This Is My Life. This Is My Song. I'll Fight The Powers That Be.

[vesper_verde]

Marcelo had started regular patrolling in earnest when he wasn't trying to spend the night with Stephanie. It felt good to get the suit on. It covered his scars well and he had added a little protection to the spots where a sword had run straight through his body. In addition to his normal patrols, he used what little superhuman power he had to keep tabs on what Sebastian Shaw was doing. Since he could listen to things at a distance and fine tune his hearing from there, he tried to be careful not to blip on any of Shaw's cronies' radar.

Though that was where he picked up Shaw had put a bounty on Marcelo Alencar da Silva's head. The target wondered if this was the first time the same man had bounties on his head for two separate identities. He doubted it, but he liked to think he was pioneering in some way.

Ignoring the tabloid stories about him and Stephanie being on the rocks was easy enough since Marcelo didn't read tabloids nor did he have a secretary who did anymore. It was harder to ignore Helena when she scheduled a visit with him during office hours. The hour-long visit started pleasantly enough. It actually lasted that long because despite his small, almost heartfelt prayers, no business came up to interrupt the visit with his ex. It turned slightly awkward when she started sounding out if the tabloid reports were true or if Stephanie had gone to rehab or something of the sort. Then it got into well-controlled infuriating when Helena casually brought up some information she gathered about the time Stephanie and Marcelo weren't together. Marcelo was more than happy to escort Helena from his office after the hour was done.

He wasn't quite sure what the future had in store for him, but the Brazilian billionaire figured everything but the impending wedding would give him a headache at the very least.

Comments

Re: In Mutant Town

[ngm_marauders]

The first step was a refraction of light around the area, through Prism's mass and into a blinding flash, which was followed almost immediately afterwards by a laser-like beam directed directly in the area of his Tesla's gas tank.

He couldn't wait to hear what Harpoon thought about that when it blew up and killed the bastard right where he stood.

[vesper_verde]

Marcelo yelped and staggered sideways at the blinding flash of light. He'd moved sideways to avoid something incoming. Or that was the hope.

He was blinking and rubbing his eyes when something hit his car behind him. It might have been an impressive explosion if the electric car had a gas tank.

"The hell...?" He blindly ducked for cover and tried to move toward something less precious to him than his car. Like the side of a building. It would cut down on the angles of attack at least.

[ngm_marauders]

Idiot Harpoon thought as Marcelo went careening around the edge of a building. Though in truth, it might've succeeded in bringing down the target, even if it was too messy. But maybe it was just as well, becuase Marcelo was coming closer. Harpoon didn't try to do anything fancy, just strike fast and hard from the shadows, his slayspear aimed directly for Marcelo's heart.

[vesper_verde]

Marcelo pressed his back against the building as he tried to blink away the dancing spots in front of his eyes. He tried to concentrate on his hearing to assess the situation. Or at least hear someone other than himself breathing.

Though his vision cleared just as someone emerged from the shadows with something sharp and pointy aimed at his chest. Stuck between a building and stabby, he dropped. He went loose in the knees to let gravity drag him into a crouch he could spin away from his assailant from.

[ngm_marauders]

Prism immediately jumped at the chance to attack the rolling figure with beams of refracted light, which he could use even in relative darkness, thanks to a power enhancement that Sinister had given him some time ago. It considerably increased his value. As for Harpoon, he was out in a flash moving around Prism's blast.

For such a squat man, he was fast on his feet. This time, though, his slayspear was glowing and transformed into energy. This one would detonate like a flashbang, all light and sound, hopefully enough to stun Marcelo.

Genetic enhancements would keep him able to function.

[vesper_verde]

One thing about one of the martial arts he had studied, he was not going to stay still to be an easy target. His spin out move turned into a ginga. One of his assailants had powers, so he was going to assume the other would as well.

Right now, he went toward the one who hadn't attacked him at a distance yet. Though the glowing spear was not heartening.

Marcelo spun low with a hooked foot aimed at yanking the spear-wielder's leg out from under him. The only part of his body touching the ground was his left hand he was using for balance.

[ngm_marauders]

Harpoon could tell that this one was more of a fighter then they'd been told. He liked that. It would be an honor to kill him. And the man in turn would have a warrior's death. Prism would keep harassing him from a distance, but Harpoon wanted to get this close. He was impressed at the man's agility.

