17169/Bad Mix in the Cauldron

Bad Mix in the Cauldron
Date of Scene:	12 February 2024
Location:	Burnley - Bleake Island
Synopsis:	When a large, gasoline spewing Metahuman starts to cause issues in Burnley, the Outsiders are there to lend a hand.
Cast of Characters:	Phoebe Beacon, Tim Drake, Conner Kent, Michael Hannigan, Bart Allen, Kiden Nixon

---

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    BLEAKE ISLAND -- Burnley -- also known as The Cauldron -- is the epicenter of tonight's violence.

    The bass of an explosion rocks the streets as warehouse dangerously close to the Ace Chemical Processing Plant and its abandoned vats. The sky in the area lights orange and red, and distantly the sounds of sirens errupt as the few residents in the area daring enough peek out their windows -- others are quickly going out back doors or fire escapes to escape the sudden heat late on a February night.

    Balm is already on the scene -- not wearing any of her armors, but instead black tac pants and a fitted top, under a red sweatshirt that probably once belonged to someone else before she borrowed it.

    <<Outsiders -- this is Balm. There's some weird energies down here in the Cauldron tonight!>> she squeaks out into the communicator, before another explosion rocks the area, followed by the garbled, electronic sound of melting speakers, rigged to eleven, and the scraping of steel on burning buildings.

Tim Drake has posed:
    << Like any sane and sensible person, I will head directly toward whatever shenanigans are going on there. >> Sarcasm. Red Robin is in a mood tonight.

    His left foot shifts his bat cycle up in gear and his right hand guns the throttle as he thunders down the road in the direction of Balm's warning.

    << Check in. Who's available? >>

Conner Kent has posed:
Superboy is not supposed to operate in Gotham, but emergency situations are exceptions, and this is an emergency for sure. A large chemical fire is something that can kill many citizens and even well trained firemen.

Also Phoebe is not fire-proof. Or is she? One never knows with magic-users. Conner will assume she is not and that she is also in some unlikely, unsafe place, because Phoebe.

<<I am coming. I got Flux, too.>> Transmit Conner on his way from New York. <<Can you triangulate Balm's location, Robin? Pretty sure she is in trouble.>>

Michael Hannigan has posed:
<<Of course I'd pick today to be in town... U- n- ....>>

There is a bit of an awkward pause before the voice comes back.

<<Phantasm heading over. And Did I hear an explosion?>>

Bart Allen has posed:
Bart Allen calls over the com. "I had the night off from work, but back in Gotham now." He says as he comes from doing some shopping in Central city. He drops some bags off on a nearby rooftop before, he is coming in beside Phoebe, and skids to a stop. He looks about and says "Ok, where ya need me?"

Kiden Nixon has posed:
"Well, we managed a good three date nights before being interrupted! Think we can get to four next time?" Kiden tries to keep a positive outlook. Too much destruction and depression make for poor company, after all! Still, she's glad she's more of a pants girl than a skirt girl.

Still, they're headed for what sounds like a shitstorm, so she'll put her 'game face' on in the flight to Gotham. But first. "Are you *sure* you want to move there this summer? Explosions and evil masterminds and toxic gasses... and God only know what's been done to the water, I bet it's worse than Flint." Because teasing Conner is an excellent pasttime!

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    <My bad, all, next time I'll arrange explosive metacreature fire-slinging bad guys near my apartment on a better day for everyone!> Balm sounds distinctly stressed as she responds to the comms coming in.

    One shield -- Two shields -- three shields -- someone lobs an air conditioner from a rooftop unit at her, the massive metal box and fans rattling through the air before hitting her shield. She skids backwards, and winces -- until Bart's voice rattles through the boom of the fire.

    "Check the peremeter. Get everyone out who's straggling. Give me four streets in radius." she states to the Speedster, "Idu's with Potato, if you find them get them to safety." she adds to Bart, and then she turns back to the rumble of fire and the stench of melting tartop.

    Out of the smoke and fire, a figure appears. Over eight feet tall, grotesquely built with folds upon folds of adiposal tissue, the wretched reek of dead body funk and low-water rivers at the peak of summer accompanies him as he belches noxious gas.

    "WHERE. ARE. DA. BATS?!" he crows out, and he turns, raising one of his meaty ham fists and smashes it into and through a car's roof, then turns and launches the vehicle into the air, the heavy mid-90's car heading directly for the parlor window of a hapless old lady, who just wanted to see what was going on!

