Chapter 13: Help From A Hero
Once again, the three find themselves at a tavern table. Henry has his chin resting in his palm. Jace yawns and rubs his eye with his left arm, before making it more agitated and quickly switches to his right arm. Luke sighs and looks up at the TV. A retro true crime show is on. It's probably episode 1273 that's on its 800th rerun.
Luke: "Good job, 'Pitied Party."
Jace: "Why now? It was cool in the moment."
Henry: "No, it wasn't."
Jace: "Then I'm no longer decision maker!"
Luke: "Oh, finally!"
Jace: "Ever since Henry joined, you have been a total asshole."
Luke: "I could've saved myself a concussion and a rib fracture if he had never joined."
Jace: "A selfish one too-"
Luke: "I'm done."
Luke stands up and walks out the tavern's front doors. Jace tries to catch up, but he seemingly disappears into the Bluestone streets.
Henry: "Leave him. Hopefully he's just pissed off and will come back later."
Jace clenches his fist.
Jace: "Yeah, hopefully."
Suddenly, the TV switches to a breaking news broadcast. It's an on-street interview with a woman. She pushes up her aviators and blows her hair out of her right eye, but it slides back anyways.
???: "Oh, this is just another day for me. I just like beating up bad people."
The interviewer asks if she'd consider herself a superhero.
???: "Me? Eh, I don't really do it for publicity or symbolism. I'm just a girl with a heavy fist."
Both parties chuckle before the main question is asked: Have you heard about the break in at the Great Hall last night?
???: "I didn't think anyone around here had both the confidence and stupidity to commit such a crime, but I was wrong. They're still currently on the run with no visual leads. I'm looking for them, but it's been less than 24 hours.
Jace whips his head around towards the TV, overhearing the discussion about his 'incredible' plan.
Jace: "No visual leads, huh?"
Henry: "Now what are you planning?"
Jace: "She's tough, there's no doubt about that. Do you think with some persuasion she can understand our side and possibly even join us?"
Henry: "That is someone that wants both you and I dead right now, just like a large portion of this town."
Jace: "She's currently on the news. If she was a killer, there would be no incentive to film this as the feeling of hope the broadcast is providing would just be for nothing."
Henry: "No, I think they'd do something like that too."
The two on TV wrap up their segment, with the woman giving one last message.
???: "Every night, I watch this town to the best of my ability. I plan on finding those three that broke into the Great Hall and whooping their asses!"
The broadcast returns back to the true crime show. It's now on episode 1274...maybe.
Henry: "Hear that? That's the first time a woman's ever wanted to chase you down."
Jace: "Look who's talking. Ready for the plan?"
Henry: "Yeah, what the hell are you planning after last night's charade?"
Jace: "We're gonna send a large enough calling card that she won't be able to miss."
Henry: "Uh huhhh, how?"
Jace: "I'm burning down a house."
Henry: "Nooooo."
Jace: "Yesss, I can just extinguish it with the ice from my arm."
Henry: "You're over-estimating your abilities. Ice alone can't cool off an entire burning building."
Jace: "Wanna find out later tonight?"
Henry: "...Yeah."
Jace: "Aww, I knew you couldn't resist. See you at sundown?"
Henry: "Yeah..."
Time passes and the darkness of space engulfs the sky. Bugs chirp and lights buzz. Jace finds himself back close to home. His neighborhood, which he knew like the back of his hand growing up, is trashed. It's empty and desolated, it looks like that's been the standard for years now. He chokes on his spit for a second before exhaling, he doesn't want to be here longer than he has to be. Henry walks up behind him, trying to find the location based off of Jace's loose directions.
Henry: "So, what part of Bluestone is this?"
Jace: "South, near the coast. There's a large forest if you travel along it away from the town. I would go there sometimes as a kid, skipping rocks and playing swordsman. As you can see though, this part of town itself isn't much anymore."
Henry: "The hell happened?"
Jace: "I'm not sure. I ran away after my dad died and I was given his arm for some reason. I would sleep anywhere until I was eventually shooed away. That's not important though, I have a calling card to make."
Henry: "I'll give it to ya, finding a vacant area like this to start a house fire isn't the worst idea. I thought it was gonna be right outside the tavern."
Jace: "I'm bold, but I'm not an idiot. Wanna find gasoline to really make this bad?"
