Rumble in The Big City

The foe clucked his tongue in disappointment, striding over to the resigned heroine. Nina couldn't muster the strength to flinch as her body was wracked with a deep and powerful ache. Again a hand grabbed a knot of her hair, pulling her to her knees before tossing her up into the air. With a reverberating bang she struck the delicate, hanging metal lamp, shattering the glass in the bulbs and sending biting tendrils of electricity over her stomach and chest before she fell again. Limply she collapsed on the floor, not even mustering a sound.

Nothing was broken, no bruises would form, but certainly the electricity
had knocked something loose, as well as the repeated crashes of noise
and light from the sidekick. Inside, rage burned into her muscles like acid. She hated being in pain, and more than that, she hated losing. The laughter that erupted from the two men served to fuel her fire, making it so much easier to push the hurt and the ache into the back of her mind. The two approached her once more. ''What a shame...'' the man said to his associate, who chuckled in agreement. ''Y'know, she might actually have been someone with the right schooling.''


With a simple grunt, she pushed herself up onto her forearms, her right hand snapping out to grab a fistful of the flash bombers jacket. In surprise, his boss leaped back, despite the frightful cry from his employee. Nina brought the rest of herself up using him as something to hold her steady, his hands crackling with the charge of another flash. ''Nuh uh.'' she said groggily, her other hand grabbing one of his legs to aid in her hoisting him above her head. ''Fuck your sparkly bullshit, Piccolo Pete.'' With fitful stomps, and protesting smacks and kicks from her adversary, she made her way to a window, kicking out the glass before hanging the young villain on a decorative gargoyle by his jacket hood just next to the window.


Before she could pull herself in, she felt a great weight slam into her back, forcing her out the frame and into the open air just outside it. As she fell head over heels, her hands and legs scrambled for purchase, snagging an ornate ledge about 4 feet down from where she had been. Wind whipped at her hair and clothes, and as she looked up to see the fingers of her left hand barely knuckle-deep in the cement like pale, gloved picks, she noticed a triumphant grin from the leader of the thugs. ''Well darling, I must say, you were an interesting trifle at best.'' He flourished the large wooden beam that used to be an ornamental support for the wall. ''But, sadly, all good things must come to an end.''

The Big Man sprinted into the room all the action had gone down in, skidding to a halt as he witnessed another fairly large man approach the window on the opposite end of the room. The punk held a massive wooden support beam in his hands, treating it like it was a baseball bat. That made it obvious that this man was superhuman, and likely the leader of their crew. The hero’s piercing blue eyes darted about the room, examining all the damage and he assumed it had been due to his temporary sidekick. Good, she dealt with most of the thugs, just looked like this one was left. Though the gal and another thug were missing, he wondered just where the hell they could’ve gone to. It only took a brief moment for it to click; they had to be out that window! Why else would that guy be there? Pain could only hope that they were both okay, no one had to die today, not if he had anything to say about it!

“Yo punk.” The Big Guy barked across the long room, waiting for the man to turn to face him before speaking up again. Pain stood tall and powerful, his broad shoulders becoming more obvious as his mighty arms rested at his sides. He was ready to spring into action at any moment, his gloved hands only briefly opening up before balling back into fierce bone cracking fists. The Big Man gave a slight upward nod of acknowledgment before taunting with his rough, intimidating voice. “Why don’t ya’ pick on some one your own size?” Pain kept his piercing blue eyes fixed on his enemy, watching for any sudden movements. The great hero held no fear in his eyes as he stared down his enemy, nothing but fierce determination. Pain's glare alone was enough to strike fear into someone. The hero’s eyes hinting just how much power he had, how powerful his will had been.

