Christmas Duet (Part 1)

Dan Formerly Domoviye wrote:

I like to think of it more like a nuclear bomb.

mhalpern wrote:

on another note for Mandy.. There is no spoon

Dan Formerly Domoviye wrote:

mhalpern wrote:

on another note for Mandy.. There is no spoon

You can't see it but I'm facepalming right now.

mhalpern wrote:

Dan Formerly Domoviye wrote:

I like to think of it more like a nuclear bomb.

i prefer cliffhangers over an invocation of Murphy followed by an instrument for the universe to use to that end...

null0trooper wrote:

mhalpern wrote:

Dan Formerly Domoviye wrote:

I like to think of it more like a nuclear bomb.

i prefer cliffhangers over an invocation of Murphy followed by an instrument for the universe to use to that end...

Too many people think they know how Chekhov's Gun works. It's so much more fun when Hitchcock's Bomb is ticking.

Dreamer wrote:

SPOILER ALERT
Below is a stream of conscious commentary I type up as I read the story. There will be details from the story included in it. If you have not read the story yet and don't wish to have details of it spoiled, read no further.

Christmas Duet Part 1 comments

Warning: Spoiler!

Phoenix, Arizona
Sunday, December 8th, 2016
Mid-Morning

Good lord, who does a robbery like this with such destruction? Forte is on the civilian side of it this time. oh boy. Out shopping and trying to avoid being caught by the authorities, it isn't her lucky day.

Just Me Prosthetics

The use of Just Me's name as part of the company, but it seems like Shawn's creations to me. The description of the two criminals behind the chaos, did they intend to rob some place else and accidently busted into the grocery store instead?

Heh, mental critique of their 'disguises', Forte may be relatively new to the business, but even she knows better. Ouch, that outfit inside a warm store, don't collapse from heat exhaustion. Great, the criminals are idiots, don't know what they are doing, and tried to take everyone in the store hostage. I've seen better robberies committed by kids in gangs. Told to come out and surrender, he refuses and sends out a blast wave. Idiot! Endangering people you say you have taken hostage is a good way to get killed by the authorities.

Forte, robbing the place right now isn't the best idea with superheroes in the area. An old woman and a teenager are taken hostage, threatened to kill them if not given a car to escape in. These two are too stupid even to do a simple robbery. Fallen cement formed a shield around the hostages. A woman in white armor takes down the blaster, Lolomi leaps in and hits sword-hands in the chest for a 1-hit KO, and Desert Rat covered the criminals in rubble- a very effective team.

Police and MCO show up, so it's time for Forte to slip away. Ah, the woman in white armor is Roadrunner. Fighting those three would result in Forte's capture, if not death. Great, she got stopped by a cop as she tried to sneak away. All those excuses, and he still won't let her go, says she will be at the front of the line. One tap to put him to sleep, act concerned, and 'go for help' as she makes her escape.

Mesa, Greater Phoenix Area
Claremont Street

Fai out and about on Claremont Street. In a mutant neighborhood and still nervous, poor kid. Aww, Weed and her father at their florist shop. Fai, it is okay. You aren't used to everything involved with being a mutant yet. No wonder the Elementals can get there so quickly. HQ right in the neighborhood and designed to not stick out. Evolution Rocks, uh, Fai, sometimes they can be a little too enthusiastic, so be careful.

Thanking her, Fai started wandering, the entire bottom floor of the building seemed to be devoted to displays of mutant heroes in the Greater Phoenix Area, along with some of the more famous ones from around the US.

I bet if it weren't for Humanity First, there would be more places like this across the U.S.A. Hehe, yes, the green girl you walked past a few minutes ago is Blossom's daughter. Sun Hawk, I wish that fight hadn't happened. She didn't deserve that, and Forte's panic over being locked up and losing her prosthetics made the whole situation tragic.

Going to catch Forte, Fai, please reconsider; she is dangerous when she believes she is going to be captured. *facepalms* I hope she doesn't meet any more heroes and reveal what she did with Thulia to rescue Azar. Nice to see Kevra on the list of important inventions that have helped people. Ooo, an entry on Insight. I wonder what Fai will think when she meets her at Whateley Academy. Gabriella Guzman has an entry as well. This is the kind of museum to mutant accomplishments they need more of to push back against negative press.

