2015.02.11 - Snow Phantom

All seems quiet tonight, or at least, it does for now. Like everything in Mutant Town there's always tension running throughout the streets and today, or rather, tonight is no different. For now though all seems peaceful. The street is nearly empty and what people who are upon the streets are heading home with a purpose. Only one place seems to be showing activity right now and it's a small shelter for homeless mutants that sits close to the outskirts of Mutant Town. Exiting from a battered looking building, Dani will raise her hand upward as she waves to someone on the inside. "Thanks and let me know if you need anything else. I can definitely keep an eye out for any more castoffs for the group."

Once the door shuts, Dani will fish in her pocket for a set of car keys. She drove one of the Mansion's cars here tonight, instead of bringing Brightwind. She wasn't sure how long she'd be tonight and she'd rather not have to explain a sleeping Pegasus upon a building rooftop to anyone. Yes, she's in Mutant Town, but even they have limits to what they see.

Either way, Dani's making her way down the snow covered sidewalks towards a small car parked at the end of the street. The car itself is next to the opening to an alleyway and inside sits a small group of would-be thugs. They're not mutants, no, but regular folk who've taken to the streets to teach these muties a lesson. They've just been waiting for the right moment to attack, or rather whom they view as the /right/ victim to attack. Like an 'unarmed' woman for example. It's hard to say what pushed these young men over the edge, but perhaps the reappearance of a certain powerful mutant has caused them to have a kneejerk reaction?

What is wrong with a flying horse? Fantomex always parks his technoganic spaceship in the roofs of Mutant Town. He is doing that on the roof of the shelter right now. He likes to tell other mutants E.V.A. is his secondary mutation.

But Fantomex finds amusing to freak out the freaks. It is a French thing (no, it isn't). He would also love to see a flying horse, and likely try to steal it.

The faux French thief is not a frequent visitor to this part of New York. It would be too obvious for certain agencies to look for him here. But he still comes occasionally, because it would be foolish not to keep tabs on mutant business and rumors being one himself. Besides, some mutants have odd needs and requests, and he is up to the challenge of stealing rare items in the name of mutant equality. His way to do some charities, you are not going to find him working in a shelter. Not stylish enough for a thief. He might do it if he was a doctor or something like that.

Almost Dani makes it to her car with nary a suspicious feeling, but soon enough she feels that itch between her shoulder blades. That one that says she has a target painted on her back. Frowning the dark-haired woman will scan the area around herself, looking for whatever is triggering the uneasy feeling that's settled into the pit of her stomach. If Brightwind were here he'd warn her just where the danger is, but with him back in the stables she doesn't have that advance notice of the thugs lurking in the shadows of the alleyway.

Still, that doesn't mean she's caught unaware. In fact, just as she makes it to the car and is about to insert the key in the lock, the men make their move. And while the men try to stay quiet they are not professionally trained and it shows, as they betray their positions with a scuff of shoe. Turning sharply, with keys still in her hand, Dani eyes the men who're closing ranks on her position. When they're close enough, she'll say, "Gentlemen, I'd rather not have trouble tonight. It's been a /long/ day." Dani's words obviously amuse the men, as they all chuckle, though there's a nervous edge to their words. "Oh come on -“ Begins the obvious leader of the group, "- Pocohontas, if you're here in this part of /town/ you're just /asking/ for trouble."

Back at the Mansion, a half dozing Brightwind immediately awakens, as he senses his rider's unease. Shaking his head, he'll look towards the doors of the stable, which are left open for him so he can leave whenever he pleases.

Fantomex climbs down E.V.A. and heads for the fire escape to reach the street, but spots the thugs before getting there. Sacre Bleu. A gang looking to commit suicide-by-mutant. The first he sees this year.%r%rBut it is a cold, dark night, so there is a faint chance those thugs won't meet any dangerous mutant tonight and could do something like beating up a regular woman and getting out with it. Given Dani's reaction to their appearance, Fantomex suspects the thugs have already met a dangerous mutant. But he is not completely sure.%r%rSo instead of using the fire escape, he jumps to the street below. Three floors, but he is able to land on a crouch and without breaking a leg. "Bonjour!" He greets, full of false cheer. "Such a magnifique night to commit suicide. Tell me, messieurs, do you prefer being shot, electrocuted or the more painful dying by rupture of internal organs?"

"Really." Comes Dani's reply, heavily laden with sarcasm, "That's the best you can do? Pocahontas? Like I haven't heard that from every other uninspired would-be thugs."

