Summary:The Incredible Hulk and Red Hood return to society. Log Info:Storyteller: Betty |
Related LogsTheme Song{$themesong} |
   |
If someone felt strongly about something, there was always the possibility that said strength would evolve into something dangerous. Today it was a protests of the violent kind that had started out neutral until the 'big guns' arrived. Roads were closed a few blocks at a time as ground zero of the event was a mess of destroyed roadway and buildings. Black plumes of smoke was billowing up toward the sky as the noise of sirens cry out and mingle with pitches of screams and dismay. Whatever was meant to be said here today was ruined, fallen deaf by destruction and chaos.
A plain clothes officer was frantically dragging a body off and behind a pile of cars, panting and assuring the person in question that they'd be 'alright'. Bloody, broken and bruised, the officer peeks out from his new cover, his fingers twisted and groping helplessly toward his phone. Pressing the buttons with his nose, he sighs and cradles the flat device between his cheek and shoulder.
"M-Marshall. It's serious. Some…group is here wrecking everything. W-what? I…I don't know. Five, I think? Dressed in weird outfits. Um…playing cards. I shit you not, flying playing cards."
It's really hard to stay out of things sometimes. Bruce Banner has no real desire to jump back into the spotlight with a public fight with vilalins, or anybody else. Hovering on the edge of the danger zone, hiding in an alley and peeking around the corner, he frowns as he manages to make out the talk from the injured police officer. He scans the sky and the streets around him, hoping to spot some superhero or another approaching to deal with the problem. The last time he really tried to help, it… didn't go well. That's why he ended up in prison. He doesn't see anybody though, and after a bit more fidgeting he sighs. He slips off his jacket and shirt, and folds them up before putting them in an out of the way spot. Maybe he'll be able to come back for them later. He includes his wallet as well. Then he bounces on his feet a few times. "Alright. You can do this. Just keep your temper under control. Don't let it get away from you." Then he slaps himself in the face, hard, wincing at the pain. That's not quite enough, so he does it again. Letting the spike in adrenaline come and muttering to himself, "They're pulling oy back in, even after everything. The villains always do. It's their fault. Time to make them pay." Psyching himself up into anger and then… feeling the change.
He hunches over as his body starts to swell, skin rapidly darkening into green. From the outside, there's a loud growl, that raises quickly into an angry roar. Then a cracking sound while a large shape comes hurtling up out of the alley and forward in one long, powerful jump that carries the jade giant right towards the seeming heart of the conflict. Seocnds later he lands several blocks away, the pavement cracking under him as he glares around, looking for whoever it is doing all this. His huge hands curling into fists as he tries to find something to vent his rage on.
Manhattan isn't Bat turf, but here Jason is. After a very bad encounter with his mom and sister, Jason's needed a day or two away. He's been holed up in a crummy little motel only a block or two from here, idly cleaning weapons and watching the 'free HBO' on the old television. He has never been more bored, honestly. He can ear the sounds of the chaos from his room, however, and it sets him on edge and preps him for trouble. The young man hops up and looks out the window, seeing the plumes in the distance. He smirks to himself and tucks his guns into their holsters. He then slides his mask on, letting it seal off and click into place. Jason slips from the room and hops over the second floor rail, landing beside his '68 Mustang in the parking lot. He slides into it and starts it. The engine roars to life.
Only moments later the subtely armored, souped up car roars into view. The Red Hood hasn't been seen anywhere in three years, and last time he was he was murdering thugs and taking over gangs in Staten Island. He skids to a stop and kicks his door open, climbing from it. He levels both handguns towards the flying villains. Riot controlled rounds are loaded in one, with taser rounds in the other.
"Hey, assholes! Playing cards? Really? Well, ante up!"
He is about to pull the trigger when a certain jolly green giant lands.
"IS THAT THE FREAKING HULK?"
It was the Hulk, and having watched the transformation left Brant awe-struck and standing in the alley way. Eyes wide and mouth gaping. You, honestly, didn't see that every day. Shaking her head, the dirty-blonde levels her phone and rushes out of the passage. She wasn't trying to chase a story but, well, sometimes you can't stay away from things after all. Massive and green, she kept him in her sights easily, but the thundering sound of the muscle care was distracting, even here. "What the hell…?" She murmurs and glances from left to right. The smoke and debris was already making this hard. Time to change vantag points. With that, Brant is climbing up a ladder.
