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Gallant


Droideka

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Gallantly Forward

 

February 20th, 2017
Freedom City
2:45 AM

 

It was late, and the night was dark and cold. The streets were lonely, and within the dim sphere granted by the streetlights, only one figure could be seen. He wore almost all black, with a ski mask haphazardly worn over his head. He walked casually and confidently down the sidewalk, looking about. Internally, Gallant was a bit morose. It had been a slow night, which was at once good and bad. Good because it meant here was less crime, bad because it meant he has less heroic feats to preform than most nights. He scratched his neck roughly. His make-shift mask was really starting to chafe.

 

Suddenly, without warning, he heard and felt a surprisingly large explosion rock a nearby building. He could see smoke further up the block, and in an instant, he was off.

----

Gallant skidded to a halt as he reached the epicenter. It was a medium sized jewelry store, looked completely closed, nobody inside. Smoke poured out of the building onto the street, and waving his hand to clear it, he looked about.

 

There was only one other person nearby, a figure hunched and coughing. Gallant rushed forward and dragged them away from the smoke before taking a closer look at them. She was a young redhead, looked as old as he did. She was pretty, he supposed, wearing a nice ruby red dress. The young lady turned to him and began to speak.

 

"T-thank you, Sir. You saved me..." The look in her eyes and the way she spoke reminded him of Guinevere. Beneath his ski-mask, his mile grew, and he began chuckling lowly.

 

"No need for praise! Saving Innocents is my purpose, madame." Gallant turned toward the store and narrowed his eyes. "Speaking of which, have you any idea what villain committed this act?" He waved his hand in the general direction of the store.

 

"Y-yes!" She seemed ecstatic for some strange reason. "I did, I saw, t-they were like ghosts, phantasms! They came in and grabbed the jewelry in that store after it exploded, and then they phased straight through the wall!"

 

Gallant hummed in acknowledgement. Specters of some sort. But what would they want with jewelry? He shook his head. It didn't matter either way, they were most likely long gone. He turned back to the young lady. For some strange reason, she seemed to be slowly walking away from him.

 

"Well, if what you say is true, those cur are likely long gone. My patrol for the night is nearing it's end, but before it does, I would be happy to escort you to the police station."

 

"P-Police station.." Her eyes seemed to be sharpen. "..why would you take me there?"

 

"So that you may give your report as an eyewitness, of course. Unless you would rather wait for them here, miss..."

 

"Caroline." She responded, seemingly automatically. She cursed lowly and seemed to consider his question for moment, before looking up and reaching into her purse. She pulled out a phone and shoved it into his hand. "How about you call them, Sir? I'm still a bit shaken."

 

Gallant nodded and looked down, but before he could mess with the phone something caught his eye. A glint, coming from Caroline's purse. Was that...jewelry?

He reached out, and in an instant Caroline jumped back, once more reaching into her purse. She smiled viciously

 

"So, you're not as stupid as you sound." Her voice had dropped an octave. "But you're still stupid." A click sounded from inside the purse, and the phone in Gallant's hand burst into a massive cloud of smoke.

 

He coughed and furiously waved the smoke away. Trickery! He had been deceived by the young lady. He looked about but Caroline seemed long gone. He frowned, and turned as he heard the telltale sounds of police sirens. He was pleased at first, but that slowly turned to dread as he sighted a white news van trailing the cops. Inside Gallant's head, several thoughts flashed, but one stood out more than the others.

 

Run.

 

He was off in an instant, using his superior speed to swerve through alleys and back-road streets. The sirens faded quickly, and noting the rising sun, Gallant began heading toward his current home.

-----------
February 21st, 2017
Freedom City
12:23 PM

 

Giselle sighed as she threw the door to her apartment. She hopped about as she removed her heels, and began ranting.

 

"You will not believe the day I had!" She stalked toward the kitchen, still in her suit and socks. "First my car runs out of gas, right at the curb of the station, and I had to push it up all on my own, then I get to the office just the tiniest minute late and Rodriguez rides me like a truant, and-oh my god you're drinking orange juice out of the carton, that is so disgusting, Leon!"

 

Said brother held up his hand before pulling the OJ away from his lips. 

 

"Okay, one: It was almost gone anyway. Two: It was almost expired. And three: I was really thirsty."

 

He moved past Giselle, and began stuffing the empty carton into their overstuffed garbage bin.

 

"I'm really sorry you had such a crap day, sis."

 

Giselle seemed to want to say something more, but instead shook her head and sighed, reaching into the fridge for a soda.

 

"Thanks, Leon." She began shuffling toward her room. "I'm gonna go relax and catch up on some Game of Thrones, call me if you need anything."

 

"When are you guys gonna finish my costume?" He hollered toward her as the garbage bin conceded his victory. "That ski mask and turtleneck really suck." He scratched his neck for emphasis.

