1689/Dissension and Discord in Mutant Town

Dissension and Discord in Mutant Town
Date of Scene:	15 May 2020
Location:	Bushwick <Mutant Town>
Synopsis:	Rave and Cecily come across two gangs standing off outside a gas station in Mutant Town: The Ogres and the Bloody Talons. A rumble happens, but quick actions from Rave and Cecily (with a little help from Maxwell) seem the gang members incapacitated and wrapped up for the police. More importantly, Rave wins her choice of slushy.
Cast of Characters:	Maxwell Wave, Naria Shepard, Cecily Winters

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Maxwell Wave has posed:
The story of Mutant Town is an ancient one that dates back to the beginnings of civilization. Ever since we began having 'Haves', we began having 'Have Nots'. Jealousy, envy, and discomfort create a social divide between these two groups, and often they parallel physical differences. Few places on Earth highlight this disparity more then New York's own mutant town. Poverty and Over-crowding lead to a scarcity of resources. Perpetually hungry and oppressed, the kindest souls harden. The ties that bind easily snap under such pressures, and those who have the most to gain from banding together can even fragment and compete.

A recent attack by a robotic menace has sparked a catalyst. Feeling even less safe then before, Mutants have begun gathering in small groups, gravitating towards those with enough might or ability to create some kind of sense of security. A few groups are beginning to try and carve out turf. Today, two of these groups face off. One of them calls themselves the 'Bloody Talons'. There seems to be a theme among them of being 'Sharp and Pointy'. Various physical mutations involving bone spurs, quills, blades... anything that can draw blood. The other group call themselves the 'Ogres'. They seem to gravitate toward big, brawny, and tough.

The stand-off is on the sidewalk in front of a run-down gas-station. Three of these would-be ogres carrying pipes and other blunt instruments. Five of the 'Bloody Talons', supporting their natural weapons. Two leaders stare each other down. The Ogre Leader appears to be a very large woman who has a lot in common with a pachyderm. The 'Bloody Talon' leader has knives for finger nails and particularly pointy teeth that slur his speech, "Awwww yisss.. You wannaz go, Dumbo? I'll slice you good."

Ogre leader's voice is very deep, rumbling from her chest. "This is our turf. Unless you want to be a pancake, GTFO.. NOW!"

Naria Shepard has posed:
Neither pointy or big and brawny, Rave was more...glowy. The 'bluenette' metahuman with the glowing locks had been more fortunate than some when it came to mutation and how their living circumstances had changed, but a recent trip to meet up with an 'organizer' for an event had her returning back past mutant town when the fringes of the confrontation had caught her senses.

She was still new to the hero thing, and in her hotpants and hoodie she looked more like she was out to exercise than any heroics...but curiousity got the better of Rave as she 'zipped' off her path in a streak of neon, coming to rest sitting on the edge of a nearby rooftop.

"Huh....Neighbourly disagreements?"

Cecily Winters has posed:
    As Rave's "handler", Ms. Winters isn't far behind. Events and public appearances are things she generally accompanies the young speedster to, and today is not an exception. Of course, she -is- left behind when the girl zoomsoff and up a building. The bodyguard shakes her head, still getting used to this, and checks her messenger bag. Secure. And she, too, zips off. No Flash or Rave by far, the well-dressed fox dashes, hops, skips, jumps, and gracefully ascends the nearest fire escape.

    Not too long after, she's standing behind Rave by a couple of yards, as not to be visible as she folds her arms. "Trouble, Miss Shepard?" she asks, voice low, chilly but inquisitive. This is her job, after all.

Maxwell Wave has posed:
Maxwell doesn't strike a particularly scary visage himself. He's currently wearing cover-alls and a hard hat when he walks around the street corner, quickly drawing to a halt when he sees the conflict ahead. His most striking feature is glowing eyes, and these eyes really glow. Currently emitting a halo of cyan, there's no actual visible eyeball in his sockets, just glowing spheres. He frowns gravely and takes a back step, his hands resting on the brick corner. At this moment, he's a bystander.

"Yous are going to have to makes usss, you big dumb Bi-" Mister Sharp Teeth didn't get a chance to finish that sentence. A very large and surprisingly swift boot toe connects with his jaw. His teeth clack together, and he is lifted off the payment to land a few feet backwards in a sprawl.

