Players:
Summary: David comes to visit Bruce at Nowhere to get briefed on the Block Party
Log Title: Tactics
Rating: PG
Mutant Town - Nowhere
Nowhere is a community bar, with a slightly old world feel. All of the tables and chairs are made of wood, though there are some couches in a slightly offset room with green fabric. The music varies, depending upon the Owner's music taste for the day. Beer and Liquor are both served, but are both carded for as well.
At the front of the bar, right as one walks in, is a large sign. "Superhuman friendly establishment. There will be no tolerance for disparaging remarks based on one's genetic status. Any fights will not be tolerated within the bar. The management holds no responsibility for where combatants are teleported."
It is also quite impossible to use fake IDs here. There is a telepathic bouncer that works the door.
Scene
Bruce hates working this early. Not only does he have to wake up at the ungodly hour of 11am when he has to work noons, but the tips are lousy. The only people who tend to come in this early are the homeless and a few older alcoholics who need to start drinking as soon as the bar opens to survive. Bruce sighs and looks around the bar, stirring a mug of coffee before taking a swig. "Why do we even open this early? I swear."
Entering into Nowehere, David Alleyne looks around. Not used to places like the mutant wonders what Magneto has gotten him into. Thankfully, he chose to come early before any of the typical New York bar riffraff enter into alcoholic battles over who has the bigger manhood. Dressed casually in jeans and a sweatshirt and a long white trenchcoat with what would appear to most people oddly strange yellow sunglasses, but really cybershades. The African-American youth looks about and is somewhat relieved to see the place somewhat empty. Looking towards the bar, he thinks Magneto said to talk to the bartender. What are the chances there is only one employed here and the man currently behind the bar is the one he should seek out. David sighs and crosses the bar and sits on a stool, "Hey."
Bruce turns around as he hears a sound in the back room. He pops the door open and nods to the produce man as he wheels in a box of produce. "Thanks Cliff. You can just stack the alcohol in the back room, I'll get it later." The man signs for the delivery and picks up the produce, sitting it down on a small table behind the bar.
Bruce tips his head slightly when he hears the voice at the bar and turns to look at the youth. He walks back to the counter and picks up his coffee mug, taking a swig before sitting it back down on the counter. "Ah…Ya look a little young to be orderin' a beer there, kiddo." His voice sounds Australian, though some may think him to be British. Bruce turns back to the back table and pulls a couple of lemons out of the box, sitting them on a cutting board and slicing them into wedges as he talks. "So unless you want a coffee or some sody pop, I guess yer out of luck today." It is no secret that Bruce occasionally serves to minors, but one of the patrons happens to be a police officer, and Bruce doesn't want any unnecessary trouble. He is currently wearing blue jeans, a cammo shirt, and his usual Australian hat.
Grinning, David nods, "Well, you are right and I am glad you stick to the law. I'll have some coffee. I didn't drink any this morning and the trip down from Salem Center was horrendous with the flurries and the wind. It was freezing and there was no heat on the train." David looks around examining the different few patrons in the bar and sensing any useful skills. Looking towards the police officer, David recognizes the skillset from New York's finest and nods thinking to himself it could be useful. But as he looks over Bruce again and senses the military and weapons training. He thinks to himself, <This has to be the guy.>
Bruce nods and continues to cut the few lemons he has out already, depositing the fruit into a container for use later tonight when it gets busy. "Light & sweet or dark & strong?" He asks about the coffee. "Ah never mind, I'll just put the sugar and milk out fer ya." He brings a mug over to the counter and sits it down in front of David, then reaches under the counter and pulls out a sugar canister and a small container of milk. He then turns around and grabs a coffee pot to pour David a drink and top off his own mug. Turning around to put the pot back he speaks, "Just brewed it a couplo' minutes ago. Still fresh. But this is a rather odd place to go just fer coffee. Can't be that bad out that it'd force you to take shelter in a bar."
David nods his head and picks up the mug. He takes three sugar packets, rips them open, and pours them into the mug before reaching for the milk. He pours some into the mug and drinks the rest from the container. Taking a small straw he stirs the coffee, "Thank you. I need this to be fully awake." After taking a long sip, followed by a nice "Aaaaah. You make good coffee." Looking up at Bruce, "Well, it was the only spot I knew to come to in Mutant Town. A friend of mine recommended this place. So I thought I would check it out during the day to get a good look around."
Bruce turns back around and clears up the empty packets from the counter, taking another swig of his own coffee. "Good? I just make whatever comes in the can." He juts a thumb at an off-brand container next to the coffee pot. Bruce turns back to the fruit he was cutting up and continues to prep for tonight. "New to Mutant Town? There are a few good places here. Things seem to be picking up but that might just be the holidays." He waves his knife idly at a poster stuck up behind the bar. "You can always check out that Mutant Rights Festival on Friday. Supposed to be all sorts of people there." The poster has times and events and a picture of a young girl with green skin.
