2014.01.22 - Can't Run or Hyde

Very few people pay attention to the homeless population so it wasn't a big bit of news when a homeless camp in the city was suddenly devoid of it's residents. Of course there are some people that pay attention to such things and one of them's set about investigating. Who? Well...

Things are quiet in Lower Metropolis this evening. Close to the harbor, a few people are walking by and heading to various different destinations for the night. People seem to be in a good mood...until there's a sudden crash and the ground shakes. There's a moment of silence where a few people look cautiously at one another before something it thrown through the window of a nondescript building. Or rather someone. Axiom ends up hidding a car and rolling off thge roof of it onto the street with a pained noise. "Ow..." he trails off. Seconds later a hulking figure comes crashing through the garage door of the building. Hulk-sized and in tattered green pants, a man with wild brown hair and a definite murderous intent in his eyes smashes his way through the metal. "Where'd you go?" he bellows, knocking aside a car like it was made of paper. Darix Tyner had been out and was mostly just walking. The winter air was starting to warm up a bit, at least it wasn't as cold as it has been for the past month and he didn't need all his winter wear. So the man was walking with his jacket, a turtle neck under that, a pair of jeans, his normal hiking boots, a scarf around his neck, and a winter hat over his head.

He could have caught the bus really, but he just wanted to stretch out his legs. It seems though this evening, was not the best time to be stretching out his legs. Because the next step he takes leads him into seeing a man thrown across, impacting a car, and then landing on the ground. "..What the..?"

Darix then quickly staggers back a few steps as something several inches larger comes out and blows through a car like it was paper. His eyes going wide at the sight and his gut sinks a few feet down. How could such a wonderful day yesterday lead into what could be a really bad experience today? Then again-- how long could he avoid not running into something like this.

Darix glances to where Axiom has been knocked over too, then big at wanna-be hulk, then back at Axiom. He stands up straight and then points down the roadway in the /other/ direction. "He went that way." He says matter of fact-ly to mister big n' bad.

In his mind. You get ugly to go chasing a needle in a haystack and deal with the guy who was injured. Then again, this could completely back fire by getting this brutes attention and... then what Darix? Oh well. Kind of to late to be thinking about that now!

Matrix has actually been out and about *all day* - mostly... hanging out with strangers. Adjusting her shape upwards or downwards in age, even turning into a guy a few times if it meant connecting in a quiet, happy way with someone on the ignored fringes of society.

Which is how she leared that homeless people have gone missing; lots of the people Matrix talked to today mentioned it in one way or another. Or, in one case, didn't show up in the appointed place at the appointed time - which made Mae think she had just been ditched, until she remembered all the other disappearance talk she'd sort of heard and tried to pay more attention to.

So she isn't too terribly far off when the Mean Green Wrecking Machine plows through a building and chucks a car -- she actually catches it before it can crush another car, and sort of hovers there with it raised over her head; "HEY YOU!" she shouts. "IT'S NOT NICE TO THROW THINGS!"

Then, naturally, she throws the car back at him.

The big brute turns towards Darix slowly, a slasher-like smile on his face even as he snorts at the man. "What kind of fool are you?" he asks, booming voice carrying an amused tone. "Get out of my..." he draws back a big hand preparing to backhand Darix...but then there's Matrix. The man looks at her with annoyance and then the car comes flying his way. He gets hit and knocked into the nearest wall. There's a delay before the car is thrown to the sidewalk and the big man stomping forward. "You'd best run along a play, little girl. Mr. Hyde won't go easy on you," he growls.

Axiom meanwhile is pushing himself to his feet. In costume and armor as well as having worked up a decent sweat, he's hurt but he's not giving up. "I'm over here, Hyde!" Axiom calls, registering seconds later that he's not alone on scene anymore. The man with amber gold eyes and black hair, with that single red streak then watches as a car goes passing overhead and goes right back at what could be the Hulk for all he knows. Yet in silence he was thankful, cause that was probably about to get painful-- as did this guy just call himself Hyde?

Darix looks over to the see the shorter man is alright and takes a few steps back. He didn't have any reason to draw to much attention. After all, big players were here so no reason to go 'big' himself. He glances over to Axiom, "I would ask if your OK, but you seem like it." He looks back at Hyde. "Anyway to chill out mister clunky?"

Darix hands then start to glow as he just creates flames around his hands, then he whirls around and decides to throw those fire balls right at mister Hyde. May as well keep him busy between people right? Keep people out of this mess.

