11714/We're Not Doing this Again are We

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We're Not Doing this Again are We
Date of Scene: 23 June 2022
Location: Outside NYPD 13th Precinct, New York City
Synopsis: America and Red Arrow stop a jail break by The Mad Bomber (or whatever he's going to call himself) and after America offers Emiko a home among the crew she is forming.
Cast of Characters: America Chavez, Emiko Queen




America Chavez has posed:
    The NYPD 13th Precinct was not equipped to handle metahumans of any sort, so it's quite a surprise with the holding cells toward the back of the lower floors of the stocky building erupt in an explosion. A number of drunkards and petty theives flee through the hole before the man who caused it steps out of the rubble. Clad in a violet and black tactical suit, the rather plain looking man has little features that mark him as a true threat. Average height, average weight, average... everything.

    Even so, he steps through the rubble and sneers. "BAck to the drawing board..." he murmurs to himself as he starts down the street. A passing NYPD officer rounds the corner of the building and raises his gun to the man. "STOP RIGHT THERE!" he calls, his posture and stance marking him as young on the force and not trained in how to deal with metahumans.

    It costs him.

    The plain man raises a gloved hand and the gun starts to glow with an orange like before it explodes in a flash of metal, wood, and concussive force, sending the officer back to the ground in an unconscious and bloody heap.

Emiko Queen has posed:
Emiko isn't one of those heroes that can normally get places quickly, but when there's an explosion practically in her back yard, she's able to be on the scene within minutes. While that young policeman is going to regret it, he at least detained the man in black and violet long enough for Red Arrow to arrive. And arrive in time to see that spectacular show of his power. She isn't going to make that same mistake.

Stealth isn't terribly easy in the city, or in midday, so she's going to have to move extra carefully. Sneaking along the rooftop, she selects her arrow carefully since she's likely to only get one shot before she'll have to engage hand to hand. Going with a classic, she selects a smoke bomb arrowhead, nocking it to her bow and drawing a bead on the man. Waiting until his head turns and he's looking away, then releasing to let it hit the ground at his feet.

Attaching a grapple line to the edge of the building, she tilts forward and runs down the side of the building, swinging out at the last moment to try and come in, hopefully feet-firt against this guy's chest. Trying to set up a quick end to the fight before he can 'power up' again.

America Chavez has posed:
    Red Arrow's plan works well... up to a point. The smoke is a clear distraction and it does disorient the man long enough for the swift kick to the chest to send him sprawling back onto the rubble strewn sidewalk. But a quick burst of explosive force at his back sends him right back up and he grabs hold of Red Arrow's shadowy from in the smokey haze.

    "Bad... move..." he says, sinister intent lacing his words. His teeth clench and Red Arrow can feel her body heating up, the cells of her outfit, of her skin, of her insides all reaching a critical point. "All of you heroes are the same... all bravado and style until you realize at the very end, that nothing you do ever matters for long."

    He seems intent on monologing, and it's probably why he doesn't see the blue outline of a five pointed star appear not far behind him.

Emiko Queen has posed:
This isn't good. But. She always sort of assumed that she would go down in a fight, so it isn't entirely unexpected, either. Gritting her teeth against the pain and heat of her cells superheating in and around her, Emiko notices the blue glow but says nothing. Instead, focusing her attention, her will, into one (presumably) last act of defiance.

In those moments before she reaches critical mass, Red Arrow rears back one arm, hand laid flat and stiff like a blade, then throws what might be the best punch of her life. A short, hard throatpunch designed to crush the man's larynx. If she's going to die in the next few seconds, she's damn sure not going to do so listening to some terrible villain monologue with his bad breath all in her face.

And hey, if she's really lucky, it might distract the man long enough for whoever's about to come through to stop him!

America Chavez has posed:
    It's more than enough. Throat punches are nasty things, even the most amateur of shots can be brutal if delivered in the right spot. He man lets go of Red Arrow and staggers back grabbing at his throat, making choking sounds. The heat quickly disappates from her form as his hand leaves her.

