"Not yet," I said, launching off with a wave. I scarfed down the dogs on a rooftop. There had been plenty of people out in Hotspur costumes for Halloween, my guess is one of them had been unlucky and caught a bullet meant for me. A stab of guilt hit my gut. It wasn't my fault, it was crazy to think it was, but I couldn't help it. Well at least my photo with Semper Fi would stop any rumors of my death.

Beneath my feet pumped hot beats in a chilly day, boys on the stoop swapping jokes as neighborhood life moved by. I felt a small envy there that didn't last once I took my next jump, their jokes stopping at the sight of me leaping overhead. I wouldn't swap this feeling, defying gravity as I whistled through the sky, for anything in the world.

The horizon darkened as I made my way over to Brighton Park. Black faces became brown, English and Spanish merging. The city was a tapestry of ethnic neighborhoods, joined at the seams, melding in spots until you broke into deep territory. There were places in Chicago where barely a word of English was spoken. Brighton Park was like that.

I checked my phone for the spot the Outfit had picked. When I got there the sun was a splotch on a dark line, the temperature dropping to a bitter low.

I lurked on the abandoned warehouse, a fashionable gargoyle. The Outfit had beat me there, a couple of cars parked out the front, a guy in a flat cap coughing on the cold out the front.

A car pulled up, Frankie the Nose got out with Bruno. He didn't talk to the lookout, just went on in, his hulking bodyguard a step behind. Privilege of being a capo, I guess.

>go in through the front, mind your manners
>drop in from above, make an impression

Previously on With Great Power Quest: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive.html?tags=With%20Great%20Power%20Quest

>>4619781
>drop in from above, make an impression

>>4619781
>go in through the front, mind your manners

I called the I-88 the 1-88 in the archive

this is what I get for archiving tired

>>4619781
>drop in from above, make an impression

>>4619866
>>4619786
locked in

I waltzed along the rooftop, finding a window to slip through. The lights were on inside, men in suits standing around a seated figure, another behind him, on his knees in the shadow.

Standing beside the man in the chair was Salamander's familiar tall silhouette, long and lean, wearing dress pants and suspenders over a formal shir, her hair waxed back into a long horse's mane, shaved at the sides. The man she stood beside was old, white as salt and about as sweet, waiting with a blank patience as around him suited goons muttered, sipping on a small coffee.

I could guess this was Salvatore Mangielo, head of the Outfit and the most dangerous man in Chicago. A man who had put a bounty on the head of a DSA hours after making bail. I could guess, but I didn't have to. It was obvious in the fearful respect of the gangsters.

Frankie and Bruno took up a place in his ring of men.

Time to drop in I guess.

I catwalked over a crossbeam until I was above them, then with a casual air I didn't feel inside, dropped backwards.

I landed in a crouch before him, the gangsters around him startled. He didn't blink, but Salamander leaned forward with a leering grin.

"So cool," she said, eyes bright. A raised finger from her boss stopped her from stepping forward.

"Salvatore Mangielo," I said, "You wanted to talk."

The gangster stared at me. He had the eyes of a farmer, picking from his stock who would be sent to the slaughterhouse.

"They call you Hotspur," he said.

"They do," I replied.

"Should I rob you of your youth?" he said, "Make thou dust, or food for worms?"

"I didn't come here to listen to threats. I can get those off any corner boy."

"You'll find a threat from me weighs different," he said. The stare held me in place greater than any threat. The closest I'd seen to eyes like that had been on Shark, and I'd judge Shark's had more humanity. "No threats," he said, "I owe you a favor. One you know about, the other you don't. The first was helping my boys against the monster who attacked them. The other is for rescuing the lawyer, Ms Grant. It's not in my nature to owe favors."

"Sorry if I'm not honored," I replied, "And what do you mean about Ms Grant? You had her abducted."

He didn't say anything, just waved his hand. The man I'd seen kneeling was dragged from the shadows.

"This is my underboss, or was. John Giacomo. He took care of things while I was away, and when I got out, made a reckless move."

John Giacomo stared at the ground, eyes large in a handsome dark face, a red crust coated the underside of nis nose down to his chin, his shirt stained with sweat and blood.

"He ordered Ms Grant's capture and execution," he said, "He wanted to make a show of what happens to anyone who crosses the Outfit, and stitch me up at the same time, put me back in the joint. He made a mistake, now he'll pay for it." He nodded to Salamander, whose grin grew wide. She cracked her knuckles as she stepped over to the kneeling gangster, head hung in disgrace. Salamander loomed over his former underboss.

Whether cowardice or the mad urge to live, John Giacomo tried to pull away, shuffling back on his knees, but it was too late for that.

Salamander grabbed the squirming underboss, hands cupping either side of his head. She made soft shushing noises as she squeezed, heat building across her hands. Fire began to lick from her wrists as the underboss clenched his teeth, tears starting in his eyes as smoke began to curl up from under Salamander's palms. Then a bark of pain turned into a wail. "Please, no. Boss, no!" He thrashed helpless in the burning grip, his wail pitched with terror and pain, with pain soon overtaking the terror, becoming a squeal, the kind of sound a human shouldn't be able to make. Flesh popped with the smell of sweet cooking. Salamander's face was bright with joy, arms tense, squeezing.

Rooster watched, impassive. Around him his underlings looked away, Frankie queasy.

"When you make a move do it quick and don't play games," he said.

The screaming settled into a deep gurgle. Salamander gave him a last hard shake before stepping away. What was left was charred, blackened and dripping, what remained of a face contorted in horror, stuck on his knees. Salamander grinned with pride, wiping her nose. The perfume of cooked flesh stayed with us.

"This settles us for the first. Now to the second favor. You were told I'd tell you about the hijacking," he said, "About the game Navaja is playing."

"I heard," I said.

He handed his little coffee off to a subordinate, then raised his hand. "We all answer to someone," he said, "Whether its a boss, or God, or our own basic nature. John hungered for power, for respect. Even more than he worked for me he was a slave to his instincts. Navaja has a master too, an employer in this. I know because they came to me first. I turned them down. We didn't need the kind of heat this job brought."

"Do you know who Ixion are?" he said.

The name was familiar. "They're an energy company," I said.

"Oil, gas, minerals, whatever can be pillaged from the earth," he said, "Criminals worse than any in this room. At least we're honest about our crimes."

"Ixion hired the Cartel to attack the convoy?" I said.

"Don't sound so surprised, we've done this work before," he said, "When the workers try to organize, who do you think they pay to bust the unions? If some peasant won't sell their land, they find someone willing to push them off it. We are very much integral to their system, as much as they pretend to despise us."

The first emotion I'd seen on his face, a smile and an ugly one, gone in a second.

"Who did they steal from?" I asked.

Rooster shrugged. "My guess is as good as yours," he said, "But they won't stop until they have what they want, Ixion or the men they stole from. Now its my turn to offer a favor. Rather than wait until they catch you, because they will catch you, I'm offering a chance to save yourself. Give me the stone, and you won't have to worry about killers in the night. You won't have to fear for your friends and family. All will be well, on this score at least."

He put forward his hand.

The stone burned in my jacket pocket as hot as the murderous flames that had killed the gangster. The corpse stared, the black husk of his head sightless.

>take his offer
>reject his offer

>>4619936
>reject his offer

>>4619936
>reject his offer
Worst case scenario we can just bury it in the middle of fucking nowhere and put it on the back-burner.

>>4619936
>reject his offer
I'll keep that favor for later, thanks. Been a pleasure, signore

>>4619951
Support

>>4619936
>reject his offer

Thanks, but I have a lot of faith in my elusive abilities. Wouldn't have come here otherwise.

locking those in

"Thanks but no thanks," I said, "Whatever trouble the Cartel or Ixion can bring I can handle. Same with anyone else. I'll keep that favor for later though, if its all the same to you."

Rooster didn't so much as blink but closed his hand. Maybe he already figured I would turn him down.

"You've got a good way of making enemies," he said, "And a bad way of making friends. Be more prudent, Hotspur, or someone will rob you of your youth. Maybe not me, but somebody."

"Caution is the better part of valor, that's Shakespeare too," I said.

"Discretion," the gangster replied.

"Well," I said, "That's why I wear a mask."

There it was again, the suggestion of a smile.

"Is there anything else?" I asked, "Only its been a pleasure, signore, but I have other places to be."

"That's all," he said, "And let your DA friend know she's safe, at least from me. The bounty is off her head for now."

"Ms Grant also knows how to make her share of enemies," I said, "But if you or anyone else goes after her, you'll find me waiting. Bet on it."

Knuckles cracked, Salamander grinned. "Too fucking cool," she said.

I didn't take the front door. With a flush of white fire I launched up the way I came, to the catwalk above their heads.

It had been a useful meeting, even if it hadn't explained exactly what the stone was. A quick explanation was too much to hope for, if one was even possible. But now I knew there were other players, corporate ones, which troubled me for reasons I couldn't say. It was one thing to battle it out with gangsters, dragging billionaire technocrats into it? That was a whole other world I couldn't even begin to navigate.

But it was another lead. Ixion, the Cartel, this shadow group, all mixed up in a dark cocktail or conspiracy and murder. All centered on the Chicago Explosion and the consequences that had sprung out from it like mushrooms after rain.

And now I had a face to put to Rooster's name. A hard Italian face with a void of a soul who could an enemy burn with neither pleasure or disgust. How many lives had those eyes watched slide away? How many of those lives had been ripped apart? The life and soul of a city itself. Brutality wrapped up in a bespoke suit.

I slid across rooftops, leapt from railings, across the dark night with street lights to guide me.

Now I had to work, and keep the city safe.

Navaja, Ixion, the Cartel, the Outfit.

All these things and more were in my head, carried night and day as present as the stone in my pocket.

But I had a life too. I had a basketball game coming up, a crucial one with Hunter still down with a broken arm. And I had a boxing match, me against Stink for a couple of rounds, trying not to get splattered by the big guy. And by Friday Kay's probation was over, something I was eager for. Our stolen moments at school didn't make up for what I'd been missing, the soft press of her body on mine while we made out in whatever privacy we could carve for ourselves.

And the ever present demands of school work.

How the hell was I supposed to juggle all this?

pick a primary and seconday focus for the week:

>school work, get an edge on my grade and my basketball skills
>crime fighting, investigate leads while cleaning up the streets
>training my powers, work on my boxing and my super powers
>social life, keep in touch with my friends and take it easy

if you guys aren't checking out the Animorphs quest you should. I was a fingertip away from running an Animorphs quest myself before deciding to run this instead.

>>4620063
>school work, get an edge on my grade and my basketball skills (primary)
>crime fighting, investigate leads while cleaning up the streets (secondary)

>>4620063
Primary
>training my powers, work on my boxing and my super powers
Secondary
>crime fighting, investigate leads while cleaning up the streets
We've focused on other stuff for a while now

Let's use a vpn and name-drop ixion in the discord

>>4620063
>1. Crime FIghting
>2. Social life

>>4620074
don't think that would work, discord has accounts and can track referrals and invites.

>>4620063
>School work
>Training

>>4620063
>crime fighting, investigate leads while cleaning up the streets

>school work, get an edge on my grade and my basketball skills

so primary is a tie between crime fighting and school work

secondary is a clear win for crime fighting

based on this result would anyone have a problem if I gave school work the primary and crime fighting secondary

>>4620155
works for me

>>4620155
okay locking that in

>>4620155
That seems pretty reasonable.

Maybe Crime fighting #1 and School work #2 if crime fighting is so popular?

I finished my Chemistry paper by the light of the tv, Dad flipping through channels. I don't get tv culture, sometimes I think he had it on just to have it on, like it never occurred to him he didn't need it. No one did. The playstation got more use, or did before we had to sell it.

A lot of the news was about Semper Fi. Rescuing kittens, flying into burning buildings to pull out coughing smoke stained children, helping out with car crashes and traffic jams, handing out soup to the homeless. Problems that saw her fly in and fly out with her cape fluttering behind her, all to the admiration of the crowd.

