Heat of the Phoenix.

Andrew sat in his dorm room and looked blankly at his TV. He was angry with the world. He risked his life every day, for people he didn't even know. However the ones he knew, and cared about the most, turned there back on him. He out on his costume and was suited up. He needed to let off steam, his emotions were starting to get the best of him. He started running, no particular destination. He just ran and ran. He came to the park where The Talons usually met up. Phoenix was now fuming with anger, thoughts of the girl he loved came over him. Fire exploded around him, and he screamed.

Phoenix was shooting fireballs up at the sky and swearing and screaming. "I try so hard, for what. I risk my fucking life everyday to save the world, and ask for nothing!" He dropped to his knees as the fire around reached its full intensity, and temperature. He punched the ground and a tear ran down his face. "I'm a superhero, and yet i'm like everybody else!"
The fire was starting to expand, Phoenix realized this and started to condense it. He made it smaller and smaller and eventually it disappeared.

Phoenix turned to his left and about a football field away there were 3 guys beating down on one poor bastard. It was not there lucky day. Phoenix had enough of the worlds injustices, and was not going to sit back and watch it happen. Not today of all days. Phoenix dashed up behind one of the thugs and tapped him on the shoulder. When the thug turned around Phoenix smashed him in the face with a power punch. He clearly had broken the mans jaw, and possibly cheekbone. Then from behind him a group of 15 men, clearly the rest of the gang were staring at him. All with an assortment of weapons, like a buffet of death. "Ok let's dance" Phoenix said as he made a fireball in each hand.

It was a typical day for Gabriel, just wandering and pondering. He was mostly thinking of his new team, The Talons, and the things he could do to benefit them. He had a few ideas in mind, when he saw fireballs flying into the sky. And it was coming from the Talons usual meeting place! A.I. began sprinting for Phoenix, for he knew this had to be some kind of emergency meeting.

When A.I. arrived, no one was there. He began to investigate, when he heard the sound of Phoenix's voice. He turned and saw Phoenix a hundred yards away, about to fight a group of thugs. Another person arrived alongside the Leader of the Talons, and began to help with the thugs. A.I. dashed forward to the scene to assist. "Phoenix. You rang?"

Phoenix was now truly livid, he was throwing very powerful blows to the gang as they came at him. He grabbed one guy by the arm and snapped in, one guy buy the leg and threw him into a wall. Next he drew his sword off his back, and attacked the leader. He threw blow, after blow , after blow at him till his face was beaten and bruised "Listen mother fucker, I am in no mood for this shit today. All you gangsters act tough, but it takes 3 of you pussies to take down one of him, and I could take all 15 by myself. He put his sword to the leaders throat and true fire showed in his eyes. "Why shouldn't I kill you right now!? This man did what? Walk in your territory? You sicken me." Phoenix turned to his left and saw two heroes coming to help him, and one of them was AI. "No I didn't ring, the only thing ringing is this guys skull." Phoenix said pointing at the beaten and butchered gang leader.

A.I. saw the rage in Phoenix's eyes. He had beaten the leader of the gang to a pulp, and the others had mostly run off in fear of him and the other hero. "Phoenix please. Look at yourself. Look what you have done to this man." Gabriel pleaded. He stepped forward and placed a hand on Phoenix's shoulder. "You can talk to us. Please. Let him go." A.I. was amazed at what he was seeing. He had no idea that his leader had so much inner strife. He seemed so composed in battle and with the team, yet he had so much anger it was incredible. "You are not like them. You are not a killer. You are a Talon."

Phoenix's raged look started to subside a little bit and he let the man go. He turned to AI and the other hero and looked at them graciously. "Don't worry I'm good now, not looking for a fight." he said to the mystery kid. "And AI thank you." And then Phoenix turned and looked down at the thug beaten on the ground. Phoenix had let his emotions get the best of him. A mistake he would not make again. He then started walking away. Then the leader of the mob pulled a handgun from his side and pointed it at Phoenix. He turned and looked at the armed man with a look in his eyes as to say "I dare you" and then jumped and threw a fireball at the mans hand.

Gabriel watched as the thug pulled a gun on Phoenix. He almost reacted, but the other two quickly dealt with it. "Your abilities are impressive my friend." A.I. said to the other hero. "And thank you... for helping me calm my leader.."
A.I. looked to Phoenix. "My friend, are you alright?" he said as he approached his teammate. "You are troubled, that is clear. But you must know that as much as the Talons are a team in combat, we are a team in spirit. Surely you know this." He put his hand on his shoulder. "In other words, you can talk to us. We are a family now."

Phoenix looked at the pathetic man on the ground with a burned hand, and broken spirit. He never thought he was capable of such anger and aggression. He looked at the AI and thanked him once again. "Yeah, my name is Phoenix and I guess you can say fire is kind of my thing. Anyways, your performance today was impressive, and clearly you make a better ally than enemy." Phoenix handed his new friend a communicator, and shook his hand. "I didn't catch your name."

A.I. smiled as he saw his leader give Deluge a communicator. Our numbers our growing. He thought to himself. He knew from his display of power that Deluge would be a strong teammate, and he was glad to be witness to his initiation. "Glad to have you on the team, Deluge. I am A.I., a machine from the future. I am trapped in your time and have taken advantage of my abilities in order to help save the innocent." he said to the newest Talon. "I'm also the team's technician and mechanic. I'm sure we'll get to know each other very well." he smiled and nodded, leaving the rest to Phoenix.

Phoenix stood there almost silent untill AI had finished. "I'm Phoenix, leader of the Talons. I'm gunna save the boring team dynamics from you, because it's clear that you have morals. I mean, you just helped a complete stranger...." Phoenix said with a smile and turned the beaten gang member. "and you saved someone's life."

Phoenix normally wasn't hostile, and it took a lot for him to get mad, but he had feelings of anger coursing through his veins like white water rapids. Ever since he started working with Darkfire on controlling his fire, he has been angry. He thought it was just the fire inside him but he was mistaken. Just then his cell phone rang.

The voice was of a man who was clearly making his tone deeper, to help hide himself. "Hello, we have your friend Katelyn with us, if you ever want her back, or to even talk to her, you will give us $250,000 by nightfall. Meet us on Canal St at midnight, or she will die" there was a click before Phoenix had a chance to say anything the man hung up. If Phoenix was angry before, he was absolutely livid now. Who the hell did this man think he was? Katelyn was the girl he loved, and he would not stand for this right now.

"Look, Deluge I need your help right now, I know i'm cashing in on it early, but I don't have time for anything else. As for you AI, we got a mission right now. There is no time to inform the other Talons of what's going on. Just please follow, i can explain on the way." Phoenix said with true aggression. He turned and started running towards the meeting point, there was only an few hours till nightfall, but he took off as if there were mere seconds.

The calm, after-battle socializing was quickly interrupted by a phone call to Phoenix. A.I. wasn't sure what the man on the phone said, but whatever it was, it pissed Phoenix off royally. He didn't have the chance to ask what was wrong before Phoenix gave him orders and took off running. "Phoenix wait!" he shouted after his leader. Gabriel looked to Deluge and shrugged. "I guess we better follow him..."

Once he had caught up to Phoenix, A.I. cut him off and stopped in his tracks. "Phoenix. I can see you are upset, but you cannot expect us to run into something we know nothing about. Slow down, and explain what's going on." he said, staring the fire wielder in the face. "We just discussed this. You can trust us. Like I said. We are Talons."