Harpoon was a born hunter, though, and he managed to leap over the low kick, trying to flash his spear against the man's belly while he twirled so gracefully.

[vesper_verde]

Marcelo twisted his body in midmotion. Years of training with this fast, fluid style meant he had a flexibility at his beck and call to help him not get skewered like a shrimp on a fork.

He placed his right hand on the ground as he used momentum and strength to kick up both feet into the man's chest.

Though those harassing blasts were getting closer, he needed to get one immediate threat out of the way first.

[ngm_marauders]

Kicking Harpoon was a bit like kicking a brick wall. Physics determined that the guy would be knocked back on his ass. But there was no breaking of ribs or any sign that he was much more than inconvenienced by the blow. It did, however, get him off of Marcelo's back immediately.

Prism on the other hand was continuing to be annoying, blasting Marcelo with his lasers. He tried to refract the ambient light around him in such a way that Marcelo would be totally blinded, making him vulnerable to his attackers.

[vesper_verde]

This was not what they meant by bright lights, big city. Marcelo was certain of that.

At least the brick wall of a man was off of him for the moment. Marcelo spun to his feet. He danced back while pulling something out of his pocket. He slipped his Oakley Batwolf sunglasses on.

"Yeeeaaah."

[ngm_marauders]

One moment was all it needed for Harpoon to get back on his feet and throw a slayspear at Marcelo, this one transformed into a deadly energy form that could potentially vaporize the Brazilian. Harpoon doubted his sunglasses would protect the arrogant fool from that. Without missing a beat, he drew another slayspear and advanced onto Marcelo, ready to kill him in hand-to-hand combat if need be.

Prism, clearly trying to beat Harpoon to the punch, warped a brilliant flash of light around himself into a great lance of light and heat, one that seemed capable of sustaining itself, much like a magnifying glass catching the sun.

[vesper_verde]

"Fudeu a tabaca de chola," he muttered to himself. He saw the energy coming right for him. He paused for the merest of instants to get the timing right. Then he did a back handspring, bending backwards as the energy spear sped just above his chest. He would have blinked at the energy being cold had he not had more pressing concerns at hand.

He bounced backward and then used a nearby wall to bounce his way into another direction to avoid the attack from Mr. Sparkles.

He needed to get somewhere where the attacks came from one at a time. Marcelo had been to Mutant Town enough to know where Stephanie had construction going. He went around a corner and flat out ran toward a construction site.

[ngm_marauders]

Prism ran with Marcelo, forced to break off his sustained burst and simply trail the other man. The way his powers worked, it was hard to attack while moving. Harpoon on the other hand, seemingly melted into the urban scenery, more confidant in the shadows. He was tracking Marcelo closely, though.

Prism was annoyed, that this bleating sheep was giving them an unexpected bit of trouble. He wanted to get back, get paid and drink away his money as was his usual habit.

Harpoon just wanted to smell Marcelo's guts and feel his warm lifeblood spill out. While Marcelo rain, a slayspear streaked out of the shadows, this one laced with far less energy, just enough to make it fly straighter and faster.

[vesper_verde]

Marcelo spotted the tall fence surrounding one of the construction projects. Thankfully, some lidded trash cans were outside the fence. He aimed for those. It would be easier to go up and over than fiddle with opening a gate.

Mindful of the people he was facing could attack at a distance. He zigged and then zagged slightly to throw off their aim. He reward for remembering not to run in a straight line was a spear of crackling energy flying right by his ear. He reached up and rubbed his ear to get warmth back into it. The last thing he needed was to lose an ear to frostbite.

His feet pounded against pavement before he leapt on top of the trash cans in a brief stop before jumping up to vault over the top of the fence.

[ngm_marauders]

Prism blasted his way through the fence leading up to the construction site. He stopped for a second to blast Marcelo again. Harpoon on the other hand, remained largely invisible, though Marcelo could probably hear enough to know that he was still around. Disturbingly, the man sounded like he was ahead of Marcelo.

[vesper_verde]

Well, rushing into spear-throwing man did not sound like a good option. Though how that adversary got ahead of him was beyond Marcelo's ability to discern at the moment. He chalked it up to being superpowered.

