Cylynx would nod slowly, "Yes, Acid is bad" scrolled over her visor. "No, you won't be going back to your class. I'll have a PRT trooper explain that you were taken for questioning and a medical check up since you were close enough to the fight after you came out of the bathroom to get a good eye on it. We're going to Protectorate HQ. A handful of other civilians will be picked up as well."

Scene End or Timeskip to the PHQ, author's choice.

Cylynx groaned, the LCD screen on her helmet writing out words for Calvin to read.

"He's gone for now. Your health is the priority, there's always next time. You splashed him with pure hydrochloric acid."

She reached for Calvin's chin to turn the young Hero's head and check her ears. She knew they healed but it never hurt to be safe...

"I'd watch whatever you request, you know that. You goof." She hands off the bags she brought for the kitchen before pulling her shirt up, exposing her hard earned muscles, and tossing it to the side. "Cuddles sound like just what the doctor ordered." She spoke as a much too large t-shirt, one of Anetta's, covered her back up.

Alia hugs her close, squeezing the taller woman. "Hey love..." She whispers, rubbing her back and just relaxing in her arms, head resting in the crook of Anetta's neck.

"I brought stuff, and my pajamas." She kicks the bag that had ended up at their feet.

The Nemean blocked some of the horrific noise, but there was only so much technology could do. Luckily for Cylynx her auditory implants kicked in and cut the rest of it from her soundscape, as if it didn't exist. She was beyond thankful at that moment that her previous team captain had allowed her to finish the upgrade.

"That!" She points at the now fleeing villain, "Was pure hydrochloric acid!" The smell of flesh hanging in the air, joined by fish and salt water. "And you are coming to the HQ for power testing and training!" Her finger flicks to Calvin as she steps toward the young Hero. "Do you need assistance?" She grits her teeth, as her mind is torn in two directions. The need to look after the young Hero and the need to chase the prey villain, if Calvin declined she would be out that door after Tarrasaque in a moment.

Cylynx leapt back putting space between herself and the villain as the ball of something splashed him, taking all of a second before it hissing started. Before the smell of flesh being chemically burned and turned to waste would start to emanate off the villain.

"Calvin, oh fuck!" Cylynx swore, she never swore it wasn't Heroic, as she scrambled for sealed hatches on Nemean. Rushing for her aerosolized nanites and a container of the same as a paste. "Nonono." Her medkit forgotten, the fast acting morphine auto-injectors inside would have helped at least for a minute.

Legal proceedings were always a pain in the ass, especially when Alia had her American law chip slotted in her neck and was able to pick apart ever argument and whataboutism that was thrown around.

Leave was always such a bother before, it was time she wasn't allowed to do anything, to be Cylynx. No patrols, no PR, no lab time! All because she went the extra mile and stayed when other capes would hand a villain off to the PRT.

But tonight was different, it would be different every day going forward. She had somewhere to go, somebody to be with when she couldn't be Cylynx... Hell, sometimes even when she was.

And spend her time she would, walking into Anetta's apartment with an overnight bag and backpack full of treats. "Anetta?" She called into the apartment, listening for the sounds of a shower or anything else her girlfriend would be doing.

Alia wasn't an idiot, she knew what helped when she killed somebody. And she wasn't going to let her girlfriend suffer in silence and withdraw. "If you can afford one, it can help. If not one will be provided for you..." Alia replies automatically, "I think getting a lawyer will help you."

Cylynx nods, "Killing is never easy... It shouldn't be. It's good to know where you stand on that line." She rubs Maiden's back, "We'll see how this all goes, I can't promise you'll get to go home tonight. But I'm sure whoever is waiting for you will have pajamas and some dumb documentary waiting when you do. And probably too many snacks."

"Let me be?" Cylynx scoffs, leaning in to Maiden's personal space barely inches between them. "You're lucky to have me."

"A dance of life and death, poetry in motion."

Cylynx grins behind her mask, stepping towards the villain with a laugh. "My satisfaction will come from you behind bars."

The water jet is unexpected, stopping the hero in place but luckily it doesn't do much more than take some of the paint off. "Come now! Show me what passes for fury among your misbegotten kind!" The spines dig into and break themselves on her armor, sending further shocks across her body, ignored in her chemical fueled strength.

"C'mere!" Cylynx growls, crouching and leaping after Tarrasque. "When I get my paws on you, it won't be pretty!"

"Grappling? With me!?" Cylynx laughs as the tentacles find purchase, hooks catching and scratching over the Nemean sending shooting pain through her body. "You can't hate yourself that much."

