Paladin's Academy

Act II, Chapter 12: Trouble in the Neighborhood Part 3

The downed Spit Take tries to recall what just happened. One minute, he was standing shoulder to shoulder with his comrades, and then, all of a sudden, he was battered, bruised, and left on top of a broken car, humiliated. He distinctly remembers something like an octopus' tentacle grabbing his leg and slamming him down. But he wonders what exactly was that. He looks over to see Streetwise generating a storm right across his two villain teammates.

Unexpectedly, the strong breeze dissipates. Throwback and Tarare gaze upon Streetwise, but something seems off. They both notice that parts of Streetwise's suit, like the blue accents, are glowing. Most notably the ones on his eyes. Radiant white tendrils suddenly sprout from his arm, forming a cone-like shape, with the wider end facing the two villains. Streetwise then places his index and middle finger below his thumb before whispering,

"Tarmac."

With a flick of his fingers, a surging gust of condensed air slams right into them, even staggering nearby cars. Tarare plants his feet and maintains his footing, but Throwback can't keep his guard up and goes flying.

"Throwback!" Tarare exclaims. He tries to reach out for his comrade; however, Streetwise, not giving them any chance to breathe, rushes forward like a bat out of Hell. Tarare throws a blind hook in desperation, but Streetwise just jumps over it and slams his feet on Tarare's nape. Using the impact to propel himself upward and crush Tarare on the road.

Utilizing his ropes, he shoots it across nearby buildings, letting it guide him towards Throwback. He starts to speed up and when he gets just close enough, WHAM! He punches Throwback right in the jaw, sending several of his teeth flying.

"Get over here!" Streetwise shouts, throwing his ropes in Throwback's direction, binding him. He grabs the tether and swings the Villain's body right into Tarare. CRASH! A massive shockwave shakes the ground as Streetwise lands right in front of them. The two villains try to get up, but their body strength fails them.

Spit Take gets up, hides behind one of the scattered trash cans, and quietly observes the situation. He sees the two struggling to stand and assesses that if there were any time to help, it would be now. Across from them, Streetwise carelessly strolls towards them. With his whole body screaming 'off guard,' Spit Take smiles, slowly building up the acid spit in his mouth, and then... SPLAT!

A wave of clear green liquid spills all over Streetwise as Spit Take proclaims, "Yes! Strongest Hero of today, my ass." The ooze quickly drips all over Streetwise's body, even melting the road beneath him. Spit Take quickly helps his brethren up.

"You're still here?" Streetwise asks, seemingly unfazed. As the ooze droops down, Streetwise reveals his counter. A protective layer of his energy ropes all tied together like a ball of yarn, forming a hamster ball shield.

"What the hell is that?" Spit Take asks.

"This?" Streetwise points to his barrier, "It's my roadblock."

"Ah, cute. Because you're Street-wise."

"Yeah, you get it," Streetwise smiles. Without further warning, Spit Take is yet again yanked from his leg and clobbered against a nearby car. CLANG! He spits out more acid before going unconscious.

Usually, Streetwise's energy ropes glow white. However, after years of using his unique ability, Streetwise learned how to turn off the glow by distorting the light within, essentially making the ropes invisible. He calls this technique 'blindspot,' and his go-to strategy is to surprise his foes by slowly wrapping the tendrils on their leg and then tugging really hard, really fast, just like with Spit Take. Unfortunately, he cannot make himself invisible, only the ropes themselves even if he wraps himself up like a mummy.