There's a quick shake of Dani's head, even as she tucks her keys into her pocket. All her moves are deliberately casual, even though they're truly not. She's shifting her weight forward, readying herself to strike or defend when an opportunity presents itself. However, before they can all but pounce upon Dani the appearance of Fantomex throws a wrench into their plans. Even Dani is caught by surprise at the masked man's appearance, as she turns to the cheerful seeming Fantomex. And while his odd words are heard that doesn't stop her from using his appearance and the confusion it has generated to her advantage.

The man closest to her will be the one who will be hit first, with a punch to the side of the face and a sweep of Dani's foot to knock him to the ground. Once he's down the next man closest to her is attacked, though he's a little more observant and actually turns towards the dark haired woman. Even as the second man brings up his fists to attack and/or defend, Dani is already lashing out with a palm strike to his chest.

For Brightwind's part, he's barreling out of the stables and as soon as he's free from the confines of the barn, he immediately takes wing. He's employing all his speed of flight but even so, it will still take him a few minutes to get to his rider.

Fantomex would have much preferred to just scare away the thugs. But Dani took advantage of his witty banter to hit first. That wasn't very fair (although six on one isn't usually fair either).

"Mademoiselle, now I will never know," he complains to Dani, while grabbing the wrist of one of the thugs. He was going for his handgun. The white-clad man breaks his wrist easily. Then he elbows in the face the thug that was going to try to grab him from behind, breaking several teeth and knocking him back.

The poor thugs that Fantomex has taken care of so quickly, lays on the ground, moaning and groaning. They’re definitely going to need some dental work, not to mention a hospital for the broken wrist, as well. Dani's two thugs are likewise on the streeth, though a little more quiet than Fantomex's thug.

With four of the men down and two men still up, perhaps Dani and Fantomex can see the panicked thoughts all but running blindly through the three thug's heads. They never expected people to actually hit back, or for this to go so horribly wrong.

One man closest to Fantomex immediately puts his hands up, "Hey hey!" He says, sounding scared, "I surrender. Don't hurt me. We weren't really going to hurt anyone. Honest." The last man, he simply runs, trying to get /away/ from this apparent crazy train.

As to Dani, she gives Fantomex a vaguely strange look, before she says a trace of humor to her voice, "I think their preferable answer would be to /not/ be hurt or killed in any of those ways." To the man that's running, Dani doesn't seem inclined to go after him. Only because she knows Brightwind will get to him in a moment.

"No, they would have come with some kind of answer, and then I could have mocked them further," Fantomex has no interest in the running man. Or apparently even in the surrendering thugs. He ignores them to look at Dani. "Conversation. A lost art in America, oui?" He speaks with a fairly strong French accent, and an amused tone.

"Six regular humans walk in Mutant Town looking for trouble," he looks at the thugs. "At night, where the police won't go and there will be no witness of what happens. There are hundreds of people here that could kill you with very little effort. So are you suicidal... or simply stupid? "

Before the men can even try to come up with a reply, Dani helpfully answers Fantomex's question to them. "Stupid." She states, "Definitely stupid." She'll fish around in her jacket pocket, but instead of keys, Dani will pull out a beat-up cellphone. "I'll call an ambulance and police, but like my friend here said, you'll be lucky if they come to get you."

As for the last guy? It seems like he's just about to get away with the whole thing, but sadly for him, before he can get /too/ far a white blur plunges from the sky and lands right in front of him. That blur turns out the Brightwind and as the horse lands with a solid sounding thud, he immediately rears upon highlands with an angry sounding neigh. It's enough of a shock that the poor guy running trips over his feet and lands /hard/ upon the pavement. Brightwind drops to all fours and offers a snort of contempt towards the downed man. Then he turns to look towards his rider, first assessing Fantomex for a threat and then making certain Dani is unhurt.

Grinning, Dani says to Fantomex, "I bet that chump thought he was home free. Good thing I had an ace in the hole." Turning now to Fantomex, she adds, "Thanks for the help, not that I needed it, but it's appreciated."

"Are you really going to call the police?" Fantomex steps back, shaking his head. "Pressing charges against these... it won't do any good, mademoiselle. Not here." They will blame mutants for their injuries, they won't be believed, but few policemen care enough to take the side of mutants against normal humans.

Not that he cares about the fate of the thugs. The arrival of the flying horse is much more interesting, and the thief in white slides closer to see the animal better. Dani's statement about his help not being necessary gets a laconic, "oui, je vous en prie. You are welcome."

