Some Creepy Docks in New York | Wednesday, Late Evening

[defenderofdesmoines]

On the one hand, this was the first thing Starlight had been invited to do as an actual hero since she accepted her position on the team. She'd been given an itinerary - which...seemed a little suspect. How did they know crimes were going to be committed in these places at these times?

But she hadn't really questioned anything until they'd told her that she'd be accompanied by The Deep. And despite her protests, it was happening. It was like a twist of the knife to take patrolling away from her, too. Something she did with her boyfriend, something that was theirs, was now tainted by this fucking asshole, too.

Starlight stood stiff and faced away from The Deep, radiating anger. Also, seriously, kind of radiating anger -- she wasn't meaning to make all the ambient lights flicker, but it was happening all the same.

Okay, if Vought wanted her to patrol with this fuckface, fine, but she wasn't going to be happy about it, and she had no problem making that clear.

Especially after her conversations yesterday. Talking to Rey had made Annie feel a lot better, and between that and talking to Hughie, she wasn't exactly inclined to take anymore crap from this guy.

Especially after what Ashley had told her earlier, when Starlight had inquired about the hierarchy within The Seven.

The Deep	"Oh, wow, what a surprise," The Deep was saying, rolling his eyes as he paced around. "A water crime. Fuck me running, I swear to God, they only call me when there's trouble at a dock. Or a river or lake, a canal. A jetty. Fucking idiots, I could be doing so much more. But no, Vought just wants me to do my big pretty dives into the water and flash my fucking biceps for Instagram."
Starlight	Had Starlight ever actually hated someone like this before? Maybe Reginald Hargreeves. Like, that was the bar. She was so repulsed by this idiot next to her, but all she was going to do was keep her arms crossed around herself as the nearest light started buzzing anew.
The Deep	"I mean, sure, four million hits a day, but still. It's fucking demeaning," The Deep continued. And with that out of his system, he could move on to the other reason it was bullshit they were out here tonight. "What's your problem? You've had that pissy look on your face all night." Like, Jesus, Starlight, what the fuck.
Starlight	She looked over at him, honestly kind of confused at how he could be confused about what her problem was. And every light for a fifty foot radius started to buzz and flicker as she wordlessly glared.
The Deep	The Deep could be dense, but he wasn't that obtuse. "Oooh -- what...." he started, looking up at the lights as they started to flicker. "Is this about the other night again?" And when she didn't respond except to scoff, he rolled his eyes. "Jesus Christ. Cry me a fucking river, all right? I took my share of shit when I first got here." And he hadn't even gotten the head he'd asked for, Starlight, so he was the real victim here. Fucking Maeve. "Besides, you had a crush on me, remember?" He wasn't above trying to salvage things with a reminder like that.
Starlight	And that was more than enough out of him. "That gives you no right -- zero right -- to do what you did!" Starlight yelled, rounding on him. "You pathetic asshole."
The Deep	"Hey, you shut your fucking mouth." No one talked to him like that. Except for how everyone talked to him like that. He just couldn't take it from the new girl, too, for fuck's sake.
Starlight	"Or what?" Starlight snapped, not flinching when he got right up in her face. Whatever, she was so not scared of this fucker anymore. "You'll sic a grouper on me?"
The Deep	"I'll tell everyone you're a psycho." It had worked before. It would've worked the other night if fucking Maeve and her fucking alcoholism hadn't fucking interrupted. "I'll go to Homelander -- " he continued
Starlight	"No, you won't." Starlight wasn't taking this at all, tonight, and her voice was only getting stronger and louder. "See, I asked around: you're not number two around here." It seemed like Queen Maeve actually kind of was? "You're just the fish guy. Everyone thinks you're a joke. Me, most of all." She rolled her eyes at herself, at how dumb and naïve and willing to believe him she'd been just a few days ago. "I cannot believe I fell for your crap."
The Deep	Well, that all kind of hurt his feelings. Best way to deal with that was to hurt hers back and make her scared of him again. "You stuck-up little -- "
Starlight	Yeah, fuck no? "If you ever touch me again," Starlight interrupted, forceful and loud and now making every light in the vicinity hum with her fury as her eyes illuminated and fixed on The Deep's with unmistakable intent, "I will burn your eyes out." He seemed like a guy who needed small words and slow speech to really get a threat, but she held his gaze for a long, long moment to make sure. "Understand me?" She wouldn't hesitate for a second. Not again.
The Deep	Fuck him, she was serious. The Deep -- okay, he wasn't scared of this, like, barely-legal prissy little problem in front of him, but -- fuck, like, all of the lights were flickering now, and that thing with her eyes wasn't as cute as it had been back in the conference room. He huffed out a breath, taking a step back out of her personal space. There. There you go, bitch. And besides -- there was a van pulling into the parking lot below them, now. "We'll finish this later." He was still fucking in charge, no matter what her powers were. Seniority held true on patrols, still. "You take them from the front. I'll come in from behind." With that, he stepped fully away from her and to the edge of the dock before lifting his arms and diving backwards into the water below. Like a total fucking drama queen, yes, but like he'd said -- this part was what Vought wanted, really.
Starlight	God, what an asshole. Starlight huffed out a breath and then took the stairs down to where she could see the guys with the van unloading...what looked like Homelander dolls? Maybe Kuddle Buddiez, based on the boxes she could see? But at least they were up in their van together, where it was easy to target multiple guys at once. "Hey." She kind of needed their attention, but fortunately she was already fully illuminated and charged up when the smugglers turned to look at her, so she could just blast them right into the wall where they immediately slumped into twin heaps. Two of the goons were headed for the wide double doors, and Starlight was just watching these slumped-over ones to make sure they didn't get back up before she pursued.
The Deep	"Hey, boys." Don't worry - The Deep was standing there on the other side of that door, his hands on his belt (in a way that, frankly, made Starlight a little uncomfortable but she wasn't giving herself time to think about that, right now.) He smiled at the two bad guys as he neatly uppercut one and slapped the other into the water, smiling and making sure it looked like he was having fun.
Ashley	"Hurry up. Move faster." Okay, wait a second -- was that Ashley? Like, her agent Ashley? And a...film crew? "You're amazing. That was so great. That was really good," Ashley fired off rapidly at Starlight, who was -- kind of too stunned to say anything? Or react? "Smile for the cameras."
Starlight	"Wha -- what the hell is this?" Starlight asked, finding her voice as she blinked into a camera lens.
Ashley	"Yeah, stand over him," Ashley directed, pointing to a goon laying on the ground, "and say, 'This is lit.'"
The Deep	"Oh hey, Jimmy." Someone had given The Deep a towel, and he was now giving a thumbs up to the camera man. "Did you catch my dive in the water? It was fucking cherry. Nice." He'd show up well on camera. Always did. Thank you, biceps.
Ashley	"Smile at the camera, Starlight." Ashley was a little firmer about it, now. It wasn't a request.
Starlight	Starlight took a long moment to look over at the waste of space drying himself off before hesitantly smiling with no sincerity at the nearest camera. This...wasn't how it was supposed to go. It wasn't at all.

[taken pretty directly from The Boys 1.02, 'Cherry.' Warning for language, reference to a sexual assault, and threats! NFI, NFB, OOC welcome]