9758/Hot time, cold town

Hot time, cold town
Date of Scene:	22 January 2022
Location:	Refugee Camp, Gotham City
Synopsis:	Cain Marko just wants to get to an appointment on time, but gets interrupted by some toughs in a Gotham Refugee camp. Alexis Carr is on hand to play at being a 'bat-girl'. It's nice to make friends!
Cast of Characters:	Alexis Carr, Cain Marko

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Alexis Carr has posed:
    There's never enough rooms to go around, but in the Refugee Camp at least there were trailers and creature comforts for those who fled Manhattan's winged angel problem. And among one of the places, a young woman with her long hair tied back and tucked into a watch cap is playing guitar to the amusement of some children, in an area set up with propane heaters and seats, where people can have warm food to eat and a place to rest their feet.

    Outside the heavy tent flaps the cold winter wind comes off the sea and rips through the city, some toughs are milling about smoking, looking for trouble, people to harass, turf to mark as theirs.

Cain Marko has posed:
The people here have been forced to flee familiar sights, sounds and the comforts of their homes for the sake of preserving their very lives. Needless to say, they are already scared, jittery, frustrated and many of them easily intimidated given their present circumstances. The toughs prowl the edges and interiors of the refugee camp are well aware of this.

Unfortunantely for them..not all 'refugees' are so easily intimidated.

Angry voices begin to drift through the air, increasing in volume as the wahtever argument that is underway draws closer to the tent with music lilting from it."Yeah, you heard us. Get your fat ass back here!" yells a boorish thuggish voice with others joining in to harrass whoever is the source of their ire. "Walkin' through here like you own the place. We got enough rats millin' about. How about we take you down first?"

LIsten..fellas. I've had a bad week. It aint worth it, trust me." responds another voice, oddly calm but carrying a strange sort of menace under its profoundly deep tone. "Just passin' through on business--"

The shouts raise. Drowning out the speaker. The sound of flurried movement, a woman screams and then a horrible sound of bones crunching and wrenching as shouts from the toughs join in with the cries of the onlookers.

A limp body slams violently right into the side of the tent where the musician plays and the children huddle, knocking a propane heater over as it rolls violently in right into the sight of children.

Alexis Carr has posed:
    The music stops, and the guitar is set aside as the woman within narrows her eyes, taking a deep breath. The shouts already make the kids jumpy, and she whispers to them quietly "It'll be all right, little darlings --" in a crisp accent "I've got this."

    And the propane heater falls. It rolls violently, flames sparking up on the flooring, andn as quickly as it sparks, they go out.

    Alexis brings her hands down, her eyes drawing up and narrowing at the tent flap.

    And she sets the heater back up, and with a flick of her fingers she relights it, and steps outside.

    She's small, thin, bundled against the cold in a couple of layers with an autumn-colored scarf hanging around her, sturdy boots on her feet, wearing jeans against the cold.

    People are running and screaming as people scurry away from the angry voiced, rather big gentleman, and she tilts her head back a moment.

    "Let's everyone take a breath, yeah? THere's kids inside and you nearly caught the place aflame."

Cain Marko has posed:
A monstrously huge man is here. The sort of immensity one usually associates with the stuff of storybooks and legend. Clearly this man decided to eat the entire lineup of last years Mr. Olympia, The Giants entire defensive line and a few generations of Yokozuna's because his presence and massiveness fills up the aisleways and cooridors made for foot traffic and small vehicles like some sort of construction roadblock. He wears a long brown winter coat over his towering frame but it does absolutely nothing to hide the slabs of muscle that over crowd his frame, threatening to rip through his coat and the tee-shirt aptly sporting Godzilla, that lies beneath. Tufts of red hair can be seen under his winter cap and when he turns slightly towards the speaker, his lightly bearded brickish jaw is set into a scowl that would make any Brooklyn brawler go scurrying away in fear. As it is the crowd is giving him a wide berth.

But around the goliath, local toughs. visually quite apparent as such, are scattered on the ground. Large knives, one visibly bent and near the giant, are on the ground with a long slash mark visible on the big mans tee shirt along his belly.

No blood or injuries visible..

"They attacked -me-, girl." he rumbles, irritated, "I didn't exactly have time to do a head count and see how many kids were hanging out nearby."

Alexis Carr has posed:
    "Then I'm not talking to you, am I big guy?" Alexis states, and she looks at the toughs, and she cracks her knuckles, apparently ready to fight. She purses her lips a moment, looking at the crowd around them, and then back to the big guy.

    "You all learned your lesson, knobs." she breathes out. "So let's all show class an' nice and easy back off before suddenly someone in underoos starts swinging in, yeah? We're in Bat City." she comments.

