12096/Just A Typical Lunch

Just A Typical Lunch
Date of Scene:	30 August 2020
Location:	66 East 11th Street, Greenwich Village
Synopsis:	A friendly lunch amongst friends is interrupted by would-be mutant-killers. Andrea and Nevada take care of business.
Cast of Characters:	Elixir, Barghest, Rage

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Elixir has posed:
It's Sunday in the city and the weather's not half bad. Not that it matters much, as Josh doesn't have any plans on being outdoorsy today anyway. He's meeting up with Andrea to have a light lunch and maybe talk a little about the clinic she's involved with and opening soon. To be honest, it's all he's been thinking about since they last spoke, so he's anxious to learn more about it.

He's sitting at a small table on the sidewalk, a cup of coffee already in front of him and only half-full. His phone sits on the table beside the drink and he is scrolling through memes and grinning to himself. The occasional person will walk by and notice his skin and oggle, but he doesn't seem to notice or mind.

Barghest has posed:
Said pop star texted a few minutes ago that she was almost there, and in short order her car is pulling up. However, she's not the only one getting out of it. There's a young man that seems about her age, with scruffy black hair and a lightweight, black shirt over a white undershirt and jeans. He moves around the rear of the car with a stiff limp that he looks well used to. If it's an injury, it's an old one. He meets up with Andrea on the other side as he reaches up to absent-mindedly fluff out and resettle the collar of his overshirt.

"Food smells amazing." He can be heard to say as he glances towards the cafe. "Sure you don't want me to just snag some food and get out of your hair?"

Rage has posed:
"Of course I want you to tag along. I'm curious to see if Josh can even fix your limp." Andrea says as she nudges him along as she heads into the cafe. "Hey, Josh!" She calls out as she waves her hand, uncaring if she snags any attention from the other customers. As she heads over to the table, she gives him a grin and slides down.

"Josh, this is my twin brother, Nevada. I know you just missed him the other day when he and Jay went to the movies, instead of.. going to that charity event. Thank you again for filling in for Jay. It meant a lot. I really guilt tripped him when he came home that night."

Elixir has posed:
When the car pulls up to the curb, Josh glances up from his phone and watches Andrea and Nevada exit the vehicle and head in his general direction. He takes another quick sip from his coffee and pushes back from the table so he can rise to meet them once they're close enough. "Hey," he says simply with a half-smile as he greets Andrea. Once that's done, he turns his attention towards Nevada, offering him a nod and a hand, "Nice meeting you, man." He had noticed the guy's limp as he approached and, assuming Nevada takes Josh's hand, he'll check out the extent of the injury.

Looking back to Andrea, Josh shrugs before he'll turn back to return to the table, "No problem. I enjoyed embarassing myself in front of the elite."

Barghest has posed:
"...he doesn't have to." Mutters Nevada under his breath as he follows along with Andrea. As she makes introductions, he lifts his chin to Josh in a bobbing greeting. "Hey man, good to meetcha too. Sorry Jay and I missed the memo and you got stuck." He does take the offered hand for a shake, because polite is polite.

The injury is deep, as old as he is. Genetic, in some fashion, though there's a strange sense of it as if some aspect was unnatural and shielded. On the surface, it'd seem like a brutal lower back case of scoliosis, but inwardly there's some sort of split in his spine that sets his hips wider apart than they'd naturally be.

Rage has posed:
"You didn't embarrass yourself at all. You were the talk of the party. Mutants need to be seen in events like this, doing good things for charity, instead of blowing up buildings wearing silly metal helmets. It's important that society starts to see us as people and not menaces." Andrea says with a giggle as he plucks up the menu to look through the items.

"Anyways, Nevada and Jay pretended to forget about the event so they can see some type of action movie, knowing that I would most likely forgive them after the fact because I'm way too nice to be mad." She says with a soft huff.

Elixir has posed:
As Josh returns to his seat, he lowers himself and snatches up his drink. His eyes linger on Nevada for a moment, "No problem. It as a pretty good time." Not that he's a medical expert, but he's never sensed an injury quite like that. Turning his attention back to Andrea, Josh makes a reluctant face but grins, "I guess that's a good point. It was still pretty strange with so many rich people just staring at me."

