#sprout marotto

[powerpayback]

what 2024 paris olympics events are the power payback cast watching?

sprout: track and field

magni: swimming

haley: rhythmic gymnastics

red: none, they only watch the winter olympics

(bonus - emery: table tennis)

[lovevalley45]

#fictober23 day thirty-one

"Are you with me?"

original fiction (power payback)

word count: 591

tw: alcohol

Magni had never been a fan of parties. 

He didn’t like the noise, the people, the overwhelming nature of it all. But Sprout loved parties. She liked talking to people, having fun, dancing. 

Halloween parties were a particular type of unbearable. People got extra obnoxious around holidays like that. The questions of “what are you dressed as” got annoying, especially when he wasn’t in a costume at all. But at least people got creative with the drinks. 

In a paradoxical turn of events, Magni liked the one part of partying that Sprout didn’t: alcohol. Not too much, but just enough that he didn’t have to deal with all the overstimulation head-on. The buzz didn’t bother him much, though. 

Magni knew it was kinda unnecessary, but even then, he was pregaming. He was pouring himself a shot of Fireball when Sprout came in, dressed in what she called her ‘butch Poison Ivy’ costume. She’d draped draped one of her army green muscle tees 

 in fake foliage and swapped out her normal leather gloves for long green ones, topping it off with a short red wig that looked like she’d stolen in from a costume for Archie from the comics. “Really? You’re giving a bad name to college students everywhere.”

“I think there are going to be much more vile concoctions at this party.” He pushed up his fake glasses before he took the shot. It burned like hell, and he took a moment to cough as Sprout laughed. 

“Don’t die on Halloween because you decided to pregame with Fireball, that’s so lame,” she told him. 

“I won’t die,” Magni argued. He tugged at the collar of his black turtleneck. The theme was to “dress like your Talent”, something he personally despised. It was fun if you were a botanokinetic like Sprout or had any other sort of immediately recognized ability. His options were either dressing like a computer or Steve Jobs. Sprout had joked he should be that Facebook guy, but Steve Jobs was more recognizable. 

To really complete the look, he’d spent his afternoon slaving away making caramel apples. They had turned out perfectly, though he hadn’t gotten fancy with them. He was just proud that he hadn’t set off the smoke alarm making caramel. 

“Seriously, everyone has an iPhone in their pocket by now, Maggie,” Sprout pointed out. She didn’t really have to; those iPhones were the bane of his existence.

“Yeah, but can everyone make a dessert that goes so well with their costume?” He hefted the tray with a grin. “It’s just gonna be cupcakes with a snowflake on it, cupcakes with a flame on it, protein bars some superstrength muscle made that taste like eating shit-”

She put a hand up. “Okay, okay, I get it. You have boundless creativity.” She shoved her hands in her pocket. “I shouldn’t be complaining. I’m just surprised you wanted to come at all.”

“It’s less that I wanted to come and more that I don’t wanna spend Halloween here dealing with trick-or-treaters,” Magni admitted. “Lesser of two evils.” He put his tray back down and grabbed the bottle of Fireball. “And that iPhone comment is making me reconsider how much I need to pregame.” He took out another shot glass. “Are you with me?”

Sprout raised an eyebrow. “You know I’m driving your ass home, right?”

“Right.” He poured himself a shot of Fireball, then filled her shot with water and handed it to her. “Bottoms up?”

She shrugged. “Bottoms up.”

He may not like parties, but hell if he wasn’t gonna make the best of it.

[powerpayback]

Stolen from the Spade (Power Payback #1)

In the debaucherous Bright City lies a well-kept secret: Talents, superpowered individuals who’ve called the city home for over half a century. Some attempt to keep their abilities a secret, while some try to exploit their powers to make a living. Sprout Marotto and Magni Quinn are childhood best friends turned partners in crime - crime-solving, that is. When Talents start disappearing from a resort on the famed Neon Avenue, Quinn and Marotto Investigative Services get called in to get to the bottom of things. However, when it involves them to step inside the Talent-on-Talent brawls that take place there, Sprout is forced to confront her past in their attempt to find the stolen fighters before it’s too late.

Chapter Eight: Sprout finally comes face to face with the owner of the Silver Spade, while Magni reunites with a not-so-friendly face.

[powerpayback]

Stolen from the Spade (Power Payback #1)

In the debaucherous Bright City lies a well-kept secret: Talents, superpowered individuals who’ve called the city home for over half a century. Some attempt to keep their abilities a secret, while some try to exploit their powers to make a living. Sprout Marotto and Magni Quinn are childhood best friends turned partners in crime - crime-solving, that is. When Talents start disappearing from a resort on the famed Neon Avenue, Quinn and Marotto Investigative Services get called in to get to the bottom of things. However, when it involves them to step inside the Talent-on-Talent brawls that take place there, Sprout is forced to confront her past in their attempt to find the stolen fighters before it’s too late.

Chapter Seven: Sprout has her first fight, while Magni and Haley bond in the crowd.

