Participants:
| Scene Title | Boy SCOUTs |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | Just another day on the job, with followup mantalk about the women they like marrying the men they don't particularly. |
| Date | April 5, 2019 |
The Streets of Brooklyn
This is the story, of two SCOUT officers; one Gabriel Gray, former sociopathic serial killer, but he got better, and Magnes J. Varlane, former legendary Delivery Boy. Today, we find our law enforcing heroes suddenly forced on-duty, when they spot a wanted Evolved on a reportedly stolen car.
This, of course, means that Magnes and Gabriel aren't in their usual car, they're in Magnes' car, a black 67 Chevy Impala, which he quickly pops a police light on top and speeds off after the suspect in. "Jack Johnson, a wanted Evolved for a massive chain of car thefts; eluded the police multiple times, presumably due to his ability to create illusory mirrors." he recites from a file on some small computer screen sitting inbetween them in the GPS area.
Looking over at Gabriel with a subtly excited grin, he asks, "This gonna be a problem for you?"
They come up with different ways to break the law everyday. As the car's speed significantly kicks up in hot pursuit of the car thief, Gabriel flicks his gaze over towards the screen, then out the windscreen towards their journey. He doesn't need to be driving the car to know what it's like to be pursuing something, it's a feeling he used to live for. It's a feeling he still does live for, in a completely different sense.
Or maybe not so different. Some things never change.
At the question, Gabriel leans forward a little not to seek out their intended target, but at the weather, of all things. It's a hazy afternoon, with smoggy, cloudy skies making the sun a vague splotch of light in the sky, but it's enough. "No," he answers, with level confidence, sitting back in his seat before shooting Varlane a wry look. "Although that's up to you and your driving."
He pursues, quickly, sure not to hit any pedestrians, he reaches down to switch the screen to GPS. One dot is the enemy car, because it's the future and GPSes do that, and the other dot is their car. "Can you do your whole head cutting thing to a car roof? I have a plan." Magnes asks in his not-so-sensitive tone, making a hard left when the other car does.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Gabriel says almost breezily, although the sharper glance Magnes gets is something of a warning. It doesn't last long, too focused on his job to really get caught up in what Magnes should and should not so casually refer to. "And if you get me close enough, the answer is yes." His hand seeks out a switch on the car door, the window lowering itself with a soft whir that goes barely heard under the engine and soon, the sound of rushing wind. "What's your plan?" Always good to ask this when Magnes is concerned.
Magnes' grin gets wider now, and he slows down slightly, since they're on a rather long street. He's giving his car and the other car some distance, but only a little. "You cut the other car's roof off, I'll jump this car directly over the roof, you pull the guy in, hold 'em still, then land the car when I jump out and drive his car; we don't want his crashing or something." Because, this is clearly the most practical plan ever; but hey, at least it'll work. "We gotta surprise the guy, he won't expect us from above, so we should be able to avoid that mirror stuff…"
He listens. Patiently. Quietly. Then at one point his hand raises to rub the bridge of his nose a little with the tips of his fingers, before gesticulating outwards towards the vehicle they're chasing. "How about we try not to destroy the property he's stealing," Gabriel suggests, voice raising a little over the sound of the engine, with a hint of a strained smile. Let it be said that being the sane one in a partnership may well be healthy for Gabriel. "Tell you what, Varlane - we try it my way and if it doesn't work, we'll— consider other options." He tips his head towards the road, gaze switching from Magnes to out the window. "Get closer."
The gas is hit, engine revving, and suddenly they're tailing the other car again. Magnes appears vaguely disappointed, he wanted to car jump, but then his eyes widen when suddenly it appears they're about to smash into the very car they're driving, and he seems very close to falling for the illusion. "Shit shit shit!" he repeats, not sure if he should evade or not.
"Sh— " Gabriel's close to joining in Magnes' exclamations, eyes widening a little at the perfect, edgeless mirror shimmering to life in front of them. It's ridiculous. He can make out the car's familiar number plate, reversed, even see their comically shocked expressions framed by the windshield and the dire instinct to reach out and swerve the wheel is a strong one, a crackle of forcefield energy instinctively rippling over Gabriel's form in preparation for perceived collision, whether with a car or whatever the mirror is made of.
But he knows what it's made of, a substanceless entity he has power over. Magnes will see him shift enough to almost hang his torso out the window, extending an arm, and a disc of light suddenly pulses to life between his fingers. A flashlight lances forth towards the mirror, straining to reach it as they hurtle towards it, prepare for impact in three, two, one—
The ray of light hits the illusion and immediately, the mirror seems to fade from the center and rippling into nothing, outwards, the Impala harmlessly driving on through where it once stood as Gabriel settles back into his seat, drawing in a quick breath. "They were right. It's illusory." Oh, good. "They might use it to conceal obstacles and crash us." That's certainly how he'd use it, anyway.
