14543/Lights, Camera, ACTION!

Lights, Camera, ACTION!
Date of Scene:	20 September 2022
Location:	Sherwood Florist, Pennytown
Synopsis:	Sometimes you beat up some criminals. Other times you terrify a bunch of actors and brutalize the director.
Cast of Characters:	Black Canary, Luke Cage

---

Black Canary has posed:
The pint-sized dynamo is hard to say 'no' to, what with her relentless good cheer, her enthusiasm, and the vague threats of loud noises should her will be stymied.

That's how Luke winds up trying with great difficulty to keep up with the blonde on her bike, the engine screaming between her thighs as she performs things that most riders would consider physically impossible.

Some wiseass (OK, it was Ollie) put it best: the most dangerous part of Dinah's bike is the nut connecting the handlebars to the seat.

Giving her her dues, however, she does take a roundabout route to the city core that includes a run through a winding mountain road showing off the gorgeous scenery that isn't her. And at an old-fashioned trestle bridge she stops, giving the pair a view of the valley spread out below them, the shining city nestled in the crook of it.

She parks the bike off to one side near the bridge and walks onto the bridge as Luke catches up.

Luke Cage has posed:
Luke Cage can say no. He does it a lot. When it comes to Dinah, given that she has already frog marched him from his lavish accomodations at the Three Totems, he hasn't said no to much of anything since he stopped by to isit. He still doesn't see why the place was seen as so bad by Dinah and Joey. But he didn't care enough to protest the loss of money from booking the place for four nights. It wasn't that much in the end.

And here he is, again, not saying no to her when she insisted on going for a ride. He did laugh at her like she was insane when she first considered him riding on the back of her bike. It'd be like a midget and a grizzly bear riding a bicycle at the circus. Without the profits from the record audience.

Instead? He said yes by agreeing to drive his rental. The tiny little Speck was no better than a clown car itself. But at least it didn't make things awkwardly close as riding the bike would have.

Eventually he arrives at the indicated pull-off.

It takes him a moment to unfold himself from the inside of the vehicle. Standing he stretches and rolls his neck, amidst a myriad of cracks and pops.

Once mostly able to stand up straight, he walks over and joins Dinah.

"Nice drive. The view's good too." Even if he isn't exactly looking at the scenery or the vista of the city in the distance.

Black Canary has posed:
Dinah's not exactly trying to fade into the scenery either, given how she's leaning casually backward against the bridge in full display. It's been said by some that she weaponizes her good looks as part of her battle strategy and it's not entirely without merit. Especially given how she's posed herself at a point of the bridge where the mountains that form the valley dip down to each side of her as if holding her out as the star scenery.

"So, what do you think? Bit different from NYC isn't it?" she asks, chuckling and grinning. "I mean ... you'll never get the city girl out of me, but I do like the fact I can ride out an hour and see nothing but road and trees until you hit a place like this."

Now she turns to face the view, bringing another view into view as she looks down over the edge.

"Hell of a jump this," she says. "I trained out my fear of falling here. Long bungee cord and a whole lot of screaming until I got over it."

Luke Cage has posed:
Luke Cage was not one to hve missed that, even in their rumbles in Harlem. He totally gets it. Given her size, it helps. It isn't that she is helpless otherwise. There is a level of _performance_ and even _pageantry_ to her methods. Mostly because she really is _that good_.

As he walks close, he slows and listens to her perspective on the location and.. scenery.

He moves to stand beside her, large hands on the railing. "It is amazing. It takes a little more than an hour to find unpopulated areas like this when leaving Manhattan, I agree. And the views there aren't the same. Here? Things are more natural. Untamed."

He looks down and snorts. "Yeah. I try bungee jumping and that fucker is going to snap on me. The landing's gonna hurt like a bitch." Not that he'll die. He expects his measure of invulnerability would save him. Just not from the pain.

Black Canary has posed:
"Don't be so hard on yourself, Luke," Dinah says, laughing. "Just need more cords for you. I figure a bundle about yeah thick should do it."

She holds her arms out in a partial loop that's bigger than very large oaks.

"But for me it was this big."

Pinkie.

"You might want to consider a diet or something."

Beat.

"Or, you know, not doing crazy things like jumping off bridges. Your call."

She's back to the bridge again, arms stretched out along the railing.

"But 'untamed' is the right word. Part of why it appeals to me. I've been called that before. It's not usually meant as a compliment, but I take it as one."

She looks at Luke with pretty much the same frank appreciation he's been tossing her way out here.