[powerpayback]

Stolen from the Spade (Power Payback #1)

In the debaucherous Bright City lies a well-kept secret: Talents, superpowered individuals who’ve called the city home for over half a century. Some attempt to keep their abilities a secret, while some try to exploit their powers to make a living. Sprout Marotto and Magni Quinn are childhood best friends turned partners in crime - crime-solving, that is. When Talents start disappearing from a resort on the famed Neon Avenue, Quinn and Marotto Investigative Services get called in to get to the bottom of things. However, when it involves them to step inside the Talent-on-Talent brawls that take place there, Sprout is forced to confront her past in their attempt to find the stolen fighters before it’s too late.

Chapter Six: Sprout preps for her first night in the ring.

[lovevalley45]

#fictober23 day nine

"Give me that, before anything happens."

original fiction (power payback)

word count: 805

After what felt like forever squirreled away at home, Sprout was glad to be back at the nursery. 

Well, she tried to be. 

It wasn’t the same as it was before her burnout. Before, the nursery was a lovely symphony of blooming plants in her ears. She’d loved how alive it felt. Now, the plants were silent. 

She tucked her hands in her pockets as an older woman walked by, trying to hide the scars on her hand. Both her regular doctor and her talantologist had been surprised when she finally took off her bandages and they had healed green. The dermatologist her mom had brought her to in response had been even more baffled. 

Sprout almost wished she still had her bandages on, just to keep them covered. Her pockets would do for now as she headed towards the greenhouse at the back at the nursery. 

She withdrew one hand to knock on the glass door. “Mom? You in there?” 

When she got no answer and saw no movement behind the glass, she made her way inside. The greenhouse felt even hotter than the Bright City air, if such a thing was even possible, with the humid conditions inside. But it felt comforting.

As she glanced at her mother’s botanical creations, Sprout couldn’t help the pang of sadness that struck her. It wasn’t like she couldn’t work at the family nursery if she wasn’t a botanokinetic. Her grandparents hadn’t been Talents when they opened the nursery, and neither was her dad. But she knew gardening would never be the same. 

She approached one of the flowers - a daisy, like her namesake, petals all the colors of the rainbow. She felt like a kid sneaking their Christmas present as she looked at it - her mother loved to gain inspiration from the plants she’d named her kids after. 

The door opened, and she stepped away. 

“What are you doing here, Daisy?” her sister Primrose asked, closing the door behind her as she came inside. 

“I was looking for Mom, and she wasn’t here, so I just… I was looking around,” Sprout answered. 

“Didn’t Dr. Merlo say you were supposed to be staying away from plants until he figured out if your Talent was back?”

Sprout shrugged. “How am I supposed to find out if my Talent is back if I can’t go around plants? I can’t hear them, anyways, so mark that one as one that isn’t back yet.”

“You and I both know you have to go in for a test next week,” Primrose huffed. “How did you even get here?”

She took her keys out of her pocket. “I drove. I’m out of lockdown, remember?”

With a groan, she said. “Just go home.”

“No,” Sprout said. “I haven’t even been allowed to go to class. Dad said I could go to the nursery and say hi to Mom.”

“Daisy Elizabeth Marotto, if I have to drag you out of here myself-”

“What? I’m not doing anything!” She raised her hands up. “But I mean, I could-”

It was dumb, she knew. Something in her brain told her to stop the moment the idea entered her brain. But she was tired of Primrose nagging her and acting like a second mother. She brushed a scarred fingertip against the daisy, hoping for - well, anything. 

She had figured it would grow an inch or two, or just not do anything at all. What she wasn’t expecting was the eye of the daisy to elongate and grow into a sharp maw. Her heart started to race - of all the remnants of her Talent to stick around, it had to be this one. 

“Okay, I think I did something,” she said, backing up from the flower. 

“Daisy. Give me that, before anything happens,” Primrose said. Her voice was even and demanding, but Sprout saw the glint of fear in her eyes. 

“Should I- I mean, touching it made it do that,” Sprout said. 

Primrose took a deep breath and stepped forward. She held out her hand, ready to put her hand over the flower’s head to calm it down. But it snapped at her before she could use her botanokinesis.

“Shit,” she hissed, holding her hand closed. Sprout doubted it had even got a nibble in, but she could understand her hesitation. 

“Daisy, please,” she said. 

“I’ll try.” Sprout waved her hands, before she held out her hand to the daisy. It didn’t attempt to bite her, shrinking back from her touch. When she got close enough to put her palm against its pseudo-nose, the daisy drooped forward. But it didn’t return to normal, still altered. 

“I think you should go home now,” Primrose said. 

Sprout didn’t attempt to argue. Instead, she just asked, “What are you going to tell Mom?”

Primrose locked eyes with her. “The truth.”

