3461/An unwlecome investigator...

An unwlecome investigator...
Date of Scene:	20 September 2020
Location:	Near Spiral's Body Shop
Synopsis:	Spiral driven off, Jackson's diary stolen, Psylocke stops the cyborgs!
Cast of Characters:	Spiral, Betsy Braddock, Jackson Mathias

---

Spiral has posed:
It's been almost a week now, and Spiral has been quite busy. It's amazing how many people you can get through when you have six arms, no concern for medical ethics, and at the moment at least, low quality of work. It's starting to make money, but...

Word has got out for those who care that something is happening in New York's slummier areas. There's always been gang violence of course, but there's been an uptick lately - more violence, more brutal crime. Maybe drugs or something. However... there are some reports from the hospitals, kept secret from the press. Of individuals who... while not superheroes, seem to have been augmented somehow. Given implanted weapons, extra muscles. And unfortunately a few of them seem to have gone crazy, getting into shootouts with the police, attacking their friends. The crazy just got dialled up a little it seems.

Betsy Braddock has posed:
Imagine Betsy Braddock's surprise when, upon reviewing some security tapes, she discoveres a six-armed whirling dirvish in the middle of her club's dance floor. And then there were the news reports of strange cyborgs in the city. All these crazed augments running around, causing trouble.

Six. Plus More. Equals... Trouble. Serious trouble.

Rather than calling her friends for backup as, perhaps, she should. The mutant known as Psylocke dons her dark leathers and sets out into the night, eventually tracing sitings and psychic impressions to a rundown neighborhood in the Tenderloin district.

Crouching on a fire escape that gives her a fairly good, if shadowed, vantage from which to watch the comings and going on the street, her dark violet eyes glow faintly with power, telepathic mind reaching out for any sign of her prey.

Spiral has posed:
It's actually probably quieter than normal, as this part of town is swiftly getting a reputation as being dangerous. There's a few locals walking around, going to buy some beers late at night on a Sunday or something. There are some people just hanging around on the streets. Mostly quite normal minds, but there's a few that are... tainted in some way. That bit colder, somehow.

And then, after some more thinking, there's actually someone in pain, right now, not a block away. A fight perhaps, involving one of those tainted minds, as there's anger too. There's no noise though, so there's no guns involved, at least. Aside from that, aside from faintly ominous looming warehouses everywhere, there's not a lot. Most of them have homeless people in them, but there's a few that don't - actually in a cluster.

Betsy Braddock has posed:
Moving swiftly, telekinesis lending power to her limbs, Psylocke ascends the fire escape and starts travelling over low rooftops toward the source of the pain and anger. It may not necessarily be anything more than a mugging, but... the chill in anger is familiar to her. Uncannily familiar.

She doesn't like it.

Thus, when she reaches the impromptu gathering, she pauses long enough to understand what's happening. And only when she's sure who the agressor is -- both psychically and physically -- does she intervene, landing with a ninja's skill in the midst of the fight, psikatana glowing like a lightsaber in the darkness.

Spiral has posed:
Four young men, all wearing gang colours, 2 v 2, engaged in a brawl. Quite a one sided brawl that is almost over, one is down and already bleeding, the other one backing up. Seems like one side consider this their turf, the other side were just passing through, and got attacked for having their colours on.
However, the guys whose turf this is, seem to have a bit of an advantage. They are the ones with the tainted minds, and coming close it becomes clear why. One of them has sharp blades extending from his fingers, while the other actually has a whirring saw blade for a palm, and while they are wearing heavy coats given the weather, their bodies look misshapen somehow beneath them, with over large shoulders and biceps. They move faster than the average person - looks like this fight is all but over, the two of them pressing close to the last one who is backing off, but doesn't want to leave his comrade on the ground here, cut up badly thanks to that saw.

They are just about to rush the last guy and make him flee when suddenly all three of them stop what they are doing, noticing the purple light flare in the nearest shadow.

Betsy Braddock has posed:
"Back off, Buzzsaw," Psylocke says, her mind turning the sound of those words into a low, frightening growl in the minds of the attackers. "You've made your point." She stalks forward from the shadow, sword shimmering in the darkness as she rolls it in her hand. "Now back off, before I make mine."