The other members of the Talons leap at the large pachyderm-like woman, bone razors and other pointy appendages drawing blood yet not eviscerating as they should thanks to a strong mutant hide. The rest of the Ogres join the fray and the brawl has begun in earnest. The first piece of collateral damage is one of the gas station windows. A thrown brick from a large ogre'ish man shattering the glass. Offering profanities from inside, the shopkeeper is already beginning to dial 911.

Naria Shepard has posed:
"Trouble," Rave confirms, frowning and glancing sidelong with her own glowing irises toward Cecily. "I think these guys are about to th-," she doesn't quite get to finish, because the fight is on and chaos breaks out. "Well, okay then..."

A superpowered riot? What could be easier, right? Without really waiting for her tailed protector to object or approve, the girl lept, streaking out of physical form to appear in the mix, fingers dancing with brilliant neon light before she lets out a 'burst' of hardlight, trying to stun and knock back the two sides.

"HEY!" her voice rings out amidst the fray, "Cut it out!"

Cecily Winters has posed:
    WInters knows what's coming. She closes her eyes the moment the sound of foot meeting face meets her sensitive ears. She just crouches down, laying out her bag, and pulling several parts out of it, wrapped in thick cloth. While Rave is down at the party in a blink and a flash, Cecily's hands are busy assembling a rifle with a mix of her own supernatural quickness and dexterity, combined with practiced precision.

    She can hear her charge call out from the middle of the mosh pit, not something entirely unfamiliar to her, as she secures the barrel and threads the suppressor onto her rifle. A quick appraisal of three different magazines, each one with a strip of colored tape on them, before she pulls the bolt, thunks the mag into place, and locks in the first round before laying at the edge of the roof.

    Non-lethal munitions, designed to incapacitate, stun. Useful 'toys.' Of course, she'd be relying on Rave to deal with the larger ones, in case things escalated even further than they are now. Still, she scopes in on one of the Talons, sights drifting between legs and sternum as she awaits the response to the callout.

Maxwell Wave has posed:
Pachyderm appears to have some fairly serious wounds on her person now having taken the original onslaught before being supported by her fellow Ogres. Blood trickles down her already dirty tank-top and runs down her torn jeans. She seems oblivious to the pain, but she has noticeable 'flaps' of flesh as a result of lacerations.

Her original opponent isn't moving, a trickle of blood running from the corner of his mouth, likely where his very sharp teeth either cut his tongue or sunk into his cheek.

Despite having the more significant numbers, the Talons are not fairing well against the brawn of the ogres. One of these members supporting a mo-hawk of bone spurs walks over to a gas pump.

Then comes Rave's brilliant display. Both sides reach cover their eyes and a litany of 'unflattering names' soon follow. Rave gets the desired effect, though.

Mo-hawk seems a little less stunned, and while the fighting has stopped, he carefully plucks a bottle from the nearby trash can and begins feeling it with gasolene from a nozzle.

The shopkeeper inside calls out his broken window, "Yea, cut it out! The police are on their way!" echoing Rave.

Pachyderm is breathing heavily. She grunts, and once her eyes recover from the flash, she growls at Rave. "This ain't none of your business, small fry! Get out of here before I stomp your little ass." She then bellows a laugh at the shopkeeper, "Yea, like I'll still be here in the -hour- it takes them to show up."

Maxwell watches Rave with some interest, evidently impressed about how she jumped into the fray. He decides to strut out and offer some backup. "Listen to the woman, cut it out or at least take it somewhere else!"

Maxwell fails to notice the presence of Miss Winters on the rooftop, and so do the various gang members. The only impediment from her vantage point is the awning over the gas pumps. She can see the bottle retrieved though and a pair of hands filling it with gas.

Naria Shepard has posed:
Both eyes and the locks of her brilliant blue hair still glowing, Rave's gaze flicks over the scene and the general lack of cooperation. Figures it wasn't as simple as asking nicely!

The shopkeeper's agreement was well and good, but the Orge of a woman wasn't backing down, leaving the bluenette to turn and face her. "You're welcome to try, but you'd have to catch me first..."

Then there was the gas man! Even the 'rookie' heroine knew lasers and gasoline wasn't a great mix, but that left a more straightforward approach...

A 'blink' and she was over by the man, reaching to try and pull the bottle from his hands with a 'sweet' smile. "Lets not do that.."

Cecily Winters has posed:
    Cecily would much prefer to not have to escalate things, but she does keep her rifle focused on the scene at hand. She frowns when the Talon starts filling up a non-approved gasoline container, dearly hoping the station's pump safety killswitch is inside the kiosk and not on the pump itself. She sighs, tails lashing behind her, perked and waving as she watches Rave blink.

