Cambion sits in a stolen lawn chair on the edge of the roof of a small boutique snacking on a bag of peanuts. As he watches the entrance of the high end bistro across the street he absentmindedly tosses a peanut every now and then over his shoulder, where an eager Gremlin hops up in the air to catch each one in his mouth, the nuts smoldering up and crumbling in his burning saliva. The smoke created drifts forward and soaks into Cambion’s back and shoulders. At this point they’ve been on this roof nearly an hour.

Then, Cambion sees what looks to be a suitable target. A couple, maybe in their 40s, dressed in fancy clothes and laughing to themselves, exit the restaurant across the street. As they pass in front of Cambion he can see their jewelry and watches glittering in the streetlight. The couple cross the street, heading for the alleyway between the boutique and coffee shop beside it, likely heading for a parked car on the other side.

Cambion stood and stretched his legs and flexed his shoulders, feeling his increased strength boosting his energy. Cambion steps over to the edge of the building and looks down at the couple in the alley before stepping off the edge. He drops to the pavement below behind the couple, rolling as he lands and startling the couple into turning towards him. The man puts his arm out instinctively in front of the woman, who turns to look down the alleyway behind them. Before she can make a step, Gremlin swoops down from the roof above, letting out a sharp and quick shriek as he does so. He lands on the ground on the other side of the couple, trapping them between himself and his master.

“Sorry to be screwing up what I’m sure has been a lovely little date night, but we’re mugging you. You’re being mugged. So uh, Give me all your money and jewelry and shit like that. Otherwise my little Buddy over there will melt your faces off” Cambion says casually to the couple. As Cambion mentions the little monster, Gremlin hacks up a wad of embers onto the ground in front of him which glows red hot and causes the pavement to smolder and burn. The woman stifles a gasp, and the man does less to hide a terrified whimper.

The couple both hand over their wallet and purse, and begin to remove their jewelry. Cambion loads everything into his bag, while Gremlin crawls up onto the wall of the boutique, snarling at the pair.

"Really you're just mugging some random people?... that's...just low.... i thought we parahumans have higher standards than....THAT!"

A brightly gloving human figure would call out, as he just appears not far behind.

“Ah shit” Cambion mumbles to himself. He turns to face the glowing man.

“Oh yeah? Well, what would you say if I told you that the dude I just mugged is actually a bad guy?” Cambion shoulders his bag before putting his hands on his hips and tries to look confident and casual. Gremlin crawls along the brick wall to be closer to his master.

"I would say: what a twist.... though i just said that." Refraction answers, leaning back on the nearest wall. "Is that right... you're a bad guy...too?"

Another glowing figure immediately responds, as he just pops up behind the poor man. Both of them with the exact same appearance of a golden translucent teenager.

“What?! No!” the man sputters out. “My girlfriend and I were just having a nice dinner and heading to our car and this lunatic jumped down from the roof and-“

“Nah nah nah don’t listen to him!” Cambion interjects. He turns to face the newly appeared second glowing man.

“This guy, right, he uh, he’s a crook and he works with criminals and does all kinds of bad shit. Like, uh, tell him about all those guns you sold to those kindergartners in the projects” Cambion nods his head towards the man he had mugged and holds out his hand in a gesture as if he’s giving him the floor to speak at a conference.

“W-what? No! I don’t- I mean I’m not-“ the man spits out.

"Uh... i think i will need a second... third... opinion on that." He responds extending his hand as Refraction summons a third copy.

"Are you trying to trick me?" Number 3 calls out to both of them(the man and Cambion), squinting his eyes.

Cambion turns to the couple that he had mugged.

“Well, he’s asking you a question, don’t keep the man…men?…waiting” Cambion says. Cambion takes a half step backward while Gremlin growls softly from the wall beside him.

“We didn’t do anything!” the woman exclaims.

“Yeah I swear, I didn’t sell anybody any guns!” cries the man.

“Mmhmm, suuure” Cambion says sarcastically. “I’m pretty sure Bundy said the same thing back when they caught him too. But hey, I appreciate the backup fellas”.

Cambion looks from glowing man to glowing man. “Or…fella? I don’t totally get what’s going on with your whole deal, but it’s cool!” He takes another half step back.