Not, mind, that she expects them to listen.

In fact, on some primal level, she rather hopes they don't. These are dangerous opponents. They won't go easy on her. But since her return from the interdimension, she's found that sorting out her aggression this way can be highly therapeutic.

Spiral has posed:
Maybe they should back off - but they have the adrenaline going, and they've not lost a fight all week. They are getting used to throwing their weight around. And even though Psylocke is pretty intimidating, one of them at least - the one with the sawblade coming out of his hand - moves towards her, the other one trailing behind. The more normal human just loiters a bit, backing away a few steps, but not abandoning his friend just yet.

"This is none of your business, this is our turf." the guy says - he's not going to give up at least while these other two are watching, then he'd look all small and helpless. His friend looks a bit less enthused and is eying Psylocke, eyes focused on the glowing lightsaber of bad news.

"So... if you don't want me to cut you up... you better back off. Now.". He takes a step forward...

Betsy Braddock has posed:
Psylocke offers Buzzsaw a somewhat feral smile. A white gleam consumes her eyes, violet irises and black pupils fading into the energy of her psychic power. "I'd like to see you try."

With that she darts forward, under his buzzing hand and slices with the sharp, telekinetic edge of her blade across his arm. There's more than one way to *disarm* a fellow. She goes for the most straightforward way to start.

She is moving with a speed a normal person cannot hope to match. The real question is... Is he as fast as he is mean and strong?

Spiral has posed:
He's fast enough to react, so he's clearly not a normal person. However, he pulls his arm back so the slice doesn't go exactly where it was intended, but a few inches further down his arm. Still, it hits him, and passes through his lower arm as if it's not there, sending a lump of gristle and metal through the air to land with a wet thump onto the asphalt. The buzzsaw is still going, the hand moving in a little circle as its motors push it along. "AHHHHhhh!" he yells in pain, clutching the stump, and goes to one knee, eyes tight closed.

His companion, less bothered by flying bits and pieces, immediately runs as fast as he can. And the other guy, the normal one, well, his eyes are as wide as saucers, and he edges back a bit, hands up. "Uh. I didn't start anything!" he protests. "We was just passing through!". He points to his friend, who is sitting up now and watching what's going on while clutching a wound on his stomach. "We got attacked!". They have their own gang colours on so they probably aren't pure as the driven snow or anything, but maybe not tonight.

Betsy Braddock has posed:
As the man goes down screaming, Psylocke forms a psiblade on her left hand and punches him hard in the head. The energy will short out his brain. On the bright side, he'll stop screaming. Of course, he'll keep bleeding.

She looks to the pair of 'normies' still in the alley, energy glowing around both hands and in her whitened eyes. "I know. Go. Run."

But she doesn't leap at them, or take off after them. Instead, she's after Buzzsaw's partner. The one with a still functioning brain who, when she does catch up to him, will tell her all about where they got the augments...

Spiral has posed:
He's not really in a position to dodge now, as psiblade meets brain, and he drops like a sack of carrots onto the street next to his buzzing hand. His friend meanwhile is halfway across the street, and moving fast, but... not fast enough. In the alley, he's tackled to the ground.

"Shit, no! I didn't hurt anybody!" he lies, trying to crawl away. "It was Caleb! You got him... you killed him, ah shit... you can't do this, I got rights!" he tries. Maybe this is one of those nice heroes he keeps hearing about, and that'll work!

Betsy Braddock has posed:
"Do I look like a cop?" Psylocke asks the man she's now captured. Her British accent is crisp, sharp even. Like her attitude. "Do I look like I care?"

She crouches beside him, gaze raking down his augmented body. "Where'd you get the augments?" she demands. "How'd you get them?" He doesn't strike her as either the sort to be put through a misguided supersoldier program or a guy with enough money to spring for what most cyber implants cost in *this* world.

"And who gave them to you?"

Spiral has posed:
"There was a guy... dreadlocks, hustler. Um.". The man racks his brain. "Luck Bender. Some hustler, making deals. I seen him a few times, just like a con man or something. But last week, he told me he had someone who could make me, like, a superhero. Able to kick ass and take names.". He's not exactly a hero, it seems, though!