    The blue star collapses in on itself to reveal a blue lightscape behind it. A tall dark-skinned woman in black hotpants, a red tee with a blue star in the center of it, bright red hightops, and a denim jacket with a similar star motif on the sleeves emerges from the lightscape.

    The man continues to stumble and choke and bumps into her, forcing her to put hands on him. "Oh no... not you again?! Yesterday's beating not enough for you?" she says and shoves him forward to land on his hand and knees still coughing and wretching. She looks up and meets eyes with Red Arrow. "Oh! Wonderful! I've been looking for you!" she says with a grin. "How about we handle this loser and we can talk a bit?" she asks. "You game?"

Emiko Queen has posed:
Sucking in air the moment she's able to, Emiko lets it out in a rush and the clench in her jaw eases as her molecules settle back down into their usual configuration. And just in time for the impressive entrance of one America Chavez! They did that one thing together with the TItans, in Wonderland. When things went sideways and America and Bart were having to rush people out before Bad Things Happened.

"Hey. Yeah sure, sounds good. Long as we make sure this guy doesn't end up in another jail," she hooks a thumb towards the exploded wall, then looks to the man gasping and wretching and offers a grim little smile. "He won't be saying anything for awhile. Maybe not ever. Time is tissue." Red Arrow motions towards his hands, "Do you have a means of stopping his powers? I might have something that will work for a bit, but it won't last too long, not with how his seem to work..."

America Chavez has posed:
    America blinks. "Powers?" she says. "You mean he..." she looks at the wall and then at the gasping man who seems to be slowly getting his composure back. "Oh... well... that's -muy mala-" she mutters. "I didn't realize his explosions were power based. I thought he was more gadgets. I think we can make sure authorites can see he goes to the proper place this time."

    At the question she shakes her head. "Last time Wiccan and I just knocked him out. Seemed to work pretty well all things consiered" she smiles. "But we can give your idea a shot if you want. I'm game for anything as long as it gets this guy off the streets."

    Said guy is finally back up and looks at America. "You..." he rasps out. "I'll see you in bits and pieces before I go back in a cell!" he says and lunges for her, his hands outstretched. His palm touches her and America's form is lost in a ball of fire and thunder that shakes more of the building's rubble free from the hole he had created.

    The man turns and walks out, seemingly unaffected by his own abilities. "Now for you..." he rasps, as he stares at Emiko with murder in his eyes.

Emiko Queen has posed:
She shakes her head, "Definitely powers-based. He does it through touch... like he's supercharging or superheating cells... almost like he's making mini atomic explosions with whatever he happens to touch." Emiko pauses, then adds, "Without the lingering fallout." Then he's regaining his feet and she immediately adopts an aggressive stance.

"Unconscious, got it." She keeps her attention focused on the guy as he manages to choke out some words, that rasp in his throat making her smile. Just a little bit. But then he's doing whatever he does to America and she goes grim-faced, "Ohh fuck. You IDIOT." Emiko shifts her stance to Aikido, focusing on avoidance and putting space between him and her.

Without taking her eyes from him, she mutters, "Do you even know what happens if you explode someone with her abilities? Just because you're immune to your own powers doesn't mean you'll be immune to whatever happens when -hers- overload. Fucking amateur villains..." As soon as he moves for her, she whisps her hands out, stiff-arm strikes to his wrists to keep him from touching her. One hand slips back to her quiver, grabbing one of her favorite arrows, the taser arrow. Feinting to one side, then swinging smoothly around the opposite side, she brings the arrow up and jams the tip to the base of his skull to release the trigger, sending 50,000 volts of elecricity right to the base of his nervous system. It will get her, too, but if it takes him down, it's worth the shock to her own system.

America Chavez has posed:
    Emiko is a much better combatant than this guy, whoever he is, and her quick dodges and Akido moves do the trick to keep him off balance and prevent him from touching her with his explosive hands. A quick spin and push makes him stumble and leaves him qide open to her arrow's payload. The electic line into his brain forces his body to stiffen and jerk before dropping him to the ground in a twitching pile of spasmodic reactions. The blow back of the payload to Emiko isn't as tremendous but it will surely leave her arm numb for a while.

