[Elias]

The Bird of Hermes is    my name                       Eat  My   WINGS   TO   KEEP   ME   TAME JoJo

Field work. How degrading. It was the latest in a series of jobs Elias' benefactors demanded of him. They were testing him. No question there. but for what? Elias didn't like being left in the dark. Information was the currency of his trade. Did one ask a construction worker to build without the hammer? And yet, he was without options. In the end, Ouroboros always got their way. 

"Now," he ordered over comms from behind his owl mask. 

Two of the teched-out mercenaries he hired leaped from the building top and landed atop their target: an armored transport truck not unlike another he had raided recently alongside Rui and Bakiri. Whatever Ouroboros had planned, it required a bunch of experimental tech and medications. They wouldn't offer their own men and resources, though. Part of the test, he gathered. They had to see how he managed on his own. He didn't bring Bakiri or Rui along this time to not waste the second favor he was owed. Something big was coming, and when push came to shove, he wanted those two at his back. So, today, he was using the mercenary group Iron Gauntlet.

They weren't the quietest bunch, but they knew how to hit a target. The two men wrenched the top of the armored vehicle open with their namesake gauntlets and jumped inside. Shots were fired. The truck swerved and crashed into another vehicle, which flipped over and slammed into a wall alongside the highway. It looked bad, but no trouble called over comms yet. So, Elias, in his villainous attire, trailed from a motorcycle about twenty meters back. Let the muscle take the risks. You didn't risk the King when pawns would do.   

OWL

[JoJo]

Oh the joy of the nighttime in Tokyo, and by joy, Jo meant forcing herself to suit up and getting Peacekeeper out there to patrol. Now considering the craziness of the last several weeks it would be good to get back to some usual situations. Stop a purse snatcher or two, hell maybe even thwart a carjacker for old-time sakes. Though those were more America or to be even more specific L.A. things. Car jacking only happened so often in New York because ya know, streets were always filled with people. LA though had more access to streets and highways and boy did some idiots try to take advantage of that.

Tokyo was a whole different beast, Peacekeeper may have stopped more monsters than actual people trying to do wrong. Though, to be fair that's why they came back here in the first place. Well, actually they came back to become a hero, but if anything their vigi work may have increased more only under a different name. Thank god the Americans were so vain and were looking up what was going on over the pond. Otherwise, she'd definitely have 'way' more on her plate at this point.

Ah well at least- the thoughts came to a screeching halt while down the lane Peacekeeper saw something concerning. Two men had jumped off a building and landed on a truck. Now they may be filming something. (she has interrupted a situation like that in the past) Unlike before there was a single other camera or anything in sight so Jo decided to pursue it.

Keeping up wasn't hard though the situation was very much a problem. One second they were there the next second they were inside and several more seconds later the truck had been flipped crashing into other vehicles.

Welp time to go to work.

Landing in front of the situation, she started to survey, a tentacle of thick hair coming out of her back and moving some of the damaged vehicles. She wasn't exactly the best at moving the injured so the best bet would be too call emergency services and get them down here as soon as possible. Make sure everyone is ready to be received.

Elias

[Elias]

The Bird of Hermes is    my name                       Eat  My   WINGS   TO   KEEP   ME   TAME JoJo

Elias's motorcycle came to a screeching halt. As had all the traffic. The truck had crashed, throwing one vehicle into the barricade wall that kept traffic from pouring out of the highway in situations like this. Other cars, however, had crashed as well. It was one massive heap of a mess, but someone had just landed and was picking through the pieces. 

"Ah hell," Elias muttered beneath his mask. 

He recognized this person. She was on the news recently and had a hand in apprehending Umeda, which was not taken well by Elias's benefactors. They had been experimenting with various concoctions and using Umeda to push all their new mixes into the city. They were going to need someone new to take his place. That wasn't Elias's problem, though. His problem was the woman's involvement here and now. 

"Deploy the rest. All of them," he ordered over comms. 

He wasn't playing games with this person. She was affiliated with Ouroboros's prime interest here, the time brat. He didn't make a move yet. The truck, while stopped, was still in one piece. The two mercenaries inside would bypass some of the internal security, locking their intended target and the chemicals being transported down. He hired more than those two though, and it was time the rest earn their keep. 

