OpMegs and I RPed this on AIM, before I took the dialogue and setting and filled in the extra detail. So, he gets credit for all his characters lines 
***
Riot Forces entrance portal crackled with energy before Just Another Archer slipped back into reality, stretching and twisting her neck slightly. "It is
way too late," she said to Neko, perched on her left shoulder as usual. "And I've only just woken up."
The brown cat nodded. "You know that if you want to try that education idea you were considering talking to Eva and Ifrit about, you'll need to work
on normal hours," she pointed out. Archer gave her an amused look as she unclipped her capes clasp and removed it, folding it over her forearm as she
walked down the stairs and turned right, heading into the conference room. At this time of night, there was little chance of anyone being around, giving her
the chance to properly search around without getting in anyone's way.
Archer paused at the sight of a figure in rather decorative red and white armor, sitting at the conference table as she flipped through a manila folder. Ears
twitching in curiosity, JAA walked over and stepped into the woman's field of view. "Hi there," she said with a smile. The figure looked up,
presenting her with an odd trio of green optics built into the helmet. A part of her mind noted it was very different to the power armor she was used to with
the Sabres, even as she held out her hand and continued, "I don't think we've met. I'm Just Another Archer."
There was a slight pause as the other woman looked at her, before reaching up and shaking the catgirls hand. "Inyme W'tin," she said in a
slightly stiff voice, the grip slightly awkward thanks to the bulky glove.
"Pleased to meet you Inyme," Archer responded, ear twitching in thought. "Now that I think about it, you joined Riot Force just before I was
offered a place with the Legendary."
She nodded, a rather smooth motion. "We haven't really met before," she agreed as Archer sat down, placing her folded cape on the table neatly.
"So, what do they class your powers as?" Archer wondered, honestly curious.
"Psi Blaster, mental manipulation secondary," Inyme replied, as it occurred to the other girl that the armored woman did have some skill and power,
as her own, admittedly limited mental abilities barely registered her presence.
"Archer, obviously," she grinned, "Mental manipulation secondary as well." She was given a slight kick in the shoulder as her cat jumped to
the table. "And this is Neko," she added, giving her partner a friendly ear rub.
Enjoying that, Neko still gave the feline version of a respectful bow. "Good evening Miss W'tin," she said. Inyme barely seemed fazed by a
talking cat, nodding respectfully as she closed the folder and placed it back on the desk.
"You're here rather late," she noted.
Archer grinned slightly. "Grabbing some old phone numbers I had listed here somewhere," she said. Neko sighed softly as her partner shrugged.
"Gonna pass on a certain number to some telemarketers and such." She noticed Nekos scolding look. "Hey, the jerk kept making use teleport all
over Skyway and Steel Canyon instead of being helpful."
"...Really?" Inyme said, her voice betraying slight amusement. "Who is that?"
"Cho Ge. Former ganger turned occasional contact," she replied.
"Ah," she said, then tilted her head to the side slightly. "You teleport?" she asked, tone suggesting mere professional curiosity.
The purple haired girl sighed slightly. "Used to," she said. "Little while ago, we had to stop a Sky Raider attack on the reactor in Terra
Volta. Got enough of the weird radiation from that to end up sick as hell for a few days, and when I'd recovered, most of my magical abilities were all out
of whack." She missed Inyme suppressing a slight wince as she considered the fact most of the disruptions were to the powers she'd developed after
waking up different one day. Placing that fact aside for later consideration, she grinned. Mind you, I'd have been a lot more relieved if Neko listened to
me and stayed outside the reactor."
The small cat looked unapologetic as Inyme looked over at her. "She seems to be fine," the telepath observed. "Nothing out of the
ordinary." Left unspoken was the follow-on of 'for a talking cat.'
"Yeah, but I'm allowed to worry about her, right?" Archer asked with a smile, turning to the computer terminal built into the table and tracking
down the number.
"That is your prerogative," Inyme conceded as Archer tried to work out the terminal. Computers really weren't her thing, even after Nenes
lessons.
"So... you doing anything interesting?" she wondered as she tracked down the number and wrote it down.
