Gothic City [CVnU: Living Location]

You meant fly.

A mix of Vex and Solar/Luna Hawks(s)...

@k_brimstone: @admirallogic: (Sorry for the long wait.)

"With pleasure." Electron said to Skullbreaker, in his head he began trying to secretly charge himself. Take stone's advice and become stronger... faster, enough so that he could beat this behemoth and they could get their pay, as planned.

@solarhawk: @solarhawk:

The words of pregnancy came crashing down upon Dark Vengeance with a weight equal to Satar. He was speechless and too shocked to fully comprehend what this actually meant. He was to be a father. A parent to a Hawk Lord nonetheless. Although this was planned, it was still astonishing. All at once, his mind was bombarded with self doubt.

My father was never present for me because of his life as a vigilante, how can I be there for my child? Does this mean I leave the mantle of Dark Vengeance unattended and embrace my role as Gothic Mayor? I don’t even know how to change a diaper…

“Shaeyara. Kendra. We can do this.”

A charming smile played across his face as he dropped his obsidian helm and brought both of the Hawk Lords into a warm embrace. Allowing his gloveless hands to grip the small of their backs firmly. He closed his eyes imagining the future. The days to come when he would have to protect not only the children of Gothic, but a child of his own. To defend them against the evils of the world that he knew all too well….And it scared the sh*t out of him.

@_vex_:

"Of course we can." Solar Hawk said with a grin. "Come on, the three of us can do anything we like. We even have a built in babysitter, she just doesn't know it." She added, speaking of course of Sentinel Hawk. Solar Hawk kissed him again, allowing the kiss to linger for a time before eventually ending it. "We'll be just fine." She assured him gently. "I can see that look in your eyes, don't go worrying about the future. You have your skill, mine, Luna Hawk's and like I said, Sentinel Hawk can babysit when we need time off or have take care of something. The best times of our lives are ahead of us."

Luna Hawk nodded and gave him a kiss as well. "Come on, let's go somewhere with a little more privacy to talk about this...especially if you're going to go around dropping parts of your costume."

@mutant1230: @admirallogic (not a problem, life happens ;) )

"I hear talk," Skull Breaker said, his voice bored, "Talk is noise, noise isn't action. I want to see this 'best shot' of yours, boy."

@mutant1230: @k_brimstone:

Randy grinned, 'Boy, that's funny. He hasn't even been born yet so it's very appropriate. Unless he's a fraud. Then he may have been born already. Now, Electron, punch his face in. But do it right.'

@admirallogic: @k_brimstone: Electron charges up his fist, taking up this big meathead's request. He had so much strength, so much energy, kinetic power building up.

He reaches his arm up to his face and tries to take a powerful swing.

@solarhawk:

Sentinel Hawk.

The name rewinded in his mind like a a faded memory and a faint image of a young winged woman played in his head. Dark Vengeance recalled his first and only encounter with her and it was not the most cordial of initial greetings to say the least. At the time, she was scolding him for his brutal tactics that involved a razor sharp Vengeance knight-a-rang while he continued to shrug off her words of advice without a second thought.

“Yea…Her. Hopefully I can make amends from our first meeting.”

He smiled slightly knowing how well the two Hawk Lords standing before him could read every single one of his subtle expressions and draw multiple conclusions. A keen sense of perception that not even the strongest of allies could compete with. Her reassurance did little to bolster his hope for the future, but it was still comforting at least.

“You’re right. Let’s go inside to the warehouse.”

He widened his arm and motioned towards the steel door disguised as a tin rooftop. The rust and decay was all a ploy to draw attention from what otherwise would be an extremely out of place security measure in a abandoned waterfront pier.

“Besides. There’s someone I need to tell about this."@dragonfang_

@mutant1230: @mutant1230

There was a moment of confusion before the impact. Electron's perfectly timed, non-telegraphed, powerful punch jetted right toward Skull Breaker's head.

And just missed.

By millimeters, maybe less. It didn't even seem so much like Skull Breaker had dodged, no super speed, no teleporting, but he HAD moved almost as if the air from Electron's punch had moved his head out of the way as if Electron had tried to strike a piece of paper in the air.

Then the impact of Skull Breaker's elbow smashed into Electron's helmet. More like MET his helmet, like he knew where the helmet would be, the result was bone jarring and startling, but certainly not enough to take the huge hero down.