Six more Gauntlet mercenaries landed in a diamond formation around Peacekeeper. "Do it," Elias ordered again over comms. Three men brought assault rifles to bear and opened fire. One removed his namesake gauntlet, revealing a stone fist and creating a spear. He would stab at her with the spear, hoping to skewer the woman while she defended herself from the barrage of bullets. The last two used their quirks as well. One fired a rain of goop that would weigh her down if she was caught, and the last of the mercenaries launched a plain old fireball her way. Hopefully, between all the concentrated fire, she would go down easy, and they could get the hell out with the prize.  

OWL

[JoJo]

"Alright, that takes care of emergency services, considering the the pile-up, there's no way in hell that I was the only one who made the call." The Peacekeeper spoke raspy while flipping another car right side up. Approaching the truck while cracking their neck she stopped walking for a moment while she listened to the chaos around her for a moment. Something was about to happen and unfortunately for she was stuck right in the middle of it. Six tin foil knights landed around Peacekeeper and she couldn't help, but crack a smile under the mask.

"Alright here's warning number one, turn around drop ya weapons, and get on the ground. Instead of going to hospital jail, you'll go to regular jail with all your limbs working."

Instead of listening to her, they decided to become the new viral clip of the day. Assault rifles had opened fire, and her suit began to twitch. When they opened fire, they were met with their bullets ricocheting off her outfit. The ichor hardening Peacekeeper's suit caused her to charge straight forward towards the ones with guns. Now usually in this case a kick or punch would have to be thrown to send the impact however, she was trying something new with the suit. The bullet was bouncing off thanks to the ichor caking on her suit, in other she was a ram right now.

The batter ram was gonna ram.

Closing the distance in only a moment, the impact went off with a 'crack'. The sound of these grunts getting bulldozed by Peacekeeper, followed by the third receiving a resounding jumping headbutt. Another followed up with a spear only for Jo to grab the spear and use their momentum and some of her own strength to send the fella flying over the highway wall. Wherever he landed would be his own problem.

Peacekeeper took her eyes off the last two and was rewarded with getting a fireball to smack her right in the back. The heat was felt along with the force, but once again thanks to this suit it wasn't too bad. The problem was though the other quirk user hit her with some type of goop. It felt like getting smacked with a glue trap, a left leg now clung to the floor. Rather than let them revel in their victory the reaction was immediate.

The 'tongue' from her outfit stretched and launched itself like a rocket towards the final two. Barbs became very obvious as they popped out and went after both. One it would make a connection with while the other got smacked by their tinfoil buddy. The tongue sent them at least ten feet into the air before bringing them both back down with a massive bodyslam.

"If you can get up I suggest ya don't, your gluetrap is only gonna work for so long."

Elias

[Elias]

The Bird of Hermes is    my name                       Eat  My   WINGS   TO   KEEP   ME   TAME JoJo

Well, at this right Elias would save some money on Gauntlet. The only two still on their feet were inside the truck, and they had a job to do. And now it was up to him to buy them time. 

He watched from his motorcycle as she tore the mercenaries apart. They accomplished astonishingly little, but she was stuck in a place it appeared. No time like the present. 

"Threaded coffin," he muttered. 

Dozens of threads unwound from Elias's fingers and trailed the concrete, snaking their way to Peacekeeper. Then, the attack began. The threads sprung up, trying to enwrap the vigilante in a cocoon, and if they succeeded, they would grind against her, using friction to inflict as many burn wounds as possible. 

It was enough to burn most people alive, but this vigilante wasn't most people. Even if the threads successfully swathed her, there was no telling if the drag would pierce the suit and kill the troublemaker off. Hopefully, it would be. If she was put down now, keeping the police at bay would be easy enough. Everything might still be on track... again, hopefully.  

OWL

[JoJo]

The tongue slithered back to its initial size while Jo stared at the glue that had her clung to the ground. Peacekeeper stared at the glue-like glop and rolled her eyes under the hood.

"I really, don't feel like ripping out an entire piece of street only too-"

She stopped speaking when something felt wrong with vibrations within her immediate area. Peacekeeper had looked left and right, only to see something that upset her.

Threads.

Actual threads were being launched towards the vigi-student. She couldn't say for sure if it was wires but the fact alone someone was using something very similar to Peacekeeper's quirk. Well, they were begging for a fight.

