Log:From Rescuer to Rival

2021/10/18 Dark Horse Cypher Forsaken Felix Wildcard 

Not all vigilantes brood in the night. Some of them brood in the daytime! And are less broody. Wildcard is on a rooftop and most definitely not broody, but she's chosen the relatively shorter buildings of Bridgend to practice jumping. She stands at a 5 meter gap between rooftops and is lining herself up for a practice leap. "Okay. You can do this. No problem. Just...don't hesitate and run with all you've got and you'll clear it. Yeah," she tries to hype herself up as she starts backing up for some sprinting room.

Dark Horse swings...and lands on the building that Wildcard is attempting to jump to. He coils up the swing line again, and attaches it to his belt. Only then does he notice Wildcard psyching herself up, and he moves to the edge of the building to watch, though he makes sure to not get in the way. Still, he's ready to act if it becomes necessary.

"Just...gotta commit. Maximum effort." Wildcard starts sprinting and then notices there's someone on the other building. When it's too late to stop, but she did hesitate enough to not get to her top speed before having to leap to cross the divide. "I got it! I got it!" And then she sees herself dropping shorting. "I don't got it!" Even with her arms stretched up, she falls a few inches short of catching the ledge and instead bounces off the wall with a rush of air coming out of her lungs.

Not yet aware of what is occuring at rooftop level, Cypher is walking slowly at ground level between two buildings, head lowered as she appears to be searching for something at the base of a building wall. A flicker of movement is caught out of the corner of an eye so she looks up just in time to see the tail end and safe landing of DarkHorse on a rooftop above her.

Dark Horse jumps off the building...and attaches his swingline, trying to grab Wildcard on the way down...and get them both down to street level safely.

Takes off upwards aiming to catch the plummeting figure before she strikes the ground.

Wildcard is startled and caught just as she starts to fall. She at least has the common sense not to squirm while being rescued.

Dark Horse swings down, and lets out enough line to get to the ground with Wildcard. "Almost made it. You might have been fine on the landing, but...I hope you don't mind being rescued." He lets go of Wildcard as they get down to terra firma. He waves to Cypher, and then says to Wildcard, "If I hand't been there, it looks like there was backup."

Cypher

In her costumed identity Cypher wears a midnight blue anime styled CyberMech outfit with fully enclosed visored helm. The visor is illuminated from within by a constantly changing head-up display. When facing the possibility of danger a bluish-green force field surrounds her.

Cypher swerves away from underneath the duo to avoid colliding with the rescue. In the heat of the moment not paying heed to which direction. She bounces against the wall of the building and tumbles as sld slids 'up' the wall before coming to a halt.

Wildcard laughs nervously as she's set down, landing lightly on her feet with a sigh or relief. "I'm not to proud to be rescued," she says jovially, still riding the adrenaline from the near fall. She smiles behind her facemask. "I guess I was lucky enough to have not one, but two rescuers."

Cypher reorientates herself and glides feet first down to a landing beside Dark Horse and Wildcard. "Are you both okay?" she asks. Her speech is accented. Not an American accent.

Dark Horse actually recognizes Cypher's accent, at least partially because he speaks Japanese. He nods to her. "I think we're both fine, thank you." He coils up his swing line again and attaches it to his belt.

Wildcard chuckles. "I certainly am." She looks to Dark Horse. "Thanks for the rescue. Figures I'd need saving from...well. Myself."

Dark Horse looks up at the building. "I fell like that once. I was in a cast for a while."

Cypher looks up and estimates the gap between the building rooftops. "You are metas? I call myself Cypher. Can I ask your code names?"

Felix enters from Golden Sands.

Dark Horse offers a hand to shake, first to Cypher, and then to Wildcard, "I go by 'Dark Horse'. My only real powers are luck based, so...that's the origin of the name."

