When last we left our story, the nominal villain of the day, Adam Mustain, aka Skidmark, had just been introduced to a directed overpressure wave by our titular heroine. Finding himself about to experience a practical demonstration of potential energy transforming into kinetic energy – via impacting the readily available pavement beneath him – in desperation, he applied his power to himself multiple times, the colors going from pale blue to a purple so dark it was almost black. On the first impact, he struck the road. Instead of the pavement (and the planet it was attached to) being deflected, he found himself being shot off in a random direction, sailing out over the bay in a classic ballistic arc.
We now rejoin our story in progress...
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"Aaaaaaaaaaah!" Skidmark had reached the top of his arc, nearly a mile up over the bay, and was beginning to succumb to gravity again. Beneath him, he could see the surface of Brockton Bay's titular water feature, and that it was now starting to get closer. He reinforced his multiple layers of fields around him, most of which had popped after saving his ass from becoming a literal skidmark on the pavement of Lord's Street.
His momentum was picking up, and it looked like he was going to miss the PRT's base, instead hitting the water. He soon reached terminal velocity, and the water was filling the entirety of his field of vision. Suddenly he skipped off a wave, his fields re-directing his kinetic energy, and he was now coming in low, straight at The Rig and the blasted forcefield was up.
His time slowed to a crawl as his field contacted the Rig's forcefield…
Which stretched like rubber, slowing him down. Then, with a clearly audible >BOING!<, it shot him back out as it returned to its normal hemispherical shape. He skipped off the water again, seeming to pick up speed, and found himself aimed at the tallest building in the city. He was hoping he'd miss.
- - - - - - - - - - - -
Max Anders was currently enjoying a slow day in his office. He was discussing various things with his lieutenants, possibly even giving them the rest of the day off. Except for Brad, who was currently causing trouble while trying to deal with the Undersiders, who had accidentally led a group of the BBPD's finest into one of his dog fighting rings, which had led to multiple arrests and confiscations.
The casual meeting was interrupted by a dull thud, following a squeal of something being pushed along the glass that was exhibiting a good deal of friction. As a whole, the assembled group got to watch Skidmark be forcefully pushed along the windows for about ten feet, before the glow around him flared and he shot off in another direction.
"Victor?"
"Yes Max?"
"Where in the world is it after 5pm?"
"Ironically, it's after 5pm local time in Berlin."
"Good," Max said, standing up. "Bar's open, people. There's no way I can deal with what just happened without some alcohol."
There were nods of agreement around the room. Victor called down to the cafeteria and had them bring a couple carts of food up as well. Might as well serve lunch, too.
- - - - - - - - - - - -
Skidmark, now having ricocheted or bounced off of three other buildings of large size, was wondering where he was going to end up. At some point he'd have to run out of forward momentum, so he'd come to a stop. By now, he had a bored expression on his face, and wasn't even looking at where he was headed until it was far too late to do anything. Not that he
could do anything but add or remove his kinetic fields while he was airborne.
He hit the glass of the PRT building's fourteenth floor. Briefly, he stayed put on the glass, and then slowly started sliding down the front of the building with the squeaking / squealing sound of skin being rubbed against glass.
- - - - - - - - - - - -
Emily Piggot was having a rare, enjoyable Saturday. There had been no parahuman shenanigans in the last couple of days, just the gangs having a squabble amongst themselves. Her people made sure that the fighting stayed away from groups of civilians, and kept the violence from spreading too far.
Right now, it was Hookwolf chasing after the Undersiders, something that was sure to be posted to PHO afterwords, if only to share the antics of Hookwolf (despite being one of the most dangerous capes on the East Coast) and his minions as they were routinely humiliated by the minor villains / rogues. One of the smaller gang's members, who was the only one of them to have a charge of manslaughter on their record, had a beef to pick with Hookwolf and his dog fighting rings, so this wasn't a new occurrence.
Right now, about half the Protectorate was out chasing after Hookwolf, with PRT support to keep the violence contained. She sincerely doubted they'd be able to corral the villain, but at the very least they should be able to keep things from getting too out of hand.
Her ruminations just prior to lunch were interrupted by something striking the half inch thick tempered glass panes fronting her office and giving her an expansive view of the city below. She got a view of a parahuman, surrounded by flickering purple fields, dressed in dirty clothes. His face was smashed sideways into the glass, and teeth showing the abuse of a lifetime of methamphetamine use were clearly visible.
She raised an eyebrow as Skidmark finally noticed whose window he was beginning to slide down. Walking over to the window, she watched as he slowly made his way down the front of the building. Shaking her head, she picked up her phone. "Can we get a squad and whichever Protectorate member is on duty here down to the cafeteria's deck? Skidmark has somehow hit the building, and is currently sliding down the facade."
She listened to the duty officer's response. "Thank you," she told the man, before disconnecting her call. Walking back to her desk, she wondered how soon the footage would be on PHO. Curious, she sat down and opened the window for the forum. Browsing the local boards, she soon found the new thread, and began watching the first of several videos.
To her own surprise, Emily Piggot began
laughing.
When Mike Renick went to ask her something, he had her put into master / stranger holding because she was still laughing.
