“People of Core Pacifica, do not fear! Voidwaltzer is here! And you, hooded stranger–you’ve been a naughty girl!” she announced to an empty alley.
Juniper’s chest was burning as the girl's sharp-heeled pumps pressed down onto her throat. She was struggling for air, her vision partially blurring. Her body stiffened, as she tried breathing, she tried pulling her off by tugging at no avail, despite being seemingly frailer than she was, she wouldn’t budge. The girl’s strength defied what was physically possible.
I’m fucked, I should’ve stayed home!
[Observe her abilities, Junie! You’re not going to die, anytime soon!]
Juniper could barely put a coherent thought together, everything felt all over the place. How!?
[Just pretend to chant it in your head. You know like some close-to-death anime character over monologuing ]
Despite her incoherent vision, the enemies, and stats came into view.
[Voidwaltzer!]
[Power: 12]
[Endurance: 24]
[Dexterity: 40]
[Reflex: 45]
[Durability: 10]
[Energy: 65]
[Power: Distort, warp, and manipulate gravity around any space within 10 meters of her.]
[Skills]
[Amplify strength when exposed to higher gravity]
[Accelerate speed when exposed to lower gravity]
[Defy physical limitations using herself as the center of gravity.]
[Affiliation: Unknown– Vigilante]
Voidwaltzer was not only able to defy gravity but shift it to her advantage, she was locked in a cage with no way out. She hated every moment of this.
[It’s okay. *Starts biting fingernails*. She’s really tough, end-game level tough for your level 1 noob butt, but it's cool. You got legs use em- start running away, Get to the rooftops, blast her away! Trust me]
‘You make it sound so goddamn easy!’ she thought aloud.
Voidwalzter finally let her foot off the juniper. Air flooded her lungs painfully, she crept down to crawl, coughing as the air came in waves. Her chest heaved, and with every breath, pain in her ribs throbbed like a heartbeat. Proof of her unathleticism. She really needed to switch her lifestyle around.
“Easy, ohh, don’t worry I like to play with my prey.” Voidwaltzer teased, with her high-pitched voice, her heel struck her in the center of her stomach. She curled together instinctively.
“You’re so adorable when you squirm for air,” The assailant purred, as she crept down beside her. “Like a little kitten lost in the wrong nest.” her hands reach for Juniper’s hood.
Juniper winced, then slapped her across the face. “Piss off!”
[Wow, you two are like an abusive couple. Uh...I mean..uh... Run to the rooftops! Juniper–The roof, moonlight, and the power of the sun, Move!]
She wanted to swear at the AI, but she was preoccupied by the unhinged vigilante.
“Ooh, you’re a feisty one, let’s have some fun. My team never lets me have fun.”
Probably for good reason.
Voidwaltzer approached her, skipping like a kindergarten kid playing hopscotch, her heeled pumps clicking on the ground in a rhythmic pattern. It felt like when Iffy wanted to play rough except, this was an adult, and playtime became lethal.
Juniper stood up, her body, eyes, and hands glowing golden, hair raised into the air. Her body filled up energy like a car being pumped.
“Ooh, shiny! Her eyes lit up like she just made the discovery of a century. “You kinda resemble Helio girl now,” she said with excitement before being expelled by a burst of light, slamming her and sending her flying through the air.
A short-lived victory for Juniper, she knew the girl wouldn’t give up.
The air itself seemed to twist and distort as she seemingly stopped mid-air, twirling her legs like she was a ballerina, she spun around like she was swimming in the ocean. She floated down mid-air like a feather in a fan. Gracefully and elegantly, beautiful but a pain In Jun’s ass.
“Let’s skip all the theatrics,” Voidwaltzer said with a smirk, a lot more calmer than before.“I saw what you did back there, just briefly after the commotion started. Punching a man into a metal trash can and fleeing while he started bleeding out. Are you either a super-induced addict or a new rogue cape? Or… perhaps a proper villain in the making. “
“I–I’m neither of those things! You’re making a lot of assumptions.” Juniper spat. Her body felt overexposed, as she was scrutinized by her eyes, a familiar feeling.
“You’re new to this aren’t you, it's written all over your body language. This game, it's unfamiliar to you, unknown territory.”
Time seemed to stop around Voidwalker as she seemingly ‘walked’ in front of her, with miraculous speed. Reappearing almost in an instant. She could barely register anything–
“Boo!”
