Come Out And Play (IC)

[Aoiroo]

Greenbank wasn't Catalyst's favorite place at night, but then again that was a bit of the point wasn't it. Patrolling in a van was probably the last thing most heroes did (though most could like fly or something like that), and she was a bit nervious that she hadn't been able to get the paneling to make it bullet proof (that was the sort of thing you had to special order and get in two to three weeks minimum). Still, she kept her eyes peeled as she glanced out the tinted glass of the non-descript white van looking out for trouble.

It had been pretty quiet that night, but that wasn't always a good thing. She didn't even see any homeless people which was a red flag right there. Slowing down to about twenty miles an hour she stopped almost immediately as she spotted something moving in her perifial vision. Frowning, pretended not to notice as she continued down the street. About half a block away she parked in a rundown garaged and got out her cases so she could assemble her sniper rifle but stop half way when she caught a trail of a heat signiture from her goggles. Turning instantly she held two paintgun pistols at the ready scanning into the darkness to figure out who was there.

[Ecalsneerg]

A huge swooping form flew out of the darkness, shaped like several foot wide wings like a giant bird. And landed atop the van with an audible clang, a curved longbow sweeping out from the dark figure's hand. "Paintball guns. Cute." The man's voice was low and growling, sounding like a man deeply in need of some Listerine and a glass of water.

"If it's not too much trouble..." The voice deepened slightly, the Scottish accent thickening as the man crouched lower. From beneath a dark hood, red eyes glared like those of an eagle, over harsh stubbly features. "What do you think you're doing?"

[Aoiroo]

As the figure dropped in Catalyst took a few steps back with her gun in her hand though it hardly helped with how much it was shaking. When he spoke it didn't improve at all, in fact she actually dropped the case she had been clutching with her left arm while the right was trying to keep a steady line of fire. The clanging of assembly kit snapped her attention away from the figure and she hurried to lean down and gather all the pieces. Scary figure asside the long range paintball guns were always very pricey.

When she managed to steady the shaking in her hands as she closed in the case but it was still evident very clearly in her voice as she looked at the larger man with a somewhat,

"Wha, wha what amm I what?"

[Ecalsneerg]

The figure sighed, and slid off the van, landing on the ground completely silently despite the size of his figure landing on the concrete at some speed. "Oh, not the incoherently scared ones. I never get anything useful from them." He sighed, and rubbed at his forehead.

"Listen, I'm somewhat tired, so I'm just going to go for simple statements, then a question." He paced back and forth as he spoke. "It's dark, a little chilly, and barely anyone is around. Yet, here you are. In a hazard suit. With paintball guns. In a van." He turned to face the girl swiftly, teeth bared, but his voice came out exasperated rather than menacing. "Why?"

[Aoiroo]

"Well I don't think I have ever met anybody who has been coherently scared, coherence isn't really very easy when one is startled."

Her tone was as even as it could be, which was still a little shaky. He didn't attack her though, that was good. It sort of helped push away the scary thoughts of what this person intentions may be if she didn't run full speed in the other direction. Standing upright she began to fiddle with her case so that the components inside actually fit in the holes in the foam designated for them and the case closed properly before she stood up. When he was on the ground, he didn't seem as scary, he wasn't much taller then he was but his menacing tone didn't help her nerves any,

"So yes the questions, multiple ones I believe. Umm, the paintball guns well they are useful for stuff and the suit protects me and, why are you out here in the middle of the night confronting a woman at her van by sweeping down like a bat out of heck. You very nearly gave me a heart attack."

[Ecalsneerg]

"You sound too young for fear-induced cardiac arrest," mused Arrowhawk. "I'd consult a physician if you're worried about that. And I'm the one asking questions, seeing as why I'm here is-" He flicked his cape with one hand. "Patently obvious."

He shook his head. "When you say the paintball guns are useful to stuff, are you telling me you're vandalising things with paintballs?" He sighed. "I suppose it was the logical step-up from aerosol paints." The man leaned back against the van. "Doesn't explain the hazard suit particularly well, though."

