Log:Big and Small

2019/10/12 	 Linda Karin Artemis

1

This is the Transportation Nexus, the center for travel to and from Colonial Bay, excepting only that by water and TransMat. A series of low buildings surround a huge circular pedestrian mall. Numerous lighted pathways and motorized conveyor-ways, with clearly labeled signs, guide travelers through park-like surroundings towards their various destinations at the perimeter, or to the center, where they can catch the MagLev to all parts of the city itself. The pedestrian mall is covered by an open-air dome, a stylized spider's web of plasteel and granite. The long graceful curves of each segment look like the flying buttresses of a cathedral, all meeting at the central pillar, where the main control tower rises above the dome to oversee air traffic. The entire facility is kept meticulously clean, and security, though unobtrusive, is high.

High-speed trains are to the northwest, with routes to destinations all up and down the eastern seaboard, as well as to inland destinations. The southeastern curve is dedicated to ground transportation and access to the city. Cabs, rental cars, short and long-term parking, buses, shuttle service, and concessions can all be found here. East, towards the ocean, are all forms of air transport. Everything from commuter flights with service to thousands of smaller airfields all over this part of the country, to the mainstay of current air-travel, the wide-bodied scram-jets that look like giant manta rays. Older aircraft service the intra-continental routes. A single runway is dedicated to the SST routes to Chicago, Los Angeles, London, Berlin, Mexico City, or Atlanta, where you can catch one of the elite sub-orbital ram-jets travelling from there to Tokyo or Sydney in just two hours - though the advent of the TransMat has already caused a decline in popularity of these services.

"This is a trouble I am familiar with," Karin offers, releasing Linda's hand. "For several days I was lost but I am somewhat accustomed to solitude. It allows me time to think, and to sketch. But it is still nice to be a part of rather than apart from."

Linda nods in agreement. "Yes. Very much so. I'm not someone who enjoys solitude. I prefer to socialize. If you are fairly new in the city maybe I can return your kindness by telling you which clubs as fun to go to that allow minors in on a no crinking basis?"

It's true that TransMat has begun to make more mundane air and ground travel more archaic in comparison, and "yesterday's" thing. Much of the initial resistance to having one's molecules disassembled and teleported across distance, or even dimension, has been assuaged with continually-improved safeguards as well as an expanding history of error-free use. Still, old habits are hard to break, and the most advanced sub-orbitals can meet most travellers' needs for time-in-transit to most everywhere in the world. Though there are occassional delays, as with any complex system and advanced machinery.

Today may be an example of such glitches in the system, as a series of explosions rip through one of the hangars on the far side, near the water. The flashes of fire and smoke through newly-formed holes in its top and sides as witnessed a moment before the reverberations are heard and felt.

Linda whirls around to look through the arrival lounge window at the fire spurting warehouse when the explosive sound reaches her ears. "Oh no. Mother is going to kill me," Linda says distractedly. Turning back briefly to Karin, "Excuse me, please. I ought to go to see if I can help." A golden aura surrounds Linda as she lifts off the floor and starts to fly toward the exterior exit doors.

Karin's two handlers turn attention on the sound, the eruption, the screams, the chaos, and they miss the crucial detail of where Karin has gone. She reacts faster than they do. She ducks away from them, to find a place she can change and then propel herself toward the chaos. The word "Fyrstinde!" comes out of the handlers as they frantically look to figure out where their charge went. Their charge finds cover in a loading dock, ensuring no cameras are on her as she changes her body, covers her belongings in a hidden metal box fused to a wall that won't be noticed for days, and emerges in camouflage to fool the monitoring cameras, forming back in the public area as the silvery sheened statue-girl Mercury. She moves rapidly, weaving around the bystanders, not as concerned about them as the almost certainly hurt and dying within the bombs' blast radius.

Fortunately for the commuters, as a whole, the detonating hangar is across the broad tarmac from the terminals. This does not mean that they don't panic, of course. There's running, screaming and general panic admidst travellers, but no immediate injuries from the blast, itself.

Maintenance crew and other personnel are another story, as several can be seen fleeing from the now-flame-engulfed building, some of said personnel afire, themselves. At least they have the training to drop and roll once clear, and those not burning flock to those that are or were.

One of the sub-orbital scramjets already on a taxi-way nearby rapidly accelerates and cuts hard onto the nearest cleared runway. There, it throttles up to full for take off to clear itself and any passengers from the imminent danger of fire. It appears to do so, as it lifts off.

Until something rather large, almost a quarter of the liner's own size, and starkly yellow, darts up from the ground past the end of the runway (at the water's edge) and intercepts it mid-air. The sub-orbital abruptly loses all forward momentum, and then some, returning to hit the tarmac in a reverse of its course and in a flat spin. The craft sparks and skids as landing gear disintegrates. Foam from internal fire-control measures quickly begins to bubble from and cover the wings in effort to stop explosion or immolation.

Linda is flying toward the incident as fast as she can, accelerating to full speed over a few seconds. While on her way she is frantically thinking oo(What can I do? What should I do. I wish there were some experienced heroes here.)

