Portals Up, Portals Down

[sponsorigami]

[ Dacey Nolan, age 24, walks calmly through the open air shopping center on the Gold Stage. At the window of a designer handbag store, she looks at her reflection in the glass. Tucking some stray brown locks of hair behind her ear, she grins at the people all around her. Saturday's are busy shopping times, and it's getting close to the holiday season. Music is blasting from the shopping center's speakers. Conversations fill the air when music notes aren't loud enough. Surely no one will notice Nolan should she snap her fingers with her right hand, still covered by hair.

Eyes glow blue as three handbags sitting on a shelf fall through a bright blue portal that opens underneath. The portal quickly disappears as her glow does. Nolan starts to walk away, knowing those handbags have fallen through a second portal back at her house, an orange portal created with a snap of her left hand. She starts to hum a Blue Rose song as she continues with her window shopping. What a pleasant day it is. Even the weather is nice.

What Nolan doesn't know is that her string of crimes hasn't gone completely unnoticed. Over-confidence is her vice. Security cameras have identified her as a person of interest. Her face has been present at many of the reported thefts, and it has long been thought a NEXT could be involved, though they don't know the power used.

As with many crimes involving NEXTs, the heroes have been called to action. Each hero is at a different gate to the shopping center. Origami Cyclone waits at Gate 3, around the corner of a large sporting goods store. All he's waiting for is the word from Agnes to start. ]

Comments

[sponsorigami]

[ Ivan flinches a little at the excitement. He is not used to dealing with a stranger with this kind of energy for a long period of time. ]

Y-Yeah. Principal Massini is a really nice guy.

[ Even if he invades personal space by giving hugs with little warning. ]

[sugoooi]

[ Careful, Sam is pretty huggy too. ]

Th...that'd be great!! I'd totally wanna go and give it a shot!

[sponsorigami]

Will your mother be okay with it? I mean, this is something mothers should know about, right?

[ Being a NEXT and all. It can change a lot of things for Sam and his family. ]

[sugoooi]

Oh...yeah. She'd probably wanna know that--did you wanna talk to her? [ Sam's pulling his phone out of a pants pocket and holding it up. WANNA DO A PARENT-HERO CONFERENCE? ]

[sponsorigami]

M-me?!

[ He doesn't know how to talk to moms, and would she even believe that it's him on the line rather than some random stranger? ]

[sugoooi]

[ DEBATABLE.... But if Ivan connected her to the company or something that'd be pretty legit. Sam's just thinking like a typical teenager here and now like a rational adult. ]

Sure! She wanted to thank you for it anyway!

[sponsorigami]

U-um... o-okay...

[ Phone calls. But, Ivan has already offered to do this much for Sam... He can't back out now. ]

[sugoooi]

[ That's it Ivan, take one for the team 8) Sam's going to punch his home number in and of course, mom picks up and asks him if something's wrong--which of course, he replies there isn't. "It's origami Cyclone, mom! He thinks I could be--um...! You know--anyway, here! Just talk to him okay??"

He's too excited to explain properly, so without much more than that the phone's going to get shoved into Ivan's hands next while Sam grins up at him. MAKE A GOOD IMPRESSION, HERO. ]

[sponsorigami]

A-Ah... h-hello Mrs. Sam's mom... Um, Sam's--I-I think Sam might be a NEXT, so um... I was thinking that... that he could visit the Hero Academy. N-not to join! Unless he really wants to. Just to... check it out and maybe... see if we can figure his power out...

[ For the love of Japan, he is ruining everything!! ]

[sugoooi]

[ The poor guy.... What is her son doing, honestly. Mom just sighs.

"I'm sorry for all the trouble he's causing you, Mr. Cyclone. Once he gets an idea in his head he never stops to think about anything else. Start from the beginning again. You said you think my son's a NEXT?" ]

[sponsorigami]

[ He's not adult enough to do something like this, and he doesn't have much mom experience. ]

Y-Yes. At the shopping center, the criminal was a NEXT, but her power was blocked. M-Mine too. And, um... when I touch his hand or shoulder... my power gets blocked.