Down the street, unbeknownsty to the trio sitting together at the cafe, a black, unmarked vehicle has been parked. It's something between a cargo van and a semi. Huge while somehow still being inconspicuous. A group of men has just emerged from the double doors in the back and they're now making their way down the sidewalk towards the mutants. They're dressed in varying shades of black and grey clothing, almost looking to be paramilitary or something. Everyone they approach gives them a wide berth and doesn't waste time lingering around. There are four of them and they're all staring at either Josh, Nevada, or Andrea, and they're about 30 seconds away.

Barghest has posed:
Big vans and dudes in dark clothes aren't something that would draw Nevada's notice. But there is that reflex that when people are moving away from something, said something might be of note. He turns his head away from the conversation and towards the movement down the walk, and the hair on the back of his neck begins to stand up. "Andrea." He says, in a warning voice that is edged with a low growl that doesn't sound entirely human as he moves to stand closer to her.

Rage has posed:
"If it makes you feel better, people stare at me all the time also. I sorta just got used to it." Andrea says as she gives him a wry grin. "After awhile you just learn to tune it out. Most people just want you to see them in retun. Some of them may be afraid. My slogan is smiling increases face value. It's why I'm always smiling. At least that way people don't think I always have a resting bitch face. Smiling tends to put people more at ease than anything."

Her nose gives a few twitches, followed by a tilt of her head. "I hear it." She says to Nevada as she pushes herself upwards as well. "Josh, get behind us, we need to make our way for the doors. No close quarters."

Elixir has posed:
Nevada's sudden shift in behavior draws Josh's attention away from his coffee, seeing that his attention is turned down the street behind him. The golden-skinned kid also rises to his feet and turns around to see the group of armored men heading in their direction. "Jeez," he mutters idly, "they look pretty hardcore." And that's when he notices where the hardcofre gentlemen in question are looking. At them.

There's a moment of panic as Andrea tells him to get behind her, then his training kicks in. He calms himself and moves, grabbing his phone and dropping it into his pocket. He steps around the table and follows her lead just as the men all produce weapons in unison. Fortunately for the bystanders none of the men have firearms. They've opted for knives and blount objects. One of them sneers and orders his fellows, "Get 'em." The three others begin to sprint forward, trying to close the distance as quickly as possible. Two of them, one with a long knife and the other with what almost resembles a police baton, have their eyes locked onto Nevada. The third has a knife as well and is grinning at Andrea. The one issuing orders is still walking at a slow pace, seemingly allowing the others to draw first blood.

Barghest has posed:
Nevada stays side to side with Andrea, the two forming a wall to shield Josh. The shaggy-haired guy doesn't seem like he'd be much of a fighter, which may not make this the most reassuring scene to the healer, but here we are.

"I'll try and draw them, you two get inside. Don't blow your cover." Nevada says to Andrea before the men begin their rush. He steps forward with his teeth bared, and there's a disarming moment where they look to be sharper and entirely more numerous than his mouth should be able to hold. It disappears almost as soon as it appears as he stands with one arm up, ready to meet their charge. The knife-wielder takes his primary focus, as Nevada will try to dodge and grab the arm holding it should it come swinging.

Rage has posed:
"Pff. Please. I don't need to reveal myself to handle these morons. I'm trained to be an X-Man. These guys barely got through self-defense classes at the YMCA." Andrea says to her twin brother. She glances to Nevada briefly as he engages, then lunges forward. When her brother reaches out to grab the man's arm, she'll come in at the side. She plants one foot, then wheels the other as she swivels herself quickly. There's a well practiced snap kick that is aiming for the kidney, followed by a sharp jab towards the throat. Two on one for the moment, the baton wielder is not forgotten about, but the one with the knife appears to be the greater of the threats.

Elixir has posed:
The blade-wielder does in face swipe his arm towards Nevada. He wasn't expecting any of the kids to have any real combat ability so he went in with a little too much bravado. Nevada is able to catch his arm and before he can respond, he's introduced to Andrea's foot. Yelling out in pain as his kidney is rocked, he turns to look at the starlet just in time to take a jab to the throat. A sick choke sound erupts from his mouth as he drops his knife and reaches for his neck, staggering backwards a few steps. That's when his baton buddy steps in and, having seen Andrea wreck his partner, brings his weapon down, aiming to hit her directly on the skull and knock her out.