 

"Ask Ginny!" he heard the sound of a door closing and huffed, moving to flop on the couch. It had been about a month since the "Incident". His sisters had known about his powers as long as Leon himself had, which was both good and bad. Good because it meant he had moral support, and also access to Ginny's sewing skills for his costume. Bad because they didn't know the full story, and also because they were at times absurdly embarrassing about his super-heroics.

 

He could hear the spirits buzzing in the back of his head. Far as he could tell, they were still sore about the thing with, Caroline, was it? He didn't really care about Gallant getting played for a fool as much as he did the fact that a criminal with explosive expertise was still out and about. He'd looked up what he could about her after his morning shower, and he thought he might have a spot for Gallant to check out for a lead on her.

 

Leon sighed to himself as he mindlessly tapped his foot on the floor. He really needed a hobby, or a job or something.

-----------
February 21st, 2017
Freedom City
10:13 PM

 

Gallant knocked once, twice, three ties on the lovely wooden door before stepping back and looking about. It was a pleasant neighborhood, tucked away into a little corner near a local park. He looked down at himself, more specifically at the glorious coat his wondrous sister had crafted for him. He enjoyed it immensely, and he was excited for the final piece in his costume. Guinevere had told him beforehand that the mask was nearing completion, but for tonight, he was still stuck with the ski-mask.

 

Gallant turned back toward the door as it creaked open, and raised his hand in greeting. Standing now on the porch was an older woman, late forties to early fifties. Her hair was brown with gray fringes, and her humble dress was emerald green, but the thing that drew his attention was her angelic smile.

 

"Hail, fair Madame Gainsborough! I have come here this cold night to ask some questions about your daughter. Might I come in?"

 

The woman blinked, her expression surprised. She quickly settled back into a smile, however.

 

"You must be the nice young man I've been hearing about. Chivalry, was it?"

 

"Gallant, actually." He placed his hand on the back of his head and glanced downward.

 

She chuckled. "Well, Gallant, please come inside. I'll brew up some tea and we can," her smile once more faltered, and she sighed, "talk more about my baby girl."

----

this is really good tea

 

He was on his fourth cup already, and the pot was almost empty. Mrs. Gainsborough eyed him happily as he drank, munching silently on a soft biscuit. Finally, as Gallant finished his latest cup, she cleared her throat, breaking the silence.

 

"I must say, dear, that mask just doesn't suit you at all."

 

"A-ah, yes." He nodded. "I feel much the same. Luckily, this is only a temporary measure, and my full heroic visage will soon be visible!" He pointed his finger upward dramatically.

 

Once more, Mrs. Gainsborough giggled. His smile widened beneath the mask.

 

"Now, about your daughter?"

 

"Ah, yes.." she nodded. "Truthfully, I'm not sure what I can tell you that I haven't told the police already. Caroline was always a quiet girl, and got into trouble more often then I would care to admit. I tried my best to help her, told myself it was just a phase, but it was hard raising her on my own. She fell in with the wrong crowd, and one day, she just, up and left. It's been three years..." She glanced sadly toward the staircase as she finished, before turning back toward him.

 

"I must ask, why did you come to learn about my daughter? Has something happened to her, have you picked up her trail?"

 

Gallant's smile dimmed. "Well, madame, I"m distraught to say this, but..."

------------

February 22nd, 2017
Freedom City
8:15 PM

 

That had not been a fun conversation, Leon sighed internally. Gallant had been allowed to search through Caroline's old room, and had found a surprisingly incriminating journal. As it happened, that jewelry store had been owned by the father of a girl who had picked on her in school. There were other locations listed like that, some crossed out, some not. As he had left, clues in hand, Gallant had promised he would be back to check on Mrs. Gainsborough. Leon could appreciate that, at least. He looked up.

 

'Is he still talking!?'

 

Devin Mason, Giselle's (soon to be ex, Leon had no doubts) boyfriend, had invited them all out to dinner at a fancy restaurant. The food tasted terrible, the prices were jacked up, and he was pretty sure Devin wasn't gonna cover their bill, but it was a nice looking place. The three sibling picked at the now cold food as Mason prattled on, monotonously, about a variety of subjects. Archaeology, how heroic he was, the food, gas prices, his car, how heroic he was, the nerve of some reporters, his jerk boss, the weather, did he mention how heroic he was against the Saint Angels? 

 

Giselle smiled awkwardly and pretended to listen, Ginny's head softly impacted the table, and Leon was pretty sure his palm was going to leave a nice red mark on his cheek.

 

Ugghhhh...

-------------
February 22nd, 2017
Freedom City
1:23 AM

 

Leaning against the nearby wall of the hotel he found himself at, Gallant smiled brightly, his mouth now open to the air. His mask had been completed, and now his costume was done in full. Stupendous! From the other side of the building, he heard and felt a dull thud, some sort of explosion. He grinned ferociously.