[powerpayback]

Stolen from the Spade (Power Payback #1)

In the debaucherous Bright City lies a well-kept secret: Talents, superpowered individuals who've called the city home for over half a century. Some attempt to keep their abilities a secret, while some try to exploit their powers to make a living. Sprout Marotto and Magni Quinn are childhood best friends turned partners in crime - crime-solving, that is. When Talents start disappearing from a resort on the famed Neon Avenue, Quinn and Marotto Investigative Services get called in to get to the bottom of things. However, when it involves them to step inside the Talent-on-Talent brawls that take place there, Sprout is forced to confront her past in their attempt to find the stolen fighters before it's too late.

Chapter 5: Magni visits Sprout at work, then the detectives take a trip to the costume shop.

[powerpayback]

Chapter 4: Magni learns about the deal Sprout made with Red, and proceeds with the investigation while Sprout takes on more mundane responsibilities.

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Characters: Daisy Marotto | Sprout, Magni Quinn, Haley Coello-Sterling, Vanya Wolanski | Red Additional Tags: Detectives, Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Mystery Series: Part 1 of Power Payback

In the debaucherous Bright City lies a well-kept secret: Talents, superpowered individuals who've called the city home for over half a century. Some attempt to keep their abilities a secret, while some try to exploit their powers to make a living. Sprout Marotto and Magni Quinn are childhood best friends turned partners in crime - crime-solving, that is. When Talents start disappearing from a resort on the famed Neon Avenue, Quinn and Marotto Investigative Services get called in to get to the bottom of things. However, when it involves them to step inside the Talent-on-Talent brawls that take place there, Sprout is forced to confront her past in their attempt to find the stolen fighters before it's too late.

[lovevalley45]

#fictober23 day seventeen

"I never said it would be easy."

original fiction (power payback)

word count: 820

For years, Magni had wondered when he’d get his Talent. But as he grew up, he realized that it wasn’t something to look forward to - it wasn’t even a guarantee. 

All that time telling himself he had been foolish were paying off, but not in the way he wanted. 

His ears were still ringing as he sat in the hallway outside the computer lab, head between his knees. Magni bit back his tears - God, that was the last thing he needed after the whole class had watched him nearly faint and dart out. 

He heard the door open again, the cacophony starting to trickle out before it was slammed shut again.

“Are you okay?” Sprout asked. Her voice was quiet, almost strained in its attempt to be soft. 

Magni didn’t answer. He figured that question was answered by the lack of one.

She thudded on the floor beside him, shoulder to shoulder. His breath hitched at the sensation, but her touch was grounding at the same time. “Do you… wanna go to the nurse’s office?” 

He raised his head up. “Not really,” he admitted. “Just tell Mr. Kelly I’m going to stay out here.”

Sprout leaned back against the wall. “He said he’d give you five minutes.”

Squeezing his eyes shut, Magni forced back more tears. “Damnit.”

“Just let me take you to the nurse’s office. You can call your mom at least.” She put a hand on his arm. “I-” She hesitated. “It’ll be better than going back in.”

“Fine,” Magni muttered. 

“Okay. I’m gonna tell Mr. Kelly.”

He heard Sprout stand up, keeping his eyes closed shut. The door opened, and chatter escaped out - the sound of a few dozen voices, all talking at once. Magni tried to listen to what they were saying, but it was hard to hold onto a single line of thought. 

It wasn’t telepathy. He hadn’t been able to hear Sprout’s thoughts, nor did the voices sound anything like his classmates. And it hadn’t sounded like English either. It was like he was listening to conversations in a different language he didn’t know he could speak. 

But it sounded familiar - like sitting at his family’s computer, the kind of noise that had him cranking down the volume and not going away. That had been fainter, a hum in the back of his head. This was distinct - if not for the multitude of them. 

Another wave of chatter washed over him, and Magni looked to see Sprout holding his backpack and a note. She looked worried, a frown on her face. He realized he’d clapped his hands over his ears again without thinking. 

“Let’s go.”

He stood up and took his bag. “Have you ever heard of a Talent where people can hear computers? Like, voices from them?” he asked, words tumbling out of his mouth. 

Sprout raised an eyebrow. “Magni, just because I’m a Talent doesn’t mean I’m an expert on the Talent Classification System.”

“Oh.”

“I mean, I’ve heard of something similar. Electropathy? But that’s less like hearing actual voices from computer and if the botanoempathy I have was its distinct thing from electrokinesis.” When he looked at her in confusion, she elaborated, “You can just sense things that run on electricity. Drives most of the Talents who have it to go Amish or something.”

Magni didn’t think that was a very promising future. They started to walk towards the nurse’s office, dragging their feet through the empty hall. “Does your botanoempathy ever get too much? You’ve never blacked out being in your parent’s nursery.”

“It’s more like a feeling. A comforting one. I can’t really hear them, though that’s the easiest way to describe it. Through my being, I connect to them.” Sprout looked at him. “Does that make sense?”

“Not in the way I’m experiencing it.”

“I never said it would be easy,” she said. “Being a Talent is a gift, but it also kinda sucks. The world looks at you differently.”