    Gunfire and gasoline don't mix either, but with the capable mutant handling it, as well as the appearance of her new recent acquaintance, she rests a little bit easier. Still, she maintains her overwatch, scanning over the rest of the group in case someone else jumps. A shattered kneecap from a plasticised bullet is better than being dead, after all.

Maxwell Wave has posed:
Mo-Hawk is completely surprised by Rave, and the bluenette manages to take the bottle of gasoline from him. Shocked, he drops the gasoline nozzle which auto-switches off, though he wets his jean legs a little bit with the flammable liquid.

"Whoa, she's fast!" comments an Ogre who happens to be holding one of the Talon's by the throat, the latter flailing his legs and punching at the meaty forearm with bone spur knuckles. A realization then dawns on him. He points with a thick finger, "That asshole was going to light us on fire. Well, if that's how we are going to play."

The ogre member begins to squeeze hard on the throat of the Talon member in his clutches, and his would-be victim flails in panic.

After coming to his senses, Mo-hawk tries to headbutt Rave with potentially deadly consequences, but he is not particularly fast.

Pachyderm bellows rage and picks up a steel drum currently used as a trashcan. She hurls it at both Rave and Mo-hawk. There is a brief flash of light from Maxwell's general direction, and the steel drum slows and floats as if not affected by gravity.

Naria Shepard has posed:
Well crap, people were really set on fighting, weren't they? At least she could say she tried! "Oh come o-" she begins, only to finish the sentance behind Mo-Hawk as he takes his attempt at a stabby headbutt. "-n! What the heck is your problem?"

A trashcan headed to her was likely going to clean up the thug first...then it was floating weightlessly. Huh.

There was a blink, a glance towards Max's direction in the slow motion of heightened perception before she looks back at Mo-Hawk. The punch she swings isn't particularly elegant...but at least it was fast!

Cecily Winters has posed:
    Sigh. Nope. That would be too easy if things defused with a stern word and a slap on the wrist. Cecily isn't too worried about Rave dealing with her Mohawked friend, and is grateful for Maxwell's assistance. But, gangers or not, she'd rather not see anyone dead today. "Breathe in..." she fills her lungs, and sights in on the brute holding the Talon.

    "...breathe out." Empty. Hold. Pull. It's almost a blur, the brief flurry of motion from the trigger pull, the cycle of the bolt, and another. Two muffled shots from the rooftop 'spack!' out, though the yelling down below likely muffles the suppressed gunshots further. The first shot? She'd aimed for the Ogre's wrist, to break his hold on the Talon. The second? She'd seen how much damage the big ones could endure, and goes for his thick skull, a solid impact likely enough to at least rattle his brain. Of course, in her wishful thinking, hopes it knocks the big lug out.

Maxwell Wave has posed:
Acceleration is a significant factor in the equation of force. For a punch, this acceleration is achieved when the fist at a reasonably high velocity abruptly stops on someone's face, resulting is a large force applied. When that fist is really really fast, the punch hits really really hard even when the mass behind it is slight.

Mo-hawk's head lurches back from the Rave's swing, his knees buckling beneath him, and he wobbles to the ground.

The floating trashcan abruptly reverses direction and speeds up, impacting Pachyderm with a heavy WHAAOOOOM, as vibrations travel through the steel drum, staggering the massive woman.

The muffled rapport of Miss Winter's rifle draws Maxwell's attention for a moment, though in truth, it's a visible trail of force that draw's the mutant's attention, not the sound itself. The Ogre howls as the first projectile impacts his wrist, his death grip on the Talon relaxes. The almost deceased falls to the ground, coughing and hacking. The second projectile clearly stuns the large man. He lists from side to side until he falls face first on top of his opponent.

The sudden incapacitation of three of the gang members shakes the morale of the remaining Ogre and Talons. They begin to scatter in all directions. Pachyderm, once she regains her senses, growls in frustration but is smart enough to know when things have taken a turn. She lifts her comrade off the pinned Talon, shoulders him, and then begins to book it, leaving droplets of blood in her wake from the various wounds she's incurred.

Naria Shepard has posed:
Unfortunately, there was another rule of physics Rave's hand had to obey, the 'equal reaction' bringing a little whince as she drew back her hand from the staggering Mo-Hawk, shaking and the grasping at it with a soft 'Oh wow that hurt!' under her breath.