First things first, no point in flat-out destroying them. Especially, since someone was either playing possum or hiding either way she needed to draw them out. A simple gasp of surprise left her throat and the threads came up and started to surround the woman. Now it looked like whoever was on the other side was trying to burn her alive or something like that. Something that definitely would've done some serious damage, if it was for Squirelly's suit that he had made for the vigi.

The reaction was immediate her own suit started to vibrate with her being pushed where the threads were colliding with the fabric. Thick strands of hair retaliated and helped her ruse while she yelled and the smell of burnt hair went into the air. Falling over and breathing heavily, Jo acted like there was incredible pain when in reality it was more of an annoying pain. Almost like taking a gut punch when you weren't expecting a gut punch and a bunch of cuts around ya body.

Whoever this was she needed them to come out and if that meant messing up some skin and having a suit that smelled like burnt hair for a while so be it.

This jerk had no idea what was coming to them.

Elias

[Elias]

The Bird of Hermes is    my name                       Eat  My   WINGS   TO   KEEP   ME   TAME JoJo

Elias didn't let up, not for a moment. He stood from the motorcycle and slowly approached, throwing his other hand forward and adding even more threads to the cocoon. Drag burns could be quite deceptive. Most believed the threat of Elias's quirk came from direct damage, lacerations, and such, which was certainly true, but he could whittle one down to the bone with the little maneuver he was using on the vigilante now. 

But he wouldn't stop until he knew the job was done. She was an unknown variable, and Elias despised unknown variables. "I hope you two are nearly done in there," he spoke over comms, his icy gaze still on the cocoon.

The threads acted as an extension of the man. He knew the vigilante had fallen over. She was weakening, or so he thought. 

"Another minute or two and we're good to go," one of the mercenary's voices chirped in his ear. 

A little too excited for someone who hadn't succeeded yet. Anything could go wrong. Umeda was a coward, but his quirk was strong. Yet, this woman and the brat had taken him down while hopped up on a case full of the last iteration of quirk-enhancing drugs Ouroboros had concocted. 

"Still alive in there?" He asked the hopefully dying vigilante. 

OWL

[JoJo]

Ya know, she had to admit despite most of her having to focus on keeping up with the vibrations so that she didn't die, a part of her appreciated this moment. This is what it felt like when she threw everyone in the cocoon from grunts to giants to friggin monsters. JoJo and Peacekeeper had wrapped alota people and left them in the shell for the cops to saw out later.

...It was at times like this she had to think about she must've given at least hundreds of people a claustrophobia. Ah well, it's their fault.

'Still alive in there?'

The words came from outside the cocoon and it looked like this fella who was still applying pressure had taken his ball off the prize in other words the perfect time for her to make a nice escape.

In that moment the cocoon would writhe, Peacekeeper loading it with her thread. If this fella wanted a fight he was going to get one. The ichor grew stronger and stronger all at once. Thick tentacles sprouted with the intent to rip her right out and the tongue became a barbed club and started to zip and fly every which way within her immediate area.

This idiot may have a powerful quirk like her own, but ya don't take your eyes off the prize. Especially to say something stupid when you're not sure if something ain't dead.

The peacekeeper was not dead.

Elias

[Elias]

The Bird of Hermes is    my name                       Eat  My   WINGS   TO   KEEP   ME   TAME JoJo

Elias felt the resistance. His threads were an extension of the self. It was a dulled sensation, not one that caused all that much pain, but he was certainly aware of it. And it was overpowering. 

Initially, he kept the tendrils contained. Her quirk's strength was immense. She was certainly at the advantage, but not so much so that his threads were crippled immediately. He bore down on her, willing his threads to hold against the growing mess of hair and ichor, but it was like plugging a cracked damn. The damage was done, and slowly, her tendrils broke through the cocoon. 

"Not good," Elias murmured. 

The cocoon collapsed, his threads bursting apart in a rain of red confetti and string. The Wish-Maker through his strength low, then leaped as far as he could to avoid the vigilante's barbed assault. His left leg was caught, slashed by the serrated edges of her hair-formed appendages. 

Elias didn't wait a beat. He snatched the handgun clipped to his back and opened fire on the woman. Would it bypass that quirk of hers? Doubtful, but every second counted. He needed her on the defensive. So he fired repeatedly and kept on firing until the magazine ran empty. The mercenaries needed to finish up in there asap. If the battle came to blows between his quirk and hers, he was confident she would win. 

OWL

[JoJo]

The Peacekeeper after bursting out of the cocoon rolled her shoulders while staring ahead.