Magni looked over at his friend. On the surface, he didn’t think she looked like a botanokinetic. The only indication was the Marotto Family Nursery t-shirt she wore under her flannel. But things like their school’s athletic program and their no-Talent policy didn’t care whether her Talent was growing flowers or being able to throw people like a football. They wouldn’t tolerate it. 

“Do you- how do you not be a Talent? At least to the world,” Magni asked. 

Sprout shrugged. “I wouldn’t know. People around here who know, they hear Marotto, and they know.”

They stopped in front of the nurse’s office. The door was still closed, giving them just a moment of privacy. 

“Magni.” She stepped forward, putting a hand on his shoulder. “There’s worse fates than being a Talent.”

“I know,” he said. God, did he ever. But as he walked into the nurse’s office, Magni still felt afraid of what news was to come. 

[powerpayback]

a bright city christmas (eve)

“Here’s to our first Christmas as private investigators, making it on our own in the big city.” Sprout popped the cork of the bottle of sparkling wine - business hadn’t been so good as to afford real champagne. Not yet, she thought hopefully. She figured the least expensive sparkling wine she’d picked up at Vons would have to do for now. 

As she filled the plastic flute in Magni’s hand, he corrected, “First Christmas Eve.”

She shrugged. “Alright, fine.” Come Christmas day, both of them would be trapped under the Marottos’ roof. Aside from the occasional years Magni and his mother went to California to see his folks, they were always invited to their home come the holidays. 

But for the night, there were no judgmental or nosy family members. Sprout didn’t have to think about feeling like a stranger in her childhood home. Magni could retreat back into his room if he got overwhelmed. She even felt good enough to fill her flute as well. 

Christmas Eve was always theirs. 

Magni took a sip of his sparkling wine. “And we’ve both lived in Bright City since we were 20.” He went to sit by the tree, the multicolored bulbs on the fake branches lighting up his face. 

Setting down the bottle of sparkling wine, Sprout rolled her eyes. “Okay, just give me my present before you spoil all our fun.”

She joined him on the floor, watching him reach for a small present wrapped in striped green wrapping paper. “It’s not much,” he warned. 

Sprout took the present and ripped the paper off. She felt slightly guilty, given how neatly he’d wrapped it all, but she figured he expected it by now. Under the paper was a white box. “Hate to tell you this, Maggie, but I’m not a jewelry person.”

“Shut up and open it,” he said, raising his flute back up to his lips. 

She grinned, but cracked the lid off anyways. Resting inside was a gold tie bar, that looked plain at first glance. Sprout picked it up to get a closer look. Only then could she see the daisies engraved onto the bar, faint enough that someone had to really be looking for them. 

Despite her numb fingertips, she ran her thumb over the engravings and imagined how they would feel. She hadn’t liked being gifted flowers since her burnout. They were a bitter reminder of what it had left her with. Yet, Magni always had a way of bringing blooms back in her life even in the coldest months of the year. 

“Thanks, Magni,” she said, setting the pin back in the box with a quiet grin. “Though I did think we had a present budget.”

“Don’t get too flattered,” he said. “That is under budget. It’s not real gold.” But he still had a small smile on his face. 

“Now I feel a little bad about the gift I got.” Sprout set the box aside and reached for her present. She’d stuck it in a shiny silver bag, not wanting to embarrass herself with her wrapping skills. 

As she handed it to him, Magni set his flute aside. “Unless it’s a dildo, I won’t put it past you.”

“Dang. Ruined my surprise.”

He rolled his eyes, but he pulled out the tissue paper filling the bag until he reached the gift inside. Wrapping something in tissue paper was no more easier than wrapping it properly, but at least the lumpy, unshapen job was hidden away. He tore away the candy-cane covered wrapping paper to reveal a cookbook. Just as he knew her complicated feelings about her namesake, she knew that he only really used YouTube to watch a few chefs. One being Roland Hayes, a conventionally handsome white man who shared her green thumb and Magni’s passion for cuisine. 

Magni raised his eyebrows in surprise. “Oh. I had thought about getting his cookbook, but-”

“Look inside,” Sprout said, nearly vibrating in excitement. 

He cracked it open to the front page. Unlike her partner in solving crime, she could actually use Instagram and had seen Magni’s favorite bookstore announce they were hosting a book signing for Roland Hayes right around the holiday season. It was so not his type of thing, but Sprout would do many things for her best friend, apparently even enduring a long line to get a signed copy of his favorite YouTuber’s cookbook. 

“To Magni,” he read aloud. “Keep it crispy. Roland Hayes.” He looked up at her. “I didn’t even know he came to town.”

“That’s what happens when you use social media, Maggie,” she said. “Now you can make his recipes without having to have your laptop bugging you in the kitchen.”

“Well, I appreciate it.” Magni gave her a smile. “That does mean you will have to be a taste-tester while I try these out.”

“Oh, no, you’re going to cook for me? How awful,” Sprout said, voice heavy with feigned concern. 