The arrival of the Hulk and Hood causes the foursome to stall in their activities. Sleek in dress with crowns, hats, weapons, they linger and look down at the opposition. "Ah, interested. Wouldn't you agree, my Queen?"
"Intriguing indeed, my King." Two speak, a man and woman respectively.
"One for each of us," King responds, glancing at the four as a sly smirk twists his features. "Jack! 10! Grab what we came here for! Queen, with me!" He commands, the group on their cards zip away and with speed. Queen and King seem to aim directly toward the Hood, weapons out and bodies constantly moving. "ACE!" King calls out, just in time for a massive truck to be sent flying through the air, falling, falling fast, toward Hulk.
"YOU THINK THIS IS A GAME!?!" The silly playing card theme of the villains seems to not be doing anything for the Hulks temper. He glares up at the flying villains, and is preparing to go after them when Ace is is called to. Then suddenly a truck is falling down towards him. The green goliath bracs himself, hands snapping out to latch onto the truck in question when it hits him. He's pushed partly down into the ground by the weight, but then he's swinging the enormous vehicle through the air with startling speed, aiming it like a bat to try and take out the playing card under one of the bad guys. The precision of the attack is kind of surprising as well. Not something most think of when they picture the Hulk.
He did notice the arrival of the Red Hood. But he doesn't recognize him. He's not doing anything bad so far, so for now he ignores him. Tossing aside the truck, he slams his fists together, making an audible boom. "Is that the best you have?" He leaps towards another one of the villains, arms outstretched as he tries to just plow them right off of their odd transport, wrapping his arms around them if he manages it and taking them towards the ground. It's entirely possible they manage to avoid him though. Either way, he lands on the pavement again moments later.
Not now, Jason! Focus on the playing cards and hope Jolly Green doesn't squish you! He shifts his attention back to the approaching two with skill. He leaps to the side, sliding across the hood of his car before he drops off on the other side. He pops back up then, a gun in one hand, and the other hand out of view.
*POP POP* goes the handgun as taser rounds are fired off at the two. While the bullets are drawing the attention, however, his other hand comes up, lobbing a stun grenade. His helmet shields his eyes from the deafening and blinding explosion, sending out a wave of reeling pain and confusion in the area of the King and Queen. He dives to the side, then, drawing his second pistol as he does so.
Up and up, Betty finally finds herself atop a shop building. Phone on and pointed down, she starts watching, observing. There was little more Brant could do personally, and with the action already in full swing, being ground level would put her in the way. The 'clap' crackles across her microphone like a sudden brush of wind, and the shock of blinding light causes her to turn her eyes. The video in question might not turn out so well after all.
As Hulk jumps up, his arms crush around the smallest member of the group: 10. Lithe and no bigger than the giant's arm, she screams out and struggles as her card goes crashing into the side of a wall. Sparking and sputtering, the card explodes moments later. He can hear it shortly after, the sounds of something running across the street and out of the smoke and fog. In the same type of suits as the rest, but massive in build and form, Ace, with a spade across his chest, starts sprinting, aiming to spear into Hulk.
A shock ripples through Queen, causing her to drop her scepter type weapon. Her card wobbles as she falls over, gripping at its edge and starting to go down. King dodges only to become blinded, his hand down and sending off a blast from his own weapon, the brilliant light leveling into a car before swipping up and across a building, its windows shattering.
Seeing Ace coming towards him, Hulk tosses 10 out of the way, turning to meet the charging villain. He sprints towards him, meeting the spear with one of his own, ending up in a mutual clasp with the giant playing card themed character, a small shockwave rolling out from the impact. He growls into Ace's face, and starts to squeeze with his thick green arms. It's a gradual increase in crushing force, since he doesn't know exactly how tough the villain is and he doesn't want to kill him by doing it too hard. He's paying attention to the other things going on however, and glances over when the light from King's scepter goes slicing rhough a building like that. It doesn't LOOK like it has any people inside. But you can never be certain. Once he gets a better feel for the toughness of his opponent, he draws his head back, then slams it foreward into a headbutt. He ends up pushing the other strongman back, his feet leaving deep footprints in the pavement as Ace's leave furrows. Eventually his eyes narrow as he feels something about his opponent, a creaking that sounds distinctly machinelike. Suddenly he flexes with all of his strength, and there's a cracking sound as he practically breaks Ace in half. Machine innards become visible, sparking and twitching. He tosses him aside, then looks for another target.
