Log:Strange Love

Open Season 2015/03/06 Paragon Porter 1  The Towers

This is a modern part of Colonial Bay, extending westwards from Colonial Heights around the grand Via de Vance. All the buildings are new, the roadways wide, and the sidewalks clean and inlaid with recessed lighting. Special lanes are provided for the increasing hovercar traffic. The sidewalks have hover-vendor machines and hover-litter bins moving about offering their services. The tall, newly constructed buildings sport magnificent and unique structures. Reataurants and stores reside on bottom floors of the towering office buildings and condominiums, and large holo-signs advertise businesses and services. This is truly the future of the city, or at least someone's idea of the city of the future.

The city is still expanding westward, absorbing suburbs and covering countryside as it grows.

Paragon had been out on patrol that was mostly uneventful. She checked on her urban vegetable gardens in Harrisburg. Things were starting to ripen up there. She lectured a bully about life choices after catching him beating up a little kid, only to have the bully break down about an abusive home life, so she escorted him to a place where he could get help from his bad home life situation. She even gave him her direct line in case he needed anything in the future. And then she leapt about the city doing minor things to help make the lives of citizens a little bit easier.

((I'm just about done with the rounds, Sweetie. I'll be home soon!)) Paragon transmits happily. A job well done and her two favorite people to come home to. She's looking forward to her homecoming. ((Just helping with a bus that turned over on Via de Vance. There's some injuries, but it all seems min-UHH!!!))

((Great! What do you want me to make for din...)) There's a pause. ((Ok, Sweetie, please tell me you just popped a rivet or something flipping over the bus?)) Sudden unexpected pained sounds are rarely good. Because they're unexpected, and pain.

Paragon's mind seems jostled as she rights herself up from...something. ((That...STUNG. Supervillain attack. I think the bus was bait. I may be a little late for dinner...))

There's a sigh. But that could be an improvement. It's not a wail of terror or excessive energy of excessive worry. ((Ok, I won't start making it yet. And you didn't tell me what you wanted anyways, so... And how bad a sting? You want my help, Sweetie?)) See? He's improving. He tries not to think worried thoughts.

Paragon tries not to worry Porter. ((Chili dogs?)) She's already thinking of dinner. And knows Porter's favorite. And although she's thinking about him, maybe it's also to butter him up. ((Pretty decent sting. Like getting hit by Snow that one time I sparred her. It's just one guy. I think I ca-aaahh!)) Okay, that...REALLY hurt. From the inside. And she didn't even see the guy do anything. ((Something's weird...maybe I do need backup.))

Porter nods, even if she can't see him. ((On my way. Stay safe til I get there. I'll leave Kyssie with the neighbor and let Chen now she can stop by. We can pick up chili dogs on the way home.)) There. Nice, calm, rational... and then comes the flurry of not as he grabs up Kyssie and her bag to take next door, then splits his attention emailing Chen and hitting buttons on his doohickey to lock onto Para's location and FLASHTHWUMP his way there.

When Porter arrives, Paragon's thoughts focused on the battle at hand, with occasional haziness as she tries to shake off the effects of another blast. There's a bus on it's side on the wide street of Via De Vance, the main thoroughfare if the Towers with three lanes going each way. The street is clear of pedestrians, who stay far away to watch fight. Some of which are filming with their smartphones. There's even a news crew...they got here fast. That's strange. What's also weird is that this attack was made in such an open and public, busy area. There's a 4 foot crater of a pothole behind the bus that may have had something to do with overturning it.

There's LCD billboards lining the streets, some of which have live video feed from the news team showing Paragon and some suited figure with a pistol in one hand.

The figure pulls a round metal ball from his belt and depresses a button before lobbing it at Paragon. Suddenly, the ball errupts in metal cables that wrap around Paragon. Not only do they pin her arms to her sides, but the tips of the cables and barbed and shoot down into the concrete, anchoring her there.

Paragon flexes instinctively as the cables wrap around her. One cable snaps as she strains, but the others hold her fast for now.

Figures that the news crew gets here before Porter. He recombobulates and hastily looks around, seeking... there she is! He spots her just in time to see the ...whatever it was erupt into a Malcolm-like mass and wrap her up. "Hey! Tentacles off the lady!"

Utility adjusts something on his omni-pistol, finally taking his eyes off the prize (Paragon) to look in Porter's direction. "This IS a catch. Another hero to defeat. Welcome to my stage, Mr. Porter. You're going to make me famous." His voice is distorted by the mask, but the tone is calm and collected.

Paragon suddenly gasps out as she feels something sharp inside her. But her armor isn't even broken!

Utility says encouraging to Paragon, "Good work, Hun."

((What is this guy's malfunction? Are you Ok?)) Meanwhile, Porter glares at the guy. "Sure, I'll make you famous. You can be the famous villain that actually got smart and gave up... or you can be the one who got his butt kicked by us. But there's alot of those, so you wouldn't be famous at all. Better pick quick."

