Clouds of dirt trail behind three black trucks as they drove up to an unmarked building. The vehicles screeched to a stop, the lights darkening. A man dressed in a white suit stepped out from the back seat of the center car. He ran a final check over his suit as armed guards all dressed in black suits poured from the cars, surrounding their boss. They move forward as a unit, the only stride not synchronized being the boss's. Graffiti covered every surface of the interior, the sparse light originating from the moonlight streaming through dirty and broken windows.

The stairs creaked as the group traveled up to the designated meeting location: the fifth--and top--floor. The group made it to the top floor, pushing through the stairwell doors.

On the other side of the large room there was another gathering of armed men. These men were the antithesis to the suited men. The wore t-shirts and shorts and apparently just about anything casual they could get their hands on. Tattoos covered nearly every inch of exposed skin; not even the face was safe for some of them.

A man stood closer to where the suited men entered, his back turned in conversation with members of his gang. He was notified of the other group's entrance by the nods of heads and the clicks of safties being disarmed. The leader slowly turned around, heartily laughing at the sheer number of guards the other leader had brought with him.

"Mr. Hopkins, it's always a pleasure doing business with you," the gang leader announced. He wore a black tank top with Jean shorts and sneakers. He walked towards the man in the white suit--Mr. Hopkins--with his arm outstretched. The suited men brought their weapons up, but a wave from Mr. Hopkims had them pointing back down.

"Mr. Bertrum, I see you haven't gained any class since the last time we've met." This drew a laugh from Bertrum; a cackle that resembled a cough. The two shook hands.

"You don't need class to sell weapons," Bertrum said. He snapped his fingers and a crate of guns were wheeled over to Hopkins. He peered over the rim and judged them from a distance; he didn't dare touch them and risk getting his prints on any of the weapons.

Neither group spotted the shadow gliding above them.

"How much are they going for?" Hopkins asked.

POOF!

A flash went off in the middle of the room, filling the air with a thick smoke that stung eyes and noses. The men rose their weapons towards the cloud, expecting a attack at any moment. There never was one. Instead, the smoke cleared from the air, granting vision back to its victims. Hopkins was in the center of his men, protected by a wall of flesh. Hopkins still stood in front of his men, a gun from the crate now in his hands.

In the center of the room was a newcomer; a stranger to both crowds.

"Now that's how you make an entrance!" he announced. His arms were out to his sides and he took a bow. No one knew what to do, neither side knew this man was also a stranger to the other. He wore a long-sleeve crimson button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up to just above the elbow. Dark swirling tattoos covered every inch of his expose forearms. A double-layered vest wrapped around the shirt; the inner layer crimson and the outer layer black with a swirling pattern stitched in crimson. A black tie wrapped around his neck; a similar swirling pattern stitched in black, only revealed when the light caught it just right. A pair of dark jeans bunched up over dark semi-formal shoes. "You may call me Thoth and tonight, I shall be your entertainment--and your escort to jail."

There was no longer any confusion. Before anyone could pull their trigger, Thoth opened his hands, releasing small pellets that erupted in smoke as soon as they touched the ground. Bursts of gunfire lit the smoke like clouds during a storm. Men dove behind pillars and over crates, finding cover where ever they could to escape from the crossfire.

A suited guard was slowly backing towards a pillar when he was swept back. His gun went off, firing into the smoke. Thoth held thr man in a headlock until he stopped squirming, unconscious. He darted around the perimeter, taking done unexpecting men; a predator hunting his prey.

Thoth was stalking towards a tattooed man, he steps as silent as the night. His luck ran out when the thug turned around. A quick kick sent the gun flying from his hand, but he recovered quickly, ducking under the fist aimed for his jaw. The air rushed out of Thoth's lungs as he was tackled to the ground. They wrestled a bit, each gaining the advantage for only a few seconds before being flipped over onto their backs.

Thoth was pinned, metal flashing in his peripherals. His slammed his head into the other man's head, hearing the clatter of the blade falling. The man recoiled giving Thoth enough leverage to push him off. He jumped to his feet and took his opponent out of the fight with a well placed kick.

The smoke had finally cleared and he was exposed. There were men guarding the stairs as their leader rushed down. Now, the only exit available to him was through the window; a window on the fifth floor with nothing but concrete waiting at the bottom.

