Everything hat been as usual, customers entering and leaving the small local supermarket.... up until a few very odd looking fellas arrived. Starting with one followed by another... and another... and another. Four almost identical figures, all with the same trench-coat, hat, sunglasses and a medical face mask. Despite some looks from the passerby, they just keep going clumsily reaching the shelves and immediately making a mess as they just shove groceries and more into their respective bags. Followed by another making his way to the checkout, completely ignoring the people as the human figure just keeps pushing through them. Reaching for the counter and the money inside.

Customers and cashier startled alike call for security, with the following scuffle making it rather apparent that those figures aren't people in the first place, once one loses their sunglasses and reveals the uncanny absence of a face.

Being the resident speedster means that, even though she's the Protectorate Captain, Zipdash tends to respond to time-sensitive calls. This definitely counts. Someone could get hurt, or the villain could get away, before anyone else shows. She arrives with her armor in its normal state, no cores active. Just gold and gunmetal grey armor, flying in at high speeds, landing, and continuing the trajectory into the building at nearly a hundred miles an hour.

"I'm sure this will fall on deaf ears, but surrender now and this doesn't have to get ugly."

"Nah.. i don't think so."

A voice will be heard from a corner near the cashier.

"Wouldn't be fun."

The same voice again, albeit oddly hard to assign to a certain person. Five civilians standing in the same corner. One being an elderly woman probably 60, one teenager and a tired man with his child. There is someone else albeit hardly noticeably, especially as he moves away. The sounds of the child much more apparent, just like the groceries in the card of the woman.

Meanwhile the minions would just continue with their business, while one slowly starts to approach the cape.

"Mm..." Zipdash nods a bit as she finds herself not quite focusing on the cape. "Okay, then. If you won't surrender..." She activates the core she currently has equipped, and amber light forms a hulking suit of armor around her armor. "I'm going to break your toys." She turns and rushes the faceless minion closest to her. She makes sure that she's nowhere near that corner, nowhere close to the civilians. She's not going to give the villain or the press any fuel to roast her with.

"Just go ahead.... that's why i'm here.... well and of course for some money and snacks too..."

Meanwhile the minion will turn around just moment prior to the attack.. attempting to trap her into a hug, followed by all the others suddenly breaking into a sprint.. all attempting to dogpile the hero.

Zipdash lets the one grab onto her, not seeming overly concerned as the others close in. The hard light armor is more than sturdy enough to stand up to basic human-level strength, and letting them crowd in allows her an opportunity to dispatch them all quickly.

Once they're all close enough, she swaps cores. The hard light disappears, replaced with scarlet flames that sear away at the minion who's bear-hugged her.

"Hey.... that.....that's just not fair...

Fucking fire.... they're supposed to be punched, shot or sliced!"

Body Count complains, his voice now further away from deeper within the store while the minions do their best to still hamper the Hero, until they just collapse from being burned.

"That's unfortunate for you." She starts walking towards the back, going slow in case he's waiting to ambush her. "Now that I've killed your minions, how about you surrender? You can get off with just an attempted robbery charge instead of a full resisting arrest and assault on a law enforcer charge."

"Who said they were dead? After all I'm just starting out... so i guess i will just keep resisting.... anyways i do admit that i will have to improvise."

The voice would lead to another one of the 'faceless', soon with the realization.. that there is a phone taped onto its head.

"Honestly i think that was a pretty neat idea... considering no one ever gives a fuck about me ... in a pretty much literal way."

With that someone... who was pretty much just close by would rush towards the door, just as the slightly charred remains of the previous minions, sneak up from behind.

Formed into a somewhat grotesque 16 legged or armed thing, increasing in size as it rears up, now almost reaching the ceiling. Existing legs and arms combined into longer limbs.

Zipdash sighs. Fucking villains. She could go after the cape, but the abomination here might go after the civilians. Can't have that. She raises her hands, and a jet of twin flames shoots out at the minion, lighting it up with scarlet fire. If she hurries and breaks this thing down, she might still have time to catch the Master. It's doubtful he can go anywhere near her top speed.

Hurt by the fire, the Thing would attempt to protect itself. Forming a shield with some of its spare parts.

One 'arm' made out of legs(for additional strength), with a limbless torso at the end of it. Simultaneously used like a shield and a fist as it proceeds to punch into the cape, if possible aiming to dismantle the weapon.

Zipdash grunts as she takes the hit and slides back. Luckily for her, the Hermes is a tough piece of tech, and the fist barely even puts a dent in her armor. She really wants to go after the cape, but she has to kill the giant monster first. With that thought, she switches to her acid core. Red flames are replaced with a cloud of green mist, and she shoots a cone of acid at the creature, hoping to melt it down quickly with the highly corrosive substance.

Its 'fist' melting, with the rest of its body soon starting to breakdown, it would still attempt to throw itself onto the hero.. even if only to buy more seconds for Body Count to get away.

She growls as the thing lunges at her. She can see it's deteriorating, but... Well, she'll have to make sure it's dead, and then hit it with the acid's neutralizing agent to keep it from spreading or having anyone touch it. That would not look good. She sighs and begins checking in, letting the local police know about the cape running around somewhere around here. They probably won't catch him, but at least they'll be on the lookout.

And now she knows he exists and can hopefully be ready the next time she sees him. In the meantime, she makes sure to let the creature grapple with her as much as it wants, her acid eroding away at it with every second of contact with her.

More or less disappointed to see his.. albeit off-putting.. minions being burned and melted, Body Count decided to just get the hell away from the hero. He sure could have tried harder.. even made more of them.. but apparently Fire... and Acid.. are kind of his weakness. Not that he actually really pondered on that matter, but it is good to know..

With that in mind he would just make his way between frightened civilians towards the door and out of the building. Not like they would mind...especially distracted by the fight going on.

Still people would be inclined to somewhat look into his direction but just register what is located around him ... Attention attracted to some random passerby or objects he grazed, while they have no idea why.

Meanwhile the 16-legged abomination would breakdown soon after.

As the monster breaks down, Zipdash switches to her Barrier core. She tosses an alkaline grenade to counteract the acid puddle, then flies out the door to see if she can clock the villain.

If anyone would be able to keep track of him, Body Count may be seen wearing a hooded sweater, hastily making his way through the crowd of passerby. Even without his stranger power barely distinguished from everyone else.

It takes her a moment to sort him out, and then she is flying after him. "Stop!" she calls as she draws closer. "You can't outrun me!"

"Ah come on... it was just a prank bro..... fuck the one time people actually notice..."

Spooked by the hero, Body Count tries to move faster and hide in the crowd, confusing and angering some as they were being pushed around, many of which would soon blame each other to be the cause.