TheRedGuy

Tomorrow morning, he would be on a plane, heading back to Mexico for the holidays. His bags were packed and the arrangements were made: Papa's private jet would be making a night flight from Guadalajara to Freedom City, hopefully without any hitches. With everything taken care of, Aníbal decided to put the rest of the day to good use. El Huracán flew above the city, patrolling the skies in search of trouble. The streets below were lit up with Christmas decorations. There didn't seem to be any trouble afoot. People were going about their business, getting some last minute shopping done and paying little mind to what was happening in the air above them. Occasionally someone would notice a black figure gliding above them and glance upwards or try and take a pic with their phone, but few people were particularly surprised by his presence. This wasn't exactly an uncommon sight in Freedom City. It appeared his last day in Freedom City would be an uneventful one. Perhaps it was for the best. It wouldn't do to get seriously injured a few days before Christmas. He was getting a little bored as he flew over Midtown, weaving his way between the towering residential buildings and passing over rows of high street shops. Idly scanning the streets for signs of criminal activity, he pondered turning and moving towards the southern part of town. Something bad was almost certainly going down in the Fens, as it usually did. Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye he noticed something in an alley down below. A lone figure rather suspiciously loitering behind one of the classy stores. The lone figure, a woman by the looks of it, was rather interested in the security arrangements in the back. She didn't look like an employee. She looked like she was trying to break in. It was probably nothing, he thought, but nevertheless swooped down to get a better look. As he moved closer, he found the prospective burglar's attire looked oddly familiar. An eyebrow arched in surprise. It looked like... Was it? What was she doing there? A gust of wind announced his arrival as he landed behind Casey, sending several old newspaper sheets and discarded wrappers flying. "Is that you, Miracle Girl?", he asked, baffled yet intrigued by the situation, "What's going on?".

Well, that went badly... Aníbal winced at the awkwardness that ensued after Phaedra directed a bizarrely pointed question at Riley, who left in a huff after a terse, hostile non-reply. Sure, truth or dare was about revealing uncomfortable secrets, but this was ridiculous. Perhaps causing the death of one's acquaintances was not a matter of great import in whatever Throne was, but here it was an accusation that packed quite a punch. Raina's earlier aggressiveness towards the new girl didn't seem so misplaced anymore. The fact everyone was a little drunk and on edge didn't help matters much. When the host returned with snacks, seemingly oblivious as to what had transpired, Aníbal flashed him a look of bemused pity. Poor Huang obviously put in a lot of effort into making this party an enjoyable experience for everyone, but it wasn't really going as planned. Entertaining guests was an art form, quite often a nerve-wracking ordeal that required deftly balancing dozens of elements into a harmonious whole, and Huang was still learning. Aníbal shrugged and stood up, surprised by how light-headed and unsteady on his feet he was after a only a few cups of the stuff. Robin had gone to check up on Riley, and he decided to see what Raina and Fred were up to. The demonic/angelic girl seemed truly perplexed by Riley's reaction, and the weird kid was talking to his dog. Who talked back. Aníbal looked at the dog, then at Grim, then at the dog again, then at Huang, and then turned towards the hallway and shook his head. Talking dogs. Sure. Okay. Wasn't the weirdest thing he'd seen this evening. He passed by the host, stopping to pinch a couple of Combos from the bowl and pop them into his mouth. They weren't great, but hopefully they'd absorb some of the aftertaste left from Riley's wine. "I'll be right back", he said as he made his way to the hallway leading out of the room. A few moments later he made his way to the side room where Raina and Winifred had withdrawn to speak in private. He paused at the doorway, leaning on the wall with his arms folded on his chest, observing the pair with a smile. It seemed the drinks had disagreed with Fred more violently than with the others. Further away, he could hear Riley yelling and Robin trying to calm him down. "Everything okay in here?", he asked and moved towards the girls. The smell of vomit emanating from the wastebasket suggested otherwise, and caused some rather unpleasant stirring in his own stomach. Fortunately, he was able to keep it under control. He gave the suffering girl a reassuring, friendly smile and waved his hand theatrically. A few seconds later, the air in the room began to circulate, carrying the smell away from its source and freshening the air around them. It wasn't much, but perhaps it would make some small difference. "Well, this party's turning into a bit of a shambles...", Aníbal remarked with a shrug of resignation. "We should probably get Winifred here some water, no? Or a, what are they called, energy drink? And maybe get that basket away from her, it'll just make her feel sicker seeing and smelling the stuff."