The man turned, one eyebrow cocked at Pain's remark. Seemingly without effort he swung the beam this way and that before letting it rest on his shoulder. ''Finally,'' he sighed, '' a challenge.'' Though he lamented having to leave the dangling heroine, he rejoiced in the fact that he could now match wits and muscle with the fabled 'Big Guy'.
- - -
After the man had disappeared from sight, Nina swung her other hand up to grasp the ledge. Her fingers dug into the cement with little effort on her part, allowing her the support she needed to pull herself up far enough and slam her fist further up the wall, creating a hole that she would eventually use as a foothold. Further up, still hanging from the gargoyle, the thug struggled with trying to find somewhere else to be. ''Just give up.'' she mumbled, and without any remorse, Nina continued her own personal struggle to get back into the room, her other fist leaving another hole to aid in her climb.
- - -
''I've heard a lot about you... Pain.'' he said thickly, a mixture of respect and hatred. ''And I have come to the conclusion that I will be the man who finally kills you.'' He grinned, fingertips digging into the splintering wood of the beam with small, protesting creaks.
- - -
With a few very unladylike grunts, she managed to get her hands on the window frame, feet scraping frantically at the vertical surface in a vain attempt for purchase. Pain's voice floated to her ears from inside, making her face flush with more than exertion; The need to please him was just the right incentive for her. More grunting, and with a heaving pull, she brought her upper half back inside, looking up with immense joy to see Pain in the room, and the villain's back to her. ''Kick his ass, sir!'' she said happily, and with another pull her whole body flopped inside and onto the floor.
- - -
He snapped around quickly, snarling in rage as he watched the young girl make her way back inside. Even though the three of them had similar powers, the two of them against him would easily be enough to overpower, if not kill him. Though he knew Pain would do nothing too drastic, the girl was a wrench in the works, one he couldn't allow to remain thus much longer. In a quick decision, he turned his back to Pain, advancing instead on the girl.

Pain held his ground, still not assuming a stance, his form completely unmoved as the man easily swung his massive weapon onto his shoulder; that stupid stick wasn’t gonna’ scare him! The Big Guy felt his signature cocky smirk tug across his lips as the man accepted his challenge. Whoever this punk was, he seemed a hell of a lot stronger than any of his buddies, and Pain always liked a challenge.

The Big Guy couldn’t help but softly chuckle at the man’s bold claim, nearly every enemy he’s dealt with has made the same claim; these punks were all the same. “You sure know how to sweet talk a fella’, too bad I heard that line way too many times.” His rough voice taunted as his smirk grew larger. The two men viciously stared each other down, neither intending to back down. Pain was just about to step forward and start this thing when the young heroine’s voice rang through his ears. The hero’s icy blue eyes briefly darted over to her, and he was relieved to see she was okay. “Kid…” He muttered under his breath, that gave his smirk all the reason it needed to cling to his face. The Big Guy simply gave her the same upwards nod of acknowledgment, basically saying he would do just as she cheered.

Though her coming back into the picture changed everything, the punk turned his back to the Big Guy and began going after the young heroine instead. If he were to move now, he would just barely be able to make it in time to save her, but it was a risk he was not willing to take; at least not if there were another option. Pain looked to his left down at the fire hose within the typical emergency case, having noticed it when he first entered the room. The Big Guy nonchalantly swung his left fist into the glass, easily shattering it into a million pieces. Immediately he gripped the entire roll and pulled it to his side. His right hand moved to grip the end of the hose while the other held the roll at his side. “Bad move punk…” His rough voice softly uttered, barely loud enough for them to hear. Pain’s right hand began twirling the hose around above his head, the other ready to unreel at any moment, treating the fire hose as if it were a lasso.

Surprisingly Pain wielded his ‘weapon’ masterfully, showing grace and skill most would never expect from a man like him. With a skillful throw of his right arm, the hose was tossed towards the back of his enemy. The hose snuck around his opponent’s midsection, wrapping itself around him and locking into place. “Get the hell over here!” Pain growled out as he yanked with one arm, using just enough strength to send the man hurling towards him and away from the young woman he sought to protect.

Nina looked up, her legs flipped up over her head, and she scowled at the advancing villain. Man alive did she hate this guy. Not only had he pulled her hair, tossed her around, and left her to dangle outside a window ( she is very afraid of heights, you see ), he had tried to attack Pain. To her, that was like trying to shoot a rock star in the middle of a show. With a kick of her legs, she rolled into a low crouching stance, but before she could even ready herself to exchange blows, the man was pulled away like a paddle ball that had reached the end of its string. Her angry expression quickly turned into one of shock, a pleased shock, but shock nonetheless.

As the man was launched backwards, he couldn't help but let out a low sound as the air was pulled out of him by the tightness of the hose. His hand wasn't able to keep its grip on the beam, dropping it with a resounding thud. Now weaponless, he cursed Pain and his little associate during the spare few moments he had to himself as he glided backwards. He didn't have time to react as the girl leaped after him, screaming a feminine, yet frightening battle cry, tackling him mere moments before he connected with the ground.

