Log Title |
Summary: | Clayface and El Aguila meet and have more than words. |
Date: | IC Date (2014-05-19) |
Related: | None |
NPCs: | NA |
Scene Runner: | {$runner} |
Social/Plot: | Plot |
-==[ Back Alley — Upper West End ]==-------—
A typical alleyway. Moderately high walls on either side, trash, refuse, the occasional dumpster, long shadows, sewer access, random vehicles, entrances into neighboring buildings, many times an exit into another alleyway or onto another street. Often times alleys are used for deliveries, sleeping areas for the homeless, nefarious encounters or unlawful exchanges. Also found in alleys are fire escape ladders to rooftops or upper floors of the surrounding structures.
It is early evening with a light rain. The back alley is rife with crates and boxes that have recently been delivered to the Vauxhall Opera Shell. The crates and boxes are being lifted by 5 sturdy men into a loading bay whose roll up door is wide open. A beautiful redheaded woman in business attire stands in the loading bay door with a clipboard and seems to direct the men. Upon her blouse is a name badge, 'Margaret Gallapos'.
Margaret, "Alright fellas, let's get those crates inside before the rain comes down hard."
Man #1, "Come on boys, you heard the lady, let's get ta work."
There are 22 crates altogether. Most of which are 3x3x3 feet in size, made of wood, and stacked all around. They are labeled as scene fixtures, costumes, lights, and other stage accessories. Some are sturdy and heavy enough to take 3 men to carry; While most just 2.
Behind and above Margaret is Clayface. His surface area stretched to coat the upper wall over the door and he peers downward upon his prey. His right hand begins forming a large lobster claw looking feature and he slowly reaches down toward her. The men are oblivious to the pending assault.
Out in that rain was one Aquila, dark shirt aside from the emblazoned dark gold eagle on its front, but mostly it was covered as well by his cloak. Along with a flat-brimmed Andalusian hat from his homeland and a domino mask with head cloth to tuck his hair into. He thought he was on the trail of Xibanya Tong and it lead him near the ally near the Vauxhall Opera Shell. Not aware of the impending show perhaps, he is also unaware of what is currently transpiring in the alley itself. He is observing another back entrance to a shop facing an opposite street aware at most of the conversation coming from the working men and Margaret but unable to make out the words. The only way it reaches his ears is simply because of the cover of night presently. As his door is unactive, he is left scratching his head. At the mask over his hair, pushing his hat slightly off kilter. His other hand presently holding his sword, elbow akimbo, hang guard to his hip, as if he miscalculated something with no activity at all at the door he's observing.
Just inside the loading bay are several large sealed metal canisters. Some holding Helium, others holding Nitrogen, Propane, and some Oxygen. The Fire Marshal has yet to make a surprise inspection. There are also work stations designed to modify wood, metal, and fabric in case of set re-design. Fire extinguishers, junk, metal bars, wooden planks. Lots of electrical fixtures and appliances scattered about. There's even a kitchen area some yards away and associated break area. The bulk of the room is for storage and manipulation of set fixtures. Many crates are already in the large bay and the men are working to carry in others.
Margaret screams when she is grabbed from behind by the large clay lobster claw. She's hoisted into the air and her feet are seen dangling beneth the claw as she's now eye level with Clayface's hideous mug. She screams again.
Clayface says, "Guess what time it is, pretty. It's payback time."
She's startled and confused, "What are you talking about!?!"
Clayface, "Oh yeah, you don't recognize me. I'm Basil Karlo.. you remember, the very actor you turned your back upon when they threw money at you?"
The men drop the crates and try to assess the situation. They realize quickly that they are outclassed, but they don't run. Instead they intend to fight.
Erstwhile, contemplating his next move with the Tong, Aguila is interrupted from his thought by a nearby scream. Regardless of his mission, something strange is indeed a foot. Lacking certain ability to quickly traverse the city itself, he leaves the perch of a fire escape he had found to hide upon and gets to the ground quickly enough thanks to his agility. Not the flipping summersaulting fancy gymnastic stuff, but hands to rungs and swinging a little to the ground, sword still in hand. He finds himself hustling towards the voices. He catches something about backs and money when he comes in view of the transgressions transpiring. Lady suspended before the, um, … thing, and worker lacky guys seeming to be ready to fight it would seem. Aguila is unsure which side the men are on, maybe they're helping the thing.
Coming into whatever light is available, he announces himself, "Alto! Desistir! - Unhand the woman!"