Shrugging, the other woman replied "research. On the team." Alice looked up at her, expression reading as curious. "Members. Powers. Various
things that could be useful," she clarified. "Knowing how to compensate for weaknesses."
Just Another Archer looked at her, then smiled. "It's easier to do that by personal experience," she said, standing up and picking up her cape.
"Come on, I was thinking of putting my foot in Council faces over in the Canyon," she offered as she swung her cape over her shoulder and clipped it
on.
There was a pause, which Neko used to claim her rightful spot on Archers shoulder, then Inyme shrugged slightly and stood up, returning the folder to the
filing cabinet, then turning back to the other girl. "Lead the way."
Archers smile widened as she headed for the portal. "It's all low level grunts," she noted. "Nothing much, but you need to keep them in
line."
***
Watching Inyme in action was rather satisfying actually. Her powers were somewhat brutal but efficient, leaving her opponents mentally imprisoned and hurting
until they dropped, unconscious or worse, even as Archer focused more on her weapon then her other powers, aside from one pair that got too close. Rather then
use her older powers to throw them away, she reached out to their minds, ordering them to fight each other.
As one knocked the other out, she used her old 'force push' to slam him into a wall and out cold. "You seem to take great satisfaction in
disabling these men," Inyme W'tin noted, catching Archer by surprise slightly.
"Yeah," she admitted. "Side effect of being on the other side of dealing with these jerks for a long time," she commented, stepping back
into the alleyway and kneeling down next to a elderly man the Council had been tormenting. "Hey Ralph, you okay?" she asked in a soft voice.
He looked up at her as he pulled a rather raggedy hat over his balding head. "I'll be fine... heh, your voice reminds me of someone I used to
know," he said as she helped him up. A wistful look appeared on his face. "Cute little kid," he added, somewhat sadly.
Archer smiled gently, helping him adjust the old brown jacket he was wearing. "I do look a little different, don't I?" she asked. Ralph blinked
and took a closer look.
"Huh..." he managed after a moment, smiling in a way that didn't show the inside of his mouth. "It is you... Good for you kid," he
said. "You doing alright?"
She nodded gently. "How's the leg?" she asked softly.
The old man shrugged. "As good as it's ever been," he replied. "Aches before it rains and when Rikti are gonna show. Latter more often then
the former lately..."
Alice had forgotten all about Inyme as she looked him over. "You been able to dodge them?" she asked, concern in her voice.
Ralph laughed slightly. "You know how it is kid. Don't be where the bombs are, stay out of sight and they don't bother you. They go for the bright
distractions, guess they hate 'em for what Hero One did ta them... Guess they hate you now to." Alice smiled, although it looked slightly forced,
before she reached into her pocket and pulled out some money. The man frowned as she placed it in his hand. "Hey now, you can use this kid," he
protested. "I'll live without it."
"The benefit of weird ears and magical powers means I can get a good paycheck," she pointed out. "There's nothing wrong to spending it on my
friends, is there?"
"...Fine then," Ralph responded. He glanced past her at Inyme with a somewhat uneasy look, then went back to her. "Try to come by some time you
aren't bustin' heads, alright?" He asked with a smile, this one wide enough to show missing and broken teeth.
"Gladly," she smiled, hugging him softly. Inyme watched them, before noticing a Council soldier crawling to his feet. As he got his weapon out, she
launched a psychic bolt directly into his skull. The soldier jerked about, then dropped, head bouncing against the pavement. "Any more?" Archer
asked.
"...None. They're all unconscious or dead," Inyme reported calmly.
Breaking the hug, Archer went to tag them all for transport. As she knelt down, she saw that most of the other woman's targets were indeed dead or in very
bad shape, blood dripping from the nose, ears and eyes from her rather brutal telepathic assaults. Unlike a lot of heroes, such directly brutal attacks caused
her little concern (Although she noted Neko looked rather uncomfortable with the fact).