- - - - - - - - - - - -
The last of his fields finally gave out about two floors from the PRT building's cafeteria's deck. Skidmark found himself peeling off the building, flailing in freefall... right up to the point where he hit a mound of containment foam. With a wet plunk, he vanished into the hardening foam, saved from a forceful impact with the furniture and concrete of the deck. Not as fatal as a fall from the fourteenth floor would have been, but he would have suffered serious injuries from the impact.
"Ma'am," radioed Triumph, "we got him. What are the charges?"
Deputy Director Renick answered. "She's not here. Assault and battery, defacing public property, public intoxication, and failure to affix a tax stamp," he said. "He's to be held pending seeing a magistrate about bail for that."
"Yes Sir," Triumph answered, then closed his phone. "OK, let's clean this mess up and bag our perp!" he called out to his squad. In a few minutes, Skidmark was freed from his foamy prison and was promptly zip cuffed, gagged, Mirandized, and being led to prisoner processing.
The first order of business there was hosing him down so he didn't present a sanitation hazard to the rest of the prisoners. Not because he was a mess from the confoam and solvent. That was an improvement over Skidmark's normal condition.
Someone on PHO speculated about Skidmark getting deliberately captured for a free bath.
= = = = = = = = = = = =
Taylor watched from street level, her helmeted head tracking Skidmark imitating a rather erratic pinball showing a complete disregard for the laws of physics as he bounced back and forth off various landmarks. She winced as he skidded across the glass of the Medhall tower's uppermost floor before being launched across the city again. When he finally faceplanted into the PRT building, she only sighed and shook her head.
Meanwhile, from her spot up on the roof with her sister, Glory Girl was laughing her ass off, rolling around in the air. Even Panacea was laughing out loud as the wannabe drug kingpin did his pinball imitation, somehow out of desperation using his powers to keep himself alive... something he'd probably never thought of before that point, as this was the first time he'd been reported as getting airborne instead of just "high".
"That… was... awesome!" Vicky enthused from her position on the rooftop.
"I could have done without that," Taylor grumbled from the street level.
Vicky and her sister returned to the ground and Juggernaut's side. "I really needed that," Amy managed to say, still short of breath. "How badly do you think he's hurt? Not that I'd heal him. Known villain, got apprehended commiting a crime, etc."
"Ames, we've all discussed this: Skidmark's only part human. The other part is a cockroach, as he's damned hard to hurt, let alone kill." Vicky shook her head. "He's taken punches from me that I know have broken bones, yet the man crawls out from under a rock, pretty much whole and unhurt."
"Hey, you in the red!"
Taylor took a look at who was coming up the street. "If this day couldn't get any worse." At the head of a couple of dozen skinheads was a bare chested man wearing a steel wolf mask and Nazi tattoos on his arms. "What do you want?" she asked.
"I'd like a word with you girl," Hookwolf stated. "The Empire's always looking for strong fighters. Could use someone like you."
"What if I say no?" Taylor shot back.
"Ain't gonna take no for an answer, girl."
"The names Juggernaut, Stabbypuppy," Taylor answered. "Vicky, get your sister out of here."
"Right," Vicky said before grabbing Amy and flying down the street, the latter complaining that she wanted to watch.
"The last fucking moron to call me that's dead, Juggy," Hookwolf snarled. "Are you looking to join them?"
"Nope. My goal is to get home," Juggernaut clearly stated. "You're in my way. You can get out of my way or get moved." She assumed a neutral stance, ready to attack or defend.
"Cap that bitch," Hookwolf ordered. His men brought their guns up, and fired off a ragged volley. Unlike Skidmark's minions, these guys had actually spent time on a firing range, and thus managed to consistently hit their target. Only to watch every single bullet fall to the ground flattened into lead and copper disks.
Hookwolf cut them off after the second volley. "Well, bitch, we get to do this the fun way." He triggered the first stage of his transformation, looking like his muscles were encased in metal, with claws, hooks and spear points forming on his hands. With a roar, he charged forward, his form shifting further into the metal wolf that was known and feared by most of Brockton Bay.
Juggernaut's response was to take a step forward towards Hookwolf. She took three steps before he'd charged into her, doing absolutely nothing except bouncing off a couple of inches. She easily picked him up by the scruff of his bladed neck and threw him back towards his men.
With alarming speed, he regained his footing and leapt at her again.
Taylor decided that Glory Girl's solution to problems was the optimal one in this case. He couldn't get out of the way in time to avoid getting punched, so she let him have it in the form of an uppercut.
Hookwolf watched as the massive fist closed with alarming speed. He tried to twist his body so the blow wouldn't be a direct hit, but hadn't counted on the sheer force of the punch.
WHAM!
With Hookwolf now in vertical ascent, Taylor looked at the skinheads. She took one step towards them.
They left the scene with alacrity, most throwing down weapons.
As the people started poking their heads out of cover, a PRT van finally showed up. Per the usual, Assault was the one sent to meet her. "Well, looks like you've been really busy," he commented. "Need some help cleaning up? And do you know where Hookwolf wound up? I might have to fine you for littering and improper disposal of a Nazi."
Off in the distance, they saw the impact of the villain into the top floors of the Medhall building. For some reason Assault found this hilarious.