Josh, meanwhile, is standing a few feet away, looking ready to jump at a moment's notice. He's obviously not really sure what to do, as he's a support character. Looking around, he sees a long umbrella abandoned at an adjacent table. He grabs it and holds it out in front of him like a sword.

The second attacker with a knife moves in to shove his blade towards Nevada's ribs with a quick stab.

Barghest has posed:
The first of the three goes down, and Nevada is turning to give his sister some returning backup when the second knife-wielder moves in. The blade slides along ribs as Nevada turns before catching and jamming on bone, stuck somewhere near the rear of floating and stationary ribs. The snarl he makes them absolutely is not human, sounding instead like a very angry animal.

Unluckily for the assailant, knives require close quarters. Nevada winds back with a fist and sends it for the skull of the guy who just stabbed him.

Rage has posed:
As the man goes choking and stumbling backwards, Andrea turns and throws her arms up into a form of an X in front of her, catching the bat between her wrists. She moves like liquid as one hand wraps about the bat to pull it across from her chest, while the other curls into a fist and looks to slam it hard into the chest of the other man, right over his heart.

Her arms are aching from the impact of the bat, but it is pure adrenaline that is causing her to move. Adrenaline and training. If possible, she'll try and wrench the bat free by planting a foot into the man's hip and yanking backwards.

Elixir has posed:
The first man is down but not out. At least he's delayed in getting back up after having his throat socked pretty thoroughly. The second attacker with the knife cackles maniacally when his blade hit paydirt. He gets ready to shove the blade again and harder when the primal roar escapes Nevada's throat. Freezing up, his eyes widen, "The fuck?" He's open and vulnerable as he did NOT expect that sound to come from that kid.

When the baton is caught between Andrea's wrists, her assailant curses out loud and is about to wind up for another, harder go at it when she beats him to the punch and jerks his baton down and across her chest, catching him unexpecting and causing him to lose his balance. He stumbles forward, almost crashing into her, when her fist slams into his chest. An audible crack pops in his torso and he yells out in pain as he clutches his sternum. This makes it easy for Andrea to relieve the man of his baton while the force of her pushing against him with her foot causes him to collapse to one knee.

Josh sees the guy take a knee and quickly steps between Nevada and Andrea and brings the umbrella down, connecting with his ear but not really doing much damage. The man grabs his ear now and looks up at Josh, "Fuck's sake!"

The leader, annoyed now that his team of 'combat experts' is getting their asses beat by teenagers, is fed up. He reaches to his belt and produces a pistol and levels it at Andrea, "Enough, girl."

Barghest has posed:
Nevada's fist connects with the shell-shocked man who knifed him with an unpleasant sounding impact. He may not hit any harder than the next guy, but human knuckles can still pack a whallop when fueled by anger and adrenaline. Just hopefully some passer-by or cafe patron has spotted the uproar and called in emergency services.

He's just getting ready to go for another round when he hears the voice and he looks up, spotting the gun. It's on pure reflex that he moves to put himself between the gun and his sister, even with other attackers right there. Unlike the two mutants, he was never trained for combat like this.

Rage has posed:
Spinning the baton about in her hands quickly for a moment, Andrea shows off a bit of color guard background before she snaps to a defensive stance. With the gun in her face, she snarls back at him. "Pussy. Afraid to get punched by a girl?"

She balances back and forth on her feet as she holds the baton with both hands in front of her, baring her teeth at him as she can feel the hair on the back of her neck rise. With Nevada stepping in front of her, she reaches out to his side and tugs the blade free of his rib cage, then whips it around towards the gunmen in one smooth motion. Always do the unthinkinable. Keep them off balance. She is also ducking as she goes.

Elixir has posed:
Nevada's target is caught off guard and takes a solid punch to the jaw, twisting his head to the side and sending a ringing sound through his brain. He takes a few steps back to collect himself when he, too, sees the leader aiming a pistol at the teens. Holding his jaw, he turns back to look at the kids with a grin on his face, "Waste 'em!"

