ic Light Lunch (IC)

[Tiffany Korta]

Agnes rolled her eyes at the two villain dramatic entrance; whilst they were standing around posturing she leaned in and whispered to Liz.

“I don’t know about you but I need time to change, I’m going to try and distract them. Wish me luck.â€

Agnes gave quite a confident smile as she stood and approach the two villains. She might be in her civvies, but right now she was the ever confident Young Britannia. As she got nearer she gave a little clap at the villains.

“I say that is really quite an entrance, you have a good strong theme and everything.†Her accent had gone up several social groups.

She gave a sad little head shake.

“But really hitting a popular coffee shop how small time. Villains like you should really be doing bigger and better thing. Maybe I could help? I’m Edina Monsoon I run a small PR company, and think I can help you.

She gave her best saleswoman grin.

“So what do you say?â€

[Raveled]

The scantily-clad Heat Wave turned to Agnes and smiled, warming up the idea instantly. "Really? A PR deal? Is this like that al-Darsa woman, who modeled for the line of bikinis before Interpol caught up with her?"

"Don't be a sop," Cold Front snapped. "Do you think any sort of executive would be caught dead in a stupid Starbase of all places, talking with some dumpy... Hey, where'd she go!?"

Liz had deftly used the distraction provided by Agnes to weave a shield of light around herself, hiding her momentarily. Literally out of sight, she slipped away towards the back of the shop -- but she very much wasn't out of mind! Heat Wave sprang forward and threw a punch that went wide but smashed a hole in the wall of the shop. "Hey! We told you all to stay in your seats!" Cold Front raised one hand to summon forth more icy barriers, but after a moment redirected them to the back of the shop, effectively sealing off that avenue of escape.

[Tiffany Korta]

Whilst the two villains were distracted Agnes did a quick dive behind a convenient sofa, concentrating as she did a forward roll her PE teacher would be proud off she came flying out of the other end as Young Britannia.

“Hello girls. Don’t suppose you’d consider surrendering?†she dropped her accent so it wasn’t quite so obvious, just how many Brit’s were there in Freedom City anyhow?

“But just consider this a convincer.â€

She gathered together her energies and threw towards Coldfront, she wasn’t to try a get any civilians out of the coffee shop as quickly as possible.

[Raveled]

The blast of pure light streaked toward Cold Front, but the bundled-up criminal had time to cross her arms and deflect the blast. As the energy faded Young Britannia could see that her attack had succeeded in burning off some of the fabric on Cold Front's forearms -- to reveal blue and white form-fitting metal. Before she could regain her footing, Cold Front raised her hands and the British heroine could see cold blue lights running up towards the criminal's hands. "Time for you to chill out, hero," Cold Front sneered and Young Britannia could feel the temperature dropping quickly, frost forming on her clothes and all around her.

Heat Wave, meanwhile, kept swinging and trying to hit the invisible (to all but her) Starlight. The heroine, meanwhile, ducked and dodged the blows while reforming her body into something that would cover her secret identity. She dropped the cover and crouched slightly, golden eyes fixed on Heat Wave. "I do not know how you saw me," she said, "but you are not going to be seeing anything else for awhile." Starlight opened her hand and thrust a blinding flash of light in Heat Wave's face.

The criminal reeled back, holding her eyes. "My... my eyes! I'm blind!"

[Tiffany Korta]

The cold didn’t seem to bother Agnes at all, though it was making it difficult to move around. Trying not to reveal her weakened state instead she gave a confident smile as the light around her brightened.

It wasn’t good practice but she focused on Cold Front, Starlight seemed to have her companion in hand she heard the woman calling out her condition.

“I’m chilled enough already thanks. Whilst you on the other hand really need to lighten up…â€

With a simple flick of the wrist she sent a burst of light towards Cold Front.

[Raveled]

Young Britannia's blast hit Cold Front's bracers again, but this time the British heroine could see them cracking under the sustained assault. The criminal gasped as the damage to her armor, taking a quick step forward and swinging at Britannia's head, but the hero was too fast and danced back from the blow. In the other melee, Starlight took advantage of Heat Wave's temporary blindness and launched her own brilliant bolt of light -- but the criminal seemed to sense it coming somehow, and still side-stepped it. "Just face it, hero," Heat Wave spat, still rubbing at her eyes but grinning triumphantly. "We're just too hot for you two to-- ugh!" Starlight's blast had curved around behind the criminal and impacted the back of her head.