She had planned to let Nemean look after Calvin Ball, allowing the rudimentary onboard assistant to keep her safe while Cylynx broke every bone in Tarrasaque's body. But plans never survive contact with the enemy.

"Is this all you've got? A cheap imitation of some pervert's wet dream?" She barks, grabbing for one of the tentacles to wrench on it with all the strength that the Nemean could provide, this would either rip it off the villain or drag him closer for a severe beating. "You know how curious us cats get, let's see what I can learn playing with you."

She ignored the damage to the area, and forced herself to ignore the damage to Calvin. The kid would have to rely on her own regeneration until they could get her some anti-whatever Hyde had done.

"Not good enough." Cylynx growled as the spines broke against her armour, "And you've just fucked up, I don't take kindly to kids getting hurt. Rule note, Villain... Everything includes you."

The hero closed the gap between them, muscles flexing out as she swung. A simple one two punch combo to gauge Hyde's defenses... At least as simple as punches equivalent to a heavyweight boxer could be considered.

"If you aren't finished your tour, I'll have to ask you to pick your souvenirs later." She flexes a little, lowering the Nemean's center of gravity slightly. "The hippos are actually out today, they're on vacation. Sorry to disappoint."

"Kids are inquisitive, unfortunately hers just led to foiling your little heist. And don't you know? Cats are just as curious." Her eyes flick around to the tentacles as they pull on Calvin, she wouldn't be able to fix all that... Not fast enough to save the girl.

Then she spoke to Cylynx at least indirectly. "Banter is and always will be the most important part of the parahuman relationships we form." Cylynx snickers, "An adaptive changer? No, parasitic?" Were they related to Mask? "Good show kid." Cylynx laughed as the Nemean compensated for the blinding light at the same time as she charged forward, the armor's boots digging into the concrete.

"C'mere you bastard, it's time to dance."

The door that the pair had come through already was easily kicked off it's hinges, the now loose metal flying across the room to clatter loudly as Cylynx clad in her power armor walked through.

"Sir, the gift shop is at the end of the tour. I'm going to have to ask you to put the child down, you can get a plushie instead." Her whole body was flooded with her chemical cocktail, and it already felt like he was taking too long to respond. "Only warning, stand down and come quietly into custody."

Her focus was on the villain, meanwhile the Nemean was giving Calvin Ball a once over and reporting what it could tell to Cylynx.

Cylynx breaths hard for a moment, Maiden had asked her to play along but it didn't mean the words didn't hurt.

"Maybe you should look into it, might help you get your head on straight." She gives Maiden's chair a small push without letting her tip all the way back. "I'll stop you. Each and every time you fuck up, I'll be there to stop you." To fix things. To pick you back up. Were all left unsaid by Alia.

Her only response is to look confused, until Anetta grabs the mask, her own smile slipping back into place.

That was when everything went wrong, her blood flooded with a chemical cocktail in a fight or flight response. "I have never pitied you." She growls back, claws flexing unconsciously. "Shocking, because somebody has to approve when you do something right." Cylynx bites back, "And do not use my name when we're in costume."

She was going to have one hell of a time explaining this to Zipdash.

Cylynx stands quietly next to Maiden through the whole interrogation, every question, comment, concern, and hidden insult from the trooper committed to memory. Each response Maiden gave and the reasons along with them as well.

She pulls out a phone and sends a message to Zipdash as the questioning goes on, asking about any assistance options for the injured. Possible work she could do to help, since she had no idea these people were suffering.

Alia steps between Anetta and the camera, rubbing her shoulder before giving a little tug at her cowl, a fabric mask in the same hand. "Take it off, wipe your eyes, and wear this. It'll be more comfortable." She speaks softly, "And it's okay to be sorry... I understand." Cylynx continues, "For what it's worth, I'm proud of you for holding back, and for coming here tonight."

"I don't believe in Heroes, Maiden... I believe in people. Everyone has the capacity for good inside them... Some people just choose to ignore it."

She scratches gently at the bottom edge of the cowl, giving Maiden a soft smile. "Once we get out of this..." Alia paused, taking a big step but Anetta was trusting her too, she leaned in and whispered to Anetta. "I'll come over, cook us a big dinner, and we can fall asleep on the couch watching whatever." And she'd share why she doesn't believe in all Heroes.

Giving Maiden some space she nodded in agreement, "I won't leave your side, I'll keep you safe through this whole thing. I won't so much as sleep unless I know I'm right beside you... Thank you for trusting me."

