726/Curiousity

Curiousity
Date of Scene:	24 March 2020
Location:	Bushwick <Mutant Town>
Synopsis:	Kitty gets into a fight and is helped a little by Alex.
Cast of Characters:	Kitty Pryde, Alexander Aaron

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Kitty Pryde has posed:
The old proverb says those who go looking trouble often find it. That is the case tonight. Though it turns out to be the trouble Kitty Pryde was looking for, it isn't the trouble she was expecting.

The brick flies out of the darkness in the Bushwick alley, hitting her in the head and staggering her. She falls forward, dazed enough that her self-taught instincts to phase when startled don't kick in.

Figures rush in around her and start kicking the downed girl. "Fucking mutey. You should have been on Genosha," one of the men says, his face obscured by a hood.

Beneath the barrage of blows, on hands and knees, Kitty's head finally clears. She came here looking for this. Unfortunately, she'd thought she'd spotted some of the men she'd heard were assault mutants, and had been trying to present them an opportunity to launch just such an attack. But Lockheed as keeping an eye on them and would be letting her know before they arrived.

Which makes this a different group. But still, who she came here to find. Even as the blows land on her, there's no fear in the young woman.

She wanted this.

The next kick passes through her, the man going off balance and nearly falling.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    It was a walk from NYU to the apartment Alexander had been living in. Several blocks, a turn, perhaps just far enough that a subway ride wasn't entirely too feasible. Though some days ago he had told his friends and the response had been curious.
    "That's a bad area, man. Especially after everything."
    "What, why?"
    "Mutants, people angry at mutants, all sorts of weirdness. Better just, you know man, go around."
    But Alexander hadn't paid any heed to it. And, to be fair, he didn't ever really worry about being accosted. If the current trend was to seek safespaces in the world, the blond youth gave off the vibe more that he carried his safety with him wherever he stood.
    But then there was that noise, distant. Muffled voices, thudding impacts, the clang and crack of brick and bat. It all played out poorly. It triggered the instinct to leave, to avoid all of the nonsense. And for a moment he lifted his hazel eyes off in the distance, before he looked back and thought of what his father would say.
    So instead of leaving he took that turn, that step down the alley in the direction of that noise, breaking into a jog... then a run.

Kitty Pryde has posed:
The alley is a study in light and shadow. Little pools of radiance cast by old, under-watted bulbs above this or that back doorway. Areas of shadow and night that one has to pass through to get from island to lit island sanctuaries.

The altercation is happening on the edge of one area of light, as if the young woman that was the target was allowed to reach a spot she could be easily seen by them. Three young men surround her, and a fourth is hanging back, whether to watch or maybe hesitant about taking part in the actual beating.

"What the f-" one of the men starts to curse as he nearly falls over from a hard kick that meets nothing but air. "Who threw the brick?" the girl asks as she gets to her feet. "Can save your buddies an extra amount of hurt if you admit it," she says, a hand going to the back of her head and coming away bloody.

One of the men, who doesn't seem to care if his face is seen, an ugly face topped with scrawny blond hair and with bristly matching whiskers, says, "I did, bitch, and I got this too." A wooden baseball bat is jammed into her stomach. Only like the kick, it just passes through her body.

"Right," Kitty Pryde says. "That doesn't let the rest of you off, though." She grabs at the bat and suddenly the man's hands pass right through it. She reverses it and it goes into his stomach. Only this time it doesn't pass through.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    A long shadow falls upon the mouth of the alley at the other end, those footfalls skidding to a halt as the youth with the backpack ends his dash. A quick look is all he needs to get the size of the situation, not so much seeing all of the men in the shadows and the roiling wild melee between them and the girl who is suddenly handling them.
    But he can feel them, taste that tendril of fear that writhes through them all, connecting them, that pushes them over into hate and violence. But it's always fear that's strongest there.
    He quickly moves down that alley, footfalls heavy enough to signal people coming. One of the men in the shadows advances, grabbing Alexander by the arm and halting him there.
    "Ain't nonea yer shit, buddy."
    To which the youth with the hazel eyes suddenly blazes with silver fire in those irises, the flame dancing across his features as eh snaps quickly, "Fuck off."
    And that's all it takes for the man to hit the ground, gasping, grabbing at his throat, silently screaming at whatever it is that he sees deep in is heart that could torment him so.
    But it opens up the way for Alexander to rush past and toward the brawl.

