Log:Enter the Mauler

2010/01/28 	 Jade Achcroft Riot Lightray Mauler 1

In Past Times

Jade is seated at a table away from the door, her back to the wall. She glances up nervously as Joseph come in the door, glances down at something in her bag, glances up again and then waves with a smile. She appears sot be working on something on her PDA, and is wearing a heavy knitted sweater.

Joseph stands at the counter of the shop receiving an iced tea from a waiter. He notices Jade's smile and wave, but glances over his shoulder as the door opens again. He nods politely to the man who enters as he makes his way generally towards Jade.

Jade again glances down into her bag as the second man enters.

Joseph walks over to near where jade is sitting and murmurs in his soft Virginia drawl, "Do you mind if I join you, Ms Ashcroft?"

Jade says, "Oh-please-do-have-a-seat how-are-you?"

Joseph takes a seat as he sets the iced tea on the table. "I have been tolerably well. No real reason to complain." He smiles gently. "And yourself? Has life been treating you well?"

Jade says, "Well-I-could-do-without-the-attempts-on-my-life but-I-suppose-it-makes-things-interesting."

Joseph raises his eyebrows. "Attempts on your life? So, it wasn't a one-off event then? It has continued?" His voice while surprised is quiet.

Jade says, "Well strictly-it's-just-been-the-one-attempt-so-far-but-I-expect-more."

Joseph nods. "Ah, hence why you keep looking at something in your bag? Hmm, a device fo some sort I'm guessing?"

Jade says, "Yes-my-omniscanner I'm-checking-that-people-coming-in-aren't-disguised-with-holograms."

Joseph smiles slightly as he says, "Omniscanner...My how technology has moved on." He picks up his iced tea and takes a small sip, then murmurs, "Are you convinced it is the Guild behind this BTW? Could it not be ACE, RACE, or their backers attempting to discredit the Guild?"

Jade says, "There-are=other-possibilities-of-course but-that-seems-less-likely. ACE-or-RACE-would-sooner-see-me-publish while-if-I'm-killed-before-I-do-it-would-do-little-good I'm-not-well-known."

"Holla whut?"

States a fellow -now- coming in through the doors, something which causes them to open with a SLAM. He pauses, grunting once through the war mask, before turning blue eyes towards the denizens of the room. Well, the two and the waitress.

"Ay, yo, -Jader-. Got any mo' big ass boys wit' big ass toys fo' me to whoop on, o' ya'll all safe now?" He laughs from the gut, and tosses himself into a chair nearby. Which groans. Tossing off a sloppy salute for Joseph. "Dawg."

Joseph nods. "Well, not well known outside of certain communities. Communities that haven't been in favor of joining forces with A..." He glances up over Riot and nods to him.

Jade smiles and says to Joseph quietly, "Hm-another-language-I-must-learn-some-day."

Two thick, bare feet slam up on the table as Riot leans back. He left the remains of his shoes somewhere else, and the cold just doesn't seem to bother him. "Ya'll jawin' 'bout dem ASS or whatevah de hell dey called?"

[To Riot] Jade says, "Seem-to-be-safe-at-the-momnet-thanks."

Joseph starts to speak, then just shakes his head. He then says, "ACE, yes. I think they might be orchestration he attacks on Jade." HE shrugs, "But I'm willing to belive ti the Guld as well. They make my jaw ache."

Jade says, "How-so?"

Riot grunts and nods at Jade. "Hell, a'ight. Good t' know. 'Course, I don't mind seeing Iggy get nude aftah a nuke bomb." There's a lecherous grin thatcan be -felt- from behind the warmask, before Riot glances over to Joseph. "Guild dem wit' the damn aliens?"

Jade says, "That's-them the-ones-behind-the-nuke and-behind-an-attempt-on-my-life-since."

Joseph nods to Riot, the says to Jade. "Their combination of high handed dealings, demands for Earth to meet certain conditions befoer being 'member', and thier complete lack of support or help during various alien encounters and invasions makes me distrust them."

Jade says, "You-don't-know-the-half-of-it they-were-also-largely-behind-the-neo-Luddite-movement I-have-proof and-were-responsible-for-the-great-quake-of-2032 well-I-can't-prove-they-did-it-on-purpose-but-there-was-Guild-involvement and-given-the-rest-of-their-record....."