Conner Kent has posed:
"Three out of four is above average," comments Conner, off the comms. "I don't want to move here, this place is a dump. Only good thing are a few restaurants, besides..." oh look, a flying car!

Conner manages to grab it with one hand, while keeping Kiden afloat with the other arm. "Damn, look at that thing," he grunts, tossing the vehicle back at him. <<I see Balm and a big bad,>> He says for the Comsys, flying low to let Kiden stand on the ground, close to Phoebe.

Tim Drake has posed:
    In roars Red Robin on his bat cycle. He sees the AC unit flying at Balm and he frowns. He doesn't like seeing any of his friends attacked, but his special friendship with Phoebe is more akin to that between blood siblings. But she's a professional. He needs to focus on the job at hand.

    << Looks like at least one...I dunno...gassy, out-of-work professional wrestler? Superboy, see what you can do. >>

    Over the com system the team can hear Red Robin yelling at someone: "Hey, are you crazy? Get out of the road!"

    The bat cycle almost collides with some looters who are taking advantage of the chaos. People are lovely creatures. "Sentinel Mode," he says to his bike, which eases to a stop and initiates defensive countermeasures. Meanwhile, Red Robin leaps off the bike, does a flip in mid-air, and lands right in the middle of the looters. He's engaging in hand-to-hand combat with them as they surround him, and all the while he is giving instructions.

    << Flux, Impulse, can you look for wounded. Let Balm know if you find any. >> The sounds of him fighting are heard over the comm and he speaks.

Michael Hannigan has posed:
<< I'm not complaining on the lack of explosions for other calls, I'm just wanting to know what we're heading i- >>

Yet another awkward pause.

<< What the f- >>

A purplish-black bird swoops down coming near the burning building. .

<< Was that building in use? Odds of squatters? >>

Bart Allen has posed:
Bart Allen will nod, and starts heading off into the area, starting at the center, he starts an outward spiral, each time he finds a person or two he is off to take them to a hastily set up triage area, Bart calls the Ambulances to tell them to meet them there. He will make sure if anyone who he rescues has any medical skills they can help others. And yes Animals get taken as well, as he sets up a couple fences to put the animals in till people can claim them if they are theirs.

Kiden Nixon has posed:
"Hm, you have a point," Kiden grins at Conner before flinching at the incoming car. Not that Conner can't handle it, but it's still not fun to see flying at you!

She's dropped off with instructions given, nodding.

<Got it. Going in!>

She offers a quick wave and smile to Phoebe before flexing her own powers and, well, steps away from Time. Having one's own alternate time stream is quite nice. Most people can't see her, though those with the Speed Force seem to be able to! She'll figure that out eventually, maybe she's breaking into their Force or maybe the two run concurrently? Something!

These are the things that Kiden gets to think about while she's moving around, seeking out survivors and wounded to pull to safety. Thankfully, in Kiden's world, she has all the time, and multitasking is a breeze! Popping out long enough when she finds one to call out.

<Where do you want survivors?>

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    The car is caught heroically by Conner. It does not go into the old biddies window.

    Kiden hits the ground, and unfortunately Phoebe can't wave at the moment, since she's keeping her shields up, the lazily spinnign eight-pointed star frozen in time as Kiden separates from the time stream.

    Impulse is going around saving people and the animals, gathering everyone far from the flames -- and who Impulse doesn't rescue, Flux pulls through time to a safepoint.

    "Back there -- between the Curio building and the next. The wards should extend there to keep everyone quiet." she states to the brownstone with CURIO encribed in the stone.

    <<I can't healspam at the moment, I'm trying to contain the fire. and filter gas without creating backdraft. All my fire supression is in my actual armors. What do you got on the bike, Red?>> Balm calls out over the comms.

    And The Big Guy, the Bulk, gives a gutteral roar as the car is caught, and he whips his head around bonelessly like a canvas sack full of gelatin, and then spews noxious green gel-fluid outwards past rotting, yellowed teeth.

    It smells suspiciously like gasoline!

    And that's about when the car catches up to him, and knocks his head back with a wet sounding WHACK

Tim Drake has posed:
    A punch. A kick. A head butt. A knee. An elbow lock. Red Robin has more important things to deal with right now than a group of opportunistic looters. In short order they are all put down, and for the next few weeks they will be carrying painful reminders of this encounter.

