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Who: David Alleyne

portolan
What: A Staged Alliance versus Society fight to help some kids
When: February 6th [Backdated]
Where: Excelsior
Content Warnings: Implications of Police threatening excessive force

Investigations were something David was good at, but that didn't mean this wasn't going really well so far. Figuring out the motivations behind what had happened to Balthier's late boss's passing was getting nowhere rather quickly, and in the moment David desperately missed Trevor. He could really use some Eyeboy abilities right now, and instead they just had to keep going with their work as it was.

So they'd agreed to take a minor break, having cups of coffee and tea while they took a breather, only for David to jerk up a bit straighter suddenly as he picked up something with his technopathy. Damn.

"Babe, you're not going to believe this. Just got something over police systems," he said as he straightened up, reaching for the duffel bag he kept behind the counter of the shop, just in case he needed to be Prodigy out in this part of town. "Pretty sure we've got something to do. Just caught a police record search from a unit nearby, for a local teen. Guy's name triggered my alerts because the records say the kid is related to Pike Grace. I can squelch the records for the search, but it looks like the kid is getting stopped for tagging."

And David didn't think kids should be arrested for street art, thanks.

"Wanna see if we can't get ourselves a conversation with the kid? We will need to scare the cops off to let him get away first, and then one of us corner him to talk."

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Balthier wasn't half bad at investigations either, though his were more doing research and reconnaissance on targets than anything remotely resembling justice. Still, useful enough.

Except this case was difficult. Other than David's psychomimetry, they didn't have much to go off, and that was frustrating. Balthier found himself longing for the days he knew people in every port, had a good idea of the structures of power and who to ask for what. Here, he's basically just like everyone else. What a terrible fate.

Still, some part of it is fulfilling too; it's been a long time since he was on a job, and there's thrill in it, even alongside frustration.

So he's deep in his thoughts when David perks up. He misses the first bit but "kid is related to Pike Grace" catches.

"Something is smiling on us today," Balthier says, eyes watching David reach for the things he keeps here. It's lovely, how entwined their lives, his own roots here have become.

And that's why it's so important they get to the bottom of this. Balthier isn't letting this life go.

"Besides my general luck and good fortune at having you. I think that's an excellent idea," Balthier agrees, downing the rest of his tea. He pauses, considering, as he hasn't used his Society persona very much, but has had it made clear to him he needs to.

"Why don't we kill two cockatrices with one stone. I'll suit up as Anathema; we can chase the authorities away, and the Society will be pleased I've done my quarterly villainy harassing you and possibly some children, or for getting the children away from the authorities. I am positive they do not actually care which if I'm being properly annoying."

Besides. They both know he looks damn good in a catsuit.

"As if you could be annoying," David laughs with a shake of his head as he starts hauling on Prodigy's gear. "Best plan would be for you to get there first. I'll text you the address, see if I can't muddle the cops' systems to slow them down a bit. You jump in and make a scene, then I'll make it bigger 'fighting' you. Probably can get the cops to duck their heads, and give the kid the chance to get a slip."

Hell, if they need, maybe Balthier can even have David fighting an illusion while he frees the kid and gets him away. Of course it would mean that Balthier was the only one to talk to the kid, but it wasn't much like a Hero and Villain could question someone together.

Balthier grins, giving David a quick hug from behind and kiss on the cheek. "I have never tried to annoy you intentionally, and I plan to keep it that way."

He nods along to David's plan. "I had similar thoughts. Whoever gets to the boy first can question him." Because he also has the same thoughts on their not being able to look like their working together. It's about the only time he regrest their being in different guilds; it's not that he doesn't trust David to work alone. Hells, he's been doing all this way longer than Balthier. But Balthier is used to sticking to his crew, and it's hard to know that unless things are truly life and death, he rarely can be at David's side when they're most in danger.

So today is nice. Low danger. High proximity.

"I'm going to get changed and head out, and I'll text you when I'm nearly there."

He does as he says, and it's easy enough to spot the kid.

Here, and I see him. Good to go?

"Sounds fair."

He finishes pulling on his coat and gloves, then hauls on his helmet. Ready for the field work then. He nods when his boyfriend says he's going to get changed, and slips out through the back. It doesn't take long for him to get to the scene, but it takes some work to stall the cops once he does. So the text is helpful to let him know the game is afoot.

Very good. Try and make your entrance grand. Maybe act like you were just after the cops?

I missed this.

And look, he hasn't had the chance to be dramatic in awhile. With his identity completely hidden, this is going to be fun.

The first thing he does is set an illusion limited to the street he's working on so that the cops and the kid see dark skies roll in, and he emerges from a ball of shadowy tendrils.

