Playing Hero (Dylan)

[Shane Keller]

Bank robberies were so cliche but not even cliche in the fun way.  Shane admittedly wished they were more like they were in comics or on television. He wished they were like they were in old Western films, even though he knew those films weren't accurate at all. Instead he was ducking and dodging bullets and it wasn't fun at all. Though he very much preferred it to drowning in poisoned water on the pier. He tried not to think about it. He'd caused enough of a distraction that the hostages had gotten out and into the waiting arms of the police. The building was surrounded by them but he also had a feeling that Aegis had been called. Aegis, to his knowledge, handled super powered threats. The bank robbers - all seven of them - so far hadn't shown any powers. But now there was an illegal vigilante - him - on the scene. He had no doubt that Aegis had been called because of him. Which meant he needed to end this soon so he could get out of there. If not, he risked getting arrested as well. God, he really wished Julian was there to help him. His powers, as far as he was aware, were useless unless blood was spilled. He managed to knock one robber out without his powers but that left six and he was currently hiding behind one of the teller stands. Though did it count as hiding when they knew he was there? "Thought you heroes were supposed to be brave," one of the robbers spewed, "But you just seem scared, kid - Scared and stupid." Shane huffed, partially tempted to take his hearing aides out so he wouldn't have to listen to them. "Asshat," he muttered quietly to himself before leaping out from behind the stand and tackling the closest robber. He didn't like being violent, he didn't like having to fight, but he needed blood shed and he'd rather it not be his. That was until he heard the sound of a gunshot and pain flared in his arm. The bullet merely crazed his arm but it was still enough to throw him off and he felt his body shoved back by the robber he'd tackled. He stumbled and fell back, hand instinctively reaching to apply pressure to his new wound. The robbers were starting to surround him. "Guess you're not scared but still very stupid."

... tryna stand on my own two feet. this conversation's not coming easily and darling i know it's getting late, so what do you say we leave this place? ... ichor @dylan costume 406 words Save my bby plz. ;-;

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[Deleted]

Weird, Dylan couldn't help but think, how it'd become natural for him to be dispatched on his own by Aegis. The circumstances were right, of course. He was the nearest agent, everyone else was busy, and the threat wasn't grave, considering no superhuman criminals were reported to be involved. But it was still weird. To have that kind of confidence, faith and expectation put in him. Weirder, too, that Dylan wasn't nauseous with that pressure. In fact, there was a kind of clarity and determination welling up in him. He was a professional. This was his job. And he liked to think he wasn't half bad at it. "What should I know, officers?" he asked the law enforcement agents on the scene in front of the bank. "All reported hostages are safe and accounted for." Benthis cocked his head at a muted sound from inside the building. "Then why are there gunshots?" The policewoman answering his questions rolled her eyes. "Some costumed person's in there, trying to be a hero." Dylan didn't wait for any more information. That was all he needed. The innocents were accounted for. He could be a little more heavy-handed, but there was still someone in danger. Dylan couldn't abide that. His focus fell on the water fountain in an outdoor shopping plaza across the street, and his stern expression colored the barest bit smug. . . . The sound was like a distant, but fast-approaching roar. The gunmen inside the bank, surrounding the downed vigilante, looked at one another in confusion. Then they turned toward the front of the building, just in time to see a wall of liquid and foam burst in through the doors. Gunshots went off, but were swallowed by the living torrent. The water looped protectively around the wounded hero, and threw its outer shoulder roughly at the ring of criminals, hurling them back ten feet apiece. Two didn't even stir as they crumpled onto the floor. In the midst of that band of churning water, a shadow solidified and, on its interior, it emerged into the pocket of air. Dylan smiled tenderly at the costumed person clutching his arm. "Are you all right?" he asked. Bullets embedded in the wall of spinning water, but were whisked aside in the current before getting halfway through its depth. Benthis held up his hands in a sign of surrender and knelt down, eyes shimmering with azure light. "May I-?" he asked, then reached out a tentative hand, hoping to heal the flesh wound.

