Fantasy Four Wings

[Matreania]

Malaya listen to what he had to say before she felt it, or rather heard it, the door open and close, after a waitress came back into the building. She turned just in time to the door, to see part of a figure and the door close behind it. "Maybe not the only one." she said half under her breath and low enough to seem like a whisper. When she heard the question she turned back to Al and smirked a little, she had one to deal with, she didn't need to worry about the other. It felt strange that there were two that she couldn't feel. It was something she didn't understand and she couldn't help but be curious about. After all, feeling the elements around people was like breathing. What would they do without breathing, it was the same for her, only instead of struggling she wanted to understand it and find out why.

So, she smiled, "Well, when I was in Texas, I listened to everything that was playing. But before that, I listened to just about everything, even some church music. My father's family taught me some of their songs, and my father used to play songs my mother taught him to dance to. So, I don't think there is a lot of songs I know, but there are just as many that I do." she smiled, tilting her head slightly, "But why do you ask? I mean, the music here smooth and pleasant, you wouldn't need to change it; unless you are planning to suggest something." she teased. There was a lightness to the conversation, but now she knew that there had to be a question that gave her something other then he was from an Island. Because she had stopped by an Island when she visited her family and she could feel those people.

"So, what do you eat around here?" she asked, thinking maybe they had something she didn't hear about, maybe that was it. She had never been a scientist, but she could pass for some basic science. "I mean, when you aren't working?" she asked, wondering what it was that made him so different. She wanted to know, because if she used her powers when she thought no one was around, she didn't what to find out that someone was and be captured or hunted because of what she was. It had happened before, to her family, when they lived in a village before the one they were in now. People wanted control, of people and of her kind, but all Elementals really want is peace, which was why they had to run away and join another village. They hoped to join their kind again, but for now, they were separated in a land that was crying out. That was another reason she couldn't go with her family, she had to know the peace that she wanted, rather then the worries from others.

 

[Shadow Cat]

​

"Although, sensing certain thoughts and reading minds can certainly provide entertainment..."

Oh shit, he had heard her though from a moment ago. Wait a minute, did he hear that one? Hold on-

She stopped the repetitive thought where it was, crossing her arms and glaring at him. "Stop that."

She moved on quickly, though she wasn't sure if it was because she just wanted to move the conversation along, or if she was just trying to distract herself from any awkward thoughts that might cross her mind. It was funny, really. She hadn't remembered having this little control over her thoughts. Thought, she supposed, she had never really thought about it before.

"A mentalist, huh?" She questioned, thinking over the explanation he had given. So telepathy? I wonder if he can project his own thoughts into someone else's mind, then. Then another thought. Why don't you just ask him, you ditz?

She wasn't quite sure why she didn't but she didn't, Instead, she opted to explain just what she was... That is, to the best of her knowledge, which was admittedly not a lot. "I'm not completely sure what they call people like me, to be honest," she said quietly, looking down at her hands. "Best I can figure, it has something to do with energy. I can do things like converting kinetic energy to potential energy, and vice versa. Like, stopping a person from falling or slowing their fall even if they're mid air. I can mess with heat energy too. That's the one I have the most trouble with though, sometimes it pops in at the most inconvenient times."

As a sort of demonstration, she held a hand up, feeling the heat rush to it. Once it reached the highest point she was comfortable with it going, she put a hand on his upper arm, knowing he'd be able to feel the heat through the fabric of his shirt. She then took some of the heat energy from his arm, but only from the small area, stopping when she felt it go cold. She put the heat back, returning his skin to its normal temperature, before putting her hand back down and tucking it into her pocket, casting a glance off to the side. "I don't really like to use it that much."

 

[Hugh Flynn]

Again, Leo tried to hold back his amusement as her thoughts continuously projected into his brain.
So telepathy? I wonder if he can project his own thoughts into someone else's mind, then. Why don't you just ask him, you ditz?
Why have I never thought of that? I should really get to know my powers.
"Best I can figure, it has something to do with energy. I can do things like converting kinetic energy to potential energy and vice versa."
He didn't know what to think, knowing that there were other 'enabled' people like him. The possibilities were endless, who knows who else has abilities and what are those abilities.
Avery held up her hand for Leo to see. He could feel her will force heat into her hand, and as she laid her hand on his arm, he could feel blistering heat seep through the seams of his shirt.
He tried his best not to flinch. Oh come on, you expected there to be heat. Don't you goddamn flinch.
His efforts almost failed when the heat suddenly disappeared, replaced by the unmistakable sting of an ice-cold touch.
Okay, this is fine. You've suffered worse in a week.
"Damn, that's one hell of a power. Say, are you the only one who knows about your power or have you shared information with other people?"

 

[Shadow Cat]

​

She looked down at his question, gazing at her hands, open palmed. "I'm not sure if anyone else knows, to be honest with you." There was a moment of silence, as if she was contemplating whether to continue, some subconscious thought holding her back. "I haven't told anyone myself, but it seemed for a long time like my parents always knew there was something... wrong with me."

That was always how they had made it seem anyway. Her mother had always shuddered at her touch, like the daughter she had loved when she was adopted had been taken, replaced by some kind of monster. And her father... he was angry. Angry at fate, angry at the world, it seemed. How dare the Universe give them this defective child? Why couldn't they have a normal one? A normal life?

