17309/Sister At Sea

Sister At Sea
Date of Scene:	01 March 2024
Location:	Atlantic Ocean Coastline
Synopsis:	Jaime's sister Marisol is on a sailboat that is swamped. Kiana senses the teens floating in the water and moves to help, meeting Jaime on the beach after.
Cast of Characters:	Kiana, Jaime Reyes

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Kiana has posed:
It is getting late. A storm front has blown through the upper East Coast, bringing storm clouds and wind that the weather forecast thought was going to turn further north rather than hit the Tristate area.

A bit of rain has fallen intermittently, though at the moment it's just a sprinkle, the weather have climbed high enough to be a mix of rain and sleet, but not snow.

The sun is already going down when the Jaime's phone rings, the caller id saying it is his sister, Marisol. She said something about going to spend the day with some friends before she left this morning.

Jaime Reyes has posed:
"Que pasa, hermana?" Jaime says. He just got back to his apartment - in Metropolis - and is dropping his backpack and starting to change into his evening clothes. The city is twinkling outside, though the weather has turned miserable and lousy, and as he begins to change, Jaime continues, "Hope you and your friends found something to do in this crappy weather!"

Kiana has posed:
"Jaime!" Marisol says, her voice full of alarm. "Angelina knows a guy with a boat, and we went out on it with him and his friend. And this storm came up and the sail ripped. We're stranded. The waves are getting high, one almost tipped us over"

The sound of the other 3 on the boat arguing can be heard in the background. Marisol says over the phone, "I called 911 and they said they were sending the Coast Guard but it will take awhile for them to get to us. We're out straight east from the mouth of the bay. We think. We've been drifting for awhile. Hermano, I'm scared," she says.

There's a sound of a scream over the phone, and one of the boys shouting, "Big wave, hang on!"

And then the phone call ends.

Jaime Reyes has posed:
"You WHAT!?" Jaime says. The Scarab Carapace is already crawling over his skin, "Just hang on-" He says, before the phone goes dead.

"Khaji Da, can you-"

//I already triangulated their location during the phone call, Jaime.// The Scarab replies.

"Right." Jaime says, before he steps out the window, and takes off in the hum-crackle of gossamer plasma wings, and sets off over the city like a blue comet, blasting out across the eastern seaboard with the speed of a jet fighter.

Kiana has posed:
The city quickly gives way to the open water where Delaware Bay meets the open waters of the Atlantic Ocean as Blue Beetle zooms forward.

Overhead the skies are angry, the dark grey turning to nearly black now that the sun is down. The waters are rolling with waves, some of the large enough they look like they could probably capsize a small boat.

The location is indeed a bit further out to sea than it would have been safe to go if the weather was known. The location about 12 miles off the coast, which is probably near the limits of the range of the land-based cell phone towers.

It doesn't take Jaime very long to reach the general area. Searching it takes longer, but eventually he finds a capsized sailboat. There's a life preserver in the water, but no signs of any people.

Jaime Reyes has posed:
Jaime lands on the boat, the water and waves splashing over his armor - he scans the surrounding area for life-signs, but there's only fish... a whale. "No no no-" Then a ping - the cell phone of one of Marisol's friends, making a call to her mother.

Jaime takes off into the air, and shoots toward the beach, flying in low over the water, the hum of his wings raising a misty spray around him. It takes only a little over a minute for him to make landfall.

Kiana has posed:
The hull of the upside down sailboat thuds under the heavy footfalls of the scarab's armor, bobbing unsteadily as more waves roll through while Blue Beetle makes his frantic scans.

The flight back to land doesn't take all that long either. Up ahead there's a deserted stretch of beach. Some wealthy homes set further back, but no one out on the wet sand due to the storm.

The scan guides Jaime in right to them with that phone call active. There are five people standing together at the water's edge. The sight of Marisol might bring a measure of relief, her hair and clothes soaked, but she's standing and no sign of major problems. Health scans may show some bruises but otherwise she's fine. The same of the other three in soaked clothing.

The fifth person stands out for wearing a blue bikini. A teenaged girl with mocha skin and light brown hair, with something of a South Pacific or maybe Asian island look to her. She's standing ankle deep in the water talking to the four other youths.

Jaime Reyes has posed:
Jaime lands, rather roughly, and then grabs Marisol by the arms. "Thank god, you're all right!" He hugs his sister, and then pulls back -and then begins to shake her, lightly. "Because I am going to kill you! What were you THINKING, going out in that weather!"

