It Looks Better on Me! [IC]

[Airon]

Friday, November 5th, 2011

6:50 PM

The twilight had already give in to the night and the Millenium Mall shone covered in neon and lightbulbs. The speakers played pop hits of the last summer separated by the occasional promotion and annoying corny radio commercials. The Halloween decorations of three-story high atrium in the middle of the building had already been removed, but the ropes to held them in place were still there, hanging sadly while waiting to be filled with giant cardboard turkeys or pilgrim hats.

Plenty of customers were still hurrying from store to store in the 9-block shopping complex: the hallways were packed full of people holding shopping bags, pressed against the railings, clearly trying to profit from the last minutes of opening time before the crowd of the weekend.

Apparently half of those customers were at Triathlon, or so it seemed to Stuart. He was making his fair share of commissions, but his head was about to explode. The large sports and martial arts store occupied almost a third of the second floor in the Starbase building and it seemed that all of the sports fans were making their Christmas shopping early. He just sold a pair of tacky yellow boxing shoes that combined with decent footwork were likely to turn the opponent blind. Now this girl was complaining because the white judogi didn’t make her figure “popâ€.

To hell with patrolling the rooftops tonight he thought my head is pounding so hard I’ll probably get my butt handed to me by a Max junkie! He turned to the next customer “Hello! I’m Stuart. How may I help you sir?â€

[Ari]

Subito Sondo hadn't been able to get out from Claremont much, sensible considering the fact that his powers all but forced him to intervene in case of danger, and he still wasn't ready to do much except break things. The Blue Dame had told him that would soon change, but for now Headmaster Summers's order to refrain from patrolling had been obeyed to the letter. However, he still had his duties to uphold, including finding a suitable gift for his sister Galanta's upcoming birthday. She had been complaining on occasion about the weakening of her exercise equipment, and he had the perfect idea for what to get her...

He had recently made the acquaintance of another student named Serge Explinker, and had thought asking him along would be a good way to break the ice between them. They cut an odd figure between Subito's stocky, bull-like build and darker skin, hair and mien, beside Serge's taller and fairer structure and more cheerful attitude. "Serge, I need to get something from Triathlon for my sister, I'll meet you at the food court just down the hall in about twenty minutes, that alright?" he had asked as they walked in, "Shouldn't take longer than that" he added as he had added as he loped off.

Making his way quickly to the sporting goods store, he approached the salesman who looked less busy than the rest.

“Hello! I’m Stuart. How may I help you sir?â€

At the greeting, his frown broke and he smiled brightly "I'd like to buy several exercise machines and replacement parts, if you have any" he answered eagerly.

[Vahnyu]

Looking around, the mall was positively brimming with costumers going from shop to shop, even though it was only Friday. These past few days had been rather uneventful for Serge, yet it was still a great idea to take this opportunity and relax. One never knows when he's gonna need his strength, afterall.

Serge, I need to get something from Triathlon for my sister, I'll meet you at the food court just down the hall in about twenty minutes, that alright?

"Sure, no problem." Serge responded, looking at his new friend and flashing him a smile.

"Shouldn't take longer than that"

"No need to rush; we have plenty of time." When Serge first met him, Subito seemed very imposing, despite being shorter than him. It didn't take long, however, for Serge to find out that he was a bright and outgoing person. It didn't take long afterwards for the two of them to strike up a conversation, and not long afterwards, they decided to hang out at the mall.

As he headed to the food court, Serge kept glancing around, in case he spoted anyone he knew. He couldn't help but notice that there were many teenagers around his and Subito's age. Feeling a little thirsty, he headed for the nearest shop. "Good afternoon. Could I have some orangade, please?", he asked the clerk, while pulling out some cash from his wallet.

[Airon]

Of course! Why ask the fitness guys about fitenss equipment when you can ask the martial arts guy! thought a mildly annoyed Stuart at the young man's question. He tried to mantain his smile, but it probably shifted towards a tired grin There's Jeffrey and Tina, but he asks m... he looked towards the fitness section. Jeffrey was nowhere to be seen while Tina was juggling the questions of no less than four beefcakes trying to hit on her while asking questions about dumbells. Smooth.

"Ok, man, let's go see some machines." at least he could drop the "sir": the customer wasn't probably even twenty years old. He navigated Subito in the crowd, landing a couple of free square feet near a benchpress.

