15020/Spark's Fly in Mutant Town Tonight

Spark's Fly in Mutant Town Tonight
Date of Scene:	02 May 2023
Location:	Bushwick (Mutant Town), Brooklyn
Synopsis:	Two WMDs have a discussion.
Cast of Characters:	Firestar, Juggernaut

---

Firestar has posed:
It's been a while and Angelica is trying to get the proverbial lay of the land around her once more. She moves into Mutant Town and slows a little bit. She comes to a stop and pulls out her earbuds and looks around. Apparently she can see better if there is less noise...or something.

She slows to a stop to look around the area closer. Finally she shrugs and starts to walk again. One earbud goes back in place, the other dangles for now as she tries to get a feel for the unfamiliar area. If someone offers any sort of greeting she usually nods uncomfortable like and moves along.

Juggernaut has posed:
It's not too different from any other named area in the greater city of New York. Diners, bars, dives, housing, some venues of entertainment. All of the above.

Well..except for the mutants. It -is- Mutant Town after all. The minority group present marked not by their place of origin or color of skin alone but by the manifestation of any assortment of quirky powers. Most of them far below the level of what the likes of the X-Men have to be deal with, to be certain, but mutant nonetheless. Therefore as angelica walks she will undoubtly see this. Elemental skin tones and textures. Extra limbs, eyes, wings.. You name it. Mutants mingling with regular humans and perhaps a few metas. Thus the unusual doesn't stand out.

Except when it does.

The arrival of one Citizen Cain Marko into the area is such an event. Even restrained, out of armor and disinterested in acts of destruction..the bruiser is something akin to a human wrecking ball. The next tallest individual barely reaches his chest and he swamps over the sidewalks with the width of his vast frame as he emerges from the subway station, not unlike Godzilla cresting up from the surface of the sea. He's even wearing a tee-shirt with Godzilla drawn cartoonishly upon it. Fitting.

Once he reaches the street level the crowds begin parting around him like waters surging around a mountainous landmass as he comes to a stop to look the area over. For his part, the behemoth looks un caring and dismissive of the world around him, Dark glasses hide hie eyes but sheer monolithic size, presence that seems just shy of shaking the very ground with his steps..and that red hair and brutish hairy jawline .. Mr. Marko is unmistakable if you know him.

Firestar has posed:
It was the unusual people that caught her attention initially. She manages to shake off the surprise though and is back under way, walking along the street. Even in the land of the odd and the strange there are indeed some things that do indeed stand out instantly.

As she passes two younger mutants, her attention follows the movement coming up out of the subway. At first she is just surprised by the general size of the man, not really giving it too much concern since they are in a place where mutant's walk freely and openly. She is just about to move on, but something draws her attention a moment longer.

Behind her sunglasses, her eyes linger on Cain for a moment more, still walking and not facing him directly, watching him in her peripherals a few moments as he brain tries to process who or what she is looking at and not being able to shake that she should know of him if not know him personally.

Juggernaut has posed:
This is part of why he's gotten used to visiting mutant town. While he enjoys the reaction his physicality and inmensity causes among the populace...sometimes he just wants to get by without cameras clashing or videos recording or people asking him what team he plays for. He's usually neutral about it all. It's a small price to pay for being one of the most powerful beings around...but occasionally he wants being 'big' to be the least thing people are noticing and here in Mutant Town..that can happen.

Most of the time. He -is- really big after all.

Said size casts a shadow over a newspaper stand as he stops by it and begins speaking to the vendor..reaching into his pocket to pull out a roll of bills and then leaning over slightly to let hi long arms sweep up an issue of The Bugle that caught his eyes. A report on an incident in Metropolis. Lexcon going wrong with mobile platforms firing on the people. The appearence of Thor and.. The Juggernaut??

"Thanks Mac." he rumbles. Bass bruiser voice vibrating into the pits of the stomach of the mutant selling the paper but some sort of familiarity existing between them. Cain must indeed come here often.

FOr now, it seems, he doesn't notice Angelica.

Firestar has posed:
While she can't see what he is reading, her mental review of something finally clicks in place. She raises a brow,"Son of a..." she whispers mostly to herself. He is not causing trouble, a fact for which she seems to be relieved. Since the other man doesn't seem too concerned by him, Angelica relaxes a little bit.