The slightly slower hook to Electron's side, below the ribs sent a tight shock of pain through him though.

(Time to play guess the super power, I'm thinking)

@_vex_:

The two Hawk Lords followed him through the cleverly disguised doorway. "I think you'll find Sentinel Hawk holds no grudges. Whatever happened between you is water under the bridge I'm sure." Solar Hawk said. "Whatever it was, she never told either of us. Solar Hawk looked over and slipped her hand into his own. "You're still somewhat distraught. Have faith in yourself Alexander. Have faith in your abilities and your intelligence."

Luna Hawk was quiet for the moment, smiling a little and allowing the two to speak to one another while she waited to see where they were going and who he planned on telling.

(oc: sorry it's short, rough and long day).

Crime never sleeps.

Neither did Kjell, 72 of his order.

He crouched upon a gargoyle. The moon's sickly glow shined through the smoggy sky. There were no stars and the roar of traffic drowned out the sound of a grindstone sliding across his blades. Srrrrrrickt. Srrrrrrrrrrickt. Srrrrrrrrrrrickt. Until they were sharp enough to shave with.

Below him armed men milled about. Kalashnikovs, chrome handguns and cheap suits; the panoply of gangsters world wide. Kjell soared over the ally in a single leap. His toes touched the far roof with a whisper.

A locked door bared him from the building. He drew a pair of titanium lockpicks from under his gauntlet. Moments later the lock sprang open.

The halls were dark. The way he liked them. He heard footsteps and melded with the shadows. Two guards passed him, close enough to reach out and touch.

He let them pass.

Shadows swallowed him. Soon he stood before the office of his victim. Guards set outside the door, playing cards on a rickety wooden table. Kjell lifted a panel from the ceiling and went through the roof.

Moments later his feet touched the floor behind his victim. The man was balding. Fat. Thick fingers wore a wedding ring and a class ring as they typed.

Kjell stood behind him, unheard, unseen. He let the man finish typing and click 'save'. Not for any particular reason. Just the enjoyment of it.

They said you could feel someone staring at you. That your skin crawled. That a sense of unease filled your chest.

Kjell's eyes bored into the back of his victims head.

"Its a myth." He said, and cut the mans throat.

Digit snarled at his most recent meal getting kicked away, even if he had his fill. He put two and two together in that enhanced skull of his. Double the efforts, double the kills, double the pleasure. Digit pondered this while panting over being scratched, licking Jess's hand in happy agreement. Suddenly the hound went into a sort of game-faced state, hunched over, snout sniffling and ears perched. His senses had kicked in, sniffing these pathetic humans he had slain.

The most potent of them all was that strange rock he often seen humans inhale in the Drags. "MTH" came to mind. Digit barked at his potential partner to follow while he sniffed down the trail, exiting the alley and pressing forward.

@k_brimstone: @admirallogic: (BACK!)

Electron was knocked to the ground. It hurt, he knew he couldn't play around with whatever this creature was, he had to be STRONG to truly fight it.

"No more playing around!" Electron says as he tries to charge himself up, and propels himself towards Skull-breakers, prepared not to miss this time

@_drake See, son? That's how you do the .gif

@gula: I'm blind, bro.

@_drake: Oh I've seen you practice the mighty laughingduck.gif I'm on;y trying to show you the right time for it.

@gula: I never used the gif, man.

@gula: (Am I supposed to be offended by this? o.O )

@_drake: Damn the difference between Nobody and S-Nobody!

@mutant1230, @admirallogic

Again, almost as if Skull Breaker were waiting for the move, the Samoan rained an over hand hook dead into Electron's head as the hero launched upward.

Electron's own momentum kept him from going down again, however, the small arc of electricity was apparently visible to Skull Breaker, but no one else.

"I see you are gifted as well." Electron's opponent huffed, "My gift makes it impossible for a single blow to do you any good. I had mistaken you for a worthy foe."

Stone THOUGHT he might be working out what this jerk could do, but he wasn't quite there yet.

@mutant1230: @k_brimstone:

'Hey Randy, guess what, he's gifted. Listing off possibilities now:

Precognition.

Some form or time manipulation.

Air bending.

Illusionist.

Prediction.

Enhanced speed.

Of course there's more but you're friend is figuring it out to.'

Randy stood up and walked over next to Kyle while still watching, "Random has some ideas about possibilities of his gift, you want them?"

