13453/Don't stop Be-Juggin'

Don't stop Be-Juggin'
Date of Scene:	07 June 2021
Location:	Lower East Side, Manhattan
Synopsis:	Rogue and Rift meet the Juggernaut!
Cast of Characters:	Rogue, Juggernaut, Rift

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Rogue has posed:
Rogue had been out for a day in the city. Her car was parked in some garage, hopefully the ticket stub had the address on it, or else she might have to use her phone to track it down. All the X-Men vehicles were LoJacked. It just made sense with the lives they led.
    Once you get to Manhattan, it's easier to use the public transit to get around, or in Rogue's case, just fly. She never really bothered with the whole superhero alias thing anyway. She was Rogue, that's all anyone knew her as, and it was all anyone was likely to know about her.
    As she was flying through the city, she caught sight and sound of an ambulance and fire truck speeding down the streets, siren blaring as cars struggled to get out of the way. She didn't know where it was coming from, so she had nothing much to do but follow, at least at first.
    Then when she got bored of that, she started lifting cars with people out of the way, putting them back down afterwards, "sorry about this, move way, coming through."
    It seemed that someone or something had made a hole in the side of a bank, with gunshots being fired. They didn't know how bad it was, but there was some kind of commotion going on.

Juggernaut has posed:
Well now it's a bit of a mess now isn't it? Whoever decided to attack this bank isn't being at all subtle about it. Gunfire is going off on the interior and some lucky citizens have managed to clear away from the confusion and chaos but things are still seemingly rather heated and problematic to say the least.

It's been going on long enough for the local law enforcement to be attempting organization here and there but a proper response hasn't quite mobilized just yet and getting people clear of the action-zone seems to be the priority.

Abruptly the gunfire stops and shouts of surprise, anger, and intense swearing can be heard occuring. The cops look at each other in confusion before signaling one another in an attempt to begin to move in closer...which is when the front entrance of the bank literally explodes with debris as the wall is blown out and the earth shakes violently. A bank vault door comes flying through, hurtling into the air in the general direction of Rogue's approach with potential damage and injuries should it hit anyone or anything. Loud cries of "Look out!!" and other assorted screams fill the air.

Rogue has posed:
    Rogue said something decidedly unladylike when the front entrance of the bank exploded with debris, and the bank vault door flew out. She had to drop the car she had been in the process of moving, not too bad, but it was a rough landing, "sorry about that," she said looking to the confused and likely irate passengers, but she had other matters to attend to, like the vault floor being used as a Frisbee.
    Catching it in midair, the momentum of it sent her flying, but her own flight ability, strength, and durability, managed to absorb the forces and bring it to a stop before she smacked into the nearest building wall. "Woah, for once I get ta hold something that doesn't crumble under it's own weight," she said, as she could switch to one hand on the bank vault door. It was as sturdy as they come. Setting it down on an open area of the side walk, she propped it up against a building.
    "All right, whoever's in there, come out with yer hands up, or I'm comin' in, and yer not gonna like that."

Juggernaut has posed:
Her intervention is timely and appreciated as wide eyes stare up and then sigh in relief as Rogue deals with the vault door. Following that, her demand for the culprits to show themselves doesn't take to long to get some results. As the dust settles and the ground keeps shaking, the police make an attempt to move in ?.and the bank robbers come flying out, running desperately and firing into the dust cloud. Some turn and begin to rapidly open fire on the law enforcement who themselves take cover quickly. Fortunately the crowds have been coralled and dispersed but that doesn't make the gunfire any less dangerous..

And of course..then there's The Juggernaut. Of course he's here.

The behemoth emerges from the interior of the bank in full regalia, still showing signs of the crimson energy of his powers crackling over his form as if he's only recently donned his armored persona. The very earth crumbles and shakes under his steps, leaving depressions shaped around his feet in the cement and the front of the bank widens open to accommodate his immensity like parting a curtain made of stone and glass.

Bullets from the bank robbers slam into him, harmlessly rebounding after sparking into his armor or thudding with muted impacts into areas of his exposed skin. He..doesn't look happy.

"Can't a guy just do some bankin', out here??" he rumbles while lumbering forward and beginning to descend into the streets.

Rogue has posed:
    "Why does ev'rybody gotta choose the hard way?" Rogue sighed to herself as the bank robbers came out firing. The law enforcement officers return fire, following their procedures, which is to end the engagement as efficiency as possible, with the least threat to human life, and least collateral damage. They are shooting to kill. It was unfortunate, but a necessary tactic.
    Rogue flew into the middle of the fire fight, bullets hitting her, making holes or scratches in her clothing. "And ah just got this!" She complained, but she was going for the criminal guns, breaking one in her gloved hand. But then she saw the Juggernaut. Some of the other members of the gang were firing on him too. With so many of them armed, she couldn't just fly them up. If there were only two, she'd have seriously considered that.
    "Now, why don't y'all just hand over them itty bitty guns and come along quietly. No need ta add more charges to yer sentence, now is there? 'sides, if I don't get'cha, he will," and she gestured to the Juggernaut who for today at least seemed to be on the side of the angels. Who could tell what he'd be doing next week, or the week after that.

