Fire and Ice Who: CJ/Noah What: Rumble In the Streets Where: Las Vegas When: Present Ratings/Warnings: Violence/Injury/Etc.
Even though it was the middle of the week and there was that burden of ‘work in the morning’, a part of CJ that was itching for some jazz and he knew that there was only one way to scratch it, and that was to go out to one of the jazz bars that he liked, even if it was only for a few hours. Work trousers were swapped for comfortable jeans and a light coat thrown over the top of his collared shirt to keep out any possible chill, even if the cold didn’t bother him all that much.
It was nearing nine pm when CJ finally left the bar in a much better mood, the music had gotten into him and he was feeling a bit buzzed from it. He was hopeful that feeling wouldn’t wear off too soon as he wouldn’t be able to make it back until the end of the week, a rather substantial shipment of new books arriving in the next few days and they’d have to be catalogued, added to the system before students could borrow them. All of which meant long days that would leave him tired and not in any kind of mood to appreciate the music.
He was humming a melody to himself as he walked down The Strip, trying his best to dodge the groups of people who seemed to have stopped in the middle of the sidewalk for whatever reason. While trying to avoid someone who had suddenly stepped out in front of him CJ took a step to the side, accidentally bumping into someone else. Without as much as a second thought he muttered “Sorry” before continuing on his way.
--
Noah hated object procurement. It was one of his least favorite kinds of jobs. Trying to keep something safe wasn’t in his wheelhouse. He had been sent to steal a crystal figurine from a local outfit’s boss, using the disguise of an electrician to get in and out of the man’s penthouse loft. The pyrokinetic had left on foot, the artifact wrapped in a ceremonial cloth in his jacket pocket. Perhaps he could have found a safer place for it, but he was annoyed and frustrated.
Most of the time, he got what he wanted. Things went his way because he made them go his way. However, he had gotten wind of a detective looking into some of his past dalliances with murder and needed to fly under the radar for a while, take lower caliber jobs that he normally wouldn’t. Perhaps it was some kind of cosmic justice, if he believed in things like that. As it was, he could only seem to watch, frozen, as someone slammed into him and caused the precious item to fall to the concrete sidewalk, the cloth coming loose just in time for Noah to watch it shatter.
“Hey!” He inserted himself in the path of the blond man who had bumped into him. “I couldn’t quite hear that. Were you apologizing to me?” Noah could feel his temper burning and growing. Looking for a way out. Maybe he would let it.
It wasn't like he had done it on purpose, though the last thing CJ was expecting was for the guy that he had accidentally bumped into to block his path again, clearly pissed off about something. He had never seen the brunette before, and hadn't heard the shattering over the noise of the crowd so was ignorant as to why he had gotten pulled up.
But there was something about this guy that he instantly didn't like, the hairs on the back of his neck were standing up and he could feel his hands turn to fists by his sides but CJ didn't know why. "Yeah I did, but if you want to blame someone, look at that group of those idiots with the selfie stick." There was a tone to his voice that was calm yet agitated, it wasn't like he had done it on purpose.
“I don’t know,” Noah replied, eyeing the other man up and down, one corner of his mouth turning up into a sneer. “I think you make a suitable scapegoat. You lost me seven grand.” He noticed the blond curling his fists and his expression shifted into an amused smirk. He took a step closer. “Are you going to throw a punch?” There was palpable tension in the air, enough to attract a few onlookers.
"Not my fault you decided to carry seven grand down the middle of the Strip!" CJ sneered in return, he was usually pretty passive but he'd hold his ground if needed and right now it seemed like he'd have to do it. Whatever it was that had been worth that much it wasn't his fault that this guy hadn't had it properly secured. He scoffed at the question. "You're not worth it." Sure CJ would defend himself but he wouldn't throw the first punch.
“Maybe, maybe not,” Noah mused, still smiling. “But it might be worth it to teach you how to watch where you’re going.” Most people didn’t hold the pyrokinetic’s interest for long, either due to their banality or moral standing. He found it all pretty boring. But there was something about this man that made him hone in.
