504/Warehouse Blowout Blast

Warehouse Blowout Blast
Date of Scene:	27 August 2014
Location:	Brockton Bay
Synopsis:	Moving to yet another prospective hunting ground, Eric Bane meets one of the local heroes. And some of the local villains.
Cast of Characters:	550, 554

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Armsmaster (554) has posed:
     BROCKTON BAY
     DOCKS DISTRICT
     NIGHT

     Armsmaster is out on night patrol. It's not unusual for him - after all, it comes easier to him than the politics and the hand-shaking that comes with being the commander of the local Protectorate group. In his midnight blue and silver powered armor, helm and visor concealing all but his chin and mouth, he almost blends into the darkness.

     That is, if he wasn't stepping off a sleek-yet-imposing motorcycle and making for one of the dilapidated warehouses that have become a common sight within the Docks. He forces the warehouse doors open with a thrust of his Halberd - the spear-like weapon being longer than he is tall - and steps inside. He is here, after all, on a mission.

     The Azn Bad Boys - the ABB - have been testing the waters. Again. Brockton Bay exists in a fragile state; the substantial cape villain elements are allowed a certain amount of 'freedom'. Quelling them entirely is too troublesome and would catch too many innocent lives in the crossfire.

     Inside the warehouse, there's a number of young east asian men - all wearing the same colors, red and green. Halberd ready in one hand, Armsmaster booms his command: "You are all out of line, and many of you have warrants for your immediate arrest! Leave now, and this does not go any further!"

     Not one of them moves, but they don't move towards Armsmaster either... Hmm.

Eric Bane (550) has posed:
    ...What a time to get lost.

    One the bright side, Eric had found another modern city that wasn't like Urbania-- i.e., the size of a planet. Not only that, but this place seemed to be infested with the criminal element. Multiversal hunting tends to go a little sideways more often than not. It's hard to tell who's an Elite and who isn't. His natural 'Jedi Mind Trick' doesn't seem to work on Elites, after all. And they seem to be made of more things than just meat. Which really puts a damper on his ability to hunt. This place, with its surplus of criminals, shouldn't miss one or two, right?

    Just one problem. These criminals seem to be of the 'not completely human' kind. Supernatural, like Eric. All the more reason to be careful. But he's not giving up his hunt just yet. In fact, he'd tracked some of them to a warehouse, using his teleportation through the shadows to remain unseen. He was just about to start picking them off when...

    ('Shit.')

    Sounded like a cop. That's the last thing Eric needs right now! He's in a bad position to see where that cop is, and he needs to get a bead on the guy. Eric creeps around behind a stack of boxes in the warehouse, finding a good place, and Shadow Leaping over to that location. But his passage is not completely silent. Rather, where he appears, there is a distinctive 'whf!' sound.

Armsmaster (554) has posed:
     One of the men turns around at the sound of Armsmaster's voice, revealing themselves not to be a man at all. The woman is wearing some sort of combat armor and what looks like a combination of a deep red trenchcoat and kimono. Her long black hair falls around a mask with a pair of red lenses. In one hand, she casually holds a grenade launcher - which is fitting, given that she has multiple grenades wrapped around her body on bandoliers and belts.

     "So nice of you to join us, Armsmaster." While she has an obvious Japanese accent, the mask makes her sound like some sort of evil robot. "Too bad the boss isn't here to give you a proper welcome."

     "Doesn't matter. You're coming with me, Bakuda. Straight to the Birdcage."

     "Mmm, I don't think s-" Bakuda pauses, and turns in the direction of that 'whf'. "You brought a friend? That's not like you, Armsmaster, you gloryhound you."

     When Armsmaster turns, incredulous expression hidden by his silver visor, Bakuda hurls a grenade at him. It bounces off the back of his helmet and detonates - leaving a frozen sphere of ice in the air, jagged and pointed, which quickly drops to the ground.

Eric Bane (550) has posed:
    Hunt is probably skunked. So, priority number two comes into play. Which would be making sure Mister Hero over there doesn't get killed. Especially not due to Eric's interference. Hopefully that lady-- holy crap, that was a chick?!-- is distracted by this 'Armsmaster' guy, Eric peeks out from behind the boxes to get a bead on his location.