As the soldiers vanished, she saw Ralph vanish deeper into the alley. She watched for a moment, wanting to follow, to take him to a hotel, or a hospital... but
it was a miracle she'd gotten him to take the money. Placing that aside, she started walking again, mind wandering to the Council soldiers that had been
tormenting him, simply because they could.
"....you hate them a good deal, don't you?" Inyme said after a moment, clearly picking up on her train of thought without much trouble, catching
her by surprise.
"The Council?"
"Yes."
"Yes, I hate them."
"They took someone....someone close?" she asked.
"And hunted me for sport," she said, anger flickering over her face. "After all, while homeless men may have potential as a soldier in the
'new order', the average woman has a very specific place. And a homeless girl..." she growled, ears going flat, "...is sport and
reproduction, little more."
"I see," Inyme said. "And yet you spare their lives."
Alice shrugged. "If they get taken down during the fight, so be it," she said, Neko nodding at that part. "I don't kill afterwards."
"Yet capturing them presents the possibility of their return. Why not simply kill them in the fight? They've made their choice." There was no
insult in Inymes words, simply curiosity.
The magical girl paused, standing there as she considered it. "I don't know," she admitted after a moment.
"I see....it is...traditional to celebrate a victory in this world, correct?" she asked, changing the subject.
"Uh, yes..." she replied.
"So, do you have something in mind? I do not truly know this city."
"I know this little restaurant not too far from here..." If she remembered right, it was a cafe that had a habit of chasing them away from their bins
out the back, the owner calling them all 'parasites'. The concept of going in and possibly being treated as honored customers...
Inyme looked down at her armor "....I would probably draw attention like this," she noted.
Archer grinned, looking slightly uncomfortable. "I'm a purple haired catgirl with a talking cat... I draw attention anyway." And wasn't that
a major shift from the days when all she'd wanted, needed, to do was be invisible.
The Riot Force member nodded. "Well, I can at least make it slightly less noticeable," she commented, hitting a button on her gauntlet. The outer
armor warped away in a teleportation flash, leaving a dark skinned woman with long dark hair standing there in a modest jumpsuit.
"That's handy," the Archer noted with a smile, having a similar spell. "Armor summoning?"
"A link to my personal teleportation grid," Inyme explained with a slight smile. "Only enough charge to move the outer armor right now, though I
can move others while I'm wearing it."
Archer laughed softly as they walked along. "That's a handy power... I still remember one time in Bloody Bay... I teleported in and got clobbered by a
Shivian. It goes up for another blow - and splatters its hand on Terrence as I teleport him in in front of me," she said, laugh shifting into a giggle at
the memory.
"...Terrence?"
"Oh, Terrence Knight, one of the Legendary. Great guy, and a lot of Riot Force teams up with him from time to time," Archer said with a fond smile.
Inyme nodded as they kept walking. After a minute or so, it began to occur to Archer that the older womans suit clung to her about as much as the Sabres inner
suits did. That, combined with memories of Ifrit giving her the 'talk' after her first encounter with Superball left her an embarrassed and rather
confused young woman, caused a slight blush to break out.
(In hindsight, taking Rhea up on her offer to 'help' with that talk had been a mistake...)
As they walked, Archer occasionally gave directions, letting Inyme take the lead slightly and allowing Archer to back up slightly and let her eyes wander, even
if she didn't actually realize she was doing it. She failed to notice the look on Nekos face that made it clear she knew, and she missed the slight amused
smile touching Inymes lips as well.
This lasted until they arrived and stepped inside, drawing more then a few eyes. Almost instantly, a waitress came over. "Could we get a table
please?" she asked.
"Of course, ma'am. Table 5 is open for you," she smiled. Archer smiled slightly at the prompt service, imagining what would have happened if
she'd come in a few short months ago. It was almost amusing.
"Is this common?" Inyme asked.
"Hmm?"
"The immediate service?" the darker woman clarified.
"Getting a table, sure, on a quiet day," Archer said, sitting down. "Out comes the owner... maybe she has a hero policy," she mused
quietly.
"Or thinks you're cute," Inyme suggested. Neko smiled, having thought the same thing even as Archer looked slightly embarrassed
"So, what would you two like to order?" the manager asked with a smile.