"Selling guns to children....Bundy...wow...just wow.. that's really awf...."

"Ahahaha.... now ok...that's too hilarious." One copy suddenly interupts the first one.

"You do realise i can keep an eye on the couple... who are most likely... not THAT bad..... and simultaneously catch you in the mean time." He calls out to the other cape

"My deal? Ever heard about multiple personality disorder?... wait no i think its called differently these days...." "Anyways thats probably totally different to what i am. Proud hero and friendly neighborhood scatterbrain... Refraction."

"I am we... and we are i... each different and still the same, one for each and each for one, split into many... joined into one" They all start chanting.

"Did... did... we just came up with this?" All three suddenly stop to high five each other, only to then again focus on Cambion.

“Jesus this is getting confusing” Cambion says under his breath.

“Hey, that’s a very nice uh…. oath? Listen, you’re basically a hero, or a boyband, and I’m basically a hero, albeit I’m probably a bit more experienced but hey, it’s all good. I’ll tell you what, how about you guys hold onto these two, give them ol’ strip search, bend over and cough, however you like to handle these sort of low lifes, and we’ll just go and call in to HQ for an official, uh, transport to come take them to jail.”

Cambion holds out his arm and Gremlin hops onto it like a parrot before trying to casually walk by the nearest glowing teen.

"Nah... sounds boring." "Boyband?.... are you making fun of us?" One calls out faking anger while the rest all stare at Cambion in silence.

All suddenly interupted by the arrival of another copy.

"Alright... now seriously, you're coming with us, mugging is still a crime and i can easily spare some manpower to check those other two in the meantime."

"I bet you don't have a permit for your exotic pet either" one just interjects.

"Does it atleast have all the necessary vaccinations?.... i mean who knows what kind of hellborn diseases that demon could transmitt?"

“What, this guy?” Cambion gestures towards the small demon perched on his shoulder. “Ah, Gremlin is harmless. He wouldn’t hurt a fl-“

Before he can finish his statement, Gremlin hacks up a goofball sized wad of burning embers, spitting it with a surprising amount of speed and accuracy towards the face of the closest glowing teenager.

A split second after Gremlin has spit the embers at the closest enemy, Cambion launches himself up, kicking himself off of the wall and into the street outside of the alleyway. He clutches his staff tightly in his hand as he begins to flee, with Gremlin flapping through the air around him.

"Ahhh...fuck..."

One Refraction screams out in pain, the others almost showing delight at the sight of it.

"demon rabies...demon rabies."

They shout, while number four stays more calm, his gaze fixed towards Cambion as he then suddenly vanished into blast of light.

Light briefly materializing into a humanoid figure far above the buildings, as it then again dissolves into three more golden beams, attempting to intercept him as three Refraction copies turn up right in front of him on his path.

“Oop!” Cambion grunts as three glowing figures materialize in front of him.

With the speed he’s already managed to pick up, it’s too late for Cambion to slow down, so instead he commits. Gremlin veers upwards into the air, and Cambion maintains his course, using some of his increased strength to shoulder the middle copy, hopefully knocking it back.

Being weak as he his, Refraction got knocked back, meanwhile the other two still attempt to get hold of the villain and grapple him. "Ouch."

Cambion’s stride is barely broken from the contact with the middle copy, which knocked him far away. The other two copies attempt to grapple onto Cambion as he runs past.

Cambion swings out with his staff in a big sweeping arc around chest level. Meanwhile, Gremlin, who is flying in the air roughly 4 feet over everyone’s head, begins hacking up more wads of burning embers which rain down.

Weaker than most people, now faced against someone even stronger than the average joe, there is not much resistance to the staff as both copies are knocked onto the ground. More annoyed than actually hurt, up until it starts raining ember, causing all three of them to de-materialize and vanish. Though not for long, quickly reappearing in the distance, followed by rapid multiplication of them. Their numbers rising into the dozen.

“Fuckin hell man!” Cambion says with exasperation as the rapidly multiplying group of glowing men grows in front of him. “C’mon man, can’t you just let this go? We really gotta do all this?”

Gremlin, flapping around like a bat overhead, continues to spew up wads of burning embers. A goofball sized wad lands on the pavement in front of Cambion, another landing on the wall of a nearby building, and another hitting the pile of a parking meter on the side of the street. The smoke from each wafting over to Cambion as he stands facing the glowing group.