... i've been watching you for quite some time. can't staring at those ocean eyes. burning cities and napalm skies. fifteen flares inside those ocean eyes ... benthis Shane Keller

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[Shane Keller]

His hand was slick with his own blood. Not ideal but it was going to have to work. His hand over the wound started to glow red but then the robbers reacted to something - something he wasn't hearing. His hearing aides must have been jostled when he'd been shoved back. He had to fix them later. He followed their gaze, eyes widening at the water that rushed in. His mind flashed back to that night on the pier and he braced himself for an attack, hand glowing as he tried to keep the blood pulsing from the wound in his body. But instead of hitting him, the water clearly targeted the robbers. The sound of gunshots was dull, as if far away - Yes, he definitely needed to fix his hearing aides. Shane was still braced for an attack - after all he'd only ever met one water manipulator and she had tried to kill him and his friends. But the water manipulator that appeared was most certainly not her. Oh he was cute. Shane felt his face heat up. Now wasn't the time for that. He watched the young man's lips carefully, trying to read them but lip reading wasn't nearly as easy as people thought it was. When that didn't work, he focused on noting the other man's body language, the emotions etched into his face. He seemed concerned. He'd probably asked if he was alright. Shane weighed any possible answers. Was he alright? Well, he certainly could have been less alright. He didn't make a habit of being shot so it wasn't as if he was used to it, but this was also not nearly as agonizing and traumatizing as that night on the pier had been. He settled for shrugging in response but grimaced at the pain from his wound. He watched the other man carefully as he knelt down. This young man was either a fellow vigilante or he was with Aegis, Shane decided. After all, he had no doubt Aegis had been called. He was closer now that he'd knelt down, which made hearing him a little better - after all he was only partially deaf and his hearing aides only needed to be adjusted. But even then, the water manipulator's body language spoke for itself. He must have been a healer as well, Shane thought, because he seemed to have been offering to heal his wound. He gave a tentative nod, removing his hand from over the wound. That same hand flickered red as he manipulated the blood of it so he could reach and adjust each hearing aid without getting blood on them. "Thank you," he said once the hearing aides were adjusted, "I don't think I'm very good at this." He was referring to being a hero, a vigilante. This was why he often teamed up with Julian. His best friend was a better fighter, he thought, more brave than he was. "I'm Ichor," he added, his free hand moving as if he wanted to sign the words as he spoke them but couldn't as his arm was being healed.

... tryna stand on my own two feet. this conversation's not coming easily and darling i know it's getting late, so what do you say we leave this place? ... ichor @dylan costume 516 words Hope this works!

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[Deleted]

Dylan was so relieved that the vigilante was willing to let him help. He understood why unregistered heroes held what opinion they did of Aegis - he didn't agree with it, but he understood. Most that he'd ever run into in the field bolted, or tried to attack to distract long enough to make a break for it. Dylan didn't like fighting other people just trying to make the world a better place in general. But this guy was hurt. That made Benthis twice as hopeful that he'd accept the hand up. Dylan smiled, kind, encouraging but also grateful. Water collected on his outstretched hand. The pale blue light in his eyes picked up a tick, and was echoed between his fingers. The water coated the flesh wound while the vigilante spoke, and Dylan's mending energies quickly knit the tissue back together. "Oh, I don't know," he said while he worked, heedless of the bullets still peppering his barrier of churning water, "maybe you just need the right partner." He pulled back his hand and the split skin from before looked like it'd never been. Dylan straightened back up and held out that same hand to help Ichor (as he named himself) up. "Benthis," he countered, with a tender smile. "Now. You ready to deal with these jerk-" Dylan had turned to face the gunmen's direction, but cast a look over his shoulder and a cheeky smirk, "partner?" Given the clear, Benthis centered himself, drew back a hand like he was about to pitch a baseball, and hurled it forward. The curving water in front of him moved like it was battered suddenly into a different direction, where it overtook one of the criminals, collected him in its torrent, and kept going.