'That's right. Go blab it all to your friend. The one who is trying TO GET RID OF ME! You moron, Randy.'

@admirallogic:

I'm sorry I haven't replied to our interview yet. Losing that post really got to me and it kind of ruined the momentum I had going. I'm going to try and get something up for you tonight though.

@the_custodian: Gracias!

Took me a little while to realize who you were :)

@admirallogic:

I have a lot of characters, lol.

@the_custodian: Yup!!

@k_brimstone: @admirallogic:

"You assume correctly behemoth, I too have power "

Electron was smart, he knew that he couldn't just keep punching this guy and not actually make a hit, he needed a new method a strategy to stop him. He had to first figure how exactly this man kept avoiding his punches, was it some form of super speed, if so, he could go faster. Better try that.

Electron charges his fists up, instead of trying to hit hard he tries to hit fast, hoping to actually get a hit on this annoying man and stop his pointless taunting.

@mutant1230: @admirallogic

Skull Breaker dodged the speeding blow by a millimeter, but the noticeable point was the man had HAD to dodge. He tagged Electron with a hook to the ribs that was already in motion when Electron started to move, but the momentum of the dodge threw his power FAR off. Electron had been hit harder play fighting with girlfriends.

At first, there was an Ahhhhh, and Ohhhhh from the crowd...a few WOW's..but there was one confused "Hey..".////

"Yeah..." Stone watched closely, conversing with Randy, "I see what you're saying. Dude seems like he started to tee off like he knew what Daniel was about to do, he just wasn't quite ready for how fast."

He flatly ignored Random's remark, "What are you thinking? I heard your list that you were talking about...pretty sure he's not a speedster...if he could manipulate air, he could have used the momentum of Electron's punch to hit him harder, I'm thinking, not weaker."

Stone leaned in closer to Randy. "You thinking what I am?"

@mutant1230: @k_brimstone:

"Possibly, what were you thinking? To be clear." Randy said grinning, "Oh and Prediction or precognition now come in top in my opinion. By the way air-bending is a good deal different than air manipulation, but let's move on. If all he can do is precognition than if Electron does enough moves fast enough and out of sight perhaps he'll get in a good blow. Just enough to slow him down so he can't escape the following blows."

'Kill him soon Randy. Give him a head tumor causing him to die from one of Electrons punches, nobody will find out till later. If at all. These fools have missed chanced before.' Random told Randy.

@admirallogic:

"Not sure what the difference is between prediction and precognition is." Stone answered, "but it looks to me like this guy is either throwing his strikes before, or just AS Daniel is throwing his. He knows what's coming."

Stone examined the fight, and scanned the crowd, the "Hey..." comment didn't thrill him, they didn't need to be found out. Precognition would be hard to prove, super speed with flashes of electricity wouldn't.

"Yeah, only way I can see that might work would be to throw a lot of combinations at him, at just past the peak of human speed. Maybe he can only predict so many blows at a time, or see into the future so far, or whatever he's doing..." then Stone yelled.

"COMBO UP ELECTRON!! DON'T GIVE DA BUM TIME TA THINK!!"

@k_brimstone: @admirallogic: Electron falls to the ground, it didn't work! He could fight the monsters of the Armageddon, travel through time, access to technology ahead of anything this wretched city has seen. Yet, he couldn't land a single punch on this big oaf of a man. How was he doing it? How could be faster than Electro-Force, all of that charge can go faster than a human eye could perceive, way faster than just a man's reflexes.

He had a power, obviously. But Electron couldn't figure it out, he heard Stone and Random talking about it on the sidelines and even managed to pick up the words "precognition" and "air-bending" from their incessant talking. He wipes the blood off of his mouth, and tries to get up. While in the middle of getting up he heeds Stone's advice and tries to land multiple punches on this villain, wherever he could land them!

@mutant1230: @admirallogic

At first, Electron's flurry of blows seemed fruitless. He was once again met with a hook to his helmeted head, though Electron's second shot was barely blocked. The third, fourth, and fifth, however, straight punch, hook, and uppercut, caught Skull Crusher completely by surprise. The upper cut snapped the man's teeth together, and rocked him back, making him hop backward, skipping stances, his dark eyes becoming deadly serious. He rubbed his bloody fist against the slight burn mark on his chin, and said nothing

He advanced fluidly towards Electron in a series of low kicks, and flash of punches.