“Hey, just be happy I’m not making you be my sous chef.”

“The only reason you don’t is because you don’t like blood in your bisque.”

“True.” Magni set the book aside and picked his flute of sparkling wine back up. “Here’s to knowing each other far too well.”

Sprout knocked her flute against his, the thud of plastic not quite as satisfying as a proper clink. 

It was hard to feel pessimistic about the year to come with her best friend by her side. 

[lovevalley45]

#fictober day thirteen

"Come with me, hurry."

original fiction (power payback)

word count: 818

Magni didn’t think he could ever get over the Marottos’ backyard. Even at six years old, he knew for sure that it was hard to find something like it. It was like stepping into another world, full of colorful blooms, towering plants, rows of vegetables and fruit trees. He couldn’t help thinking of the bright pictures in the children’s Bible his dad had given him of the Garden of Eden. 

Without question, he always ended up out there when his mom had him go to the Marottos’ after school. He didn’t really like dirt, or mud, or grass. But he didn’t mind letting Daisy lead him around the garden. 

The two of them were sat beneath the big tree that protected a large swatch of the yard from the burning sun. They were supposed to be doing homework, but Daisy’s grandma had told them to go play outside while her brother tried to nap. 

Under the shade of the tree, she was tying daisies into a chain as he watched. There hadn’t been that many when they first sat down, but now they seemed to surround them. Magni snatched up two of the daisies that had popped up near his feet, wanting to copy her movements. 

“Be careful,” Daisy said, turning to look at him. “They don’t like when you yank them so hard.”

“Sorry,” Magni said, before he went to tying the two stems together. “How’d you know that?”

She shook her head. “I’m not s’posed to tell you. Mommy told me I can’t.”

“I won’t tell,” he said. He put his finger to his mouth. “Promise.”

Daisy glanced around the empty yard. Through the door, he could see her grandma at the kitchen table, focusing on trying to help her sister do her homework. She leaned in close. “My family is special. My mommy and my sister are. And me.”

He frowned. “What d’you mean, special?”

“She says we got a talent. It’s bonato- bokano.” Daisy scrunched up her nose and sounded the word out as she said it, “Botanokinesis.”

“Whoa. What’s that?”

“We’re really good with plants. And I can hear them talking. But it’s s’posed to be a secret ‘cause not everyone can do it.”

Magni looked down at the daisies. He was more careful as he pulled another one out. “Sorry,” he told them again. 

“They say it’s okay,” Daisy said, smiling. 

Another one popped out in its place, then a second. 

“Like magic,” he mumbled. 

“Petunia says it isn’t magic, but I dunno what it is. It’s just a talent.”

Magni thought it must’ve been a very different talent than he knew. His mom always told him his dad had a talent for acting since they meant. But he didn’t think his dad could do anything cool like summon flowers. 

Daisy set down her chain of flowers. “I’m tired of making flower crowns.”

“Okay,” he said. 

“Oh, I think Prim is coming.” She hopped up and reached up towards the tree. Like the same kind of magic, a branch bent down until she could wrap a small hand around it. It took her a few tries to pull herself up on it, but when she got up there, she held a hand out to Magni. “Come with me, hurry.”

“Are you sure? Won’t we get in trouble if your grandma sees?” Magni asked. 

“The tree will hide us,” she said. 

Magni took her hand and joined her on the tree limb. He felt a little unsteady, but he grabbed ahold as it went higher, back where it had been before. 

The tree’s leaves came around, shielding them from the view outside. They fell into place just as Primrose stepped out. She glanced around the ground. “Daisy? Magni?”

Daisy tried not to giggle as Magni continued to cling to the branch. 

“This isn’t funny, where are yo-” Primrose walked up to the tree. “Daisy. Don’t make me use my talent.”

She stuck her head out of the leaves. “How’d you know?” Daisy gasped, bringing her head back in. “I can’t believe you’d snitch!”

“I didn’t say anything!” Magni exclaimed. 

“Not you, the tree,” she said with a pout. 

“Well, Magni’s mom is coming to pick him up, so you have to let him down,” Primrose told her. 

“Fine.” 

Magni grabbed the branch tighter as it got close to the ground again, then leaped off. Primrose put a hand on his shoulder, then looked expectantly at the branch. “Don’t make me get Grandma Mary.”

Daisy leapt off the branch, falling onto the grass. “I’m good!” she shouted. 

“Go get your stuff, Magni,” Primrose said.  

From her spot in the grass, Daisy raised her head. Propping her elbow on the ground, she repeated his gesture, pressing a finger to her mouth.

Magni nodded, before he ran back inside. He hadn’t been asked to keep many secrets, but this one he’d hold close to his chest.

[powerpayback]

What is Power Payback?

Power Payback follows the stories of Daisy "Sprout" Marotto and Magni Quinn, two Black queer detectives who both belong to the world of Talents, or superpowered individuals that live in Bright City, Nevada. This metropolis nestled in the heart of Luminosa Valley is where millions flock yearly for wild vacations, gambling, and sex. But few know about the Talents who live there and their struggles to live normal lives despite their unique abilities and the disadvantages they face. 