Kitty Pryde has posed:
The men's more active fears are starting to climb as the 'mutie' they were so easily going to teach a lesson, suddenly has the bat in her hand and seems to be ignoring their blows.

From the girl there is a lack of fear. It's driven by other emotions that are strong enough that she just. Doesn't. Care. Doesn't care what happens to her.

The man that she hit with the bat's head in the gut, doubles over. The girl's brown ponytails flares about behind her as she puts the bat on the back of his neck to help pull his head down to meet her knee as it is rising up into his face.

He crumples and collapses to the pavement. The bat is tossed aside down the alley to the distinctive sound of the wood bouncing off the concrete before it comes to a stop.

The two men left on their feet, one of them turns and spots the new figure arriving on the scene, and he rushes at Alexander. The other takes a swing at the girl, who reaches up with an arm to block it. Another punch, and a kick, both of them blocked with her arm and then her leg, hard enough that the man backs up, wincing and grabbing his forearm where she blocked him hard enough to leave bruises.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    It's a simple movement, one that the man does not see but Kitty might in the halo of that lamp light. The man charges and Alexander simply shifts one foot back to brace, and then extends one hand straight forward into the man's face as he charges, suddenly running right into that ramrod arm that cleanly knocks the man to the ground even as the youth grabs his wrist as he falls, the weapon in his hand clattering and rolling out of the way.
    Still holding that wrist he bends it once in a single smooth curling to the side, twisting it around his leg and levering it as he kneels upon the fallen man, then turns his hips once to cause a short /crack/ as the joint surrenders to the tension.
    It's in the same fluid motion he lets the now broken limb fall as he rises to his feet and looks across the way at Kitty.
    He tilts his head to the side, then... adjusts his backpack.

Kitty Pryde has posed:
The man Kitty faces growls and he charges towards her, lowering his body like a linebacker wanting to break a quarterback in too. His shoulder is aimed for her midsection.

He impacts her, the young woman letting him hit, though as he does she's already grabbing him and rolling backwards. Suddenly all of his momentum, and her own, is turned into a throw that launches him across the alley. He is upside into the air when he hits the alley's wall, back first. It's imagination only that he hangs there for a moment before dropping to land in a crumpled heap on the ground.

The girl rolls back to her feet with the impetus of the throw, and looks about to find the four men are all down now. Her eyes go to Alexander and that lambent silver in his eyes, then to the first man he downed.

"Thanks for the help," she says to him, dusting herself off as she goes around to each of the men. She checks their condition, looking like she's making sure they are all breathing, before turning back to Alexander to peer at him more fully.

Her clothing took a bit of a beating along with her body. Some rips in her shirt and the muck of the alley is pressed into the back of it where she rolled back, and also soiling the knees of her jeans.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    "I think," Alexander finally lifts his voice as he shifts his weight to the other foot. There's a look given to one of the men as he stirs, out of the fight, but still conscious. The blond youth walks over toward him as he speaks, "We should get you to a hospital for that head injury." When did he notice that?
    He stops to stand beside the fallen man and then looks over to her, "And I should probably go with you, since it would be safer." Perhaps a curious way of speaking, as if not actually committing himself to these actions, but allowing for their possibility to exist in his thoughts, or maybe just voicing them to himself.
    But then he kneels beside the one man who was rousing and very casually just leans a shin into the side of his neck and exerts the precise amount of pressure needed, for a man his height and weight. Seventeen seconds before a longer term of unconsciousness grasps him, stealing the world and awareness from his eyes.
    Rising, Alexander turns to look at her, and now that they are well and truly 'alone' with only the unconscious around them he says, "My name is Alexander."

Kitty Pryde has posed:
The young woman gives a slow nod of her head. There's still a lack of fear from her. Now the fight is over she looks around at the men. One might expect a number of emotions from her, but the one that seems to paint her face the most is regret.

