If Only Life Were as Easy as Fighting Villains (Luneiya & stuck in the brambles)

[Luneiya]

Gravitas propelled herself haphazardly out of the way of the flying debris with a small explosion, spinning through the air and landing sideways on a nearby building. Her explosions were a light purple in color and dotted with stars, hence her name for them: Novas.

"Too slow!" She teased, purple-painted lips pulling up in a grin. She regained her balance to run across a ledge and leap back towards their current target. A white cowl wrapped her neck and trailed in her wake, though the underside was colored like a rainbow galaxy studded with tiny white stars. Her super suit matched: white, form-fitting, leather that covered her head-to-toe with a front lining of rainbow galaxy across the top of her chest. The white leather formed a sweetheart neckline above the shimmering fabric. There were similar galaxy patterns down the outsides of her legs, defining them nicely, she thought. A white domino mask hid the top of her face, though her bright blue eyes were still visible behind it. She relied on a wig of long, thick purple locks to further assist in hiding her identity. (It was superhero-grade. Don't worry about it.) A white utility belt, white gloves with a bit of a flare, and long white boots with rainbow detailing completed the look. She didn't know what kind of person had invented the technology for a white suit that wouldn't get dirty, but they were the true hero in her book.

Gravitas also carried a white and rainbow staff on her back that she now whipped out in order to aim a flurry of blows at The Vexing Vixen, but it was all a misdirect. She had placed her other kind of attack just behind Vixen: a vortex. It was a dark shape that seemed undefined and uneven, though vaguely circular. A black hole, really, but she thought Vortex was cooler.

Just as she was approaching with her staff raised, Gravitas engaged the vortex, pulling Vixen towards it, and her partner.

 

[stuck in the brambles]

Aegis hadn’t been particularly pleased to be called out of their other work to face The Vexing Vixen, especially since they were meant to meet up with their friend after their shift, and it was rather difficult to pretend they’d been held up at work when they weren’t even there. Maybe that was the reason Gravitas’s showiness grated more than usual. When she used an explosion to get out of the way of the debris that Vixen sent hurtling towards the two of them, Aegis rolled their eyes and planted their feet, flexing their hands in their brass knuckles as they conjured a psychic shield to block the debris that came their way. The impact ached in their fingers, but not a single pebble made it past the barrier.

Despite their annoyance, Aegis was still a professional, and they’d been working with Gravitas more than long enough to tell the play she was going for as she made her way across the ledge she landed on, putting Vixen between her and Aegis. With Vixen distracted, Aegis could focus on a more complicated projection without worrying about her attacking them and disrupting their focus. Aegis held out gloved hands toward the ground in the span between them and Vixen, where Gravitas placed her latest vortex. As they focused, brown eyes narrowing behind their copper-colored domino mask, the ground began to shimmer faintly in a lattice pattern.

Gravitas activated the vortex, and Aegis dug the spikes of their boots into the cracks in the concrete to hold steady against the pull. Once Vixen hit the center of their trap, they raised their arms to the sky and the projection raised with them, translucent golden chains lifting out of the ground as a net which surrounded Vixen on all sides like a gilded cocoon.

Vixen struck the net with a furious screech, but Aegis held on even as sweat beaded on their brow. “Gravitas,” they gritted out, “are you going to make me wait all day?”

 

[Luneiya]

"Just admiring your work!" She retorts cheekily, strolling casually towards the contained Vixen. "Little stuck there, Vix?"

Done playing around (at least for Aegis's sake), she expels a nova to dash quickly behind the captured villain, slipping the extending handcuffs from her utility belt over Vixen's wrists. Once they clicked on, they expanded to cover the villain's hands and lower arms, keeping them from pulling them apart or doing anything cheeky with their powers. That depended on the villain's powers, of course, but these standard issue cuffs would work fine for Vixen.

After she is finished reading the villain her rights, she looks over to Aegis, "I should be able to bring her in myself, if you want?" Aegis seemed a bit edgier than usual today.

 

[stuck in the brambles]

Aegis rolled their eyes at Gravitas’s retort, but said nothing, returning all their focus to maintaining their net. Their arms began to tremble with exertion, but they didn’t drop it until the handcuffs were secure on Vixen’s wrists. The golden chains winked out of existence as they shook out their hands. Even after spending hours on end over the last week trying to perfect this manifestation, it was still a serious drain on their powers compared to their usual psychic barriers.

They wiped the sweat from their brow as they made their way towards Gravitas and Vixen, stepping carefully among the rubble left over from Vixen’s rampage. At Gravitas’s offer, their mouth twisted with guilt. It wasn’t Gravitas’s fault that things hadn’t been going their way that day, and they had to admit that the plan to capture Vixen was clever. Gravitas did always know how to get under villains’ skin, even if she also ended up getting under Aegis’s skin in the same breath.

