Christmas Duet (Part 2) by Domoviye

Wednesday, December 7th, 2016
Outlaw's Tavern
Early Evening

Forte at the bar drinking a ginger beer, waiting for a client to show up to pick up their order of a sonic cannon. Aww, Book is still nervous about going to the Outlaw's Tavern. Yeah, Book stuck looking like that and gives off runaway vibes can't be easy. Magnus shows up. What is with the rolling suitcase? Good deal on the sonic cannon. And it doesn't stand out much, good work. All those chemicals as payment, oh boy, she is going to make a lot of sonic metal now. Relaxing and driving lessons, driving lessons aren't relaxing! Oh boy, I don't want to be near a vehicle either of these two is driving.

Crap, when everyone in a bar full of supervillains goes silent, you know someone truly dangerous has shown up. A woman like that, the Gunslinger. Delaney knows her by more than reputation. Who is she here to see how good they are? Oh, please, not Forte, she isn't ready to face someone like the Gunslinger.

“That's The Gunslinger,” Forte said. “She travels all around the Southwest and Northern Mexico challenging heroes, villains and criminals to duels. If she is feeling nice it's just to first blood, if not, it's to the death. Sometimes she stops crime, if it's right in front of her, and she always shoots to kill when she does. She's been doing it for a few years, and killed at least two dozen people, probably more.”

Great, someone closer to Deadpool than a hero or villain.

Smart move, Big Guy, avoid the deadly gunfighter at all costs. Only a speedster who can shoot lightning has been faster than her, yikes. What the heck did Toxic Touch do to warrant such a cruel death? Ugh, Sicario deserves whatever fate the Gunslinger gives him, what a creep. The idiot had a choice and went with a duel to the death. Forte is going to be their neutral starter, eep.

Boy, this bar has everything. A very good thing that spot in the dueling range has a force field, if it didn't, I don't want to imagine how many neutral starters would be killed in the crossfire. Yikes, Forte doesn't want to see someone die, not after the experiences she has already had. I knew Sicario would lose, the idiot was overconfident. Forte is numbed by seeing this; everyone else besides her and Book seems unfazed by the death that just happened. I couldn't eat after seeing that up close.

Resurrection Junkyard
Late Evening

Forte, it takes time to get good driving cars, and that includes gauging how much pressure each pedal needs each time. Stop thinking you aren't good enough when you have just started learning. Good plan for the heist, bit too rough in stopping, and having a bit of a lead foot is an issue a lot of people have when learning to drive, from what I've heard. Big Guy doesn't want to have to fix the brakes on his car, oof.

Good, Forte was taught how to handle her anger. I wonder how much worse she would be if she hadn't been. Dang, she upgraded her armor a lot. Increased height to hide her true appearance, a good option with power armor.

“I figured going a bit more defensive and working with some area effect weapons would work better. And my new legs will let me jump and run faster.”

Learn from experience can be a harsh, but important lesson sometimes. A little over 30 mph now, impressive.

Sonic cannon, an inbuilt boomer, and a shrieker, that is some arsenal. Kept her claws and can still crush metal, that is a powerful armor. Ouch, Book's use of magic is painful to watch and hear, I hate what the demon did to her. Spells to help her get away, and she can summon demonic tentacles. Book is a lot more dangerous than I expected. Big Guy is right, everyone who knows magic and can should learn at least one healing spell.

Big Guy's size warping allows him to get to at least 15' in size, talk about a powerhouse. Brass knuckles that can generate a sonic boom on impact with control, Forte makes some incredible devises. Ah, the rubber whip that puts people to sleep if you hit them on the head, I should have known Forte made that for Book. Big Guy is making sure the girls get to their respective safe places/homes okay. Almost feels like he is a big brother to Forte and Book.

Book's Apartment
Late Night

Dang, poor Book tries to practice emotional reactions, but just can't get them to feel right. The demon took even that from her. I wish there was something anyone could do to make things better for Book.

“Maybe demons aren't meant to feel,” she said softly.

This one hurt, no one should have to feel this way about themself.

Thursday, December 8th, 2016
Sun Hawk and Mogollon Monster's Home
Early Afternoon

Dae-Jung tries to help out June, but she is in bad shape and doesn't realize she missed his name. All he can do right now is be there for her. Oh god, messing up the word for what she wants to drink, June starts hitting herself in the head; this hurts to watch, I wish psychic and magical healing could do more for her. A helper VI in the form of a blue fairy, I'm so glad such technology exists to help out people in their world.

