Lilianna Albief was an extremely perceptive woman, she had to be to own her own firm in a business as cut-throat as being an attorney. Following this logic meant she knew one of her favorite employees was being odd. Logi was one of her best men, while the man was largely cold and aloof he was extremely good at his job, the best she had ever seen in fact. As director of what was essentially the internal affairs as well as a formidable lawyer in his own right, it would not be remiss to say he was essential to the running of her firm.
It was because Logi was so important to Lilianna, her business of course, that she kept a closer eye on his work than anyone else in the office. So when roughly two months ago his work quality began to fluctuate Lilianna noticed immediately. She had begun to subtly observe him, he almost didn’t act any differently but the way he was subtly scratching his arms and snapping his fingers was eventually noted.
She had initially thought of addiction, but yet there were no other signs of something like that and after roughly a week and a mandatory vacation the work results had stabilized, so she had put the issue to the back burner.
Now however Logi was abnormally happy, the man was usually so stoic that most people had never heard him laugh before. Yet now he was grinning almost gleefully, and Lilianna kind of understood why he didn’t smile more, it was borderline otherworldly the way his mouth seemed to stretch abnormally around the edges with eyes that glinted in that odd Cheshire way.
Said man was currently droning on about something work related but Lilianna wasn’t focused on the report, no she was trying her best to read Logi. As the report finished she waited a couple seconds before going straight to the heart of the matter.
“What's got you so happy, Logi?”
Logi sat back, startled at the abrupt question “I- I found a new hobby the other day that I enjoy.”
“Oh? That's good, you never seemed to do anything other than work! I was afraid you were going to get burned out. What is your new hobby?”
As off balance as he was from the sudden topic shift Logi was unable to think of a proper lie and just shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Something that Lilianna noticed but didn’t comment on.
“Oh nevermind, as long as you enjoy it.” Lilianna needed to shift the topic quickly if she wanted to keep Logi off balance and talking. “So have you seen the 4th street brawl video? It's all over the place.”
Logi gathered himself before he responded
“I have, yes. Why?” Logi questioned.
“Well, it’s got a lot of people up in arms about ‘super powers’” Lilianna made air quotes around the phrase super powers. “Rumors are all over the place, I heard one of the employees gossiping over seeing a ghost in the warrenways.”
Logi perked up “Oh? That's interesting, are there lots of these rumors?”
“Why Logi! You almost sound like you want to seek them out! But yes I’ve seen a lot of them online.”
Logi chuckled at the (completely true) joke. “No, just think it’s interesting.”
“Hmm, Ok, come talk to me if you need anything Logi, you’re important to the company.”
Lilianna missed the way his eye glinted in the light as she passed Logi.
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The air around the concrete wavered as fingers pierced into it, one after another, Logi climbed up a building in the warrenways, the section of city that was practically made of alleys.
Logi crested the edge of the building and stood looking on into Vertic alley, one of the few car accessible areas of the warrens. Vertic alley was a major shopping center, hundreds of people meandered between all sorts of shops.
Fishing the gas mask out of his pocket Logi slid it onto his face, and watched the ally. Every once in a while someone would see him, but so far no one had recognized him. He was looking for a ghost, unfortunately he had no idea where to start looking.
After standing on the building for 20 minutes he decided to move on. He walked back from the edge of the three story building and took a running stance. Logi sprinted for the edge, the concrete crunched under his feet as he jumped fire trailing his soles propelling him that little bit more.
Gasps echoed up from below as people watched his leap, attention drawn by the bright glow of embers, Logi did a twirl in the air, just to prove he could, before landing gracefully and continuing his run, much to the chagrin of a couple of teenagers on the roof he landed on,
And so Logi ran, jumping tens of feet in the air to scale a story, or in one memorable occasion hooking his fingers under a balcony to swing across an alleyway below.
Movement caught his eye nearly twenty minutes into his run, a young black man also on the roof tops, he was wearing a surgical mask and a hoodie, and he was staring straight at Logi.
Logi slowed to a stop, staring back.
“Ey, Man, you that pyromaniac on the TV?”
The man, boy really going by his voice, seemed impatient, and when Logi didn’t respond that seemed to be enough confirmation for the man.
“I thought so, turn yourself into the police! I don’t fuck with people using there abilities for evil.”
Logi finally spoke, “Why would I do that? What could you do if I didn't?”
Stolen story; please report.
“My name's FrameWork, if you don’t turn yourself in I’ll do it for you!”
Logi just cocked his head, “Do you think yourself some kind of superhero? That is entertaining isn’t it? Hmm, a supervillain name? How about… Surtr? Yes, the fire giant king, A good fit.”
The Kid, FrameWork, honestly seemed really excited about something so simple. And immediately spoke up
“Alright Surtr! I’ll bring you to justice!” As FrameWork spoke his bones seemed to wriggle beneath his skin, starting at the fingertips bone begane to grow into plate armour up to his elbows, a similar process going up to his knees and around his Cervical spine, forming into clawed toes and a sharp mask.
Logi responded in kind, flame spiraling out of his chest and to his hands.
Framework took a martial arts stance, probably Muay Thai, and ran at Logi, he closed the 20 or so yards in about two seconds and then there was a bone elbow blade flying at Logi’s head, backstepping he attempted to counter attack only to be caught off guard as a knee slammed into his ribcage.
Logi staggered back from the force of the hit, taking a left hook battered his shoulder. Framework was very clearly a trained combatant, but he was still inexperienced with his new powers, this allowed Logi to push aside a knife like hand, and attack the bone joint with his other hand knocking Framework off balance but not damaging the appendage.
