Pursuit [COMPLETE]

[Brainiac Five]

If he was to be frank, he hated these sorts of trips.

Perhaps hate was a stronger word than what was really applicable, but Querl was displeased nonetheless. Of course it would be he and Shikari, out of all available legionnaires, who were sent out as assistance to a Science Police station on Rimbor. Simply because they were having trouble with a vigilante. Eugh. The thought left a bitter taste in Querl's mouth. He didn't honestly have much against vigilantes. Especially after meeting so many in the M2 era. They didn't often pose any sort of real problem. But the United Planets was very strict on laws concerning vigilantism. The Legion had become part of diplomatic relations, and was technically a special response unit. Special, referring to insane galaxy destroying monsters making their way into the heliosphere, and only a team of superpowered or prodigal teenagers from across the United Planets would actually stand a chance. The more one was to think about it, the less sense it made. Regardless, the Legion was no gang of vigilantes. Everyone knew his name, as well as his title. He wasn't any sort of Superman, or Batman. This was really an era where one didn't need to hide any sort of extraordinary power for fear of vivisection. (Great paradigms of Colu, M2 Earth seemed brutal.) So, it did put into question why vigilantism still existed anyways.

Querl pinched the bridge of his nose, other hand on his hip, and a sigh escaping his chest. These were the rambling thoughts of twelve consciences at rest. Not working in a laboratory, as he should be. Perhaps this "mission" would go quickly, and he wouldn't have to deal with much. His anti-mat detonation studies were waiting for him. If it wasn't obvious enough by now, he as well longed for them.

After all, he was a Brainiac. A control freak. In a laboratory, everything is controlled. The probabilities and unexpected upsets that could occur outside of one... Well, Querl favored the former. Massive amounts.

Hopefully Shikari would track the perpetrator in a timely fashion.

"So, what exactly are we dealing with?" Querl murmured, finally ripping his face away from the window of the shuttle he was in with an S.P. officer. It wasn't as if there was much to see in Rimbor, but whatever was out there, was much more interesting than the interior of this contraption. He would go faster via flight ring, and he knew it. After all, Shikari was doing very well flitting about. But, he was going to track this offender with science, not superstition. However well Shikari's powers worked, he still trusted more in cold, hard fact. It was in his nature to do so. "A girl in a mask. The only intel we've got on her is a name, a forensic holo, and a limited power description. Seems she's a meta." Querl took the holo that was handed to him without so much as a nod, turning it on for observation. Plasma. Pink hair, bright colored outfit... How hadn't she been caught yet? She can't possibly be hared to spot, and corner. Her powers didn't seem very impressive either. Simple heat alteration. Or at least, the forensics crew had gathered that much. It seemed as though she had a penchant for melting things with her bare hands.

Hm. Jovial enough.

The shuttle came to an abrupt stop not too long after, with an announcement from the officer that they had come within the expected area where Plasma had been expected to be found. A five mile diameter perimeter. Not too much space. With a small, two fingered gesture, Querl clambered out of the shuttle, and turned on his flight ring, Rising up, and taking off at a decent speed. He supposed scouting would be his most logical course of action, given the current situation. Then, once reasonable traces are found, apply his learnings from the vigilante's file. The sooner he found and apprehended Plasma, the sooner he would get back to Legion World, and his studies.

With that incentive re-instated, Querl wove between buildings, looking down, and scouring whatever groups he saw in the streets below for a match to the holo he had been given.

How hard could it be to find someone with bright pink hair?

[Plasma]

Vibrant blue eyes, almost as vibrant as the flashing neon light next to her, stared playfully across the area from the rooftop of a rather tall building. A pale hand brought a sandwich to a gentle mouth, and the lovely girl began to eat in silence as a party raged in the building below her. She sighed, bored out of her mind.

Tonight was quiet, and if anything, it was these nights she hated most. She took another bite of her sandwich, ripping through it with a tinge of anger in her actions. Sy hated the quiet, since the quiet meant there was nothing for her to do.. And also..

The quiet meant someone was planning something bad.

She stuffed the last bit of her sandwich into her mouth, reaching around for her water bottle to take a sip. In the street below, people filtered in and out of the club. She swung one long leg over the edge, and drifted her gaze up from the ground to the darkening sky.

As the sun set, she backed away from the edge of the building; it just wouldn't do to be spotted by just anyone. She was a vigilante hero, a wanted person by the Science Police. But then again, if the law and Legion would do their jobs, she wouldn't have to do this..

And thing again, it was too fun for her not to!