The buzzing of the phone added a dose of absurdity to a grim situation. Bad timing. He didn't check who it was that sent the message, nor what it said. It felt somehow unseemly to rifle through a dying man's pockets. If he somehow survived the ordeal, he would probably not be pleased with some punk kid prying into his personal business, and besides, it didn't seem like it would help matters much to check who sent the text message. If it were a call, it would be different, but for now, Aníbal ignored the phone. It didn't look like there was anything left to do but wait until the ambulance arrived to take him off his hands. He glanced around. The man's companions seemed oddly unwilling to provide him any aid. It was probably for the best. They didn't sound like the smartest bunch. His gaze swept across the pizzeria. What only a few moments ago was a cozy little place was now bustling with nervous energy. He looked towards the kitchens, wondering what took the waiter so long, only to witness an unusual sight. The man fell over his own feet, obviously trying to run from something. Aníbal had tuned out the scream of terror that came from the kitchens earlier, figuring the guy was just panicking. Now it seemed quite probable that something odd was going on in the back. Muttering a few choice Spanish expletives, Aníbal stood up, leaving the victim alone for now. "Keep an eye on him!", he shouted back to Raina as he made his way to the back. When he reached the kitchen entrance, he moved swiftly towards the panicked waiter. "What's going on here?".

Just as easily as it appeared, the grotesque disguise went away, and Raina was back to her old, gorgeous self again. The queasy discomfort disappeared as expected, and Aníbal could bring himself to smile again, discarding his silly plastic sculpture on the sofa next to him. The smile turned into a triumphant grin as Raina sat in his lap like a queen assuming her throne and wrapped her arm around his shoulder. All was well with the world, for now. He shifted a little awkwardly, hoping the warmth and softness of her proximity wouldn't trigger any telltale signs of being "happy to see her", which would be hard to conceal in spandex tights. It was time for the next contestant, and Raina chose the new girl. Somehow he wasn't surprised. There was a definitely icy undertone to their interaction moments ago, and it seemed Raina was still a little jealous of the newcomer hogging the spotlight. He was still a little taken aback by the barely concealed hostility in Raina's voice as she issued her challenge. "Come on. Don't be mean.", he leaned in and purred into her ear. The girl's response came swiftly, a visible change coming over her features. Out came the devilish part of the angelic newcomer, and her reply clarified its origin. The words were meaningless to him - it certainly sounded like an ominous place, but for all he knew it could have been perfectly pleasant. "Oh. You think that's scary? She's from... Indiana.", he pronounced the last word with suitably mystical gravitas and pressed Raina closer to his chest. Pretty soon, Winifred asked to see her in private. "By all means.", he obligingly loosened his embrace, "I'll wait right here."

Cyanide... It all seemed surreal. Who would poison the man? An asshole like that must have had a lot of enemies, it occurred to him, but there was no time to ponder the details of the case while the victim was on the verge of death. In any case, Aníbal was no great detective, especially not in the hectic atmosphere that reigned inside the pizzeria. He turned to Merlin, listening to the little monkey's chirps and chatter with an expression of dumbfounded panic. Somehow, it made sense. Somehow, the noises revealed their hidden meaning, became words, the words connecting into sentences, an imperative given with the self-assurance of a medical expert. I'm taking orders from a monkey...,he thought, but nodded in silent agreement. Merlin sounded like he knew what he was doing. Aníbal knelt down next to the man and followed the instructions given. He pulled the hefty man up and laid him onto his back, grunting with effort, then tilted his head and pushed his jaw, as instructed. He had no training in any of this, and wasn't enthused about having to practice on a live specimen. Still, he endeavored to keep his cool, even though his pulse was quickened by fear and beads of sweat trickled down his forehead. The medics would arrive and take over, he thought, hopefully in time to save the man's life. "Is that it?", he turned and asked Merlin. A part of him suspected the effort was in vain.