Jason watches as the Queen topples and starts to go down, while the king is blinded and blasts the side of a building. He holsters the gun he was drawing, keeping fire on the Queen, trying to get her to lose her hold and fall. Meanwhile, he draws two red batarangs from his utility belt and lets them fly at the King's card. If they DO manage to hit they'll beep three times and then explode, possibly sending the man flying in the process.
Once the batarangs are in the air he leaps and rolls, landing behind some debris to use it as cover. He glances sidelong at the mayhem caused by Hulk and whistles softly to himself.
10 clammers to her feet after Hulk finally lets her go. Bruised from the impact at least, the smaller member sprints toward a specific building, giving a press against her costume which calls to her card mount. Slipping on, she attempts to fly off and back toward Jack - whereever he was.
Ace crashing into Hulk, the pressure of meeting Green with force denting in his body. A struggle, his own feet dig in, printing at the ground until he eventually loses the battle. In half, limp and sparking, Ace twitches, his joints groaning as they attempt to keep working. Dragging himself over, Ace's fingers latch around Hulk's ankle in a ditch effort to keep him down.
Queen falls thanks to Jason's efforts, as does King from his lost mount. The pair are sent to the ground from stories up. Plummeting and threatening to rag-doll and crash against hardtop.
Feeling the hand gripping around his ankle, Hulk glares down at the half of a robot restraining him. He raises his other foot high into the air, and stomps down on his head with cratering force, flattering the machine and sending cracks radiateing far out from the point of impact. Then he scans the battlefield. Seeing the presumably mostly human villains falling, he runs forward towards them, then leaps. Angling his ascension so he passes both, snatching King with one hand and Queen with the other, he hits the front of a building with his feet and bounces off, breaking some of the facing before dropping down into the street and landing lightly. Snorting, he tosse them onto the ground nearby then looks around for any more threats. He doesn't really see any. So, he crouches down, then leaps again, landing onto a rooftop. By coincidence, he ends up landing next to Betty Brant, glancing briefl at the reporter before taking off again, quickly bouncing out of sight into the distance.
Jason isn't about to kill them, of course. not these days. Not if he ever wants to have his family back. He reaches into his utility belt and tosses a small ball to the asphalt below the falling royalty. It pops and expands in seconds into a very large bed of foam. It's meant to slow a fall and tangle a person up quite well. He waits long enough to make sure it works. If it does he turns his attention elsewhere. Figuring Hulk knows what he is doing, he leaps over the debris and glances towards the cops who were here already. "Anybody injured?," he calls out, his helmet altering his voice.
Three is better than none. King and Queen giving a light bounce as they land on Jason's contraption, their bodies rolling from Hulk's toss. With Ace in pieces, and two of the group down for the count, paramedics are finally allowed to enter the scene. The injured call out, asking for Hood's aid since Big Green is bounding off into th distance. Betty watches, eyes wide again when Hulk lands near by. Camera rolling, she clicks it off and swiftly returns to ground level. With the damage the building had suffered, it didn't feel safe anymore. That, and its roof had began to crackle under Hulk's weight.
With a crash and haste, two card-riding crooks exit the scene, fleeing wildly in a direction pointedly not anywhere near Hood or Hulk.
It was a good day, at least initially. But it surely shook off the socks of the National Perserves Foundation. Who knew protest of foreign goods would go so wrong?
The Red Hood isn't the type to stick around for the authorities, though. He's still wanted for NUMEROUS murderes and various other crimes. He wreaked -havoc- when he popped up a few years back. Still, he sprints over to a few of the injured folks, lingering just long enough to apply a first aid spray from his belt to a few wounds. It won't magically heal them or anything, but it will help until the paramedics arrive. However, once the actual police begin to arrive, the vigilante is out. He slides back into his car and roars away.