Riot rolls his shoulders. "Good 'nough fo' me. Lets go knock dey house down." And he takes his feet off the table, and begins standing up.

Jade laughs, "Now-there's-confidence-not-to-mention-hubris."

Joseph is silent for a moment as he listens to Jade then murmurs, Solid proof, Jade? Incontrivertible evidence?" He looks over at Riot. "No official presence in the city to attack, I'm afraid Riot."

Riot psh. "SHO dere is. They got dat big damn buildin', don't dey?" He states, then pauses to tap a finger against his mask. "I think. Shit. JADE, build me somethang so I can breathe in space. Then jes' strap me to a rocket and aim me. I'll bring 'em down."

Jade says, "Solid-proof-is-hard-to-come-by but-of-some-of-it-yes. That-some-neo-Luddite-leader-were-aliens? certain that-they've-been-lying-to-us-from-the-start? incontrovertible that-an-alien-harrassed-a-meta-known-to-have-powerful-earthquake-powers-while-they-were-right-on-top-of=a-major=faultline? no-question."

Joseph nods. "I wonder to what end? Is it simply greed? They have always seemed more like the East India Company than anything else to me."

Jade laughs, and says to Riot, "Could-tale-you-a-while-to-get-there."

Joseph murmurs absently, "We need proof so justice can be done. Otherwise any action can be dismissed as xenophobia. We would end up looking like ACE."

[To Joseph] Jade says, "They've=actively-hampering-Earth's-progress that's-why-they-targetted-China-and-Japan remember-China-was-the-world's-economic-powerhouse-before-'32 same-with-the-neo-Luddite-movement that-set-us-back-a-decade-or-more and-their-stupid-demands-before-we-join-the-Guild they-didn't-hold-other-worlds-to-most-of-thise."

Jade says, "That's-why-I'm-compiling-proof and-that's-why-they're-trying-to-kill-me."

Riot psh. "SO? Riot don't care what people -think-. Hell, I ain't -elected-, baby. I Am The RIOT. Straight outcha 'burg, right down ya'll teeth, walkin' de righteous an' de wraithful. Justice ain't always in de damn PoPo hands, baby."

Jade says, "That-sounds-bad!" and is up and running for the door, grabbing her bag.

Joseph looks over and gets up as Jade darts for the door. "What?"

Riot tilts his head for a moment as Jade up and runs, and glances to Joe. ".. She young t' be crazy like mos' shawties." He grunts. Then turns to follow.

Joseph shakes his head and quickly heads for the bathroom and then the back door after he changes.

Jade says something but it's lost as she runs out to the street. The honking of horns can be heard with the door open.

Riot pushes past the doors, striding all loose and relaxed. Like there wasn't a thing in the world that could make him worry when he's got that mask on!

Some distance north up Wharf St traffic seems to be stopped and a lot of horns are honking. There's a van there which seems to be lifting unsteadily off the ground.

Jade is running up the street in that direction.

Riot tilts his head for a moment, watching the van lift up slowly and unsteadily. "Pfft. Weak ass." He grunts, before pushing off the ground and jumping on over. Boom, BOOM, *BOOM*..

Lightray comes into sight from behind the side of the street Past Times is on. He glances down at the activity on the street.

As Riot leaps his way down the street, so the van leaps too, onto the roof of a nearby building! Or rather, the heavily muscled guy underneath leaps, carrying it. He has a garish largely orange costume, with something of the look of a professional wrestler, and a big M on the front.

The van, it's now clear, is an armoured car.

With one last huge leap, Riot lands on the roof with the baddie. Which craters slightly beneath him, as he's not being 'careful'. He then straightens up to his full height, even with a dramatic little wind tugging at his black wind breaker.

The guy holding the van just laughs. "You think you're hard enough to take the Mauler? You're going down! Hard!" And he swings the whole armoured car at Riot!

Riot digs his heels in and -pushes- forward as the van comes down. He's got a -lot- of strength for his tiny mass. And he leaves a nice, Riot shaped hold in the Van, staggering back under the heavy hit. But he's not sent flying. "Heh. Tickles, ass."

The van bashes hard into Riot, though not before he braced. The driver of the van though, is not so invulnerable. Luckily he has his seatbelt on, but he passed out just from the shock of that collision,.

Jade just keeps running down the street, looking for a way to get up onto the building.

