Log:A Pickpocket in Chinatown, Scene 4

A Pickpocket in Chinatown 2010/11/05 	 Jian Lorelei Mauler Paragon Titan Triple Sec Harlequin Imaginary Girl Weakspot|the "creepy guy" 4

He's been gone a semi-long time, but Michael finally makes it back to home, sweet home. Or close to it. The coffee shop's one of the best places in the city! Walking in the door, he removes his hat to run a hand through his hair before replacing it and heading for the counter. "Hm... good to be back, I'd say..."

"Been anywhere interesting?" the girl out the counter says conversationally as she takes Michael's order. No one Michael knows especially seems to be about, though mostly it's a normal-looking crowd, with maybe an exception or two.

IN particular, there's a rather nerdy-looking Chinese guy drinking tea at one table. He keeps a tight hold on his bag. He keeps staring at various people in the room in a rather unnerving way.

Lorelei comes into the coffee shop, quite cheerfully, and the man's focus falls upon her. Of course, so does the focus of a number of other people! She glances about then heads to the counter.

"Oh, here and there... Chicago and Los Angeles for one." Michael does look around, eyes pausing on the nerdy Chinese guy before looking back to the cashier, "Hm. Cup of coffee, please. And a bagel."

"Coming right up!" she says.

Michael turns a bit. Male population of the cafe looking... yep. "Hey, Lorelei. Nice to see you again."

Lorelei says, "Oh - hey! I didn't recognise you from behind. How's it going?"

Michael smiles, "Good... so what's with the traffic jams?" He moves off to the side a bit, having ordered. He still glances occasionally at the nerdy Chinese guy.

Lorelei says, "It's going ok. I'm pretty busy filming, most days..."

Lorelei says, "How have you been?"

Michael smiles, "Good so far... had a couple run ins in Chicago and LA, but otherwise..." He shrugs. "... too bad the cases were easy. It was just the run-ins that were the hard work."

Lorelei says, "You like a challenge, hm?"

Lorelei and Michael are at the counter, getting their drinks. Otherwise it's a normal crowd, mostly, though there is one nerdy-looking Chinese guy with a rather unnerving intense stare. At the moment it's directed, not so unusually, at Lorelei.

Sasha comes into the coffeeshop with a smile on his lips and a bounce in his step. He makes his way to the counter where he orders an iced coffee and only then appears to take in the other customers.

Titan walks into the coffee shop shortly after Sasha, letting the door close behind him.

Lorelei grins. "Johnathan! Everyone's arriving all of a sudden!"

The creepy guy stares at the newcomers in turn as they enter.

Jian walks into the coffee shop, curious to see if she's been correctly informed it's a hero hangout. And the first thing to catch her eye is Lorelei. Giving a wave her wanders cheerfully over, ""I'll have an iced tea." Jian tells the model and film star.

Outside, a clearly female figure dressed in red, white, and blue drops out of the sky, landing lightly on the sidewalk - Imaginary Girl! She pauses to lean forward to the coffee shop's window, hands cupped around her eyes to look into the place, before moving to the doors to actually enter.

Sasha's gaze slips from Lorelei to Titan. He shakes his head then takes his iced coffee and adds even more cream and sugar to it.

Titan smiles to Lorelei, "Hey there." He chuckles quietly as Jian moves past him toward Lorelei.

Michael blinks. Looks at Jian, then at Lorelei. "Umm... who's the kid?" He sips at his cup of coffee.

Jian steps up to Michael getting 'in his face'. "Who are you calling a kid?" she asks aggressively.

Lorelei says, "What would you like, Johnathan?"

Sasha sips his drink as he lingers by the counter. He seems to be taking in the crowd, porbably looking for a place to sit or something.

Sasha thinks. o O (. o O (Hmm, good coffee))

Imaginary Girl steps in and calls out, "Heya, Titan, Lorelei!", greeting the two people she most quickly and easily recognizes among those present.

Michael looks down at Jian, "You, kid." He turns a bit to take a sip of his coffee.

Titan smiles and walks over to the counter. "Some tea, I think. It's starting to get a little chilly out there. Maybe something like Darjeeling?" He turns at the mention of his name, and waves to Imaginary Girl, "Hey there, IG. How are you?"

Lorelei says, "Oh, hey, Imaginary Girl. -- And a Darjeeling, please."

Jian moves closer to Michael almost in contact with him, "Want to step outside and say that, musclehead?

