Butting Heads [IC]

[Azuth65]

Thursday, June 14th, 11:45am

The sun down on the Sentry Statue overlooking the bay. Sitting on top of the head of the statue a white haired young woman in a black polo shirt fiddled with a tablet computer, adding detailing to a drawing of creatures somewhere between wolf and lizard fighting an archer and a wizard.

Saving her work she checked the computer's clock before reaching into her messenger bag and pulling out a bottle of water. Taking a long pull she wondered silently if Kristin would be able to make the meeting. She'd asked to meet here simple because it was fairly secluded, at least outside the statue was, and the business she wanted to discuss was fairly sensitive.

[Scuffles]

The arrival of Glow was heralded by a trail of green light that curved across the sky towards the statue. The telekinetic heroine pulled up into a hover just above the head and then released herself to drop into a crouched landing. She then straightened with her arms folded across her chest and looked out over the bay.

"Nice view!" she mused. "Do you come often or did you just pick a pain-in-the-butt spot to meet so that I'd have to fly out here?"

Grinning she dropped to a sitting position next to her friend and tucked her legs up beneath her then leaned over to peek at the computer screen. "Whatcha working on?"

[Azuth65]

Vicky turned the screen to face her friend. "It's the last few pages for the next issue. These Doomhounds have been pretty fun to draw but the detailing on their scales and fangs is taking a toll on my poor pen," she said holding up the worn down nib on the stylus.

"Actually, it's a little of 'A' and a little of 'B' as to why I asked you out here to this, as you put it, 'pain-in-the-butt spot'. My boss is looking to see if any local heroes are interested in having their adventures published by Archemedia. I figure you'd be a good start, before the folks at Castle notice you on YouTube and don't bother asking before the comicbook version of you has used your likeness in plots you might not care for."

[Scuffles]

Glow leaned in to take a closer look at the image before declaring "Those look pretty awesome. And pretty scary!"

The second part caught her completely by surprise however. "Wait, what? Say that again. I'm sure it sounded like you said something about a comic book about me? she asked as she regarded her artistic friend with a raised eyebrow. "You actually think people would want to read about the adventures of Glow? I mean, I'm hardly saving the world from Grue you know..."

The telekinetic sat back to think about it further. "Still, I guess if Castle start writing something about me they're going to take the line from that Jackson jerk and it'll be 'Disaster from Down under' plastered all over things with me being a complete menace. Can they actually do that?"

[Azuth65]

"Scary was what I was going for. Pack hunters with corrosive drool, more intelligence than the typical wolf, enough muscle to make the UFC look like a bunch of pencil necked geeks, and razor sharp claws. They provide one heck of a challenge for now. And I haven't even brought in their pack alpha yet," the artists says with a glint in her eyes.

"People love reading about heroes, they want to get to know who they are both the adventures not covered by the local news, like things happening in other dimensions or on other planets, and in their personal lives. And, to the best of my knowledge, until you've signed an exclusivity contract with somebody, anybody can write you into their work."

"Which brings me back to why we're here. Fulcrum asked me to offer you such a deal. It gets you some good press, both from adventures you've had and from charitable donations made in your name from the revenue," Vicky explained, tapping her computer and switching windows in the art program. "Whether you accept or not, the offer also comes with a new costume."

[Scuffles]

"I guess some good press would be good," Kristin mused thoughtfully as she sat back a bit and chewed on her bottom lip. "And I guess if it helps out a charity too that can't possibly be a bad thing. You really think people are going to want to read about me though?"

She leaned forwards again as Victoria changed the image on the screen and studied the stylish green and black costume with a grin. "Hey that looks pretty cool. Did you do that? It's a heck of a lot better looking than what I'm getting around in at the moment!"

[Azuth65]

"I do. Since I recall you complaining about reporters on a regular basis I thought we'd give you a chance to take control of the situation instead of the media being the ones calling the shots," Vicky stated, leaning back a little herself.

"Thanks, I spent most of last weekend working on it. It's just the design, but I know a pretty awesome tailor who can probably have this made in a matter of hours or, at most, days, depending on if you go for the morphic molecule treated fabrics or not. Still, I'm glad you like it," she said.

[Scuffles]

"Hey! I don't complain about reporters that much! Do I?" Kristin asked. She even had the good grace to look a little bit embarrassed about it. But not for long. "Well they do write some pretty harsh stuff about me sometimes!"

She thought for a few seconds more, then decided. "Okay, I'm interested. So long as I get to see what you're writing about me first. And only because it's you asking."

