2761/The Downside of Being a Champion of Man

The Downside of Being a Champion of Man
Date of Scene:	03 August 2020
Location:	Manhattan: the Financial District.
Synopsis:	Billy's battle finished but Angelica's is just starting.
Cast of Characters:	Billy Batson, Angelica Jones

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Billy Batson has posed:
It is a few minutes since an Emergency Broadcast Announcement Ordering Citizens to avoid the Financial district due to a Metahuman altercation. All the Citizen band apps went berserk, though there was little hard information besides only minot injuries and the destruction of a four block area. Not long after this, Angelica recieves a text from her friend Billy. <Got hurt. Can you help? I'm on Broad Street. Can't reach my family.> This happens when there are only two siblings you can depend on with their own phones and the fight you had knocked down the cel towers in a seven block area.

The address is just outside of the roped off battlezone. Emergency Service workers are tending to injuries. Firefighters are assessing damage and the police are shooing people away and one skinny kid is overlooked by all as he sits on a fire hydrant, his skullie pulled down.

Angelica Jones has posed:
Eyeing the burner phone from across the room, Angelica sighs. "Biilllyyyy.." she whines, putting her pillow on top of her head. Her dad's still angry. She's grounded without leave. And she can't get out. She blew up her last celphone, and the F4 gave her this...at least it's expendable.

The window still opens though. She pulls a shirt over her new outfit, not fond of showing off her bod, and sneaks out. With a first aid kit...

She gets into range quickly enough. Billy sees her get stopped by the police trying to enter and, oddly, she shows them something on her shirt. AND THEY LET HER PASS!

"Billy?" She looks worried.

Billy Batson has posed:
Billy Batson turns into the light. The left side of his face and forehead are bruised and swollen. He has a black eye. He points to a bruise on his throat and shakes his head. Then he gets an idea and types on his phone. <Hurt my throat, hard to talk. So no... you know for a bit. Why did you flash that cop?>

Yeah Billy has looked better which is not saying much.

Angelica Jones has posed:
Looking at Billy, Angelica assumes that it's the concussion talking. She says, "Shh, come here. Let's get you sitting down so I can look at this." She glances at the phone, which gives a small glitchy moment to remind her why she can't have nice things, and guides Billy someplace he can sit.

"Fantastic four logo. Dr Richards met with me. You're gonna have a black eye too, son. Tell me the other guy looks worse?" She pulls out an instant ice pack, cracks it, and presses it to whatever looks worst.

Billy Batson has posed:
Billy Batson more typing and he fends off the icepack until he finishes. <YOU JOINED THE FANTASTIC FOUR? WTH? ARE YOU A SUPERHERO NOW?> Song and Dance-Girl? Flute Female? Hunh? Does he know anyone without superpowers anymore. He accepts the pack finally looking at the F4 uniform with his good eye. "What happened?"

Angelica Jones has posed:
Angelica looks at the phone. She sighs, putting her hand over her face, then ...sighs again. "I'm wearing a shirt over it, don't STARE, you goofball. And where else hurts the most? No I did not join anything. They lent me some ...an outfit. It's clothes."

Touching Billy's arms, she checks them for blood. Checks the fingers. "Squeeze both hands. Nod if you feel any tingling. I set things on fire, apparently. Which is completely useless and only burns stuff. So they gave me pants I won't turn to ash in the middle of lecture hall." That should explain the tree. And the trash can.

Billy Batson has posed:
Billy Batson types some more. <<3 it. :D You look great! Didn't mean to stare but you... > He swallows and says, "The FF are big in... my line... of... work. I think I can change in a bit. Sorry to drag you... out. Thought I'd die." He mimes a series of punches and... spellcasting? Lightning most likely! Finally he says, "This suits you better than... toga."

Angelica Jones has posed:
Angelica puts a finger on Billy's lips, stopping him from speaking more. Unless he were to try. At all. "Stop being a hero for now," she says with a bit of sadness, as she lets him go. "You need to heal. Rest. Let your family do the heavy lifting for one day." She sounds firm, maybe even worried.

"And...I'm going away soon. I don't know where. But I'll call." She looks away. Then back, and offers her fingers. Her hand. Her friendship.

Billy Batson has posed:
Billy Batson doesn't take the hand right away. "Shazam!" There's a clap of thunder and flash of light. A much larger hand takes hers and virtually swallows it. "I can talk. This body is healing, fast. What... why are you going?" Yeah, been a hell of a day. "I want to help." His injuries resemble Billy's, though they seem to have healed for several days. He still doesn't look great.