The chunks of fence were still raining down when Marcelo spun around and charged at the freshly made hole. He used his dodge to the side to start his ginga again. Just for a moment then he was in a semi-crouch with his forward arm swinging down toward the ground. As he stepped around with the motion of his arm, the leg he was not going to kick with bent to keep his torso lower and out of the way. His kicking leg stayed straight as he used the torque to explode a half moon shapped kick toward the sparkly mutant's torso.

[ngm_marauders]

Call it a fortunate shot, but the kick seemed to have the desired influence as the mutant not only went down, but actually broke into big ragged, razor-sharp chunks against Marcelo's feet. Prism's face took on a horrified, surprised look just before that too clattered to the ground and broke.

Harpoon remained at large, however.

[vesper_verde]

"Meu pau de óculos..." Marcelo stared for a moment at what he had done. He hadn't meant to... kill the man. Just knock him out.

Though he pushed that concern to the back of his mind. It was something for later. Instead, he ran back out the hole and over the crunchy bits of the shattered mutant.

He still had one assassin after him. He thought the better point of valor of the moment was to get away while he was not dead.

[ngm_marauders]

Harpoon's lips curved slightly at the kick. So the man had some fight in him. He liked that. He did wonder, idly, why Sinister hadn't dispatched someone like Arclight to deal with the situation. But that was neither here nor there. When the man paused for the slightest of moments, he threw a pair of slayspears as quickly as he could, each one charged with a high dose of energy.

Much as he wanted to feel the warmth of the man's blood, this was a job. And jobs needed to be done.

[vesper_verde]

Marcelo dove to avoid the energy harpoons coming and him; he rolled into a crouch in the middle of the street. Then he ran down the middle of it in wide open spaces.

He hoped there were traffic cams around here. Or that a man running down the middle of a New York street would draw attention at some point. Just so he had witnesses. He needed people to see him die if it came to that.

But right now, out in the open and putting distance between him and his attacker gave him a chance to keep moving and dodging.

[ngm_marauders]

Harpoon didn't have many slayspears left. He'd have to be careful with them. He was dimly aware that it suited Marcelo that this remain public. He'd have to make him reconsider that.

Three slayspears. He'd have to make them count. He spied a chance. He hurled it in Marcelo's general direction, this one charged with explosive energy.

But it'd never connect.

Not Marcelo. It, did, however, explode close enough to him to kill two bystanders and horribly injure another one. Screams of agony filled the air.

"You chose this. Their death is on you." Harpoon said quietly. He drew another slayspear.

[vesper_verde]

He skidded to a stop after ducking away from the blast. He looked in horror at the innocents caught in this.

He heard what the man said.

"Vá se fuder, peça da puta merda!" Words couldn't do much, but it was all he had at the moment. It could buy him a second to find a place to lead this murderer. As much as he wanted to help the one still screaming in pain, he needed some place to lead the mutant hunting him.

If he stayed still, he was a dead man, so Marcelo started running again. He headed toward a narrow alley.

[ngm_marauders]

Harpoon didn't bother to finish off the maimed young man. His screams would haunt his prey for the rest of what would be a very short life. Along the way, he noticed a convenient piece of metal tubing, which he picked up. It wouldn't fly as well as his slayspears, but it could be converted into energy.

It'd serve.

Now that Marcelo was in a narrower alleyway, it would be harder for him to avoid. He picked up the metal tubing he'd found, charged it with as much explosive energy as it would hold and hurled it at Marcelo.

[vesper_verde]

This would be like shooting fish in a barrel. If the fish hadn't studied capoeira most of their lives and could give free runners a challenge. There was a dumpster in the alley at some point. That there was and it was near a fire escape was just what he needed.

Rather than using the dumpster for momentary cover like planned, he jumped and pulled himself on top of it. Marcelo then used it to launch himself at the first level of the fire escape. He hoped his capoeira-honed arms and legs got him just far enough.

His hopes were almost dashed until the dumpster blew up behind him and gave him enough of a boost.

[ngm_marauders]

Harpoon sneered somewhat. The obvious boost up to the fire escape had been blown up with the slayspear. This man was clearly far from ordinary, even if he wasn't a mutant of some kind. He hooked one of his slayspears up against the ladder with a leap and vaulted himself up that way.

But it cost him a few seconds, and in the end, his second last slayspear. He had only the one left now. There'd be no more throwing. He needed to close with Marcelo and finish this.