“There must be a reason you aren’t walking away,” he continued. “Makes me wonder what it will take to get a reaction from you.” Noah’s dark eyes flashed under the glow of the lights.
This guy just wasn't letting it go, it was an accident and he had apologized, what more could he do? "Maybe you were the one who ran into me, ever think of that?" CJ retorted, although there was no right of way on the sidewalk, it was every man for himself.
Normally CJ would've just scoffed and walked away, though he wasn't game to turn his back on the other man who was in such a volatile mood. There was also another reason he was trying to stay calm, getting worked up meant he could lose control. "I'd walk away, except there's some fuckwit blocking my path."
At that moment there was someone walking past, the drink they were carrying in one of those long plastic yard glasses exploding out of the top.
Noah watched the tourist’s drink explode in their face and sighed deeply. “Oh. Okay. You’re a freak, too?” That could explain the vibe he was getting off the man. Then something occurred to him, something that could be entertaining at the very least. He reached out and nudged the blond’s shoulder.
“Do another trick,” he laughed. He glanced at the passersby out of the corner of his eye. It was only a matter of time before some gawker stopped and recorded them with his phone. “What are you? Telekinetic?”
Okay, so that seemed to pacify the guy, CJ hadn't meant to do it and expose his ability but at least it had stopped him sneering and hurling insults at him. By the way the guy was talking it was clear that he had some kind of ability too.
His sneer turned into a smirk and CJ nodded in the direction of a small fountain at the front of a nearby building. Closing his eyes CJ took a breath and focused. The water spluttered and died down before it shot up into the air about 15 foot. He then turned and raised a brow. "What do you think?"
“Is it something with water?” That was ironic. Noah watched the display with some degree of interest. Despite his initial dislike of this man, and that was still part of the mix, he couldn’t help but think of the possibilities. Humans possessed a lot of water content, for instance.
“I think it’s all fun and games until someone’s phone gets ruined,” the pyrokinetic deadpanned. Since they weren’t about to come to blows anymore, the people watching them had moved on. “And do you do children’s parties?”
CJ nodded, he hadn't even gotten the guts to tell his best friend about his hydrokinesis yet here he was talking about it with a stranger. He still couldn't figure out what it was about this man that had his hackles up but he still felt slightly on edge.
The fact that the people had moved on and no one was paying attention to the two men talking in the middle of the sidewalk had also calmed CJ some, no one would suspect they were any different. "No, but I can bring some festive cheer to the holidays." He had yet to meet anyone who hadn't mentioned the strange Christmas morning snowfall. "What about you?"
Ew, he’s wholesome, Noah thought to himself. He always considered that a waste of powers. Like giving a machine gun to Shirley Temple. “What about me?” he countered. “I’m just an ordinary citizen. Taking in the sights of this fair city.” He looked down at the sidewalk where his cracked figurine lay.
“When a superpowered individual began harassing and threatening me,” he continued. “I should notify the authorities.”
He didn't believe that for a second, the guy had pretty much implied it with the question of you're a freak, too? CJ was determined to figure it out, the instant dislike meant it was probably something opposing him - fire, electricity or metal possibly. It didn't seem strange that the energies from Searchlight had drawn in others like it had himself. "You know about kinetics, so either you've studied them, or you are one." A brow raised, interested to see the response.
"And tell them what? I threatened to turn a fountain against you?" Like they'd believe that? "Pyro or electro?" If this guy wasn't either CJ would just get a blank look back, but he had a feeling he'd get some kind of response.
His attention was waning, the novelty and interest he had felt just moments ago fading quickly. “I prefer the full term pyrokinetic,” Noah drawled. He pulled out his cell phone and composed a quick message to his client. Cover blown. Target is moving the figurine. Will regroup. That would buy him some time.
“How do you profit off the water stuff? Drownings? Water boarding?”
