ic Run With the Devil('s Advocates)

[Electra]

Raina grimaced. "So you like, what, walk through them and it screws up their organs and they keel over? That's messed up. But I was starting to think we might have to bury that last guy in concrete and put him in some new construction to stop him, so whatever works, I guess?" She shrugged, not ready to shed tears over the bikers who had, after all, started everything in the first place. Civilians were starting to come back to the scene now, people inspecting their damaged vehicles and taking pictures, or a few hardy souls still trying to head for the bars nearby. Everyone was giving the two heroes a wide berth, for the moment at least. 

 

Merlin, who'd still been perched on the floating broomstick, scampered up to Raina's shoulder to inform her that he needed a better wifi signal if he was ever going to get anything done, and that she still had homework she'd better not blow off again. Oddly enough, though the little monkey spoke in chitters and squeaks, Ghost was able to get the gist of what he was saying perfectly easily. "Gimme a break," Raina muttered back, "it's not even ten yet. You just want to get back to your computer." 

[RocketLord]

GHOST

 

"Eh, not really? It just... kinda works? I ghost through people or things and I focus just the right way, then it hurts them. That's... pretty much it.

 

And she had a monkey on her shoulder, chittering to her about homework or something like that.

 

Of course she had a monkey.

 

"... So... is that guy a code monkey?"

[Electra]

The monkey gave Ghost a look that, combined with his faint hiss, informed Ghost that he had already heard all the jokes and was not impressed by them. "Yes," Raina told him blithely, "but don't call him that if you value your online identity. This is Merlin. So you just punch people inside their bodies?" She thought about that for a second. "Yeah, not sure that's less creepy. Do you know who those guys were?"

[RocketLord]

GHOST

 

"Alright, alright, Sorry."

 

Whatever witch girl said, that was totally a code monkey, but this wasn't the time to be monkeying around.

 

"Wouldn't really call it a punch inside their body. More like... disrupting their bodies? I dunno, its weird, I know. Just works." He had tried to figure out how it worked before, but didn't really seem to follow any laws of physics or anything, so... Yeah. It was weird. Best way to put it.

 

"Devil's Advocates, according to their jackets, I guess. Haven't really heard of them before," he answered with a shrug. "Seemed like the standard suddenly powered biker gang out to cause trouble."

[Electra]

"Every new way you describe that makes it sound worse," Sparkler pointed out with a grimace. "You look like a ghost, only I don't see any psychopomp around... oh, wait! You're that guy who's always getting in the paper for dumb superhero tricks, right? The Ghost? Man, that editor must have a real hate-on for you or something." She looked around as though suddenly expecting a tabloid reporter to have shown up and started taking pictures. "Nobody's going to write an article about this, are they? I'm not ready for that, I haven't picked the place I want to be left to die of embarrassment yet." 

[RocketLord]

GHOST

 

Ghost shrugged.

 

 

"Can't argue with that." Yeah. It sounded worse. He could probably make it sound even worse if he really wanted to, but... eh. Kid didn't need that right now, did she? She was starting to freak out about this getting in the papers or the news or something.

 

"Eh, you get used to it. If you're lucky good ol' triple C will say you're the one that stopped all these people and I just got in the way."

[Electra]

"Or he'll say we harassed a perfectly innocent group of cyclists out for an evening bike ride," Raina suggested with a wry twist of her lips. "I know how it works. Only way to win is not to play. Problem is, none of those cops even took a statement from us, let alone pulled security tapes or interviewed witnesses, so they're probably incompetent or dirty, or both. Could definitely be both." Merlin chirruped agreement at that.  "Biker guys are going to be back on the streets soon either way. At least they won't have their bikes." She looked with some satisfaction at the shallow-water artificial reef she'd created from motorcycles. "I better get home and start spreading the word." 

[RocketLord]

GHOST

 

"Yeah, that sounds about right." 

 

Ghost looked towards the cops that were taking the bikers away. He'd figured it was something along those lines. Most cops in Freedom was good enough, but yeah, had to happen.

 

"Bad guys go free way too often, sure, but not playing isn't really an option, is it? Look around," he gestured to the area around them with both hands, "imagine how much worse it would've been if we hadn't been here. At least they're kept busy until they're getting out. So... down for the moment."

[Electra]

"If you hadn't, maybe." Sparkler snorted. "Anyway, good luck with being crucified by the papers. Remember if it gets too bad, you can always try out a new name and a sexier costume, see if they like you better that way. Whatever sells, right?" She hopped back onto her broom, sitting sidesaddle to preserve the illusion of the skirt she was wearing. Even if her "legs" were fake, she didn't want to be showing off any more of them than she chose to. 

[RocketLord]

GHOST

 

Different costume and name? Nah. Casper had been doing this too long to change now. 

 

He looked after witch girl and her monkey as they flew away for a second, before turning and moving back to the people around them. He might be getting some weird looks, but he had to make sure everyone was alright.

 

And the day had been so good up until those guys showed up... Oh well. At least Carrie hadn't been around for this.

[RocketLord]

GM

 

The four ring leaders of the gang were loaded into a van, shackled with powers dampeners, while O'Brian tried to direct the other officers in how to remove all the bikers that Ghost had gotten stuck in the ground, grumbling all the while, sending annoyed glances at Ghost.

 

The van drove off, into the city. Cueball was the first to come to, struggling against his restraint to little effect. Angel was next, followed by the Born Loser. Buddy was the last to open his eyes.

 

Even stuck in traffic, it shouldn't have taken them this long before they reached somewhere equipped to handle them, somewhere they could be held, at least until transfer to proper detention. 

 

The guard inside the van appeared uneasy. He knocked on the wall, talking in a hushed voice about what was happening. He didn't get any response, which only made him more nervous.

 

Finally, the van came to a stop. The guard was, if anything, even more nervous now, moving his weapon between the four Devil's Advocates.

 

The door to the van opened behind to darkness. The Kingston Doomforge loomed in the distance. A shadow struck, impaling the guard against the wall, before a pale man with white hair, dressed in a victorian suit, stepped into the van, with a smile on his face. 

 

Angel returned the smile.