Wildcard looks up at the building at the mention of a cast and winces behind her lenses. "Glad I didn't end up in a cast. Ouch." She looks to Cypher as she asks for an introduction and shakes Dark Horse's hand. She's not sure if this is normal protocol. "Well...I'm a hero. I go by Wildcard. I'm still trying it on for size," she says jovially as she offers to shake Cypher's hand.

Cypher bows to Dark Horse before shaking his hand. "Hai. I am honored. Your name is known to me." She then shakes Wildcard's hand. "It is a pleasure meeting you, Wildcard."

Dark Horse chuckles. "There IS no official protocol, unless you're talking about how Starguard does things. But...as far as I know, none of us are in the military."

Felix blinks behind his mask, cloaked between the tick and the tock, invisible to most in this city of metas, as he fiddles with his teleporter on a rooftop. <> he thinks during a burst of adrenaline.

The black clad figure reacehes into his backpack as he runs to edge of the building to look down.

Wildcard laughs merrily at that. "Oh, no, I'm definitely not military." As Felix looks down, that crazy fem who missed the leap isn't flattened on the pavement, thankfully.

Dark Horse looks to Cypher, "I'm surprised you know who I am. Most people don't. Hopefully you've heard good things?"

Felix calls down in a modulated voice, "Are you alright, omae?" as he scans and sees not just one, not just two, but, three dakly clad (assumed) metas.

Cypher nods, "Yes. Good things. This is not my first time in Colonial Bay. I spent some time here a nuber of years ago. I hear mention of you from some of the members of the New Blood heroes."

Dark Horse looks up at Felix and waves before looking back to Cypher, "New Blood? That's going back a ways. Probably when I was still part of an actual group. But...well, not that group."

The black and grey clad figure Felix makes his way down to the ground using a combination of acrobatics and grabbing onto various protusins as he to slow his fall. Perhaps it could be more graceful bit it works. Perpahs part of the problem is he keeps flickring into and out of sight as he moves.

"New Blood? Who're they?" Wildcard asks Cypher, and then looks to Dark Horse. "And who was your team?" She has the mannerisms of a rookie hero, as if the fall wasn't proof enough that she was a rookie. She glances up and sees Felix. "Oh wow, another one?" She waves and then cups her hands around her mouth to call up, "All good! A hero came to my rescue! Looks like three total now! I'm all swoony now."

Dark Horse chuckles, and say to Wildcard, "I was part of a group called the 'Black Sheep Samaritans'. It was really kind of a..loose group of people that workd together once in a while, rather than a formal group."

Cypher answers Wildcard after seeing Felix is safe on the ground. "The New Blood heroes were high school student metas. I help one of them out a couple of times. Last I heard he was calling himself Midnight. Regretfully I've lost contact with him."

Wildcard nods as she gets caught up on the local news. She's still new to the city. "Hah, Black Sheep Samaritans. That feels a bit fitting for me, considering I'm the black sheep of...well, anyway. Sounds like you aren't a part of that group anymore, or they got a little too loose?" As Felix lands, she says, "That flickering thing is wild! What is that?"

Dark Horse shakes his head, and answers Wildcard, "The guy who was organizing, Fate, disappeared a few years back."

Felix taps at a gold pocketwatch attached to a holder on his bandolier. He then says, "It's a glitchy Romulan cloaking device," he murmurs right before he says, "Did I remember to wind this?" apparently to himself. Then he fades out just as he says, "Oh, And I'm Felix. Arid to meet y..."

Cypher comments, "It appears that almost all who I knew have disappeared."

Wildcard waves to Felix. "I'm Wildcard. And that's Dark Horse, and Cypher," she introduces him. She worries a bit at the mention of disappearing. She suggests with nervous hope, "Maybe they just...retired. Yeah! You can't be a hero forever."

Dark Horse chuckles, "Unless you're immortal, like those...alien folks that claim to be gods."

Cypher nods, "That's very likely the case, Wildcard. It was more than a decade ago when I was first here."

Felix's moulated voice says from thin air, "A decade ago? Arid." Then after a moment, "You all can hear me, ye ken?"

