2014-06-24 - Muscles on the Beach

Warren is enjoying the warm weather, wearing a pair of yellow and brown swim trunks as he enjoys the beach. He looks a bit out of place with his wiry muscles and white, angelic wings. He keeps to one side of the beach, sitting backwards on a chair while he sips at a fruit drink that is meant to be 'healthy'. What he is looking at is a little unclear however, as there are huge sunglasses over his eyes.

backwards on a chair at a table, while he....

Steve Rogers didn't go to the beach all that often to be honest. He had a pretty regular schedule that didn't allow for a lot of free time most days. Well that's not entirely true, he was a freelance artist which meant he had a -ton- of free time most of days. Just most of that free time was dedicated to art: a mural he was helping to paint near where he lived. Projects he felt like he had waited years to get started on. Just all sorts of art things.

But some recent encounters with people have made him feel a bit... off lately. And thus he took a change in his schedule and came to the beach. He had his big sketch pad with him, the one that he doesn't carry around because of the bulk, and his art supplies tote as well. He sat down on one of the reclining beach chairs that were provided and sat down to start working on something... he wasn't sure what yet. He had something in his mind but it wasn't formed yet. He'd just see what it was when he got to it.

He was dressed in a pair of loose fitting khaki shorts and a light white button up shirt that was currently unbuttoned letting his physique show throw. No sunglasses though, despite the sun. He didn't like sunglasses he felt like it dulled his sight.

Elsewhere, the SHEILD agents of Project: Lazarus were freaking out! They didn't have any operatives that were 100% familiar with the goals of the Project that wouldn't look out of place on the beach or worse: seem like that operative was following Steve. Agent Hooks was calling in some favors but the best they had now was a nearby extraction team that hadn't been briefed yet.

And not just any beach, MUSCLE BEACH! This is a fave spot of Shulkie's actually.

In either case, Warren watches Steve for a bit, and finally moves to stand, walking over to him, "Hello there," a friendly smile about his face. "You seem well-built. I was wondering if I could get a little bit of a favor from you for the greater good." Warren is built, but as stated earlier, wiry muscle and very out of place on a bodybuilding beach. However, Steve is much more built, with a lot more muscle. He isn't huge, but he at least can look like a beginner or somewhat seasoned.

Steve looked up at the attractive young man and squinted a bit in the light of the sun. Yeah Steve, it's sunglasses that impair your vision, right.

Steve seemed to blush as Warren made his compliment and request, "Um, sir. I do appreciate that you find me attractive. But I'm not, um. That is to say you are an objectively attractive man and I'm sure if that I was... you know... that I would be interested. But I'm not."

Steve then raised his hand up and shook his head, "I don't mean that there is anything wrong with being gay. I don't actually know if I know any one else who is gay but if they were. I would have no issues with it."

He put his hand to his head and took a deep breath and said, "Okay what I'm trying to say is that I'm faltered by the offer, but I'm not really interested."

"Huh?" Warren's smile slips and he winces. "No...oh, damn it," and sighs, raising a hand to pinch the bridge of his nose. "I may have wings, but that doesn't mean I'm gay. I meant greater good, as in moral things, not as in my sexual drive." He actually has the grace to look embarassed by this.

"I can't do this myself as I'm well-known and obviously not a bodybuilder, I just need someone to act as a buyer for an illegal drug. I susepct the drug is behind two bodybuilder deaths already. A friend of mine mentioned the drug at the Hellfire Club and how their brother died. It doesn't seem to be steroids, that's all I know about it."

Warren then says, "You really have no idea who I am, do you?" This seems to surprise him. He is used to being recognized.

Steve quirked an eyebrow. Actually he hadn't even noticed the wings at first. Probably because of the sun and the embarrassment of the fact that he thought he was being hit on. This guy must be one of those mutants he heard about. Never met a mutant either. Well now he's met a gay mutant. Look how his experiences were broadening.

Steve mulled the thought through his head for a second and then something deep inside him told him that he needed to help this man. There was a sense of Justice in him that he never had really felt this strongly before.

He closed his sketch book, all that he had drown so far had been a star inside a circle anyway and stood up and held his hand out, "I'd be more than happy to help, friend. I'm Steve, by the way."

Elsewhere, two SHIELD agents in blue shorts and nothing else had gotten on the beach and moved strategically to keep an eye on Lazarus. One in a subvocal communicator said 

Warren offers a hand, "Warren Worthington the third. Also known as Angel of the X-Men," he says in way of introduction. "And not gay," he adds in clarification if that wasn't clear before. "Though if I were, it be more ironic to hit on Nightcrawler, since he looks kind of demonic....," but then Warren shakes his head and sighs. "That was a scary thought." But then from his pocket and pulls out some cash and a piece of paper with a sketch. He shows the sketch to Steve. "Down on the other end of Muscle Beach is this man. He's the dealer. From what my friend said, she stated it was five-hundred dollars a pop. I added an extra five-hundred just in case there are issues, you can keep the change, just bring me the drug back to be tested."

"I don't believe you will be in any danger, but I can see you clearly from this side of the beach with my eyesight, and it would only take me a few seconds to fly to the other end if need be," he assures Steve.