"Yes we do... i mean i'm a hero.... gotta contribute to society and all."

"Screwing around and all is fun but i have my responsibilities."

"Though i really wish it was something... less pathetic than stopping a fucking muggery..... why not rob a bank, blow up a bunch of cars, take the major hostage?... you know...some good old domestic terrorism... just something with higher stakes?"

"Would be much more fun and it would provide a much greater boost in fame once i kick your ass."

"Well atleast now there is some property damge..."

They answer, 13 clones overall, starting to approach, some walking right into the ember, but now apparently unable to feel pain.

“Crap.”

Cambion turns and begins running as fast as he can in the opposite direction against the group of clones, back the way he came. The few glowing guys he had left back in the alley might have a better chance to get to him, but he liked his odds there better than against the giant group heading towards him from the other way.

“I’m not greedy! I’m not trying to get famous!” Cambion shouts over his shoulder

“I’m just broke! A few bucks from a rich prick, it’s a drop of water in an ocean to that guy!”

Gremlin swoops back and forth through the air, continuing to hack up wads of embers all over the street and sidewalk as he follows closely behind his master.

"well that's just whack...." "Please have some standards at least..." "Aha... so you do admit that your previous story.. was just a blatant lie.... another crime to the list."

A bunch of them exclaim, the many who walked right into the ember starting to stumble, physically damaged by it. The others now reconsidering their approach would again try to avoid it... coming to the conclusion that pain tolerance alone rely isn't the best kind of strategy.

Instead now attempting to reach the little demon. One copy de-materializes, with a beam of light shooting upwards, as he now reappears right above the creature. Attempting to catch it on his fall downwards.

A glowing figure appears over Gremlin and Cambion, immediately bathing them both in light. The figure begins to fall down towards Gremlin. Gremlin flaps his wings and wrenches himself into an upward swoop with a screech, going right for the glowing man’s face, claws at the ready and a big wad of embers welling up in his gullet.

Cambion comes to a sliding stop on the pavement as this happens, staff in hand.

“Hey leave him alone!” Cambion shouts.

"Don't worry... just want to pet him.... or atleast that guy does."

One quips pointing at the sacrificial clone, while he attempts to trap the creature into a bearhug. Still rapidly descending downwards to the ground.

"I guess your little friend here is the real deal.... so its time for him to get all the love he deserves." Another giggles.

Gremlin meets the glowing clone with fury, the way that a cat might react when trying to force it into a bath. The tiny imp begins to wildly thrash around and uses his claws as if he is trying to dig a hole through the glowing man’s face. Gremlin also spits a big wad of embers directly at the middle of the clone’s face.

Cambion watches the two falling down through the air.

“The last time somebody tried to pet him, they lost two fingers”

"Well, i can spare 200 fingers... so who cares?" "I'm gonna pet it and hug it... and dress it and put it on youtube." Meanwhile the imp and its New...much better master would crash onto the ground. The clone more or less going limb from the impact and damage received by the creature. Immediately surrounded by five other Refraction's ready to catch it once it tries to free itself from the still groaning and injured body.

Gremlin, being fueled by Cambion’s ever growing frustration and contempt towards the obnoxious glowing hero, opts to not even attempt to get away from the clone that grabbed him, instead furiously vomiting up burning embers into the clone’s face, as well as a few bits of burning spit spraying around onto the surrounding pavement.

Cambion rushes towards the newly spawned group of clones surrounding Gremlin. As he gets close Cambion leaps into the air, staff raised above his head and swinging downward at the nearest clone.

The copy continuous to suffer, as he still lies on top of the little demon.

Cambion does manage to knock down one of them... one who seemed particular smug... distracted by his still suffering comrade starring down at him, as he got suddenly knocked out by the hit.

Meanwhile the rest of the 13 arrive.

"We thought you were running away? Is that creature that important to you?...i mean just from master to master... what kind of relationship is it between you two?"

They ask suddenly intrigued by his behavior.

“Hey, go fuck yourself Glowstick, you one man circlejerk” Cambion grunts as he lets out a big sweeping half circle swing of his staff at the clones before him.

