TheRedGuy

Did some research - yeah, turns out there are kids who fly alone. (Don't know much about airline stuff, since I've never been in a plane.) So it's not impossible, BUT I still think the kid is suspicious. Of course, you can't exactly grill an 8 year old on the off chance he might be a shapeshifter, but I think some "What's your name, son? Where are your parents? How 'bout we call 'em, let them know you're okay?" kind of stuff would not be too aggressive. It is possible they both made a getaway - her setting the fuel on fire would be a little odd if her partner was still among the passengers. Then again, she is a psycho pyrokinetic... Still, if there's a chance we get the other guy, I'm willing to take it.

Riley's idea of a fun outing was... well, it was something. Aníbal cocked an eyebrow at the mention of getting some catfish straight from the river. Clearly, he thought, the boy wasn't keen on getting out of his comfort zone just yet. The movie suggestion made him crack a smile. It wasn't surprising Riley would find the tale of strong men fighting for their lives amidst an inhospitable environment to be relatable, but the idea of it as a date movie was quite amusing. Then again, Robin was the sort of girl you'd take to a movie about rugged survivalism. Raina, on the other hand... Aníbal didn't know if she'd appreciate the outdoorsy adventures Riley had in mind, but it remained an option. He continued to count off his reps as Riley aimed a perfect shot at some cinderblocks on the wall. 13, 14, 15. That was it for the chest press. "Nice shot...", he remarked, suitably impressed by Riley's skills. As the boy went to retrieve his projectile, he sat up, wiped his face with the towel and took a sip of his energy drink. "So, uh... catfish, huh?", he continued hesitantly, "You mean like a... camping trip, no? That could be fun. I don't know how clean the river is though... But if your friend says it's a good spot, I guess it's clean enough. Never really been fishing before." He stood up and stretched for a few moments before taking to the air again, looking for the next machine for his exercise plan. "And yeah, girls do like movies. Usually, though, they prefer movies that aren't about beardy men climbing mountains and suffering horrible accidents. At least for dates.", he continued, hovering over the obstacle course. It struck him that there was an enormous amount of movies Riley had never seen. Books probably survived the apocalypse, but it was highly unlikely multiplexes did. He probably didn't get a lot of references. Maybe a movie marathon night would be nice, he thought, to help him acclimate better to teen culture in this reality. "But don't worry... Robin doesn't really strike me as a romantic comedy kind of girl, and I'm sure Raina will like it too... Ah, there it is." He flew away from the obstacle course, landing next to the chest fly machine. It was a little farther away, but close enough to maintain a comfortable conversation with Riley. That's convenient, Aníbal thought as he placed his towel over the seat. "Okay. I mean... Sounds good to me.", he said, beginning his first set on the machine, "I just thought you might like to, y'know... get out of your comfort zone a little. See a little more of what this world has to offer."

"Sounds like a plan.", Aníbal replied cheerily. "You don't have to worry about cab fare, though. Papa's assigned me a private chauffeur on the company payroll, in case I need to go anywhere the 'normal' way. But yeah, I suppose flying there would be more fun." Raina seemed ready to bring their rather unusually intense little rendezvous to an end, and he was prepared to end it there too. After the rollercoaster of emotions that preceded this moment, there was precious little left to say. He pulled out the pen once more and jotted down his phone number and e-mail on the last remaining clean napkin on his tray. "Here... I'm sure I'll see you around school in the coming days, but in case you need anything...", he offered her the napkin with a gentle smile, "Just call or text." He rearranged the dishes on his tray to ensure it was balanced enough to carry and glanced towards the racks. "Shall we?", he asked, grabbing the sides of the tray, ready to follow Raina's lead and deposit the empty tray.

Waidaminnit... An eight year old kid flying alone? No parents or guardians accompanying him on a transatlantic flight? That strikes me as highly suspicious. I'm thinking Aníbal's going to be asking the kid some questions. He's our best and only lead, after all. If it's a shapeshifter, even low levels of Morph are practically impossible to see through, so no use wasting HP on any further notice checks.

Alrighty then! Since Durf's Law says it can be done, I'll be using my Air Control to put out the fire. Presumably a check is required. Your call on the fire's damage bonus. Air Control Check 1d20+11=25 With MG assisting, hopefully it will turn the flames off.