So she granted them their wish. She backed a bag and left, didn't look back once she had walked out that door. She had wanted to go back once or twice, and a year after she left, she had given in, gone back to visit them. Came home to a new child running happily around the front yard, and parents that looked nothing like the ones she had made so miserable. They were overjoyed, had a brightness about them now that their greatest mistake had taken care of itself. And so she left, and they never knew she had returned in the first place.

It was better that way anyway, she thought to herself, for both parties. I wouldn't want anyone to be saddled with a person like me. Especially when I'm so bad at control...

 

[Hugh Flynn]

Leo listened intently as she spoke, her eyes falling upon her hands with an emotion he knew all too well.
He and Avery both shared that same subconscious opinion about their powers, wondering what life would've been like if they didn't have their powers.
It was better that way anyway for both parties. I wouldn't want anyone to be saddled with a person like me. Especially when I'm so bad at control...
The voice echoed cheerlessly in his head, mixing a feeling of melancholy into the damp air of the night.
He gazed fondly at her, wondering what she's been through in the past, regarding her with a sense of respect and amazement for going through it alone.
Leo never really felt alone, he was used to it and his forced telepathy rarely left his mind buzzing with activity, but trekking through territories that haven't been touched by civilization really gave him a sense of what it felt like to have no one to rely on.
Hey, you shouldn't say that. Anyone would be glad to be in your company, I can testify to that fact myself., he thought.
He pushed that thought hard, willing it to manifest in her consciousness, sending emotions of comfort in an effort to make her feel better.

The night sky was cloudy, blotting out all the stars that he'd gotten used to over the last week.
His mind was no different, feeling blurry with dull voices in the place of people as they walked near enough for his powers to take over.
Until he noticed a voice barely tapping into his head, one that was riddled with malicious intent.
Leo straightened his back and took his hands out of his pockets as he entered flight or fight mode.
He'd heard this kind of voice before, once again as flashbacks brought him images of a dark alleyway and the smoking muzzle of a handgun.
He checked the area around Avery and him, looking for alleyways or dark backstreets the person could be hiding in.
Flagging multiple locations, he searched for the voice in an attempt to focus directly on it, hoping his powers would allow him to hear their thoughts.
Come on... Work this time., he pleaded mentally.
-round the corner. All I have to do is force them into the alley, and the boss will take care of the rest.
Panic settled, and Leo suddenly became aware of multiple voices all coming from different directions. They were barely noticeable but there was one thought they shared.
Robbery.

 

[Shadow Cat]

​

"Hey, you shou......that. Anyone...... glad to be .....your company, I can testify.... fact myself ."

The voice in her head was not her own, but that of the man beside her. It came through staticky and broken, like a voice through a bad phone line, but she caught the gist of it, felt the comfort emanating from it. She looked at him suddenly, eyes filled with an indecipherable emotion when she noticed he was no longer paying her any mind. His stance had changed completely, in fact. HIs muscles were tensed now, his eyes wide as he looked toward a dark corner of the street, listening intently to some voice she couldn't hear.

"Hey," she said softly, not wanting to jar him too much from his thoughts, "what's wrong?" When he didn't answer, she continued. "Leo?"

This time her voice was more concerned, and she felt herself tense up as well, taking somewhat of a defensive stance as she followed his gaze with a creased brow.

 

[Hugh Flynn]

Avery's voice didn't register with Leo, his full focus pinned on finding where the people were so he could elaborate an escape plan.
His thoughts were shattered when the sound of a metal trash can crashed into the pavement and one bulky guy stepped out of the alley right behind Avery, his figure menacing as nearby lights grotesquely pulled his shadows in different directions.
Completely focused on the man, he failed to notice the voice that slowly got louder until it was too late.
We have them now. Time for our payday.
Leo stiffened as he felt the familiar figure of a handgun nozzle press lightly against his back.
"This is a robbery. Come with us and no one gets hurt."
He stared at Avery, his mind in a frenzy trying to devise an escape plan.
What do we do? , he asked her telepathically, beads of sweat streaming down his neck.

 

[Shadow Cat]

​

She felt the muzzle of a gun against her lower back the same time as Leo did, and she recognized the feeling immediately. She felt a spark of rage ignite in her chest, felt her body begin to heat as adrenaline coursed through her.

"What do we do?"

The voice came through clear as a bell this time, and snapped her mind back into focus. Reacting poorly in a situation like this was only going to get them both killed. What could they do? Bowing down wasn't an option, she was too pissed off for that. No, there had to be something else.

Just follow along for now. I'll think of something.

She began walking slowly as the man shoved her in the direction of the alley, her brain playing the same loop on repeat. Calm down calm down calm down calm down calm down. Her hands were nearly hot enough at this point to cause steam to rise up in the cool night air. Any hotter and they would be. Control damn it, CONTROL.

