Agent Orange!
Who: Rebecca/Flashback, Gloria, Heather/Flora (also @emitting), and Colin/Thorn
Where: Museum District
What: Heather's under attack! And, Gloria meets new people, while Colin's base frets over Flora and Rebecca deals with coming back from the dead from a legal standpoint.
===< Museum District - Downtown >------—-< #142 >===
Here, massive trees, donated to San Angeles via various charity relief auctions, line the district streets. Beneath thier overhanging boughs, wooden benches have been arranged in the cool shadows welcoming locals and tourists alike. It is within this park-like domain that the massive marble structures of numerous museums play host to those seeking knowledge or the desire to commune with the arts. In the center of the district's broad cul de sac, a small central park plays host both a rose garden and an aviary affording museum patrons the opportunity to sit and relax in fairer weather. Circling the central park, the museums of art, natural history and science can all be found, the aquarium and Museum of Supers dominating the northern most face.
PLAYERS
Colin 0s OOC
EXITS
Downtown…………………..<O>
===---------------===
Flora comes flying out of the sky, landing with some force in a group of shrubs. Doubly unusual, since flying is NOT one of her powers. A figure in a bright orange costume with a white star on his chest comes down out of the sky, an orange chemical haze around him. His hair is white with age, his skin wrinked, and the eyes behind the Domino mask more than a little mad. "Your fault, Flora… And once I kill you, the voices will finally stop." He raises a gauntleted fist…
To put it succintly, Becky Sharp's last few months have been… well, Hell. What was supposed to be a simple arbitration turned into a full-blown legal brouhaha. While not televised, the ugly details have been in and out of entertainment news — mostly splashed all over tabloid magazines and gossip blogs. 'Glitter's Pain - Daddy Won't Release Rights', 'FAMILY FEUD! Father and Daughter go head to head over record royalties!' Badly lit unflattering photos have been the least of Becky's worries.
And now, finally, after several months of bitterness and pain, it's over. Some sort of deal has been struck, though neither Becky or Burton has given a statement as to the details of the decision, though Becky did give a soundbite— "We reached a settlement. I'm not going to be resuming my career as Glitter, but I'm not going anywhere. Not after all this!"
Now much later, Becky finds herself in the park. Because it's pretty much the only place that all but the most determined and obnoxious of reporters will bother her.
Super-battles, however, are another story ENTIRELY. A villain kicking around a friend? "Oh buddy, did YOU pick the wrong day!" Rebecca thrusts both fists in the air in the direction of Obvious Badguy is Obvious and aims a laser-burst she hopes will make a good 'deterrent.'
"Colin?"
Pushing lab goggles to his forehead, Colin Reed looks up. "Rose?"
"Get out."
"What?"
"I'm picking up a signal. There's an Agent Orange in the Database, and-"
"Oh?" Colin is already moving towards the storage closet that he keeps his plant-tech gear. "What's his statistics?"
"THERE'S NO TIME!" Rose says, the computerized female voice loud enough that it shakes the Redwood. "He's trying to kill Heather! Get! OUt!"
Given those orders, Colin wastes no time getting his equipment together, but he's not as close to Flora's impact site as Rebecca is. "What about?"
"I've already sent them texts. GO!"
As a result, Thorn's insect-like wings beat almost too fast to see as he buzzes above the city streets, following the sirens, noise, and Rose's frantically-given directions. His home's AI is, in fact, highly concerned.
Gloria enters the district from downtown.
Gloria has arrived.
The laser blast hits Agent Orange and knocks him away from Flora. Which is a good thing, as the grass where he lands begins to wilt and die almost immediately. Flora's skin is a odd greyish-brown color utterly unlike her normal color.
Where there is heroic combat, there are paramedics — and while Gloria Gaines is off duty this evening, she still has a radio in her car that lets her know when and where such things are happening. That this one in particular involves at least one person wielding plant-type powers means, to Gloria, that she should get her winged butt in gear (though technically, she concludes as this thought passes through her head, it's not really her butt that's got wings, but one way or another, she needs to get in gear). She parks the car in the nearest available spot (which means that it's going to get towed again, no doubt), steps out, locks the door, and murmurs to herself 'Fiat Lux.'
And there is light. And it is good.
And soon the heroine known as Gloria, more or less, is flying over the scene of Agent Orange's attack, her flaming sword in one hand and a caramel Frappucino clenched in the other.
Rebecca, being the healthier of the two women currently present, moves immediately towards Flora — she doesn't touch her, she does stop to look and see if she's breathing. … Before it occurs to her that Flora might not actually breathe like a regular human. "Hold on, girl, I'm sure more help is on the way… I hope." And then she's up again, scanning the area for where she knocked the guy. "Brother, I don't know what the voices in your head tell YOU, but the voice in MINE is telling me to get you good and roughed up before I arrest your ass!"
