16192/Bops the Bots!

Bops the Bots!
Date of Scene:	27 October 2023
Location:	Brooklyn
Synopsis:	Toyman was thwarted, though not captured, and a tasty meal was had!
Cast of Characters:	Kiden Nixon, Conner Kent

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Kiden Nixon has posed:
There's a marina just off the docks in Brooklyn, shipments coming in and out at regular intervals by ship, some transferred to other ships, some to rail, some to truck. And some are quietly stacked in smaller in-town transports and taken to hideouts across the city for resale or use. In one such warehouse, a group is accepting in a shipment of parts, others are putting those parts together, still more are packing the finished items carefully into crates marked 'coffee beans'. This small time assembly line is putting together some very unique and dangerous weaponry for one of the mob branches.

This assembly line has also come to the attention of a rather odd individual.. the Toyman. And he is very, VERY angry. Those weapons are HIS design, the plans stolen from the evidence lockers after his last caper failed. Those are HIS toys, only HE gets to play with them. So now, of course, he's set a small army of automatons and miniature aircraft bearing some very deadly armament to attack the warehouse. No prisoners! They're to storm the 'castle' and take down the criminals to rescue their compatriots from a life of slavery!

Luckily for the regular dock workers and shipyard personnel... they have a superhero in the neighborhood. Conner's hearing will almost certainly pick up on the sound of the miniature aircraft and clomp of metal feet. But there's someone else who's seen the robots on the march, too. Someone that's very much used to moving unseen through the streets and alleys of the city. Who's curious about the small parade and what it means.

Kiden moves quietly, using a hole in the chainlink fencing to sneak into the marina, avoiding the cameras as she follows the Metal Man March.

Conner Kent has posed:
Conner super-hearing is simply overwhelmed in a city like New York, so he tends to ignore it. Otherwise he wouldn't even be able to sleep. He learned to cope with it as his senses developed a few years ago. Now, eyesight is a different thing, and he usually flies high over New York when he is 'on patrol'.

Drones are illegal in cities. Well, unless they are government drones, and those look more like weird toy sci-fi fighters. And they remind him of something he saw in Metro a year or two ago. Oh uh. Toys that are not toys. He flies down.

Kiden Nixon has posed:
The toys are headed for warehouse 52 by all appearances, the automatons with miniature rayguns and the planes with miniature missiles and machine guns. There's a small group of workers between the toys and the warehouse. They might be with the gangsters in the warehouse, or they might be with one of the other warehouses... but they'll almost certainly become collateral damage if someone doesn't help!

Kiden glances up in the air and winces. She can handle the ground troops, but the planes... those are a different problem. Huffing out a breath, she looks towards the workers, brows furrowing. She flinches when she comes to a realization of what she's going to have to do.

Slipping through the shadows, she draws in a swift breath and enters the alternate time-stream. Strolling along, she comes up from behind the bots and starts knocking them out of her way. Once through the robot shock-troops, she pops back out near two of the workers and grabs them each by the wrist before jumping back into her personal No Time. "Hi. No time to talk, just follow me and you'll be safe." Pulling them around the corner and out of the way, then popping back out into the normal time-stream.

To Conner's vision, he'll see a line of the bots flying outward, that line cutting straight through the platoon, some of the others getting knocked down by their flying compatriots. Then two of the workers disappear, only to reappear safely out of the way of the incoming attack... along with a short blonde in a red hoodie and black trancer pants.

Conner Kent has posed:
Not just planes, also toy soldiers. Toyman is on a rampage. Again. That crazy old man... Conner though he was in jail. Apparently not.

And then, suddenly, the mini-robots are all over the floor, knocked down. Now, Conner has been hanging out with Impulse for years, he knows the hallmarks of a speedster at work, although it is rare to find one so fast he didn't see anything. Was there even a blur?

Later, the drones first. He falls on the toy squadron just as they are opening fire. No way to stop so many bullets, some of those crates are toast, but at least there is no one around (anymore). He swats the drones down as quick as he can, eliminating the toy planes in a few seconds. Then he spots the slight blonde girl. And... checks to see if the toy soldiers are standing up. Toyman inventions are often pretty sturdy.