 

[Hugh Flynn]

Just follow along for now. I'll think of something.
Leo's captor roughly pushed him towards the alley, both voices muffled with undeniable glee at the idea of payday.
Avery's voice repeated endlessly in his head, chanting the same words over and over.
Calm down calm down calm down calm down calm down.
From her hands rose small clumps of steam adding to the cloudiness of the evening mist around them. Leo grew nervous as he had some vague idea of what would happen if she lost control.
Control damn it, CONTROL. boomed in his head.
This won't end well. I have to do something.
Leo began thinking of everything that had to do with control.
He constructed the mental image of a pressure gauge slowly dialing down, willing it to appear in Avery's mind.
Shortly after he sent wave after wave of as much calmness he could muster, hoping to placate the growing heat.

 

[Shadow Cat]

​

A feeling of calm drowned out the rage in her heart as a pressure gauge appeared in her mind without warning, slowly decreasing in time with the heat bleeding from her hands. The steam rising from them stopped, as she breathed a sigh, able to think clearly again. Okay, a plan.

Currently, her hands were at her sides, no doubt the robbers wanted to make the situation look as normal as possible. And she had the bar on speed dial. All she needed to do was reach into her pocket, press the 1 key and hit dial. The smartphone was registered with a fingerprint, so she wouldn't have to jump through the hoop of trying to put in a password. It had been a feature she had looked for when buying the phone, and suddenly she was glad she did.

But if she could hit that speed dial, it would ring the phone at the bar, and whatever employee was standing there would be able to answer, listen to the situation happening. At that point, all she had to do was say something that would key them in. Hopefully it would be that large bartender from earlier who answer, the one she didn't know. He seemed like he knew how to handle himself. Or maybe someone with the sense to call the police. That would work too.

Okay cool, a plan. She had a plan.

Leo, I need a distraction. Just a couple seconds so I can reach into my pocket. Trip or something.

 

[Hugh Flynn]

Leo, I need a distraction. Just a couple seconds so I can reach into my pocket. Trip or something.
Okay, she has a plan. Let's test the limits of my powers, shall we?
Leo's mental strength had been tested ever since he stepped foot in the bar, slowly waning after having properly utilized his telepathy for the first time. He was so not ready for this.
Engaging one person in telepathic conversation was taxing enough, even with its effects nullified by the already fading adrenaline.
Shall we try two people then? Completely overload their mind with thoughts long enough for Avery to do whatever she needs to do?
He started gathering the most chaotic thoughts known to him.
In the back of his mind, he could feel more malicious voices draw nearer.
Hey, I better do it now or there'll be too many for us to handle.
He was about to let loose when a thought halted him.
Wait, what if Avery gets affected? Shit, I'll have to put more effort into keeping Avery overload-free. Even if that'll severely lessen the effects of what I'm about to do.

With eyes fixated on the two thugs, his mind focused on their voices. Sending waves of confusion towards them, he let loose every single thought he had in mind.
Have a taste of my medicine, jackasses.

Immediately Leo doubled over, clutching his head as what felt like a pickaxe swung at his temples.
Through blurry blood-red vision, he noticed the two thugs follow suit.
He could only hope he created a window big enough for the plan to go through.

 

[Shadow Cat]

​

What the Hell?

She had asked Leo to create a distraction, so at first she thought the doubling over might have been just that. Then she saw the two thugs follow suit. She didn't know what exactly Leo was doing to them, but it bought her time, and for that she was grateful.

She quickly slipped a hand into her pocket, hitting a few buttons, feeling the faint vibrations from the speaker as the phone rang. Okay, got it.

One or two more seconds went by and the thugs finally stood up, shaking their heads in pain and confusion as Leo continued to kneel, god knows what going on in that head of his. "Leo?" She said worriedly. She gasped as one of the thugs grabbed her arm roughly, tightly enough that it would definitely bruise. She found herself praying that someone inside picked up the phone by now, because Leo was now out of the equation. "What did you do to him?" She said loudly, hoping someone had answered the phone and was listening to the conversation by now.

"Shut up," the thug growled, gesturing at the other man to grab Leo and drag him, "Into the alley. Now."

 

[Gorge.R.R.Martini]

“No reason really. Just following the usual guidelines that I read in a book called, ‘How to Get to Know Someone’. Among the top 5 questions to ask a stranger is ‘what kind of music do you listen to.’ One second.” Alik quipped as he busied his hands by grabbing some empty glasses from a few of the other customers at the bar. He was a consummate professional; he gave the same charming smile to everyone else as he quickly did his rounds, collecting empty bottles, checking up on the other customers, and filling new drink orders. His gaze shifted a bit as he caught sight of the new waitress and the blonde customer having a brief conversation.

Curious. I wonder what they’re up to. Nah, it’s not polite to listen in on people when you don’t have a reason to.

For a brief moment, he felt the impulse to focus his hearing on the conversation that the two curious individuals were having but chose not to. He simply made note of them as they stepped outside.

"So, what do you eat around here? I mean, when you aren’t working.” Malaya spoke up again, pulling him away from the brief distraction as he got back to her section of the bar.

“I like to keep my meals balanced. Chicken, beef, pork, you name it and as long as it’s meat, I’ll probably eat it. I can make a mean tri-tip. That, by the way, was question number 7 in the book.” He winked at her as he responded. “I’m really not too picky when it comes to food. As long as I’m fed, I’m happy. Gotta get a lot of energy in me to keep my body going.” He chuckled as he smacked a hand against his belly with a solid thunk.

