Who mugs people nowadays? (The Steel Magnum)

Jake was having a rough couple weeks, numerous things both devastating and impossible had happened in that short span of time. He really didn't know how the universe was gonna top it all. The last few weeks more then any other time had opened his eyes to just how insignificant he was, even with what he could do. He was all alone now, no family no friends and no life. He couldn't even live without constantly looking over his shoulder, for some unknown reason people that weren't even cops had been coming after him. Even worse, he was wanted for the horrible crime of his parents murder which he did not commit. It was true he had a strained relationship with them, and he randomly sprang superpowers, but he would have never killed them. He was no murderer, he hated violence, and his powers were passive mental abilities.

He couldn't believe the way the media was making it look, yet it was quite convincing. He was hiding out at a horrifying motel, but that was the last thing one could call safe. He just had to be ready to run at a moments notice, at least until he figured out what was going on. He decided to keep moving, only returning to the motel when he needed to sleep. He figured it was best this way, rather then staying in one place so people could find him he moved all over. Every second of every day his mind was tapping into the 4g network, gathering as much information about the situation as he could. So far he found nothing but news stories that were fabricated nonsense, but his deeper knowledge of the inter-webs combined with his powers would eventually give him an idea of who did this and why, it had to.

He was now moving through down town Chicago like a homeless person, even though he looked like he was doing nothing at any given time he was keeping very busy in his head. He walked down random alleyways and run down streets keeping to himself, his hood hiding his face most of the time. It was getting pretty dark now, and the weirdos were coming out. Perhaps it was time to get back to the hotel. Of course, with his luck he had to be stopped.

An obvious mugger grabbed Jake by the shoulder then spun him around, punching him directly in the nose. "Whadda got for me kid? Phone? Cash?" He said, the smell of alcohol pouring from him. Jakes nose gushed with blood, he was now laying on his back looking up at his attacker. He did have cash, but it was back at the hotel. He could try to port away, but that was extremely unenjoyable and didn't work half the time while he was in pain, the last time he did that he puked, though that could have been the whiskey... It looked like Jake was about to get a beat down from this drunk idiot, at least until the muggers attention was caught by a nearby noise.

Somewhere in the middle of Chicago, a beautiful girl floats around aimlessly in the sky, blinking her bright blue eyes as she stares at the ground in sheer curiosity.  The cars she sees driving around make her giggle softly, why do humans need machines to move when they have legs!  She finds this funny, because it makes the humans look lazy.  Though this is probably because she doesn’t understand human’s need to get to where they need to be quicker than running speed, something the dazzling solar being wouldn’t understand due to her ability to fly much faster than sound without a jet.

Star’s attention switches from the cars to a bird that flies past her face, causing her to giggle again and float after it. “Wait up!  Birdie!” She happily follows the bird aimlessly for about a half an hour before she spots a cat in an alley below her, causing her to float down and look at it. “Kitty!” She very quickly snatches the cat up, against its wishes, and giggles as she strokes her fur. “Pretty..”

As far as days go, this was normal for Stargirl; Fly here, look at this, fly there, look at that.  Her obsession with observing life takes up most of her time when she finds planets to explore.  The star lady finally puts down the poor cat and floats over to another alley, she heard someone yelling.  She doesn’t like yelling, or loud noises in general, they make her uneasy.

Stargirl floats down into the ally upside down, a curious look on her face as she spots the mugger and the muggee.  She tilts her head and floats a bit closer, close enough to be right next to the mugger.  “Hello!” She says with a genuine and innocent smile to the mugger, not really sure if he’s bad or not.  The younger human was bleeding.. but lifeforms do that all the time!  She’s just going to talk to him.

Well that was unexpected, but Jake was starting to expect the unexpected at this point. A girl, a very pretty one at that, was now floating in the air right next to the mugger. She just said hello, like she was taking a morning stroll and this guy didn't just make his nose explode with blood. What the hell was going on now?

"Uh, i, ah, hi." The mugger said with his mouth open. Normally the guy probably would have made a fowl comment at the sight of such beauty, but the fact she was floating mid air deterred him. Jake just stared in disbelief, holding his blood covered nose. He didn't know what to do, and neither did the mugger really.

"Um...Hi, could you help me out here, that guy hit me." Jake said pulling himself to his feet.

"No! I didn'- Well, i might have." The mugger said for some reason embarrassed like a little kid caught stealing.

