Impinged Arrival

The convoy of 6 vehicles came to a halt about 5 miles from the outskirts of New York City. The source of this stoppage wasn't a potty break or to stretch their legs, it was because of a road block. A rather large one at that. Several police cars,  some suvs, and a few larger vehicles that belonged more in a warzone overseas than in the states were planted in place. Releqy cast a vexed brow. She had a reporter embedded within her convoy, Emily Watts, who was in constant contact with media outlets and nothing had come across the wire to require such a strong presence of force.

The members of the convoy, all of them former "patients" whom Releqy instantly healed or the starving whom Releqy fed,  exited their vehicles when they saw their hero doing the same. They hung back at her request and she approached the blockade with her hands up in non hostile gesture. Emily Watts, never one to miss out on any type of story, spun up the cameraman and started prepping to go live with their affiliate inside the big city if anything interesting happened.

Releqy was greeted by a man who, despite being in plain clothes, reaked of city official of some law enforcement branch, and that didn't sit well with her. All the same she smiled and shook his hand, and he obliged her in return. "Looks like you guys are going to war. Anything I need to be concerned about?" she asked as she motioned to the armed men and vehicles. He flashed a smile at her. "No ma'am not at all. I'm Agent Wilson. Ms. Watts over there has been in touch with media outlets for a few days now about your impending arrival. City officials got wind of it and don't want any trouble arising like in your past adventures. So long story short Ms. Releqy, we are here to make sure you fully understand what you can and can not do inside the city limits." Releqy's jaw dropped. She pointed to the men and vehicles again. "THIS was for me? My friends? We've never done anything violent. We've helped people. This is absurd." She was starting to get angry.

Mr. Wilson went stone faced. He didn't feel like being lectured to. He got enough of that from his superiors. "Look, here's the deal. The city deems your powers a public utility. This means you have to be taxed. Yes, Ms. Releqy, before you ask, you will have to pay taxes into the city in order to do the stuff that you do. On top of that, the city has categorized you as a meta human, which means you will have to register when it comes into full effect. You also can not do your stuff just anywhere you want. The city has authorized you a facility, but again it will be taxed.  We can not allow you to roam freely through the streets and cause scenes like you have done elsewhere. The governments of those cities and states had to run you off because you would not abide by their tax codes, rules, and ordinances. We can not allow you to enter the city without you signing paperwork and agreeing to these things."  Releqy was speechless. She wanted to yell at him, maybe even cuss the dickens out of him, but she knew better.

She stormed away and met back up with Emily Watts. She relayed everything to the reporter who in turned relayed everything back to their affiliate inside the city. In no time at all Relqy's face was all over the TV in New York City, as she stood by with Emily and the mic at her lips. "Ladies and Gentlemen of New York City, I am Emily Watts reporting live from about 5 miles away from the outskirts of the city, down Highway 95. Standing here with me is a woman that a lot of you know but some may not. Her name is Releqy. She is a metahuman with truly blessed gifts. She can heal wounds, diseases, and afflictions instantly. She can summon food to feed the starving and homeless. I am one of the ones she helped. She is a good woman but she has been met with red tape upon trying to enter the city. Releqy, this has got to have you steamed." Releqy nodded aggressively. "Hell yeah it has. As you can see authorities have set up a huge roadblock, and I'm sure if we tried to leave and find a way around it, they'll just track us. So here we are dead in the water. If I could do all the things they are asking I would, but I can't. We are going to turn back for now and go to the next town over, called Bensley, so if you are hungry or hurt with any type of affliction, please try to make your way there.  We will  set up shop there. Thank you." Releqy ended her statement with a confident smile. Where there's a will there's a way, she thought.

The reporter barely had enough time to blink before the men amassed around them in a big show of force. Releqy and company weren't about to piss them off so they started heading back to their vehicles.


Open