Even though his body was stronger than most, he cried out in pain as he felt his nose shatter under a well-planted punch thrown by Nina. His hands shot up, blindly pushing against her chest with as much strength as he could muster through the consuming, bloody ache that raked through his head. She was thrown back, her face deepening into an all-consuming rouge in a mixture of embarrassment and violation. She landed on her back and scrambled away, figuring she would let Pain handle him instead, in spite of her desperate need to please him, her arms folding tightly over herself as blood dribbled over her knuckles.

It was all too easy for the Big Guy, the man he was up against didn’t stand a chance against him, and with the young heroine aiding, victory was easily assured to the heroic pair. Pain felt a confident, sly smirk tug across his face as he witnessed his temporary sidekick leap forward into a powerful tackle, forcing the impact to be twice as devastating. It was an impressive move, she was definitely something else, and the potential in her was obvious. Hell, she even reminded him of himself, this gal had a lot of fight in her, but hopefully he could protect her from the things he’s already endured. Immediately after his foe’s back slammed into the ground, Pain began slowly walking forward, intending to finish this.

Briefly, his smirk grew even larger as the young heroine easily broke the nose of his adversary; he was damn proud to see that. The Big Guy didn’t even worry about her being shoved off, he knew she would be perfectly fine, she was a tough one, and she had more than done her part. Before the man could even attempt to rise back to his feet, Pain had been standing over him, his black combat boots by the head of his foe. The lights shined down onto his massive, powerful figure, casting a terrifying haunting shadow down onto his foe. The Big Guy looked down at his opponent with a madman’s smirk, his piercing blue eyes feeling as if they were peering into his soul. “It’s over…” His rough voice calmly claimed as his massive boot was placed on the man’s chest.

It may seem Pain acted as a villain, but his intentions were nothing but the purest. The Big Man simply struck fear into the hearts of his enemies, though that didn’t mean it only worked against them. Perhaps it was too effective, many feared him, in fact far more did than didn’t.

With one powerful press of The Big Man’s foot, the wind was easily knocked out his opponent, forcing him into an unconscious state. Having excellent control over his powers, Pain caused no serious injuries, not even a broken bone. He exerted just enough strength to get the job done.

His icy blue eyes moved to his temporary sidekick who had still been on the ground, a look of awe clinging to her face as the two kept eye contact. Pain chose to remain silent for now, removing his foot from the man’s chest and slowly walking towards her; his usual nonchalant attitude sticking with him through every step. Soon, the tall powerful figure stood over her, extending his massive hand down to her. “You did good kid.” Pain complimented his rough raspy voice with a genuine smirk, doing his best to show he truly meant what he said.

The scene played out in front of her like a movie; the hero casually striding to deliver the final blow, the devastating quip, and she couldn't help but imagine applause as it all came to a calm, yet simple finality right there on the hotel floor. Outside she could hear the subtle hum of a police helicopter as it circled like a vulture over the constant whine of police sirens, the sounds seamlessly meshing together into a muffled soundtrack to the action that swam before her. She couldn't believe it, and yet here it was; her opportunity to make something of herself.

Pain strode over to her, complementing her on what she believed to be a mediocre job. Nina smiled and happily grabbed his hand, bringing herself up before pulling him into a hug. ''Thank you, sir!'' she chirped, squeezing tightly and clinging to her idol. After releasing him, she grabbed one of his large hands with both of hers, giving it a vigorous shake as she looked up at him with an expression of fiery confidence and joy. ''It's been amazing working with you, you have no idea.'' She released his hand, taking a step back before standing a bit straighter and shaking her hair out a bit. Blood still rolled down her fingers in warm rivulets and dripped onto the carpet, leaving pale red tracks in the dust and grime that had come to coat her gloves and otherwise porcelain skin.

''So, uhm... hey. I had an idea.'' It was with a disturbing grumble that her stomach gave a twisting lurch, reminding her of just how hungry she was. The adrenaline was already leaking out of her bloodstream, and she could feel the fatigue slipping in to replace it. She silenced the rumbling with a palm to her midsection. ''I was thinking, maybe you could... mentor me.''