    << A fire needs four things to burn: heat, oxygen, fuel, and a chemical reaction. >> Nerd boy is nerding out right in the middle of a battle! << Impulse, do you think you can do something about that oxygen part? That should free up Balm to help the wou...um...does anyone else smell gasoline? >>

    Red Robin turns in the direction of Mr. Bulk with a sudden look of grave concern on his face.

Conner Kent has posed:
<<Yep. He vomits gasoline, because of course,>> comments Conner. Plenty of fuel now. <<He could make himself rich filling gas deposits, I guess greed is not his motivation.>>

Heat, oxygen, fuel and a chemical reaction. Conner can't do anything about the heat, he has yet to figure out that freezing breath thing others members of the El family have. He can't do much about the oxygen, and definitely nothing about chemical reactions, lacking those nifty powers to alter physics at will.

<<This is going to suck for me, but maybe I can remove Mr. Gasoline McBreath from the equation. Put them in some less burnable environment. Like, say, middle of the river. No one will notice a little more toxic waste.>>

It is going to suck for him, though, because the smell is terrible already. But he flies straight to the Big Bad to grab him and try to drag him river-wards.

Michael Hannigan has posed:
The bird glides in the air, processing the unspoken, message behind the comm chat.

<< Alright. Heading over to check on the survivors. >>

With a swerve, the bird makes a turn, moving off towards the direction the little blurs of activity go.

The bird descends, tumbling forward before elongating into a more humanoid form, walking into the crowd to take a look around for anyone who simply CAN'T WAIT for transport.

Bart Allen has posed:
Bart Allen nods a bit and will let Flux know where the spots he has not gotten to. He then does another quick search for the closer area of the fire "Ok, SB, make sure your holding your mouth shut, going to do what I can to get the air out of the area right around the fire. He has seen the Flash do this before, and he starts kicking on the speed as he starts to run around in a circle creating a vacuum to try to put the fire out.

Kiden Nixon has posed:
Once all the survivors are out of the way, Kiden steps back into the stream of normal time, looking towards Conner and the gasbag of a blob with a wince. Good luck with that one, Conner! Instead, she glances to Phoebe, "So.. this thing called out the Bats. Is that normal? Do villains immigrate to Gotham just to test themselves against them?"

Then she's watching Bart with a low whistle, "Impressive speed." Then pausing to jump on com, <Wait a sec.. this guy can spew gas, so that's one of the things needed to cause a fire, but how was he making shit explode??>

Tim Drake has posed:
    "Assault mode," Red Robin speaks into his gauntlet as he watches in marvel at Impulse spinning around faster than the eye can follow. At his verbal command, his bat cycle roars to life and beelines to the creature that Superboy is attempting to drag off. One more piece of distraction to help out his super pal. "Batman's gonna kill me for wrecking another bat cycle."

    << Balm, are you and Phantasm good with the wounded? Chatter on the radio indicates EMS is still five minutes out. >>

    The black-and-red-clad vigilante fires a grappling line and pulls himself up to a rooftop for a better vantage point. He whistles low as he looks around. << It's been five minutes and there is already an army of looters. >> Keying in a code on his gauntlet, Red Robin notifies GCPD of the numbers and approximately locations of the looters.

Michael Hannigan has posed:
The group of survivors seems a little jumbled. But there are a few taking charge of sections of the group. Someone has found a hose and is currently using the water to help rinse off those who may have gotten hit with some of the gasoline like spray. Off to the side, others have acquired simple first aid kits. Which is great. Because guess what Phantasms don't carry?

...

YOU GOT IT. FIRST AID MATERIALS.

All in all the shadowy figure walking amongst them seems pretty useless as he looks around. Before he reaches the back area to find some burn victims.

Well shit.

Some definition returns to the shadowy figure as he un-phantasms. All old secondhand clothing that looks like Gotham poverty basic issue. Hoodie, jeans, backpack... Normal stuff.

Well except for the mask covering the face and neck that is.

% Tim's question isn't ignored.

<< A lot of the survivors are tending to their own for the lesser injuries. Looking into the burn victims.>>

Shuffling forward to the one that looks the worse off, he brings his hands together in a praying fashion before he starts rhythmically murmuring something. As he continues there's a slight glow that builds up amongst the fingertips before the hands press together, smushing the energy into the palms of the gloves. Hands move over to the burns, lightly covering them. When the light dulls from the gloves, the move away showing the burns to be lessened to more of a low-level sunburn. Mike shakes his hands a little before he turns to the next victim in line.