Aníbal grunted in disgust, flinched and briefly looked away as Raina revealed her ghoulish glamour, but soon returned his gaze to the macabre spectacle with a fascinated smile. It was an impressive show that made him uncomfortably queasy, not so much because of the disguise itself - he was not very squeamish as a rule, although he wasn't really a fan of horror movies - but because of the contrast. Seeing a dead person didn't phase him much. He had seen death first hand in the airliner cockpit, the memory of the smell burned its way back to the back of his throat. What bothered him was seeing Raina as a decomposing corpse, even if it was just a trick. The sight awoke something primal in him, an irrational fear of losing her. It was silly, she was nowhere near any harm, but it was there, and would probably dissipate as the spell faded. Still, it was a novel experience. He finished off his second cup of Riley's hooch, the taste of which reminded him there were worse things than death in this world. "Wow... That's amazing!", he praised her earnestly, still wincing at the remarkably lifelike effect. The rest of those present were impressed as well. Well, most of them were. As Grim rattled off his rather creepy, matter-of-fact critique of her glamour, Aníbal turned to the boy with the dog and observed him intently, his scowl hidden by his luchador mask. Grim's last sentence made him crush the now empty red plastic cup in his hand. The plastic crackled audibly as it deformed. He didn't know if the dude was doing this on purpose or if he was just socially inept. Or maybe you are loaded with hormones and booze and getting upset over nothing... The voice of reason was there, calmly stating its case in his head, but it was shouted down by the voice of pride, heavily backed by the alcohol faction. It was decided this was strike two, and the weird kid was still on notice, whether he knew it or not. He fiddled awkwardly with the cup in his hands, twisting the plastic into some abstract shape, nothing in particular, and waited for Raina to select the next participant.

"Yeah...", Aníbal agreed with Raina and rubbed his shoulder. The burns he sustained in his encounter with Firestarter had healed a long time ago, leaving little trace. Backpacking through Europe sounded fun. For one, there was a distinct lack of angry women on fire in most European hostels. He frowned as he remembered the events of his first big heroic exploit - AEGIS was on the job, supposedly, but he had heard no new information on the fugitive supervillainess or the group she was affiliated with. It was one score he was keen to settle, but there would be time for that. Right now, he wanted to relax, unwind and have a good time with a girl he liked. The waitress came and took their order. He thought about mentioning something about the rude customers, but decided against it. Discretely adding to the tip seemed like the better option. He didn't want the bastards overhearing any of it, and besides, he wasn't exactly sure the waitress was the same one that handled that table. You never pay attention... It's going to get you killed some day. "That's a very useful talent to have, the languages thing...", he continued, "I had to learn them the hard way. Well, it's not that hard, really. You just have to immerse yourself. Or watch cartoons, like I did." He took a sip of his orange juice. "I don't really know what I'll do with my life yet. I mean, outside of the whole hero business.", he sighed, "You could still go backpacking. Maybe we can go together, no? Trekking across Europe, solving crimes with our little monkey sidekick. It'd be awesome." "But yeah, if you want crazy stories, Freedom City is the place to be. Did you hear abou...", he trailed off in shock as the big oaf from earlier collapsed in front of their booth, visibly out of breath. Aníbal leapt to his feet and instinctively backed away. The man seemed pathetic now, a frail, scared human being, not the swaggering asshole from earlier. Was it a heart attack? Food poisoning? Asthma? He had no idea what ailed the man, nor how to help. There was a whiff of some strange scent in the air, but he couldn't tell what it was. A rather selfish feeling of irritation at his big evening being ruined briefly came over him, but he angrily shook it off. You're better than that... Pull it together. Take control. A doctor, we need a doctor... "Is there a doc... is there a doctor present?", he shouted, awkwardly trying to assume an air of authority and poise as much as his age permitted. Moving out of the booth, he shot a worried and apologetic glance to Raina before looking around the pizzeria for any staff that could help.

Notice Check 1d20+4=7

TUNED BY HGM El Huracán Spending 2PP on the following: Abilities (1PP) Wisdom 12 (+1) Skills (4R/1PP) Notice 6 (+7) Perform (singing) 2 (+6)

El Huracán: Monster Mash There's A Moon Out Tonight

"Okay, but they'll get the dirt on you, too. That's how the game goes.", Aníbal replied, following Raina to the couch like a well-behaved puppy, Truth or Dare was an old standby, but usually lots of fun. He didn't really know most of the people present all that well, even the ones he counted as friends, so it was a welcome opportunity to learn something new about them. He sat down next to Raina, resting his right arm on the back cushions behind her, and took another swig of Riley's chemical brew. The taste didn't improve with repeated sampling, but feeling of broken glass scraping against his tonsils was now less pronounced than before, perhaps because all feeling had been cauterized away. He could sense the booze doing its thing inside his body, coursing through his bloodstream and bringing a sensation of warmth and mild giddiness. It wasn't enough to get properly plastered, but it made its presence known. Part of the feeling, he suspected, came from being close to Raina again. "Let's hope I don't end up in a dress again...", he whispered as Riley made his dare to Robin. As Robin rose to the challenge and delivered a rousing rendition of of the old Latin pop hit, Aníbal raised an eyebrow in pleasant surprise, although only his smile was visible under the mask. When she finished, he put down his cup and earnestly applauded the effort. Who knew the tough girl from the Fens had a knack for music? Of course, her technique was a bit iffy, but she pulled it off. By the standards of drunken karaoke nights, it was a stunning performance. "Brava!", he cheered as Robin retired back to the couch. When she issued her own challenge to Raina, he sat back in anticipation of her reply, genuinely curious as to which she'd pick.

