284/Life is but a Stage

Life is but a Stage
Date of Scene:	04 March 2020
Location:	Arkham Asylum Penitentiary
Synopsis:	Lois Lane visits Clayface for an interview and gets a different story.
Thanks to:	Thanks to Lois for making the scene possible
Cast of Characters:	Matt Hagen, Lois Lane
Cast of NPCs:	Arkham Orderlies/Guards
Tinyplot:	The Horrors of Arkham

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Matt Hagen has posed:
Matt Hagen sits in his cell. Most times he does not bother taking a shape and just languishes there as a pile of oozing clay. He was most recently brought in, frozen, by liquid nitrogen in order to aprehend him. He was trapped in a jewelry robbery gone bad where he had tried to impersonate another villainess, Harley Quinn, but the owner began shooting him as soon as he saw bells.

How Hagen ended up here is beside the point though. Or rather it is exactly the point, for his story may be interesting for the public to read. The scandal had played itself out ages ago and is old news. But most do not connect the monster that now sits in human form in the cell with the actor who was once a rising star in his prime. But who is he now? Is he more the monster pretending to be a man? Or is he still a man inside who can look like a monster? Those are questions that need to be asked. This is why today they told him he would have a visitor and not the usual psychiatrist or lawyer either. Intrigued by being saught after by the media once again Clayface decides to play along and see what happens. Though there is a bitterness swelling within him, one made of a life lost and forbidden to him forever.

Lois Lane has posed:
It's not the story Lois Lane truly takes on, but it's one she finds fascinating. She did promise both Clark and (the totally dead) Superman that she'd be more careful and certainly there wouldn't be anything that could go wrong walking into Arkham. She's curious, more than anything. So when she enters the room, she does her best to try not to scare off the story.

"Mr. Hagen? I'm Lois Lane, of the Daily Planet. I thought you might be interested in telling your story a little bit. I believe it might be something people would like to know."

Matt Hagen has posed:
Clayface 's cell is hermetically sealed. With only one outlet, a small drain at the bottom of his cell that has a closed valve to it somewhere below. Even the smallest crack would allow him to escape his prison. But that also means there is no food, no fresh air, and nothing more than the cell across from him as a view for entertainment to pass the time. THe modular cell still has a bench for a bed, and some shelving for some books which were not provided to him as they do not dare open his cell to give them to him. Currently he is seated as his old original self. Matt Hagen, a man in his mid to late 30's. Fair of face and having one of those countanences that could easily with a little makeup become anyone else. A masked daredevil Zorro. A frankenstine's monster or the mad doctor himself. Hagen has played all of those roles before to great aclaim. But for now he is playing himself.

A pair of orderlies are nearby with shock batons at the ready just in case problems happen. There is a small nozzel in the ceiling also just in case. Still, Hagen... Clayface... seems well behaved at the moment. He is sitting upon his bench/bed somewhat sullen but upright and alert as he turns and looks at intrepid reporter. "Miss Lane. Sure. I have a story. Thats all we are after all. Stories." he says carefully. Concentrating to hold his shape with care lest he start dripping in front of his only audience in a long time.

Lois Lane has posed:
"That's a little cynical, Mr. Hagen. Not that I blame you, to be honest, but what are we if not our stories. They are our truth, our legacy, what we tell others. The trick is, what do you want the world to see? What shapes you?" The word usage is intentional, Lois is very purposeful in tying his changing form to his own story. One without the other would be almost criminal.

"Tell me something. What is it you regret? Out of all of this, there must be something you regret doing or not doing."

Matt Hagen has posed:
Clayface sits for a long moment thinking carefully about what he will say. This is after all a rare moment back in the spotlight afterall. "I regret a lot of things, Ms. Lane. I regret not being back in the business... but that is impossible for me. Both because of what I have done, and because of what I am now. I am in this shape because it wont frighten you, Ms. Lane. I hear you do not frighten easily. But I am being kind because I feel like it." he clenches a fist then relaxes it. There is perhaps a brief shimmer on his pantleg where it became shiny or wet-like for just a moment before it returned to normal.

