168/You Take What You Can Get

You Take What You Can Get
Date of Scene:	27 April 2017
Location:	Metropolis
Synopsis:	Summary needed.
Cast of Characters:	Batman, Glacier

---

Batman has posed:
It's a sunny day in Metropolis, and the streets hum with life. The entrances to local stores jingle their bells as customer after customer visits to peruse various wares. Cafes and restaurants are abuzz with patrons looking for an enjoyable lunch.

Automotive traffic is not quite heavy, but there are certainly more cars looking for parking than there are spaces available. A few meter maids walk the beat to ensure that no one's overstaying their time along the streets.

Glacier has posed:
Glacier shambles through the crowds, covered in a pair of thick blankets. She ought to be roasting beneath all that, but there's no panting and huffing coming from her. She meanders over toward the restaraunts and stops. Her gaze casually flits around, surveying the outside tables without trying to attract attention.

Batman has posed:
The restaurant has a bistro aesthetic, with a few small tables of individuals eating dishes like tomato soup and toast, grilled cheese sandwhiches, and croissants with coffee. One or two patrons glance sideways at the blanketed girl, but most are either oblivious or attempt to politely ignore her.

A nearby waitress offers a smiles. "Good afternoon--will you be dining with us today? I'd be happy to tell you about our specials..."

Glacier has posed:
Maya stiffens up and stares wide-eyed at the waitress. Words take a moment to come to her. "Wh-Ah...Uh, n-no, it's--" Her eyes stray over to the patrons' food for a moment before snapping back to the waitress. "I'm...debating on it." She nods.

Batman has posed:
The waitress nods, her smile thinning just a tad. "Of course. Would you like a menu to help you decide?" A handful of other patrons glance for long moments at the girl wrapped in blankets before returning their attention to their meals.

A block away, there's a momentary parking-related standoff as someone waits to pull into a parallel spot whose current occupant seems to be taking too long to leave, causing a short line of cars and delivery vans to back up for some distance.

Glacier has posed:
Maya rapidly nods, her black bangs bobbing against her forehead. "Yes, please, th-...that would be lovely." She feigns a quick smile, before going back to eyeing the customers' food.

Batman has posed:
The waitress hands a menu to the girl and then turns her attention to a nearby table whose drinks need refilling.

At one of the closest tables, a woman loudly slurps her soup, while her male dining partner gives her a death glare.

Next to that table, a mother and two small children share a plate of chicken fingers. The mother helps her younger child hold torn-off bits of the meat.

At a third table, a man slips a cash tip under the edge of his empty cappuccino cup and promptly leaves.

Glacier has posed:
Maya lifts the menu to her face, but shifts it slightly to block the customers' view of her eyes. A plan slowly formulates in her head. She glances around for a moment, trying to spot a bird.

Batman has posed:
The sky is mostly clear--from birds and clouds alike.

There is, however, a robin or some other songbird perched on a tree down the street. It chirps a few notes here and there.

One of the children at the chicken fingers table plays with a little squeaky bird toy, squeezing it to make it whistle air. The child cackles with glee in response to the sound.

Glacier has posed:
Maya eyes the robin across the street and scowls, briefly lowering her menu. Too far. She swivels around, looking for any large sources of water. A fountain, perhaps?

Batman has posed:
There doesn't seem to be a community fountain in view or earshot, but it looks like there's a drinking fountain down the street next to a post office box.

There's also a soda fountain machine inside the bistro--it's along a back wall near the entrance to the kitchen. A waiter's there right now, refilling a Coke or Pepsi for someone.

Glacier has posed:
Maya frowns, then steps inside the bistro proper. She scans the inside--briefly admiring the decor--before spotting the soda machine. Perfect. She steps closer and loiters for a bit, waiting until nobody's looking...

Glacier has posed:
Maya finds a small window, and holds a hand out from beneath her blankets, extending her bony fingers out to the soda machine. While the soda would be difficult for her to manipulate, especially while in a rush, every soda dispenser has a lever for water, these days. The water in the machine rapidly freezes...and like a soda can left in the freezer, it expands.

Batman has posed:
The machine begins to groan as it swells and buckles. A few screws pop out and ricochet off the walls. One customer looks down as a screw drops into his glass, and then he looks around for the source of the strange phenomenon. Unable to locate it, he shrugs and tries to flag down a waitress.

Meanwhile, the waitress for the outside table returns to Maya. "Miss? Did you see anything on the menu that you might want?" She glances at her outstretched hand. "Are you alright?"

Glacier has posed:
Maya briefly glances at the waitress, then curls her outstretched hand into a point, still aimed at the soda machine. "I-It's...ah, I w-wanted soda, but something's...wrong with the machine." She feigns an exasperated sigh before turning to step outside. Once there, she speaks up to address those dining outside. "Something's up with the soda machine! I-It looks like it's about to burst!" She gestures inside, indicating where the soda machine is.

Batman has posed:
Just as everyone who can hear Maya turns to look inside toward the machine, it in fact /does/ explode. Hundreds of small metal fragments zip through the air, shattering glasses and porcelain and injuring a dozen customers and nearly as many employees within.