Who are Sprout and Magni?

Sprout Marotto and Magni Quinn are childhood best friends turned partners in crime - crime-solving, that is. They run Quinn and Marotto Investigative Services, trying their best to help people that ordinary justice has missed. Through thick and thin, they've always had each others' backs when everything seems against them.

Daisy “Sprout” Marotto is a botanokinetic, shunned from her family's nursery after an incident changed her powers for the worse. Despite that, she puts her heart into her work. She strives to do good in the world that has wronged her in the past. 

Magni Quinn is a technopath, attempting to live a quiet life in a noisy, noisy world. Even though he’d be a recluse if he had it his way, he is a softie at heart. He is not above skirting the law to make sure people get what they deserve - for better or for worse. 

But what’s the plot?

Power Payback is a planned duology with the potential to become a trilogy, with one book dedicated to each detective. The first book, Stolen from the Spade, focuses on Sprout as they try to figure out disappearances in a fight ring hosted underneath one of Neon Avenue’s newest resorts. The second, not yet named, will focus on Magni and a new service offering to help Talents live more “normal” lives on the outskirts of Bright City.  

How can I read it?

Currently, the first book, Stolen from the Spade, is updated on AO3 on the first Friday of every month. However, if anyone knows a better (and free) platform where indie artists can post their work online, I’m open for ideas. I also hope to post a few smaller stories that aren’t too spoilery and focus more on the characters here as well. Hopefully if this story sounds intriguing to you, you’ll give this blog a follow and stick around to see what’s to come!

[powerpayback]

Stolen from the Spade

Chapter 3: Sprout and Magni find out what's really going down at the Spade.

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Characters: Daisy Marotto | Sprout, Magni Quinn, Haley Coello-Sterling, Vanya Wolanski | Red Additional Tags: Detectives, Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Mystery Series: Part 1 of Power Payback Summary:

In the debaucherous Bright City lies a well-kept secret: Talents, superpowered individuals who've called the city home for over half a century. Some attempt to keep their abilities a secret, while some try to exploit their powers to make a living. Sprout Marotto and Magni Quinn are childhood best friends turned partners in crime - crime-solving, that is. When Talents start disappearing from a resort on the famed Neon Avenue, Quinn and Marotto Investigative Services get called in to get to the bottom of things. However, when it involves them to step inside the Talent-on-Talent brawls that take place there, Sprout is forced to confront her past in their attempt to find the stolen fighters before it's too late.

[powerpayback]

Chapters: 3/25 Fandom: Original Work Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Characters: Daisy Marotto | Sprout, Magni Quinn, Haley Coello-Sterling, Vanya Wolanski | Red Additional Tags: Detectives, Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Mystery Series: Part 1 of Power Payback Summary:

In the debaucherous Bright City lies a well-kept secret: Talents, superpowered individuals who've called the city home for over half a century. Some attempt to keep their abilities a secret, while some try to exploit their powers to make a living. Sprout Marotto and Magni Quinn are childhood best friends turned partners in crime - crime-solving, that is. When Talents start disappearing from a resort on the famed Neon Avenue, Quinn and Marotto Investigative Services get called in to get to the bottom of things. However, when it involves them to step inside the Talent-on-Talent brawls that take place there, Sprout is forced to confront her past in their attempt to find the stolen fighters before it's too late.

Chapter 2: Sprout and Magni get down to interrogating and investigating, with a few distractions along the way.

[powerpayback]

Chapters: 2/25 Fandom: Original Work Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Characters: Daisy Marotto | Sprout, Magni Quinn, Haley Coello-Sterling, Vanya Wolanski | Red Additional Tags: Detectives, Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers Series: Part 1 of Power Payback Summary:

In the debaucherous Bright City lies a well-kept secret: Talents, superpowered individuals who've called the city home for over half a century. Some attempt to keep their abilities a secret, while some try to exploit their powers to make a living. Sprout Marotto and Magni Quinn are childhood best friends turned partners in crime - crime-solving, that is. When Talents start disappearing from a resort on the famed Neon Avenue, Quinn and Marotto Investigative Services get called in to get to the bottom of things. However, when it involves them to step inside the Talent-on-Talent brawls that take place there, Sprout is forced to confront her past in their attempt to find the stolen fighters before it's too late.

Chapter One: Sprout and Magni catch wind of a case. 

[powerpayback]

local ace looks for personal space, does not succeed

a/n: i wanted to write a lil smth for pride month and while this is technically non-canon... enjoy

For the years Magni and Sprout had been living in Bright City, they had settled on an arrangement. Magni, notorious hater of events with loud crowds and an abundant of technochatter, would go to Bright City Pride in October if he got to drag Sprout along to milder Pride events in June. Sprout, notorious extrovert, agreed. 