Exhaled air is only about 4-5% CO2 and cca 13-16% oxygen (plus other stuff), which almost certainly isn't concentrated enough to put out the fire.

OK, as this'll require a team effort I edited my post accordingly and will wait for MG to create a passage before moving the raft. As it's a fuel fire, I don't think we can turn it off the normal way, You need to apply CO2 to it to put it out, and I don't think Air Control lets you control the specific gases that comprise air, just air as a whole.

Aníbal awaited Raina's reply with the muted tension of a death row convict about to be executed, steeling himself for the possibility of rejection, which was just as likely as the opposite outcome. When Raina's posture softened, he somehow managed to stifle a deep sigh of relief, and bit his lip to avoid grinning like an idiot. She could probably notice his eyes were once again gleaming with life. After she replied, he coughed awkwardly and cleared his throat, a tentative smile returning to his lips. His thoughts returned to the day his powers manifested, and the mixture of fear and exhilaration that raged inside him when he and his instructor stopped in mid-air, and the realisation that he was flying slowly sank in. This felt a little bit like that. As if he was plummeting towards the ground, but managed to miraculously pull up seconds before impact. "Thank you for the second chance.", he replied, doing his best to maintain his poise. On the inside, his heart was pounding with excitement. He discretely wiped his palms on the legs of his jeans and turned around to glance back at the cafeteria, which was slowly filling up with students. The line of occupied tables was moving closer and closer towards their spot. He turned to Raina again. "I'm looking forward to seeing the city with you too. It's going to be a lot of fun. At the very least, more fun than we've had today.", he continued. His pulse slowed down and he relaxed a bit, leaning back in his chair as his tentative smile grew into a more natural cheerful grin. The cellphone in his coat pocket gave a melodious bleep, signaling a text message had arrived. Whatever it was, Aníbal decided, it could wait a bit. "I'll do everything I can not to disappoint you again. Word of honor.", he added, the final pledge accompanied with a hand placed over his heart and a look of utmost sincerity.

With one free hand, Aníbal had opened the overwing emergency exit, figuring the passengers would be using the other ones to evacuate the plane. He carefully stepped out onto the wing, hauling his captive, and looked around for signs of law enforcement. None were immediately present. There were boats in the distance, too far to tell if any of them were what he was looking for. Just as he prepared to take to the air, he felt Firestarter squirming on his shoulder. No. No, no, no, no... NO! The searing heat of her reignited flame aura knocked him over and made him lose his grip on her. He grunted in pain, gritting his teeth as the heat overpowered the suits defenses, leaving a nasty, painful burn on his right shoulder and upper back. Rolling to his side to extinguish the flames, he could only look on as Firestarter delivered a parting threat and escaped, setting fire to the leaked fuel around the plane. He watched her rush off towards the horizon, moving at a speed his own flight could not match, and slammed his fist into the cold, damp metal of the wing in frustration. Getting back to his feet, he muttered a torrent of Spanish profanities as he surveyed the situation. The good news was that all the passengers made it to the emergency life rafts. The bad news was that the plane was liable to blow up any second now, and even if it didn't, the flaming inferno wasn't making matters easier for the already spooked passengers. With renewed, intense determination, he took to the air. Things suddenly went from bad to much, much worse, but they could at least get everyone out safely. "We need to get the passengers away!", he shouted to Miracle Girl and flew towards the nearest of the rafts, taking his place on the front. "Everyone! Please! Stay calm and hold on tight!", he shouted over the din of the crowd with an air of authority, "Everyone gets out of this alive!" He turned around to face the walls of flame that surrounded the raft and extended his hand to focus his mind. A few seconds later powerful winds were mobilized to put the fires out. It was a strong effort, but Aníbal knew he wouldn't be able to finish the job alone.

