Mage Among Superheroes

I wasn't sure if this strange elemental should have different names in different states. No, I wasn't sure if I should name it to begin with- wouldn't elementals already have names? Though that was presuming elementals from the planes I knew. So far, I hadn't properly understood language from this one.

Well, whatever. The small elemental that was definitely just a fire elemental twirling its arms around spun through a cloud of weird gas that I was pretty sure wasn't flammable. I knew the gas was weird because Midnight's suit wasn't able to identify it immediately, plus most didn't make opaque clouds.

The spinning fire tornado did manage to pick up the gas and shoot it into the sky in a pillar. I thought that showed a pretty good level of discernment from my elemental buddy, given that I had only told it to 'blow away the gas'. I probably should have specified, but it all worked out fine in the end.

What was revealed was a city street with wrecked cars that were definitely already broken when we arrived, no doubt about it. All the civilians who were able to would have already fled, but that didn't mean all of them were able. Especially where Doomsday was concerned, if the orcs responsible here were related.

We were just on disaster mitigation duty, so we didn't have to rush into any of the surrounding buildings to stop them. We also didn't not have to do that.

"Re-juice me!" Shockwave commanded. "Also, is it true that you can make your magic stronger now?"

Not safely. But I wouldn't be telling Shockwave that. They might not be responsible enough to resist extra speed, even at an unknown cost.

"Go do whatever you have to do." I cast a regular Haste.

Physical Freedom was still in place, which allowed Shockwave to move at full speed without… well, shockwaves. If they were no longer fighting the air molecules in front of them, they were also faster. I was able to see them duck inside nearby buildings. A couple doors seemed to be locked… which meant Shockwave spent a moment messing with them before they opened.

I could also open locks, it just wasn't subtle. And not quite as fast, even though mine was a spell that only cost a small amount of mana.

Midnight and I watched Shockwave go into buildings one after another making sure they were clear. I couldn't tell which one was supposed to have the orcs, which was weird.

"Midnight," I asked. "Can you sense any mana?"

"Nope," he admitted.

"Same. Could there be some other orcs?"

"Of course. You weren't the first type-F people."

"But others should also have magic, right?"

"Maybe."

As I pondered the situation, I actively focused on sensing. Maybe they were just too far. Or they'd left already. Or-

The impact hit me before the sound of the shattering window and the gunfire. It shattered my Force Armor and sent me staggering back as it hit me in the chest, right where I had two layers of my super suit. I also had Stoneskin active, because it was crazy to be on duty and not. A few dollars couldn't compete with my life. Even so, my ribs hurt and there was a disturbing amount of lightning. At least I'd found some magic.

"Shooter!" I called out, grabbing Midnight as I dove for cover. He would probably keep his hold without me grabbing him, but that wasn't good enough.

A single glimpse of Shockwave poking their head out of a building as glass was still falling.

I cast Energy Ward as I ducked behind an already damaged car. It might not actually be good enough to prevent incoming shots, but it would at least make it harder to target me. Around the time I was casting another Haste on Midnight and myself- I was really appreciating having access to more mana if I needed it- there was another shot.

I turned my head to see my elemental buddy falling out of the sky next to us, clutching a hand to its chest. There was a patch of ice there. It staggered towards me with an arm outstretched pitifully.

"... Can you feel pain?" Maybe the ice was uncomfortable. "You're just going to go back to how you were when the spell ends in a moment."

It sulked, dropping its arms to its sides and then spitting a puff of fire and wind towards me as it faded away. I didn't really mean to be harsh to my elemental summon, but the drama was a bit much.

I heard a brief scuffle, and then…

"Threat secured," Shockwave's message came through our comms.

Midnight was currently crawling under the car to get a better vantage on the window- I presumed- but we both relaxed at that.

There was a sudden roar, and something crashed onto another car. How was I missing all this magic? Were my senses messed up or were people actually hiding it? I guess I had been more focused on potentially being shot, but still. I tried to move but… I realized there was something more in that roar than simply noise. My mind was tangled up and my body wasn't listening.

Midnight was casting… something, but he stopped and crawled back towards me. The spell became Mental Freedom. I could tell that once it was complete and affecting me.

"You didn't have to touch me, you know," I reminded him.

"I also didn't want to be near all that fire."

I looked. The street was on fire. The big thing that had crashed onto the car looked like an eight legged porcupine lion, and it was climbing the side of the building Shockwave and the shooter had been in. I didn't have any better words than that, because I really had no idea what it was. However, I could sense a magical link to an orc standing up in a window. There was also another orc striding towards Midnight and I.

She carried a heavy shield, and didn't seem like she wanted to be my friend.

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The monster's claws were lighting the building on fire. I could definitely sense it was magical now.

Shockwave appeared right next to me, apparently having rapidly dragged the third orc out of the building. "... aligned with these fiends? I will strike them down!"

"Tell me more about who you intend to strike down," I said to him as I blasted a Sonic Lance towards the incoming shielded orc. I wasn't making arbitrary judgments that lady was an enemy- her shield had Doomsday's sigil.

Despite how it might have looked, my Sonic Lance was far from casual. However, the shielded orc remained standing and three dimensional afterwards, somehow blocking with her shield. I did throw her across the street, though I wasn't happy with just that.

Shockwave gestured to the one that had presumably shot at me and was now restrained. "You can speak to this guy?"

"I can speak to everyone." I did need magic to speak Orcish, though.