She giggled at the thought, and as the music started below her, she began to dance on the rooftop with it, her long hair waving in the wind and her body bouncing with the beat. Then she spotted something in the skies, out of the corner of her, pausing her in mid dance. She bounded to the edge of the building, putting a hand above her eyes as she stared out trying to see what she was looking at.

It was a person. Flying.

"Oh crap!" she snarled as she took a complete turn on her toes, and dashed to the other side of the building and leapt into the air. As she fell, she enjoyed the chill that ran down her spine for the brief moment before she took off into the sky. Then she took off at top speed above the buildings, swirling and twisting in the air, glancing over her shoulder to see if the figure was following her.

Either way. She was going to lose him.

She dove into the street, the speed of her flying by leaving leftover newspapers flying behind her. Then she swept into the slums of this section of town, diving in and out of abandoned factories, weaving quickly in and out of the buildings as she attempted to lose her follower.

Finally, she hid away in a building full of leftover crates and swaying pieces of roof lining hanging from the ceiling like huge curtains. She slipped behind one of the crates that had a piece of lining laying across it, providing a dark place for her to hide. She swallowed hard as she shivered, slightly frightened underneath that piece of lining, her blue eyes fearful.

She couldn't get caught! If they caught her, they could imprison her, since she was basically a criminal to both the Legion and the Science Police. She leaned back, to prop herself on her left hand, but found a metal pole in her grasp. She looked at it and the back out the opening of where she was hid.

If she had to. She'd attack her follower, no questions asked. She couldn't go away. She just couldn't. Just. Could. Not.

[Shikari]

This was not one of their more exciting missions. Then again, their exciting missions usually meant they had to save the United Planets or the universe from destruction, and people usually died, so this was a good thing. And one quite suited for her talents, too!

After gaining an initial description of the girl, a very bright girl (Bright One, she had mentally dubbed her), Shikari had quickly taken flight, flitting around to gaze curiously at the world which they were approaching. She could have flown there, quite easily, but that would have resulted in her not getting a description, and while she could easily find her without a description, if she was in a crowd, maybe, she wouldn’t realize which… The incident at the beginning of her career with the Legion had made her very keen to gather information.

She was fairly certain Green Legion approved of that, as well!

Speaking of which… She let her eyes slide to him, examining the odd holo picture. He was going off on his own, she knew. He wasn’t going to let her lead the way, not at all, even though she could find the girl so easily… Well. She’d show him again. He would see.

So when the shuttle came to an abrupt halt, the Kwai closed her eyes, searching, searching, searching… there! There was the path! Quickly, she extended her wings, letting them keep her aloft as she followed the path quickly, her dress and hair whipping around her in the air (it was unlikely to be a ‘fighting’ mission, after all, not one of any challenge, so her familiar dress was fine) as she flitted… Oh, she was not far, not at all!

The Kwai could sense the path coming to an end, and she narrowed yellow eyes, trying to catch a glimpse of her… They quickly ran over a figure that appeared to be dancing, dismissing it, but… that figure was moving. And the trail was extending. She sped up, her Legion Ring coming up to her mouth as she tracked the trail. “I have found her, Green Legion. I am following the path, and I just saw her.” The path was coming to an end, though, and she hovered, not wanting to land, but the trail was in that building… So she did.

Stepping into the building, each step a careful one, the Kwai followed her trail, stepping into the room where it ended, a room filled with odd boxes. It was in such disrepair… Not somewhere she wanted to be. Yet, she spoke up. “Bright One?” she called in her tinted Interlac, eyes roaming for the girl even as she stepped forward, hoping to avoid a fight. “I do not wish to harm you, Bright One, do come forward.”

It never seemed to work, yet the other was someone who was on the same side as her, so perhaps…?

[Brainiac Five]

Well, apparently she was not that hard to find at all.

"Noted. I've triangulated your flight ring signal, and should be at your location shortly." Was the quick, almost curt response, as Querl spun around backwards, and shot off in the other direction. Of course. Of course Shikari would find the perpetrator before he did. The universe just seemed to will it. Every. Last. Time. Eugh, at the rate it was going, he might just have to leave Shikari's abilities an unsolved enigma...

It took him a good ten minutes before he arrived behind Shikari, giving a bit of a snort as he touched down on the ground. Immediately crossing his arms, and stepping forward with a thud of his boot, to be on par with Shikari. He kept himself in his unusually straight posture, and did try to give off the authoritative vibe that came with being part of the criminal justice system. Slight intimidation seemed favorable in this case, after all. This Plasma girl seemed young, and perhaps could be easily apprehended, and kept off this destructive path. "Plasma. Stand down and come quietly. I do believe a lacking of a skirmish would be beneficial to all parties involved in this." Querl then said after Shikari. His tone being the contrasting cool and mechanical. The unfeeling one. He was now literally the bad cop stereotype.

