Summary:Heavensent and Firestar meet and deal with some mobsters. Log Info:Storyteller: None |
Related LogsTheme SongNone |
  |
People usually think of drug deals as taking place in the dead of night, maybe in an alleyway or an otherwise-abandoned parking lot. Tonight's events at the Bowery are different. For one, the sun is still just barely in the sky, the streets busy with rush-hour traffic. For two, it's happening out at the docks. A group of men in pinstriped suits gather around the dock, hands ready at the suspicious lumps in their jackets, while they await a speedboat coming up to the scene.
Heavensent looks over it from the corner of a warehouse rooftop. What he's wearing looks more like a formal suit than a costume, and a fancy one at that: a white-and-gold ensemble with a thigh-length jacket and asymmetrical button line. But with the way he glows, he's clearly not a normal human; and with the way he watches the deal go down, he's clearly here for some crusading.
The mobsters haven't noticed him yet, but someone else in the sky would be more on his level. Or perhaps a fellow hero might just go straight for the mobsters.
Angelica Jones still isn't used to this patrolling thing. Mostly, she's tried to live a normal life, but she's come to recognize that she has a responsibility to try and use her powers for good. She flies through the air on warmed currents, her body sheathed in a golden bodysuit trimmed in red flames, a stylized domino mask hiding her features.
When she sees the glowing figure below, she descends, moving carefully to land on the rooftop, "That's a nice suit! I hope you're a nice guy!" she says, putting her hands on her hips. Either this guy's another hero on a case or he's a supervillain up to no good. Either way, her interest is piqued.
Heavensent, it seems, sees her coming a little before she announces her presence. It's not often you feel a person's emotions from above the city's skyline. He turns to face her as she's coming in for a landing, taking her in with a quick glance. "Thank You." In this form, his voice is more reverberant, like two speaking at once. "Er, So Is Yours." Though he's not looking too closely nor too long at that suit.
Instead, he nods towards the docks, and in particular, to the group of mobsters gathered and the approaching speedboat. "My Name Is Heavensent. I've Been Watching This Group — Some Kind Of Deal, It Looks Like, But I'm Waiting To Catch Them Red-Handed." He looks back to her. "What Can I Call You?"
Angelica Jones moves to the edge of the roof, peering down to try and see what he's seeing. The weird voice makes her blink a little bit, but she figures superpeople come in all shapes and sizes. And voices, it seems.
"Firestar," she says. "Pleased to meet you. I'm kind of in the business of taking out bad guys myself. Well, not taking out, just, y'know, catching them. If you wouldn't mind some help, I'd be happy to lend a hand."
Heavensent smiles at the brief mis-speak. "I Understand. I'd Be Glad Of The Help…" He wrinkles his nose, looking towards the group. "Especially If There's Anything You Can Do About The Guns. I Can Shield Myself From Some, But They Won't All Be Shooting From The Same Angle." Even if they are shooting at thesame angel. He lifts his left arm, and a round shield appears, made of what looks like solidified silver light.
Firestar holds up her hands and a light flares from them, halos of heat that radiate around her fists. "Guns I can handle. You'd be surprised how easily they melt," she says, starting to glow a bit in her own right as she rises up to hover above the surface of the roof.
"Lead the way," she says, figuring he's scouted well enough. She increases the microwave radiation around herself, making sure that any bullets that do come her way melt into slag before they put holes in that bodysuit.
Heavensent's eyebrows lift when he sees that heat haze. Even just standing near her, he can tell: "Wow, You're Really Hot." There's a pause, then he blushes. "I Mean — Oh, You Know What I Mean." He huffs, facing towards the dock again. "On My Mark, Then."
The boat reaches the dock. A few suspicious-eyed men are on it, guns already in hand. And a briefcase to match the one held by the dock group. They open it up… and there it is. Bags of white powder, offered in exchange for a case full of cash. Red-handed.
"Mark." Heavensent leaps from the building, wings spreading wide as he does. He conjures and throws his sword ahead of him, announcing his presence by taking out one of the guards. But after a brief jolt of shock, the rest turn and open fire at the both of them.
Firestar streaks in quickly in the angel's wake, watching as the heavenly warrior takes down the first enemy. She emits a powerful flash of blinding light, enough to both throw off their aim and to call their attention to her, giving Heavensent a bit of cover and the opportunity to delve into the baddies unmolested.