Nina cast a hopeful look up at him, his size making her feel uncharacteristically small and vulnerable. That was difficult to do even for the most imposing of men, but being in the presence of the strongest hero alive today was certainly an exception to the usual. Her face flushed, but her expression betrayed no weakness. She looked determined and eager, albeit a tad sickly. ''I could be your sidekick, you know?''

The Great Hero firmly gripped the young heroine’s hand, aiding her in rising to her feet as a sign of mutual respect. Not even a second passed before the young woman threw herself onto him, wrapping her arms around him and tightly clinging to him. He hadn’t been expecting that, he’s had some crazed fans before and was used to this kind of treatment, but didn’t really expect it from her. Though this seemed far different than the usual, it seemed genuine, and warm; he couldn’t quite put his finger on it. Pain heard her thanks, but chose not to say anything, there was no need. Instead he simply responded by returning the hug, though he was hesitant. His right arm sluggishly moved to wrap around her, doing his best to return a warm, comforting embrace.

When she released him, he immediately did the same; it felt awkward enough as it is. His opposite hand was taken by the young woman’s tiny hands, barely able to wrap them around him as she forced a handshake. Pain returned her bold gesture, his charming, powerful smirk clinging to his face, giving a strong, firm handshake as he simply nodded in response to her. He wasn’t sure what to say to her, remaining silent as he pulled his hand away and allowing it to rest at his side.

Before he could spit out something, the young heroine spoke up again, claiming to have an idea. The Big Guy remained silent and soon heard her bold suggestion. That forced a soft chuckle out of him, his eyes coming to a close as he slowly shook his head. He had to give it to her, she had guts. Pain couldn’t lie to himself, he knew he had considered mentoring her, but having the idea actually come to life sounded like it might not be worth the trouble.

The young Valkyrie looked up into the hero’s piercing blue eyes, showing him she meant every word of it. Pain saw a lot through someone’s eyes, he could tell she was a good hearted gal; she just wanted to put her powers to good use. Her words were able to get through to the Big Guy, making him believe this might not be so bad after all. A sidekick might be pretty cool. Just help a new kid become a real hero, well, if he could actually do that.

“We got things to do first kid, we’ll talk later. You should start tying these guys up.” Pain took his eyes away from her, darting about the room briefly, wondering where the seventh thug had gone to.“ I only counted six knockouts.. Where’s the last punk?”

Her face fell somewhat as he avoided a direct 'yes' or 'no', but on some levels she understood his apprehension. She folded her arms and sighed, muffling the small sounds coming from her stomach. He had been a hero for decades, and she had come from nowhere, a complete greenhorn, asking for his help as a teacher. The more she thought about it, the more she realized it was probably a pipe dream. Nina sighed.

''Well I left one out there.'' Her hand weakly gestured to the window, an eyebrow raised in a disguised show of disgust for the criminal. As far as she was concerned, he could stay out there. ''He's thinking about stuff!'' she said loudly, intending for him to hear her. Hopefully he might panic a little bit, rethink his decision to do bad instead of good, or even remain neutral and just go through life, trying to be as normal as possible. She chanced a look up at Pain, and not wanting to disappoint so soon into the endeavor, she began walking to the window. ''I'll... get him down.''

With little to no care, she leaned out the gaping frame and into the refreshing breeze that folded itself through the shattered glass. Her hair whipped about her head, but not strongly enough to shield the ne'er-do-well from her clearly displeased expression. He returned it with a meek, submissive frown, his arms tightly around himself, almost as if he wanted to hold himself up from falling. Nina grabbed his sleeve and pulled, tearing a sizable rift in the hood of his jacket from the stone teeth of the gargoyle. The man yelped as she callously threw him inside, striding over to where he lay to heft him over her shoulder like a small child.

At this point, Nina looked back at Pain, a now business like tone to her face. ''You got any rope?''

Pain softly sighed at the young heroine as she sheepishly admitted to leaving a man hanging outside the window. His head lowered, and his eyes closed as one hand moved to rub his brows. She’s still just a kid who’s learning, he had to remember that, but she can’t do things like that, someone could get killed or seriously injured. It disappointed him a little, but he knew she meant well so it was easier for him to forgive the minor screw up. As the young woman nervously agreed to help the man out, Pain removed his hand, lifted his head and opened his piercing blue eyes to glare down at her. The hero gave her an upwards nod of approval, a serious, fierce expression clinging to his face; Pain had the greatest poker face.