Michael rolls his eyes, then looks at Lorelei and the others, then back at Jian, "Do I need to?"

Sasha raises his eyebrows at the ire expressed by the white haired monk. but he remains slient. He thinks. o O (Colonial Bay is never boring. I'll give it that.)

"There's no need for that! Michael, this is - um..." Lorelei stops, embarrassed to find Jian's name has escaped her. Not the easiest to remember.

"Uhm... yeah... this'd probably be a kinda stupid place to pick a fight", Imaginary Girl comments, putting her hands onto her hips.

The creepy guy moves his gaze to Imaginary Girl, now.

Jian nods, "If you call me a kid again I'll bounce you on your head until you learn better."

Michael sighs, "Lorelei, is Steel's Gym still open?"

Lorelei says, "As far as I know! Why?"

Sasha continues to sip his drink, but does turn his attention Imaginary Girl. He smiles warmly as he takes in the fit of the heroine's costume.

Titan looks...amused by Jian's reaction to Michael. And seems happy enough to not be the target of the young woman's ire.

Imaginary Girl gets looked at all the time... and pays no real mind to the guys presently staring at her, whatever their reason might be. "Yeah... if you gonna pick a fight, at least do it in there, so that you don't mess up something that belongs to someone else", Imaginary Girl suggests. That said, she adds, "But I still think you're over-reacting", directing her words at Jian.

Sasha goes back to the counter and orders a hot chocolate. He waits for it to be made then head in the direction of Imaginary Girl.

Michael shrugs, "It's alright... Imaginary Girl, correct?" He smiles, "At least it isn't bullets, exploding cars, or a walking horror thing. 'Sides, the kid's probably got something to get out of her system. Especially if she thinks I'm a 'muscle head' on a first meeting."

Suddenly a boy appears in the middle of the cafe - one Jian will recognise from Chinatown yesterday. He's standing through a table, though. "HELP!" he cries - practically screams.

Imaginary Girl just shrugs at Michael's words, hands still on her hips. "Well, to someone small as she is, maybe anyone bigger's a muscle-head...?", she wonders, then actually jumps a little, startled by the sudden appearance of the boy - and ends up floating in the air, her feet a few inches off the floor.

Jian glances over towards Imaginary Girl, "Pick a fight? Me? You must be thinking of two other people. The monks taught patience, self-control and discipline. But these guys are all alike. Only way not to get stepped on is to stand up for yourself. So if..." she spins around "Trick! Get behind me." Her attention turns to the door.

The boy looks may 13 and rather scruffy. A moment later, a big arrow appears in front of him, pointing outside and up the street. Then the boy and the arrow vanish.

Jian breaks into a run heading for the door to the street.

Lorelei too hurries for the door.

Sasha follows the heroes outside with a look of curiosity on his face.

Titan furrows his brow. "What the heck was that about?" He heads outside as well, following the group.

Imaginary Girl goes, too... and, closest to the door, hauls it open in time for the others to pour out through it, then follows.

Michael blinks at Jian, "Umm.... what?" He shakes his head, then puts two and two together, sighs, and takes off. "... yep. Good to be home. Release the chain." He changes right outside the door, taking off faster as his new form solidifies.

Outside, maybe a block away, there's a guy in a garish orange costume with a big M on the front. He looks as much a professional wrestler as a meta. He seem to be holding nothing, for a moment. Then a boy fades into view in his hand.

Jian activates her defenses as she runs through the door and up the street in the direction of the arrow. And to anyone who might recognize it, she's suddenly enveloped in a standard Wolfguard force armor.

Jian is at the head, for now, of a stream of heroes racing out the door of the coffee shop and running, or flying, up the street to where a big muscled guy is holding a young teen boy by his arm.

Titan narrows his gaze at the large guy, "Is there a problem here?"

Titan keeps striding closer, though...but not in a real hurry. Yet.

Flitting out of the coffee shop doors after the others, Imaginary Girl goes up into the air, about ten feet over the heads of the others, then narrows her eyes and calls out, angrily: "Put the boy /down/!"

Sasha follows behind the pack of heroes making their way towards the man(boy)handling going on up the block. He ambles along holding two insulated paper as he walks.

Jian yells, "Let him go, you over muscled bully." although she speaks in Mandarin and there's a few words not fit to print included in the comment.

The guy in the garish orange costume scowls. "No problem unless you make one. You don't want to be messing with the Mauler! THis is nothing to do with you! Back off and no one gets hurt!"