The idea of a new costume seemed to have caught her attention too. "Isn't it pretty expensive to get a morphic-molecules type costume made up? I mean, I know there's a fair few people use them and all but surely they don't come cheap? It'd be really handy though!"

[Azuth65]

"Note I said complain, not whine or bitch about. The first one, at least in my mind, is just venting because it's annoying. The latter two are cries for attention," Vicky said comfortingly.

"I can't promise what you share for publication will always be in my hands. Lou and Mona are good folks and know what it's like to live without the safety of a mask. And given the influx of convention requests everyone's been getting, I fear my time being able to keep my identities separate is drawing to a close."

"They can be expensive but that's why you aren't technically being paid. I was banking on you saying yes to swing the new threads honestly," she said with a sheepish grin. "My paycheck isn't that spectacular, given the house is just getting rolling."

Packing her tablet and water the young artist rose to her feet and was about to offer to teleport them both to her office to talk with Mona about making everything official when a bolt of light blue energy, similar to her own zipped past her shoulder.

[Azuth65]

Floating above the statue's head, her long brown hair flowing in the soft breeze, was a face Vicky hadn't seen in almost a year and a half. Deep down, while she knew she wasn't a victim anymore, the face of her chief tormentor from her school back in Chicago still filled her with a vague sense of dread and unease.

The black and pink costume flowed smoothly as the young woman lowered her clenched right fist, wisps of blue energy still crackling around her knuckles. "Hello Victoria," she said in flawless Russian, "I believe you broke my jaw then skipped town before we could finish our chat. I'd like to pick up where we left off..."

[Azuth65]

Before Vicky could respond, the former cheerleader raised her left hand and unleashed another blast of light blue energy from her palm. The blast caught the white haired girl just shy of her shoulder, spinning her in place and knocking the air from her lungs. It was just by pure luck the strike had missed her bag's cross-body strap but it left a hole in her shirt revealing the ruined bra strap and angry red flesh beneath.

As the hero tried to regain her breath, the flesh quickly began healing, the only sign of impact being the clothes damage.

[Scuffles]

Kristin yelped as the energy bolt sizzled past, then scrambled to her feet as the pink clad assailant addressed Victoria in what sounded like Russian. What the heck?

"Hey!" she shouted as the attacker unleashed a second blast that caught Victoria in the chest. "What's your problem? You can't just go around blasting people willy nilly you know!"

The air around the head of the statue flared a brilliant bold green as Glow simultaneously wrapped herself in a tight telekinetic shield and reached out with her powers, attempting to catch the villain in her mental grip before she could do any more damage.

[Azuth65]

As the green force began to wrap around her, the young woman flexed her arms, revealing a level of strength far beyond what her frame would suggest she was capable of, shattering the coalescing hold she was in. Switching to English flavored with just a hint of a Russian accent she replied, "And you, bitch, should mind your own business. Or are you this stupid lesbo's girlfriend?"

With that the attacker flew forward, arm cocked back to deliver a devastating backhand to Kristin.

[Azuth65]

Finally getting her breath back, Vicky took the opportunity of Kristin's distraction to shimmy backwards and out of immediate sight before focusing her concentration on the raging storm of emotions in her mind. Breathing in and out slowly she focused them into something useful, a blast of crackling light-blue and black energy of her own. With hardly a sound she shot the sphere at the pink and black clad witch.

"You know Klara," she said after it impacted in a small explosion of cascading energy," I never liked when you called me, or my ex that. I'll give you one chance to back down and leave Freedom City."

As the smoke cleared, the look on Wisp's face as her tormentor stood, all indications showing her unharmed, was one of near defeat.

[Scuffles]

Kristin's telekinetic defenses held firm against the viciously powerful backhand, although the blow still sent the young telekinetic back a couple of steps. Wow she's strong. Who the heck is this chick? Sure sounds like Vicky knows who she is!

"I don't know who the hell you think you are," she growled at the apparently Russian attacker, gathering mental energies around her in a swirling green mass. "But if you've got a problem with her then you've got a problem with me!"

The exclamation was punctuated by a powerful telekinetic punch that hammered solidly into the pink-clad villain, and Kristin was immediately in motion, launching herself to the side in a dazzling cartwheel as she tried to pull attention away from her friend.

[Azuth65]

Klara gave Victoria a cruel, contemptuous smirk as she charged the girl, her fist connecting solidly with her midsection, leaving the teleporter doubled over in pain. Pulling her fist away, Klara looked down on her favorite victim, spitting on her as she floated. "You really should have learned your place before now but I almost enjoy beating it back into your thick skull."

Vicky, for her part, was too out of breath to respond. Gasping for breath, her eyes shone with hurt and hate for the other Russian girl.