Arriving on the scene is a male figure in what appears to be armor made out of wood. Though, it appears to be a bit more flexible, bark-like in appearance, and he's flying by way of a backpack from which sprouts insect-like wings, which seem to be branches with leafy-like gossamer substance between the tines. "Oh jeez," he says as he gets a good look at the scene, coupled with what Rose has informed him. And he thanks his lucky stars that there are people already there! "Stop him!" he calls, Captain Obvious. "He's putting out clouds of gas, different chemicals…" And then he gets a look at Heather. "Oh shit." For Colin, that's a bad word, as he hovers down. "Fire might stop him. I think…Flora's not all human-biological." And he's a genius botanist. Still, he tried something different. He reaches out with his actual power, to cvause plants to grow quickly…maybe that will help.
It seems pretty clear where Gloria is needed the most. Nobody, plant or human or any combination thereof, should have the coloration that Flora is currently sporting. Decidedly clashing with… well, health. The blonde flaps down out of the sky, brings her Frappucino to her mouth for a quick slurp, and mouths a few words of Latin as she brings a hand to press against Flora's temple.
The effect of Gloria and Thorn combining their powers on Flora is fairly dramatic. Her skin turns an almost alabaster white, almost glowing, but tinged with green, especially where there are veins under the skin or a blush across her cheek. Her hair almost seems to writhe, spreading out, thickening, and small white flowers appear in it, a sweet scent filling the air around her. The ripple of greenery spreads out from her, through her perhaps, the bushes had crashed into healing, the grass getting thicker, brighter green. Her eyes open, and she takes a breath so she can speak, "Thank you." She stands slowly, carefully, looking around almost as if seeing everything for the first time. "We have to stop him."
Agent Orange screeches! "No! NOOooooo… She has to DIE… She has to… She's still young, it's her fault I got old…" The cloud of chemical haze around him gets thicker, starting to spread. Thankfully, he's up in the air and away from Flora… but that haze doesn't look healthy for anyone to breathe.
Rebecca looks over her shoulder and gives a nod to the others - though she doesn't smile, she IS visibly relieved to see Flora back on her feet. "That's the idea, sunshine." She turns around again, asking "What'd you do to piss him o— Nevermind, that explains it." Well, not really.
Pointing one finger like a gun and resting it on the palm of her other hand, Becky narrows her eyes and takes aim, firing off another laser-blast at the flying nutjob. "C'mon, pops, we'll get you back to the old folks' jail!"
The laserbolt hits Agent Orange square on the white star on his chest, and the cloud about him erupts into a huge fireball, rushing out in all directions. When it clears, a few patches of grass are on fire, as are the leaves of one tree… but no sign of Agent Orange. Except, perhaps, a spot high in the sky, fleeing the scene.
"It's…her fault? But…" The eyes hidden behind Thorn's goggles go wide. "Oh hell, he thinks you're…" He puts a finger to his lips, in Flora's direction, and nods. "Flora, this is a new acquaintance of mine and Spook's," he says, indicating the winged woman with a hand. "She can heal, and I'm very happy she's here." Which he is. "And Rose says hi. And she says fire might ignite the gases he exudes." Which Thorn does not have, considering his powers and gear. There's a laser blast. "Rebecca, you know." He flinches as the explosion erupts. "Have to admire her aim."
Flora only breathes when talking, very odd… Even odder is watching the plants near the spots of fire pull away, and the tree branch on flame simply fall off of the tree. "He thinks I'm the original Flora, the one from the sixties. I'm not, but… he wasn't in a talking mood." She smiles at Gloria, "It's a pleasure to meet you… Agent Orange would have likely killed me if you hasn't helped me." She sighs softly, "He'll try again."
Gloria slurps from her plastic cup again, glances at it when it makes the noise that suggests it's almost empty. She shakes it a little in response to loosen the sludge at the bottom. "My pleasure to help," she replies, glancing off in the direction that Agent Orange disappeared. "I can go after him," she adds. "We shouldn't let him get away…"
Rebecca pats out an ember that lands on her shoulder, turning around with an eyebrow raised. "If anyone's got sonic powers or devices, I can build up enough of a charge to chase the guy down?" It could be she's got just a wee bit of extra aggression to take out on an older male antagonist. "Gloria, was it? Strong enough to give me a lift? You fly, I'll shoot? We can get him!"
Flora shudders, "I… I can't go after him, I can't… that cloud was a defoliant… it's what he's best at… it would have killed me." She is obviously shaken up.
