2013-07-28 - Flash Freeze

In the Bronx, i twas the middle of the night. A moderate rainstorm had hit the area, and swept away some of the lingering heat and humidity from the summer. As such, people were staying indoors. However, in this small sectgoin of the Bronx it had..

Begun to snow? People were sticking their heads out at the late hour as their breath started to turn to frost, staring otu in almost wonder then as it was like Christmas in July had hit.

Noriko had blown off the Institute after someone had gotten a little too inquisitive with her past, and they didn't take the hint. And, what better place to 'think', than old stomping grounds. She's come to the Bronx to remember a few things, see a few old friends and maybe even toss them a bone that she owed, with the small allowance she gets as a student there, for food, clothing, and the like. However, as it starts to snow? ... She squints, pausing, looking around, "Okay. It's a bit early for the snowstorms, what the hell? ..." Mostly, talking to herself, probably.

And here in the middle of the emerging snow was America. The hood of her jacket is pulled overhead while she simply stands on the corner of one city street. The air turned chill around the already-damp latina. It wasn't the temprature that had goosebumps rising on her skin--though it certainly didn't help--it was something else. Somewhere else. Lifting her head her eyes sweep up and down the street while a puff of breath curls out from between her lips in a plume of visible condensation. Where was it? Where was the source? The presence of another figure speaking to herself causes her attention to jerk toward Noriko with surprise. "Mierde," she mutters only as she turns to stride toward the familiar girl quickly. "Nori," she calls out as she approaches to identify herself. "Stay sharp, chica. It's going to get worse before it gets better." As teh two heroines come out in search of what has brung the fresh fallen frost, some of the taxis slowing then to the sides of the otherwise quiet streets as dozens of doors from the apartment buildings opened and people shuffled forth then, blinking over in confusion then.

Then, through a trio of opening portals, a group of half giant sshambled out. Blue skinned, beards seeming like frost, small icicles cracking and falling from them, bodies covered in intricate tatoos, and wearing little more than the skin of animals from a fall off world. Speaking in a harsh language, one of them pointed a huge ice club over at one of the taxis, ready to smash it in!

"Okay," says Nori, blinking, then frowning, "That's new." She doesn't waste time, though, figuring that whatever these things are, they're not here to play nice. Quickly, her hands move to adjust the control knob on her gauntlets, and then from her hand a quick jolt of pure, visible blue-white electricity crackles and shoots onto the ice-club; hopefully enough to shatter it, before the taxi is smashed.

"Frost Giants! Get back inside, people! VAMOS!" America yells out to the gawking New Yorkers though she doesn't check to see if they do--it was time to play damage control. Slamming one fist into the palm of her other hand she turns toward the trio with a scowl. "Try not to get hit chica. They're as strong as they are ugly." Nothing more is said though--Without warning, preamble, or even announcing herself to the giants she flies forward in a blur of speed throwing a punch up into the stomach of the one 'leading the pack' even as Noriko tries to destroy his club. Even as his club was shattered and shocked, and the blasting America went to body slam into him, smashing him through the back, and through two more stopped taxicabs as the drivers and passengers scrambled out just in time! As America went to slam him into the ground, the other several ones let out gutteral growls and went to charge forwards to try and smash the two heroines!

"Right. No getting hit." Noriko adjusts the controls, again ... and all the streetlight, and a few neon signs, or lit storefronts all fizzle out, and stay out. Noriko tries something she's only done in the Danger Room, once, with Laura. She is suddenly moving forward, fast as the very electricity she just absorbed. She skids to a stop after sliding between the legs of one Jotun, then turns, and blasts the Jotun straight into the face with a rather strong burst of double-fisted electrical output. She doesn't wait, to see if she's struck gold; instead, she's already moving away, fast. Like a darting mouse, with a scorpion's stinger, amongst slow hunters.

America lands atop the Frost Giant she'd punched right into the ground with her feet solidly on it's stomach and her outstretched arm fist-first on it's chest. Her opposite arm is pulled back preparing to punch more if need be though she hesitates as her gaze snaps up to the taxis around spilling out people. Not good. "You," she states to the frost giant as she steps off to grab hold of his wrist. Heaving him upward she starts to turn, swinging the giant around to use HIM as a weapon knocking at the ones that come in trying to retaliate against her.

Using a Frost Giant as a club is a new one as America sends another pair sprawling about then as the knockbacked pair go slamming to their feet, immediately going to flip back and up to them as one of them brings his hands up, trying to hit the swinging Latina wiht an icebolt aimed at her gut as the one she swings tries to hit her wiht a backhand aimed over at the small of her waist!

Meanwhile, as Noriko charges forwards, literally zipping and zot and sliding past one to hammer him wiht a pair of point blank electric zots, he goes down and spasms on the ground hard as another one brings his hands up, trying to blast her with ice bolts flying from his hands as they shoot like energy beams!

Noriko is not up to doing anything foolish, and she is pretty keenly aware of her strengths and weaknesses, she sees the ice-bolts coming at her, and she's moving out of the way, directly into the path of another Jotun; here, she pauses, smirks, "Man, I've known old -ladies- who have better aim than that." Attempting to taunt the Jotun into firing -- she'll move, if he does, and hopefully cause him to attack his own attack party.