Cypher can also see a faint shadow on the ground where Felix was standing. It's a wavery shadow of a person like viewing it through water.

Dark Horse luckily catches a reflection on the black clad figure in a bit of broken mirror leaning agasint the alley wall.

Wildcard nods slowly. "Of course I can. You're right here."

Cypher nods, looking in his direction, "Yes. I can hear you. And see the devices you are equipped with."

Dark Horse nods. "I can hear you."

"Arid. This thing's been glitchy the last few hours. Might need to re-boot it as it twere when it runs down," says Felix in his Scots accented English. "So, which one of you caught, hmm, Wildcard, was it? Or did ye catch yuirself, Wildcard?"

The invisible speaker then adds, "Ah, I ken...Cypher, right?"

Cypher simply nods.

Wildcard blushes behind her mask. "Dark Horse did. It was pretty amazing. So was Cypher jumping up to try and catch me too."

Dark Horse nods. "I jumped off just as I realized she was going to miss, so I managed to catch her on the way down."

Cypher says, "I#m glad you did, Dark Horse. Catching from below makes for a harder impact than catching from above and then slowing a fall.""

Felix probably nods as he says, "Yeah, hev to hev the speed and strength of Hyperion to carry that off on regular." He then apppears with soft 'tick'. He'd holding the pocketwatch now which he slips into a bandolier pocket. "Arid."

Wildcard smiles a bit. "I'm really fortunate you jumped into action so quickly." She looks in the direction of Felix's voice, just in time to see him reappear.

Dark Horse chuckles. "I'm...not super strong. But I'm quick, at least."

Cypher nods, "Inside this battlesuit I'm physically quite normal. Inside it I'm mostly normal. Over 90% of the suit functions are broken or burned out."

"Broken!? What happened to it?" Wildcard asks in concern. She even takes a step back so she doesn't risk breaking it further.

Felix straigthens and says curiously, "Really? Um, how broken? Do you need help fixing it? What exactly..." He then trails off and chuckles. "Sorry, woke up the inner tinker in me. Apologies."

Cypher says, "No apologies needed. And I thank you for your offer to assist. The people I accquired the suit from were making them for a terrorist group. I librated this one. But had to fight my way out against several of the terrorist manned suits. I managed but this suit was badly damaged doing so."

Dark Horse listens and nods. "Well, I'm sure someone could help you fix it, if you were willing."

Cypher nods, "Hai. I have the knowledge and skill to fix most of the systems. What I lack are the specialized components needed and the finances to accquire the more expensive raw materials. In time, in time."

"Yeah, doss is always the limit for tech. I mean, there are ways to cut corners with used gear, but, always nice to have nice fesh frm the factory supplies, ye ken?" says Felix.

Wildcard chuckles. "Just don't ask me to look at it. I'm a clutz with things like that."

Cypher says, "I just have a talent for computer systems amd electronics. There are skills I cannot do. Cooking for example. I'm hopelass at that."

Felix looks over at Dark Horse. "Can you cook? I can so long as there are microwave instructions," he says with a grin in his voice. "And plenty of spices on hand."

Dark Horse shrugs, "I don't, usually. But I'm sure I'd be fine at it. It's just a matter of following the recipe, right? It's generally not THAT hard from what I've seen."

Not one to make use of the facilities at Steel's Gym, Forsaken tends to spend her afternoons asleep so that she can be up all night. But today, she fell asleep early, and woke up early. So.. she is out and about on the rooftops.

The combination of her grapple gun and her glider cape tends to let her get around very easily. At least so long as there are places that she can grapnel onto in order to gain altitude.

So overhead, the black and purple form whooshes overhead, coming to land atop one of the nearby bookstores. What? It's not a skyscraper. But it'll do.