"You aren't that kind of villain, they wouldn't do that." Cylynx spoke more for herself than Maiden, she had faith in the system that had looked after her for so long.

"Vil-" She paused, "Parahumans do things like that... It's part of who we are. I'm sure there was always an explanation. They can't expect the same level of control from you, not like what Wards and Protectorate members have... We practice in completely controlled environments for years."

"Okay it's... They'll take him to the coroner's office and check. If he's a parahuman then things will be less complicated going forward." Cylynx found herself desperately hoping the man was a cape and acting out of costume.

She tugs on Iron Maiden, pulling the taller woman to her chest and putting herself between Anetta and the corpse to block her view. "You'll be expected to surrender and submit for questioning, running will look really bad Maiden. I can't make you stay, but I can advocate for you better if you're present. Not all of the local Heroes will treat this like it deserves, especially if you run... They'll label you a murderer and then it's gloves off for some." Her grip on Maiden's armor tightens, knuckles white in a mixture of anger and fear for Anetta.

Cylynx puts a gentle hand on the back of Maiden's neck, squeezing despite her armour. "Did... Did he do anything else? Is everyone else gone?"

She glances at the spike, bloody and fresh. Maiden was hanging in a delicate situation with this... Cylynx couldn't think of any crimes on her record even close to this.

The words hang in the air for a moment, be Cylynx moves exiting her armour as she's done time after time. "Watch the door Nemean, nobody in or out without my say so." The armour steps away from her, closing up to follow the rudimentary order.

Cylynx's actions aren't smooth, this was different than ever other horror she'd seen. Grabbing a vacuum sealed bag from her waist and tearing it with her teeth, and shaking out an emergency blanket which was promptly laid over the man as she walked to kneel by Iron Maiden.

"Maiden, I'm right here. Can you tell me what you mean by snuck up on you... Please?"

Being redirected by Console to a cape related homicide wasn't something Cylynx dealt with often, hardly ever really. You don't usually send a cape in for clean up, that's for people with a completely different skill set.

No, you send a Hero in when the killer is still on site, when somebody needs to take that risk to keep everyone else safe. It wasn't like she wasn't used to sight of dead and dying, she'd been to Endbringer fights after all.

Arriving didn't take her long, not with the speed Nemean provided and making her own entrance wouldn't have been difficult either, but the main door was never what villains expected you to use.

"Unknown parahuman!" She shouted as she stepped inside, voice amplified by her speakers. "This is your opportunity to surrender!" But the follow up died on her lips as she took in the scene before her, it was like the whole world stopped at "This i-"

Iron Maiden, her nemesis. Anetta, her... Girlfriend? And the corpse of a man who was long past saving.

"Why?"

"Those courses can make or break your career, I'm glad you looked into them. Honestly, I think first aid should be a standard practice in today's phys ed classes, but what do I know." Cylynx laughs.

"The care package for you would consist of extra clothes, or other personal affects should you be injured or have to stay with us for any reason." She explains casually, "The... One for your parents is one we would never want to use. Should something happen to you... We would have something to provide them with. A parting message, in a video or written format or accolades from Heroes you've worked with. Things like that to help ease the pain of loss. Again, it's not something we'd ever want to have to use... I have one myself, not for my family but for my coworkers and friends."

"If they don't need to know, then they don't need to know. But you might want to make sure you've got something ready, just in case they find out... Some parents take the surprise even worse and it pays to be prepared no matter how careful you are." Cylynx nods sagely.

"Registration is easy, you just need to come visit us at the Protectorate heathers, there's a bunch of paperwork involved and we get you into the system. You get an ID and can apply for additional assistance; a phone, first aid classes, things like that. Plus we can also keep a care package on hand for you at the base, or heaven forbid... A package for your parents."

"If they don't know, and you don't want to tell them right away, then at the very least I would ask that you think about registering as an affiliate Hero. Somebody that the Protectorate and PRT can work with and provide support... It's a dangerous world due independent Heroes, that's why I was so happy to see you had a healing factor."

Cylynx didn't miss the inflection that Calvin Ball put into the word normal, but wasn't going to push, not yet.

"Well, I don't think I've met a parahuman that had ever had an actually sucky power. If you register you'd still be eligible to take part in power testing in a safe environment so you could see if you'd missed anything." She paused, "In theory if you heal your should be able to train harder than the baseline human, since that's all exercise easily is... Just something to think about."

"Like worms... Interesting, and a curious way to describe it. The Protectorate is always open to allow for power testing in a controlled environment as well for both Wards and Affiliates if that is something that would interest you." Cylynx had stopped a couple posts ago, but it was interesting all the same keeping a comfortable space between them.

