Old Friends (Beatdown)

It was barely an hour since they had resolved the jewelry heist, and poor Diane had to be hospitalized after fighting that Sal... snake... thing. But the jewels were recovered, and Beatdown was in a classy limo with a lady secretary in a suit and skirt, who wore some classy looking shades. The interior of the limo was only dimly lit yet providing a comfortable ambience, as pop music played.

The secretary pushed a button and revealed a built-in mini bar inside the door. But rather than expensive alcohol, it contained an array of soda and beers, all of Beatdown's favorites. "Please, help yourself."

The limo eventually pulled up in a familiar neighborhood in New York, one that would be intimiately familiar to him. Joan's BBQ & Foot Massage, now a much expanded establishment yet keeping its look from yesteryears. The car pulled into the drive way, and the shades secretary stepped out.

"He's waiting inside." The lady held the door for Beatdown.

And he would be, sitting, eyes on his phone and talking into a bluetooth earpiece. An old friend of Beatdown's - no, Victor Erikson's. Good old Donny, now grown up.

Beatdown was ushered into a limousine, head still spinning from the recent combat. His muscles ached and he was bleeding from several wounds. His hand was throbbing from the original time he had punched the wall. But he was feeling good. He didn't die his first time fighting crime. His first costume was shredded, however. Not a totally epic start, but not the worst.

As the secretary opened up the mini-bar, Beatdown helped himself, grabbing a beer. Usually, he tried to stay sober, but he needed something to keep his mind off his extreme pain. How did they know about his favorite drinks... Ah, well, coincidence. Maybe? He couldn't think to great at the moment, but he popped open the bottle and began drinking. The secretary would present him with a suit. The size was a little small, but Vic would make it work.

"Thanks," he said a few moments after donning the suit. He couldn't tell if the secretary watched him change because of the shades, but he didn't mind.

He reached for another as he saw Joan's.

"What? I love this place! Best steaks, ribs, everything. I wish I came back here... But, I used to stay there with Donny. Just Donny. Never without. I'm brooding, aren't I. Sorry, lady. Nice shades by the way."

As they arrived at Joan's, the secretary told him someone was waiting for him. He was just Victor. He'd been a hero for less than a day. Maybe someone wanted to be his manager? Something.

As he entered, he saw someone. It was Don. Donny had been his best friend, his brother. When Don's parents adopted Vic, they'd been closer than ever. But Don left for some reason. He'd never shared the reason with Beatdown. It'd been so long. But that face. The nose. The scowl. That was the Donny he knew.

"DONNNNNNAAAAAAAYYYYY!"

Beatdown sprinted over to him and stood him up, hands on his jacket. He'd give him a slap across the face. Before embracing him in the tightest hug of all time.

"Why'd you leave me, dude. Why?!"

Everyone in the BBQ place was looking at the two and Vic loudly apologised before sliding into the booth.

Donny looked a Victor with both a smile and a tear in his eye, selling the illusion of a man who'd turned a new leaf. "What do you want me to say, Vic? There comes a time every boy has to grow and and become his man, Vic. You gotta understand. I had to find my place in this world... There was a time I resented you for having superpowers but I realized, men have made differences long before superpowers."

"Ah, but listen to me, a total sap. I saw the local news. You gotta be hungry after that kind of action. Come on, sit down. I got us our old favorite. The Mega-Belly-Buster. we promised some day we'd take it on, didn't we?" No sooner than they'd taken their seats that the waitress carted in a great platter of food, while their secretary rejoined them, sitting beside Donny, still wearing her glasses. Maybe they were medicinal. She got a tablet and did secretary things.

"Just like junior prom, eh Vic? Except now, we don't have to save up a month to eat a spread like this. I haven't eaten all day so I could take this monster of a spread on."

The Mega-Belly-Buster was a spread that just screamed America. A 16-ounce sirloin steak centerpiece, with a lamp filled with bacon gravy, a big rack of ribs, four pieces of fried chicken, a big bowl garlic parm mashed potatoes, another big bowl of skin-on crispy fries, and some steamed vegetables nobody cares about. Everyone at the table also had a milkshake to wash it down. The secretary thanked her boss for her strawberry shake and waited for him to serve them both.

"Oh, you. You always did say stuff about being a man. Wait, you know about me being the... Oh, I was trying to keep it a secret as long as possible. That didn't last long."