Yes, he delivers this like a wrestling villain, too.

"The one who's gonna get hurt is /you/ if you don't put that boy down! You hurt him and I'm gonna space you!", Imaginary Girl says with a scowl... and a growl, even. Rawr.

Paragon lands on the rooftop of a nearby building, a large duffle bag strapped securely to her back and a small piece of paper in her hand. She scans the paper for a moment, then glances around and hops down to a clear section of the sidewalk at an intersection. She glances up at the street signs, then turns to face the hostage situation. The illuminated orbs within her helm expand in surprise.

Titan raises a brow. "So...you're beating up a kid...why?"

Jian doesn't slow down. In fact she speeds up and extends both hands out in front as her hands morph into a battering ram shape.

Jian times herrun and action so just as she gets to the point where it seems she's committed to slaming straight into the bruiser holding Trick, her hands morph again into pinchers and as they do she grabs at the man's fingers and tries to bend then back against the joints in such a fashion as to break his grip on the boy.

Paragon slips her duffle bag off her shoulder and quickly stuffs the piece of paper into one of the exterior pockets before dropping it on the sidewalk behind her. She holds her hands up in the air in a non-aggressive 'Calm Down' gesture as she steps in the Mauler's direction. "Beating up on kids is no way to go through life, son," the armored hero intones in the way one dispenses fatherly advice. "Just...take it easy. It's not too late to let the boy go and forget about all this if you let him go." She could only be so hopeful that the Mauler would take her advice. It's only ever worked a few times in her short career.

Jian uses the linchers her hands have morphed into to lever Mauler's fingers off the boy and quickly pulls him away and behind her, not worrying over much that this is presenting the big bruiser with her side and back as a target.

Mauler growls, "Shapeshifter, huh? You won't get the boy away from the Mauler, though!" And he lunges for the teenager, only to find his arms close around the approaching blur of Imaginary Girl!

Even as Jian pulls the boy free, Imaginary Girl's landing between the boy and girl and the big wrestler-guy, Mauler, landing hard enough to make 'dents' in the asphalt of the street with her feet as she comes down. "Pick on someone your /own/ size!", she says, her hands balled up into fists and raised between her body and Mauler's as his arms go around her, instead!

"Out of my way, girl!" shouts the Mauler, dashing Imaginary Girl to the ground.

Jian looks at Imaginary Girl and offers her a sincere, "Thanks!" as Imaginary Girl blocks the Mauler's attempt to grab Trick again.

Lorelei, still at a distance, leads off with her usual stunning pose.

Rather to her surprise, it seems to have little or no effect on Mauler.

Titan is a little wary bout assuming that the kid is 'innocent'. Especially after the incident with Hansel and Gretel. So, he moves up behind Mauler, and tries to grab him. "Stand down. You're horribly outnumbered. This doesn't have to turn into a knock-down drag-out fight. And you'd lose badly."

"Just get him out of here...!", Imaginary Girl says to Jian - or starts to say. What she manages to get out is, "Just get him ouOOOMPH!", the last part getting interrupted by her head, shoulders, and upper back slamming into the street hard enough to leave yet another dent in it!

"Hah, it'll take more than that to hurt the Mauler!"

Jian tells Imaginary Girl, because of course she's heard of Imaginary Girl, who hasn't, "The big guy can probably leap further than I can run. You fly Trick out of here, nobody cacthes you in the air do they, and I'll stop the  from follwing after you as long as I can."

Triple Sec shakes his head as he overhears the conversation from where he is near Lorelei. He looks at her, then shrugs and looks back before making a punching motion forward. Both of his arms extend at an alarming rate towards Jian and Trick to grab at both, lift, and pull them back to Triple Sec himself. "Imaginary Girl, Titan, take him down! We'll see to the boy and the kid!"

Titan nods, "Try to figure out what sparked this."

Jian yells at Triple Sec, "STOP CALLING ME KID!"

Sasha watches the heroes going about their business and slips closer. Once Twist and Jian are back by Triple Sec he walks forward and holds out one of the drinks he was holding to the ragamuffin. "Hot chocolate? Seems like you are having an exciting day, no?"

Triple Sec pulls the two kids over by him, setting them down before he looks at Jian. And speaks rather abruptly in Mandarin, "" He pauses, looking at Sasha, then at Trick. He steps to the side so Sasha can try to talk to the kid.