Mauler grins, hefting the van above his head again before bring it down on Riot. "Either you or this van is gonna crack open! Either way, it's good for me!"

As the armoured car slams into Riot, he, Mauler and the van crash through the roof into an attic! Luckily the van catches on the roof enough it doesn't fall through *this* floor.

Mauler loses his footing and fails to land on his feet.

Riot's arms are still up and his heels dug in when the Van crashes down one last time - and the entire roof caves in long before The Riot does. But, despite his usual tendency for being as graceful as a cat (Aka, falling in the toilet bowl and off the televisions), he manages to land on his feet. And snorts, shaking off the sparks in his gaze.

"Ow." He grunts, before he reaches down to try and get up, close, and -personal-. Get a grip!

Riot squeezes some breath from Mauler, but he sneers.

Lightray flies up to the level of the roof and over towards the hole Mauler just made attempting to get line of sight of the villian.

Jade reaches a fire escape and begins climbing.

Lightray continues to move as his line of sight is blocked by root itself. He murmurs, "I need X-Ray vision..."

Mauler grunts and tries to free himself from Riot's grasp.

Riot grunts as his arms are slowly forced apart, and the orange clad butthole gets loose. Err, Mauler. Yeah.

Mauler bursts free with a laugh.

Lightray continues to fly over until he can see Mauler. He hovers about 6 meters above the man and shouts, "Hey! Mauler!" in a stentorian voice. He then blasts at the man with a burst of blinding sunlight.

Mauler blinks, apparently blinded by the burst.

Riot laughs, and shouts up at Lightray. "HELL YEAH. Watch yo' head!" He then steps up to the Mauler, and -winds- up. I mean, he's putting everything he's got into knocking that damn guy's head off! And straight up.

Mauler hears Riot, or maybe just his boast, and manages to sidestep the blow.

Jade reaches the roof at last, but then has to take it carefully because it's in a fragile condition.

Mauler blinks and seems to get his sight back - and promptly tries to punch Riot.

Mauler knocks Riot into the attic wall, making it shudder.

Riot thumps hard into the wall, leaving another crater - and begins pulling himsle back out again. Still going, but he's starting to live up to his reputation for collateral damage it appears..

Lightray watches the melee below begin again then, with a soft sigh, blasts down at Mauler with a briliant sunburst.

The burst of sunlight explodes just short of Mauler, bathing the attic in bright sunlight for a brief instant.

Jade falls through the roof that Riot has just weaked again, but lands on her feet - and promptly helps Riot to his feet! "There-you-go!"

Mauler sidesteps Riot's hop.

Lightray tries once again to blind Mauler.

But the dodging villain is too quick.

Jade dashes across the attic to attempt a quick succession of kicks!

Jade is however hampered by the debris on the floor.

Mauler looks about at the three heroes converged on him and grabs the van again. "Enough! Let me pass, or I'll rattle this van till everyone in it is dead!"

Riot stumbles as he misses the grab, and spins around just as the Mauler grabs up the van again - and threatens to kill everyone inside. With a growl, Riot points a single, thick finger.

"Yo, Bitch. 'Fore, ya'll jes' stupid. Now.. Ya'll -dead-" And he sudden lifts a foot and SLAMS it on the ground. The earth quakes, heaves, moves. Walls cracke, the ceiling becomes -more- unstable, and car alarms all over go off. Earthquake!

The weakened floor can't take the shaking and collapsed with a shudder, sending Mauler, Jade, and Riot through to a bedroom on the next floor. The first too land on their feet, while Riot lands on a bed. But at least Mauler no long has the van - it's still lodged in the remains of the roof.

Lightray tries once again to blind Mauler, now he no longer has the van.

And Mauler once again is dazzled.

Jade takes advantage of the blindness to attempt another coiple of kicks.

Jade's foot connects - but it looks like it hurt her more than Mauler.

Mauler blinks. "Ok, now I'm mad!" he growls. He takes a swing at Jade, Riot being a bit out of reach just now.

Jade however is far too quick for him.

Lightray once again manages to dazzle the villain!

The Riot has landed on a bed! He blinks behind his mask, coughing out dust as he watches his little bud go spinning around the lumbering Mauler. Can't hurt him, can't be hurt. Riot's gaze goes briefly to that van, and the determination settles in. Riot hops up on the bed, and leaps once through the air - Hands clasped together and swung -waaay- overhead in an attempt to HAMMER the big fellow.