Aníbal listened to Raina's account of her Italian trip with increasing bafflement, although he did his level best to conceal it under a facade of polite interest. She could probably notice his eyebrows arching and a look of slight discomfort in his eyes. There were a lot of things he didn't know about Raina, or the world she grew up in. The story of a haunted house for grown-ups seemed peculiar. There was more going on there, certainly, but he had no clue whatsoever as to what it may have been. While he was aware of the existence and effectiveness of magic - the proof of it sat on the other side of the table - he had no knowledge of how it worked or what it entailed, and prying too much would only spoil the atmosphere of the evening. Whatever secrets Raina had were hers to keep and reveal at her discretion. "Oh... That's interesting. A little weird, but... interesting.", he commented awkwardly, and was relieved when Raina turned the conversation towards her plans after high school. Taking a gap year to find yourself before college was common to the point of cliché, but even so it was often a valuable experience, provided you didn't end up locked away in a Burmese prison. Aníbal hadn't honestly planned that far ahead. Even figuring out what college to attend and what to study seemed like the distant future, although a part of him understood the years would go by awfully fast. Whatever notions he had before were upended by the manifestation of his powers, which made everything a lot more complicated. "Backpacking across Europe sounds like fun. Although you have to do it properly, really blend in. A lot of people travel the world but mentally they stay at home. Like Americans who go to Paris and eat at McDonald's... No offense, I mean, just an example. You have to experience the country the way the locals do, or you may as well just stay home and look at the tourist ads.", he remarked, visibly relieved that the conversation had moved on from weirdo brujería to more mundane topics. "Anyway... Spinach and feta cheese... Hmm. Salty. Yeah, that sounds good.", he accepted Raina's suggestion. It was an unusual choice, but he was okay with it. "I didn't like feta when I was a kid, but recentl...", he continued, but was cut off by the noisy complaints of the "gentlemen" seated near them. His cheerful expression soured in an instant, and turned to seething rage when the man threatened to not tip the waitress. A low growl of disgust rose from Aníbal's throat, and his gaze was steely and contemptuous. Vulgarity of manners was something he loathed with every fibre of his being. Still, he was determined not to let a bunch of rude idiots ruin his date. He had to restrain himself from blurting out a harsh rebuke. Nothing would be helped by making a scene, and going up alone against four rather burly men had bad idea written all over it. Instead, he was determined to help the waitress in a subtler fashion. "Pendejos...", he muttered, keeping his voice down so the group at the other table couldn't overhear it, "I really hate it when people are rude to waiters."

"Splitting a pizza sounds good. Supposedly it's one of the best in town. Let's see if it lives up to the hype, no?", Aníbal agreed with Raina's suggestion, his eyes still on the menu. The little pizzeria offered a fine selection of pizzas, from the classics to the more Americanised stuff (he was pretty sure Italians didn't eat it with pineapple). Most of it sounded tasty, so he had no problem with letting Raina pick whichever was her favorite. Money was certainly no object, as he intended to foot the bill for both Raina and Merlin. He lifted his eyes from the menu as Raina mentioned Italy and nodded. "Yes, last year, with my parents. We did a tour, Rome, Florence, Venice, Verona, Trento... We were going to go to Naples too, but there was a garbage strike or something. Mafia stuff, you know?", he recounted cheerfully, "It was nice. We saw the Duomo, the Sistine Chapel... I visited the Casa di Giulietta, with that statue of Juliet. Supposedly, if you rub the statue's right breast, it brings good luck in matters of the heart. Dunno if it works..." He paused for a moment and met her gaze. "Then again, I did meet you, so maybe there is something to it.", he added smoothly, "How about you? Did you ever visit Italy?".