"Get out of here! I don't have any money you ass." Jake said with an authority in his voice he didn't know he had. The drunk mugger surprisingly listened, trailing off without another word. At this point Jake realized he was in the presence of a female, and a pretty one at that. His demeanor immediately switched to shy and nervous just because he was close to her. He didn't know why, but that's always how he acted around girls he thought were attractive.

"Uh, Hi...." He said turning to the woman with blood still on his face.

Stargirl blinks her eyes as the mugger guy runs off, tilting her head slowly at the sight.  Her body finally flips over so that she wasn’t floating upside-down anymore as she waves her hand at the fleeing criminal. “Bye bye!” She giggles and turns around to face the human boy, smiling brightly as he greeted her. “Hello!” She said in an innocent and happy tone, letting out a second giggle after her response.

She was a strange girl, that much is clear, but she looks like a beautiful young human woman, probably a meta-human at best.  Though her attire was a bit strange, like the wearer.  She was wearing a black, tribal-looking outfit that consisted of a bikini top, a loincloth-like skirt, and a collar necklace with a golden sun pendant.  Her exotic clothing probably either makes her look like an exotic belly dancer.

Her blue eyes slowly open as she looks at him with her head tilted curiously, “Why did that person hit your face?” She looks at his bloody nose with a slight frown, the violence behind his injury making her feel a little sad.

This woman was strange, almost child like. And her clothing....well, it was a bit revealing for anything but a strip club. Jake looked at her with his dim grey guys bugged out, he started to look down the length of her body but quickly turned away blushing. He then realized the woman had asked him a question.

"Well, he wanted money and thought he could take it from me." Jake said wiping the blood from his face with his sleeve. The bright red liquid seeping into his grey hoodie.

"My names Jake, whats yours?" Jake said trying to be friendly even though he was in the worst possible mood anyone could be in. He stuck his hand out to the woman as he said this, gesturing for a shake. It was not known what she would do considering her utter naivete, but it was a pretty universal expression.

Stargirl tilts her head again at the mention of money.  She hears that a lot, but doesn't really understand what it is.. all she knows is that all of bad people like it.. and so to a lot of good people.  She’s never had money, but she knows its just green things that people use to get stuff.  Though Stargirl never needed stuff.. all she had was what she was wearing.. because the people who gave it to her told her she must wear it.. so she does!  Though she doesn't know why the robber wanted to steel green things that can be just made all the time.. its not like gold that a planet only has a limited supply of.  Thinking about human ways always confuse the energy being, so she just shakes the thought out of her head.

The human sticks his hand out to her and she stares at it for a moment, clueless as to what it is. He tells her his name so Star assumes this is just a greeting.  She also holds her hand out with a giggle and a smile, “My name is Stargirl!  Nice to meet you!” She just holds her hand out with no intention of shaking the boy’s, probably due to obliviousness.

Her smile slowly turns to a soft frown and looks at his nose again, “I’m sorry you got hurt in the face..” She slowly floats closer to him and wraps her arms around his body, giving him a hug!  Her body feels very warm when in contact to Jake, probably feeling like being hugged by a nice sunny day.

The woman looked confused the whole time he was speaking, and even more so when he offered his hand. She obviously didn't understand basic human gestures, so Jake speculated she might not be human at all. It would make sense, he had never seen someone so.....gorgeous. She just kinda held her hand there, so Jake took the initiative and shook her hand. He then let go and considered the woman, she was all smiles for some reason.

it was a bit contagious, because at that moment Jake realized he was smiling as well. Her grin turned to a frown though, if only briefly. She then came floating at him, tossing her arms around his body giving him a tight hug. At first he was a bit startled, but then he felt a certain warmth. His face was now flush red, he was rather embarrassed but very comfortable in the woman's arms.  He could have sincerely fell asleep right then and there, he felt safe and loved in the star girls grasp. Rather then pull away, he kept the hug going for as long as he could, saying nothing.

Stargirl smiles brightly as she hugs the boy in her arms, enjoying the fact that she can make him feel better.  That’s her purpose in existence, she guesses, to protect life and make people at peace.  Though its going to take a lot of hugs to make humans peaceful.  Star blinks at the thought and thinks about the mugger, if he’s going to hit a young man in the face for paper.. then he may hurt more people too!  

Stargirl pouts a bit as she hugs the teenager a bit closer, in a protective way.  “Are there alot of bad people on this planet?  That hurt people?”  She blinks and looks down into his eyes, tilting her head curiously.  She’s met some very bad creatures in her travels, some that like to hurt innocent aliens.. so Stargirl destroyed them for it.  Though, Stargirl doesn’t look much like a destroyer, and she doesn’t like to be.  But hugs can’t help bad people.  