"Might want to shut your mouth," Starlight offered, "and watch your back."

[Tiffany Korta]

“Well it looks like poor Cold Front is losing her cool!†She groaned inwardly at her own joke but said it anyway; it just seemed like that kind of day.

She was still a little stiff but her mind was rapidly considering option, best to subdue the woman as quickly as possible and as she had helpfully come so close. With centuries of acclimated knowledge buried in her head she watched the villain blows waiting for the right time. Then gathering together all her strength she made a grab to try and pin her opponent.

[Raveled]

Young Britannia managed to grab Cold Front's arm and noticed the slick, cool feeling of the metal under her hands, but in another moment the supercriminal twisted her arm and broke free. "No one builds a self-respecting power suit without being able to benchpress a bus," she sneered at the hero. Flashing red and blue lights began to show through the ice barrier at the front of the store and the criminal sneered, backing up. She summoned up a few icicles out of thin air and tossed them at Young Britannia. "Heat Wave," she barked. "The fuzz is here, it's time to get away!"

Across the room, Starlight aimed another burst of white energy at the scantily-clad Heat Wave. It hit the blind woman (and how was she dodging the blasts so easily, anyway?) and spun her around, leaving a bruise across her ribs. "But Cold Front," she whined, "I'm just starting to have fun. See?" She juked left and right and landed a nasty-looking uppercut on Starlight's chin. Lights exploded in front of the heroine's eyes and she staggered back, caught off balance. "Serves you right, Light Bulb," Heat Wave spat.

[Tiffany Korta]

Damn this Cold Front was slippier than a barrel full of eels. No chance trying to pin her down, time to return to more direct methods.

Whilst it wouldn’t hurt if the two of them got away, they hadn’t really achieved much and there were enough hero’s in this city. But pride wouldn’t let them get away without a fight.

“I’m glad you’re friends enjoying herself. Why don’t you stay and carry on playing.â€

Ripples of energy pulsed over her body, building in waves of power until it shot out towards Cold Front.

[Raveled]

Young Britannia's focused light blast took Cold Front in the solar plexus and the criminal doubled over in obvious pain, hugging her stomach and squeezing her eyes shut. After a moment she straightened, still with a hand on her midsection. "You'll... pay for that... hero. One day..."

Starlight shook her head sharply and started forward to engage Heat Wave again, but as she noticed Cold Front was off her game decided to switch up tactics. She gathered another dazzling burst of light in her hand and thrust it towards Cold Front, but the icy criminal managed to barely duck out of the way.

Heat Wave gasped at what was happening to her compatriot. "Cold Front! Don't worry!" She danced out of range and snapped out her arm, grabbing one of the cowering civillians, an older woman with silver hair and deeply wrinkled skin. "Heroes! Back off, or grandma gets roasted!" Heat Wave summoned a wreath of fire around her hand and waved it in front of the old woman, causing the civilian to shriek and pull back.

[Tiffany Korta]

Why did they always try something so stupid? Still they would have to be careful, how could she take Heat Wave down without tipping her off?

Then a memory floated up, about strobing lights to hypnotize people. And if she was subtle about this then Heat Wave wouldn’t even recognize that she was being attacked.

She held her arms out and floated into her line of sight.

“Look you don’t have to do this, it isn’t helping anybody. Just let the hostage go.â€

As she was talking she subtly began to alter the aura of light that surrounded her, causing it to flicker slightly hopefully at just the right frequency to effect Heat Wave.

[Raveled]

Heat Wave turned to sneer at Young Britannia, but before she could snap out something her eyes fixed on the strobing, flashing lights. The barely-dressed woman's jaw hung open slackly, and her entire body relaxed. After a moment the grandmotherly woman slipped free and retreated back to her table, pausing briefly to thwap Heat Wave on the side of her head.

