Players:
Summary: Tex goes out hunting for Bruce. When he finally finds the man Vinny & Travis manage to prevent the two from fighting.
Log Title: Sand, Wind & Water
Rating: PG
NYC - Four Arm Apartments - Bruce's Apartment
Bruce's apartment is not terribly large, but it is spacey enough for a single person. The door opens into a small hallway with the kitchen right near the entrance. Halfway down the hall is a bathroom followed by a closet before the hall opens up into a living room. From there a single door leads into a bedroom.
The apartment is untidy, but not dirty. Things seem dusted and swept for the most part, and any dirty dishes seem to be a couple days old at the most. The apartment is sparsely decorated except for a large Australian flag in the living room. There is little furniture, a sofa and a large TV in the living room and a bed in the bedroom. Also inhabiting this apartment is Bruce's dog Tiberius, who can be found wandering about when he is not out on a walk. Tiberius is a large male German Shepherd mix with a brown and black coat & a black collar.
Scene
"Alright Soldier, just like we discussed. Focus your powers and try to block as many of the projectiles as you can." Bruce nods and casts a nervous glance at Jack before looking out at the guns on the opposite wall. There is an odd noise and then a huge explosion. The room goes black. Then there is light. Bruce opens his eyes and sees…Carmen? She's smiling. The woman reaches her hand out to Bruce, but there is blood on it. Bruce looks back up to her and she is falling. "Ow!" Bruce sits up suddenly, pulling his hand out of his dog's mouth. "Oh…Sorry Tiberius. Was I talking in my sleep?" He glances at the clock. "Two AM? Bah…"
A few minutes later Bruce is dressed and out the door. No way he'll be able to go back to sleep now, not after that. He walks through Mutant Town for a little while before finding his way to the park. There's still some remnant yellow tape from where Carmen was shot. He finds himself walking over toward where she died. It's not terribly cold out this evening, but he still finds himself shivering a bit.
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'.
Vinny was at home during the shooting, having been sick and not in the park like he usually is. The hybrid mutant having asked himself over and over if he could have done anything had he been there. He doesn't have an answer yet. For now he just does what he does most every night, standing on a section of path overlooking a playground that's been flooded from the melting snow. The droning tones of his diggeridoo drifting on the early morning wind as he makes the water dance and whirl, just another night of practice.
Call it coincidence or luck or great detective work, but Agent Drew Daniels, aka The Texas Twister is out on patrol. Having heard of the recent rumble between Iron Man and Dingo. The SHIELD agent figured this would be a good place to investigate. He is familiar with the mutant terrorist's reputation, as a fighter and as a mutant hero But his actions to Tex, make him nothing more than an evil-doer. Tex keeps himself, but he looks around the park seeing pockets of leftover sand, which Drew calls up small winds to sweep them away.
Hearing a bit about a murder in Mutant Town and Dingo going on a rampage combined with the fact that the girl he's dating was in the mess, Travis has decided to go out in the middle of the night to mutant town. As he was leaving Barnes he spotted Tex leaving so the six armed mutant, who is hiding four of his arms under a large coat presently, has been following him a bit and now finds himself in the park. He's been trying to stay a good distance away so Tex won't notice him leaving the school at such a late time.
Bruce sighs and shakes his head, looking down at the chalk outline still present on the ground. "Damn it Carmen. What a mess." He vaguely hears the sound of Vinny playing his didgeridoo, but Bruce really isn't in the mood for company right now. Something does cause him to move toward the center of the park though. Something is causing a disturbance of the sands he left here. "Well that's strange." He is used to the way his sand reacts when it is blown by wind. This feel similar but different. The movements seem isolated and controlled. They feel intentional. Deciding it might not be a bad idea to investigate, Bruce moves toward the disturbances, collecting up sand as he moves. The particles move toward him as he walks, following behind him like a solid wave.
