Year Two

Hitomi: "You intend on trying to be a hero?"

Azuma: "You saw that?"

Hitomi: "Yes."

Azuma: "Oh. Well...yeah. I had a discussion with somebody and well...I have the ability to make a difference. It's just a matter of will I or should I."

Hitomi: "I believe you should do what you believe is the right way."

Azuma: "Thanks."

============================================

The plant progressively gets worse as time goes on. Every other year a fire is started on the grounds or inside, but no one has the nerve to just tear it down on account of the cost despite being an enormous eye sore in the worst possible location anyone can think of.

A"So...what if someone had been allergic?"

T"It shouldn't be possible, as the pollen doesn't have much actual protein material in it, but if it did happen, I could always change it into something else. Like an antihistamine."

A"So you can just make plants whenever you want?"

T"Well, not exactly. If I have an existing plant, I can modify it into something new. I started carrying around seeds after we had that run-in with the Tyranno Boys."

A"Is that all?"

*Aroma is apparently disappointed that her BFF isn't a superhero.*

T"I...wanted there to be a someone for people to look up to. A mutant. One who wasn't a criminal or a dangerous psychopath."
=======================================
*Ven debates whether or not to see if any of her friends want to hang out. After all, they have school, & she has work, tomorrow.*

*Eve shrugs*

<(They'll be people in the mall too...but I suppose.>

*Eve stares out the window for a while*

<(Did I mention that I am also a mutant?)>
---
*Cameron groans at the ugly site*

[God that's bad.]

"Yeah," Jin whispered back. "You made it kinda clear. When we get to the mall we can talk all about it, this is exciting... people at the mall won't pay so much attention, probably."

Without much to do, Hitomi goes to reading while Azuma sets to brewing a new pot of coffee in a designated reading area in a corner of the shop. even though he's the only one to be drinking it.

=====================================================

Taiyo enters her house, her parents still at work, Kitters waiting for her at the door.

Taiyo: "Hi, kitty."

Kitters: "Mrow."

Taiyo: "Myow."

=====================================================

A duck quacks. A whole lot of nothing is going on at the park.

*Because I'm just going to be making shit up indefinitely otherwise, Ven calls Taiyo.*
=================================
A"Well...don't get me wrong, I understand, & I think that's really cool...but now you're in trouble with the police. If you just go to them & explain this, you'd probably be fine, under reasonable defense of yourself & others."

T"It's not like I haven't thought about it, but Mom & I decided that it was too dangerous for me to reveal my powers to the public. Besides, that way, I can't be proactive."

A"And what exactly is it that you plan to do?"

T"I don't actually know. See, I was still in the planning stage when they attacked. Protective measures, pacifist takedown means, costume, that sort of thing."

*Aroma snaps to attention.*

A"You have a costume? Can I see it?"

*A small smile crosses Eve' s face*

<Mom, are we almost there?>

Dr. Tantus:<Yes.>
---
*Cameron throws a rock at the duck*

Jin continued grinning to herself and tried to stretch her legs out, feeling a little confined in the back seat of a car.

Azuma: "Have you ever thought about the uh...vigilante thing?"

Hitomi: "No. It is not my desire to pursue justice, vengance, or right percieved wrongs. There are those far more capable than I whose place or desire it is to do so."

Azuma: "You never thought about trying to do something to help the city that you call home?"

Hitomi: "Why would I help something that does not want it? Isn't that something you thought?"

Azuma: "I do have my doubts."

=========================================

Taiyo's in the kitchen feeding Kitters when the phone rings. While Taiyo's distracted answering it, Kitters hops up on the counter to get to his bowl.

Taiyo: "Hi, Ven!"

=================================

The duck squaks angirly and flies off. Someone throws the rock back and calls him an asshole.

*Dr. Tantus pulls up by the curb and hands Eve 25 dollars*

Dr. Tantus:<Food only, please. I'll pick you two up in 2 hours.>

Eve:<Thanks.>

*Eve opens the door and gets out*
---
*Cameron looks very startled*

Cameron:<Umm...sorry? Who's there?>

V"Hello, Taiyo. I'm bored."
========================
A"Well, the mask is pretty, but it's not as...breathable as I'd expected it to be."