"Oooh, I'm shaking in my little boots!" Matrix calls back at the approaching Hyde, hands up by her cheeks as she crouches demurely in fake fear in mid-air. She puts her dukes up - she *actually puts her dukes up!* - "Come on, pick on someone your own strength level!" Then Darix starts lobbing fireballs, and - well, she'll wait to see what THAT does before she swoops in further.

Using his staff to help push himself up, Axiom shakes his head. "N-no idea. He used to be a scrawny little guy then he drank something weird looking and turned into that," Axiom explains. Recognizing Matrix, he smiles. "She c-could probably deal with him," he says, pointing at Matrix. And then Darix is throwing fireballs and Axiom blinks. "Okay that m-m-might help too," he says.

Hyde laughs at Matrix, cracking his neck. "So be it. It's been far too long since I've gotten to tear apart someone with my bare hands," he rumbles. And then there are fireballs striking him in the side. Hyde gives a yell but the burns left by the flames are already healing. The monstrous man turns an enraged glare at Darix before grabbing the nearest car and hurling it at him and Axiom...with an unlucky person still behind the steering wheel! Darix holds one fireball in his hand as he looks over to Axiom, "Drank something? Seriously?" He raises a brow. "That sounds like mad sci--" Before he can even throw the next fireball, there is suddenly a car being thrown at them both. Worse a person was inside of it.

Darix's eyes go wide. He can feel his heart almost stop. "Get back!" He suddenly barks at Axiom and then like a beat of a drum. Darix's body flashes with a bright light. Those sensitive to magic will suddenly feel like a magical bomb just went off around Darix.

Yet where stood a man was suddenly a black scaled, crimson red striped twenty to maybe twenty five foot dragon. That has actually quickly stood up on its hign legs, catching the car in both of its front clawed hands and then using his tail for balance, along with his wings expanded out slightly, stands their on his hign legs slightly which only makes him /far/ taller. Even if almost like near sitting.

"Don't you know," His voice reverbs slightly with a low growl. "To never throw your victims at unexpected strangers."

Darix then places the car down, before coming to rest on all fours now. He steps over the vehicle, almost protecting it now actually. His gold amber eyes almost glowing softly. "You never know what type of secrets they hide." He then roars before blasting a raging fire right at Hyde from his mouth.

Matrix actually gives an impressed whistle. "Oh, see, NOW don't you wish you'd just been nice instead?" Of course, at this point it's a rhetorical question because Hyde is facing a DRAGON the size of a HOUSE. This is the point where *she* starts moving on the quick to make sure the rest of the civilians within arm's length of a giant muscle-bound bad-guy or an accidental cone of flame *the hell out of the way.*

"All right, everybody MOVE! It's getting seriously Angel Grove here now, don't get stepped on by giants! If you have mobility issues, I'll help you just call out!" Very thoughtful of her. Stopping near Axiom for a moment, Matrix asks, "Do you need a hand? Or have you recovered enough to hop back in the fight? Have you ever fought this guy before?"

"Yeah. Mad science f-f-fits what was going on in there," Axiom answers quickly. The sight of the car coming their way gets Axiom's eyes widening behind his mask and he looks quickly towards Matrix. Before he can use his powers...there's suddenly a dragon and Axiom stares. "Wiccan is g-going to be jealous..." he trails off. Once Darix set that car down, Axiom's moving to help the shocked woman inside out to safety. He's not moving as fast as he can, showing some obvious signs of injury. Namely cuts from the window he went through and a limp from the impacts. He's pushing past the pain though. People that had been watching intently to a hero battle are now scrambling, some screaming and others stopping to snap pictures. Axiom jumps slightly when Matrix speaks to him, shaking his head. "I'll b-be fine and no, I haven't fought him before t-t-t-today," he answers.

Hyde's eyes widen for a moment and he brings his arms up to shield his face from the flames. That slasher smile comes back, tattered pants and hair taking more damage than the rest of him. "NOW THIS LOOKS LIKE IT'LL BE FUN!" he yells, drawing both hands back and then clapping them together to unleash a shockwave. It shatters windows in the area and splits that cone of flames right away from him. Darix watches as the flames are split by the shockwave and actually the sheer force causes him to actually rears his head and cut off the flames, smoke rising from his nostrils and maw as he slowly turns to look back at Hyde. Those ear fins expanding out a bit before he growls lowly.