"What do they call you that is supposed to be mean, but you take as a point of pride?" she wonders aloud. "Obviously not 'meat shield' but surely there's something people think is pejorative that you take on as part of your identity?"

Luke Cage has posed:
Luke Cage snorts at the sizes of bungee cord bundles "For a moment I thought we were comparing something else" he says casually and straight faced.

He looks at her like she is an alien, "A _diet_? Woman you are out of your mind. I can't gain weight if I tried. Part of the whole experiment think." Brick Shithouse.

"Well. You know. There isn't anything untamed that can't be brought to handle" he says, once more straight faced.

Then she asks that question and he is silent for most of a minute before replying quietly. "I don't know Dinah. I can't see being called untamed as derogatory or an insult. But then it isn't aimed at me so that may be part of it." He looks out at the city, "Most of the things I get called that are mean or insulting are things I don't care to _take back_ as it seems to get classified as these days. Some things don't need taking back, they need fucking buried and left as a memorial and warning. Not as something to keep bringing up as some badge of honor."

Black Canary has posed:
Dinah nods thoughtfully at the insult perspective, eyes exploring Luke's face as she thinks.

"I can see that. Untamed is used as a mild pejorative. One of exasperation as I persistently choose not to do what people expect of me. I lean into it because that's what I want to be, so the intended insult rolls off of me."

She purses her lips a moment, to one side before continuing.

"For you, yes, I can see that. Most things people would use against you are not expressions of honest exasperation. They're meant to hurt. I can see not wanting to own that."

One arm comes off the rail as she turns a bit toward Luke. "And i understand why you're still where people use those words of hurt against you. A 'stand your ground' thing, right? I left the streets because I wanted to, not because others tried to force me out. Same planet, but different worlds entirely."

She turns to face Luke a bit more, crossing her legs at the ankle to have them at the same height despite her lean.

"Luke, I..."

Whatever she was about to say is interrupted by the sound of a massive explosion down the valley, seemingly in the form of a farmer's barn going up in a fireball. This event, shocking enough, is amplified and punctuated by the staccato sound of gunfire.

"What the f...?!"

Canary, surprise written across her face, body tensed and ready for action, spins in the direction of the explosions and gunfire. "Who the HELL is stupid enough to do this shit on MY turf!?"

Someone's a bit peeved...

Luke Cage has posed:
He doesn't address the perjorative comment. There isn't more to say about it.

He shakes his head, "No, Dinah. I don't stay to stand my ground. It isn't "The streets" to me. Harlem is _home_. I was born and raised there. The standing up to gangs and assholes is part of taking care of a place I love. It isn't an attempt to draw a line in the sand to fight back against the dying of the light or something." He glances to her then back toward the city. "There isn't anywhere else I want to live." Pausing to consider the valley a moment he adds, "Though a view like this might make me take pause."

He looks to the explosion with a frown. "What is the fastest way down there. We need to help." There isn't a moment's hesitation even for a place across the continent that he knows almost nothing of.

Black Canary has posed:
"It's on our path," Canary says. "I was going to cross this bridge and loop down that side."

She, too, has switched from teasing flirting to full-on pro, though in her case it's her home turf so understandable. "Follow me."

That comes paired with a run for her bike, the engine being brought to roaring life and her peeling down the highway, front wheel raised from the acceleration until the nose hits the pavement again in time for her to turn at the end of the bridge.

Luke Cage has posed:
Luke Cage nods. "Alright. Lead the way then." As she runs for her bike, he jogs back to his little Speck. The irony of the large man it the tiny car is again on dispaly as he folds himself into the vehicle. Soon he is in motion and following Dinah. At least going downhill, the car will keep it speed up?

Black Canary has posed:
Canary leads the pair in a pell-mell race down the valley road, keeping just ahead of Luke so he can know where and when to turn. And at the long driveway into one of the farms, she skids right and drives up the dirt road like a maniac, as if neither gravity and friction apply to her.

As Luke follows along the rough road, he'll notice the cluster of vehicles gathered at the gate farm, and the collection of men with automatic rifles, which have since stopped firing, gathered around, apparently listening to the ravings of a guy dressed in ...

... a ...

... cardigan? The heavily-armed people are paying attention to every word and gesture from the man, so he's the head honcho for sure.

As Canary comes tearing up, some black jumpsuit-clad people, a man and a woman, look shocked before they run out into the road, waving their arms in a vain attempt to stop the vigilante's approach. She buzzes past them, causing them to throw themselves out of her way off the road and into the stinging nettle-infested ditches while she makes her way toward the main knot of soldiers who, upon seeing what she just did, scatter, leaving the cardiganed man staring with wide eyes at the approaching vindicator of justice.