As Raina coldly upbraided him for treating her like a guinea pig in some weird social experiment, he said nothing, even though he wanted to. You don't argue with someone after you offend them, or make excuses for it. He wanted to make fun of himself and tired old stereotypes about feisty Latin lovers, get her to shoot down his buffoonishly affected displays of machismo with a few choice sarcastic put-downs, but it didn't go as intended. Her mention of Archer and the tests they had gone through earlier was a stark reminder of one of the reasons it all went wrong. Prodding someone so soon after the stresses of the exercises was unwise. Besides, he was being too forward with someone he barely knew. The US may be a land of glad-handing, go-getting extroverts, but people were colder up north, less relaxed even with good friends, let alone relative strangers. He leaned back, put his palm on the side of his neck and rubbed the spot where a holographic needle had earlier jabbed itself into his skin. It was tingling unpleasantly, reminding him of his failure in the test. How did Archer put it? Constant vigilance... Keeping a clear head when around beautiful girls (or, for that matter, beautiful boys) was a lesson he had yet to master. He remembered the day his powers manifested, the feeling of absolute helplessness that overtook him when the parachute failed and the ground came closer and closer. This felt a lot like it. Let's see you get out of this one, flyboy... "You're right. You're not an experiment. Look, Raina...I can't tell you how to spend your time, or whether or not you're wasting it...", he replied after a thoughtful pause. "That's your call, no? All I can say is, I enjoy your company. A lot. I've only just met you, but I can tell you're smart, sophisticated, funny, very talented and intriguingly dangerous, and I'd like to get to know you better. No tricks, no stupid jokes, no tests, nothing. Just hang out together, see how we get on, and work from there." He sighed and continued with a look of genuine contrition. "I'm sorry. I offended you, and I'd very much appreciate the chance to make amends for it, if you're willing to offer me one." He glanced down at the folded remains of the paper airplane and then back at Raina, awaiting a response.

Toughness Check 1d20+8=9 Oookay, using an HP to re-roll that one. Toughness Check Re-Roll 1d20+8=13 As the roll is under 11, adding 10 makes it a 23. A nasty bruise. I'm using my Air Control to push one raft away from the airplane and towards the shore. According to the core rules, effective strength of 55 is enough to push/drag 125 tons, which should be enough to propel the raft forward. I'm also assuming the material the rafts are made of is fireproof, so they won't catch fire if we plow through the flames.

Aníbal conceded Raina's points with a shrug and a nod. Fire and air were a potent mixture, but a highly volatile one. They could feed each other, or cancel each other out, depending on the conditions. When she turned the discussion back to his transgressions against good taste, he listened intently, his outward expression giving little clue as to what was happening on the inside. Her final question made him shake his head and give a rueful chuckle. He picked up a clean paper napkin from the side of his tray, pulled out a pen from his inside coat pocket and idly scribbled something on it. It appeared like he was doodling, to uncomfortably dodge the question for a few moments. "No. They probably would have, if I ever did it. My friends would be suitably impressed, and a lot of girls would swallow their pride and overlook it, but no.", he finally spoke up, pocketing the pen and folding the napkin into the shape of an airplane, "Who wants to impress a bunch of spotty teenage boys, anyway?". He completed the design, a rather neat dart shape that didn't look like it would remain airborne for long under normal circumstances. "I had quite a reputation at my school. Most of it...", he continued, and sent the paper plane flying off his palm with a sharp exhalation, "Pure wind. You know how it goes. People have nothing better to do so they circulate stories. One girl changed schools, there was a rumor she did it because I knocked her up. I barely even knew her. But you know... Tall, handsome, rich - he must be getting some, no? People make assumptions. Especially if they're assholes. They think everyone is like them, or just hiding it really well." The airplane circled above them, clearly being moved around by Aníbal's powers. He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. "Not ten minutes ago you saw me waddling in a silk quinceañera dress. I was just trying to see how you handle yourself when someone tries to get a rise out of you. You know, keep things fair and level, see if you'll play along and poke fun at me. But sometimes jokes don't land...", he said apologetically, "I wasn't serious about any of it, but that doesn't matter. I've gone and upset you, and I hate that. Maybe they're right. Maybe I am an asshole." The paper plane zoomed by between them and flew past the bottle of hot sauce, upside down, like it was piloted by a miniature Tom Cruise. It ascended again, and continued circling the nearby tables. Aníbal's gaze followed its movements for a few moments before turning back to Raina. "I used to fly kites when I was a little boy. Found out they fly highest when you fly them against the wind.", he said, "I always liked that. Things going best through difficulties." The paper plane once again ended up above their desk, making a perfect loop before slowly descending and falling into Raina's lap. Unfolded, it would reveal a drawing of a stick figure (labeled "yo") with an ":o" expression, wreathed in tongues of flame, and the word "Perdóname" written with a flourish. "Paper burns easily. And you don't get into detention for burning a napkin.", he remarked with a smile, his amber eyes fixed on Raina, "So... Will this kite fly high or hit the ground?".

