2012-09-28 Mulberry Street Mob

Friday afternoon on Mulberry Street. Usually, the place is bustling but people seem tense today. There are fewer kids in Columbus Park, fewer grannies in the Tai Chi class... it looks more like a lousy Monday morning than a gorgeous Friday afternoon. Still, the trees in the park are just starting to turn and the air is as clear as it gets in New York. 
"I'm serious, there were aliens. Right there." Sam is walking down Mulberry Street with Bobby's hand in his and he points over at the park. "You can see where they haven't put new grass down on the blast marks." The aliens blew through a couple weeks ago, but that could explain why everyone seems a little 'off'. "Spider-Girl's not around so we should be safe to grab some dinner. Every time she and I get in the same spot, something goes wrong."
Bobby is still getting used to the whole thing but the feel of Sam's hand in his is a good one so he's going with it. "Aliens? Were they little, green, and trying to probe everyone?" Bobby jokes. He believes Sam, he just can't resist the joke. "I hear so much about this Spider-Girl. Going to have to meet her sometime and make sure she's not giving you trouble."
Nothing better on a Friday Afternoon than Chinese Food in Chinatown. Even if some of the places still cater to American tastes. And Tommy's in the mood for General Tso's and some other delicious fare. So is approaching where Sam and Bobby are holding hands and talking, the usual cigarette dangling from his lips. He's in human form at the moment, but with a touch of intended irony. As he's wearing a T-Shirt featuring the image of 'Wildcat' from Tale Spin on the front of it. So sue him, he may not have the blessing for the name... but he can enjoy poking fun at it. He perks a brow as the discussion of Aliens reaches his appraching ears, eyeing the two guys holding hands.
 
There's someone in the background - she's always in the background - posting fliers on lamp posts and handing them out to people. She's unassuming and small, a grubby emo kid who looks homeless. She's apparently made it all the way through this neighborhood because there's hardly anyone who hasn't been handed a flier... judging by the number of them in the trash cans and gutters. They're pretty much gibberish. Cramped writing and pure babble. 
The girl turns back down the street she just came from, glancing over her shoulder. The weird sense of tension in the neighborhood jumps a notch. Some people step out on their stoops, shop keepers and patrons step out of stores and eateries. People in the park pause and look around, eyeing each other with suspicion.
Sam isn't quite oblivious but, for the moment, he's busier sizing up the immediate potential concern - someone he doesn't know paying attention to him and Bobby - than looking around. "I'll make sure she shows up some time. But not when I finally get you to myself for a couple hours." He gives Bobby's hand a squeeze.
"Yeah, she doesn't get to crash this party. I'll give her a talking to some other time," Bobby replies, squeezing back. Tom just gets a 'got a problem?' look from Bobby but that's about it. When he notices all the people around and how tense they seem to be, Bobby frowns. "Hey, Sam..." he trails off. "Something's up..."
Where as in Tommy's case.... oblivious should be his middle name. His attention more on Sam and Bobby for the moment, than watching his surroundings. But then, he's in human form and other than the cigarettes... nobody is technically trying to kill him. Though he just noticed when his mind was a million miles away that he was kind of rudely starring at the two guys holding hands. Which earns a nervous chuckle and a rub of the back of his head. Especially when he assumes that Bobby's 'got a problem' face and Sam's 'something is up' face is both directed at him. "Hey... sorry, I didn't mean to stare. I mean, I have boy friends... err, I mean guy friends. I mean not like "friends friends"." And yes, he even does the finger quotes.
 
A whisper ripples through the people who are moving in their direction. It happens so quickly - one moment the streets are nearly empty and the next there's no chance of driving a car through. One moment the crowd is moving slowly and the next they've picked up the pace, starting to jostle as they bump up against each other. 
The eyes of the crowd aren't on Sam and Bobby but on Tom. One can catch words, in all varieties of Chinese and English, like "liar", "devil", "monster", "stop him". The only emptiness now is in a rapidly shrinking radius around where the three are standing on the sidewalk.
Now, Sam's paying attention to the situation developing around them. He just nods absently at Tom - "Yeah, no problem." - and lets go of Bobby's hand to put that arm around Bobby's shoulders while he backs up a step and evaluates their escape routes and the matter of outing themselves as mutants.
"This is about to go badly," Sam says, completely calm. Just sayin'.
The sudden flash mob of Tom-Hate prompts Bobby to arch both brows. That's definitely not normal. Now he's shooting Tom a 'what did you do?' look. He glances to Sam when the other puts that arm around him, nodding. 
"Pretty sure its already going badly," he says quietly, chilling the area just a little. No giving away mutant-ness yet, just chilling things down to try to discourage people from being outside.
Of course, no matter how oblivious Tommy tends to be... it's pretty hard to miss this. So once the 'Pod People' start advancing on him, Tommy turns around and starts backing towards Sam and Bobby. "Well... I feel popular. Never knew popularity came an overwhelming feeling of pants wetting terror." He offers, trying to be causal... but knowing he's likely going to have to shift out in the open, again. His least favorite activity. "Hey... heh... regardless of what you heard, I am not that great in the sack. But if you'd just form an orderly line... I'll flee the other direction. That way everyone wins." He backs into Sam and Bobby. "Hello again. We... uh, really need to stop meeting like this."
 