Meanwhile the creepy guy has also exited the cafe, and is watching the fight from behind Lorelei.

Jian grins at Trick. It seems she's enjoying this. "Forsomeone who can't be seen or heard you're getting yourself in lots of trouble. I'll have to teach you how to sneak around when you trick doesn't work."

Jian then looks at Triple Sec, "Uh, in case it's slipped your notice, I already don't like you. But thanks for pulling Trick out of the mauler's reach."

Paragon winces as the Mauler throws Imaginary Girl to the ground. Lowering her hands into a fighting stance and closing her hands into fists, she warns with a tone of chivalry, "Hey! That's no way to treat a lady!" With the kid and Jian pulled to safety, she leaps into the void in front of the Mauler and drives her armor-plated elbow into the Mauler's stomach in an attempt to wind rather than wound. "Maybe this will take the wind out of your sails! Surrender now and we won't have to escalate this any further!"

Jian watches Paragon in action. "Now that's a hero. I mean, not like the others aren't. But there's something so cool about power armor."

Mauler clearly felt that, but doesn't give the satisfaction of a grunt. He just grins. "Am I supposed to be impressed?"

Jian glances at Trick to check he's okay. Then she stays where she is, because, heck, there's too many heroes already around Mauler to make the fight any fun.

The tone in Paragon's voice makes it sound like she could be smiling behind that faceplate. "Seems like you can take as good as you dish out," she says appraisingly of Mauler. Perhaps even a bit of appreciation. "If that's how you want it, I can stop holding back now. Just let me know if it gets to be too much." It doesn't sound like a boastful taunt. She delivers the words with friendly, business-like consideration.

Mauler grins. "Suits me!" His arms still held by Titan, he kicks out at Paragon.

Lorelei tries the same tactic again, hoping it had more effect that it seemed.

Imaginary Girl, grinning, gets a knee underneath herself as she pulls herself up off (and out of) the street's surface... "Just hold him right /there/, Titan!", she says as she balls one hand up into a fist, clearly about to use the motion of getting to her feet as a way to add power to her punch...

Titan just goes ahead and squeezes Mauler...keeping his grip on the man.

A ringing *CLANG* sounds at as Mauler's foot connects with Paragon's abdomen. With her feet dug in, she doesn't budge or give Mauler an inch. "Not bad. You've got some abilities there," she says as she wipes the dusty footprint left on her armor. "But you've got me wondering. All that power. All that strength. And you're using it to go after some kid? Makes me wonder, y'know? What could that kid have possibly done to someone like *you*?"

Titan chuckles as he squeezes. "Mauler, is it? Never heard of you."

Mauler again doesn't so much as grunt. "I guess you should listen more!"

Sasha kneels down next to the unconscious urchin with a look of concern on his face. He sets aside the insulated cups and begins to check the child for vital signs and for injuries especially to the head and neck. He mutters to himself in a foreign language as he does all this.

The two glowing lights within Paragon's helm blink on and off in unison a few times as she turns her head from Titan to Imaginary Girl, then back to Mauler. Wow, what luck! Not ten minutes in a new city and she's run into at least two of the city's well-known protectors! She hasn't had a good chance to look at the others...who knows who else she's getting to fight alongside! She smiles cheerfully behind her faceplate, thinking maybe she'll get a chance to ask for some autographs. But asking might seem rude! Wait; Mauler. Time to focus. Innocents are at risk.

Jian squats down beside Trick and Sasha, "Is he going to be okay?" she asks the unknown to her person attending the boy.

Paragon balls up her right fist more tightly and lets loose with a quick right cross aimed at Mauler's jaw, pulling her punch still while Titan has him held fast.

Sasha murmurs to Jian as he continues to check over the child, "Unconscious. No signs of BFT. Probably sedated."

Mauler says, as he's hit again, "What's the kid to you, anyway?"

Paragon winces as her punch connects, feeling bad for hitting an immobilized opponent. It just doesn't seem sportingly. "To me? Nothing? Everything. I just can't stand by while someone's in harm's way. So there's my answer. How about you? What's he to *you*? And how about you calm down and we talk this out so we can stop hitting you? Maybe we can get you help."

Imaginary Girl uncurls herself as she rises to her feet, putting everything she's got, it looks like, into the vicious uppercut she unleashes up into Mauler's body. The impact is loud... loud enough to be /felt/ by those close enough. The windows of some nearby parked cars actually get spiderwebs of cracks in them, and one car's airbag deploys! The force with which she delivers the punch sends Imaginary Girl up into the air about a meter and a half, where she hovers, after cutting loose on the bad guy that way.