“So, what have you discovered on - one moment.” Alik stopped mid sentence as he moved over to pick up the phone that had started ringing at the bar.

“Hello, thank you for calling the Mangy Moose. This is Al speaking, how many I help you?” He spoke in a well practiced and energetically cheerful tone before listening for a response.

There was none. Instead, he heard the sound of cloth rubbing across the surface of whatever phone was on the other end of the line.

Butt dial?

He thought for an instant before he realized that he could also hear some muffled groans of pain and the shuffling of feet.

"Leo? What did you do to him?!?"

A voice cut through the line, the distressed tone made the hairs on the back of Alik’s neck stand up as his brows furrowed. An ominous glint overcame the playful light in his eyes as his shoulders tensed up. Jax, who was formerly relaxed and lounging on his doggy bed, suddenly perked up, noticing the change in his owner.

That voice. It was the waitress. Did the kid do something?

“Shut up.” A gruff growl quickly followed over the phone followed by what sounded like a brief struggle.

Shit.

Alik kept his cool as he swept any sort of distraction out of his mind and lept into action.

“Danny!” Alik grabbed a passing waiter, a young local who had been working at the Saloon for the past couple of years, by the arm and quickly dolled out some instructions in a low whisper. “I need you to get the word around to everyone that we may have a situation outside. Keep the customers calm and occupied, don’t let anyone outside of the saloon. As soon as you tell one more person to help you out, get on the phone and call 911. Jax, stay.”

He swiftly made his way to the front door, telling Jimmy the same as he passed by.

“Yo, you need me to come with you?” Jimmy asked as Alik stepped out of the saloon.

“No. I need you to man the door Jimmy.” Alik left no room for disagreements as he stepped out.

Instantly, the sounds from inside the saloon were simply cut out of his mind as Ali’ikoa slipped into a hyper-focused state. He cut out the sound of traffic from the main thoroughfare and the other various noises that dominated the night around the Teton Village shopping area.

There.

His eyes snapped over to one of the side alleys located about 100 yards north of the Mangy Moose. He could hear them, 4 heartbeats. Two steady and calm, two elevated, flighty.

Alik made sure to step into the shadows before he became a blur, covering the distance at a speed that was inhumanly possible. As he neared the alleyway, he slowed down to a walk, making sure that anyone nearby could hear his footsteps in order to avoid startling the individuals into doing anything rash.

“Oh man it’s cold out here.” Alik announced loudly as he stepped into full view of the individuals in the alleyway. He nonchalantly stretched out his full 6’4” height, allowing his muscular frame to ripple beneath the dark gray shirt that he had on as he reached his arms high overhead before bringing them back down to his side. With a single glance he was able to take in exactly what was happening.

“Whoa, what’s going on here? I thought you were taking the trash out Avery?” He caught the name that was on the tag on the young woman’s shirt, able to read the small text despite being more than 50 feet away from her. He had the same charming grin on his face as he stalked forth, his dark green eyes held a dangerous glint in them as he noted the two guns.

“I’d put that away if I was you. I really don’t like guns.”

One of the thugs was still clutching at his temples but had enough wherewithal to raise his gun and point it at the newcomer, his hand shaking as it did so.

“Stay the fuck back or I will shoot you.” There was no confidence in his voice. He sounded younger and was obviously still in some sort of pain.

“I said, I really don’t like guns.” The smile on Alik’s face still remained, but a domineering presence seemed to emanate from his form. To the would-be robber, it was as if he was standing face to face with an apex predator that was ready to pounce at any moment. His hands trembled even more.

 

[Matreania]

Malaya smirked, letting out a soft chuckled, it was a amusing comment, that Alik made, but that was not why she couldn't feel the heat around him or that air of his breath. That was not something she was sure of, but she had met others that were amusing and funny and they were felt by her. So, she would have to keep going and that would have to be what she did this night. After all, that was what was attracting her to keep this conversation going. She was just hear for food and water, butto find someone that is like him, that was something she wasn't going to be able to pass up even if she wanted to.

She smirked as she listened to his list, nothing out of the ordinary and everything on it she was pretty familiar with. So, it couldn't be that. THere had to have been something else that made him different. But she wasn't going to get the chance to find out. Mid-sentence he answered the phone and the sight of him changed. At first he seemed slightly unmoved by what was being heard on the phone, but there was a second of tension and then his demeanor found itself again. 'Something is wrong." she thought to herself, after all, only a military man could keep their cool when facing some trouble and still manage to run through the motions.

When he started to talk to a waiter, she was sure he was starting to give orders, something was up and there was no telling what it was. So, she watched him closely as the waiter rushed off and then Al started to move, she jumped up out of her chair and followed him as we went around the bar into the crowd. He started to the door and that was exactly what she was planning to do. She made a point to grab her bag as she followed him. But when he left through the front door and the large man that stood guard seem to move in her direct path to the door, she knew that whatever was going on, she would need another way to check it out. She found the waiter on the phone, as his eyes seem to watch over and some of the wait staff was moving around, playing telephone, eyeing the waiter.