This fella had a grimace on his face; he definitely should right now. The ichor that helped her burst from the shell fell to the ground. Around her, however, the hair stayed connected to her legs—sprouting outwards and starting to cover the ground underneath the vigilante. Peacekeeper couldn't help but laugh when this fella ripped the gun off his holster and started unloading the magazine.

The Ichor on the ground shot up like a wall in front of the vigi and she blinked while the rest of the Ichor started to rise. "As cool as the bullets are, you're about to get a taste of your cocoon, and believe me, mine's gonna involve alota therapy to get over." Josie had no true if that was true or not, this fella might be completely cool with claustrophobic situations but they'd find out right now. Taking on the form of a wave other tentacles started to rise from the hair on the street.

"Let's put it like this, hope you know how to surf."

Elias

[Elias]

The Bird of Hermes is    my name                       Eat  My   WINGS   TO   KEEP   ME   TAME JoJo

There was no questioning Elias's commitment to the cause. He was ready and willing to put his life on the line. That said, there were distinct situations where he would choose operative latitude over sacrifice, or at least needless sacrifice. His was a life of value, and he would not rob the world of that which glittered brighter than gold. 

"How fortunate" He snickered.

The flood of hair and ichor rushed across the highway as an abominable rapid. It pushed and shoved between vehicles and rushed Elias. The man lifted his hands, red threads unwinding from his fingers and forming a wall of his own. The moment the hair crashed against the wall, however, it tipped over and fell atop the destructive mess, and Elias hopped on. So... he was effectively surfing.    

Unfortunately, the issue of his threads against her hair remained unresolved. His threads could hold up, but he wasn't winning out over her. The barbed whips of the hairs below slashed his "surfboard" apart. One whipped at his knee. Another cracked across his calf. A third reached as far up as his left ribs. 

This wasn't a winning strategy. It was a delaying action. 

Elias threw one hand up and let more threads loose. About a dozen of them latched onto an overhead guide sign, and the Wish-Maker flew up, using his threads to draw him up. The moment his feet touched the guide sign, he jumped, defying every painful scream from his legs, and whipped his threads for the vigilante's throat in an attempt to snap her neck.

His only chance of winning was going for a quick and decisive kill that denied her any chance of retaliation. He didn't need to be stronger than she was. He only needed to be strong enough to kill her.  

OWL

[JoJo]

could be fatal.

So for now the best bet was to focus on putting down the one in front of her and moving ahead only after this was done.

The advantage in this fight was that threads were red, red as can be and she could follow them. Keen eyesight and not needing glasses were the only things she'd ever give credit to the guy who tossed in a couple of chromosomes to her birth. Now it was interesting, to say the least, the actions he had taken choosing to head straight into the ichor storm.

Which made her cautious.

Why jump into what could be a certain death? This guy didn't know about the no-kill clause she made for herself and the damage he had taken meant he didn't mean to stay in the fight for long. Which could only mean...

Her thoughts came to a halt as the hood roared and her attention turned back to their fight. The wires all at once that were wizzing this way and that like a snake redirected and came towards the neck. A feeling of dread passed through her whole body while the ichor at her feet stopped the pursuit of him and hair around her neck shot through the suit and out. In the back, she could only cake on ichor so that she wasn't sliced into and in the front, she met the threads head-on.

"You, big ole-" She didn't finish her raspy sentence. Instead, the Ichor at her feet came to life again heading towards the injured one. Now trying to grab and cocoon, it would be her best bet to go for that now considering this guy almost got the kill. If it was a fair fight she'd be dead and gone, slumped over with a leg still standing up.

Not the best way to go, definitely.

Elias

[Elias]

The Bird of Hermes is    my name                       Eat  My   WINGS   TO   KEEP   ME   TAME JoJo

Elias landed back atop the guide post. Blood seeped into his threaded attire. His maneuver had failed, and running was no longer a viable option. He was running out of cards to play. The vigilante's mess of congealed hair was stronger than his threads, so a direct approach wasn't an option, and going for the throat had done him no good. 

"Boss, we've broken through. We have the contents in hand," the voice buzzed over comms. 

"One of you get those chems out of here, the other - to me," he ordered... just before Peacekeeper launched her counterattack. 