In Mercury's path, there is a man on fire. Rolling is not helping him entirely. The flames are great and the burning is fierce. Mercury's momentum slows as her body flows over the blazing man, snuffing out flame as it becomes starved of oxygen, and the liquid metal teen waves as she goes toward the source of chaos as quickly as her fluid body will allow her.

Linda darts straight into the hanger when she arrives there ignoring the flames and smoke. She looks and listens for anyone still in the hanger. At least she can get people out to where the emergency teams can get to them safely.

Having been not far from the Transport Nexus, Artemis was flying back from scouting a nature spot to meet Rushmore at when the explosions get her attention. Her eyes widen and she summons her shield as she diverts and speeds up towards the smoke and fire.

The source of the chaos, currently, would be one heavily-burning hangar. Sirens can be heard across the tarmac, but it will take them some time to arrive. This is complicated by a fresh staccato series of a half-dozen explosions that rock the hangar adjacent to the burning one. It may be a good thing that most, if not all, personnel from the row of hangars rushed out after the initial detonations, if just to learn what was going on and lend aid.

There is also now a very large ...man(?) walking down the runway recently almost-vacated by the suborbital craft lifting off. He wears a garishly bright yellow unitard that covers from bicep to thigh.

Within the burning hangar is... fire. Alot of it. There is a multitude of wreckarge which once was one or more aircraft, as well as some casualties.

Said large, yellow man is nearly as tall as any of the hangars, standing 8-10m in height and nearly as broad.

On her way to the burning hangar, Artemis sees the very large man ahead of her. Perhaps this was no accident. She draws her sword as she flies nearer, speaking to the man in a mighty bellow, "Be you the fiend who has attacked these hooman structures?"

Linda is busy pulling anyone she can find in the hanger out of immediate danger. She obviously sees the big guy but there's a heroine confronting him. Until she's sure nobody is left to die in the hanger she'll continue her search and rescue efforts.

The large man looks up to Artemis and responds with a bellowing of his own. Of laughter. "You come to stop us?! You are too slow, too small. You will fail."

Artemis' keen ears pick up something else the large man says. "Yes, we are indeed here. I've felled the Giant Ettinbrand with easy, and you are much tinier than he! I've withstood Havoc's furious fists and Titan's mightest blows!" She leaves out she couldn't withstand his bearhugs, though. "Your wanton destruction ends here!" she promises as she tightens her shield arm and draws the shield up and ready, sword held behind her.

Linda is sure she's brought out all survivors of the initial blast from the first warehouse. Flying to the second warehouse she resumes her search, finding with a lifted heart that there seems to be no injured or deceased in there.

"Bah! You may fight giants, even a titan, but they are nothing. I am THE TITAN!" The last is bellowed louder before he reaches up his hands in a pugilistic ready stance. Then one fist opens to beckon her. "Come, little one. Test your might."

Artemis draws closer and looks surprised, recognizing the giant man, though not his mannerisms. "Friend Titan...? What....why...? Why are you doing this?" she asks in uncertainty and shock. They've already tested each other's strength, but that was in friendly comment. She gasps as a reason comes to mind. "Has your mind been taken?!"

The flow of Mercury is such that her arrival is speedy, even if she is not quick to get in gear. She can hear the bellowing, and does not stop when she arrives to gaze in wonder. Her form takes on a slightly bulkier state, combined with a slightly more fluid one upon her outermost layer, and she stands before the enormous flaming thing, defiant.

"You've got know that's a terrible idea, right?" comes a comment from behind (and below, in Artemis' case) the heroines. The speaker is an athletic young man with black hair cut mid-short in a shaggy razor cut, wearing a black domino with white eye inserts, a black plated bodysuit with subtle red trim and threading. He wasn't there a moment ago that anyone recalls, leaning against a baggage cart and looking as if he were just checking his nails out of boredom. Despite the fact that he's wearing gloves.

"This is a guy's day out. It's a bro thing. Maybe you ladies should sit this one out? We're almost done here, anyway."

Artemis looks to the young man, seeing herself semi-surrounding. "Are you Matakia Mou?" she asks loudly. The words she heard The Titan whisper after she arrived to face him.

"Make me sit out," Mercury challenges. "Teach me about my bad ideas. I have so many to make still."

Linda completes her search of the second warehouse and emerges to see a potential confrontation developing. But, thankfully, there's also a know heroine, Artemis, on hand. "What can I do to help?" She calls over the Artemis. Her hero name might be Golden Girl but as a hero she's as green as hgrass.

Depending on the situation she'll be dressed in a neat regulation school uniform, smart casual clothes, glam rock jeans and tee-shirt, or decal festooned overalls. Whatever is suitable for the environment she's currently in. Whichever it is, she makes it look natural on her.

"'Tis dangerous to face the Titan. But if you be hardy and strong, me thinks the tall one is bewitched. Perhaps by this small dark one," Artemis calls to her, looking like she's about ready for things to come to blows.

Enforcer rolls his shoulders in combination shrug and stretch, though his visible face distorts at Artemis' question. "She heard you..." he notes to no one directly in casual volume, annoyed. Then he looks up to Artemis. "Fine. Have it your way. First rule: no flitting around." A flick of his wrist sends a small disc whirling at Artemis. "It's rude."