Kitty lets out a soft sigh, her expression giving the impression she's being judgmental and it's directed at herself. Now that she's found what she sought, she's no happier for it. And not the first time she's been in this position.

The teen looks up at Alexander. "Yes, probably for the best," she says. She doesn't comment there is a clinic not too far away, not wanting the men to know where they might have gone to, should one of them have gained consciousness to overhear.

The girl walks with a bit of a limp over near to Alexander. "You were handy there," she says, eyes seeming to sweep over him in an appraising way. Overhead, a large black bird flaps its way through the sky, peering down into the alley.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    "Yeah, that's me. Mr. Handy." Is all he says at first, a ghost of a smile, and then he pushes himself forward to step close and... without even a by your leave he moves to lift her up in his arms. Easily, instantly, as if she weighed nothing at all and was no burden to him. Though, to be fair, it does take both arms as he holds her against him and starts to walk across the alley back toward the entrance he came through.
    "There's an Emergency Care place two blocks down. You okay to get there?" He asks as he holds her, and he's... very warm. Several degrees warmer than normal, as if he has a fever. And the way he smells is subtly like some type of steal and effort though muted by whatever shampoo he uses. Something apple?
    "So let me guess. You jumped those guys because they were showing around a lot of money and you wanted to steal it." Deadpan. But likely... not serious.

Kitty Pryde has posed:
The raven sweeps low over the alley, then flaps over to come to a stop on a building corner. Peering down at those below as Alexander easily and gently lifts the limping girl into his arms. One of Kitty's arms goes about his shoulder to help make it easier, though he doesn't seem to be very encumbered to need it.

"I should be able to," she agrees as he is carrying her slowly along the alley. The teen looks down and gives a shy smile as she adds a soft laugh at his question. "Oooh. Ok. Maybe I should go easy on the laughter," she says, moving her free hand to her side as she gives a slight wince. "There have been a few groups, like them. Looking to hurt people here," she says quietly, the laugh giving way to a more serious tone. One that is a little somber, with the same emotions that seem to help mute her fears. "I'd rather they came after me, than others," she says quietly.

The girl lifts her brown eyes, looking at Alexander as they pass through light. Seeing him more clearly for the first time. "Thank you," she tells him softly as she looks over to him.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    A small tilt of his head is given as he looks at her, and for a little bit of time he keeps his counsel. "Little advice, maybe bring back up with you next time." Though he doesn't see him, that likely makes him no friends with Lockheed.
    "Someone to watch your back." He shakes his head a little, "This vigilante thing, s'good to think it through a few times before you run out and pick fights." So sayeth the oh wise eighteen year old who holds a veteran of many a campaign in his arms.
    As he walks along he carries her with that same easy stride. And to look at him, under those slowly drifting halos of lamplight, he's handsome indeed. Though he'd be moreso if he wore better clothes. Or ever combed his hair. But the features are classically inclined, a hero's profile.
    Perhaps to distract her he starts telling her a story, "So I used to date a vigilante." He nods, "Pretty weird, huh?" He says that to perhaps try and keep her engaged, and awake if she has a concussion.

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty glances up, having seen her bestest little buddy in his image inducer disguise when he overflew them earlier. "I do have some backup. Though, they were off watching another group I thought might be the ones responsible," she says with a sigh. "They had good hiding places, I'll give them that."

The young woman brings her eyes back down to Alexander. "And it turns out I did have help, didn't I?" She looks at Alexander's mop of hair and reaches up, briefly brushing some of the strands of hair back where they are hanging down the most across his face.

She lets him carry her towards the alley's exit out onto the street. At this time of night, there aren't a lot of people about anyway. "Used to, hmm? Anyone I've ever heard of? Was that why it's a 'used to' and not a 'still do'?" she inquires of him softly.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    "I don't know," Alex says, even as he lightly scrunches up one eye, acting as if the attention to his hair makes him uncomfortable, but he smirks a little while he walks along. "Songbird? She was in a group a while back. But she's moving on to bigger and better things, and..." He tilts his head a little, "I'm just going into college, different life places I suppose."
    He's lying. But he doesn't really seem inclined to go further into it as he leans back... and peers at the back of her head as if trying to make sure she's not actively losing blood.
    "But, she used to come up with some crazy things. Did a lot of stuff for the adrenalin. And didn't always think stuff through." His lip twitches as he adds, "Sorta like this. Mebbe."