Henry: "Debatable. I'll go look around."
Henry returns with a red canister of gasoline. He pours an outline around a small house that Jace picked out. They share a thumbs-up before he tosses the rest of the canister inside a window.
Henry: "And you're positive this won't immediately combust the house?"
Jace: "Nah."
Jace switches into burn and flicks an ember towards the house. It lands right on Henry's gasoline trail and ignites the outline before creeping up the house. He smiles at Henry before rushing and tackling through the front door.
Henry: "Are you fucking insane?!"
Jace: "Now that's debatable!"
Jace wanders inside, observing the flames swallow and disintegrate his surroundings. He finds the largest room and awaits his 'hero' so they can have a climatic battle. Outside with Henry, he can only watch in awe at the recklessness Jace is displaying. Suddenly, a loud thud is heard behind him. Loud clunks from heavy boots approach him and the building.
???: "Why is there a house on fire?"
Henry turns around. It's the woman from the news. Her eyes are hardly visible from the fire reflecting from her aviators, but they're glowing the same way his and the others who have abilities glow. She folds her arms and tilts her head.
Henry: "My idiot friend thought the best way to get your attention was to do that. He's in there if you'd like to chat with him."
???: "Does he have a death-wish?"
Henry: "Since you actually showed up, he does now."
???: "I'll be back."
She brings her arms back down to her side and clenches her fists. She stomps into the building and doesn't hesitate to travel further to find this culprit.
Henry: "Go get 'em, tiger."
Jace continues to look around as he paces the room. He fiddles with his left arm and stretches out his legs. Soon, he hears footsteps approach the room. It's her and she's not happy. She stomps onto a pile of burnt rubble and leans her body onto her leg.
???: "What's your problem?"
Jace turns around and smiles. The calling card worked!
Jace: "Lotta things, but I have a particular problem that you could help me with."
???: "I'm not doing shit for you. Why is this house on fire?"
Jace: "I wanted to give you a warm welcome."
???: "Smart-ass answer, next question. Who are you?"
Jace: "The same guy that broke into the Great Hall last night."
???: "Don't play with me. You're my age, you couldn't have done anything that impressive."
Jace: "Why do you think Breakdown left with a burnt pocket-hole on his suit?"
???: "So, what are you? Some kind of dumbass arsonist?
Jace: "Not quite, I can do other things. I want to avenge my father for his death and Breakdown is the closest lead I have."
???: "You thought breaking into an event he was hosting to get the answers there was your best move?"
Jace: "Yup! Me, Luke, and Henry out there all teamed up to beat some answers out of him."
???: "You three are crazy, now put out this fire!"
Jace: "Not until I know your name and if you wanna help us."
???: "Why should I give you my name, creep? I'm not joining your stupid pity party."
Jace: "(Pitied Party is back in the running!) Then I'm not putting the fire out."
Jace: "(Why does this keep happening to me?)"
???: "Then I'll stomp your head in and do it myself!
The almost instant gut-punch knocks the wind out of Jace, leaving him unable to speak. He looks down and notices a magenta crystal formation around the woman's knuckles.
???: "I'm making sure you fix this!"
The force of the punch sends Jace hurtling into the wall behind him. His impact makes the fire disperse from the area before the woman walks up to him. She blows the crystals like dust off her knuckles and grins.
???: "I really hope this doesn't knock you out."
Outside, Henry hears another set of footsteps approach.
Luke: "Why is there a house on fire?"
Henry: "Why are you here?"
Luke: "Don't sound so excited to see me."
Henry: "Jace is currently inside that burning building talking with the woman-superhero that was on the news today."
Luke: "He's not going to stop anytime soon, isn't he?"
Henry: "Nope. Is this your sad way of wanting an invitation back?"
Luke: "Yeah..."
Henry: "That's not for me to decide. Take it up with the boss when he's out.
Suddenly, a massive hole is created in the home as Jace is sent flying out and tumbling onto the dirt trail next to Henry and Luke.
Henry: "He's out."
Luke: "Hey Jace, I'm sor-"
Jace: "No time for that! She's coming..."
The woman lifts her head out of the same hole and walks back outside with the now identifiable trio.
???: "Oh, shit. He was telling the truth."
Henry: "Whaddya mean?"