((S-something...feels broken inside me. I keep having sharp sudden pains. But I don't think he's doing anything.)) Paragon isn't really sure what's wrong with her.

"I think I can handle a couple of overconfident heroes," Utility gives Porter his answer as he points his left fist at Porter. A wrist rocket suddenly fires off at him.

The rocket explodes just before hitting Porter. Maybe it's payload went off too early? There's a cloud of smoke, but when the wind blows the smoke away, Porter is miraculously unscathed.

Porter throws up an arm out of reflex, but seems he doesn't have to as the rocket detonates prematurely a meter or so short, and the blast dissipates in the air without shrapnel hitting anyone within range.

Paragon shudders in pain again for some reason. She's not even sure why. She heaves with her strength to try and break free of the wires.

Paragon rips free of the cables holding her. First one snaps, then another, than another, making a metallic sproinging noise each time.

Utility levels his omni-pistol at Porter. "Love, can you handle the vaunted Paragon for a moment?" He doesn't seem to be speaking to anyone in particular as he pulls the trigger.

A concussive beam hits Porter square in the chest.

Paragon lets out a pained noise again and clutches her stomach. There's an electrical sizzling sound escaping from within the armor shell.

Porter responds appropriately by getting knocked off his feet and back a few meters onto his butt. Luckily, he forgot that Kyssie's stuffed bunny was still stuffed in his back pocket. Cushion for the tushion. ((What is going on, Sweetie? Is there something inside your armor??!)) Which doesn't make him happy. "I said leave her alone!" Porter doesn't know who the guy is talking to, but he can try to shut him up. He grabs a piece of shrapnel from the wrist rocket and chucks it at Utility.

((I think...there's something inside -me-...)) Paragon responds with uncertainty.

Porter scowls as the chunk flies past. ((Then get it out of you if you can!)) Because he doesn't like the sound of that one bit. And not just because that's his territory.

Utility leans left and is just barely missed by the shrapnel. It was just a few inches away from his head. "You're my opponent, Mr. Porter. I'm not doing anything to Paragon." It's a smug response.

Paragon steps away from the broken cables and leaps at Utility, since he's the only target she can see. Her fist is drawn back as her body tenses. She's about to bring the hammer down.

...

...the hammer is her fist.

Utility gets cocky as he tries to sidestep Paragon's fist. He expected her to punch him down into the ground. But what she does is feint as she lands, then twists into an uppercut that catches him under the jaw and lifts him off of his feet. He goes flying in a short arch and falls on his back six meters away from her.

Utility's momentum nearly flips his feet over his head, but he braces his hands on the pavement and kips up. "I was told you were harder hitting than that," he taunts as he flips a switch on his blaster and levels it at Paragon.

The beam of energy strikes Paragon's chestplate. Most of it just reflects off of her armor and disappaints without moving her an inch. "Is that the best you can do?" she taunts back.

Porter tries to see something that's inside Paragon, but...no luck. All that armor. Either whatever's affecting her is invisible, or very, very, very tiny...

Paragon mentally responds after the taunt, after feeling a strange sensation within her chest, ((I don't know how! Unless...unless I start ripping parts out, what can I do?))

Porter doesn't look thrilled, though it's actually less the one shooting at Para, or him, and more whatever she's.. picked up. The last bug nearly killed her. (("No, don't rip pieces off! Then he'll just be able to shoot you more! Damnit! I can't see anything! Can't really hit something I can't..." Then he has an idea. Not the greatest idea, but an idea. ((Do you trust me? This could sting...)) Probably not the best lead-in to a request. That the mental image that accompanies it involves Para's armor sparking more and suddenly enough to cause electricity to arc over it might not help, either.

((I trust you. Completely.)) Paragon returns, even with the mental image to his plan.

Porter sends her a mental warm fuzzy hug, before doing something he pretty much just swore to Chen yesterday he'd never do. He focuses on Para and her damaged power systems, actually hoping something shorts along her armor plating.

Paragon returns the warm fuzzy mental hug, along with an encouraging feeling of trust. Porter's focus seems to work. She's been rebuilt and repaired so many times, and with something wrecking havoc inside her, something's bound to short out. Like one of the main power lines in her armor. Suddenly Paragon's whole body straightens and goes rigid like she's being electrified, electricity sparking and arcing around her with a sizzlinng sound. Somewhere inside, there's a tiny scream that only Paragon can hear. And it's not her. ((That...that did something!)) Paragon manages to get out once the electricity stops sparking. She's otherwise unhurt.

Paragon gets an idea. Uh oh? ((Do it again!)) Glutton for punishment, ain't she? She leaps at Utility again with her fist raised. But instead of punching him, she lands just in front of him and punches the ground so hard it causes shockwaves.