... i've been watching you for quite some time. can't staring at those ocean eyes. burning cities and napalm skies. fifteen flares inside those ocean eyes ... benthis Shane Keller

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[Shane Keller]

Shane had never been close to anyone, worked alongside anyone, aside from Julian - and occasionally Julian's siblings. Most people glanced over him because of how quiet he was, how withdrawn and introverted. He was naturally quite shy and quiet - rarely ever raising his voice whether out of anger or excitement. The pain in his arm was gone, soothed instead. He noted the blue glow on the other man and looked down at his own arm, finding the wound completely healed. With his hearing aides properly adjusted, he could hear the thumps of bullets hitting the water. He couldn't help wondering when the robbers were going to run out. All Shane could do was stare up at Benthis' hand, face hot because oh no he was cute and wasn't this like a scene out of some Disney movie? Thinking that didn't help him focus at all. He made a mental note to ask his best friend if he ever felt like a Disney princess. Yeah, that wasn't likely to confuse Julian at all, he thought. He gently took Benthis' hand and was hoisted back to his feet. He thought he held his hand a little longer than he should have before awkwardly pulling his away with a small, shy smile. He looked at the water and then at Benthis. It was clear he had more experience, more training - most certainly Aegis. It was also clear he was more powerful. That's why he blinked behind his mask, clearly surprised when he wasn't told to get out of there and instead addressed as a partner in this fight. His face felt hot again though he wasn't sure if it'd ever stopped. "Yes," he replied quietly, timidly, signing the word as he spoke it. His hand then glowed red and he reached out to the same blood he'd flicked off his hand earlier. It rose from the ground, liquid and swirling before forming the shape of a small dagger that hovered around his hand, though he didn't reach to grasp it. He watched in awe as the water took care of one of the criminals and kept going. Yes, he was certain Benthis didn't need his help, which made it all the more enduring that he had asked for it. He struck out with his dagger, propelling it at a criminal where it embedded in his leg. The man cried out and cursed. Shane drew his hand back and the dagger reacted, yanking out of his leg. He closed his hand into a fist and the blood mimicked that. He focused on solidifying it like ice. He then flicked his wrist and the blood fist - in the literal sense - punched the man square in the jaw, sending him down, unconscious.

... tryna stand on my own two feet. this conversation's not coming easily and darling i know it's getting late, so what do you say we leave this place? ... ichor @dylan costume 456 words n/a

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[Deleted]

He didn't miss the sign that ran along with Ichor's spoken word, and seeing it caused Dylan's attention to flit to his ears, and the hearing aids there. Those observations filed away, though. They had more pressing, trigger-happy things to worry about. Benthis kept a small tendril of attention bent on the gunman that Ichor engaged with once they launched a counterattack. But on the whole, he was handling it well, which let Dylan have a little more breathing room to dispatch the rest. Two ribbons of water peeled from the rest, targeting the last enemy they had to deal with. As they snaked through the air, they hardened, so that when one collided with the thug's stomach, it carried him clean in the air. Meanwhile, the other came in from above, batting him chest-first into the floor, where he didn't stir. Dylan gave a grunt of exertion, and the fountain's water went still, floating in a roughly spherical mass above his head. He looked toward Ichor, but was sure he was still all right. That worry for the other man, though, twisted in a new direction when Dylan remembered the policemen waiting on the street outside, and Ichor's status as an unregistered vigilante. He looked out the front windows and back at Ichor several times rapidly. "Do you trust me?" he finally asked. Dylan reached out and pulled Ichor to his chest, winding his arms around the vigilante. "Hold tight." Benthis's eyes shone bright blue again. The water above dove on them, encapsulating the pair, but Dylan kept them sheathed in a narrow pocket of air, lined with hard-water. It was hard, and would've been impossible if his training with Aegis hadn't honed his powers to the point they'd been. Dylan and Ichor listed sideways, laying parallel to the ground as the churning waters rushed in a torrent back through the front doors of the bank. The two boys's bodies uprighted themselves. The waters carried them between buildings a rough half-block and then their feet touched solid ground. Those same waters drew away, having planted the pair on a rooftop three stories up. Benthis made sure Ichor had his balance back and wasn't disoriented, keeping hands on his biceps to steady him. "Just a sec," he said, making sure his lips were easy to see and read. Dylan turned to address the still-present water like a conductor confronting an orchestra. Within a ten-second count, Benthis had remotely returned the water back to its original fountain. Dylan realized he should probably go back and tell the officers what had happened. But that knowledge weighed against the thought of leaving Ichor just then, and lost out.