[Scuffles]

Kristin gave Victoria a worried look as the pink clad villain landed another solid blow. Wow her head is s not in the game right here..

"So do either of you two want to fill me in here?" she asked as she unleashed another telekinetic strike, unfortunately missing the mark as Klara easily dodged aside. "You two know each other? Vicky you broke her jaw?"

Her tone was practically dripping with sarcasm as she smirked at their attacker. "But you're so charming! I can't imagine that you deserved it!"

[Azuth65]

Klara's eyes flashed with rage as her head snapped back to the Australian girl, her face contorting into a scowl. With a snarl she raised her palm and unleashed another crackling bolt of energy at Kristin, striking the red-head in the hip and nearly spinning her around.

Flexing her arm a look of pride and vanity crossed her features before they settled back into their glower. "I grow tired your incessant prattling. Be silent and your own beating will be quick," the brunette mocked.

[Azuth65]

Victoria staggered to her feet, her breathing again normalized. "Don't you dare lay another hand on my friend," she said in a defiant voice. Almost as soon as the words left her lips, the teleporter had blurred into motion. In a series of short 'jumps', leaving a series of crimson and white smoke plumes in her wake, she laid into the other Chicagoan with powerful kicks and punches, occasionally throwing a feint in the form of a backflip or diving roll into the mix.

With a final kick she landed in a three-point crouch and glanced over at Kristin. "Yeah, I broke her jaw. When my powers first emerged. She and the rest of her bitch-squad were about to spraypaint my clothes and the insides of my backpack. Again," she answered, her voice picking up more her Russian accent as she recalled the memory.

[Scuffles]

Kristin shook off the impact of the energy bolt and regained her balance just in time to see her friend go on the attack. It was quite impressive to behold, and the young telekinetic blinked in amazement as their foe somehow stayed standing despite the flurry of thunderous blows.

Wow this chick's tough.. but she's on the ropes now..

"Oh yeah, then she totally deserved it!" she growled as she smacked another carefully measured telekinetic strike into Klara's ribs. "All this power and still nothing more than a schoolyard bully then? How pathetic!"

[Azuth65]

Klara gave an involuntary gasp of pain as she felt her ribs creak from the Glow's blow. "Don't you dare talk to me like that you worm," she gasped, pain from both Vicky's assault and the telekinetic strike coloring her voice. Looking down she could almost see the bruise forming along her flank through the inadvertently ripped portion of her costume. "And do you have any idea how much this suit cost? You two will pay for ripping it," she snarled, energy beginning to crackle around her clenched fists once again.

[Azuth65]

In the middle of her gathering energy for another blast, one of Victoria's own lashed out, striking Klara in the side of the head, knocking the headdress of her costume to the surface of the statue where it clanged once before bouncing away into the clear waters of the bay.

"You know Klara, I used to wish I understood what your problem with me was. But now, now I really don't care. You've wasted your chance to step away from this. Which doesn't really surprise me. You always did make stupid mistakes, like picking the computer lab were Kevin and I had to work on an assignment for your 'banging for better grades' arrangement with Mr. Edwards..."

[Scuffles]

Kristin almost choked in surprise as she heard Victoria's words, a mental strike going hopelessly astray as a result of the distraction. She burst out laughing as she watched Klara reel under yet another blast from her schoolmate. "That's hilarious! A bit sad, but still hilarious! But come on, how am I supposed to take the moral high ground when you're saying things like that?"

She cocked her head to the side and gave Klara a hard look. "Last chance. Pull your head in or we actually hit you like we mean it!"

[Azuth65]

The half-gathered energy Klara had collected dissipated rather violently, flashing in her face and leaving her hair standing on end even as the impact left her spinning in midair, it took the former cheerleader a few seconds to stop her movement and reorient herself just in time to watch, in stunned immobility, the pink headdress fall away into the water's depths. Looking up, she glared daggers at the white haired girl.

Between the impact and her own gathering attack blowing up in her face her vision was blurry. Blinking she focused her vision just in time to dodge a glowing green attack from Kristin. Klara's face reddened in embarrassment as Vicky's words rang out before her eyes narrowed and her she let out a wordless snarl.

[Azuth65]

Vicky watched the emotions play out on her tormentor's face and as the snarl crossed Klara's lips, Vicky launched another blast of light blue energy. The blast curved slightly before striking the other girl like one of the painful looking right crosses she had observed Crow and Glowstar throw during their boxing matches. When this was over, the former cheerleader was going to have one heck of a blackeye.

"On second thought, don't run away," the artist said.