Darix's claws dig into the ground, like steel pulling back the very concrete with simple ease. Those teeth bare down in a snarl, before he goes to charge right at Hyde. He lets out a roar before attempt to slide himself around. His front claws digging hard into the earth, as he body comes swinging around. That tail of his coming around like a massive bludgeon with the sheer speed of the turn to ram right into Hyde and hopefully send him 'flying' in some direction.

She's mostly invulnerable, so when the shockwave goes off Matrix uses her own body to block Axiom from getting any further shrapnel injuries. "If you've got anything long-range in your bag of tricks," she advises, "find cover and stick with those."

Because then she's on the move again, yelling at people with cameras instead of sense. "What's the MATTER with you? Find cover, call the COPS, you're gonna get SMOOSHED!"

Axiom again uses his staff to help maintain balance, using himself as a human shield to the rescued driver even as Matrix shields them both. When the shockwave ends, Axiom makes sure the driver gets running before looking to Matrix. "I've g-got a better idea. Brace yourself, Matrix," he offers, eyes lighting up bright blue. A few seconds later, Matrix will find herself boosted...stronger, faster, more durable, and the like. "I c-c-c-can boost people. Take that m-monster down," he says. "And don't worry about the people. They usually d-don't run," he says.

Hyde laughs as Darix growls. He lifts a meaty hand and gives the dragon a simple gesture. 'Bring it'...followed by a much ruder one. He holds his ground as the dragon comes charging. The tail finds it's mark and Hyde gets sent flying. He crashes into an office building around the fifth floor, some people screaming within. First a desk and water cooler come flying back out in Darix's direction before Hyde himself launches right at the dragon with both fists raised to strike him in the side with super-strong blows. The dragon braces for impact when he sees Hyde leaping right back out. The fists slam onto the Dragon's head actually, slamming it to the ground. The scales are hard though, but a few do chip at the sheer impact.

Darix attempts to pull himself back, but the fist swings smack him across the side of the muzzle and rear his head in that direction. However as the next strike comes. Darix then snaps his teeth rapidly around and bites down with jaw pressure that could crush steel of a tank and teeth razor sharp. Yet not all that pressure is being applied.

If he can keep the bite on the man, if he can even get a hold of that arm in time. The next action the Dragon would take is to throw Hyde into the air with a fling before slamming his front pawed hand into the ground, with the earth reacting to his magical command.

With a flicker of the ground, stone suddenly explodes from below the concrete and then latches up into the air to snap 'shut' around Hyde.

If the bite doesn't make it, he tries the same thing with the ground with a quick step back and just not as high. "Maybe that will hold you!" Probably not, but should give Matrix time to come and give the big brute hell.

"It's my *job* to worry about people," Matrix says with a warm smile. Of course, then Axiom 'does his thang' and, oooooh. Mae's protomatter musculature feels all kinds of tinglier and more reactive than usual... and she likes it! The change actually reflects physically, probably due to her metamorphic nature, but now she's definitely taking a page from Big Barda's book - nearly 7 feet tall and all kinds of solid-yet-still-sexy feminine muscle.

Feeling faster than ever to boot, Matrix practically vanishes in a primary-colored blur as she moves any straggling civilians about a mile and a half away in the space of a few heartbeats, before streaking back onto the scene to meet Hyde not just with her fists, but also a telekinetic blast!

The bite finds its mark and leaves bloody gouges in Hyde's arm but it's not a bite that can be held. Mr. Hyde's strength is tough enough that he can go toe-to-toe with the likes of Thor and the Hulk after all. He does get struck by the claw though, winded. And then there's the concrete. It holds for a few moments before parts of it are broken off. Before Hyde can use it as a club though, Matrix slams into him from behind and the blows knock him off balance. Axiom meanwhile calls out as he watches. "Dragon g-guy! Hit him again! Keep him off balance and you guys c-can kick his butt!" Darix looses hold, but at least he got him in the concrete! Then again, he breaks out and Matrix comes racing in to lay it into Hyde. He hears what Aximo yells and looks over in his direction. His tail gently sweeps side to side as hears the words. His ear fins expanding slightly, before the close back up just a tad.

"Off balance huh.." Darix rumbles to himself as he tries to think of what to do. This time those dragon wings spread out and he pushes himself into the air. He flies around the area, watching where Matrix is and Hyde. Darix rolls around in the air, before coming to hover there, creating an electrical ball between his claw tips. He then throws the electric ball up before he spikes it right for where Hyde gets punched back by Matrix too. "Service!" The dragon bellows out from the skies.