Except, of course, it isn't actually him, just in case the cops are like the guards at home and quick on the draw.

So copies of him show up all up and down the alley, a simple hello layered and echoing in a horror show worthy of haunting holidays.

"If you aren't fools," his copies says, the sound reverberating. "You'll leave now. If you are, then I'm about to have some fun."

This really is just theater. How amusing.

It really is like theater, and David thought he might deserve credit for having set up a few micro cameras. Later he's going to watch this and they'll critique and build up better performances for the future. For now, from his rooftop, he's snickering quietly.

Oh God you're brilliant.

The cops don't think so. They look between themselves and move quickly to put their car between themselves and Balthier, pullign their guns as they do.

"Call for Alliance backup," one says to the other as he pops his head up and shoots at the vision.

Oh, Balthier will love the cameras, and the critique, and will happily give credit where credit is due.

And from his safe vantage point, he grins at the text, always pleased to pull that particular compliment from his love.

You know, I did this full time once.

He doesn't love the way the police are quick to shoot at the illusion of him, those bullets very much real. But he uses it to slip over to the kid.

"This way," he beckons, eye to the car.

We may not be alone long.

With different magic.

David doesn't like the bullets either, or that they're flying wildly, but there isn't much he can do just yet. The kid, meanwhile, looks at Balthier in shock, then to the other version of the 'villain' being shot at, and nods.

As for David, he thinks it might be time to make an entrance, just to stop the shooting.

Keep your head down. And his.

Then he quickly 'rises' on the roof, acting like he's just arrived.

"Stand down, Society scum," he says, his voice coming from the helmet altered through the speakers.

Balthier rolls his eyes affectionately. David must be feeling confident if he's splitting hairs in the middle of this.

Will do. If David tells him to be cautious, he listens.

At the other's entrance, all of his doubles point toward Prodigy. "The spoils are ours," the echoing voices say. "You can't manage us all." Bullets hit at least two doubles. One acts like it's been hit, the other stays stoic. Both are disquieting.

But there's a shield over him and the kid. "You want to get out of this quiet, come with me," he says.

Of course he's splitting hairs. It's fun and in his nature.

"Why are you helping me?" the kid asks, even as elsewhere David is absolutely moving. Prodigy jumps to a lower roof closer to one of the Anathema visions.

"All you Society folks are about spoils and power," Prodigy says as if he is just bored with the idea. Meanwhile he forms a whip of glowing light in his hand. "Well I'm here to spoil your fun!"

Balthier sends one of the decoys to rise in a set of shadowy tendrils, lunging at Prodigy then circling him.

"We are the honest ones," his echoing voices say. "You are just as hungry for spoils, power, adoration." If David sends the whip at the apparition, it will make a show of fireworks and sparkles, hissing and sizzling.

With the cops distracted, Balthier turns his attention to the kid again. "We all know these jerks are after their own promotions, not justice. I was your age once. And maybe you can help me with something, hmm? I can even scrub the records you were ever in trouble." But there's another shot, and he doesn't like that. "Come on. This way."

Tendrils sneak near the kid though, a silent reminder that Anathema's a lot more capable than the cops.

The kid is definitely more afraid of the display than he was of the cops, and considered that briefly until the stray shot went out again.

"Fine," he says, because he just wants out of there.

Meanwhile David was making sure eyes were on the distraction.

"If I wanted adoration, you'd think I'd take the helmet off," Prodigy said as the whip lashed out. And hey, for more show he even made sure to create a circling wall of shields. The idea was to look good, and he could look so much stronger with his projection powers because the lack of actual risk of damage meant the created shields could be paper thin, unable to turn away anything more than a look, and still be enough. Which meant he could make more of them for a greater show for the cops.

No one would expect them to have good eye witness information anyway, they'd talk it up. ANd Prodigy was prone to being secretive about what he could get up to.

Good lad. Safety is always a good choice, and Balthier has to remind himself not to be too gentle with him and give away the act.

He doesn't have ears from his doubles, though, so switches to an audio feed in his ear from David's suit, along with a video feed of the area as he leads the kid around a corner.

"We all know why you hide your face," his doubles say ominously. Let the rumor mill run with that one. But as the shields go up -- great touch -- he lets the doubles start to squirm a bit, the shadows targeting their central bubble. Let them think he's sweating, really watch the show. "If you truly didn't care for glory, you wouldn't be so flashy."

"Can't help my powers, and then look at you," Prodigy said, generating a second whip in the other hand. Yeah, he's got to make this all look good. And that involves lashing out.

"I'm not Fantastic," he said, just to take a pot shot there too.

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