Now, who is this woman playing music? Forcing her to begin dancing, uh oh. Everyone dancing in the area, music and joy filling the area, a mutant whose power can cause this would be a dangerous distraction. The music stops and everyone is confused as to what happened. Port is here, the woman is Bard and she let the music get away from her, eep.

The woman didn't look sad or upset, she just looked... lost. Her smell was odd, like a dusty, ancient wind tinged with something foul.

Is Bard a mutant avatar with some unusual spirit, or is she something else? Poor woman, off in her own world. I hope she can get the real help she needs soon.

Oh boy, shifted without realizing it due to the music, Fai is going to have to let Port know her civilian identity sometime. An invite to drop by and told about some of the good places for food on Claremont Street. Port is one of the nicest superheroes around. No MID yet; she is worried abou the MCO asking about some things she has done. A few hours free, so take her to The Phoenix Warriors HQ for power testing, and Port knows a place to get her MID, yay.

Darn, that robbery earlier has some of the PW members still doing paperwork. Be back by 8 and keep her updated. Her mother is being reasonable, I hope this means good news if she finds out about Fai being a mutant. Port's power, once again I wish that could be duplicated by technology, quick travel anywhere. I wonder if Fanak is just a shifter or if she is an avatar with a spirit that allows her to transform into her werefox form.

Janet seems nice, a woman who looks like a fantasy dwarf, and has me curious as to what her powers are. Old Scratch, yeah, I would probably back away reflexively, too. Old Scratch, that is not a proper way to determine if someone has any worthwhile magic. Oh, he can pick up the scent of Thulia's magic still on Fanak, that is interesting. Port leaves back on patrol, Fanak alone with Janet.

Fanak, your werefox form is a lot more impressive than you realize. The only problem is clothes that don't shift with her, being a shifter-based hero sucks without a handy change of clothes and out of the way place to change them in. Ah, good idea, test shifting from werefox to human, don't want her tail suddenly trapped in a confined space, ouch.

“A few years ago, a shifter went from human to their animal form, and they broke their tail when it got stuck in the suit. You seem like a lovely girl, so we want to avoid that.”

Gah! It's a good thing they learn from mistakes.

An enhanced sense of smell is never a good thing to have in a gym. Mongollon Monster on the weight machine, Roadrunner sparring with holograms, awesome. Oil, metal, and soap smells cling to Janet, so she is a Gadgeteer or Devisor if we go by that. Smell of power and anger coming off Mongollon Monster in waves, I hope Sun Hawk's recovery can be sped up without any risk.

“A lot of things,” she said, speaking slowly and carefully. “I can tell if a person is happy, sad, angry, tired, even hungry sometimes.”

Can a strong enough sense of smell act like a form of the Receptive Empathy trait? 108 lb. bench press, very impressive for a girl her age with no experience doing a bench press. Aww, her version of a smile in werefox form is adorable. Dodging most of the attacks without her enhanced senses to help, dang. Okay, her sense of smell might exceed even a bloodhound's. Tracking skills with a sense of smell like that, never try to play hide and seek with her. Aww, she is so happy.

Testing is all done, just a shifter and nothing else.

They'd found that she didn't lose any mass when she turned into a werefox. Instead her body shifted becoming denser, so her bones were a lot more durable and her muscles became more compact, capable of explosive movement and endurance, as well as being harder to bruise.

I love that form of becoming smaller but denser.

Woman in a dark red hood with a burn scar across her neck. Red Riding Hood, a bounty hunter and occasional bodyguard, has a job in the area and is introducing herself to the Phoenix Warriors so they won't give her any trouble.

“One of my powers. I make people interested in me. It's useful when I want to get close to someone or take their attention off of someone else. When I'm in a crowded bar, or during a robbery, it's not as noticeable, they'll just focus on me instead of someone else. Good way to get a target coming towards me without tipping them off.”

Now, that is a useful power in the right situations.

“That's a good attitude. Just be careful, and maybe wait a few more years, you're a little young and it's a violent game.” A hand went to the burn scar.

Good advice- please listen to it, Fanak. Yikes! That is one hell of a reminder not to let your guard down. Near death, even with a force field, that is terrifying. Ah, yes, Iron Rain, the monster who willingly works with FrakenCorp. RRH meeting with Lolomi, I hope it goes well.

An autograph from Red Riding Hood, I doubt it, Fai. Toho from Santa Fe, I was wondering when she would appear.

The cat woman giggled. “You're right Port, she's adorable and has a good heart. I'm glad you called me.”