"Truth is, Ms.Lane. I never had a chance you see. After my car accident this man, Dagget, he knew his product was dangerous but he was going to use it, and me to make as much off of it as he could. I just couldn't say no to him. Nobody could have in my position. I looked like this... you see." he lets his face melt and soon a horribly scarred and burrned face reveals itself briefly. Half of his face was so misshapen he's barely reccognizable as a human let alone a former good looking actor. He quickly reforms his face back to his original self. "That was the first time I became a monster, Ms. Lane. I sold my soul to reclaim what was taken from me by a drunk driver on the road."

Lois Lane has posed:
There is a grin from Lois. "You're right, I don't frighten easy. But all the same, I am glad you're feeling in a kind mood." It certainly helps to keep someone talking if they're not interested in making trouble. While she doesn't shy away from looking, the reporter gives a tiny wince at the sight of the horror he faced. It's not a look of pity, but one of sympathy. She'd hate to see anyone face that.

"So what makes a monster then, in your eyes? Is it a matter of being feared? Of being different? /Looking/ different? Does a monster act a certain way? Or are monsters created by society's lack of action?" It's not all questions made to be answers, they're there to prompt thinking.

Matt Hagen has posed:
Clayface takes a deep breath, then lets it out again clenching his fist. "They say that the chemicals used on me affected my thinking. That I am not fully responsible for what I am. Truth is, Ms.Lane they're right. There's a monster in me. One that was let loose when Dagget's men tried to kill me for attempting to back out of his criminal blackmailing of me to do his dirty work. Bats knew what he was up to. But he didn't stop him in time. They could have, and then things would have been different. Maybe. I just don't know."

Hagen stands up and begins pacing the parimeter of his cell as he talks, "Sure people are scared of me. Cause of what I can do. Because of what I look like when I relax..." A drop of mud drips from his sleeve and then as it hits the floor it 'scurries' back to his leg rejoining him. The entire event seems to go unnoticed by him though as if it were as automatic as breathing. "Looking like a monster doesn't make me the monster. Its what I did because of it. Thats what did it. I took revenge, Ms.Lane. Both on Dagget's men, and on Dagget himself. I also took out a few upstarts who owed me bigtime for their success but abandoned me as soon as it was inconvenient for them. I'd take revenge on that drunk driver too, but I never was able to figure out who that was. He just drove off and left me in a pile of wreckage on the side of the road. Maybe that's your real monster, Lane. Find him for me and I'll show you a real monster."

Lois Lane has posed:
"Society has a bad habit of letting real monsters go," Lois says, shaking her head a tiny bit. "I can't say I agree with your actions, but I can say that if you didn't do what you did... they probably would have gotten away with their own misdeeds." She looks him over, as if trying to study the man behind the 'mud'.

"So if you could send a message to society, what would you tell them? Would it be about you as a person, or you as a monster?"

Matt Hagen has posed:
Clayface takes a breath and again lets it out, "A message? To society? What does that even mean? What do I owe society a message for?" his voice turning a bit angry. He then looks away and paces some more before returning to his answer. "If I have to leave a message for my former fans, to all the people who used to see what I was on stage or on the screen... perhaps I would ask them what they would have done if they were in my shoes. To have everything you were, that business was my whole life and it was stolen from me. Yet they all demanded that I return to it. I could feel it, Ms.Lane. Their hunger for their star. For the roles I could become. So when Dagget made his offer I took it. Thats the truth of it. The world out there is cruel, Lane, and you know it as well as I do. Your Superman is dead right? The world out there took him from you. From them. What wouldn't you give to have that back? I'll tell you what they'd do. They'd do anything, even the unthinkable, to have that back again. To feel safe again. Just like I would have done anything to return to the stage. We all want what was lost. So that's my message to them. Admit the truth, you're all just as much a monster as I am and if you could all sell your souls to have it you would."

