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Who: Eusine, Miko and (eventually) Neku
Where: makin' my way downtown
When: a DRAMATIC, DANGEROUS NIGHT full of TERROR aka March 11 probably
What: The Mysticalman and Miko are both investigating the cyborg situation. Neku gets caught up in the excitement and by excitement I mean everyone but Eusine gets their ass kidnapped because we can't have nice things.
Warnings: evil cyborgs and people with a fondness for reckless self-endangerment

When confronted with the threat of hideous mutant beasts, a reasonable man might barricade himself at home, find reassurance with a group of friends, or perhaps even try to figure out where he put his blasted shotgun since last time the aliens invaded. What a reasonable man most certainly would not do, however, is run right into the middle of the fray out of sheer unbridled curiosity despite having powers that roughly have the destructive power of a wet fart.

It will come to absolutely no one's surprise that Eusine is not a Reasonable Man.

He had noticed the odd increase in pet disappearances those past few months (when you spend as much time looking for magical beasts as he does, you tend to end up in strange corners of the internet,) but he'd chalked them up to the work of some kind of carnivorous mythical creature. Nothing could possibly have prepared him for... this. "Mutant cyborg" seems too nice a description, really. These things are messed up.

When he spots a particularly nasty snoutless dog-machine hybrid, he decides to investigate more closely, grim curiosity stronger than the feeling of revulsion brewing in the pit of his stomach. He lands in a nearby alley, just around the corner; you can't exactly take a good look at something when you're zipping past with rocket shoes, and no one will say the Mysticalman is not thorough. When he's confident he's found a clever hiding spot (behind a mangled, upturned trashbin - whatever happened here?) he opens a compartment on his left gauntlet, taking out what appears to be a small pair of opera binoculars, and begins spying on the unsuspecting monster.

There's no way anyone - or anything - can spot him, really. Men in bright spandex and capes are notoriously inconspicuous.

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"Dude! Do you mind?!"

As it turns out Eusine is not the only one around here with no sense of self-preservation and a really odd idea of what makes a good hiding place.

Miko, already crouched in the alley, was first alarmed, and then annoyed when some guy with rocket boots abruptly landed in front of her, obstructing her view of the gross dog-robot-thing she had been taking pictures of.

Now she reaches out to grab at his shoulder, scowling. "If you wanna get a better look, then find your own hiding place, got it?" Okay, it may be a bit late for that, and this guy might be a superhero if the weird clothes are anything to go by, but he sure isn't anyone she's heard of and she's not backing down now dammit.

When something grabs his shoulder, his first reaction is to yelp and jump to the side. He almost activates his rocket shoes again; after all, the only things still out and about are gross cyborg monsters, and he's not about to let these put their creepy human hands on him.

Despite the mask, the relief is evident on his face when he realizes said human hand was, in fact, attached to the perfectly normal human body of what seems to be a perfectly normal human girl. It's immediately followed by a slightly peeved expression, as it kind of feels like it's the millionth time he's made a fool of himself in front of a lady since he set foot in America, and finally registering what the girl said doesn't exactly help unruffle his feathers.

"This is my hiding place!" he snaps back, annoyed both at the girl for having the gall of picking the exact same spot, and at himself for not noticing her sooner. His frown of discontentment quickly turns into a more interrogative one, however. "What are you doing here, anyway? I thought this place was off-limits!"

Well, most people would consider it off-limits, at least. It's not like they're forbidden from going outside, but civilians tend to avoid the whole "gross mutants" thing.

"I'm a journalist, I'm doing my job!" Okay so that argument didn't have much effect last time she used it, but this time the guy's at least a human, so that's something. She holds up her camera, as if to demonstrate 'see, I'm taking pictures of them, that totally justifies being here'.

"What about you?" She eyes him critically; now that she gets a better look at him, she's not quite sure what to think. The guy's dressed like a stage magician on crack, and honestly he has yet to display any particularly heroic behavior. "Please don't tell me you're a superhero."

Now that elicits the mother of all indignant responses.