"Cost a lot of money but I got it. Then Luck Bender took me in a truck, I was in the back, couldn't see anything, but can't have been that far... it was a warehouse or something. Some... freaky ass woman there with six arms. One of them like this...". He grabs at his shoulder, which, under the coat, is partly metal now.

"She told me she'd make me powerful, but there'd be a price to pay. So I handed her the cash! then... we woke up in the park.". A pause. "I can guess where it is. I'll show ya, if you don't hurt me! The bums, they are all terrified of something. Must be there, where she is.". He points... and Psylocke might remember the lifeless, hobo and ganger free block in that general direction.

Betsy Braddock has posed:
Six arms. "Bugger," Psylocke swears softly. She glances briefly in the direction the man points. Then, she rises and, with telekinetically enhanced strength, hauls him to his feet. "Lead the way, Metalman." She gives him a comparatively gentle push forward -- gentle in the sense he won't fall over from it. He might stumble.

She doesn't point out his shortcomings as a superhero. They're too similiar to her own.

Instead, she follows him towards that empty block and, when they're close enough that he can point the way without necessarily getting caught in the crossfire, she stops. "Where?"

Believe it or not, she might actually let him go, if his information is good. Of course, if it's a doublecross... Yeah, he's in for a rough night -- even if it's not this night.

Jackson Mathias has posed:
The place that man leads her is not well, look like a supervillain place, hell it looks like a broken-down place, and man would live on his luck. It is an alley, at the end of it is a burned-out cab, it seems to have been torched by fire, long ago a leg is hanging out of the back of the trunk, as if someone is sleeping or chilling in there, that foot is in a work boot, dock martin with steel toes. As you get closer, it's a young black man, with his phone in front of his face watching youtube, rap music with one earbud in his ear, the other is holding a cigarette bent sidewise, as if it has water damage, as he puffs it out in a smoke-filled with that cheap gross tobacco. That rabbit foot hanging off his belt is black as the fire damage of the taxi.

That little rabbit foot, is pointing at the man nodding towards the woman, as he whispers."That's him, name is Luck Bender. He just got in town a few days ago, taking us to this place, not letting us see where." With that, it is in the hands of the hero to take over now.

Betsy Braddock has posed:
Psylocke gazes down the alleyway for a long moment, then glances to the augmented man beside her. "Go," she tells him, grabbing his shoulder only briefly. "If you hurry, you might be able to keep Buzzsaw from bleeding out." She doubts it, though.

Buy, hey. She's learned: Cyborgs are resilliant. You just never know.

On silent feet, Psylocke makes her way down the alleyway, towards Luck Bender. She doesn't make a secret of her approach, though she's obviously not announcing it, either. When she gets close enough, she raises her voice to call to him. "Luck Bender, eh? How about you tell me where Spiral's set up her bodyshop?" It's not really a question. And if the six-armed woman the gangbangers have been babbling about isn't Spiral, she'll hang up her costume and go back to the nightclub for good.

Okay. At least for the night.

Jackson Mathias has posed:
"Ain't nothing but a rumors and stuff." Luck-Bender leaps to his feet as he moves towards the woman, as he flips out of the trunk watching her for a moment."Seems you know me, and I ain't got the pleasure of knowing ya." That deep Cajun accent, dance over the words, as his hand is flicks that cigrette down crushing it under his right heel, as he exhales the smoke once more into the world.

As his eyes watching her for a moment, as he leans against the burned down Taxi one of the finest ways of geeting around post uber, the license plate reasding Big_Man."So, let's get this show on the road, I ain't a rat."

Betsy Braddock has posed:
Big_Man. Really? Psylocke doesn't even comment on that.

Funny, though. She's recently met another Cajun. Looks like they all have attitude. Big surprise. She doesn't bother introducing herself.

"I'm not looking for a rat," she says, even though she figures she's probably found a snake, instead. "I'm looking for Spiral. And you've just confirmed she's here." Well, maybe not here-here. But in NYC and serving up cold-minded cyborgs. Close enough.