"We can conclusively say we a super hero children can look up to," a talking head was saying, some jowly bearded type, "And a role model for little girls everywhere. This is the kind of action our community needs, not more violence. Something to bring an end to Hotspur-mania."

"Are you suggesting Hotspur has been a negative influence on the city?" the interviewer asked.

"Look, all I'm saying is we had three people shot for going out in Hotspur costumes this Halloween. What he does is-is-is borderline unethical and possibly illegal, and its only adding to the violence in the city. And we've seen his victims, people left disfigured, amputated limbs, my god its a horror show! Is this who we really want our children looking up to? The kind of violent borderline personality-"

I kept my attention on my paper, I needed to show Mr Nfume my best, but anger boiled the back of my neck.

Dad flipped over.

"But if I'm being honest my greatest hero is my Mom," Semper Fi said, sitting in a studio across from a nodding Priscilla Takanawa, "What I do is nothing next to what a mother does. I'm a hero, but she raised a hero."

Dad whistled. "Legs!" he said, admiring Semper Fi's crossed legs in her short dress. Semper Fi had perfect answers to go along with her perfect bright smile.

I went to my room to work in silence, going over Chad's notes as I gave my paper a last run through. It seemed tight to me.

Then I pulled on my hoodie and dipped out.

I had leads to run down.

Navaja operated out of two key brothels, one was easier to get to than the other. 'Gatitas' was in Little Village, the kind of brothel where not every girl working was there willingly. Crawling with hoods, from Kings to Reapers, and everything in between, with nervous white gentleman shuffling in to put down money for a good time. 'Princesas' was in the corporate heart of Chicago, hidden in the tall Sears Tower, dominating the skyline. no way was a fifteen year old sneaking in there, or anyone with less than a million to their name.

So I settled on Gatitas.

Girls who definitely couldn't be eighteen lingered out the front smoking. It was upsetting the way they were dressed, or the way they handed money over to a big pimp who swaggered down the stoop. It was a cold night to be outside. Gatitas could have been a family home if it wasn't for the people hanging around it. I watched a sweating businessman creep up the steps, nervous as if expected to be busted at any moment.

A couple of white bikes sat out the front. They could belong to one group and one group only.

I landed on the roof soft as I could, listening for trouble. Mostly I heard hard sex, live and pornographic first making me blush then turn sick with disgust. I had no problem with sex work generally, but specifically this was a seedy operation. The kind of place misery flowed from, with a flow of dope as the cure.

"You messed up, not me," a familiar voice said, "You were hired for the job, knowing the complications."

"And as the Old Man has said, we took responsibility for our share," Sullivan's drawl replied, "A full refund."

"That's not good enough for Navaja."

I lurked along an edge, risking a peek inside. The same guy with the glasses, snorting lines off the table then fidgeting with his nose.

"You promised her something, it's not about money here," he said.

Across from him sat Sullivan and Baby Girl together on a couch, Billy Lonegran standing by the door with a bandage over his cheek, eyeing off a cartel gunthug.

"We lost our share of men and material," Sullivan said, "I would call that debt paid."

"You can call it whatever you want, Navaja will have her way," he said, "Now we can do this two ways. You can do a second job for us, free, or you can pay it back in flesh."

"If she's coming for my head..." Sullivan said, voice taken a deadly edge.

"You misunderstand, not blood, flesh," he said, "Your girl can work off your debt. Navaja has seen her, she likes her, she sees dollar signs. Put her up in a room for a few months, in the niicer place." Baby Girl stirred uncomfortably next to Suillivan, who stared dead eyed at the man in the glasses.

"And the third way?" Sullivan said.

"The third way? You don't want the third way," he said, "My boss, she prays to Santa Muerte. Santa Muerte is more God to her than Jesus Christ. She's offering you these choices out of respect, others are not so lucky."

"Each a humiliation, we just pick the flavor," Sullivan replied.

"Sully," Baby girl said. Before she could stand he held her down by the thigh.

"I've heard you two aren't strangers to this kind of thing," the cartel manager suggested, "Is it really so bad?"

"What we do is by consent, and none of your damn business beside," Sullivan said, "but as to the first option, I never sign onto a job before I know what it is."

"You will for this one," the Cartel man said.

Sullivan frowned, then turned his head toward the window.

>roll 3 x 1d100+25 dc 75

Rolled 41 + 25 (1d100 + 25)

>>4620219

Rolled 66 + 25 (1d100 + 25)

>>4620219
Can we break in? Tell Sullivan we can work together to take down the reapers

Rolled 86 + 25 (1d100 + 25)

>>4620219

>>4620286
success!

Nice to see it good shit.

I ducked low, out of view. I was getting good at this sneaking stuff. A tense minute passed.

"Navaja has a way of driving a man where she wants him," Sullivan said, "I'll do it."

"It's why she's the boss," the Cartel man said, "We'll be in touch with the details. In the mean time, if you want to hang around we have some fresh girls..."

"While I welcome the hospitality, in this measure it will go unaccepted. Baby Girl, Billy, let's go."

When they got up and left I stayed behind long enough just to hear the cartel goon spit.

"Hijo de puta redneck motherfucker," he said, something I doubt he'd dare say to Sullivan's face. "Go get Selina or Felicia, I need a fucking blowjob. Why you standing around, do you want to do it? Fucking go, idiotas!"

I crept away as a woman came in to see to his needs. Whatever I was about watching a greaseball get a blowjob wasn't part of it. I moved along the gutter, the sounds within curdling my guts. Weeping, manic laughter, someone being sick. The hard thump-thump-thump of a bedframe against a wall. I tracked around until I peered over the front, to watch Sullivan, Baby Girl and Billy come down the stoop, the men in white, Baby Girl in black.

A Reaper stepped away from their bikes, grinning as Sullivan put a hand to the revolver inside his jacket.

"No trouble," the Reaper said, backing away.

Baby Girl holstered her sword in her bike, pulling on her helmet. They revved their engines, pealing away into the night, headlights slicing through the dark.

I had a choice now. I could run down the Stunt Crew MC, or I could stick around here and see what I could dig up.

>run down Sullivan and his crew
>stick around the brothel

>>4620303
>run down Sullivan and his crew
Let's have a little chat about their current position

I don’t know are we sure that we wanna start making deals with criminals? I don’t wanna be over cautious I just wanna get a good idea of what we wanna do and I don’t want this fuck asking for a free pass on his next crime or amnesty for his gang for a few weeks.

>>4620303
>run down Sullivan and his crew

All the action here just ended

>>4620303
>run down Sullivan and his crew

>>4620311
We've talked with criminals before without making deals like that. Don't see why we'd start now.

>>4620307
>>4620327
>>4620339
locked in

I hunted after them in the dark, heading south.

They stopped in at a gas station and I saw my moment. I dropped down on the roof. Ironically it was an Ixion station. Baby girl topped up while Sullivan and Billy went in, Billy looking like he needed to piss.

"I don't know why I couldn't stay back there is all," Billy said, "You got a girl but I'll take the crumb of pussy I can get."

"We ride together Billy, it's not safe leaving you alone surrounded by Reapers. It would have to be a pretty special type of woman to be worth that, and I can promise you she won't be found in a Navaja run whorehouse."

Sullivan picked through the candy bars while Billy got the key for the toilets.

He was heading around the back when I dropped in on him. It sped up the process, trickling down his jeans.

"That'll leave a hell of a stain, Billy," I said, crouched above him on a dumpster.

"Shit," he fumbled for his gun. A slap upside his head with just a touch of power sent it skidding across the gravel.

"Man, shit," angry tears filled his good eye as he stared at his distant pistol, "Why you got to flex on me? Sullivan's inside."

"I told you what I'd do if I caught you in white leathers again," I said.

"Man, you think they just let us take these off?" he said, "And besides, its not like I've got any place to go."

"You get that skid mark on the I-88?" I asked, pointing to his bandage.

"That psycho Misfit totalled my bike," he said, "I had to run and hide to keep those soldier guys from snatching me up. What do you want anyway, man, don't you have a gangbanger to beat up?"

I hopped down from the dumpster. "Go bring your friends around, tell them I want a word," I said, "Or you can try running, but you can guess how that'll go."

"I'm going, I'm going!" he said, hands in the air.

I leaned back on the dumpster, waiting. Sullivan didn't strike me as stupid enough to run, and if he was baby Girl would talk him out of it.

My guess was right, they sauntered around the corner cool as could be, with Billy on edge behind them.

"Hotspur," Sullivan said, "I would say this is a rare pleasure but we've been running into each other more often as of late. I suppose you've been tailing us since we left Gatitas?"

"I heard your conversation with the cartel thug," I said, "It sounds like you're caught in a knot. Maybe I can help untie it."

Sullivan's eyes narrowed. "It's been my experience when a knot is tangled enough its best to just cut your way through." He flicked back his jacket to show his revolver, hand falling over it, old west style. "And your corpse would go a long way with Navaja. She's a bad woman to owe a debt."

"You know me well enough by now Sully, not to draw down on me," I said, stepping away from the dumpster.

"More right than not but a man has to take his chances," the silver-tongued outlaw with the silver pistol said. Our eyes locked, I saw his deadly intent, I saw the desperation driving it. White fire pumped through my veins, muscles bunching, ready to move.

"Enough," Baby Girl said, her sword drawn between us. "If Hotspur wanted to fight he would have taken us on the road, if we could take him we would have on the highway."

"My woman is as ever the voice of reason," he said, removing his hand from his pistol. I let the thread of power slacken inside me.

"You owe Navaja a job," I said, "I want information on Navaja. Enough to take her out. Maybe it could spare your hide."

"You want me to rat," he said.

"I'm not a cop," I replied, "And everyone here has already given up information to me before. Why break tradition?"

Sullivan turned a sly look on Billy before looking back to me.

"You'll want something," I said for him, "Tell me what it is, but keep it reasonable."

He nodded. "There is something you can help me with, and only you can do it," he said, "When that helicopter swooped down on us on the highway we legged it best we could. Some of my brothers weren't so lucky, got caught by soldier looking types. I want to know what happened to them, where they are, if they're even still alive."

"We put everything on the line for this job, and got nothin' but spit in the eye for the trouble."

>deal, even if its outside my current scope now I could look into it
>no deal, I wasn't interested in tangling with whoever they were yet

-

this is the last post for today but I'm keeping the vote open until tomorrow

>>4620419
>deal, even if its outside my current scope now I could look into it
thanks for running

Honestly this kills two birds with one stone in a way, we’re already at opposition with them and honestly finding out if what Eugene said about being a lab rat is true is worth it as well, we’re basically getting the info we need for something we were doing anyway. Although maybe we can see what type of timeframe he wants for that cause it doesn’t seem like an investigation we can just throw together.

>>4620419
>deal, even if its outside my current scope now I could look into it

>>4620419
>deal, even if its outside my current scope now I could look into it

>>4620419
>deal

Ok so we did end up making a deal with them but these are honest gangsters vs shady government types so I'd say it's justified.

>>4620426
that and its kinda nice how we're slowly building out our rogues gallery. Honestly I kinda like how Eric can be both roasting you like Spiderman and be intimidating like Batman.

>>4620419
>deal, even if its outside my current scope now I could look into it
>>4621212
Yeah I didn't really notice it before we saw a more vanilla hero like Semper Fi but Eric definitely has a harder edge. Not in a bad "edgy" way though.

>>4621226
Yeah noticed it also depends on the situation. Or at least that what it feels like. Also the line of 'I'll beat the invisible out of you.' is both hilarious and terrifying

>>4621232
I sort of worry about how desensitized Eric is getting to seeing fucked up shit. Can't be good for his mental health

>>4621235
Same desu, its kinda why I feel voting to misfit, she seems like good people.

