6434/Once upon a time in New York

Once upon a time in New York
Date of Scene:	03 June 2021
Location:	Chelsea Piers
Synopsis:	Hyperion watches Jessica stop a mugging, is impressed.
Cast of Characters:	Jessica Drew, Hyperion

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Jessica Drew has posed:
Chelsea has seen good and bad times since its founding in the early 19th century. The row houses, relics of the earliest middle and upper-middle class in New York are prized real estate now, after a long slow climb out of decline. Poverty means crime in most places, but gentrified Chelsea is considered one of the safest neighborhoods in New York - most of the time.

Jessica rhythms her thoughts to the steady beat of her feet. She shouldn't be running along the docks. It is much too close to her apartment, abandoned now, though she had had the foresight to pay her mortgage six months in advance when things started going sideways. Two months later, the situation is worse. Needs must, she repeats to herself. Her last clandestine meeting with another SHIELD agent was on the driving range where the pock-pock of balls launched into the air covered their conversation.

A sound slows her feet to a steady jog. Her acute hearing picks up the sound of someone in distress. Without meaning to, she stops and jogs in place, still trying to keep her cover. The dark blue hooded shirt and jogging shorts were under the golfing clothes she discarded after the meet. Another muffled sound comes to her.

Jessica turns off into a narrow side street hemmed in by tall brick walls. Two men and a woman are scuffling at mid-point between two street lamps. Spider instinct on overdrive, she climbs up the wall to get a vantage point over what is going on.

Hyperion has posed:
    Speaking of vantage points. Minutes ago, Mark Milton was doodling away from a window which overlooked the docks area. Of course, he was with some of his coworkers, having a meeting about upcoming stories. He couldn't just... vanish and go deal with things.

    So he was forced to come up with an excuse to get out of the room. It took precious seconds to do so, which is why when he heard the scuffle via his hyper-senses, he wasn't able to just BE there.

    And so after a bit, he managed to slip away to visit the restroom down the hall. And as soon as he was out of sight of others, he vanished into hyper-speed and dashed off.

    Such it is that he ends up a bit late for the ball, so to speak.

Jessica Drew has posed:
It's an old-fashioned mugging. Briefly, Jessica wonders if there are modern muggings as she hangs suspended above the scene of two men fighting with a woman over a large chic carry-all cum shoulder bag with Louis Vuitton logos covering it. She won't know if it is a knock-off until she is down there and has the bag in her hand.

Her dark hair obscures her pale face as she makes these split-second assessments hanging above them. She drops light-footed into their midst and receives a fist in the side of cheek meant for the woman who was standing her ground. New Yorkers seldom stand and fight. They know better. Better to lose something valuable than lose your life. Ergo, the woman must be a tourist.

Eyes narrowed at the pain, she pushes the woman out of the fray with one hand. The other hand uncoils into her assailant who zings backward into the brick wall and slides to the ground with the breath knocked out of him. She decides this must be a bid for drugs because the other man is not smart enough to run.

Hyperion has posed:
    Or, it is a bid involving stupidity. Hyperion finds himself hovering above, his cape fluttering as it settles down from the movement and air of his whooshing over. His arms fold over his chest and his eyes peer down at the offending muggers. I mean a mugging is not something that he tends to really involve himself in, in a manner that draws attention to himself.

    But he has seen that another is fully capable of defending the woman from her assailants. Now he just inclines his head and grins as he spots the activity going on below. He lets it continue, confident that he could intervene if anyone were about to truly be killed.

Jessica Drew has posed:
Jessica nearly takes her eyes off of the other mugger at a shwooshing sound above them. The pigeons in New York don't fly after dusk. The vampires walk the streets; she is fairly certain they don't fly like bats, but what does she know? A glance upward catches the fluttering of a cape. A what?

Impatient with the ongoing scene, she picks the man facing her up and shakes him. "There are not a lot of choices here," she says, pinning him to the wall. "Fight me, and when you wake up, you'll regret it. Stick around for the police and regret it. Or get out of here and rethink your life. I'm an optimist." All said in Oxfordian accent that squarely places her as an Englishwoman in New York. She liked that group as a child. Lowering the man till his feet touch the pavement, she menaces, "Your choice."

Hyperion has posed:
    Lets be honest. The black outfit doesn't stand out in the darkening sky. But the golden cape? Yep, that stands out.

    But now Hyperion merely drops silently until his boots contact the ground behind Jessica. "For your sake sir, I would listen to the lady." he says in his resonant voice. Arms still folded over his chest. "I mean I know most men fear strong women, but... ma'am, might I say that you embody that entirely." he adds as a smile creeps over his face.

