Players:
Summary: Dingo meets with Hooligan to discuss the upcoming Block Party. They do not get along.
Log Title: A Forced Alliance
Rating: R (L)
NYC - Mutant Town - Back Alley
Heavily littered with newspapers, knocked over garbage cans and other unidentifiable pieces of refuse, this alleyway cuts a narrow pathway between two of the older buildings in the neighborhood. The mouth is lined with dumpsters and garbage cans, making it a bit of a deterrent for people seeking this alley as a pass-through. This doesn't stop homeless and fringe elements from using it, however. Rusty fire escapes dot the sides of the close buildings; they are close enough that one could easily jump from one side to the other but a slip from one of the higher landings could be fatal. Light even during the daytime hours is sparse, though it's easier to see down from one end to the other in the day. At night, it's nearly impossible.
Scene
The night is rather chilly, perhaps not the best time to be standing around in a back alley. The alley is dark, and the puddles on the ground have a thin layer of ice covering them. The less than comfortable environment does drive most people away however. This is precicely why Bruce decided this would be a good place to meet. He walks down the alley a couple of times to make sure no one is in the area, knowing that most of the homeless will be in shelters or in the subway this time of night. He leans back against a wall and lights a cigarette, shivering as he waits for the man that was supposed to meet him here tonight.
Maxwell drops down from a fire escape about ten feet from where Bruce has stopped. The vigilante not in the habit of having meetings and usually just beats what he needs to know out of whatever thugs he's after at any given time. However he's had a distinct lack of thugs on these anti-mutant attacks so he's had to go outside of his comfort zone a bit. He shoulders the studded baseball bat he carries and takes a few steps forward.
Bruce turns to glance over at Maxwell as he appears a few yards away. The cherry of his cigarette illuminate's the man's face slightly under the brim of his Akubra. "Ah, there ya are." He ashes his cigarette and spits on the ground. "So the girly at the bar tells me yer interested in this little problem we've been having with the shooters?" Bruce smirks. "Well before we get to all that, I suppose I should make sure you're one of us. Can't have no human scum wandering around throwin' wrenches in the plan." He nods to the bat and smirks, "And can't say I know any evolved ones who'd need somethin' like that to protect 'em."
Maxwell hmphs and seems to grin under the mask. "I didn't realize we were drawing lines in the sand already.. mabye the Human Purity groups have a point. No I'm not a Mutant, but my reasons are simple enough. I don't like innocent people getting shot, I don't like Jagoffs with automatic weapons opening fire on people who are just trying to live thier lives. I don't disciminate between color, gender, or genetics."
Bruce frowns and crosses his arms at this new development. "Fuckin' Lil…Why'd she go an' waste my time with this?" He shakes his head and turns away from the man. "Gimme a minute here. Need to check up on somethin'." Bruce opens a cell phone and turns around, dialing a number and waiting a moment. It would appear that this man is not the alpha at all, he needs permission from someone higher up before proceeding with this meeting. He speaks openly on the phone, not even trying to keep Maxwell from listening in. "Hey Lil, wanna explain to me why you decided one of the lower life forms was a good ally to bring in on this?…Oh really?…And who said that?…Uh huh…No, I really don't think it's a fuckin' good idea Lil…Well I don't care what Butch said, I still think…No…" It goes on like this for a few minutes.
Maxwell chuckles and shakes his head "I can see I'm wasting my time with you. I have little patience for bigots human, mutant or otherwise. I'll find these clowns myself and deal with them if I have to stake out Mutant town for a week until they attack again. They got away with it once, so they'll do it again." He turns and starts to move back down the alley the way he came while Bruce bickers on the phone.
Bruce turns and holds up a hand. "Hold it, didn't say you could leave, mate." One of the crates down the alley bursts apart and a torrent of sand pours out, forming itself into a wall and blocking off the alley way. "My concern is that you're a human and you seem to be wanting to get in with the mutants the other humans want to get rid of the most. How'm I suppost to trust someone like that?" He still has the phone open.
Maxwell chuckles again "Cute, I bet you're a holy terror on cony island." He turns to face him again. "It's a safe bet you're not the brains of this operation since you seem to have no grasp of strategy so I'll make this simple. I'm not getting involved for a handfull of mutants, I'm getting involved to slow down the entire human/mutant race war in general. You guys take out the Supremiscists and all that happens is they get stronger. A bunch of mutants use thier wild powers to take out a bunch of humans.. all that does is give them a platform to rally on and in the end the problem gets worse. Now say a Non-mutant combatant gets involved and drops the hammer on these clowns.. all they can do when they get out of the hospitol is go crying to the cops. No pollitcal platform. Now you getting where I'm coming from or do I need to use smaller words?"
Bruce seems a bit unhappy with what Maxwell has just said. The wall of sand begins to shift slightly, seeming to take on a slightly rougher appearance. "Listen you little…Wait, what?" His attention seems to have returned to his phone. "Who said that?…Rodger? How does he meet these people?" He shakes his head and spits on the ground again. "Fine, whatever…I don't care…No I have to do laundry…Well I don't care, see if Danny will cover for you…I don't have time for this! I'm in a meeting!" The man slams the phone shut and stuffs it in his pocket, looking at Maxwell for a few moments before speaking again. "Alright, so you know people…" He turns and looks around the alley again. "It'll happen in a few weeks. The Mutant Rights Festival, it's a big block party. Actually, it's a trap for those bastards."
Withdraws a grenade-like canister from one of his bandoliers as the sand begins to shift "I wouldn't do that…." He listens and nods "Live bait.. nice, hope the people that don't know they're being used are appreciative. I'll certainly be lurking about to try and jump these fools before they get close enough to do any damage. If by any chance you find out either where they're meeting beforehand or where they're getting thier weapons then pass it on to our mutual friend, I might be able to stop this before it even starts."
Bruce glances at the grenade and chuckles. "Really? Human weapons? You do realize I'm Dingo, don't you? Takes more than a little boom to take me out, mate." He wanders down the alley past the man toward his wall of sand. The wall splits as he approaches, allowing himself and Maxwell to pass beyond it. "If we find that out, then I'm sure we'll send in the heavy hitters. And the goal here is to not have too many civilians so much as people posing as civilians."
Hooligan grins behind the mask and turns to follow with a dry chuckle. "Havn't had much experience with Thermite grenades have you? I'm sure a few thousand degrees of Molten whoop-ass would at least slow you down. If I find out anything on my end I'll be in touch.. I'm sure Roger can work as a successful go-between." He follows Bruce through the wall of sand and exits the alleyway heading for a heavy street Cycle he'd left across the street. "It's been a pleasure."
Bruce waves a hand dismissively at the man. "Thermite Grenades, right. Because you'd use something like that in such a close area without an escape route." He really does seem not too bothered by the idea. "Whatever. If I think anything's awry, just keep in mind I don't trust you." He flashes the man a nasty look and turns around to walk back into the alley, the wall of sand closing up behind him as he goes.
Maxwell chuckles "Who said I didn't have an escape route.. you're obviously not paying attention." He laughs out loud at the trust comment. "I'm wearing a mask and spend my free time beating people with a baseball bat. If you did trust me I'd think you're a complete idiot, but we don't have to like each other to work together." Without another word he guns the engine and takes off down the street.
~ Fin ~