Following the **KRACK-POW** of the explosion, a cacophony of voices within scream in shock, surprise, and pain. Those who can run outside to the street.

A pedestrian further down the street jogs up. "Is everyone OK?" she asks.

"Call 911!" is the fearful response.

"Oh my god!" the waitress next to Maya shrieks. "I--I--I don't know what to do!"

Glacier has posed:
Maya turns around and stares briefly. That worked a little -too- well...She bites down on her lower lip, conscience scolding her, before she turns around toward the tables of half-eaten food and starts grabbing. She lifts up a bowl of soup and flash-freezes it, followed by a small stack of sandwiches, which she also turns to ice. Satisfied, she tugs her pilfered goods into her blankets...then turns back toward the machine. Dammit, conscience. She takes off down a few stores, jogging as fast as her frail legs can take her. Water, she needs water. They need Glacier...

Batman has posed:
As chaos reigns within and all around the bistro, the terrified waitress spies the flash-freezing. "Oh my god!" she exclaims again. "It--it was /you/!" She suddenly shrieks, her voice shrill, and she falls backwards on her butt.

Others seem confused: some were already dazed from the explosion, while others seem unsure as to who or what, precisely, is being accused.

A handful run away regardless, while the jogger attempts to provide impromptu first aid.

A meter maid runs toward the scene as well, radioing something into the speaker clipped to her shoulder. Is that a gun on her hip that she's reaching for?

Glacier has posed:
Maya curses to herself mentally. She spots the meter maid and skids to a stop, quickly holding her hands out defensively. The air in front of her freezes and crystalizes, water vapor turning to an ice shield. "W-Wait, I d-didn't mean to!!" she shouts.

Batman has posed:
The meter maid reaches to her hip and retrieves a canister of pepper spray. "Stop right--" she begins, stopping her sentence abruptly as the ice shield is formed. "What the hell...?" the officer asks, confused.

More customers and other pedestrians in the area attempt to scramble away, a few dragging themselves, still dazed, out of the bistro and into other nearby storefronts.

What sounds like a score of phone calls are being made:
"...exploded machinery at..."
"...multiple injuries..."
"...crazy woman wrapped...blankets..."

Glacier has posed:
"I was just hungry, I-I didn't think it'd...blow up like that!" she sputters out. "I can stop it, j-...just don't hurtvme!" She's still flinching, arms held up. The frozen bowl of soup and sandwiches drop from her blankets and clatter to the ground with a dull thud.

Batman has posed:
"St--stop right there!" the meter maid calls, holding up the pepper spray. "Authorities have been alerted, and you're under arrest!" She begins approaching, slowly and cautiously.

The terrified waitress holds her hands on either side of her head and screams. "She's going to kill us all!" As she screams, she kicks out in the air, not far from where Maya is standing.

Glacier has posed:
Maya slowly lifts both hands up, head lowered. A few frozen tears drop from her eyes. This was not how it was supposed to go. Her fingers twitch a little...and then she uses most of the water vapor within her reach to quickly tryband encase herself in a block of ice. It©d take half a second, and the block of ice isn©t entirely solid

Batman has posed:
"Uh..." the officer says, approaching the sudden solid block of ice. She frowns and leans to her comm. "Dispatch?" she asks. "You're gonna need an ice cream truck. Yes, seriously. We got...like...an ice cube situation happening here. You...you'll see it."

Glacier has posed:
Maya©s block is far from solid, given that she©s still moving around inside. She just keeps sobbing, the forgotten soup and sandwich half-frozen in the ice©s walls. "I-I©m sorry," she mumbles into her hands.

Batman has posed:
While Maya is encased in her shield, the remaining customers who can move away do so, retreating to safer environs. The few who can't are aided by a few volunteers, with three or four other first responders who've been notified of the issue by those who've retreated.

"You can't stay in there forever," the meter maid calls, rapping her knuckles on the ice. "Cops are on their way. Hope you like three hots and a cot. Or...three colds and...a bowl?" She grimaces, shaking her head.

Glacier has posed:
Maya shouts out louder, lifting her head from her hands briefly. "I didn©t mean to! I-I didn©t think it would hurt anyone! Don©t send m-me to Arkham!"

Batman has posed:
"You're not going to Arkham!" the meter maid replies. "Where do you think you are? You're going to Metropolis City Jail!" She laughs, but it's humorless.

The terrified waitress is comforted and tended to by a first responder, who does his best to wrap a jacket over her shoulders like a blanket.

Off in the distance, the sounds of various sirens can be heard approaching.

Glacier has posed:
Maya still lets out a high pitched whine. She wipses her eyes, then looks over her shoulder at the scene. "...I-Is anyone s-s-seriously wounded? I just...uh, w-wanted to...make a distraction..."

Batman has posed:
The police cruisers arrive, followed by two ambulances, a fire truck, and something that looks like a UPS truck on steroids, with giant cooling ducts running all over its surface.

"Alright, watch out," one axe-wielding firefighter says. "I'll have her out in just a minute," he adds, punctuating the statement with a heavy THUNK from his weapon into a wall of the block.

EMTs rush out to administer what aid they can, figuring out priority assistance for the most injured individuals. Police set up sidewalk blockades and begin detouring automotive traffic a block away.