As Raina was escorted towards the booth, Aníbal rose to greet her properly. He sat down after she did, and ordered orange juice. Temperatures were dropping in Freedom City, so a little vitamin C seemed like a good idea. He may have control over the air, but airborne viruses were not under his jurisdiction. Raina's compliment made him smile. "Thank you. You're looking wonderful as usual.", he replied. He'd learned his lesson after being burned the last time, and was determined to give as many compliments as he got over the course of the evening. It was a sincere compliment. The sweater was nice, youthful yet elegant, right in between casual and fancy - a little too short for a girl of her height, but it was a minor issue. The choice of colors was smart, and the tight sweater nicely accentuated her figure. Eyes, look her in the eyes... "This is a nice place. Best I could find that would let us take this little thief along.", he nodded towards Merlin, "Will he be alright eating that? If there's one thing I don't want at dinner it's a monkey with indigestion."

When he first met Raina's familiar, Aníbal reacted with a (rather embarrassingly campy) delighted exclamation of "¡Ay, un monito!", before collecting himself and greeting the peculiar creature in a more dignified manner. He took a liking to the diabolically intelligent critter, and responded with cautious agreement to the suggestion he come along on their next dinner date. It took a lot of requests, which were usually met with utter befuddlement and suspicions of a prank call, but Aníbal had finally located the one dining spot in Freedom City that allowed animals while still being a presentable place to take a date. After hours of fruitless searching, he had given up and enlisted the aid of Señor Gutierrez, who worked for his father as... Well, actually, he had no clue what Gutierrez did. Nobody else seem to know either, but the soft-spoken older gentleman was the most trusted man in his father's employ, an enigma who somehow always seemed to get things done. This time, the task was trivial, but he came through an hour after Aníbal had called, informing him of a place frequented by the city's supers. How he managed to dig up the information was anyone's guess, but Aníbal didn't bother himself with the details. It was a relief to find the establishment was clean and, apparently, the pizza there was pretty good. Perhaps not the best in town, but certainly in the top ten. He had arrived early, and patiently waited for Raina to arrive, quite relaxed and confident. This would be a good evening. Inside the quaint little pizzeria, Raina could easily spot Aníbal, seated at a booth, idly nibbling on a breadstick. He was wearing a navy blazer over a crisp burgundy gingham dress shirt and a pair of tobacco-colored chinos with brown suede dress shoes. No enchantments were necessary to make him look stylish, although he did, as usual, spend quite a lot of time, thought and effort to make his outfit look effortlessly dashed together at a moment's notice, according to the ancient art of sprezzatura. When he spotted Raina's regal entrance into the establishment, he smiled and waved to get her attention, then swiftly finished off the breadstick.

Aníbal laughed good-naturedly at Winifred's remark. "Well, then, I have my work cut out tonight. Either way, it's a pleasure to meet you.", he replied, swirling the swill in his plastic cup like he was holding a snifter of brandy. It was a nervous attempt to put off knocking back the concoction for as long as he could. When the petite Victorian girl downed her cup in one go with no visible damage, he steeled himself for the upcoming ordeal, shrugged, and gulped down the contents of his own cup. As the moonshine burned its way down his throat, he winced and shuddered involuntarily. This was far, far rougher than his usual fare. "Not bad, Riley. Could do with some maturing.", he remarked, his voice slightly raspy, and flashed the distiller a wry grin, "A few hundred years, perhaps, until the radioactive isotopes decay." He smiled and offered his cup for a refill. "Just kidding... It's not as bad as I thought. With the right marketing, you could make something of it.", he commented cheerfully. The party seemed to have definitively moved to this room, but Riley's booze was bound to run out sooner or later, and they'd need something to occupy them. Robin's tentative suggestion of a party game elicited a murmur of support. "Sounds good.", Aníbal added, "Have any game in mind?".

Aníbal was a little taken aback by Raina's brusque reply. When she turned around and made a dramatic exit, he awkwardly stood there for a few seconds, then bit his lip to prevent grinning. Was she... jealous? If she was, she had no reason to be. While the new girl was reasonably attractive and wearing an outfit that advertised her assets rather openly, the only thing he found remotely interesting about her at first glance were her unusual avian appendages. He noticed the way one of the boys, the one with the dog, leered at Raina as she left, and felt an instinctive tightness in his chest. It surprised him a little. He flashed the would-be interloper a firm, chilly glance, and left it at that. For now. There was no need to cause a scene. He gave Raina a few moments of privacy - it wouldn't do to act needy - and followed her into the peculiarly decorated back room. Riley and Robin were there, preparing the drinks, and Raina was joined by a girl he had seen around the school but couldn't quite place. Was this the girl from the statue she'd told him about? Fred? The group was having a chat, and Raina seemed a little upset. He remembered their rather tense first day meeting and winced at the thought of a reprise. Don't mess up now. "Most of them, yes.", Aníbal playfully replied to Robin's comment about weird rich people houses. Although, granted, this particular weird house was a little weirder than average. Or rather, weird in a different way. "Hey Riley, Robin. I thought I'd have a drink too.", he continued and made his way back to Raina's side. Judging by her reaction to the concoction Riley served in the red cup, it may not have been the best idea. "Don't tell me you're jealous...", he leaned in to whisper before nodding in greeting to Raina's companion. "I don't believe we've been introduced. Aníbal Herrera.", he extended his right hand to Winifred while picking up a red cup with his left. Despite his rather outré costume, Fred could probably recognise a hint of familiar upper-class formality in his bearing, an echo of times long past mixed in with a decidedly modern casual openness.