They looked at the dinner menus, considering. "I'll get the fish of the day," Alice said at last, "along with some bread rolls and a hot
chocolate."
"Could I just get the chicken breast with no vegetables please?" Neko said, making the manager jump in slight surprise.
"A pasta and light salad," Inyme said. They sat back to wait, discussing work for a short while. Council tactics, opinions on which groups were more
annoying, the usual. It was only a short wait before their meals arrived, obviously having been pushed to the front of the queue. It was clear the manager
liked having heroes like her restaurant. Good PR, the chance that they'd be willing to help if there was trouble... it made sense really, even if it did
twist Archers tail with disgust, having seen the womans ruder side before.
Inyme paused as they enjoyed their meal. "...One thing," she said, looking up at Just Another Archer. "Could you...keep a secret?"
"Sure," she said. Neko looked up from her plate and nodded as well.
"I'm not technically supposed to be seen...like I really look like, if that makes sense," she said. Archer noted that her voice was a lot less
stiff as she realized what Inyme was getting at. "If you could..." her voice trailed off as she looked at a loss on how to explain it.
"Not mention this?" the Legendary hero suggested with a slight smile.
"...Yes."
"Done," she smiled. Neko nodded her agreement as well.
Inyme smiled faintly. "Thank you." Archer smiled back, leaning back in her chair as she finished her dinner. "You seem in a good mood," the
other woman said.
"Just enjoying a good day," she replied. "I had a good, filling dinner, Nano and I managed to throw the Council base on Striga into an uproar
earlier... Took a few of their Galaxies down for good," she mused as Neko shuddered.
"Disturbing things, all those Council 'super-soldiers,'" Neko said, getting an agreeing nod from Inyme, who hadn't encountered them in
person, but had gone over the Longbow files on them in detail.
"Maybe that's why I don't take all of them out permanently," the catgirl mused, the filling meal leaving her thoughtful. "I mean, the
Council soldiers... they're monsters, scum that use their power to torment others, but... they're still human. They have a chance to come to their
senses..." For a moment, memories of the twins flickered across her mind. She was the same age they'd been when the Council grabbed them...
"I suppose so," Inyme said, sipping at her drink.
"They don't all sign up willingly," she commented softly. "The Council... they 'draft' people. Young men on the street are perfect
targets. They're taken, drugged, brainwashed..."
"And you'd like to save them."
"Some in particular... if it's not too late," she replied, reaching over and stroking Nekos fur softly. Without hesitation, the cat had moved
over to provide a reassuring presense.
Inyme nodded again, working on her food. "....I can see where you're coming from," she admitted. "I've seen friends....be pulled away by
the wrong crowd....end up doing things they should never conceive of....it makes me angry....I want to do something, but I'm not sure I can, alone."
An amused smile appeared on Archers face. "When I woke up with odd powers and a magical bow, I took the hero option because it would let me fight
back," she admitted. "Beat up the Skulls, the Council, the Lost... There was no larger plan, just... I wanted them to hurt, to be afraid of me like I
always was of them."
"I don't know that I've really fought for them. I fight to keep more from becoming like them..." Inyme replied, sounding like it was
something of a confession of her own.
"But Riot Force, the Legendary... there's something about the people there," she said. "Makes me feel like I could actually make a
difference."
"Mm....you can do it alone...but it's easier with assistance," Inyme finished. Archer smiled, then glanced down at her jacket pocket as it
beeped. "An alert?" the telepath wondered.
Archer pulled out her phone and checked the screen. "Police channel," she said. "The Lost just raided a company studying Rikti technology,"
she added, putting the phone away and getting her wallet out. "Check please," she said to a passing waitress.
"...it never ends, does it?" Inyme mused, standing up as Neko leapt onto Archers shoulder.
Archer paid and left a tip on the table. While the manager may well have been something of a kiss-ass, there were rules to follow. "It may feel like
you're making a difference, it just takes a while," she said wryly.
"Very true Archer," she said with a faint smile, moving for the door.
