2014-08-18 - The Rider and the Roofus

It was one of those late, muggy summer days in Hell's Kitchen. Hot, sweaty, humid. The ground shaking..
"COME BACK YOU CURS!" Volstagg currently chasing a group of pickpockets who had yanked his coinpurse of all things, going at a full pace to try and keep up with said young curs.
Johnny Blaze is out for an evening ride, not in any particular direction or destination. Any no, there's no flaming skull or motorcycle going on. Just him on his bike during a decent day. But even he can feel the reverbation from the ground through the rumbling on his hog, pulling over to the curb. Yawning, he peers down the stree, along with random passerbys. That's not normal. Something shoves him from behind, a group of young men passing by and causing him to stumble. Stumbling a little, he frowns, before he has to almost jump out of the way of the rampaging Volstagg chasing after. "Ah." he finally puts two and two together.
Surprisingly for a man of his considerable bulk, Volstagg is managing to keep the pace with the youths who have taken his coinpurse, a trio of young teenagers running away at high speed, curious faces looking out from the sides of buildings or windows over at the escapade - probably moerso at the light shaking than naything else.
"COME BACK YOU MISCREANTS!" Volstagg is, at least, getting some exercise!
"Huh." John non-verbal observation is more to himself. Glancing at his bike, he reaches into a pack, pulling out what looks to be a length of chain. He starts to twirl, getting momentum, there's something etheral about whips come off it as he holds. Then like a lasso, he lashes it forward, trying to ensure the one clutching the purse around the ankles, much like how a bolo does something similiar. "Looks like you got something that don't belong to ya, kid." he calls out.
The tossed out chain catches the trio over by the feet, sending them all sprawling then right as the one that had Volstagg's coin-purse drops it, it landing over by Johnny's feet. Volstagg the Voluminous goes, "HAH! A fine shot human! I thank thee much for thine aid then in recovering what is mine!" Volstagg bent over, his hands resting on his knees.
The chain snaps back like a rubber band, rolling it's way across his chest, securing itself. "I once knew a guy that could swindle you out of your last dollar." John says, reaching down to grab the purse, boucning it lightly in his palm. "Now, here's the option here." he notes down at the purse snatchers. "You run now, and I'll forget I saw you. Or you can stay and make an issue outta this. I wouldn't really recommend that. For your own good." There's a glance given back at the large Asgardian sucking air behind him. "Besides, I doubt you really want him to get his hands on you, yeah?" He sidesteps. "Get out of here before someone else changes my mind." Then he tosses the small bag at Volstagg. "Might want to invest in wallet, padre."
Volstagg catches it when tossed back, and the trio decide that discretion is the better part of valor and beat it. Volstagg chuckles, and rescures it to his belt, "What be this wallet you speak of, Midgardian? For I have seen and heard many references to such a thing, but have not discovered what such a thing be! Ancd come! For let it not be said that Volstagg the Valiant does not reward those who come to his aid in the principality of MIdgard! Wherefore might we find the nearest tavern in this fine realm?" It was not often one heardHell's Kitchen called 'fine'. Which probably got a few 'wait, what's' going on
"Ooooh, I shoulda picked up on that awhile ago." Johnny rubs the back of his head. "Yeeeeah, ah..." sighs, reaching into his back pocket, pulling out his wallet. "This. This is a wallet. You know, goes in a pocket, so your goods just aren't dangling out there for anybody to grab at." For a moment, he looked like he was going to explain further, but then he realizes that that's probably pointless. "Okay, yeah, sure. Uh, just because it's called 'Hell's Kitchen' doesn't really mean there's a lot of places to eat."He peers at him for a moment. "You're oneah Thor's buddies, right?"
There was a laugh from Volstagg, "A pocket? For what would Volstagg wish for such a thing? What doth I look like, Frigga?" Glancing over at the wallet, "Fine craftsmanship for such a thing!" Inspecting over at it iwth a nuanced grin and then nodding over as he went to rearrange his belt then. "And I am sure that we can find such an establishment within this area. And yes, I be Volstagg the Valiant, of the Warrior's Three, Thor's honored allies and comrades!"
Johnny Blaze opens his mouth, then shuts it. No, probably just for the best that he not say anything, putting his wallet away. "Just saying maybe it makes it makes harder to snatch is all." He nods. "Volstagg. Right, I've heard of you. Yeah, I've...worked with Thor before." He uses the term loosely. "Long time ago." Resigned to the fact that he's stuck in Hell's Kitchen for the time being, irony doesn't really escape him. "Got your heart set on it, so...ah, hell, sure, alright. I can't say I know too many places. And ah, I'm Johnny Blaze."
There is a quirk of the brow from Volstagg, and then a loud laugh, "And any friend of Thor's is as well a friend of Volstagg's! Come, and tell me then of your friendship with the Mighty Odinson!" This was accompanied by an attempt over at a hearty 'slap' aimed over at Johnny's back that would be normal by Asgardian standards, but fortunately would have enough of a warning in the buildup of the motion to brace for it or evade.
Not being Ghost Rider does at this particular moment does have some limitations. Like not having the physical prowess of the spirit. But it would be rude to evade that kind of thing, so he takes, even if he stumbles a little. A slightly awkward chuckle follows. "I can't say I really know him all that well. Just a few occasions where I found myself on the same side as the Avengers, that's all. It was awhile ago, like I said." There's a glance back at his bike. Should be fine while he's gone. He'd know otherwise.
