11035/A Little Trouble in Queens

From United Heroes MUSH
Jump to navigation Jump to search
A Little Trouble in Queens
Date of Scene: 10 February 2020
Location: Jackson Heights, Queens
Synopsis: Summary needed
Cast of Characters: Andi Benton, Nightcrawler




Andi Benton has posed:
A typical evening in Queens. Not far from the mall near Jackson Heights, Andi Benton is wrapping up a shift at work, getting ready to head home. There's still a lot of activity even a couple hours before the mall closes for the night, meaning lots of opportunities for those with ill intent. Even if crime is lower here than some other places, it isn't non-existent.

"Yeah, see you tomorrow if I don't die in my sleep first or, like, get hit by a meteor on the way home," she says to Crystal, a coworker of hers. Sarcasm is one of their ways of coping with the dull existence of working in a mall, even if it has pretty much everything one could want. There are just so many people.

Upon punching out and leaving the place, she tugs a coat around her upper body for some extra warmth. It's still winter, and while some wetness is expected later, it's above freezing though the wind chill is in the 30s.

Nightcrawler has posed:
Kurt is, for a change, with his inducer engaged, to walk among people as a person. The irony that he doesn't feel like one of them never fails to register. Window shopping for him is watching people - but it has been less of a trouble as it has in the past.

So there is a bag in hand, for the reason for his better moods, despite it. Small gifts for back home. His path has taken him out the doors near a young woman with sarcasm for a jacket underneath his wintercoat. Coverings over self. He's not aware of her words with her co-worker, but it's fate typically to be put in proximity to others who have to hide themselves.

Andi Benton has posed:
Andi Benton ignores most of the shoppers. Seems half of them have bags of some kind, maybe even more by now. Her hair is dyed and she has a few piercings in abnormal areas of the face. It makes her just the sort of person a Hot Topic would probably hire, given their general love of things gothy, punk, and generally counterculture styles.

A detour toward the food court follows so she can grab a quick bite to eat, then she's headed toward an exit. About that time, a group of four tough-looking people motion toward her and make to follow.

Nightcrawler has posed:
Hairs running up the back of his neck as he walks, Kurt's brows knit and he looks about himself as he walks. Instinctively holding back some - a sensation that he needs to keep watch for something honed by years of living 'under fire' so to speak, and in combat with threats like Striker, or Magneto have compounded this.

The short girl, left to her devices is watched, eyes turning this way and that - an aristocratic man in suit and sloppy hair, with poor posture to boot, peeking about himself - trying to not look suspicious.

Even if its super sus.

Andi Benton has posed:
A brief glance over a shoulder showed Andi at least a couple things: the group headed her way, and someone else in a suit observing her. Why would..? No, forget it. She doesn't want to know.

A hand wraps around a small canister of pepper spray she keeps with her, and she pushes past a set of double doors into the cold night. If any of them try to get closer, she'll be as ready as she can be. They, in fact, keep moving, not even trying to hide the fact they're tailing her now. They exude male confidence, so certain are they of their plans.

Nightcrawler has posed:
That deliberate shift in movement is enough to make Kurt fall back more, let them move between he and the young woman. Mouth pulling to a thin line - as he gets out into the cold night the bag for home is carefully set between a bus bench and a waste bin, seeming to float while his tail gets it in place.

His head rolls from side to side, loosening, fingers and toes flexing carefully, give no sign, poor posture remaining - not yet ready to drop on all fours, or to teleport if he finds the need. He tries something though, the hail Mary pass.

"Excuse me! Miss! Mein dame!" a little keepsake pulled from his belt, a thistle charm picked up in the UK, small enough to be anything from a distance, "Miss you dropped something, ja?" accent thickened intentionally. Just a tourist. Ja?

Andi Benton has posed:
Just after the words are spoken, the quartet after Andi immediately takes on the appearance of friends simply conversing with each other on the sidewalk. They think she's unaware of them, but with someone else now involved more directly, namely the disguised Kurt, they may need to reassess their plans...or simply account for him as well.

At first, Andi keeps walking. She knows she didn't drop anything, but a moment of doubt creeps in. What if she did? She checks herself over, and only after that's been done does she turn just enough to glance back his way. "Just leave me alone. I'm trying to get home," she warns.

Nightcrawler has posed:
"No. Miss! On your way out the door. You -dropped- this!" Kurt insists, though for a moment his eyes turn to the quartet. Should their eyes follow him, there's challenge there, a tightening of his expression. Readiness that belies the modern fop presented.

His lips are moving still, though silent. Prayer.

Andi Benton has posed:
Andi Benton's brows squeeze together. She still doubts. "No, I'm pretty sure I didn't. If this is just a way to trick me into letting you close so you can drag me off for bad things, I wasn't born yesterday."

The exchange between the disguised man and the young woman leads to the group looking between both sides from where they are, then they quickly chatter amongst themselves. This guy is butting in on their business! Should they just move along and look for someone else, or push things? He doesn't look like much trouble to them, and the look he sends their way sends them into a round of laughter.

"Oye!" says one, appearing to act as the leader of the group. He makes a waggling motion with the fingers of a hand. "Move along, ese. This no place for tourists. You on our turf. We look after the nina, comprende?"