"Certainly I do, you were more than willing to act to do good without a second thought, that goes a long way." She nods, a big smile under her domino mask. "For full membership it is, unless there are circumstances..." Cylynx waves a hand, "Where the parents are involved in a young parahuman's trigger." She leaves the question unspoken but open should Calvin Ball choose to share.

"I've never dated anybody either, so we can learn as we go. I haven't really had a normal life, I've been a Hero for most of it." Alia smirks back, "Guess we'll see which of us is worse, huh?"

"It's a standard disinfectant, you'll be fine. If your power can't handle a little alcohol you're in for a rough time." Cylynx shakes her head, "Your healing factor is very impressive, is that actually healing or just closing the wound to heal normally underneath?" She squints from behind her domino mask, ideas flitting in and out of her head.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, and I'm sorry for this so soon but I'm obligated to ask... Have you considered signing up for the Wards, or registering with the Independent Hero program?" The Hero pulled a small pamphlet out from a pouch on her waist and held it out for Calvin Ball.

"You might be, but it is still my duty to make sure." Cylynx steps into Calvin Ball's personal space, pulling her hand away from the cape's cheek to look it over. "Amazing... It's already clotting. You have a healing factor, that's important as an independent Hero."

She still wipes at the injury with a disinfectant wipe before stepping back, "So, tell me about yourself. I don't even know your name yet." Cylynx looks up at the younger cape.

"It's not that bad..." Alia pouts, "We've been through a lot together, we go to every endbringer together." She sends a reply back to Anetta, a little smiley face. "Mall date sounds great! I should probably buy some new clothes, I didn't bring a lot down with me."

"I am indeed a real Hero, and it would be wrong of me to put you at risk further. He could dump every round from that pistol into me and I wouldn't care. You are already bleeding. Wait here and I'll be right back." Cylynx stepped towards the alley and the criminal climbing the fire escape. "You had your opportunity."

She takes a running leap at the escaping man, hitting the top of the fire escape for a moment before grabbing the man by the collar and letting her weight pull them both to the ground and putting a foot on his chest. "Stay down." She threatens as the armor opens up on the back and allows Cylynx to step out and rejoin the young cape.

"Now let's take a look at that injury, okay?"

"My best friend needs to know my relationship status." Alia huffs, getting her own phone out. "If I deem it unimportant I just let half my brain keep sleeping, it's very handy. Unfortunately anybody who has my number is important."

"This just won't do!" Cylynx jumped from the roof, slamming into the concrete in a perfect superhero landing before rising to her full height, all 5'3 of her only made more imposing by the power armor shell. "Surrender, apologize for causing injury, and submit for arrest before I have to take matters into my own claws." She boomed out from the speakers, "You're facing two capes, and I have no doubt the rookie here could handle you, I'd rather they not get hurt."

She stepped forward to stand at the kid's side, pulling out a small first aid kit from the back of the Nemean, "Apply gauze and pressure, I'll look at it once he's in cuffs."

A casual patrol was exactly what Cylynx has been expecting on her night out, exactly what she'd been dreading would be her night out. "I should be excited, not even petty crims are out in this area... but I'm so BORED!* She shouted into her helmet, the Nemean remaining impassive as she leapt from rooftop to rooftop.

That was until the crack of gunfire rung out in her ears, unmistakable and easily followed despite the sounds of the city around her. It was a short run, no more than a minute away as she reported in with console wrapping up her report with a casual woop as she jumped off a roof and into the scene.

"Have no fear! Cylynx, Hero of Justice is here!"

"Rather abusive, I like my teeth where they are. Try for broken bones instead?" Alia nods, "I'm good with no labels. I'll just tell Zipdash I'm seeing somebody and we don't know what it is yet. Little dates sound good, exchange real numbers for next time? Oh! I can text you when I wake up and annoy you to no end."

"Me, evil? You haven't put up with me long enough if you think that'll happen. Remember how we met? Hero of Justice and all that." She gives Anetta's hand a squeeze. "Does this make us girlfriends?"

"I guess we'll have to find out, which of us will sway the other to the side of righteousness first!" Alia smiles, propping herself up on one hand while holding the other out to Anetta. "Maybe we'll prove society wrong."

Alia feigns a gasp, throwing an arm over her face. "I knew I was just a game to you, was what we had not special? Think of the sandwiches we shared!" She opens one eye to stare at Anetta, "A Villain dating a Hero impacts her street cred, makes her look soft. Like she's going to stop purse snatchers." Alia snickers.

