Log:Live Firework, Scene 2

Live Firework 2007/08/22 	 Jennifer and Jessica Rebound Valencia Fist the Living Firework Tim Lee 2

Even at this end of Ming Street, it's crowded with tourists as well as locals - the record number of tourists swelling the crowds. In sweltering August heat the close-packed crowds stop all wind and may make one wish for rain.

The twins are shopping in the market, buying fresh herbs and spices from the stalls while looking for a suitable birthday present for their adopted father.

Fist heads for Ming Street, taking to concealment while she tries to figure out what Rebound is talking about.

Jennifer suddenly asks the stall-holder where she was looking at silk robes, "Can you tell me where I can find Mr Tim Lee's restaurant?"

Rebound crouches on a ledge overlooking the busy streets below. "Hunh. This is going to be as hard as... well... hard as finding a Lee in the Ming Street phonebook."

"Hm? Tim Lee you say? I know two, but neither has a restaurant."

Jennifer smiles, "Maybe the person I spoke to earlier made a mistake. Can I ask where I might find the two Mr Lee's?"

Jessica thinks. o O (It doesn't have to be *his* restaurant for Mr Lee to be in it, Gemmie. Think smarter.)

Fist spots Rebound, and goes to his position, keeping her movements concealed from general view, avoiding attention.

"Srre. One's a friend of my brother's. He works in a shoe store just a block that way. The other I know only be reputation: he's a businessman. Has an office - you can just about see it from here...."

Jennifer nods, "Thank you. Can you hold this robe for me until this afternoon, please? I need to dash off but I do want to buy it."

"Of course, of course..."

Jessica starts heading off towards the office block at a good movement rate.

Rebound nods to Fist. "Hey. Looks like we weren't the only ones to get tipped off... Police seem to have gotten the word too."

It's hard to make one's way through these crowds, though being agile helps!

Fist looks quizzically at Rebound, a gentle pulse emitting from her mind to touch his in her usual knocking fashion.

Rebound nods and opens his mind.

Jennifer steps to the side out of the main stream of people. Getting out her PDA she checks the phone directory for a Mr T. Lee under a business address in the Ming Street district.

Even under business addresses there are quite a few!

Rebound nods to Fist. "Hmm. Sounds like we've got a bit of a mystery on our hands then... The first thing is to find Tim Lee." He pulls out his PDA with an idea along the lines of Jennifer's.

Even over the din of Ming Street, some odd sounds - more rapid popping than anything at the moment - can be heard.

Jessica is trying to see the building name so Jenn can narrow the search down.

Rebound nods to Fist. "Let's go check it out."

Fist heads toward the noise, not moving too quickly. Just at a reasonably chaseable pace.

Jessica makes out the name of the business - displayed as prominently in Chinese as in English.

The noise, however, approaches at a much less reasonable pace. Flying just above rooftop level, the ever-sparking firecracker-person soars with a whistling noise and a trail of sparks!

Jennifer refines her search for Mr Lee with the business name Jessica can made out on the building. The sound of firecrackers is so usual in Ming Street it doesn't get a second thought. The twins were at the factory and don't know about the attacker.

If it were night, the figure would be unmissable. Even now some heads turn - though indeed, fireworks are no rarity here.

Rebound tries to bounce across the path of the firecracker man, to get his attention. "Hey... you're a bit late for the 4th of July!"

Jennifer was about to refine her search for Mr Lee's PDA number but there seems good reason to be paying attention on the new noisy arrival.

Fist glances around, trying to see what lies in the direction that the firecracker is headed.

The firecracker has turned and is basically heading staight down Ming Street, West to East, just above roof level.

Fist chases along with Rebound, keeping up with him.

Jessica turns and heads towards where she thinks fireworks guy is hoing.

The crackling figure ignores Rebound, or seemingly. , o O (Fourth of July! That would be a good name...)

The figure begins to slow.....

Jessica and Jennifer head for the collection of restaurants that seem to be the most likely destination of the firework guy, aiming to get in position to enter any one of them once the guy commits himself.

Giving up on speedy passage through the crowds Jenn and Jess take the elevated route, leaping from car roof to display stand to market stall and finally landing in front of the restaurants with a neat double back somersault just for the fun of it.

The figure outdistances Fist and Rebound, though it's now slowing so they can catch up. It passes the twins too, despite their impressive coverage of ground - the destination proves to be one of the farther restaurants.

With Jessica a fraction ahead of Jennifer the twins aren't going to be able to intercept the fireworks guy. So they try a special maneuver they have used in practice but never before in action. Jessica slows a little and turns to face away from the direction they want to go. As Jennifer catches up to her Jessica cups both hands down by her waist. Jennifer steps up into Jessica's linked hands and leaps and at the same time Jessica uses her strength to throw Jenn at the presumed villain.

A lot of tourists have started watching the twins, wondering if this is a show put on for them, or maybe an action movie is being shot?