    There is a furious Latina yell from the smoldering smoke heap where America had been and the Fuertonan emerges from the smoke. Her clothing is torn and charred in places but aside from some black soot staining her skin she looks otherwise unfased. "This was my favorite shir--" she cuts off at the sight of the subject of her ire laying in an electrified pile. "Oh..." she says, the wind taken out of her sails. "Well... that's... good then" she says with a smirk. "You've got the skills and the resourcefulness that I'm definitely looking for" she says approaching the shorter woman, closing her jacket some to give her a modicum of modesty for the time.

Emiko Queen has posed:
Arm numbed, Emiko drops the arrow as her fingers refeuse to hold onto the shaft any longer. It clatters to the ground around the same time as the would-be villain, leaving her standing over him, one arm tucked up close to the chest as she stares at the heap of him for a long moment. She could do it... it would be quick, painless, far more merciful than anyone he caught with his blasts got. But then America is speaking and the moment is broken, Emiko giving a short nod, "He'll be out for a few minutes but..."

Reaching into her utility belt with her good hand, she pulls out a quick-injector and tags him lightly in the neck with it, "There. That'll keep him out for a few hours. Long enough to get him into a containment field and to find a way to nullify his powers." The injector is tucked away again as she turns towards America, "You should see what happens when my brother gets kidnapped. I'm told I'm... scary." A quick, sharp smile and then she's letting out a breath, "Okay. We need pickup... you said you wanted to talk, my place isn't far from here. I can get you a shirt, you can clean up a little... and we can talk."

America Chavez has posed:
    Being so close to a police precinct is that response time from the proper authorities doesn't take long at all. It's only a few more moments before the metahuman tast force from SHIELD arrives to handle containment protocol for the man. America called him 'The Mad Bomber' but the agents marked him as Edward Thumbolt, a very plain name for a very plain man.

    Once he was contained with a power dampening collar around his neck and a pair of explosively resistant mitts on his hands, America turns to Emiko. "I'd... like that, if you really don't mind" she said. "How do you feel about flying?" she asks, offering her hand to the other young woman with a smile.

Emiko Queen has posed:
Mentally marking that name to look up later, Emiko watches the SHIELD agents drag the man away with a nod, "Glad that's taken care of." She looks to the young officer that was the Mad Bomber's first casualty and goes towards the paramedics loading him into an ambulance. "Hey, one second, I just need to do a quick evidentiary search..." Really, she's jsut getting the man's name so she can make sure his medical care is covered later, but it's a good excuse.

Once finished, she steps away and nods to the paramedics, "Thank you." Then she moves back to join America, giving a nod, "I don't mind at all. I could actually stand to clean up a bit myself." And check for any possible lingering marks or issues from having nearly been exploded. Letting out a small laugh, she shrugs and takes the offered hand, "It's more conscpicuous than I'm used to, but whatever. Not like I'm exactly hiding."

America Chavez has posed:
    "Trust me, pretty sure people will be more focused on the one flying than their passenger" America says. She draws the smaller woman close. "Sorry, safety doen't really allow for personal space when you're flying with a passenger" she says. Then, with a kick off the ground, she launches the pair of them into the air. She keeps her speed low, after all no need to give Red Arrow wind shear as well as any other minor injuries she sustained.

    As she lets Emiko direct the pair of them to her apartment building she speaks. "So... I like how you operate. You have just the right amount of restraint and passion in your moves" she says conversationally. "You're not the Titan's roster anymore, I noticed. Did you end up with a different crew?" she asks. True to her words, most people on the street level who see the pair of fliers focus on the larger and more obviously flying one than the companion being held along.