Steve took the money and pocketed, "Sounds easy enough. And honestly I'm just going to give you the rest of the money back. I'm doing this because its the right thing to do Mr. Angel, sir."

After a moment Steve began to walk to the other side of the beach looking for a man who met the description of the drug dealer he was supposed to find. He'd never really done anything like this. Though he had sometimes thought he should have been a cop or some such thing. Even a few people have mistaken him for it as he went down the street.

To be honest though he had no idea how he was going to do this. He really had no idea how to approach this situation though. The idea of buying illegal drugs was just so foreign to him.

"Mr...Angel...," and Warren laughs at that. "Just call me Warren, alright Steve?"

Though Warren remains as he is as he watches Teve walk away, keeping an eye on him. His own drink is finished and set aside. His wings flex, loosening up just in case he needs to move suddenly.

The dealer is at the other end, speaking to two fellow bodybuilders about some techniques. The make some huffs and puffs and show off their muscle! Though as Steve approaches, one of them asks, "Hey little man, looking to get in with the big shots?" He chuckles. He is about twice the size of Steve.

Now that was something Steve didn't seen often. At 6'3" and over 250lbs Steve Rogers was usually the biggest guys in any room he was in. Sure there were taller ones, but very rarely as built as Steve. Steve never really understood because he didn't even go to the gym. That always made him think...

Now wasn't the time though. He removed the confused look at his face and put on his most confident one and said, "Yes sir, thank you sir. I would like to join the big shots. I understand that you have the drug that can help me."

He then awkwardly held out five hundred dollars.

They stare at Steve.

Warren thankfully can't hear all the sirs, but he narrows his eyes thoughtfully. "What is going on....," then again if asked, he wouldn't know how to buy drugs illegally either, so he has no room to talk!

And two of them start cracking up laughing, the middle one, the dealer frowns deeply. "If you weren't so damn awkward, I'd think you were a cop. But no way a cop be that bull in a china shop style." He just shakes his head. "How you learn about us anyway man?" He isn't handing the drug over yet, but probbing to make sure he should fully admit he has it.

Suddenly something in Steve broke like a floodgate. Like he had done this sort of thing before. He had no idea where or when, but it seemed more familiar. He smirked a bit as his tactical mind put together a lot of things Warren had told him.

"I've got a buddy in the Hellfire Club. He's got a cousin who's in the circuit who told him about you. I came in last in the last show I was in, figured I could use an edge."

Steve really didn't like this man, but he was going to do what Mr. Angel asked of him. Besides, he couldn't imagine this guy was easy to take down.

One of the SHIELD agents is a little to obvious about talking into his subvocal as he reports in 

That sounds more right, "Hellfire Club?" Ya, that means this guy has money, explains him whipping the cash out right there like it was nothing! "Ya, well, you gotta step closer man, shit, you want people to just see this?"

The dealer will palm the stuff for Steve to take after his hands are on the cash. "You need refills, you come to me, only me, got it? I'll treat you right, and you won't be last place ever again," he promises.

Alright, Steve is either being successful or about to be prison stabbed. Warren hopes it is the former. "Do I really sound gay?" He's talking to himself at this point, and apparently really worried about that! "Not that I have good luck with women...," first Betsy being crazy like she is, and then his fiancee being murdered. That last one still hurts, and he still worries about Betsy all the time. Warren sighs to himself. "That doesn't mean I'm gay."

Back at the Coffin, the headquarters of Project: Lazarus Surveillance Agent Hooks was rather confused as this behavior didn't match anything in Steve's psych profile. Unless....

Steve smiled and took the guys hand palming the drugs and handing him the money, "So refills through you. What if you aren't here?"

Steve's eyes harden a little, "What if this think kills some people and you get taken down rather hard."

"What? I'm always here...," but then the guys eyes narrow. "You threatening me little man?"

The two bodybuilders move to rise on either side of Steve, their body language intimidating.

Warren groans. "Well, guess I'll have to go with the 'beat them up and alert the maker route'." But he then takes a few running steps and already flaps his wings and takes to the air smoothly, gracefully. In the air, he can be an angel or a bird of prey. He is the latter now.

"Threaten you? Sir, I'm not one for threats. I honestly just don't like bullies. And honestly," The hand that Steve is holding the drugs squeezes down and the vials crush in his hand, "People who sell illegal drugs that kill people, just so they can profit off it. They are the worst sort of bully."

Steve's movements were like water, practiced moves designed to bring men down. Men bigger than him. Men stronger than him. First a sudden kick to the instep of the first. That would hurt like hell and throw him off balance. Followed by straight jab to the nose of the other, that'd break it and flow blood into his sinuses and mouth.

Steve didn't know what came over him. But this felt right.

Ahhhhh...the evidence! Though Warren doesn't catch that part.

The guys though on either side are grabbing for Steve, so that the dealer can go to punch him, hard, in the face...if Steve doesn't get out of the way.

But Steve does move, and he moves fast and hard. The bodybuilder with the kicked instep drops to his knee, shouting out a yell, the other one takes a stumble back when his nose broken, and Steve's face wasn't where it should have been when the dealer went to punch him, instead punching over Steve's left shoulder.