Dae-Jung goes to the fridge and takes a chance that it is apple juice she wanted. Oh, good, it was apple juice, and she is happy to realize the correct word. In such a rough shape, she falls asleep that quickly gripping Dae-Jung's arm. Dae-Jung, she will recover in time, just be there for her, and stop blaming yourself for not being there to catch her.

Friday, December 9th, 2016
Chandler, Greater Phoenix Area
Late Evening

Mandy tells Fai why Lucia got her detention. Alexa is there beside Fai for a sleepover. Fai needs some time with her friends. Leftover pizza and soda, ah, to be a teen again. Time for Fai to introduce her friends to her werefox form. Bwahaha, Alexa petting Fai's head and Fai's reaction to it, they need a camera. Ouch, the truth of why she kept it a secret for so long, and Mandy is still in a mood. Light angry smell coming from Mandy, and Fai has no idea how to make things better.

Hehe, Alexa has Fai pick her up, and brings up a good point that Fai might not be able to swim in her werefox form due to her denser bones and muscles. Mandy is interested in what it is like having a tail, hhm. Learning you can't swim in a dangerous situation is not a good idea; take Alexa's advice on this.

“You don't want her to get fat!” Mandy said. “What you should do Fai, is start lifting weights. Get muscles as a human girl and you'll still look good, and be tougher in both forms.”

Mandy has some good ideas, too.

Yikes, why does Fai not like dogs and react like that to what Mandy said?

Alexa jumped into the conversation again. “Mandy didn't you say that if you manifest you want to be a supervillain? You could be Fai's nemesis.”

The pungent scent that Fanak recognized as anger poured from Mandy.

Alexa! Mandy, get tested, you have manifested and just don't realize it yet. Nice to see such good friends, I just wonder what Mandy's power is.

Saturday, December 10th, 2016
Phoenix Warriors Headquarters
Late Afternoon

Lolomi has to deal with all those people due to a cock-up, what happened? Roadrunner crashed into a wall, and everyone but Mogollon Monster was practically useless against a giant robot, ouch. And dealing with the Cloud Kickers, but having no flyer, a flyer is vital to have on any superhero team. Ouch, they lost the Laughing Man, a brick flyer, back in February to the Hungry Ghost; the supervillains in Phoenix are deadly. Ouch, another option with Dust Devil due to her relationship with Dusty Devil is out.

Yikes, sounds like Janet has a phobia of seeing blood to faint from a bad cut. Even a retired villain who wants to reform, Lolomi is desperate to get a flyer on the team.

“Honestly, yes. A competent and strong flier will help with moving around the entire city, providing faster backup, and help us deal with criminals who can fly.”

The light seemed to fade a little around Old Scratch, never a good sign. “I'm going to be busy for at least a day, maybe two. Don't disturb me unless the city is going to be destroyed.” Without waiting for an answer, darkness enshrouded the unconventional hero and he disappeared from sight.

Why do I have a bad feeling about this?

Tuesday, December 12th, 2016
Phoenix Warriors Headquarters
Morning

Lolomi, if I were you, I would think of a way to get someone else to be the team leader and deal with all the paperwork, etc. Who is this beautiful, young Indian woman? And how did Old Scratch get her to come here when she looks that angry with him? Laysa owes him a favor; work for them for 5 years and a day. He brought in a djinn to be their team flyer!?!

“Greetings, Lolomi. As the demon said, I am Laysa. It is my honour to serve my time helping a hero of your renown.”

Never let a teenager see Laysa moving, they might pass out from overload.

“I am skilled at fighting. My people are primarily entertainers, but the realms are dangerous places,” she turned to glare at Old Scratch before returning to the serene smile, “and even dancers need to defend themselves. Mostly I will rely on my magic and the winds to deal with the threats to your city and people, but when necessary I have other weapons.” She held out her hand and the air seemed to flow towards her, forming a wooden staff with iron bands at one end.

Yup, definitely a djinn.

Saved her life, and she owes him a favor. With how Laysa reacts to him saying this, I think Old Scratch manipulated events for that to happen. Gah! I hope Thulia is never around when Laysa is cussing out someone, she probably would understand what is being said, even if just a little.