She yelled and spun around. Coming face-to-face with her from behind. Turning the other way. She sprinted into the narrow alleys. Slipping through an unvaultable cramped gab Hovering midair, her power low on moonfuel. She needed to get to the rooftops.
[Keep running! Get that cardio in. You’ll be a star Olympiad one of these days! In the fleeing department.]
“Waha– why are all these weirdos drawn to me?” she shouted aloud, her voice cracking as she was out of breath. Then laughing hysterically as the fear and the adrenalin merged.
Voidwaltzer giggled after her. Delighted.
Her glowing body, leaping from one end of a rooftop to another, started basking in the full light of the moon, She could feel the energy welling up inside, her glow lighting up with every new second that passes.
She peered in the direction of the lunatic, hoping she had a sliver of a chance.
Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.
“Light girl, I know you’re up there~” she teased her from below, or was it a mockery?
Realization set in, this was hardly the best of the cape world, it was going to get a lot tougher from here on out, and she needed to be extra prepared. She readied her body, taking in the encompassing moonlight, diluted sunlight, it would have to do.
Not even a split second before she could catch a breather. Voidwaltzer comically ran up the wall, like a cartoon character, flipping over the edge like it was no issue. Landing in front of her with a theatrical pose.
“So you are new, clearly judging by your experience.” she tilted her head, smirking playfully. “So why did you kick that man? Are you a villain, an independent supercriminal? Speak because heels of justice are ready to kick to knock some sense into you.”
Juniper starts trembling, backing away, her legs wobbling like jelly. “I-I was just trying to help an old man, they were threatening him, I–I didn’t know I would break him apart.”
She was unconvinced, hands to her hips. “Ah yes, the classic excuse of he started it first. Guilty, guilty, and guilty as charged. Come with me and we’ll determine if it checks out, who knows what happens if I let you go.” she extended her hand like she was a child.
“I don’t want to, you weirdo! Who just kicks someone for the fun of it!”
“I’m just cape profiling, based on your behavior, you're the one who sped away like a gas station thief..”
“That’s harassment, you’re not even a proper hero! You don’t work with the authorities. I’d rather speak with the police than with you.”
She became incredibly frustrated her hands started shaking.“Oh you’re one of those types. No, these so-called ‘heroes’ who do nothing but serve their bourgeoisie masters, deserve punishment as well. Capes on a fucking leash.” her hand gestures were all over the place. “Only we who take the path of vigilance–can deliver proper justice–now last chance noob, come with me or get an ass beating.”
“No!” she faltered.
Voidwaltzer stepped forward, cold and calculated. Juniper's mind started collecting ideas, recalling how Heliogirl often put up a barrier, blocking anything from energy beams to bullets, with it. I’ll wear her out. She held her hands out, imagining covering herself with an imaginary bubble. Golden light forming an egg-like shell.
“How unoriginal, I’ve dealt with barriers of this kind before, how convenient that you emulate that blond bitch.”
Without a single warning. She attacks the barrier with lightning-quick kicks, Every kick brings her one step closer to shattering the increasingly fragile barrier. Her body sped up to imperceivable speeds. Everything about this girl defied the laws of physics.
[Baahaha, SHe’s MUGEN character, Junie, Focus, don’t lose control of the block button, or you're in for a knockout.]
“Now you’re the one treating this sys-chan!”
“Syschan?!” Voidwaltzer asked. then…
She launched herself up in the sky, with godlike speed, tumbling and turning, accelerating and bringing herself down, the mass of her leg suddenly exerting earthquake-level pressure as she brought it down on the barrier.
It cracks completely open, making it fall apart like dominoes on a table, shards of golden-silver later dissipating. Juniper fell to her knees.
[Quick do the thing! Steal her powers]
“Steal what?”
[Her powers, Baka! Start grabbing and grappling.]
Voidwaltzer herself was staggered, movements slowing as if her power was on some sort of cooldown. Juniper lunged forward, not waiting to be assaulted again. She grabbed her thighs, and one of her arms, hoping it would work out.
“Hey, what are you doing? Stop that!”
Her hands start to wander, across her body. She starts feeling her all over, squishing her leg, and the lower parts of her thighs, she moves her hands to her elbow. Squish squish, squish squish…
“Sys-chan Nothing is happening!!!”
“Who are you speaking to, you perverted freak? Hey, I'm sensitive in that spot, stop touching me,” she shouted confused.
Perhaps the clothing is preventing me.
Juniper moved her hands towards her neck, towards more of her exposed part, but nothing happened as she touched her neck.