>>4621241
*share secret identity

>>4621226
>>4620470
>>4620438
>>4620427
>>4620423
locked in

We’re just gonna have to find ways to balance the shit from out in the field and all the good stuff we have available to us, we have friends in both identities, a support structure and a girlfriend. Seeing the fucked up shit isn’t gonna stop but as long as we don’t go full Batman and fully fall into the abyss ignoring all the fun we can have we should be fine.

>>4621267
Couldn't have put in better words myself. I just fear the day Eric tells Kay who he is

"Deal," I said. I put out my hand and he gripped it in a firm handshake. "I can't promise everything tomorrow, but I'll find out what I can."

"The same," Sullivan said, "I've only met Navaja the once. She's slippery, moves through middlemen and keeps herself removed from the action. You've met Carlos, the man in the glasses? Navaja has a whole army of Carlos'. Its the smart way to play."

"It's not in my nature to make deals with gangsters, but at least you're an honest gangster," I said.

A little smile played across his face. "Well that's where you have me confused, 'Spur, I'm no gangster, I'm an outlaw."

The difference to me was slim, a criminal was a criminal, but in this side of things we were allies, both of us had reason to be suspicious of whoever had owned the stone, and discover whatever they were up to.

"Navaja's main hangout is Princesas, a brothel in the corporate heights of Sears Tower," Baby Girl said, "She likes to rub shoulders with the rich and powerful, makes her feel legitimate, gives her connections most other gangsters don't."

"Like Ixion?" I said.

The Stunt Crew bikers frowned.

"Ixion Energy," I said, "I have it on good authority they put her up to this job."

It was a gamble letting them know, but the more they knew the more useful they could be.

"Well that adds another shade of complication," Sullivan said.

"Find out what you can and let me know," I said, "I'll do the same. You can contact me on this number." I gave them the burner phone number, Ms Grant's connection.

Baby Girl sent me a text. "And you can reach us on there," she said, "We just want our brothers back, Hotspur, or the chance to avenge them."

Hopefully we could both get what we want. Something told me though that it wasn't going to be simple. It never was.

A+

I stared at the grade on the paper at lunch, sitting at the cafeteria with my friends, Mr Nfume's notes in red pen, all complimentary. A+. It was hard not to smile. I'd had my share of A- and straight As in my time, but the A+ was an illusive beast. Just shows if you put in the work you get the result, and having a good tutor helped.

"Congratulations!" Ayesha said. A+ was her average but she was genuinely happy for me.

"That's my guy, kicking ass," Kay said, her feet over my lap as she leaned back in her chair, dressed up in her cheerleader outfit. She had practice later today.

"Man, all I got was a lousy C+," Zeke said, "Mr Nfume has it out for me, I swear. I bet he just shores up your grade because you're on the basketball team."

"Nah, you're just a lazy bum," Rufus replied, "All I got is a B- and I'm twice the baller Eric is."

"He's never given me a passing grade," Hunter said, picking at his cast.

"Buckle down, you can do it," Rufus said.

"I just have trouble keeping it in my head," Hunter said, "All the words and stuff, they get mixed up."

"Maybe you're dyslexic," Kay offered.

Hunter shook his head. "Nah, I'm just an idiot. But you don't need brains to dunk a ball. Show me an egghead who can do that."

I held up my A+ paper again with a grin. He looked away with a grunt.

"Yo Chad!" I called across to his table, the trio of nerds with their heads down. I held up the paper and a thumb's up. "Thanks dude!"

Chad took it as an invitation, shuffling over. "You passed?" he said, gogging his head forward. I showed him the paper. "That's great Eric!"

"I had a good teacher," I said.

He grinned. "Well, I had an apt pupil." He glanced over at Kay. "Hey Kaylee." Then his eyes flipped back over to me.

"Thanks for helping out my boyfriend, Brad," Kay said.

"It's Chad, uh, maybe you don't remember but we went to elementary school together...since first grade uh..." he trailed off with a hard swallow.

Kay rolled her eyes. "I'm just playing with you, I know who you are," she said, "Tad."

My friends snickered but I didn't find it funny when Chad wilted up. Ayesha didn't laugh either.

"It's just Kay now," Kay added more nicely, "Sorry for messing with you Chad, its not funny if you don't get the joke."

"Oh yeah, its cool," he said, popping his hands in his pockets. "Well anyway, see you online," he waved at me before waddling back to his friends.

"What did he mean by that?" Kay asked. I just shrugged, not wanting to tell her about the discord group. Kay was great 90% of the time but she could be judgemental too.

"Did you guys see the new superhero?" Zeke said, "Damn, I wouldn't mind being rescued by her."

"I don't know guys, don't you think she's a little..." Ayesha shrugged with an uncomfortable look.

"I think she's great," Kay said, "She's badass, she's hot, and she's an actual good guy. Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful for Hotspur, but isn't he a bit edgy? It's good to have, you know, an actual super hero in the city."

I kept my head down, I still had some reading to do for English. I let their chatter roll over me.

It ended with Kay getting up and hooking over my shoulder. She put a kiss behind my ear.

"Well I've got to run," she said, "We've got to work on our routine if we're going to cheer you on Friday night."

"And we got to practice if we're gonna win," Rufus said, getting up.

We split up, Rufus and me abandoning Hunter. It was strange playing without him, even if I didn't like him much.

On the court Mr Nfume had us do bear crawl laps, burpees, jumping jacks, all the cardio exercise we could want, and then he had us work the plays.

"The Southside team we got coming up," Tim said through the sweat, "I hear they got a secret weapon." Howie brought us water. "Thanks Howie."

"Well so do we if Eric can keep making dunks like that," Rufus said, mopping his chin with a towel, "And of course my own smooth self."

"You know it brother," Tim said.

Mr Nfume brought us together. "There's going to be no more fighting on this court," he said, "Last game was a disgrace. Maybe y'all didn't start it, but you didn't need to keep it going, and we're a man down as a result. You're going to train hard, not just your body but your mind. Hold your tempers in check, and beat them in the paint, not in a brawl. Gentlemen, we are not the hockey team, am I understood?"

"Yes coach," we replied.

We broke off to wash off. I swear there were times basketball felt more highstakes than crime fighting.

When we were making our way back through the hall I saw something that made me slow, blood cooling.

"Hey what's Ben short for, Bengus?" Jeremy said, Ben cornered between a row of locker, "Bengina?"

"It's Benjamin, Jeremy, you know that," he said, shrivelled back, caught on his own.

"Yeah, Bengus Schlomo, right?" he said, rubbing his nose.

"Schlomo is a first name," Ben said.

"Shit, its a real name?" Jeremy laughed, "I thought it was just some anti-Jew joke. Okay, Bengus Schlomo Jewfried."

"Lieber, my last name's Lieber," he said, the larger boy looming over him.

"You a faggot too?" Jeremy asked, "Faggot Jewboy?"

"Hey," Hunter came up from behind me, fae all dark, "Step back."

"Oh, this guy, huh," Jeremy said, but he did back up, "The other retard on the basketball team."

Hunter grabbed him by the shirt, knotting it up in his fist.

"What'd you say?" Hunter said.

"Did I st-stutter?" Jeremy was sweating but he had a manic grin, "You and H-Howie are a m-matching p-pair of r-retards."

Hunter's face went pale, his eyes cold. He was about to do something stupid.

>step in before a fight broke out
>let it play out, Jeremy deserved it

>>4621338
>step in before a fight broke out

He's not worth the detention Hunter

>>4621338
>step in before a fight broke out

>>4621338
>step in before a fight broke out

>step in before a fight broke out

Hunter don’t get in trouble over this piece of shit he’s not worth it.

>>4621370
>>4621359
>>4621353
>>4621349
locked in

"Hey, hey," I came in, grabbing Hunter's arm, "Don't let this rat get under your skin."

Hunter grit his teeth, face a shade of purple.

"The retard defender strikes again," Jeremy said, "How're you doing shit-shoes?"

"You really can't keep your mouth shut," I snapped over my shoulder, pulling Hunter back.

Behind me a high pitched voice muttered.

"You okay Jeremy?"

There was a reason Jeremy Kusich got away with so much bullshit, and what appeared like a fleshy iceberg up the hallway was one of those reasons. Bryan Kusich was a linebacker on the football team, looked half wild-hog, and was just as mean. He was also Jeremy's cousin, and had a protective streak for his family. Behind him came other members of the team, all seniors, just as big and dumb as Bryan himself.

The football team played all gallant most of the time, but I'd heard enough stories about what went down at their afterparties that my blood ran hot. Girls didn't always get a chance to say 'no' when they were trapped between three or four of them.

"There a problem?" didn't matter what Bryan did he always seemed to be chewing on something, maybe his own tongue.

"These jocks were g-going to stuff me in a locker," Jeremy sniffed, getting all frightened. He'd make a hell of an actor.

Bryan pointed a thick hotdog finger at me. "Aren't you the guy whooped my cousin?" he said, "You're some kind of pervert rent boy too. Heard you suck off strangers for cash in the parks."

I bristled, remembering the gossip Jeremy had kicked up around me. no one worth anything believed it, but Bryan wasn't worth anything, neither were his flunkies. He chewed his tongue looking down on me.

"You got a pretty little girl mouth," he said. My skin crawled.

"What's good, assholes?"

Rufus' voice blasted down the corridor. He came stepping up with Tim behind him and the other black guys from the basketball team, all some shade of brown. It was a stark contrast with the football team, as bright white as sheet paper.

"I'm a problem, motherfucker," Rufus said, getting up in Bryan's face. Rufus wasn't the tallest guy on the basketball team but he wasn't short, but Bryan was still taller by a head, with packed on hog muscle besides.

"You a ball playing pussy," Bryan said, "You want to throw down? We actually hurt people, not dance around like a bunch of sissies."

"There's no pads on the court, nigga," Rufus said. Bryan eyes got meaner. "Yeah, I see it. See it in your eyes. You want to say it too, don't you? All you white boys do. Go ahead, say it, see what happens. Shit, I'll say it with you. Ni-ni-ni-."

Bryan backed up a step.

Rufus scrunched up his face in disgust. "Nigga please."

The football team backed away, Bryan clicking his teeth for Jeremy to follow. When they were gone, Hunter turned to Rufus.

"Can I say it?" he asked.

Rufus snorted. "Hell no, brother," he said.

In all the confrontation Ben had slipped away. He really was smart.

"Thanks for having my back," Hunter said, "Stopped me from doing something stupid."

"It's cool," I said, "Nothing good comes from messing with a sneaky rat like Jeremy."

"I don't know man, I don't like it when he talks shit about Howie," Hunter said, "Kid's just what he is, can't help it. No worse than anyone else for it either."

"Man, anyone talks shit about Howie is a punk ass," Rufus said. Everyone was in agreement there. I wasn't sure about these guys when I'd first met them, thought they might just be jagoff jocks, but they were good guys on the whole. They were my team mates, and I guess that meant something.

We met up with Kay after her own practice. She waved goodbye to Jessica and Peyton, jogging over to meet us.

"Dad will be picking me up in a sec, so this'll have to do," she went on her toes and pecked me on the lips, "But my probation ends right after your game, so there's a whole lot more waiting."

She had a smile set my heart on fire, teasing as she walked away. It made all the ugliness knotted up inside me fall away. Calmed the anger throbbing in the back of my head.

I don't know what the feeling was but maybe...was I?

>is this...am I in love?
>don't be stupid, don't over think it

sorry got distracted by something on my end

>I don’t know what this feeling is, but I like it and I want to find out

>>4621488
>is this...am I in love?
"Do I love my girlfriend?"
Oh geez guys sometimes I forget our MC is 15

I’m fine with knowing we love her, I just made my vote for the people I know have problems with her so we can reach a healthy middle. Hey Bullpen if the I love her vote looks to be losing you can switch mine to that.

>>4621488
>is this...am I in love?