Aníbal nodded in agreement as Raina mused about the uses of the phrase "No offense". The joke didn't go over well - that is, it went over precisely as he expected and intended it to. When she delivered her not-so-veiled threat, he cocked an eyebrow and observed her for a few moments, not so much surprised as impressed by her aura of cold menace. "Oh, don't worry. I can still salvage things.", he replied confidently, leaning forward again. The ironic macho posturing and the teasing smile was gone, and the real Aníbal gazed into her eyes, coolly relaxed. "I told you I was brave earlier, didn't I?" "And besides, I don't mind playing with fire...", he said, looking down at his tray. With a wry, feline smirk, he idly pointed his fingers at the empty glass next to the plate. It shook for a few moments and then promptly tipped over, but did not hit the tray, instead ending up floating about two inches above the surface. It then began to slowly levitate until it was suspended in mid-air between them, gently swaying on the air currents. Raina could feel a very subtle breeze on her face. He turned the cup upright with a flick of the wrist and let it land in the palm of his hand, then put it back in its place. "... because fire can't burn without oxygen.", he continued, looking up at Raina again, "And that's my domain. If you set me on fire, I'll just extinguish it with my mind. I can do that. Or... I can help a tiny little flame become a roaring bonfire, make it burn hotter than it would otherwise. Fire and air - I guess we complement each other nicely, no?".

Anibal has Handle Animal, maybe I can help once BBQ is sorted.

"Good, glad to hear it", Aníbal said cheerfully as Riley reluctantly agreed to the idea, "It'll do you good to relax a bit." Before he could continue, Riley was at the obstacle course again, performing a series of rapid leaps through the frame. Aníbal simply observed him, taking an occasional sip of energy drink. He raised an appreciative eyebrow as Riley executed a picture-perfect handstand on top of the window frame. "Where... Raina mentioned Pyramid Plaza, Freedom Park, the theaters...", he rattled off the places he remembered from their conversation in response to Riley's query, "But it depends. Any place in particular you'd like to visit?". He put down the bottle and started another set on the machine, waiting for Riley's answer.

It took all his self-control not to grin as his remark produced the desired effect. "Oh yees... I'm a real Don Juan. Ask anyone at my old school, Aníbal el Animal's done it with half the girls of Colegio Walcott. And half the girls from Colegio Miranda, too, but they only count for half points. I break so many hearts, it should be illegal. You better watch yourself, chica, 'cause I'll...I'll...", he intoned with seductive mock-seriousness before bursting into laughter. One didn't have to be an expert people reader to notice his tongue was placed firmly in his cheek during the entire monologue. Whatever powers of persuasion he possessed were clearly not being used on Raina at the moment. He gave a defeated shrug before continuing. "No, no, not really. I said I can do it, not that I did. It wouldn't be right to toy with a poor girl's heart. I only use my powers for good, like a true caballero.", he said with a flourish, much more earnestly than before, but still clearly not taking things too seriously. The truth was, of course, complicated. Teenage boys generally liked to portray themselves as far more experienced than they were, and often bragged about their sexual prowess in front of their friends. At the same time, most of them rightly suspected the tales their friends told were a heavily exaggerated load of bull. Aníbal never bragged about sexual conquests, which led his friends to the only logical conclusion: he was getting more action than the rest of them put together. His denials only strengthened their belief - only a true player would deny he was a player, after all. With his chiseled physique and classical good looks, he could at least portray the role convincingly. In truth, he did have some experience in that area, but precious little of it was with the opposite sex. Girls chased after him far more often than the other way around, but rumors would start to fly the minute he so much as greeted a girl in the hallway. "Besides, in Mexico, all you can do is practice, anyway. Girls back home are not easy like girls in the US.", he teased Raina with a devilish smile and leaned back in his chair to move out of the range of any (well deserved) incoming blows. "No offense!"