Valencia, however, knows that the twins don't often give demonstrations. She hastens towards the site of the acrobatics, having spotted it while bouncing along the rooftops.

Jennifer rolls on landing and springs back to her feet close to the fireworks girl, reaching to take hold of them in a martial grab.

Jennifer grabs the firework-woman solidly enough to stop her in her tracks!

Jennifer executes a textbook perfect arm and shoulder lock on the fireworks girl, the skilful move just a little marred by the way her sleeve and blouse is charring rapidly.

"Let go of me!" she shout in her crackling voice. "Let go!"

Rebound lands on another ledge, coils, and tries to spring back into the action landing next to Jennifer and the fireworks person. "Let's get the answers to some questions first."

Jennifer says, "Not going to happen. Now turn off the fireworks or I'll turn you off."

Jessica calls over from where she is having tossed Jennifer away, "Watch out. She's hot."

Jennifer holds onto the firework girl maintaining her grip but not squeezing at this moment. Jessica moves closer and asks the nearest police officer, "Do you have a fire blanket in your patrol car, Sir? My sister can't hold onto the hot girl forever unless she can get some protection from the flames."

Focused, Fist falls back a bit from Rebound as she repeatedly tries to get her message through to Jennifer.

He nods, momentarily unsure, then runs to get it.

Jennifer says, "Stop that. You're ruining my clothes."

The woman crackles, "I said, let go!!" And explodes....

Fist's hands start glowing, and her movement has returned to its full speed.

Fireworks splutter in all directions into the crowd. But it was only a small explosion, after all. The woman is still intact.... "Now look what you made me do!"

Jennifer says, "I said /stop/ that." and starts to make a move to bang her head onto the sidewalk to empathise the point she's making. But Jenn stops before doing the damage, "You can't control this can you?" she asks instead.

"Barely!" says the figure...

... and explodes again.

The cop, knocked from his feet by the first blast, no longer seems to be conscious.

People look out cautiously from the shattered windows of the restaurant.

Rebound reaches for the unconscious police man and tries to place him out of harms way.

Jessica moves up and takes over the grip on the firework girl, "Listen, my sister is getting burnt to a frizzle trying not to hurt you. How about you try to be cooperative?" After Jessica has a secure grip Jenn releases her and moves away before she falls over.

"I can't... I'm still learning....." the woman says. Apologetically, in away. "She should have let go!"

"I'm sorry - I can't hold it in, not when...."

She explodes, but more directionally this time - almost straight as Jessica. There are some yelps behind her in the street.

At least that showed *some* control!

Rebound draws back his hand into a fist. "You're not giving me much choice here..." He throws a punch at the fireworks meta.

The woman's not exactly a hard target: her body seems to be an ever-shifting mass of sometimes-exloding matter, and Rebound finds her body gives under the blow. "Ow! Crap! You let him get away!" she says, as her head is knocked in the direction of the restaurant from the blow. I'll....

And then suddenly the cracking from her body begins to increase. It's reminiscent somehow of a buildup to some big explosion in a fireworks display.

Jessica has to agree with Rebound, not a lot of choice. She has to be taken out otherwise she'll do even more damage. Jessica squeezes and Jennifer moves back to strike, pulling her punch.

The woman's looks a lot less human in shape now, but she's spluttering more than ever - looka like she's going to blow. Big-time....

Rebound shouts to Jessica. "Let go, quick!" He pauses long enough for Jess to let go or dive for cover before springing to action. He tries to grab the the fireworks lady and shape his body around her to try and soak up the impending explosion.

Jessica releases her on Rebounds instruction.

Barely has Rebound enveloped her than there's a big explosion, and Rebound swells up like a balloon, stretched thin by the pressure.....

And then, he collapses onto Ming Street, a bit of retracting rubber.

All that seems to be left of the firework woman is smoke and ash....

Jennifer says, "rushes to Rebound and applies a medikit."

Rebound, once he's unstretched, seems ok. Other than not being conscious. His rubber form seems ot be pretty tough! Still, that stretched it rather a lot.

The smoke and ash drifts off on the breeze which still blows above street level.

The crowd looks on with mixed reaction. There's some applause, some concern for Rebound, some worry about metas, and even a bit of disappointment the fireworks are over.

Jessica watches the smoke and ask drifting off. . o O(Mmm... Interesting).

Jennifer gives Rebound a bit of encouragement to wake up.

Jennifer calls up the media report about the firework factory. Then she checks the registered owner of the factory.

The factory is owned by one Martin Hueber. It's a Colonial Bay-based company.

A quick Web search suggests it's a small but successful business - just the one factory, still run by Hueber himself, at least nominally, but known for its quality.

Jennifer wonders if there's a link between Tim Lee and the factory. She also wonders about the media report. Firework girl was a complete newbie at controlling her powers. Maybe instead of her attacking the factory, the factory blew up while she was working in it and that's how she got her powers. Worth investigating - if she wasn't retired.

Jennifer can mention the idea to rebound anyway.