"There!" And he's off! Thoth sprinted to the window, weaving enough to avoid the bullets flying all around him. The glass from the window shattered. Small bits of concrete rained all over him as he ran, bullets breaking the ground.

Thoth scraped one hand across the other in one quick movement, setting them aflame. During the consfusion, Thoth had been dropping small bags around the room. One of the guards had noticed, inching to get a closer look. The bags were filled with black sand; gun powder.

Thoth closed the distance between him and the window, turning as he launched himself into the air. An arch of flames filled the air with an orange glow as flew through the air right towards the bags. His back broke through the window and the explosives went out.

Boom! CLAP!

The air shuddered with each blast. The glass from the remaining windows didn't stand a chance, the rest of the shattering and flying into the night sky.

Thoth was in a free fall. He didn't scream, didn't flail his arms; he didn't even look to see the ground rushing up to meet him.

The wind picked up.

About 10 feet from the ground, he was plucked from the air, flying up and to the roof. The arms nestling Thoth dropped him to his feet on the roof.

"You have to stop jumping out of windows," the rescuer said. Thoth began stretching, kicking a leg up behind him and taking hold of a shin.

"Tell me, dear Astraeus, why I would stop jumping out of windows when I know you'll be there to catch me?" He rose his eyebrows in a playful manner, grinning ear to ear.

Astraeus stood there, his arms crossed. When his powers manifested, Astraeus had created his own suit by hand. He'd always been honorable--and probably too invested in comic books--and felt the need to become something people could look up to. The only way he felt he could do so was through a suit.

The suit was simple, consisting of only two colors. His top was designed in a way that resembled a cocktail glass with a fat bottom. The color on the outside of the glass shape was a dark blue, similar to the ocean. The color on the inside was a lighter blue, like the sky. His pants were the darker blue and led to boots of the same color. A dark blue cape flowed in the night sky, the soft rustling of the material filling the air.

"What if I'm not there to catch you?" Astraeus asked.

"You're always there for me." Thoth turned back around, his stretching complete. "And I'm always there for you." He slipped his arm around Astraeus, pulling him in for a kiss. They lingered there, embraced, bathing in the moonlight. The sound of truck engines reving to life shattered the peace. Breaking the kiss, Thoth took off at a run going across the roof, Astraeus trailing behind once he regained his composure.

"Now we've got some bad guys to catch!" He jumped right off the roof without a second's hesitation.

"I should let him fall," Astraeus grumbled. Astraeus reached out with his mind; his soul; his power. He connected with nature; became one with it. He felt the wind alive and rushing. He felt the warmth in the air, waiting to spark and form a flame. He felt the buzzing of electrons all around him as they longed to combine and form a bolt of lightning. In the distance, he could sense water tearing its way through the earth, more powerful than people may know. He could even feel the earth itself, the solidity and strength of it, its desire to be molded.

Atraeus tapped into his connection with the winds and in seconds they were under his command. He dove over the edge of the roof. He ordered the wind to cradle Thoth and himself; it obeyed. Both men were no longer falling to the ground but flying through the air instead, speeding after the black trucks.

Astraeus brought Thoth closer to him. "How are we going to do this?" he asked. Despite the wind carrying them, he didn't have to shout; his voice only had to be raised a little. The two black trucks were now underneath them, their headlights off as they attempted hiding in to the shadows.

"Two trucks? I got this," Thoth said. He was cocky, but he definitely earned being so. "Just drop me off on the first truck!"

They dove, speeding up in their descent. Thoth gave a shout of glee. He landed on the truck in the back with a thud, crouching to support his knees.

"I said the first truck!" Bullets pierced the roof of the car as the sound of shots being fired filled the air. Astraeus called on the fire laying dormant in the air. A ball of fire formed around his hand and he threw it into the road. The truck swerved to avoid the flame and the gunfire stopped. Thoth dropped down, grabbing on to each side to hold on for his life.

"I thought you meant first as in the first one we'd get to!"

"No I meant the first one in line!"

"I know that now!" The blue cape was fluttering violently as the man sped through the air along side the speeding vehicle.