Angelica Jones has posed:
Lightning up close is still frightening. Loud, and it makes her jump. Something she's not really had time to get used to, the scary times. Angelica looks up at Billy, and it is still Billy, and sighs. "You don't out yourself as a dangerous...mutant," the word comes hard. She continues, "to the fantastic four and not have repercussions, Billy. They're going to contact me. Follow up. I don't know...something. It scares me, but it's...the right thing. Billy when we met I was burning down part of the school! And I didn't even know it!"

Billy Batson has posed:
Billy Batson takes both her hands expecting the tingle of radiation. He nods in an almost sage-like manner and says, "I would have sworn it was Sandusky. Listen, they're not shipping you off to a prison or the Negative Zone. You have rights and... you aren't dangerous. You're the... you... I think... " He looks away. After a moment the Courage of Achilles takes hold. "You are a beautiful person. This power comes from you and you will do good with it. It's got to work that way I mean, I'm a dumbass, and I did all this damage fighting Juggernaut. I have powers that put me in Superman's league... almost and I'm a dumbass like I said. A bright woman like you could make something of any power." He takes a deep breath feeling ribs knit. He's aching for a blast of lightning to heal the rest of the way but his hands don't want to let hers go, as lightly as they are held.

Angelica Jones has posed:
She isn't sure what to do. That much is obvious from her face. Still, there's a solution for that. "This isn't supposed to be about me," Angelica says, her bossy tone kicking in. "You're the one who's hurt. And don't give me that chuff about you being fine. Boys can be in pain just as much as women."

Courage of Achilles she may not have, but she gets by. Then she sighs, and says, "Change back. Unless this is helping you heal. I can't medic you in spandex." To be fair, she hasn't looked down.
FTHen, with a small smile, "Juggernaut eh? Did you win?"

Billy Batson has posed:
Billy Batson hnhns. "I think this is helping me and yes this is about you. Mutants have rights. I don't know how they handled things on your Earth, but on my Earth we don't foam at the mouth when we see a Mutant. And Dr. Richards would respect your right to privacy. We have superhero confidentiality or something... what'd he say to do?" His eyes narrow in what he hopes looks shrewd. His black eye opens and looks more a purple and yellow eye now. "Juggernaut... the fight was inconclusive. Yeah. We were both hurting. I had hit him with a big bolt of lightning that changed me back and the tunnel we were in was collapsing and I lost him. I couldn't change because I couldn't talk." Yes he, looks embarrassed at that. Hard to admit to a pretty girl you had a draw, at best. Why don't you tell her he called you a Superman knockoff too.

Angelica Jones has posed:
Nothing for a moment. Then, "Dr Richards didn't say to do anything. Just..use my powers. If I don't, I fill up too much and then things start to catch fire around me." She's quiet afterward. Not leaning toward...or away. As if she doesn't know what to do.

"You're going to be amazing. You can stand toe to toe with Juggernaut, already. Someday it'll be more." Then, without warning, she stands. "You said I was smart, Billy. Well, this smart girl knows. There'll be more from this, for me. Respecting my privacy?" She turns, then looks at him. "It isn't over. But you're arguing this like it hurts you, or something? I told you, I need training. Desperately actually."

Billy Batson has posed:
Billy Batson nods. Then he says deliberately, "I can help. Look away a second. Shazam!" Then he's Billy Billy, not merely Shazam when someone knows he's Billy. "I didn't know how to fly or throw lightning or anything really when I started. Now I portion out power to my family. Powers... you have to accept them and you also need to tell them who is boss. No one but you can do that. You can play with them around me without hurting me, not much. I mean... maybe the Human torch could help too?" His black eye opens wide. Yes switching to Shazam produced results. He awkwardly leans toward her, not sure what to do with his arms. He hugs awkwardly. "I mean you can't hurt Shazam... don't turn me into a burrito. Hehe."

Angelica Jones has posed:
She responds automatically. In her family, no hug goes unanswered. And you hold the other person until they stop hurting. She isn't sure she'll live long enough for BIlly, but it's a start. "Stop," she says, gently now. "I keep saying it. Stop being a hero, Billy. This isn't your battle." She pulls back, putting her hands on Billy's shoulders. Noting how much better he looks. Nice trick. But, still. "It's mine. And I'm strong enough for it. You don't need to be my hero, solve all the things. There's time."

Nobody gets irradiated. She's not that bad today. And she wouldn't hurt him anyway. Hell, she burnt some trash instead of Sandusky's face. Billy she actually likes.