“Good.” Pain’s deep, rough voice simply replied as the young heroine turned around, moving to fix her screw up. The Big Guy slowly shook his head at her, she had a lot to learn if she wanted to work with him, but at least she was listening. While she dealt with that, the Big Man worked on getting the others gathered up. Two at a time, he lifted up the unconscious thugs in the room and put them together, back to back in a small circle. Four thugs in total were gathered up, two others on a higher level, and the seventh being dealt with by the young woman. During this time, he contemplated his decision on taking the young heroine in as his sidekick. It was no easy choice for him to make, he would be placing a significant amount of trust in this young woman; he would practically be taking her to war. She was just a kid, Pain could not do that without a guilty conscious, but she was truly devoted to this. Whether or not Pain accepted her, she would go on, and who knows where her path might take her, or where it might end…

That thought is what pushed him to accept her, the fear of seeing a good hearted young woman like that lose her life, or even worse, fall to darkness. He saw a younger version of himself in her, and feared for her future because of that. Part of him desperately wished to guide and protect her, but the other part feared the consequences of doing so. When you get close to Pain, you make plenty of enemies…

Pain had just finished gathering the four thugs up when the young heroine came back with the thug on her shoulder. In the hero’s hand was the same fire-hose he had used earlier, he had grabbed it while gathering the thugs. He lifted it up towards her and flashed a smirk from his rough handsome face. “Nope, but this’ll get the job done.” The Big Guy’s powerful raspy voice instructed as he tossed the entire fire-hose roll towards her. “I’ma go grab the other two. You finish up here, and wait til’ I come back fore' you turn them in. Got it?” Pain gave her just enough time to spit out a reply, barely paying attention to what she said before cutting her off. “Oh yeah, what was your name again kid?” The Big Guy couldn’t remember what she told him earlier, he wasn’t exactly that great with names anyway.

Nina slunk back to her idol, sheepishly propping up he man against the backs of his comrades. She felt an ever-growing tendril of doubt snake into her thoughts and poison her usually optimistic demeanor. Due to the shake of his head, the knit of his brow, the tell-tale drag in his breathing; he wasn't all too pleased. More than anything, it was probably her sub-par behavior. Sure, she had enough drive, but that could only take you so far if you lacked the skills and mentality required to be a good hero. Pain knew what being a good hero was, he was the best, and compared to him, Nina was nothing more than a groupie with wasted abilities.

Her eyes pulled him in, a determined and slightly depressed glance taking in every inch of him. She wanted more than anything to be accepted by him as a pupil, even if it meant scrubbing his floors or doing his laundry. Nina had potential, that much she knew of herself, and even more than that, she wanted it. Craved the tutelage and leadership that she had missed growing up, the same kind of structure she knew Pain could provide.

She barely had time to grab the hose before is collided with her, but she managed to snatch it and not make a fool of herself. His instructions were clear, and she followed them to the detail, wrapping the hose tightly around them and standing proudly next to the bundle of men in a distinctly disciplined stance; If she had been wearing camo, you would have confused her for a marine. ''I'll wait right here, sir.'' she said, punctuating the sentence with a curt nod. One thing Nina could never mess up is obedience, especially when it came to people she respected.

When he asked her name, her cheeks flushed again with embarrassment and overly-feminine hope. My name...? No, he wants to know what to call me. She stood up a bit straighter, her posture having gone lax from the sudden surge of subdued coquettish exuberance. With a simple flick of her hair, she gave him a classic all-American salute. ''Valkyrie, sir.''

The disappointment she felt in herself was obvious, and he couldn’t help but feel a little guilty for that. Pain wouldn’t let it get to him though, she needed to learn, and the gal shouldn’t beat herself up so much anyway; she’s gotta’ get tougher skin than that! The Big Guy would train and raise her the only way he knew how, with ‘tough love’. He saw that look in her eyes, the strong desire for a mentor and guide in this life chaotic life. It was almost heart wrenching to turn her away, the big fella’ couldn’t bring himself to do it. Whether it was due to guilt, or an actual desire, Pain decided he would take her under his wing.