Matrix, invigorated by the boosting and holding back only enough to keep from causing any unnecessary damage, moves in to hammer away at Hyde with a rain of super-speed punches; he's strong, she's strong, and they're both tough sure - but repeated concussive force at rapid pace in places that are weak-spots on the average human is bound to sink through eventually, right?

Mr. Hyde is strong. He's durable. And he heals fast but he doesn't have Matrix's speed. Especially not when it's so enhanced by a boost. He defends against the blows as much as he can but it's clear that amusement and fun is fading from him. When one punch sends Hyde stumbling backwards, the electric ball strikes. There's a yell, the big man feeling the burn even as he heals. More importantly...it leaves him wide open. The next blow from Matrix hits with a sickening THWACK, knocking Hyde off his feet. The ground shakes slightly when Hyde lands and he doesn't look like he's getting back up. There's a groan before all that size and muscle starts shrinking and melting away until a scrawny man that looks like he belongs among microscopes and test tubes is laying in the Hyde-shaped crater out cold. Shortly after this, Axiom stops boosting Matrix and anyone looking for him will see he's heading back into the building he'd been literally tossed out of. Darix stays in the air hovering when Hyde at last goes down. He stays up there because honestly it felt nice to be /flying/ right now. So long has he been in his human form that it feels good to have the ground far below him.

Yet now noticing what attention this could bring. He rumbles softly and then with a swift decline and a sudden climb right back into the skies. The Dragon leaves the area. It seems he really doesn't want to answer any questions or be caught shifting back to human form.

Sadly this means he will miss the mystery of what exactly happened here, but to keep his secret somewhat safe, he can't afford it.

Lord, that leaves the suddenly re-normal-super-powered Matrix with 'clean-up.' She doesn't even KNOW what was happening! "Awwwww," is pretty much her response to turning back to normal, but - such things aren't destined to last anyway, she knows. Moving to collect the likewise-diminished Hyde, she hauls him up by his shoulders and gives him a little bit of a shake. "What the heck is the MATTER with you, anyway? What were you even DOING in there?"

Hyde won't be giving any answers it seems. He's out cold. Getting electrocuted, pummeled, and transforming back takes a lot out of him. Axiom might have answers but he's gone for the moment. The patient will find him eventually emerging from the building leading several of the homeless people that had disappeared. Some are being held up by others and Axiom's carefully leading them out of the building to gather on the sidewalk for when paramedics and cops arrive. "Hmph!" Matrix grumps, but she props up Hyde on a car and keeps one hand on him just in case he comes to and tries anything before he can get carted off. But Axiom's leading out the homeless group from the warehouse, and suddenly Matrix goes from a 20-something black-haired girl in a primary-colored mini-dress to a blonde teen boy in a primary-colored yellow jacket (the symbol's the same, though), waving wildly at one of the kids being led out. "MIKE! You're OKAY!"

The boy Matrix is calling out to is currently helping carry another kid. One who looks much like the now out cold Hyde in terms of clothing damage. Axiom frowns, moving to meet the transformed Matrix despite his injuries. "H-hey. Can you hang around and t-talk to the EMTs? There's a few more kids in there hooked up to machines I d-d-didn't want to mess with. And a bunch of beaten up goons," he requests, recognizing the symbol. "That Hyde jerk was experimenting on those p-p-people..." "Sure thing," Matrix nods to Axiom, while helping the aforementioned Mike get the kid he's carrying set down and safely stabilized, "Are you gonna take off too, then? You know way more about what was going on here than I do, I can't really answer questions beyond 'I helped a dragon beat that guy up.'"

Axiom takes a breath and nods. "I've g-got to get going, yeah," he says. "I don't know much more myself. That Hyde j-jerk had his goons kidnap people and he was pumping them full of messed up chemicals. The c-cops can get more from him when he wakes up." "-Ew-," Matrix says vehemently, but nods again in comprehension. "Got it, though. I'll tell 'em what I can. Thanks for the help, by the way. I always wondered what getting a Super Mario Star in real life was like." 'He' beams at Axiom, then pops the collar on his jacket for... no actual reason. "I'm Matrix, by the way. And I usually look like the way I looked earlier. It's been a long day."

"Yeah," Axiom agrees. He just blinks a little at the Mario reference, it going right over his head. "I'm happy to help," he says. "Thanks for showing up when you d-did. I'm pretty sure I couldn't have beaten him without the help," he says. The collar pop gets a pause but Axiom smiles. "I know," he chuckles. "I'm Axiom. And I'll see you later," he offers, heading for the nearest alley so he can start heading to the Terminal to patch up.