Mighty Mugs

[Spinister]

Month 10, Week 1, Day 2, in a dark alley-way, semi-private, mention of Misfire done with permission

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Ghostfire dressed in dark greys and blues, colours that the eyes just slide over in shadow, but she scorns the starkness of true black. As it so happens, she is crouched in a shadow right now, watching a good Catholic boy save a little old lady from some muggers.

He's waiting just a little too long in the alley, though.

Ghostfire does not trust her source, but all the same, if this human dies, it does not mean much to her.

[Needlenose]

Professor Sharp, by contrast, is dressed largely in browns. These are not the best colors for skulking about, although at least they're neutrals, and not too far from the muddy brick red of many of these buildings.

At the moment, he deals with his visibility by ducking completely out of sight and watching Ghostfire instead of watching the Catholic boy. He'll let Ghostfire keep tabs on the target, and when she moves, he'll move.

[Misfire]

The would-be mugger is knocked unconscious in short order. Reid helps the older woman gather the contents of her purse as she babbles out her thanks. She mentions something about calling the police, but Reid interrupts her. He doesn't want the attention. He just wants to make sure she is ok.

Plus, he wants her out of the alley. The guy stretched out cold on the floor isn't their only company, he thinks. Once he's escorted he back to the street, he turns back into the alley.

Reid may have beat the snot out of the mugger, but he isn't going to leave a fellow human being helpless in an alley. There are some very bad people in this city. What if another freak who eats people happened upon the guy? It'd be Reid fault if the idiot wound up as steak tartar.

He shoots a wary look toward the area where Sharp is hiding. Hopefully, it's just a skittish homeless person he's sensing. Hopefully.

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Notice of Sharp w/ player permission

[Spinister]

Reid knows Sharp is there. Ghostfire feels a prickle down the back of her neck, not of fear, but of awareness. She holds up one hand, signalling for Sharp to go forward. Sharp makes the better face man of the two of them. Ghostfire is going to loop around and get behind Reid. She moves off into the shadows, quiet as the night air.

[Needlenose]

Sharp raises an eyebrow behind his night-vision goggles, but gives a single nod of his head. He steps out of his hiding place and casually leans against the corner of a dumpster, smiling. "Why, hello there! Reid, isn't it?" he asks casually.

[Misfire]

Reid props the unconscious mugger against the wall, and turns to partially face Sharp. This puts Reid's back partially toward the wall, but there is still ample space should he wish to dart for the alley opening. That isn't likely though. Reid isn't in the habit of running from a challenge.

"Aye, it is," he answers. His arms hang at his sides, but there is a readiness about him. "If you're a fan of the circuit, I'm afraid I don't give autographs on my off time."

"If it's something less innocent you're about, I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint there, as well."

[Spinister]

Reid doesn't have as much space to dart for the alley opening as he thinks he does.

[Needlenose]

"Oh, it's completely inno-" Sharp begins, but he's interrupted with his own snickering. "No, sorry, can't say that with a straight face." He shakes his head. Then he looks up at Reid, all perky-bright smiles behind his goggles.

"But I don't mean any harm to you, at least not just yet. Now, we've already established that you're Reid," he crosses one leg in front of the other as he continues to lean against the corner. "So what I want to know is... who else are you?"

[Misfire]

The guy isn't making any kind of move, and that has Reid wary. Could be setting Reid up for someone else, maybe. There's no one else around, though. He's sure of it. They'd have to drop from the roof to catch him unawares, and there's not many folks that can do that.

"I'm just Reid McClaren, sometimes called the Papago Kid, and I think I'll just be taking my leave now," he answers, attempting to back out of the alley.

[Spinister]

Ghostfire lays down a line of fire at the entrance of the alley. Yes, this is theatrical. However, the thing to remember is that Spinister enjoys fear. She stalks forward into view, backlit by the flames, and very deliberately, she reaches forward and tries to strangle Reid. Her hands are very, very hot.

So he does not remember who he is. Or her source was wrong. Either way, Reid was always going to end up dead.

The only question is if Misfire will live again.

[Needlenose]

"Ah, no," Professor Sharp answers. "You're not. Just Reid McClaren, actually, but you're also not leaving." He grins and strolls towards the other, attempting to angle himself to block off any avenue of escape Reid might have. Of course, it's Ghostfire who has the alley mouth covered; Sharp is just trying to herd Reid towards her.

[Misfire]

Ghostfire is undetectable, but once she lights up the night, she's visible to Reid. He whirls in response to the heat near his body, dropping low and sweeping a leg out in an attempt to knock whoever is behind him down.

"Metas," he spits, "I hate this fraggin' city."

Reid may well die, but he will not go quietly into that good night, no.

[Spinister]

Ghostfire has decloaked, because the animators hate animating invisible people. She is knocked down, but she does not cry out. She simply rolls off to the side, out of the range of his legs, and she rises up into a crouch.

Go on, Sharp. Use something steampunk on Reid.

[Needlenose]

Professor Sharp lifts a gloved hand towards Reid and small metal darts shot out towards him, darts attached to wires attached to his glove that, should they connect, will give him a nasty shock.

"Now, now, I'm no meta! The term is 'gadgeteer'!"

[Misfire]

Reid can't do squat against flying electric darts, even though he does attempt to twist out of the way before they reach him. It's almost as if he knew they were coming, even though he wasn't looking Sharp's way. Too much of Reid's attention is focused on Ghostfire, however, a rookie mistake the fighter may not live to regret.

The darts connect and succeed in bringing Reid to his knees. His reflexes are considerably whacked out now, but worse, the shock of the well, shock seems to have blinded him momentarily as far as his sixth sense.

Reid is trying to get up, but probably not quickly enough to avoid a hit from either assailant.*

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*Translation: Sharp and Ghostfire have permission to do whatever attacks they wish. They will auto-hit.