... i've been watching you for quite some time. can't staring at those ocean eyes. burning cities and napalm skies. fifteen flares inside those ocean eyes ... benthis Shane Keller

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[Shane Keller]

He watched as Benthis took care of the rest of the threat. He didn't think he'd ever been this close to a member of Aegis before, able to watch them work, see their training in action. He knew the other vigilantes he knew - the Stanes - could hold their own in a fight but he couldn't help thinking there was a clear advantage to getting formal training like Benthis clearly had. But then the gunmen were dispatched, no longer posing a threat. Now the only potential threat that would be perceived... was him. It wasn't lost on him that there were police officers lined up outside. It wasn't lost on him that there was an Aegis member right there in the bank with him. And it certainly wasn't lost on him that he was breaking the law simply by being Ichor. He was glad his mask hid the nervousness in his eyes. Benthis was looking from the front windows - which gave a clear view of the officers and their patrol cars - and him. Multiple times, in fact. It didn't help Shane not be nervous, wondering if Benthis' water manipulation was about to be turned on him. He blinked behind his mask, confused by the question he was asked. Did he trust Benthis? He thought that depended more on the context. Did he trust him to take out the gunmen or just be a hero in general? Yes. Did he trust him not to arrest him for being an illegal vigilante? That remained to be seen. But then he was being pulled quite close to the other man and being told to hold on tight. He noticed the blue glow return and the water start to move and wrapped his arms around the other man's neck. As soon as they started moving, his grip tightened ever-so-slightly and he pressed his face down against him, which helped to hide the blush clear on his face. He wondered if this was what flying with Ivan's wind manipulation felt like. He wasn't able to fully relax until his feet were on the ground again. He thought this was certainly something that came easier the more one did it. He wondered how many times Benthis had practiced that to get it right. Benthis' hands were on his arms to help steady him, his own hands resting against the other man's just for that exact same reason. Once it was clear he wasn't going to fall over, he watched the other man turn and manipulate the water once again. It didn't take long for him to do that but Shane used the time to figure out where they'd been deposited. They were definitely far away from the police. His eyes moved to the back of Benthis' head, questions forming in his mind. Once the other man's attention was back on him, he thought it was probably best to ask, rather than allow an awkward silence to break out between them. "Thank you," he said, his voice its usual soft tone. Like he always did when he had both hands available, he signed each word as he spoke it aloud. "That would've been a lot worse if you hadn't shown up..." He paused, trailing off as he pondered how best to ask what he wanted to. Depending on the answer, he wasn't sure what he was going to do. "What - What now?" he asked, "Are you - Are you going to arrest me?" He took a couple steps back as he signed the words as well, putting some distance between the two of them in case the answer was yes.

... sometimes i feel like giving up but i just can't. it isn't in my blood ... ichor @dylan costume 601 words n/a

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[Deleted]