“No, no, it’s fine,” they said, running a hand over their face. “It’s best if we go in together, anyway.” Their friend would be understanding if they were late, even if they couldn’t tell her the reason why. “Sorry for snapping at you. I got called out of something important, but that’s not on you.”

 

[Luneiya]

"It really is cool," Gravitas complimented Aegis earnestly, speaking of their new use of force power. "I didn't think you'd get it combat-ready so soon. That was fast!" Although Gravitas tended toward being light-hearted and cheeky, a bit flirty as well, there was an honesty to her that didn't usually come with the territory. Perhaps it was why she could work with Aegis even though her bombasity frustrated them sometimes.

"Bleck!" Jeered Vixen, "Get a room!"

Gravitas quirked a brow at her, "Don't make me gag you."

"Don't threaten me with a good time," She retorted, grinning wickedly, and Gravitas rolled her eyes.

"I think I'm gonna keep the gag off, then," She said with a luminescent smile.

When Aegis said they should go together, Gravitas looked a bit uncertain, but nodded. "Sorry, that sucks. Ok, let's hurry!"

 

[stuck in the brambles]

With Gravitas's compliment, Aegis let their shoulders drop, rolling the tension out of them. "Combat-ready may be a bit of an overstatement," they said, shaking out their arms until feeling returned fully to their fingers. Despite their dry tone, Aegis couldn't help but smile at the earnestness of Gravitas's compliment. "It'd be no good for dealing with more than one opponent."

They paused a moment to think, an offer on their tongue. Before they could speak it into the world, though, Vixen's jeer and Gravitas's quick retorts broke through the temporary calm.

"If you're that desperate for attention, become an influencer instead of a villain," Aegis said flatly, hardly sparing Vixen a second glance as they brushed past her towards where the containment van had stopped. It was policy for at least one hero to ride in the back of the van per villain captured, to discourage escapes. While Aegis wasn't looking forward to riding in the back with Vixen, at least they didn't have to do it alone. Of all the villains they'd faced, Vixen was probably the most grating of all of them, but she was easier to deal with when her attention was focused on Gravitas instead.

 

[Luneiya]

As Aegis talks about the practical considerations of their new force chains, Gravitas simply grins cheekily and quips, "Well, it's a good thing I can keep them busy then, huh?"

"Boo," Jeers Vixen.

"Don't be jealous, Vix. You're still my favorite."

Vixen rolls her eyes dramatically, then bristles at Aegis's jab. "Hey! I am an influencer! My Foxy Fiends could take out your Shield Babes any day!"

Gravitas chortles, "Haha, I forgot they called themselves that," she says, giving Aegis a twinkling smile. She definitely hadn't. She escorts Vixen into the transport with only as much force as necessary. "In ya go, old girl."

"I'm not a horse!"

"Oh really? What's with the tail, then?"

"There's nothing wrong with my tail!"

"Of course, my apologies, dearest." Vixen huffs, and Gravitas finishes securing Vixen so the transport can be underway.

 

[stuck in the brambles]

Shield Babes. Aegis turned their head away from Gravitas and Vixen to hide the way their lips twitched upward. The first time they’d heard the name of their fans— luckily out of costume, if a bit sleep-deprived— they’d laughed so hard they fell off their couch. Admittedly, after they realized that name was there to stay, they’d sped through the five stages of grief until it was funny again. Aegis still didn’t know who it was who coined it, but they knew how the internet worked. Once it was out there, there was no point in trying to stop it.

“Given your poor performance today, I have doubts that your ‘Foxy Fiends’ could take down a mouse in a costume, let alone a single person.” Aegis finally schooled their face enough to look at the two of them again, watching as Gravitas secured Vixen.

They sat on the bench across from her, summoning a tiny shield to fiddle with during the ride.

“Really, you should consider an alternate career,” Aegis sighed, flipping the shield like a coin. “You know, there are places which hire ex-villains, even ones as lackluster as yourself." They glanced at their hero partner, a faint smile flitting across their face. "Back me up here, Gravitas."

 

[Luneiya]

Vixen scoffed at this affront to her Foxy Fiends, bristling. As Aegis generate the shield, she sneers, "Adorable, babes." She crosses her legs and eyes Aegis warily as they continued speaking. If she weren't in handcuffs, it seemed like she'd be filing down her nails. "I have a career."

Gravitas visibly brightens at Aegis's smile. "Of course!" She says, looking over to Vixen, "And even if you want something..." She taps a gloved hand on her chin, "...Luxurious... to complement your career as an influencer, I'm sure you could! Lots of people love you." She puts out her hands as if painting a picture in the air, creating little sparkles of white starbursts, "A redemption arc for their beloved villainess- turning over a new leaf! They would cheer! And hey-," She smirks mischievously over at Aegis before grinning at Vix, "Your banter's, like, ten times better than this stick in the mud's."