Sunshine State of Mind

Cauterise felt that familiar rush of adrenalin he flew from rooftop to rooftop. Flying never got to feel routine - especially in sun-soaked LA. Yeah, he was really getting to love this city. Rain, hey even wind for the most part was mainly a distant memory. And he was far from the Black Mile. The memories from there would be far harder to leave behind. And he was back in a team again - of good people too, he believed. That was what he'd missed most since graduation, being around good people. He'd got to work with Dirge at least on the wa......

Shaking his head briefly before thoughts of the Mile distracted him, he walked to the edge of the rooftop and looked down 12 storeys to the street. A botched robbery, Dispatch had informed - people need to make better career choices, seriously - an employee had got an alarm off and police had surrounded the building. After one of the would-be robbers had taken out two cars with some sort of energy bolts, the team had got the call. Three cars now burned below and he could see two fliers darting back and forth over the scene, one launching yellow bolts at the now undercover officers and the other unleashing short bursts from what looked like an uzi while several others on the ground traded shots with police.

"All ready noob?" came a voice from just behind him. "You joined, like a month before me" he responded. "And graduated two before". It was an old back and forth at this stage and good natured he knew.

"Yeah, I can see Volt is in position". Their teammate was down at ground level, behind a truck on a side street. Cauterise was still a little in awe of his team-mates if he was honest with himself. With Tempest it was a little easier as she was closer to his own age, not that she wasn't powerful. Volt had been around the block, though. It was easy to get distracted by his friendly manner and strong Boston accent (man, could he talk for hours about the Red Sox) till you actually saw him in action. Cauterise had seen lightning users before but, damn. And as for the boss ... well nobody intentionally messed with Heliopath and lived to ..... well lived to be more than ash anyway.

"Ready so?" "As ever" Tempest responded with a grin. Cauterise stepped toward the edge of the building, wreathed himself in blue flames and both stepped off the side. He swooped down above the fliers, letting off some weak fireballs that shot just over both of them and burst against the wall while Tempest knocked some of the gunmen off their feet with a blast of air before shooting back up towards the rooftops. The 2 fliers, as expected followed and a few wild shots flew past them as they got near the rooftop again and swerved off towards the coast.

"The fliers took the bait" Tempest reported back on comms to Volt. Glancing back, Cauterise could see the gunman was gaining and some shots were getting near. "Ready at the next building". Tempest nodded. As they passed over it he slowed slightly and flared in a blast of blue flame as the gunman closed. He dodged but instinctively raised a hand to cover his eyes and didn't see Tempest turn and gesture. He began to spin uncontrollably in the air and slammed into the watertank on the roof and dropped motionless to the rooftop.

Energy blots began to blast past them and they took off again for the sea staying close enough to keep him following occasionally firing back flame or slowing him with turbulence. Tempests voice came over comm again "Endor manoeuvre?" Cauterise rolled his eyes as he heard two other voices laughing over comms. "You know it will never be cool if you keep calling it that!". Checking back to see the distance of the energy user he vanished, reappearing 30 feet behind his enemy and took up the chase, raining fireballs on the unsuspecting super. Hit from both sides, the fight did not last long and smoking and unconscious the criminal dropped into the surf.

Handing him over the arriving authorities and reporting the one they left on the roof of AG Insurance International, they took off again. "I'll make sure the other one is still down, you see if the fun is over at the bank" Tempest called veering off back towards where they left the shooter.

Volt looked up as the two fliers left and walked up to the police line. Waving to the officer in charge he said "Mind if I take it from here?" Recognising the suit the officer nodded, slightly relieved "Of course, Volt." "Wicked." "I have a couple of officers down already." "Cauterise will be back soon to take care of them." Moving from car to car, Volt rained electricity down on the remaining gunmen leaving several twitching on the ground and driving other into the open making them easy police targets. As the last fell the bank doors burst open and 7 foot tall figure shrouded in ice emerged followed by y more gunmen. "I'd say your in trouble now, sparky" quipped one of the gunmen. "I say always shoot the mouthy one first" Volt responded as electricity exploded at their feet, the three gunmen dropping, twitching in the doorway.

The ice giant was steaming somewhat and water pooled around feet but his armour was quickly reforming. "My turn now" he boomed, raising his hands. "Nah - I'm pretty sure it's hers" Volt replied, gesturing behind him with his thumb as a blond woman wreathed in pink tinted flames slowly hovered down into view.

The giants face dropped, his armour fading and vanishing as he dropped to his knees and put his hands behind his head mumbling "fuck no, fuck no".
"All good on your end" Volt called on comms. "All good - one is in custody and the other is still unconscious and police have just arrived for" Tempest responded "Cauterise should be back with you shortly."

Several minutes later, Cauterise landed and started to tend the wounded. The world may be going to shit, he thought but he had his little corner to help protect and time to train till he was needed.

Yeah, life wasn't bad.