Soon the Mega-Belly-Buster was spread before them. Just as foretold, it was beastly. Fit for only the strongest of men. And after an hour, it was done. They had done it. Beatdown's injuries had healed. Beatdown piped up after having eaten the massive meal.

"Heh, remember the one time at prom. I brought Cindy. You brought Donna. Man, Cindy was great. Epic dancing skills too. Best double date. Anyway, what're you doing these days. I mean, you got your whole secretary and everything."

He'd take a glance at the secretary and back at Don.

"Or are you guys... Together? Don't wanna intrude 5 minutes into our reunion, but."

At that point the secretary stopped slurping her milkshake loudly. A beastly woman she was, competing with the boys for the steak. She coughed and gave a smile. "Oh, no... we're not..."

Donny intervened. "Oh no, no, Miss Megan and I keep it professional. She's a recent hire, she helps me with some business acquisitions. The uh, new dealership down in Brooklyn? Luxury cars."

"Right. The new dealership. Cut throat competiton." Meg parroted then improvised. She then showed Vic a picture on her tablet. 'Don's Dealerships', with a host of top brands ready to be bought up.

Once the restaurant was getting quiet, Donny leaned in to talk to Victor about what was really on his mind. He made sure no one was near to hear him or even eavesdrop.

"Listen. Vic. I don't want to ask you a favor just when we're catching up. But... I'm out of options. My Brooklyn business... Had to fight Dirty cops and cutthroat politicians who want a big piece of the real estate tax, and now... I get robbed, and I think the group is well connected."

"Oh, sorry to make assumptions." He said this as he saw the secretary tear apart a steak with ease. The business they presented Beatdown with looked awfully nice.

Soon the restaurant began to settle down as the night began to fall. Donny leaned into Vic and told him about what his business was going through. It all sounded so... Negative.

Vic cracked his knuckles and began to speak, fry chunks flying out of his very bbq sauce covered mouth.

"Donny, I swear if they try anything against you, you saw what I could do out there. What do you need me to get? Just know, I'm not stealing cash. But if you convince me to steal cash, I'm going to need gear do I don't accidentally level a building. Unless you want me to go to them and level their buildings. You know me. Donny, we're bros. I'd do anything for you. Just tell me what you need. It'll be done."

Vic was sincere in saying this, willing to do anything to help out his little bro. They were as thick as thieves. This could potentially become literal with whatever Donny said next.

"Nothing so dramatic. I had a collection of antique books stolen. Their monetary value isn't so negligible but... they belonged to a special friend I made in college you see. We expanded the collection and I met alot of people and... When she passed away she entrusted them to me. I've displayed them in small exhibits, and this is their way to kick me where it hurts." Donny explained to his prodigal sibling the loss of his precious antiques, and the sentimental value they carried to him.

"I'm not sure what they're going to do with them. Selling them would make it easy for me to track them down again. What i'm afraid of is that they'll destroy them. It's petty really. Doesn't affect the business but, they know i care about them more. But, they probably didn't know I had a remote tracker on one of the books... and tonight I got a signal that they're moving the books out of the city. If you can catch up to them, I'm sure you can intercept them out on the high way."

"Donny. You know I'd kill for you, brother. I've got this. But what I don't got... A super suit. Mine got kinda vaporized fighting against people with super guns. Got anything that would kinda match my MO?"

Vic leans in, looking at his brother. Again, the most sincere man alive. Hours ago, he was battling people with weapons that could turn him into an omelette. Folded. However, he was alive here and now and willing to do the same thing again. For his brother.

"Look, you don't need to explain to me how much these guys took from you or how much the stuff meant to you. You only gotta tell me it's yours. And how hard I should kick their asses."

For the first time, Donny's face lit with enthusiasm. It looked like they were going to get somewhere. He turned to Meg.

Meg, understanding the look, dialed a number on her mobile. "Vince, have security bring up some extra gear at the restaurant. We'll see you in the parking lot."

= = = =

PARKING LOT

15 minutes was very quick considering New York traffic, but a second car, this time a more subdued black sedan containing some tough looking guys in suits. The pop the trunk, to reveal a cornucopia of goodies.

