1008/Mazes and Monsters

Mazes and Monsters
Date of Scene:	17 June 2017
Location:	Unknown
Synopsis:	Summary needed
Cast of Characters:	Ares, She-Hulk

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Ares has posed:
    Central Park is always busy on the weekend with the tourists visiting the exhibitions nearby and people gathering to enjoy a baseball game, or a play, or even the seasonal hedge maze. During the week it's no slouch, but on the weekend thousands more people visit that huge field of green in the middle of the world's most famous city. The sidewalks are filled with pedestrians and joggers, and large roaming games of bicyclists are on the bike trails. It seems as if most everyone and everything is in motion.
    Though today, at least, one man is taking his ease on one of the park benches that circle the large statuesque fountain, burbling happily amongst all the chaos of people moving hither and yon. John Aaron, is a man that only occasionally draws a second glance. Rarely is it for his rather casual clothing, considering that work boots, jeans, and a black t-shirt are worthy of another look. Sometimes it's because of his height and build, though really in New York there are taller and heavier. But sometimes the eye is drawn in his direction.
    Right now, however, he's just another civilian seated on the bench and speaking on his cellphone. His features look a touch haggard, drawn with a measure of annoyance as he murmurs. "No, Alexander, you may not come home yet. The camp of summer is not yet over."
    There's a pause as he listens to the phone, "No, you've only been there a week."
    "I do not care that nobody there knows how to fence. You are there to socialize with other children."
    "Yes, you must follow the counselors' orders."
    "Very well, when you come home."
    "I will call you in two days."
    "Good soldier."
    He hangs up.

She-Hulk has posed:
    By contrast, Jennifer Walters, better known as the She-Hulk, draws all the second glances, and most of the third ones too. That happens when you're a 6'7" woman and green. Today, she's one of those joggers, out getting in a run, and what passes for fresh air in New York. She's wearing magenta lycra shorts and a matching sports bra, which is also getting her plenty of second and third glances. Her route down the path is taking her in John's general direction.

Ares has posed:
    For a time, John Aaron is scowling at his phone but he's pocketing it as he gets up. For some reason his eyes are to the side and his thoughts are distanced, as he ponders the small electronic device but then it's away and he's turning to start his own path, walking away from the fountain and towards that cross-park path. Normally he'd be entirely aware of his surroundings, but this particular moment he is a second... two behind as he looks up and suddenly there is a green amazon of a woman as tall as him and jogging in his direction.
    Most likely he should be able to get out of the way... that is unless she had been distracted too.

She-Hulk has posed:
    Oh, crap. Jen isn't really that distracted, but when someone wanders into your path, options are limited. Thankfully, when you're invulnerable, you always have an option...take the fall. She pushes off to her side as her leg hits the ground, intentionally throwing herself off balance and falling over sideways onto the ground rather than plow into John. It's not like the fall is going to hurt anything more than her pride.

Ares has posed:
    Noble of her. That's the first thought that darts through John's mind. She didn't know that if they'd collided that they both probably would have been fine. But she's a hero and she takes the fall. Noble of her. Despite how he feels about heroes, their self-importance and faux altruism, the man known as John Aaron can recognize a heroic when it's in front of his face even if it's just a small acceptance of pain to stop another from feeling the same. So the split second before she hits the ground, he's scowl a little and as she reaches out with one arm to try and balance and mitigate her fall...
    She'll feel his strong hand encircle hers and check that descent, abruptly lifting her back up and to her full height right in front of him. Eye to eye. That's rare for him. Probably rare for her too. But then his brow furrows and his features colour a touch from the proximity when he says, "Sorry. I should have watched where I was going."
    And once she's stable on her feet... he lets go.

She-Hulk has posed:
    That gets a very surprised look from Jen. "It's okay." she says, slowly. "You're stronger than you look." She knows how much she weighs in this form; just around 700 lbs. To catch her when she's falling, especially one-handed...that's like catching a falling refrigerator with one hand.

Ares has posed:
    The tall man's brow furrows and he gives Jen the once-over. She is... unique. But he meets her gaze again and then when she comments on his strength he gets a faint half-smile as he remembers a joke he heard not too long ago, "Yeah. I do pilates."
    But then he touches her elbow slightly, as if to make sure she's steady on he feet when he says, "Are you sure you're fine?" He frowns and looks to the side as if trying to recall what had distracted him so. But then he makes a small 'hrmf' sound as he recalls it being his own meanderings. Then he says calmly, "My name is John Aaron, usually I am not quite so..." He meets her green eyes, his own brown and then says with a faint smile. "Easy to get the jump on."

She-Hulk has posed:

    Jen has a wry smiles. "Yeah, what, with a truck?" She asks, her tone her normal mix of irreverent and amused. "And sure, I'm just fine. Just didn't want to plow into you by accident. Cause that's /also/ kind of like a truck. "Jennifer Walters. Not that pretty much everyone in New York doesn't know that." She doesn't exactly do the secret identity thing, and she's hard to miss.

