Kill A Man (IC)

[Avenger Assembled]

November 2010

It was early November when all the members of Young Freedom, well, all the ones on campus regularly, were summoned to the headmaster's office. Though some arrived fearlessly and others with trepediation, all of them were met with Duncan Summers and a man who was a familiar face for all of them but especially familiar to those who had helped save his life. King M'Balla, the White Lion, had recovered entirely from his trip to the Lost World, and looked a charismatic, chiseled figure in a neatly-pressed suit. His voice was low and dignified as he greeted all the teens by name, his handshake firm without being bone-crushing. He had a very faint accent, but his English was otherwise perfect. "It is a pleasure to see all of you again, and some of you for the first time." He smiled, nodding to Midnight among others. "I am an old hand with super-teams. I know how quickly you come and go. I have come to America for two reasons. One to thank you again for coming to my defense earlier, and the second to invite you to Dakana as my guests."

"Mmm." Summers folded his hands, looking up at the students as they found their seats. "The White Lion and I have arranged for the members of Young Freedom to spend the week before Thanksgiving in Dakana as guests of the King. This will be a working vacation," he added with a firm look at everyone, "one in which I will expect all of you to return with a report on your observations of the kingdom, but...it will be a vacation nonetheless, as you will be excused from all but ongoing assignments for that week. Are there any questions?"

Mark raised his hand and M'Balla's eyebrows furrowed briefly before he said, "Yes, Mr. Lucas?"

"Are we going to see Lion, the great and powerful spirit of the people, who empowers the line of kings as his champion? Or travel to Ayesha the Immortal's realm and battle the great enemy of the Lion clan, the immortal Egyptian princess who ever seeks a worthy man as match for her great and deathless realm as co-ruler?"

"....no," said the king gently, wincing ever so slightly. "I prefer to fight my own battles, rather than send the sons of my old friends and their friends to fight my enemies for me. We will climb the slopes of Kilimanjaro, dig for daka crystals with our own hands, and see the world outside of Freedom for a little while. I can promise you all adventure, but danger will, inshallah, pass us all by this time."

[alderwitch]

"Oh, that sounds nifty. Don't you think that sounds nifty?" Alex jogged Mike's elbow with one hand and beamed at the king of Dakana with a sunny smile. "Thank you so much for this invitation, sir, it's such an honor. I promise, we won't be any trouble at all and we really, really appreciate the opportunity to see more of your country. I've read so many books..."

She trailed off before she could go into full on geek mode and tell him about his own country. Alex recovered quickly however, bouncing on her sneakered toes, "How are we getting there? Is there an itinerary?"

[angrydurf]

Mike nodded vigorous agreement at Alexs jostling jarred from his surprise at the offer and seemingly incredible events they were to be part of. To the young freedom native that had not seen the outside of the state until only a year ago the thought of actually going to storied Dakana was unheard of.

"That is a most generous offer Sir." he rumbled respectfully. "Its a great honor for us all to be given such an opportunity." the clearly awed boy replied and glanced quickly to his cohorts to gauge their reactions.

[Gizmo]

Trevor hung to the back of the group, leaning against the far wall of the office with his arms crossed over his unbuckled jacket. He'd opted to conceal his eyes behind his customary sunglasses, though he held his beaten fedora by the brim rather than wearing it out of deference. He responded to the king's nod with one of his own, deep enough to qualify as a respectful bow in the subdued lexicon of his body language. He felt a little odd taking advantage of the offer having not been present for Young Freedom's previous interaction with M'Balla, but apparently he was the only one who didn't already consider the second Midnight a full fledged member of the squad. Objectively, he had to admit they had a point. Although he said nothing and his expression remained typically difficult to read, the squaring of his shoulders and slight tilt of his head suggested definite interest.

[Electra]

Erin was back towards the rear of the group with Trevor, her battered and very full backpack resting by her feet as she listened to the instructions for the field trip. She was honestly torn. If she'd been asked what she wanted to do for a vacation, she'd have said stay on campus, catch up with her homework, and maybe try and sleep through a night again for once, not travel halfway around the world for even more adventures. On the other hand, though, it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, not to mention all-expense-paid, and that definitely wasn't something to pass up. Even if she would miss her own birthday while they were gone.