Lois Lane has posed:
"Society demands a lot of people," Lois begins, but she silences herself for a moment to listen to him. As Superman is mentioned, she stiffens a bit, perhaps because it's a little more personal than she'd like at this point. This wasn't supposed to be about /her/. "You were an actor, if anything you understand how strong a motivation is for someone. The difference between the monsters and the rest of the world is /why/ they do what they do combined with /what/ they do."

She shrugs. "If I had to die to bring Superman back, I would. Fact of the matter is, why you do it is just as important. Revenge seems to be a factor I see coming up with everything you do. Is it all for revenge? /Just/ revenge?"

Matt Hagen has posed:
Clayface practically growls, "They got what's coming to them. Thats all there is to it, Ms.Lane" He says as he starts to loose a little of his cohesion his face melting a little and his clothing loosing some of its color and texture. "If I didn't give it to them. Someone else would have. Sooner or later they would have crossed the wrong person and... it just happened to be me they crossed. Noone crosses Clayface and lives. Ms.Lane. You can quote me on that. I am a monster of their own creation. But you missed my point. There are no people verses monsters. There are only monsters out there. You included. Everyone has a price, and given the right circumstances even you'd sell that little part of yourself for what you want... what you need!."

His control is slipping worse and worse. He tries to draw it back in and get it together but with his words and his temper it is becoming increasingly difficult. As he speaks there is a change in timber and tone as he looses his shape, it deepens and increases naturally in volume as he begins to melt and grow in mass. His 'mud' now visible and flowing freely. "We're ALL monsters!" The orderlies behind you step up, one of them talking on a radio. "Get ready for Cell number nine." the orderly says over the radio. "See? They're scared of me. Of what I might try to do. Even though I'm safely behind this wall of plexiglass. What do you want to bet if I got out and took something from one of them they desparately wanted back, what would they sell mmmn?"

Lois Lane has posed:
Lois frowns, shaking her head. She opens her mouth to protest, but his outburst causes her to step back. "I'll be sure to let them know about crossing you," she says, flatly. She folds her arms over her chest, keeping a careful eye on him. "You know, I thought you'd be more forthcoming instead of spouting how everyone's a monster. I suppose there's certainly more of a reason you're in here than I thought."

It's not intentionally antagonistic, she's just being honest.

Matt Hagen has posed:
The orderly frowns at the threat Clayface just made. "Ms. Lane I think it is time you leave." the orderly says stepping in front of you between you and the plexiglass wall of the cell. "Dose number nine now before there is trouble." Hagen looses it at that, "See what I mean Lane? They torture me in here! They're the monsters! No food, nothing to read or watch... its inhumane! They've forced me into canisters and left me in them for weeks all divided up so they could keep me under control!" as he is now completely the clayface monster he begins pouring himself around the cell in frustration as the nozzle above begins to spew a cold misty spray of nitrogen. "You want me to do better than that? You want to see the monster? I'LL SHOW YOU THE MONSTER!" he yells obviously in pain of some sort as he rears back a misshapen mud arm and forms a spiked mace with it and slams it against the thick plexiglass with a loud bang! But the nitrogen is doing its job and the whole arm shatters as it solidified passing through the mist towards the eclosure. He slows and then he begins to solidify, cracking and struggling to continue to move but it is quickly over.

The orderly relaxes. "Okay shut it down." he says over the radio. "He'll be like that for hours. I think your interview is over, Ms.Lane."

Lois Lane has posed:
Lois is certainly concerned over Clayface's treatment by the look on her face. Was it society driving people in here mad, or did the place itself do it? Would be hard to tell without asking around. She looks to Clayface for a moment before heading out of the room. "Looks like I might have an entirely different story to cover," she notes to herself.