???: "You three really are the idiots that tried to take on Breakdown!"
Henry: "I could've told you that one."
Luke: "Why do you wanna know?"
???: "I'm...actually kinda amazed by that stunt. Maybe even a little jealous..."
Henry: Then why'd you go inside and rightfully beat up Jace?"
Jace: "Rightfully?"
???: "The house! You still need to put out the house!"
Jace: "Maybe if you didn't punch me so hard, I could already be standing and helping."
???: "Nah, I meant it.~"
Jace struggles to his feet and switches his arm into freeze. He shoots a blast of ice and snow towards the building, but it evaporates just as it did with Ren.
Henry: "I told you! Didn't I tell him?"
Luke: "I just got here."
???: "Stop screwin' around, numb-nuts!"
Jace: "(Okay, brain-time. I need to find a way to extinguish this and fast.)"
Jace lowers his stance and begins darting his eyes around. He examines every house for a possible solution. His eyes land on a fire hydrant and he grins before making a sprint towards it.
???: "Don't you fucking run from us!"
Luke: "He does this often. He's coming back."
Jace reaches the hydrant and panics. He doesn't have a hose and melting or freezing the hydrant wouldn't help so he resorts to the ultimate technique: Percussive Maintenance. He punches the hydrant as hard as he can, leaving a large dent in it. Instead of the hydrant spraying water, it remains contained. Jace sighs in frustration before hearing a drip of water hit the ground. He looks around before down at his arm. The light has changed to a dark blue hue with condensation forming around his forearm.
Jace: "Is that how this works?"
???: "I'm going to punch you even harder if you don't get back here right now!"
Henry: "She's giving you a run for you money, Luke."
Luke: "Shut it."
Jace returns and leaps onto his side. He aims his arm and shoots a stream of pressurized water at the building. He lands on his shoulder and rolls forward, before firing another blast of water at the house and circling the rest of the area.
???: "He can do that?"
Luke: "It still surprises me."
Within a large mist and loud sizzling, Jace emerges and wipes his forehead.
Jace: "Done!"
Henry and Luke give a thumbs-up, the woman leans forward and holds her arms out.
???: "What the hell was that?!"
Jace: "My arm that has a new ability. I can shoot water now, guys!"
Henry: "I'm so proud of you! Can we go home yet?"
Jace: "I have one more matter of business."
Jace points at the woman, she preemptively flinches.
???: "Don't point that thing at me!"
Jace: "Then join us."
???: "Ugh, fine."
Luke: "What?!"
???: "You three may be some of the stupidest motherfuckers I Have ever met, but taking on Breakdown is pretty awesome."
Henry: "Welcome aboard, we still don't know your name."
Ana: "Ana, not short for Annabelle."
Henry: "I wasn't guessing. Do you have somewhere to stay?"
Ana: "No, I usually find rooftops to sleep on. You'd be surprised how often you'll go unnoticed."
Luke: "She can't come with us. All we have to our name is a white, brick room with two beds."
Jace: "I could ask the owner if Ana can get her own separate room."
Ana: "Ooooh, I haven't had a room to myself in years. The privacy sounds amazing."
Luke: "I still have my bed, right?"
Henry: "I should've claimed your bed! Goddammit! I'm on the floor again!"
Jace: "Alright, let's go home. I guess we have a large day ahead of us now that we have a fourth member."
Henry: "Does that mean we're no longer the Trio De Dumbass?"
Ana explodes into laughter.
Jace: "Yup! Back to Pitied Party!"
Ana: "You're actually gonna yourselves that? I was bashing you."
Luke: "He won't let the name go. He really likes it."
Henry: "He's not winning though, I hate it."
Ana: "How about Quartet of Chaos?"
Henry: "You're gonna fit right in."
Jace: "Where's the alliteration?"
Ana: "Up your ass, now let's go home."
Henry and Luke join Ana's laughing fit and the four begin their walk back to the tavern. once there, the owner tells the crew that they vacated a room and furnished it into an apartment for them to use. It's a thank you that Ana celebrates over. There's two bedrooms and a hallway that leads to a massive living room. Large windows cover an entire wall, letting them see for miles. Ana immediately claims a bedroom while the other three play rock-paper-scissors to determine the winner. They all play scissors and groan in frustration. They vow to play at a later time, but for now they just sleep in the living room.