"I don't know who Mark is!" she calls out to her fellow hero as she starts to unleash blasts of microwave energy, slagging a few of the guns and making the criminals yowl in pain as they get their hands singed as they try to keep a grip on the superheated weapons.
Heavensent lands with a solid impact, his momentum sending out enough of a shock to make some of the mobsters stumble. He can throw well enough, but his real skill is in close range. He calls up a new weapon, a small but solid mace which he uses to send their targets scattering. Between them, they chew through the mundane gangsters readily enough that he has some room to speak. "Not A Person, A Signal. As In, 'On My Mark'."
But then someone pops out from the speedboat, tommy-gun in hands, and takes aim at Heavensent — who has his hands a bit full with two big, heavy men throwing themselves at him.
Firestar sees the man in the speedboat and speeds to intercept, increasing the radiant field of energy around her so that the unleashed bullets melt in the air, falling into little sizzling puddles on the ground.
"Guys shooting from speedboats? This is very CSI: Miami! I need sunglasses!" she says. She puts her hands together and unleashes a blast of heat, first slagging the gun in the man's hand and then going lower to burn a hole in the side of the boat, causing it to rapidly begin sinking.
The man screams when the heat races through the metals and plastics of his gun, soon dropping from his hand with a few wide, wild shots. The heat blast knocks him backwards, into unconsciousness. So when the boat starts sinking…
Heavensent curses. He's not here to drown anyone, so he dismisses his weapons and dives into the water. Not to grab the man, but to grab the boat itself and lift it from the water. This leaves him open — he only has the two hands, and they're both holding the boat — btu the gunmen are still much more busy with Firestar.
Firestar didn't mean to drown anyone either, "Oops!" she says, about to try and rescue the man herself before Heavensent dives in first, "Thanks!" she calls out to him for cleaning up her mess.
She lands on the ground and begins to unleash a barrage of microwave blasts, disarming crooks and then with a wicked grin on her face, aiming a blast for the case full of money, making it go up in a burst of flame and slagged leather.
Heavensent sets the boat down on the ground, thankfully unhurt — between Firestar's interception, and her just getting the goons disarmed before they have a chance. By the time he returns to the fray, it's just mop-up. But then, though he doesn't see the grin on her face, he does feel the flash of emotion, and his eyes go wide. "Wait—" The cash is important evidence, too; but was his warning enough to stop her before she slagged it?
There's enough left to definitely qualify as evidence, there's just a big circular hole through the middle of the case, but there's still the money in the corners of the briefcase. They just aren't going to end up exchanging any of it for goods and services anytime soon. Might disappoint the cops who seize it, though.
"Um…do you have any handcuffs?" she asks of Heavensent, having finished disarming the criminals. A few have run away, but several of the others remain nursing the burns on their hands or just knocked out by the angel's assault.
Heavensent whews when the case doesn't completely melt. That'll be good for the police later. And hey, maybe it'll fight inflation just a little. At the question, he digs into his suit's inner pockets. "I Suppose You Don't Have Much Room For Pockets. I Prefer Zip-Ties. Here." He tosses them towards her, a good fistful of solid, plastic zipties, more easily portable than big racks of handcuffs.
Angelica Jones catches some, "I have pockets, they're just a little small," she says. She doesn't mention that they currently only have lip gloss and a small moneypurse. She tried carrying her cellphone once and fried it. She has to be careful with things like that.
She kneels down and ties up a couple of the thugs, grunting a bit as she rolls them over onto her back, "Be still or I'll singe your hind-end!" she says to one, her red hair spilling around her masked face as she finally finishes the job.
Heavensent produces his phone to signal the police. And with that, the job is done: the mobsters are beaten and bound, the evidence is secured. Heavensent approaches Firestar. "Good Work," he says, and then nods up towards the rooftops. "Do You Need To Go Before The Police Arrive?" He knows some vigilantes are on… less-good terms with the people in blue.
Firestar purses her lips and runs a hand back through her hair, "Um. I'm not sure? Like, I'm not in trouble or anything, but I just…I don't know," she says. She knows superheroes are a part of life, obviously, but she isn't really sure how the cops get along with them.
"Are you staying?" she asks, figuring if they're okay with him, they'll probably be okay with her.