That, combined with Andrea calling him a pussy, results in his finger applying pressure to the trigger. Before he can squeeze the trigger enough to fire the weapon, however, he sees a blade hurtling towards his face and flinches, narrowly avoiding the knife but also firing off a round. While the barrel had been aimed at Nevada's face, the flinch threw his aim off just enough not to kill the guy.

Unlucky for Josh. The bullet flies past Nevada and connects with his shoulder, pushing him back and drawing out a pained yell. He clutches the wound and bends over slightly, wincing in pain. "You shot me, you dick!"

Barghest has posed:
At the sound of the gunshot, the outburst from Josh, and the knife being hauled out of his body, Nevada seems to have decided he's had quite enough of this. It's a lurching feeling to watch him change, the brain not quite able to grasp what's going on when man becomes a large, shaggy black dog. It's fast, within the span of two blinks and leaving a point between like a instant-fast impression of vertigo. Then the Shepherd-like dog is charging down the sidewalk towards the shooter with his jaws gaping to lunge and latch onto the offending arm.

The good eye would see the knife-wound still along his ribs, only sluggishly bleeding even with the knife having been removed.

Rage has posed:
Knowing Josh will be healed within seconds, Andrea only spares him a quick glance before she focuses once more on the shooter. With Nevada shifting and charging forward to attack the gunmen, she will lunge forward with the baton in her hands, swinging for the fences as she looks to land a crack against the side of his head.

"Josh, you okay?!" She calls over her shoulder as she will look to kick the gun to the side if the gunmen releases it. If not, she'll keep hitting him with the baton until he does.

Elixir has posed:
For being such a group of badasses, none of these guys seem to have been prepared for this engagement. The gunman recovers from the mis-fired shot in time to see a dog lunging in his direction. His instinct is to shield his face with his forearms, which only gives Nevada an easy target for his jaws. In his dog form, Nevada is easily able to clamp down onto the gunman's arm just below the elbow.

With his arm being jerked downward, it frees up the side of his head to make acquaintances with the baton swung by Andrea. A loud *crack* rings out and his eyes roll back in his head and he slumps to the ground. In the distance, the sound of sirens begins to reverberate between the skyscrapers. Looks like someone did alert the authorities and they're now on their way.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Just hurts like hell," Josh mutters as he places his hand over the wound and starts the healing process. The bullet is pushed back out through the hole in his shoulder and bounces off the sidewalk as he surveys the scene, "We should probably get out of here." He spies Nevada in his dog form and blinks, both surprised by his appearance as well as the signs of his injury that are more obvious now. "Jesus."

Rage has posed:
"Yeah, we should get going. I'm sure this will make the news regardless. It's why I got lawyers." Andrea sighs out loudly as she stares down at the man on the ground, then kicks the gun towards one of the store owners. "Here, hold on to this." She calls over, then looks to head towards her car quickly after giving Nevada a tap on the shoulder.

"Come on, boy. Good dog. Let's get home and heal you up." She nudges Josh along the way as well as she digs her keys out of her pocket, unlocking the doors to her Tesla as she motions them in.

"What a day."

Barghest has posed:
Nevada was in the midst of shaking the gunman's arm like it was a tug toy when he went down. Andrea's command to follow brings him to release the downed man, though not without one last snarl to his unconscious face before he turns and awkwardly lopes for the car. He gives just a quick wag of his tail towards Josh, though the gesture is stiff and jagged like it didn't move properly. Then into the car he goes, hopefully not to bleed too much on the seats.

Elixir has posed:
When Andrea and Nevada retreat into the pop star's Tesla, Josh follows suit, taking one last look around to make sure no one else but the dickheads are hurt. Satisfied, he climbs into the back and immediately looks at his partners, "Let me take care of that, Nevada." He waits for some form of acknowlegement from the wounded canine before he dares lay a hand on him. He looks to Andrea, "You okay? Need anything?"

Rage has posed:
"I need a drink, which I will promptly have when I get home." Andrea says as the electric car revs to life before she takes off down the street and heads for home. She has a frustrated look on her face as they pass the sirens and whirling lights of the police.

"I don't know what that was about, but it's been a long time since I've been attacked in public. Maybe it's just the season again and people are bored. I haven't done anythign stupid lately on the news to warrant that."

"Just take care of Nevada and we can just go home and watch TV and talk about this clinic thing. Which we obviously need more than ever now."