Aníbal managed to keep himself upright when the plan first hit the surface of the water, bending his knees and maintaining balance like a surfer on a surfboard. The second jolt, however, sent him careening forward towards the copilot's seat in front of him. He ended up doubled over the chair, which stopped him before he could collide with the instruments panel or the thick cockpit windows. The back of the chair was far less comfortable than the front, but the protective padding of his flight suit easily absorbed the force of the blow. He was unharmed. And if he was unharmed, despite not being strapped down, then hopefully the passengers made it without injuries as well. He propped himself up on the armrests and pushed back, righting himself with some effort. He softly huffed a string of colorful Mexican profanities as he paused to catch his breath. While he wasn't injured, every muscle in his body ached from the strain of having moved the currents to aid the water landing. He wiped the sweat off his forehead and leaned against the back of the cockpit again, closing his eyes. The creaking of the airplane snapped him out of it. Things weren't over yet. He nodded to Seahawk, who seemed unharmed, and steeled himself, summoning up the last reserves of energy he had left and shaking off the weariness with renewed determination. He opened the cockpit doors, side-stepping the dead co-pilots. It occurred to him he hadn't seen the Captain among the bodies, but there was no time to dwell on that now. He stepped out into the passenger's cabin and surveyed the scene. There were a few people groaning in pain, but most of them seemed to be alright. A faint smile of relief played on his lips for a moment as he made his way down the aisle, searching for something. He was momentarily nervous when he noticed Firestarter was no longer where he left her, but he located her soon enough, strapped in and restrained next to Miracle Girl. He approached, nodding to his teammate. "First thing's first, we get her off the plane and into custody", he said, unbuckling the belt that held the fallen villainess strapped securely to the chair, "You and Seahawk take care of the passengers, I'm taking her outside first." He undid the straps and hoisted the woman rather unceremoniously over his shoulder with a grunt. She wasn't that heavy, but Aníbal's strength was well within normal human bounds. Swaying with the motions of the downed airplane, he made his way forward, looking for the nearest exit and hoping the authorities had scrambled a response team ready to take his prisoner in before she could come to her senses.

Toughness Check 1d20+8=27 Woop! Also, I'll use a hero point to shrug off the fatigue.

Aníbal listened with interest as Raina rattled off her prodigious talents. All of those were things a girl from the upper class was pretty much expected to acquire through her upbringing. Well, except for the familiar spirit - that one was definitely out of the ordinary. He had only the vaguest idea what such a creature was, bits and pieces of information picked up from folklore and books about ancient beliefs, but he had no clue if any of it accurately described the real thing. It was odd that she drew attention to her clothes, which were indeed rather plain. Then again, Aníbal thought, she'd look good in a burlap sack. Although that would probably be quite itchy. When she turned the spotlight on him, he grinned. "What, are you building a file on me?", he teased her and leaned back in his chair, "Let's see... I can dance, like I said. I can play the piano really well - jazz, Latin, classical, you name it. I can hold long, boring speeches on any topic you might choose in no less than five languages, I can ride a horse, and I can talk anyone into anything, especially if they're gullible pretty girls. They don't stand a chance."

Aníbal was focused on his exercise, but he had casually followed Riley's path through the obstacle course in full gear, his eyebrows raising as the youth pulled off a 15 foot fall unharmed. Watching him traverse the course was quite the spectacle. Poetry in motion, Aníbal thought. He was short, but built tough and graceful like a mountain lion, the result of a lifetime spent... doing what, exactly? He realised he had little idea of Riley's life before his arrival to Claremont, only the barest scraps of information. He was from another world, one like our own but dramatically different, one where those trees he saw in the exercise simulation swallowed human civilisation, leaving a vast wilderness in its place. Aníbal couldn't begin to imagine what that life must have been like, and what the rigors of growing up in such a world would do to your mind and body. He had listened to Riley's lament about his combat training with sympathy, the mention of shapeshifters in particular eliciting a grunt of commiseration. His own training focused on practicing the use of his powers, keeping himself sharp, but there was often a twist involved. Archer had a knack for isolating your weak spot and hitting it remorselessly. The scenarios tripped him up a few times, but he did alright. He nodded when Riley talked about Raina. "She's tougher than she looks. But yeah, not everyone is used to that sort of thing...", he remarked, resuming his exercise. "As for the training...", he continued, pushing and pulling the handles, "I think that's kind of the point. They know you can cut down whatever they throw at you, so they try to mess with your head, get at you where you're weakest. Me... Archer got me with the honeypot, and a sniper and an invisible guy. I think he's trying to get you to develop new habits. Teach you what you're up against here is different than what you're used to... wherever you're from." The conversation was getting a bit too heavy for Aníbal's taste. In truth, he knew little about either the tactical side of combat or the exact nature and purpose of the exercises they were given. Very little at Claremont was straightforward. And besides, he wanted to get past Riley's almost military discipline and try to get the boy to loosen up a bit. "But... Never mind all that", he tried to change the subject, "I hope you haven't been spending all your time fighting fake shapeshifters. Have you been to the City yet? Raina promised me we'd go see the sights when they let us have a Saturday off. You should come along, bring Robin too if she wants. They have a saying here in the US: All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy." 13... 14... 15. He sat up and grabbed his drink, wiping the sweat off his brow with the other hand.