When he heard the young heroine’s confident, obedient response, Pain replied with a simple downwards nod. He found her discipline to be a bit extreme, almost military styled, and he didn’t like it. The whole ‘sir’ and salute thing just wasn’t his style, he preferred a more laid back, personal approach. At least she was respectful, but she could loosen up a little; this wasn’t the marines after all. When she said her name, it all came back to him, their meeting at the very start of this whole mess. “Vakryie eh? You still got my shades?” The Big Guy said with a sly, charming smirk as he held his right palm out, hoping she’d place the shades in his hand.

Pain flashed her a smirk when she handed them back to him, and surprisingly in perfect condition. “Thanks kid.” He said simply as he slid the shades back onto his face, covering up his icy blue eyes. Without another word, the Big Guy returned to business, turning away from the young heroine and walking down the hallway towards the staircase he had leaped down earlier. He left Valkryie to tie up the thugs, and by the time he returned to the room with the other two, that was long done. Pain simply scooped the thugs up, one in each arm, carrying them like small children. The Big Guy reentered the room to witness Valkryie patiently waiting with perfect posture beside the restrained thugs. “Nice job.” The shaded hero calmly said as he stepped forward towards her. “Lift em’ up and follow.” He further instructed as he walked past her and towards the elevator. “I know it’s lame, but we’ve caused enough damage today.” The true hero said as pressed the call button with his elbow, he was always thinking about everyone else. Pain would teach her that little things like this really did matter, the smallest acts of kindness go a long way; even if you're the only one to recognize it, you've made a difference somewhere...

She picked up the group of men with slight difficulty, not wanting them to slip out of their bonds, and eventually settled them onto her back like a satchel. She smiled brightly at his methods, diligently following Pain into the elevator and carefully adjusting the men on her back. Though she had to bend over to get everyone in, she showed no signs of strain or negativity. Once the doors clattered shut, she inhaled deeply and sighed. This was her opportunity to go in for the kill, so to speak. With the two of them in the elevator, he could hear her out, listen to her story, and if things went well, accept her as his pupil. She picked through her thoughts for a moment before deciding exactly how she would present herself.

''That was really cool...'' she said, excitement clear in her voice. ''Like, you don't even know. I just got to kick ass with the guy I grew up watching on television.'' Nina shifted her weight from foot to foot, looking up to the Big Guy as he politely looked back. ''When I found out about... what I can do, I would watch you on the news, and try and copy what you did. I wanted to be just like you, I still do kinda, but in a different way.'' One man stirred, and she adjusted herself slightly to keep the group as motionless as possible.

''When I left home, I didn't know where to go, I just knew I had to get to New York.'' The memories of life on the road swam into her like a bad movie; broken bottles, restrained fist fights with perverted men, days without food, and long nights in the rain. ''It sucked, and it took forever, but here I am! Standing, er... bending in an elevator with The Big Guy himself.'' Now that she had reached the culmination of several years on the road, it all seemed worth it. The time spent or wasted on travel was now nothing compared to the possibility that lay before her. ''I woke up today thinking that it would just be another bland day looking, but it turned out to be what I had been looking for, and I haven't even had breakfast yet. Well... I haven't eaten in a while, but...'' Her thoughts trailed off as she was sharply pulled back to reality by the wrenching twist in her empty stomach. A human being, even a super powered one, still needed some form of nourishment, and Nina Wynowski, A.K.A. Valkyrie, was long since overdue.

''But still, thanks for letting me help you out.'' She smiled again and gave a small nod, coming to the conclusion that she didn't really have much else to say. Nothing of value could be added to this diatribe or sway his decision, so for the moment, she stayed silent, even though her nerves were wracked by the lack of finality.

The heroic pair waited in a brief silence as the elevator was called to them, and thankfully it didn’t take long to arrive. Pain wasn’t sure if she understood why they were taking the elevator, or if she was just blindly following him; either way it showed she respected his decisions. The Big Guy needed that, someone who could work with him, not against him. As the elevator doors opened up, with an upwards nod of his head, the Big Guy motioned for the young lady to step in first. Pain couldn’t help but smirk at his new ‘sidekick’ as she clumsily heaved the unconscious group into the elevator; he still found it difficult to believe there had been so much strength in that young woman. The hero stepped in after his sidekick, standing side by side with her in the fairly large elevator that felt awkwardly small due to the number of people in it. “Some downtime sounds good right now…” He uttered somewhat under his breath as his elbow softly pushed in the button to the first floor. The Big Guy’s mind wandered as the elevator started its descent, his eyes fixes upon the roof as he dreamt of losing this sobriety.