Archer followed, thinking. "Oh, and Inyme?" The woman turned to her. "Call me Alice."
***
***
Riot Forces entrance portal crackled with energy before Just Another Archer slipped back into reality, stretching and twisting her neck slightly. "It is
way too late," she said to Neko, perched on her left shoulder as usual. "And I've only just woken up."
The brown cat nodded. "You know that if you want to try that education idea you were considering talking to Eva and Ifrit about, you'll need to work
on normal hours," she pointed out. Archer gave her an amused look as she unclipped her capes clasp and removed it, folding it over her forearm as she
walked down the stairs and turned right, heading into the conference room. At this time of night, there was little chance of anyone being around, giving her
the chance to properly search around without getting in anyone's way.
Archer paused at the sight of a figure in rather decorative red and white armor, sitting at the conference table as she flipped through a manila folder. Ears
twitching in curiosity, JAA walked over and stepped into the woman's field of view. "Hi there," she said with a smile. The figure looked up,
presenting her with an odd trio of green optics built into the helmet. A part of her mind noted it was very different to the power armor she was used to with
the Sabres, even as she held out her hand and continued, "I don't think we've met. I'm Just Another Archer."
There was a slight pause as the other woman looked at her, before reaching up and shaking the catgirls hand. "Inyme W'tin," she said in a
slightly stiff voice, the grip slightly awkward thanks to the bulky glove.
"Pleased to meet you Inyme," Archer responded, ear twitching in thought. "Now that I think about it, you joined Riot Force just before I was
offered a place with the Legendary."
She nodded, a rather smooth motion. "We haven't really met before," she agreed as Archer sat down, placing her folded cape on the table neatly.
"So, what do they class your powers as?" Archer wondered, honestly curious.
"Psi Blaster, mental manipulation secondary," Inyme replied, as it occurred to the other girl that the armored woman did have some skill and power,
as her own, admittedly limited mental abilities barely registered her presence.
"Archer, obviously," she grinned, "Mental manipulation secondary as well." She was given a slight kick in the shoulder as her cat jumped to
the table. "And this is Neko," she added, giving her partner a friendly ear rub.
Enjoying that, Neko still gave the feline version of a respectful bow. "Good evening Miss W'tin," she said. Inyme barely seemed fazed by a
talking cat, nodding respectfully as she closed the folder and placed it back on the desk.
"You're here rather late," she noted.
Archer grinned slightly. "Grabbing some old phone numbers I had listed here somewhere," she said. Neko sighed softly as her partner shrugged.
"Gonna pass on a certain number to some telemarketers and such." She noticed Nekos scolding look. "Hey, the jerk kept making use teleport all
over Skyway and Steel Canyon instead of being helpful."
"...Really?" Inyme said, her voice betraying slight amusement. "Who is that?"
"Cho Ge. Former ganger turned occasional contact," she replied.
"Ah," she said, then tilted her head to the side slightly. "You teleport?" she asked, tone suggesting mere professional curiosity.
The purple haired girl sighed slightly. "Used to," she said. "Little while ago, we had to stop a Sky Raider attack on the reactor in Terra
Volta. Got enough of the weird radiation from that to end up sick as hell for a few days, and when I'd recovered, most of my magical abilities were all out
of whack." She missed Inyme suppressing a slight wince as she considered the fact most of the disruptions were to the powers she'd developed after
waking up different one day. Placing that fact aside for later consideration, she grinned. Mind you, I'd have been a lot more relieved if Neko listened to
me and stayed outside the reactor."
The small cat looked unapologetic as Inyme looked over at her. "She seems to be fine," the telepath observed. "Nothing out of the
ordinary." Left unspoken was the follow-on of 'for a talking cat.'
"Yeah, but I'm allowed to worry about her, right?" Archer asked with a smile, turning to the computer terminal built into the table and tracking
down the number.
"That is your prerogative," Inyme conceded as Archer tried to work out the terminal. Computers really weren't her thing, even after Nenes
lessons.
"So... you doing anything interesting?" she wondered as she tracked down the number and wrote it down.