Kitty Pryde has posed:
It seems, at least at a brief visual look, like maybe the wound on her head has stopped bleeding. At least it is not doing so to a large enough degree to notice it.

Kitty, meanwhile, gives a wry look and laugh which turns into a second gentle groan. "Nah, not about adrenalin," she says, giving a little shake of her head and looking out at the street and surrounding town as they reach it. "People here, don't deserve... don't deserve them," she says, the latter pronoun obviously meant for the men back in the alley. "Don't deserve them at all."

She looks back to Alexander. "I don't normally make this a habit. But it's been worse here. Lately," she says, her voice tightening a bit at the event she doesn't name that changed things that direction.

Kitty shifts about in Alexander's arms slightly and says, "Think I can hobble decently now," she tells him. "So, I'm Kitty. Unless, you know, the police come asking. In which case... I'm... ah... a 6'5" Chinese man named Rao."

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    Alexander stops and doesn't lower her yet, but he seems like he would if she wished, what with his quirked eyebrow and curious look. He gestures with a nod toward the emergency care center just down the way and says, "We should get your head looked at. Unless you don't want to because it would endanger your carefully cultivated secret identity that you just confessed to me."
    His lip twitches, not able to maintain the dead pan through that, so he finally smiles fully, looking away as if trying to hide it. Then he murmurs to her, "So maybe I should feel hugely flattered that you've confided in me."
    He starts walking again unless she stops him and then he adds, "And now I'm doomed to a tragic fate as your oh so normal love interest who gets killed in the second act so you can swear revenge."

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty manages to avoid the pain-inducing laugh this time. She does, however, give a sigh and a exaggerated roll of her eyes. "Alright. I admit my lie," she says before looking back to Alexander. "I actually am a 6'5" Chinese man named Rao. Just I'm kind of hunching to disguise my height a bit," she informs him.

Kitty glances around at Bushwick, not complaining when Alexander hasn't set her down, continues to carry her. "Just these people deserve far better. Been through so much," she says, notes of deeper emotions slipping out into her voice. "I don't make it a habit of going around looking for... this. Or, I didn't, before," she says quietly.

She wonders what the Professor would think.

She wonders what Logan would think.

Well she knows what Logan would think. But she worries what the Professor would think. Yet it hasn't stopped her.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    Maybe she's getting better at reading him, or maybe he's relaxing a bit, but she can likely see the slight crinkles near his eyes, the way his lips twist up as he tries to hide the smirk.
    "Well," The blond youth begins, "You learn something new every day. All of a sudden I realize I'm into Chinese NBA players." That said he continues along walking, and then they're there as she starts to let her thoughts turn to the greater matters around them.
    "Alright, I'm taking you in. Gonna say I found you, think something hit you on the head from above." He stops moving and meets her eyes, brow furrowed a little as his gaze flits from iris to iris, and then he smiles a little.
    "Hey..." Perhaps realizing what color her eyes are then. But he doesn't say anything else.
    "Alright, c'mon." And with that he backs into the door and swings her through then on into the lobby.

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty - or maybe it's really Rao? - gives a soft smile, remembering not to laugh. "I think that's the second time you've made a mention of being into me or my vigilante love interest," she counters. "I'm going to wonder now if you just wander the streets, looking for vigilante women in need of saving."

She looks back to him as he's looking into her eyes. "Of course, I have no idea who you are, other than the guy with the nice smile and the mussed up hair," she says. She looks towards the clinic as they arrive.

"Alright, that works," she agrees. "Not like anyone would think I was other than the victim, I'd imagine," the young woman says quietly. She leans over and presses a quick peck to Alexander's cheek. "Thank you," she tells him again.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    "It's Alex." The youth says as they enter the emergency care center, "Don't worry, I'll get your digits."
    And before she has a chance to answer he lifts his voice, "Hey, I think this gal got hit on the head!"
    And just like that people snap into action.