Emiko Queen has posed:
Wrapping an arm around America's waist, she chuckles, "I'm not squeamish." Then they're off! Emiko seems to have a pretty good handle on how to hold herself and how to balance herself to be the least burden on America's equilibrium. Giving directions, it's not going to take long at all to reach her place. They were literally blocks away. She points to a rooftop that boasts a small hothouse and garden, as well as what looks like a great place to hold a rooftop party. "We can go in through there."

"Thank you. The restraint isn't always easy, but I strive to stay on this side of the line." She pauses, then gives a small nod, "Well, yes, I'm no longer with the Titans, and no, I'm not currently with any other group. There's one that I associate with, but I wouldn't say I'm active member, more like... an on-call freelancer slash friend of the group? I help out when they need it, but I'm not actually -with- any group just now." Once they land, she pulls her arm back from around America's waist and steps towards the door with a smile, "Come on. Hot showers, clean clothes, and fresh food is this way."

As she opens the door and heads down the stairs, she calls back, "Make sure you close the door behind you, I don't want Huginn and Muninn to get out." Which may become even strange when America heads down only to see two young, floofy cats staring at her curiously from a high-up ramp, rather than two ravens. Each cat is missing one eye, which might have been what prompted the naming. "Do you like tea? I also have water, juice, coffee..."

America Chavez has posed:
    America takes a moment to marvel at the rooftop garden space before she follows along. She does close the door and blinks at the cats. Yes, she was expecting ravens, but she's not immune to the cuteness of cats--especially floofy ones. "Outsiders, right? Gotham crew" she guesses. She's more than aware of the various teams of this world (as well as a number of parallels to them across the multiverse.)

    "Water's fine" she says as she follows along, gawking even more at the upscale apartment the woman has set up for herself. "This place is... wow. Nice. Umm..." She's briefly distracted by the entertainment system before she shakes herself out of the idea of gaming nights here. "Are you looking for a crew to call home?" she ventures, deciding exploratory inquiry might be the best bet with Red Arrow.

    After all, it's not like it was with Wiccan (who was as much a fan as a comrade) or Mania (who was a wary ally but receptive of her compliments and directions.)

Emiko Queen has posed:
"Yeah. I met Red Robin through Impulse and we struck up a sort of friendship based around amused chagrin at how similar we are in thoughts, interests, hobbies... and that we're both a 'Red' hero. So it made sense to join up and help out when they need it," Emiko lifts a small shrug and moves twoards the kitchen, pulling some glasses and getting both ice and water from the door of the fridge before offering one of the glasses out to America. She nods to the young cats and smiles, "Huginn is on your left, Muninn is on your right. Beware, they will co-opt you for scritches and playtime."

Emiko pulls the hood back and removes the domino mask, setting it on the counter as she runs a hand through her hair, "Thanks. Ollie was nice enough to set me up with my own trust fund, but he also helped fund this, to make sure I was set here in the city." She grins as she looks around, "I may have taken some liberty to do it up how I really wanted."

Returning her attention to America, she leans back against the breakfast counter and crosses one foot over the lother, "I haven't been actively looking, but I have to admit... it would probably be good for me to be around other people again. To work with others."

America Chavez has posed:
    America takes the water and takes a sip of it while Emiko talks. She nods when the woman finishes. "I'm sort of putting one together..." she gestures toward the outside. "For New York and for... well..." Another sip. "I'm not called the Transuniversal Hero for nothing. I have other places I go. Other people I help. That they're in a parallel univere doesn't really make it any less of an obligation to me and having travelling companions... would be nice."

    "I've had my eye on you for a while as a prospect for that team" she says. "It's kind of a joint operation between the Titans and the Avengers. Been leaning toward that sort of name: The Young Avengers. But I'm the leader of it and, no offense to Donna or Steve or anyone else at the Tower or the Mansion, but if I have a crew, we're going to operate with autonomy." She smirks. One thing America Chavez doesn't lack is confidence and assurety in her own abilities and skills.