"Boost me!" Thoth shouted, swaying to his feet. He moved as far back as he could, avoiding a glance down at the asphalt.

"Zac--Thoth, that's only worked once before and we weren't flying down a road at 90 miles an hour when it did!"

"I trust you!" Thoth lunged forward, only able to get a step in before he was in midair, nothing beneath him. Astraeus frantically connected with the earth, sending a chunk of it up through the road and into the air. Bits of asphalt as dark as the night sky rained down around the new hole in the road created by the piece of Earth Astraeus commanded. Thoth's foot made contact and he used the momentum to push himself off in the direction of the other truck. Astraeus used the wind to carry his partner the rest of the gap.

Thoth rolled to his feet, now on the truck he originally intended to be on. He smiled up at Astraeus, giving him a wink which was returned with a shake of the head and a faint smile.

"And for my next trick, I'll make a truck disappear!" Thoth shouted, his voice packed with mischievous delight. From a pocket in his vest, he produced a disc. With a flick of the wrist, he threw the disc onto the asphalt. As soon as the front wheels of the truck rolled past the disc Thoth snapped his fingers.

The truck went flying into the air as if gravity ceased to exist--mainly because gravity had ceased to exist, at least within the range of the spell. Gravity magic; surprisingly easy yet a drainer of precious energy.

Then the spell wore off.

The truck dropped. Astraeus quickly made a ramp of soil and rock for the truck to slide down; hopefully without killing whoever was inside. The truck crashed onto the ramp, screeching as it slide past rocks onto the asphalt, coming to stop on its side.

Astraeus landed next to the wreckage, running to check on the passengers. Everyone instead was unconscious and with the truck in the shape it was, they definitely weren't going anywhere. He took off after the remaining truck--and the boyfriend riding on top of it.

Thoth laughed as he watched Astraeus catch the falling truck. The truck he was on rounded a turn, almost sending him flying off. He tightened his grip on the car and began to brain storm; he actually hadn't thought this far ahead.

He leaned over the side and peered inside. There were five men; a driver, three gunmen, and the man in white sitting rear center. An idea formulated at he thought back one of the many spell books he owned.

He concentrated, trying to remember the lines he had to speak aloud. He muttered a few words. "No, that's not it. Come on, think!" The image of the page he was thinking off began piecing itself together and growing clearer with every passing second.

"Aha!" The chant poured from his mouth as the lines became clear. He directed the last of his magic to his eyes. A throbbing behind his eyes meant the spell was working. He tapped on the glass.

The armed man next to the window whirled around, seeing Thoth waving at him. Before he could raise his gun, he met the man's eyes. They pulsed with every color imaginable all at once. He fell into a trance and soon his body wasn't his own; his eyes becoming pure white.

Thoth rolled onto his back, his eyes closed. He now saw through the man in the car and, most importantly, controlled him.

[Put everything regarding mind control in italics]"Why didn't you shoot him, you idiot?!" the man in white was shouting. The words sounded as if they were being spoken through a pane of glass. The man in white noticed the blank eyes right before the fist connected with his face. The other guard in the back wasted no time aiming his firearm at the mind-controlled man. The puppet shoved the gun aside as a shot rang out. The window behind the puppet shattered and the driver swerved, ducking to protect himself.

"What's going on back there?"

The puppet's fist connected with the shooter's throat, making him choke. The puppet unbuckled his seat belt and grabbed the head of the man in the passenger seat. He slammed the head against the window, cracking it and rendering the man unconcious.

The driver's eyes filled with fear. "What the--" The puppet yanked on the steering wheel.

Thoth gasped as he opened his eyes, severing the link. The truck swerved before flipping, launching him. He felt weightless as a scene of crushing metal and sparks enfolded beneath him.

Then he was in a pair of strong arms.

Thoth could barely keep his balance when Astraeus dropped his feet to the ground. He'd depleted his well of magic, putting a strain on his body in turn. The dizziness slowly left, the fog clearing from his head. He could feel himself getting stronger, but he wouldn't be using any magic soon.

"I told you to stop using so many powerful spells back-to-back like that," Astraeus scolded. He kept his arm around Thoth, supporting him. "You only have so much magic before you start eating at your life. I like you better alive."

Thoth only grinned. "I got this, babe. Don't worry about me."