"GET OFF HER!" He roars. He always did hate bullies, despite his personality.

Mauler disappears through a hole in the floor. And a hole in the floor below that.

Riot has just finished knocking a hole straight through the house. The ceiling is gone. The attic crumbled. The second floor just went, and the villain is somewhere in the basement. Car alarms are going off everywhere, and the entire building is shaken.

Near Lightray, the roof creaks as the weakened structure sounds about to give way, and the armoured car lurches...

Jade moves to the hole in the floor and jumps down one floor - she won't chance more than that given how weak the building is.

Police sirens can now be heard approaching.

Lightray goes to the door of the armored car to try to see it the driver is awake. "YOu ahve to get out of there!" he shouts. "Ill tke you to safety."

The driver is unconscious still, as he has been since early in the fight.

Lightray brings a sword of sunlight into existence in his hand and cuts away the window of the armored van.

Jade jumps down one more floor. "He's-not-here!" she shouts up.

The roof cracks and the armoured car begins to fall!

Lightray notices the roof giving way and reaches in abruptly to grab the guard. Hte man is sraped by the edge of the widonw, but Lightray holds onto him as the roof collapses. "Well..."

The armoured car crashes through the upper floor...

Riot glances through the hole, preparing to jump in after Jade when she calls up. He grunts, and snaps his fingers. "Damn. A'ight, I'll get the.. guard..." He turns his gaze up, just as the car comes down. He never saw Lightray get the guard out.

That's a big van. But there's some people inside. And Jade below.

"LOOK OUT!" He shouts, before standing -beneath- the van. Arms wide. "oh Sh-"

Riot catches the big damn van with a grunt, driven to his knee by the momentum of it - but catch it he does! Despite his relatively tiny mass, he has a titan's strength. But the stupid floor starts groaning, and he yells out:

"JADE! Get the hell outta there, dammit, the floor's going!" Yes, he forgot to talk ghetto. Stress, you know?

Jade gets out of the building - she doesn't need telling twice!

The floorboards groan, then crack....

Lightray flies the unconscious gyuard down the opposite side fo the street from collapsing house. As he does, he shouts at the people on the street, "Get back! The house is coming down!"

... and collapse!

And then the floor is gone, and Riot is falling. And falling fast. Where once there was light, there is only darknesss and a big damn van crushing him from above. And Riot - is buried. BURIED ALIVE.

Dust explodes outward as the house collapses inwards, with rubble tinkling around and glass sprinkled about. Yeah. Great use of heroic activity there, dumbass. But at least he got the armored car! And the house is insured. Right?

Jade watches, wondering how many seconds before he digs himself out. Having grown up around metas, she's not much worried for the likes of Riot!

Lightray checks over the unconscious guard, then fills his hands with sunlight and lets it flow into the man. A brief glow of sunlight suffuses the man's form as it restores his bodies depleted reserves.

In point of fact, it takes roughly fifteen seconds before Riot's fist pops out of the rubble, followed by his mask and dusted dredlocks. But, strangely, he ducks back under again. There is a rumble, and a -section- of the collapsed rubble is shoved as the armored car is -pushed- out.

"Guards.." Gasps Riot, sucking in lungfulls of dust. "Get.. guards .. out!!"

Yeah. He never did see Lightray do the rescuing.

Jade notes the approaching sirens, notes the property damage, and thinks maybe here isn't where to be. :)

Property damage? Jeremiah called himself Riot instead of Patriot like he originally planned for a reason. And he's also a -vigilante- for a reason, as he stumbles across the shattered remains of the house, dragging the twisted Armored Van behind him.

But he's also a Hero for a reason, as he pops the back of it open by digging his fingers through the metal and pulling. Ignoring the bags to grab the guards, and lay them out away from the rubble.

"YO, Lightie! Ya'll okay over there?" He asks, shouting for Lightray as he takes a moment to catch his breath.

Lightray looks at the collapsesd building, then to Riot. He leaves the driver in the hands of concerned passersby and goes over to the dusty young man. "Mayhaps you should go try to find Mauler." He gestures in the direction fo the sirens. He adds softly, "Best to avoid them, yes?"

The guards are badly injured from being shaken, but alive, thanks to Riot (and their armour).

Jade says "See-you-around!" as she hurries off.

Mauler is nowhere to be found when the rubble is searched.