"Yes, it is.", Aníbal replied cheerily, "I loved watching lucha libre when I was a boy. My brother and I would wrestle when we were little. Once I nearly broke my neck trying to pull off a huracanrana," A smile briefly played on his lips as he recalled his childhood. "You know, I missed you. I mean, I see you around school but I wish we had more free time. Maybe we'll have to make some ourselves, no?". He briefly turned his gaze towards the winged girl, who seemed to have successfully captured the spotlight at the party, and wondered about her story. Where did her powers come from? Where was she from? Few things could truly surprise him anymore. The school was filled with an assortment of oddballs, young people with strange and sometimes tragic stories. He had learned about the existence of parallel universes and strange dimensions, of magic and mysteries - things that were far from the ordinary experience of most people. It took some getting used to, but he always prided himself on his open-mindedness. "Do you know the new girl?", he asked Raina, "She looks very impressive with those wings."

El Huracán: Let's Get It Started Hit The Plane Down Goodbye to Blueberry Pie Man Talk All rewards obviously go to El Huracán.

As he flew through the chilly night air in his luchador outfit, Aníbal began to regret having chosen a costume that left his torso at the mercy of the elements. It was a last second switch. He had planned to go as a vampire, a stodgy but classical choice, but decided against it after overhearing some students talking about Jack's peculiar heritage. That would have been awkward, and he certainly had no intention to inadvertently offend the host. His costume was authentic, shipped overnight by a specialist company from Mexico. A blue and gold mask decorated with elaborate designs covered the upper half of his face. He wore a blue cape, the inside painted with shiny golden thunderbolts. His torso was bare, the costume nicely showing off his physique. Blue spandex tights and golden wrestling boots completed the look, and the final touch was a showy wrestling belt proclaimed him Campeón Mundial Crucero. He landed in the middle of a road in North Bay and wrapped his cape around himself for warmth, cursing himself for not calling Julio and driving instead. Now, where was he? The area was unfamiliar and familiar at the same time. He had never been here before, but it reminded him of home. This was where the rich people lived - people like him. He took out the scroll, unfolded it and tried to locate the mystery manor of Jack's parents. It took some fumbling, but eventually he found himself on the right path, walking down a creepy driveway towards an ancient-looking house. A light flickered in the distance, then disappeared. He wasn't sure but he thought he could see some figures in the distance. This must be it, he thought, and made his way forward at a brisk pace. Surely, inside would be a lot more comfortable. Truth be told, it wasn't that cold, but he still had to get used to Jersey weather. Finally, he made it to the door of the mansion and pressed his ear against the door. There were noises coming from inside, what sounded like people talking. Aníbal considered knocking, but instead pressed on the handles of the massive oak doors, pushing them open with an ominous creak and making his way inside. The warmth of the interior was invigorating. People had already moved on from the foyer into one of the interior rooms. A few seconds later, he swooped into the sitting room, carried by the winds. He levitated about four feet away from the floor and struck a pose worthy of a Campeón Mundial before landing. "Evening everyone! Sorry I'm late, it's hard to navigate around the city in the dark.", he said with a cheerful grin. He nodded in greeting to the guests. Some of them were familiar faces, some of them he only knew by sight, and others he knew not at all. The girl with the wings - that was new. He scanned the group, noticing a familiar face. There she was. He made his way over to Raina and flashed her a pleasant smile. "Raina! That's... That's an amazing costume. You look stunning.", he looked her over, his eyes lingering a bit too long on her legs. He noted with some concern the heels made her tower several inches over him, but quickly pulled himself together.

Whaaat? Noooo. We'd never do thaat. I thought we was done. Just blow them off and tell them to talk to AEGIS.