The hairy tendrils spat up and at Elias who fell from the guide post toward the ground. He slammed onto the concrete hard, pain spiking from his legs and ribs. Even guarded against the brunt of the vigilante's last attack, the damage he suffered was significant. 

And she wasn't through with him yet. The tendrils dove and expanded in an attempt to counter with his own maneuver. She was trying to trap him in a cocoon. Elias threw his hands up, pointing them toward the closest vehicle he saw, an overturned SUV. More threads sprouted and latched onto the vehicle, pulling him away, but the tendrils snatched onto his leg. 

Flesh tore, bones cracked, and Elias bit back a scream. "Bloody fuck," were the only words that made it past his grit teeth.

Salvation. The two Gauntlet mercenaries made it out of the armored transport carrier. One ran in the opposite direction. The other lined his weapon with the vigilante. He wouldn't be allowed to fire. 

Elias couldn't break out of the leg lock, but he could distract his enemy with some quick maneuvering. With one hand, he continued loosing threads on the SUV, still trying to pull away from her tendrils. With the other, he snatched up the free mercenary and tugged him right to Elias's side. 

"Take my hand and wish for your allies to be healed and combat-ready, NOW!" 

The Gauntlet merc took Elias's hand, "Uh, uh, I wish for the squad to be healed and ready for a fight." 

The deal was sealed with two needled threads that poked into Elias and the merc, respectively. He fucked the wish up, but it would have to be enough. If he said "allies,' then Elias would have healed as well, but instead, it was only his Gauntlet squadmates. Fortunately, the unhindered members of the Gauntlet unit that were still on the elevated highway stood. 

"Fire!" Elias shouted, pain cut into his voice.

The damn tendrils continued to tear at his leg. The only reason he hadn't been completely overtaken was due to the threads still locked onto the SUV, which were pulling him away from the attack, limiting the damage to the one leg... a leg he wouldn't be walking on until he could have someone else make a wish for him. He felt like the center of a rope used for a tug of war game. Still, the Gauntlet unit shook away their confusion and did as they were told. They opened fire. If he were given the briefest moment, Elias would lob his threads to the closest building, snatch up the merc with the chems he needed, and swing the hell out of there.  

OWL

[JoJo]

A look of confusion only showed with the eyes on her mask widening a bit while watching this fella twist in the wind. This fight was all but won, the police and other heroes meant to address this situation were on their way, and sirens could be heard closing in on the location. The peacekeeper had turned that leg to swiss cheese and it should've been obvious by now the only reason they were alive was because it was willed. (God that sounded ew but it was true.)

Peacekeeper watched two come out of the destroyed Van but considering her situation and how quickly they went down last time she felt as though they didn't have to worry. One fled for the hills rightfully so, while the other joined the fella she was about to wrap up, literally.

Until she realized once again mercy was a mistake.

"What?" The only word that left her mouth she even forgot the raspy when the 'wish' was made, only to watch the guys that she had knocked out earlier get right back up as if nothing happened.

A scowl of annoyance crossed her face while she ceased her attack and the ichor rose up around her once again like a giant wall shielding herself from the assault. What the hell had just happened, did someone have a quirk now where they could wish?! What in the Aladdin was going on here?

Elias

[Elias]

The Bird of Hermes is    my name                       Eat  My   WINGS   TO   KEEP   ME   TAME JoJo

And therein lied Elias’s post profound and least apparent advantage. His threads weren’t only weapons but the fabric of fate- or some close approximation thereof. He couldn’t trade blows with the vigilante. Her tendrils were simply too strong for his threads to cut. But he didn’t need to fight; he only needed to escape.

The original six members of the assault team, plus the man who made the wish, continued to fire at her with their automatic weapons. They wouldn’t last long, and every second counted.

As planned, Elias threw his hand aside, let the SUV loose of his threads, and lobbed the magic weave toward the closest building. The red threads latched onto a fire escape and drew Elias up and away from the elevated highway. With his free hand, he loosed another dozen threads, which snatched the briefcase right out of the fleeing merc’s arms.

Normally, leaving your people behind might spell doom for an operation. The vigilante would certainly have them defeated in all of a minute, at most. Death was not guaranteed, and they could talk, but Elias would do as he always did. He would have some of his employees make wishes on his behalf, wishes like the Gauntlet members forgetting everything about their employer, and wishes that would see his leg healed. He had lost the fight, that much was certain, but he retrieved his prize. The rest could be sorted out later. 

OWL