Pyrokinetic explained it all, although this was the first time CJ had knowingly met one he had learnt a lot from his grandmother about how they were more firey, especially in nature. This guy seemed to fit the description to a T.
He shook his head at the question, he wasn't that kind of person, not since that night in 2000. "I came here to escape that, you get the side eye whenever someone drowns." And that was all he was going to say on the subject.
Noah raised an eyebrow. “Came here to escape…?” He trailed off. He was certain he had heard the sound of glass grinding against itself; he wasn’t the only one as a group of tourists came to a surprised halt. He turned around to see the pieces of the figurine dragging against the concrete by some unseen force. The shards and cracks began to mend themselves. “Oh, that’s convenient,” the pyrokinetic commented, before he realized the statuette was getting larger. And larger. And moving.
“That was not six feet tall when I stole it,” he commented to CJ, taking a cautious yet fascinated step backward.
Even over the noise of the crowd around them CJ could hear the sound of the glass as if it was right next to his ear, what on earth was making such a horrible sound - like fingernails down a chalkboard. When Noah looked for the source, so did CJ, seeing the figurine that had caused it all melt together and then start growing.
“You stole a cursed figurine?” A glance at Noah as he took a step back too. “This is just my night.” CJ added sarcastically, already people around them had their cameras out thinking that it was all some kind of magic trick. Looking around CJ saw an alley not that far away, maybe if they could draw it in there and away from the crowds they’d have a better chance of figuring out what the hell to do with this… thing. “See if we can get it over there,” he pointed towards the alley “And just how hot can you get?”
Noah burst out laughing. This guy wanted him to play hero? “Yeah, I don’t think so. I’m probably just going to…” He began backing away from the blond and the now towering crystal creature. When had it grown claws? “Have fun getting it wet, though!” As he began to turn on his heel and leave, the thing let out an ear-splitting screech that sounded like ground glass amplified, and swiped at him with one taloned hand.
The pyrokinetic was knocked to the ground, three fresh lines of red springing up on his cheek. Noah brushed at the wounds, looking down at the blood on his fingertips, then back up at the thing. He quickly scrambled to his feet, angry and more than just a little annoyed. It had been a long time since something had made him bleed. “Okay, alley it is, then.”
It wasn’t that CJ wanted to play a hero, it was more that if he had to use his hydrokinesis, he didn’t want the idiots around them to document it with their cameras and therefore out the two of them as ‘different’. People had a hard time coming to terms with the fact that not everyone around them is the same and CJ had made a comfortable life here and didn’t want to go on the run again, not when things were looking so promising. He turned to see Noah get knocked to the ground when attempting to flee, it seemed like the creature’s attentions were on them both and not anyone else, maybe that was a small grace in itself.
It took a bit to draw it away but thankfully the crowd seemed to grow a brain and had feld when they realised they were in danger. Once they were inside the alley CJ used his ability to draw some water around the creatures feet and legs before turning it to ice, it was only a temporary solution, but it would buy them some time. “We’ve gotta kill it.”
The towering figure let out another screech as it realized its locomotion was being blocked by the solid ice around its feet. There was a cracking, shattering sound and Noah realized it was breaking its own legs to get free. The humanoid figure lurched forward, bending and shifting, shedding pieces of crystalline glass as it crawled toward them. The pyrokinetic realized then that he might actually have to deplete his energy to neutralize the thing.
He knelt down on one knee, keeping his eyes on the target as he pressed both palms against the ground and concentrated. He was taught to picture the earth’s stores of fire and heat coming to him, drawn to him like a pipeline being opened. A fire sprouted, flames licking at the air, and it zipped along the ground like following a line of gasoline. Even as Noah’s vision began to swim slightly, he held fast. The heat engulfed the creature, its clear glass structure turning orange, then bright red. It began crawling faster.
Whatever this creature was, it had some powerful magic behind it and seemed like it would stop at nothing to get them, or at least it had a vendetta against the pyrokinetic but CJ couldn't just run and leave the other man, it just wasn't in his nature.