She had one chance, as they were all still gathering the information, she started towards the back exit, everyone in the back was still in the dark and she kept her head down, as she moved through, as if she was a server that came in late. No one seem to pay her much mind and if they had, she would have just told them she was lost. She found the exit door and when she was closing in on it, the color of her eyes glowed a white shade. Some wind started to blow, like a window was open and the door frame and the box to the corned froze slightly, enough to stop any electrical alarm to go off when she moved to open the door. She looked back as she walked out through the door and was off to find Al. She had lost some time, but she was sure that she could find him. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, as they returned to normal.

She moved through the building towards the front and then looked around, there was nothing that she could really follow, since the ground was left with marks from people coming in and out. She let out a soft sigh, she was just going to have to do this the way that she was used to. Malaya took a deep breath, closing her eyes as she concentrated on the emptiness and found it without much trouble. She moved across the way and found the alley without much problem. She moved through quickly to find him and found herself stopping midway, as she felt more then just one empty spots. She moved around to the spot where there was just one emptiness. She lowered herself, placing her bag down on the other side of the building, she leaned against the building and slide down through to the other side. She moved slightly to look around the corner, just enough to see what is going on. She found not just Al but two others. There were three of them, three empty spaces, not like the two that she was thinking before.

Watching what was going on, her eyes glowed white again, as she sent a small gust of wind passed the girl and towards the men pointing guns. She wanted to help the gaze that Al had, she made sure that they would feel the chill on their backs. She moved against the building and closed her eyes, feeling the air of their breath and the chill up their backs; she smirked, there wasn't much she could do, and keep them from finding out what she was but she could at least give them some backup, as long as they didn't know they were getting it.

 

[Shadow Cat]

​

She looked up sharply at the sound of a voice. That bartenders voice. The one from earlier.

Oh, thank god.

"Stay the fuck back or I will shoot you."

One of the men had found the strength without themselves to level his gun at the newcomer, issuing an obvious threat. The other took the time to grab her by the hair, yanking her close and shoving the gun in his hand up against her throat. Immediately, she felt anger course through her, felt her body begin to heat. Deep breaths, she thought to herself, just take deep breaths. Leo's not able to save you from going overboard this time.

She could feel the man's breath against her, rapid and afraid. The bartender's presence seemed to have terrified him, and he was acting more out of fear now than common sense. That could either be very good for her, or very, very bad.

On the bright side, however, the man's body was pressed very close to her own. Which meant she could probably over load his senses, maybe send him into heat syncope if she could heat him up enough without it being noticeable.

Alright, slowly now. Slowly, she began to increase the temperature of her own body, felt his muscles began to shake at the conflicting temperatures of the cold wind blowing around them and the direct heat being sent directly to his core.

 

[Hugh Flynn]

Awww shit, I ended up hurting myself more than I hurt them.
Leo's mind couldn't regain its bearing as the world spun around him.
He was relieved though, he could see that reinforcements had arrived, and not a moment too soon.
Although no one seemed to be talking, Leo lost full control of his telepathy and everyone within an extremely large radius projected their voices into his mind.
Hell, even the people at the bar found their voices worthy of occupying Leo's mind, not that he any say in it.
He couldn't take it much longer, and promptly blacked out.
It's all up to you guys now.

 

[Matreania]

Malaya could hear some movement, as she sighed. Using her power was easy, her family taught her, but the energy she had when she used it was hard to keep up depending on her target. She had use it on just individuals, while making sure it didn't effect the others. That took some power, energy and concentration that she hadn't expected to have to use. But she did and for a moment she had time to breath. But that moment was short, as she started to feel the heat. She made a point to look again, keeping herself as hidden as possible. She just wanted a glimpse, which seem to give her a little more information, with heat building. Normally when a human is close to a human they produce heat, but this was different. The level of heat was more then one person against another could produce. But there was a gun to the girl's throat, but she seem to be the only change of why the man's heat was rising.

Her father always said that if she meet someone like her, someone with powers, she would know. She had never understood what he meant and he had not explained it. But now, she was understanding what he meant. That had to be it. Why she could feel nothing. The three of them all had abilities, but that didn't mean that she could freely announce herself. Her father made sure to tell her, not all Wings are going in the right direction. She had to know what way they planned to go before she let them know what she was. But that wouldn't matter if the gunman shot them. So Malaya's eyes glowed a bright red, as she turned to the gunman, while still bidding herself. She heated the trigger, as the other girl heated the man. It wasn't long befire he had to let the gun go a d move back. Malaya retreated back against the building and quickly got up. She moved to get her bag and start back to the Saloon. Everything else was up to them. If she got involved too much they would know there was another person there and she would be at a loose.

 

[Gorge.R.R.Martini]

“Trust me kid, you really don’t want to do this.” Al continued trying to coax the individual in front of him as he slowly inched towards the younger man. His hands remained at his side, shoulders relaxed, as he did his best to remain non-threatening. “Now, why don’t you talk and tell me what it is you want.”

“I want . . .” The man seemed to be a bit hesitant, uncertainty heavy in his voice as it trailed off for a brief moment.

“Your money. Give me everything on you.” His voice sounded a bit odd to Al as he continued speaking after the brief pause, no trace of the nervousness remained, replaced by a monotone and almost wooden manner of speaking.

Al opened his mouth to respond to the younger man but was distracted by further movement from the second thug.