>>4621488
>is this...am I in love?
GO STUPID GO CRAZY

I have to deal with something here so there'll be a delay on the next update, but I'm still running

vote's still open until I get back

>>4621530
thanks for informing us, see ya soon

>>4621527
>>4621525
>>4621517
back, and locked in

I think I'm....

Yeah.

I smiled, my heart thumping fast. Thinking about her smile.

I'm in love.

I carried with me through the next day, even out on the street. Should I tell her? It was a funny thought to have while ducking a junky's knife. I came forward with a hard snap to his chin. Maybe if I said it I'd just scare her. Maybe she didn't feel the same way. I caught a swinging chain, looped it around my firearm, slammed the chain wrapped arm into the face of a guy fumbling for a gun. Maybe she did feel the same way. I drove a hard left into the now chainless man's face. If she did feel the same way...would we go all the way?

"Thank you," the woman in the torn shirt said, crouched beside the over turned trash cans, blood leaking from her nose.

"No problem," I said, helping her up, "It's what I do."

Was I ready to go all the way? I sat atop a roof, crouched over the railing, cold wind whistling down from Lake Michigan. A hard throb told me someone was ready to go all the way. He'd been ready for years now, but thinking with him was a short road to disaster. I certainly thought about it enough, me and Kay. Me and Kay and other girls. Me and other girls. Other girls with other girls. Some were girls I knew. Uh. I was red under my mask just thinking about it.

How I was feeling was why music exists, poetry, stuff to give those big wordless feelings form. Or very basic but very primal feelings, best summed up in four letters and said hard.

"Don't try it," I said to the guy skulking up a side alley, gun drawn while advancing on a corner boy, standing oblivious under a street light.

"Aw shit," he lowered the pistol, tugged on his durag, "If I walk away you goin' pop my jaw off, Hotspur?"

"You going to be back tomorrow?" I said.

"Mos' like," he replied, "If not me the Haitian'll send some other to snatch this corner."

"Well then sorry man, but I got to give a warning."

He sighed, tucked away his gun and stuck out his chin.

"Do what you got to do then," he said.

I almost felt bad about it. I dropped him with a careful hook, he went down in a stack, then I picked him up so the corner boy, who just noticed what was going on, didn't take the chance to plug him. I left him on a rooftop, where people could see. I wish they all went that smooth.

Those were my days and nights, caught between school work and crime fighting, my thoughts on Kay growing more intense by the night. Before I knew it the weekend was here, her probation over, and the game.

It brought on as much nerves as crashing a Cartel party. At least with the Cartel I had a mask.

We got changed for the game, shooting jokes back and forth to dull the edge, but I was feeling hot, had to step out.

I wandered down the school halls, trying to steady my nerves, when I heard the squeak of footsteps on the linoleum.

"You know despite everything I enjoyed hanging out again. Invisible creep and all."

It was Ivy's voice, coming around a corner, Ayesha beside her.

"Why did we stop hanging out?" Ivy asked.

"Well I did kind of pick Kay over you," Ayesha said.

"Yeah, but I made the decision pretty easy," Ivy said, "I was a real jerk last year. I've been a jerk for a while, maybe forever."

"That's not true," Ayesha said, "You're only a jerk some of the time."

"Do you think...we could be friends again?" Ivy's voice was oddly strangled, hot with emotion.

"You've always been my friend, Ivana," Ayesha said. Ivana?

"Man, don't call me that, you sound like my Mom."

"Have you heard from her?"

"No. No, not for a while. Do you think Kay and I could ever be friends again too?"

"I don't know."

The conversation died when they saw me.

"Hey Eric," Ayesha said, wearing a school sweater, carrying a little flag, "We came to cheer you on." She waved it around.

"I just didn't have anything better to do," Ivy said with a crooked smile. "Isn't your game starting in like five minutes?"

"Yeah," I said, "I'm just a little nervous is all."

"You'll do great," Ayesha said with a bright smile. I believed her.

I jogged back to join the rest of the team, my nerves settled.

We huddled around Mr Nfume. "I heard these guys have something special," he said, "So we've got to bring it, bring it hard, and not let up. You boys all know what to do, you've worked hard for this. I've seen it, from all of you." His eyes found mine at that, a respect in there that flushed me with pride. "Do great, because you have it in you to be great. But only if you work together. You're a team. Now I've got one question. What time is it?"

"Game time!" we roared back.

And when we jogged out of the change rooms it was to blasting music and a packed crowd roaring. I turned to watch the cheerleaders dance. Kay kicked her leg up over her head, flashing tight green shorts. She dropped her leg and smiled at me, bouncing on the spot, before breaking for Jessica, who vaulted up onto Kemal's broad shoulders.

"Let's hear it for the boys! Woo!" Jessica called, pom-pom waving overhead. Kemal cheered under her.

Mrs Valdez waved from beside Dad. Dad got up, clapping hard, calling my name. Ayesha and Ivy got seats with Zeke and Dane, Hunter behind them looking glum in his cast.

"First basket is for Hunter," Rufus said, commanding the attention of the team.

"Eric," Mr Nfume said, "You got five minutes, then you switch off with Lincoln."

"Yes coach," I said, jogging onto the court.

The other team was like most south side teams, black to a man, dressed in white and blue uniforms. A tall stick insect took center court across from Tim, ready to joust for the ball.

I took up on the left, Rufus on the right. The guy across from me kept low, locs hanging down his shoulders.

The ref blew his whistle, starting the clock.

>roll 3 x 1d100+5 dc 75

Rolled 37 + 5 (1d100 + 5)

>>4621659
come on dice gods

Come on come on come on

Rolled 68 + 5 (1d100 + 5)

>>4621659
+5? Shit we should've practiced more

>>4621666
Eric's come a long way from his -10 though

>>4621665
dice+1d100+5 in the options field if you wanna roll

Rolled 41 + 5 (1d100 + 5)

Like this right

>>4621666
so close...

Just one more round of training for us not to be near shit at this basketball thing.

>>4621666
just shy of a success

give me a sec

>>4621666
damn it, nice try tho, seems like the dice hate us playing b-ball normally

If it comes down to it I’d rather just go normal next round instead of using our powers, it’ll get suspicious and I’d rather just try to win with regular dice.

Tim jumped for the ball, but he wasn't Hunter. The other guy batted it away to the guy in front of me. He winked as he drove forward. I moved to block him off, try to steal, but he had slick moves, cut around, ball weaving between his legs. but I stayed on him.

"Aight," he said, as I stepped out around him, staying in front.

I'm best on the offense but I can play defense. We danced back and forth, I tried keeping him contained while Rufus came up the flank, his own team mates positioning around.

"Shit, you got me boxed," he said with a grin, "'cept nah,"

He passed the ball between my legs making me feel like an idiot as he swerved around me, snatching it up to drive into the paint. Albert should have been there but he was off in dream land right until he saw the guy coming with his locs whipping behind. He launched up, past Albert's batting hands, scooped the ball through the hoop.

"Watch those gaps," he said, jogging past me up the court.

The game was back on, the ball in play, Tim passed to Rufus. I kept up with him across. A gap opened and Rufus passed to me. I bobbed up for a three pointer but the defense was too tight, so I dropped down, getting closer before passing low to Tim. Tim went for a shot but it hit the rim. I ran up, breaking through slapping hands and wild elbows, evening it out with a layup.

"Smooth catch," Tim said with a low five.

"I got you brother," I said.

A woo went up from the cheerleaders, Kay springing up high.

We were 2-2, but that changed thanks to the kid with the locs, the locs whipping wild around him. He knew how to step and we didn't have much of a counter.

He got a dunk on both Albert and Donny. Man I was starting to think I wasn't the worst player on the team any more.

"Eric, that's five," Mr Nfume said, calling me over.

It chafed. We weren't far behind.

>ask to stay on the court (and add a little power)
>ask to stay on the court (but play normal)
>swap out with Lincoln

>>4621690
>ask to stay on the court (and add a little power)

Fake it till we make it!

We can probably lay off once we get +10 bonus

>ask to stay on the court (and add a little power)

*Sigh* Alright we’ll do it one more time, but hopefully after the next time we practice we won’t have to use our powers, it’ll be pretty odd if it becomes a trend of us doing lackluster only to dunk on bitches like Jordan.

>>4621690
>ask to stay on the court (but play normal)

>>4621690
>ask to stay on the court (but play normal)
how could it possibly be worth it to use powers here

It’s been almost an hour, hey Bullpen you can change my vote to playing normal.

>>4621722
ok

>>4621720
>>4621710
>>4621722
locking that in

"Keep me in," I said.

Mr Nfume frowned.

"Come on coach, I'm just getting my groove on," I said, "Who else has made a basket?"

"Don't run out the tank too quick, Eric," he said, "The game's just started."

"Bring it hard, bring it early, don't let up," I said.

He sighed. "Fine," then he waved off Albert, sending Lincoln in.

I jogged back buzzing. Maybe it had just been a layup but it had been all me, and that meant something. So far I was the only guy on the scoreboard too. Albert looped off, Lincoln taking his place. Shore up the defense. The kid with the locs was slick, he'd be hard to stop. We were feeling the lack of Hunter here.

Rufus passed to Tim, who shot to me. I drove into the paint where the fighting was thickest, Rufus and Tim forming a triangle ahead and behind.

I faked a shot then passed under to Tim, who lined it up for a three pointer. He shot, but an opponent popped up, swooping it down, and they were back on the offense. Tim snarled, the three of us backing up.

It was tempting to use a little power but I held it back. It felt good to play with pure skill and training, even if it meant dragging behind the player with the locs.

>roll 3 x 1d100+5 dc 75

Rolled 47 + 5 (1d100 + 5)

Come on Baby

>>4621734
rollin

Rolled 45 + 5 (1d100 + 5)

>>4621739
and forgot the roll like an idiot

Rolled 98 + 5 (1d100 + 5)

>>4621734
ugh I don't like to roll because my rolls are often bad

we are about to let coach and the team down so hard

>>4621742
boo-ya!

>>4621743
oh wow pleasant surprise

>>4621742
Don’t you ever doubt yourself again you beautiful human being I love you.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWBXBo7ZH-E&ab_channel=EverettGilbert

its not a crit success but its close

>>4621742
and like that, we gonna dunk on these fools

Lincoln was better on the defense than Albert. Locs went for a throw but Linc got up, knocking him down as he did.

No foul was called when Linc had the ball scooped up. I was open behind the kid on his ass. Lincoln shot me the ball. I turned, driving, lunging down the court, feeling my Hotspur moves without my power. An opponent swerved up in front of me, I drove the ball between his legs and stepped around.

"Mind the gaps," I spat back, when I had two in front. Rufus came up as I got crowded out. I passed out to him, he got in, shot, scored.

We jogged back, reset.

But something was going on now, we were clicking, we were fire. They came up hard, we came back harder, not shy about elbows. Cheerleaders 'wooing' us on, but my focus was on the game. Rufus stole, passed to Tim. We drove down the court together. He took it to the three point line but instead of risking a shot, faked out then passed to me.

I was hard in the paint, all of the defense crowding around me.

I ducked under a tall kid's swing, slipped by the next, faked right then went left. Balled like I didn't think I could.

Then I had it clear. All those burpees, all those bear crawls, squats, work outs, paid off with a natural jump, no power needed.

I grabbed the rim as the ball dropped down, swinging free from the rim on a hard dunk, breathing hard, crowd roaring around me.

"That's my boy!" I heard Dad through the roar, "That's my son!"

God. I dropped down getting a back slap from Rufus.

"That's how we do," he said, "Rock that shit boy!"

I grinned, running back with him.

Then the opposite team converged in a huddle.

I mopped up, Howie handing me a towel.

"That's b-ball," Howie said with a respectful nod.

"Hell yeah, boss," I said, bumping knuckles as he handed a water bottle.

I glanced at the cheerleaders. Kay had eyes on me, her smile making my heart throb. Goddamn. I swished then spat the water.

"Get back on the court Eric," Mr Nfume said with a swipe at the back of my head.