"Gloria, this is Flora and…" He eyes Rebecca askance. "You said not to use your old name. Any ideas?" Colin smiles, and looks up as Agent Orange is retreating. "They are my other teammates. Our light-user here is second-in-command." Which makes him grin. "I don't have any devices to produce such, and I don't have anything on hand to engineer it." He stays crouched by Flora. "Also, getting too close means he'll melt my tech about a mile off the ground. Your call. Flora needs to rest, and I can handle that."
"Should be doable," Gloria tells Rebecca, her wings flapping a time or two, stirring up the dust on the ground. A brilliant smile is cast toward Flora. "Don't worry," she says mildly. "As long as there's faith, there's hope." She slurps from her Frappucino one more time, then throws the cup into the nearest wastebasket and offers her arms to Rebecca. "Let's go!"
Rebecca takes off her jacket and drops it, nodding once to Gloria - "Right!" before taking 'Armpit Position'. "Let's go!"
Flora looks hesitantly at Thorn. "I.. hate to ask, but… Would you ask Rose if I could stay over tonight? If it's ok with you, of course…."
Flora adds hastily, "I promise to keep my pollen to myself… I just don't want to be alone right now."
"You don't need to ask," Thorn answers. "Rose would lock me out of my own house if I let you out of my sight today. Besides, considering your needs, it's probably the best place to treat you in the city." Actually, in the Country, but Colin's not one to brag. He nods to the ladies about to go back into the action. "Go get 'em. Come back safe." And his brain files the thoughts about Gloria for later. There will be time.
Gloria lifts Rebecca up into the air quickly, flying fast after Agent Orange, but given that her wings are muscle-powered, and her quarry is… well, not winged, it becomes quickly apparent that the pair have little chance to catch up to him. With a sigh, Gloria slows her wingbeats and turns back, heading back toward the ground. "Sorry," she tells Rebecca, and then brightens. "We'll get him next time."
Rebecca sighs deeply. "I suppose," she grumbles. "If I hadn't hit him so hard with that first blast I might have had enough juice to chase him down myself." Of course, she realizes she's being a defeatest — "Ugh. Sorry, I'm whining. The last few months have been a living hell, and I would have liked the exercise."
"It's all right. Things have been rough all over," Thorn says, as he tries to help Flora stand. "And we will get him next time. Rose probably already has a subroutine set to track any mention of Agent Orange if and when he pops his head up again."
Flora leans on Thorn a bit. "I feel… wrung out. I want half a gallon mineral water, and a good sun lamp…" She laughs, "Not that I'm complaining. I expected to be dead. Though for a while, with both you and the new lady using your powers on me, I felt… really odd."
"There's always hope," Gloria maintains. "Although, I admit, it's easier to maintain with Frappucinos." She glances around briefly as she sets Rebecca on the ground, frowning thoughtfully — though not with any sign of bad feeling. There has to be a Starbucks around here. It's San Angeles. There's a Starbucks on every street corner.
Rebecca can't help but laugh a little. "I'm too keyed up for coffee." Moving to scoop her jacket back up - and then give it a good shake before putting it back on, she then asks, "You okay, Flora? No permanent damage? No wicked battle scars for the blog?"
"I had to take the chance," Thorn tells Flora. "I wasn't sure what my powers would do with your unique physiology, but…" A small smile touches his lips. "Sun lamp and mineral water? That, I can do." He looks to everyone. "When we can, convene at the Redwood." Blink. "Gloria, there's a large Redwood tree in de la Vega Memorial Park. Stop by there when you can?"
Flora says, "Poisoning doesn't leave physical scars… I'm more worried about parts of me falling off when I go to sleep." She gives a wry little smile, like she's only half teasing, "I'll have Thorn take samples of my bloodsap, make sure that no trace of the poison lingers."
Gloria gives Rebecca a helpless shrug. "I'm an addict. What can I say? I'm just fairly certain that Frappucinos are divinely inspired." She nods firmly at this statement, turns her attention back to the others. "Sure, Thorn. I'll stop by soon."
"I've got a couple loose business ends to wrap up, then I'll head right over. I -do- have some ideas, after all, and that's where all the work happens!" Becky grins, then takes a deep, cleansing breath. And then sighs. "Ugh. More work. Can I take a vacation yet? I hear Greece is lovely this time of year."
"Just a little while longer, I promise," Thorn says. "Just want to solidify everything. Hell, that does sound nice," he admits. "But, there's work…" And it doesn't really end, but he'll work out vacation time. Or, more likely, Tiago will steer him to a desk to /make/ him work it out. "I will see you both soon."
-End-