"So, I guess you'd like to see some benches and maybe barbells? Or would you like to see actual machines for home fitness? We have everything, from legpresses to pilates machines..." the young man looked positively buff for his age, maybe was going for an even more imposing look.

---

Serge was expecting the twenty minutes Subito promised to get amplified by the crowd. Even to get a beverage he had to wait several minutes. In the food court! He was tempted for a second to go into the Hi-Tech store, but the people crammed together in the hallway made him rethink that move. He sipped his orangeade slightly bored, trying to cross gazes with one of the many girls hanging around.

[Ari]

"A Powerline PVLP156X vertical leg press would be preferable" came the decisive reply "along with a Stamina35-1050 Body Trac Glider and two barbells in addition to a three hundred pound set of weights for them" he continued, reading from a notepad he had tucked into his pocket somehow "a slanted sit-up bench(Crescendo Fitness preferred) and an Everlast 100-year 100-pound suspended punching bag" he checked the list over again and nodded "Yeah, that looks like everything. Do you have these items in stock at the moment, or will I need to order them specially?" he asked earnestly. He knew it would be another month or so before Galanta's birthday, but he wanted to make sure everything arrived in time, without any fear of some part of it arriving a week after the fact.

[Vahnyu]

Serge was enjoying his drink, by taking moderate sips from the can's small opening, and then shaking them in his mouth by applying air pressure, so that the carbonate in the juice would act up. He sat against a railing, not really wanting to sit on a chair yet, but he felt a bit uncomfortable, as he was still wearing his bag. Taking it off, he placed it near his feet, upon which time he resumed inspecting the crowd. Well, just as I thought. I don't think I can spot a single girl unescorted by a guy. That's nice... Behind the railing, there was a tree that, although tall, looked very young. You sheldom see a tree inside a mall. I wonder what do they do to keep the bugs away from the stands.

Taking his cellphone out, Serge realised that he had missed a call from his mother. Making a mental note to tinker it so that the vibration is actually felt through the belt pouch while he's on the move, Serge dialled his mother's cellphone from memory. After a few beeps, his mother answered the phone. "Hey, mum... yeah, in the mall with Subido... probably for some billiards, I don't know... 3 or 4 hours, maybe... yeah... uh-huh... um, you can ask Gregory for that, he knows how to use the printer... ok... anything else?... ok, mum... love ya... bye. CLICK. Putting his phone away, Serge resumed enjoying his drink, and the view.

[Airon]

Wow this guy knows more than I do! Stuart was left a bit startled by the the young client's display of fitness equipment knowledge. "S-sure, man." he stuttered "Just-just let me check what we have in storage." At least the punching bag was in his usual area of competence. "You can see our bags right there, we have the 100-pound, we also have the floor-locked one." Then he typed into the desk computer what he could remember from the sequence of products and acronyms that he was supposed to check. "Was it a PVLP 140... no, 156X, right? Yes, we still have a couple left. And those other products too, it seems." he checked every item, always fearing to get a name wrong.

He was distracted for just a second by a short man who, apparently, was arguing with his reflected image in a full-body mirror. But another clerk offered to help him and the man gave a puzzled look at the mirror before asking for shoes. Stuart's and Subito's looks crossed and Stuart nodded towards the eccentric man, smiling as to say "oh those crazy crazy customers...". "How would you like to procede for the payment and the delivery of the machines?" asked instead.

---

Serge had finished his beverage and was growing a bit restless. The twenty minutes were pretty much up and Subito was probably still stuck in the store. Even people-watching was getting stale: the couple passing by now had already crossed the court a while ago. That old guy in the blue jacket had been trying on glasses, continuosly, for the last ten minutes at least: he put on the first pair, turned to the mirror mechanically, barely even checking his reflection, than put the glasses back and proceeded with the next pair. He was almost done with the second display case. The cleaning lady was staring at the same pool of water as five minutes ago, as if she was trying to make it evaporate.

All in all, different mall, same weirdos.

[Ari]

"I'll pay with a credit card" Subito responded after a moment's consideration, recalling he didn't have enough at the moment to pay for more than $200-worth of anything, and he suspected it would cost rather more than that. "As for shipping, I'd like it delivered to this address in the West End-" he gave Stuart a slip of paper with the address in question on it "-within the next two weeks if that can be done" after making the final arrangements for the purchase and delivery of the equipment, he bade Stuart a good day and set off for the food court to rejoin Serge.

Catching sight of him he called out cheerfully "Hey, Serge! That's done, and with any luck a 100-pound punching bag will last longer than the last one. Anyway what're you up for, I think you said something about billiards on the way here?"