"I Can Go Either Way," Heavensent says. "And I'll Send My Own Report Later. But I Have Contacts With SHIELD." He's a special case, not a regular 'put on a mask and fight crime' vigilante. For one thing, he doesn't have a mask; he just relies on his face glowing to keep people from recognising him. His identity isn't the most secret.
Firestar smiles, "Ah, okay. Well, I guess I'll stick around and just tell them I'm with you!" she grins, "You'll vouch for me, right?" she says. "I've never met anyone who was in SHIELD before. But I haven't met a lot of people. I'm a little newish at this superhero thing."
Heavensent shakes his head. "Not Exactly In SHIELD, But They Know Me. They Call It… 'Consulting'. But Yes, I'll Vouch For You." He looks out towards the streets to the west, squinting into the sunset. "They'll Take A Few More Minutes To Get Here, Anyway. Gives Me Time To Work On The Report." He takes a notepad from his jacket, too, and starts writing while keeping some attention on her too. "Newish? Just Recently Got Your Powers, Or Just Recently Started Using Them?"
Firestar bites her lip, "It's, um, a little complicated. I've had them for a while, I'm a mutant. But I…well, I was taken advantage of early on and someone tried to use my powers for their own good, not so much mine. So I kind of…took some time off before I came to terms with it," she says.
"I can't believe you have to write a report."
Heavensent's expression turns serious when she talks about her past, turning to look her in the eye. "I See. I'm Sorry You Went Through That, Firestar. I'm Glad You're Giving It A Try Now. The World Can Always Use More Heroes." He half-smiles at the comment. "It's All About Testimony And Evidence. That's Why I Got Worried When You Started Blasting The Briefcase. We Can Get Them Off The Street With Fighting, But We Need The System To Keep Them Off The Street." Because of course a paladin type is all Lawful Good.
Angelica Jones nods sheepishly, "Sorry, I just knew the money was important to them and I figured they'd freak out a bit if I fried it. There's still a lot left, though.," she says. She lifts the briefcase up and shows some of the burned edges of the hundred dollar bills, "See? I mean, that's definitely money. I bet they can even figure out how much was in there, using…algebra and stuff." she syas.
Heavensent smiles at her, resting a hand on her forearm. "It's Alright. Call It A Learning Experience. You're Still New, And You'll Learn Better Over Time." Well, he's not mad, at least. He's a warm, encouraging presence, or tries to be.
Angelica Jones smiles, "Thank you! I'm trying!" she says. She tends to be an optimist on the whole. Not to say she doesn't brood from time to time. She is a mutant, after all. "So, are you, like, really an angel or is that just a schtick?" she says, curiously.
Heavensent's wings twitch at the question, lfiting up behind his shoulders. He'd normally be more hesitant, but she's already said she's a mutant. "Only Part Angel," he says. "One Sixth. Took Until Adulthood Before It All… Came To Light. Just A Few Years Ago, Now."
Angelica Jones counts on her fingers for a second, "One sixth, huh? That…wait…so, does that mean you had one grandparent who…hmmm…y'know what, never mind. One sixth seems to have worked out pretty good! I mean, you lifted that boat. I couldn't lift that boat!" she says.
Heavensent smiles. That fraction either passes without notice, or throws people for a moment of confusion. Either one lets his family situation give him a moment of amusement. "I Wasn't Always This Strong. I…" Gosh that's a long story. "…Went Through A Lot, And Came Out Stronger Then Before."
Firestar smiles, "Isn't that what you're always supposed to do? I wonder sometimes if that's just something we tell ourselves so it seems okay that we went through such messed up crap?" she says. "Although I guess in your case, getting stronger was, like, literal. #AngelStrong." she grins.
This time, Heavensent gets thrown for a moment of confusion. He squints at her. "Did You Just Say 'Hashtag' Out Loud?"
Before there's much time for her to answer, the police arrive. A big patrol van — mostly just so they have room for all the suspects. Hevaensent raises a hand. "This Is Firestar, She's With Me And Was Crucial In The Encounter. It's All In My Report." He tears off the pages from his notebook and hands them over.
She did.
She nods at Heavensent's affirmation of her affiliation, even giving a little salute to the policeman, "I'm happy to help, officer," she says. "I didn't write anything for you. Sorry."
The police eye Firestar with some wariness, as they would any new and unfamiliar costume. But Heavensent's vouch is at least enough that they don't try to arrest her straight away. Soon, the handoff is done, and the crusaders can be on their way. Heavensent lifts into the air, heading back to the rooftop whence they'd come.