He watched as the fire engulfed the creature and the colours changed as it grew hotter and hotter. As long as it was not yet molten CJ had some hope, molten glass into cold water would create something stronger, but while it was still hot he hoped it would shatter. The creature was getting closer and even though he knew that he'd piss off the pyrokinetic he grabbed the kneeling man and pulled him backwards and out of harm's way even though it would stop the fire.
A split second later CJ had taken a similar stance, trying to find and tap into a water source hidden below them. He could feel one, probably a water main and concentrating hard he focused on it, the ground under them shaking slightly as the water caused the pipe to break and the water shot up from the ground right underneath the creature.
Noah was ready to send some flames the other man’s way for touching him, but then he realized what he was thinking. He scrambled to his feet, watching as the still advancing figure seemed to be shifting, growing large, dangerously sharp glass teeth, artificial jaws snapping even as hairline cracks sprang up along its torso. The pyrokinetic looked around the alley wildly before spotting a discarded piece of rebar. Convenient.
He grabbed the piece of metal, took a breath, and swung with all his strength toward its head. Half of it shattered and crumbled, pieces of glass spraying, stinging his skin. “When in doubt, go for the head,” he told the blonde. “Grab something and start beating.” Noah paused. “Uh...you know what I mean.”
CJ could see the cracks beginning to form in the creature, that was what he was wanting to see. Standing up he looked over as Noah started hitting it with a piece of metal which in turn caused more cracking and breaking.
"Can do better than that, stand back" He said, giving a small grin as his hands moved and the water erupting from the burst pipe began to swirl around the creature, the water getting deep into all of those hairline cracks. His head was starting to hurt but the adrenaline was rushing and it was easy to ignore as CJ let out a yell, the water forming into ice in an instant.
Noah hefted the rebar up, and swung toward the thing’s center of gravity as hard as he possibly could. There was an almighty, resounding crack throughout the alley, like someone had fallen through an icy pond. The pyrokinetic didn’t stop, though, even as his arms burned. He wanted to smash the creature into dust. Finally, once it was no longer recognizable, he let the metal clatter to the ground and leaned against one wall of the alley, looking at the other man closely.
“Okay,” he relented. “The hydro thing is...useful.” Noah picked a few pieces of glass out of his face and flicked them away.
When the creature disappeared into a million tiny pieces CJ gave another sweep of his hands and the water washed them all away down a nearby drain. He hoped that was the end of it, that whatever that cursed thing was would actually be dead now.
He was panting and bending over, arms on his thighs as he tried to get his breath back, he hadn't actively used his hydrokinesis this much in quite a while. "You've got good control of that fire." He said, flashing a smile before his head throbbed. "Jesus Fucking Christ, I'm gonna be so fucked up tomorrow!" He just hoped he'd be able to get home before the worst of it hit.
“You too?” Noah was all too familiar with the temple-twister that came after, the sleepless tossing and turning. He wanted to get home, clean his face, make sure he didn’t get some weird cursed disease from the world’s biggest, angriest paperweight. “Do you...want a ride?” His car was parked in one of the hourly garages nearby.
He nodded, it was kind of a relief knowing he wasn't the only one who had this issue, even if their elements were polar opposites. "Hopefully this one won't leave a scar, Christmas sure did." CJ was not happy at his subconscious for that one, but the scar had healed now and it just looked like a small white mark on his back.
Standing up with a groan he shook his head. "Thanks, but my car's about a block that way," pointing up the road in the original direction he had been walking, "I should make it home." Or he'd find some hotel to crash at for the night, after raiding the nearest drug store that was.
Christmas. What had happened on Christmas? Noah wracked his brain. He had taken the day off, not out of any religious duty, but he hadn’t had anything on the schedule. “Oh, wait. The snow. That was you?” He laughed. “Nice one, hydro.”
He shrugged his shoulders. “Suit yourself, water boy.” The pyrokinetic waved his hand vaguely. “See you around.” With that, he pivoted on his heel and began the trek to the parking garage.