The crowd is growing louder and more insistent, things begin flying in Tom's direction. There's a miasma of pure paranoia that creeps over everyone and everything. It's not strong, it's simply -there- like a strange chemical on the air that one tastes with every inhalation. 
"Take him," the crowd whispers. "Peel him open." "Show his true face." "Make him known." "No more hiding."
Sam gets a shield up right quick, stepping away from Bobby to let him move as he wants. Bobby generally knows what he's doing at least as well as Sam, even though Sam's instincts are to get in the way of whatever's coming at them. 
While Sam is worried about their immediate safety, he sees someone in the crowd go down and hears a cry of pain. "Getting out of here isn't going to be enough," he says. Not enough for him, anyway. This has to be broken up. "Buddy, if I get you out of here, maybe some bad weather will convince these people to go home," he says, putting a hand on Tom's shoulder. Whatever this is about, the target doesn't deserve this.
"Woah woah woah.... I'm all for fans, but I'm totally against being peeled like an orange. Even on my most kinkiest days." Tommy offers with a nervous smile, as he's suddenly starting to get pelted by people with things. "Woah! Hey, it is not okay to throw! I feel as beloved as someone who sang the National Antham badly. Or someone who brings veggie dogs to a cook-out." Tommy is thankful for his two protectors, but it's not really fair to them. "Tommy." He offers to Bobby, rather than 'Buddy'. "No..... I can't let you two protect me. As flattered as I am at the offering." He shouts out to the crowd. "Ok, Mindless Masses.... what the hell do you want. Other than a free anatomy lesson?"
"Okay, yeah, that's not good," Bobby replies, looking around. "You should definitely take your bad jokes home, bro," Bobby pats Tom's other shoulder. Whoever this guy was, he probably didn't deserve being peeled open like an orange. He continues to drop the temperature in the area, frowning as things start flying. "Something is messing with these people," he speaks to Sam this time. "See one skulking in the shadows with fingers to their temples or making creepy puppet motions?"
 
Sadly, there's no one that obvious. Villains are upping their game lately. The crowd would be on them now save for Sam's shield that glows a little as people throw themselves against it and he uses the kinetic energy to reinforce it. Some of the crowd has devolved into panic and striking out at each other, others are falling under the weight of those behind them.
"That wasn't really an offer," Sam says, as close as he ever comes to snapping at anyone. "More of a warning. We have to go, and I'm the last bus out of here." Now, he's more worried about the crowd than Tom.
"So much for a quiet dinner together," Bobby remarks. He gets hit by a few thrown objects and grunts. There's a wince at Tom though. "Tommy...do not ever talk to the crowd of crazies. It doesn't end well," he says. "Right behind you," he offers to Sam, icing himself up quickly.
Well, at least he's in good company... but dammit he hates doing this in public. Sorta keeps the whole 'Tommy' and 'Werecat' personas from being separate, which he's been trying to do. Especially since he's not really into the whole heroic lifestyle thing. But it does seem to keep finding him. So regardless if Sam is planning to evac him, Tommy rips free of his clothes.... transforming into a werecat in front of everyone's eyes. "Is this what you wanted!?" Tommy shouts to the crowd, a feral feline snarl following that.
 
The crowd goes wild. That's not a good thing, this not being a rock concert. From all directions, more people are running into the mob, pushing those in front up against Sam's shields as he spreads them out like a fence, leaving an exit skyward for Bobby and him. 
"Sorry." Sam gets an arm around Tom, wraps them both in a secondary shield and takes off like a rocket, literally. He's edgy so his power blasts a black crater under his feel as he rises. Looking behind him, he waits to see Bobby clear before he lets the shields fall.
Bobby stares as Tom weres out, not expecting that at all. With the crowd going wild, Bobby curses under his breath. He's not sure how to fix this particular problem. As Sam blasts off, Bobby takes into the air after him on an ice slide. "I'm open to new things, Sam, but ask next time before bringing naked cat men home for threesomes," he jokes.
"Hey... wait... what!?" As he's grabbed by Cannonball, and not only that... is blasting into the sky. Of course, Tommy freaks out a bit... cause well, man wasn't meant to fly. But then, man wasn't meant to turn into catboys either. While it's clear they did need to get out of there, especially when his 'Wereing-Out' caused more insane chaos. Though Bobby's idle commentary earns a hidden blush, thank goodness for fur. "Woah... I'm flattered I was picked up, and I'm even willing to buy dinner in thanks. But we'll have to at least talk about that last one. And get me shit-faced."
 
