Friend Request (Velocity)

((Ignore everything but the paint design. XD))

"I don't even have a credit card, so goodbye now." He said, half cheerfully other half passive aggressive finger to the world.

The call was disconnected and the phone was put away. It was the second one this week. Someone decided it was time to give him  a hard time about credit cards that never exist. Of course, that could mean someone stole his information but Richard Kennedy doesn't have much to steal at least not in the way finances. If people decided to steal his identity, it might be a blessing in disguise. If he purchases something across the country, there is no way he could be Wrecker in The Big Apple right? At least, that is the way he is choosing to look at it.

Gazing watchfully out over his vast city, Wrecker had made it maybe halfway through his intended shift this day. It was a surprisingly nice and sunny day so far and he hope this would keep up at least until he arrived home. Perhaps he should call Atlas or one of his other new friends that were made over the course of his brand new career direction. Definitely Atlas, since they are partner is justice instead of crime. Keeping contact and being social was alway good.

Leaning against the railing of the high balcony, he looked down and realized how high up he was. It hit him like a ton of bricks and he stepped back as his heart jumped into his throat.

"Well then. I better down from here and find ass to kick someplace else."

Feeling a particularly strong wind, he leapt over the railing. Lowering his density he began to ride on the wind and used it to carry him further into the city.

As it so happened, a situation had developed further into the city.  A black hummer barreled through the streets, an armed man standing up through the sunroof.  He fired on any vehicle that drew too close.  A real mess was left in its wake as it smashed through anything left in its way.

A black and red afterimage streaked behind, Samantha's suit the only thing fast enough to keep up while also able to avoid gunfire from the belligerent criminals.  The tinker-speedster wove away from the next hail of bullets.  "Bullocks," she hissed, dodging behind a parked car that managed to absord the deadly storm.  Bugger America and its sodding gun fetish.

Leaning out, she took aim with her gauntlets.  A bolt arced away from her hand towards the criminals.  She had meant to hit the gunner; she missed.  Instead, the bolt hit the vehicle itself, the chassis directing the effects away from the occupants; the expected result considering...

Samantha found herself praying for a miracle, fully aware that her suit did not have any mechanism that would stop these runaway lunatics...

Samantha skidded to a stop as she saw the SUV fold up like paper. The gunner had even been ejected from the vehicle, sailing through the air and scraping off his face on the asphalt. The tinker could not help but cringe.

Moving in close to check on the other occupants, Velocity saw the stocky man extract himself from the knotted mess of metal. Before anything could be said, he was calling emergency services. The speedster began checking the men...

The driver was in the best shape, seeming to only have a cut torn into his forehead where he hit the wheel. Now he sat, unconcious, head drooping limply...

The passenger was less luckly. He had not been wearing a seatbelt and had struck the windshield. Now he was through the shattered windshield, blood on his face and spilling from his ears. Severe head injury...

The gunner was actually in better shape then at first expected. Though covered in scuffs, tears and friction burns, he was alive, if unconcious.

Finally, Samantha elected to address her fellow hero. "I could have handled that," she said, part of her still reluctant to accept metas.

"That's not what I..."  Samantha quickly trailed off.  Whatever she had meant, the man had a point.  He had managed to stop the vehicle without anyone getting hurt...anyone innocent getting hurt, she amended.

Then of course, came the fact that the..."dense man" (?) had mistaken her for a metahuman.  Ultimately, how different were they?  Both appeared to have superpowers, both wore disguises...her helmet being significantly more anonymous than the man's face paint...

After a brief sigh, she said, "Sorry.  You're right."  The sounds of sirens could now be heard, even through her helmet.  They were getting closer.  "Well, you seem to have everything in order...I guess I'll leave you to it?"  In a blur of black, the tinker was gone.

Rather than leave outright, Samantha doubled back.  Suddenly she was on the roof of a building overlooking the crash.  Taking off her helmet, she began to study one of her gauntlets, making sure it was undamaged as she glanced down to the street as emergency vehicles arrived.

However, she seemed to be paying little real attention to either of these tasks.  Instead, she seemed to focus on the fact that she was 0 for two in a game that only she seemed to play.  She was unsure exactly what she expected, but she did not want to head home just yet...

As she was getting ready to leave, Samantha saw the stocky man rocket skyward.  She studied his trajectory as he slowed his climb.  Then he came down again, landing nearby though facing away from her.  He seemed to land with surprising grace, not damaging the roof at all, in spite of his apparent brutishness...

"You have hops, I'll give you that," she said, her Welsh accent echoing through her helmet.  "Sorry about before," she continued.  "I was rude before."  She glanced toward the edge of the building in the direction of the incident.  "I just wasn't up for any questions..."  She paused a moment.

Turning back she asked, "Could we start over?  I use 'Velocity' as my handle."  She held out a hand and asked, "What should I call you?"

Samantha stood silent, listening to this appropriately named hero speak.  She blushed invisibly under her helmet at his comment on her accent.  There was a minor twinge in her shoulder after an overly enthusiastic handshake but it would not prove to be an issue in the long run.

As Wrecker spoke though, the Tinker-Speedster began to giggle uncontrollably.  "I'm sorry," she said, trying to control her reaction.  "I swear, I do not mean to laugh at you."  She coughed, finally getting control of herself.  But to her, it had seemed so strange for a metahuman to seem so...normal.

"Ahem."  Sam cleared her throat, reclaiming her composure. "Actually," she began, finally bringing herself to continue the conversation. "I've only been in America for a year, now. Building this suit as a matter of fact." She tilted her head as she continued, sounding dubious. "By the by, I don't know what you meant by being 'all suit.'"

"What about you? You been in New York long?" She smirked as she spoke further: "And how does one get much traction as a hero by 'wrecking' things?"

"Oh, er, thank you," Samantha muttered as she heard the hero's complement. "Actually," she began as she tried to explain her suit.  "My suit is the source of my...abilities.  It is the only reason I can move."  Fearing she had revealled too much of herself, she quickly added, "-so fast."

Trying to move on quickly, Sam said, "Aside from that, I do have one more weapon I have access to..."  Deciding to show off, the young woman pointed her left palm toward the sky.  A bolt of electricity was projected straight up into the clouds.  "Sadly, I only have two shots and I don't seem to be very good with them..."

"Honestly," Samantha said, taking a seat on the edge of the building.  "I seem to be rather rubbish at the whole hero-ing think."  Glancing over toward the stacky man, she said, "This is actually the second time I've failed at 'playing hero' and I'm starting to wonder..."  Samantha trailed off, not wanting to turn into the weepy waif she suddenly felt like.

"Anyway..." Sam said, pushing away from the building's lip. "I should probably be going. This suit needs a lot of upkeep to stay in working order. Good bye, I supposed?" She was still uncomfortable around metas in spite of her progress.

Samantha glanced at the metahuman's phone. She had grown a bit nervous. She had only the one phone and was a bit leery about giving it up to someone who was basically a stranger. Then she decided, "what's the harm?" "Sure, though I don't have my phone on me," she said.

Standing close enough to peer at the screen she recited ten digits, a standard phone number in the states. This would allow him to contact her while she was out of the suit...

But what if she was already in the suit? Sam eventually took off and she soon found herself perched on another roof, examining her helmet. It was a basic helmet, really, with a windscreen to protect her eyes. But all of a sudden, she wondered if it could be more. Com system for talking to people in the field, targeting system to link with her gauntlets. There was a whole suite of systems, programs and hardware she could build into a helmet.

She really had to thank this Wrecker. With his inspiration, she had seem more than a few ways to upgrade her suit.