    One of the toughs, sensing he could probably take her on, decides to give it a try, coming from behind her with a chair leg ripped off someone's restaurant stool!

    With Cain's back turned, two more decide to try their luck, going in to hamstring the big man with sharp knives, trying a joint attack as they go for the backs of his massive knees and thighs!

    

Cain Marko has posed:
Her response, cool confidence and readiness to mix it up with the goons causes the red headed brute's scowl to diminish somewhat and rework itself into a look of perplexed curiousity as if trying to determine her angle.

But the thugs begin making a brazen move on her, driven undoubtly by a sense of pride as much as by desperation. Cain's vantage point as a result of his height and in that he's looking right at her is such that he sees the impending assault from the desperate thug and he cuts his gaze past her towards the looming threat while issuing a surprisingly sharp and shrill whistle.

"Watch your back then, girl." is the only warning he grants. He lifts no hand to aid her yet, as if figuring if she's bold enough to step out into this and speak her mind, she's better be bad enough to throw hands.

Noticably, in all of that, he makes no attempt at defense for himself. The knives slash home, striking against the meaty and heavy joints, thudding through his jeans and into his flesh but finding no purchase there as the skin and muscle beneath remains unyielding and rebuffs their efforts.

For their trouble, Cain's massive shadow looms overhead as he turns At this point there's no point in hiding his super human nature and he brings a fist around towards one thug, holds it aloft and then drops a single finger towards him. The impact might as well be a battering ram to the unfortunante thug who goes hurtling backwards to slam nto the side of a distant dumpster.

The same hand comes back around, his middle finger slamming into the second thug which results in that one tumbling backwards into a mercifully empty tent, tangled up in its mess.

To be fair, he stopped shy of completely crushing thir bones to paste. He's no murderer by trade or berserker in nature.

Doesn't mean they won't feel like they were just in a massive car crash.

Alexis Carr has posed:
    She's no slouch. She turns, and quick on her feet she brings her foot down, heel first, sweeping the guy coming out to throw down with her, agile as she brings her other heel down to smash at his solar plexus. He'll be down for a while.

    "Thanks." she states a sshe rights herself, and another thug decides he wanted a piece of her too! He swings his bat, which she catches. HEr eyes narrow at him, and there's a very dull red glow -- and he's crying out, his hands flying off the bat as she in turn brings it down against his knee. There is a satisfying snapping sound as his kneecap breaks.

    THe toughs facing Cain decide that he's probably not going to go down easily, and the remaining guys decide to scatter off.

    Alexis keeps the bat, but there is markedly a handprint in ashy blue, where she's managed to discolor the metal with heat.

    "... class act, this lot. You'd think they'd be a bit wiser." she states qith dissatisfaction. "So, what, they found the biggest guy wanderin' the camps and decide to start trouble? The heck is wrong with these lads." she mutters.

Cain Marko has posed:
"I bumped into onna of them when trying to pass by and they didn't like it. I don't apologize to idiots." grumbles the giant as he reaches down to lift up the shredded portion of hi shirt. "..Great.."

The onlookers eye the large man with more then a little concern and trepidation. It's..well earned, considering the condition he's left his attackers in but it's also not without justification and they seem to understand that. Their moods are gradually settling down but it may yet be a few minutes until they are completely calm.

Possibly not really until the giant man is gone.

"Nice moves. But you didn't need to get involved." rumbles Cain. He flickers his eyes briefly towards the bat, noting its discoloration but saying nothing to it.

Alexis Carr has posed:
    "Ending the fight quickly where most of us could walk away was my goal. There's six or seven kids in the tent where I was playing. They're dealing with enough... they don't need this on top of their worries." the girl gives a slight smile, some of her dark chestnut hair showing as she gives a slight smile, giving the bat a little swing, and then, chipperly.

    "Lookit me, I'm bat-girl."

    She thinks she's pretty amusing, actually, the little firebrand.

    "After all, we're all missing home pretty badly, you know? I miss my studio in Lil' Italy.

Cain Marko has posed:
He's unamused. At first at least. But, perhaps, the joke is just so bad that it actually causes him to have a break in the image of dour looming bad guy and a mildly lopsided smirk and squinting of his eyes takes place. A slight chuckle grunting out.

"Yeah, I'm sure you'd be a good fit for patrolling the streets of Gotham.. Best job in the world."

The opportunity for some information has presented itself and Cain turns, looking back in the direction of the distant New York skyline.

"I..uh..been a little distracted and out of town. What's going on exactly? Some sort of invasion?"