Jessica Drew has posed:
Later, Jessica will wonder whether she startled at the sound of the voice behind her. The man she was holding, well, child, to be honest, all of sixteen if she judges right, saw the descent of the being who landed. He wanted to get out of the alley if the paddling of his legs was any indication.

"Off with you both." They take caped man's advice, neither of the boys in expensive running shoes linger to discuss men dressed in black and gold.

The woman, whose bag Jessica decides is real after she picks it up to return to her, is unable to speak coherently for a moment. "Wha...wha? What was that?" She pushes her blonde hair back from her face, eyes swiveling between Jessica and the caped man.

Jessica places her as coming from the mid-west, but she's not able to say where exactly. "That was a mugging. Welcome to New York. Some neighborhoods take issue with designer bags, I'm afraid. Are you alright?" The woman might have a shiner tomorrow.

"Ah, thanks," the spider-woman says belatedly to the caped man after giving him a long once-over.

Jessica holds up a finger to the man, "Just a moment." Turning to the woman, she offers solicitously, "I could hail you a taxi or walk you to the subway. I'd go for a taxi, if I were you."

Hyperion has posed:
    "New York does seem to be rife with ... how would you phrase it?.. Ruffians?" asks Hyperion of Jessica.

    But then he turns his head and peers into the distance.. at a nearby building in fact. "It appears that there is a taxi two blocks east of here, heading in our direction. If you head down the alley now, you should find it approaching momentarily." he says.

    But his eyes flicker back to Jessica, "That -was- nicely done." he adds.

Jessica Drew has posed:
With an effort Jessica keeps a straight face at the man's announcement of an imminent taxi. At least, she hopes that her eyes don't bug out. Though, to give her credit there are not many super-powered people who can perceive taxis through solid buildings. Nice trick.

She scowls at his complement though it certainly seems that Gold Cape is sincere. After a sharp intake of breath, she mutters to the woman, "I'll wait with you till the taxi comes if you think you'll be alright."

"Oh, oh. I'm good! Really!" The woman's voice is breathy with her need to reassure the two super heroes and get out of this super weird place. As Jessica and the woman reach the end of the alley, a taxi pulls up. Barely into the cab, the woman gives the driver the name of a ritzy hotel in Manhattan.

"Be careful," Jessica calls as the door closes and the taxi pulls away.

That leaves her to deal with the golden apparition with nice diction. Jessica walks back to the man. "Let me begin with the obvious. You fly."

Hyperion has posed:
    Having not moved from where he stood, Hyperion -has- however lowered his hands. His thumbs hook into his oversized belt for a lack of pockets to put the hands into. He should fix that.

    But after the woman is dealt with and on her way, and Jessica has returned to question him, he responds with a solemn nod, "I do." he says. "And you are quite strong."

Jessica Drew has posed:
A little inanely Jessica looks up and down the alley then nods, replying gravely, "I am. Among other things. Erm. Super-powered people being a bit on the outs these days. Do you mind my asking where you come from?" She adds, politely, "Not to press you, mind."

Hyperion has posed:
    "Well, that... as they say, is a complicated question to answer. Rather, the question itself is simplicity itself. The answer however, is not." suggests Hyperion.

    But he shakes his head, "Seriously, I apologize. I didn't mean to try to sound all cryptic." He lifts one hand and offers it, "I go by Hyperion, and I am from New York City. Just not... -this- New York City." he states almost hesitantly. "Look. I am no scientist, but have you heard of this yarn theory?" He pauses and shakes his head, "I mean string. String theory. They called it yarn theory in -my- universe."

Jessica Drew has posed:
Politely schooling her face into mild puzzlement at his roundabout answer, Jessica nods. The whisper of a smile tugs at her generous mouth as he offers his hand. She takes it, happy that the man's grip, while warm and much larger than her own, is firm without being overly tight.

"Oh! My! String theory indeed. My name is Jessica Drew." Out of the habit of calling herself by the title given by the press, she shrugs, adding, "Erm. Spider-Woman, if you will. That must be awfully hard." Then she realizes how unclear it might seem, "Being from another place entirely then finding yourself here." She motions vaguely to the dark alley. "I mean, New York."

Hyperion has posed:
    "The more things change..." admits Hyperion with a shrug. "What is most difficult is the fact that since arriving here... I have had to relearn all of my lessons on restraining myself. It seems that the ambient energy my body absorbs to fuel my powers is more prevalent in this reality than it was in my own. Imagine spending a lifetime learning to open doors without ripping them off of their hinges, only to suddenly need to learn that all over again."