"What else would I be?!" His voice may or may not be ten times too loud for someone trying to be stealthy. He huffs some more, before throwing his cape back in a dramatic way. "I am... the Mysticalman! Daring hero and champion of justice! Surely you have heard of my heroic deeds!"

Journalists totally care about random D-listers, right?

To Miko's credit, she give that about a second of thought before shaking her head emphatically. "Never heard of you, man."

Normally she's willing to give little-known heroes some attention, if only in the hopes that they'll blow up and she'll be able to say she 'discovered' them, but this guy? Doesn't seem likely.

Besides, there are mutant cyborgs to watch. She lifts her camera again, turning her attention back to the dog-thing. Honestly she's also just ignoring him to be contrary at this point.

He's more hurt by the fact she's never heard of him than the fact she now appears to be ignoring him in favour of the monster. It's totally because as a FELLOW INVESTIGATOR he knows how important it is to keep an eye on this thing, and absolutely not because he's used to being ignored.

No, really.

"If you haven't, you soon will! Someday, the entire world will know of my amazing exploits!" he proclaims, before bringing his binoculars to his eyes again. He actually remains quiet for a little while, the silence only broken by the sound of his (weirdly hi-tech) binoculars zooming in and out, before asking: "You say you're a journalist... Have you uncovered anything about these... things?"

He tries to sound casual, but he can't quite keep the disgust out of his voice.

"Uh-huh. Sure." She responds as noncommittally as she can to his boasting. She's actually a bit surprised when he stops talking - and vaguely disappointed, if she's honest with herself. Arguing and passive-aggressiveness are at least more fun than just sitting around in silence.

When he asks about her progress, though, she sighs. "Not nearly as much as I'd like," she mutters. "It's probably safe to assume they're connected to all the disappearances, but if I could just figure out what they're actually doing-" She makes a frustrated noise and shakes her head.

"Anyway, besides that, they're really gross and they're everywhere." She pauses for a moment, then turns a bit toward him. "So, are you actually French, or is that just part of the whole magician thing?"

Please Miko, this is a Serious Situation. Sometimes a man has to be quiet to-

"What does that have to do with anything?!"

Well, if that's any solace it's easy to get him flustered. He looks a bit annoyed that she'd ruin the dark and tense monster-watching moment... but then again, the thing doesn't seem to have noticed them, and he does so love talking about himself.

"But if you must know... Why, yes, I happen to find my roots in the most beautiful city in the world! The capital of art and haute cuisine, where young love comes to grow and bloom!" He puts one hand on his heart, the other held high in a dramatic fashion. "Ah, how sweet the breeze tastes when spring is in the air, and how the Seine glimmers~!"

Of course, the fact the dog cyborg didn't notice them doesn't mean nothing else will.

Undoubtedly, Miko is fully prepared to shoot some snide remark right back at him, but she never gets a chance. Because at that exact moment, something approximately human-sized, metallic, and uncomfortably fast lands with a ground-shaking thud between them.

Miko jumps back reflexively and screams, then immediately tries to pretend she didn't just scream. "Wh- what the fuck!"

Eusine also shrieks when the cyborg drops right next to them, but he doesn't spend any time pretending it didn't happen: he immediately grabs Miko by the arm, throwing the both of them onto the ground behind the monster with a "Look out!!!", just in time to avoid the large cybernetic hands sweeping at them.

Under normal circumstances (or at least as normal as they get when you're being attacked by a mutant monster straight out of the uncanny valley) it might have been a good occasion to regain their footing... but Eusine hadn't counted on it being quite that fast, and the blasted thing is facing them again in no time flat.

This day is really not going As Planned.

Miko yelps again as Eusine pulls her out of the way of the monster, then tries to scoot away as it turns to face them again. There's a vague idea in the back of her mind that, with her camera still hanging on the strap around her neck, now could be a good time to get some close-up shots - but even as she starts scrambling to her feet, she knows she can't really afford to have her hands occupied at the moment.

