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Summary: Bruce tries to justify the use of Kick to Vinny & Fiona. After insulting the demon within Fiona, Bruce decides to attempt to prove mutant superiority to him as well.
Log Title: Kickbacks
Rating: R
NYC- Thompson Square Park
Thompson Square Park is a small park in the middle of Mutant Town. The benches might need a fresh coat of paint, the fence might be rusted in places and the pavement is raised and has cracks but it's all part of the mutant haven and fairly relaxing. Trees and grassy areas are in between the many paths, there are a few structures and benches along the path as well as a special area of the park that is marked 'the dog walk'.
Two trees have been planted in the park as a Memorial to Carmencita Florez and Detective Baxter each with a plaque stating the tree is in their memory.
Scene
Early evening in the park and the sound of Vinny's Diggeridoo eachos through the air from somewhere along one of the walking paths. Any pooled water from the battle the other night has been cleaned away, though Bruce would notice some of his sand has also been deliberatly flushed away as well. Vinny hasn't been to Nowhere since the fight.
Bruce has been to Nowhere since the fight, but he's found it hard to focus on work with everything that happened the other day. Lil finally got fed up with the man's gittery unrest and told him to go home and take care of whatever it is that he needs taken care of. Having nothing really that needs to be done, Bruce decided to head toward the park in hopes of running into some of the Order. Ever since he got a whiff of Kick he's wanted more. The man approaches the park from the south, walking quickly for a few steps and stopping to look around before continuing forward again. If he sees Vinny he shows no indication.
Vinny sits on a concrete square off of one of the paths, at one time it was likely a basketball court but only a single metal pole left where a hoop should have been. He sits cross-legged in the center of the square, aboriginal pictographs and symbols of various animals and other spirts drawn all around him in chalk on the concrete, the diggeridoo thrumming it's song through the still night air. Vinny stirs a bit as a figure comes into range of his location sense but keeps his eyes shut and focuses on what he's doing.
Bruce continues to move forward through the park and stops toward the center, narrowing his eyes and looking around the patch of field he's standing in. Somebody's been moving his sands. That could prove problematic the next time something inevitably goes wrong in this park. He holds out a hand to draw more material toward the surface of the park and winces, grabbing his chest and shivering. "Fuck. It's not as good without that Kick." He reaches into his pocket and pulls out the inhaler the Order gave him, shaking it and trying to take a puff. He has long since used up the entire perscription. Bruce cracks the vessel open and licks a finger, running on the inside of the container and placing the finger back in his mouth. His eyes go wide and he gets a half-smirk, but the dose is far too small to do much for him.
Vinny plays on, since the disturbance in his location sense has not moved towards him he's not overly concerned about it and focuses on his playing at the meaning behind it all.
Bruce's eyes glint with an unnatural light, as though they are reflecting some non-existant flame. His head tips sharply as he seems to suddenly pick up the sound of the Platypus playing his music and turns to follow the tune to its source. He moves in a strange manner, almost as though he is being drawn subconsciously toward the tune. He stops a few yards from the Platypus and narrows his eyes, trying to focus on the mutant in front of him. "Ah Vinny, you survived that jolt I see."
Vinny stops playing and sighs as he hears the voice, lowering the instrument. He's still visibly scorched as his fur is streaked from the blast. "Painful, but nothing deadly. Was going to take more than a blindside from one of those gutless punks to put me out for good."
Knowing about the riot that took place around here just recently, Fiona probably should not /really/ even be in Mutant town - especially seeing as she's not a mutant at all. But curiosity seems to have gotten the better of her, and well, here she is, in this dingy run down park. Despite not being a mutant, she does manage to pass as one - until people start questioning her, anyway, due to her obvious purple eyes.
Bruce looks a little distracted as he peers at the images on the ground. He holds out a finger and traces the outlines of the animal pictures in the air. "Rainbow Serpent…Krantjirinja…and there's me….And you." He points to the Dingo and the Platypus depicted in chalk. "If you wanted to communicate with me you could have just called, didn't have to summon me here, mate." His speech is odd and listless. And the way he speaks it is almost as though he believes himself to be the spirit of the Dingo presently.
Vinny hmphs and stands, returning the instrument to it's case. "If I wanted ta summon ya I'd just pick a fight with some of yer new buddies and wait till they ran away ta get ya so ya could save thier tails." He stretchs a moment and grunts. "I did some things I wasn't proud of the other night, wanted some guidence, and a bit of cleansing. Given how ya look I'd say ya need the same things."