    He teleports to the side of the lady with the grenade launcher. A normal-looking man in a dark colored hoodie, black pants, and sneakers. Just long enough to try to punch the grenade launcher, dark purple energies swirling around his fist. Hit or miss, after he makes the strike, with another 'whf!' sound, Eric disappears, hopefully before any retribution can happen.

    Seems potshots are this guy's style.

Armsmaster (554) has posed:
     The grenade launcher goes flying out of Bakuda's hands, clattering over on the other side of the warehouse. With a mechanised gasp she hisses, "Rude!" She doesn't appear to have much in the way of powers, however, and so Eric gets away scott free.

     For now.

     Armsmaster twirls his Halberd around, pointing the tip in Bakuda's direction. "Last chance for clemency, Bakuda. Surrender."

     Bakuda pulls a pair of grenades from her belt, one in each hand, and rolls them along the floor. One detonates, casting the entire warehouse into pitch black darkness - like a thick cloud. The other sets the whole place vibrating. "Wait right there, Armsmaster," Bakuda sing-songs, "I need to find that friend of yours!"

Eric Bane (550) has posed:
    Crap. Now Eric can't see. Even with low-light vision, he needs to be able to at least have ambient light. That grenade of darkness rather made it impossible, though. Only one thing to do, then, and he hates it. He pauses long enough to concentrate focusing bloodflow in his eyes. And he can see the humans in the building, his eyes picking up the bloodflow in their bodies. It's handy, but that godawful glowing neon purple gives him a headache sometimes.

    He should be able to see the humans in the room, did they remain when the darkness hit? Can he even see Bakuda? He hopes so. God only knows how the new ways his senses work are going to interact with the Multiverse and all the weirdness in it. Either way, he's going to try to take down one of her followers. His method? Sneak around boxes again, try to get close, and knock one of the humans out. He'll be trying to do this and then get back into hiding so he doesn't get shot to death!

Armsmaster (554) has posed:
     Bakuda's men appear to have remained exactly were they were. If anything, they seem less terrified of the halberd-wielding hero and his 'backup' then they do of their boss. Bakuda sticks out, too, and the bloodflow is rushing through her body. She's pumped.

     He might also glimpse Armsmaster too, as the blood circulates through his body while he spins his Halberd. He points the haft of the weapon in the direction of the darkness grenade, and a quick EMP burst disables the device. Before he does that, however, Eric manages to knock out one of Bakuda's henchmen.

     "Oh," Bakuda states, turning her masked head in the direction of her knocked out minion. "I really wish you'd leave them alone. If you touch one of them again, I'll detonate the bombs inside of them. I think maybe you should show yourself, whoever you are, or otherwise I might just do that anyway!"

Eric Bane (550) has posed:
    ...Nothing can be simple, can it?

    Hm. That crazy chick needs to be neutralized, and fast. Eric's honestly less concerned about the people and more concerned about not being blown up himself. Also, Mister Hero over there will probably make a huge mess if he gets explodified. Not to mention the BS it's likely to cause with the media. That other guy has all the aplomb of a television super hero. Which, in the Multiverse, likely means that he actually is.

    Well, she did say not to touch her minions. And for Eric to show himself. So, well. She may just get what she wants. Always be careful what you wish for, they say.

    A Shadow Leap sees him heading right for where she is. It's a stream of darkess zooming through the air at her. He'll reform right in front of her. But she'll only get a look for a split second. Probably just long enough to see his blue-white eyes and the fangs past parted lips as he propels himself into a shadow-strengthened backflip kick!

    Unlike when he normally does this, he's not aiming to kill her. He has a feeling that Mister Hero over there would have some objections to that.

Armsmaster (554) has posed:
     Brockton Bay exists on superheroes and villains playing a more adult version of cops and robbers, so, Eric's deductions appear to be correct. He plants his foot squarely on Bakuda's chest and the masked villain is sent hurtling backwards, crashing into a wooden crate. "Ungh!" Bakuda snaps, anger carrying through the filter loud and clear, "You think you can fucking touch me?! Do you have ANY idea who I am!?" She's screaming now, reaching to her bandolier and hurling a grenade in Eric's direction. She's accurate, with a really good arm, and when it hits the ground it detonates.