Kiden Nixon has posed:
Kiden ushers the workers off, pointing them around to where there's an open warehouse so they can call the police. Turning back, she blinks to see someone else swatting the planes out of the air. Huh! Well, the city IS full of superheroes! Biting her lower lip, she debates trying to sneak off now, before she can be caught... but then she sees the ground troops starting to take aim at the flying man.

Slipping back into the No Time, she runs forward, picking up a broken plank from one of the shattered boxes and starts to swat the robots down and away. Checking to see if there's any that have already fired at the hero. She can see a few darts of green energy lower to the ground and tosses the wooden plank in front of them.

The planes swing around to take aim at Conner, firing on him as soon as they get a lock. He'll feel the ping of the tiny bullets and the slightly itchy sensation of the mini-missiles exploding against him. His jacket is probably going to take some damage. But they aren't enough to harm him. He's able to clear the skies quickly enough. And by the time he finishes with them, he'll find the ground littered with the busted and broken pieces of the robots. And the blonde girl crouching down against the wall of one of the warehouses, catching her breath.

Kiden steps out of No Time and slumps back against the wall of the warehouse. She hasn't done this in awhile, out of practice. While time has no effect on her, or her body, in No Time, the efforts still take a toll on her. But she feels better about holding her own at least! She took down the robot squad!

Conner Kent has posed:
Not another jacket!

But the truth is he prefers to stop the bullets right there and not let them fly and hit random targets (and people). So, he collects another leather jacket with bullet holes. Next time he will hit the toy planes faster!

Now the soldiers... wait, they are all smashed and broken. That girl? He looks around quickly and spots Kiden by the wall. "Hey there, I think you took out all the land forces, nicely done," he grins, rubbing off flattened bullet points from his jacket. "That was Toyman's work for sure, have you seen a harmless-looking old guy around?"

Kiden Nixon has posed:
"What? Oh... uhhhh, not that I know of? But I wasn't exactly looking..." Kiden runs a hand through her hair, pushing it away from her eyes. She glances around the are, then looks back to him. "So... you fly, huh? And... bulletproof? That's pretty cool. Glad I could help."

Kiden pushes herself up to her feet and shoves her hands into her pockets, "Maybe he was remote controlling them? The insides of the robots looked pretty... techy. You know, high tech? Or, whatever." She's short, and very slim, probably a little on the grubby side, her clothes have seen better days. But she tries to keep up appearances as best she can. Best way to blend into a browd is just look like everyone else.

Conner Kent has posed:
Conner nods, landing a couple yards from the blonde. "He hangs out in Metro and..." he looks around more carefully, making sure all the toys are 'dead'. "He usually sends far larger groups of machines. I guess he is not around, but I wonder what he was after. Probably not stealing," he walks to one of the damaged crates and peers inside.

"Anyway. I am Superboy, and yeah, I am bulletproof," although his jacket is not, he sighs at seeing all the holes in his left arm. "And you are really fast, I couldn't see you. No sonic boom either. Do you have the Speed Force?"

Kiden Nixon has posed:
"Metro? He hangs out in the subway? I usually just walk everywhere... don't even have a MetroCard," Kiden shakes her head and looks back to Conner. She lifts a shrug, following him out into the lane and peering at what was in the crates. Looks like the workers were NOT part of the criminal enterprise after all! It's a couple of crates with car parts inside. Windshield wipers, one with side mirrors (the actual mirrors, not the casing), another with antenna.

She toes at some of the broken mirror shards with one sneaker, then lifts a brow at him, "Speed Force? I'm not a speedster. I'm just... efficient." She glances at some of the robot pieces, "Superboy, huh? I go by Flux. Not that almost anyone knows that. I don't usually... do this sorta thing."

Conner Kent has posed:
"Metropolis the city, not the subway," explains Conner distractedly. Why would Toyman aim for crates full of normal-looking vehicle parts? Maybe the other warehouse, where the soldiers were heading to before?