Ichor looked uncertain and timid, but that made total sense to Dylan. Not only considering the fight they'd just shared at the bank, but traveling the way they'd done, even seasoned heroes at Aegis were disoriented and unsure of themselves afterward the first few times. Ichor started to speak, and Dylan's eyes brightened at the ASL that went along with it, more than a little excited to find someone else who could sign. "I'm just glad you're all right," Dylan said, sincerely, and he made sure to pair each word with its signed version, too as a way of saying he knew ASL without saying he knew ASL. The excitement that simmered and sparked in Benthis faltered when Ichor took cautious steps away, his brow furrowing, almost hurt at the questions that came next. But he couldn't be. Not really. Not with how things worked regarding registered super-heroes in Astaria City. "No!" he signed, almost urgently, swept up in wanting to soothe Ichor and make sure he knew he was safe. "That's why I brought you here," he explained animatedly. "I... I know I should arrest you, but you were just doing what you thought was right." Benthis stopped, rubbing the back of his neck and he smiled coyly before sign/saying, "I don't think that's reason to arrest someone. Promise you won't tell on me?" he added teasingly at the end.

... i've been watching you for quite some time. can't staring at those ocean eyes. burning cities and napalm skies. fifteen flares inside those ocean eyes ... benthis Shane Keller

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[Shane Keller]

Shane's eyes widened behind his mask and his mouth opened faintly in surprise when Dylan mimicked him, signing as he verbally spoke. His surprise turned into a small yet quite happy smile. It made him feel special, though he knew Benthis hadn't learned specifically to communicate with him - After all, they'd only just met. Still it meant the other man had noticed him signing - possibly noticed his hearing aides as well - and had decided to copy him. It also meant he didn't need his hearing aides to communicate with Benthis which was a nice touch to such an already cute hero. He knew the only reason he was alright was because of the agent of Aegis. Benthis had shown up in the nick of time as well as had healed his gunshot wound. He'd almost looked away after asking if he was going to get arrested now but having seen Benthis sign, it kept his eyes hesitantly on him. He didn't know what he'd do if the answer was yes. He had no doubt that if they fought, Benthis would win. He couldn't control blood as effectively as the other man could control water, that much was obvious to him. The answer, thankfully, wasn't yes. He visibly relaxed when Benthis insisted he wasn't going to arrest him and then started explaining himself. "I don't think they'd give me the chance to tell," he replied once the water manipulator was done speaking, being honest. He'd heard at the very least one of Aegis' Pillars took a hard stance on illegal vigilantes. "Not that I'd tell," he quickly added, "I wish everyone in Aegis was more like you." He smiled, signing the words Besides I think I'm too cute for a jail cell without saying them out loud, his face hot. He let out a quiet awkward laugh and shifted on his feet. "I uh - I feel like I should thank you," he said, signing the words at the same time again. "I mean I already did but like... Um..." It was his turn to rub the back of his neck, lightly biting down on his lower lip. "You basically saved my life. I'd like to treat you to... Something?" He winced when that sounded more like a question than a statement. He was a college student, after all, which meant his funds were sadly limited. But he still wanted to show his appreciation somehow.

... sometimes i feel like giving up but i just can't. it isn't in my blood ... ichor @dylan costume 403 words n/a

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[Deleted]

He was still more than a little worried that Ichor's well-founded anxieties would only increase. Dylan wondered if, to make things as comfortable for the other boy as possible, even, he should just take his leave. Even though he really, really didn't want to. The ASL, though, seemed to be a step in the right direction. Dylan saw the surprise and restrained excitement in Ichor, and it fed into his own excitement - excitement that Ichor was feeling less threatened; believing what Dylan had said about not turning him in; and that all that meant he wouldn't have to say goodbye quite as soon. Benthis listened and watched diligently while Ichor responded. The sly, signed-only comment caught him a little off guard, not expecting something toeing the line of flirtatious from Ichor, who'd seemed timid and defensive until that point. Dylan's cheeks colored a little and he grinned broadly, because he was taking this as another sign that Ichor was feeling less threatened. Dylan's smile faltered, expression changing wide-eyed and thoughtful at the next thing that Ichor had to say. "What kind of 'something'?" he asked, signing for good measure, completely and totally missing the implications or points. (OOC: If you (understandably) need more, lmk! <3)

... i've been watching you for quite some time. can't staring at those ocean eyes. burning cities and napalm skies. fifteen flares inside those ocean eyes ... benthis Shane Keller

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