Ares has posed:
    She can probably tell by his sort of half-embarrassed/half-pained look that he might very well be one of the few who doesn't keep up on the heroic news reports, considering the prevalence of seeing people that have annoyed him in the past one way or another. But then he says lightly, as if returning her rejoinder, "Maybe it's just... good genetics?" His features shifting to one of wary hopefulness though he expects her not to buy it.
    Of course that's the moment there's a loud /WHATHOOMP!/ of sound, and a rush of displaced air from not too terribly far away. The leaves in the trees all shake and a brush of wind causes the branches to sway. But what might draw the eye all the more is the way the hedge maze seems to shake and tremble from that sound, the bushes starting to rustle audibly.

Ares has posed:
    That heavy hammering and crunching sound shakes the bushes that create that hedge maze. People stop in mid motion around the fountain, their eyes drifting over to that huge hedge maze. Even as John stands there eye to eye with the jade woman. He instinctively takes a step to the side and forward, turning to face the source of the sound.
    Over his shoulder he says sharply, "Ms. Walters," He turns his gaze back across the distance to consider the movement and then a loud /trumpeting/ of sound, like a creature calling out to like. "Perhaps you would be so kind as to make sure people depart quickly?" For some reason he seems comfortable with telling her this...
    And that's when the large horned skull appears over the tree line. Skeletal in form, and yet massive in shape, the monster crushes the hedges with each heavy step. It stops for a moment and slams the axe down hard upon the ground, then trumpets another challenge.

Ares has posed:
    She's got a public ID, but what's more is she's got a good set of lungs on her as she /hollars/ and it sets people to moving. They turn and some start running, a young couple pushing a carriage rush off while taking up their child in case they need to leave the carriage behind. A policeman on horseback seems to start to move towards them, but upon recognizing She-Hulk he draws rein and nods to her, as if she's got it.
    But then the large skeletal minotaur roaaars again, bringing its axe around and /smashing/ it into the concrete as a ghostly voice lift, // Ares, your death has been ordered. Accept that the strand of your fate has been severed and I shall make your passing quick. //
    To which John scowls and looks sidelong around him to gauge his surroundings. His voice lifts in counterpoint, "You are mistaken, creature."

Ares has posed:
    The monster is already trying to pull back the axe and get ready to bring it around as it starts moving forwards, but then She-Hulk lands and grabs a hold of the end of it. It turns its massive horned head in her direction, small glowing beadlets of red in its eyesockets focus on her and it growls, // Begone, wench! This concerns you naught! // Even as it brings that axe up, with her attached should she so wish to hold on.
    But John says sharply to She-Hulk's words, "The monster is mistaken." And yet as he snaps an arm to the side a large hand axe appears in his grip with a sworl of shadow. He steps forwards and as the creature speaks to the green woman, he sends it hurling end over end to /crash/ into the side of its head, shearing into the skull and slicing one of the horns clean away.

Ares has posed:
    The monster is already staggering to the side and then suddenly she gets her grip on the axe. It's turning to focus on the former God of War as the man charges towards the creature. With the green giantess clinging to the axe, it starts to bring it back... up... then down in a slow but smooth arc...
    That ends with a sharp /CLANG!/ as she is able to snap it in two right as it's about to strike John. The axe head goes _flying_ off to imbed in the side of a tree, causing it to list to the side. Then it holds up the broken weapon, somehow agape even though it has no eyes.
    // How... the Axe of Hades... how could you! // But suddenly John _leaps_ into the air as a large shield appears in a flash of black flame and shadow, just before he impacts into the large ribcage, knocking the creature down and onto its back with a loud /CRASH!/

Ares has posed:
    The thing is already starting to rise off its back, one great hand sweeping across the ground and kicking up fallen leaves as it roars. // I SHALL NOT BE BESTED SO EASILY! // It brings a great claw back and gets ready to _rake_ then across She-Hulk's side...
    Only for another axe to suddenly /smash/ into its head and shatter the remaining bone. With a crackle of finality it falls to the ground, whatever magical force that had been holding the bones together dissipates as the thing falls to pieces all around them.
    Most of the people have already fled, only a few lookie loos are still there, yet far enough away to be out of earshot. John frowns and yanks the axe out of the side of the creature's skull and then grunts, "This. Was unpleasant."

Ares has posed:
    "Not sure," The tall man frowns, "Usually they..." But then before he can finish his sentence the large bones of the skeleton begin to hiss and sizzle, compressing in on themselves as they disintegrate, collapsing in on their own structure and stating to curl up like reverse snakes from the 4th of July.
    He gestures to the side at it, "Usually they do that."

Ares has posed:
    A grunt is given as he glances towards her, then nods once. "You enjoy my thanks, Jennifer Walters." And with that he turns and starts to move off away from the site of the ruckus, leaving the tall woman to deal with all the horrible horrible questions, answers, and possible paperwork.