Shrugging, the other woman replied "research. On the team." Alice looked up at her, expression reading as curious. "Members. Powers. Various
things that could be useful," she clarified. "Knowing how to compensate for weaknesses."
Just Another Archer looked at her, then smiled. "It's easier to do that by personal experience," she said, standing up and picking up her cape.
"Come on, I was thinking of putting my foot in Council faces over in the Canyon," she offered as she swung her cape over her shoulder and clipped it
on.
There was a pause, which Neko used to claim her rightful spot on Archers shoulder, then Inyme shrugged slightly and stood up, returning the folder to the
filing cabinet, then turning back to the other girl. "Lead the way."
Archers smile widened as she headed for the portal. "It's all low level grunts," she noted. "Nothing much, but you need to keep them in
line."
***
Watching Inyme in action was rather satisfying actually. Her powers were somewhat brutal but efficient, leaving her opponents mentally imprisoned and hurting
until they dropped, unconscious or worse, even as Archer focused more on her weapon then her other powers, aside from one pair that got too close. Rather then
use her older powers to throw them away, she reached out to their minds, ordering them to fight each other.
As one knocked the other out, she used her old 'force push' to slam him into a wall and out cold. "You seem to take great satisfaction in
disabling these men," Inyme W'tin noted, catching Archer by surprise slightly.
"Yeah," she admitted. "Side effect of being on the other side of dealing with these jerks for a long time," she commented, stepping back
into the alleyway and kneeling down next to a elderly man the Council had been tormenting. "Hey Ralph, you okay?" she asked in a soft voice.
He looked up at her as he pulled a rather raggedy hat over his balding head. "I'll be fine... heh, your voice reminds me of someone I used to
know," he said as she helped him up. A wistful look appeared on his face. "Cute little kid," he added, somewhat sadly.
Archer smiled gently, helping him adjust the old brown jacket he was wearing. "I do look a little different, don't I?" she asked. Ralph blinked
and took a closer look.
"Huh..." he managed after a moment, smiling in a way that didn't show the inside of his mouth. "It is you... Good for you kid," he
said. "You doing alright?"
She nodded gently. "How's the leg?" she asked softly.
The old man shrugged. "As good as it's ever been," he replied. "Aches before it rains and when Rikti are gonna show. Latter more often then
the former lately..."
Alice had forgotten all about Inyme as she looked him over. "You been able to dodge them?" she asked, concern in her voice.
Ralph laughed slightly. "You know how it is kid. Don't be where the bombs are, stay out of sight and they don't bother you. They go for the bright
distractions, guess they hate 'em for what Hero One did ta them... Guess they hate you now to." Alice smiled, although it looked slightly forced,
before she reached into her pocket and pulled out some money. The man frowned as she placed it in his hand. "Hey now, you can use this kid," he
protested. "I'll live without it."
"The benefit of weird ears and magical powers means I can get a good paycheck," she pointed out. "There's nothing wrong to spending it on my
friends, is there?"
"...Fine then," Ralph responded. He glanced past her at Inyme with a somewhat uneasy look, then went back to her. "Try to come by some time you
aren't bustin' heads, alright?" He asked with a smile, this one wide enough to show missing and broken teeth.
"Gladly," she smiled, hugging him softly. Inyme watched them, before noticing a Council soldier crawling to his feet. As he got his weapon out, she
launched a psychic bolt directly into his skull. The soldier jerked about, then dropped, head bouncing against the pavement. "Any more?" Archer
asked.
"...None. They're all unconscious or dead," Inyme reported calmly.
Breaking the hug, Archer went to tag them all for transport. As she knelt down, she saw that most of the other woman's targets were indeed dead or in very
bad shape, blood dripping from the nose, ears and eyes from her rather brutal telepathic assaults. Unlike a lot of heroes, such directly brutal attacks caused
her little concern (Although she noted Neko looked rather uncomfortable with the fact).
As the soldiers vanished, she saw Ralph vanish deeper into the alley. She watched for a moment, wanting to follow, to take him to a hotel, or a hospital... but
it was a miracle she'd gotten him to take the money. Placing that aside, she started walking again, mind wandering to the Council soldiers that had been
tormenting him, simply because they could.