Magnes lets out a deep sigh of relief when the illusion fades, then a slight look of horror when it seems like Gabriel was just testing. "You're saying you were going on a hunch?" he asks, one of the few times where Gabriel has managed to actually freak him the hell out.
Back to the task at hand, the gas gets pushed again, and they start to catch up next to the car, close enough to see that the driver is skin and bones, white male with a buzz cut, working alone. "You don't wanna damage the car, so I'm leaving this up to you. Do your thing." he casually passes the ball to his partner with an affirmative nod.
Damage the car, perform a stunt that could do more damage than good as tempting as it is to see if they can actually do that— maybe later. Gabriel shoots Magnes a slightly wolfish grin at the mention of a hunch, but no other response apart from: "Be prepared." That arm goes back out the window, a look of pure concentration on his face as his outstretched hand tenses. The car in front of them seems to shudder, and then more abruptly swerve when the back end lifts off the road for a moment, halting rather abruptly for a moment before it hits the road again, loudly, and shoots forward all the faster for several feet.
A soft growl of annoyance in the back of Gabriel's throat, but he doesn't let up, sweat standing out on his brow. There's a brief mirror illusion again, popping up in the brief space between his car and theirs, but they pass through it in a matter of seconds, speeding along too fast for it to matter.
Then, Gabriel gets what he wants, and with a screech of tire, the car in front of them lifts up for a moment and then goes swerving out of control in a wild spin.
When the car starts swerving, Magnes suddenly hits the breaks, then opens his door. "This guy is screwed, we don't even need the car anymore. Let's go kick his ass." he says with an excited look in his eyes, not even waiting for Gabriel's answer before stepping out completely, and flying about ten feet above the other car, waiting for it to slow down.
By the time Magnes is well out and hovering in the air, and Gabriel is climbing out of his seat, the stolen car has come to a forced halt, the engine dying. Apart from some scrapes to the paint jobs, it's mostly undamaged. Yet another thing that doesn't have to go on Gabriel's reports that will act against him when he tries, once again, for a promotion. Good day, good day.
Meanwhile, Mr. Mirrors is clambering out of his car, all pale long limbs from a thin T-shirt with some slogan splashed across it. He casts an almost wild look upwards, mostly in Magnes's direction, a gun in his hand although he does not fire upwards as he starts to run, Gabriel's feet also leaving the ground in preparation for flight, letting Magnes take the lead in the arrest.
And that's when things get weird.
A gunshot goes off from Mirrors' weapon, aiming strangely into the sky and not at all pointed to either Magnes or Gabriel, but rather suddenly, a bullet from behind clips Magnes' sleeve - the same direction as the sound of the gunshot. It should also be noted that the slogan on his shirt is backwards. Behind them, the air ripples strangely, showing empty street - or is it.
Magnes looks at his sleeve, and he's been clipped. Suddenly he flashes back to all the times he's gotten guns pointed at him, shot at, or just plain shot. Deckard, Logan, Wu-Long, and many people who followed. "You son of a bitch!" He reaches into his coat, pulling out two Glock 19s, then aims at both the mirror man and the real one's knees, firing rapidly with very little mercy for the man's legs.
When he's sure which is the real one, he goes flying after him, having only gotten one graze on the man's leg; it's hard to aim in two directions at once. "You're fucked, you know that? When I catch you, I'm gonna throw you into the air, shoot your nuts off, then kick you to the motherfucking moon!" he yells down the street at the man, starting to fire at his knees far more accurately now.
"Varlane!" Gabriel growls, which does nothing to stop the younger man zooming past him. The mirror image disappears behind them, and Gabriel finds himself flying to catch up with his partner rather than the criminal. Another mirror is thrown up, making it seem as though there are two men splitting off into diagonal directions, wherein in reality he runs forward, masked behind his illusory mirrors. However, a bullet hits, burying in the man's calf, and the mirrors dissipate instantly as he howls and hits the ground. Gabriel's already reaching for his radio. They're gonna need an ambulance.
Again.
Magnes returns his guns to his coat, suddenly swooping down to land and firmly press his palm against the man's back. "You shot at me, I didn't even draw my gun, and you shot at me! Fuck you Deckard!" he exclaims, releasing the man's back, allowing his body to rapidly fall into the sky.
Taking a deep breath, straightening his coat, he casually says, "If you want him, you get 'em, I'm sick of people shooting at me."
The distant scream of the criminal is quickly fading as he plummets upwards, Gabriel taking a moment to simply glare across at his partner. Not really a glare, actually, just a flat sort of look that communicates a cold kind of irritation, before he expels a sigh. Knees bend a little, and with the kind of speed that has nothing to do with Magnes' gravitation, and all to do with Baxter's power of flight, Magnes is soon alone to wait by their car, as back up comes in - a couple of formal police cars, and that requested ambulance.
"Where's the guy?" asks a paramedic.
He gets his answer in the form of Gabriel coming back down to earth, an arm wrapped securely around the criminal. Apparently, somewhere in the sky, he's handcuffed the car thief and read him his rights, and despite Magnes's stunt, there's a hint of victory about the former serial killer. No, he won't be taking home this man's ability. But yes, he did catch him. Thrill of the hunt sated. Good dog.