Vinny plays on, the new arrivals to the park not going unnoticed to the Platypus as he can feel disturbances in the electrical fields around. Though who they are remains a mystery. His control has been improving by leaps and bounds in the passing weeks since his arrival to mutant town due to being able to openly use his powers and the nearby drains gurgle and begin to sputter as the water in them is called to join what he's already controling. The growing mass sprialing into the air and spouting back and forth as he pushes his limits as he does every night. The thrumming tones of the wooden instrument increasing in strength and tempo, trilling and reverberating through the park.
Also hearing the melodic sounds of the didgeridoo, Tex makes his way towards the sound as well and fighting the familiar sight of a human platypus hybrid mutant. Tex approaches the hydrokinetic and tips his hat, but remains silent as Vinny continues his performance. Drew thinks to himself, just sit back an enjoy the melody of the instrument. Never interrupt a performance It will be a quiet night and I can just relax.
The sound of the didgeridoo is almost creepy to Travis but the site of Vinny using his powers with the instrument eases eerie feeling a bit. He's still hanging back for the time being not wanting to risk being seen by Agent Drew Daniels. Looking around the park he eventually spots Bruce and the teen tenses a bit. He's not to happy about recent events and what he's heard in regards to the bartender recently.
Bruce narrows his eyes as he approaches where the disturbances occur. It seems there is someone nearby the vortexes that snatch up his sand. The wind seems to stop and whoever is using it moves toward what Bruce can only assume is that giant platypus he met a few weeks back. He decides to follow after the man, assuming it to be the young Aerokinetic Bruce met during one of the later Mutant Town Shootings. He approaches from a distance and quirks a brow at Tex as he views him from behind. "Not who I thought…" And then looking past him at the water moving he offers a few claps. "Ah! Vinny you've gotten a bit better, eh?" Bruce tips his head slightly as though he is listening to something. There's someone else moving around out there in the park. He can feel them walk as they move across the sands.
Vinny nods to Tex as he approachs, though with his eyes in that state of featureless glowing blue it's hard to tell where he's looking. After hearing Bruce's voice and feeling the approach of Travis he decides to wrap it up for the time being and the water settled back into a single large pool which then seperates and flows back into the storm drains before he stops playing and the glow from his eyes fades. "G'day to both of ya. Didn't think I'd be gettin' an audiance at this time of night. Practice has been payin' off good these days. Can do a lot more without usin' the 'doo but I figure why stop a good thing eh? So what's got you lot out and about tonight eh?" He returns the diggeridoo with the cylindrical case near a park bench and fetchs a small cooler from underneath. "Fancy a cold one?" Opening the top reveals 8 large cans of Vinny's preferred beverage, Fosters Beer.
Spotting Bruce, Drew's eyes go wide and he sighs and silently curses to himself. He presses a small button on his lapel signaling his presence in the park to SHIELD. As he watches the Bruce, he has the advantage of not being known. Tex's thoughts begin to strategize as Iron Man was not able to defeat the mutant terrorist and something tells him an aerokinetic versus a psammokinetic can get very messy, though it may take a few moments for SHIELD backup to arrive as well, and he can't in good conscious let the terrorist go. When Vinny acknowledges him, Drew tips his hat again, "Now, ya know, pardner, you can't just sit out here and drink beer now. Though while I'd love a cold one. We cant be drinkin out here."
Travis decides to head a bit where the tape is and try to take a glimpse at the crime seen. He's not trying to be a detective or anything but any information he can find out about what happened might help Rashmi with the ultimatum. He listens to Tex and Vinny talk and tries to stay out of view of his teacher but with getting closer to the crime scene, who knows how successful that will be.
There isn't much over by the crime scene. The police did a pretty good job collecting up any stray bullets or other items in the area before releasing it. There are a few flowers and pictures around one of the trees, one of a few shrines to the woman scattered throughout Mutant Town.
Bruce nods to Vinny. "Couldn't sleep. And yeah, I'll take a beer if ya don't mind sharin'. I'll get ya back at the pub." But when Tex speaks he gives the other man a shocked and disgusted look. "What? Please tell me yer joking. Who are you to tell a bloke he can't sit out here and enjoy a beer?" The other figure is approaching the crime scene. Bruce tenses for a moment and relaxes. It's probably just a local coming to pay their respects to Carmen.
