Jump-In Superhero Rp

//Ayo! Hope you don't mind my sliding in with an old starter? If so, I don't mind tweaking it!

-/-/-

The city of Deltora hadn't previously been known for a high crime rate- just about as much as one would expect for a decently sized city on the upper eastern side of America- or so it was said. The change came gradually, as more mutants began showing up on the news and internet, for better or worse, and it remains dubious on whether or not many of them chose to be in the public eye. Regardless, Deltora has garnered a reputation for having one of the highest known mutant populations in America. For better or worse. More often for worse, as many who were ostracized turned to a life of crime out of spite. In a rather backwards turn of events, the rise of 'super'villains heralded the belated arrival of 'super'heroes. The public remains split on how exactly to feel about this, as many ordinary humans believe their city was doing 'just fine' without catastrophic violence interrupting their day.

And on one particularly brisk morning, they gathered in the parking lot of a recently ravaged McDonalds to make their feelings known.

"Go back to whatever test tube you wriggled out of!"

"We don't need you!"

"You're the reason they're here in the first place!"

Pryderi doesn't bother acknowledging the abuse being hurled at his back, breath escaping clenched teeth with a hiss of steam as he slowly rises from the crouch he'd landed in. His mismatched eyes flare citrine and sapphire, focused with almost laser-like intensity on the grinning figure perched atop the scorched 'M' sign. He isn't here to make nice or assuage the idiot crowd- he's here to wipe that irradiated stain off the face of the planet. Unfortunately, his lacking any kind of backup restricts his movements- the angry mob insist on staying to air their complaints and record the fight, making them particularly infuriating sitting ducks. And his opponent is only too happy to exploit the fact; he can sense others boxing them in. This is perhaps the first time Pryderi can appreciate Belle's assertion that teamwork is a necessity.

Especially when Baphos has his own cronies waiting in the wings- Pryderi's frustrated snarl mists before his face as he pivots to wave a hand toward the crowd, freezing the air just before a manhole cover crashes into them. The distance makes his ice weak, and it showers them with hail while the manhole cover bounces in the opposite direction to embed itself in a crumbling wall. Police sirens wail in the distance and Pryderi shifts with the restless desire to do something- but they're in a standoff and the villains have the upper hand.

Baphos' lips curl into a cat-like smile, luminous eyes reflecting his mirth as he leans forward to rest an arm on his knee, head tilted with mock curiosity. "Your move, Pneumonia~"

(Hey guys, sorry for disappearing, I was drawing a costume for Ruby Racer, I’ll get replies up soon!)

(And you can totally join with a villain, tigercry )

Totally okay!
See, since it’s a jump in, I’m kinda like “go, be free”
Because like, there’s really no limits in a superhero/villain type world, and so long as everyone is respectful of each other, have fun!)

And here’s the costume:

//Great, thanks! ^^"

//aish I really love their costume! Do the button-things work? And what kind of things are in the utility belt? Just curious~

//Oh, tigercry, Baphos has connections to chemical scientists as well! Maybe they could know each other or be partners~?

//Sorry, I've been really busy over the weekend! I'll try to have my reply up soon ^^"

//aaa that all sounds awesome! You really put thought into it~ is she a new character?
And gotcha!

//I like how it sounds like Deltora is the Gotham to Starbury's Metropolis lol

/ - / - /

Pryderi had been edging toward the crowd in an attempt to find a better defensive position, gaze sweeping his surroundings for inspiration and a suitable distraction. Not that Baphos would fall for one, but the idiots behind him could use something else to scream over. Something nonlethal...unfortunately. He hasn't been a 'hero' for long and had never been one for the cartoons and comics that usually came with the concept, a fact that he almost regrets, irritatingly enough. There seems to be a general idea on how a 'hero' would act and solve problems but without concrete reference, Pryderi is still puzzling it out. According to an inconsequential number of people; he isn't exactly 'the easiest to get along with' and this somehow translates into 'easy to hate' in certain circles...But then again 'certain circles' had all previously been afflicted with elemental property damage...In the meantime, he's forced to think on his feet with a raucous anti-fan club hounding his steps. He needs to calm them. Or scare them away?