“You certainly liked the sight of me when I saved your life from that ong,” Old Scratch said with a leer.

“I was young and had gotten lost. You only saved me so you would be owed a favour from my family.”

That earned a very self satisfied nod. “I like favours. You never know when one will come in handy.”

So help me, I would like to hit Old Scratch with a saint-blessed cold iron rod where the sun don't shine.

That last part of the deal, Old Scratch, you may be helping the Phoenix Warriors due to a promise you made, but I hate you. I wonder if the deal with Old Scratch includes telling others what he has done and letting them beat OS down?

“All right. I will have one of our assistants look into housing for Laysa, somewhere she'll be comfortable, they'll send you the bill. Laysa will train with you, since you are part of the team, but outside of work, training or patrols, other than paying for her food, clothes and rent, you will keep your interactions with her to a minimum. Is that understood?”

And this is why I respect Lolomi. And assuring Laysa he will never ask her to sacrifice herself, and work hard to keep her from dying as a member of his team. Old Scratch, if ever your deal with Lolomi were to break or end, I don't think he wouldn't call in every favor and mystic possible to ensure you never set foot on Earth again.

Thursday December 13th, 2016
Outlaw's Tavern
Evening

Crap, Forte sold Iron Rain a dozen boomers and shriekers, Fanak and her family are in danger. At least he is still waiting for the nerves in his hand to finish healing. Seesh, just how does she sell those things for? The Cloud Kickers, a bunch of creeps with high-tech gear if not devises. A group of three asks Forte if she minds if they sit there, then do so without a response. I hate false politeness like that.

“The lovely lady is Insanity, my silent partner is Gigante, and I am Soldado. We've heard about you Ms. Foster, and wanted to see the real you.” Soldado said.

Using her real name, bad idea.

Insanity, you really shouldn't have gone there, that's her big 'Don't Push!' button. A threat of her sonic cannon in her right arm, and Soldado laughs, and even calls her by her real first name.

“Like I said, I want to get to know you. New tech villains usually focus on making weapons for themselves or end up working for someone else. Do you know why that is, Natalie?”

Great, harassing her because she operates differently from all the other new tech villains.

“It's because weapons are important in our line of work. Everyone wants them, and there is a lot of money to be made by making and selling them. So most of us noisy tech types need to arm ourselves and make sure no one is able to turn us into their slaves. On top of that, there is the whole stepping on each others toes when you come into a city and set up shop. That can create hard feelings.”[/quote[] Oh brother, they are trying to intimidate her into giving them a cut of her money in exchange for 'protection'.

“Well, when I meet a stronger and wiser businessman who can provide protection, I'll definitely consider it.”[//quote] You are trying to intimidate a girl who has faced death multiple times and come out each time better than anyone else involved. At least the bouncers noticed and came over to scare the idiot crew off.

Insanity can make people relive their worst moments, okay, someone put her in the ground already. These three are trying to extort Forte, she needs to inform her partners for the heist that they might interfere with her ability to help on the job. Not new devises, what will she unleash next? Soldado and his crew are waiting at a table by the door, and they plan to ambush her once she leaves. A bunch of cowards. Now we know of another way out of the Outlaw's Tavern. Teleport a block or two away from the Outlaw's Tavern, that is some exit.

Friday, December, 14th, 2016
Arizona State University, Tempe Campus
Mid-Afternoon

June Finch is back on her college campus, where she has been going for the last year and a half. She has to lean on a cane and follow Mr. Hart, the state of her mind, this is a nightmare she is experiencing. Dae-Jung had to work, and she wished she could go back to work. Violent shaking in her left hand, without Blue, she would be in worse shape. Oh god, her secret identity is out, and she is embarrassed to be seen in this condition.

Darn it, I'm tearing up seeing her cry, I wish I could just make her all better. Forcing herself to do things even though it is hard now, she is a lot tougher than she realizes. Anyone who looks down on her after what she has been through and is still going through doesn't understand what it takes to keep going after all she has been through. Seeing herself as a shadow of her former self...