"I will, but I will also admit that some of it is awful. The fan service is worse than some of the corporate teams out there."

"We'll figure something out!" Alia giggles, "Can't help but notice you didn't deny it was a date." She teases, comfortable with Anetta despite the professional relationship.

"That's fair, wouldn't want to get a crik in your neck. It may take some work to fix, with those bones of steel."

"So a concert for our third date then? Show me what a real one is supposed to be like." She snorts, "Anime isn't that bad "

Alia looks down at the table and scoots herself to be sitting across from Anetta. "Sorry."

"Anime is animation from Japan, it's a specific style. Some of the older stuff from before superpowers is really creative." She explains, "If all the concerts are like that one, I feel bad for your choice of hobby."

Alia slides into the booth, still leaning on Anetta once they're settled. "I'm glad you don't want to, domestics are always the hardest to explain." She smirks at her own joke.

"I read books, watch anime and movies, work on my designs... Alia doesn't really do anything interesting. I'm still getting to know my new coworkers, so there isn't much to do." She looks up at Anetta, "What does Anetta do?"

"Most people like us probably have touch issues, huh?" Alia closes her eyes and leans her head against Anetta again. "You don't have to it it bothers you, considering..." She was going to make a joke when Anetta said relationship, but thought better of it in the seriousness of the moment. "I'm tough, you'd have to do a lot to put me in the hospital."

"Sure just kill my fun." Alia huffs, letting her head thunk against Anetta. "Me either, I have issues with touching. It's nice to be able to meet my guard down." Alia tilts her head back, looking up at Anetta and letting her continue.

"Hmm?"

"Ah, you've brought me a den of villainy, will I be sworn to secrecy for anything I overhear?" She giggles, her muscles tensing for a second as Anetta's arm drapes over her before leaning against her side.

"It is, especially in doses that we have control over. You're warm."

"Subtlety, thy name is Anetta." Alia snickers as she leans beside her not!date, "A quiet booth huh? Planning on making a surprise attack while I'm distracted with dinner? Or maybe he's in on it, I'm going to be poisoned!" She dramatically throws an arm over there face and leans against Anetta. "The subterfuge..."

"Right, that's supposed to be music, I keep forgetting." She nods slowly in agreement, shoulders falling as Anetta goes on about Heroes, at least until she clarifies the joke. "As your arch-nemesis I take offense to that! There's plenty out there more important, like being taken out to steak dinner!"

Cylynx laughs, "Certainly would! But we may want to either go to the Nest or a testing room, I don't think that the couch is best place for scientific discoveries."

"Isn't it?" Alia grins up at her, head still against Anetta's arm. "You saw I have having as bad a time as you, struck up a conversation, and invited me out to di-" Her stomach growls loudly interrupting her teasing, her entire face flushing red. "Steak s-sounds great."

"One day I'll spend time figuring out your tells so I'll know when you're screwing with me. Today is not that day." Alia rolls her eyes, mentally running through for any reports of the same crime anyway.

Alia can't hide her own smirk as she decides to get back at Anetta, "Picking a girl up at a concert and asking her to dinner. Pretty smooth... So where're you taking me?"

Alia repeats Anetta with a grumble, "Just make yourself taller... Hmph, it doesn't work that way for me. My power even comes up bl-No I'm not doing that. It comes up blank."

She grins, "I'm always hungry, carefully what offers you make to the devil you don't know yet. I might drain your ill-gotten coffers."

"I don't want a discount if it means they think I'm a kid!" Alia huffs, "I'm just short! And my augments help me with my health." She followed in the wake of Anetta, glaring at the guy at the door when he chuckled at what must have looked like her getting in trouble.

Alia relishes the general outdoor noise, the misery of the bands blocked out by concrete and brick. "That's a nice way to say that sucked." She skipped up to Anetta's side, leaning on her arm as they walked.

"Fifteen? They told me it was ten." Alia must have gotten a kids rate or something, "Wait is that why the guy asked if my parents knew I was here?!" She squawked indignantly.

"Yes please, I hate it here, it's loud and itchy and there's too many people here for me."

"I was told to, and I quote, Get out and experience the city in a way not related to work so I looked up little events that were happening, and this record store was hosting some bands. I didn't realize there'd be so many people. Or the... Enthusiasm of the bands trying to make up for a lack of practice." She tilts her head slightly, making sure they're alone for the moment. "I've been standing there with my ears pretty much blocking out the crowd and the majority of the music. Hence why you snuck up on me, is your wrist okay?"