[Aoiroo]

"It's, I'm..."

She let out a breath and tried to think about it. He wasn't there to hurt her, he probably would of already. The fact that he was suspecting vandalism meant that he was probably opposed to it.

"Okay, okay, maybe we should start this over, with introductions."

Looking up at the man she tried a smile but it was lost under the mask as she held up a gloved hand for a shake,

"Good evening, I go by code name Catalyst, I'm a chemist and these paintball guns, or more specificially, these paintballs are my weapons. I'm here to, well I guess help is probably the best way I can describe it."

[Ecalsneerg]

"Arrowhawk," grunted the archer, hefting his bow. "This is my weapon. Assuming, of course, that you are using a paint-suspended chemical reagent, and not, y'know, just shooting people with paintballs, well... this does that, and makes criminals fall over."

He paced around slightly, moving around to the young woman's flank. "And assuming you are trying to be a cape... well, between you and me, the scared reaction is possibly the single worst thing you could have done in this situation. Not everyone is as nice and friendly as I am."

[Aoiroo]

"Thank you for the advice, but as you probably guessed I'm a bit new as this and I sort of bless my luck that in this instance I didn't happen to shoot another hero with a few dozen rounds of my home formula for pepperspray. That would not of been pleasant for either of us I do believe, especially if you reacted rather negatively with that bow and arrow of you. The hazmat suit is excellant against fire and chemical spills but arrows are a bit of a problem and I don't think I can get one that is particularly arrow proof in case I meet some far less friendly archers in my travels."

Though really how friendly this Arrowhawk was did take some gauging, he wasn't attacking her, and didn't seem to be actively or at least intentionally picking a fight.

[Ecalsneerg]

"I'd go for augmenting the hazmat suit with a titanium-carbon compound of some sort, for lightweight protection," mused Arrowhawk. "Problem is, I could probably still shoot you in the eyes, since you can't armour them as effectively, and you'd still be vulnerable to explosives and netting, both of which are entirely possible."

The archer prowled further, until he was nearly behind the young woman. "As for avoiding accidental confrontations, I'd advise one of two things. Firstly, know the local capes. It's quicker and easier when you know who's playing on... the same team." He spat the last few words as if there was a nasty taste in his mouth. "Or secondly, don't be so conspicuous with your van."

[Aoiroo]

"Titanium Carbon is rather hard to come by, though I am thinking of lead lining to protect against radiation. Had a bit of a nasty run in with this guy who was more or less pure radiation. Like gas cloud of radiation, it was a good thing he still needed to breath otherwise I might not of been able to take him. As for conspiciousness, this van is actu...."

She was cut off almost immediately by the sound of gunshots in the distance,

"Shoot,"

Running to the van she quickly cranked up the engine and started it before looking at Arrowhawk.

"Want a lift, think it's a bit faster then running. Plus there's a gas mask in the glove compartment and I think I stashed some spare goggles in there too."

[Ecalsneerg]

As soon as the gunshot rung out, Arrowhawk's entire body had tensed and spun, an arrow notched and ready to fly, it all happening so fast that barely any sound was made but for his cape whipping around him. He stood perfectly still for a moment, not breathing, not moving even an inch, his aim steady and sure.

Then he relaxed slightly and nodded to Catalyst. "Alright, bring us in fast. Don't head straight in to the firefight, come in at an angle to minimise lines of fire." And with that, he was sliding his arrow back into his quiver with one hand, tossing his bow atop the van with the other, and running towards the right hand door.

As soon as he'd grabbed the goggles and mask, he was sliding up atop the van, rearming himself with his bow while sliding on the mask and goggles. "Go," he growled.

[Aoiroo]

"Why are you on, ohh nevermind."

Catalyst reved the van and and moved forward, even so she didn't go past thirty miles an hour so she didn't toss her topside passenger as they came to the scene. The gunfight had already started and the thugs seemed less then anticipating of their arrival as Catalyst turned off at an angle and rolled down her window. She readied her shot from the drivers seat with pistol.