It is a wild ride of emotions: Curious, Confused, Concerned...now her expression is more or less neutral. The smart play is to get away, but curiosity tends to be the bane of any scientist at times. Instead of leaving it alone, Angelica screws up what courage a socially awkward person can exhibit and starts walking his direction. She still isn't staring because...well she isn't. Instead she approaches to get a copy of the same newspaper, by all appearances smiling at the picture she sees, but there ios probably more to that than meets the eye.

Juggernaut has posed:
THere's not to many with fiery red hair like that around. Certainly they exist but when you have the history that Cain has, seeing that approach out of your peripheral vision brings to mind some immediate thoughts and presumptions. He continues looking over the paper he purchased and then finally rumbles, bluntly and directly:

"You need somethin', Red?"

At this point, he turns, his head moving like a tank turret atop a neck so thick it's more like a pillar. A column of flesh. And he blinks. Surprised. Not embaressed but clearly realizing that Angelica isn't who he thought she was.

"Oh..uh..sorry. I thought you were someone else.." he rumbles while folding the paper up and looking away. "You got a distinct look. My bad."

Firestar has posed:
Not the first time she's been called Red, but after a moment she realizes who he was probably thinking of. She manages a slight smile and shakes her head,"Not at all. I can think of worse people to be compared to." She folds the paper and considers for a moment.

"I'm not usually inclined to bother someone I don't know, but I was wondering if I am right about something." she admits. She is trying careful not to step on toes or really incite the Goliath before her,"I was thinking I saw you on television up in Canada about six moths ago. Mr Marko?" She is painfully awkward and respectful. Just flirting with the disaster that befalls the cat.

Juggernaut has posed:
The giant falls silent and one can feel the tension rise and balance dangerously as if on the edge of a knife. He could go one way or the other right now. Cain is not stupid. He's rather sharp actually. Her response to his mistaken identity, by implying he knew who he was referring to..coupled with knowing his last name..well.. it's not hard to connect the dots.

"...So you're onna Charlies kids? He collecting red heads?"

He seems to have decided to fall on the side of not trying to stomp the place into the ground. Still, he's not exactly pleased here. "...Or if you aint with Charles..you know 'em obviously. Yeah, you probably saw 'me' on television. What can I say? I look fatter on TV..."

Firestar has posed:
She can tell that he is on the edge and she doesn't care to push that at all. She just nods and replies,"In a round about way yes. Initially I was mentored by Emma Frost and the Hellfire club." she admits,"Then Alpha Flight. Recently I have gotten to know Charlie's kids as you say." There is no push or any sort of superiority complex, just talking.

"I apologize, curiosity gets the better of me sometimes and I don't always take in to consideration others don't care for it. I have no, what's the phrase, beef with you and I would just as soon keep it that way. If I'm bothering you I will apologize and move on. You're just an enigma to me and to some of my friends in the great white north. I just wanted to at least make your accquaintance."

Juggernaut has posed:
"I must be slippin' because last I checked I had a rep across the world and beyond.." rumbles the brute, sounding mildly chagrinned but not truly upset.

"It's fine." he finally states, indicating she doesn't have to run off or worry about him, for now at least. "If you aint got a beef you aint got a beef. I just thought you were ol'Jeanie coe to scold me for misbehaving again." He chuckles and finally reaches up to remove his glasses, revealilng his squinting ice blue eyes. They lack any look of cruelty in them but that can change on a dime if his reputation has any merit.

"So what, I'm some sorta curiousity? IF you wanna know anything Red', all you gotta do is ask. Folk never bother to so no skin off my back."

Firestar has posed:
Removing her own sunglasses to reveal sharp, sparkling green eyes she shakesher head,"You have a reputation sure enough. I was caught off guard by your appearance that is why it took me a minute to figure out who you were."

She smiles just a little, not really at ease yet not on a razor's edge right now either,"I will pass on scolding someone the size of a mountain just now. I don't partiularly care to try your magic and strength against a nuclear fallout." She waves a hand at the town,"They would be the ones that suffer at any rate if not the entire planet."