The illumination of the alleyway is enhanced by the puddles of water upon the ground which casts reflections from the two 60 watt light bulbs of the exterior and the florescent tubes inside the loading dock.
Margaret realizes who Clayface is and screams again.
The men begin shouting for Clayface to let her go. They cast rocks and other elements that are found on the ground or in the bay.
Clayface peels himself off the wall above the door as the men become a nuisance. He plops down onto the floor of the loading bay and swats three of them with a massive clay hand. They're cast across the room into a few other crates.
Margaret is still held fast by the giant claw.
Clayface turns his attention to the costumed vigilante. "Seriously?" is asked, wondering if Aguila is going to actually step in and try to save the day.
An eyebrow is raised curiously at the large hand and the backhanding of three of the five lackeys. Either hidden, or enhanced even, by the mask he wears. Bringing his heels together, "Si, Veron," he responds, not wanting to dignify the other by calling him mister or a gentleman even, he simply affixes the equivilant of 'guy' to his response. "Let us not act to hastily. But I cannot turn away from this woman in distress." He takes up a stance as if he isn't sure of his next move, but ready to jump in if he does something to the woman.
The clay of Clayface seems to move as any dense 'liquid' would. It flows and shifts at Clayface's whim. The woman is helpless and the massive strength of the monster holds her like a ragdoll. Margaret screams again.
From behind, a nailgun is grabbed by one of the men. It's charged and he starts pulling the pneumatic trigger. Nails fly into Clayface's back and seem to do no harm other than direct penetration.
Clayface's attention remains on Aguila, "Then perhaps, swashbuckler, you should take action and let us see who is the victor, and who lays face down, dead." He doesn't take a defensive stance, but Clayface's right claw remains holding Margaret, his left takes on the shape of a great spiked ball.
Unsure what sort of substance the male thing might be made of, unsure of its resistence so to speak. Spreading his feet a little more and jumping a little between each one, ready to move, he responds, "Fair enough, Veron." Pointing his sword, he continues, "You have been warned," he from either the sword or him, a static bolt is produced and is aimed at the spked ball like arm. He packs it with enough electricty to stun a normal human - on account of safety, should it flow through the thing and into the woman as well. He probably would of rather aimed for the thing's chest, but he takes the more risky chance of aiming for the arm as well to keep it further from the woman held by the thing's other arm.
The effect the electricity has is unexpected by Clayface. The spiked ball and arm reverts to that of a normal human hand and associated arm. Clayface gives pause, drops Margaret, and the claw like hand shifts to a massive clay hand and grabs his normalized wrist. "What tha!?" is exclaimed.
Margaret hits the floor and falls. She is conscious, albeit stunned, and will likely try to run in seconds that will follow. But for now, she banged her knee and is down on her bum.
The remaining two men continue their verbal and nail assault.
"Si," says Aguila, as if he expected that, which he completely didn't. His own brow lift giving testiment to the fact of that surprise. "Stay your hand, Monstruo," he says towards Clayface, who is looking at his currently normalized wrist. He turns to look at the other men assaulting with the nail gun. "Usted también - you as well, least I find cause to make war with you as well." Not that he's making war.
Then, again, back at Clayface, "Leave the woman be, we shall have no further quarrel, Veron."
With considerable concentration, Clayface is more focused on his normalized parts than the battle. The focus has benefits as the clay hand seems to engulf the normalized parts and as it withdraws, it reveals clay parts once again. He smiles and looks to Aguila, "Yer gonna wish you never messed with the likes of me! As for the girl…" he backhands her toward Aguila, casting her KO'd form toward the stalwart hero. She flies like a limp doll. "You can have her!"
Aquila has little choice but to use his one free arm to do his best to catch and support the woman, whom he doesn't know. He'll do his best to keep his sword levelled towards Clayface. "Si, perhaps Monstruo," regarding Aquila having that wish, "Come closer and I shall give you more of the same." He has no idea what affect it really had as the hand has returned to clay again, but the point of his sword seems to indicate they can try the effect on the body or head. He'll back up though, as much as he can, with the girl.
Clayface turns his attention from Aguila to the assaulting men. He swipes both of them with an extended club like arm. They sail into a wall and are knocked out just as the previous men. "Gnats!" he calls out as they are dispatched. His attention will then turn to Aguila's backing away, "Look at the hero, saving the damsel in distress. Pathetic. It will only serve to get you killed!"