T"What was I going to do, bare my midriff, legs, and cleavage? What purpose would that serve?"

*Aroma bites her lip.*

A"I guess...."

*The leaves & vines fold up, returning to the form of an acorn, which falls into Thiera's hand. She then puts it in her pocket.*

Jin hopped out after her, looking over her shoulder as she disembarked, "Thanks for the ride!"

Hitomi: "Please be careful."

Azuma: "Eh?"

Hitomi: "When you're in the streets."

Azuma: "Oh, yes. Thank you."

Why the sudden concern for my wellbeing? I kind of expected...actually I don't know what I expected from her.

Hitomi seems rather tense, clutching the cover of the closed book in her lap.

He's a former classmate and now co-worker. What business of mine is it to feel concerned with his choices no matter how reckless they may seem?

=======================================

Taiyo: "Wanna meet at the park?"

Taiyo sounded a bit too cheery.

========================================

He sees someone carrying an old breadbag walking away.

"Uh...alright."
==================================
A"So...do you know any other vigilantes?"

T"No."

A"Oh...I guess that's good. I wouldn't want you to be involved with anyone who cuts people in half."

T"Maybe that's what I should be doing. Maybe I should find vigilantes that go too far. Especially mutants. I could let them know that they're giving Philips more ammo than the Tyranno Boys."

A"No way, that's too dangerous. What if they decide that's aiding criminals? That they should get you out of the way?"

T"Then I'll show them that their powers are more limited than they would like to believe."

The two sit in comfortable silence. Azuma looms at the black gunk being passed off as coffee in his mug, dissatisfied.

Cheap shit.

Hitomi opens her book back up and resumes reading.

=========================================

Taiyo: "Err...unless you want to meet somewhere else."

========================================

In a seedy apartment building on the south side of the city, where numerous floors have been damaged by meth lab fires, the first two floors remain functional for reasons no one can truly answer.

The top brass of the Red Crescent Demons consisting of three people, a white male in his early twenties wearing a red leather jacket with the gangs emblem on the back, an elaborate flame design with the gangs name in the face of a demon, and a .357 sticking out the front of his waistband in plain sight. Jackson Ryker, the leader.

The second in-command, Dimitri Kane another white male around the same age as Jackson, wearing the same jacket and a Ruger holstered to the left side of his midsection.

Lastly, the lieutenant, Omari Jones, a black male in his late teens, follows behind them, a Berreta 93R on his hip.

Jackson: "All right, so whose party is this?"

The three reach for their weapons when someone dressed in all black enters the room, raising their gloved hands to show they mean no harm.

Their face is obscured by a black veil attached to an obscenely large also black hat.

The stranger identifies as male when he speaks in a Southeast European accent.

???: "Gentlemen, I mean you no harm. I only thought now would be the time for you to meet your benefactor."

Dimitri: "Tio said someone from the cartel had our backs."

Omari: "Why would the cartel help us when they don't even help their fellow spics over on Kane Street."

Dimitri: "No one said Tio was smart."

Jackson: "Now who the fuck are you?"

???: "Patiance, my good man. I only said you'd meet your benefactor. I never said you'd learn his identity. But my orginization, the Black Mask have been keeping you funded and armed for some time."

Jackson: "This is all very generous, but why would you help a bunch of nobodies like us?"

???: "I intend on making you a fighting force amongst the other so called gangs of this city. Perhaps even enough to rival the Italian mob of old."

Dimitri: "Italian's used to operate in this city?"

Jackson: "Where'd you think Giovanni's Pizza came from?"

Omari: "Giovanni is actually named Castle. And he was sixth generation Irish. But nobody would want to buy Pizza from an Irishman."

Dimitri: "Nigga, when'd you get so smart?"

Omari: "Don't call me 'nigga', cracker."

Jackson: "Both of you shut the fuck up. Keep talking, mystery man. What does some orginization no has ever heard of really want with us?"

