Baltimore | Thursday Night

[defenderofdesmoines]

So far, Starlight's first patrol in Baltimore was a raging success compared to her first patrol in Fandom!

After a fair amount of waffling, she had ultimately decided to try her luck across the causeway rather than attempt another dimension. Not that she had any lack of faith in Portalocity or Summer's directions on how to use it - it just didn't seem like the kind of thing one tried for the first time without...you know, witnesses. Maybe a buddy. Like skydiving.

However, Starlight knew she was taking a risk by heading to a city that didn't normally have heroes. Discretion had been the name of the game, and she'd done pretty well so far. She'd managed to stop a guy who was tailing some other costumed girls coming home from a Halloween party by blending in with them for a couple blocks, and by the time the guy caught up, the pack of girls had drunkenly stumbled ahead, and all that had been waiting for him was a very unamused, very sober Starlight.

She'd left the creepy guy's creepy, unconscious body amidst some trash (where he belonged!) before calling in an anonymous tip to the BPD. With that accomplished, Starlight retreated into a dark alley and reached up to yank down the ladder of a fire escape. Creaky and rusty, yes, but if she could work her way up on top of a building, she'd be able to see for several blocks and would minimize the risk of someone spotting her before she was ready.

[expecting one!]

Comments

[knife_bender]

"I can generally make them go wherever I want them to," Diego said. "But it should have just done more than rip your clothes--sorry about that, by the way."

[defenderofdesmoines]

"Pfft." Starlight waved a hand at that. "I have a few of these, no worries."

She grabbed another of his knives off the ground, pushed up her sleeve, and stabbed the blade at her forearm in a fairly alarming way. It bounced off her skin harmlessly, albeit with much less force than when Diego had thrown it. "It's not you, it's me," she added, offering him the knife after her demonstration. "But that's really cool. Just knives, or anything you throw?"

[knife_bender]

"...wow." Now he was really jealous of her powers. He took the knife back, storing it in one of his many pockets. "It's pretty much anything I want, but knives were what I was trained with so I'm most comfortable with those."

Little did he know he'd get more powerful if he got his head out of his ass and hung out with his siblings but noooo can't have that.

[defenderofdesmoines]

"Did you train with a professional knife-thrower or something?" Starlight asked, only half-teasing. "Man, I just took taekwondo lessons when I was little."

[knife_bender]

"My dad was very serious about all of us cultivating our skills." Yeah that was a nice way to phrase it.

[defenderofdesmoines]

"Sounds like my mom." Not really. Her mom was awful in a different way. "Are hero pageants a thing where you're from?" Starlight checked. It didn't sound like they were from the same world - she was pretty sure she'd remember a family of Supes who wore school uniforms - but maybe there was still some overlap. "Because with that kind of attitude, you guys would've swept."

Or at least any sisters he had would have, since Starlight wasn't sure if she'd ever seen a Little Mister Hero pageant advertised (though they should! Boys can do pageants too!)

[knife_bender]

"What the hell is a hero pageant?" Diego asked.

[defenderofdesmoines]

Well, that answered that.

"Like a regular pageant, like Toddlers and Tiaras or whatever, but you show off your powers, too," Starlight said, shrugging. "It's a good way to get your name out there when you're young. Most of us don't get offered actual gigs until we're teenagers."

[knife_bender]

That sounded absolutely insane. But he had no doubt if Sir Reginald had known about it, he would have absolutely submitted the Umbrella Academy.

"Yeah, no, we don't have that where I'm from," he said. "It's basically just me and my siblings."

[defenderofdesmoines]

"That sounds...." Starlight hesitated before landing on a word. "Lonely. There's no other Supes at all?"

[knife_bender]

"Never met any until I moved to Fandom," he said with a shrug. "But I have six siblings so it's not that lonely."

[defenderofdesmoines]

"Your parents adopted seven kids with powers?" Starlight leaned against the very wall she'd been pinning him to, because she needed to settle in and get completely the wrong impression for a second, here. "Wow. They must have really big hearts."

[knife_bender]

Yeah Diego's brain broke a little at that. Did his dad even have a heart?

"Something like..." He trailed off and shook his head. "Sorry, I was gonna lie to not be weird, but I can't do it. No, my dad is an asshole. I think he just wanted a collection of special kids."

[defenderofdesmoines]

"Shit, Diego, I'm sorry." Starlight's little smile melted right off her face, and she reached over touch his arm lightly. "That's...really messed up."

And in an effort to make him feel like it wasn't weird, she cast around for a distraction. "Hey, wanna climb up that fire escape with me?"

He could totally still talk about his dad - and honestly, she'd probably ask more questions - but she wanted to give him an out.

[knife_bender]

Diego's relief was probably palpable. He certainly didn't mind telling people his dad was an asshole but he had trouble going any deeper than that. It got too complicated. Dad was bad. Vanya was bad. That was where he liked to stay.

"Yeah," he said, shoulders relaxing. "Yeah that would be good."

[defenderofdesmoines]

And considering Starlight had father-related angst of her own (though it was kind of...opposite), she was pretty happy to let that lie for now, or else it was going to turn into Dark Alleyway Therapy over here.

"So," she said, smiling over at him as she crossed over to said fire escape, "I was trying to pull this ladder down when you interrupted, but it's pretty rusty. I could boost you up to the scaffold if you think you can pull me up after?"

[knife_bender]

"Uh sure." Wasn't exactly what he was used to but he had to admit it was pretty cool to see someone who looked like Annie use her strength. "No fat jokes if you can't lift me."

[defenderofdesmoines]

She snorted, lacing her fingers together to make a step for him and taking a knee. "Diego, I could bench-press you."

And she wasn't even considered especially strong for a hero in her world, honestly.

[knife_bender]

"Now you're just flirting with me," Diego teased. He stepped into An-Starlight's (he had to get used to codenames again) hand and boosted himself up to grab the fire escape.

[defenderofdesmoines]

Starlight was very grateful it was dark (and that her bioluminescence wasn't triggered by embarrassment) as she stood and helped him up. "Normally guys I beat up don't accuse me of flirting with them," she observed lightly, smiling up at him.

(Flirtatiously, yes, fine.)

[knife_bender]

"Are most guys you beat up still conscious when you're done with them?" Diego asked. He took a hold of the railing and reached down for Starlight with his other hand.

He didn't have super strength but he did work out enough that he was fairly confident he could pull someone as skinny as her up with little trouble.

[defenderofdesmoines]

"Fair point," she acknowledged, reaching up to take his hand with both of hers. And yeah, she was a lot of strength in a fairly small, unmuscled package, so she didn't think he'd have too tough a time. "No fat jokes for me either, please."

She got enough of that from her mom, but again - leaving the angst here in the alley.

[knife_bender]

"I would never," he promised, pulling her up. "I'd claim to be a gentleman but I punched you earlier, so..."

[defenderofdesmoines]

"I did hit you first," Starlight pointed out. "It's only fair - no, it's feminist that you hit me back." A pause as she got her bearings, and she added, "I still kinda feel bad. You sure you're okay?" Because he was probably going to hurt tomorrow, and she would continue feeling just fine.

[knife_bender]

Oh Diego wasn't going to be able to move tomorrow.

"Totally fine," he assured her. "One of my brothers has super strength, I've been hit like that before."