Cold Front gaped at her partner in crime. "Heat Wave! Let's go, we've got to get out of here!"

"Oh, no," Starlight hissed. "Neither of you are going anywhere." She drew on her power until it rested, fat and hot, in her palm. She hurled it overarm like a baseball and it smacked the suited cold controller in the side of her head and sent her reeling. "You two are going to answer for your crimes here," Starlight proclaimed stalking towards the other woman. "Answer to the proper authorities!"

[Tiffany Korta]

With the hostage safe Agnes tone changed dramatically. She gave Heatwave a scornful look.

“Really you had to resort to a hostage. Is there any other cliche you’d like to try.â€

As she spoke the light around her began to increase in its pulse, until it was quite obvious that it was building in power.

“I think it’s a good thing to enjoy your work. And you know it’s really has been a pleasure to have kicked your butt.â€

With a dismissive gesture she sent a beam of light toward the currently stunned villain.

[Raveled]

The length of the fight was telling on Young Britannia and the beam of light curved around and smashed into the ceiling above Heat Wave, showering them all with plaster dust. The criminal's mouth curled into a sneer to dismiss the heroine's efforts, which is why she was caught unawares when Starlight blasted her from the side, knocking her to her knees.

Cold Front shook her head sharply to clear it, then gasped at the sight of Heat Wave on her knees. She summoned her powers and gestured at Young Britannia, and the temperature around the British light-slinger plummeted again. "Let us go," she shouted at Starlight, her voice breaking and almost panicky, "or I'll pop the other one's head! See if I don't!"

[Tiffany Korta]

Though the temperature was falling around her Agnes gritted her teeth and began to concentrate.

“You’re going to have to do better than that. I might have to start giving you the cold shoulder.â€

It was false bravado, she didn’t really feel quite up to spec, but it wouldn’t hurt to give her a false impression. She did have enough in her to again start to subtly strobe the aura of light around her body. Though she wasn’t overly confident, maybe it was the way the ice was scattering the light, but the strobe didn’t seem quite right this time.

[Raveled]

Starlight was caught in a moment of indecision. Part of her wanted to take down the villains, no matter what; in her experience roaming the stars, leaving an enemy at your back was rarely a good idea. On the other hand, if the woman went through with her threat and killed Young Britannia, the blood would be on Starlight's hands; furthermore, this was Freedom City, on Earth, a planet and a city seemingly overrun by superpowered crime fighters. Reluctantly, she stood aside from the doorway and moved between Cold Front and the young light controller. "Get out of here," she hissed, "and take your companion with you."

Cold Front backed up towards the blocked hallway, and with a single motion caused a hole to open in the blockade of ice. "Heat Wave," she hissed to the still befuddled villainess. "Come on, we're getting out of here." The pair retreated down the hallway and turned a corner; the heroes heard a door bang open, and they were gone.

Starlight continued to watch the empty hallway for several seconds, but eventually she turned and faced Young Britannia. "Hold still," she said, putting a hand on the younger woman's face. Starlight's aura shone particularly brightly for a moment, then flowed towards the other woman. "Let the power of the Light restore you."

[Tiffany Korta]

The light glowed all around Young Britannia with Starlight’s power combining with her own aura. Then with a blinding flash the ice evaporated in a small cloud of steam. Young Britannia stood there with no ill effects.

“Thank you. Not my finest moment.†She rubbed little bits of my ice off of her arms “Are we going to let them go? We could probably catch them. Though you did you know give your word to let them go, and I guessing that stands for something. And they didn’t’ actually do anything… And I’m babbling now aren’t I?â€

[Raveled]

Starlight did something she did very rarely; she smiled, kindly, helping to brush the last of Cold Front's binding. "Your victories are not judged by who you stop, but by who you save." She spread one arm to encompass the restaurant, and the numerous civilians who had cowered away from the fight. "All these people will live another day without terror or fear, because of what we did here. Besides," she added, walking up to counter, "it's not like they got away with anything much." She picked up one of the brightly colored backpacks there and opened it up, showing Young Brittannia the stacks of money inside. "They left with their freedom, but not the loot. I call that a win for our side, today."