Taking another swig from the coffee mug, David nods his head, "Yes, it will definitely be a good place to be Friday. My friend told me to check the festival out too. But it might be dangerous too. Some kind of game being played." He shrugs and finishes off the coffee, "But it's good for our kind to have something to celebrate. Despite the game, I'm sure there will be a lot of mutants out there." He pushes the mug up the counter and towards Bruce.
Bruce stops cutting the lemon he is working on and turns his head slightly. "Game, eh?" He grabs the coffee pot and brings it back around to top off the boy's coffee. Rather than returning the pot to the heater he just sits it on the counter. "Exactly who is this friend of yours, and what game did he mention to you?" Bruce frowns and studies the boy. Younger, possibly from Barne's or Xavier's. He's been getting a few of them around lately asking questions.
David nods, "His name is Erik Lensherr. Though some people know him about another name." Looking around to make sure there is no one who can here him. David offers, "People call him Magneto." He exhales, "He told me about the game. I have offered to help with his cause. "I can tell you must be the one he meant for me to speak with."
Bruce makes no indication that he is surprised by the information he has just recieved, but his demeanour does change slightly. Before he seemed almost slightly annoyed that someone would come into the bar just to order coffee, but now he's smirking. "I see. Well I'd imagine my boss wouldn't send you to me unless he thought you would be useful to the cause." He looks the boy over again before casually glancing around the bar again.
"Here's the general plan…" Bruce pulls out a salt shaker and opens it up, dumping the contents onto the counter. The salt moves around a little and forms into a small map of the city. "The event will mostly focus at the park." He speaks quietly, looking around to make sure no one's within earshot. "We have people stationed here, here, and here." Little salt X's appear on the map. "I expect they'll strike here, here, and here. I've set it up so that would be the most tactical place for them to strike from, but we'll have people close by. Real close by." He indicates where he suspects the snipers will be with little O's.
Looking over the ready made map of salt on the table, David watches and studies where the X's and O's are situated. "Alright, so this whole thing is a trap for the hunters being hunted as Magneto put it." He hmmmmns, "So who are the players involved? And I gotta ask, if you known for this long, why did it take so long to set this up?"
Bruce nods. "That's right. We'll have the big hitters, mainly Magneto and myself here and here." Two large X's show up on the map. "My power allows me to protect a large number of people, so I'll be most useful down near the crowds." The salt shifts as the map seems to scroll eastward. "We'll also have people here in the Embassy. I suspect that'll be a major target as well." Bruce waves a hand and the salt goes flat again.
The Australian shakes his head. "Things've been a little difficult to set up. It takes a lot of coordination to get this all together. Brotherhood & X-Men are working together. I've got a few students from Barne's helping out and I suspect SHIELD will be there as well. Though I'm not sure which side SHIELD will be on quite yet." He takes another drink of his coffee. "I heard Xavier's had some people go missing a few months back. We postponed things until they returned. And then there was a big issue with permits and security…The city was hesitant to let us have this event in Mutant Town with all the violence that's been cropping up. Luckily we managed to convince them."
Nodding his head, "I was one of the people who went missing." David shakes his head when he thinks back to that time in Tegu-Haaz, "Well alrightie then, I am back and ready to help out." David takes mental note of everything and then tips his yellow shades forward and seems to hold it out above the salt map, "Is Vincent Lorimar involved in the plan?"
Bruce nods. "Never really heard what was up with that. I assume that if the disappearances had something to do with these shooters than I would have heard about it though." The salt swirls up into the air and returns to the salt shaker. "Obviously everything I told you is confidential. I trust Magneto would not send me someone he didn't think could be trusted." The man shakes his head. "I don't think I know that guy. Then again, I don't know everybody that's involved. Figured it'd be safer if no one person knew everyone involved, just in case."
David hmmmmns and nods as he places his cybershades on again having recorded the map. "Well, that seems to be ideal and I would plan it the same way. Though part of that is probably from what I am adapting from you." David looks around, "So, this place got any food and do you cook as well as you make coffee?"
Bruce nods and quirks a brow slightly at the mention of adapting Bruce's tactics. He doesn't question it though, assuming it has something to do with the boy's ability. "What's with all these people coming in here all the sudden and asking for food? This is a bar. We have alcohol, soda, and coffee. But if you're real hungry…" He reaches under the bar and places a bowl of peanuts and a mug of pretzel sticks on the counter. "That's about the extent of our food."
David smirks, "I guess I should know better than to come Nowhere expecting food." He munches on some of the peanuts and pretzels. "So I take it you're not the chitchat type. Not a good way for a bartender to be. I'd expect, especially n Mutant Town, you would be hearing the woes of the world and advising on how to take care of it."