You'd think he'd have to have been under a rock to not know and considering this, Cain adds swiftly, "I'm not onna the refugees. I was just passing through to take care of some local business. What's happening?"

Alexis Carr has posed:
    "I hear the dentals ah-maaa-zing." the Brit replies, and she cracks a little smile, and motions back towards the canteen tent.

    "Oh. Ah. Archangel Michael apparently wants to trigger the end of thew orld 'cause we're so rotten to one another. You know how it goes." the young woman states, stepping into the canteen tent and holding the flap open for Cain.

    "So they evacuated Manhattan, surrounding boroughs are under watch, it's just a wee bit of trouble until they get things straightened out, then business as usual."

Cain Marko has posed:
"Hn.."

Cain emits a non committal grunt as he eyes the flap and then looks to Alexis again. He didn't exactly come through here for a social call but the circumstances have gotten rather strange, haven't they? ANd then there's this matter of an angelic invasion.

He takes a moment to reach into his jacket and pull out a smartphone, glancing at the time and deftly handling it despite those massive hands. Finally he simply steps forward, following her into the tent.

"I got a few more minutes.." he murmurs before then speaking up more clearly, "..You sounding kinda jaded about the end of the world. You that confident they're gonna straighten it out?"

Alexis Carr has posed:
    "Well, I figure -- either the people fighting them sort it out--" Alexis seats herself back down on a five gallon bucket, and gives a wry smile.

    "Or it's no longer my problem to worry about. Kinda like... trying to pick the right wire to deactivate a bomb. But you seem a sturdy type." Alexis strums a moment. People behind the counter stare at Caine, and a couple of the kids whisper: "Is that Hagrid?"

    "No, he doesn't have a beard. Some other giant!" R
    "Alexis, by the way. You got a name, or should I just refer to you as Big Fellow?"

Cain Marko has posed:
"Cain." responds the big red-head as he looks in the direction of the kids attempting to discern his identity. That's..a first. The Hagrid comparison that is. He'll have to remember that one.

"Call me Cain." he rumbles before looking back at Alexis, "A bomb going off? .... Maybe. End of the world? Not the sort of thing I'd want tested, right? If they're 'Angels' what they have in mind is probably more complicated then just blowin' stuff up.."

He allows a slight smirk again, arms folding slowly as looks Alexis over curiously, "That aint a problem, is it? Me being 'sturdy' enough to not be bothered about knives?"

Alexis Carr has posed:
    "Don't know how much knife-proof translates to bomb-proof. Saw a lot of curious people when I lived in Bushwick." the girl replies, and she gives a little smile back to Cain.

    "Like I said. If they end the world, it ceases to be a worry of mine. According to the interview given to The Daily Planet, doesn't seem like they plan on lining us all up. Just -- out with a whisper. Like turning off a light. Bastards. At least there's some who are putting up a fight." she gives a small smile. "Can I get you a coffee or something, Cain? Unless the cold doesn't bother you?"

Cain Marko has posed:
"Cold doesn't, no." answers Cain who then scoffs, "And..the Archangel Michael gave an interview to The Daily Planet? Sounds like these are social media savvy angels."

His disdain and disbelief is more on display now. Past experiences and just..an understanding of what he himself is let alone forces he's dealt with boiling up to the surface as he says, "..World's full of supernatural and divine powers. I dunno if these angels are the legit 'real thing' but there might be some folk who might have something to say about trying to blink away The Earth...and they aint all nice."

He considers this as he looks towards the tent exit and rubs his jaw in thought, scratching the thick strands of hair there with a sound like a brush scraping across concrete.

"You're probably right. Nothing'll come of worrying about it."

Alexis Carr has posed:
    "It's how I get on. Otherwise I'd just be all worried about my students, my future. Everything that comes after. And what use is worrying when it's completely out of your control? So no, I come down here, run around a little while to keep the kids safe, and then go off to the next camp to poke around." she gives a slight smile up to Cain. "So, you're just passing through and picking up news then."

Cain Marko has posed:
"The pickin' up news is something I just lucked on cause you're so chatty after a bloody brawl with some thugs." quips Cain who then adjusts his winter cap and turns. Strange he's got that and that jacket when he admitted the cold doesn't bother him but one must be fashionable it seems..or at least not give everything away in one glance.

"..Speakin' of which..time to get to back to passing through so I can make my appointment. Nice meetin' you, Alexis. Stay out of trouble. But not too much.."

And with that, the behemoth has ducked low and exited out of the tent..not even waiting for a farewell. It seems when he's on the move, he's indeed on the move. The sound of his footsteps can be heard for awhile until even that fades away.