She keeps touching, but nothing happens.
[Strange, it worked with the nurse and she had a complete overall on. We will have to test this later Desu.]
“Are you serious!” the vigilante screamed.
“What the fuck am I supposed to do?”
“Punch me maybe?!”
Time slows to a crawl again, or rather, she struggles to move, her body feeling heavier. Voidwaltzer grabs her by the neck, removing the hoodie completely exposing her face. Juniper lets go of her, shying away. But their eyes locked with each other, Juniper gazed into her red jewels behind the mask. Red eyes A side effect of her power perhaps?
Voidwaltzer's expression was unreadable, but her whole tone switched up. Juniper did her best to hide away her face. Too late
“You’re kind of cute,” she remarked out of nowhere, moving her face as close as possible.
“What?”
She then effortlessly flipped her over.
“Uuuggghhh.” she groaned, as the pain struck her back. When she felt her spine shake she hit the rooftop.
“That’s for touching my thighs.” She approached slowly, striding with the confidence of a model. Her clicking awakened something inside Juniper. “You lost, now come with me…”
Juniper realized she was at her limit. Mentally, physically, and even emotionally, she gave up. Bowing her head, and started pleading.
“Wait!” her voice cracked. “Just wait, don't hurt me! I’m not a bad girl! It was my first time…”
Voidwaltzer pulls back, tapping her leg with annoyance.
“What are you even talking about!” she said tilting her head.
“You said you came to the scene when I kicked that gangster, but I was only trying to help the old man they harassed. I swear, please stop, I have a family at home, and I can’t be caught in this cape shit. I was just trying to get something to eat, then it happened.”
“I have a family– that’s what they all say!” her voice became harsh. She gripped her by the arms, yanking her up, and hit her a with hard slap on the back. “If what you’re saying is true, then you’ll have no issue coming with me, I'm a vigilante, not a human trafficker. Are you even registered yet?”
“No…” she flinched, averting the gaze of the vigilante, who looked up at her face.
“So, you just came out here to play superhero huh.” she sighed deeply, her fist clenched. “Listen to me you, you fucking idiot! Firsties like you are the whole reason why casualties are overrepresented on the street, not only are you irresponsible but you cause chaos everywhere you go.”
“Yes ma'am…” she said, shoulder slumping.
“You think this is some fucking game? People die out here, it takes a single move and everything is fucked.” Voidwaltzer resisted the urge to punch her in the face.
She nodded like a disobedient child.
“I’m sorry, I admit I misjudged the initial situation, you’re not the prey I was hoping to hunt, either way, please just briefly come with me. You're lucky, really lucky.”
As Voidwaltzer started a longer more serious monologue, her initial craziness disappeared, Juniper’s focus lay elsewhere, and her energy was condensing. Juniper’s power surged within, and the glow intensified, shifting from soft gold to radiant silver. She stopped her trembling, becoming eerily calm.
[You’re juiced up, blast this posing yapper out away. And get out of here!]
Compressing her energy around her, she imagines herself, letting go of all her troubles, just whipping it all away with a sudden push. Her power emotionally charged and driven, came like an unstoppable tidal wave, uncaring and unrelenting.
Voidwaltzer who’s words were trailing off, stopped talking when she noticed the shift. “Oh, so you do have some fight left in you.”
“I’ve had about enough for one night, stay away from me!” she raised her voice dramatically and started screaming “Haaaaa—--!!!!”
A spherical aura forms around her, and expands outwards sending the gravity girl reeling to the other end of the building.
Wasting no time. Juniper imagined herself like a rocket launching herself into space, her body propelled upward. With a shot of uncontrolled power, zooming into the air. Wobbling uncontrollably, she struggled to maintain herself.
[Solar power sentinel lvl 2>3]
The girl didn’t seem intent on pursuing, put her hands together, and shouted in the air. “I saw your face, Glow girl. I’ll find you…”
Going higher into the air, she couldn’t hear her yapping anymore, her body struggling to maintain direction. The zipping wind, tugged at her as she was raised in the sky. The air current made her hair flow around backward.
Glancing down at the grounded lights and passing cars, her frustration and pain disappeared. Replaced by awe. From this height, the world below seemed so small, she was removed from the chaos of it all.
The cool breeze bit at her skin, calming her raging nerves.
“I’m flying sys-chan! I’m flying.”
[Technically, you’re set to crash but I can see, *happy face*]
“You okay, system? No emoticon?”