Magnes doesn't say anything, he doesn't show much satisfaction, he simply reaches into his pocket for a cigarette and lights up, inhaling deeply. He casually waves to the other cops, then gets back into the driver's seat of the car, and of course pulls that police light back in; it makes his car look terrible. "I need food, and for Bebe to stop being married to the goddamned president's son." he randomly says in frustration, apparently having a lingering memory that's bugging him at the moment.
Jack Johnson taken care of, Gabriel is quick to climb back into Magnes' car too, shutting the door sharply and leaning back. "Go via Chinatown and we can pick up something," he says. "And I want you to stop making me play Go Fetch whenever someone pisses you off, but we can't always get what we want." Speaking of excellent quotations, time for music. A habit Magnes will be used to by now, Gabriel reaches for the radio to flick it on and search the stations, twisting the tuning dial this way and that. "Why do you want Bijou to stop being married to the goddamn president's son?"
Magnes groans a bit, driving off now, headed for Chinatown and food. He waits a few minutes before answering, giving him a moment to settle into his cigarette and calm down a bit. "Only woman I ever slept with, she was nice. I don't just mean in bed, I just mean she was a nice person to be around. Pisses me off that some jackass politician ends up with her. Been a while since I actually spoke to her, but my fucking jaw hit the floor when I suddenly saw her on the goddamned TV. I mean, what the fuck?"
Take a good look at my face,
You'll see my smile looks out of place.
If you look closer it's easy to trace,
The tracks of my tears.
Apparently satisfied by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles crooning out of Magnes' radio, Gabriel leans back again, folded arm resting on the edge of the opened window, the wind stealing away the scent of cigarette smoke. There's a little bit of silence, Magnes' sentiments hitting home a little for Gabriel also. Talk of jackass politicians stealing away perfectly good women and transforming them into the gliterrati, and all. After a moment he says, blandly, "I don't know." Then, a glance. "The only woman you ever slept with? Or the only nice one?"
"The only one; fuck, it's only been a few years. I was a nerd, what do you expect? And I've been way too busy to bother having much of a personal life since then." Magnes never complains about the music, he's never picky, he just likes whatever will keep him relaxed. "I don't talk to many women; hell, counting Eileen, I only talk to two as close personal friends." Then, Gabriel gets a scowl, that 'Don't mention Abby' scowl.
Nothing more relaxing than a motown ballad, in Gabriel's opinion. The volume is kept low, beneath their conversation, just a soothing presence. The scowl gets a quirk of a smile in return, but it's obeyed. No mention of Abby. No mention of Deckard, in that case. "Well if that works for you," Gabriel says, not about to shake Magnes into wanting more friends. The most he can do is drag him to BBQs or the occasional beer after work. He knows what it's like to be a loner, however. He just also knows what it's like to be lonely. Fine line. "Otherwise you can make Eileen play matchmaker. She knows other women. I guess."
"Gillian's gonna try that." Magnes says, not seeing the purpose in keeping the fact that he talks to Gillian a secret; no one needs to know that they're BFF, not even Gabriel. "She thinks I need to get laid. Now there's a good woman; too bad she's married to an exploding prick, no pun intended."
Another glance, mildly more alarmed than the next as that name somehow works its way into the conversation. "You talk to Gillian Petrelli," Gabriel says, a note of incredulity in his voice, and then more sarcastically, "I'm so sorry." Apparently, he's not about to agree that she's a good woman, voicing coming out a little snippy. "Personally I think people can be judged on who they ultimately spend the rest of their lives with. People are attracted to qualities they see in themselves. Bijou and Gillian marry assholes for a reason. They didn't have to." Of course, he's only including Bebe in this to make it objective. There's more to that than meets the eye, but who has access to see?
"Personally, if I wasn't worried about Peter losing his fucking mind and exploding again, I'd kick his ass and take Gillian myself. That prick is always busy, no real time for her. She is a really good person, I can't speak for Bebe right now, I knew her years ago, but I know Gillian now." Magnes defends Gillian's honor, a shred of White Knight still left in him from years ago. Not even Gabriel 'Sylar' Gray can attack a woman's honor in front of him. "Maybe they didn't think they could do any better, maybe they see something in these jackasses that we don't, but let's just sleep knowing that we could kick these guys' asses if we wanted. Peter's a pussy, and so is Sonny."
The only reason Gabriel doesn't bristle at the notion of Magnes taking Gillian for himself is contained in the wedding band wrapped about the appropriate finger. Still, he just sort of stays noncommitally quiet. Not about to fight tooth and nail as to what Gillian is like, and besides— it's not a bad thing to hear, no matter the subject matter. Magnes defending someone. Then, Gabriel glances at Magnes at that last part and gives a quiet, rasping chuckle. "That's the important thing."
 <date>: previous log |
 <date>: next log |