Bright City didn’t really do mild, but Magni kept his finger on the pulse. So when a bookstore not too far from them announced a queer book club night, he made Sprout go with him. 

The adorably named Night Light Books wasn’t quite bustling, but enough people filled the coffee shop that led towards the store. The buzz of people and technochatter seemed louder in the small space. 

“You want something to drink?” Sprout asked, glancing up at the menu. 

“Yeah, I’ll get a coffee or something,” Magni told her.

She turned to him, arms crossed. “It’s nearly seven.”

“And? Better than Red Bull.”

Sprout tilted her chin up. “I don’t drink it four hours before I go to bed.”

“Well, then don’t order Red Bull.” He looked past the people, deeper into the store. “I’m gonna go look around.”

She gave him a gloved thumbs up before he slipped away. The shelves were not as crowded. The wide aisle that separated the store was lined with street lamps that lit the large store. Between them, tables with displays of queer books were set up, where most customers had flocked to.

He was looking for a new queer romance to add to his shelves, but he saw something else. At first, he didn’t recognize Haley outside the bright yellow shirt of her Sunny’s uniform, dark blonde curls obscuring her freckled face. 

“Are you sure it’s not in the sci-fi section?” he heard her ask. 

It wasn’t an easy feat, with her staying quiet and his earplugs in as usual. But as she bickered with the man beside her, Magni recognized her voice. 

He wasn’t quite as nosy as Sprout was, but he still made his way over to the table. His best friend’s massive crush on Haley was hard to ignore and if she was on a date with this dude, he wanted to find out first. He went over to the other side and attempted to be conspicuous. 

Haley’s friend was a Black guy who only had a few inches on her short stature, hands tucked into the pocket of his hoodie. A black cloth mask covered most of his face, but Magni saw a glint of metal poking out on his cheek. Maybe a Talent, he figured, but that didn’t tell him much. With the mask pulled over his face, he couldn’t make out his reply, even quieter with the cloth concealing his mouth.

He must not have been as conspicuous as he thought, because Haley turned his way. “Oh, Magni! Hey.”

“Hi,” he said, fingers brushing against one of the books. “Small world, huh.”

“Yeah.” She grinned. One of the nearby streetlights that adorned the store glowed more in her presence. “We were just looking around. You know, always great to support queer authors.”

“Totally,” Magni said with a nod. “I usually prefer romance, but this-” He squinted to make out the title in front of him- “uh, history of Bright City’s gay scene and Talents seems pretty interesting.” It actually did, so it technically wasn’t a lie. Even if it was just a bit of a bluff. He picked it up. Hell, maybe it could be a bedtime read. “You looking for anything in particular?”

“Mm, kinda,” Haley said. “We were-” She turned to look at her friend, but he’d made a swift escape before he even learned his name. “Well, he must be looking for it. Just some author we know.” 

Magni glanced off into the distance. “Damn. Talk about a vanishing act.”

She shrugged, before looking back at him. “Nice shirt, by the way.” 

He looked down at the shirt he was wearing. It read, This Ace Needs Their Space. “Thanks. I thought it was fitting.”

“So, you’re looking for romance?” Haley asked. “I thought you read broody murder mysteries or serial killer biographies.” 

“My whole life is mystery, so reading about murder gets depressing,” Magni said. He decided not to mention that they didn’t really get murder cases anyways. 

“Okay, I’d also choose not to read about murder that much if that was my whole life,” she muttered. 

“Sometimes, a guy just has to curl up with a romance and get lost in Regency-era yearning.” He clutched the history book to his chest. “What’s your poison of choice?” 

Before Haley could reply, Sprout strode up to him, oblivious to her presence as she handed him a coffee. “Don’t bitch at me, but this is decaf.”

Magni scrunched his nose, but he took it. Coffee was coffee. “Fine.”

“Sprout. Hey. I didn’t know you were here,” Haley said. 

Sprout clasped her cup with both hands, clearly trying not to spill all over an entire book display as she turned to face her. “Oh, angel! I didn’t recognize you without the- neon yellow.”

The light hummed brighter than before behind Haley. “Yeah, well, I gotta have a life outside waiting tables,” she joked. 

Magni decided to take a cue from Haley’s friend and patted Sprout’s shoulder with the book he’d grabbed before he wandered deeper into the store. He’d been to Night Light Books enough to know that the back section of the books could be a weaving maze. Most of the action was near the front, but here, he could get a little peace and quiet. 

Bookstores weren’t really a safe haven free from technochatter. Wherever there were people, the noise from their phone followed. With one or two people, it was barely noticeable. But the more people there were, the more overwhelming it could get. He called it technochatter because that’s all it sounded like sometimes - constant chatter. Back here, the chatter was a safe distance away. 

There were no displays back in the tighter space. He’d missed the queer romance table, but frankly, he’d leave that to Sprout for the night. Besides, as he headed towards their regular romance section, they didn’t exactly slack off for the other eleven months of the year. 

