A Grocery Run [Open]

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It's evening on a Tuesday, which means that Iris is at the grocery store. She also goes on Saturday mornings when it's more convenient, but she likes to eat healthy and that means a lot of produce. And the thing about produce is that most of the good stuff goes bad pretty quickly - it's easier if you buy a little at a time more frequently. Given that she's living alone, she opts to carry a basket instead of push a cart as she hardly needs something with that much capacity for this trip.

Though as she ponders over which variety of apples she wants this time, she can't help but keep an eye on the other customers picking their way through the store. The thing about groceries is that absolutely everyone needs them, so the people who you're liable to run into at a place like this is a fairly accurate cross-section of the people who live nearby. Which tends to be a much more interesting mix than the people who are at other public places because they want to be there. Take that elderly man that just headed down into the canned food aisle, for example: the permanently angry look on his face seems to hint at someone who would rather stay home and write angry letters to the paper rather than go out in public. She wonders what his story is...

Oh, right, she supposed to be choosing apples. Let's see: red delicious or golden delicious?

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Weird things always seemed to happen at the grocery store, but not everything coukd be predicted. Take the terrified screams that erupted quite suddenly at the sound of a crumbling boom near the back of the store. You didn't usually expect to hear such loud screams, and there weren't even that many people near the back of the store. But hey, those screams were clear as day. It obviously wasn't some hoax. Something was going down. An idiot might be inclined to investigate despite the screams, but anyone that noticed the gaping hole in the wall would be quick to turn back. Perhaos they thought a car had drove right through the wall? Not likely. Cars didn't usually stampede through the store, because those screams were starting to spread from the back to the middle of the building.

People were fleeing, desperate to reach the front entrance upon seeing the real cause of the hole. A massive, broad shouldered monster from the darkest of nightmares, glowing eyes flickering with rage and hatred as the reptillian creature sauntered forward with angry growls and swiprs of his clawed hands that tore apart the isles. Killer Croc was angry. Even more angry then usual it seemed. His trap for the Batman had failed terribly. It seemed the Dark Knight was not to be fooled. But no matter, he would just have to take out his anger on the tender skinned citizens. A cruel snarl ripped from toothy jaws, eyes catching sight Iris, legs jerking into action as the beast charged.

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The sudden crash and screaming cause Iris to delay her apple decision even further in order to peer toward the back of the store. What's going on now? She's not the type of person who runs screaming just because everyone else is. But neither is she the type of person to go investigate - whatever it is it sounds serious. She's more the type that stands there until what she ought to do becomes obvious.

And when a giant reptilian something lumbers into view, her eyebrows lift. Well, that's definitely not something you see everyday. And when it turns to face her, one would think that would be a definite sign that it's time to run. However, Iris's methods of handling a situation like this are perhaps not that typical. When the beast charges, she stands her ground, eyebrows lowering again as a determined expression crosses her face. And she grabs an avocado from the display next to the apples, waiting patiently for his charge to bring him closer before throwing the avocado at him at the last moment, aiming for his eye.

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Was she an idiot? Croc swung his broad head around,barely feeling the impact upon his thick, scale like skin. That had been a stupid thing to do, but now he was upon her like a lion to an antalope. His massively hand swung at her, claws stretched for flesh as he swung his limb toward the foolish women that dared not flee. His other hand was already raising threateningly, ready to smash her with the sheer strength the towering creature possessed. He had just smashed through a wall after all, and this miniscule human was nowhere near his size. To take him on was a death sentence! "Who do you think you are?" Killer Croc roared with fury. Surely the store was empty nkw except the two of them? Who else would have bothered to stay? He was a cannibalistic monster after all.

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When the beast turns his head to avoid the avocado, Iris's eyes widen. Well, this definitely won't be good... And she's right about that. When the beast takes a swing at her, she lifts up her grocery basket to try to protect herself. It's a good thing, too, since she's a completely ordinary woman when it comes to fighting ability. That blow alone is enough to knock her against the apple display and nearly enough to knock the wind out of her, even though the basket keeps his claws from reaching her skin. It catches around the monster's fingers, though, rendering her without a shield to protect her from any further blows. The thought to try and run crosses her mind, but she dismisses it.

Instead she straightens herself up, looks him right in the eyes and yells right back at him. "Who do you think you are!? Busting in here and scaring everyone! Is there even a point to this!?" she roars in his face. Of course, her lungs have nothing on his, but she can still scream pretty loudly - she sings as a hobby and therefore knows how to project. But if he expects her to be scared of him, he's looking at the wrong person. She's a psychologist, after all.

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His claws shredded the basket, ripping it apart as he flicked Kt from his hand with an annoyied growl, turning his hellish gaze upon the anonymous lady as soon as the words flew from her mouth. Those eyes, already so terrible, flickered dangerously as rage boiled within the beast, exploding from his jaws in a deafening roar. His other hand decended upon Iris, slamming into her, large fingers wrapping around her lithe form to squeeze tightly like a python might, anger overflowing, mingling with hatred as Croc brought his jaws close, foul breath spewing from the great black, toothy hole as it parted in reply. "I'm the mighty Killer Croc!" He introduced loudly, spitting all over her figure. Of course, he could have eaten her right then and there, but Croc didn't come here to snack. He wanted to send a message. He drew back his hand and clung the woman from his grasp, her ragdollish body sailing through the air towards the banana stand nearby.