"Plus there's plenty of holovids online," Wildcard adds as she backflips and sticks to the wall by her feet and fingertips. "Anyway, enough of recipe swapping! At least some of you are local active heroes! So what's the sitch!?" she asks excitedly. She rests her elbows on her knees, and wrists her chin on her hands as she studies the group from her wall perch. "Who are the big bads? The movies and shakers? Whose butts should I be kicking?!"

Cypher nods, "I would also be interested to hear the answers to that."

Dark Horse chuckles. "I...mostly keep myself busy by targeting local organized crime organizations. Sometimes it involves dealing with metas. Sometimes...not."

A gathering of individuals down below. Huh. Forsaken hears muffled voices, and she turns to return to the edge of that alleyway... peering down over the edge. Oh Dark Horse. She grins and drops over the edge without hesitating.

It's a four story drop, but one that she manages to do safely thanks to the unfurling of her cape to slow her fall. It's not stealthy, since she's not trying to be sneaky. But she -does- make a classic 'Superhero Landing'... even thought it's bad on the knees. "The triads." she says as she straigthens up. "To name a specific organization that needs to be opposed."

Felix shrugs slightly. "Well, there's this terrorist, er, mercenary mabye, group that have this whole skull motif going on. Big ones on their chests. Didn't catch their names but collateral damage doesn't bother them it seems," Felix says after a moment. "And there's a demon who keeps popping up around teenagers. Um, an incubus sort. Messed some pups minds up."

The grey and black clad Felix tilts his head as Forsaken drops down from above. He then turns in a slow circle as he quips, "Is there some sort of meta attractor around here?"

Wildcard is a bit alarmed when another meta shows up in a dark cloak. "Maybe it was that weird device of yours?" She looks to Forsaken. "Why specifically them?"

Eyes narrowed behind her mask, Forsaken shrugs her shoulders, "They started it. I am just planning to finish it. Everyone needs a focus, yes?" she asks.

Dark Horse nods, and says to Wildcard. "Umm...I think my motivations are similar, but less...umm...therapy-driven?"

Wildcard is anything but focused. "Ohhh. So you both have a score to settle," she nods sagedly.

Dark Horse nods. "One of my friends was killed by the Cangelosi family."

"Yes, Forsaken, I suppose they do," murmurs Felix as he turns back to face the other metas. "So Triads among other syndicates, hmm, skull motifed group, an incubus targetting teens, hmm, well, the usual suspects of VIPER, DEMON, and the other alphabet soups." He snaps his fingers. "Those, hmm, Overbrain leads them. They left their zombie behind." He snaps one last time. "The Brain Trust...misnames in my opinion."

Wildcard loses a lot of her cheer very quick. "Ohhh. I'm sorry, Dark Horse," she offers sullenly.

"I also know my limitations. I don't fly. I can't shoot lightning from my fingertips. I stick to what I know that I can handle, and leave things of more... impressive scales to the truly super among the heroes of the world." offers Forsaken.

But she shakes her head, "Also, the Triads have a history of using and abusing children. I cannot abide that."

"So do the Yakzua." Cypher says with grim intensity.

Dark Horse stage whispers to Wildcard, "I try to not dwell on it. Otherwise...I'd be like that." He motions with a thumb toward Forsaken.

Wildcard nods to Dark Horse in agreement, her grin hidden behind her fabric face mask that covers her nose and mouth. What the mask doesn't hide is the brief snicker from her that she quickly tries to stifle.

"What? Effective?" asks Forsaken, deadpan. But one corner of her mouth twitches like she is trying to resist the urge to grin.

She lifts a hand and coughs into her fist. "Damn. Humor is painful." she adds. "But yes, one person can only be in so many places at once, so rather than trying to fight -everyone-, I chose to focus."

Felix nods as he listens then looks over at Wildcard. "Seem like those three have three syndicates covered. You should focus on the Organistaya, maybe?" THere is a note of humor in his tone.

Wildcard glances to Felix. "Organistaya? Whossat? I usually focus on...well...street crooks and the occasional meta criminal."

