The Things We Do For Charity (IC)

[KnightDisciple]

It was an unusually warm Saturday morning in Freedom City. All things considered, that was a good thing, because today was a special charity event. Martel Enterprises had recently announced a donation to build a new oncology wing at McNider Memorial Hospital; today, there was a bit of a festival going on to raise money to come close to matching the donation. The intent was for the matching donation to be taken by Martel Enterprises and sent to Trinity Hospital as another trust fund to pay for an equivalent renovation there.

The Charity Festival, as it was being called, was open to the public, with a variety of shows going on that featured local talent of all sorts. People paid a small fee to enter the Festival, and could pay again for tickets to get into the more limited close seating for the shows; there was room beyond the paid seating for people to stand or set up lawn chairs.

At the main stage, a local rock band was playing the final notes to wild cheers from the crowd. As they finished, and stage hands rushed to move equipment off the stage, one of the event organizers quickly walked out to face the crowd. He was clapping, only stopping when he was front and center.

"How about that performance, huh? Well, this the event you've been waiting for, folks. Two of Freedom City's very own heroes have agreed to come out here and help raise support for our cause today. Please give a very warm welcome to Gabriel!"

Out walked our hero in white, waving to the crowd with a warm smile on his face.

"And Miss Americana!"

The star-spangled heroine also entered, giving her own flair to her entrance. Gabriel waited for the applause to die down a bit before he projected his voice out to the crowd.

"Thank you all for coming here today! I'm so proud to see so many attending this event; you should know, 100% of the money you pay to get into the festival, and into any and all concerts and other events, goes to the new trust fund. Martel Enterprises agreed to cover basic costs, and with a lot of volunteer help setting up, this thing's gone off without a hitch!

Now, there will be some fun times a little later on, but for now, the two of us will give you a taste of what hero life is like, and maybe throw a few surprises in!"

The crowd roared some more, and Gabriel channeled his voice so only Miss Americana could hear.

"As they say, ladies first."

[Electra]

"I'm afraid most of my heroic life involves laboratories and test tubes," Miss A said with a laugh that had the audience eating out of her hand. "But I do have a little fun now and again. Like this!" With that, she took off into the sky, red, white and blue lasers flying harmlessly from her hands in a wild kaleidoscope of color as she began doing aerial stunts that a Blue Angels pilot would envy, and at a height low enough that the crowd could still see her brilliant smile.

[KnightDisciple]

Gabriel gave a clap as Miss Americana took to the skies. He gestured for the crowd to cheer louder, and they did so. Still, his voice rose above the roar, easily heard by everyone there.

"You hear that folks? She not only protects us on the streets, she works hard every day to make a better tomorrow for all of us, and our children! Let's hear it for Miss Americana!"

More cheering. With a grin, Gabriel floated into the air about 15 feet, before hovering there. Suddenly, loud booms sounded above the height of Miss Americana's flight, somehow perfectly timed with the bursts of lasers flying from her hands. Those watching Gabriel could see him looking upwards and gesturing with one hand, helping contribute to the feel of an impromptu fireworks display! Even better, it was loud enough to be enjoyable, but soft enough no one hurt their ears!

[Electra]

Miss A maneuvered expertly though the air, shooting beams just to swoop around them, then finally diving down out of the sky and turning several dizzyingly tight loops around her fellow hero before drawing up to a stop next to and just slightly above him. She waited, grinning, until the applause died down enough for her to be heard before speaking again. "And that was Gabriel with the stunning sound effects! Give it up for him!" It was an easy crowd to work, and the two charismatic heroes likely could've gotten the whole place doing the Hokey Pokey if they'd liked. For now, the applause was enough. "Remember, everyone, you can text in with your donations at any time during the show! We're showing off for a very good cause today!"

[KnightDisciple]

Gabriel easily continued where she left off.

"And if you don't have a text plan, don't worry! You can call the number on the screen behind us, and an operator will help you set up your donation. Don't get frustrated if you have to wait; that just means more people are giving! Even if it's a dollar, we'll take it! Every little bit helps, and it makes everyone a hero to the people this fund will help!"

He rose a bit further into the air as he spoke.

"Now, Miss Americana and I will do a joint aerial performance, with special cameras at key locations on our flight paths. If you can't see us with binoculars, just look to the big screens all around here!"

Indeed, several screens that stood a few stories tall lit up, showing empty sky for the moment, though the display shifted until it was focused on the heroes on stage.

He turned to face Miss A as he rose higher into the air in preparation for the coming stuntwork.

"Are you ready for this?"