Which is probably approximately when Luke spots the movie cameras located in copses, one near the gate, one near the exploded barn, that his slower movement would give him a better chance to see.

Luke Cage has posed:
Luke Cage is jolted and jarred all over the place on the bumpy road and he makes a mental note to never -ever- go with the budget level rental. If the car survives this trip it'll be a miracle.

As Canary blows past those trying to stop her and aims for the apparent guy in charge, he lays on the 'deet-deet' horn the little car has.

'Deeeeeeeeeeet!'

He does this because he has no issue beating the hell out of gangs or militia. He isn't looking to kill anyone. Yet at least.

Pulling hard on the parking brake, he skids the little car sideways till it comes to a stop. The door flies open and the huge man emerges. All that is missing is the circuis music.

Black Canary has posed:
The cardigan-clad man works up the smarts to get out of the way just before Canary launches herself from her bike, sending it careering through the gate and into the field beyond to fall over on its side. She, in the meantime, sails through the air, having had time to correct for the man's evasive run, face-planting him into the ground.

"And stay down!" she growls, before whirling to the nearest gunman.

Who is a gunwoman, actually.

Along with several other racially and gender balanced gunsels.

Many of whom start screaming in fear.

It dawns on her that perhaps things aren't going quite how she's expecting.

"Alright, none of you move and nobody else gets hurt."

The half that are over on the side Luke is unfolding from stare at him wide-eyed and aghast, half dropping their weapons, half of those turning tail and running.

Luke Cage has posed:
Luke Cage is a contortionist. He has to be to get into, and out of, that little car. It groans in relief as he exits.

He looks dangerously at the group of armed men. They don't have the look of killers or militia. The look in those is is pure terror or astonishment. Still. He isn't going to take a chance. "The rest of you would do well to drop your weapons too. No need to run off. I'm going to be in a worse mood if I have to go get you."

Black Canary has posed:
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?" one of the women who's on Canary's side screams. "WHAT DID YOU DO TO RICHARD!!?"

Her body language suggests that Richard is the face-planted cardigan guy twitching and moaning.

Canary, confused by the development replays everything that led up to this moment to see if there was a reason for her confusion.

Explosion. Check.

Gunfire. Check.

Rapid ride. Check.

Black-clad people trying to stop her. Che... oh. Wait.

She looks around the place. Aside from the exploded barn there seems to be nothing amiss... except... What kind of terrorists have safety bunkers set up for explosive detonation? What kind of terrorists have hard-hats on in the middle of their terrorism? Suspiciously she stalks forward to the cluster of gunsels on her side, who move back en masse like sheep being rounded up by a sheepdog. She crouches to pick up one of the guns, expertly removing its magazine and glancing inside.

"Shit."

She glances across at Luke.

"Uh ... stand down?"

Her eyes sweep over the fields and finally fall on one of the two camera rigs.

"Shit. Shit. Shit."

That's a triple. This must be serious.

"It's a movie set," she finally says, wincing.

Luke Cage has posed:
Luke Cage wasn't college educated. He learned on the streets and in the school of hard knocks. But even he has come to the conclusion that one of these things is not like the other. That this was hardly an act of terrorism - at least by anyone other than himself and Dinah. Theyve terorrized pretty effectively at this point.

"Yeah. That seems like a good idea."

Black Canary has posed:
What follows is a painfully embarrassing debate with a chagrinned Canary and a shouting director. And producer. And security head.

(It also involves some laughing extras and some camera operators and key grips and such showing open contempt to the director.)

Finally they come to an agreement. If Luke goes along, they write and shoot one scene in which both Canary and he have to perform. If he doesn't, Canary has to do four.

The cry for help in Canary's eyes as she turns his way for his reaction is very loud.

Luke Cage has posed:
Luke Cage listens to the situation. He watches the director and producer as they make a deal out of things, seeing the look in Dinah's eyes. He nods to her. He's not going to leave her twisting on the hook. Nor is he going to put up with these guys treating her poorly.

"It ws a misunderstanding. Given there was no notice you were blowing shit up out here, and that she IS part of Alpha Flight and the Justice League and a personal friend of mine? I seriously suggest that you dial this the fuck down before you find more than your shoot screwed up. We apologized." He stares down the director like he might devour his soul.

"We'll do your scene. I don't want my name in the movie in any form. Or we're going to have another unexpected unannounced visit." He looks to Dinah. "What about you, Dinah?" He waits for her answer before looking back to the director.

"One scene."