Yeah, Fai/Fanak just has a heart of gold. Go in werefox form, Port got her a track suit from the store downstairs, way to think ahead. Aww, you were a were Fennac fox, that makes you extra adorable, Fanak. To the Dallas MCO office, boy, no wonder they brought in Toho.

Oof, Toho's form of teleporting- she should start carrying sick bags just in case. Ink Bolt! Trying to use all those names for codenames, that girl needs a swift kick in the rear. The MCO lady is tired and wants to get this over with. Yeah, anyone who works a desk job will get like that after a busy day. Shifter 3 with a lot of letters beside it, that Affiliations though, she is going to be on Cloud 9 for a while.

Supper with Toho, no pork, this will be a day Fai is going to remember for years to come. Aww, Toho wants to hear Fai's heroic tales of rescuing Azar and dealing with Iron Rain. She is such a good big sister to younger girls.

No, don't throw up a steak dinner. I swear Toho needs to give out motion sickness pills before each teleport. Toho, Port, and Lolomi chat, an invite to drop the Nuevo Rangers a line when she is old enough if she wants to join. I'm surprised Fai isn't floating a few inches off the ground right now from all the good things happening to her today. Ah, another person to tell the tale of how she rescued Azar alongside Thulia.

“If you see something like that again, call me and my team will do the dangerous part.”

They could have used this. It might have resulted in more of FrakenCorp's agents being captured and more evidence of their wrongdoings being recovered.

An autograph book with more signatures from the remaining Phoenix Warriors in the future, Fai needs a safe to put this in. Details about where she suspects Forte's hideout is, the whole tale of how she knows, now the Phoenix Warriors can investigate and hopefully root her out. Please listen to Lolomi on this, Fanak. And ask about why they say to wait to graduate Whateley, say you thought it was a college and would have to wait to go.

“That is to help keep you out of some trouble. Having The Phoenix Warriors on your MID, even just as a volunteer, will make most police and MCO treat you with a little more caution than they would normally. It's not a get-out-of-jail card, and it doesn't make you a legal hero, so as Toho said, keep your nose clean.”

I thought that was the reason. A good idea to help protect her from corrupt MCO agents. Aww, that last part- she has the heart of a true hero.

Outlaw's Tavern
Late Evening

Forte meets with her newest client, Flush, a woman who looks more like a Vegas showgirl than a supervillain.

“My employer needs some non-lethal weapons for his daughter, we're interested in what you can offer,” Flush said.

Hhm, so a 14-year-old girl going to Whateley from the sound of it, or could it be another special private school? Ack! That sleeper whip could be deadly in the wrong hands, you can kill someone while they are asleep. Even just one minute is more than enough to do that.

Forte continues to show why sonic weapons can be so dangerous, even the non-lethal ones. Scream Choker, yikes, she just comes up with some scary creations.

“My employer needs some weapons for dealing with problems, non-lethal and lethal types. Your grenades may fit some of his needs.”

I hope Flush's employer isn't connected to FrankenCorp, otherwise, Forte will regret selling anything to them.

Forte's Hideout
Midnight

Secret lair rental company, don't tell me the hideout that Fanak informed the Phoenix Warriors about has been abandoned. Oh, an alternate entrance half a block away that is hidden and done because of Fanak discovering the main entrance.

Fortunately the base had three different exits and entrances, and she'd used the security system to close off the main one adding in a few of her own devises to ensure it would stay closed and hopefully undetected.

Darn it!

Coming out of the linen closet, she is taking no chances of being caught. Bwahaha, that is the kind of shock you need, the Phoenix Warriors at the old entrance. So they came 4 hours ago but found nothing, or acted like they did since Forte wasn't in, I wonder which. Darn that lockdown system! Darn, all that, and they found nothing. Now she is planning to get a new place; if they don't catch her here, they might never.

She had a six month lease on the lair, and with her medical bill still at 650,000 dollars, there was no way she could leave and get a new place. The lair was the cheapest one she was going to find in the Phoenix area, partly from the small size and being from the 80's, but mostly from being under a school.

Well, that plan is out the window. I hope you slip up, and they take you in alive.

Chandler City Middle School
Monday, December 5, 2016
Before School

Mandy is upset and it is because of Randy.

His power has gotten a little stronger, so he can actually burn things with his hands now. He grabbed some of my hair last night and totally ruined it by drying it out so much. Mom had to cut out that bit and spent twenty minutes trying to hide it.”