[Electra]

"I was born ready," Miss A assured him with a saucy grin as she rose as well, bobbing up as easily as a balloon off its string. "Hope you are, too!" With a laugh, she reached out and pushed off against his shoulders, tucking herself into an end-over-end tumble that sent her shooting into the sky and directly towards the first camera. Their schedules hadn't allowed for a lot of time to rehearse this routine, but improvisation was the spice of life, right?

[KnightDisciple]

Gabriel just shook his head with a rueful grin.

"Women."

And with a rush of air and the sound of faint thunder, he was off! At first, Gabriel's flight path seemed almost boring, until the viewers noticed something. He appeared to be lining up to be the "centerpiece" of the aerial display! Miss Americana's movements would take her rather close to the sonorous hero, and so he had to keep his movements tightly controlled, or disaster could strike!

To make things interesting, he would take a few moments to "dash" through the air at near-supersonic speeds, only to slow down just as Miss Americana swung in for a close pass. More than once, he flipped onto his back in midair and exchanged a high five with Miss Americana. After a while, the pattern almost seemed like a staccato version of "Patty-Cake". Just one played hundreds of feet in the air, and at a few hundred miles an hour!

[Electra]

Each time her hand touched Gabriel's, Miss A would go rocketing off in a new direction, flying so close to the camera that people on the ground drew back reflexively from the giant screens, or buzzing down so close to the ground that paper programs went flying in the wind from her passing. She was careful to keep the sonic booms to a minimum, not wanting to hurt anyone's ears, but there was plenty that could be done below that threshold. Flying up to Gabriel in midair, she took both of his hands and began to swing them in a circle, using that momentum to swing herself as well, until they were both flat-out in the sky over the crowd and spinning like the blades of a fan!

[KnightDisciple]

Gabriel's expression for much of the stunt had been one of intense focus. Much of his power was directed at keeping himself in the air, keeping him moving at an astonishing pace. The speakers in the cameras could just barely pick up the sound of rushing air, as well as a low-pitched hum that seemed to emanate from the sonic hero.

When he linked hands with Miss Americana, his face split in an excited grin. This part was easy by comparison, since Miss A could help with his efforts to stay airborne, thus letting him jazz up the performance even more. As they started to spin, he began to generate sound. Instead of staccato bursts, this was a slowly rising note, vaguely reminiscent of a flute. It evoked ever-increasing danger, even as the two heroes continued their thrilling spiral through the air!

[Electra]

Miss A returned his grin, focusing intently on Gabriel's face as they spun faster and faster. "Ready?" she mouthed at the apex to the spin, then released, pushing off against his straight arms so that they went rocketing in opposite directions like ping-pong balls flung from a centrifuge. Miss a tumbled effortlessly through the air and brought herself under control in time to gracefully dive back down towards the stage in time for the falling action of the music. She was extremely glad that it was impossible for her to get dizzy.

[KnightDisciple]

Gabriel shot off with just enough speed to generate a small sonic boom. For a moment, it seemed he was heading away from the festival...before he circled back, smoothly beginning a slower turn over the audience. A turn that just happened to be traced eloquently by a sudden trail of bright red, white, and blue smoke, issuing from a simple harness worn around his waist! Gabriel began to twist, even as he made a complete circle. The smoke stopped for several moments, as Gabriel tightened his turn, briefly turning the smoke back on to generate an arch inside the circle. He stopped the smoke again, and dove down low to the crowd, slowing enough to give a few people high fives, before shooting upwards, releasing a precisely-timed puff of smoke, even as he shot high up into the air, until he was at the very highest camera...where he turned and dove at high speed back towards the ground! The crowd gasped as he drew closer. Just as they really started to worry, he passed through his smoke drawing, and released his final puff of smoke, revealing what everyone now saw was a red,white, and blue smiley face! Even as they "oohed" and "aahed", Gabriel came in for a smart landing on the stage, taking a single bow before grabbing Miss Americana's hand for a joint bow. As they made the bow, the sound of a large bell striking a deep note sounded!

[Electra]

"Nicely done," Miss A murmured under the swells of applause, even as she beamed out at the adoring audience. They really had done an amazing job, and the crowd loved it. It was lovely, nearly intoxicating, to stand there and drink in the praise, but too much of that would be unseemly, and she knew it. Instead, when the applause began to die down, she stepped forward. "Thank you all so much. It's a pleasure to be able to perform for you on behalf of such a good cause. We're going to take a break for just a moment so you can watch a video made by the staff and patients of the oncology department, and remember where your donations today are going." Stepping back, she gestured to the screen, which filled with a video title screen, then moved quietly to the edge of the stage.