"Don't beat yourself up like that.", Aníbal tried to reassure Seahawk, though in no small part he shared her frustration with how things turned out. It wasn't the best outcome, but it was the best possible under the circumstances. He remembered his father's lectures about great military battles, how it's easy to be a general after the battle's over and talk about what could have been done differently, but a true leader always acts in the moment, regardless of how much preparation and planning went on beforehand. "I told the AEGIS people the truth: if it wasn't for you, we couldn't have done this.", he continued, "I know it feels like we've accomplished nothing, but we did. We saved a lot of people." When Miracle Girl joined, he waved and smiled at her. Seahawk's proposal of a celebratory dinner struck him as a great idea. He accepted Seahawk's proffered business card, then realised he had nowhere to put it. Pockets were not a technology budgeted for by the makers of his flight suit. Still, holding on to the card wasn't a problem. "Sounds like a plan. I think we deserve a little celebration to keep our spirits up.", he replied with a smile, trying to remain upbeat even though he was tired and wanted to go home, "I'll keep in touch and meet you there. I look forward to it." He looked around, fixing his gaze in the vague direction of Jordan International for a few moments before turning to Seahawk and Miracle Girl. "Well, it's been a rough day. I've got business to attend to, so, take care ladies. Adios!", he said as he took to the air. He waved goodbye to the pair and flew off, taking a moment to pose and smile for the cameras of a nearby group of reporters before the winds carried him off, away from the AEGIS base camp. *** At a mostly empty café in Jordan Airport, a very tense Eduardo Herrera was drinking his fourth cup of coffee in a row, his eyes glued to the TV screen showing a live report from the scene of the recent airliner disaster. Next to him, Mrs Herrera nervously fiddled with her jewelry, her aristocratic poise cracking under the pressure of uncertainty. A young reporter was giving the latest news, mentioning the three heroes who stopped the hijacking of the plane. For a few brief moments, the TV transmission cut to footage shot about 15 minutes earlier: a young man in a sleek black and gold suit, flying past a crew of journalists and giving them a rakish salute before zooming off to an unknown destination. A caption identified the young hero as "El Huracan". The Herreras breathed a collective sigh of relief, Aníbal's mother crossing herself and muttering a litany of praise to the Virgin Mary in thanks. "Handsome devil, isn't he?", a youthful voice spoke behind them. The pair turned around to see Aníbal standing there, back in his plain clothes, with a weary smile on his face. His mother rushed towards him and locked him in an unusually powerful bear hug. He hissed in pain as his mother pressed her arms on his shoulders and back, still sore from the burn given to him by Firestarter. "Ay... Ease up, Mama.", he grunted, gently nudging his mother away. "You're hurt?! What happened?" "Just a scratch, Mama. A little burn, I'll rub some ointment on it, it'll pass." "I'll get you a doctor. Top class, you can trust him...", his father offered sternly and pulled out his cellphone. "We have doctors at Claremont, Papa.", Aníbal replied. "Oh, alright. But I'll give you Dr. Rivera's number. If you need anything, he can help you.", his father insisted. There was an awkward pause. His parents had come to terms with his powers, but seeing him in action, praised on the news as a hero responsible for saving hundreds of people - it was a strange feeling. "So, are you leaving?", Aníbal asked. "No... We're going back to the hotel.", his mother replied, "They probably won't let us take off with all this chaos still happening, so Eduardo decided we'll stay for another day and go in the morning." "Oh... Okay. I'll be there.", Aníbal responded to the news, "I gotta go back to Claremont, Mama. It's been a rough day." "Julio will take you. Anytime you need a lift, he's available.", his father added, paying for the tab. The three of them made their way to the outside of the airport, accompanied by a discrete security detail. Two luxury black sedans awaited outside, both with chauffeurs ready to take the passengers to their destination. "We'll be leaving at 9, unless there's more damned nonsense like this tomorrow", his father remarked as he took a seat inside one of the cars. "And son...", he added. Aníbal turned to face him. "Yes, Papa?" "Good work out there.", the elder Herrera added, "You helped a lot of people. Your mother and I are very proud of you." With a smile, Aníbal nodded to his old man and got inside the car that took him to Claremont as ordered. What a day, he thought, as the car wound its way through Freedom City's bustling streets.