"Okay," she gasps, "If you've got any kinda powers that could, you know, kill that thing or chase it off or something, that would be really welcome right-"

She's cut off as the thing charges once again, reaching for them without much in the way of specific aim, but it's definitely coming and coming fast.

He opens his mouth to reply that he doesn't carry anything that could permanently harm a human, let alone a cybernetic mutant (who on top of everything else doesn't appear to have any glass parts he could mess with,) but he's cut short by the monster suddenly charging at them at high speed.

He doesn't have the time to think. He quickly produces a smoke bomb out of his sleeve and throws it at the floor, before pulling Miko's arm once again and bolting towards the back of the alley. This should give them some time to come up with a better strategy, preferably one that involves the civilian girl getting to safety and himself bravely defeating his opponent through cunning and daring moves so it doesn't attack anyone ever again. He can still hear the creature's footsteps, but they seem to have slowed down - whatever it is, it doesn't appear to be especially intelligent.

Or it's intelligent enough to know not to rush into a wall of smoke, which is a prospect Eusine finds slightly more worrying. He does have a tendency to mix his smoke bombs with a sleeping agent, but it's not exactly as viable a strategy when you only have one gas mask for two.

"What about you? Do you have any powers?!" he can't help but ask, as they run along the smoke-filled alley. She said she was a journalist, but it's not like there are any laws preventing superpowered people from having boring normal jobs.

She takes the smoke bomb-and-running combo as a 'no' as far as combat-based powers, and grimaces when he turns the question back on her. "If I did, do you think I would be running away right now?!"

As the smoke fills the alley, she finds herself covering her mouth and nose with her free arm - which, on the bright side, means that it's not her face that slams into the back wall of the alley.

"Oow- GODDAMMIT!" She staggers back, staring at the dead end in front of them, of COURSE this alley would end up with a dead end, because why the hell shouldn't this get worse.

She glances over her shoulder; the smoke is still there (what does he put in this stuff, she's pretty sure that's not normal smoke), but it's starting to clear a bit, and once it does they won't have much time, if any.

Her gaze lands on the crumbling brick walls surrounding them, and she digs her fingers into the gaps surrounding a loosened brick, hauling it out and holding it up like a very inefficient club. "Okay, fine, if that's how this is gonna go..."

At the very least, it can't really be claimed that she doesn't try.

Up until now, Neku has been actually avoiding engaging in combat needlessly. Okay, so he's still getting used to the whole "helping people" thing... he's out on patrol, as anyone who has powers probably would be considering all the shit that is going down, but he has really only been starting shit where there are people immediately in danger. Otherwise... see a cyborg minding its own business? Walk on by.

He's been doing pretty well at that too, keeping to the rooftops and making a quick dash when needed to avoid trouble finding him, but when he hears Miko swearing a few buildings over he figures that his luck probably just ran out.

He dashes his way over to investigate, scope out the area... hopefully it's nothing?

Nope nevermind there's what appears to be an older girl and some weird dude in spandex getting aggressed by yet another shitty cyborg. He takes a moment to reflect ruefully about how life used to be so much simpler before he woke up in the hospital one day with the ability to fling cars around with his brain.

As the cyborg suddenly bursts through the smoke and charges in their direction, Neku picks up a patio table off of someone's nearby roof garden and brains the cyborg with it.

He hops down off the roof top, looking urgent and snaps at them both: "Take the opening, quick, run!

He's busy internally cursing about the fact his rocket spats aren't powerful enough to carry two people when a table comes out of nowhere and hits the cyborg straight in the head.

A wave of relief surges over him, quickly followed by one of self-confidence. He's all about last-second rescues; of course, he's usually in the shoes of the one doing the rescuing, but it's still familiar grounds, and for the first time since that thing got the drop on them he actually feels like he can do something. His usual tricks do require some set-up, and teaming up with this MYSTERIOUS STRANGER should give him more time to react.

Well, once they get Miko to safety. Keeping people out of harm's way is always his top priority. But with the cyborg down, there's no harm in taking a second to thank their rescuer now, is there?