We set up ready to go, feeling confident. The ball went up. Tim won it, knocked it toward me. I moved.

Then a boom shook the court under me, I staggered.

The kid with the 'locs was in front of me, ball in his hands, something smoking, a vapor rising from his shoulders.

"Yo, good game," he said, "But now Imma close it up."

Then another boom and he disappeared in a suck of air.

A third boom and he was over the rim of our basket, ball coming down hard. I stood stunned. Super speed? No, teleportation.

The crowd was silent for a shocked second as the scoreboard brought up the score.

"That can't be fucking legal!" Rufus yelled with clear exasperation.

"Time!" Mr Nfume called.

"A para-freak, they got a para-freak on their team," Tim said, staring.

"Name's Thunderchild," locs said, jogging past us, "And you been thunderstruck. Peace!"

>>4621746
Hell yeah

"Son of a bitch!" Tim spat.

The coaches conferred with the ref and when they broke Mr Nfume didn't look happy.

"There's no rule against it, yet," he said to us, "Guess you guys just have to do your best."

"Come on that's bullshit," Rufus said.

"Fucking freak," Tim said, glaring down the way.

Thunderchild just smiled, throwing the peace sign at us. So that's the 'secret weapon' we'd heard about.

Damn.

>we've got a para-freak too, put some power in this last pass
>if they wanted to cheat, let them. win or lose but do it with pure skill

>if they wanted to cheat, let them. win or lose but do it with pure skill

I don’t wanna have to use our powers here, and the spiteful part of me wants to beat this fuck with nothing but skill. Bullpen can you tell us the DC with him using his powers now?

>>4621771
ok but only because this is some what trivial

its gone up to 90

>>4621767
>if they wanted to cheat, let them. win or lose but do it with pure skill
I mean fuck the guy, but he's not wrong, and it'll make the L and even bigger burn

>>4621767
>if they wanted to cheat, let them. win or lose but do it with pure skill
Kind of scared of drawing attention to ourselves, we got feds on our ass after all. It's just a game and we impressed.

>>4621767
>No power use
We're not about to out ourselves over a game when every criminal in the city wants our head. And as shitty as what this guy is doing is, we should warn him that there's a government agency looking for paras and supposedly engaging in human experimentation so he might want to stay more on the down low.

>>4621790
>>4621782
>>4621777
>>4621771
locked in

"Whatever happens I'm going to lodge a formal complaint," Mr Nfume said, "You boys just do your best."

As unfair as it was this wasn't worth going full Hotspur over. Still it wasn't fun. We stalked out onto the court, knowing the odds weren't in our favor.

Win or lose it would be as a team, pure skill.

I caught Rufus' eye. He nodded, knowing what I was feeling. The team was united at least.

Thunderchild stood waiting on their side of the court, smiling. Maybe too cocky, let's see if we could spoil his fun.

The refs whistle blew, the home crowd cheered us on, spurring us forward.

Thunderchild stepped, and the thunder clap boomed as he disappeared.

>roll 3 x 1d100 dc 90

Rolled 68 (1d100)

>>4621813
You mean bo3? or 3d100?

Rolled 59 (1d100)

>>4621813
time for round 2

>>4621817
its best of 3

Rolled 8 (1d100)

>>4621813
Dice gods, give me strength...

that's a fail

Man, you guys can't roll for shit when it comes to the MC's normal life.

Rolled 63 + 5 (1d100 + 5)

Don’t count them cause no modifier QM? :v

He caught the ball mid pass.

If we were going to pass we'd have to hand it off.

Then in the next thunderclap he had another dunk on us.

There was no other word for what we felt other than torture. There was no playing we had could make up for something like that. When I did get the ball he burst in front of me, nearly knocking me off my feet. I cut around him though, bumping into Rufus, passing the ball off. It was enough to slip him up, me going one way, Rufus the other.

But it reminded us he had a whole other team backing his powers, and they weren't chumps. Rufus got crowded out, looked for a pass, but had to risk a blind throw. It went into Thunderchild's hands.

"Crowd the net!" I yelled, thinking he'd go for a dunk. Lincoln and Tim went there but he popped up to the side, then burst away to pop up the other, a razzle dazzle move might give someone whip lash trying to keep track. In the end he got off the shot.

We were angry when time was called, angry and frustrated and kind of relieved.

"Para-freak asshole," Tim said, kicking the bench, "God damn I hate those freaks. Creeping on girls, now making us look stupid. Cheating."

"It's just a game," I tried to say but I wasn't feeling it.

I don't know how they could enjoy a victory like that, but the south side team was.

Howie glumly passed out water. "That wasn't b-ball," was all he had to say.

"You guys gave it an honest effort," Mr Nfume said, "And don't think it counts as a loss for the season. I'll protest this."

"Man, could we just get an honest win?" Rufus said, "Last game was a forfeit, if we win this on a disqualification too, coach, it just isn't right."

"You're a good team, you're working hard," Mr Nfume said, "And Eric, consider yourself a permanent starter. Those were slick moves out there."

"Thanks sir," I said.

It didn't cheer me up much.

What did though were the arms around my shoulder and the kiss on my cheek.

"You were hot out there," Kay said in my ear, "You ready for the after-party?"

"Pity party more like," I said.

"I'm a cheerleader, let me cheer you up," she said, "And my probation is over, sentence served. We can have fun."

"Where's the party at tonight?" Rufus said.

"I got the hook up," Kemal said. And he'd be bringing the whole cheer squad with him. Now that did perk some of the guys up.

"You guys rocked tonight, its not your fault they had a para-freak," Kay said.

People were coming down from the stands, leaving mostly, but some came to commiserate with us. Including my friends, and my Dad.

"I'm proud of you, kid," he said, "That was a tough game."

I swallowed. "Thanks Dad."

"Oh hi!" Kay said, "So you're Eric's dad? I'm Kay, his girlfriend."

"Kay, yeah, I've heard a lot about you," Dad said, shaking her hand, "We should have you over sometime."

"Well I've been waiting," she said with a teasing look at me.

"Well I'll see you at home later, right? Don't stay out too late," he said to me, "It was nice to meet you, Kay."

"You too Mr Miller," she said.

"Is that your dad?" Ivy said, watching him go, "You did not mention he was hot."

What?

"What?" Ayesha said with a shocked laugh.

Ivy shrugged. "Hey, older guys get me tingly," she said, spider-walking her fingers up Ayesha's arm.

"Gross," Kay said.

"So there's a party," Dane said, "Are we going or what?"

After the beating we took I wasn't sure I was in the mood.

>blow off some steam
>better just to call it an early night
-
last post for tonight, I'll be back tomorrow

>>4621834
>blow off some steam

thanks for running bullpen

Our girlfriend is actually allowed to be out and we just got our asses handed to us, we’ve earned a party.

>blow off some steam

>>4621834
>blow off some steam

>>4621834
>blow off some steam
We should warn that supe kid about showing off his powers like that

>>4621834
>blow off some steam

Game may have been miserable, but moping alone in our room would be the real miserable.

Did we miss our chance to warn Thunderchild?

>>4621834
>>4622018
For the warning, I was thinking we could just mention that some shady government types showed up after an incident with a invisible para at our school and the details around that, since it's common knowledge that it happened to us and doesn't link us to Hotspur.

>>4622019
Yeah same, we’d IC have that knowledge as Eric because Eugene told us and we have suspicions.

>"Is that your dad?" Ivy said, watching him go, "You did not mention he was hot."
>Ms. Flores gave Dad her number
A-are we gonna get cucked by our dad?

>>4621834
>blow off some steam but don't drink too much

>>4622352
I don't think so, but hey just means Eric inherited his dad's looks

>>4622352
>>4622018
>>4621930
>>4621903
>>4621840
>>4621837
locking all that in

>>4622352
I actually don't wanna drink at all this time, we're a magnet for dangerous shit and we need to be combat ready at all times

>>4622395
How about we just drink less? We should have a better idea of our limits.

>>4622409
considering we're what, 15, maybe just one drink and that's it if we do vote for it. Shows we're okay with having fun without getting too drunk or anything to hinder us. That is of course we don't be a good lil boy scout and not drink

"You know what? Yeah, let's cut loose," I said.

"That's the spirit!" Kemal said, "A toast to a glorious defeat!"

"God you're such a nerd," Jessica replied, but with begrudging affection.

Before we left though there was something I wanted to do.

I had to run to catch up before they left, the south side team packing into a school bus. Spotting Thunderchild was easy enough, his locs, but also the way his team congregated around him. He was their champion, their secret weapon, though not so secret now. A key to victory they admired. But when he saw me running up he broke from his friends, coming over.

"You sore about the loss?" he said, "Sorry man, coach ordered me to close it out. You put up a good fight though, you can ball, you got real skill."

"Nah," I said, "I just train hard, skill's got nothing to do with it."

Thunderchild grinned. "Man, that's all skill really is."

"Whatever dude, I didn't want to talk to you about that," I said, yeah I was still a bit sore, "You've heard about the DPA?"

"A couple of things, why?" he said.

"Only they arrested a kid from this school last week. I've heard they're going around arresting paras, doing experiments and stuff on them. It might be a good idea to keep your head down is all."

"Oh yeah, wasn't that guy a criminal though?" he said, "They got no reason to arrest me, I've done nothing wrong."

"Yeah, but you know the cops don't need a reason to arrest someone," I said.

"Well thanks for the heads up either way," he said, "But if they try they'll find I'm hard to keep a hold on."

"Maybe," I said, then I had another burning question to ask, "What's your name, I mean your real name?"

"My name's Thunderchild," he said.

"There's no way you were born with that name," I said.

"Well yeah, my birthname was Shahbaz," he said, "But whatever changed me in the Explosion, whatever gave me my powers, it made me into something new. Something not all human. So my old name didn't fit anymore. Now I'm Thunderchild."

I nodded, it made sense. Then from somewhere in the dark night a harsh shout of 'go home para-freak!' and half a milkshake hit Thunderchild, pink milk splashing over his chest and face. I winced.

He dabbed at the milk dripping from his cheek, sighing. "Motherfucker."

I pulled a towel out of my bag, passing it to him. He cleaned himself off. "Keep it," I said when he tried to pass it back.

"It's fun you know, I get all new slurs," he said, "Used to be they just called me a nigger after beating a bunch of white boys." Its the tired way he said it, you'd think he was 35 instead of a teenager. He didn't even get mad.

"My name's Eric," I said.

"Yeah, cool," he said, "Well I hope we get to play again sometime Eric. Keep training, you almost had me."

He climbed on the bus with the rest of his team. I'd given my warning, I don't know how seriously he'd taken it, but when I walked away it was unhappy. How long had we existed, what Penderose called the 'paranormally afflicted' and everyone else called para-freaks? A handful of months? And already we had our own slur, the ugly face of human bigotry rearing up against us when most of us had done nothing but play a game of basketball.

I guess for guys like Thunderchild bigotry was nothing new.

I met up with my friends by Kemal's car. "All good homie?" he asked.

"Good enough," I said, climbing into the backseat with Kay, keeping my feelings to myself.

Kay pushed up close to me in the backseat, playing with my hair. It was hard to be all depressed about the state of the world with her body pressed so close to mine, the smell of her and the heat of her breath on my cheek. It was a pleasant car ride over to Kemal's, where we were joined by the rest.

When we got in the lights were off, Kemal went around setting everything up, leaving us to sit on the couch. Me, my friends, waiting for someone to bring the beer.

Conversation turned to the game, and talking about the game turned to talking about Thunderchild, which turned to talking about para-freaks.

"You know, the DPA has a point," Rufus said, "I saw them on the news talking about how parafreaks need to be registered, so we know who they are and what they can do. It just makes sense."

"Oh please," Ayesha said, "You of all people Rufus. You should know better."