Stargirl’s body seems to get a bit warmer as her thoughts go on, her blue eyes still looking down at the boy in her arms.

The woman looked down at him, asking him if there were a lot of bad people on the planet. Of course there were, a lot. The past few weeks had proven that to be truer then he originally thought. Before he knew bad stuff happened, but he never experienced anything that awful first hand. He looked up at the female that was still hugging him and realized this was sort of inappropriate, but he still didn't want to let go. Reluctantly he wiggled from the girls arms, taking a few steps back before answering her question.

"Bad people? Well, bad and evil are pretty subjective. But if you mean people like that man who hit me, then yes, there are tons. People hurt others all the time here, weather its for war or just crime." Jake said pulling his hood from his head revealing his full head of shaggy black hair. A few seconds past by, but then voices could be heard in the distance.

"Over there! Thats the kid and his meta human friend!" The mugger from earlier shouted. Surrounding him were 5 others, two holding large knives and the others with hand guns. Panic shot through Jake seeing this, he hated guns. He seriously hoped this woman could do more then just hover. He could run, but he didn't want to leave the girl behind, he wanted at least a phone number dammit! Suddenly things got a whole lot worse then he had thought, one of the muggers handed off his blade to one of the others and started catching himself on fire. In seconds his whole body was nothing but a roughly human outline of flames.

"Get um Blaze!" The mugger from before said, his buddies then charged Jake and Star Girl.

Stargirl looks down the alley at the thugs, not knowing what a meta-human is, and unsure why she is being called it.  They did get one thing right, the young human is her friend, and they seem to be wanting to hurt him.  The alien frowns and stares down at them, “I don’t like you..” she eyes the mugger from before.

The drunken thug bellows a laugh as he plays around with his own fire, trying to intimidate his victims, “Tough tits, lady.. you’re both gunna be sorry for embarrassing me back there!  Boys!  Shoot her!”  

The two gun men began to fire at her, four shots in total.  One two hit her in the chest, one in the shoulder, and one dead center on the forehead.  The sound of the gunshots startled Stargirl and she stepped backwards and shut her eyes, not liking the loud noise, and in doing so she made it appear like the bullets hurt her.

“Good shootin’, boys, now for the ki~ What the hell!?”  The leader looked shocked when Stargirl looked up at him with a bullet smashed against her forehead, which now fell to the ground without a scratch left on the girl’s body.

“I don’t like that sound..!!” She clenches her fists and glares at the men as her eyes began to glow a fiery yellow.  She lets out an angry cry as beams of radiant energy burst out of her eye sockets and shoot straight at one of the gunmen, causing him to cry out in pain of his chest getting utterly singed and his body flying off into a car parked down the alley and across the street, leaving a nice dent in the door.

“Holy shit, dude!” The other gunman began to shoot at her more rapidly, which only annoyed her even more!  She cried out again and flew at him with her arms out, the sudden burst of her speed causing a small shockwave back at Jake.  Stargirl stops her charge and inertia carried the gunman into a street lamp, effectively bending over and causing it to fall.

Stargirl slowly looks back at the remainder of the thugs, her glare still on the leader with her eyes glowing in a constant fire.

"Holy shit!" Jake screamed as he saw the woman take multiple shots like they were nothing and shoot fire from her eyes. He had no idea she could do that, he never met a metahuman in his life before a few weeks ago and now every other day he ran into one. It was apparent she could handle herself, though Jake was another story. He had never used his powers offensively, ever. But it seemed he would have to learn real quick like.

The last gunman that wasn't pulverized by Stargirl shot a few well aimed rounds at Jake, it was a damn good thing he recently learned a new trick. On impact with the bullets his body digitized, causing the bullets to pass right through him. He looked as he normally did, but he was actually completely incorporeal. He grinned at the sight of the mans ineffective shots before techno porting in front of him. "Hey! What the?!" The gunman said as Jake snatched the pistol from his hand. He now had the gun pointed at the man, and had a choice to make. He quickly resolved not to kill him, instead shooting him in the kneecap.

Ok, that was it for the gun guys, good. Jake didn't know how to really work a gun, he knew you pulled the trigger to fire it of course but he was extremely untrained. But still, he held the gun as confidently as he could, shooting the last thug in the leg. At that point all that was left was the fire guy, who was now charging at Stargirl shooting blasts of flames as he did. Jake was pretty sure she could take care of it, but followed along anyway.