Mauler and Titan go flying back together along the street a full 28 metres, before crashing into the ground (and a couple of cars).

Titan braces, maintaining his grip on Mauler...and gets bounced off the pavement a few times.

"That's for picking on a little boy!", Imaginary Girl says, her tone of voice triumphant, after laying it to Mauler that way.

Paragon feels some of her bolts and joints vibrate from ground zero of the shockwave. "Impressive!" she compliments Imaginary Girl's explosive punch. She glances at the cars, feeling sorry about the collateral damage.

Sasha glances up at the sonic boom of IG's punch. He smiles slightly then turns back to the kid.

Paragon mentally notes to herself that it feels like she needs to do some maintenence on her knee joint once she gets the chance, based on the feeling of the vibrations from the punch. Something seems a little loose.

Mauler tries to break free of Titan's hold. "Fine. You want the brat?! Take him! I'm not being paid enough for this hassle. They'll probably send someone to *kill* him now, but that's your problem, not mine!" Looks like IG's punch did something to shake his confidence anyway.

Mauler can't quite get the leverage to get free.

Titan grimaces...and holds on. "Someone hired you to take the kid out? Who? And for what?"

"Yeah!", Imaginary Girl says. "Spill it... or I'll hafta knock some more sense into ya!", she adds, slapping that one fist into her other hand.

Mauler says, "I ain't saying! THink you can beat it out of me? Think again. You hit like a girl!" he adds with a grin.

"Of course I do! I'm /Imaginary Girl/!", is the heroine's reply, as she launches herself forward, aiming another punch at the gun, this time using the momentum of her flight towards him to build up momentum.

Titan chuckles. "I'm strong enough to hold you. And you haven't been hit by me, yet."

Sasha lifts one of the child's eyelids and examines its response. He murmurs softly as he does, "Could one of you see if that creepy eyed man is still around?"

The man is indeed still nearby, and still watching the fight.

Jian stands looking over at the creepy man. "Is he doing this?" she asks Sasha, her hands lifting into a fighting stance/

Sasha shrugs. "I have no idea, madame. He just creeps me out."

Triple Sec steps over in front of Jian, "Stop, kid." The armored helmet looks down at Jian. "He hasn't done anything to our knowledge. You jump to conclusions, you might as well be tossing a nuclear warhead down on the spot."

Lorelei moves in, no longer being in line of sight of the combatants.

Jian stares at Triple Sec, "I'm going to ask him to move. Same as I'm asking you right now. MOVE!"

Titan just...doesn't let up on his hold, and gives Mauler another squeeze. "Oh...hey...look. Here she comes again. Ready to surrender?"

"What, you're going to hold me still so your girlfriend can hit me?"

Titan grins. "Well...no. I won't do that." He chuckles, "My girlfriend wouldn't punch you, I don't think."

Sasha looks up at the arguing heroes, then down at the kid. He shakes his head and puts a hand the ragamuffin's shoulder as he shakes his head with a muttered, "Idiot." A circle of blue flashes into existence under and around the two youths and then closes with a snap. Beyond could briefly be seen what looked like a basement.

Paragon looks back over her shoulder to see if the kid is alright. She eyes the scary armor and chains superhuman, but relaxes at his words. Looks like a villain at first glance, but talks like a hero, she thinks approvingly. She turns back towards the others and Mauler, missing the disappearing act of the kid and Sasha. Her legs coil before she leaps towards the battle at hand.

Jian spots the dual disappearance behind her. She looks at the empty stretch of sidewalk, then back to Triple Sec, "Uh... Do you know if that guy is on the good guys side?" she asks uncertainly.

Triple Sec looks at Jian and shrugs, "Ask Lorelei. I've been out of the city for a while."

Imaginary Girl's fist comes down across Mauler's jaw, with a *CRACK* damn near like the sound of that last punch she landed on him! The force of her blow coming downwards, she drives Mauler /and/ Titan, as the big guy holds onto the baddie, right down into the street - which has a nice mini-crater in it now, with small chunks of asphalt flying up and out to make a little ring of ejecta about the impact site.

Titan barely manages to maintain his grip as the two men get bounced around again. It's definitely doing a number on his clothing, though. His shirt is shredded pretty well. The dangers of wearing silk.