"Erik. Donny's head security guy. I hear you need gear. Help yourself." He showed Victor all the goods. No clumsy army surplus here- bullet resistant coats, shank resistant button shirts, extra-strength ties, sure-grip oxford shoes. European submachine guns and pistols, tasers, knives, wires. Grenade Lighters (fragmentation and flash), swiss watches, timed explosive pens...? And a common Balaclava to hide the face. "We like to keep it classy."

As they arrived to the parking lot, Beatdown looked over all the stuff. It was incredibly... Fancy. Not the best brawling gear, but it'd do. It'd do.

"Thanks, Erik. I'll make sure to get you a raise. Wait, if Donny does cars, why does he need a... Nevermind."

Vic, as he geared up, pondered the question. Why would Donny need all these arms for just a dealership. Sure they were getting attacked by the corrupt, but that stuff was all done legally. What trouble was Donny really in?

Soon, Vic was covered in classy clothing. It was something he wasn't used to. He tried to go for the most athletic looking clothing of the bunch, but he had to make do. He'd adjust his gloves as he decides to keep it minimal in the weapons category, grabbing a handgun and a tactical baton. He was ready. But one more thing.

"Hey, uh, Erik. I need you to hit me with your car. No, I'm not suicidal, but it's a private affair."

"In a post-Metahuman society, private security got alot more leeway in securing means to defend their clients."

"Right, your power. Meg, please oblige Victor." Meg nods and hops into the bigger Audi, with a reinforced bumper, as Victor was going to find out. With only a few sharp moves, Meg positions and slams into Viktor with gusto.

"You alright? we're actually going to take a bike. It'll let us catch up on the highway faster." Meg checked on Viktor after slamming into him.

Vic gets up, dazed. His judgement is clouded and he now begins stumbling. A great deal of energy flows through his veins. He hadn't even braced before impact. Now, within his body, he had stored up twice the power of a car slamming into someone. Oh yeah.

"Yeah, totally, I'm good, mmhmm. Ah yes, bikes."

He'd walk up to a bike and begin to hop onto it. He pulls the balaclava down over his face and revs it's engine. He lets Meg take the lead on this one.

SOMEWHERE OUTSIDE NEW YORK.

Meg had changed into a dark bike suit and wore a sleek helmet, Beatdown also having his own if only to keep the wind out of his face. The GPS led them to a long, lonely stretch of highway at night, with only the intermittent street lights as illumination.

Meg was pushing her machine past 200 mph, laughter audible behind her helmet even as the engine roared with power. As the dim lights of the truck and its bike escort came into view, Meg gestured to Victor to be ready. She tapped herself twice and pointed at the escorts, then tapped Viktor and pointed at the truck.

Cruising at a higher top speed than the rest of their targets, She then killed her bike's lights and the engine, cruising in near silence as she brought Victor within reach of the truck, having ultimately snuck up on the crew. They were caught completely unawares, as Meg brought out a length of chain and tossed it at the first escort. It looked into the bike's wheels and sent the rider flying. They bring out extending electro-lances, to begin a deadly joust with them...

Vic, on the back of the bike would be stifling a scream, trying not to look weak before Meg. She'd proceed the coax the bike into silence and begin their assault on the escorts. Beatdown saw another electro-lance pop out and his eyes widened. Not energy weapons again!

As an individual swung at their bike, he screamed, "FOR DONNAAAAAAAY!"

As his hand rose, he flicked the air with 1/4 the strength of the car hitting him x2 which equates to 1/2 the force of the car hitting him. A small concussive blast would be sent outz but as it impacted the escort traveling at high speeds, it'd knock the bike out from under them, causing them to faceplant and start rolling.

"That's a bad case of Road Rash, buddy!" After screaming, he'd wait for Meg to make the next move. This was a give and take duo.

Meg and Vic quickly clean up the escort, not quite what she had in mind but there was no complaining now. They could focus on the truck, but now they were aware of the duo trying to get aboard. The massive vehicle begins swerving left and right, becoming a danger to them.

The truck was too much of a hassle, and it wasn't theirs anyway, so Meg shredded the tires with a machine pistol on her bike. The truck would be forced to come to a halt, narrowly avoiding a power line. Meg also disembarked from her cycle.

The ones driving the truck didn't come out. Meg gestured Vic to check it out, gun in hand. "...They're probably getting their weapons ready. Take the passenger side, I'll deal with the driver." And with that Meg took the far side of the truck. Vic meahwhile, once he investigated the the passenger side, would find an unconscious woman with long raven hair, wearing more casual attire.