Log:Superanimals!, Scene 4

Superanimals! 2007/09/20 	 Spirit the Living Firework Jennifer Diamond Citadel 4

It's late afternoon on campus; classes are over for most students, and there's a relatively happy air, it being early enough in the term for academic pressure not yet to be crushing spirits. Though summer is over, it's still pretty warm.

Jennifer is sitting in the Campus. She's telling herself she's waiting for Matt to come out of class, or for Mr Y to appear from teaching. But the truth is she just wanted to get away from the High School and the constant looks she was getting from the students there.

Dorian whistles to himself as he walks along obliviously on the sidewalk outside of campus.

Jennifer quite definitely hears some explosive sounds coming from near the middle of campus, perhaps the student square. Even Dorian hears them, just, though the passing maglev train almost cover the noise.

Dorian furrows his brow...and turns to look in the direction of the sound. "Probably just construction, but I should probably check it out." And with that, he changes form....and flies off in the direction of the sound, hoping a bird's eye view will help spot the source of the noise.

Jennifer is already on her feet by the time she sorts through her mental library of explosive sound effects. . o O(Am I ever going to stop reacting like I'm on a battlefield? Oh well since I'm on my feet lets go see the show.) Shrugging she starts walking briskly in the direction of the sounds.

Jennifer grins, "That's going to make Rebound feel a lot better when I tell him she's still around. Shame she's still exploding all over the place." she says to herself and starts moving that way.

Spirit shakes his head, and arcs downward in his flight toward the apparently aberrant arsonist, leaving a trail of light behind him as some shimmering light shields come up around his body. "You there! Explain yourself!"

The firework-figure looks up at Spirit, and then about, spotting Jennifer approaching. "No! Dammit!" she crackles and then blasts into the air whistling like a skyrocket.

Spirit flies a bit closer, and attempts to reach out with a light beam and ensnare the flying woman. "Time for an explanation..."

Taken entirely be surprise Jennis slammed to the ground of the campus from the sudden blow to the back of her head.

The living firework struggles in Spirit's grasp. "No! Let go! I'm not the bad guy!"

Spirit shakes his head, "I'm not saying you are. I'm just asking you to explain why you're attacking that building."

"I'm not! I'm attacking the -" ***BOOM!!!***

The firework woman blows up in Spirits hold.

She still seems mostly intact, though.

The explosion clears her of Spirit's hold, though she's just hovering in the air now.

You will no longer hear messages on channel .

Whatever hit Jenn doesn't seem to do a follow-up move.

Spirit doesn't re-grab the woman, but brings up his light shields again. "You'll have to say that last part again."

Jennifer rolls back to her feet and activates her force webbing. Then she looks around for the source of her headache.

Other than still screaming students, nothing's here!

The woman crackles, "I'm attacking the rats!"

Spirit tilts his head, "Rats, huh?" He arcs downward, flying down closer to ground level to get a better look, but tries to keep an eye on the flying woman as he does.

"Yeah, rats! I was doing fine too till you came blundering a long. What is it with you so-called heroes?"

Spirit shakes his head as he looks around, "We can talk about that later. After you think about the first impression you gave."

Near the dorms, Spirit and the firework-woman are flying low to the ground. Jenn stands nearby looking around.

Spirit stops, landing on the ground, and looks around some more. "Let me guess...science experiment gone awry?"

Diamond comes bounding in with a thud as she lands heavily in an area absent of students at the moment, a few holes where she landed, but really small ones. She glances around, trying to figure out what is going on.

A big-looking student comes out from the dorm swatting at something with a baseball bat.

Jennifer swutches her force webbing off again. "Hi Spirit. Watch out. Something smacked me on the back of my head."

Spirit nods, "Good to see you again...Jessica? Jennifer? I can never tell you two apart."

Firework-woman crackles, "Maybe one of the flying rats." She eyes Jennifer nervously.

Jennifer says, "Jenn it is."

Diamond spies a few people, some of them familar and heads over in that direction, the light glinting off her diamond body.

Spirit chuckles quietly. "You need to wear color-coded clothing, or something." He pauses, "Flying rats...do we know how they're flying?" His eyes light up briefly as he scans about.

The guy strikes down with the bat. It bounces up again and hits him on the forehead - fortunately not full strength.

"Well - maybe jumping. I'm not sure."

Jennifer winces, "Ouch. That has to hurt. He's going to have a bruise in the morning."

Jennifer starts running over to see what the student is swinging the bat at.

"Stupid rat!" yells the guy, and tries to hit it more golf-swing style.