She crosses her arm and leans against the stand lightly,"I have always been told you weren't a mutant, but rather something mystical. I never felt inclined to disbelieve it. I don't understand the first thing about magic at all, but have started to believe in its existence none the less. Mostly I wanted to know if you were a mutant or not, just because I question pretty much everything in life." She pauses and says,"I'm sorry. I'm Angelica. Seems rude to know your name, but you not know mine."

Juggernaut has posed:
"Nuclear fallout?"

Cain is forced to arc an eyebrow at her as he tucks his glasses into his shirt.

"You aint got some sorta, I dunno, dial? You just go from zero to one hundred?" He doesn't seem particularly concerned or worried either but just finds the very notion, curious.

"Surprised you don't have anyone after -you- if that's the case."

He studies her for a few more seconds and then says, finally answering her query, "That's right. Mystical. Magical. It's real, darlin'. But I'm part of the scary stuff. Easiest way to explain it is...Well do you know what an avatar is? An embodiment? That's me."

He presses a hand to his chest to indicate himself. There's a faint rumble, a mild quaking of the ground from the mere compression and contraction of his mountainous sinew, as if he perpetually holds back at all times but the slightest twitch could cause an earthquake if he wished it.

"There's a big bad out there connected to me. Maybe he -is- me. I don't sweat the details. But when they say I'm unstoppable .. take it literally.. Folk just assume I'm bragging but.. just stating the facts."

Well he brags a little sure. Okay alot. But it is indeed a statement of facts. Somewhat. "Any questions?"

Firestar has posed:
There is a smile and she tells him,"I can go from zero to Chernobyl relatively quickly. Not much fun either way." she admits,"Always a little bit of radiation around me so I have a suit I wear under my clothes so I can walk around without making New York into Nagasaki." She doesn't sound like she's bragging, if anything it almost seems to depress her a little bit.

"One of my old friends was always on about his avatar, but that was something to do with a game I think. I get the general idea anyway." The rumble in the ground causes her to raise a brow,"I heard a bit about you. I have to say you live up to the hype as the kids say. As for bragging? Who am I to say one way or another?"

She hmms thoughtfully and laughs a little at herself,"I always have questions, but I don't care to rile any trouble up tonight. Mostly just passing through."

Juggernaut has posed:
"Hmm..tough break."

There seems to be a mild amount of sympathy with her for the nature of her powers. Not quite empathy per se..at least at first.

"Seems like alot of us WMDs tend to come with some downsides." he adds. Perhaps theres some empathy and understanding after all. Being Juggernaut has its perks but it comes with a being of pure destruction constantly nagging at your soul and whispering in your ear.

"I don't mind questions if I"m in the mood but, uh, you affiliated with Charlie, yeah? Don't you have access to all this information? I'm sure he's got a folder and file on me all nice and available for all his strays..."

His voice doesn't quite drip with venom but it's clear his opinion of the X-Men isn't high, though he's beyond his days of wanting to crash through the mansion and take his step brother out.

"They not helping you with your powers?"

Firestar has posed:
"We all get the tough breaks, just have to carry on I suppse." she admits. Oddly enough she does sound like she can feel for his pain as well,"Take the good with the bad I suppose."

When he asks about Charlie she smiles a little bit,"I will be teaching the younger students in the fall. Physics. Knoweldge I get the hard way thanks to the power, but eh." she admits,"As for the rest. I am not currently among the X-Men no. I am a member of the Alpha Flight organization in Canada, but on leave. If they ask me to join, I probably would, but they haven't."

"Oh they are trying to help. The Alpha Flight has helped. An old friend of mine has helped. Everyone tries to help. Sometimes they succeed, other times we are spinning out proverbial wheels."

Juggernaut has posed:
"Students. Kids."

This draws a mild grunt from the giant. It was easier when it was just Charles and the X-Men he was training, even if they were teens back in the day. Now even if he did want to walk up to the mansion and causa trouble or ruin someones day..he's not someone inclined to deliberately put kids in danger. Sure things happen. It's a tough world and they have to learn that as well but this is just a reminder of that fact.