Charred leather creaks as he flexes his right hand, keenly aware of the fact that Baphos is allowing him time to think. A mere minute has passed since the latest random attack yet he feels every second trip by on an almost tangible level. A slow, even breath as his gaze bounces from a souped up Ford to the nearby McDonald's sign and back again. One minute is bleeding into the next, he doesn't have time to measure distance or calculate the possibility of a hit- Flames burst from his right hand, propelling him forward in a flash of gold. Palm turned away from his body, Pryderi spins into a roundhouse that sends the gaudy truck into the sign in yet another shower of flames. He keeps his arm outstretched, forming a fist in an effort to keep them contained. 'Too much damn-' There's a screech as wiring is ripped from the ground- a mere heartbeat before both truck and signpost explode- Pryderi twists in mid-air, left palm facing outwards to freeze the air around the imminent explosion as he sweeps his legs back under him. He's operating on instinct at this point, and is unsteady long enough for the wave of heat and chill air to collide in a thunderclap that shatters glass and leaves his ears ringing.

He lands in a crouch and shifts so that his knees can brush the ground, keeping low to avoid being knocked off-balance. While his power scaling obviously needs improvement, the 'distraction' served the purpose of sending his audience screaming for cover, catching Baphos by surprise, and momentarily stunning his minions- animal splices with predictably sensitive hearing. The square has still been subjected to his customary wanton destruction, but it isn't as bad as it could have been.

Pryderi straightens, steam hissing from the upward tilt of his mouth as he shakes out his hands. The material that his clothes are made of is still experimental, the right side of the white hoodie melting off his tattooed arm in sticky threads. The fingers of his glove have been burned off as well, and he tears away the remains with his teeth so that his left hand is free to form another wall of ice to protect the fleeing onlookers. When Pryderi glimpses movement in the rubble, he meets it with a slightly more pronounced smirk. The splices haven't fully recovered yet and they no longer have the threat of hostages; Baphos has disappeared but he hasn't managed to evade Pryderi's notice, giving off an unusual heat signature that he'd sense miles away.

Now that he's actively looking, however, Pryderi abruptly becomes aware of a foreign heat signature. Very abruptly. As if it hadn't existed until just this moment when he could've sworn he had all presences accounted for- He swings around to face it, frosted air surrounding his left hand just in time to knock away a clawed fist as an eight-foot wolf-human hybrid bursts from nearby rubble. The attack is expected, and he makes quick work of the beast by using its force against it with a flip that ends in shards of ice protruding from the furry throat before it can touch the ground. He presses a boot into its chest to still the death throes and returns to scanning the ruined scenery before his wary gaze alights on a vaguely familiar 'ruby' figure.

Though the introductory quip is electronically filtered, their cheery tone is easily discernible. Stance loose; at ease, unthreatened. He's never personally met the Ruby Racer, but as a provisional 'hero', Pryderi's taken the time to acquaint himself with their reputation via the internet and Starbury news stations. If ever there were a fuzzy image of what a hero should be in his mind, they'd look a lot like the Ruby Racer. Which is why he's a bit caught off guard at the sudden entrance. Pryderi had assumed they'd meet eventually if he continued down this path... but not now.

His brow furrows a bit, "That is an understatement." Ah, Dayspring would tell him to make his own pithy response, he's sure. But they don't have time for that. "That isn't what this is, of course." He feels the need to explain, "That was...collateral damage. I'll pay for it." Feeling a bit defensive of the literal mess he's the center of, Pryderi steps away from the corpse just as familiar staccato laughter rings out. Immediately, his stiff movement becomes another graceful spin as he levels a glare at Baphos. The taller man is perched on a rather large shard of the restaurant, lambent eyes dancing with mirth as he presses a gloved fist to his broad smile in an effort to staunch mocking laughter.

"Pffft- haHa! Ruby Racer~! What a pleasant surprise! I apologize for the mess- the icecream machine was broken again- however I do appreciate this opportunity to get to know you better~" His low velvety voice nears a purr towards the end, half-lidded gaze subjecting the hero to a speculative once-over. This is followed by a whistle that raises Pryderi's hackles- operating under the assumption that it's a wolf-whistle. A nearby howl proves him right in the worst way, as it is apparently a literal wolf whistle. Baphos' splices are returning to surround them once again and he's forced to side-step to keep the Ruby Racer at his back and Baphos in his peripheral; he should never be faced head on. "Don't look him in the eyes."

"Oh, sound advice! You may be in danger of drowning in them~" The villain winks and Pryderi responds with a scowl that becomes more pronounced when he adds, "Prairie would know~"

(Hi! I’ll get some replies up soon! But I love both of those designs??? They look really cool!)

Their designs are just really cool, I’m glad you were able to grab them and give them a good home because it would be a shame for those designs to not be used and I’m just?? So ready to see more of these boys in action