The silence may have been awkward for the young woman, but not at all for Pain, he was daydreaming after all. It was interrupted by an excited feminine voice, and what she said forced another smirk onto his rough scarred face. He had to snap himself out of his thoughts, the hero’s blue eyes drifting down from the ceiling and onto his young sidekick. Pain listened to her every word, giving up his full attention. Half of him was flattered, the other half of him worried about her; copying him meant for one troubling life. When she said she wanted to be just like him, he was tempted to stop her there and tell her that she’d never want that. Instead he respectfully kept quiet, letting the young woman ramble on to her childhood hero. While she spoke, Pain moved to carry both the thugs in one arm, freeing up the one closest to Valkyrie.

Pain listened to her story with a heavy heart, he believed every detail to be true, and felt guilty that she had been through so much just to be here. As usual, despite the fact that this was all her choice, he blamed himself and felt responsible. He’d make up for it though, he’d ensure this young heroine’s wellbeing, and turn her into a great hero someday; hopefully. Pain felt guiltiest of all when the young woman claimed to have not eaten in awhile; well a lot of things were going to change now that she was with him. The Big Guy kept quiet until she finished with thanking him, that genuine sly smirk clinging to his face as he looked down to her. “Thanks for the help kid.” The hero’s rough voice said as gently as it would allow, his free hand moving to the top of her head immediately after. Almost like a father figure, Pain stood over her as he placed a comforting hand to show that he understood, that he appreciated the young woman’s efforts, and that he was here for her now. Perhaps it wasn’t the best way to show it, but it was the way he chose to try and relate to her. His massive rough fingers rested in her hair, messing it up slightly as his icy blue eyes looked down to her with genuine joy. This Valkyrie gal, she was a nice young lady, and the Big Guy liked her a whole lot already.

“Good things come to the patient.” The Big Guy summed up all of her efforts in a single sentence, trying to assure her that every little step is worth it. For her age, she was extremely determined, just like he was at that age, and that’s what made him fear for her the most. “Let me prove it to ya’.” Pain said with a soft chuckle, cutting her off before she could get a word out. ”After this, I’ll take ya’ to lunch.-" The Big Guy stopped himself, as if he were midsentence, his eyes darting over to the lights that displayed the floor they were on; only six stories to go. The hero removed his massive hand and placed it on his chin, rubbing it inquisitively as he watched them descend another story. His icy blue eyes darted back down to her, figuring he should say something since he had ended so abruptly. “You did good kid, just don’t let if get to your head. We got plenty more fights down the road.”

She smiled and giggled, eyes wincing as he mused her hair. Even after all of the uplifting, and ego inflating, things that had been said by him, the only words that resounded to the young femme was 'lunch' and 'we'. Not only did she get the opportunity to kick ass right next to her idol, but now she could chow down on a burger with the guy and be by his side in the future. Her cringing and biting stomach suddenly flitted about her insides, making her utter a tiny, girly squeal of excitement. If she was less burdened, she would have hugged him.

The excitement in her grew and gripped every muscle in her legs and back, her whole body becoming a tightly wound spring waiting to burst into energy and action. The floors went lower, her eyes staring intently as they ticked further and further down. ''Where are we eating?'' she chirped, looking up at him like a hyperactive puppy would at its new owner. ''I like all kinds of food, I'm really not picky. I know a lot of people say it, but I mean it, ya know?'' She nervously shifted her weight from foot to foot, biting her lip as her guts gave another sickening growl and rumble. ''Man, I could eat a horse. I could eat four horses. With barbecue sauce...'' Her mind wandered to food, making her eyes glaze over with the thought of a sizzling grill covered in burgers and hot dogs. She fondly remembered the smokey flavors of the last steak she had, how it was just a little pink in the middle, and swimming in A1. Mashed potatoes with cheese to chase it, and a tall glass of coke to wash it all down; that was heaven.