[Vahnyu]

Serge was stretching when he spotted Subito. He waved at him from afar, and he picked his bag up as he stood away from the railing.

"Hey, Serge! That's done, and with any luck a 100-pound punching bag will last longer than the last one. Anyway what're you up for, I think you said something about billiards on the way here?"

"Well, that's great to hear! I hope your sis goes easy on this one." He replied earnestly to Subido. "And yes, I did say billiards. I was hoping that we could play a few games of eight ball." Putting his bag on, Serge started walking towards the moving stairs, as Subido caught up to him, before stopping abruptly and asking him "By the way, you wouldn't happen to want to get anything to eat, or drink, would you?"

[Ari]

"Not really, no" the bulky teen answered casually "Not really hungry yet. Maybe after a few games I will, we'll see"

falling in step with Serge he continued "So eight-ball, huh? had no idea place like this would still have a table for it! They've got most everything, don't they?" he grinned cheerfully at his new friend "Thanks again Serge for coming, haven't had much time to meet people at school yet, you know?"

He was in high spirits, the school year was coming along smoothly, he was learning more about the geopolitical situation of the world than he had in the last five years in a few months, and he was getting a handle on his powers as well, not to mention he had just gotten a gift for Galanta he knew she'd love.

[Vahnyu]

"So eight-ball, huh? had no idea place like this would still have a table for it! They've got most everything, don't they?"

"They sure do! Movie theatres, bowling alleys, book shops... I mean, hell, last time I was in a mall, I spotted a basketball court!"

"Thanks again Serge for coming, haven't had much time to meet people at school yet, you know?"

"Haha, nonsense, my friend. You don't have to thank me for anything. In fact, I'm in the same boat as you." Serge waived away Subito's concern's as the two of them, as the stairs were moving them both towards the upper floor. "After all, I'm sure we can all appreciate a bit of a downtime, now and then." At that moment, Serge's expression became a look of competitive anticipation while his grin widened, as he continued. "And what better way to loosen up, than engaging in the time honoured tradition of Modern Day Jousting, AKA, the eightball!" By this time, one could swear he'd spot flames sparking from Serge's eyes.

[Airon]

Right next to the bowling alley on the first floor they found what was probably one of the few remaining arcades in the city. There were still some coin-up games and four amazingly detailed flippers, but the bulk of the room hosted six pool tables. Only two were occupied, so Serge and Subito took up the sticks and started playing.

But they had barely begun the game that a series of loud crashes took their attention. Two boys about the same age of the Claremont duo were pounding at the screens of two powered-down coin-up videogames, their fists starting to get bruised and bloodied against the slick black screen.

“F@#£ you, I’ll kill you! who do you think you are?†they were screaming nonsensical menaces at the screens, which were starting to crack.

At the same time a cleaning lady started screaming and backing away from a pool of water she made on the polished floor “She’s in there! Help, she’s there! It can’t be!†she was pointing at the pool of water.

The patron of the arcade, instead of helping his customers deal with those nutcases, was too busy looking at his own reflection in the mirror behind the counter, combing his hair and actively, and loudly, complimenting himself on his good looks.

Security was coming in, but something definitely wasn’t right…

---

Stuart was pretty pleased at the big sale he just made with Subito, and was going back to his section of the store when the short man who quarreled with his own image in the mirror snapped and attacked his own reflection. He slammed a dumbbell into the mirror, destroying it and screaming threats at his own image.

Security escorted him out, but Stuart was worried: this is Freedom City, and behind weird behaviors usually there was danger…

[Ari]

Subito was well used to making snap decisions that often had regrettable effects. This, however, was something he had never had the occasion to prepare for, and for more than five seconds he stared at the bizarre scene unfolding.

At last, however, he mastered himself and said to Serge "Quick! I'll get those two guys away from the cabinets, you deal with that pool and get that guy away from the mirror!" and with that, he flung himself on the two youths, whipped an arm around each of their midsections and pulled them away from whatever terrible vision they were beholding.

Once they were nearer to the tables, he turned to them angrily "What were you doing? Why were you attacking the games? What did you see?" he demanded, a feeling in his gut telling him that Whatever-It-Was might very easily be related to some kind of super-villain attack.

[Vahnyu]

Serge was completely focused on the game, so it is no surprise that when the shouting started, he was caught off-guard. What the hell?... he asked himself, as his attention turned to the events unfolding. Just like Subido, Serge found himself speechless, until Subido's words brought him out of his reverie.