"Unhand me so I can shoot these villains!" the handcuffed orc exclaimed.

I had to make a quick judgment. Fortunately, I had a bit more time to think because of Haste. Taking in the total scenario, such as the monster ripping apart the window he'd been behind to enter the building and the lack of Doomsday sigils on him, I nodded. "Hey, let this guy go."

"You sure?" Shockwave confirmed.

"Yes."

They undid the cuffs immediately, standing the guy to his feet- after dragging him a little further around the car. Shockwave had to move more slowly when bringing people along, which was why it had taken them ten or fifteen seconds to leave the building instead of one. Still fast, though.

I was going to ask about the guy's gun, but with a flash it appeared in his hand. What spell was that? I didn't know that spell, but it was definitely magic. Normal magic. Probably. It felt normal, at least. Same with the shield guy- who absolutely used magic to block my Sonic Lance- and the guy in the window who made the monster.

Speaking of which, the guy in the window yelled something at the flaming lion porcupine with eight legs. I really wasn't sure he needed to, but he did it anyway. I didn't need cover as much given the shooter was next to me, so I was peeking over the hood of the car. The monster leapt towards us from up on the side of the building.

The gun orc had a perfect bead on it. Then he instantly swiveled and shot another orc.

No, it wasn't me. That would have been so rude. It was the one in the window. Ignoring a massive monster seemed like a flaw, but the thing never landed on us. It roared as the magical connection dispersed, the guy in the window undoubtedly dead.

It was a good thing my headgear came with ear protection, because aside from my own Sonic Lance, this guy had taken a shot with a proper rifle right in front of me which also blasted Sonic Lance. That, I recognized. I just didn't get how it came from the gun. Was this guy a reverse Mono?

No, it wasn't a 'power' but a spell.

The shield lady charged towards me… but suddenly toppled forward when something grabbed her ankle.

It was me, I grabbed her ankle. With Mage's Reach, obviously. Otherwise I couldn't grab her before she got to us.

Another shot… and a Lightning Bolt spell. It angled down to hit the street. Fortunately the armored lady blocked with her shield and protected the pavement. That stopped the lightning but didn't protect her nearly as well.

"Hey, dude, don't kill the mooks!"

"... why?" the orc asked.

Well, they were Doomsday minions so I couldn't say it was excessive. They inherited some aspects of his threat level. "They might have info."

I formed another Mage's Reach as the lady struggled to get back up. She stomped my first Mage's Reach spell to death about the time I undid the straps holding her shield on with the second. As she grabbed for it with her other arm, I rapidly recreated the Mage's Reach for my first hand to grab her wrist.

Midnight had already rushed in to tackle his ankles- and also do magic at them. She still had magic armor of some sort so Midnight's first Shocking Grasp didn't do much. Shockwave was watching our shooter buddy, by the way. Otherwise I suspect this orc lady would have been tied up already. Though once our gun buddy lowered his gun, Shockwave wrestled the armored one's arms behind her back.

Calling Shockwave skinny was an understatement. However, whatever mass they had was muscle. Speedster powers interacted with grappling in different manners. From what I knew, Shockwave was advantaged in one simple way- being able to instantly react to how their opponent resisted. With proper technique and sufficient muscle and agility, they were able to get one arm in place, hold it there with a foot, then twist the other arm behind the woman's back.

Power dampening shackles went on, and things settled down. The only sounds were the slight ringing in my ears, car alarms, and the crackling of fire.

"Ugh. We should probably put that out." I looked at the gun guy. "Hey, were there more than these two?"

He shook his head.

"Okay."

I gathered a whole bunch of mana to cast Summon Moderate Elemental. Obviously, I wanted water.

I really couldn't tell if there was any difference in this little elemental for more expensive versions. We'd have to test that later. "Get rid of that fire," I said. "Without damaging the building more, if possible."

I had the feeling that would have happened already. There was a good 'head' on this thing's 'shoulders'. The vaguely humanoid shape looked at the fire… and tossed its pot over its shoulder.

Was there a 'no putting out fires' rule? Well, the base form was certainly a fire elemental. That was what I was thinking as it jumped closer and grabbed the flames rising up the side of the building, ripping them away and… eating them?

It was fascinating to watch. It even pulled away the glow from embers that remained without pulling away the actual embers. Was this a normal elemental thing? I felt like it wasn't, but I couldn't be completely certain.

When everything was over, the elemental buddy hurried towards the pot. Would it be lost when the minute was up?

That might not have been it, because it then rushed back towards the building and… splashed it at the base. Just a single bucketful.

The fire was already out, and it had never been there.

I realized the elemental understood my orders, but I didn't know if it understood my words. Before I could try to get it to speak again, however, it raised its pot prominently above its head, posing in front of the building victoriously like a proud 'water' elemental. Then it faded away. One minute wasn't that much, especially when you didn't experience it as three.

"So," Shockwave's voice came into my ear. "Are we going to do something about the guy with the gun?"

I activated my comms, speaking quietly. "... why?"

"He shot you."

"Oh yeah." I didn't really care. "I'm gonna talk to him." I looked over at the guy. "Hey… you. I'm… well, like this I should be called Mage. It's a secret identity thing in this world."

"In that case, I should be called Spellshot, I suppose. Pleased to meet you. And to determine you aren't one of them."

I feel like my clothes should have given it away. Then again, I was an orc and didn't hide that part. But also, he only shot me, and clearly he hadn't been that serious about it.