Speaking in Tongues(IC)

[KnightDisciple]

Gabriel's eyes went a bit wide in shock as Wave-Eye took another blow for him. He traced his fellow hero's fall to the ground, before slowly returning his gaze to Rubber-Burner. His eyes narrowed, and his grip on his spear tightened as his posture straightened.

"Shut your bony mouth, you demon-infested piece of criminal scum. I will see all of you broken wrecks on the floor before this is done and over."

He took two great steps, placing himself between the last two active enemies and his temporary partner. Both hands spun the spear for a moment, which produced an eerie hum.

"Fall to your knees and beg for forgiveness."

The butt of the spear slammed into the floor, cracking it slightly, while Gabriel knelt a bit with the effort of what he was doing. Perhaps a second passed, and then two pulses of what felt like solid walls of sound erupted from the white-clad hero. His iron will meant that only Combine, Thrasher, and Rubber-Burner were actually struck in any capacity. The rest of the office trembled a bit, some papers and dust blowing around, and the business owner like hearing what sounded like a trumpet's call for a couple of brief notes.

He looked and saw that Rubber-Burner and Combine were still somewhat conscious, and found this state of things wanting. He stood back up, held his spear in one hand, and gave a condescending smile.

"You boys look like you could use a nap. Let me play a song to help you sleep."

In a brief flash of light, he was holding a gorgeous silver trumpet. He played a couple of powerful notes, and the sound once more spread through the room, and once more struck the two villains directly, the air shimmering in front of their bodies from the force of the vibrations striking them.

[Ari]

GM

The nearly-visible hammers of heavenly sound swept through the room, battering at the three Wreckers still in any position to fight. They blasted the flames clean off of Rubber Burner and smashed him resoundingly to the floor, where he convulsed for a moment, shouting silently inside his helmet as the world spun and dimmed before his eyes, the appalling fire dying in them as he fell unconscious.

Combine managed to stay up for only a few moments more, his limbs gradually resolving into the normal hands and feet they had been before, and almost managed to yell something defiant out before the second wave knocked the wind from his lungs and slammed him straight into the carpet with a thud.

The robot's last few fuses blew out, and it powered down with a dull whine.

Francine Scallop appeared from behind her desk, a massive revolver in one hand, the other rubbing the side of her head where she had bumped it against the desk. She surveyed the fallen that littered her office, the wreckage that covered still more of it, and the papers scattered everywhere. She winced at the dripping, scorched walls. "I...I appreciate the help, Gabriel" she said tightly, glaring at the triton sprawled on the floor "And his too, but next time maybe it would be a good idea if he did not accompany you." she shook her head and sat down, with a weary sigh she called the cleaning staff.

---

The STAR squad captain was bright and happy despite the late hour, shaking Gabriel's hand with good will and directing his men as they placed power cuffs on the Wreckers and hauled them into the vans, The Rig apparently having already been caught en route. "Thanks for you two's help! We'd heard that these folks were somewhere in the area, but until now we didn't know exactly where. Good night gents! These extortioners are caught at last." with a final shake of the hand, and a signal to his crew as they sped off into the night.

[KnightDisciple]

Gabriel leaned heavily on his spear, giving a lopsided, warm-natured grin to Francine Scallop.

"My apologies, ma'am. I'd hoped to minimize damage, but the Lord works in mysterious ways. Also, super-criminals tend to be messy, uncooperative, and inconsiderate."

He raised an eyebrow at the massive handgun, but decided not to comment. Best not to tempt fate.

"Hopefully the damage doesn't stretch too far..."

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Gabriel gave a firm handshake back; his spear was stowed once more as a comparatively inconspicuous ring, so he was a somewhat less intimidating figure.

"It's why I go out and about like this, Officer. I'm just glad we managed to prevent any deaths. Hopefully that's relief for both us and the folks out west."

He couldn't help himself, though; As Rubber-Burner and Combine passed, he had a slightly smug grin on his face as he mockingly waved at them (and their companions).

"Have fun boys! Hope you enjoy the food!"

[Ari]

Holding a small bag of ice to his head, Wave-Eye snarled in vague triumph as the small gang of criminals were hauled away with a roar of tires and a blare of sirens into the night. The lights hurt his eyes, however, and so he had to close them after only a few seconds of watching the departure. With his scaled lids tightly closed over his burning, gigantic eyes he gurgled to where he felt Gabriel's heartbeat "You haven't improved that very much in this age, have you? A constant throughout the world it seems. I spent half century once living on shells, bits of coral, and sips of my own ichor. But that is another story, for another time." he slowly opened one massive black eye, staring down at the gleaming holy champion. A slight note of admiration creeping into his voice as he spoke on "I am glad to know such as you are about to guard the surfacers, Gabriel. It used to be that your race walked on the edge of a knife, with hardly a single mighty one that could stand against any of the deeper or higher powers. I am sorry I was so...incapable in that struggle. A sign I must redouble my efforts, I suppose." he commented dourly, shifting the ice bag to get it over the bones where the hammer of iron had struck him, leaving a blackened bruise. "I hope you will not hold my poor fighting against me?" he asked, sounding fairly sure that wasn't going to happen.

[KnightDisciple]

"Only so much you can do to account for the flawed nature of humanity, Wave-eye. Least, on this side of death's door."

He gave a sympathetic wince at the bruises forming.

"Ouch. Hope those heal up quicker for you than they would for me. As for the fight, don't worry about it. You held your own, we just got ganged up on. I mean, I've almost died a couple times. Got all but disemboweled by a bunch of super-zombies one time, fighting all by my lonesome. That was before I got some of my optional extras here, though."

He rapped one hand on his breastplate.

"Anyways, no, I'm not holding it against you. Just the way it goes in this line of work. Bet one of these days you'll do me the same favor. Just the way it goes."

[Ari]

"I heal swiftly enough. Do not worry about my hide, Christian" the triton said with a wry grin "And..thank you for your charity. That is not what I am used to." he admitted. Popping the bag of ice into his mouth he offered his spined claw to Gabriel, stooping slightly to make the gesture less awkward for the mismatched pair. With a short bow he regarded the smaller human for a while, at last saying "I am glad to have met you. If we meet again, I will do what I can to return your favor. Fare free, Gabriel." he said with another inclination of his massive head, turning and dashing off into the night, back for the soothing water, where he could get a meal to think over the day's events with.

In a bound he cleared the roof of a nearby store, leaving a small dent, and with resounding steps vanished back through the largely deserted Southside streets, past startled Freedonians and animals on his way to the river. With a sigh of relief he dove into the water, a flash of light signalling his transformation as he sank into his silent sleep.