"Quick! I'll get those two guys away from the cabinets, you deal with that pool and get that guy away from the mirror!"

Snapping out, Serge responded "Huh!? Yeah, leave it to me", his eyes regaining focus immidiately, he darted across the room to where the cleaning lady was. "Madam! Are you alright? What's wrong?" Following her gaze, he realised that she was pointing towards a puddle of water. Suddenly, the events that unfolded earlier came rushing into Serge's mind. Could there be something in the water, maybe?... No... the guys Subito is attending to are clearly shouting towards a screen. And there were those people from earlier... What the hell is going on here? As he took a careful and thorough examination, Serge wondered if there was anything he could actually do to help.

[Airon]

Once yanked away from the screens, the youth cooled down quickly: they both stared blankly for a few seconds, before seemingly regain their focus. “$#|%, what the hell happened?†they asked, looking in pain to their knuckles scratched and bruised against the screens.

The cleaning lady also stopped screaming, even if she kept shivering and refused to uncover her eyes and kept her hands firmly cupped over them, while whispering “A moment… I need a moment. Oh God. Just a moment please.†When Serge, with all the caution he could, gazed into the pool of water, all he could see was his own reflection in the wet floor.

It was in that instant that an alarm went off, the sound ear-piercingly loud, from a store on the third floor.

---

Stuart was still befuddled by the strange accident that an alarm went off. Between people screaming, and apparently other similar accidents bursting out, it wasn't easy to locate the source of the alarm, but the Bulgari jewelry store caught his eye. "Well, this should be new. Let's mix the two jobs!" he said to himself. Hoping nobody would see him, he disappeared into the storage room to change into his hero costume.

[Ari]

"You were punching those arcade cabinets" Subito declared simply, pointing at the dented and bloodied screens "What did you see, and why did you try to punch it? Come on" he said more gently "This is Freedom City, this stuff happens, I'll be happy to help yo-" his words were cut off by the sudden blast of noise from the alarm on the third floor, which slammed into his super-sensitive ears like a hammer. Stepping quickly away, he told them "If somebody asks you what happened, please try to be as complete as you can. It will help 'em a lot" so saying, he stepped into the crowd outside the arcade, gripped the flag he carried hidden in his shirt and asked silently

Blue Dame, I need your power to fight something that is a danger to these people

The answer was immediate Granted

A burst of golden mist burst from the crowd's midst, and as nobody had seen him enter the group, none knew who the young man in the blue and yellow costume bearing the insignia of a ram was, as carrying a massive banner bearing the flag of Puerto Rico he thundered "People of Freedom City, take heart! Not on this day, nor any other to come shall you be abandoned to monsters!" soaring up to level three, he followed his powerful hearing to the jewelry store where the alarm originated.

He was deeply frightened for all his loudness. Who was to say that the enemy wasn't impervious to his blows? he could only hope...

[Vahnyu]

The instant Serge heard the alarm, he realised that things took a turn for the worse. "Look... just try to remain calm, ma'am. I'm sure the proper authorities are on their way." he said to the cleaning lady, trying to comfort her as best as he could. Looking at his friend Subito, he run at him, and whispered "Hey, I think I'm gonna head for the toilet, take care of an urgent matter, you know. I'll be back in a second or two."

Not losing any time, Serge sped with all haste at the nearest men's room, making sure he grabbed his bag on the way. Upon arriving, he entered a stall, locked it, and opened the bag. Inside, there where books and notebooks. Behind them, though, inside a hidden compartment, Serge had stored his costume. Removing it as quickly as he could, he started changing clothes. First was the full body grey costume, that only left his eyes exposed. Second, was the chest-phone harness, followed by the tool belt, and the black boots. Finally, Serge put his blue gloves, which connected to the rest of the costume immidiately. Putting his civilian clothes inside his bag, and stashing it under the toilet seat, he made his way out of the bathroom, by running very fast.

By the time he had stopped three things had happened. He was outside of the store. He was no longer Serge. And he was very, very angry. All week! This could happen any time during this whole week. It just HAD to happen on my downtime. Great. Taking flight, he spotted a colorfully dressed individual, wearing a brilliant jacket with blue and red tights, a bandana and a hat covering his face, and a flagpole with the flag of Puerto Rico. Landing softly by what he regognised as his newest friend, Subito, he said "So, 'El Heraldo'. Are we ready to find out just exactly what is going on here?" Now, he was only Net Fly.