"Oh. That's nice", Aníbal remarked as Riley mentioned a date with Robin. Those two seemed made for each other, and it was clear the girl cared for him deeply. He continued his exercise as Riley went to get the rest of his gear, taking a brief pause after every 15 reps on the machine. When Riley returned, he had just finished a set and took a sip of his energy drink. He hummed, the bottle still on his lips, as Riley chided him for his lack of foresight. The young man had a point, of course. He had gotten used to his powers, but the prospect of losing them in a combat situation and having to rely on his normal abilities wasn't a pleasant one. Without his unusual gift, he was merely an ordinary teenage boy, albeit one in excellent physical shape. He put down the bottle and looked at Riley with a quizzical expression. "Thanks for the advice. Wait... Learning... You're not a hologram, are you? Is this real?", he teased with a smile and looked upwards to the ceiling, "Is this another test? Constant vigilance? You pendejos!" He leaned back on the seat and resumed the exercise with a laugh. "Sorry... I'm sure that scenario will pop up in combat training. It's exactly the sort of thing they'd pull. I'll deal with it then. Right now I just want to relax a bit.", he continued, "I mean, no offense. I've seen the way you move, it's amazing. But if I lose my powers, a brick wall is going to be the least of my troubles. Maybe we can do some sparring later, if they have the facilities for it here. You know... Mano a mano. See how good you are without your fancy crossbow." 14... 15. He sat up and stretched. "Me, I'm doing pretty well. Had quite a little adventure a few days after the test. Did you see it on the news? The airliner that landed in the bay? That was me. Well, and two other people.", he replied to Riley's question, "As for Raina, she's just fine. She recovered from the shock pretty fast. Don't worry... It just caught her by surprise, she didn't mean what she said."

Aníbal was glad he caught Riley in a good mood. Without the tension of the testing environment, conversation could be more relaxed, more open. There was surely more to Riley than the grim determination the boy carried almost like a form of armor. He turned his eyes towards the obstacle course after Riley suggested taking turns on it. He pondered it for a few moments before deciding against it. The bits he could easily pass on his own strength were too trivial to be much of a workout, and the bits that were trickier were a distraction: he could indeed fly over the whole assemblage with ease. This was Riley's turf, not his. "Pfft... Naah, I don't think so", he replied. It was clear the dismissal was targeted at the course, not at Riley, or even Riley's suggestion. "This...", he added, as the air around him moved and propelled him about 10 feet upwards, "Really isn't my main problem." From his vantage point, he surveyed the gym hoping to spot the machines necessary for his daily training routine. One of them, the chest press machine, was near the obstacle course. "I'm going to hit the machines, mostly.", he told Riley from above, "Maybe I can keep you company during the breaks. Just a sec, forgot something..." He flew off towards the corner of the room and soon returned, his hoodie off, a white towel slung over his shoulder and a bottle of energy drink in his hand. He landed next to the chest press machine, adjusted the weights, and sat down on it, placing the bottle at the side and laying the towel over the seat beforehand. "Sorry...", he continued with a smile, "I figured it's only fair I do some showing off too." He sat back in the chair and began to rhythmically press the handles forward and pull them back. "So... How have you been?", he asked between reps. Aníbal was aware that rumours of the ill-fated training session circulated through the school over the past weeks, inflated and distorted through the usual process of gossip into even greater grotesques. He hated this aspect of social life, and particularly hated the fact Riley was the one bearing the brunt of it, even though all of them had underperformed in Archer's weird little mind games. Hopefully a friendly chat could reassure Riley he wasn't alone at Claremont.