"....you hate them a good deal, don't you?" Inyme said after a moment, clearly picking up on her train of thought without much trouble, catching
her by surprise.
"The Council?"
"Yes."
"Yes, I hate them."
"They took someone....someone close?" she asked.
"And hunted me for sport," she said, anger flickering over her face. "After all, while homeless men may have potential as a soldier in the
'new order', the average woman has a very specific place. And a homeless girl..." she growled, ears going flat, "...is sport and
reproduction, little more."
"I see," Inyme said. "And yet you spare their lives."
Alice shrugged. "If they get taken down during the fight, so be it," she said, Neko nodding at that part. "I don't kill afterwards."
"Yet capturing them presents the possibility of their return. Why not simply kill them in the fight? They've made their choice." There was no
insult in Inymes words, simply curiosity.
The magical girl paused, standing there as she considered it. "I don't know," she admitted after a moment.
"I see....it is...traditional to celebrate a victory in this world, correct?" she asked, changing the subject.
"Uh, yes..." she replied.
"So, do you have something in mind? I do not truly know this city."
"I know this little restaurant not too far from here..." If she remembered right, it was a cafe that had a habit of chasing them away from their bins
out the back, the owner calling them all 'parasites'. The concept of going in and possibly being treated as honored customers...
Inyme looked down at her armor "....I would probably draw attention like this," she noted.
Archer grinned, looking slightly uncomfortable. "I'm a purple haired catgirl with a talking cat... I draw attention anyway." And wasn't that
a major shift from the days when all she'd wanted, needed, to do was be invisible.
The Riot Force member nodded. "Well, I can at least make it slightly less noticeable," she commented, hitting a button on her gauntlet. The outer
armor warped away in a teleportation flash, leaving a dark skinned woman with long dark hair standing there in a modest jumpsuit.
"That's handy," the Archer noted with a smile, having a similar spell. "Armor summoning?"
"A link to my personal teleportation grid," Inyme explained with a slight smile. "Only enough charge to move the outer armor right now, though I
can move others while I'm wearing it."
Archer laughed softly as they walked along. "That's a handy power... I still remember one time in Bloody Bay... I teleported in and got clobbered by a
Shivian. It goes up for another blow - and splatters its hand on Terrence as I teleport him in in front of me," she said, laugh shifting into a giggle at
the memory.
"...Terrence?"
"Oh, Terrence Knight, one of the Legendary. Great guy, and a lot of Riot Force teams up with him from time to time," Archer said with a fond smile.
Inyme nodded as they kept walking. After a minute or so, it began to occur to Archer that the older womans suit clung to her about as much as the Sabres inner
suits did. That, combined with memories of Ifrit giving her the 'talk' after her first encounter with Superball left her an embarrassed and rather
confused young woman, caused a slight blush to break out.
(In hindsight, taking Rhea up on her offer to 'help' with that talk had been a mistake...)
As they walked, Archer occasionally gave directions, letting Inyme take the lead slightly and allowing Archer to back up slightly and let her eyes wander, even
if she didn't actually realize she was doing it. She failed to notice the look on Nekos face that made it clear she knew, and she missed the slight amused
smile touching Inymes lips as well.
This lasted until they arrived and stepped inside, drawing more then a few eyes. Almost instantly, a waitress came over. "Could we get a table
please?" she asked.
"Of course, ma'am. Table 5 is open for you," she smiled. Archer smiled slightly at the prompt service, imagining what would have happened if
she'd come in a few short months ago. It was almost amusing.
"Is this common?" Inyme asked.
"Hmm?"
"The immediate service?" the darker woman clarified.
"Getting a table, sure, on a quiet day," Archer said, sitting down. "Out comes the owner... maybe she has a hero policy," she mused
quietly.
"Or thinks you're cute," Inyme suggested. Neko smiled, having thought the same thing even as Archer looked slightly embarrassed
"So, what would you two like to order?" the manager asked with a smile.