Cypher says, "Please do not think I am a sourge on the Yakzua. Maybe if my suit was functional. But I'm not in that class of hero. I attempt to correct fraud and expose corruption. Not go face to face with metas."

Felix murmurs in stage whisper. "Russian organized crime. Bad guys. Um, that's about all I know about them." He shrugs. "I just stumble from sitch to stich like the Fool it seems."

Wildcard chuckles at Felix's stumbling comment. "Yeah, that's more my style. Just go where it sounds like I'm needed."

hands moving to the inner hem of her cape, Forsaken furls it around behind her as she studies the others present. "I will have it known that I am not -always- gloomy. Just usually. When I am in uniform, I try to remain focused on my task."

Cypher says, "Your aims are worthy. If there is assistance I can provide I will be pleased to do so. My specialty lays in the area of data retrieval and information systems."

Wildcard nods a few times. "Well, I imagine you'd have to remain focused in uniform. Capes can be deadly hazards," she says matter-of-factly.

Dark Horse nods, and looks to Forsaken, "I was going to ask about that. Is the cape for like...stealth? Or gliding?"

"A little from column A, a little from column B. It is reinforced to function like a parachute. At the same time, the dark color helps my sneak in nighttime conditions. It also helps with intimidation of criminals." replies Forsaken.

Nothing about my gear is simply because I like it. Everything has a reason."

"Not to mentino a good cloak can conceal so many things. And confuse people as to where to aim," adds Felix. "Quinntex or something else? The material?"

Smirking, Forsaken nods her head, "Yes, that is also a factor, concealing the other gear beneath it. Such as the grapnel launcher." she offers. But she draws the cape forward to show the material, "It is a simple blend. Mylar reinforced. It is not designed to be protective in a shock absorbing manner. Just designed to slow a descent."

Wildcard thinks carefully. "Well. A parachute IS handy." She looks up at the rooftop. "And would mean I wouldn't need a hero to come save me when I'm supposed to be saving other people. But...I don't think capes are for me."

Cypher bows to the others, "It has been..." She breaks off, and starts again, "I've been stilted in my speech, no? I've been back in Japan and become used to formal speech. I shall try to be more American in my matter. So, been good meeting you all. I hope we'll meet again soon. Going to have to go now though, or I'll be late getting to work."

Dark Horse speaks in Japanese, << Your English is quite good, actually. >>

Smiling slightly, Forsaken bows her head as she intones softly, "Sayonara." Her Japanese is for lack of a better term, flawless. Like she was raised speaking it.

Wildcard lifts her chin off her hands and waves to Cypher as she leaves. She looks over at Dark Horse, impressed. "Ooooo. What'd you say?" As if it wasn't said in another language to be private.

Dark Horse grins. "I just said that her English was quite good."

Felix waves to Cyoher as she leaves then looks back to the rest of you. "It sounded Asian to me. Japanese? Since Cypher targets the Yakuza?"

The smile is only slightly visible under Dark Horse's mask. He nods to Felix, "Yup. Japanese."

"That, and the fact that she stated that she had spent much time in Japan." remarks Forsaken. "Kind of a clue there you know?" he adds.

Wildcard giggles softly. "Well, that does give it away."

Dark Horse loosk to Forsaken, "So, what other languages do you speak?"

"Aside from Japanese, I have studied the basics of both Mandarin and Cantonese languages. Odd that they are spoken entirely different... and yet, the written versions of them are almost identical." replies Forsaken.

Dark Horse nods. "Good to know. It's nice to have some idea of what people are capable of. Knowing Chinese is really important in this town, I've found."

"First Emperor's doing," says Felix. "Killed off the other alphabets, forbid their teaching by order of death, and killed their scholars. Eveyrone had to use Mandarin as a written langugae."

"It is...? I ...I don't know any other languages. Well, I studied a bit of Italian in high school, but...I forgot most of it," Wildcard admits. It's not entirely true.

Dark Horse chuckles and nods. "Wildcard, I'm sure you have plenty of other talents."