Gremlin, meanwhile, shimmies and digs his way even further under the fallen clone’s torso, dribbling burning embers onto the ground as he does so, smoke rising from under the glowing teen and drifting towards Cambion.

"Oh... wow... that hurt... i thought we were keeping this civil?..."

They answer, simultaneously backing off trying to avoid the staff. All (still conscious) copies apparently shaken by those words. They stopped smiling, their expression now taking on a much darker tone. Each releasing a beam of light, all aiming at the same spot, a few feet behind Cambion. Followed by the formation of a new Refraction as the rest once again starts to grin.

Cambion swoops down and grabs the ankle of the fallen clone that had grabbed Gremlin and does a tight half spin, slinging the unconscious clone by his leg and then letting go to send him into the crowd of clones in front of him.

“Hey, I was being civil! I tried to dip, you grabbed Gremlin! That’s called ‘escalation’ asshat” Cambion asserts to the glowing group from behind the visor of his helmet.

Gremlin, having had the body removed from over him, takes the opportunity to leap up into the air and begin flapping his wings.

"Hey... that's our move!" They answer, slowly getting back up, two copies grabbing the body...to help him up and support him.

"Really.... now heroes aren't even allowed to pursue a criminal?.. we kept it pretty civil... what did you even expect? Heck that guy was just hugging your creepy little pet... that's not even animal cruelty... Anyways... we can escalate alright if that's what you want..?

Seeing the little Gremlin escape, Refraction once again sends a copy after it, as it materializes above the creature.

Meanwhile the newly created number fourteenth would wait and then jump Cambion once he got distracted. This one noticeably stronger than the others.

This time, rather than steering directly into the falling hero, Gremlin veers hard to the side to attempt an evasive maneuver. He vomits some embers into the air as he does so.

Meanwhile Cambion is grabbed onto by another clone, but this one is noticeably stronger.

“Gee mister, you sure are strong” Cambion says sarcastically.

Using all of the strength he can muster, Cambion swings his helmeted head back, hoping to stun the clone with the strike.

Seeing as he is probably going to miss, that copy de-materializes, to now appear right above Cambion, now even higher up in the air.

The other clone just takes the hit and keeps holding on, apparent not really feeling it. Meanwhile eight of the other 10 active one start moving, or rather to constantly vanish and reappear around the villain. Creating a rather confusing light-show. Simultaneously two are still holding the unconscious and heavily damaged one, as one of them casually starts to create 4 additional ones (Now at full capacity of 20 copies the two unconscious ones and the other two who stayed with that rich couple included)

Cambion, struggling against the clone attacking him, throws his head back again violently, doing his best to get himself free.

Gremlin overhead banks around and sweeps over the group of clones, about 4 feet or so over their heads. He spits a golfball sized wad of embers down towards them as he swoops overhead.

“Buddy, this started as a simple thing, and you’re making it a lot bigger. I don’t know if you got a boss, but I guarantee this ain’t gonna come out lookin good on your part” Cambion says with frustration.

The clone holding onto Cambion finally gets knocked back, followed by him slowly attempting to get back up again.

"Why?... you could've just given up or escape while we were distracted taking your companion... all the following collateral damage is on you.. or rather that demon creature of yours."

Refraction responds, while all copies stopped moving(still trying to avoid the falling ember), the one who just tried to kamikaze himself, aborting his move as he disappears midair.

“If you think I’m just gonna abandon Gremlin you’re crazy!” Cambion shouts.

Cambion reaches down and grabs a hold of the downed clone, one hand grabbing an arm, the other grabbing a leg. Cambion uses his increased strength to hoist the clone up off the ground, and in one motion flips him over his shoulder and throws the clone towards one of the shops lining the side of the street.

“Gremlin!” Cambion calls, and Gremlin changes direction in flight, heading towards the direction of his master.

"Oh... jeez... calm down, how the fuck am i supposed to know if its a generic disposable minion... or something less disposable?"

"Can’t you just make a new one?"

And with that the fight proceeds as one of his copies vanishes and then reappears far behind the unconscious Refraction clone, who is still held up by two others. He then starts running, followed by just body slamming his duplicate right into Cambions direction.

Meanwhile the stronger clone tries to get up again, but seems heavily damaged.