@mutant1230: @k_brimstone:

"It's working. But he needs more speed to win this." Randy whispered to Kyle.

'Or I could just slow down the brute and kill him. Or, even better, kill everyone here and take the money anyway!' Random's voice was heard in Randy's head.

'Go away! No killing!' Randy thought back.

'Ohh come on, you know deep down you want to. It's human nature to want violence. Not that I'd say whether you're actually human or not of course.' Random replied. It was all just a conversation that took place in his head.

@k_brimstone: @admirallogic:

Electron had to be smart with this one, even though he got some good hits on the man he continued still was up and fighting. He realized a possible strategy, instead of just trying to punch him he could let Skullbreaker attack an unpuncable object.

Then, Electron charges himself as he would before. But this time he makes his body Enhanced durability, hardening his own skin and muscle tissue to the extreme levels he could muster at the time. Try and have that behemoth hit him now.

@mutant1230: @admirallogic

Skull Breaker slid in with a perfect shin kick to the outside of Electron's rlght thigh. Normally, such a blow result in damage to the syatic nerve, effectively killing the leg,or swelling the muscles eventually causing enough pain and blood flow disruption to cause the limb to fail. As it was, Skull Breaker was rewarded with sharp pain in his shin, and every where else he struck. To his credit, the man displayed no pain.

However,among the cheers there began to be suspisciouu murmors.

"That's the way ta show 'im what yer made of!!" Stone roared,"Now speed bag on this scumbag!"

@mutant1230: @k_brimstone:

Randy grinned watching it. But his eyes weren't only on the game itself. He kept them open for anyone who might be intent on cheating in this. If someone managed to get Electron with some kind of poison dart, whether or not it was meant to be deadly, it could slow him down and he could lose. And there goes the secret identity and money.

Inside Randy's head:

'You know we could just kill 'em!! It would simplify so much! Come on Randy! No flaws in its design. No one could ever catch us anyway.'

'I said no!'

'Then how about I take the wheel?! If he doesn't speed this to an end I will do it whether you're willing or not!'

'No! There has to be a better way.'

'Alright fine. There is. If Electron proves his opponent has precognition than he'll either be forced out of the ring or Electron will be aloud to show his own powers.'

Real world:

"Hey, if we get close enough we need to tell Electron to get the brute to turn his back and head on him for a moment and then strike at the back of his head. If the guy has precognition than he'll dodge it and that'll be proof he was cheating, if not than Electron got a hit to the mans nervous system so win win. Sound good to you?" Randy explained to Kyle.

@admirallogic: @mutant1230

Well...Stone considered, it was a novel idea

"Okay. I'll motion Electron to one side of the ring, pretend to fix his helmet. You go to the other side of the ring, after you give me a second or two, and distract Skull Breaker long enough for me to tell Electron to blitz him from behind."

"If Breaker doesn't follow him to where I adjust his helmet and give him the plan. If you can get his attention enough. If Electron will do what I say. If Skull Dummy is stupid enough to take the bait. This should all go smoothly."

Really, though. What other choice did they have at this point?

Stone got up, whipped a towel from someone's gym bag, and trotted over to the far corner where Electron had started in the fight.

@mutant1230: @k_brimstone:

Randy circled around to the opposing side discretely.

"Skull Breaker? You've got some name huh? Where did that stem from? To be precise that is. I didn't see much breaking skulls or anything close to it since you got in the ring." Random said tauntingly. It should probably cause pride and want to explain it with enough detail to try and scare Randy. And/or it would cause anger and make him want to prove it. But there was the possibility he was too smart for it, and strong willed. Pride can be a very powerful thing, especially in places like this.

@k_brimstone: @admirallogic: Electron kept charging himself after his attack. If he managed to make himself as hard as Vibranium this cretin would eventually tire it's self out and he could take the victory, and finally stop fighting.

He throws some basic punches, putting strength into it of course, but really he just wanted to Skull-Breaker to get mad. Really punch him hard enough so that he damages himself, it was a brilliant strategy he thought.

@mutant1230: @admirallogic

Again, as if he knew it were coming, Skull Breaker danced backward away from the first two blows, then skipped out of Electron's reach completely. However, as Electron pursued him the Samoan reached up with both hands and smashed Electrons head into a ring pole, and jerked his opponents helmet to the side of his face for good measure, when Randy spoke up, breaking Skull Breaker's concentration.