He hmms, looking at the 'warehouse 52'. "If anyone ask, I saw one of the toy soldiers sneaking in there," he points to the warehouse, and goes heads there to investigate. "Or maybe we both did. Of course it could be I was wrong, but we can let crazy killer robots loose, right? Even if they are pint-sized."

Kiden Nixon has posed:
"Oh. Uh, never been. I think farthest I've gotten is the GWB, got about halfway across, turned back around." Kiden offers a faint, embarrassed grin and rubs the back of her head. "So what's with the killer toys?"

She glances up, eyes flicking towards the warehouse then back with a nod, "I mean, totally possible. I scattered 'em pretty good, some of them coulda ended up inside the warehouse." She pulls her hands out of her pockets and lets out a breath. "Guess I should see this through. I'm a lotta things, but I'm no quitter." Mostly. She starts after Conner, hurrying her pace to catch up to him.

As they get closer, they'll hear the commotion inside. The gangsters trying to hurriedly get everything shoved into boxes so there's no trace of what was being made inside. Conner and Kiden will be able to peek inside, however, and see the weapons being put together. Conner's sharper eyes can make out the plans, too. The Toyman's plans. No way would he share those with a bunch of street-level thugs.

Conner Kent has posed:
"There is this crazy old guy, Winslow Scott, he builds small robots to commit crimes. Some say he used to be a toy engineer that went insane when someone, maybe Lex Luthor, used his designs for weaponry, but well, he is just nuts," Conner met with the villain recently, he was kidnapping children to 'protect them' or something.

"So, they called him the Toyman," he continues, then stops, because he is hearing people ahead. Aha. Goons and high-tech weapons and possibly blueprints for gizmos. Still makes no full sense, but looks like more something Toyman could do.

Kiden Nixon has posed:
Kiden blinks at the story being related, then shakes her head slowly and lets out a small whoosh of breath, "Damn. That's just weird. Like... really, just... weird." This coming from a mutant.

She looks towards the warehouse, peering in through a small hole in one of the walls. "...holy shit... they're building some funky-looking shit in there..." Kiden pulls back and looks to Conner, "So... uh... we're going in? Cause that shit looks illegal as *Hell*."

Conner Kent has posed:
"What can I say?" Whispers Conner, sneaking to watch the gangsters from a semi-hidden spot. "Half the tech geniuses I know are crazy, and most of the rest are super-heroes."

Then again, he moves in odd circles.

"Yeah, I'd say weapon trafficking. And they are evacuating because the cops are coming, we made some noise smashing those robots," so, what are you gonna do. What would Superman do? Oh, right.

Walk boldly and ask them to surrender, that is how it goes. "You stay here," he whispers to the girl. Then he flies to the crew. "That," he starts, "doesn't look like a coffee-maker. Or beans. Or even... ah, you know the drill, I am sure. Why don't we skip to the part where you drop the guns and surrender?"

Kiden Nixon has posed:
"You know a lot of tech geniuses... I don't think I know any," Kiden whispers back, pausing, then adding, "not sure I know any superheroes either. Except you, now." She offers a quick smile towards him.

Frowning at the weapons trafficking, Kiden shakes her head, "Can't let them get away with that. Don't get me wrong, I'm mostly a 'live and let live' kinda girl, but... weapons are bad news." She glances at him, "So what's the plan?"

Being told to stay put doesn't sit super well with her... but then, neither does being shot! Kiden gives a grudging nod, though she starts sneaking around towards the back door while Conner goes in the front.

The gangsters react fairly predictably to Conner's appearance and suggestion... half of them go for guns, the other half bolt for the door. Three dive for guns, two trying to run past Conner and out the front, the other two trying to sneak away towards the back door.

Conner Kent has posed:
See? This would have never happened to Kal. Conner rolls his eyes and launches, hitting the thugs going for the guns first. Gently, but quickly, aiming to knock down without breaking bones. He also takes an extra second to break the guns.

That gives the ones running a chance to get out. At least some of them, since there are two doors. Conner chases after the ones going for the backdoor, on grounds that they are slightly smarter than the ones going for the door where the police might be already arriving.