"Thank you, my friend!" His demeanour isn't quite as exuberant as it usually is, but he still sounds inappropriately cheerful. "This is quite a bind we found ourselves in! Had you not arrived when you did... We would have been in a world of trouble!"

"Yeah, no kidding!" Miko lowers the brick slowly, making no move to follow Neku's command. As far as she's concerned, the monster is down and there's someone who can fight it, so running isn't a priority anymore.

Instead, she approaches the fallen cyborg, carefully, but not as carefully as she probably should be. Which is to say, she is definitely approaching it. "Holy shit these things are creepy. Where d'you think they're coming from?" Maybe she can get some pictures of it while it's down, too...

Neku does a double take and just gapes at them both. How reckless could you get!!?

He uses his telekinesis to actually lift Miko up a bit and move her back a few steps. "Are you both serious right now, those things are all over the place, you need to get moving!" he snaps tersely, pointing back down the alley way. Why did civilians have to be so dumb more often than not?

Eusine does notice the annoyance in Neku's voice... which, of course, only means it's easier for him to dismiss it.

"Well, it's like you said: those things are everywhere. It would be reckless to blindly rush out of here without knowing where the other monsters are located, now, wouldn't it!" he says, as if diving headfirst into trouble isn't something he does all the time.

"Whoa, hey-" Miko yelps indignantly as she's moved away from the robot; the moment her feet touch the ground again, she spins to face Neku.

"Seriously, dude?! You can't just lift people out of nowhere!" She points at Eusine, her attention completely removed from the monster now. "And spandex guy is right for once, those things are everywhere! At least this one's down!"

Of course, even as she is shouting about how much the cyborg does not pose a threat, it's starting to stir behind her.

Neku growls at Eusine and then turns to Miko, glaring back at her, face half hidden in his cowl but his eyes read as extremely unimpressed, until he catches the movement behind her... Then they're wide with shock, and he reels back, letting out a startled yelp.

"MOVE!! NOW!!"

And once again, he moves her without permission, except this time it's more of a throw than a gentle lift.

Edited 2014-05-02 19:22 (UTC)

He kind of objects to being called "spandex guy". He gave the girl his name almost as soon as he met her, geez.

Of course, the complaint becomes kind of irrelevant when the cyborg stirs again. He jumps to the side at the same time Neku flings Miko away, extending one gauntlet towards the monster before shooting some kind of sticky foam at its legs; nothing in his arsenal can hurt it, but hopefully he can delay it for a little while.

"A little while" really isn't going to be much.

"You!!" he points at Neku, for lack of a better way to grab his attention. "You're a telekinetic, aren't you? Can you throw that thing through a wall?!"

He squints in the darkness, his eyes frantically scanning the area for a way - any way - to lose the creature without risking coming across one of its brethren. Surely there must be a manhole somewhere, anything.

Neku doesn't really have time to respond because suddenly the Cyborg is lunging at him with an unusual fervor, like it's targeting him specifically or something. Neku manages to find his grit and leaps forward with a vicious psychic slash that sends it flying back into the opposing wall in a burst of brick and mortar.

"Um...!" he half shouts, turning to Eusine. "Does that work!?"

Miko does not take well to being thrown without warning, but as soon as she regains her footing, she's instinctively shielding her face in response to the cyborg's collision with the wall and the resulting cloud of debris.

This time, though, the cyborg doesn't stay down for long; almost as soon as it's back on the ground, it's charging again, still aiming for Neku.

"Hey- Look out!!" She grabs the brick again and moves to attack the cyborg with it.

This time it's Eusine who holds back Miko, thanks to the fancy superpower of having an arm capable of grabbing other arms (hey, not everyone has telekinesis.) This thing seems tougher by the minute, and he is definitely not about to let a powerless civilian hit a ridiculously strong cyborg with a piece of masonry.

"Are you insane?! It just hit an entire wall of these, what do you think a single brick will do?!" he barks, despite being sorely tempted to chuck a brick at their opponent himself - even if only to try to get it off Neku's back, the cyborg having been strangely single-minded about attacking him ever since he showed up. Not that he particularly enjoys getting assaulted by mannequin-like monsters, but the fact the creature won't even acknowledge him anymore is a bit insulting.