I would have tanned his hide for that stunt.

I'm sure you will soon. I read online that twins almost always manifest within a year of each other, usually sooner.”

I wonder how accurate that information is. Fai is going to tell Mandy and Alexa, but Mandy thought the surprise had to do with a boy. Leave Mandy wondering about it all day, hehe. Fai is a normal teenage girl.

Phoenix Warriors Headquarters
Mid-Morning

Dae-Jong is pissed and with good reason.

“She's doing OK,” the big foot-like young man said. “She can fly properly, and is using a cane to walk. She was able to ask for breakfast this morning.”

I'm so glad June is starting to recover.

“We were following up on a tip, it wasn't confirmed. And we didn't come up with anything actionable. There were signs she had been in the building but a thorough scan, magic and technological, didn't reveal any hidden doors, and she hadn't been there in at least a week. We know she's active again, if that had been her hideout or she was still there, we would have seen more recent signs. The area is being watched by drones and the building has magical wards to alert us if she enters it.”

If Magic and technology couldn't detect her base through the walls, does that mean the walls are too thick, or is whatever Forte reinforced them with blocking such scans?

Crud, Dae-Jong could hardly be blamed if he killed Forte after what she did to Sun Hawk aka June. So, they know Forte was at the grocery store and also have a good guess as to why she stole and ran. Lolomi and Dae-Jung sparring; I hope those forcefields are strong. Dae-Jong, Fanak needs advice from superheroes she trusts, she doesn't need to risk her life against supervillains like she has been. She was lucky Thulia was there, or she wouldn't have made it out in one piece. *eyes bug out* Just how many kids try to be superheroes before they are 18 with the proper training and end up dead or worse?

Smiling he said, “Glad to hear it. You're seen as one of the cooler members of the team among boys and teens, so they'll listen to you a lot more than they will me or some of the older, boring guys. And with Christmas coming, we need to do some PR. You know what that means, right?”

Ack! Not that, not while June is still recovering, and he is still so angry over what Forte did to her. Poor Dae-Jong is going to need a vacation after the Christmas season is over. They had Old Scratch talk to a class of children. What idiot thought that was a good idea? Shoot, they would be less traumatized by reading Stephen King books.

Rental House
Glendale Great Phoenix Area

Ptolemy and his sister Cassandra discuss the issue of Tech Geek being arrested, they need a replacement on short notice. Oh brother, they go by star charts and astrology to determine the best times for a successful job. Is this actual magic, or is Ptolemy just obsessed? Books and astrological tools, and an oracle deck. He knows that much about Forte aka Natalie Foster already, uh oh. Reading the stars, spells to twist fate, these two are dangerous.

Nodding, he didn't look up from his desk, his mind already pulling up the devised calculations and logic that let him see people and the future in the stars.

Is this a mutant power?

Two Sugars Coffee House
Chandler, Phoenix Metropolitan Area,
After School

Oh boy, Fai revealed she is the Chandler Monster, a mutant codenamed Fanak. Boy, a lot of things coming out to her friends. An, the incident with the asshole who wouldn't take no for an answer. She told them enough about the incident with Azar and FrakenCorp, this could get these two in danger.

Neither she nor Alexa noticed Mandy silently twisting and bending her spoon into a near perfect metal ball.

Uhm, are we sure Mandy hasn't manifested as a mutant yet? Because a girl her age shouldn't be able to do that even to a cheap metal spoon.

Forte Hideout,
Tuesday, December 6, 2016
Noon

Forte was woken up by a phone call; a potential customer wants to meet her tonight at Outlaw's Tavern at 9 PM, and the person is a member in good standing in the community. Please don't let it be some really dangerous supervillain. Delaney is a smart man; keep the supervillains who come to your establishment happy.

Outlaw's Tavern
Late evening

If the plan isn't sensible, just turn it down. The payments to Doc Morris are going to keep her working extra jobs for him for a long time. The big Latino guy, and his costume, and with Book being there. This is the crew that was with Forte when they ran into Crusher aka Jackson. Ptolemy and Cassandra sure do like to hide their appearance, I wouldn't trust them to give all the details of the job.