[Ecalsneerg]

Arrowhawk stood atop the van, seemingly unaffected by the motion of the vehicle, legs set firmly and his centre of balance expertly held. He let his cloak billow behind him as they approached the group, a fierce snarl on his features, making sure the group were aware of just who was before them, and what he was about to do.

"Evening, mates," he growled, nocking an arrow and firing at the biggest, ugliest goon he could find, his practiced, lazy shot hitting the brute square on in the chest with a sickening thud.

[Aoiroo]

Catalyst was about to shoot when Arrowhawk beat her to the punch knocking one thug on his butt before she could react. Then of course there was a retaliation from the affiliates of said thugs who waged war on Arrowhawk in mass of bullets which Catalyst was certian at least one hit him, she didn't know, she'd dropped out of the drivers seat under the cover of the other side of the van. Crouching down she just shot her gun down and the entire area filled with a cloud of her thick mist that while dampering some attempts, didn't stop the thugs from shooting even more in the general direction of the van. Catalyst sat with a hand on her ears,

Okay, I'm getting the bulletproof plating tomorrow, cost of rush delivery or no.

[Ecalsneerg]

Arrowhawk casually took the hail of bullets towards him, ducking under most of them with a simple drop and sweep maneuver with his long cape. Two hit him in the chest plate, and embedded themselves there without even causing him breath. A third took him in his bad leg, causing a bit of pain as it thudded into a joint in his armour, but not slowing him enough that he couldn't twist his torso to let a fourth shot slide along his belly harmlessly.

And them he returned fire, aiming, drawing an arrow and sending it into flight even as he was mentally calculating his second shot, arrows flying with pinpoint accuracy mere milliseconds after the one before them had been fired as Arrowhawk dispassionately gazed into the smoke, picking out stomachs and legs and necks with a trained eye.

[Aoiroo]

Several thugs went down almost immediately in the barrage. Others missed unconciousness but of the dozen that were hit by it only one remained standing and he in all his infinite thug knowledge decided to split.

Catalyst's approach was less pin point accuracy. Much, much less. As Arrowhawk pulled several arrows out and shoot through the crowd, moving from behind the van in the cover of the fog Catalyst loaded exactly one paintball into the gun. Steady she took the steps as she stood behind the van before shooting in the dead center of either side of the fighting thugs. The paintball burst into the center of the mass and at first nothing happened. However, once the pepperspray settled several thugs were gasping and riving over the addition to the smoke one or two even dropping there weapons to cover their mouths. The ones who managed to stand the wave of pepperspray shot into the fog trying to take out the source, though one managed a hit Catalyst saw it coming and rolled with it so it didn't so much as bruise her in the process.

[Ecalsneerg]

Arrowhawk let out a short, harsh laugh at the chaos, admiring how the girl had managed to synthesise a pepper spray compound effective over such a large area. "Alright," he growled, amusement still evident in his voice.

He cast his cloak open wide, so that any who could somehow see through the thick, cloying smoke and painful burn of pepper spray could see a huge bird shape illuminated in the air, a bleak black silhouette. "Drop your weapons, and get down on the ground, and this will go much easier for you all. Don't? And we'll keep shooting."

[Aoiroo]

Through the thick fog, the silhouette was impossible to see, but the voice was loud and clear and several of the thugs got the message backing away and discarding their weapons. Others gripped their weapons unsurly and at least one managed a shot in the fog in his direction. It did nothing but wiz by the cowled figure however. Catalyst let out a sigh and switched rounds as she looked over at the ones who didn't comply,

"You know, we're trying to be a bit nice here. But I guess those who didn't go with option A will have to settle with option B."

Lining up her gun she shot out a few shots that at first did nothing that could be seen. But quickly at the feet of those who still gripped their pistols a thick dense foam began to form and creep up there legs. Only two people managed to jump out in time to not be ensnared by the foam others struggled against the dense foam as it formed itself around the body and held them in place. One of the ones who did manage to get away shot a fire in the direction of the foams original but missed by a mile,

"Huh, still two left. You want to take care of them then? I'll go ahead and call the cops to pick up the rest."