Actually... the cyborg's one-track mind might be an advantage. If he could blind the creature for a moment and then set up a hologram... yes, it might just work.

"Listen, I've got a plan!!!" he shouts at Neku, as he unhooks his cape and hurriedly pulls a great length of rope out of a gauntlet. "Try to keep its attention for a little longer!!!"

"Like I have any other choice?!!?" Seriously, this thing has him on the ropes. He's back against the opposite wall, dodging blows from the creature here and there and occasionally striking back with more slashes when he can get them in, but he can't seem to land any as well as he landed the first one. What was this things problem?

Miko wrenches her arm out of Eusine's grasp - why will nobody let her help dammit - and scowls at him. "Better than just letting it attack him!"

She doesn't attack again (for now) but she doesn't put the brick down either; if she's going to try again, she'll need to wait until she gets a better opening. Unfortunately she hates waiting.

She raises an eyebrow at... whatever it is Eusine is doing with the cape and rope. "Whatever this plan is, it better be good; that thing isn't letting up."

Now that he has a plan, he seems to have gotten a bit of his usual countenance back. "I think you will find this trick to your taste! For tonight... I will make this creature disappear!!"

Unfortunately for Miko - and fortunately for Neku - he doesn't bother explaining his plan further before setting part 1: cape boogaloo into motion; all he gives her is a cryptic wink, before putting his so-far useless rocket shoes to use. The jets sputter for an instant, light illuminating the alley in short, blinding bursts... and off he goes at high speed, trailing his long flowing cape behind him.

He raises his arms, and for a fraction of a second it looks like he's going to succeed in throwing the thick fabric at the cyborg's head... but despite the distraction the creature is once again too fast, and it's with astonishing reflexes that it grabs Eusine's leg in mid-air before flinging him into a wall, turning the rockets' momentum against their owner. His body hit the bricks with a worrying thud before falling to the ground; he still appears to be conscious, but barely.

Talk about anticlimactic.

Neku feels his stomach turn as he watches Eusine take that hit. Dammit, this was his fault, he was the superhero here, he was supposed to be protecting these people--

That moment of doubt leaves him frozen, which gives the cyborg enough time to turn around and deliver a punch right to his gut, knocking the wind right out of him. He crumples to the ground, gasping for air...

Oh fuck. Fuck. From where Miko's standing, it's looking an awful lot like Eusine is down for the count, and now it's turning on Neku again-

No sooner has the cyborg's fist made contact than Miko hurls the brick in her hand at it. "Hey! Leave him alone!"

The brick narrowly misses its target, clattering harmlessly to the ground; she tries to charge the monster, but it spins around once again, and there's little she can do to stop it as it grabs onto her, twisting her arms awkwardly behind her back and pushing her to the ground.

Struggling quickly proves to be ineffective, even more so when something sharp presses into her neck - there's a quick pinch, like a shot, and after a moment she falls limp.

Eusine can do nothing but watch as the cyborg neutralizes both Miko and Neku and carries them away.

If you can even call that "watch". His head feels strangely light, black dots swimming in and out of his field of vision, and his back screams in pain with every little movement. He's barely holding onto consciousness, and devoting all his remaining energy to not letting go of it. Fainting here and now, in the middle of cyborg territory, would be a death sentence; the one they fought might seem interested in capturing people alive - or some people, at least, as the monster showed now interest in kidnapping him, which he will definitely feel slightly offended about later - but it might not be the case for all of them.

He doesn't want to die alone and broken in a dirty back alley, this much he knows.

The second he regains his sense of balance (after the most anxiety-inducing half hour of his life,) he kickstarts his rocket shoes and flies away as fast as he can, as far as he can, his movements erratic as his injured body struggles to keep up with the effort. He will definitely come back to save his companions of misfortune. He wouldn't be able to live with himself if he didn't. But first... he'll need a weapon effective against those things, and he has an idea that might just work...

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