The sudden disappearance of the target and the small amount of space created by Sam's shields collapsing doesn't help the riot much. It's pure chaos down there, quite possibly distressing in its purposeless violence. Still, the edges of the crowd, mercifully, are reversing. 
Sam lands himself and Tom on the roof of an apartment building at the far end of the park. "Funny, snowball," he calls to Bobby. "Think you can freeze them out a little more?" From here, he can see downed targets and he begins to carefully slide shields around those who look disabled. If he could identify a source, he'd aim for that but there's no one. Even if he could see her, the girl with the fliers is gone.
Bobby just grins at Tom. No need to explain he was joking. He hops off his quickly crumbling slide next to Sam and looks down at the crowd. "Short of hitting them with a mini-snowstorm, no."
Tommy drops into a crouch on the rooftop when he's deposited by Sam, peering down at the chaos below. "Jesus... what the hell happened?" The 'Wildcat' glances over at Sammy and Bobby, offering a sheepish smile in regard to the fact that he transformed infront of them. "How about some hail? Everyone hates hail?" Of course, Tommy has no idea what the two are capable of.
The police are coming on the scene, sirens wailing and lights flashing. That's the most effective thing that's happened so far. Perhaps they interject a dose of reality. As the crowd visibly shakes off whatever happened and recovers, Sam drops his shields in case he can be identified as the source. The cold around them is finally acknowledged, with some shivering and hugging themselves, looking about in confusion. 
"No idea what happened." Sam steps away from the edge to look Tom over again. No assumptions. Even if he's a mutant being chased by a mob, a guy can be at fault on some level. "I'm guessing a telepath. You didn't tick one off lately, did you?" -Sam- did, but... that's another story.
Stepping away from the roof as well, Bobby eases up on the cold. "Hail tends to hurt," he points out. "Telepath or maybe some kind of messed up puppet master guy. I heard there's one of those out there from a friend of mine," he remarks, shaking the ice armor off himself.
Tommy considers, trying to think over the last few days or so... shaking his head a bit. "Not that I know of. But karma seems to have an issue with me in general." Tommy hops back away from the edge of the roof, just in case he invites more pain on his life. "Thanks for the rescue though. I'm not really much of a 'Super Hero' type of guy."
 
"Yeah, well, it's not like there's a place to sign up for that." Sam runs a hand through his hair, looking uncomfortable with the idea. Anya is going to -kill- him, or at least web him in the face, if she finds out he didn't have any gear with him. "And it's not just you, the karma thing. Kinda going around." He looks over to Bobby. "Puppet master? I must have missed that one."
"It's from before I got back," Bobby remarks to Sam. "Yeah, karma's having a fit right now," he sighs. He starts to run his hand through his hair but pauses and runs it through Sam's hair instead. What? Yes, Bobby is a dork. "Maybe you just ran into a crowd of really extreme dog people," he jokes.
Tommy gives Bobby a look... sort of a 'Are You High?' kind of look. "I gather you're dating him for his looks?" Tommy asks of Sam, gesturing to the former Iced-Man. "Well, I really do appreciate the rescue. Is there... can I buy you guys dinner or something?" He wonders. After all, he's not sure how the etiquette is on this sort of thing.
 
Sam is laughing at Bobby being a dork when Tommy asks why they're dating. "Looks?" He's plain baffled for a moment, then he takes another look at Bobby. "Do you have looks?" he muses. Now that he thinks about it, well, yes. If one stops and thinks about it, Bobby's pretty damn cute. Sorry, Ma, it deserves a damn. "He's smarter than he lets on, though." 
"Up to you," he tells Bobby, nodding toward Tommy. He's pretty sure it would take a lot to keep Bobby from eating, it's just a matter of whether Bobby wants more company. "After all, you did want me to ask," he teases.
"Hey!" Bobby frowns at Tommy. "There's more to me than just this pretty face and smoking hot bod, Nude-Cat," he says, puffing out his chest and looking away. "Of course I have looks. I'm dead sexy," he replies to Sam. 
He considers the offer a moment. "Well, I usually don't turning down a meal but are you sure headin' out all fuzzy won't draw the crowd again?" he asks. He then throws an arm around Sam's shoulders. "Tempting but I don't want to share you until I've had a chance to enjoy you more on my own."
"Point. Well... we'll raincheck it then. Especially since I'm certainly not dressed for a night out." Not that you can see anything. Though Tommy means more in regard to the fact he can't change back without causing quite a scene. "Just call me Tommy." He snorts at Bobby, the whole 'Nude-Cat' thing ruffling his feathers...., err fur. He awkwardly rubs the back of his head when the flirting starts up again.
 
"Sure." Sam stops flirting with Bobby long enough to find one of his cards in his pockets, though he does slide an arm around Bobby's waist. The card is nearly blank. Just a phone number for an answering service and a throw-away email address. Sometimes it's best to keep it simple when you never know who you'll be when you have to trade numbers with people. He's started carrying them since getting the Outsiders together was such a pain in the backside at first. 
"Sam," he says. "Nice to meet you. "
Bobby stops the flirting too, just sticking close to Sam. He doesn't have a card but he does offer a hand. "Bobby. And its been a pleasure to save and meet ya."
Tommy offers a light smile and shakes both offered hands, as well as taking the card. "Thanks guys. I don't know what I would have done if you guys hadn't came along." He chuckles. "Anyway, I don't want to keep you. As they say, Two's Comapany.... Three's a Party." Clearly he has no issue with the two guys. Just a little awkward.
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