[KnightDisciple]

Gabriel murmured back even as he waved to the crowd.

"Ma'am, I daresay you showed me up when it came to visual showmanship. Nonetheless, it was a pleasure flying with you."

He simply nodded as Miss A announced the break, walking over to the edge of the stage where there were bottles of water, snacks, and the like. He grabbed a small granola bar, almost inhaling it, before downing half a bottle of water. He gestured to the snack table.

"Do you want anything? Flying like that always gives me the munchies. We need to be fresh for the Hero Auction, you know."

His eyes danced with amusement even as he spoke.

[Electra]

Miss A took a bottle of water, opting for a more nuanced sip as she glanced out at the crowd watching the video. "It was a solid performance," she agreed. "There were parts I'd have tightened up if I'd had more time to work on it, but they seemed to like it out there. Being so high up does have its advantages," she observed philosophically. "So what exactly is going to go on in this hero auction? Are we being auctioned off for, hmm, dates, or for yard work, or eye candy at a party, or what?"

[KnightDisciple]

"There are pre-agreed limits, but it's no one thing. Someone could take one of us on a date, though they're not to expect it to necessarily go beyond that. Someone could ask for us to appear for a birthday party, or a social function, or something similar. If we truly find their request objectionable, they will receive a refund, minus 10%, and the runner-up will pay in full and get their request fulfilled. Everyone who bids had to put in a flat fee that wasn't too large, but otherwise they don't pay anything unless they win the auction."

He glanced up as the MC subtly gestured for them to return to the stage.

"I think that's our queue."

He stood, draining the rest of the bottle before striding back on stage with a smile and a wave.

[Electra]

Miss A set her half-finished bottle down and followed him. "Wonder who'll go for more, you or me," she whispered with a conspiratorial grin, even as she waved to the applauding crowd. Contrary to the name, they weren't the only ones on the block today, various other local luminaries had put themselves up for charity, but the two superheroes were definitely going to be the biggest draw. "If we weren't heroes, we could put a little wager on it."

[KnightDisciple]

Gabriel waved, nodded, and smiled at the crowd. His reply to Miss Americana was almost mischievous.

"If it's a non-monetary wager between friends, I don't see the harm. I'm a bit curious myself. Especially since we're not limited to something like a date. Keep your eyes open for couples bidding; we might end up going to a birthday party or something."

It wasn't long before the auction began. The other people who had volunteered for this part of the festival were bid on in fairly short order. Certainly all of them brought in decent donations, but it was clear there was still anticipation for the "main event".

"Up next, we have a hero in shining white, Southside's own Gabriel!"

There was a cheer as Gabriel stood from the stool he'd been resting on. As he waved to the crowd, he gave one last whispered comment to his fellow hero.

"One favor of winner's choice says you edge out my price, but not by a huge margin."

And then he was standing center stage.

[Electra]

The bidding opened strong, rising rapidly from the opener of 250 to over a thousand dollars in less than a minute. That wasn't much of a surprise, a photogenic hero could expect more than that as a charity honorarium for most speaking engagements. It looked like most of the bidders weren't planning on having them come to speak to their organizations, though. There was one group of young, professional-looking women who had their heads together and kept laughing between bids, which one representative was making for them. Three middle-aged women and one middle-aged man with few other distinguishing features, and one young father in subtly expensive clothes and a six or seven year old boy who was watching the action with hero-worship written all over his face. Two thousand dollars knocked out one of the women and the group bid was becoming more reluctant, but the rest still seemed determined!

[KnightDisciple]

Internally, Gabriel was a bit worried about the gaggle of young women voting on him. The others simply made him curious as to their reasoning, though the young boy with stars in his eyes gave a large hint for the rather obviously dressed man.

'It's all for charity, it's all for charity, it's all for charity...'

With that fortifying though, Gabriel turned up his "volume" so the crowd could more easily hear, and then he turned up the charm.

"Come on, folks! You're doing great so far! You've given so much, shown how much you care! Those of you bidding, keep digging! You know this is for a wonderful cause! So let's see those bids reach for the sky!"

His face held a grin, even as he mused to himself.

'I hope I don't regret that.'

[Electra]

Gabriel's urging had the desired effect, and the bidding ramped up! The businesswomen put their heads together and hung in there, while the middle aged women both dropped out. The older man continued, still looking perfectly composed about the whole thing, while the young father sweated and hemmed, but held on, for the moment. The bids climbed above three thousand, twice the previous top price, with the crowd now cheering for every new bid! Miss A watched from the sidelines, smiling as Gabriel worked the crowd.