[Airon]

Heraldo flew up to the third story and faced the Bulgari store while in mid-air: before his eyes there was some controlled mayhem.

Almost everyone in a 50-feet radius around the jewelry shop was looking at a mirror: mirrors in clothing stores, in the elevators, behind bar counters, or just a very polished glass panel. A teenage girl was turning her head left and right looking at her distorted reflection in a metal vase.

The only people who seemed aware of their behavior were in fact robbing the store.

There were four men filling bags with the jewels by the handful. All four were tall and muscular, all wearing an outfit so ridiculous that Heraldo almost dropped three feet when he saw them. It had all the makings of a male stripper outfit: a black bowtie on a white collar around the neck, even if the collar was attached to no shirt: they were wearing a black waistcoat on a naked chest, showing off their muscular arms. Black formal pants and lucid shoes completed the set. They were all wearing white skymasks.

Guarding the store entrance, welding twin guns that looked made of crystal, was one of the most beautiful women Heraldo had ever seen. An algid beauty, with pale skin, golden hair, full lips and a perfect hourglass figure modeled by an adherent dark jump-suit.

[Ari]

Stunned almost into silence by the baffling sight that met his eyes, El Heraldo just managed to reply "Well, uh...I think the blonde lady is responsible for this. Lemme talk to her" so saying, he floated towards her until he was a few feet from her position and dressed the lovely woman.

"Miss, I'm El Heraldo. I'd like to know who you are and why you and your..associates are stealing from this store. Please understand that if you try to keep me from apprehending you for this should you refuse to stop, I will not hesitate to beat you and your entire gang senseless"

He then awaited her response, the flag slowly swirling despite the lack of wind.

[Airon]

It took the blonde woman only a fraction of a second to recover from the sudden apparition of Heraldo. She turned her head, her golden hair following in a harmonious motion and landing on her shoulders. She smiled maliciously at the young hero “Oh my, you are cute one!†she winked at him “Or should I say eres lindo? But then again, most likely…†she pointed her shining crystal gun at him, dropping the smile for a snarky grin “...it would be more correct ERAS lindo! Get out of here, boy, before I blast all the zits on your face! Boys, hurry up!†she shouted then to the thugs, who kept on shoving handfuls of jewelry into the bags.

---

Stuart saw the young flag-bearing hero rise up through the atrium and got a bit startled. Oh, good. I’m not alone. Let’s hope he has some actual expertise and is not just some clown…

It took an instant for him to direct his gravity pull towards the ceiling. He felt the familiar jerk around the navel as he got pulled up and away. He redirected the pull mid-flight to land on his feet near the thugs. He rolled his three-section staff around his head “Didn’t mom tell you not to play with the shiny things, like the ca… no! Like the bird… oh forget it!†he dropped his clumsy attempt at a taunt and attacked the thugs “It’s raining bruises for you!†the two thugs tried to defend themselves, but quickly fell under the repeated blows to the stomach and the head.

[Airon]

As soon as they saw their mates knocked unconscious, the two remaining thugs reached for their guns and took shots at G-Stunt. The first bullet got lost above his head, but the second one was accurate enough to rip the leg of his costume and take away a good chunk of meat from Stuart’s thigh. The hero screamed in pain “You’re next, you out of place stripper boytoy!†pointing at the ridiculous bowtie of the goon who hit him.

Looking Glass lowered her gun from Heraldo’s face. “Well, I guess I can probably sell my weapons, if I want… it would make me rich just the same, and it would be legal…†she raised her piercing blue eyes into Heraldo’s ones. “You… you really got to me. I guess you’re a hero after all, Her…†she was mid-sentence when she pulled the trigger and shot from the hip to Heraldo’s chest. A brief ZAP! and the red laser left her gun “Sucker! The world doesn’t deserve my genius! Now if you’ll excuse me I have some jewels to steal!â€.

The laser hit Heraldo right in the chest, burning a painful semi-circle below his sternum. Looking glass chuckled and scouted the area for other heroes.

[Ari]

The shot struck El Heraldo fairly well, leaving a light bruising in it's wake and sending him a few inches back through the air. Gritting his teeth, Subito glared at Looking Glass, more out of irritation that she'd pull a trick like that than at the negligible hurt the well-aimed shot had managed to do. The act had fooled him too, which was an embarrassment

Thank you for your protection, Blue Dame he sent his grateful message as he always did when his powers rescued him.