Diamond reaches them a bit, "Hello, um, everyone." she says, looking at them, of course just as she probably gets there is when Jennifer is running off. She cocks her head to the side, "I heard loud bangs."

Spirit furrows his brow, "It's magnetism. That's how they're aloft." He lets loose with a low power laser at one he gets a clear shot at. He glances at Diamond, "Apparently we have super-rats around, flying around, being a nuisance."

"That was me," crackles firework-woman. "Look, near as I can figure the dorm is infested with super-rats."

Jennifer thinks. o O (Is that before or after the students moved in?)

Diamond cocks her head to the side, "Really, had problems with a rat not long ago." she shakes her head a bit, "You were from the fireworks plant some time back yes?" she asks as she looks at the woman and then cocks her head to the side.

Firework-woman crackles, "Look, I was the victim, ok? And here I was the good guy! Can't you guys just drop it?"

Jennifer steps in closer and attempts to grab the rat by the scruff of its neck.

Spirit chuckles quietly, looking around at the tools available to him. "Hmm...the electical wires will help...let's see...what else. We'll need metal rods of some sort..."

Diamond smiles and shakes her head, "Don't worry about it, I was just asking, was worried about you, are you alright?" she asks softly. She cocks her head to the side.

Jennifer grabs the rat and lifts it up to get a better look at it. And since her fingers are near teeth she activates the force webbing again.

The rat gets thinner and thinner as Jenn tightens her hold - rather remiscent of certain rubbery heroes - but Jenn holds it tight.

Spirit looks at the science building. "We'll need something to clear them all out, if we can. I'll be back..hopefully after finding what I'm looking for." And with that, he takes off again, flying toward the science building, leaving a trail of light behind him.

Jennifer says, "I've got one. It's kind of rubbery stretchy. I name it Elasto Rat."

Jennifer calls up to firework lady, "How many of them did you see?"

"I'm not sure. The flying ones - half a dozen maybe? ANd there are others.... They're hard to spot and keep moving though."

A bunch of students seem to have captured a rat and taped its mouth shut.

Jennifer grins, "I hope Spirit can do something. I had a different career path in mind than ratcatcher."

Firework-woman lets loose at a rat. Her explosive powers aren't bad at hitting small targets.

Diamond cocks her head to the side a little and looks around for a rat, "Not sure I could do much against them, more good at lots of damage, and don't want to destroy the campus."

Citadel approaches the commotion as his own pace, as he steps he sends out shockwaves and rumblings. He grumbles a bit, and mumbles, "Explosives..." then shakes his head, "Amateurs."

Jennifer calls over to the students who have caught another of the rats, "Well done. Bring it over here. What did that one have as its party trick?"

"Its squeak! It was so loud it could hurt - and shatter things!"

Jennifer nods. "Smart move taping its mouth shut. Are there any students left in the dorm? Has everyone gotten out?"

"I think so - hard to be sure....."

"We pulled the fire alarm though so they should be," says another.

Jennifer nods. "Diamond, would hold onto these two while I go through the dorm and make sure everyone got clear?"

Spirit takes a look around inside the building for anything which might generate a strong electrical field...in addition to trying to figure out where the rats might be coming from originally.

Diamond nods and holds onto the rats.

Well, the science building has it's own fusion generator and lots of handy equipment. This is a top science department! It's not hard to rig....

Diamond cocks her head to the side and while holding the rats, heads towards someting at the edge of the crowd, but she might be doing other things, She holds up the rats she has, "Anyone else has a rat I need to hold?"

Spirit looks around, "Hmm...this is only going to be of marginal use. And it would need to be portable to deal with the flying rats, but that's merely a subset of the rats anyway. Not really viable. I better find the source." He takes off again, searching the building for where the rats are originating from.

By this point it's plain the rats started in the dorm.

The rat knocking a hole in the wall from the dorm just enhances that impression.

Diamond frowns, and is heading towards the edge, "Any other rats I need to hold?" she calls again, her real purpose is heading towards someone or something.

Someone thrusts a rat into Diamond's hand.

Spirit heads back outside, shaking his head. "So...strange." He looks over at the dorm. "We'll never get these all dealt with. Unless it's possible to turn their abilities off, or something."

Diamond gets a rat and puts all three in the one hand and holds them close. She cocks her head to the side, "And you sir?" she asks the guy with the camera.

He lowers the camera and shakes his head. "N-no, no rats here."

Some of the students are arguing about how many different sorts of rat there are. They seem to think 4 or 5.