Titan and Mauler are blasted clean through the street and are deposited in the sewer below.

Imaginary Girl blinks her eyes, an expression of surprise on her face as her street-crater becomes a tunnel to below. "... oops...", she says.

Paragon takes a short hop back from the crumbling hole in the street, then leans over the edge to peer down. "Um. Surrendering yet?" She really doesn't want to go down in the sewer..

Tiny reddish eyes peer upwards from the darkness toward Paragon.

"Well... uhm... crap...?", Imaginary Girl says, as she, too, realizes that's the sewer down there.

Paragon's vision modes on her helm flick to different settings until she settles on one that can penetrate the darkness.

"Someone," Jian remarks to nobody in particular, "ought to rename Imaginary Girl to Collateral Damage."

"THe Holy One is not there," says a tiny voice from the dark, too quiet for most to hear. "But one day he will return."

Paragon's eyes flicker from white, to red, to green to see which mode let's her see the best down there.

"... A holy crap...?", Imaginary Girl wonders, aloud.

Paragon stares for a moment, caught off guard. Talking rats!? She remembers herself and holds a hand up on greeting. "Hello there, sewer denizens! I'd recommend vacating the area for your own safety."

Paragon calls down, "Mister Titan? If I can call you that.. Are you alright down there?"

Mauler tries once again to wriggle free of Titan.

Titan grunts, still trying to hold onto Mauler. "Been better. And...just call me 'Titan'. Or 'Johnathan'."

Titan chuckles. "And here I thought you were strong, Mauler. Guess I had you mistaken for someone else."

And yet somehow Mauler manages to slip free of Titan's apparently secure grip. He felt slippery, somehow, under Titan's hold, and more yielding than before.

"Greetings," says one of the rats to Paragon, not falling back with the others. "Do you bring any news of the Holy One, whom you big folk call Eleven?"

Paragon tilts her head in curiosity at the rat. "Y-you know Eleven??" she asks urgently, seeming concerned. "How? Is he in town?" She looks around quickly, as though expecting to be under attack.

Holy One? That certainly couldn't be unit Eleven. They must be referring to someone else. Paragon calms down and replies to the rat, "I don't think I have any news about your Holy One."

"That is sad news," says the rat. "I am old now, but hoped to see Him again before I die...."

Imaginary Girl flits down into the hole. "Lemme getcha outta here, Titan", she says, as she reaches out to take hold of his arm. "There's something close by, down here... and I don't think it's Mauler..."

Triple Sec walks over to look down into the hole, then pauses before he turns to look for the nerdy looking Chinese guy again.

The nerdy guy is mostly watching Jian now the fight is out of his sight.

Titan stays where he is, looking around...figuring that Mauler probably went either underwater or into the darkness. He doesn't want to go wandering off into the dark, though...after all, he can't see that well. "Running away, are we?"

Titan's words echo round the sewer but bring no reply.

Triple Sec hms, calls to Lorelei, "Watch yourself. We'll be back." Then he hops down into the hole. "Titan? Imaginary Girl?"

Paragon hops down on a dry patch in the sewer along one of the service walkways. She glances around in night vision and infra red mode to see if she can spot Mauler or his heat patterns as she comments to the rat, "I'm...really sorry to hear that. I'd love to try and help you find this Eleven, but first I need to bring this mercenary to Justice. If I can figure where he went."

Imaginary Girl calls up, "We're okay... it's just dark... and.. uhm.. smelly... down here. I think Mauler got away. I can't hear him...", in reply to Triple Sec's query after her and Titan.

Titan isn't inclined to step in the muck too much. "Enh. Let's get out of here. We're going to have to explain this to the authorities."

Jian watches the heroes jump down into the sewer. Something she is DEFINITELY not going to do.

Imaginary Girl nods, looping one arm around Titan's, saying, "Hang on", then reaches over towards where she hears Paragon. "C'mon... let's get outta here, come grab my arm so I can fly us out", she says to the other heroine. For her part, she's been hovering down here... instead of landing in whatever is down here.

Triple Sec shrugs as everything seems okay, extends his arms back to the hole and pulls himself out.

Once Paragon, too, is hanging on, Imaginary Girl flies herself and the two others up and outta the sewer, to land on the street near the hole she oops'ed into the street.

Lorelei frowns as people return. "He got away?"

Triple Sec nods. Then looks at Jian, "Alright, kid... I want some answers. How do you have a Wolfguard suit?"