Logi hit him with a point-blank fireball to the face, and while the kid was blinded and burned, turned into a leg sweep causing Framework to crumple, Logi capitalized grabbing his legs and throwing him like a shot put, spinning twice and throwing. Logi lifted his hands and shot two fireballs at his opponent, his control rapidly diminished the further away they were but it was enough to ensure they hit.
The extra force was enough to send Framework flying like a bone frisbee, and Logi sprinted off after him. Framework had fallen off the rooftops and crashed into the street below, and judging by the five long lines on the wall beside him he had used his clawed hand to slow himself.
Logi jumped off the edge of the roof, his shoulder blades blasted fire in a mockery of wings as Logi slammed into the ground at well past terminal velocity, a flaming shockwave blasting out of the crater left from the impact.
Framework had only just stood up when he was knocked of balance by the shockwave, unprepared as he was he couldn’t react in time to the fist that impacted his solar plexus, a blast of fire accompanying it a second later in a miniature explosion.
Frameworks back slammed into the wall as he was pummeled repeatedly by Logi, the wall shuddered at the fifth punch, cracked at the 13th and shattered at the 17th. Fortunately for the younger man after the 4th he had been able to generate a sturdy piece of bone over his chest, where most of his strikes were landing, but even that was broken at the end of the assault.
When the wall broke, Framework bent over backwards, performed a handstand and launched into a spinning bird kick, his sturdy heel slamming into Logi’s temple with grace and speed that was impossible for normal humans.
Framework spun back and wrapped his calves around Logi’s neck and performed a suplex only possible with a grip of having your fingers several inches into the ground could allow.
They both fell after that, struggling to get up, Logi had been hit hard by that kick, but Framework had nearly had his ribs punched into his lungs. The Bone covered martial artist ran first, Logi hot on his trail, literally, palm sized orbs of fire were being launched at Frameworks back.
Bone covered forearms reached up into an X shape as the younger of the two ran through an door, slowing as dread formed a pit in his stomach, Framework had lost track of where he was, Cherry way, the second largest shopping center in the warrens, If he and Logi fought here there would undoubtedly be civilian casualties. Logi had no such compunctions, and blasted a beam of fire into Framework's back, sending him flying forward through a glass display case and into the street.
A grateful flip saw him landing on his feet as people screamed around him. Heat waves began to creep over the floor, glass melted as Logi walked past it, fire curling out of his gas masks vents, the article itself somehow not melting.
Framework held up his hands, “Hey! Hey man we can talk about this, there’s innocent people here!”
Logi chuckled, the sound distorted by the heat and the mask, “Why would I care about them? They’re weak, powerless like the weeds on the forest floor, fit for nothing but to be ash, fertilizer for the new growth.”
Framework backed up at that, the madness in Logi, no Surtr, for even if he did not know the man of flames name, he knew he was no human.
“That’s… that’s a sick and twisted way of looking at things! You’re insane!”
“Ohh, I’m sorry, did you think hunting down criminals like some caped crusader was going to lead to normal rational people? You’re no Superhero, you’re just delusional.”
A crowd had started to gather in a ring around the two superpowered combatants, a bad Idea, as was quickly proven as Surtr held out a hand, flame gathering in his palm and then blasting out in a spray like a flamethrower, people scattered like ants.
Framework had just barely jumped out of the way before two more small drill like fingers of fire slammed into what was left of his chest armour, penetrating straight into his pecs, and throwing him back.
Surtr dashed forward, his opponent was already recovering, high pain tolerance likely, he needed to cause permanent injury if he wanted this one to stay down. Surtr stomped on the leg coming in to sweep, only to suddenly trip as the bone under his heel collapsed.
Framework's real foot, free of any bone, hit the back of his knee, causing it to buckle, a left hook hitting his advisory's chin on his way down. in return he balled his fists, shooting concentrated flames to keep himself up and keep his enemy away. Surtr advanced a simple testing jab, Framework slipped sideways and Surtr followed, the jab turning to an elbow to the ribs.
Framework caught the elbow and pulled Surtr in for a knee,he didn’t expect Surtr to step into the hit, turning with the blow to wrench his elbow free of the bone grip. Surtr jumped back, punching empty air, only it was suddenly not empty, fireballs blasted out of his fists in a steady staccato. The bone covered youth knocked each aside with his gauntlets.
Framework was so focused on the projectiles he didn’t notice the carpet of fire spreading from Surtr’s feet. He jumped instinctively, one foot still unguarded. Surtr hit the still airborne form with an odd netlike creation, burning Framework in a grid pattern and pulling him towards Surtr.
A devastating uppercut hit the bone covered jaw, a second coming to grasp firmly around a distinctly not bone covered throat.
There Surtr stood, holding Framework up by his throat, “Well… that was fun, it’s unfortunate that we won't be able to do this again isn't it?”
The smaller male couldn’t respond but his eyes widened as blue tinted fire began to lick up the arm not holding him up. He closed his eyes, he had accepted this fight, and these were the consequences. Framework, no, Benjamin Eloard, braced for death until–
*CLANG*
Surtr was forced to let the boy go as a massive force impacted him from the side and he went flying nearly a hundred feet into the side of a building. Logi grunted as he looked up from the cratered wall, there was another young man, he was wielding a massive… Light pole? How did he swing it without it breaking or bending?
“YIELD.” The other man was wearing a smooth full face mask; it seemed to alter his voice a fair amount. “I WILL NOT ASK AGAIN. YIELD”
Logi just laughed. “NO!”
He couldn’t take both at the same time in a fight, he needed to get out of here. He definitely had a concussion and at least a couple broken bones that he could already feel knitting together under his skin. So he just did the simplest thing he could and threw a massive fireball at the street in front of them and made a dash for it in the smoke cloud. It was going to hurt tomorrow recovering from this, but honestly? For that kind of fight it was worth it.