"I'm afraid that's all I know.", Aníbal completed his statement to the AEGIS agents. He had told them all he could: how they boarded the airplane through the cargo bay and found it had been hijacked. There was a young woman named Jennifer who could wreath herself in flames and launch fireballs. She was affiliated with something called the Fellowship, suffered from Terminus Energy Mutation Syndrome (he cringed at repeating the words), and seemed to be targeting an old man on board the flight, a doctor. He explained how they made the landing, how it couldn't have been done without Seahawk's piloting skill, how sinking the plane was necessary given the circumstances and probably saved everyone's lives. The pilot was missing, possibly still among the passengers. That was it. They had done their part today, now it was up to the authorities to mop up the damage and take over the investigation. The terrorists managed to cause a lot of material damage, but fortunately the only casualties were the copilots, now confined in their watery grave. He was, however, not about to let the matter end here. There was a score left to settle with a certain flammable woman, who would never again catch him off-guard. He nodded a farewell to the AEGIS officers and went to look for his teammates. One couldn't just up and leave without thanking Seahawk and Miracle Girl for their efforts today, even though he had pressing business to attend to elsewhere. Mama must be worried sick... "Hey", he greeted Seahawk after finding her in the bustle of the camp, "Nice work today. Don't worry, next time those bastards show their faces, we'll be better prepared. She won't get away twice."

"Bob's Catfish Hou... Oh... Oh, a rest... OH!", Aníbal paused his exercise and replied, his voice getting louder and louder until he smacked himself on the forehead with his palm and trailed off into rapid-fire Spanish. Riley could probably make out the word "estupido" among the barrage. He buried his face in his hands and groaned at his silly mistake. Clearly, he made some rather patronising assumptions about Riley, who was adjusting to life in this dimension a lot better than it seemed. The fish place by the river wasn't a fishing spot, it was a restaurant. "Sorry, I thought... because you're such a... it's a... Ugh, see, even I'm making assumptions about you. Sorry.", he awkwardly apologised to Riley. "Sounds good. Bob's Catfish House it is, then." Bob's Catfish House, Aníbal pondered the name of the establishment. It sounded like a family restaurant, one of those no-frills places with good old-fashioned plain cooking. He could go for that. He smirked as Riley revealed his diabolical master plan to manipulate the girls. "Yeeaah...", he drew out the word, signaling a considerable degree of skepticism, "I'm not sure tense is the best state to have a date in. And if a girl figures out you're playing some kind of trick on her...". He didn't finish the sentence, allowing Riley to imagine the consequences himself. Aníbal knew better than to try and pull any sort of similar stunt on Raina. "You can't force it to happen on your terms, man.", he continued, then shrugged and continued his exercise on the machine. "Yes, I have. Fried catfish, in Poland.", he replied to Riley's question, "Papa went there once on business, we came along too. It was really good. Although I think European catfish are bigger than here. Probably taste different too." 7, 8, 9...

Aníbal breathed a sigh of relief as the combined eolian effects of his wondrous winds and Miracle Girl's mighty exhalation extinguished the fuel fire. Even though the ferocious Firestarter fled, the peril that petrified the perplexed passengers was efficiently eliminated, thanks to teamwork. He took to the air once more, pausing to pose as the passengers praised him and his puissant partner for their fantastic feat. However, the alarming absence of their ally of avian apellation, Seahawk, jolted him from his jubilation. Where was she? He scanned the surface of the seawater, slicked with spillage from the faulty fuel tanks. Did the dashing daredevil drown? Was she trapped on the bottom of the briny bay? Just as he was about to plummet into the water and search the sea for signs of Seahawk, the familiar form of his newfound friend popped up into view, saluting them with a splash. He hovered over and hailed her, happy that she had escaped the wreck unharmed. "Hey", he greeted the gal, "Glad to see you're alright." The pilot pointed out he and Miracle Girl had, incredibly, managed to douse the destructive inferno that initially threatened to turn the panicked passengers into a bizarre barbecue. Her speedy scuttling of the slowly sinking abandoned aircraft appeared an unnecessary and unwise use of her precious powers. Nodding, Aníbal attempted to assure her that her actions at the airplane were not amiss. "We probably wouldn't have time to do it if you hadn't sank the airplane...", he remarked reassuringly, "Besides, there was no telling it would work. You did the right thing in the circumstances, we'll all vouch for it if there's any trouble." When she mentioned her wish to work out the whereabouts of the cunningly concealed captain of the crashed craft, Aníbal agreed. Was the absconded anarchist's accomplice still present, perhaps posing as a passenger, or had he too deftly disappeared in the chaos of the crash? Until the rafts were rescued by the rapid response teams, ascertaining whether their absent adversary could be apprehended would be a top priority.