Oh, good, she remembers Mr. Sabri, her Spanish literature professor. At least she was able to get that out, I hope she can recover enough to return to school by next semester. Oh god, if not for Blue, she would have killed someone. But it sounds like the student was playing a video from the fight involving the explosion that knocked June out and resulted in the fall that left her in this condition. Who does that to someone who is a hero who risked their life? And the students were laughing about it before she almost took the kid's head off. Mr. Hart is pissed off and yelling at the students, this was a cruel prank that almost got one of them kiled. June flies off trying to get home to Dae-Jung, oh no.

Monday, December 17th
Outside of Phoenix
Afternoon

Mongollon Monster has to deal with an intense sandstorm, told by Roadrunner to jump 50 ft. up to tackle Wind Dancer, and she would try something. The sandstorm dies down, Roadrunner has Wind Dancer in a choke hold, and Laysa struggles to get free. MM leaps up and gets Wind Dancer in a grapple and falls back to the ground, where Road Runner comes in with a suppression collar to shut down Wind Dancer's powers. Laysa's codename of Wind Dancer is pretty cool.

WD is going to have to learn to fly higher to avoid even non-fliers with great leaping power. Aww, has to adjust to using codenames only in the field, when it seems pointless to her.

“June, Sun Hawk, is having problems now that people know her identity. People keep bothering her when she goes outside. The other day some assholes surprised her with a recording of thunder. She nearly took the bastard's head off when she panicked.”

Okay, I was wrong about what the video was of, but knowing someone has PTSD and triggering it on purpose, the creeps should all be in jail for a week at least to learn their lesson.

Aww, Wind Dancer is a kind person. Dancing to cast magic, now that is something I love to see. RR and WD have to put down MM, this is going to be tricky. MM is smart; never underestimate an opponent, even in a friendly training match. Crap! WD uses a hypnotic dance, and it is super effective on MM. Such that when RR puts a collar on his neck, he ends up throwing RR at WD before he realizes what he has done.

RR has to teleport to avoid hitting WD, WD is told to make a wind to slow her down with a lot of dust in it so it can be seen, and tells MM to get ready to catch her. The tag-team work saves RR without injury. Needs new underwear; anyone in that situation would.

“Some people react badly when the Dance of Mesmerism is interrupted. Usually it's used to give others a chance to flee, or to kill the target with one blow. I did not think it would be that bad in this case. I am sorry,” the woman said.

Laysa, this is why you are being trained. To learn about this risk in a safer situation than out in the field.

Lolomi called, concerned as he was watching what happened. Tells them to be more careful in the future. Oh boy, their first time dealing with Slo-Mo.

“Santa Fe, that's the Neuvo Rangers territory, isn't it?” Mogollon asked.

“Yes it is. They usually deal with this guy, but their method isn't one I care for. Bullying a supervillain into submission would not be good for our image.”

Aww, but it works so well against his ego.

“What's wrong with mocking our enemy?” Wind Dancer asked. “Insulting their pride is almost always a good thing.”

I agree with her, if it results in taking down a supervillain with little to no injuries or collateral damage to the area, I say do it.

MM is stuck driving WD back to HQ, and he has to explain to her about public relations among humans. I hope he is still in a good mood when he gets home to June.

Fanak's Home
Evening

Fai wants to drop her dance class, uh oh. Oh no, a talk with her parents over the matter.

“Your baba and I have noticed you are acting differently, being quieter, tired and distracted. Is anything wrong?”

Fai, tell them the truth. She wants to put on muscle, get fit, and learn some self-defense. So, of course, they jump to the conclusion she is being bullied or forced to do something she doesn't want to, seesh.

“We worry about you, Fai. You can tell us anything, and we will support you, no matter what it is.”

Fai, they are worried about you, but finding out later or from someone else will make matters worse. All that, and she heads to her room, missing her parents' worried looks.

Forte's Hideout
Midnight

What is Forte doing to poor Sleepy, the guinea pig? A test subject, please don't hurt Sleepy, Forte. She tested the whip on a wooden target, she is going to test the sleep function on Sleepy. Okay, she is gentle about it and isn't harming Sleepy or their siblings. 10 minutes, pokes Sleepy until he wakes up, yawns, then goes back to sleep. I hope this isn't a bad sign that the sleep function is too potent. She made four of them, one for the school girl, one for Book, and two to sell later. Why not keep one for your own use in an emergency?

Well, you did make those metal knuckles for Big Guy, of course, they are too heavy for you. Ouch, never test a sonic weapon on a cinder block. They shatter and spread too easily when broken that way. Big Guy using it without sound dampening at 15' tall, I bet it would be loud enough to be heard a mile and leave anyone within 60' temporarily deafened.