They looked at the dinner menus, considering. "I'll get the fish of the day," Alice said at last, "along with some bread rolls and a hot
chocolate."
"Could I just get the chicken breast with no vegetables please?" Neko said, making the manager jump in slight surprise.
"A pasta and light salad," Inyme said. They sat back to wait, discussing work for a short while. Council tactics, opinions on which groups were more
annoying, the usual. It was only a short wait before their meals arrived, obviously having been pushed to the front of the queue. It was clear the manager
liked having heroes like her restaurant. Good PR, the chance that they'd be willing to help if there was trouble... it made sense really, even if it did
twist Archers tail with disgust, having seen the womans ruder side before.
Inyme paused as they enjoyed their meal. "...One thing," she said, looking up at Just Another Archer. "Could you...keep a secret?"
"Sure," she said. Neko looked up from her plate and nodded as well.
"I'm not technically supposed to be seen...like I really look like, if that makes sense," she said. Archer noted that her voice was a lot less
stiff as she realized what Inyme was getting at. "If you could..." her voice trailed off as she looked at a loss on how to explain it.
"Not mention this?" the Legendary hero suggested with a slight smile.
"...Yes."
"Done," she smiled. Neko nodded her agreement as well.
Inyme smiled faintly. "Thank you." Archer smiled back, leaning back in her chair as she finished her dinner. "You seem in a good mood," the
other woman said.
"Just enjoying a good day," she replied. "I had a good, filling dinner, Nano and I managed to throw the Council base on Striga into an uproar
earlier... Took a few of their Galaxies down for good," she mused as Neko shuddered.
"Disturbing things, all those Council 'super-soldiers,'" Neko said, getting an agreeing nod from Inyme, who hadn't encountered them in
person, but had gone over the Longbow files on them in detail.
"Maybe that's why I don't take all of them out permanently," the catgirl mused, the filling meal leaving her thoughtful. "I mean, the
Council soldiers... they're monsters, scum that use their power to torment others, but... they're still human. They have a chance to come to their
senses..." For a moment, memories of the twins flickered across her mind. She was the same age they'd been when the Council grabbed them...
"I suppose so," Inyme said, sipping at her drink.
"They don't all sign up willingly," she commented softly. "The Council... they 'draft' people. Young men on the street are perfect
targets. They're taken, drugged, brainwashed..."
"And you'd like to save them."
"Some in particular... if it's not too late," she replied, reaching over and stroking Nekos fur softly. Without hesitation, the cat had moved
over to provide a reassuring presense.
Inyme nodded again, working on her food. "....I can see where you're coming from," she admitted. "I've seen friends....be pulled away by
the wrong crowd....end up doing things they should never conceive of....it makes me angry....I want to do something, but I'm not sure I can, alone."
An amused smile appeared on Archers face. "When I woke up with odd powers and a magical bow, I took the hero option because it would let me fight
back," she admitted. "Beat up the Skulls, the Council, the Lost... There was no larger plan, just... I wanted them to hurt, to be afraid of me like I
always was of them."
"I don't know that I've really fought for them. I fight to keep more from becoming like them..." Inyme replied, sounding like it was
something of a confession of her own.
"But Riot Force, the Legendary... there's something about the people there," she said. "Makes me feel like I could actually make a
difference."
"Mm....you can do it alone...but it's easier with assistance," Inyme finished. Archer smiled, then glanced down at her jacket pocket as it
beeped. "An alert?" the telepath wondered.
Archer pulled out her phone and checked the screen. "Police channel," she said. "The Lost just raided a company studying Rikti technology,"
she added, putting the phone away and getting her wallet out. "Check please," she said to a passing waitress.
"...it never ends, does it?" Inyme mused, standing up as Neko leapt onto Archers shoulder.
Archer paid and left a tip on the table. While the manager may well have been something of a kiss-ass, there were rules to follow. "It may feel like
you're making a difference, it just takes a while," she said wryly.
"Very true Archer," she said with a faint smile, moving for the door.
Archer followed, thinking. "Oh, and Inyme?" The woman turned to her. "Call me Alice."
***