[Fox]

She sighed, flicking muck off her pants and looking up to get her bearings and find the tunnel they came in through. "Very much. Yes. Call the police. Take a shower." She flicked away another piece of...something she didn't want to look too hard at. "Several showers."

At a mental command her gauntlets lit up, space folding in around her. As she twisted and disappeared, there was a similar effect up at the ledge they'd entered the basin from, depositing her on her feet and looking much happier to be standing on (relatively) more solid footing. "Coming?"

[Raveled]

Ironclad did a double-take, looking from where Dragonfly had been and where she was a second later. A wicked grin erupted on her face, hidden as it was by her helmet. She leapt into the air, and in seconds was level with the other heroine. "You may be able to move like that," she pointed out, "but you're still standing in sewage in the end." She floated down the tunnel, rotating to keep Dragonfly in front of her. "Well? Coming?"

[Fox]

Dragonfly opened her mouth to counter, but paused, and finally had to shut it and shove her hands in her jacket pockets, mucking her way down the tunnel after Ironclad. "Point. After you."

personal note - re-re-re-prioritize wings

[Raveled]

The pair retraced their steps and climbed up to the surface without any further disturbance. Once out in the sun, Ironclad held up a hand to keep Dragonfly talking or trying to leave, while she talked to the police. The call was quick and to the point, and entirely within the confines of her helmet; the other heroine only heard vague mumbling noises. Once finished she double-checked that no one else was around and waved at a command only she could see. Her helmet folded back and away, leaving her damp hair to bob free, tumbling to just past her collar line. She held out her hand to Dragonfly and said simply, "Airlifting counts as a bonding experience. Jessica Parker."

[Fox]

She hesitated, a thousand thoughts running through her mind, but in the end the only one remaining was have to trust someone eventually.

Dragonfly reached up and gently pulled her visor free from its mount, exposing a pair of tired, strung-out dark blue eyes. She shook the hand. "Defeating the Conqueror Worm certainly does. Mara H-....Mara." hope I don't regret this - have to take chances sometimes? - uncomfortable but nice

[Raveled]

Jessica very carefully didn't comment on Mara's hastily bitten-off surname. Instead she drew her hand back and nodded to the other woman. "Mara. Well. Good to make your acquaintance, then." The howl of emergency sirens rose in the distance and her head came around, facing the distant sound. The helmet unfolded again and covered her face, making her anonymous again. "So," she said, still tracking the sirens, "have a cell phone number or some other way to get ahold of you?"

[Fox]

Dragonfly nodded, lights flickering behind her eyes as she put the visor back into place with a firm click. A phone number popped up on the little chat window from earlier. "Will try to answer. Can't, always. Get wrapped up in things, projects...sleep, once in a while." She turned her head to look over at the sirens, frowning. "Don't...don't spread it around if you can. Value anonymity. Safer."

She snapped out of her thoughts, turning back to her new friend. "You have one? A number, I mean. Suppose I could just look you up...."

[Raveled]

Ironclad typed in the air and the number zapped to Dragonfly. "Look me up some time," she offered. "We can play some games or talk up projects." Flashing lights were visible in the distance now, growing steadily closer as they negotiated city traffic. "Do you want to be here when the coops arrive?"

[Fox]

She grimaced. "Not really. Questions and paperwork. Good to just leave them to their jobs."

Dragonfly reached out, a motorcycle twisting and folding out from under he hand to rest on the street. "Things to do, anyway. Repairs, adjustments. Baths. Many baths." may never be clean again - ugh She paused, looking hesitant before turning back and adding, "T...thank you. For helping me. I...it's complicated, but getting this back means a lot. To me. Looking forward to hearing from you, I think."

[Raveled]

Ironclad blinked, not really sure how to deal with something personal like that. "Um. Sure, no problem. Listen, if you ever just need to talk or something, drop me a line. Okay?" She turned back to the road, seeing her car there and freezing abruptly. She turned to face Dragonfly again, her face under her helmet wide and panicking. "Oh god. My car's here. They can read the plates and trace it. You gotta..." Ironclad moved her hands in great circles in the air, groping for the appropriate words, "fold it! Like you did to your motorcycle! Put it away and put it back someplace that's not here!"

[Fox]

Now Dragonfly blinked. "Your car is registered to you?" She was already moving, though. big - mass in excess of - rough estimate? - good enough - charge

Both gauntlets lit up as she placed her hands flat against the side of the car, scattered lines like creases in paper spreading out from her touch. As they met on the far side space around the vehicle began to buckle and fold, looking nothing more than like Escher and Lovecraft got together for some origami. In a few seconds the whole thing had collapsed away into nothing, just an empty street and a girl with rapidly-fading arm accessories.

[Raveled]

Ironclad sighed. "No, my car's registered to me. To Jessica. And who else should it be registered to, anyway? I didn't just grab a random civilian's car for transportation!" She rubbed at the front of her helmet. "Um. Just put it back by the Sentry Statue, okay? Where we met today."

[Fox]

Dragonfly nodded. "Sentry Statue. Can do it on my way home." 'home' - still odd "Not too far out of my way."

"For cars...." She shrugged. "Anonymously. No plates, changing plates, false identity. Could grab a random car..." She put her hand on her chin, apparently seriously considering that option before waving the hand and dismissing it. "Quality concerns. Theft issues. Morally ambiguous."

[Raveled]

Ironclad glanced at Dragonfly, concerned with her apparent lack of regard for law and order. Still, here and now wasn't the place to lecture to the other woman. Ironclad nodded to her, watching her disappear on her motorcycle in the opposite direction from where the cops were approaching. She took a deep breath and wondered how'd she explain to the cops that the other heroine hadn't stuck around.