December 18th, 2016
Chandler, Greater Phoenix Area
After School

Candy cane mocha, gah! Seesh, the things teenage girls talk about amongst themselves.

Crap, Iron Rain is watching Fai and her friends. Hiding in a distance and using his power in that way, he plans to destroy everyone Fai loves as part of his revenge. I knew he could bend bullets, but to do that with his hand to push someone into traffic from a distance. His power is even scarier than I previously thought.

Fai reacts quickly to save Alexa from being run over by a bus, grabbing her hand, and tries to pull her back in time. But she is wrenched from Fai's grips, screams, and crashes, and Alexa is on the ground with bones sticking through her bloody pants. Iron Rain needs to die for this, and all the other evil he has done.

Wednesday, December 7th, 2016
Outlaw's Tavern
Early Evening

Crap, when everyone in a bar full of supervillains goes silent, you know someone truly dangerous has shown up. A woman like that, the Gunslinger. Delaney knows her by more than reputation. Who is she here to see how good they are?

I thought this would be a good opening for her. I'd thought about having her stopping a robbery at a restaurant while driving to Phoenix, but it was too impersonal, so I came up with this scene.

Smart move, Big Guy, avoid the deadly gunfighter at all costs. Only a speedster who can shoot lightning has been faster than her, yikes. What the heck did Toxic Touch do to warrant such a cruel death? Ugh, Sicario deserves whatever fate the Gunslinger gives him, what a creep. The idiot had a choice and went with a duel to the death. Forte is going to be their neutral starter, eep.

I like having Big Guy being the street smart guy who realizes he doesn't have much to prove. He's competent and in the supervillain community that's enough for the 'hired help'.
Sicario on the other hand as a costumed villain who wants to be in the big leagues, has to push things to the limits. Which is why retiring as a supervillain is difficult.

Other people have beaten Gunslinger, but those were all in first blood duels, not to the death. Those loses drive her to become better.

Resurrection Junkyard
Late Evening
Forte, it takes time to get good driving cars, and that includes gauging how much pressure each pedal needs each time. Stop thinking you aren't good enough when you have just started learning.

Good, Forte was taught how to handle her anger. I wonder how much worse she would be if she hadn't been.

Forte is not as well balanced as she likes to think or act. She can control her anger sometimes, but it's a bit harder for her. And anything related to her disability is a big trigger issue. She CAN'T STAND letting it control her life in even the smallest way.

Dang, she upgraded her armor a lot. Increased height to hide her true appearance, a good option with power armor.

“I figured going a bit more defensive and working with some area effect weapons would work better. And my new legs will let me jump and run faster.”

Learn from experience can be a harsh, but important lesson sometimes. A little over 30 mph now, impressive.

An advantage of her sonic metal is that it's easy to fix and reprogram in her lab. However trying to do any fixes on the fly or without the right equipment and she's SOL.
She's still working on the best mix of defense and offense. The purely offensive armour was a bit of a disaster in her last fight, so we'll have to see how well this one works.

Ouch, Book's use of magic is painful to watch and hear, I hate what the demon did to her. Spells to help her get away, and she can summon demonic tentacles. Book is a lot more dangerous than I expected. Big Guy is right, everyone who knows magic and can should learn at least one healing spell

I was thinking of spells that would work best for her. I wanted them dark and creepy, but not overly violent. Book may be part demon but she still thinks and tries to act like a fairly normal human.
Her healing spell will be interesting.

Big Guy's size warping allows him to get to at least 15' in size, talk about a powerhouse. Brass knuckles that can generate a sonic boom on impact with control, Forte makes some incredible devises. Ah, the rubber whip that puts people to sleep if you hit them on the head, I should have known Forte made that for Book. Big Guy is making sure the girls get to their respective safe places/homes okay. Almost feels like he is a big brother to Forte and Book.

I figured Forte would need a brick to work with, and PK supermen, and Energizer bricks have been done a lot. So a size warper was a good fit. It also made his codename easy.
And despite being a criminal, he takes care of his partners as long as they treat him with respect. He also tries to keep civilians mostly out of things. It's why he's not on a whole lot of most wanted lists.