“Whoa buddy, don’t point your gun at the girl. Let her go, all you need is one person and I can guarantee you that I’ve got more money than all three of these individuals put together.” Al urged the second individual, a more squat and pudgy individual, as the second thug grabbed Avery by the hair and shoved the gun at her throat. The individual seemed to ignore his words as he continued to restrain the waitress.

Shit. This isn’t going well at all. What should I do? There are too many people.

“That’s fine, I’ve got my wallet in my back pocket, ok? I’ll give it to you two, no questions asked, and no one has to get hurt. No need for things to get worse. We got a deal?” He spoke in calm, measured tones as he slowly reached his right arm back towards his back pocket.

Why is she here too?

He saw a familiar face peeking out from the opposite end of the alleyway. His own eyes narrowed a bit as he thought he saw a flash of red light emit from her eyes.

What the hell . . . ?

But then he didn’t have time to think any further as, with his senses on high alert, he noticed changes in the two thugs in front of him.

The one holding Avery suddenly became flush red, steam began rising from the top of his head and into the cold air as he gasped with pain; the sound and scent of cooking skin filled the air as he suddenly let go of the gun that he was holding on to. The young man, who had stopped rubbing at his temples, stopped shaking as the former uncertainty and fear in his eyes was replaced by a rather cold expression.

“Don’t-” Al shouted as he moved into a blur of motion.

The world seemed to slow to a crawl for him as these things happened simultaneously. In one smooth motion, as he watched the tension begin to form on the forearm and hand of the man who had his gun pointed directly at him, his right arm swept the bottle opener from his right hip and flung it upwards at the hand that was beginning to squeeze on the grip and trigger of the gun. The bottle opener flew forth with a speed that was imperceptible to the human eye, it disappeared just as a loud crack filled the alleyway. The young man’s arm seemed to jerk up in unison with Al’s own movement, as it came up, a second loud bang filled the alleyway along with a bright flash of light from the muzzle of the gun. The gun flew out of the young man’s grip, clattered off of the wall, and eventually came to rest about ten paces behind the young man. The reason why he lost the gun became more apparent as he brought his hand down, three of his fingers were now bent in the wrong direction as he stared at his hand in disbelief.

Al didn’t remain where he was, of course, now that things had turned out like this. After disarming the younger man, he covered the 40 foot span that separated him from the group and slammed the palm of his hand into the young man’s jaw with enough force to knock a few teeth loose and knock him unconscious on his feet. As the first thug slumped to the ground, Al continued forward, ready to provide any necessary aid to Avery.

 

[Shadow Cat]

​

The moment the man behind her backed away enough for her to take action, she did.

Without hesitating, she slung her elbow backward, smiling as she felt the satisfying crack of bone as it impacted his nose. The man dropped his gun, hands flying to his nose as blood gushed from it. She spun, grabbed the man's shoulders, drove her knee into his stomach. She watched with a sense of satisfaction as he sank to the ground before kicking the gun away from him, just in case he got up and decided he wanted to go for round two.

She took a moment to fix the hair the man had so carelessly messed up as she stared down at him, nothing but disdain on her face. "You know, you really should learn how to treat a lady." She snickered at her use of the words. After all, there would never be a more ironic time to use them than now.

Taking the man down really hadn't been very hard. It was obvious from the get go he was new to the whole robbery thing, and she had noticed as she drove her knee into his stomach that there was nothing but soft flab there. Not an ounce of muscle. Really, what the hell had be been thinking.

She turned back to where Leo rested on the ground unconscious. "Leo," She said as she gently shook his shoulders, "Leo, are you okay?"

 

[Hugh Flynn]

Leo didn't know what death felt like, and hopefully, he'd be able to avoid it for a long time from now. However, if he was dead, he wouldn't be surprised. It'd be exactly how he pictured it, just nothingness and oblivion. He was just about to accept it before a familiar voice started reverberating in his headspace, quite literally shaking his consciousness awake.

"Leo. Leo. Are you okay?" bounced around his mind dissonantly as he tried to decide if he'd listen to her mental or physical voice.
"Yeah," he swiftly replied, "I'm good, I just got a nasty headache."
He quickly remembered what situation he just blacked out from and shot to his feet, his head turning every which way. "Is the situation resolved? Where'd they go?" He looked down. "Oh. Glad you guys took care of it." He clutched his head again before losing his sense of balance again, taking a few unbalanced steps backwards before toppling over. "Y-yeah I think I wanna lie down."
He slowly got up and asked with a slight whimper in his voice, "Back to the bar I suppose?"

 

[Gorge.R.R.Martini]

Not a bad job.

Al thought as he watched Avery pivot and crack the other would-be assailant in the nose. Following a second blow, a knee to his belly, the man fell down with a muted groan, clutching at his face as blood began gushing from it. Before he could think about doing anything else, Al stepped forth and kicked the gun out of reach of the second fallen man.

"You know, you really should learn how to treat a lady." The young woman spoke as she fixed her hair.

Well, it seems like her attitude matches her hair. Tough girl.

She was remarkably calm considering what she had just gone through, having a gun shoved at her throat and all.

Maybe the adrenaline is still pumping. Or she might just be the type to get pissed off at things that should scare her.