Vinny chuckles and shakes his head "Ah well, never stopped me before. Course thier ain't been anyone out here this late before either." He closes the cooler and shrugs to Bruce "Toss ya a few before we part ways tonight. Was a damn tragedy what happened out here, fightin' never seems ta end eh?"
Looking over Bruce and assessing the mutant as he looks him up and down and quirks an eyebrow, "Who am I? A friend who doesn't want to see Vinny get in trouble." Tex senses a fight will break out soon but perhaps a quick tornado gust to Bruce will knock him out or at least end the attitude. As Vinny speaks about the tragedy to Carmencita, Drew sighs a moment, "It was tragic what happened to her." Finally some SHIELD agents are arriving into the park though they remain outside the park awaiting a signal from Drew.
Travis doesn't really know fully what's going on between Tex, Vinny and Bruce but he has his eyes on the bartender for the moment. He doesn't realize he's staring but he's standing by the crime tape and looking at him. He's never really done the whole investigation or superhero thing so it's all new for him so he's kinda feeling like a fish out of water.
The agents go unnoticed by Bruce. They're well outside of his field of influence and if they tread on any sand out there he won't know about it. Bruce nods sadly, "Yeah. Carmencita was a friend of mine. Those officers are lucky they got away from Dingo the other night. And I'm sure they're in for a world of hurt still." He sighs. "Rashmi personally guaranteed that she'd catch the men responsible. And Justice from the Avengers paid me a visit. Told me they'd handle it." Bruce shrugs and looks back at Vinny, "You know, she was attacked by a gang of kids out here. You should be careful. I mean, Carmen wasn't helpless. She held her own until the police shot her." He glances back at the scene and sees Travis standing there. He quirks a brow at the boy and looks back to the others, jutting a thumb at Travis. "Creepy kid. He belong to one of you?"
Vinny nods "Yeah I been keepin' my eyes open, course it's pretty hard to sneak up on me but yeah.. bullets ain't good. Not sure how well my powers would stack up in that case. Course the other side of the coin is I ain't lettin' a few punks and a couple bodgy troopers keep me scared at home either." For the moment the shield boys are outside of Vinny's electrolation range so he hasn't sensed them yet.
"You spoke to Rashmi. She knows you." Drew is going to have to talk to his student. He can't have them communicating with terrorists. At least, his other students don't get themselves in trouble, but when Bruce points out Travis. Tex sighs and shakes his head. So much for other students keeping out of trouble. He is not about to start a fight and get Travis involved. Tex moves away from Bruce and Vinny and towards Travis, but as he walks past Bruce, "Never call the kid creepy. He doesn't leave behind messy sand piles." The SHIELD agents remain hidden as Travis' appearance leads Tex not to attack, but get the kid out of here, considering all he has been through already.
Travis sighs as he's spotted and he walks over to where the guys are. "This creepy kid is trying to help a certain red head keep her word to you." He says to Bruce though Rashmi doesn't know he's out here. "Hello Sir." He mutters to Tex obviously not pleased with his teacher knowing he's out here.
Bruce quirks a brow. "You know Rashmi, eh? She seems to know a lot of people. Yeah I've worked with her before. Helped out with the defense of Mutant Town during the shootings a few months back. Actually she helped out a few times." He glances over at Vinny, "You know her? Good girl. A little too starry eyed, though." He gives Tex an odd look as he mentions the sand, but holds his comment when he recognizes Travis. "Oh wait I do remember you. You healed up Rashmi in the bar about a month back." He nods and remarks to Tex. "So who exactly are you? You're obviously the one who was out here disturbing my sands." The sand Bruce was pulling with him has been piled a few feet out. He pulls it toward himself. "It needs to be here incase something else happens. Twice I was able to save crowds of people because I left this sand here."