"So, make this easy. Where is she?"

She considers attempting a mind-scan on the man, but decides to maintain her focus on her TK instead of telepathy. Believe it or not, it's safer.

Spiral has posed:
There's a quiet pop in the alleyway, somewhere behind Betsy. Nothing there, though. Whatever could that be?

Jackson Mathias has posed:
"Ain't no spiral, no rat, find another cheese eater." Jackson watches her for a moment, as his fingers snap to the beat of a song in his head, his hand is reaching into his jacket, now trying to find another smoke."I need a smoke, hold on a moment." His fingers bring out the Black Joker, as he flicks it towards Betsy, with a frown."I know I put em somewhere in one of dem pockets." The Cajun digs around his pockets, his dreeds bouncing, up and down as he starts to seek, there it is another bent up ex wet cigrette, placed between his lips, as he is now searching for his pack of matches."Got a light, Mi Cherie?"

Betsy Braddock has posed:
Psylocke's ears rise faintly at the sound of the *pop*. Her head cants to one side and magenta energy flares from her right hand as her psikatana ignites back into existance. "What's wrong, Timedancer?" she calls out to the alleyway, ignoring the card that flutters at her feet. Still... What is is with Cajuns and cards? Is it, like, some sort of cultural trope Psylocke doesn't know about?

Well. It could be. She hasn't spent much time in 'New Awlins'.

Still calling out to Spiral, she opens her arms, turning in a slow circle. As she does, she keeps an eye on her surroundings, and part of her awareness on the man with the cigarette. "Mojo fire you? Low ratings? Or maybe he's just looking to open another market. We're not buying!"

Spiral has posed:
Spiral has a tendency to turn up when her name is mentioned - especially if she's only a couple of blocks away. This time is no different. The invisibility spell is dispelled, and she appears at the end of the alleyway, two swords clutched in four hands, the other two above her head, glowing with a purplish energy of their own.

"Elizabeth. As if I would shoot you in the back. The only person I ever did that to, is me.". She hisses a bit at the mention of Mojo. "That worthless lump of bloat just didn't like competition, didn't like my ideas being better than his. No backtalk!". She takes a few steps closer, looking between Psylocke and Jackson. "My loyal talent agent. I'm setting up Shop here." she explains, pointing to Luck Bender with one sword. And then she peers a bit at Psylocke. "Oh, you're wearing the pathetic face today. I wasn't expecting that.". Her white eyes widen a bit. "Is that in your future? Or another future?".

Jackson Mathias has posed:
Jackson Mathias watches it all, finding his lighter as he flicks it twice, the fluid so low as he takes a long inhale of the cigrette, as he fires out the smoke through his nose. His eyes moving from Spiral to Betsy, as he nods slowly."Look I made this match, I'm outta here. Not my business, it's all business with me Spiral, but you can deal with whatever trouble ya find." With that the Cajun starts to leap up towards a ladder, it is broken down rusted, but leading to the rooftops, as he starts to climb hoping to get away before he is noticed.

Betsy Braddock has posed:
Psylocke isn't prepared to turn her back on Luck Bender, even if he is scuttling rather ratlike up onto a ladder to escape the sinking ship. She steps to one side, pivoting to keep a profile to each of them, though most of her attention is on Spiral -- particularly once it becomes evident that the rat isn't particularly loyal to the Timedancer.

"Yeah. I have my own face again. No thanks to you." Tetchy, isn't she?

"You've got cyborgs out there terrorizing..." Well, they weren't exactly innocent, now, were they? "Citizens," she concludes. It'll do. Even if it means they all know she's really reaching. "That's not going to continue."

Brave words for a ninja all on her own, especially against these two foes. Spiral? She's a match for Psylocke on a good day. And Luck Bender could turn this into a very bad day.

Spiral has posed:
Spiral would have probably let him go, but him scurrying off literally AS SHE IS SAYING 'loyal agent', well. That makes her look bad. She scowls, and while the swords are pointing in Psylocke's direction, the magical energy blast from her spare arms is actually aimed at the rusty ladder Luck Bender is trying to climb. "Loyal agents don't quit while the show is still on." she hisses. She's not usually in charge of anything or any body, as one of her magic powers is annoying anybody she ever comes into contact with it seems, not too bothered if her rat falls and breaks his neck judging by how the ladder is blown to pieces.