"Yeah I forgot it's a full bonafide school now. Figures." Cain notes, "Good ol'Jean -and- Magneto got me wrapped up in helping find missing kids not to long ago."

A bit contradictory there perhaps. Why help when he clearly doesn't have the best opinion of those involved.

"Still, kinda strange you're teaching and all when you belong up north but whatever. If you're on leave you're on leave." he does look away, letting a smug smarmy smirk crease across his features, "Alpha Flight eh? Was always curious how strong that furball on your team is. Let 'im know Juggernaut might come inquiring, one day..."

Firestar has posed:
"We have pencils, paper, and everything." she agrees about the school part of it,"I came down here to start college at NYU and well, the rest fell in place." She shrugs,"I just take life as it comes."

"I went up there to get away from the Hellfire Club and now back to go to college. I grew up here so technically this is home." The mention of Sasquatch get an slow curling of a smile and she offers,"Which one. The older man or the young woman or both?" she asks almost innocent sounding,"Regardless I'll pass it along. Their magic is...like yours in the sense it is unique."

Juggernaut has posed:
If she was trying to one-up him and cause some confusion, she succeeded. That was a big info drop and Cain double takes a little bit as she speaks on Sasquatch.

So he decides to change the subject. There was something else there said which does get his interest and he turns abit more now to face her and look her over.

"Hellfire Club? Whaddya mean 'get away' from them?" He seems particularly curious about that if not still slightly confused. "What's someone like you doing mixed up there?"

Firestar has posed:
"When my abilties came to light, there were two that came to take me off my dad's hands. Emma Frost and Charles Xavier. Emma arrived first and dad of the year wanted the troublesome mutant out of his hair so he sent me with the frist one to arrive." she explains,"Emma and the Hellions took me in, but some less than savory plans ended that life, and the original main school." She winks so he might draw conclusions there since it is a well known the original burned.

"After that, my dad took me in until Alpha Flight came calling. Off to Canada to be amongst the pesky kids of the north instead of those in New York." she admits,"So to be fair, I didn't want to be mixed up with them really, though I made some good friends there and settled the differences with Emma."

Juggernaut has posed:
"I was just there on business. Not my kinda place but you work with all types.."

Cain rubs his jaw and nods his head. He can't help but be a little impressed by the thought that a little burnination happened to that old school.

"Well at least you buried the hatchet and not in her head like she probably deserved. Good on you I suppose. That just caught me by surprise but hey, I don't keep up with all the drama. I got enough to deal with just being Charlie's brother."

He reaches up and replaces his glasses.

"Gotta admit, Red, you entertained me. Don't get too wrapped up with the X-Men if you can help it. Be a shame to see you sent out in case they decide they wanna get up in my business. I kinda like chattin' with you."

Firestar has posed:
"Takes all kinds I guess." she admits. She smiles a little when he thinks over the school burning,"What can I tell you big guy? I was an angsty teenage girl that had fire connected to her emotions."

She shakes her head and admits,"There was a moment of temptation to bury it right between her eyes." A little edge in that voice,"Still. I got a even, made he squeal a little out of fear. That was worth a lot."

The idea of entertaining the big guy seems better than a fight by a long shot and besides, she learned a little and what nerd doesn't like that,"Just the teacher for the time being. Haven't really been offered a place on the team and that's OK. Teaching and going to college is probably all I'll have time for in the immediate future." She lets just the left corner of her mouth curl up,"I enjoyed talking with you as well."

Juggernaut has posed:
"Oh I'm sure you'll find yerselef a little bit of adventure now and again. New York's a town full of trouble. Never know when something bizarre might happen. Stay outta trouble until then, I guess.. Or don't. Maybe get into a little bit of trouble. I sure like to."

He offers her a grin though it has the vague look of a grinning great white shark. An air of danger and brutality even if well meaning.

"Se ya around Red." rumbles Cain before turning to continue on his way, newspaper in hand.

Firestar has posed:
"It seems to find me." she admits,"The town is crazier than I remember. I will do my best though." Whether that means staying out of trouble or getting in to trouble is for him to decide.

She returns the smile, not really flinching from the danger and brutality at the moment,"Take care of yourself." she offers as he moves along. After watching him for a few seconds she turns and starts back on her own path again.