[sugoooi]

[ "Are you really certain it's him? Sam's never displayed any signs before. Isn't a power like that unusual?" Mom just wants to be sure >: her baby gets his hopes up so easily weh ]

[sponsorigami]

Y-Yes... that's why I offered to meet with Sam. To confirm if that was him or not... and it's possible to dampen NEXT powers with technology, so it's not as unusual as you might think...

[ And he knows what it feels like, so when it happens, he understands better what's going on. ]

[sugoooi]

[ "And you think visiting the Hero Academy would help him?" ]

[sponsorigami]

He... hasn't glowed like a NEXT does, so um, there might be a part of his power we don't know about. I-I mean... a-a part of my power is passive and doesn't glow, so um...

[ Short answer, yes. ]

again with the butt touching

[sugoooi]

[ Oh Ivan...you're trying so hard and she finds that kind of sweet? Doing so much for her dorky son even though it must be an inconvenience for him. She's not super hung-ho on her son being a NEXT and wanting to run off to be a 'hero superstar', but...if it'll help.

"If you think it's worth a trip, that's fine. But you don't need to go out of your way if it's trouble. I'm sure you're very busy." ]

I guess that is one way of getting Senpai to notice him

[sponsorigami]

It'll be a quick visit, ma'am. For his own benefit of knowing what his power might be capable of.

[ Ivan is trying very hard, and he is venturing into territory he has never dealt with before.

It should also be worth noting that the only two heroes from the Hero Academy in the past few years have been Origami and Barnaby... There are many years where no heroes are produced, and a number have powers that are utterly unsuited for heroics without a lot of creativity.

At least Sam has one up on them. ]

the secret is out

[sugoooi]

[ "If that's what you really think, then I have no objections. I didn't think Heroes did this sort of thing for their fans. I'm surprised." ]

Senpai has to notice me if I have my hand on his butt 8|

[sponsorigami]

It's, uh... it's something I've never done before. I don't know about the other heroes... I-I'm sorry to bother you, ma'am, but th-thank you for your understanding. You're very kind.

[ Sam will get to witness something that makes no sense. Ivan bows to the phone before handing him back his phone. ]

ganbare, origami....

[sugoooi]

[ It definitely looks...strange...BUT IT ALSO LOOKS LIKE APPROVAL so Sam can't help lighting up like a kid on Christmas and hurrying to take his phone back--where he is promptly told not to make a nuisance of himself and not to bother Mr. Cyclone!! And of course he's just so thrilled he just nods. Even though she can't see him--you're not the only one, Ivan. ]

Mm, mm! I got it! I'll be home for supper--yeah, yeah! Thanks mom--bye!

[ IRONICALLY THESE KEYWORDS WERE THERE BEFORE ALL OF THIS..... ]

/sobbing

[sponsorigami]

There's a bus that'll take us there. It won't take long to get there, and I'll, uh, I'll pay for your ticket.

[ This hadn't exactly been planned, so Ivan feels bad about making Sam pay for something he didn't prepare for.

No, Origami Cyclone does not have a car. ]

:'D

[sugoooi]

Oh...! Are you sure?? I think I have some allowance money... [ Sam wouldn't want to put all the burden on him! Plus he usually has to carry around enough for getting to and from school since his parents are both off and out a lot. ]

[sponsorigami]

[ He's... not the highest paid hero in the first league, not at all. But Ivan still feels the need to be responsible. ]

... Are you sure? I mean, this is my idea so...

holy you should look at senpai like that more often

[sugoooi]

I commute both ways to school ever day sir! I'm totally prepared! [ Sort...of. He can probably only make it one-way, but he isn't thinking about the return trip home just yet. ]

But-but! He is Senpai o_o

[sponsorigami]

[ He's being called "sir"? He's not old enough to be called "sir." ]

Okay, if you're sure...

[ Ivan will just lead them to the right bus station. Hopefully the trip there will go all right, and people won't think he's about to rob the bus because he's wearing a mask. (People doing robberies in animals masks are strangely a reoccurring thing in Stern Bild.) ]