He stared down Plasma, with the most piercing gaze he could put into his neon green eyes. Almost feeling the need to get behind her, to stop her from escaping in the opposite direction. Then, with Shikari, it couldn't be too hard to track her again if she decided to flee.

It was all a matter of waiting fer her to put her hands in the air under the terms of surrender now, wasn't it. At least that had been an easy assignment.

[Plasma]

Sy stared out from her hiding place at the girl as she flew in, and she admired her strange wings from afar and smiled softly when the other girl called her 'Bright One'. It seemed that she was nice enough.. And she said she didn't wish to harm her, but all the same when she proceeded to crawl out, she did not let go of that metal pole in her hand.

She started to walk forward, but then the green boy landed and set a look upon her that was so similar to those she'd seen before. Science police who didn't keep their promises had this look. Gangster who meant 'well' had this look.

And this look.. Ticked her off.

She narrowed her blue eyes at him, and the metal bar melted in her hand, become a super hot plasma that didn't bother her, but definitely burned a hole in the floor when she let some of the excess melted metal drip from her hand. "I'm not going back with somebody who thinks a haughty attitude is gonna coax me into surrendering. You wear the same look those Science police have when they promise to protect the people of Rimbor from crime. And then you know what they do.. They don't. Its kinda ironic isn't it?"

She paused, and took a second, clearing her head from all the anger she had for the science police. They didn't deserve to have that pinned on them, they hadn't been the source of that issue. She had no right to really be angry with them, but she did have the right to be disappointed in the Legionnaires.

Her blue eyes softened a little and the plasma cooled a little in her hand, and she sighed. "I had hoped that someone would be sent to Rimbor.. But it seems you forgot us." she stated softly, her eyes downcast and the plasma finally dropping from her hand to cool on the floor. "I suppose your gonna lock me up, right? If you do, will you at least send someone to Rimbor.. Please. I don't won't the people who do depend on me to be left without someone, okay?"

[Shikari]

Shikari had to frown at the statement, well, that and the metal melting. She did not have to do that... "Green Legion keeps his promises," she stated, a touch displeased. "Science Police may not, but Green Legion does." She had to speak up in defense of her friend, she could not let her get away with that... No, she did not know, and you could not speak of that if you did not know.

However, she honestly did not doubt that maybe the Science Police were not promise keepers, and that they were not doing their job. Thinking of when they arrived back, when she had first arrived on Earth... No, she did not know if she was being incorrect. There was a chance.

Though... she was confused. They did not send people places, not like that? They did the, er, big jobs, yes? Not things like this, with monitoring people? They were here helping because of her abilities, her powers... Not because this was what they did, not normally. She wished to help, but... It was not what she was to do, and if she stopped to come help here, then she would ignore what she was to do, and would take a job from another and leave her spot empty.

No, they were right, and they were fine.

"We did not forget, Bright One." The Kwai took a few steps forward, carefully reaching out to set a hand on the other girl's shoulder, that is, if she would let her, before glancing back imploringly at her friend. "Can we not make sure that jobs are being performed right by the Science Police, Green Legion?"

Just... a simple inquiry, correct? Perhaps they could do that? Hopefully it would be alright, but if not, well... She could not help.

[Brainiac Five]

Querl instinctively took a step backwards as the steel began to melt in Plasma's hands. Just as the holo had described. Temperature manipulation, that only served to increase kinetic energy, and heat of objects. The metal letting off a burning stench, and leaving soot in the surrounding areas where it dropped to the floor. How quaint.

Though her seething remarks just caused Querl's eyes to narrow. Lips forming into a thin line. Did this girl have a clue what she is talking about? At all? "You watch your tongue. I don't need to put up with snark from someone who has probably never left their planet. Besides, what do you think gives you the authority to make any sort of demand? I don't think you realize what position you are in, here. You've broken a law that has been established for the public's safety by the government and the Science Police. Do I agree with their courses of action all the time? Perhaps, perhaps not. But you can't possibly act like we have any sway over the Science Police as legionnaires. We are a faction of them, not the other way around."

Querl continued to look at her with grit teeth, and an unwavering gaze. Watching as the heat drained from her hands, and the metal solidified again. "We can't promise you anything. Now you can come with us like a smart person, or create an altercation like an incredulous moron. Take your pick."

Eugh. Nothing irritated him more, as a person who knows everything, than people who simply thought they knew everything.

[Plasma]

She smiled up at the girl, her blue eyes twinkling brightly at the hope that maybe something could be done. She really didn't want her people to be left behind with no one to watch over them, to take care of them. However, the green boy shoot her hopes down, stomped on them, and then had the gall to beat her while she was down.