"That mindset is gonna get you killed one day."

"I'll deal with it when that day comes." Astraeus knew there was no point in arguing so he changed the subject instead.

"Did you get what we need?" He asked. Thoth fished his phone out of his pocket and opened the gallery.

"Mr. Hopkins, it's always a pleasure doing business with you." The video was shot from above with a clear view of every person in room.

Thoth swiped through multiple pictures of faces, the men shaking hands, and--most importantly--the crate full of guns; evidence.

"I always get what we need," he said. "And look at that, we got everyone with barely any property damage."

"Well, except for that entire top floor you destroyed."

"Oh, you wanna talk about destroyed? What about those poor roads you destroyed with your stupid boulders, Julian." More and more of Zachariah--the man he really was underneath all of the magic--slipped into Thoth everytime they went out fighting crime. "You're the reason taxes are so high."

The sound of sirens filled the air as the calvary Julian called earlier arrived. Ignoring the taxes comment, Julian opened called on the earth one more time.

"I need to stop using all of my magic cause I hate your stupid dirt masks." Rocks rolled across the ground and began climbing up their bodies. The rocks connected and wove together, forming sleek masks around both of their faces.

"Seriously? That's the reason you want to conserve magic? To conceal your own identity instead or preserving your life?"

"Yep."

The first police cars arrived to the scene. Officers swarmed from the vehicles, blocking off the road and running to check on the injured. From the first vehicle stepped two women: Detective Cupid and her partner, Detective Oliver.

Cupid took a deep breath, dusting off her dark pink blazer. "What happened this time?" 

Oliver pulled her phone out of her pocket and began audio recording. The two heroes relaid the events to the two detectives, sending the pictures and videos they took of the highly illegal weapons deal to Cupid.

"I'm impressed," Oliver said as Cupid continued looking everything over. "You guys got evidence and everyone rounded up with relatively low property damage and zero casualties." Oliver stopped the recording and returned the phone to her pocket.

"That's just what we do," Zach said, a cocky smile returning to his face under the rock mask. The radio crackled and an officer gave details of damages to the abandoned building and the road leading up to it.

"Well, except for the top floor of that building." Julian poked Zach with his elbow, smiling. "And the streets; the taxpayers are sure going to feel that one." It was Zach's turn to poke Julian with his elbow. "Other than that, you did good."

"We're just doing the best we can," Julian said.

"Thoth, can I speak to you for a second?" Cupid asked, returning her phone full of evidence to her pocket. She walked over to the side and Thoth followed her, his brows furrowed as he tried to guess why the detective wanted to talk to him. Astraeus shot them a look of confusion, mirrored by the look on Oliver's face.

"Do you know what that's about?" he asks. Oliver shakes her head, turning her attention from the others back to Astraeus.

"What's up, Hope?" Zachary wasn't one to stick with formalities when he was out of earshot of other people. He kept his hands in his pockets, his shoulders tense with anticipation.

"Have you asked him yet?" Hope's face lit up; a completely different look from the mask she  wears when she's Detective Cupid. "Are you guys engaged?"

Zach chuckled. With a wave of his hand, he made a ring appear out of thin air to rest in his palm. It was a solid rose gold band with a single rose engraved in it. He wanted something simple yet representative of Julian. The rose: a symbol of love, honor, wisdom, and beauty--everything Zach sees in Julian. Hope gasped and plucked the ring from his hand, looking over the entire piece of jewelry with scrutiny.

"It's beautiful!"

"Yeah, I just need to find the right time to ask him." Zach gave another wave of his hand and the ring vanished. Gone as if it was never there in the first place.

"Well, I wish you luck. Keep me updated; you know I'm a sucker for romance." Hope gave Zach a pat on the back and went past him, putting on her Detective Cupid face again.

Julian was leaning against a police car, going over everything that transpired once again with Detective Oliver. The two ended their conversation once Zach joined them. The two heroes of the night were given permission to leave. Julian pushed off the car and got close to Zach, communicating with the wind as he did so.

"So, what were guys talking about?" he asked.

"Nothing; just some stuff about not blowing up the top floors of buildings."

The winds wrapped around the two and they shot into the air, their masks falling apart as soon as they were out of sight.