Book's Apartment
Late Night
Dang, poor Book tries to practice emotional reactions, but just can't get them to feel right. The demon took even that from her. I wish there was something anyone could do to make things better for Book.

“Maybe demons aren't meant to feel,” she said softly.

This one hurt, no one should have to feel this way about themself.

This was a fun scene to write. It's been shown a few times that she realizes her emotions have been numbed. Having her human side and personality wanting to compensate seemed perfect for her.
Eventually she may become as callous as Old Scratch, or even worse, but for now she likes her humanity.

Thursday, December 8th, 2016
Sun Hawk and Mogollon Monster's Home
Early Afternoon
Dae-Jung tries to help out June, but she is in bad shape and doesn't realize she missed his name. All he can do right now is be there for her. Oh god, messing up the word for what she wants to drink, June starts hitting herself in the head; this hurts to watch, I wish psychic and magical healing could do more for her. A helper VI in the form of a blue fairy, I'm so glad such technology exists to help out people in their world.

Last time I said that no one close to Fanak would die. I didn't say it would be a happy story.
I enjoyed showing this side of things, where some injuries can't just be healed immediately, and the consequences heroes have to deal with that don't simply involve dying.
Showing a medical VI was something else I wanted to do, just to show how some things are fairly different from our own world.

Friday, December 9th, 2016
Chandler, Greater Phoenix Area
Late Evening

Yikes, why does Fai not like dogs and react like that to what Mandy said?

Alexa jumped into the conversation again. “Mandy didn't you say that if you manifest you want to be a supervillain? You could be Fai's nemesis.”

The pungent scent that Fanak recognized as anger poured from Mandy.

Alexa! Mandy, get tested, you have manifested and just don't realize it yet. Nice to see such good friends, I just wonder what Mandy's power is.

This sleepover scene was hard to write. I don't really do slice of life stuff, and my first attempt with Fai and her friends having ice cream together was a complete disaster. It worked better as a sleepover.
And Fai is Muslim, even if she isn't a very devout one, dogs are seen as unclean, so getting called a dog is a pretty big insult. When Fai swears in Arabic, it's usually calling someone a dog. Hence her getting annoyed.
With Mandy, we saw in Part 1 that she turned a spoon into a near perfect ball. We'll learn more about it soon.

Saturday, December 10th, 2016
Phoenix Warriors Headquarters
Late Afternoon
Ouch, they lost the Laughing Man, a brick flyer, back in February to the Hungry Ghost; the supervillains in Phoenix are deadly. Ouch, another option with Dust Devil due to her relationship with Dusty Devil is out.

Yikes, sounds like Janet has a phobia of seeing blood to faint from a bad cut. Even a retired villain who wants to reform, Lolomi is desperate to get a flyer on the team.

Phoenix is the 5th largest city in the US, and very close to the Mexican border. While the supervillain community isn't the worst (for reasons we'll see later), it's a tough place. While the cartel's are usually pretty quiet, when they need to make a move, they are very deadly with A list enforcers.
And yeah, Janet can't stand the sight of blood. I figured it would be a reasonable reason for her to avoid being a superhero, and it's not shown very often.
Just think of a mage who has a phobia of blood, that would be hilarious.

Tuesday, December 12th, 2016
Phoenix Warriors Headquarters
Morning

Who is this beautiful, young Indian woman? And how did Old Scratch get her to come here when she looks that angry with him? Laysa owes him a favor; work for them for 5 years and a day. He brought in a djinn to be their team flyer!?!

It was mentioned a month or so ago that the Warriors really need a flier. After some thought I agreed, and came up with an idea of how to get one, while making the flier unique.
Old Scratch proved to be very useful for this.
There had been a discussion two months ago on Discord about what the Plane of Water would look like, and I thought about the Plane of Air. So my muse took that discussion and idea plus the need for a flier, along with having a demon who has visited other Planes, and came up with Laysa.
Looking up folklore and myths about air spirits, I read up on the Apsara from Hinduism and Buddhism that are creatures of clouds (air and water), and how they danced for the gods. I liked the idea of magic being cast by dancing, and ran with it.

Saved her life, and she owes him a favor. With how Laysa reacts to him saying this, I think Old Scratch manipulated events for that to happen.

Laysa thinks he did, Old Scratch will deny it. Who is telling the truth is unknown and will be left up for the reader to decide. He definitely would plan out something like that, but he is also quick to use a situation to his advantage. So it's 50/50 either way.