At the mention of Rashmi Vinny shakes his head "Nope can't say we've met, course I'm mostly out and about at night so havn't run into alot of folks honestly." He looks to Travis and gives a nod and wave "G'day, welcome to the party mate." He looks back to bruce as the sand piles up. "So that's why that stuff is all over the place. I figured the groundskeeper had the week off."
Ignoring Vinny and Bruce for a moment, Tex pulls Travis close to him, "We all appreciate you trying to help, but get back home. This isn't the place for you." He hopes that is enough to get the student to leave but given the track record of Barnes students that will probably not be the case. Turning to Bruce, "Rashmi is a great girl, though I can't say her choice of friends is too wise and while I am sure everyone appreciates what you consider protection is really terrorism." With that the wind picks up around Tex and a small breeze begins to become stronger. The SHIELD agents make no move yet. Prudence works best when there is a student present.
Travis nods to Bruce. "She was a different Indian girl, not Rashmi that I healed." He says before being pulled aside by Tex. After the SHIELD agent's speech he glares at him. "Don't tell me this isn't the place for me, I'm not just some kid. Technically I'm an adult." He says as he looks at Bruce. "Rashmi's a good person, she's got a good sense of right and wrong and means to do well by everyone. Now this ultimatum you gave her, what exactly do you expect to accomplish if she can't find out who they were?"
Bruce frowns at Tex. "Well now. Let's see here. The kid is friends with Rashmi, who goes to Barnes. And he called you "Sir", which probably makes you staff there. Mix that in with your self riteous attitude and desire to only see the world in black and white? I'd say you're SHIELD." He smirks as the wind picks up. "SHIELD with some sort of wind power. I fought a windy once. Later he helped me save a bunch of people's lives on this very field. He and Rashmi both were here actually." The sand within a 25 foot radius of Bruce begins converging and moving toward him like rivers of dust. "Rashmi's quite reasonable actually. You should pay more attention to what she says."
Bruce glances at Travis. "The ultimatum? I simply told her I would hold my action for one week before hunting down the men responsible for Carmen's death. I spoke with her just a few hours ago. She told me that she is confident that she can bring those men to court. If the police resist then I'll force their hand. My methods are my own, but I do not intend to kill or severely harm anyone."
Vinny is getting increasingly more uncomfortable with the direction the conversation is going and fidgets a bit not really having anything to add. Pacing around the bench a few times as the discussion goes on. As the wind picks up and Bruce begins calling up his sand Vinny tenses noticably and locks his gaze on the trio. "First one'a you blokes that does somthin' stupid is gettin' a cold shower at about two-hundred PSI… lets keep this civil eh?"
"Your little sand piles are cute, Dingo." Drew smirks and then continues, "And while I respect Rashmi for looking beyond black and white. SHIELD and the Avengers are looking into her death. This will be resolved in the proper way, but whenever your little deadline is up, be sure 'your methods' are appropriate and within the legal system." With regard to Travis, he needs to have a special seminar with the students on how to deal with respect. And to Vinny "No worries. No fight tonight, right, Mate?"
"You know forcing their hand isn't going to help your issue at all. It's just going to prove their point right." Travis says. He nods to Vinny as he hasn't made any moves to do anything, his extra arms are still hidden in his jacket.
Bruce frowns at the Avenger. "Right, they're adorable." There is a large quantity of sand around Bruce now. It swirls quickly and condenses into an odd array of sharp looking walls behind and around the man. He glances over at Vinny and shrugs, "We'll see. These bastards are notorious for arresting mutants. Might want to steer clear of them. I've no doubt he'd of locked you away if you'd cracked yer beer earlier. They're government run. Never trust em." He looks back to Tex. "Well according to those police 'legal' entails shooting a civilian for defending herself and shooting a man for running toward her." For the third time today a few bullets emerge from his chest. "Got me good, they did. Too bad bullets don't bother me. You on the other hand? You bother me." He waves a hand dismissively at Travis. Yes yes, he's heard that quite a few times these past few days.
