Even though Pippa expected at least two of them to answer her superhero call, she was surprised by all of them showing up.

They are on Pippa’s school’s rooftop. There are no cameras and pretty isolated. It’s her turf as well which gives her the advantage in case things go sideways. Not all of these people are strictly heroes, so you can never be too careful.

Nightfall is next to her, tapping her foot impatiently until four people join them in various different ways.

Freefall had been first, floating down from high in the sky. Beacon hadn’t even seen her coming. Her dark hair defied gravity even as her feet touched the roof, suspended in the air. It reminded Pippa of being underwater.

Wisp scared the crap out of Pippa, who may or may not have flinched, by just appearing in their vision. He flickered into the universe, showing his quiet danger. His whole demeanor is stoic and cold. He’s tense. She wonders why he came when he obviously doesn’t want to be. His outfit just screams military with the camo uniform.

None of them choose to speak. They all appear to be on the same wavelength, waiting for the rest to arrive. It’s a stunning night, tranquil with the twinkling of stars above them.

Reflection has a dramatic entrance which is very much in character from what Pippa knows of her. Using the moonlight, a kaleidoscope of colors nearly blinds her. As she blinks to regain her vision, Reflection is there, looking at her nails like she’s always been there. Everything about her exudes boredom, though Pippa can tell that she’s curious. Why else would she be there?

The last to show is Outcry. He is the most normal since he enters using the roof door. He also is dressed the most casual, in a hoodie and sweatpants. In her mind, Beacon saw him as the sharp, brutal anti-hero. It is difficult to process these people in a different environment.

Nightfall nudges her and she takes that as a cue to speak. It seems even though Nightfall came to her, she is not the team type. It is up to Beacon to lead this group.

“Hello everyone. Thank you all for coming,” she begins, a bit hesitant and not as confident as she would have liked to sound. Even with her hero persona, she finds herself a bit socially off kilter.

“What are we doing here,” Reflection questions, cutting to the chase. She isn’t one to waste time.

“Obviously because she wants something from us,” Outcry points out, his eyes narrowing suspiciously. Which he has a right to be. Pippa isn’t sure what she would do if she received the message she sent to them.

With that sentiment, Freefall looked intrigued, her eyes wide with curiosity. Wisp is quiet, appearing to wait for more information.

“It’s mutually beneficial, actually,” Nightfall speaks up. Reflection scoffs, crossing her arms, “I highly doubt that.”

Pippa finds her voice again, “Brainwash. He has a plan which puts all of us in danger. It affects us, this town, people that you protect. That you love.”

“I’m going to need more than that to agree to this,” Wisp says, waving his hand, vaguely referencing the rough circle they are in. Pippa winces at the request because while it is valid, they don’t have that much.

Brainwash is a secretive individual. Even if you found skeletons in his closet, he could just invade your mind and make you forget that you were ever there.

The only one that knows anything about him is Nightfall, and she doesn’t appear to want to give anything up except that his weakness is Nightfall herself.

Pippa supposes that is for her own secrets and her identity. If she told them who he is, then it would be quite easy to map out who she is. And Pippa respects that, so she won’t ever ask more of her.

“Why us?” Reflection questions, with the most ill disguised tone of befuddlement and distain. Like working with them would ruin her entire reputation.

What is amusing is that Pippa knows Reflection has a heart. She wants to protect. She just might not care how that protection takes the form of. That’s one of the reasons she thought of her for this.

“Because you all have a special set of skills that would be helpful in stopping Brainwash,” Pippa answer. It’s met with a lot of unimpressed glances. It’s a tough crowd.

But she has a little hope because they all showed up. That must mean something.

“Bet I could do it without any of you,” Outcry brags, a bit too arrogant for her taste. Beggars can’t be choosers though. Who else could go up against a controller of minds?

And it makes sense for a person with a super sonic scream ability to like to hear their own voice.

“You wouldn’t even get within ten feet of him. With that weak head of yours,” Freefall mocks, pretend knocking on his skull. Outcry bats away her hand and scoffs, clearly offended. “Excuse me! I don’t need to get near him! I can just use my cry and melt his brain.”

“Melt his brain, how heroic,” Reflection comments. A smile on her lips. She appears to be feeding off the chaos.

Outcry’s eyes narrow as he redirects his gaze to Reflection. “I’m not a hero.” His tone is absolute. It’s low and dangerous.

Maybe it wasn’t the best idea to bring them all together.

“I think the goal is to stop him, not kill him,” Wisp says. He’s quickly drowned out by the bickering, much louder side of the group.

Outcry’s stance shifts. Pippa knows he’s close to losing his cool. He might use his screech which would be bad for them all. Reflection has several shards of mirror whirling around her figure. It would be beautiful if you didn’t recognize the warning. Freefall is the only one not in a fighting mode, eyes tennising back and forth between the two tempers.

This is why Pippa doesn’t like social situations.

Feeling the heat in her veins, she clenches her fists. This fighting is going nowhere. Their focus should be on the true matter at hand. Not some nonsensical feuding. Rays of yellow peek out from her furled hands. Flashing her bright light, she blinds them all for a second. They quiet down immediately.

She wonders what they see when they look at her. Do they see a hero? A bad role model? A killer? She can’t get the fear in Cotton’s eyes out of her head. It swirls, coming and going, whenever it’s most inconvenient.

“This isn’t about who can do it or not. This is about working together to stop someone from doing something very bad.” Pippa finds her confidence. Being Beacon is always easier. She needs to be Beacon, the hero and leader, to accomplish the task. “This is to stop him by any force necessary.”

Nightfall finally gives some input, stepping up beside Pippa, “In the best scenario, we can stop him and put him in jail.”

Her statement leaves way for an implication. Wisp catches on the quickest, “Worst?”

They all appear to be unified under their shared curiosity. Pippa knows what she is known for. They might have understood the severity of the situation when Beacon came out to make a show of her power.

“He dies.”

———

A guide for the characters:

Beacon- she is a light based superhero

Nightfall- she is a non-powered vigilante

Reflection- she is a vigilante who has the power revolving around mirrors and reflective surfaces

Outcry- he is an anti hero, has the power to let out a powerful cry (like Black Canary)

Wisp- he is a government soldier who has the abilities of invisibility and phasing

Freefall- she is an out right hero, power to change the gravity of a given area