"Why, because I'm black?" he said, "Come on Yesha, this isn't a race thing. They aren't even in the same ballpark. A brother is just a brother, we can't blow up a city block with a click of our fingers. No one's got a good reason to be scared of a black man, but a pararfreak? He could turn you inside out without even meaning to."

"He has a point," Dane said, "We register guns in Chicago, don't we? In someways a para-freak is just a walking, talking gun."

"A talking gun? They're human beings," Ayesha said, looking aghast at the others.

"I mean yeah," Kay said, "But Rufus isn't wrong. I know we'd have all been a lot safer with the Creep behind bars before he could do anything."

"So they should all be locked up because of one guy?" Ayesha said, "Listen to yourselves."

"I'm kind of with Ayesha on this one," Zeke said, "It's about civil rights, right? Being able to shoot a laser beam out of your head doesn't stop you from having civil rights. Still, you know, they can be scary. They definitely shouldn't be allowed to play in the same team as us ordinary people. That's an unfair advantage."

"What do you think, Eric?" Ayesha asked, "Do you think they should all be locked up with their names on a register or be treated like, you know, human beings?"

"That's a strawman," Rufus said.

The others looked, waiting for my answer.

>I mean they are dangerous...
>I'm with you Ayesha
>I don't think its as simple as one or the other

>>4622457
>I don't think its as simple as one or the other

>I don't think its as simple as one or the other, sure they can be dangerous but anyone walking on the street could have a gun and shoot up a place or a bomb under their jacket but wouldn’t assuming they’re all bad just push them to use their powers to protect themselves first? I think it should be case by case honestly, not all people are good but not all of us are bad either, why can’t it be the same with Parahumans?

>>4622464
changing my vote to this

>>4622457
>I don't think its as simple as one or the other
I'm with Zeke on this one. You can't take away people's liberties because you're afraid of them, that's totalitarian. But also that fucking game.

>>4622457
I think the more they're treated like something inhuman the more inhuman they'll become. Creating division eventually leads to a conflict that would not go well for unpowered humans. It's best if we all stay on the same team.

locking all that in

give me a minute

"I don't know," I said, "I don't think its simple. Sure they can be dangerous, but so can anybody. They could be walking through the street with a gun or a bomb under their jacket, could just shoot up a place. I mean, don't you think just assuming they're all bad will just push them to use their powers to protect themselves?"

"But that's my point," Rufus said, "Someone's got a gun, they had to go get it. They had to take steps, and if they're bad guys there's stuff to stop them from getting their hands on those guns, in Chicago at least. But a para-freak always got his gun strapped to his soul. How do you deal with that?"

"I just think it should be a case by case basis," I said, "And you can't treat people like monsters or that's what you'll get, monsters. We're all people, we should all be on the same team. Anything else is just setting us all up for an ugly confrontation nobody wants."

"I'm just saying, if you strip people of their civil liberties because you're afraid of them, that's totalitarianism" I said, "Or facism or whatever. It's a bad vibe to be putting out. But yeah, fuck that game."

People were nodding along but Rufus didn't seem convinced.

"I'm not saying lock them up forever," Rufus said, "But if we had a registry with their names and what they can do, all of it open to the public, I'm just saying I'd sleep better at night."

"So like sex offenders," Ayesha said, "Get a grip."

"You're just all salty because you're in love with a para-freak," Rufus said, "But it wasn't Hotspur saved you from the Creep when it counted, nah, it was my man Eric over here."

"Oh don't pull that," Ayesha bristled, "You sound like an old white redneck."

Now Rufus bristled, getting half up.

"Children please, this is a party," a voice from the door came in, six pack swinging from her hand. Ivy smiled, tearing a beer can off and chucking it underarm to Rufus. "Have a drink, take it easy."

Rufus cracked open the can. Music came on, some chill beats as more people started to gather. It wasn't a victory party but it was pretty good. Someone brought a stack of pizzas, a party staple. I downed a slice, sticking to pop. Kay lay with her feet over my lap, sipping a drink. Cheerleading had taken a physical effort too.

"Hey," she said, eyes all smokey, "You want to go somewhere private?"

My heart beat picked up. "Sure."

No one noticed when we slipped away, the party was really starting to jump. Everyone had their own conversations, their own business. Kay lead me upstairs by the hand, up into a dark bedroom. Nasim's again, I think. She closed the door behind her then lay back against it. I saw her bite her lip in the dark.

I buzzed all over, a wonderful fear starting to course through me.

"Last time, you know, I said I wasn't ready," she said, "But um...I think I am." she swallowed. I could see the effort in her breathing. "Ready, I mean."

Ready? Uh, ready for...?

She pulled off her cheerleader top. Dropped it to the floor. She unzipped her skirt, and when it fell stepped out of it.

Oh.

Ready.

"If you are," she said, stepping close to me in the dark, touching my chest, "Um, but if you aren't I...I get it."

"It's just seeing you, tonight, after these weeks, seeing you play," she said, her hand sliding down my chest, down and further down, "Uh, I knew."

I looked down at her, the girl I loved, my whole body pulsing, running hot and cold.

"Kay," I said.

She perked her head up, nervous smile growing.

"I..."

>I love you
>I'm Hotspur
>I'm not ready

>>4622593
>I love you
then if she feels the same way tell her about being hotspur

>>4622593
>I'm Hotspur
We can't go further with her with this secret

>>4622593
>I'm Hotspur

>>4622595
actually Bullpen, can you change my vote to Hotspur, was thinking on it and yeah might be too soon for the L word

Gdi I’m in class rn but let me do something

>Kay I love you, and I want this so much but I want it to be special and not in someone else’s room at a party.

I know it’s sappy af but honestly we shouldn’t be fucking in other peoples beds, bang her in our own bed like a man no matter how shit it looks, as for the Hotspur reveal I’d rather wait till she’s sober and we’ve been doing really good at not telling people until they actually find out. Not saying no to either of these I just don’t think it’s the right time or place. Bullpen if that’s a wins can we go down on her instead? :v

>>4622631
Honestly wouldn't mind if this wins, I just wanna tell her about hotspur cause I remember how Kay said she hated secrets. And telling Kay about being hotspur puts a lot of trust and respect.

>>4622631
All she did was sip a drink, she's not drunk. Taking her first time while lying to her is fucked up and will make things way worse if she finds out after. Pretty huge betrayal of her trust.

>>4622643
Yeah really didn’t think that through, ayo Pierre change my vote to >>4622595

>>4622624

sure thing but I'd like to point out

she's a teenager ready to give Eric her virginity

if you think that's too soon for the 'l' word, I dunno

Can you keep mine as their original post? Cause if we’re telling her our biggest secret then we can definitely tell the girl we’re in love with we’re in love with her.

>>4622648
fair enough, might as well keep my vote original vote then

Honestly at this point can’t we just tell her both, we seem to be going in the direction that we obviously trust her and besides adding that we love her votes are the same.

>>4622655
I wouldn't be against it myself

locking in both telling her you love her and revealing your secret identity

Many thanks QM

"Im in love you," I said.

Her eyes widened, her cheeks went red.

She pushed her head against my chest. "Oh God," she said, "Oh God, I...I love you too," she said, pushing her fingers up under my shirt, pulling it off me.

"I love you Kaylee," I said, turning her face up, kissing her, our lips parting, her breath hot, holding her close. Feeling the buckle of her bra. Knowing we were close to crossing something, crossing into a new place together as my jeans slid down, as our hands crossed over each other's bodies.

"But," I said, her hands paused on my chest. "You need to know something, before we do anything else."

My hands shook, I gripped them tight.

"What is it?" she said, smiling, blushing. God, the freckles on her cheeks. I could waste a day just counting them all over and over. "Tell me," she cupped my cheek, smile so warm and full of trust.

"I," I swallowed, somehow this was harder, "Kay...I'm...Hotspur."

Her brow crinkled above her nose, confused.

Then she pulled away like I'd burned her, backed to the door. "No," so small, shocked.

The way she said 'no'. The confusion, drawing to a stunned realization. She shook her head.

"I'm Hotspur," I said, throat tight.

"You, no, you can't be," she said, shaking her head, "I'd know. I'd..."

"It's true," I said.

"So you've...that would mean you've lied, been lying," she said, "All this time. Oh God we've talked about you, we've...you were right there."

"I'm sorry," I said, chest tight, struggling to breathe seeing the hurt on her face, the tears forming in her eyes, "Kay, I'm not lying anymore. You deserve to know, I..."

I reached for her shoulder but she flinched away. A look of horror crossed her face, saying one word in her eyes, 'para-freak'. She stared at her own shoulder in shock, then up at me. A white hot nail went through my heart.

"I..." she said, "I-I'm sorry Eric."

With a choke in her throat she spun around, out the door, racing half naked down the stairs.

"No," I said, stumbling after her, "No, wait! Kay, Kaylee, Kay! Wait. Wait! Please!" Words sharp and cracking with pain.

A cheer went up from the party at the sight of a half-naked girl running through, her sobbing swallowed by the music, blind to the pale distress on her face. I stumbled down the steps, struggling to breathe. She fled out the front door into the chill night.

>chase after her
>let her go

>>4622707
>chase after her

Is it sad that this was kinda within expectations a little? Still think this was better to do now.

>>4622715
>Also pick up Kay's clothes and bring them to her at the very least

>>4622718
Add this please.

>>4622707
>chase after her

>>4622717
was thinking the same, was expecting this or having a long talk, at the very least we can tell Kay she's the first person we told our identity too. Everyone else found out on their own after all.

>>4622723
Yeah I’ll definitely take this over telling her we love her, having sex and then dropping this bomb, we just need to make sure she knows she has our trust.

>>4622707
>chase after her

>>4622707
Oh damn she took that poorly. >Chase after her

>>4622718
>>4622715
>>4622722
>>4622729
>>4622751
locked in

I went back to grab her clothes, bundling them up before racing out after her, feet flapping bare on the cold drive. Someone cheered watching me race after her in only my underwear. I barely noticed, my focus was on Kay, my heart a distressed beat in my chest.

I don't know what I'd expected, but not this. She was a pale slip under the street lights, the shadows of Fall trees falling over her, their skeleton shadows crossing her body, dark claws grasping at her. She was far ahead and growing farther. The sound of the houseparty dropped away behind me. I drew on the power inside me, the hot angry fire, quickening my feet, dulling the chill night.

When I caught her she was breathing hard, tears spilling from her eyes, breath a misty stream from her lips. The cold clung to her but I pulled her into my warmth, her back against my chest, my head in her hair. She kicked in my grip before giving up, grabbing my arms to hang, sniffing.

"I'm sorry," I said. We stood half naked in a pool of light. "I should have told you sooner, I wanted to."

"Why didn't you?" her voice was harsh with emotion.

"Because," because I was scared of how you'd react, because I was scared of putting you in danger, because I was scared I couldn't trust you. I didn't say any of that, it was all true in some form or another. "Because I didn't know I loved you."

"You're the first person I've told, Kaylee," I said.

I put her down. "Do you...still love me now?" I asked, scared of what she'd say, "Now that you know?"

She trembled, was it the cold or emotion? Did it have to be one or the other?

"Do you know what my mom does when my dad is late coming home?" she said, "When he's an hour late with no word from anyone?"

"No," I said.

"She cries," she said, "Not loud, not obvious, you might not even notice, but she cries. Because she doesn't know, she doesn't know if he's hurt, or dead, or just stuck in traffic."

"I..."

She turned to look up at me, face all red and stained with tears. "Of course I still love you," she said, "I love you Eric, but now I'm scared. I'm scared of you, I'm scared for you, I'm just scared!"

"Don't be scared," I said, gently as I could, taking her by the arm, by the waist, pulling her to me.

"I don't know what you are," she said.

"Neither do I," I said with a forced smile, "I know I love you though."

She pulled into my hug with one of her own, shaking. Then trembling, kissing.

"It's cold," she said, "But you're warm."

"My power," I said, building the fire inside me, holding her closer. She gasped. "Is it really that scary?" I said. We held each other there, in the cold silence, warm in each other's arms, bare figures in the dark.