Emiko Queen has posed:
Emiko lifts a brow at the idea of going into other dimensions for hero work, musing over it for long moments, sipping at her water as she listens. Watching her with an inscrutable gaze as she considers the offer. Finally, she gives a nod, "I would be amenable to being on such a team... but I have to ask. Why me? Or rather, why particularly me?" She offers a brief smile and adds, "Not that I'm not interested, but I -am- curious. When I think about a team jumping through alternate universes, I honestly don't think of someone like myself first. Also, I suppose I should ask... who else do you have lined up for the team?"

There's a small chuckle as she gives a nod, "I don't blame you there. I've never been great with feeling like I have to answer to someone either." Straightening from the lean, she sips from her water once more, then sets the glass aside so she can get the cats their wet food. She takes an unmarked container from the fridge and sets it on the counter, grabbing up the dishes so she can portion it out carefully. Looking towards America, Emiko blinks, then sighs at herself. Setting the cats' food down, she washes her hands, drying them on a towel before moving past, down the hall and taking a left into her room. She comes back a moment later holding a folded t-shirt, "Ah, here. I almost forgot."

America Chavez has posed:
    America blinks at the tee and laughs. "To tell the truth, so did I" she says and holds up a hand to catch the tee. Once acquired she wastes little time in turning around and unzipping the jacket. Showing little regard for modesty in the privacy of a home, she peels off the remains of the red tee.

    One thing the jacket does is hide the well toned physique of the dark-skinned woman. It's not surprising that the Themyscirans would accept her into their ranks as an honoraray Amazon; even if not a native, she's got the form for it. She pulls on the newly acquired tee and though it's a bit on the short side (looking more like a crop top than a full tee) she doesn't seem to mind as she pulls on the coat. How the coat survived the explosion without a scratch is probably a tale for another day.

    "Now what did you--oh! Why you? Because you're damn good at what you do. I don't care that you're not imbued with super speed or magic or strength or any of that. The fact is you're one hell of a fighter and smart to boot. I mean, that you can do the things you do -without- powers is mind blowing to me. And just speaks volumes for your ability and potential."

    She takes her glass up again and sips. "I've got three others on the crew and 2 or 3 more to look into. So far, I've got one of the Green Lanterns: Keli Quintela; a magician named Wiccan; and a girl named Mania whose... she's like Spider-man in terms of what she does... but scarier." She grins. "And with you... that makes five of us. I'm going to check a couple other friends of mine, if I can manage to run into them and together we can start showing the others what we're capable of."

Emiko Queen has posed:
Emiko can't help but chuckle at how the tshirt fits on America, shaking her head, "Maybe I should have offered a sweatshirt, I always get those in much larger sizes." Then she's retrieving her water and motioning America towards the living area, whichever side of it she prefers. Following in her wake, Emiko will find somewhere to seat herself and lean back with a small sigh.

"I will admit a measure of envy for your height and physique. I work out, religiously, thoroughly, every day.. and I will never look like you. Don't get me wrong, I am very proud of what I can do, but sometimes it would be nice to have that.. statuesque figure." She lifts a small shrug and offers a faint smile towards the taller woman, "It's not easy to be imposing when you're the size of most ten year olds."

Then she's giving a nod, her smile warming, "Good answer. I've been trying to find a group where I really feel like I... belong. Not just for my abilities, but for me." She lifts her glass for a swallow of the water, then adds, "I will accept... conditionally. I'd like to meet the other people in the group so we can make sure we're all going to suit, personality-wise. But so long as there's no major conflicts there, I see no reason not to join."

Emiko flashes a grin and offers, "Sounds like you've got a diverse group, though! I'm looking forward to meeting everyone. Now, I suppose I should ask... is this going to be a group where we have like.. a headquarters and people live there full-time, or is this more of a 'we have a mission everyone, meet me at X location'?"

America Chavez has posed:
    America smiles at Emiko and settles onto the couch. "Trust me, there are advantages and disadvantages to everything. I'm six feet tall an stick out like a beacon everywhere I go. I can't do stealth... at all... the portals are nice to get to a place but once I'm there, everyone knows I'm there." She sips her water again and sets it on a coaster on the coffee table. "I would pay to have some of the anonymity you can employ. There's no point to me wearing a mask or covering my face in anyway. Six feet tall, dark skin, opens star shaped portals... I could be in a full bodysuit and people would be able to point me out from that last fact alone."