Her attention snapped back to the present as the elevator settled down on the first floor, the doors slowly pulling open to reveal an empty lobby and countless cameras and reporters pressed against the glass that made up the doors and decorative front. Upon seeing the heroic pair, cameras began frantically filming and flashing, capturing every detail and moment that would pass between here and their departure. Even through the glass and length of the lobby, she could hear yelling permeate the air.

A thousand muffled questions assaulted her, and she didn't like it. The feeling of being exposed, so many prying eyes, suddenly the elevator felt confining and dangerously small. Unbeknown to Nina, she let out a small whimper as she edged back, getting behind Pain as much as she could, looking to the floor and closing her eyes to the invading flashes and noise. She had known there would be noise, press coverage, and even a crowd, but the knowing and the reality were never really the same when you're a superhero. ''Is it always like this...?'' she asked softly, her forehead gently coming to rest on the back of his arm.

The Big Guy wasn’t sure how to handle the hyperactive young woman; he hadn’t exactly been an expert in dealing with teenagers. She was a teen right? I mean, she kinda’ looked it. Kinda... Pain just rose his brow at her, taking his eyes away and looking up to the lights that displayed their floor. Move faster, stupid thing. When he heard the young woman stop her ramble, he gave her back his attention and answered her original question with a simple “Dunno.” Pain’s free hand moved to scratch his head, he just planned to pick something at random, guess he’d leave that up to her. “Guess it’s your pick kid.” He let his hand slide down his neck, then back to resting at his side as he waited to descend one more floor.

Pain had a bad feeling about this, and when those doors opened up, that all too familiar feeling came to reality. The second those doors opened up, they were immediately bombarded by the media, paparazzi swarming to take pictures, and prying at the heroic pair for answers. The glass is the only thing that kept them from stampeding towards the two, and thankfully the doors had been locked. Pain briefly looked over his shoulder down at his frightened new sidekick, he didn’t like seeing that; not for anyone. He would try to comfort her and protect her as best he could. The Big Guy led her out of the elevator, allowing her to hold onto him as he walked closer to the crowd.

“Always.” He simply stated in response to her, his icy blue eyes looking back to her before instructing. “Drop those punks.” At the same time, he dropped the two thugs he carried in one arm. When she followed his instructions, with no warning he scooped her off her feet, cradling her in his arms. He held her close to his chest, and with one of his massive arms he was able to support her. The other simply comforted the back of her head, and allowed him some freedom when necessary. “It’s alright to be scared.” Pain didn’t look at her the entire time he spoke, his icy eyes fixed on the path ahead; the massive crowd before him. He arrived before the glass door, and used one hand to unlock it. “It’s just a matter of finding the courage to face it.” He said calmly before opening the door and gently forcing back some of the crowd with his great strength.

The Big Guy forced his way through the crowd, ignoring the hundreds of questions thrown at him, and shielding the young woman with his arms. He couldn’t protect her from everything, but he would damn sure try. Pain made his way through to the police line, where he was given support in holding off the frenzied crowd. He heard a familiar voice call to him, ”Yo Big Guy.” Pain’s head snapped to the left, to where he heard the voice, and saw the officer he had handed his jacket to earlier. “Think this is yours.” The police officer said as he tossed it towards the great hero.

Pain lifted up one hand, his other easily cradling Valkryie as he caught the jacket. “Thanks.” He pretty much just dropped the jacket onto her, not even asking, but instructing her to “Hold this.” He wasn’t trying to be a jerk, just trying to get out of there as quickly as possible, and he didn’t want to lose his jacket either.

“The thugs are out cold, all tied up on the first floor. The rest is yours.” The Big Guy’s eyes darted up to the building he had leaped to earlier; he still needed to tell that man it was safe to come down. “Take it easy, and hold on tight kid.” Was the last of his words before bending his knees and leaping high into the sky. Pain made sure to hold her tight, didn’t want to lose his new sidekick, or his favorite jacket!

The Big Guy had little difficulty landing on the tall skyscraper, he’d done it countless times, and by now it had become second nature. At first, he hesitated to release her from his arms. He was unsure if she wanted to be put down or carried, and if she was put down, could she even begin to keep up with him? Pain had no idea what to say, but manage to force something out anyway. “You want me to let you go? Or should I carry the lady to dinner too?” The Big Guy’s rough voice said with a soft chuckle, trying to break the ice a little. A bit of a lame attempt at humor, but at least he tried…