Fiona wanders along - eyes catching on the other two occupying the park and somewhat listening in on their conversation as she's vaguely close enough. She pauses to sit down on a nearby bench, their words not making much sense but catching her interest nonetheless - despite the fact that she's probably wrong, the language sounds like her kind… vaguely medieval and spiritual, the kind you hear magic users utter. Or crazy people. Or crazy magic users…
Bruce waves a hand dismissively, cocking his head to the side suddenly as he senses movement across the field. Someone is walking across the park, but she is no one he knows. His attention is drawn back to the Platypus. "You would not attack them, they are useful to this town." He moves a finger around in the air and sands stream out of the ground to flow around him in the air. "They are like I am, guardians of this town. And the weapon they gave me is like…It's indescribable. It's like when I first discovered my powers, but times a thousand. It's like enlightenment. It's like god." His eyes continue to shine in an eerie manner, almost like the eyeshine of a nocturnal animal. "I owe you a drink or two, but if you'd prefer I could get you some Kick. We could see what you're truly capable of."
Vinny sighs and shakes his head "They're a bunch of thugs and cowards.. they didn't give ya a weapon. They turned ya into one. Ya havn't seen the tactics these wankers use, I have. All that's gonna happen is they're gonna drag ya down with them. Look around Bruce, most of the shops in this town got Anti-NMO signs in thier windows. That rally wasn't ta celebrate them, it was ta tell them ta get the hell outta town."
On second thought, this guy doesn't seem all that stable to her - as she looks back and forth between the platypus and Bruce. No, Bruce seems pretty dangerous in fact… "It doesn't matter," she murmurs - she can tell by the look in his eye, "I don't think he's going to listen. I've seen that look before," she says a bit louder, "Drugs'll turn you into an animal."
Bruce smirks at Vinny. "They simply lacked leadership. With me here to guide them we will be unstoppable. Mutant Town will expand its borders to the five boroughs of this city. It will become a second Genosha built on the bones of those that have oppressed us for so long." He turns suddenly at Fiona's voice. "Dangerous? Perhaps. But dangerous in a good way. Through me great things will come to pass." He laughs at the animal comment. "Hear that, Vinny? I guess you must do quite a few drugs then, eh?" He flashes a toothy grin at the girl, "You say that as though it is an insult. Wildness is the preservation of the world."
Vinny shakes his head "Listen ta yerself.. ya turn these clowns inta an army and tha law is gonna hammer down on this place. Ya want Genosha, go move there I'm sure yer boss would ship ya out without question." He frowns at the animal remark "I know what Kick would do ta me, it boosts Mutations.. ALL mutations. I'd end up a feral beast rampagin' through tha damn city till I got put down. I boosted my powers the old fashioned way, through blood and tears. Through working at it out here every night. You keep goin' like this yer gonna find out those fools will bail on ya the second things get bad, and nobody else is gonna step up ta help ya."
"No, what you have is artificial…" Fiona trails off, "It's not power that comes from within, I can tell just by looking. I don't know exactly what it is, but you have the same kind of look… as someone possessed by a demon. Sure, you'll have great power, but at what price? Embrace it, and it eats away at you, leaving you nothing but a tool," she says in a calm voice - though she is feeling aything but calm right now, simply drawing the notice of the guy makes her want to crawl back into a hole somewhere. That said, she's not the type. "I'm familiar with… a certain type of that intoxication," she does admit finally, "Something like that is impossible to fully rid yourself of."
Bruce turns his grin toward Vinny now. The sand he has dancing around in the air forms the outline of an aboriginal dingo and a platypus. Next to the two of them appear buildings which are destroyed by waves. "With the power of Kick we cannot die. We can destroy the world of humans and rebuild it for our people. Let the weak abandon me. They are not worthy." His eyes glint a bit brighter for a moment before the sand pictograph falls out of the air. "And you're wrong, girl. The power does come from within. With enough Kick we can learn to reach our full potentials. And calling me a tool? It is not news to me. I've been a soldier my entire life. And the intoxication and power? Why would anyone want to rid themselves of such things?"