Tucking the book in his hand under his arm, he scanned the titles they did have. He didn’t keep up with what books were popular, mostly because he was a ghost on everything but Facebook to keep up with his aunts. However, he spotted a book he’d heard good things about, something about widowed countesses and astronomers. 

He eased it out and wished he had somewhere to put his coffee down, turning it over to read the back. It would have been more successful if he’d put his reading glasses on first. Magni tried to add to his other book under his arm to pluck them out from his jacket, but that one clattered to the ground instead. 

“Motherfucker,” he muttered. He bent down to pick it up. 

As he did though, someone else pulled the book out of his reach. “You dropped this,” a man’s voice said.  

He stood up, ready to make a smart remark, but the guy in front of him was… well, he was hot. His baby blue button-down strained around his muscles, blonde hair swept out of his face. He held the book out to him. 

“Thanks,” Magni said, taking it back. 

“You know the action’s over there, right?” he asked, pointing a thumb towards the rest of the store. 

“Yeah. I don’t like action,” he said. He balanced his books on the edge of the shelf to take out his glasses.

“I can see the appeal of peace and quiet.” The blond held out a hand. “I’m Lloyd.”

“Magni.” He set his glasses down to give his hand a firm shake. One of the weirder skills he’d picked up as a detective was reading people through a handshake. His hand was soft, but his grip was strong. 

"Oh, Magni. Very... Scandinavian." He wasn't quite sure to take it as a compliment or not. Before he could decide on how to take it, Lloyd asked, “So, you like local history?” 

“It sounded interesting,” Magni told him. He slipped his glasses on, making sure none of his thin dreads slipped underneath the frame. “Talent history is so rich, but if you don’t have a parent who’s actually a Talent, you can underestimate its importance. Especially when it comes to the queer community, it can be even harder to learn about our past.”

Lloyd nodded. “I mean, I’m not a Talent. I wouldn’t really know. Seeing how those two intersect, though, that’s interesting.”

Magni turned to pick up the book he’d been looking at to actually be able to read the summary, but he heard Lloyd chuckle. “What?”

“Don’t tell me you actually read that stuff.” 

“I just love a happy ending. Sue me.”  

“They’re not real literature, you know,” Lloyd said. 

Magni often wished for a Talent other than technopathy. Right now, he wished that he had something useful, like enchantment, to get this guy to shut up. 

But he continued to prattle on. “It just lacks depth. I mean, I think you of all people would know that.”

“What does that mean?”

Lloyd gestured to Magni’s shirt. “Romance is just softcore erotica for bored housewives. And I thought you’d be bored by that.”

He did often skip the sex scenes, but he still took offense to that. Before he could reply, he felt someone lay a hand on his shoulder. “There you are! I’ve been looking for you!”

It wasn’t Sprout’s voice, so he glanced back looking confused. It was Haley’s friend, a couple books in hand. However, Magni knew an out when he saw one, and took his books. “Great conversation, Lloyd.” 

The masked man guided deeper into the store and out of sight. “Sorry, he just sounded like a dick.” 

Magni chuckled. “Yeah. A little.”

He glanced past him, probably trying to gauge if Lloyd was gone. “I know about dealing with dicks.” He turned back, dark brown eyes wide. “That sounded bad. Dealing with shitty people.”

“He thought he read my shirt, but clearly he missed the needs their space part,” he joked. 

“Seriously.” Though Magni couldn’t see his smile, his eyes crinkled at the corners. “I should probably go find Haley.”

“Yeah, she was flirting with my friend, so you can hide out a little more.”

He raised his eyebrows. “Alright. Good for her.”

Magni looked back to see if Lloyd had sulked off, before he gave Haley’s friend a smile and slipped away. He didn’t really feel like looking at romance anymore - he’d already grabbed a couple of books and his shelf was stuffed to the brim. Yet, he lingered near them until he saw Sprout round the corner. 

“How’d things go with Haley?” he asked. 

Sprout took a sip of her lavender colored drink. “It went fine.” 

“Did you get her number, finally, when she wasn’t on the job?”

Her shoulders slumped. “No,” she whined. 

Magni came up to her and bumped his shoulder with hers. “You’ll get ‘em next time.”

“What next time? How often do I run into her outside of Sunny’s?”

“That means you just have to come book shopping with me more often,” he told her, cheeky grin on his face. “They do have a great gardening book collection.”

“Fine,” Sprout said. “But for now, I’m feeling pretty book-ed out.”

“Did you even look at any books?”

“I looked at a few. We wandered to the queer sci-fi/fantasy table. Which, I never understood why they group them together,” she informed him. 

He shrugged. “They’re both speculative fiction.”

Sprout snorted into her drink. “Okay, nerd.”

“Don’t call me a nerd, nerd,” he retorted back. “Did you get the name of Haley’s friend?”

“No. I didn’t even see him,” she answered. “Why?”

“Nothing.” Magni finished off his coffee. “Let’s get out of here so I can actually start reading these.”

This night was mild by Bright City standards, but he’d had enough people for one night.