Kiden Nixon has posed:
The three going for their guns are sent to the floor in quick order, and shortly after that, out cold They offer little resistance to Conner's superior strength! Their guns all but crumble under his grip, pieces clattering to the floor.

Just as Conner catches up to the pair at the back, the one at the door goes flying back suddenly, knocking into the one behind him, both sent flying back to crash against a table. They lie in a heap, groaning pained groans. There's going to be some broken ribs on the front runner, maybe some cracked ribs on the back one. Kiden pokes her head through the doorway and offers a quick grin, "Gotcha covered."

The police arrive at the front and catch the pair running out that way, while Kiden's eyes widen and she seems to disappear once more. She makes her way back outside of the fence before coming back from No Time, huddling down to peer back towards the warehouse. "Shit... I hope they didn't see me..."

Conner Kent has posed:
Conner was about to run to the front door, when he hears the police cruisers. Good timing. Then he stares a Kiden vanishes and reappears. He still think that is super-speed.

"So? You saw a crime ongoing, made a citizen arrest." But that requires identifying oneself, which is why many vigilantes don't stay around to talk with the cops. Which is why many cops are hostile to heroic vigilantes.

It is suspicious, after all. What would Flux have to hide? She looks over eighteen (barely) so... "are the cops looking for you?" No judgement there, they are also looking for half his teammates.

Kiden Nixon has posed:
Kiden glances up when Conner finds her, looking to the cops at the warehouse, then back to Conner. "Ah... I don't know. And I'd rather not find out the hard way. I'm not a kid anymore, if they get me, I'm not sure where I'd end up." The horror stories of what can happen to mutants in lockup is enough to keep her from wanting to be around the police.

"I could be pulled for vagrancy... I don't.. actually have an ID. I tried, once... but you need an address to get one." Kiden shrugs and looks back to Conner, "No address, no id, turns into a BIG problem. Besides... there.. might be people looking for me. And I don't want to be found."

Conner Kent has posed:
Conner didn't know that. But given her reluctance, he suspects there might be a M in her cells, and not from metagen. "Oh, alright. Well," he scratches the back of his neck. "You know, they can probably survive if I don't make an statement today. Want to grab a coffee, or a burger? My treat."

She definitely looks like someone that needs a burger. Conner has seen homeless people before. Gotham is full of them.

Kiden Nixon has posed:
Relaxing a bit when Conner doesn't continue suggesting she talk to the police, Kiden lifts a small shrug, "Gentrification... the homeless aren't welcome... anywhere visible to the tourists. Even the public library is starting to stink eye us into leaving." She lifts a small shrug.

The offer of a burger has her perking up, a smile briefly touching her lips, "Sure! Burger sounds awesome. There's a greasy spoon maybe fou blocks over... they're pretty cheap, and the food isn't terrible. Guy that owns it, he sometimes lets me work a few hours for a meal if I can clean up."

Tilting her head int he direction of the diner, she smiles, "Walk, or fly?"

Conner Kent has posed:
"I can carry... well, maybe better if I find you there?" Because Conner will fly, but also needs to wear something without a big red S in the chest. Not that won't have a burger as Superboy, but since Flux seems to want to keep a low profile, he will go there as Conner.

Also, because she seems to be able to vanish. Still pretty sure she is just very fast, but it is odd, because he can't see most of the typical signs of superspeed when she does it.

Kiden Nixon has posed:
"Sure, I'll get us a booth. Gus is a good guy, he makes decent food, too." Kiden gives a nod, not questioning why Conner would want to meet there. He IS wearing a leather jacket full of bullet holes, after all. She starts off down the sidewalk at a very normal pace, seeming wholly content to just... walk.

She could easily be mistaken for a speedster, but he's right, a lot of the usual signs are missing. No dust clouds, no blur of motion, not even a blip or bamf or anything. Kiden makes the walk over in real time, just enjoying a late night stroll down a few quiet city blocks.