Vinny looks from Tex to Bruce and sighs. "Well can't say I wouldn't have lashed out after seein' that either. Not sayin' what happened afterwards was right either, but I can understand it. Is really no right answer for that night by my thinkin'" He looks around for a moment, his pacing around having brought him just close enough to feel a disturbance on the edge of his location sense. Though he can't pinpoint what it is.
Smiling, "The great thing about sand is that it can be blown by the wind." Still commanding the winds around him though it is more of a breeze. "The issues will be dealt with and those cops will be dealt with, by us." Drew exhales and looks to Travis and smiles a bit impressed by what the 'adult' has been saying, so maybe he won't get punished too harshly back at the school. "Well instead of having to arrest Vinny. I warned him about the law. I know Vinny and met him when I was helping out with the repairs to Mutant Town. Wow, imagine that. A non-mutant helping out in Mutant Town."
Travis looks between Bruce and Tex and let's out a sigh. "Great I come out here to try to help out my girlfriend and I get to witness to jerks having a penis contest." He mutters. "Why does it have to be an ultimatum, why does it have to be a whole 'us verses them' matter? Why does it have to be 'we're looking into it so you just stand there and look pretty'. What happened to just helping each other out. We all have a common goal right, look for these asshole cops who shot the poor woman and see justice prevail right? They why are you two arguing? Fuck."
"Yes, and the great thing about sand is that it's the major ingredient in concrete. I've fought wind users before. It didn't turn out so well for them. Wind doesn't do so well against concrete, and that's about how hard that sand Dingo can get." He offers Tex a not-so-friendly smile. "A non-mutant eh? I should have guessed. SHIELD is full of you. Pseudo-mutants who think you can police the rest of us. You don't scare me. And I won't let you intimidate my people either." He nods to Vinny, "Yes. It was terrible. Now imagine you knew that girl. That you saw her almost every day. That you spoke with her and laughed with her and then watched her die by the hands of people who are supposed to be there to protect everyone."
Bruce quirks a brow and turns around to look at Travis. "It IS us versus them. WE didn't start it, THEY did. And if they're going to do something stupid like come into my home and shoot my family, then they're going to have to deal with the consequences. Lucky for them Rashmi talked to me first. I trust her, but I don't know if she's capable. It's not an ultimadum. It's a 'I can't wait forever. If you take too long I'll help out and you won't like it.'"
Vinny looks from Tex to Bruce again, then back. The wind's are picking up and the sands are whipping around. Fine if they want a show of force he can play this game too. The ground under thier feet trembles for a moment before Vinny's eyes turn that flat glowing blue once again. There's the sudden sound of running water as the grating off a storm drain blows off and a rising column of water emerge from it. "Knock it" another drain cover nearby does likewise. "The Bloody Hell" and yet a third, the steel grating rocketing into the air and clattering to the ground. "OFF!" Vinny stands there for a moment as the water columns weave back and forth like angry snakes. "You two bicker like old washer-women. Ain't neither one'O ya got an advantage on me so drop the cock-waggin' and power down or I'll turn this whole bloody place into a damned Mud-bath and we'll see who can do what to who then eh?" He nods to Travis "You been been yakkin' and he's the only one talkin' sense."
"I'm sure things will be different in our case. You're a poor man's Sandman or hell I bet Quicksand can do better than you." Tex sighs, "Enough of this. The kid here is right." <Though the manner in which he says it could use some work.> It shouldn't be an us versus them. We are all human at the end of the day." His winds stop. "I hope you learn to how to better work within the system." When Vinny does his power display, Tex nods impressed as it seems Vinny has progressed with his powers. "Calm down, Vinny. No fight here today."
"You know what, someone did kill someone in my family and we didn't do anything stupid. We did the right thing and went through the law and things worked out." Travis says not saying too many of the details. "Lucky for everyone Rashmi talked to you first cause she's got her head on her shoulders straight." He looks over at Vinny and smiles at the platypus. He really wants to see Tex and Bruce get doused to help them 'cool off'.