The getting killed part doesn't get him so much as the Pathetic bit. Looking for a place to let her slide to the ground, Aquila mixes attention between her and Clayface. "Pathetic, imposible (Spanish form)," he lets her go and gives full attention to the clay man. "Estúpido, … quizas (perhaps)?" Readying his sword like Zorro, he nods, "I wish no quarrel with you Voren, but if you wish to press the point, I shall meet it with the point of my blade."
The massive form of Clayface stands upwards of 8 feet. The right arm takes the form of a massive blade (5' length), the right takes shape into a spiked ball (3' diameter). A toothy grin crosses the face of the monstrosity as he says, "Let's do this! Raaarrrrrra!" and lunges toward Aguila with weapons swinging.
This wasn't how he planned it, not that he did plan any of it, Aquila lifts sword to at least perry the 5' blade arm. Even before any hits comes, he guesses he won't be able to withstand much in the way of the other's strength. The first contact agrees with that. Blade to blade, he can match but will not win out in endurance against the other's strength. This leaves him open ot the massive spiked ball. Much like the henchmen from before, he is easily swatted like a fly. Maybe expecting to take such a hit, he hopes it distracts the other enough (the short victory of hitting El Aquila) so that he can direct a closer electrical blast. Having spent near half his reserve on the first blast to try and stun, he lets go again with a similar blast and whatever extra his reserves built up. He does this as he is hit and sent sprawling into some garbage near the wall, his body is clearly like any other humans in the damage it receives from the spiked ball.
Clayface is struck by the electrical discharge. The blast is stronger and into the chest of the monster. It causes his chest to revert back to normal and sends him into a gibbering tizzy where he collapses into a heap of clay on the floor. He aaaaarrrrgggggghhhhs and mutters incomprehensible things. It doesn't seem to hurt more than it incapacitates him. Definitely an excellent tactic to slow him down. For it is very likely he will be back on his feet in less than a minute.
Margaret is coming around. The five men have regained consciousness, but still groggy and not targets as Margaret is.
Aguila, while masculine stupid on many an occasion, knows when he may have met his match. Somewhere he also reasons that saving the others and getting out is for the greater good, rather than dying and then letting the other get them too. "Quickly, amigos, let us retire before he gets himself back together." He, of course moves closer to help Margaret, "Senorita, are you all right, vamos, lets find you some medical attention." He might need some himself, with his costume showing some tear from the spiked ball, along with some wounds of his own. He keeps looking at the collapse of clay, worrying it might form too fast if they don't start moving.
The men come around, realize the threat and their locations, and also choose to make a hasty departure.
Margaret responds groggily, "I think I sprained my ankle." and she fails at standing on her own two feet.
Meanwhile, Clayface seems to bubble and gurgle as he puts himself back together. The puddle of clay is starting to rise into a mound of clay.
"Come, with me, we will attend this ankle," through the propper authorities that are actually trained to help with sprained ankles. El Aquila's medical attention ends beyond band-aids and peroxide. "It would seem you have quite the friend. I would hate to meet your enemies." That and he'd hate to meet Clayface again, but then, he's suddenly more curious what she may have done to upset this individual all the same.
As Margaret and Aguila emerge from the alleyway, they are greeted by heavy rains and approaching Gotham Police cruisers who were notified of the conflict. She finds refuge against her Mercedes. She pushes stray locks of rain soaked hair from her face while looking to Aguila and states, "Thank you for saving me. Basil Karlo… that creature. He would have killed me. We worked together years ago and he feels wronged by the studios and all the staff for not supporting him when he wasn't invited back to do a remake of his starring role. Now, he's more than the monster he was in the movies.. Now he's the true, Clayface. A monstrous horror that is hell bent on revenge…"
Listening with intent, Aguila folds one arm over his chest, which he uses to cradle the elbow of his other arm. In turn, he puts that hand to his chin in a thoughtful manner. As if he rehearsed it for a role of his own - not that he has any acting talent, he seems to take the gesture seriously. "Si, you are saying, with a face like that, he makes cause against the studios and movie staff?" Suggesting he'd more imagine Clayface as a bank robber, or criminal lord, or heavy thug, or wetworks, or something required brute strength. As if thinking the other incapable of emotional thoughts and potraying such in film it would seem.
It takes a moment for her to realize the humor in the situation, she smiles and let's out a soft chuckle. But before anything can be said, police rush up, an ambulance arrives, the men from inside mill about, and the scene breaks down.
Inside, Clayface was not to be found. The only clues left behind were tiny chunks of clay that were cast aside when he struck others or a film of claylike glaze found on surfaces he touched. All clues for a detective to discover.