That last part of the deal, Old Scratch, you may be helping the Phoenix Warriors due to a promise you made, but I hate you. I wonder if the deal with Old Scratch includes telling others what he has done and letting them beat OS down?
...
And this is why I respect Lolomi. And assuring Laysa he will never ask her to sacrifice herself, and work hard to keep her from dying as a member of his team. Old Scratch, if ever your deal with Lolomi were to break or end, I don't think he wouldn't call in every favor and mystic possible to ensure you never set foot on Earth again.

Old Scratch is a very proud asshole, but he is also an integral part of the Warriors. He did ensure Sun Hawk survived, does his job competently, and helps out when necessary.
Just because he's an asshole about it, doesn't mean he deserves to be beaten.

Thursday December 13th, 2016
Outlaw's Tavern
Evening
Crap, Forte sold Iron Rain a dozen boomers and shriekers, Fanak and her family are in danger. At least he is still waiting for the nerves in his hand to finish healing. Seesh, just how does she sell those things for?

In the US law enforcement agencies, smoke grenades and other specialty types can be 100 to 150 each.
(Before you ask, yes I am definitely on several watch lists by this point.)
So I figure that since these are unique specialty weapons, that are great for crowd control or putting someone down non-lethally, she'd charge over 100 and under 200 dollars for one, depending on the client and how well she haggles.
So selling a dozen of them is a nice payday for her.

These three are trying to extort Forte, she needs to inform her partners for the heist that they might interfere with her ability to help on the job. Not new devises, what will she unleash next? Soldado and his crew are waiting at a table by the door, and they plan to ambush her once she leaves. A bunch of cowards. Now we know of another way out of the Outlaw's Tavern. Teleport a block or two away from the Outlaw's Tavern, that is some exit.

I needed to show some of the dangers supervillains can be to each other, Soldado and his associates were perfect for it.
Unfortunately for Forte, she's on her own right now. Book and Big Guy have no reason to step in and help as long as the heist can go on without any problems. Supervillains don't get points for philanthropy.

I liked the teleporting back door for the villains bar. While they have an unofficial deal with the heroes, MCO, and police, there are times when a client running out the back door is the best option. Having them end up away from the Tavern is best for all parties.

Friday, December, 14th, 2016
Arizona State University, Tempe Campus
Mid-Afternoon
June Finch is back on her college campus, where she has been going for the last year and a half. She has to lean on a cane and follow Mr. Hart, the state of her mind, this is a nightmare she is experiencing.

Darn it, I'm tearing up seeing her cry, I wish I could just make her all better. Forcing herself to do things even though it is hard now, she is a lot tougher than she realizes. Anyone who looks down on her after what she has been through and is still going through doesn't understand what it takes to keep going after all she has been through. Seeing herself as a shadow of her former self...
...
And the students were laughing about it before she almost took the kid's head off. Mr. Hart is pissed off and yelling at the students, this was a cruel prank that almost got one of them killed. June flies off trying to get home to Dae-Jung, oh no.

I've had this written for a while, waiting for the proper time to use it.
Forte's story is about the corruption that comes from crime. Showing how her actions affect others is an important part of the theme.
And having people being assholes is an all too common occurrence.

Monday, December 17th
Outside of Phoenix
Afternoon
Mongollon Monster has to deal with an intense sandstorm, told by Roadrunner to jump 50 ft. up to tackle Wind Dancer, and she would try something. The sandstorm dies down, Roadrunner has Wind Dancer in a choke hold, and Laysa struggles to get free. MM leaps up and gets Wind Dancer in a grapple and falls back to the ground, where Road Runner comes in with a suppression collar to shut down Wind Dancer's powers. Laysa's codename of Wind Dancer is pretty cool.

Wind Dancer was a codename I picked out for another character with aerokinesis, who ALMOST made canon. She was actually written into the initial draft of the story by Null where the winter students were introduced in Gen 2.
But that story was DARK, and I already had too much on my plate. So I stopped that one, and tore it apart for parts. Thus an air entity who uses dancing to cast magic got a codename.

Aww, Wind Dancer is a kind person. Dancing to cast magic, now that is something I love to see. RR and WD have to put down MM, this is going to be tricky. MM is smart; never underestimate an opponent, even in a friendly training match. Crap! WD uses a hypnotic dance, and it is super effective on MM. Such that when RR puts a collar on his neck, he ends up throwing RR at WD before he realizes what he has done.