[Not quite, system functions of the user's brain, I am tired, you’re tired.]
For a brief moment, the world stood still, and the silence of the night wrapped itself around her. Peace, but then it all went away, vanishing as quickly as it cape.
“Oh shit!!!!’
Her nerves did a 180, and her blood rushed. The glowing aura she possessed gave out, she struggled to dive cleanly mid-air, struggling to gain control, Jun brought out her arms, attempting to glide down. The rushing wind burned her skin as she tumbled down, something went into her eye.
With a sudden thud, she hit a brick wall of someone’s house. The lights of the building turned on, and she while dazed scattered to maneuver out of their yard, rushing across the street, constantly moving.
“That was quite the ride, wasn’t it sys-chan… system chan?” No answer, no reply.
She panicked, she had gotten used to having her in her head in a brief time, now they were separated.
A machine was only as good as its hardware limitations, she needed rest after this fiasco.
How was she going to explain this to her brother?
She did her best to move quickly through the neighborhood, partly crippled and battered again. The neighborhood went on for a while stretching and turning as it was built on an upwards hill. No trouble for a while. Then came sudden barking from the angry pit bulls snapping at their metal chains. Eyes locked on her. Barking at her like she was a threat.
“Yeah you can go fuck yourself too,” she shouted, she was feeling bold tonight.
The dog responded by ripping off its chains in pursuit”
“Oh fuck…”
She used the last of her energy to glide over the rooftops, skipping the long treks in fear of being mauled apart... Landing near the emergency exit/entrance of the apartment, hoping no one saw her again. She limped inside, groaning and moaning.
Peeking around the corner. Ms Louise was vacant, missing from her midnight patrol. She hoped no more surprises awaited her. The missing presence was the only relief she felt.
Climbing up the stairs. Every step up was a fight of its own. In her tiredness, she was confronted by another obstacle that pierced her sight. It was Kanako in modest pajamas, she was standing there, with an oversized telescope, stargazing.
Oh no, don’t notice me!
As if her thoughts manifested themselves. Kanako turned her head. Locking her with juniper’s body, rushing over at the sight of her, suddenly. Face twisting in horror. The sound of her slippers clapping echoed through the night.
“Juniper san, are you okay!”
She winced. Her clothing was torn apart, bruises were visible under the fabric. Her hair was a mess.
Oh boy, how was she going to get out of this one? It was also the first time she referred to her with a Japanese honorific, she supposed she would be flattered in any other situation.
“I'm fine, I’m fine, I had a rough run, that's all.” She put on a fake shaky smile, taking as much as care possible to avoid her hands. “Just met some crazy dogs along the road nothing too serious.”
“It’s not nothing, should I take you to the hospital?” she interrupted, blocking her from inspecting her wounds. “Those don’t look like bite marks.”
“No! Stop! It's nothing!” she snapped, startling the Japanese girl. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry I just need some rest. Thanks for worrying, but I’m okay.”
Juniper became frustrated, gritting her teeth. She didn’t need to deal with this right now.
Kanako who was taken aback by the sudden outburst. Hesitates not knowing what to do.
“I see, let me at least carry you to your apartment.”
She didn’t deny the help. Fearing she might push her away permanently if she declined. She nodded.
She bit her lip, barely breaking herself into crying, and the aftermath of the beating she took, started kicking in. She’d have to go to a hero agency as soon as possible to make sure her tab is kept clean. She didn't want to start Cape-ing on the wrong side of the law.
Unlocking the door Inside, her brother was vacant. Possibly asleep. A quiet Kanako helped her inside, her face completely aghast. “I'm sorry Miss. Kamizuki.”
She shook her head, her voice gentle as ever. “Just get some rest, if..if you don’t feel well by tomorrow, please let me take you…”
She didn’t reply, closing the door behind her.
She went straight to her bed, stumbling like a zombie, ready to knock herself out, putting earphones in her ear, and dozing off to sleep.
A dim screen popped up.
[Low Battery. System Rest Mode Activated.]
Syschan chimed softly [You did well jun, I know I asked a lot from you, but you came out on top tonight]
Did she? Some supervillain/vigilante knew her face, she was partially recorded half killing a criminal, and she possibly strained the relationships with her brother and Kanako, unfixable damage to any progress.
The heavy burden of it all took over, and threw her in the ocean in darkness. Sending her to dreamland, like Alice who was sent to wonderland. She hoped she could stay there forever.