"No look, there's strong, and screechy, and rubber, and flying and - what was the other one?"

Diamond nods a little, "And what are you doing here? Filming the reactions?" she has a curious expression on her face.

Spirit flies over to the dorm, and heads inside, hoping again to find the source.

"Uh, yeah! Well, it's not every day you see super-rats...."

Diamond nods, "Yes, but you do seem rather calm while everyone else is screaming and running around like chickens with thier heads cut off?"

"Oh, uh, well I wasn't in there - I guess - it must have been quite scary for those who were....."

Diamond nods, "And if you were filming the rats and me?"

"Well, uh - you know. Metas are pretty rare too. I, uh, hope you don't mind."

Jennifer returns from the dorm, "It's clear. Well clear of students. There's some rats but the little &*$* are too small for me to grab hold off with any ease."

Diamond nods, "Alright," she says softly, "just remember though that it also makes you look suspicious to be the calm person watching everything in the midst of chaos." she smiles a bit and starts to turn.

He nods. "Oh, uh right." And laughs nervously. "Didn't think of it that way."

Jennifer grins as she sees the collection in diamond's hands. "You got another couple. Good going."

Jennifer looks at the person Diamond is speaking to. "Hi."

"They're tame!" says one of the students. "Maybe if we offered them food..."

"Uh, hi." The guy doesn't look so out of place now he looks more nervous, other than the camera. He looks like a postgrad sciency sort.

Diamond nods a little to Jennifer, "Someone gave me another. Was just checking with him, he was filming, just checking." she shakes her head a bit.

Citadel looks around and says, "Rat infestation?" then pauses a moment.

Spirit flies back out of the dorm building with what appears to be a glassteel cage. He lands, setting it down. "It looks like they were released on purpose. There was a security camera inside which may have picked up the guilty party, but in the meantime, this cage should be strong enough to hold them inside, assuming we can get them into it.

Firework woman says to Citadel, "Swift, aren't you? Ah got one! Damn - that one's tough...."

Jennifer grins, "Cool." She looks at the guy, "You want a shot of you and Diamond with the rats she's holding? I'll use the camera if you like and get you a souvenir shot."

"Uh, no, that's ok, I already got a good shot of Diamond."

Jennifer is smiling as she reaches, at entirely normal human reaction speed for the camera, "Hey, it's no problem. I'll be glad to do it for you."

He rapidly snatches the camera back. "No, it's ok. I really don't like other people touching this! Cost me a bundle."

Diamond cocks her head to the side a little, curiously.

Citadel shakes his head, "Call the exterminator then." then looks around, "Is this one of those animal lover rescue crap?"

Jennifer looks him over, "I suggest you get over it. The police are going to want to see that footage. Lucky thing you were on hand. They'll get some useful information from viewing your recording. Don't worry, they're really careful. Actually you want to hope they drop the camera. You'll get a brand new one." She grins and pantomines doing a juggling act followed by a "Oops!" while looking down as if at a dropped camera.

The guy looks really nervous, and puts the camera carefully away. "Uh, I didn't really get anything - just reactions and such after the scare.... Do you think they'd really do that? I'd better go before they come...."

The guy tries to slip away.

Jennifer shakes her head. "I think you had better stay. In fact I'm going to insist on it." Jenn will go for a simple grab of his arm, nothing martial.

Diamond looks at Jennifer and then back to the guy.

Citadel shakes his head, "He is probably the one who released them so he can get good footage."

The guy - surprisingly - it just too quick. "Shit!" he says, and suddenly is flying away....

Jennifer laughs, "I think the flying proves it. Nicely spotted Diamond."

Citadel glances over and says, "Hmm, slippery little guy." then looks at the man in question studying he features.

Spirit lashes out with a beam of light to try to grab the man.

Diamond nods and frowns, "But I almost let him get away." she ponders jumping after him.

Jennifer runs over and grabs a hoverboard from next to a student. "Diamond, hop on board."

Diamond blinks a little and moves to hop on the hover board."

Jennifer goes after the fleeing flyer.

The guy keeps flying like his life depends on it.

Spirit flies after the guy, but is going to be rapidly outdistanced. He scans for any transmissions, though...in case he's calling a friend to let them know it went awry.

Spirit will try to take more more shot at the guy, attempting to grab him before he's too far away.

Citadel realizes he is no way able to chase after the man, "I'll just secure the evidence and tell the police his description." then shrugs.

Spirit misses again, and then turns around, noting hte direction he's flying...since he's not terribly sneaky...the man's probably flying toward his safe haven.