[KnightDisciple]

'I suppose there are worse fates for a man than being bid on by, among other things, a group of beautiful young women. Not like there aren't declared limits to the whole thing...'

An internal sigh, and Gabriel continued to work the crowd.

"Is that it? You know this is for a good cause, folks! You're not bidding on a cardboard cutout, a signed photograph, or even some fancy hologram thing. You're bidding on the real deal! Grade-A Genuine Superhero! Dig a little deeper! And remember: Not only is it going to help people who need it, it's a tax-deductible gift! So reach down, and dig up just a bit more to make this fundraiser one for the books!"

His voice again rolled over the crowd, as he raised his hands, encouraging the crowd to continue and get worked up over the bidding. And for the bidders to raise their prices still further.

[Electra]

Gabriel's behests seemed to have little impact on the older man, who reached his limit at 3500 and gracefully bowed out. The bidding kept climbing as the tension increased and the crowd got more and more excited, rising in agonizing hundred dollar increments between the young businesswomen and the father and son pair. Finally, at forty-four hundred dollars, the father murmured something to his son, then shook his head at the auctioneer. The little boy burst into tears.

"Sold!" called the auctioneer exultantly, pointing to the group of women. "To the lovely ladies, for four thousand, four hundred dollars! You got a bargain, ladies!" The crowd roared.

[KnightDisciple]

Gabriel just stood and clapped as he debated his feelings on the matter.

'If I had more time in the day, maybe I'd do shows for kids or something. Too bad, though. And hey, it's just one day or event. It can't be that bad.'

Gabriel took a bow towards the group of young ladies, then signaled for attention.

"Thank you, everyone who bid. Ladies, we'll talk more in a bit. Just remember, your money's going to a great cause. Speaking of bids, we have one final auction entry. I'd like to present the wonderful lady who helped with the earlier display. The one, the only, the incredible Miss Americana! Give it up for her, ladies and gentleman!"

He gestured for the crowd to cheer as the MC and various people running the details of the auction shuffled papers and prepared for the final round of bids. The audience shifted a bit as well, the people who had waited for this entry moving to be as visible as possible.

Meanwhile, Gabriel sent a whisper over to the star-spangled heroine.

"Four thousand, four hundred. Think you can beat that?"

He smiled as he passed her on his way offstage, pausing only to catch her reply.

[Electra]

"Honey, I could beat that myself with a phone bid," Miss A told Gabriel with a wink. "But I don't think I'm gonna have to. Hey, it's all for a good cause, right?" It was then that he noticed that she'd changed her outfit for the occasion. She was typically no slouch in the eye candy department, but for this particular party, she'd changed into a pure white bodysuit that molded her curves like she'd been dipped in milk, and sparkled like winter's first snowflake. It was cut by a red belt that rode low on her hips, and finished off by blue thigh-high boots with heels that made her taller than Gabriel. Formal uniform, obviously.

She blew Gabriel a saucy kiss, then stepped onto the stage with the poise of someone who'd been born to do so. Hips swaying gently as she moved, she walked to front and center, where some clever stagehand turned a drop spot on her, causing the costume to erupt into a million glittering lights. The crowd hushed for a moment, long enough for her to smile at the crowd and purr, "I just love charity, don't you?"

[KnightDisciple]

Gabriel raised an eyebrow at the sheer spectacle that was going on. Once more, he used that odd long-range whisper of his.

"Very nice. Let's see how your end performance is, though..."

Meanwhile, the bidding was heading upwards at a very rapid pace. Already they were above 700 dollars.

As with Gabriel, there was a subset of the crowd that seemed to be the clear "front-runners" in the bidding.

First, there was a trio of determined-looking middle aged women. Upper-middle-class soccer moms, perhaps?

Next was another woman, one that offhand seemed more scholarly. Her bidding seemed precise, almost mechanical. Clearly, her interest was less personal.

There was what looked like a very fashionable married couple (man and woman) who were laughing and bidding with wild abandon.

Of course, there was the inevitable young man. In this case, he was perhaps in his mid-20s, dressed in expensive fashionable clothes, and with ridiculously gelled hair, bidding without a care in the world.

Oddly enough, the nondescript middle-aged man who had lasted so long in the bidding for Gabriel was again working to secure his own personal hero for a day.

Finally, a young woman who looked very well off was calmly bidding on the heroine whose costume outshone even Gabriel's brilliant white outfit.

Bids were now at 800, and no signs of stopping.