Vinny humphs and bends down, scooping up and handfull of sand. "Power at the cost of yer soul, a life with no friends.. only a hunger for more. Poetic that ya make yer case with sand, cause in the end it's all gonna just run through yer fingers.. and blow away in tha wind." He blows on his hand, making the sand scatter before dusting his hands off on his pants. He reaches down and slings the instrument case over his shoulder. "I'll defend this town, defend my home. From all threats, outside or from within. I'll do it despite ya and yer goons.. or even against ya if I have to. But I'll do it clean, I'll do it right."
"Why indeed…" the purple eyed girl murmurs, looking rather sad as she gazes at Bruce. "And when your masters decide you're no longer useful, when your power leaves you and you're left to rot, what then?" She shakes her head, "It's petty, even," she glances at the buildings crashing down. "That sounds not unlike the words of the master. And yet it's petty, humans and mutants are essentially the same thing. If we destroy each other, then it makes it that much easier for the malevolent forces that exist in the beyond to enslave us all. Though, it seems as if you might'nt care about that anyway…" she gets to her feet finally stretching. Quite a big mouth she has on her, anyway.
Bruce shakes his head. "You're wrong Vinny. Only gain can come from using this power. I lived in the world of humans and it cost me my soul, my friends, my love." He narrows his eyes. "They destroy and kill our people, and now we can fight back without the fear of death." The man rubs a hand along the back of his head. "You'll see Vinny. Even if you oppose me you'll see in the end. I'll make this world a better place for you and for everyone else whether you agree with my methods or not." He turns now to the girl. "My master? You mean Magneto. I work for him but he holds no real power over me. Both he and I know that he could never kill me, even without the kick. And to compare humans to mutants is to compare beasts to gods. We are not the same. We, mutants, are the evolved race. We must do as nature intended and out compete that which we have grown beyond. The only malevolent forces at work in this world are the destructive actions of humankind."
Vinny shakes his head and turns to leave "We'll see.. tha Kick won't last forever. We'll find tha dealer and destroy it at tha source. Just like we will the MGH thugs that attacked the rally. Enjoy yer new mates and yer drugs. I'm proud to be a mutant, I don't need ta be anything more, and I don't need no drug ta make me powerful."
Fiona blinks - standing there looking at Bruce, somewhat incredulous. She seems to hiccup for a moment, and then there's a little pleading, "Oh no, don't… please…" in a very small little voice. Then here eyes take on a vacant, glassy look, before a literal explosion of purple energy surges forth, illuminating the darkened landscape with an eerie violet glow. "You compare yourself to a /GOD?/" a deep, echoing voice that sure as hell does not belong to a sixteen year old girl responds. "You are VERMIN! When I rule your pitiful world, I will have impudent fools like you EXTERMINATED." Her body trembles, energy crackling around it as if it cannot contain the strain. "Your master, your 'cause…' you are DUST!"
Bruce appears as though he is about to say something to Vinny when Fiona begins letting out energy. He gains a manic expression and laughs at the voice. "What is this? This is certainly new." He keeps his distance from the girl and paces back and forth while watching her. "Yes. We are like gods to the humans as they are like gods to insects." He grins another toothy grin, "And as a matter of fact I AM dust. That is my power. How can you reduce to dust that which already IS dust?" The sand around Bruce kicks up into a small storm and he is gone. The sand blows past the girl to reform the man several yards behind her. "That is what makes me so powerful. Dust cannot be destroyed so easily. It can be brought together however. It can be quite powerful." The sands in Bruce's immediate vicinity begin moving toward him. Vinny will recognize the structure that is beginning to take shape. It appears that Bruce is making one of his sand Dingos.
Vinny turns as Fiona starts her outburst "Oh bloody hell.." He takes a few steps back as Bruce starts to use his powers. Vinny's eyes begin to glow until they both become featureless blue disks, seeking out sources of water from the local drains to begin gathering towards him.
"Hah, you're funny, mortal… Entertain me for a while!" the voice speaks through Fiona's mouth; one of her hands tucking beneath her sash for a moment to pull out a shimmering keyring in her left hand; momentarily, a small portal rips open and she pulls out a wand in her right hand. The girl grits her teeth.
The sands continue to pour out of the ground and grow up behind Bruce until it forms a three story construct of a dingo. The creature stands motionless for a moment until Bruce steps back and is absorbed into the construct, upon which time it develops real eyes and teeth. It seems that even with that small amount of Kick Bruce was able to regain some of the abilities as the first time he used, though this construct looks much less terrifying than the one that appeared on Sunday. The dingo speaks, it's voice a duality of Bruce's voice and a great booming voice, "Mortal? Says the little girl who shows up to do nothing more than speak ill of those with power. I'll crush you like the insect you are." The dingo rears up a car-sized paw and brings it down toward the girl.