The guy leads Jennifer a merry chase, perhaps just in sheer panic. But in the end Jenn has to stop or go splat into the music building.

Jennifer pulls up after nearly slamming into a building. "He can go over. I have to go around. I'm not going to try going through a building. There'll be another day."

Diamond nods, "I will try to remember him, I should have just tried jumping at him."

The firework-woman comes over. "What was that about? Should I have chased him?"

Jennifer says, "You were really perceptive in spotting him. But you didn't have any actual proof. If it wasn't for you we wouldn't have flushed him into the open.""

By this point fire engines are pulling up, and the university officials are getting on to exterminators.

Diamond nods, "Thanks." she says and looks at the Firework-woman, "No, there will be another chance and we will be more ready. I think there maybe something related to the pills?" she looks at the rats she is still holding.

Spirit lands back with the group..."We can get confirmation from the security tape that he was the culprit. The polic should be able to ID him, I would hope."

Jennifer smiles at Firework lady but shakes her head. "Do you have any way of grabbing him without hurting him. He might still be a pretty defenseless minor meta who is running because he doesn't want anyone to know about his meta powers. I don't believe it but it's possible. We can't take the risk of hurting him."

She crackle-sighs. "Not really. I don't seem to be able to do much except blow things up and set them on fire."

Jennifer gives Firework lady a smile, "Anyways I'm really pleased to see you again. Rebound and I were worried you might have blown up permanently in Ming Street."

Diamond nods, "I got a good look so could point him out." She smiles at Firework-woman, "What's your name or what do you like to be called?" she asks softly, "I am Diamond."

"Not half as worried as I was. I didn't know - I mean, I wasn't dead, but I couldn't pull back together. I thought maybe I'd be like that forever...."

Jennifer returns the hoverboard with thanks for its loan.

Jennifer says, "Have you got your explosions under better control now?"

The guy looks at Jenn and says, "Hey, you're one of the metas Starguard fired right? Could you, uh, sign my board?"

Spirit changes form in a flash of light, so he's standing in civilian clothes afterward.

"Pretty much - unless I'm startled anyway."

Jennifer nods, "Sure." Borrowing a pen she signs the Board using her codename Amber.

Dorian rubs his chin, considering. "This is like those dogs from the zoo. The powers are manufactured somehow."

Diamond cocks her head to the side and shrugs a bit, after seeing Spirit change she shimmers herseld and the diamondlike carapace is reabsorbed leaving her in normal clothes as well. She looks at Dorian, "Like those pills that gave temporary powers, maybe this is some form of next step?" she asks.

Jennifer nods. "The rat I grabbed first was a lot like Rebound in what it could do. I means a /lot/ like Rebound."

The guy grins. "Cool! Thanks. Down with the Earthgov police state!"

Jennifer looks a bit startled at that... "Uh, yeah. right.."

Olivia frowns for a moment, "maybe this is more like that othergroup, that one that was trying to steal Ashton's DNA and ended up stealing mine and tried to create a new race with it."

Dorian says, "Maybe...but those pills could cause death, if I remember correctly. Could they have been improved that much?"

Dorian says, "I wonder...if it's possible to build a scanner to track that magnetic signature."

Dorian says, "I don't have the tools...but I'm sure someone around here does."

Olivia nods, "It is an idea, it might be why it is animals, they haven't perfected from humans, but rats..dogs.." she shakes her head.

"Monkeys," chips in the Firework-woman.

Dorian says, "The guy who flew away had the same magnetism power the rats did. It was the same schema."

Dorian says, "I'm sure they're going to graduate to humans in a more extensive way...these are just tests. Dogs...rats...whatever."

Dorian says, "I hesitate to think of street gangs getting their hands on whatever this stuff is."

"I saw in on the news - down by that new harbour, whatever it's called, when they were opening it. Monkeys with powers."

Dorian says, "Well, that's not new...since we had super-intelligent monkeys around for a while. But it still might be related."

Olivia frowns, "They are getting closer then." she shakes her head, "I should get going." she heads over to turn over the super powered rats.

Jennifer nods, "They've been around for a couple of years. Bilbo was cool. Nuts but cool."

Citadel looks around, "Superpowers given to rats." then chuckles.

A couple more rats have been caught by now, with offers of cheese.

"I should get going," says the firework woman. "I doubt the authorities will listen to reason..."

And at that she takes to the air.

Jennifer nods, "Until the fuss dies down I think I'll seek a low profile too. Been good seeing you Spirit."