Stargirl lets out a few more cries as the gunshots continue to go off, holding her ears while floating in the sky. “No more! No more!” She landed hard on the ground, causing the asphalt to crack at the impact.  A moment later she takes her hands off her ears and looks around, gun shots are done.  This was when she was struck in the side of the head with a fire ball.

“That’s it, bitch!  You take out my boys, I take you out!” he grinned confidently as he shoots an entire plume of fire at her like a napalm bomb, “Burn! Burn! Burn!” He laughs like a maniac.  He stops his flame throwing and expects to see her burned carcass, but what he really saw was Stargirl’s fist smashing into his face, his nose to be specific.  The thug cries out in agony as he was thrown down the alley from the force of the punch, his flames disappear and he curls up in the fetal position with his hands over his face.  Stargirl shattered his nose.. and probably most of his face with that punch.  

She stands in the alley, her poor bikini all burnt up, but thankfully keeping her clothed for the time being, but her body was perfectly fine.  He didn’t even burn her.  She frowns and clenches her fists at him, “No more hurting people… Or I hurt you worse..”

Jake watched the whole fight with a sort of boyish excitement, though he kept himself at a safe distance as he valued his unburnt skin. Jake watched as Stargirl utterly kicked the guys ass, which was cool and all but these guys could be seriously injured or worse. Once the flame guy was punched a very long distance into the alleyway his fire dissipated, he then lay blankly in his normal form on the hard concrete. Well that wasn't good, that guy was either knocked totally cold or.....dead, and Stargirl looked as if she was going to keep going.

Jake rushed over to them, walking past Stargirl to check the mans pulse. He knelt down, placing his finger on the males neck to see if he was alright. He felt nothing, the mugger was dead. Unfortunate as it was, he did deserve it didn't he? Well, no, even a thug like him didn't need to die. Jake felt a lesser version of the feeling he felt when he first found out his parents were killed. No he obviously didn't love this guy like them, but death was a horrible thing for all living things to go through. Maybe this guy had a family, or at least loved ones. It all reminded Jake of his own, making his mind sink into the familiar feeling of depression. A single tear slowly made its way down Jake's face, though it was not very noticeable once he wiped it away. He finally turned around to face the woman before speaking.

"He's dead.......Such a waste." He said looking to see what the girls reaction would be.

Stargirl slowly floats over to him and tilts her head, seeing his tears wiped away and his sad look returning.  She frowns as she looks down at the dead body she created and then at her own hand.  On her knuckles were the muggers blood, she literally had his blood on her hands.  She let out a soft whimper and tries to rub away the blood with her skirt, wanting it to go away. “Noooo…” She looks up at Jake with a soft sniffle, “..Am I bad…?” She blinks a few times as glowing warm tears start to form on the corner of her eyes, looking very upset with her own actions.  

Stargirl didn’t mean to kill them, she just didn’t understand how fragile human’s were.  She’s never used violence against living things directly, it was always machines.

Stargirl whimpers a bit more and floats closer to Jake before she wraps her arms around him again in a close hug, “I-I’m sorry…” She sniffles, ashamed of her misdeeds.

Jake seemed to have unintentionally upset Stargirl. He didn't want her to feel guilt or anything, it wasn't her fault. She had visible tears now, which only served to upset Jake even more. God, why did he always have to be such a downer? No wonder he had no friends in school.

"No, your not bad. They, the-we, huu. He were defending ourselves. I'll make sure the others are brought to a hospital. It wasn't your fault, alright?" He said, sounding almost like an older brother as he hugged the girl. This time it was the opposite of before, it seemed almost like he was comforting her now rather then the other way around. After they had hugged it out, he took a calm step back. Jake could hear the sound of sirens coming, probably both cops and ambulances. It seemed the men would get the care they needed, but Jake had to leave. He did want to see this girl again, she interested him and she was probably the first real crush he had. But...how does one such as her keep in contact with people, especially wanted people? He didn't know exactly, but he hoped she could use a phone. He quickly scribbled down his cell phone number and handed it off to her.

"Its.....its for if you want to see me again. Just call it with a phone. I'm so sorry.......but i have to go." He said with a sadness in his voice. Seconds after saying this, his body disappeared in a flash of green digital energy. He then traveled on phone signals until  he felt he was safe from being spotted, at such time he rematerialized on a roof top. He would walk the rest of the way back to the motel with a smile on his face, this night was definitely a high point this month.