Vinny stops for a moment, then backs up. This is Bruce's fight not his, given all that's going on he sees no need to strain his own powers in this battle unless the woman attacks him directly. He backs off of the concrete square and simply watches from a few yards back.
"Impressive! An excellent test!" the demonic voice says happily - purple energy swirling about Fiona as she raises her right hand. At first, she goes out of sight - the paw crushing down around her - but a split second later, a pillar of kinetic energy a couple meters in diameter surges forward through the sand - firing forth into the air and probably visible for quite some distance around the park. 'Fiona' cracks her neck, adjusting her grip on the wand as she brings it lower again.
"Impressive! An excellent test!" the demonic voice says happily - purple energy swirling about Fiona as she raises her right hand. At first, she goes out of sight - the paw crushing down around her - but a split second later, a pillar of kinetic energy a couple meters in diameter surges forward through the and - firing forth into the air and probably visible for quite some distance around the park. 'Fiona' cracks her neck, adjusting her grip on the wand as she brings it lower again.
The paw that slammed down upon the girl explodes in a plume of sand. The dingo actually makes a disgruntled expression and holds up the nub of its foreleg as the dispersed sands return to the construct to reform the missing body part. "How annoying. By the way you speak I'll assume you don't think of yourself as a Mutant? Perhaps an alien like that strange Thanksgiving boy…" The paw makes a strange noise like the cracking of stones. "Lucky for me I can condense my sands until they are as strong as concrete. How strong is that blast of yours?" This time rather than stomping the construct aims a swipe at the girl.
"Alien?" the distinctly male voice questions, "No, I am what you mortals would call a demon," it answers, before glancing at the paw. Fiona frowns, running to the side with her arms trailing behind her, a large ball of energy growing on the wand and dragging along the ground, making a nice gouge in the earth; as the paw is about to hit her she purposefully falls backwards, trying to lay as low to the ground as possible while flinging the ball at the outstretched paw. If it hits, it hits with tremendous explosive force, enough to perhaps shatter the paw; whatever the case, it creates a large shockwave and a noise like a bomb going off.
The explosion causes the paw to fracture, sending chuncks of sandstone flying in all directions. The shockwave sends a ripple through the main body of the Dingo, but it seems generally unharmed by this. "What an annoying little toy you have." The construct outstretches its forearm again and moves it toward the fallen pieces of paw, reabsorbing them once more. "A demon you say? Have you no real power? You have to fight with the use of an external source? I may use Kick, but it merely increases my own abilities." The construct grins. "And besides, with the small dose I took it didn't do much to me, much like your powers…They don't do much to me." As the creature speaks more sand from around the park moves toward the two. It snakes along the ground and accumulates beneath Fiona and Bruce before suddenly rising up as a series of sand-tendrils intent on snatching the girl.
"My powers?" The demon laughs, the noise rattling windows and the park bench, "You're merely fighting one of my servants, a proxy. These are her powers, yes, granted to her by me… However, she is slightly… Rebellious. She would not have chosen to fight on her own, so I merely… expedited matters," the demon seems vaguely aware of the impending threat, as he has Fiona bow before Bruce; and then abrubtly, the energy leaves her; a dazed look on her face as she's snatched by the sand tendrils, not entirely sure what's going on.
The Dingo moves forward toward the ensnared girl, sneering down at her. "What's that? Did your 'master' abandon you? Apparently he was not as powerful as he…" Bruce trails off as the tendrils collapse into heaps of sand. The eyes and teeth on the construct vanish and the great beast rears back and paws at its face for a few moments before calming down. Bruce emerges from the back of the construct and stands atop it as it collapses into a heap of sand beneath him. The man appears to be shivering and falls to his knees where he promptly vomits. He wipes his mouth with the back of his hand and punches the sand beneath him. "Damn it. It lasts less and less each time I use it." The man appears to be breathing heavily and struggles to stand to his feet, glancing at the girl one last time before turning away. "You're not worth my time. I need to find the Order." He begins walking to the south.
"Ennh… sand…?" Fiona seems to awaken from a stupor - she looks totally confused about the massive pile of sand around her - vaguely remembering what happened. Shaking her head, she slowly picks herself up, collecting her belongings - and darts off in the opposite direction, muttering something dark and profane. Stupid demons!
~ Fin ~