"Should we head back to the party?" I said.

"Should we?" she said, "Could you take me...some place else? Show me I shouldn't be scared."

They might notice we were gone, but I saw a light of hope through her fear

>take her away
>head back to the party

>>4622890
>take her away

>>4622890
>take her away
We should probably go back and get our clothes first though, unless we grabbed them with Kay's

>take her away

You want us to give choices or you have a placed planned out already?

>>4622923
if you want to write something in feel free

>>4622890
>Take her away

Wonder if we can kick dad out for the night

My first choice would be our lair or just take her on a jump around the city and find a tall building to watch the city from. There aren’t too many places we have that’ll also allow us to show her not to be scared, are there any murals of us around town yet or places with our picture in costume posted up?

>>4622940
iirc there was some kids painting outside Luis', plus we could finally take her back to Eric's place, she has been wanting to come over.

>>4622963
Then yeah the shop and a jump around the city followed by bringing her to see our house.

>>4622988
Maybe not jump around, at least, not yet. But maybe we could do that in a more remote area, where people with smart phones can't record, also bull you might wanna call the vote now

locking that in

>>4623040
Yeah agreed, I just assumed that it was nighttime and they not too many people would be outside, if we can do it without attracting attention then that’s best, it’s like almost midnight or something right cause we came straight from the game.

"First you might want to put some clothes on," I said, offering the clothes I'd brought over. Her half-naked state now semed obvious, and embarassing. She pulled up her skirt, on her top. I dressed.

Then I scoopd her up, off her feet.

"Hold on tight," I said.

"Ok," her voice was soft, her arms around my neck.

I stoked the power inside me until it roared. Then I started to run, then, I leapt.

Kay squeaked in fright, burying her face against my neck as the night whistled around us, cold wind chopping into me. I brought us down on a suburban roof, slates clattering under my feet, stumbling forward with Kay's weight before hiking her back up.

It was dark, it was safer to use my powers now, but jumping through the sky without my mask left me feeling exposed. It was worth it though, while holding Kay tight against me. I ran to the edge of the roof and launched off, hair whipping from my face.

I knew a place to take her.

We came down on the west side near my neighborhood. Suburban homes gave over to flat houses, two or three floors split between households, nice cars giving over to run down old models. A Saturday night saw the distant bark of a gun shot, sirens whining down a street, the clatter and crash of the poor going about their night lives. I dropped on the peak of a house, a group of black guys chatting beneath us as they crossed through an alley, hopping a chain link fence, a speaker on a belt pumping music.

Kay held me tight but she didn't need to worry, these guys were cool, just kicking around looking for something to do. Either way they didn't see us.

I took a step then the next lunge took us onto the flat roof of Luis' corner store. I lowered her down, her barefeet on the cold ground. Broken glass gleamed in the street light.

"Step careful," I cautioned, as I slid down the back onto a dumpster. I reached down, helping her off. She fell into my arms. I caught her weight and spun her in a hug.

We stepped out of the alley hand in hand.

Smokey was out the front. "Hey Rico, how you doin'?" he said, chupa-chup popped in his mouth. He sucked it on looking down at Kay. "How you doin' shorty," he said, suggestive like.

"She's fifteen, Smoke," I said. He cringed.

"And his girlfriend," Kay added, hugging tighter to my arm, staring up at him. I could feel her tremble with nerves.

"Don't worry," I said, leading her in.

The chime went off, Luis looked up from his tablet.

"Hey kid, you on a date?" he said.

"Hey Luis, something like that," I said, "This is Kay, my girlfriend."

"Well lady, you got a good guy there," Luis said, "You won't find a better kid in the city or the state, maybe even the country." He winked at me. Laying it on thick Luis. "You kids want something? We got ice creams, take them on me."

A couple of magnums, high tier ice cream right there. And that wasn't all he slipped me. I blushed as I tucked the condom in my back pocket.

"This kid hangs around here all the time," Luis was saying, "Done me some good too."

"Oh yeah? I'm not surprised," Kay said, "He can be a real hero type."

"Little lady isn't wrong," Luis said with a sly wink.

"It's cool Luis, she knows," I said.

"About the...?" he said. I nodded. "Ey, so then I can say your boy here rescued me from some Outfit thugs. Crashed straight through the window and laid them out. He's always doing shit like that. Just the other night he pulled some rapists off a girl, man. Who knows what would happen if he wasn't around."

"Yeah?" Kay looked to me, sucking on the ice cream.

"Oh yeah, he's helping people every night," Luis said, "We all owe him. Shit, he done more in the last few months than the cops done all year."

It was hard not to feel good when I walked out with Kay. Some fresh paint was up on his wall, a few new tags, 'CAIRO', 'E-SUN', a crude hooded figure with goggles I took to be me, and 'DRUJ' next to it.

"So," Kay said, "I thought you said I was the only person you told."

"Uh," I replied, walking hand in hand, "Yeah, that's true though. Luis figured it out, I didn't tell him. And he's helped me out a lot too. You know, I can't do what I do alone."

"So he figured it out, but you told me," she said, "I guess that counts for something. And I'll admit, scary as it was, being carried through the air was pretty cool."

"You know I live near here," I said, the same anxious knot from the party building up inside me again, "Do you want to maybe see my place?"

"Maybe," she said, her cheeks glowing in the night.

I held her hand. She walked with me the way.

We got up the stairs to my place, heart beating fast, aware of the condom in my back pocket. Painfully aware.

We got to the front door. Music played through the doorway, rock music, galloping guitars and an explosion of drums. Someone was home.

"We are the Priests, of the Temples of Syrinx, Our great computers fill the hallowed halls. We are the Priests, of the Temples of Syrinx, All the gifts of life are held within our walls."

A high pitched voice sang.

The door creaked open to low lights, and a pair of figures writhing on the couch. Dad had his hands pushed under her shirt, pulling at her bra, Ms Flores gripped his hair, their kisses wet and gasping as they made out like teenagers.

Whatever nervousness I felt disappeared in a rush of red faced horror, the sight of Ms Flores panting under my dad, him huffing over her before burying his face in her neck.

Jesus Christ.

>back away slow
>cough loudly

>back away slow

Don’t cockblock we wouldn’t want someone doing it to us, plus this is the closest thing to a healthy relationship he’s probably had since Mom died, let that man get some strange.

>>4623089
>back away slow
well damn looks like dad's still got it

>>4623089
>back away slow

Wow dad what timing
Wanted to kick him out so we could fuck but he started fucking preemptively so we'd kick ourselves out
He must be a para with precognitive abilities.

On one hand this is the worst dad tf, on the other good for him Flores is a fuckin 10 and on the third hand does this mean we’re gonna have sex in a hotel or at our lair? Cause the latter ain’t got no bed.

something's come up so I have to go, I'll be back tomorrow though and the vote will stay open until I do

>>4623136
See ya tomorrow qm

Great fun everyone, see ya tomorrow QM

>>4623089
>back away slow

>>4619780
We're named "hot"spur and our costume is blue?

>>4623089
>back away slow
good on dad though, making use of kid out of the house time

>>4623220
I wasn’t here for the vote I think, but I think the rationale was that it’d be a dark blue that blends in with the night? Since we’re basically gone full Urban Hero, I’m actually gonna go through Pinterest and see if I can find a good costume that fits us.

>>4623238
I'm imaging spiderman noir but dark blue and with a hood. Just catching up and golly we sure do hang around of faggots don't we?

>>4623245
God damn it is late *a lot of, *imagining

Have we experimented with enhancing more than our speed or strength? Maybe we can enhance our hearing or eyesight.

>>4623259
I was actually thinking of trying that for when we next are able to train, using our powers to enhance ourselves internally instead of the basic bitch strength and speed enhancing we’ve been doing. Even being able to enhance our senses would be phenomenal.

>>4623280
Yeah, maybe we can do that shit in anime where you’re thinking so fast everything looks like it’s in slow motion.

>>4623089
>back away slow
We either sneak up the fire escape into our room, with the full knowledge that dad and Ms. Flores are fuckin a room away, or we go somewhere else. Maybe we just be awkward and say "Dad's... with... Ms. Flores..." to Kay.

Yeah I really don’t want our and Kay’s first time to be remembered as the time dad also got laid with the hottest teacher at school literally ten feet away from the bedroom, so if she’s still down then we either hit a hotel or go to the lair, and with noble this is turning out I wanna clean that bitch if we can as a little side event/action

>>4623089
>>back away slow
CHAD DAD CHAD DAD

We used our powers outside without our costume. I'm so paranoid, we totally got our secret spilled now.

I'm kinda mixed about Kay though, she's nice enough but I just can't shake the feeling she's not a good mix for Eric. Like trusting her with this is going to backfire on us bad at somepoint. I hope I'm just being paranoid though.

>>4623318
God fucking damn it, why did we tell her? Too many people knowing our secret is a bad fucking idea, look at Spider-Man, bad shit happens when you start mixing the lives of you and your alter ego.

>>4623327
You act like we just had a press conference revealing our face, people already know and we trust her , you’re worrying too much especially since only three people know our secret and none of them have any reason to say shit, you’re underestimating how trustworthy the people close to us are.

>>4623514
You can never be too careful man.

>>4623548
Absolutely agree, but cutting off everyone that could support us or we can rely on won’t do well with dealing with shit, I’m not saying we should tell all our friends cause that’s fuckin dumb but we should at least be able to trust Kay, even if only so we have someone we know we trust enough to tell personally. It could go bad but personally I think this will be a Net Positive

>>4623289
shit, imagine if we could go bullet time using that, or hell pull a neo when we get shot at

>>4623571
I agree with this anon myself, and while yes, I agree we shouldn't pull a 'hey you wanna know my secret identity' it's nice to be able to lean on people. Honestly only thing I'm more concerned about is when Kay finds out Ivy discovered who we are, we probably should have mentioned that last night but kinda spaced it

>>4623571
Okay, I get Kay, she’s our girl and we’d have to fess up to her one point or another. But I swear to god dude if we tell that dyke bitch or anyone else my shit will be flipped.

>>4623592
I mean that's fair, but out of curiosity who's the "dyke bitch", cause if you mean Ivy she found out a while ago

>>4623592
Oh fuck no, we need a lot more time and trust before we’re even close to telling her our name let alone our face, she can get away with it cause she’s been mostly lowkey. We’re fighting multiple criminal Orgs, an Alphabet Agency and we’re working with a city official for extra curricular activities. I completely stand by what she warned us about not telling people we work with at least, and Kay will be the ONLY exception I make unless for forced for a WHILE.

As for Ivy finding out, she knows she’s the first person we told, Ivy might know but we didn’t trust her with that information so that should matter.

>>4623618
oh Misfit, okay yeah I'm just dumb :p

>>4623618
I'm actually kinda curious to see what happens when Kay finds out that Ivy knows, then possibly finding out about Ivy's sister. Still breaks my heart a little

>>4623636
I honestly don’t know if it’s possible with further applications of our powers but I think it’d be cool if we could split off some of our Fire and imbue it onto others to improve their health eventually. Also as long as we keep making the effort to keep helping them get along and make sure she knows that she has our trust first and foremost we should be fine, also her little sister having cancer as bad as it is will most likely get her some sympathy.

>>4623651
Would be pretty neat, honestly was thinking about it and I gotta theory that the people with powers might have gotten their type depending on what they were doing

I've been fucked up today but I'll try to get out a couple of updates

>>4623902
alright thanks bullpen

I backed away.

"Damn...bra..." Dad muttered.

"It's...uh...it's in the f-front," Ms Flores groaned.

I had heard too much.

"Let's go," I said, taking Kay's hand.

"What's up?" Kay said.

"Nothing," I replied.

Maybe we could go up the fire escape, or I could show her my hideout or...

"Eric," she said, breaking my thoughts. I looked back at her. "Eric, maybe you should take me home."