And that is when Angel comes out of the sky, diving short and fast, and actually lifts up the drug dealer by his shoulders, drawing shouts of pain from him as his fingers dig in to keep a good grip of the huge, heavy man.

"Hope you aren't afraid of heights ground hugger," Angel states. Though he isn't too worried about Steve as he just saw the man move. "But I need a little something from you, and I suggest you do this the easy way."

"Go to hell freak!" The dealer sounds pissed.

"Well, that wasn't very nice."

Steve will still have his hands full, as the bodybuilders aren't staying down, they are working to try and jump Steve.

In the meantime however, Warren drops the guy from about fifty feet up, and twists around to grab the screaming dealer by one ankle, and tugs him up even as he flies to catch things falling from pockets. "Ah, here we go, a sample. Thank you for your assistance." And a little lower Angel flies, before he drops the dealer into the ocean to swim back to shore.

Steve landed a roundhouse kick right into the gut of the one in best shape that was charging at him. Kicking the air right out of his lungs. He'd be fine but out for a bit. He wasn't expecting the one on his knees to recover so quick and take his other leg out from under him. That guy got right on top of Steve and went for an MMA classic, the Ground-n-Pound.

Steve put his arms up covering his face from the hooks being thrown at him, he was noticing something... this wasn't hurting anywhere near as much as he remembered. He remembered getting beat up a lot when he was a kid. But it always hurt like hell. Here he could barely feel the blows. The next hook came and Steve twisted underneath the guy, moving both arms to wrap around his enemy's punching arm. With the arm now secure he kicked his leg up with remarkable flexibility and wrapped it across the esophagus and pulled him down to the sandy ground.

Tables were turned. Steve pulled on the arm he had, his knee across the man's throat giving him a lot of leverage. The pain was probably excruciating as the guys arm was getting yanks nearly out of the socket.

So focused Steve was he forgot about the other guy who kicked him across the head.

The blow by blow was being reported by the SHIELD agent and Agent Hooks was nearly in tears, she looked over to Agent Garza, their techie. "Please tell me you can get satellite feed on this. I think he's remembering.

Garza nodded and got to work.

When Angel comes flying back in he calls out, "You find any glass vials laying about? Hand them over to the police, will you?" S.H.I.E.L.D. can have a field day with that one.

But then Angel is soon landing and taking some racing steps on the sand as he does so, and then spins while lashing out one white feathered wing to knock one of the bodybuilders back and off Steve. "Down boy. Sorry to disappoint, but he's straight."

Steve isn't even breaking a sweat, even though the other two boys are, Hell Steve is barely even breathing heavy. "Sorry about that Mr. Ange... Mr. Worthingt...Warren. Don't know what got into me."

He looked at the one still crying out in pain over his arm being yanked to near dislocation. Steve walked over to him and smashed his foot right where his head and neck connected. The guy was alive but out like a light, "Didn't forget what you needed though, sir." Steve reached into his pocket and pulled out a single vial of the drug, "Palmed it before I crushed the others."

He handed it over to Warren and said, "Also thanks a lot, sir. Never gotten to fight side by side with a super-hero." A warm grin crossed his face, "Or an Angel for that matter."

Agent Hook looked at the screen with the satellite feed. She was disheartened... it had missed everything, 

"That works." And now he has two samples! Warren accepts it however, pocketing it along with the other one. Though he then smirks, "I am definitely not a real Angel, just look like one. Superhero though, that I can claim."

"Though with fighting moves like yours, maybe you should consider picking up the torch and helping you," Warren says with half seriousness. "Your face doesn't even look trashed after they tried to batter you." He hrms quietly, then says, "You got my card, let me know if you ever need a favor." He doesn't ask for the cash back, he doesn't care about the thousand dollars.

"No sir, I'm just a freelance graphic designer. I try to do my part when I can, but honestly I'm not even great compared to these guys. I got lucky. You want to seem me to some real good. Check out the mural in Brooklyn on 1st and MLK. I designed it and I help on painting it every day."

"Oh! Wait!"

Steve then reaches into his other pocket, "The rest of your money. Honestly I don't need it and I'd hate to take it considering I didn't go by your plan."

Warren looks at it, and then shrugs. He accepts it back so there won't be an argument. "I'll make sure to check it out. And there are lots of ways to help people. Sometimes it's through a kind word, and other times it is through throwing a punch. The key, is knowing what is the right action and when."

The man then smiles, "Thanks for your help anyway, I still got what I needed in the end to help seek justice, and that's what matters most." Warren then nods respectfully to Steve befor ehe moves to take his leave calmly as if he wasn't just in a scuffle and dropped someone in the ocean.

Steve shook his head, Warren's words were exactly what he lived by. Every little bit helps, kind words, murals, bringing people together. And apparently... you just sometimes needed to beat up some drug dealers, "It was an honor and a privilege."

Steve head back to where his art supplies and sketch pad were and went back to work. He had the star and circle... it needed another circle around it though.... maybe another after that. He didn't even know what he was drawing... it just felt important.