The diner is easily spotted, the building squat and white-washed brick against all the brownstone buildings, the neon sign on top spelling out DINER in bright pink, with a smaller blue 'Open 24/7' sign that blinks slowly. Kiden stroll in, lifting a hand to the lady behind the counter, "Hey June, I'm gonna have a friend here in a minute, can we get a menu? And two cups of coffee. Thanks!" She slides into a booth to wait for Conner to arrive.

Conner Kent has posed:
Conner arrives about five minutes later, he took off his jacket and his t-shirt doesn't have the red S, so he looks pretty normal. Just a normal young man that braves later October weather in a shirt and jeans. Maybe he is Canadian.

He spots Kiden by her table pretty quickly, waving at the blonde girl from the entrance, and then joining her at the booth. Ah, no coffee for him, though. "Did you order the burger?" He asks with a smile, sliding on the place in front of her. "My name is Conner, by the way."

Kiden Nixon has posed:
Lifting a hand in return to Conner's wave, she waits for him to join her, then shakes her head, "I ordered coffee, but June's pretty cool, if you want something else, just ask her." That coffee will help keep her warm for awhile, at least.

Kiden shakes her head and slides the menu towards him, "Figured I'd wait for you in case you were going to order anything." She offers a hand to him, "I'm Kiden." Glancing at the menu, she grins, "They do a good burger here, but they also make some great pot roast, and the open-faced turkey sandwich is pretty tasty too." When June comes over with drinks, Kiden will ask for a burger with all the trimmings and fries for the side.

Conner Kent has posed:
Conner takes the offered hand for a firm handshake. And as June approaches, he asks for the sandwich with a side of fries, and soda too. "Cool, there are not many places like this in Manhattan left," he comments. "It is a dark day for the Big Apple when one realizes Gotham eateries are usually better."

But he looks happy about his sandwich, despite the odd hour. "Thanks for your help back there. You put yourself in danger for no reward, and you don't look like the kind of person that usually gets involved in crime-fighting."

Kiden Nixon has posed:
"Nope. This place is a holdout. Building's been in the family for generations, they own it outright. I just hope they can keep up enough business to stay open." Kiden gives a nod, glancing around the diner. "Spent more than one night napping in a corner booth cause Gus insisted. I help out when I can, they feed me when I do... pretty sure he does the same for a few others, too."

She digs into her burger, eating voraciously, adding a small lake of ketchup to sunk the fries in. Pausing for a moment, she bobs a nod at Conner, "Honestly, if I'd seen you before I jumped in... I probably woulda just let you handle it. But those guys down there... couldn't just leave them to get mauled by the toys. They're just trying to make a living." Pausing, Kiden sighs softly, "I don't NOT get involved.. I just... tend to stick to smaller things where I won't be noticed. Muggings, assaults, drive-bys... that sorta thing."

Conner Kent has posed:
"Alone? Are you bulletproof, too?" Because otherwise, that is brave bordering foolhardy, specially considering she is not even wearing a mask, and clearly she has no money to pay a doctor if she gets injured.

He tries his sandwich, and give an hmmm of approval. "So, uh... are you between jobs or really living in the streets for good. I mean, do you have to?"

Kiden Nixon has posed:
Shaking her head, Kiden takes a big bite of her burger, chewing on it before mumbling, "Not bulletproof... just really hard to hit when I'm out of time." She polishes off the burger in another two large bites, lifting the coffee cup for a swallow.

"Been on my own since I was 15. Hard to get a regular job without an ID, can't get an ID without an address," Kiden lifts a shrug and drags a pair of fries through the puddle of ketchup on her plate, chomping on them before looking back to Conner. "Keeps being a catch-22, you know? Can't get any of the usual services without an ID, can't get an ID without an address... the shelters aren't a good place for me... puts too many people at risk. So I hit the streets and learned how to survive on my own."

Conner Kent has posed:
Well, at 15 she would have been put in a foster home and given an address and an ID. So, Conner figures there must be a story there. Kids with superpowers sometimes disappear, as the DEO has their own program of 'education' for them. Or had. The usual suspects got more careful when the Avengers formed, and even more when the League reformed.