The color drained from her pretty face, and she kept her eyes to the ground, bringing her hands up in front of her face as she scratched at the back of her hand. A reflex she did when she was nervous or upset, and she was a little bit of both. She could either run from them, which she had no doubt they would easily find her in the end, fight them and get her butt kicked, or join them and maybe get to visit Rimbor every once in a while to do some hero work, legally.

She sighed and took a lock of her bright pink hair, petting as she weighed everything one last time. "Alright, I'll go.. But only because your really sweet.." she stated to the girl with a vibrant and cheerful smile, full of promise of fun things to come between them. She was sure they would get along well, and probably have lots to learn from each other.

The green boy on the other hand... She had a feeling he was probably not always like this, but by what she had gotten from him so far.. "If it'd only been you, I definitely wouldn't be coming with you. I don't know if your always like this, but I just hope you don't treat all your new recruits this way. You don't have to be a jerk to get respect and get people to listen, yah know?" she growled at him, crossing her arms. "Well.. Shall we go?"

[Shikari]

Under normal circumstances, such a compliment would have made her smile. However… Green Legion was irritated. He was that way quite a bit, she did have to admit, but he seemed moreso this time… Perhaps she should attempt to do the speaking, instead? Attempt to turn the subject away, or perhaps just… something? What he was saying did make sense, yes, but considering that Green Legion could be… Well, an irritated Green Legion was something she did not feel would be best to put in with the apparently stubborn Bright One.

Perhaps a change of names was in order.

However, before she could speak up and attempt to diffuse it, Bright One spoke, and Shikari… frowned, confused, drawing back her hand and taking a few steps back to Green Legion. There had apparently been quite the miscommunication, if she was saying things such as that… Not something she had expected, certainly, but perhaps she could clear it up? After all, she was quite confused at the moment.

“New recruits?” the Kwai echoed, frowning at the other girl. “We are not recruiting you, Bright One, even if you do come with no fighting. You have broken the law of the Science Police.” And thus they had to track her down. While she did not believe in arresting someone who was acting as Bright One had (that is what they did, correct?), she did believe that it was good that they did not let others run about being heroes as they so chose.

They were inexperienced, and it could be very dangerous, for them and for any people they fought against, and the normal people who were not on either side. No, she agreed with that part.

[Brainiac Five]

Recruit!? What!? Was this girl mentally handicapped in some form? There was no rational way she could have deduced that they were recruiting her for the Legion. She had Science Police after her! She had earlier noted that she was "Gonna be locked up, right?" How could she have possibly... How... Querl lifted his hand and pinched the bridge of his nose. Eyes squeezing themselves shut at a drawn out sigh.

"No. You have broken an established law. It is illegal to be a vigilante in this era. The U.P. takes a very dim view of those with metahuman abilities misusing them. You obviously have extranormal abilities, and perhaps if you had chosen a different path in life, you could be among our ranks. But as it stands, you are a criminal. And on that note, you are wanted by the Science Police." Querl then walked around behind her, fists balled and held at his sides. He could hold her in a forcefield construct if she tried anything, and it wasn't as if those could possibly be melted at all.

He reached into his belt and pulled out his omnicom not a second later, tuning into the Rimborian Science Police frequency. "This is Brainiac Five. Shikari and I have apprehended the target and coordinates have been sent. Rendez vous at our current location." He flipped the omnicom closed, and gave another, cold glare at the vigilante. This expedition really had been nothing a waste of time, hadn't it? Next time, he was insisting that Star Boy take his place.

[Plasma]

She sighed and thought of her options, the few options she still had. She could use her lesser known power, and hold them still so she could escape, and be found yet again and given an even greater charge for running. Or... She could just go with them, and suffer her punishment like a good girl.

She sighed as the green one walked behind her and called the science police in. It seemed that she'd just be the good girl and go with them. She ran a hand through her vibrant hair, refusing to look either of them in the eye.

At the moment, she wanted to keep her pride, and not have to endure their looks. She frowned when Science Police came and clapped a pair of cuffs on her wrists, leading her away like she was a common criminal. For some reason, it all felt wrong.. But if this was the way that they wanted to take care of the people.. Then fine.

She'd go along with these people, do as she was told, and she wouldn't speak unless spoken to.

Later that afternoon, looking up at the ceiling in her cell, Sy resolved that as soon as she got out of here, she was going to try out for a cadet position with the Legionnaires. The night in her cell was cold, but not as cold as sleeping in her little place on the streets. She briefly wondered about those two Legionnaires before she drifted off into sleep.

Maybe she'd see them again..

(Exit Plasma)