Bruce waves a hand dismissively at the boy. "Eh, I chat enough during my regular hours. Hate having to wake up so early to work this time slot though." He gestures around the bar slightly. "None of these guys ever tip, so I don't waste my time chatting with them. I have a few regulars on the weekends I know fairly well though." He turns and begins slicing fruit again. "Actually being in a place like this lets me hear all sorts of stuff. Pretty useful for my boss."
David hmmmmns and ponders and fishes in his pocket and pull out a few bills for a tip. "For good service. And I'll have a soda this time, what do you have of the cola kind?" He looks around, "I guess this could be a regular hangout. Maybe bring some of the other staffers from Xavier's here." Tapping his fingers on the bar to a song playing in his head, "So who is your boss?"
Bruce finishes cutting up the lemons and scoops them into a plastic container. He wraps them in plastic and places them in a fridge under the bar. The man takes the bills and tips his hat at the boy. "Thanks a bunch, mate." He rings a few things on the register and puts the money in the drawer, moving the change to a mug nearby. "Soda? We've got lemon, orange, standard cola, diet cola, and I insisted they carry root beer, so we've got that." He preps a glass with ice for whatever David decides to order. "My boss here is just a guy. I was talking about the guy who sent you to me." Meaning Magneto.
Grinning and looking a bit overly excited, "Root beer! I haven't had any in ages. Pour me some, barkeep!" David ponders, "Wow, so Erik has spies everywhere. That is good, but at the same time pretty scary." He shrugs, "Good thing he's on our side. I would hate to make an enemy of him."
David nods, "Well, we're lucky he's with us. Though he and Xavier basically have the same ideas. Glad to see they both came around enough to work with each other." He sips the root beer and give another Ahhhh sound like he did with the coffee, "So I wonder what in life made you become a bartender/soldier and not at Xavier's." He stares out the window, "Well I guess it is impossible to help every mutant directly. But you have to think how life would be different if lives were switched and those at the school weren't there and those who aren't there were."
Bruce shrugs and wipes down the counter. "Why didn't I go work at Xavier's? Why would I? I just recently learned about that place honestly, still not really sure what it's all about." He finishes off his coffee and places the mug in a sink. "Sounds to me like that school's pretty well protected. Don't really need me there." He shrugs again, "Not much of the teaching type, either. And besides, if I were there who would protect the people here?"
David hmmmms, "Good point. Maybe I can try to arrange some outreach or something for the students at the school. We live rather privileged there, even though life is not easy for us." He takes a swig of the root beer and eats some more of the pretzels, "So what can you do? Mutant power-wise that is."
Bruce just gives the boy an odd look when he mentions student outreach. "All the people here really need is for the government to stop trying to control them. You wanna help try and take out some of those crazies in the government who'd have us all locked away." He waves a hand and washes the mug he was drinking out of. "What can I do? Oh he didn't tell you who you were actually going to see? Salt isn't all I can control. The news knows me as Dingo". The mutant terrorist, but he leaves that part out.
David shakes his head, "No. He didn't tell me exactly. Something tells me Lensherr doesn't like to make things too easy." When Bruce mentions taking out the crazies in the government, David gives him an odd look, "Dingo, huh. So you're Australian. Well, I hope your powers don't involve eating babies." He chuckles and chomps on some peanuts. "So you can control minerals. Do you have a secondary mutation to turn into a dingo or is it more for the accent?"
Bruce chuckles at the eating babies joke. "I think those folks ended up getting arrested…Turns out they just killed their kid and blamed some dingos." He shakes his head, "No, I can control sand. Can't turn into a dingo, but I can construct one out of sand if I want. Actually it's an old nickname from when I was in R.A.I.C." He pauses for a moment. "That's like the Australian Army."
His cybershades flicker a bit and David offers, "You are correct. They killed the kid. Wow. Sad." The shades continues to flicker a bit as David continues, "So you are a Psammokinetc. That's pretty cool. One of my friends who graduated with me was also a psammokinetic. You don't see that mutation too often."
"Will do." With that David makes his way out as he searches for information on Dingo using his cybershades.
Bruce nods. "Yeah it was all over the news for a while there. Remember that from quite a while back…" He shrugs, "Yeah well. People do terrible things every day." He ponders for a moment, "Another psammokinetic? Hmmm…Can't say I know of anybody that shares my gift."
"Yeah, she goes by the name Dust. Last I heard she was back in Afghanistan. Helping out against Al Qaida." He blinks a bit as he searches for some information on Dingo using his shades and sighs, "Well. Dingo." David rises and extends his hand to shake, "I go by the name Prodigy. I betterheadback to the Institute. But I'll see you Friday."
"Ah, well someone else who lives in the desert then, guess it makes sense." He shrugs and shakes the extended hand. "Right-o. Come by a little early and I'll let you know exactly where we can use you, alrighty?" He offers a wave and goes back to prepping for tonight.
"Will do." With that David makes his way out as he searches for information on Dingo using his cybershades.
~ Fin ~