She was still working on that whole hand-to-hand thing, clearly.

Fleeing thugs, that had her considering for a moment, but well...she couldn't go knocking them all out, even if this was likely to happen again. A sigh, she glances towards the rooftop with a little 'salute' of her fingers. "We need to buy handcuffs or something..." she murmers and then finally turns to Max, tilting her head. "So uh...thanks 'trashcan guy'."

Cecily Winters has posed:
    It would happen again. And with all that extra weight on the ogre leader's shoulders, coupled with her wounds, Winters makes a choice. She adjusts her aim, taking her breath, and pulling the trigger. A rapid cycle of the bolt again, and a second. Between supernatural swiftness and her own training, she might as well be double-tapping with a semi-auto.

    Again, nonvital points. Structural weaknesses. The back of those calves are her targets on the fleeing Pachy. One, then the other. If the ring leaders are down for the count, it might stem the flow of violence for these two gangs for a short time at least. Besides, Cecily also cares about the battered ogress bleeding wounds and potential for infection. Spack! Spack!

    Then she sits up, seeing the movement from Rave, lifting her hand in a return acknowledgement.

Maxwell Wave has posed:
Maxwell's eyes seem to change from cyan to purple as the violence begins to calm down. He offers Rave a smile and shrug. "Ah, don't mention it. You and Miss Winters probably had it covered."

He walks over to the gas pump, picks up the nozzle, and slots it back in. He turns to survey the broken window and sighs. "It's the same story all over the place.. That last robot attack has really frazzled everyone. It's turning community leaders into gang bosses."

He takes off his hardhat and then extends his hand toward Rave for a friendly shake. He winces as he hears the 'pack' of more shots from Miss Winters. His head swivels to watch as Pachy trips from the dual impacts to her calves. The sudden impact on the street combined with blood loss leave her in a dazed position, the person she was carrying rag dolls in an unpleasant tumble.

Naria Shepard has posed:
A blink, a tilt of her head, Rave glances towards Cecily's position. "You know her?" she questions, clearly suprised by the revelation before nodding in agreement.

"I heard about that," Rave nods as she begins her walk towards the shopkeeper, continuing conversation with Max. "Crazy to think someone would do something like that, but crap like this doesn't help us look better..."

Reaching the man, the girl gestures to herself lightly, "I'm Rave, thanks for calling the cops but..." A quick dig into her pockets and out comes one of her business cards: the ones that declare her a musician and DJ...

"If they come back and cause trouble, give me a call? I'll be there in a Fla-...really fast."

Cecily Winters has posed:
    Cecily's already dismantling her rifle when Rave glances her way, a flash of white from the rooftop as she quite literally turns tail. The parts are wrapped in their cloth, secured in her bag, and she collects her brass as well. If Max watches her position, he'd be able to see her descend from the rooftop rather gracefully, by way of stone sills and drainage pipes to land daintily on her feet.

    With a sigh, she dusts and smoothes out her clothes before approaching the conversating duo. A nod of acknowledgement to Maxwell, a cool half-smile, and then a glance to Rave. She stays silent for now, letting the pair plus the shopkeeper speak. Clearly she's in professional mode now, and as her tails wave, there's not a hair out of place or any indication she'd been sniping from the rooftop moments ago.

Maxwell Wave has posed:
Maxwell nods, "Yep. Met her when she stumbled upon one of my clean up sites. Nice lady. Brought her to a nearby pub and shared some tea and conversation."

The shopkeeper looks at Rave with wide eyes and then nods accepting the business cards. He then asks, "You umm.. want.. a taquito or somethin'?" He gives her a nervous grin and points to one of the rollers containing a variety of gas station taquitos.

As Cecily draws closer, Maxwell offers a low whistle, "I did not know you were such a bad ass, Miss Winters. I guess I understand why you are a bodyguard."

He chuckles then gazes toward the incapacitated thugs, smile turning into a frown. "I guess.. we should tie them up or something. They weren't exaggerating when they said it'd take the police forever to get here."

He walks past Mo-Hawk who levitates off the ground and begins to follow Max. The more squashed Talon is the next one, similarly floating in the air behind Maxwell. Pachy and her comrade are collected in the same fashion. They are neatly stacked in front of Miss Winters and Rave. "I.. don't have rope or anything."