"Oh man Anger got taken out already?... thought he would be more useful besides getting rid of it..."

Cambion sees the clone attempting to body slam him and dives to the side, landing in a roll on the ground a few feet to the side.

Gremlin, flying over, swoops down low and lobbing another wad of ember spit down towards the clone that just attempted the body slam.

“All right” Cambion yells, “which one of you is the real one or the original or whatever?”

"That one." They all point at Anger(the strong one) who is slowly getting up, even though it seem he broke a few bones.

The body slam clone yells out in pain, feeling the ember, as he jumps around and then immediately looks up at gremlin. He then just disappears.

Cambion glances around before sending a mental nudge to Gremlin of what he wants of the creature. Gremlin swoops down low in a dive and levels out, aiming at a parking meter on the sidewalk.

“Thanks, good to know.” Cambion says to the glowing group.

Cambion steadies himself and holds his staff in front of him, slowly stepping back towards the sidewalk, looking back and forth in every direction to see where he will be attacked from next.

Free of anger, Refraction decides to dial down a bit, still thinking about their previous talk concerning escalation. Maybe he was too much?

They just all keep following...MENACINGLY. Some behind, some on the sides.. on buildings.. a few in front of him as well.

"So... where you're going?" One bluntly asked." "Where still gonna have to take you in...mugging isn't even that bad... though then there is also... all that collateral damage." Another mumbles,"

Meanwhile the one closest to Gremlin takes his phone out to make a few pictures of the creature. "Almost forgot about my blog... a bit of footage from a fight or powers in use.. always very convenient."

Gremlin latches onto the parking meter, perched on the pole and hanging from the side by one clawed hand.

Cambion steps onto the sidewalk towards Gremlin, still being cautious and still holding his staff in front of him with both hands.

“You’re right, mugging really isn’t that big a deal. So what do you say you just let me walk, I promise not to do it again, and then everybody goes home happy and smiling?”

Gremlin growls and begins to gnaw on the pole of the parking meter, the pole beginning to burn and smoke where Gremlin’s saliva meets it.

"Nah, we will arrest you and then the authorities can handle this...or you just give up what's been stolen. There is no reward for crimes." "It sucks but i'm not making the rules.." They state in a bored tone.

"Also... you're still damaging property.... like right now.. this moment." Another points out with a snicker.

“Soo… are you saying that if I hand over the stuff I took, I can go?” Cambion asks skeptically.

“I’m not a wimp, but I’m also not trying to go to jail over $150 bucks and some jewelry I’d have to pawn off.”

At this point Gremlin has chewed through most of the parking meter pole. The pole melts/burns/crumbles through and the actual meter, with about a foot of pole still attached, falls to the sidewalk with a clank.

“And maybe we can just kinda look past the ‘alleged’ property destruction. Technically I’m not the one that did it, Gremlin is”.

"Maybe...maybe..... but yeah its probably better to not escalate... even if i like to escalate." They muse, meanwhile less and less of his copies in the Background are visible, decreasing in numbers.

"But technically... Gremlin is just an extension of yourself right?... i mean its your minion.."

One asked, still curious about the creature..

“Honestly, I’ve got no idea man. I’m no biologist, but I know he’s not normal, and I’m pretty sure I make him. He kinda does his own thing though”

Gremlin, still clinging to the smoldering remnants of the parking meter pole, grips it tightly and violently shakes it back and forth, flapping his wings and growling as he does so.

“But he doesn’t bother anybody unless I give him the command, or unless we get threatened, and he saw you as a threat so…”

Cambion glances around and notices the decreasing number of clones.

"Interesting! does he need to eat, can he learn stuff?" "Can he respawn? i mean this wasn't your first fight right?"

They eagerly ask, Refraction now only with 5 copies present.

“I don’t think he necessarily has to eat, but he does like biting on stuff”.

Gremlin leaps from the pole and flaps up to perch on Cambion’s shoulder.

“Honestly, I don’t really know if he can learn stuff or not. I think he can, but he kinda showed up the first time knowing how to do some stuff. As for the rest, Imma have to plead the fifth on that.”

Cambion relaxes slightly as the clones continue to decrease in numbers. There’s a chance he might get out of this situation without too much fighting.