Skull Breaker spun sharply toward Randy, aggrevated with himself for letting his hard pressed combat senses slip. Then by reflex, his two-seconds-ahead precognition kicked in, barely allowing him to dodge the hay maker that Electron swung at the back of his head, and the hook aimed at his kidneys. Skull Breaker simply dropped to the ground and rolled out of the way of Electron's reach, and back up onto his feet.

Half of the stands stood up. Some gasping, some booing. There were cries of "What the...", "Did you see that?", "Dodged from behind..." and one very clear "I didn't pay to see no meta fight!"

The cries, boos, and "I want my money backs!" became a roar after that.

With all due haste, Stone pointedly collected the money from the manager, and the bookie, and urged the other two to get the fun out of there

One hundred thirty eight thousand dollars wouldn't buy them a boat to get them across the Atlantic, but it wasn't a bad start.

@mutant1230: @k_brimstone:

Random grinned mischeviously as they exited. The moment they stepped out Randy returned. He grouped up with the others, "That went well. Next a drug bust, correct?"

Back in Randy's head:

'Now now. Roll this in your head Randy, had you just let me handle him no one would have known anything, the fight would have been over quicker, and we wouldn't have the possibility of an angry precognition on our tail. Who I'm sure I'd be happy to deal with. Oh. Just a forewarning. I predict some pretty bumpy weather soon, in our head that is.'

'Just stop talking to me, don't you ever go away?!'

'Really? Don't you ever go away. That's just poor imagination, Randy. Try something more theatrical!'

'No.'

'Grumpy pants!'

@admirallogic: @k_brimstone:

"Let's split from this place." Electron says, agreeing with Stone that they should get out know. He was finally happy to stop fighting, and tried leading the two of them to the door.

Suddenly, he sees in the corner of his eye a man in a trench coat, his face was hidden but Electron had a bad feeling about him. He couldn't quite figure out why though.

"Who the hell is that guy?" Electron asks Random and Stone.

@k_brimstone: @mutant1230:

"Can't tell, he seems to be an expert at avoiding cameras and hasn't spoken. But if we see him again let's hope we can take him down." Randy said just loud enough for them to hear but not anyone else.

"Besides. I am apparently going to be hearing and seeing things soon so let's move before that happens eh? Lead the way please Kyle?"

@admirallogic: @mutant1230

Stone's already one alert senses kicked into full gear upon hearing Randy's head issues announcement. He stepped up his pace a bit to lead the other two, smoothly as a cat and began speaking idly.

"Yeah, there's just no accounting for some folks We go in for an honest fight, and look what happens, y'know?"

He refrained from doing his "magic act" and making his pistol suddenly appear in his hand from his jacket. He could get to it if he needed it (though he'd rather have it in hand), but truth be told, Randy...or rather Random, would have the man in question turned into a pink mist before Stone could pull the trigger. Electron would be as fast, or faster, and surprisingly to Stone, was the least predictable of the two.

Stone scanned the area as clandestinely as possible, using every power of observation he had, to see if Mr Coat-and-Hat had any back up waiting, and found none.

"Time to hit the pub lads. I'd say Electron here deserves it." No way in Hell were they going to anywhere but straight to his place. At home, they had hard core defenses and the best arsenal money could buy.

@k_brimstone: @admirallogic:

Electron completely ignored Stone and began chasing after the man in the coat, who to his own dismay and confusion ran off too. He was fast, almost as fast as Electron, the two speedsters ran across the city. Through up and down buildings, through complicated highways, across cars all that leading them into an abandoned alleyway.

"Who are you!?" Electron asks, as he sees someone in yellow with glowing red eyes standing in front of him, vibrating as he does:

@mutant1230: @admirallogic

Stone didn't need to be particularly sensitive to air pressure to feel Electron and the Stranger vanish in a vacuum of of absent pressure and tug of speed. He sighed a bit, and started to turn to Randy.

"Do you think you could follow them, and make sure he has back up?" Honestly, he'd be stunned if Randy was still there when he finished turning.

@mutant1230: @k_brimstone:

"Sure," Randy said quickly before Stone finished. leaping onto one of the buildings and racing after them he found them soon and dropped cat like next to Electron, "So now what? We fight? I'm sure the other guy would be pleased." He said warningly to the man.