Al mentally shrugged as he walked past her and pulled off his outer shirt as he moved to restrain the individual that was still moaning upon the floor. He didn’t have anything else on hand so he could only use his shirt as a makeshift restraint; the man groaned in pain as his arms were twisted uncomfortably behind his back.

“Don’t resist or this will be worse.” Al growled out his command. Tiny goosebumps grew across his arms as only his torso was still covered by a thin black tanktop; even in the shadows of the alleyway, one could make out the contours of his muscular arms along with the dark ink that covered a significant portion of his exposed skin. As he continued to do his best with the restraints, he watched the waitress head over to the kid who seemed to be recovering upon the ground.

“Leo. Leo, are you ok?” Avery spoke as she went to check on the fallen youth.

So the kid’s name is Leo.

“Hey dude. Leo. You’re hurt, stay down and wait for the medics ok?” Al hastily spoke as he watched the younger man begin to stir in response to Avery.

The younger man, Leo, didn’t seem to hear him and shot up to his feet. Al waited, expecting the kid to fall back down at any second, which was typical of traumatic head injuries.

But, wait, there doesn’t seem to be any sign of a blow anywhere on his head. Did he say a headache? What kind of headache is capable of knocking someone out completely? I mean, I’ve heard of debilitating headaches before, but nothing that drastic.

Al sighed as he watched the man struggle to retain his sense of balance.

"Y-yeah I think I wanna lie down. Back to the bar I suppose?" The young man spoke in a somewhat uncertain tone.

As expected.

“Hey buddy. I think it might be better for you to sit still and wait for the medics. I already had the bar call 911 and the first responders and police officers should be arriving soon to take care of this mess. I’m sure the medics can check you out for what’s probably a concussion.” Al tried to assure Leo as he dragged the older thug up to the still unconscious thug before readjusting his grip in order to get a hold of both of them and began to drag them out of the alleyway and onto the main sidewalk.

I can’t make this look too easy.

He made sure to make a show of it, grunting and panting as he took his time pulling the pair across the ground. He even made sure that a bit of sweat would form on the surface of his skin, making his skin almost gleam in the lamplight as his muscles rippled beneath.

“Whew, don’t worry about it, I got this. Now, you two assholes stay put. Your ride is coming.”

Jackson Hole was a small town. He could already hear the sounds of sirens approaching from the main strip.

“See?”

 

[Shadow Cat]

​

She felt a knot that she hadn't realized had formed in the pit of her stomach dissipate as Leo's eyes fluttered open and he spoke. Then, like an idiot, he tried to jump straight to his feet.

"Woah, Leo! Slow down!" As he tried to stand up a second time, she took her hands and slowly pushed him back down into a sitting position. "Listen, I agree with..." She paused as she realized she had no idea what the bartender's name was, then continued, "...the bartender. You need to stay here until the paramedics can get here."

She looked up sharply at the sound of sirens in the close distance, the flashing lights pulling up just outside the saloon just a moment later. She heard the slamming of car doors, followed by shouting, the sigh of flashlights scouring the ground and rushing footsteps.

"There they are!" A deep voice shouted as a few bodies turned the corner of the alley, guns drawn as they took in the status of the situation. She could see the confusion registering in their eyes as what they had expected to see was not what they saw.

No doubt, they had expected the situation to still be dire, for more than one gun to be drawn, for tensions to be running high. On the contrary, the scene was one of victory as the bartender stood over the pair of robbers, Avery standing up beside Leo as she waited for the paramedics to come check him. She watched as the guns in their hands went from trained on the people in the alley to trained slightly on the ground, their eyes wandering over the two disabled robbers.

 

[Hugh Flynn]

Leo's mental space was already reverberating with the physical and mental voices of the people around him, giving him a major splitting headache. The arriving paramedics and policemen along with their wailing sirens did not do Leo any good, his head basically ripped into two grotesquely separated parts. Avery caught the attention of a few paramedics, who proceeded to do their check-up routine on Leo. The next few moments passed with much hassle as Leo zoned off, the voices in his head and ears trailing away.

Snap out of it.
And that he did. Leo snapped back to reality sitting on an ambulance stretcher with a comforter laid around him.
Voices still discordantly chorused in his head, as his vision registered streaky lights and blurry figures.
Heh. You know they give those blankets to shock victims, right? You must've been unresponsive the whole time. Tch, typical.
Leo shook away the thought that dripped with disdain and set down his comforter neatly on the stretcher, massaging his temples gently to regain composure.
One by one the voices started to muffle themselves and his vision gained clarity once again.

He started searching his surroundings for Avery's mental voice, but he had just come out of shock and post-shock daze was not helping him at all.
Back to the old fashioned way, he thought, where oh where have you guys gone?

 

[Gorge.R.R.Martini]

Al could hear the sound of several police chargers pulling up on the other side of the buildings followed by the sound of multiple doors opening and boots hitting the ground.

Did they have to come from the opposite direction? I guess it is a little bit too much trouble to pull around to the parking lot.

“There they are!” A familiar booming voice echoed down the alley as several shadowed figures made their way towards the scene. The familiar visage of Officer Emmanuel Lopez, and all 5’5” of him, led the way out of the alley along with two younger squad members.

“Al! You’re back!” The deep voice came from this surprisingly smaller man. “I mean, you two, put your hands up where I can see them.”