Volstagg nods over and lets out a laugh then, walking forwards until he spots a bar, "In that case, as a friend of the Odinson and the valiant Avengers it is the least I can do for such an honorable spirit!" With that, Volstagg walked over and into the bar, which seemedto be pretty much a dive. Not seeing any food offerings in it, "Thou werest correct on the lack of kitchen here."
More irony, Johnny can't help but roll his eyes again. "You don't know the half of it." he mutters, walking inside. Sure, he looks like he could blend in here pretty well, all sunglasses, leather, denim, and whatnot. "Toldja. You don't come down here to eat. Though..." he turn to face him, ignoring the bar for the moment. "What are you doing in this part of town, exactly?"
There is a harrumph from Volstagg as he sits down, not hearing the first comment from Johnny, his stomach splurging over to rest on the table. "Thoust were correct." Glancing over. "And I am exploring. Midgard is a large land. And this fine city that THor doth protect and whence mine friend Fandral the Fair is so bespottled with."
Sitting down, Johnny takes a seat with his back to the wall, especially somewhere like this. "Explorin, eh? Well, alright, I guess I can respect that enough. But there are better places in New York than this. But I can't say otherwise, I was just driving through." Rubbing at his cheek, he looks mildly thoughtful. "I thought most Asgardians don't often come down here. Prefer to stay up in Asgard or whatever. I mean, Thor's an exception, sure. Earth...Migard, is alright. I suppose." Beat. "Fandral? Don't think I've heard of her."
There is a surprisingly thoughtful nod from Volstagg over at Johnny's comments then. "Aye." Glancing over, "Barkeep, someof thine finest mead and ale for mine companion and myself!" He goes on and grins, "Aye, but yes, for those parts of this Midgard that are finer onewould not find something worth exploring over in! One does not find richness without risk. And one shall not find glory without exploration."
Johnny Blaze blinks, mouthing the words 'two beers' as a clarification to the guy behind the bar. That and so they don't get anymore stranger looks than they're already getting. Appearing as if he's considering that last statement, he shrugs a little. "Okay, fair enough. And I can't say I haven't done much the same myself. Though I think I've found enough glory for the time being. Ever since the whole Merge thing, I've sorta been told to keep my nose clean by my..." he grunts, before ending with, "..boss." He dismisses that with a wave. "Anyways. You're just exploring? That's the long and short of it? You said you had a friend named Fandral here?"
Volstagg let out a cheerful nod, "Aye, I be here with mine friends Fandral the Fair and Hogun the Bold. Together, we be the Warriors Three! The Odinson hath requested our aid in helping to protect the realm of Midgard, and we have been honored by his request and have come in search then of adventure! Fandral hath particularly seemed to have taken a fancy to thine realm." The bartender has.. Probably seen weirder. But not much as he just sighs, and comes back over with two cups of draft.
"Huh, I've been out of the loop, I guess." Johnny admits. "You don't hear much of this out in the middle of nowhere. Work tends to take me to some...strange places. And my co-worker doesn't often take no for an answer when it comes to work. Very dedicated to his...er, our job." Right, people are more used to heroes being around in larger cities than the smaller rural areas he haunts. "Well, there's enough of that down here, that's for sure. Even with the number of metahumans running around."
Let's hear it for the big apple? Volstagg lets out a grin nad nods over at Johnny's words, "Aye. It is a fine place to test thine mettle in. And the smaller places brings readiness for the bigger ones!" At the mention of Johnny's 'co-worker' Volstagg quirks a heavy brow, "And what business doth thou and thoust associate perform in this Midgardian realm then?"
"Uh..." Johnny pauses, occupying himself by drinking his beer. "Bounty hunters." he decides upon. "Or a special field. Sometimes, people get away and they really shouldn't be let out. We capture them and send them back to where they came from. My boss takes the job pretty seriously. A very difficult guy to get along with. I was directed toward New York as there's a couple here that need to be picked up. Don't know exactly, but I'll find them eventually."
A laugh comes from Volstagg, "My, thou doth have an interesting profession! That is a thing that always brings itself adventure. I take it thou doth take those for whom hath done wrong in this Midgardian realm and whom hath escaped the vigilance of the protectors of the realms, and for whom they give out rewards for thier incarceration?"
The rewards is sort of it's own thing." John looks aside, as if trying to think to explain it properly. "But yeah, you more or less got it down. They get out, I track them down and send them back. Usually they don't want to but, they don't belong....outside. Sometimes, it requires me to travel to very different places that I'm not used. Or similiar but not exactly so. It's hard to explain, actually. Let's just say the job never really gets very boring. Well, at least when I'm not on the job. The time between, I just get to wander, but I prefer it that way."
Volstagg nods over, "Aye. Thou are taking those whom have done wrong and are bringing them to justice. For that, thou art performing a noble act. Particularly for those whom have escaped it and for those whose sake is desperate enough that the authorities have looked elsewhere for such things. Thou are a good man, Son of Blaze." Signalling the bartender for a refill.                             
"Justice is a word for it, yes." Johnny agrees quietly. As if randomly, he laughs, almost seemingly to himself. "Well. Thanks. Been a long time since someone said as much. Not really sure I believe it myself but. Shit, it's the thought that counts, I guess. And trust me, none of these...people that get out are good people. They're all bad people. It's a thankless job, sure, but it's a decent one."                      
Volstagg nods over, "Aye. Whether in Midgard or any of the Nine Realms, not everything is alway sgood or alwyas evil. There is a balance to all things. None are ever always right or wrong then, and there are many shades of grey. Even the Allfather himself doth not always see things clearly. Whence friend Heimdall.." Volstagg continues to muse.