"You're supposed to be the SMART one! You know what mami would say if I told her about this? She'd say 'You're supposed to be the SMART one', that's what she'd say, but she'd somehow make you feel even worse about it!" He's stopped talking, but he's still shaking her, and hasn't seemed to register the others yet.

Kiana has posed:
The eyes of the other teens go wide as the blue-carapace encased hero lands. Marisol throws her arms around Jaime and hugs him. "I know, but, I didn't want to not go out with them when they decided to," she says with a sigh and a sheepish expression.

"Woah," one of the boys says. "Never met any superheroes before," the boy says, looking from the Blue Beetle, to the girl in a bikini.

Said girl's head tilts to the side a little bit. "Superhero? I'm not a superhero," she says quickly, shaking her head.

The boy looks at her, eyes roaming for a second before she turns her attention to him and his eyes snap back up to hers. "What are you then, a mermaid? You found us all in the storm and next thing we know we're standing in the water beside the beach."

The girl gets a bashful look and says. "I'm just a mutant. Someone who wanted to help," she says.

Jaime Reyes has posed:
The Blue Beetle turns to one of the boys - and his eye... ridge raises. "You just stand right there."

He turns to Kiana, and offers her a big smile, even though he's got that flat face and red eyes. "Well, you're a superhero in my book!" He says. "Whoever you are, I owe you bigtime for saving my sister."

Then he turns back. "I know what YOU were thinking." He says to the boys. "You were THINKING you'd get them out on the water and..." He scowls. "If I ever see you near my sister again... I am going to pon un pie en tu culo-"

Kiana has posed:
The two boys look at each other as the flying, armored, probably well-armed brother expresses his displeasure with them. They take a few steps back, and then turn and beat a hasty retreat across the sand, running for the nearest house, which will probably take them a bit to get to in the wet sand.

Marisol and Angelina are both shivering. The Atlantic isn't exactly warm in February, plus the cold wind and sprinkling rain. Though the young woman in the bikini isn't showing as much shivering as the other two, her arms do go about herself a little.

The girl hesitates for a moment, and then says, "Kiana. My name is Kiana. I'm glad I was able to help them," she says, looking down a little shyly. "You... how do you... is that your body, are you a mutant?" she asks, gesturing at Jaime.

Jaime Reyes has posed:
Jaime is apparently all out of scolding. He looks down at himself, and then he sighs, before the Scarab carapace retracts from his head. "No. Sort of. Not really, but kind of? It's armor. I'm not a mutant." He gestures to himself. "It's... ah, complicated. And hard to explain. I'm like Iron Man. Except... better." Jaime grins, hoping that explanation is good enough.

Kiana has posed:
Apparently it isn't. "I haven't met an Iron Man. Though there was someone in Hammer Bay who had skin like rock," Kiana replies to Jaime. She reaches out a hand but stops short of him, looking for permission. If he allows, she touches the armor, tapping on the carapace.

Marisol and Angelina move over nearer, but not into the water itself where Kiana is standing. "Thanks for coming for us," she tells Jaime. She glances at Kiana in her bikini, and then at her brother. "You should probably give us your number, so you can make sure later we're ok."

Kiana's eyes widen, as if she didn't realize she should have done that. "I don't have a number, though Old Ned at the crossroads has a phone," she says. "I can call people from it. I give him pearls because he said calling overseas is expensive. Maybe I could get your number?"

Jaime Reyes has posed:
The armor is warm, almost feeling alive like skin, but not exactly. His cheeks color slightly, and then he clears his throat.

"Uh, yeah." He says, "I can do that. Happy to give you my number... in case you ever need help. You can text me any time. But in the meantime, I should probably get my sister home." He gestures to Marisol. "Though... I'm not going to tell mami and papi about this. Because I'm angry. They would be *apocalyptic*."

Kiana has posed:
Marisol repeats the number to Kiana a time or two until the mocha-skinned teen thinks she can remember it. Then she says, "Thank you for saving us," and she goes over to give Kiana quick hug, which surprised the girl but Kiana hugs her back after a moment.

"Ok, let's get home, we're freezing, hermano," Marisol says to Jaime. She motions Angelina to come over as well.

"Goodbye. Please be safe," Kiana says as she backs up a little bit into deeper water. Jaime might notice there's a little silver anklet about one ankle before she gets into deep enough water it can't be seen anymore.

She gives a wave from where she stands in water up to about her knees. And then the water seems to swirl about her a little, and suddenly she sinks into it and is gone.