 

RIGHT ON CUE

 

He rushed out into the street, began clearing out the smoke, and looked about. He could see her, deep in the building. She was inside the elevator, and though he moved swiftly toward her, the door had already shut. With a grunt, Gallant pried the doors apart. Looked like she was moving upward. He turned and rushed to the stairwell, beginning a rapid ascent.

 

He could see smoke pour downward as he moved, and he was sure he was close as he reached floor twenty. He could see a figure, faintly, and he rushed forward, pinning them to the wall.

 

He smiled triumphantly for a brief moment, before he got a good like at his victims face. It was a young lady, younger than Caroline. Her hair was dark like Guinevere, and in her hand she held a jingling key. Gallant backed away slowly and held his hands out in a placating fashion. 

 

"Apologies, young lady. I was bit over-eager. It seems-" He was cut by a dull boom and a grunt of frustration resounding through the door next to them. He turned briefly, before snapping back to look at he girl before him.

 

"Go downstairs, call the police, tell them Caroline Gainsborough is here. I'll hopefully have her ready for pickup by the time they arrive." The girl nodded frantically, and rushed away. He sighed, backed up, and charged toward the door.

 

As it fell away, Gallant heard an undignified squawk. Caroline, now dressed in some sort of catsuit, rolled out from underneath him. She looked him over briefly, before smirking.

 

"So, I see your stupid costume is finished. Not into clingy guys, just to be clear."

 

Gallant respond with a quick punch, which missed. Caroline grunted, reaching toward her belt and tossing out several pellets. He lifted his arms as they impacted, sending him flying back several feet. With a small exhale of effort he hopped back to his feet and pulled out his blade. From the other side of the suite, Caroline stomped her foot, her facade cracking.

 

"It's not FAIR!" She whined. "Bethany, Josie, Carter, they all treat me like crap, make me miserable, no one cares. I try to get some payback, and I'm suddenly a criminal!"

 

Gallant leaped to her, making several prodding thrusts. She dodged them all, as he figured. She was quite quick.

 

"I'm afraid, Miss Gainsborough, that-" He swiped the blade low, aiming to trip. She avoided once more to the side, tossing more of those odd pellets wildly. He rolled, dodging all but two, which scraped his knee. 

 

"-though I do have a large degree of sympathy for you, your-" he reached out, grabbing her by the scruff of her collar. He managed one quick jab to her gut before she slipped away once again, dropping a smoke pellet this time.

 

"-response to you poor treatment falls not only under the descriptions criminal, but also potentially insane, leaving you the bigger villain!" Seizing an opportunity, Gallant dashed toward a nearby bookcase. It missed Caroline by a small amount, but stunned her long enough for him to slip behind her, pressing one arm on her abdomen and the other near her neck. She struggled against him momentarily, but it was clearly a lost cause.

 

"No matter the means, the motive, the culprit, or the victim, when such villainous actions as rampant thievery, destruction, and attempted murder are preformed, I will stop them!"

 

"Will you please shut up!?" Faster than expected, Caroline slipped her arm down. She held up a small ball, the biggest of the items on her belt, ad pressed her thumb softly onto it. With a click, the ball began to beep, and he could see a triumphant grin on her face. He frowned openly, and reached out, snatching the ball out of her hand and surrounding it fully in his palm. The explosion was heard but not felt, and with a soft blow to the side of Caroline's head with the hilt of his blade, the battle was won.

-----------
February 23, 2017
Freedom City
5:15 PM

 

"-people like that just give bullied kids a bad name, Jason. They make the abusers feel like they have a right, a reason to keep up their abuse, and they make others more cautious to help out of undeserved fear!"

 

"Exactly my feeling, Felicia. Now, we take you closer to home, with a quick interview with the felons mother, a Mrs-"

 

Leon could here the television from his spot at the kitchen. It was his turn to cook dinner, chicken pot pie as it happened, and he was feeling good. He whistled lowly to himself as closed the fridge.

 

"See, what I don't get.." Giselle's voice could be heard from the couch. "Is how she had all those explosives and smoke bombs and stuff? She only had like, a high-school level education, and they haven't said anything about her being some super-genius."

 

"Oh, oh, maybe there's like, a super criminal syndicate that supplied her!" That was Ginny. "Wouldn't that be awesome?"

 

"No." Leon responded as he pulled the peas out of the freezer. "That would be awful!"

 

"No, it would awesome, because our super-heroic little brother is gonna find them, bust in and kick all their asses!" 

 

"Or maybe your super heroic little brother is gonna watch a Netflix show on his phone, eat some chicken pot pie in his room, and play some Monster Hunter?"

 

"Both of you are wrong. Our super heroic little brother is gonna come out to this couch right now so we can make fun of him for the cheesy speech he made that got caught, in full, on video."

 

Leon closed the stove and groaned. He felt a buzzing in his head, he swore could hear the spirits laughing, he just knew he could. He shuffled slowly out to the couch to meet his sad fate.

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