"No, it isn't my scene!" Alia tugs on her oversized sweater, "You don't have to yell!" Alia barks back, letting go of Anetta and tapping her ear, "I can 'ear you just fine!" She tugged Anetta away from the noise, and the mosh pit where they'd both be likely to hurt somebody.

The bathroom was surprisingly quiet, comparatively at least, which would give them a second. "First of all, I'm not stalking you. Do you think I'd have reacted so badly if I were? Second, or that you'd have noticed me if I didn't want to be?" She shook her head.

The music tonight wasn't really what Alia listened to, it was actual the furthest thing from her usual. She'd been recommended to get out and experience some of her new city, beyond going on patrols.

The songs rubbed her the wrong way, and lucky for her she could tune out the majority of the songs that were a nightmare. Most of them...

Pulled from her reverie by a hand grabbing her arm; Alia's whole body tensed, her blood flooded with chemicals, her eyes and ears focusing in on the offender. If it had been anybody but Anetta, the hand that she snapped up to would have left a wonderful bruise.

"Anetta!" She relaxed slightly, not letting go of her wrist. The gloom of having to listen to the music switched to righteous anger which gave way to a happy smile.

"I wonder if we could speed that up..." Cylynx mumbles, reaching up and poking Nereid in the arm.

"Yeah! Something like that. It's weird, if I get enough time messing around with other folks powers, like a lot of tinkers can learn new things that way."

"You could say that I'm full of surprises!" She laughs, flopping into the couch and scratching her chin. "Your power is incredibly interesting, it will be nice working with you. I wonder what I could apply from your power with my own."

"The natural healing properties are very interesting, that's a clever use of your power. Let's try and keep it that way, the whole not testing massive damage. It's really not all it's cracked up to be." She traces a few scars, "Trust me."

"What is the result when you change back? Are you an instant healer when you shift forms... Where does it shunt the damage to?"

Alia had started to lean in, her power itching to see what designs she could cook up with a good look under Nereid's hood, the question got her to focus.

"My current set of augments is extensive, I haven't installed anything new since I transferred in, I want the first one to be special." She paused a moment, taking in a breath, and listed from top to bottom her augments for Nereid. Only pausing to reminisce on the importance of her first augmentations, the claws on her right pointer and middle fingers.

"Something like that!" Alia laughs, running a hand up through her hair and over the multiple surgery scars.

"That must be so much fun! You can fall asleep in the bath without a worry." She laughs, "And that's quite the spread of changes, so you could turn into a brown bear and be... More durable than a normal one and breath underwater?"

"That must have been weird growing up, but you had the right support network for it!" Alia nods sagely, choosing to ignore that obviously Nereid had triggered.

"Ha! The cat thing is just a theme, I'm not like a cat tinker. I'm more like... One of my previous captains called me a walking armory and it kind of makes sense. I'm a weapon for lack of a better explanation. I do a lot of surgery and medical work, so if you ever get hurt don't be surprised if you wake up with me hovering over you." She stands proudly, "I'm always happy to work with everyone on the team to keep them in tiptop shape! Diet and exercise!"

"What about you? The snake thing can't be all you've got. What's the haps?"

Alia watched her go, waiting patiently until the bus pulled away. Once it was out of sight she wrapped her arms around herself and flopped to the base of the tree. She was completely exhausted, being Cylynx while she was being Alia was too much. "I'll just take a nap, then head back to base..."

It takes a second but Alia's face lights up, "I knew that name was familiar! I'm sorry about his identity getting revealed, that must have made things very difficult."

"It would probably grow back, the meat suit is pretty adaptive." Cylynx shrugs, "And that's the spirit! We're Heroes, capital H, it's what we do!"

"I knew that! Shuddup! It wasn't a test tube..." She huffed, "Fine, I guess you've had your fill of the Hero of Justice today. See you at your next robbery?"

"You didn't have to change back if you were enjoying the lamp." Cylynx laughs, her handshake steady, "It's nice to meet you Hannah, I'm..." she pauses before she stands up and puts her hands on her hips, "Alia, Hero of Justice!"

"It's nice to have you on board with us. What brings you to the team?"

"Absolutely, Positively, Definitely! You have me at a disadvantage, I didn't know we were getting a new member." She offers a hand to the snake like this was completely normal, "Nice to meet you! Enjoying the heat lamp?"

"Often, usually accompanied by bodily harm. This one time, I was in patrol with another Ward we got chased into a warehouse by this brute... And I quote You little Wards are such annoying creatures!" She put on a big fake voice, "Right before he hit me with a chunk of rebar and concrete he tore out of the wall. Broke both my arms."