The Jotun being swung by America smacks into the one attempting to hit her with the bolt of ice. Releasing hold of him when the impact is made she allows physics to take over freeing herself up once again. The Jotun that was coming from behind, though... Her head snaps over her shoulder just in time to cast a hateful glare at the giant. Then his fist hits sending her slamming into one of the already dented and damaged taxis tumbling feet over head to slide across the hood to the ground on the other side. Climbing to her feet again, looking a bit scuffed from the tumble, she shakes her head. "That's it. Come here--You've got a head you don't need." With that she flies forward kicking her leg out to try and catch the Jotun beneath the jaw, or simply in the face with her booted foot.

"Y'know, if you're going to attack New York, you probably don't want to do it right in front of the freaking Avengers Academy!" This said by a certain Julian Keller (or Hellion if you will, given that he's in costume), who's flying in surrounded by an aura of his semi-trademark green telekinetic energy. He takes a couple seconds to size up the situation, then thrusts out his hand, sending a powerful bolt of telekinetic force at the noggin of one of the Jotuns targeting Nori (or trying to, anyway). "Seriously guys, you should've just stayed in Whatever-heim."

Three of the Jotuns end up hitting themselves and going scattered and smacked down over as the trio of teens manage to send them sprawling then and down hard over to the ground and send them toppling. At htis point, the remaining conscious quartet all have moderate injuries to them, and are going to assemble themselves over in a pike styled formation, large clubs up and in front of them defensively, arrayed at the other end of the street.

Noriko zips over towards Julian, at supersonic speed; it's the first time Julian's probably seen her utilize her powers. She smirks up at him, "Can't go anywhere without you, can I?" Then, more soberly, "Any idea what the hell these things are? They don't like electricity much." And, as they form a pike formation, she suggests, "Being in front of their clubs isn't a good idea. We should flank them."

America lands lightly out of the air near the pair while the Jotuns begin to regroup. Hellion is regarded a moment with a single eyebrow raised having never seen him in his outfit before. "They're Frost Giants from Jotunheim. Can you two manage them for a minute? I need to make sure the portal is closed or more of them might show up."

"They're...what she said. They're Thor's angry neighbors." Julian comments to Noriko, then glances to America and smirks a touch, "What? I was in a training session, came outside and saw it was snowing. Heard the thuds and figured I'd check it out." He shrugs a touch, then nods, "Yeah, I think we can handle 'em." He glances to Nori, "I'll give 'em a target. Lemme draw some fire and you can zip around behind them and we'll hit 'em from both sides."

The Jotun seem not to be aware of the portents of the planning over by the heroes, and then the remaining four go to howl and let out a roar as they charge! All four race forwards, clubs high, stomping on the ground as it quakes as they rush towards the trio!

And, Surge is suddenly gone, there one instant, gone in a flash, appearing just at the side of the fearsome foursome; the first, and closest Jotuns on her side get a powerful electric blast into each kneecap, respectively -- hopefully enough to 'down' each, and make the last one fall over it's companions. "Make sure to leave one open, so we can get them back, I don't want these things in my backyard," Nori points out.

"Not going to be an issue chica," America calls out in response to Noriko, though she does nod in agreement with the suggestion as well. In a quieter voice she murmers to Julian, "Keep her safe." Nodding to him as well she spins on the heel of her foot to run flat out past the Jotun heading for the spot they came in. A taxi is jumped over in a single leap as she lands with both feet heavily on the concrete. It's there she pauses staring at the ground. While the other two fight she rolls up her sleeves revealing the star tattoos on each of her wrists. Arms extend outward on either side of her as she stretches her fingers wide /feeling/ for the portals with more senses than just touch. Blinking a single time her eyes glow white. The star tattoos begin to glow as well. The necklace she wears glints to life. Even the star on her shirt glows as if she'd just stepped beneath a black light causing the white to ignite in the snowy darkness. The brightest glow comes from beneath her feet--The concrete ignites as the image of a star, large enough around her to stretch nearly curb-to-curb, burns into existance. Drawing one knee up she slams her foot down causing it to shatter... and she steps away walking back to the ground with arms falling to her sides. The star glowing on the ground remains. Arms drop back to her sides only for one hand to lift sticking fingers in her mouth to whistle sharply. "This way, guys! One way exit to take the trash out!"

Julian smirks a touch as the Giants start to rush forward, and right about the time they get up to speed, he launches a flurry of telekinetic bolts, much like Noriko, towards the knees of the onrushers, seeking to topple them over mid-way through their valiant(?) attack. Hopefully once they're off their feet, he can start lifting them up and getting them back through the portal that America's been so kind as to set up for them!

The giants are sufficiently off-balance now as they charge forwards, thanks to Noriko's zotting and Julian's telekinetic hurling, and they're stumbling as America is able to reverse the portals. It starts sucking, turning inwards, yanking them back towards it as they howled, being hyperextended as they were wrenched back to their home realm! And the freshly fallen snow would fade, soon being replaced by rain as the portals snapped shut.

"Right. Uh, rack 'em up, Sport." Since Julian never told him his codename, and she's guessing since he's in costume, she ought to at least avoid using his real name. She's safe, and none of her friends are injured. She looks towards America, "Though I know where to go next time I need a lightshow, and Dazzler isn't giving out free concerts."