"It's possible." She wondered what he really could do. Having more legal protection was nice, but how much a regular person could really do was a question. But having stronger legal protection would make things easier in the bottomline. "I suppose it depends on if you're going to be telling me what I might want to hear."
"Alright, then. I suppose I should teach you one of our most important powers - how to travel through realms. It's something only the most powerful of us can master, but even a novice can use it to open a portal to a place nearby - say, if you were locked in a prison cell, you could potentially use this to get past the door." She holds up her hands, pointing to Azura's bedroom door. "We'll start by trying to let you enter your bedroom via portal. Hold your hands up like this, and try to project your magic in that direction, like you were going to cast an illusion."
"Get the thing sedated!" The gang boss shouts. "Turn on that control chip thing!" As he and his men try desperately to avoid the creature's wild swings - the beast smashing through cargo containers with ease, Vanessa removes the leash. She feels her body tingle as her powers return, albeit slowly, still fatigued from the ravaging she endured. In the chaos, it isn't too hard to grab the other woman and pull her away, cold air hitting her body as she gets above deck, and flies away from the ship.
“Awww...” Azura pouted cutely in disappointment. “I was looking forward to learning how to use portals... and I almost did it a few times, too, but it seems I am doing something wrong. At least my failures don't really matter since we're just training. Guess we'll have to try again later.” She sighed and looked at Esmerelda. “Anything else I should try learning?”
"Right now, your actions are starting to get people interested - shopkeepers blasting at your thugs trying to make 'em pay protection money, a new wonder drug hitting the streets... It's the kind of thing that brings heat - the kind of heat that means in a few weeks you'll be spending more money and effort covering your tracks than you do actually committing crimes." He shrugs. "But if someone were to step in, someone with authority, well... Evidence could disappear. Witnesses could come to realise they didn't actually see anything, crimes you commit could tun out to have been committed by your rivals, etc. If a higher agency or a costume seems interested in you, you could be forewarned instead of caught by surprise. Of course, this good samaritan would have to be repaid for their efforts - with a monthly cut of your proceeds."
Thinking about it, and trying to get the feeling of the villain's cock out of her mind, Vanessa considers two options for where to leave the woman: The Watchtower, the HQ of the hero Infinity, and the Arch Corp tower, where The Centurion is based.
"That could be arranged....the cost of doing business, I suppose. There's actually something else, I would need the help of law power for anyway. Malady is a very effective and dangerous empress. Miss Zweir however, lacks any proper identification or legal documents to make doing things the legal way viable Especially as she makes her first public appearance." It had been a while since it happened, but the smile on her face started to become more sinister. "I have reason to believe this person will give a few speeches on social reform and...maybe something about legalizing recitational drugs since criminalizing them is shown to lead to worse danger than it solves. Of course, for all that to get to that stage, I think she may need some help in having the paperwork for a proper civilian identity all worked out. If someone were to manage that, it might be good for everyone involved."
"Well, I could maybe teach you how to create a power ring. It's a magic artifact that will strengthen your powers when worn - though once you get used to it, your natural abilities tend to slacken, meaning you're handicapped a little when it's off."
"I see." The cop nods, understanding what she's getting at. "I know how to get that ball rolling, yeah. But it's a big process - if 'Miss Zweir' is planning to go into the limelight, she can't just have an ID dated yesterday. There'll have to be a lot of forged documents - from birth certificates to driver's licenses and beyond. It'll be costly."
"Holy shit!" She hears some pedestrians gasping as she appears in her state of undress, before flying back to the mansion. As she bathes, Lawrence knocks on the door. "Is everything alright, madame? You went straight to wash up after returning - I didn't even see you come in."
Azura needed a bit of time to consider the pros and cons and decide. “Mmmm... no, I think I will pass. It is tempting – the power boost will surely come in handy. But artifacts like that tend to get lost, stolen, disabled, outright destroyed, or turned against their owner, at the worst possible time. I'd rather not risk getting handicapped right when I need all of my powers. I'd rather improve my natural abilities instead.” She gave Esmerelda an apologetic smile. Then an idea came to her and she turned her attention to Sapphira. “There's one thing I am not very good at so far – detecting and identifying magic. Maybe you could help me train my skills in detecting and identifying spells that others have cast?” She suggested.
“It’s doable. Besides, I’m the one you want to be getting on the good side of. The kings and queens of the city have already peaked in power and are on the decline. The collapse of their empires is inevitable. You know this. I’m the one on the rise. Legalizing my business practices isn’t the only thing agenda. I’m sure strong law enforcement and a increase to their salaries for the risk they put themselves in facing scary supervillains seems only fair, doesn’t?”
"It's alright." Esmerelda nods. "I didn't have one in my time, either." The blonde perks up. "Oh, yeah, definitely! Magic always leaves a trace once used, so it's just a matter of getting you used to what it feels like."
"You don't lack for confidence, do you?" He chuckles. "I don't disagree, but even if you can accomplish those things, that's all in the future. I can't pay my kids' college fees with promises."
