Coral nodded. “Never mind that multiple trans girls also scored in the bottom ten, and the girl who won also hit first place in boys competitions. Clearly she was only there because she was too pathetic at boys sports to win.” Coral rolled their eyes. “You know what’s truly pathetic? The family who brought up the issue to begin with? Their daughter scored ninth place. There were seven cis girls who beat her. Even if all the trans girls were kicked out, she would never have even gotten a medal. And the trans girl in question has lost to cis girls before and after that competition. The family's just whining to make their daughter look better by focusing on one kid so it looks like that’s the only barrier to her success.”

“Not to mention all those stupid screening laws,” Eric said. “Did it even occur to them that they’re going to be forcing cis girls to get examined, too? Their own daughters? And that any measures to ensure they’re cis are likely to be invasive and humiliating?”

Coral snorted. “Oh, I’m sure some of the people supporting it are perfectly fine with making underage girls spread their legs to get into sports.”

“Well, that makes more sense than anything else.” Eric shook his glass, making the ice clink. “People suck.”

“Absolutely,” Coral said. “The rich and powerful hijack justice, and they’ve somehow convinced people that it’s something worth defending.”

“So what can we do about it?”

Coral smiled. “I think that’s where the mayhem comes in. Take the country club, for example. They’re polluting in the course of business, mistreating their employees, and funneling money to blocking labor laws. So what happens if someone shuts them down?”

Eric raised his eyebrows. “You’re not suggesting burning the place down, are you? That would get us arrested so fast.”

Coral shook their head. “Nothing that drastic. And, I mean, they’d just collect the insurance money and rebuild if we did that. It needs to be something minor enough that super insurance has an excuse not to pay out. I was thinking something more along the lines of seedbombing the golf course. Planting endangered sequoia trees in their parking lots. Maybe a robbery or two. Make them so unprofitable that they have to shut down. Destroy their reputation. Get people out of the habit of visiting them.”

“They’d probably have insurance against robbery. Their customers wouldn’t, though. Super robbery is only meant for buildings.” He looked up to see Coral with raised eyebrows. “I work in an insurance firm. But I think this could work.”

Coral smiled. “Anyway, that’s what I think we should do. Strike back at the rich and powerful and anyone else who tramples on the minorities. Even if you’re only in it for the money… Well, they have a lot more money to steal than anyone else.”

Especially the country club, Eric noted. “I’m not. But I think I’m in.”

“Great,” Coral said. “Got a costume?”

“Actually, I’m thinking I don’t need one,” Eric said. When Coral raised an eyebrow, he continued. “I’m immune to fire, so why not just cover myself in fire?”

“Wouldn’t that burn your clothes?” Coral asked, sitting back and looking him up and down.

“…Yeah. That’s kind of the sticking point. But I think if I hold it far enough away, then I can pull it off.”

“Or you could just do crime in the nude,” Coral said. “Armed robbery, destruction of property, public indecency. A fine lineup.”

“Be bare, do crime doesn’t have quite the same ring to it,” Eric said. “I want to get a suit, but if I can’t, then being covered in flames is next best.”

Coral looked thoughtful. “Pyrebrand apparently made his costume out of stolen firefighter suits. I mean, I don’t think you’d use his methods to get them, but it should be possible.”

“Excuse you, I would totally seduce dozens of firefighters.”

“Ah, my mistake.”

Their burgers arrived. Eric tried a fry. “You’re right. These are awesome.”

“Yeah, aren’t they?” Coral took a bite of their burger. “Though I guess we could also steal Pyrebrand’s original suit.”

“Really?” Eric asked.

“Yeah. Supposedly, it’s here in town. Harmon is supposed to have this huge super memorabilia collection, both hero and villain, and Pyrebrand’s original costume is in there.”

Eric scrunched up his nose. “As much as I like the idea of screwing over Harmon, he’s gotta have ridiculous security on that thing, if it even exists.”

Coral nodded. “Yeah. Maybe not a good idea. And I’m happy with my costume as it is. Just need a good name and I’m all set.”

Eric perked up. “I can help with that. You have sonic powers, right?”

Coral smirked. “No.”

Eric frowned and sat back. “But I saw you using them.”

“Yep. You can figure it out.” Coral took a long sip of their drink.

This was a puzzle, wasn’t it? Eric gave Coral a long look. If they could use those powers, but didn’t have them, then that meant they were borrowing powers? “You’re a copier?”

Coral nodded. “I can copy all of a person’s powers with a touch and use them like they were my own. Once I get them, I can analyze them to see how they work. I can have five power sets at a time, and if I want something different, I have to let go of one of my existing powers to free up a slot. Oh, and I can sense people with powers.”

Eric stared at them. “Do you even need me, then?”

Coral shrugged. “I can only use one set of powers at a time. Sure, I could use your powers, but then I can’t use any of my others at the same time. Plus, it means I don’t have to keep a slot occupied. And you’re hot, so I can keep you around.” They grinned.

“Reduced to the eyecandy sidekick,” Eric sighed, then faked a sob.

“It makes it a lot easier to get a costume,” Coral said. “Just put on some gym shorts and cover your face in flames.”

Eric snorted into his drink. “But anyway. A name for copier powers?”

Coral shook their head. “I don’t want it to be that obvious. Given where I got the sonic powers from, it’d be too easy to track it back to me. Though I will admit I’d like a subtle nod to being a copier. Just for laughs.”

Eric put his elbows on the table and propped up his head. Sonic, but copier. A sound that was a copy. A recording? A repetition? A… “Echo,” he said.

Coral tilted their head. “Echo,” they said thoughtfully.

“Echo,” Eric said, just because.

They laughed. “I love it. So, would that make you Narcissus?”

“Well, I am certainly awesome.” Eric curled his bicep and then kissed it. “But I don’t recall the part of the myth where he’s set on fire.”

“Yeah. Probably a better name for water powers. Or flowers. Or someone who’s very bendy.”

“Or a cloner,” Eric said.

“Ooh, yes.” Coral grinned with a special touch of wickedness. “Anyway, thanks. What about yours? Please don’t say Flame On.”

“Kinda stuck,” Eric said. “There were a bunch I wanted, but they’ve all been taken and I don’t want to steal someone else’s name. Especially from fire powers.”

“Why?” Coral asked. “You’re fireproof.”

“Yeah, but my home isn’t. And fire is usually a villain power. I mean, how are you supposed to stop crime with fire? Burn people to death? Not really heroic.”

“Little tricky, then,” Coral said. After a moment, they spoke up. “What about translating one of the names you really like?”

“Into another language?”