When Heros Rise and Fall

You Get One Shot

The alarms rang as the door to the bank burst open, four men covered in black clothes running out with bags over their shoulders. One by one, they jumped into a truck, setting off immediately into traffic. One man looking back laughs, looking down into his bag full of cash. "Holy shit! This'll be one for the records! First people to rob a Teroville bank and get away with it!" The driver checked behind them, smiling as well. "Yeah, so much for their so-called heros! Didn't even show themselves onc-" The truck smashed to a halt, forcing the five of them forward. Looking up, they saw a woman perched on the now dented hood of the truck, wings spread out around her. Her eyes were lit like a fire as she smirked at them. "I'm gonna have to see some license and registration, please." The man in the passenger seat raised his gun but was cut off as a vine shot from the window and wrapped itself around his hand and raised it to the roof. The three in the back scrambled out of the car and turned to run, but were met with an enormous tiger, growling at them. "I'd say turn yourselves in but, hey, it's only a suggestion." The men turned to see their buddies on the ground, entangled in vines with the feathered girl and another girl standing on either side. They looked to each other, hesitated, then threw their weapons to the ground. ~

~The five robbers were put in cuffs and placed in cop cars as the team was surrounded by reporters, being asked all sorts of questions. Jonah was there in front of the others along with Ritchie as they answered most of the inquiries. 
"Iron, did your team have any trouble taking these crooks down?" Jonah had his usual fake smile on as he replied to the man. "No sir, there's nothing that cause enough trouble to make our team back down. Just some petty thefts who thought they could get away with the usual song and dance." Someone laughed behind him and said "Yeah, you'd almost think they were from out of town." Some of the reporters chuckled, but Jonah, with his smile tightening, turned to look at Tarea, who's smile fell from her face. He gave her a look saying 'Don't say anything else.' He turned back to continue the interview which went smoothly up until one of the reporters asked "What are your thoughts on the recent activities of the Swordsmen?" The reporters stared at him as they waited patiently for his answer, but none came. Instead, he gave another tight lipped smile and simply said "I have no say on their actions except that they don't represent our group. Excuse us." He pushed past them, signalling for the rest of his group to follow. ~

~“What have I said about talking to the news?” Jonah had his arms crossed and foot tapping like an upset parent. Tarea shrugged. “I was only saying a little joke-” “A little joke? A little joke might seem like that to you, but to others it can be taken out of context and they might change it to be ‘Superhero doesn’t take her job seriously!’ and THAT could leave a bad image on us!” Tarea looked over at Gale who simply scrunched up her face and mouthed ‘oof.’ “Ok, I’m sorry, it won’t happen again.” He shook his head and turned to walk back into the main room of the team’s home. Tarea stuck out her tongue at his back before turning to Gale, who took her hand. “Come on. I know what will make it all better.” Minutes later, they had landed on Tarea’s apartment balcony, her wings folding up and allowing Gale to slip from her hold. Gale stepped inside and went over to the stove, where she had laid out ingredients for dinner before they were called upon. Tarea leaned her back against the counter simply watching her. “Soooo…” Gale started as she started boiling some water with noodles.

“Are you angr-” “Of course, I’m pissed!” Tarea threw her hands in the air. “I get that he’s trying to watch our image, but damn, I was just making a joke! It’s not like I was saying our real names!” Gale nodded and she continued with dinner. “It’s just something you get used to, Tare.” “But why is it such a bad thing?! Should I also apologize for stopping the car as well?” Gale gave her a sympathetic look before turning to the other burner and starting to cook some sauce. “Jonah is just trying to do what’s best.” Tarea didn’t argue but instead just huffed. Sure he was doing what was best for the team, it seemed like that was all he ever did. “Could you go grab some drinks from the cooler?” Gale leaned over and planted a kiss on her cheek, smiling when it snapped Tarea from her foul mood and replaced it with one of surprise. “What?” “I said, could you grab some drinks from the cooler, air head?”

Tarea simply pouted and went back to the porch where she kept her cooler. No real reason for keeping it out there, just that Tarea mainly hung out on the porch and wanted her frosty beverages near her. As she opened the door back up and reached down for the white lid, she heard something. A scream, someone yelling for help. She stilled as she heard it, turning to look at Gale who looked as if she heard it as well. She started to say “Tarea don’t-” but watched as Tarea jumped over the balcony only to see her rise up, her wings spread. She searched, listening, watching the ground until she saw it, a woman with a child being back into an alley by three men. She dropped herself onto an overhanging roof and pulled her hood over her head, looking down and evaluating the situation. She heard the woman cry out for help again, but from there she could hear the men laugh, one saying “No one where to run. Just give us your valuables and we MIGHT let you live.”

She watched as one of them started to pull a knife out. All thought gone from her head, she dropped down behind the woman and moved to stand between the two groups. “Three men picking on a woman and her child has to be the lowest of the low.” The men faltered but continued forward, chuckling. “And what are you gonna do about it, princess?” She raised her fist, readying for a fight, but heard another voice. “Please. If that’s what you call a princess, then I might as well change my name to Queen.” The men turned, looking behind them to a girl with bright pink hair pulled into pigtails, a black jacket tied around her waist. Her hair seemed to shine from the light of the city behind her, blocking out most of her features, all except the circular red glasses on her face. One of the men groaned, saying “What is with stupid women tonight, thinking they so tough?”

The girl laughed, a sharp noise full of joy. “Oh honey! What makes you think you’re any match for us? And, I’m not talking about Miss Sweatpants there.” A figure stepped out from the side to stand behind the girl, standing up to 7 ft tall. The men stood in shock as this monstrosity let out a low growl. The girl, on the other hand, turned her hands upwards, sparks of lightning flashing from her fingertips, illuminating the fierce smile on her face. Tarea snapped out of her shock and terror to turn around to the women and child, yelling “Get out of here!” right as the girl sent lightning down the alley. Tarea threw her arms up, hoping to be the one to get hit instead of the family, but the pain never reached her. As she opened her eyes, she saw that the lightning had gone around the walls only to hit the men at their feet. They had been electrified, allowing the tall creature to make its way down to them.

The woman picked up her child and ran the rest of the length of the area and out onto another street as Tarea watched the creature breathe over the men. As it seemed to blow on each of their faces, the men collapsed, one by one. The creature began to turn towards Tarea, breathing very heavily and seemed to move towards her as well. It was horrifying. The face looked like a deer’s skull with glowing white eyes and black pupils staring at her, it’s body completely made of what seemed to be black hair and...was that skin? The girl called out “Rec! She’s not one of them!” but the creature seemed to ignore her. The girl continued to yell and was starting to run over to her when, once more, another stranger stepped in front of her, holding their hand out and placing in on the creature’s muzzle, holding it closed. It seemed to get frustrated, huffing, but it didn’t move. The stranger, a boy with long brown hair, simply looked over his shoulder, his gray eyes finding Tarea. “You alright?”