Once he lands, he shifts back to normal to let himself rest for a bit, rubbing his face. "Thanks again for your help, Firestar. If you want to trade contact details, I don't have any kind of special super-secret communicator, but I do have a phone number?" His tone suggests that it's all business — heroes need to contact each other! — and is absolutely not about flirting.
Angelica Jones nods, "Oh, yeah, um, sure. I don't have my phone on me. My powers can kind of frazz out electronic stuff. It sucks so hard, I can't carry anything on me," she says. "But I do have pockets like I said, so just write it out on like a note and I'll text you when I get my phone, so you know it's me. You're not going to trace it to figure out my secret identity, are you? Since you work with SHIELD and stuff? I'm not accusing you, I just thought it might be, like, your duty."
Heavensent shakes his head while he scribbles a note. "Your identity is your business. Mine has a… less than stellar track record, but I'm not out to out anyone else. And I'm not an actual agent, so even if I figured out your identity, I wouldn't be under an obligation to report it." He tears off the page and holds it out to her.
Angelica Jones takes the paper and puts it in a pocket along the lining of her costume, tucking a hand in and hiding it away. "Cool," she says. "I'm sorry about your track record," she says, a little awkwardly sympathetic. "Are you part of a superteam or anything? That seems really cool. I want to join one of those. If they're nice. I don't think I could join the Avengers, they're all really old and I think you have to be a cop."
Heavensent shakes his head. "No official team. I've thought about looking into the Young Avengers before, but… I don't know how I'd even go about that. Just show up one day and say, 'Hi, I can lift ten tons and pull swords out of nowhere, can I join your team'?" He laughs, shaking his head. And looks at her with a bit of curiosity. "I've heard that there's a mutant super-team, though I don't know the details. Have you considered joining them?"
Angelica Jones shakes her head, "I don't…the first people I worked with were, like, a mutant group. They were not nice. It just kinda spooked me," she says. "I'd rather just…focus on trying to help people and not worry about where my powers came from," she says.
"And hey, maybe that would work. I'd hire you, if I had a superteam!"
Heavensent's lips purse. He nods his head to her. "I understand. Something based on your own merit, your own choices, not just because of how you were born." Her suggestion makes him laugh, shaking his head. "I'm not that bold. I honestly feel a little weird about the… origin, you know? There are people with training and technology, people with mutant gifts, people from Asgard, but… there aren't too many angels around."
Angelica Jones nods, "Maybe that's like on purpose. God wants to be mysterious or something. If there were angels everywhere, faith isn't really hard, is it?" she says. "But there's also gods and stuff, so…that's weird, right? Huh."
"But I figure you're as worthy as anybody. Even Captain America was just a guy at some point."
Heavensent shakes his head. "I don't think it's that weird. The way I see it, the existence of these people and species, it isn't really 'proof' of any entire religion. For all we know, my grandmother was just some 'entity from another dimension who coincidentally has a lot in common with certain depictions of angels', you know? So it's similar with the Asgardians and other pantheons." He shrugs, then gives her a bemused smile. "Well, hey, what about if we go talk to the Young Avengers together?" He's half-joking.
Angelica Jones nods, "I guess that makes sense. I used to think that the world would make sense once I grew up, but then I did and it seems like everything got more complicated instead," she says.
She thinks about it for a minute and then shrugs, "Yeah! Why not? I mean, I don't really know where they are. Do they have an office or a website? How do you get in contact with superteams? Maybe it's anonymous, like a Dropbox thing."
Heavensent nods. "I think it's less that the world got more complicated, and more that you became more aware of how complicated it always was." He considers, lips pursed. "I actually don't know. But hey, it's worth looking up, right? I don't know if they'd have me anyway, or if I'd suit them, or… whatever else."
Angelica Jones nods, "Probably a bit of both," she agrees. "Well, if they don't want us, we can still figure something out. But I bet they will, cause we're pretty awesome!" she says encouragingly.
Heavensent laughs. "I admire your confidence." He takes a deep breath, then transforms again, the glow bursting from his skin and eyes like he'd pulled the curtains away from a window. "Shall We Get Back Out There?"
Angelica Jones rises up from the ground a bit and surrounds herself with the frisson of her power, microwaves wrapping around her and giving off radiant light. "Yeah! Watch out bad guys, here we come!"