“What my brother is very slowly saying, is he is a devisor who is able to get an accurate view of future events, people and other things through astrology. As a devisor yourself, I'm sure you understand how it can work for him. So, when he says you're the best person for the job, he is telling the truth” the supervillain said, smiling pleasantly. “I'm a wizard myself, and I nudge things a little to make sure events come out in a way that works best for us. It's why we have such a high success rate.”

No wonder his explanations were giving me a headache, they only make sense to him!

Da Chief, a rapper who just signed a big contract and wants to show off.

“You mean the idiot is actually going to have his millions of dollars at a party just to show it off to his friends.” Forte had to facepalm at the stupidity of some people.

Must not facepalm; my head already hurts enough as it is. Big Guy as muscle and to carry the money, Forte and Book as crowd control, and the brother-sister duo are the brains. A sound plan so far; it's fair if they truly do what they say and don't double-cross their partners. Huh, even pays for the next round and chicken wings once Forte says she is in.

Poor Book, rescued from FrakenCorp only to be stuck on the streets having to do crime to survive. Big Guy is pretty smart for hired muscle to figure out that setup to keep out of jail. Big Guy is the only one who knows how to drive; Forte almost completed driver's ed, they are in trouble. Book hates that demon for tricking her like it did, bound to it and the book now. I wonder if Eldritch could help her, destroy her bond with the demon by destroying the book.

Book has a 'don't notice me' spell, this just got a whole lot easier. It's an open-ended plan that leaves some things to Big Guy's best judgment at the time. What could possibly go wrong? Ah, good, robbers, but don't like to cause serious injuries as it draws the authorities' ire. An actual team of villains with foresight and planning is rare to see. Book is a nervous noob, so were you on your first job, Forte. Smart questions are always best to know what you need ahead of time.

Forte needs to learn how to fight. If she had that incident wouldn't have ended so badly for her or Sun Hawk. Gah! The description of what driving could be like with her new limbs, terrifying. Driving lessons from Big Guy; he may be a criminal, but he is nice enough to do this. Good lord, he has worked with people like that. I feel sorry for him. Everyone should always be willing to learn and not think they are the best just because of what powers they have.

No more spontaneous flying lessons; the first should have never happened. Book has never been in a fight as far as she remembers. Stupid demon messing with her memory!

“It showed me a spell to make eyeballs explode and spray acid around. Stupid, bloodthirsty, demon book!” She hit the offending thing with her fist.

I really hate that thing and wish there is a way to save Book from her eventual fate. Okay, there has to be a way to unbond Book from that demon book and destroy it.

“I think it was my uncles. I didn't know it was a demon book when I started reading it, and it tricked me into bonding with it.”

Demons shouldn't be allowed to use such loopholes to trick someone like this.

I bet if her memories could be restored, it would reveal the demon tricked her, and the bond could be broken. Trust me, you don't want to know about FrakenCorp, Forte. Most supervillains would consider them monsters. Oh, so that is how Book has been surviving. Still hate that the demon book drove her to this. Big Guy has left, leaving Forte and Book to chat. Talk about magic and making devises. Ouch, less body mass, so alcohol hits her worse. No wonder she only drinks ginger beer.

Book shrugged. “Don't know. I don't think there are many other options for a baby demon or whatever the hell I am now. I guess I'll do this and see what happens next.”

Crap, Book knows what she is becoming.

Raising her bottle in a toast, Forte said, “To shitty choices that are better than the alternatives.”

The girl giggled a little and raised her glass, “To shitty choices.”

I wish there were better choices for both of them.

Chandler, Greater Phoenix Area
Midnight

Fanak, seeing someone causing trouble and getting them to stop, if you can talk them out of it, it is okay. Otherwise, you are fighting crime. Aww, she likes the cold and wishes it would snow more in the area they live. Nice simple utility belt, you never know when you will need those things. Fanak, tell your parents about being a mutant before it comes out in the worst way possible. Fear of her mom's reaction over hearing what she has been up to, ouch. She goes home and tries to make sure she isn't being watched, but jumps through the second story window into her bedroom, uh oh.

Crap! Iron Rain was watching her and now knows where she lives; he might go after her family or friends to get to her. Good, the nerves in his hand are still not fully healed; another two weeks to fully recover ever after Doc Morris's help. He is a psycho; he plans to find out about her life, destroy her friends and family, and make her beg to be put out of her misery when he is done. I already knew he was a monster, he willingly works for FrakenCorp. But this is sadistic. Please, let the Phoenix Warriors save her family and friends from this monster before it is too late.