Utility stumbles from the shockwave, then leaps back and fires off another powerful beam of electrical energy at Paragon.

"Disable her, Love," Utility says to Paragon again. Why's he getting all familiar with her?

Paragon suddenly claps a hand over her eyes with a cloud clang and an 'OWWww!' Porter can sense her experiencing a sudden sharp pain behind her eyes, and her vision cutting out before she covers her eyes in a hopeless attempt to stop the pain.

Porter hmms. ((Good! Ack! Not good! Hang on, I'm coming. And I've got another idea.)) He jogs his way to her and puts a hand on her shoulder.

Paragon is blinded. And now her sweetheart is next to her. She remembers where Utility was last, and takes a swing in that direction.

Whiff! Utility easily ducks out of the way. He backpedals in a quick jog to put some distance between her and him. He levels his omni-blaster not at Paragon, but at Porter. "Good job, Love! Keep it up! We have them!"

The blast goes wide. Utility can't get a clear shot at Porter with Paragon swinging away. And then Paragon grunts in pain again, still blind. She's about ready to start punching at her armor to make the pain stop.

Porter grips Para's shoulder firmly. He can't really give a reassuring squeeze, but... ((IT's Ok, Sweetie. I'm here. I think there's a crowd, unless he decided you're his true love...So we're going. About a hundred feet back up the road past the bus. Just you and me. Hang on.)) And then he smacks the button on his doohickey.

The two both discombobulate and recombobulate 30m up the road, just like he said.

Paragon still can't see. But she can hear Porter's thoughts. And the sudden discombobulation. ((I'm pretty sure I didn't give him mixed signals. But I didn't see anyone with him.))

Utility looks about as their quarry vanishes. He doesn't make out the sound of the second flash thwump of reappearing due to the distance. "We should go, sweetheart." He holds out his hand palm up and waits.

((Well, -somebody's- beating you up from the inside. Maybe a virus or nano-thingie? Or somebody who can do a Pelana backwards?)) Porter hopes to havbe bought her some time, at least. ((How are you doing?))

Tinier than a speck of dust at first, something grows where Paragon was standing. "Where'd she go!?" squeaks a tiny female voice. Suddenly there's an action figure sized woman floating in the air. She floats over to Utility and lands in his hand.//Half move, hold.

Paragon at least doesn't seem to be in any further pain. ((Internal systems are damaged. But still functional at 79.16%.))

Porter looks over Para for anything obvious. Aside from the scorches marks from his zapping her. ((Ok. What do you want to do? Not going to be much good to anybody if you can't see.))

There's not much external damage visible. Really, nothing. Maybe some soot from the blast she took for Utility and the electrical charge. She's lowered her hands from her eye slots and tries blinking her eyes off and on. ((Can barely see. But I can kind of make out shapes. Almost. Where are they going?))

Meanwhile, Utility carefully holds Shrinker, then holsters his gun momentarily and fires off a grappling line from his wrist at a building. "Looks like we don't score the points today, Love. Next time," he promises. The pair go swinging away from the scene of the crime.

Utility picks up speed as he swings up and away towards a nearby rooftop.

Porter peeks. ((Looks like they're taking off. Maybe we should just nab them next time. Oh, yeah, there's two of 'em. A little lady. Like really little.>

((That makes sense. It feels like something was ripping up my insides.)) Paragon responds. ((If they're just retreating, we can try another day.))

Porter nods and gives her another squeeze on her shoulder. And a warm mental fuzzy. ((Ok. I like you better at 100 percent, anyhow.))

Paragon blinks away the fuzzy vision, finally able to see. She smiles behind her faceplate as she turns her head to Porter. ((Thanks for the save, Sweetie. That was amazing thinking on your part.)) Her helm retracts so he can see her smile in person.

Porter returns her smile, though it then dims. Alot. ((Sorry about the short-circuit thing.)) Even if it didn't really cause any damage to her, he feels guilty about it.

Paragon lifts Porter's chin with a finger and leans in to kiss Porter on the lips. ((Don't even worry about it, Sweetie.))

Porter can't argue with a kiss. Well, he could try to, but why? ((I'll try not to.))

Paragon pulls back from the kiss and smiles softly as she gazes into his eyes. ((It didn't hurt. And I think it hurt the villain. You did great, Sweetie. How about those chili dogs?))

The villains have escaped this time. But the news crews are still on the scene and ready to close in and descend upon the heroes to ask about what just happened with the villains. And what was with that kiss from Paragon?

Paragon looks over her shoulder as the reporter and her camera man start heading their way. ((Maybe...we should go...))

Porter nods. ((Yeah, we're late for dinner. Let's go grab some food and go hug Kyssie.))

Paragon smiles and slides her arms around Porter. ((That sounds great. Will you do the honors?))

FLASHTHWUMP.