     This one isn't anything special. It's just a flashbang.

     Armsmaster's helmet protects him from the worst of it, and he charges Bakuda, swinging his Halberd in a wide arc-

     Only to be intercepted by a muscular, shirtless man, his body covered in intricate tattoos of Asian dragons, fragments of the wall he had charged through spinning around him. He carries Armsmaster with him, power armor and all, trapping the hero in a furious melee. Lung ducks backwards, evading a terrific swing of Armsmaster's Halberd.

Eric Bane (550) has posed:
    Both the flash and the sound are really painful. But the flash of light is more upsetting than the sound, Eric finds. If it didn't hurt like hell, it'd probably be an interesting thing to think about. Eric emits a cry and staggers back, instinctively seeking out a darker spot while his eyes recover. Ow! That really hurt!

    Leave? Yeah, that's starting to look like a good idea. He's outnumbered for one. For another, once he can see again, he realizes that big guy who just joined is probably capable of taking them both on. Not exactly the best circumstances. Fortunately, Lung's dynamic entry point provides a perfect line of sight with outside.

    Eric melts into the shadows, traveling along that straight line, and with a 'whf!' appears outside. Immediately he finds some cover. He might be concerned with his own safety, but he's still human. Sort of, anyway. There's another person still in there, and he needs to wait until he's sure Mister Hero's out.

Armsmaster (554) has posed:
     With Eric seemingly dealt with, Bakuda emits a sharp whistle. "Let's go, boys and girls! Let the boss have some fun!"

     And, sure enough, Lung has his fun. His fists bounce off Armsmaster's armor at first, but the next few leave considerable dents. Armsmaster whirls his halberd, catches Lung in the gap between blade and haft, and twists the weapon to send Lung sprawling. Through the hole in the wall, Eric can see the pair trade words but even Armsmaster's booming proclomations are quiet. His opponent, the one called Lung, is looking... different. Are those metal scales now pushing through his skin? He certainly seems a bit bigger than he did just a few minutes ago, but maybe that's just a trick of the light.

     And then he raises his hands, and fire leaps from his fingertips. The entire warehouse goes up in seconds. "Today is not the day of our reckoning," Lung says, his deep voice is heavily accented, almost impossible to understand. "You will want to see to the fires."

     And just like that, it's over. The little bit of superpowered chestbeating is done. With his Halberd laid over one shoulder, Armsmaster steps out of the warehouse, speaking to someone, probably bringing in response teams. Someone to prevent the fire from spreading.

     He seems to catch sight of Eric. "Are you going to start a fight with me?" Armsmaster calls out.

Eric Bane (550) has posed:
    With the people that seemed to be responsible dealt with and gone from the scene, Eric comes out of hiding. Only to be confronted with Armsmaster, it seems. He turns towards the armored man. The funky 'do not see me' hoodoo doesn't appear to work on this guy, so Mister Hero must be an Elite. Eric's not surprised.

    Eric just shakes his head. "No need." For many reasons. Firstly, he can see this guy's probably stronger than he is. Secondly, armor makes for a difficult time trying to feed on somebody even if he did try. And third, that whole thing with the media and their superhero. Putting bombs in people is a crappy thing to do, and this armored guy needs to be able to punch that lady and her boss.

    Instead his tilts his head back, so he can see Armsmaster. "...You alright?" It was mentioned before, but now Armsmaster is seeing it. This fellow in the hoodie has blue white eyes, and when he speaks, the fangs are clearly visible.

Armsmaster (554) has posed:
     "Yes," Armsmaster replies, without much concern. He stops a few paces away from Eric and crosses his arms, letting his Halberd casually rest against his shoulder plating inside the space between arms and chest. The only thing Eric can see of his face is his chin and some of his jaw, his mouth - all edged by a trimmed black beard. He looks young, late twenties or early thirties, but who can tell under that blank helmet?

     "You're a new face," Armsmaster says. Oh. He must've confused Eric for someone from around the city.