    At Emiko's acceptance she nods. "Of course. I wouldn't assemble a group of diverse people and expect them to work in tadem on the outset. Just because they work well with me doesn't mean they work well with everyone else. There will be meetings. As for location?" She shrugs a shoulder. "I've got a couple of places I'm scouting. They'll take some sprucing up, of course, but I know people who can help with that too. We'll have an HQ for sure. I like things to be official and nothing says offical like a base of operations."

Emiko Queen has posed:
Emiko chuckles and lifts a shrug, "Without the mask it's hard for me to find anonymity simply for my name. So I definitely understand. It's hard to be able to... have a life. When you can be easily recognized." She takes a sip from her glass and laughs softly, "Conversely, it's hard to have a life when nobody knows you, too." Shaking her head, "I can wear this," she motions to the outfit, "and be one person that's known." She motions around her, "Or I can take it off and be this other person that's known. My only true advantage is training. Even at your height and build, the proper training and you could be as stealthy as I am. It isn't about height or build, it's about knowing where to stand, where not to stand, how to use your environment around you."

Giving a nod, she offers a smile, "Excellent. And if you need help in the acquisition or refurbishing, don't hesitate to ask. My surname might not be Wayne, but I still have a ridiculous amount of money that can go towards things like a headquarters."

America Chavez has posed:
    "You know, you're the second person who's given me that offer" America replies with an amused laugh. "Do I just give off blue collar vibes?" she asks. Before waiting for an answer she waves a hand. "It's alright. I should be fine and if I do need the help, I'm not above asking for it. For sure." She takes up the water and downs the glass, leaving it empty before setting it on the table again.

    "You really think, with enough training I can be stealthy?" she asks. A smirk crosses her features. "I'll think about it. But in the end, not much out there I need to be worried about..." she tugs down the collar of the shirt to where the villan touched her earlier. There's not even a scorch mark, just a tad bit of soot. "Being from a utopian univere has its advantages." A shrug. "But it's something to think about."

    "I should be heading out..." she says, pushing to her feet, "Thank you for the shirt. I'll get it back to you. After I wash it of course." She pauses. "Unless there was anything else you wanted to talk about?" she asks the shorter woman.

Emiko Queen has posed:
Laughing lightly, Emiko shakes her head, "No, but when you -have- ridiculous amounts of money it's almost embarrassing and you sort of want to do things with it. I've already bought and refurbished an entire building, complete with a hothouse for fresh herbs and vegetables, with an independent power grid and security system, including my own little 'lair' on the main floor... I bought a ridiculously expensive motorcycle and paid even more to have it souped up further... if I had the space, I would have my own aircraft. As it stands, I may still take lessons, just because." Lifting a shrug, she offers, "It really is ridiculous, trying to figure out what to do with it."

Emiko finishes off her own water, rising up to collect America's glass so they can be put into the dishwasher, "Of course. It really is just a matter of training and practice. Now, were you say... the Hulk... I might suggest maybe not steal.. but you? Sure." She moves back to the couches and lifts a shrug, "Stealth isn't about surviving the encounter.. it's about strategy and tactics. Gaining a tactical advantage over your enemy is priceless."

Grinning, she leans against the side of the couch and nods, "Appreciated. I can't think of anything offhand, but I'm sure we'll be seeing each other soon, so if I think of anything, we can discuss it then."

America Chavez has posed:
    America nods as she moves to a cleared area of the room. "Of course." She stops her foot to the ground and a star shaped portal opens beneath her feet. She hovers there for a moment and smiles. "I look forward to working together with you Emi. I think we can do a lot of good together."

    Then, without any more fanfare she drops into the blue-white light beneath her that closes up after her passing leavning the floor just as it was before she stomped a dimension door through it moments before.