"At least the ambulance." Begins Dani, before she looks towards the downed thugs. Most of them are awake, simply laying there in pain, stepping forward Dani will crouch near one of the more aware thugs. "You have two choices. Wait here to see if an ambulance comes - with the potential that other mutants might come find you before the EMTs get here if they even do, or get you and your friends up off the ground and home. What will it be?" She asks and clearly from the expressions on the thugs face, they like the second option better than the first.

"And another thing - " Her expression turns grim, "- if I ever find you here in Mutant Town causing trouble again, it'll be the last time. The world doesn't need your intolerant attitudes being spread around." Once the six men begin to gather themselves up, Dani will turn back towards Fantomex just in time to see him take a step or two closer to Brightwind. "The name's Dani and that's Brightwind. You are?" She asks curiously, even as she loosely crosses her arms over her chest.

Brightwind, for his part, simply focuses a look onto Fantomex, when he gets closer. Brightwind's look is both curious and wary at the same time and there's intelligence in those eyes of his.

Fantomex nods to the horse, as if in greeting, then turns to Dani. He still waits for the thugs to move away. "My name is Fantomex," he bows politely. Not a name that would mean much to Dani unless she is interested in international thieves. Fantomex is considered a super-criminal in Europe, but he is the of bloodless kind. "Just a visitor to this fine city. But as a Frenchman, I couldn't stand aside when a lady is threatened by thugs, even if the lady can handle herself. It goes against my nature."

The would be thugs are definitely moving away albeit /slowly/ thanks to Dani and Fantomex's gentle ministrations. As to his name, Dani's face doesn't show any surprise when it sounds more like a codename than a real name. Nor is there any recognition either - while she knows some villains about the world, they're more headliners that everyone sees, such as Magneto. And what other villains she knows are more X-Men-centric, rather than worldly, per se.

When the masked man nods his greeting to Brightwind, the horse bobs his own head in a nod and offers a faint snort. Then he's trotting towards Dani, when the Pegasus is close enough he'll gently nudge her arm. She'll give his neck a gentle pat, as she says, "Yes, boy, I'm okay. Thanks for coming, but it really was under control." A faint snort of disbelief can be heard from Brightwind, but then he quiets down as he too watches the thugs.

Once the thugs are far enough away to be deemed no longer a threat, Dani will turn her attention back upon the costumed man. "If I may ask, what brings you to our fair city? Especially with all the snow that we still have."

"I have some business here," replies Fantomex. "But also a good place to learn about the latest events among mutantkind, and meet interesting people. Case to point," he nods to Dani. "You were working at the shelter, oui? But you are not living in the district." He glances to her car. Also, someone taught her to fight, and she has a flying horse. Fantomex doesn't know who is Dani, but he tells E.V.A. to run a search for super-humans with flying horses, particularly those of the costumed kind.

"Yes, you do meet interesting people in this particular part of the city. Especially those wearing masks." Comes Dani's rather dry reply to Fantomex's own statement, "And no, I don't live here. I just like to help out when I can." Her gaze will roam the street for a few silent seconds, before she adds, "Too many people need help here and too little people offer that help. I have some means to help, so I do." She looks back to Fantomex, considering the man again, but instead of asking any of the questions that bubble to the surface of her mind, she instead thanks him again. "Again, thanks for the help. I appreciate it. I should get going before the snow starts again. I'd hate to have to be rescued from getting stuck in a ditch."

Not that she'd really need it, thanks to Brightwind, but it's still said with a bit of humor to her voice. "If you don't have a place to stay the shelter offers a free bed and meal." She doesn't think he in particular needs help, but she at least offers it. Just in case.

As to what E.V.A. might find? There's definitely mention of at least two costumed individuals that fit that description. Mostly helping around when bad things happened. Only blurry cell phone pictures can be found for footage of the two riders.

"Do you wear a mask often?" Asks Fantomex, circling around Dani. It is a rhetoric question, though. "No, no charities needed for the body today. I know where I will take shelter tonight, but I appreciate the advice. Merci. And have a safe trip back home, Dani." He steps back, and quickly vanishes in the darkness. Surprisingly quickly given he wears mostly white.

With it being a rhetoric question, Dani doesn't answer the mask question and when he leaves, she simply nods in farewell.

Once he's gone, she'll give the area one last look, before she's hauling herself onto Brightwind's back. "Come on boy, lets get out of here. I'll get the car tomorrow morning."

And with her words and intent quite clear, Brightwind immediately lifts upward into the sky a faint neigh of agreement coming from him.

Finished