My heart sank.

"I was ready," she said, "Before. I was ready for Eric, my cool basketball star boyfriend. I...I don't think I'm ready for Eric, the vigilante super hero. Not yet, at least."

"But," I started. But they were the same guy, I wanted to say, I'm the same me you always knew. But I knew that wasn't true. I'd changed in her eyes with the truth. I hadn't been who she thought I was, not fully.

Her fingers touched my lips, her smile sympathetic. "I'm sorry Eric, I just need time to process all this," she said, "Could you give me that, some time?"

A frustrated thing inside me snarled 'no', but my better nature won out.

"Yeah, of course," I said, heart dropping lower. Then an awful thought occurred to me. "By time do you mean, like, a break?"

"No," she said, then sighed, "I don't know. I still...like you Eric, I just need to adjust to this."

'Liked me', earlier she said she loved me.

"Can you take me home, please?" she said, looking down the cold west side street uncomfortably. This wasn't the kind of neighborhood she was used to, no doubt it was the source of many a horror story her dad had told her over the dinner table. Not that I can fault him. Get caught lackin' in Chicago and things can go bad quick.

I pulled her up into my arms. With her held tight I leapt up to the roof of the neighboring house, then from there, up into the cold night.

-
I set Kay down on her front lawn. She stroked my cheek but didn't kiss me, head down as she went to her front door. The pulse in my neck was almost choking. I stepped away, feeling the world's biggest idiot.

Was it a mistake to tell her?

No, she deserved to know. If we were going to go all the way I couldn't hide something like that from her. Secrets, the biggest secret in the world.

My phone buzzed, my Hotspur phone. I was tempted to ignore it.

Ms Grant - Development on the Outfit. We should meet. Tomorrow?

I sighed. It was the last thing I wanted to do, but a sense of duty had me send an ok.

I don't know what I wanted right now. To be some place else, maybe be someone else. Just the normal highschooler Kay had thought I was. Playing basketball, dating, worrying about grades. The scariest thing in my life worrying about college. Maybe bring Mom back to life while I was at it. I wish I could talk to someone about this, someone who understood. But who knew? Misfit maybe, but even then, was it the same? We lived very different lives.

"Woe is me," I said with no small amount of self-deprecation. The nightsky gleamed above me.

>head back to the party
>head home
>find a distraction, bust some heads

>>4623940
>find a distraction, bust some heads

party would be pretty awkward, and home is kinda not available thanks dad

>>4623940
>find a distraction, bust some heads

>>4623940
>head back to the party

>>4623952
Support

>find a distraction, bust some heads

Yeah we need to clear our head, though I will say this went better than I thought it would so there is hope.

>>4623940
>find a distraction, bust some heads

>>4624025
>>4624014
>>4624011
>>4623978
>>4623952
locked in

Everything was complicated. My situation, my emotions, the future.

But one thing was simple enough.

In the gray pre-dawn hours I spent my time over the rooftops of Chicago, stalking through what was left of the night for trouble. Costume on and senses keen, I dropped in on a hefty guy starting up a driveway with a shotgun in hand. He didn't look like he was going to deliver a care package. I left him with the shotgun smashed apart across the dome of his head. A few streets over from there I busted a couple of kids trying to break into a car, they got off with a fright, it was enough to send them running.

Gun shots popped off a couple of streets over and I went to check it out. A car sped away from a gast station, a black guy hanging out the side with a little submachine gun, spraying behind him to keep the road clear. I don't know if they'd killed anyone but the way he was popping those shots off someone was bound to eat a stray. I had to do something.

I dropped in from the growing dawn, slamming hard into the hood of the car, crumpling it up and fucking up the engine underneath. The car skidded out erratic before sliding up a curb.

Gun shots tore through the front screen but I was up over the roof. A chatter of bullets followed my arc, blowing open holes in the roof, but by the time I hit the trunk the gun was clattering empty.

He swore, pulling out the magazine, struggling to put the next one in, when I punched through the back screen to drag him out, over the dent in the trunk to throw him sprawling over the frost slick road. He got up but slipped, dollar bills fluttering out of his pockets. They hadn't even brought a bag for the robbery, but somehow he had an uzi looking thing. The world we live in.

Just before he could jam the fresh magazine I was on him, a hook to his ear knocking him down and knocking him out. Behind us the car started to smoke.

I pulled the driver out, laid him down next to the guy with the gun. He was gasping on a chest wound, biting a bullet from his own partner in the confusion.

"Easy, an ambulance will be on the way," I told him, but he gasped like a fish, eyes goggling in terror, sweating despite the cold gray morning. He wasn't going to make it. When I pulled away he grabbed my arm.

"Please," he rasped, chest rising and falling, each time more blood pouring out from the wound. His eyes were bright, mouth wide as he struggled to draw a breath, the air sucked out the hole in his lung. "Please," there was a desperate strength in his grip. I sat down next to him as police sirens wailed down the street, but a hand to his forehead.

Like it meant something, like I could do anything about it.

He took a sudden long gasp, shuddered, eyes widening in the last. His mouth hung open, last breath unreleased, gave a small tremble.

I didn't know what to do so I tried to close his mouth, his eyes. My own hands were trembling.

Some distraction.

I left before the police arrived as dawn lit up the city, frost slick streets glowing in the melting light.

A hell of a way to end the night.

-

I woke up to the smell of a cooked breakfast. I'd crawled into my bed through the fire escape, too tired to think. The kind of tired I'd needed. My belly growled, stabbing me over and over.

I got out to the kitchen wondering what Dad was cooking, then stopped at a sight both amazing and terrifying.

It wasn't Dad at the stove with a skillet in hand. All she wore was his Pistons jersey, humming, dancing a little on the spot. The hem barely hid what looked like a very naked ass.

"Good morning," Ms Flores said in a sultry tone I'd never imagined, "I hustled up some-"

When she turned it was time for her own horror.

"Jesus!" she said, blushing hard, pulling down the hem of the jersey as far as she could, which threatened to expose something else. "Eric, when did...how did you get..."

"Uh," was all I could manage.

Dad stepped out of his room yawning. His yawn stopped, seeing me, seeing Ms Flores. The both of us now staring at him.

"Ok," he said, swallowing, "So."

-
Breakfast was, in a word, awkward.

"When you weren't home by ten I figured uh, you were staying the night somewhere else," Dad said. A model of responsibility, my dad. "Carmen and I, we bumped into each other at the game and decided to uh grab some dinner."

"You did very well Eric," Ms Flores, Carmen, said. She had her teacher voice back on and had dressed, more or less. She stabbed at her eggs but didn't eat, anxiously looking between us.

"So you guys are what, dating?" I said.

"We're..." Dad glanced at Carmen.

"Uh..." Carmen touched her hair.

"Not putting a label on it?" Dad offered.

Mom had only been dead six months. I couldn't pretend I wasn't angry on some level.

"It's important you know," Carmen said, "We were hoping to tell you with a bit more um, tact."

A nasty question popped into my head. Do you fuck all your students' dads or just the ones with dead wives? But I didn't say it.

"Kid, if you're not comfortable with this, say so," Dad said, "I won't promise we'll stop seeing each other, but we'll keep it out of the house."

A bitter taste filled my mouth.

>yeah, keep it out of the house
>you're a grown man, Dad, you can do what you want

>>4624080
>you're a grown man, Dad, you can do what you want
Honestly this could help him with his alcoholism

>>4624080
>you're a grown man, Dad, you can do what you want

>>4624080
>you're a grown man, Dad, you can do what you want

6 months is pretty long? I understand if it was just 2-3 but 6 I think is more than reasonable.

>>4624080
>you're a grown man, Dad, you can do what you want
chad dad

>>4624185
>>4624112
>>4624101
>>4624085
locked in

>>4624185
I don't know about chad, I mean his wife died just 6 months ago and he's already mashing pissers with chicks? It just doesn't seem right.

>>4624252
People cope in different ways, if he decided he’s ready then he’s ready, it’s not like he’s expecting us to move on and get a new mom.

I sighed, letting my bitterness slip away.

"You're a grown man, Dad," I said, "You can do what you want."

He snorted. "Kid, that isn't how being a dad works," he said, "but thanks."

"Well," Carmen slapped her lap, "I should be going. I have a cat to feed whose probably crying his head off. I'll see you tomorrow, Eric. And Joe, um, I'll see you too?"

"Yeah you will," he said with a smile, getting up to show her out.

When he came back he was smiling through a blush. I had to admit, I hadn't seen Dad this happy since, well, since before Mom got sick. Again quiet feelings of betrayal rose up inside me that I tried to clamp down. I hope he didn't think this was anything serious. Ms Flores was 27, Dad was 42. She was still in middle school while I was in diapers.

"So how was your night?" Dad asked, starting the dishes. I shrugged. I wasn't operating on much sleep, and I didn't want to go all in on everything that had happened.

"How did you know you were in love with Mom?" I said.

"Is this about Carmen?" he asked, maybe a little sharply.

I shook my head. "No, my girlfriend," I said, "I think I'm in-love with her and I was wondering, when did you know?"

Dad turned to the dishes. He was quiet for a while. "The first time it wasn't anything dramatic," he said, "We were just out getting ice cream. She was pointing out a constellation, you know how she did, always the astronomer. Just something about the light on her cheek made me realize I was caught."

"What do you mean the first time?" I said.

He chewed the thought before answering. "Love isn't just about warm feelings," he said, "It's got stages to it. And being in-love and loving someone isn't the same thing. When I stopped being in-love with your mom and realized I really, actually loved her. It was different again."

"Now the second time was dramatic," he said, "It was after her parents died, your grandparents. We'd already been together a couple of years, they were in a bad crash. She was a mess. Your mom could be difficult sometimes, and after that she was hard. She disappeared into her work, tried driving me away. But I couldn't let her. That was when her pain became my pain. And that's where real love is, in the pain. When you hold their pain in your own heart."

"That's where the depths are," he said, "Being in-love is something, but compared to that storm. It's the best and worst thing you'll ever experience, if you're lucky enough to experience it."

He kept his head down on the dishes, hot water running over his hands.

"She'll always be there, Eric," he said, "Don't think I'll ever forget, or let her go. But I was alone for a long time, even before your mom died. Her cancer took her before it killed her. And she was the only one...the only person I'd ever..."

I looked away, my own guilt rising up as Dad's shoulders shook.

But the clock was running down to meet with Ms Grant.

"I have to go," I said, "I'm meeting some friends down the Loop but...thanks, for telling me about Mom."

He turned wet eyes to me, smiling. "Anytime kid," he said.

-

All the way over I was wonering when Kay would shoot me a text, give me permission to call her. It was hard not to check my phone even mid-leap. It had been radio silence since I'd taken her home. It wasn't the kind of thing I should be thinking about on the way to meet a DSA, but it just niggled at the back of my head. I'd had a few other messages wondering where I'd disappeared last night, but from Kay - nada.

I met Ms Grant on the roof of City Hall. She had a snarl on her face, glaring at her phone. Even her snarl was pretty. It was easy to see why people underestimated her, a face like hers was better suited to a magazine cover than dragging through the guts of organized crime.

"Yo," I said, dropping down in front of her, "You wanted to talk about the Outfit?"

"We've had a setback," she said, "Those charges I brought against those corrupt cops have been thrown out. 'Insufficient evidence', as if photographic proof isn't enough."

"How?" I said, a hot charge going off in my chest.

"All we had was a package being handed off, no evidence of any illegal transfer of goods, no evidence of bribery. People moving boxes into vans isn't evidence of wrong doing if we can't prove what was inside them. A cop keeping an eye out could just be a friendly hand in a rough part of town. Its nothing substantive."

"Bullshit," I said.

Ms Grant nodded.

"Do you have any news you'd like to share?" she asked, "How is the Cartel investigation going?"

>fill her in, maybe she could help
>maybe wait for more info before sharing

>>4624270
>fill her in, maybe she could help