Naria Shepard has posed:
"Assistant," Rave corrects, crossing her arms under her bust with a light pout. Clearly she didn't like the thought that she needed a bodyguard!

"But yes she is...pretty good..."

A taquito? Rave shakes her head, but a moment of thought and the woman grins brightly. "Do you have slushies or something? Or even just a soda would be awesome..."

Because sugar was exactly what she needed! A turn to the tailed, tailored foxgirl and she grins, tilting her head. "Going out and drinking with strangers Ms Winters. I didn't know you were so social!"

Cecily Winters has posed:
    "Security consultant," Cecily corrects both of them, but is that a hint of a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth? Nah. Must be something else. She takes a moment as the gang members are stacked as neatly as tangled bodies can be, and roams the gas station convenience area for a few moments, coming back out after having paid for some bungee cables, pausing to look between Max and Rave.

    "I do get around. My contract isn't twenty-four seven. I think that would be awkawrd for both of us, and neither of us could get anything done." The fox then sets to making that magic happen with those flexible cables, seeming... surprisingly adept at restraining with some form of rope. Likely training on improvised arrest techniques should you be unable to use handcuffs. ...probably.

    "I found myself in this side of town and met Maxwell here. Was pleasantly surprised to be able to find not only halfway decent tea, packaged as it was, but good fish and chips," she she says rather smartly between small sounds of the effort it takes to move chunky arms into position or carefully avoid sharp protrusions. She does get around, and Rave will likely find footage of that soon enough.

Maxwell Wave has posed:
"Slushies? Yea, Nine flavors. Knock yourself out doll, you earned it." The shopkeeper gestures to the back corner which has an array of spinning colors representing flavors ranging for coke to limeade.

Max gives Rave a dubious look at the correction to 'assistant' and doesn't quite seem to believe it, but he shrugs and goes along with it, "Uhh.. sure, assistant."

He slips his hardhat back on then goes 'Ahh' as Miss Winters corrects further. He will assist the woman as she restrains the 'perps' though his help amounts mostly to holding sharp things carefully while she binds.

Max ultimately nods his seal of approval at the handiwork and slips his hands into the pockets of his coveralls. "Well, that seems like a night's work. You.. both.. uh.. do this kind of thing often?" He adds nervously.

Naria Shepard has posed:
A little woop of something between thanks and excitement, Rave blurs into the store in a streak of neon, appearing a few moments later stirring a straw through a large cup of brightly colored sugary slush.

"Uh-uh," Rave simply acknowledges Cecily's words, although a little nudge of her elbow comes with a grin. "Ahhh, like you don't love being around me. I'm awesome!"

There's even a little wink flashed to the fox before she looks back to Max and shrugs her shoulders, she'd assist with tying, but the others were likely well along with only a few culprits down.

"We sort of...do what we can?"

Cecily Winters has posed:
    "You make it difficult to do my job at times, Rave, but I do enjoy being around you," the fox acquiesces but that hint of a smile is still there. "But you also make it easy to do my job. You are so bright and quick and colorful, not only can I keep an eye on you when you're taking care of business like this, I feel practical invisible in exchange." She nods, tying the last knot and double-wrapping the hooked ends of the bungees over themselves.

    "As a consultant, I escort Rave on her social outings, by her request, and provide support as I can. Events. Patrols. Concerts. If she wants me on security detail, I'm there. As for today..." she looks at the blood on her gloved hands from Pachy, and back to the pile, ears lifted to try and catch any trace of a siren. "...accidents happen. Right place, right time happens. There may have been casualties. Worst case, the gas station would have gone up from the careless shit-for-brains thinking he was so clever with the bottle. And you'd be sifting through the rubble a second day in a row..." she sighs, shaking her head.

    "Good job, dear. Both of you."

Maxwell Wave has posed:
Maxwell nods as he listens and the beams a smile toward Cecily. "Ah yea.. Like I need another mess to clean up. Glad you two were around to handle it, and glad I could offer some help in the process." He adjusts his hardhat then draws his phone out of his pocket. He takes a snapshot of the tied up goons for posterity before depositing his phone. Last, he draws a business card from a pocket with his contact information offering it to Rave. "Well, if you ever need a mechanical or civil engineer for something, need someone to clean up a mess, or well, want backup.. Give me a ring. I'm usually up to helping good people, and I figure you just proved you were one of them."

He tips his hardhat and starts to walk away. "Excuse me.. I'd like to be out of here before the police arrive. They make me nervous. Enjoy the rest of your night!"