"That's very gracious of you, your highness," she said out loud. "We all really appreciate the opportunity."

[Avenger Assembled]

"You shall fly!" exclaimed the King proudly, "aboard my personal jet. The rewards for royalty are many, but they are only truly sweet when shared with young heroes and heroines like yourselves. I cannot promise to be as fast as you, Phalanx, but I can promise all of you a comfortable night's sleep in world-class accommodations as my guests in the air, and then a night in the royal palace of the kings of Dakana. After that," he added with a serious look at Summers, "I shall of course put them to work! There is a volcano to be explored, and much wisdom to be gained from it, once you are in Africa. Are there any further questions?" When there were none, he bid the Claremont students return to their rooms to pack, for soon they would be in the air!

Sure enough, early one morning a few days later all of Young Freedom (and Midnight!) were at a private part of Jordan International Airport, where the big white jet of the White Lion, bearing a roaring, rampant panthera leo across its flank as M'Balla's personal seal, stood ready to greet them! Mark led the way inside, where even the usually ebullient Edge was briefly stunned at the luxury items inside: between the flatscreen TV, entertainment systems, wet bar and even hot tub, it was abundantly clear this was going to be a plane ride fit for a king! M'Balla himself would be detained near the cockpit, the king added apologetically, but the students were free to roam the plane unsupervised. The plane's decor was a strange mix of high tech and African tribal designs, almost self-consciously so to a practiced eye. Mark had done some extra research on Dakanan culture before they left, and was full of stories about the symbolism of each mask as they all briefly strapped themselves down for takeoff, a brief confinement before they were released to do their thing!

[Gizmo]

Trevor boarded the jet with his usual lack of fanfare, slightly more consciously cautious being the guest of such a high profile host. The quality of the plane was mostly wasted on his particular sensibilities, but he did catch himself keeping a curious eye out for any of Dakana's famous technological advancements.

While Mark recounted bits of history and trivia gleaned from the decor, Trevor buckled in next to Erin for the take off. "You're okay doing this for your birthday?" he asked quietly, one eyebrow lifting subtly above his sunglasses.

[alderwitch]

Alex had tucked herself into one of the large chairs and swivvled it around to face the small group, her heavy backpack between her knees. She unzipped and fished out an e-reader since she'd have needed far too many books for a week long trip that would have had to fit in a single backpack. She heard Trevor's soft question and beamed at him, "I don't know about you but I packed my birthday gift. No reason we can't celebrate on the trip! Right?"

[angrydurf]

Mike plopped his bulk down in a chair next to Alex and glanced over at Trevors question. Eyes flitting between him and Erin as he froze up for a moment having forgotten all about Erins birthday in the excitement. 'Erins birthday is coming up?' he silently inquired to Alex as he tried to nonchalantly settle into his seat mind racing as he tried to think of what to get her and wondering if a souvenir from the trip she was on with them was entirely lame or just slightly lame.

He carefully buckled himself in and let out a deep breath oddly enough flying, in a plane at least, made him a bit nervous.

[Electra]

Erin gave Trevor a crooked smile, settling into her seat beside him and securing her seatbelt. "Well, I'm on a private jet, flying first class halfway around the world to spend a week as the guest of a king with all my best friends. I'd say I've definitely had worse birthdays. It's on Thursday," she told Mike, "but you guys don't have to do anything for it. We'll probably be really busy with other stuff, anyway." She slid her hand into Trevor's as the plane began to taxi, looking forward to the lift from takeoff.

[Gizmo]

Trevor reflexively gave Alex a subtle look of question. He was reasonably sure that he should absolutely 'do something' for Erin's birthday, but was admittedly out of his depth. Life at the Hunter Estate had never been punctuated with grand gestures, and the dark haired young man was as concerned with overdoing it as not doing enough. In comparison, studying a volcano an ocean and continent away seemed a rather pedestrian challenge.

[alderwitch]

Oh, guys, Alex's mental 'voice' filtered through their thoughts, affectionately exasperated. She glanced to Mike first, her eyes crinkling with amusement. You can get anywhere in the world to pick up a present and be back in timefor dinner.

Her gaze slid back to Trevor and gentled, The important thing is for the intent behind it. Execution is a distant second. If you go from the heart, you'll be just fine.