Bruce looks like he's about to say something nasty to Tex. Instead he decides to go for the kill. A few rather sharp looking spires of sand erupt from the ground around Tex, moving toward the man. They stop several feet away from the man when Vinny decides to go old faithful. Bruce's sands are completely still, but they're still shaped into sharp walls and spikes. "Oh Vinny. Now we're gonna have to hunt down those grate covers. I don't want any kids fallin' down into the sewer." He simply walks away from the three of them. His murderous intent seemingly forgotten at the thought of someone falling into a storm drain. "Well here's one of them."
Vinny frowns at Bruce and motions with one hand, the water-snake closest to Tex surges forward and makes a quick circle around him engulfing the sand spires and walls and reducing them into a ring of sodden sludge before returning to flowing down the drain again, the grate being dragged along behind it to clatter shut. The second snake does likewise leaving only the one closest to Bruce since he went looking for the grate. "Very funny mate…" Vinny manages to keep a cool front though it's clear even to him his reaction time was too slow to have intercepted those spires had Bruce not stopped them himself.
Sighing and shaking his head at Bruce's little display and remaining unimpressed, Tex exhales, "He really does care. His approach can use some work though." When Vinny protects Tex with the water snakes and watches as they make quick work of the sand spires and walls. "Thank you, Vinny. I appreciate that. And you've come a long way with your powers. Did you ever get in touch with that school I mentioned to you?" Drew summons up a small wind to sweep up the sludgy mess that remains of Bruce's power display.
Travis nods to Vinny again. "Thanks." He says for him stepping in with his water powers of awesome. "Bruce, if you have any information on those police officers that will help find out who they are, that'd be great. I dunno if Rashmi already asked you." He says before giving a final nod to Vinny. "Sir, I'll see you back at the school." he says to Tex as he turns to leave the park.
Bruce stops moving for a moment and looks over his shoulder at Tex. "Damn it, I said leave it there." He makes a fist and the sludgy sand seems to condense and bore its way into the ground. "I may need it later. Like if another one of you fun SHIELD agents decides to come visit again." He continues on his way and bends down to pick up the storm drain, lifting it and walking over to replace it. "I already gave her the car license plate and one of the bullets they shot me with. I doubt the police will cooperate, but she assures me she has alternate methods if they refuse." He manages to flash a grin at Vinny. "But yeah, great work with that water. Feel better leavin' you alone out here at night now."
Vinny allows the last snake to fall back into the storm drain so Bruce and replace the cover and the glow fades from his eyes again. He takes a breath and shakes his head to Tex "Naw never managed to get in touch with them, just out here most nights gettin' in practice when it won't attract unwanted attention. More I work with it the easier it gets, making up for lost time." He grins a bit and looks to Bruce "Eh still got a few other tricks, but always gettin' better."
"I'll see you back at school, Travis. We'll talk more then." Drew watches as Bruce leaves and then turns to Vinny, "Thanks again and you are wise to practice. Let me know if you need any help contacting the school or maybe I can arrange something with my school." He shakes his head, "Well, this was some night. But I best leave as well. See-ya Vinny." Summoning up a wind, Tex needs to clear his head and flying home should do the trick. As he flies off, he speaks into his lapel speaking with SHIELD agents and filing a report on tonight's 'discussion.'
Bruce watches the man fly off and waves a hand dismissively. "What an arrogant jerk. They're all like that. The kids seem ok, but the teachers there are all real bastards." Bruce sighs and begins walking back toward the edge of the park. "Well Vinny, I'd probably best go kip for a bit. I'll see ya around." Bruce will make his way to Nowhere, where he'll stash his clothes so he can transform into a sandstorm and head home. He doesn't trust that crazy cowboy not to follow him to his apartment.
Vinny gives a final wave to Tex and heads back for the park bench. He slings the cylindrical case over one shoulder by the strap and watches as Bruce departs as well. After everything is over he takes a look around and seeing that no one is left he opens the cooler and pulls out a Fosters. "I definitely need a bloody drink after that…" popping the top and he takes a few long swallows and heads down the path towards home.
~ Fin ~