Nodding, Forsaken shrugs, "I grew up speaking English and Japanese. Only started studying Chinese when I basically went to war with the triads. But..." She reaches her right hand to her belt and produces her mildly oversized grapple gun.

"I should be off. Triads to terrorize you know." she adds as she aims skyward and fires.

Wildcard waves to Forsaken as she leaves. "Good luck terrorizing," she calls. Then in a normal volume, "Okay, that sounds weird and something I never thought I'd say." She takes a breath as she thinks of her talents to reply to Dark Horse, and then...lets out a breath and sets her chin on her fist like the Thinker. "Huh. Well. Uhhhh. I have a good hunch about some things."

Dark Horse waves to Forsaken. "Good luck." He then looks back to Wildcard, "So, like a gut reaction?"

And whoosh, with a rush.. Forsaken is drawn skyward by her motorized grapnel. And then she is off into the evening to find people to scare.

Wildcard nods slowly. "Yeah. Sure." Plus actually hazy visions. "I just get a feel for how things are going to turn out. Usually when something bad is going to happen."

Dark Horse nods. "Well, that sounds useful to me." He goes on the assumption that it's an actual power of some kind. "What else can you do?"

Felix watches Forsaken leave. "Dramatic. Have to mention that to KT. He'll like it." His attention then turns back to the two of you. "Arid, Wildcard. Huh, name makes sense, doesn't it?"

Wildcard chuckles, "Well, the name comes from how things always seem to go a bit crazy when I get involved. Like...things just don't seem to go my way. Until they REALLY do."

"Hmm, like you're a living Felix Felicissima potion?" He then coughs. "Um, that may be a bit, hmm, obscure. It's from an old book series. I read it once."

HE then hurries on, "So, like things break yuir way, right?"

Dark Horse nods again. "Sounds kind of similar to my powers, such as they are. I wonder if that makes us...rivals?"

"Hmm, step a little closer to each other...Maybe look into each other's eyes?...See if unseen forces move you apart?...Ye ken, like magnets," says Felix with a note of humor once again.

"Huh? What's a Felix Felicissima potion?" Wildcard's head then snaps to Dark Horse and she gasps, covering her mouth. It sounds like a dramatic capes show or something. "Does this mean we have to start fighting...?" she asks worriedly.

Dark Horse chuckles. "Nah, we don't have to start fighting. I'm not exactly the jealous sort. If we have a similar power set, that's cool. Something to talk about."

Wildcard sighs in relief. "So...wait...do things all go wrong for you too?"

Dark Horse shakes his head, "No...generally things go right for me. Like...all the time."

Dark Horse chuckles. "I have been cursed...with good luck. And good looks. Not that you can tell with the mask."

Felix listens with what is probably a smile under his mask. His costume is all concealing after all. "Oh, so, Dark Horse is the Felix Felicissima and That makes Wildcard...hmm, a wild card. Never certain what might happen." He laughs softly. "Mega arid."

Wildcard points to Felix. "See? I think the name fits. I mean...I couldn't think of anything better anyway." She looks back to Dark Horse. "And humility?" she giggles. "It sounds more like we're opposites, maybe? I mean...except on the good looks part. I think I'm kinda cute, if I do say so myself." Not that the face mask for aviator goggles reveal any of that.

Dark Horse nods sagely. "And humility. I am the most humble person ever."

Wildcard chuckles then looks over to Felix. "And you've got...tech that mostly works?"

"I have a magickal and technical bag of tricks, actually. Kinda like...a cartoon character you've probably never seen or heard of." He then brigthens. "Look it up, he's arid. It's mega ancient but files are on the 'Net. Felix the Cat, ye ken?"

"I'll, uh...try and look that up. Never heard of it for sure," Wildcard responds politely.

Dark Horse shakes his head, "I'm...not familiar with it, either. A cartoon cat, huh?"

"Well, yeah, but he could talk and walk, and fight off the bad guys," murmurs Felix.