Paragon sighs as she touches down and lets go of Imaginary Girl's hand. "It would seem so. But at least he didn't escape without a certain degree of cost to himself," she nods.

Jian stares right back at Triple Sec, "... and what's it to you, musclehead?"

Jian adds, "and STOP calling me kid."

Paragon glances between Triple Sec and Jian and holds up her hands. "Hey, now, we're all on the same side here. No need to turn on each other."

Titan shakes his head. "Yeah...he got away. I'm not exactly sure how. I mean, all of the sudden, he went all 'ninja' like."

[To Paragon] Lorelei says, "Agreed. And thanks for you help - I don't think I've see you before...."

[To Titan] Lorelei says, "Ninja-like?"

Jian speaks to Paragon without taking her eyes off Triple Sec. "I'm not sure we are on the same side. He's been riding me and belittling me since I had the misfortune to encounter him." However her words to Paragon are quiet and respectful.

Any grime or whatever from down below that might've stuck to Imaginary Girl when she went down to get Titan out, and got Paragon out, too, sorta just 'falls off' of her as she floats up into the air. "Sucks that the bad guy got away... but the boy's safe, right?", she questions... and, on hearing that the child is, indeed, safe, she announces, "I guess I'll go back on patrol, in case Mauler comes up nearby...", then flits up into the sky to do exactly as she said - fly about and watch for the bad guy to come up outta the sewers...

Triple Sec turns his head to seemingly glance at Paragon, "That... I'm not sure on." He looks back to Jian, growling a bit, "Kid, I'm saying this only once. The last time I saw a Wolfguard agent, people died. Good people. I'm not on good terms with them, they're not with me."

The creepy guy watches Triple Sec and Jian arguing.

Jian says, "Listen, because I'll only say this once and I imagine you have trouble understanding complex ideas. So I'll use small words. Until yesterday I'd never heard of this Wolfguard. My armor was a birthday gift from my father. You want to know where he got it? Go ask him.""

Paragon's eyes flicker from green back to their default white with red fringe. "Well, it would seem we *were* fighting the good fight together," she observes. "But I don't know anything about this Wolfguard..."

[To Jian] Triple Sec says, "I will. Where is he?"

Paragon turns to Lorelei and snaps off a two-fingered salute. "Not a problem, ma'am. I'm Paragon of the Guardians. I just arrived in town today, actually. Thought I'd lend a helping hand since I was passing through."

Jian says, "Baron Zerstoiten's castle. In Germany."

Jian glances over to Paragon, "You were cool."

Lorelei says, "Well thank you, and welcome!"

Titan sighs a bit. "I'm going to go get cleaned up. I need a shower badly."

Jian nods to Titan and mines holding her nose.

[To Titan] Lorelei says, "Just a mo...."

A tinny chuckle echoes from within Paragon's helm at the compliment. "Thank you, miss...?" she prompts Jian for a name.

Lorelei casts a spell to give Titan at least the semblance of cleanliness. "That should help till you can get cleaned up properly anyway!"

[To Paragon] Jian says, "I call myself Jian. It means Sword in Chinese."

Lorelei thinks. o O (Jian! That was it....)

[To Paragon] Lorelei says, "Anyway, welcome to Colonial Bay, and thanks for the help!"

Triple Sec seemingly stares at Jian for a few minutes. "... you've got to be... ARGH!" He turns and walks away from the group, muttering expletives in a variety of languages.

Titan smiles to Lorelei. "Thanks. That helps a lot."

"Jian? That's a cool name," Paragon says appraisingly. "It was impressive of you to run up and free that kid," she nods in approval. "It was risky, but it paid off. That takes guts."

Lorelei says, "Just make sure you change before sunrise - not that that's likely to be a problem!"

Titan nods. "I think I can manage that."

Paragon stares at Triple Sec as he walks away. "Hey now...let's not be like that.." she implores.

Jian shakes her head. "No. I can't be hurt. Not permanently. It's heroes like you, and Titan and Imaginary Girl who are brave."

[To Lorelei] Paragon says, "Thanks for the warm welcome! I was happy to be of assistance--saaaay...I've seen you somewhere before..."

Lorelei grins. "More than likely."

Jian remembers, "Uh, Lorelei, the guy who was tending Trick. Is he okay? I mean, is he one of you good guys? Cause he blipped off with Trick."