Rift has posed:
Hearing a news report of a superpowered bank robbery, Rift decides to investigate from afar, portaling into a nearby alleyway to see what's going on, with her typical eerie ruby glow. Rogue of the X-Men is there. Until she sees.... Juggernaut. Oh boy. She shivers and yelps with every gunshot that sounds - at least Rogue's bulletproof apparently - she doesn'te seem to be hurt. Lucky her. She rubs her arm where she got shot a year ago. She isn't sure what she can do against Juggernaut - once he starts moving, it's said he's literally unstoppable. She sticks to the shadows for now - not at all confident on this scenario.

Juggernaut has posed:
Rogue's insight is sharp. Why as recently as some weeks ago, Juggernaut had even lent the X-men a hand although a personal grudge with the target was part of the motivation. Either way he's some respect for the southern lass.

That doesn't mean he's still not a violent brute when the mood and circumstances call for it. And then there's the unfortunate problem that the police themselves know nothing about his occasional possession of morality and scruples.

They open fire. The gang opens fire.

The criminal whose gun was broken by Rogue screams and attempts to run for it. Two more try and open fire on her. By now it's just a big mess needing containment and it's made worse as Juggernaut plows forward in irate fury.

"Th'hell you shootin' at me for!" he yells before reaching the first cop car and then , reaching down, grips his fingers under its front bumper and heaves..sending it hurtling into the air. It is, fortunantely, without anyone in it but it does go crashing down into a violent explosion on the other side of the barricade.

Another car becomes flattened under foot as the behemoth simply treads over it, wading without pause into thick of things. A SWAT van rounds a corner, passing him as the driver swerves in shock and Juggernaut's arm bats out reflexively - a tree dwarfing limb slamming into the side of the van and sending it spiraling into the air almost in slow motion....

Rogue has posed:
"This is nuts," Rogue said to herself, as she did her best to disarm the criminals, but they kept running and shooting at her, splitting up. "It's like chasing pigs in a pen," she said, "they're all slippery suckahs." She was getting the guns, and there wasn't a whole lot she could do about the police, who reacted a bit harsh to the Juggernaut. At least none of them were firing at her yet.

Once she seemed to have the guns of the criminals, broken, thrown a football field away, or tossed to the cops. Her fingerprints weren't on any of it, because gloves. Everybody should wear them. Then she'd fly in front of the Juggernaut, putting hands up to him, but not actually touching his suit, "woah, calm down there, they didn't mean nothin'. Ya gotta admit, ya got a reputation." She was saying that as much for the cops as she was for the Juggernaut. "Now, would ev'rybody stop shootin' b'fore I get mad?"

Rift has posed:
Rift watches Rogue disarm the criminals - less guns makes her more brave and eager to join the battle. She emerges from the alleyway, floating silently, hoping she isn't being noticed yet - and then.... Juggernaut PUNCHES a SWAT van. And.... the van starts to be flung away by that punch, and Rift acts immediately, and with a yelled 'NO!' the van suddenly stops cold, glowing with ruby light. Rift moves to crouch on the roof of it, though it's mostly upside down. "I got you guys!" she calls out, as the van is safely set down on its tires.... out of the arm's ready of Juggernaut, and then she releases the grip on it as she stands on the roof of the van. "Haven't you done enough?" she calls out. A glowing red circle forms tigtly under Juggernaut, and gravity around him increases fivefold. She has her arm extended, fist clenched. She isn't quite sure what to do, but hopes to contain it - even as she hears the van's side door open beneath her.

Juggernaut has posed:
The SWAT team is rattled..but alive and that's what matters here. Juggernaut just blinks as if t wasn't really truly intentional but then again he rarely blames himself for his own acts of violence. Then a familiar sight arrives.

"Rogue!"

It's said with surprise for sure. At the sight of her the police do stop their own assault though now efforts to reach SHIELD are underway. For his part, Juggernaut just blinks a few times as if shaking off a berserker haze that was threatening to come onto him.

"This aint my fault, girlie. These chumps ruined a perfectly good suit and a perfectly good day when they--"

He stops as he hears Rift and turns his attention towards her. The feeling of gravity increasing around him does, indeed, result in the earth beginning to slowly cave in as a crater starts to form..a sinkhole distending around the behemoth. Juggernaut himself doesn't bow, lean or even wobble but instead quips, "What is this? Weight Watchers? Am I getting' fat all of a sudden?"

As if to prove a point he begins to lean forward, taking a shuddering step that rocks the area from his increased weight. This is followed by another and then another as he begins a slow inexorable approach towards Rift, gradually picking up speed despite the increased gravity.

"You wanna call off yer friend before she gets hurt, 'sugah'??" Juggernaut rumbles with a growing grin.