He gives Kiden a studious glance from behind his sandwich. "Yeah, well. What if I could get you an address long enough to get an ID? Would you go for it?"

Kiden Nixon has posed:
Kiden ran away from home the year before the Avengers formed. The year Superman 'died' and the Titans disbanded. After the Mutant Felon Relocation Act is passed, before the Sentinel Uprising, at a time that mutant hatred is at a peak. She knew better than to stick around her family and wait to be discovered.

She looks at Conner suspiciously, leaning back from the table and eyeing him, "What do you want in return? WHat would I have to do for this address?"

Conner Kent has posed:
Conner shrugs. "I don't need anything right now, I just want to help," he smiles, munching from the sandwich. "But I know some people with some pull that can arrange something fairly quickly. That is, if you want to get back to a normal-ish life without making ripples and drawing attention. I know how things can get... weird, quickly, when one has powers and was too young to have rights. But you are over eighteen, right?"

Kiden Nixon has posed:
Kiden keeps up that suspicious look for a few more moments, then looks down at the plate and frowns. "I... want to believe you, Conner. You seem like a decent guy. But you gotta understand it's... it's not easy to just... accept.. that someone wants to help. Five years, nobody's *just* wanted to help." Her forefinger taps rapidly against the tabletop as she considers him. "I... want to have a better life. But I don't know if that's.. possible."

Letting out a breath, she mutters, "Fuck it..." Then she looks back to Conner, "I'm a mutant. I can pass for a normal human, I don't change colors or grow scales or anything. My powers aren't flashy or loud or anything... but I couldn't take the chance that I'd be found out and my family would suffer for it." Kiden offers a wry smile and nods, "I'm twenty this year. Turn twenty-one next March."

Conner Kent has posed:
"I figured out," comments Conner. "I have a few mutant friends, and colleagues, I know you have it hard right now. I saw Genosha..." after the super-sentinels, he means, losing his smile.

He sighs. "Well, I know there is a safe haven for mutants near New York. I don't know the exact place, but I know folks who knows it. There is also Mutant Town, of course, but you know the place. It is not great, but it is usually safer than living in the streets. No ID needed."

Kiden Nixon has posed:
"I don't know Genosha or anyone from there. I'm just worried about my family." Kiden lets out a breath and rubs her fingers at her temple with a wince, "I... my dad... he was a cop here in the city. He was shot right in front of me when I was 11. Mom had it rough... me and my brothers were a lot to handle. Then my mutant powers kicked in at 15... and that was kinda the end of my 'normal' life. I ran afoul of some gangster asshole in my school. I got the better of him when he went after my friends... broke his arm. So he tried to shoot me a few weeks later. I used my powers to get out of the way of the bullet... but it hit a teacher behind me instead. Ran away a few weeks later." Kiden curls up in the booth, one foot starting to jitter as she stares at the puddle of ketcup on her plate. "A couple years later, me and some friends, we pile all our cash together and get an apartment. I start working as a waitress, under the table. A friend of mine ends up committing suicide in the bathroom of the apartment. We all scattered. Been on my own since."

Squeezing her arms around her knees, Kiden's right foot continues to jitter, jumping all the way up to her knee. "Mutant Town still needs ID to get housing. The clinic takes care of me when I need it... but I can't get into the housing. System's really set up to keep the downtrodden down." She jerks a small shrug and her eyes dart to the plate, then the table, then back to the ground. "I'm just... trying to survive."

Conner Kent has posed:
Conner nods slowly. "Well, as I said, I can help. No strings attached, I just know a few folks that have been in similar situations you were." He pulls a blank card from his wallet and scribbles his cellphone number. "Just call me if you need anything, even if it is just another burger. I have an apartment in the Village and I go to the local college there."

Kiden Nixon has posed:
Kiden takes the card, looking at the number, looking over the rest of the card, then tucking it into a pocket. "Like I said... if you can really help? Then... then I'd be interested. I just.. I have to be careful, you know? Life hasn't been exactly sunshine and roses." She offers a quick, faint smile, then glances back down again, "And.. thanks for the meal."