“Good to see you too Officer Lopez.” Al grinned at what was one of his favorite customers at the Mangy Moose. He could tell that the officer was excited about the situation; it was rare that he ever had a chance to actually come across something that involved armed perps. “But they kind of can’t. I secured one with binds and the other is unconscious.”

“Ah, I see that now.” Officer Lopez paused momentarily before motioning to his fellow officers. “Get cuffs on them and read them their rights. Let’s sort this out.”

Over the next 40 or so minutes, Al patiently described the brief events that led to the apprehension of the criminals. Meanwhile, an ambulance had arrived and the first responders performed their duties, tending to both the unconscious thug and the young man known as Leo. The questioning became a bit tiresome as he had to explain away his actions multiple times to several different officers, it seemed like the entire force had turned out for this one tiny incident, but he didn’t complain.

Sarah is probably going to kill me for being gone so long in the middle of my shift.

Al sighed as the last of the police cars began to clear out. He held his shirt up and unfurled it in front of him, it was torn in several places and stretched beyond recognition.

Great.

With a flick of his wrist, he tossed the ruined shirt into an open trash can as he began walking alone, back to the Mangy Moose.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A mile away along Moose Wilson Road, cars began pulling over to the side as a small parade of police chargers with an EMV in tow, pushed through the light traffic with their sirens blaring. In the back of the EMV, a young man laid unconscious upon a stretcher with restraints that secured him in place. In the vehicle behind the EMV, another older and pudgier man with a swollen nose sat in calm silence.

“Oh man, you boys sure aren’t local are you?” Officer Lopez spoke from the driver's seat as he took a quick glance up at the rear-view mirror to get a look at the perp’s expression. The man sat calmly in a relaxed and emotionless state.

“If you were, you know, you would have known not to mess with the Mangy Moose. That place has been a no fly zone for folks like you ever since Big Al came along.” He chuckled and shook his head as the flashing blues and red continued to illuminate him. “Well, at least you know now. Too late though.” His voice trailed off with a grumble as he realized that the man wasn’t going to respond.

As his eyes focused on the road ahead, Officer Lopez failed to notice a small tendril of ink-black smoke that slipped out of the perp’s ear and floated gently downwards to blend in with the shadows of the floor of his vehicle. A few brief seconds passed before the perp’s body trembled, almost reflexively, and he began to groan.

“Owwww, where am I? Where are you taking me?” He spoke in a hoarse voice as he strained at the cuffs that bound his hands behind him for a brief moment before looking forward at the driver.

“Ahhh, Jail pal. J-A-I-L. Jail.” Officer Lopez beamed into the rearview mirror at the perp. “Well, technically the hospital first, but jail after.”

The parade of vehicles continued blaring off into the night.

 

[Matreania]

Malaya was just about done with her second plate when she noticed the bartender returning with a slight smirk to her lips, She didn't know what power he had, but he was a Wing like her, or her power would have worked on him. But now was the question, was what powers did he, the waitress and the boy have. She knew that it wasn't the same as hers, she would have at least not had to do anything if it was and when she came back, there wouldn't have been so many confused faces. She walked in the same way she left and there was a lot of work going into why the door frame and part of the exit door was ice to the touch. But when she walked in, she explained that she had gotten lost, trying to find the bathroom. Of course, she got a little of a lecture on the fact that she made it back here, but that was something she was expecting, and she was able to get back in without the main dining room knowing she was actually gone. So, she took the lecture, when to the bathroom and when she was out, her food was ready and Sarah seemed to be upset about something when she brought it out.

Malaya continued to eat, while she let Al walk in unwatched. She didn't want to creepy after all, and after his abrupt exit and the strangeness with the door, which she fixed and made people even more confused. She was sure that their conversation would have to wait for a little bit. She was more interested in the three of them now, not just him. She couldn't tell them that she was a Wing, after all, she wasn't sure how much of their powers and history that they knew and she only knew hers, because her father's village was so tight neat. If she had her powers and her father was not in communication with his family or raised as he was, she might have only learned to control the power, not that there was actually a category for her kind and others, or that there was something to fear every time you used the powers you were born with. She only knew it as the Darkness, her father's people feared what it could do and embraced that it was part of them. It was the only way they knew how to keep it at bay and she had learned that it had powers and desires that would make all Wings fear for themselves.

She was afraid to reveal herself for that reason too. Even if the Darkness didn't have any of them, it could get to them if it knew where to go. She sighed as she continued the last few bites, she was not going to think about that, it only ever caused trouble and it was the reason she was not back home, living her old life. If knowledge was power, she was sure that there was a lot of knowledge she needed to feel safe, that she would never find. She smirked to herself, thinking 'But at least I can return to my own and find peace. That is the important part of a Wing' she remembered her father's words. Fighting your nature was something that made the Darkness find you faster and once it has you, it never wants to let go.

So, watched Al, as he returned to work; she smiled towards him, as he did and waited for him to have the time to return to their conversation before she asked him for more water. THis time, she would use the lemon and lime in the water to fight back any more hungry. She had hoped to take one to go, but after using her power, she found herself hungrier then she had been when she walked in. It was not strange to her, when she used her power, it too energy and she had only so much of that. So, she needed to regain it and that meant a lot of food and water.