Eric Bane (550) has posed:
    "I'm not from around here," Eric assures. That's always code for 'I'm an offworlder' in the movies, right? Most of the stuff he's seen is movie-worthy anyway. He could make a mint if he wrote some of this stuff in a book or something. Anyway. "Just passing through." Pause. There's a bit of a smirk then, though it's a mirthless one. "...Looking for a bite to eat." This is... probably pretty far from any restaurants...

Armsmaster (554) has posed:
     "You're in the wrong part of town for that," Armsmaster says, evidently all business. "The ABB aren't people to cross lightly. If you're trying to be the next big hero, you should find an easier target. And have let us known that you were in town."

Eric Bane (550) has posed:
    Eric gives a snort of laughter. "I'm not a hero." If he was trying to be, he probably would have just attacked Lung. Thankfully he didn't, it probably would have been the death of him. And since the 'out of town' spiel seemed to have been taken literally, Eric further clarifies, "If you spoke on the broadband, you know about the Multiverse. I'm not from your world."

Armsmaster (554) has posed:
     "Ah," Armsmaster says, and he doesn't sound happy about either of those things. "Then, until we have that sorted out with the proper regulations and oversight, you should still have told us." He doesn't even mention the difficulties of informing someone you might not even be aware of. What is he, one of those stuck-up paladins?

Eric Bane (550) has posed:
    Eric raises an eyebrow. "How was I supposed to do that?" he asks. "Since I didn't know you existed." He sounds pretty calm about being told he should have informed an organization he was unaware of the existence of. But then again it's hard to tell, given that his voice doesn't seem to have much variance in pitch. He seems pretty emotionless overall.

    Another tilt of his head. "Give me the number and a name. I'll be sure and mention it if I happen to pass through again." He may or may not come through again... or he may or may not tell anyone if he does. Since there may or may not be spates of biting attacks that coincide with his visits, and that might be traced to him. But legal formalities. Have to at least pretend to be following the rules.

Armsmaster (554) has posed:
     Armsmaster reaches down and section of his armor slides open. Is that- Yeah, it's a business card. It's a blank white thing, with the words ARMSMASTER, PROTECTORATE COMMANDER, BROCKTON BAY and a number beneath it. One side has what must be his symbol, which appears to just be the design of his visor. "For now, keep your head down - those two and the third of their number, Oni Lee, will be looking for revenge. Call me if you need any help."

Eric Bane (550) has posed:
    ...That's handy. Eric takes the business card, reads it. "'Armsmaster'?" he confirms. Definitely a pseudonym. So yeah. Seems this world has its own population of superheroes. And supervillains, if what he just saw was any indication. He slides the card into a pocket, and offers, "Eric Bane." Pause. "Thanks."

Armsmaster (554) has posed:
     "I got into this cape game before all the good names were taken up," he replies, as if by way of explanation. Armsmaster taps a section of his Halberd, and his motorcycle hums its way over towards him. He rests one gauntletted hand on the handlebars. "Consider this a gesture of good will - I won't mention you in any Protectorate reports. That way, the ABB has less way of figuring out who you are. But next time? Keep to the better sections of town. The docks are their territory."

Eric Bane (550) has posed:
    "I'll keep that in mind," Eric comments. Then he asks, "Any slums in the city that /aren't/ controlled by a big cartel?" That's a slightly odd question, why would he be expressly looking for bad parts of town? But something else catches his attention, too. "What's the ABB?" he inquires.

Armsmaster (554) has posed:
     "No," Armsmaster says. He hops onto his motorcycle and his armor seems to just slide into it, probably some sort of interface. "ABB. Azn Bad Boys. Asian gang, led by Lung." He pronounces it Lu-ong, like Mandarin Chinese. "Most powerful gang in Brockton Bay, but relatively benign. Drugs, prostitution."

     Sirens in the distance herald the arrival of fire engines. "I'm required elsewhere," Armsmaster says, gunning the engine.

Eric Bane (550) has posed:
    Eric nods. "Thanks. Take care." He also takes a few steps back from the motorcycle, so as not to get sprayed with dust or road debris. Since he has a feeling Armsmaster is going to speed off like a shot when he leaves!