She brightens up a bit though when she learns about Psylocke's misfortunes. "Ah! So, you DO know me. I never really know when i get dumped on this miserable little planet. So that all got reversed then? How sad. You know I can fix you up again if you like, no charge.". She blinks innocently at the mention of the terrorizing cyborgs, and shrugs, all six arms. "Nothing done involuntarily! The Body Shop only has satisfied customers. Well, aside from, well...". She smirks evilly.

Jackson Mathias has posed:
The ladder almost at the top, his white rabbit foot no longer black, as he is almost there boom goes the ladder. As he is falling down, he sighs softly his hand is bringing out three cards throwing them quickly at Spiral, this game was over, she was no longer his anything. Triple the back luck, triple the flavor, the cards landing down KING of Spades, QUeen of Safes, The Jack of spades, deep purple, as he is sails now, he is aiming towards a fire escape. His right hand is cathcing as he flips around it landing on his feet, low to the ground trying not to be seen. Maybe crime is not a good idea.

Betsy Braddock has posed:
Psylocke is, yes, still a little bitter about the whole bodyswap thing. Launching herself in the air, she propels herself telekinetically towards the alien for the attack. But debris from the exploding ladder obscures her vision, the force of its dismantling redirecting her attack -- meaning she completely misses her target and stumbles past blindly.

Bad luck, that. (Damned Black Joker.)

Nevertheless, she recovers, throwing up a TK sheild against a possible counterattack. Her opponent has six arms. She'll be lucky if only one clips her.

Spiral has posed:
Spiral doesn't care about this worm Luck Bender. She stalks forward, down the alleyway, a furry boot stomping on one of the cards. As for Betsy, she's an old friend. Not someone to be worried about. She has a maniacal grin on her face, as she holds up her sword to parry any incoming psikatanas, another sword is ready to slice at her foe, and two more hands may or may not zap something.

Magical energy beams slice through the air, one grazing Psylocke's shield and almost taking it down - but bouncing off of it and scything through one of the brick walls of the alley above her. A neat, almost circular chunk of wall detaches itself perfectly from the building - and lands right on Spiral with a massive crash, filling the relatively small alley with choking brick dust, the time dancer hidden from view.

Jackson Mathias has posed:
With distraction Luck Bender, leaps into that open window, so very lucky right, down another fire escape, as he is hauling now. Leaping into a taxi, that drops off a fare, out of here like a bat outta hell. Luck, is a fickle mistress got to take advantage when you can, too bad he left his wallet in the back of the burned out taxi, with his name and his info in it. But he has his phone.

Betsy Braddock has posed:
Psylocke grunts as the magic blast impacts her shield. It holds, but bearly. When it drops, a wave of dust and debris rolls over her. She blinks it away, brows rising as she sees the pile of brick and concrete where the alient was just standing. She leaps forward, landing lightly atop it for a moment, mind reaching out to see if her foe is under there... or if she vanished.

Either way, it doesn't look like Spiral is the immediate threat any longer. Thus, providing she's not blown off the top of the pile by a frustrated magic blast, she flips lightly off of it to land fairly near the car. That she notices the wallet amidst the debris has more to do with the fact it's a different texture than the crappy carpet in the burnt out old car trunk, than anything else.

Spiral has posed:
Spiral is definitely Annoyed under that pile of debris. She really didn't expect Psylocke to drop a building on her or she would've been prepared for it, with a spell, or moving faster by messing with time.

As it is, she's under there... but she can't dance obviously, quite important in her case. But one hand can move, being in a little pocket of air. With most of her spells uncastable and Psylocke probably able to do things to her while she's stuck there, she decides it's time for the spell of recall, and waves a few of those free fingers in the prescribed motion.

The pile shifts a bit as suddenly there isn't a Spiral under it any more. Bruised and battered, Shiva has decided to take the rest of the day off - besides, Elizabeth will always be there to dance with in the future.