???: "We intend on crushing the criminal element of Manderlay and replace it with our own. We will ruin this city. Crime will be the norm and virtue will die. We have already begun infiltrating numerous sectors of the city from its government to its underworld. You will hear stories about the Black Mask and they will all be true."

*Dr. Tantus waves and drives away. Eve walks beside Jin*

Eve:<Shall we head for the foodcourt?>
---
*Cameron gets up and follows the person at a distance*

"Sure," Jin nodded, walking along besides Eve. She smiled widely and leaned over to whisper into her ear. "So, what's your mutation? I can't wait."

"No, the park is fine."
============================
A"Uhh...don't take this the wrong way, but...how would you defeat someone who creates fire?"

T"Fire-resistant plants that produce pollen in response to heat. The second he lobs a fireball, he winds up encased in a thick tree trunk."

A"Oh...what about that guy who turns things into tungsten?"

T"Cloud of pollen. If he tries that, he'll wind up with a giant chunk of tungsten falling on him."

A"Okay...and someone with a poison touch?"

T"Plants that dissect the toxin in their lysosomes, allowing me to synthesize an antidote."

A"What about...telekinetics."

T"Oh, that's a tricky one. Ground or air?"

A"Let's say air."

T"Then I guess I just have to keep throwing plants at them until there's so much of the stuff everywhere that I can create a forest. They can't fight off a sentient, evolving forest forever."

A"Sweet fancy Moses, you're overpowered."

Taiyo: "Okay."

============================

He's following someone who was feeding the ducks.

============================

In the foodcourt there's a panic as a very disturbed looking individual is jumping around on tables, tearing their clothes off revealing their withered and atrophied body. He's also leaving a trail of dominos in his wake.

"All right, I'll see you there. Bye."
=================================
T"So, do you do anything with your powers, aside from making clothes?"

A"Not really...if you want, I can fix up your coat when it gets damaged, so it doesn't look so suspicious."

T"Can you make things other than silk?"

A"I'm afraid not, but I can try to imitate the fabric as best as I can."

*Eve was about to answer the question when they enter the foodcourt*

Eve:<Umm......maybe we should find somewhere else.>
---
*Cameron feels dumb and sits down again*

"Or we could stop this lunatic," Jin suggested. She then lowered her voice. "Most of my power is in my legs, so I think I could subdue him without looking too much like a Mutant."
Hardly waiting for a reply, she began advancing towards the man at a brisk pace and wearing a determined grin. She tried to put the thoughts 'calm down' and 'stop moving' into his mind with as much subtlety as she could, as well as trying to direct him to look in the other direction with her thoughts.

Taiyo: "Bye."

Taiyo hangs up and spins around then sees Kitters on the counter.

Taiyo: "Bad, kitty."

After moving his bowl and him to the floor, she heads out to the park.

=====================================

He does nothing of the sort. Assuming she can get a glimpse into his mind, she sees it's a right mess of nonsensical thoughts, her suggestions adding paranoia into the mix until a dark haze shuts her out.

The man standing in what was once someone's meal drops his pants, more dominos spilling out and produces a large knife tucked in the waistband of his underwear.

The man proceeds to cut himself open barely holding his guts in with his free arm. With the job done he pulls a handful of his intestines out and proceeds to start chewing on them. A display that doesn't last long until he collapses.

At this time, sirens can be heard outside and mall security begin to clear the crowd while the police come in.

*Eve runs forward to where Jin in standing*

Eve:<I think he's going to take care of himself.>

*Just to be certain, Eve freezes time around the man*

*A wolf howls in the night. Aroma answers her phone.*

A"Oh, heya, Ven. What? Uhh...no, no, we weren't doing anything special...I'm not acting weird! Why do you ask? ...Okay, sure, love to! We'll meet you there. Bye."

*She hangs up, stowing her phone back in her pocket.*

A"Apparently, we're meeting Ven & Taiyo at the park. I hope you don't mind, I froze up thinking about all of the superhero talk, & had to tell her something that wasn't suspicious."

T"It's fine. It'll be fun."

*They head down to the park.*
=================================
*Ven, of course, had left as soon as she'd gotten off of the phone.*