Re: Las Vegas - Gambling Mecca, Superhuman Showcase (Location 4)
Arthur hopped off the back of the pick up truck he'd been hitching on and waved a warm goodbye to the truck driver who'd been kind enough to bring him here. Turning round his head tilted back as he viewed the towering array of neon lined monuments and giant plasma screens that lit up the strip before him. He let out a low whistle, as thoughts about not being in Scotland no more drifted across his mind. He'd wanted to see this place for so long, a city where others like him could display their powers without fear of reproach or condemnation, it really was somewhere to cross off his bucket list.
A low growl from his stomach though reminded him of more immediate concerns. Gosh he was hungry, as it turned out hitching across the states with barely a dime in his pockets was above all else a really hunger inducing affair. Had to get some grub. With this mission in mind Arthur started making his way around looking for something like an affordable cafe or diner.
An hour later Arthur was as hungry as ever and had managed to do little more than stare forlornly at the prices on offer that were way outside his meager budget. Wandering rather dejectedly now, his self pity was suddenly cut through by what sounded like a racking cough of pain followed by a few wheezing breaths from a nearby alleyway. Worried that someone might be in distress, Arthur quickly made his way to the mouth of the dark alley, instinctively raising an invisible barrier around himself.
Dimly illuminated by a flickering wall light someways overhead was a sight that shocked Arthur. Two heavy set men in suits were standing over a much smaller and badly bloodied fellow, who was the source of the pained intakes of breath, as he lay crouched up on his knees and elbows. As the bloodied man tried to get up one of the heavy set ones kicked him right in the side sending him crashing onto the floor, causing a fresh cough of blood from the man. This seemed to amuse the two heavyset fellows as they both chuckled callously at the injured man's reaction.
"Hey! Stop that, leave him alone." The words were out of Arthur's mouth before he really had time to think as he took a few steps forwards. The chuckles stopped from the pair of thugs as they turned their attention to the comparatively scrawny Arthur. The one closer to him turned to face Arthur fully. "Better leave now boy, while you're still walking." To underline the threat, the thug very deliberately brought the back of his right fist into Arthur's vision, showing off a rather intricate looking tattoo. Also what Arthur had thought was a set rings lining the man's fingers turned out actually to be a rather wicked looking knuckleduster.
"Sure thing. Just let me take that guy with me, he really looks like he needs a doctor." Arthur continued his approach, only stopping when he was right in front of the knuckleduster wielding thug. As Arthur leaned around to try and get a better look at the injured guy, the thug struck, swinging a meaty, metal lined fist right at Arthur's face where it came to an abrupt halt an inch or so from his right eye with a sickening crunch as at least two of his fingers broke from slamming right into Arthur's psionic barrier. The thug cried out in pain cradling his now wrecked hand as he backed away dropping to one knee from the sudden shock.
"Oh jeez, you ok? Your hand, look maybe we could all go to some hospital together?" As Arthur leaned over the stunned man he wasn't paying any attention to the guy's partner and so didn't notice the baseball bat that now came swinging at the back of his head. Again though the effect wasn't really what the man intended as rather than splattering Arthur's brains all over the alley floor, the bat instead ricocheted right off his psionic barrier back into the assailants own forehead knocking him out cold. "You guys really need to be more careful you know. Um... look maybe you can help out your friend and I'll get the guy you were both wailing on some help, deal?"
Taking the somewhat incredulous and stunned look from the still conscious bruiser as a tentative yes, Arthur made his way over to the still groaning man covered in blood. "Hi there, looks like you could do with a hand. Come on lets get you up and to a doctor, easy does it." As Arthur carefully helped lift the man up to his feet, giving him a shoulder to rest on, the first gunshot went off, striking his barrier near his left rib cage before deflecting off into the brickwork of the alleyway wall. Looking back Arthur saw the thug with a broken hand, was standing now, a revolver in his left hand. He squeezed off two more shots, both still bouncing harmlessly off Arthur's barrier which he'd extended now to also shield the injured man. One bullet though ricocheted upwards smashing through the upper quadrant of an overlooking window.
"That's just too dangerous." Arthur raised his hand as he spoke creating a field around the gun and dragging it forcefully to one side, intending to disarm the thug. What Arthur hadn't figured on though was the man clinging for all he was worth to the weapon, so that he too was suddenly jerked bodily to one side crashing face first into the metal ladder of a partially lowered fire escape walkway.
Oh dear. Arthur thought to himself as he surveyed the now pair of unconscious men strewn about the alley. Go on, who are you kidding? Admit it, hurting them was fun...
"No! I was just trying to help, they hurt themselves." Arthur retorted out loud against the whispers in his mind. There followed a rather derisive and cruel laugh that seemed to only gradually fade away from his thoughts. Only after a considerable pause did Arthur realise that the man he was holding was speaking also.
"Hey I ain't disagreeing with you. We got to get out of here, it ain't safe. My car its just round the corner."" The man had a certain confused look in his eye, like he was wondering if Arthur had all his marbles, and Arthur could hardly blame him.
"Yes ofcourse, lets go." Arthur helped the bloodied stranger make his way out of the alleyway and to a beat up old sedan. Easing him into the back, Arthur fished his keys out of some blood spattered jeans and soon they were pulling away, just as the sound of police sirens could begin to be made out in the distance. "Um so I am not really from around here. Is there some hospital I can take you to?"
"No. No hospitals, too risky, bound to check there. I have a friend who can patch me up, just follow my directions." The man sounded serious so Arthur just nodded and drove as he was directed, but curiosity quickly got the better of him.
"So you in some kind of trouble?"
"Hah! What gave it away? Just about always, but this time I am not so sure I'll see the other side of it."
"Those guys back there, they were enjoying beating on you. With enemies like that maybe you need to lay low for a while."
"Not built for that I am afraid. Anyways its my job to not lay low round people like that."
"You a cop or some such?"
"Reporter. Clinton Rice of the Nevada Bulletin, at your service. Although you aren't really catching me on my best day. So you'll forgive me if I can't quite manage to lean forward to shake the hand of my savior. Clinton let out a pained groan as they made their way over a rather nasty pot hole.
"Sorry about that. Arthur Coin, and I ain't no savior, just doing what anybody else would've." Arthur tried his best to not hide his face a little from Clinton as it went a slight shade of pink at the embarrassment from being dubbed a savior.
"Don't sell yourself short man, barely a soul in this city would've put themselves out there to help me like you did, makes you a hero in my book. So let me say this before I drift off into some pain induced coma. Thank you Arthur, not sure I'd seen another sunrise without you. Here we are, pull over to that building on the left, my friend's number 21B."
"Glad to help Clinton." Was all Arthur could think to say, lame as it was. A hero huh? Arthur liked the sound of that.
While helping Clinton up into the apartment building neither man noticed the black jeep parked a little further down the road, or the man behind the wheel who pulled out a phone after they'd entered the building. "Found him. He has someone helping him, don't recognize him." There was a slight pause as he listened to the answer. "Understood." As he pocketed the phone, lit up momentarily by its light was a tattoo on the back of his hand, the same tattoo as was on the thug's hand that Arthur had broken earlier that night.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:35, Tue 05 May 2015.