Think nothing of it, merely doing as we must came the usual reply.

Then the shots echoed through the mall, and his anger(and the usual feelings of injured pride that accompany a sneak attack) was pushed aside to be replaced by horror at a possible death!

He soon saw the tableau left by the shot placed by the thug(Really, I must find out who these men are and where she hired them. Might help forestall future occurrences he thought, wondering vaguely if that was the right use for the word 'forestall'), the man bleeding from a wound in his leg sent pretty much all thought but 'help out' from his brain.

Unfortunately, the Blue Dame had made clear that if he wanted to access the full might available to him, he would have to wait a time to gain the power to heal, meaning the most he could offer at the moment was encouragement.

"Fight on, gallant in gray!We'll beat them yet, the battle hasn't even begun!" he hollered, hoping his voice wasn't as recognizable to anyone else as it seemed to him, brandishing the Bandera as it unfurled to its full glory of red and white.

[Vahnyu]

When the thugs opened fire, Net Fly was paralyzed for a moment, before regaining his composure. "EL HERALDO!" he shouted, as he realised that his friend thankfully brushed off most of the damage. Dammit. The other hero seems to have been shot, too! No time to be scared, Serge. You have to get to work, here. he thought solemnly.

"Fight on, gallant in gray!We'll beat them yet, the battle hasn't even begun!"

As his friend's inspiring words invigorated Net Fly's spirit, he took flight, nearing the ceiling, and, from up there, he unleashed his attacks upon the two smug thugs that were left standing. "Go to sleep, small fries!" He shouted at them. His fists were briefly covered in sonic energy, as he took aim at the two thugs, before releasing two streams of vibrational sonic energy that crossed the room in a matter of instants. He managed to hit the thug on his right with little effort on his right squarely on the chest, while he nearly missed the thug to his left.

Turning his attention at the woman, Net Fly growled at her "Alright, *auntie*. I've let you play for far too long. You seem to have an unhealthy obsession with sparkly objects. Not to worry, though" he smiled a taunting smile at the villainess, "By the time I'm through beating the tar out of you, you'll be seeing sparkles for weeks!"

[Airon]

G-Stunt was about to unleash a sound beating on the thugs who injured him, but was startled by the new hero appearing on the scene. Flying up from the bottom floor, the fast grey-clad figure blasted to Morpheus’ realm the criminals. G-Stunt shook his head to get rid of the painful ringing in his ears left by the trail of the sonic attack, and to endure the pain caused by his wounded leg.

“Thanks, guys!†he shouted to Net Fly and Heraldo: between the newfound help and Heraldo’s rousing speech, he now felt definitely better.

He turned around waving his three-section staff. A quick motion disjointed the chain rings that kept together the three sections, transforming the weapon into a series of heavy throwing batons. He turned towards Looking Glass “Ah!†he screamed “My leg! It hurts…†he limped and faked a fall to the ground, but right when he was going down, he turned the fall into a somersault, landed on his feet and threw one of his batons, aiming at her head for maximum damage. “I’m about to put a black eye on that pretty face, doll. Hoping this won’t make too hard looking into a mirror… you’ll be lost without’em, I’m guessing!â€

[Airon]

Looking Glass didn’t fall for the pathetic pantomime of G-Stunt, however the baton was accurate enough to hit her. G-Stunt was about to unleash a small laugh of victory when Looking Glass jerked her head aside and the baton merely messed up her hair.

“Oh, please…†she scolded Stuart with a pitiful look “You may be enough to incapacitate those apes they sold me as henchmen, but a mastermind of my caliber? You’ll be needing way better moves than that… and dear Lord…†she added then, looking at the trio opposing her “Three ‘heroes’, not one with a decent costume! Who are you, the Raven’s Ugly Ducklings?â€

She moved away from Heraldo, gun still pointed at the heroes, then her hand went to her belt. The thrusters on her back fired up and suddendly she was airborne. “Well, let’s see how well you ducklings fly, shall we? Go, come on, go, go be little obedient heroes like they taught you…†as she said so, she fired with quick motions her crystal gun towards a group of bystanders: three teenage girls, so far totally lost in admiration of their own reflection in the hallway mirror, suddenly seemed terrified by it: they turned around and until they got to the third-story handrail; the time seemed to stop for a second, then they jumped off and fell down in the atrium, their screams lost in the chaos of the other Confused people around them.