Rogue has posed:
    Rogue was so thankful that Rift was here. There was so much chaos going on, police shooting at the robbers, police shooting at the Juggernaut, the Juggernaut attacking the police, the robbers attacking the police and the Juggernaut, Rogue attacking the robbers... she saved the SWAT team, and the van they were in. "Thanks fer the save, you did great" she said to the girl.
    "Ah know, hon, and ah ain't too happy about what they did ta mah clothes either." Her outfit wasn't exactly falling off, but it wasn't as bulletproof as her skin was, yet one more reason she often wore her bodysuit when out in public over store bought clothes.
    Her eyes go wide as she can feel the gravity from this far away, "uh, yeah, could you uh, turn off the gravity," she said to the other girl, then looking at Juggernaut, "you won't make a fuss now, will ya, big guy?"

Rift has posed:
Rift just STARES at Juggernaut manages to start moving. And.... she doesn't want him to be angry enough to keep going as suddenly, the increased gravity fades and she shoots up to hover twnety feet in the air. "S.... sorry..." she mumbles softly, barely audible as she slowly drifts to float behind and above Rogue. "Ummmm...." She glances around, at the crater the combination of her powers and Juggernaut's powers formed, her glowing eyes seeing if there's any other bad guys around. She finally descends to land behind Rogue. "He's so strong..."

Juggernaut has posed:
"Yeah, yeah.." says Juggernaut as he hears Rift and slows to a stop as the effect fades. He can't exactly blame her..despite his instincts to blame everyone else. The whole situation is bad but could have been much worse had these two ladies not stepped in as they did and even Juggernaut is not so dense to not figure that out.

"Fine. I'm gone. Not like I need SHIELD trying to arrest me when I was just tryin' to use the ATM.."

He eyes Rift once more and then turns and starts thundering away..slowly breaking into a jog and then a full on run. His path will take him towards the river. It's not a pleasent swim but it'll be a way to get away from this confusion.

The robbers are all taken in by now and the police, wisely, let him go. It's on SHIELD now.

Rogue has posed:
    "Ah don't envy their report," Rogue softly laughed at the thought of the poor SHIELD agents and what they would write about this. Yes, the Juggernaut was allowed to go, no they did not try to stop him. And they are all alive. So that's a plus. Rogue sensed the girl seemed a bit nervous, flying behind her, going up high, before falling into step with Rogue between her and the Juggernaut. "He is," she replied, "he's the Juggernaut. He likes ta say that nothin' can stop 'em, but ah know better."
    Not really wanting to answer any SHIELD or NYPD questions herself, she suggested, "ya'll might want to vamoose too." Rogue would fly up, not yet leaving, but hovering, "best not ta linger too long after savin' the day. It leads to questions ya probably don't wanna answer."

Rift has posed:
Rift nods slowly as a portal opens behind her. "Come..." she murmurs to Rogue. This will get us away from here." YOu can still see the city through the portal, but it's a distance away. "No trace, no trail." She steps through the portal - it's on a rooftop - as she gestures. "I hope I did good... I'm not very... confident... when it comes to live combat. I should've tried to float him, not pin him."

Rogue has posed:
    Rogue was not a trusting sort. But the girl had helped out. And she was brash and arrogant enough to think she'd be fine no matter what. So she hovers towards the portal, "convenient," she said at the no trace, no trail. Emerging on the other side, she would try and give some comforting words. "It comes with time and practice, ya just gotta get out there, help out, do yer part, and remember, help as much as yer comfortable doing. We don't wanna see newer heroes get hurt. Try not to get down if you can't take ev'ry threat. The Juggernaut is, when in a bad mood I mean, he's not for first timers."

Rift has posed:
Rift closes the portal behind Rogue. "Thank you, Rogue. I'm actually.... an alumnus of Xavier's. I still live there - moved back in after the Sentinel crisis last year." She sighs as she paces back and forth. "But I haven't had much chance to do anything. I'd love to join the X-Men." She gazes through the cityscape, just barely able to make out the bank's rooftop in the distance. "I'm great at.... maniuplating the battlefield. Less so at.... dealing with people. It doesn't help to make people too heavy to move if they're super-strong enough to be able to lift themselves when they weigh half a ton." She then blushes as an audible stomach gurgle sounds. "Oh.... ummm...." She then meeeps, extending her hand. "You can call me Rift."

Rogue has posed:
    Rogue felt genuinely embarrassed not to recognize Rift. There were a lot of students there. She was surprised that Rift knew of the X-Men. She had always thought that was kept from the students. "Oh, that's really Cyke and Ro's thing," since Rogue was in no position to offer people positions on the X-Men. And if she knew enough about them, it stood to reason she'd know to get in touch with Cyclops and Storm, and then go from there. "An' trust me, that doesn't happen too often. Not many are strong as the Juggernaut. He's kinda in a class o' his own." Rogue would take the extended hand, giving it a shake, "it was nice seein' ya Rift," and she began to lift off again, ready to fly away, "but talk t' Cyke and Storm. They don't bite." And with that, she began to slowly float away with a gentle wave, and then turning her head as she flew at a greater speed.

Rift has posed:
Rift just watches her fly away, as she just sits there. She then gets an energy bar out and eats it. She's STARVING. She chews on it to get some energy as she glances around, hoping there's a Big Belly Burger nearby. She hopes she didn't make a mistake by pissing off Juggernaut.