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The next thing Iris knows she's in the beast's hand, being squeezed most terribly. And she winces as he introduces himself by yelling in her face, and simultaneously gets his saliva all over her. Ewww! Nevertheless she doesn't attempt to struggle - she doesn't even know if she could, given how tightly she's being held. But fortunately before she's too horribly pinched he sends her crashing into bananas. Which isn't such a bad place to land, really; few foods would have been better for absorbing the impact without causing damage. Marshmallows, perhaps, but they're in an entirely different part of the store.

She simply lies there among the fruit, which were somewhat squished by her landing, just to give herself a moment to verify whether or not she's in one piece. But though she'll probably develop some rather colorful bruises, all of her limbs and even her digits seem to be intact. Excellent! Groaning softly, she pushes herself out of the bananas, winding up with a few pieces of it clinging to her. "I know who you are, Mr. Jones, I've read your file," she responds, not quite yelling this time but her voice is still angry, "But that doesn't answer my question: why are you even here?"

Though she's a bit shaky on her feet, she manages to get them underneath her and then stands there squarely again. She's probably quite a sight with bits of banana sticking to her, but she still manages to stand there with some dignity. Definitely going to need a shower later, though.

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"It's not your business whelp." Croc snarled at her. He couldn't care less who she was or who she thought he was, and while throwing her into the bananas had sent a wave of satisfaction through his massive body, he was still quite infuriated. And with this chick only speaking out against him, it served quickly to eliminate the satisfaction and mold it into irritation. "You know what? I think I'll just eat you." He reached for her again, this time with no intention of letting her go anywhere besides down his throat. Her voice was all it took to really tick him off, speaking out against him as if he was normal or something. Atleast Batman didn't talk as much when it came to a fight. Heck, Croc wasn't even sure if he could call this a fight.

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Well, this definitely isn't a fight. Though her bones are all intact, being grabbed the first time did put enough of a strain on a few joints to make Iris's ability to run off even worse than it was before. Not that it's her style to run off when someone's interacting with her in the first place. She didn't even run from the Joker until he turned his attention to Wulfen. And with the rest of the supermarket emptied, that seems unlikely this time.

Though her talking to him may irritate him, she hopes that it also delays his desire to eat her. Especially since when he says that's exactly what he intends to do and makes another grab for her she can hardly stop him. But she doesn't have to please him with her words, only keep him talking - it's physically impossible to carry on a conversation with someone while you're eating them, after all, even if the conversation isn't pleasant.

"It's not my business?" she asks, even as she struggles for breath in his grasp, "How is is not my business to know why you're attacking me? Maybe I can help? That's my job, you know: being helpful. People pay me to do that, but of course it would be free to you." Which is the way that she views the practice of psychology, at least. She rather doubts that the beast likes mental health professionals, but then again she never said she was one and he hardly seems intelligent enough to figure that out for himself even though she's dropped a few hints.

[charlie]

I know what you are thinking, since when did heroes take breaks. It was a shock to her too, but being out on rooftops waiting for - um - something, she got a bit on the dry side. A red bull and some raspberry twisters would cure that, so she found the closest supermarket to get a little something for a long night ahead. Her constant visits to Gotham City never really had a plan, or an agender, they were just kind of like study. It wasn't like her life didn't involve enough study as it was with exams and projects, but this was kind of like extra-curicular career activity. This was what she wanted to do; help people and fight for what's right, in fashion of course. wearing Dayan's jacket, some jeans and vans, she cast a good illusion that she was just another girl to everyone. Even though 'Metropolis Knights' was printed on the jacket and she was halfway across America. Not to sly for this hero right now.

After a five minute que, she finally got to the register when - BANG! Customers screamed as the ground beneath them shook. Earthquake? That's what it was, just shifting land masses right? Unforunately, no. The loud roar showed that things were just starting to get weird. Leaving everything at the register, she made her way through a rampage of fleeing shoppers. Was it really that terrifying. Like, what could it be. When she smelt it, it was putrid. When she heard it, it was disgustingly loud. But when she saw it, she was freaked out - but mostly grossed out. He snarled and argued, focusing on one woman. Okay Charlie, you want to be a hero, then mutated freaks in grocery stores were going to come and go. Looking around, she saw a shopping trolley. Perfect! The benefits of having enhanced strength, it did wonders for fighting.

Racing over towards it, dodging people along the way Charlie gripped onto the barred framing of the shopping cart. With grip, she took a breath before grunting and swinging. She sent it flying in the air, as hard and high as she could to hit it. As soon as it seemed to be trailing towards him spontaneously, Charlie bounced. Pink light emulated from her chest as she combusted into pink smoke, disappearing in flooding carbon as she reappeared between the woman and him, holding her fists up as she looked at it. How freakin' ugly! Like seriously, and it had scales. Halloween was still a few months away, maybe he didn't catch the memo. "Okay, wow. Animal control to Isle 8 Produce please". She said with inappropriate humor and faced up to the - um - thing.

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Killer Croc couldn't believe this girl. She was nuts to try and offer help to him! "Shut up!" He snarled, unable to think up a witty reply as he tightened his grip considerably in anger hoping it would shut her up. He raised his fist closer to his sharp, unkempt teeth with a low rumble of hate. Her head would be the first thing he sent down his throat. He was about to be sure of just that when a shopping cart slammed into his face, the surprise of the hit causing Croc to drop Iris as he swung his other hand up and peeled it away, hurling it in the direction it came from with a loud crash, eyes narrowed as they searched for the culprit. But when she spoke in front of him, his eyes whipped back to gaze upon his attacker with a growl, raising a hand to try and swat her away. "You'll pay for that!"