She lets herself be pulled up, "I thought this wasn't a date." Alia's humor drys up as she looks at the ground, "Go home? B-both of us?"

It was only a short double take as Cylynx noticed the large anaconda snoozing, must be a new teammate... She should probably go meet them.

With all the grace and poise of a jungle cat hunting it's prey she slipped across the room, a wide grin on her face underneath the domino mask as her silent steps were swallowed up by the background noise of the base.

She squatted casually in front of the couch, staring at the new cape for a minute. "GOOOOD MORNING NEW FRIEND!" She belts out.

"I know, and I don't want to go that route because then we'll have to fight again." Alia rolls over until she's looking up at Anetta with a smirk, "And you wouldn't want to hurt little ol' me, right?"

She reaches up for Anetta to pull her up, "I'm not going to give up on this, you wanted a Hero, and you've got one."

"Okay, fuck. Alright, then we skip that step, of course the easiest way doesn't work." Alia looks up at her with a frown, "Where else could we go? There isn't much else to work from."

Alia rolls her eyes at Anetta's words, pulling her phone out and writing it down anyway. "Okay, so two points of contact... Educating parents and vetting companies. Given your comments on the parents I expect that way is a lost cause, so... We've gotta work on this from the other side, what about visits from a local Hero to things like these little extracurriculars so the kids can speak freely?"

"You still could! Nemesis remember?" Alia laughs back, relaxing as they walk to the park stopping only to get a couple of drinks from a concession stand by the entrance and flop down under a tree.

"So, run me through it step by step. Where does it start so we can figure out how to step in."

"Mhm, Sunken Gardens park is close by." Alia nods and points, hiding the small smirk on her face by walking past Anetta. "Pretty sure she's going to ask about it like it was, how long we've been out here. This isn't really a regular mask off and go."

"We start by removing ourselves from this environment, we go get something to drink, then we sit somewhere like the park. And once we're there, you tell me about it piece by piece. Then we see if it's something we need to tackle as a whole, or if we can do it a little bit at a time." Alia talks into Anetta's chest at first, before realizing that wasn't helpful and turning to lay her head sideways instead. "And thank you for not turning me into a pincushion, I'd hate having to explain how I came back from a date looking worse than a patrol."

"And do you think you're the first person to not believe me? To see a catgirl theme and think I'm a joke?! That I wouldn't willingly step in harms way to protect somebody, anybody, you?" Alia couldn't hold a candle to Anetta towering over her.

"I would go to the edge with a smile on my face. And I told you what you were doing and going to do, was stupid because you would only make things worse for those kids. Because I could see you getting upset! Because burning everything to the ground doesn't help anyone!"

"I'm not smart, I'm determined. But that means I won't stop until we find a solution." Her voice was much softer, the fight was gone bashing her head against this problem wasn't the answer.

She pushed through the final space between her and Anetta and wrapped her around the taller woman's waist. "We aren't getting anything done for them if we keep yelling at each other."

"Yeah?! You think we're all bad guys, huh?" Alia pushes Anetta's hand out of the way and starts advancing. "First, I just want to make it clear to you that a real Hero, doesn't ignore problems. I don't ignore problems."

Her voice was sharp with each word, "And don't you ever throw exploitation in my face." She was shaking in anger, "I want you to think for a second, Anetta, what kind of person tears into their own body and changes things if they have a positive self image."

She wasn't backing away from the taller woman, either Anetta would need to give her some space or they'd be pretty much chest to chest. "Put up, or shut up, Anetta."

"Rude, I'm right here." Alia rolls her eyes and jogs after Anetta. "Then what are we going to do? Huh? Talk to me, if you think that we're just going to ignore everything."

"Not act like a villain out of costume? Not traumatize the kids here, even if they don't want to be? Do you think heaping that on top of whatever issues they're going to or already have, issues you're well aware of, will do any better if they get a dose of the Black Knight tearing this place up?" She pushes into Annetta's personal space, "The parents won't give a shit about you doing something stupid, they'll just move on to another place and drag their kids along with them."

"Be the change you want to see, show them the wrong. Don't try and force it..." She offers, "Think of your favourite Hero, a real one, with a capital H. What would they do?"

"And what are we... Are you going to do about it? The parents won't care about some random girl's opinion." Alia follows her pacing for a few moments before stepping in front of Anetta, "Will you stop that?" She hisses, "If you keep this body language going we're leaving."