    He shakes his head, "But yes, it is not easy when things are so similar, yet some things so different. At least -my- people back home can assume I am dead and hold a service and get over me." he states softly.

Jessica Drew has posed:
With a wondering shake of her head, Jessica listens to his recital. "I'd be afraid of my own shadow if I started ripping doors off their hinges. That must be...well, difficult." Voice soft with commiseration, she adds, "I am sorry to hear about you leaving people behind. If you got here, mightn't you get back?"

Hyperion has posed:
    "If only. I've no idea how I came to be here. There was an explosion involving some machinery that I never got a good look at, and apparently I ended up here... but not conscious. Those who found me, kept me that way for something like two years." At that, Hyperion shrugs, "Some of your city's Avengers found me and set me free."

Jessica Drew has posed:
"Oh, the Avengers," Jessica nods happily. "Good people. Glad they found you and not someone else. Things have been on the difficult side of late for people with extra powers. So, you couldn't be in better hands. They seem to be exempt, for the most part from the latest push against," she makes an open-handed gesture to him, "people like ourselves."

Hyperion has posed:
    "I try to mostly stay out of the way and just live my life. But I cannot stand idly by. I believe that the same man in both our worlds said something the same. All that is required for evil to triumph is for good men and women to do nothing." A pause, and he shakes his head, "As you well know, that man never said -women-. I added that in my paraphrasing."

    "And I have not experienced such... animosity personally. But perhaps that is out of some misguided sense that I might not be someone to make upset. I've no desire to harm -anyone-."

Jessica Drew has posed:
Head tilted to one side in thought, Jessica smiles faintly at the quotation, acknowledging the liberty he took with it. "HYDRA would adore you being on their side. You've heard of them, I take it?"

Hyperion has posed:
    "I have. Though there is a special place in the blackest part of my heart for the group named... AIM. They held me for two years, siphoning off my energy to fuel their technologies. HYDRA is also if concern. But now that I am conscious and prepared... either of them is welcome to come seek me out whenever they wish to. I would be only too happy to greet them."

    He seems to have that steely glint in his eye. The sort that Jessica might have when she speaks of HYDRA.

Jessica Drew has posed:
"Good." Jessica eyes him critically. "Nice as you seem. You don't strike me as naive. How have you settled in?" She crosses her arms, eyes staring into the middle distance for a moment as she imagines his situation, "I don't know how I would go about things. At least, the Avengers gave you a place to sleep. At least, I hope so."

Hyperion has posed:
    "For a time. But I could not merely rely upon them endlessly." states Hyperion. He steps over to one wall, pressing a hand gently against it. "Things -feel- different here too. It's difficult to explain it. But... no, I am not naive. I managed to find gainful employment and acquire an apartment in recent weeks also." he adds.

Jessica Drew has posed:
"A cat that lands on his feet. It doesn't look like you've turned to drink." She gives him a quick brilliant grin.

Gainful employment, is it?" Jessica smiles to herself at his archaic speech wondering how different people must sound to him here. "So, yarn theory. Do people wonder where you've come from because you sound different than they do? I work with people from all over the world...well, worked. No, work. So I don't stand out though Americans comment on my accent."

Hyperion has posed:
    "Well, I'll be honest, I sound more like the locals here than you do." says Hyperion. And he tilts his head, "Would you be from Great Britain?" he asks. "Yes, the accent. But I am capable of blending in more than you might expect. If I am not in my costume, people don't tend to expect to see a hero nearby if that hero is not in uniform." A pause, "I mean sure, law enforcement agencies could piece things together if they worked at it. But it would not be a normal or easy thing for the average person to try."

Jessica Drew has posed:
"Brilliant. Law enforcement might not be on the look out for you but HYDRA and AIM might be. They want to own us all and control us." She crosses her arms more tightly, grimacing. "And those that they can't control, they kill." Measuring him with a critical eye, "Well, if they can. I've heard of you, you know. Super heroes talk. Terrible gossips, really."

Hyperion has posed:
    "Indeed they are. Total gossips." replies Hyperion with chuckle. "I am a bit difficult to control -or- to kill. It turns out much of my power comes from psionic control of every cell of my body combined with the ability to channel cosmic energy for my purposes." a pause and he shakes his head, "Sorry, that sounded like I was bragging." he mutters before he cocks his head and says, "I believe there is a robbery in progress two and a half miles to the west. Please excuse me." he says before he simply... vanishes into Hyper-speed.