Wind Dancer is pretty nice, as long as she likes you. She also enjoys entertaining people, it's in her nature, and she is trying to make the best of her situation.
The hypnotic dance was the first spell I thought of for her. Using it to control the wind was the second one. She's not a brick, and I wanted to avoid the more common "Blast things with magic" or "Create things with magic" type spells.
Giving the hypnotic dance a drawback just makes it more interesting for them to deal with.

Lolomi called, concerned as he was watching what happened. Tells them to be more careful in the future. Oh boy, their first time dealing with Slo-Mo.
...
“Yes it is. They usually deal with this guy, but their method isn't one I care for. Bullying a supervillain into submission would not be good for our image.”

Aww, but it works so well against his ego.

“What's wrong with mocking our enemy?” Wind Dancer asked. “Insulting their pride is almost always a good thing.”

I agree with her, if it results in taking down a supervillain with little to no injuries or collateral damage to the area, I say do it. [/QUOTE]
This will be a fun vignette later on.
Amethyst and I are going to have a lot of fun writing this one.

And yes bullying a supervillain to defeat is a good plan if that's the best you can do. For an A list team, it would be seen as... unbecoming of their status as role models.
But for the record, my daughter thinks bullying a supervillain is perfectly fine and argued about it at supper last night.

Fanak's Home
Evening
Fai wants to drop her dance class, uh oh. Oh no, a talk with her parents over the matter.

“Your baba and I have noticed you are acting differently, being quieter, tired and distracted. Is anything wrong?”

Fai, tell them the truth. She wants to put on muscle, get fit, and learn some self-defense. So, of course, they jump to the conclusion she is being bullied or forced to do something she doesn't want to, seesh.

“We worry about you, Fai. You can tell us anything, and we will support you, no matter what it is.”

Fai, they are worried about you, but finding out later or from someone else will make matters worse. All that, and she heads to her room, missing her parents' worried looks.

To be fair to her parents, they did mention several reasons for being worried. The mood change and being more tired is a sign of bigger problems, so asking about bullying or something worse is a legitimate worry.
Too bad Fai is stubborn, worried and a teenager.

Forte's Hideout
Midnight

What is Forte doing to poor Sleepy, the guinea pig? A test subject, please don't hurt Sleepy, Forte. She tested the whip on a wooden target, she is going to test the sleep function on Sleepy. Okay, she is gentle about it and isn't harming Sleepy or their siblings. 10 minutes, pokes Sleepy until he wakes up, yawns, then goes back to sleep. I hope this isn't a bad sign that the sleep function is too potent. She made four of them, one for the school girl, one for Book, and two to sell later. Why not keep one for your own use in an emergency? [/QUOTE]
I was hoping people would think Forte was going to be a horrible person and do violent tests on the guinea pigs.
She's a villain, she's not a monster.
And Forte doesn't need a sleeper whip. She's repeatedly shown she has a sleep devise in her right hand.

December 18th, 2016
Chandler, Greater Phoenix Area
After School
Candy cane mocha, gah! Seesh, the things teenage girls talk about amongst themselves.

Crap, Iron Rain is watching Fai and her friends. Hiding in a distance and using his power in that way, he plans to destroy everyone Fai loves as part of his revenge. I knew he could bend bullets, but to do that with his hand to push someone into traffic from a distance. His power is even scarier than I previously thought.

Fai reacts quickly to save Alexa from being run over by a bus, grabbing her hand, and tries to pull her back in time. But she is wrenched from Fai's grips, screams, and crashes, and Alexa is on the ground with bones sticking through her bloody pants. Iron Rain needs to die for this, and all the other evil he has done.

This was fun to write, I'd had it in my head for a while, and it's pretty much unchanged from the first time I thought about it. Alexa was always going to get her leg broken, it was simply a matter of how badly it was broken.
Iron Rain is very dangerous when he has time to prepare and can attack from a distance. He was also shown in Fire Over Phoenix being able to stab Fanak from several yards away.
And unfortunately for Fanak, Iron Rain still has quite a bit planned for her, you saw a bit of it in one of Morgana's stories.
By the time Iron Rain is done Fanak is going to be a very different person.