At this, Andi's eyes narrow.

Nightcrawler has posed:
Lips stop moving at the challenge and like Andi his eyes narrow. Like Andi he is seeing where this is going. But he is unaware what may live there. She looks ready to take care of herself, but it's four on one. Even a well trained fighter could have difficulty. Many chances for one wrong move.

"Nien." 'putting up his dukes' now, "I think you should let her be before things go in ways the Lord would see not happen, ja?" a slow breath in, "Go with God and find forgiveness for sin starts in the mind and you've stained your soul with it."

Andi Benton has posed:
"Nine? Ain't but one of you, homey," says another in the group, his accent more American than the leader's, and he laughs at what he perceives to be a great joke. Best ever, in fact.

Andi, meanwhile, begins to inch her way further from the rest. It could be a good chance to bail if the others get into a fight, but four on one doesn't sound like good odds even if she doesn't trust any of them.

A third nods in her direction. "Yo, she tryna rabbit, Jesse." He's been watching her. The fourth says nothing, only reaching into a coat pocket for dual sets of spiked brass knuckles.

Leader answers, "I'm thinking we got ourselves a communication problem. She belong to us, not you."

Upon hearing this, Andi can't help herself. "Excuse me? I don't belong to anybody, you assholes! Come any closer and you'll get some of this!" Now she pulls out the pepper spray. "I had a long day, it's cold, I'm tired, and I just want to go home. Don't fuck with me!"

Nightcrawler has posed:
BAMF! There's smoke and soot where he was before the twinned BAMF! appears in the middle of their number. A foot swinging for the back of one's head, then more smoke, more noise a fist flying out of another cloud aimed for the stomach.
BAMF! A knee for the chest after he doubles over.
BAMF! A punch to the jaw and a spaded tail grabbing an arm to hurl him to slide across the ice and slam side first into a light pole before,

BAMF! Another cloud of smoke blowing away in the winter breeze, Kurt on all fours, in the all black version of his kevlar and padding, eyes glowing, his presence darkening the area around him.

"Run." but who is he talking to?

Andi Benton has posed:
"Holy fucking shit," Andi blurts as soon as the guy in the suit starts teleporting around, making short work of the group's leader, and in little more than a few blinks of the eye he's left down and out, groaning. The others? Before they even finish drawing any weapons, they panic and rush to the aid of their guy, helping him up before they beat feat.

More from Andi: "You're a..one of those incubus things and you want to fuck me and..God damn..." She certainly looks like she's about to take off as well, having seen the glowing eyes, the tail, the animalistic way in which the revealed man crouches.

Nightcrawler has posed:
A demon. Never an angel, never a savior. Words cutting him better than any knife, Kurt sags some, watching the would be predators take flight.

"No. I'm" a monster, a freak. You're a freak Kurt. Why do bother? Eyes close and he takes a breath to lock that little voice away. "I'm just a mutant." though that admission slides that voice a bobby pin under the door.

Andi Benton has posed:
Andi Benton looks over a shoulder, still gripping the pepper spray tight, expecting the monster to be chasing after her, ready to perhaps leap upon her or do..whatever it was he just did with the one guy, disappearing and reappearing. It wouldn't be the first time she saw someone capable of teleporting.

But, something in the back of her head makes her pause. She shouldn't stop. He's deep in his feelings, apparently. It'd be a perfect time for her to disappear before he realizes she's gone, even if he helped. But..that's probably why she stops and frowns, looking uncomfortable with something. "Just a mutant?" she asks.

Nightcrawler has posed:
Kurt Wagner standing up at a slouch, tail wagging back and forth, hands folding before himself while he watches the young woman,

"Ja. Just a mutant." brow knitting and staring at her. "They looked like they were going to attack, so I did what I could do. I didn't mean to scare you eh?"

Only his tail is a sign of life, the rest of him is still as stone, expecting more poor reactions.

Andi Benton has posed:
"I..don't understand. You were someone else, and now.." Andi gestures toward Kurt and his appearance, and judging by the way she chews her lip, he might see one of those piercings shift around a bit.

Eyes dart away then return to him, staring as she takes further note of various details about him. "I was scared as soon as I figured out they were tailing me," she adds, watching him, watching his tail, but keeping her distance for now.

Nightcrawler has posed:
Allowing himself a few more moments, to consider, "Ja. I have means to hide. Most people see..." a soft breath. "Well. You know what most people see, ja?" Kurt fumbles a bit with his belt, "I can pay for a cab to get you home miss. Not a good night for walking."

And he has reasons to get home too. "You don't need to explain either. I'm scared every time. It's natural." finally getting a phone out, using his tail like a stylus.

Andi Benton has posed:
Andi Benton's frown deepens. Somewhere in there, she can see something about him that isn't what she expected at first glance. "..a demon, like I did," she admits, and a wave of self-awareness hits her enough that she eyes the sidewalk at her feet.

"That was a shitty thing for me to call you when you were just helping. I was going to the subway. I'm only a couple stops away. But what are you scared of?" she wonders. This probably won't make up for how she reacted.