"Wow, you really are a villain." She laughed, finishing off her sandwich and tossing the trash away with a swish. "She lied as easily as she breathed." Alia added.

"Ungrit your teeth before you crack one, I can almost feel you grinding them."

"That's a shame, I had some of my best fights as a ward." And some of her most grievous injuries. "Shitty of him to use them like that, he's supposed to teach not exploit."

"You think they'll go for that, with how we look?" Alia raised an eyebrow, pulling her forgotten half sandwich back out.

"Fine." She huffs, "I guess I'm coming along as your escort then..." It would seem that Black Cat and Amalgam were an anomaly.

"I'll make sure you don't get out of hand with the kids that do want to be there."

"I'm friends with Amalgam, I just happened to catch him and Black Cat so they didn't have a choice but to introduce me." Alia shrugged, "It's not my fault, Black Cat didn't notice me and he kind of jumped on Amalgam."

She looks at the taller woman, "Why did you say it like that?"

"Black Cat is the villain." Alia giggles, "Amalgam is a good guy, he actually introduced me to anime."

Alia falls in to step with Anetta, "Where are we going?"

"That's not true at all! Black Cat and Amalgam even kissed before!" She releases her hold on Anetta, "Nemeses can be friends!"

"I'm not over the top! He's just showing off and being excessive. And I'd never use this on a person, a master construct or a building maybe." Alia huffed, insulted for a moment before processing the rest of Anetta's words and tackle-hugging the taller woman. "Yes! You mean it? We're nemesees! This is going to be awesome, I can't wait to tell Black Cat, he'll be so proud!"

Alia pulled out her phone and did a quick Google search, "Mhm, okay... So, one of the things that makes me scary." She flexes her jaw and spits a little glob onto the palm of her hand, harmless in it's current state. "So titanium melts at about 1,700 degrees celsius. And this..." She wipes the glob off onto a stick before spitting a second glob of something else onto it, and watching the whole thing start to burn in a second. "Is a synthetic that I produce. It burns at nearly 3,000 degrees celsius." Alia tosses the burning stick into the water and keeps walking as it burns itself out under the water.

"So, what do you say? Am I a bad enough bitch to be your nemesis?" Alia asked with all the false confidence she could muster.

"I never said you were scared of heights I thought you might just be worried about damaging the concrete. But given what I know about you I think that was a dumb worry." Alia smirked, looking around to make sure they were alone. "If you had to compare your metal to anything, what would you say is the closest? Steel? Titanium?"

Alia grabs one of Anetta's hands and tugs her along, fully unable to actually move her if she didn't want to. Yet. But it doesn't take too long for the pair to arrive at Cherry Creek, where Alia excitedly jumps down the embankment to the trail. "C'mon it's only a few meters! Jump!" She waves to Anetta.

"I can do a lot worse than make you bleed..." Alia pulls a wad of bills from her wallet and sets them down, easily more than the bill would be. "C'mon, I'll show you why I'm scary." She wraps up her food, stuffing it into the pocket on her hoodie before grabbing her drink and downing a fistful of pills.

"Unless she found a way to send people I wouldn't hear, she shouldn't have a clue." She moves out of the booth, "Where's the fun in that? Who says nemesis have to be enemies?"

"You tell me, only one of us has made the other bleed so far." Alia puts her own down, glaring at it instead of Anetta. "We're nemesis... Right?"

"Then I'll have to double down, really get under your skin." Alia shrugs, starting on her second sandwich. "I'm not so fragile, you can certainly try and take me out. We'll make a night of it."

"Maybe we can, you could reach me all about horror." Alia snorted, "And listen to me complain about how badly the slashers are doing." Certainly Alia wouldn't be hiding from the screen in fear, no never.

Once the waitress was gone Alia was upon her first sandwich in moments, it didn't stand a chance. "You haven't know me that long, I have a tendancy to banter. I've been told it pisses people off."

"I've been trying to expand my horizons, I don't watch a lot of movies that aren't documentaries. One of my work friends recommended I try some more horror stuff." She leans forward with an awkward smile, putting her hand back out for Anetta to take as the waitress sets their food down. She'd seen them holding hands before after all. "What about you?"

"Maybe, I've got a lot of ideas floating around in here... Or you beat me bad enough that I don't get back up." Alia shrugged, looking back down at the table and wrapping her arms around herself.

Alia winces slightly at the sudden pain, her wound closing up as the blood touches the air, drawing back and making a fist. "That's a question I can't answer..." She huffs back, pulling up her sleeve to expose the map of scars. "I'll let you figure out who I work on."