Paragon gasps. "Wow, you're..you're that actress!" She scratches her head, trying to remember her real name rather than one of the characters she's played. "And you!" she points to Titan. "I've seen both of you in some action films!" she exclaims excitedly.

Triple Sec runs out of languages after the ninth variation it sounds like as he looks at Jian, "You should ask your father about Wolfguard, then. I'm sure he'll tell you a lot about them." He shakes his head, "There goes your publicity into play, you two."

Titan raises a brow a bit. "So...who's Trick?" He chuckles quietly at Paragon's reference to him. He nods. "You have the right people, yes."

Lorelei says, "Um.. well I don't know much about him - I didn't know he could teleport! - but I think so. I can't see the boy being in danger with him, anyway...."

Jian says, "The invisible pickpocket from Ming Street market."

Paragon's shoulders sag, appearing crestfallen. "Was ...was that rude of me? I'm sorry. I'm just not used to meeting famous people."

Paragon rubs the back of her head awkwardly. Oh boy. Just embarrassed herself in front of the locals.

Lorelei says, "That's us. And Trick - Trick was one of Auntie Rotter's collection of meta-orphans. The one who chose not to go to Lord Markham's school. I've always felt badly about that, like I let him down...."

Jian laughs and tells Paragon, "Don't worry. They lap it up, like a cat with a dish of cream."

Jian looks at the heroes, looks over at the damaged street and bent cars, She grins, "My father was right. Being here in this city is going to be fun."

Triple Sec shrugs, then pauses and looks at Lorelei, "Lorelei? Have the twins met Jian yet?" He looks at Jian, then at Paragon, "It's fine, Paragon. I think they're used to it."

Lorelei says, "No - well, not here, anyway. They left before Jian arrived."

"Cats?" Paragon muses. Oh, the rats! She steps back to the crater edge and peers down, looking for the talking rat.

Lorelei says, "Rats?"

Jian says, "Jennifer and Jessica? Those twins? Yeah, I saw them a couple of times when you came to see the Baron. Don't know them, not more than saying hello when our paths crossed at the castle."

The rats are still there, listening, though more sheltered against the side of the tunnel than before.

Paragon calls down, "Hi again. You said you were looking for an Eleven? Your, um, Holy One? Can you tell me more about them?"

Paragon nods to Lorelei. "This city seems to have sentient sewer denizens. How remarkable!"

Lorelei's eyes widen. "Oh! *Those* rats! I didn't know they were still about!"

Lorelei goes to peer down into the sewer, not that she can make much out down there.

Titan says, "What rats are you talking about?"

Lorelei says, "There are some rats - some sentient rats - who worship Eleven as a god or something. I've no idea why.... I haven't seen them since, well, just after I came to Colonial Bay...."

Paragon says, "Who is this Eleven? They seem to miss that person."

Lorelei says, "He was a hero - well, sort of. He moved to Canada to be with his girlfriend, Lady Luck, but then they broke up. I'm not sure where he is now."

Titan nods. "I remember Eleven, relatively. Just not the rats."

Paragon says, "Oh, sorry to hear that. Poor rats, though..."

Lorelei says, "Yes. I'm not sure quite why they venerated Eleven, but I'm afraid they may be waiting for him in vain...."

Paragon sniffs slightly. "I guess I won't be able to help them." She steps back from the edge and scans the street. "Where'd the kid go?"

Titan nods slowly, "Yeah, I missed that. Where did the kid end up?"

Lorelei says, "I'm not sure, exactly. Sasha teleported away with him. I didn't even know he could do that. Don't spread it about: I imagine he doesn't want people to know."

Titan nods again slowly. "Ah. He's probably fine, then."

Paragon nods slowly. "Well, as long as the kid is safe." She turns on her heel and walks back to the sidewalk, trying to find where she dropped her duffle bag.

Lorelei nods. "The point, I'm sure, was to get him to safety. I'm sure Sasha will contact us once everything's ok."

The creepy guy begins to walk off, in the direction of Ming Street.

Paragon reachers her bag and leans over, pulling out the folded piece of paper she had earlier. She then scoops up the bag by the strap and slings it across her back, adjusting the strap.

Jian waits for the creepy guy to get out of sight, morphs into a different face and clothes, a typical chinese woman, and heads after the creepy guy intending to cacth up and follow him to see where he goes and who he talks to.

Triple Sec pauses as he notes the creepy guy. He seems to consider, "I'll catch up later." He takes to the rooftops, likewise following said creepy guy. And Jian.