Aníbal watched with interest as Raina performed her little ritual before watching the video. He had seen her do something similar earlier, during her exercise. It was clearly something associated with her magic, but he had no idea what exactly the humming did, or how precisely it was connected to her abilities. He sat back as she watched the recording, and felt relieved when it made her laugh so hard she teared up. It was a risky move, showing the video, but he was glad it paid off. Her laughter seemed genuine, not one of mockery but of enjoyment. He found it a useful way of winnowing out overly uptight and conservative girls early on, and was happy Raina turned out to be open-minded enough to enjoy a bit of silly fun. Making a girl laugh was always a plus, regardless of how he did it. Now I've got you... He was taken aback when Raina suddenly spoke up in fluent Spanish, with barely a hint of an accent. Brujería, he thought. That's what the humming was for earlier. Either that, or she's kept her knowledge of Spanish a secret until now. He smiled back. "Well, señorita Sanderson, you continue to surprise me", he replied to her in smooth Spanish, "Thank you for the compliment. I don't like to brag, but yes, I can dance pretty well. Especially when I'm not drunk or wearing 7 inch heels. What about you? Do you have any talents other than all this mystical stuff?"

Aníbal entered the gym in his usual work out clothes, carrying a small black gym bag. He wore a plain black hoodie with the logo of a premium Italian sports brand discretely placed on the sleeve, a plain cotton t-shirt, track pants with a pair of golden stripes on the side of the legs and a pair of expensive-looking basketball shoes. A fitness tracker was strapped around his left wrist. He was always the athletic type, and the advent of his powers did not make him slack off on his exercise regimen. Even if he had formidable powers over the air, it was still important to keep himself in peak physical condition. Besides, he enjoyed physical exertion, the feeling of being in command of one's body. He looked around, quietly impressed by the sight. Claremont's gym was very well equipped, with equipment tailored to the needs of its diverse student body. It was bigger and better equipped than the gym at his old school. Not even his father's private gym could compare. He looked for a good spot to put his things, and spotted a crossbow placed near some neatly folded clothing. It brought a smile to his face. Riley was around, it seemed. He hadn't seen much of the boy since the unfortunate exercises a few weeks back. This would be a good opportunity to get to know the enigmatic young hunter, perhaps cement a proper friendship. He laid his gym bag next to Riley's things and went to look for him, following the sounds of movement coming from the other side of the room. He finally found him at the obstacle course, which Riley was navigating with almost trivial ease. As Riley traversed the balancing bridge, he didn't call out to him or make his presence known in any way, not wanting to disturb his concentration. He just watched, admiring the young man's wiry athleticism and acrobatic poise and waiting for an opportunity to catch his attention. When the opportunity presented itself, he greeted the Woodsman with a friendly wave of the hand and a smile. "Hey, Riley!", he said, walking closer to the obstacle course, "Glad I ran into you. Nice work on the course, by the way."

Aníbal gritted his teeth as the airplane, under Seahawk's capable hand, began its turn towards the bay. This was it. Everything they'd accomplished so far, everything they've been working towards earlier would be for naught if they messed up this last part. The plane began its slow descent towards the waters, and he focused his attention outwards, to the currents of air outside of the cockpit. He was no aviation expert, but even he could tell the angle of the descent was pretty tight. There was precious little room for mistakes, and he was determined not to make any. Only one thought was on his mind. Up. Push it up. Push it up. Seahawk could probably feel the winds changing, pushing the airplane up from below in an unnatural manner. Aníbal watched her with the corner of his eye, adjusting the intensity and direction of the winds in response to her motions. It wasn't enough to stop the plunge, the weight of a full airliner being too much for the young aerokinetic to handle, but it made the descent slower and more easily maneuverable. It would, hopefully, make the landing softer than it would be if it were unaided. When the plane was seconds away from hitting the waters of the bay, Aníbal redoubled his efforts. He closed his eyes, tensing every muscle in his body, focusing on directing the air currents to cushion the final impact of the ditching. He focused harder than he'd ever done, and the currents felt stronger. Beads of sweat rolled down his forehead as those last couple of seconds stretched to what seemed like an eternity. Up, damn you. Push it up! As the airplane made contact with the water, any damage that would have befallen the aircraft, or for that matter the passengers, was considerably dampened by a dense cushion of air that formed underneath, which helped keep it airborne for a little longer and gave Seahawk just a little more time and space to work with.