The disc attaches itself to Artemis and activates, increasing her effective mass, at least as far as gravity's concerned.

Artemis tries to block the metal disk, but it latches onto her and digs in. She feels the gravitational force trying to pull her down.

Titan looks down as a new challenger had appeared. He blinks, then laughs. Then he rears back one size 123 and a half ZZZ wide foot to kick at her.

The kick is telling, affecting Mercury deeply, but it's hard to tell exactly how far it affects her. The foot sinks in and through, and now Titan's leg is trapped within. "I have him. Deal with that other one," she says as she comes back to her senses.

Linda looks at the small dark guy and her eyes glow releasing a bright beam of heat at him. Although not all that nright as she holds back unsure if the guy is tough enough to take her full beam without injury.

Linda winces as the heat beam misses the guy she aimed at. Not because she missed but because the beam carries om to burn a circular patch of paint off the side on another warehouse.

Artemis gets pulled down to the ground by the gravity disc, trying to dislodge it from her, but she can't seem to get it to unlatch from her skin. She still has enough in her to fly closer to Enforcer and land. "Treacherous...fiend..." she says as it takes all her strength to keep the grav-disc from pulling her down to the ground. She's experienced a similar device before. Since Mercury 'has' Titan, she tries to gather her strength to draw back her arm and swing twice, feinting as her blade swings towards him at the second arc.

Enforcer easily sidesteps what he thinks is the strike, only to find it isn't when he's cut. Mostly armor is cut, that is. Mostly, but not only, as Artemis draws blood and he grimaces.

Linda flies over to the small dark guy and swings a clumsy roundhouse punch at him.

Enforcer is not thrilled to have been surprised by Artemis' strike. Even less to have wound up on his butt. And now there's another super-fem up on him. Who pauses. "Thanks. Lame." With a flick of a small pellet from his glove, there's a brief puff of smoke, and he's gone.

"That other has fled," Mercury says. "YOu don't need to fight us."

Titan looks past his sticky foot to Enforcer as the other man is injured and then vanishes. He bellows angrily, but has issues taking more than one step. He glares down at Mercury and brings his fists up to lower them at her. And his foot, but that seems more indidental to him.

Mercury takes a less violent approach to dealing with Titan, flowing over both legs momentarily and leaving behind a part of herself to interfere with his movements. The part of herself flows as she puts some distance between them.

Linda sees what the big guy is getting ready to do. With the small guy gone she moves over to Mercury and gets ready to take the hammer blow instead of Mercury.

Artemis can hardly move, watching in horror as Mercury gets splattered. She has no idea that it's a child, but it doesn't matter. If only she could get off the ground. "How could you?!" she shouts as she staggers towards The Titan. She finally pushes through the gravitational forces enough to charge at Titan's leg to try and push him off of what's left of Mercury. But does she have the strength to move the giant being?

Mercury sloughs off of Titan as he pounds her upper body into her lower body and the two parts become one glob of metal on the tarmac.

Titan was left on his Titanous keister after smacking his own foot and leg very hard (by way of Mercury on them). He is an easy target for Artemis to rush and stike. Unfortunately, he is not a soft target, and her (admittedly weakened) blow does not even appear to dent his skin.

Linda says, "rushes over and slams a clenched fist into Titan as hard as she can. All her reluctance to hit someone on the ground has gone after seeing what he just did to Mercury."

The third, and final, warehouse in the trio, now joins its brethren as it detonates into... no, there's no inferno on this one. Just the explosions. It seems that the Transportation Authority was finally upgrading some of their equipment into the new fusion-electrics.

The grav-disc pulses again and Artemis grunts, the asphalt cracking around her from the immense forces pulling down on her. The battle feels lost, and they don't even know where the other is. Artemis strains to speak as she tells Linda, "Your friend....take her from here. To the physicians at the hospital."

Titan now stands up himself up, making sure not to step in anything sticky or slippery this time. A sidelong glance at the other exploding building and back to Linda. "You hit hard. Keep practicing. We're done here." He then turns and starts to walk back down the runway towards the water.

Linda scoops up Mercury, and rather than leave Artemis in a potentially lost combat situation offers a hand to grab her as well before starting to fly off back toward the center of the city.

Artemis pants but ignores Linda's offer. "Thank you, but go. I'll be fine." She continues to try to pursue Titan on foot, but every step is a struggle. Her code of honor prevents her from leaving, even if it's a lost cause.

Linda did some research before becoming an active heroine. She knows there's a healer at the CBSU hospital but only for one of the three eight hour shifts each day. But the Steinburg Free Clinic has healers 24/7. So it's there that she takes Mercury. Who being unconscious has no say in the matter.

"Fleeing like cowards!" Artemis calls after Titan. "Why harm all these mortals? Is that all you could do to make yourself seem strong?" She recalls the lesson Wade taught her about Syphon. If you cannot get to your opponents...taunt them into coming to you.

Artemis' taunts go ignored as the villains escape.