Alex smiled and then gently slipped her hand into Mike's, giving it a little squeeze. "You can head outside if you'll be more comfortable. I don't mind."

[Avenger Assembled]

Mark reappeared from the rear cabin he'd immediately got up to explore after takeoff, having acquired a Panama hat from nowhere in particular. "You can go outside if you want," he said, waving to the outside, "but that means you go to the back of the lion jacuzzi line!" he exclaimed, pointing backwards. "There's a big lion jacuzzi back there. I guess I should tell you guys." He grinned. "And also, a wet bar! This is a royal flight, so we're technically on Dakanan soil, and the Dakanan drinking age is 18...and you count, Alex. It's, uh, a little complicated." Looking very pleased with himself after a moment, he threw the door wide. "Just don't do anything we'll regret," he warned, "the king has ears and he's right through the door...which reminds me." He looked at the others and said, "Would you guys like to hear...a story?" As Mark was blocking the way to the jacuzzi and wet bar, it seemed pretty important.

"There is a creature that lives beneath the mountain of Kilimanjaro. A monster thirty feet high, and iron gray skin, so he looks like some sort of gigantic hippo on two legs." He looked from one to the other, talking as if he needed a flashlight underneath his chin. Eventually, he stopped blocking the doors. "The kings of Wakanda have guarded the Beast for centuries, lest it escape and wreak havoc across the land! They say it's a weapon from an alien war, or an ancient god fallen to Earth. That's what they do with all those daka crystals, you know. The daka is what guards the Beast, keeping it too sluggish to escape. My dad saw it once, and he said it beat up Gigantosaur!"

[alderwitch]

"I don't think I've read about the Dakanan age counting from the start of gestation as opposed to birth. I would remember that factoid." Alex said curiously but she did squeeze Mike's hand one more time and follow over to where Mark was trustingly. After all, she knew Mark wouldn't lie to her and she could pester him for the details later of interesting socio-cultural phenomena of the Dakanaan. "I'm pretty sure that you're not supposed to tell scary stories with alcohol and a jacuzzi, Mark. I'm a little socially clueless but I totally think you're supposed to tell "No, really, there I was" when alcohol and semi-nudity are involved. Wanna come with me to change, Erin? And, yes, Mike. It's fine."

She added that last without turning around and scooped up her backpack to head back to change. Chances were good she had something swimsuit like in there.

[Electra]

"Okay," Erin agreed, shooting Trevor a quick glance as she unbuckled her seatbelt. "I'll be right back. You should get your swimsuit too." She followed Alex to the back of the plane, stopping by her suitcase to fish her swimsuit out of her suitcase. The rear cabin wasn't very big, but it was a lot bigger than a typical airport head, certainly big enough for two girls to change in, especially two who were used to living together and changing in proximity. "So are you going to drink?" Erin asked Alex as she tugged her suit on.

[Gizmo]

Trevor unfastened his seatbelt and smoothly moved to stand with a speed that would have been suspicious if the young man wasn't prone to sudden bursts of movement after long periods of stillness anyway. "Right." Grabbing his carry-on from nearby the seat, he strode purposefully to the nearest washroom and slipped inside. Evidently practice changing into his costume had paid off, as it wasn't long before he emerged, bag slung over a lean, pale shoulder. It wasn't terribly surprising that his board shorts where a familiar matte black, nor that they appeared to be feature cargo pants style pockets. His hat rested atop the carry-on, and he'd placed his sunglasses somewhere safe, leaving his discoloured eyes undisguised as he ran a hand through his dark hair.

[angrydurf]

"No no I'm fine." Mike assured her with confidence he did not feel. As the Jet accelerated to take off his hand clenched down on the armrests however leaving small indentations of his fingertips. Once they reached cruising speed and the others stood he carefully unfastened his belt and shot an uncertain glance at Alex and Erins retreating backs. The need to egress to one of the other rooms didn't occur to him and in the blink of an eye he had changed to his own black trunks though they were slightly over-tight given that they preceded his most recent growth spurt and willingness to wear not black.

He shrugged slightly, "Well if tradition states..." he trailed off still not certain this was wise.

[Avenger Assembled]

Mark took his finders fee for finding the hot tub by getting in there first, changing out of his clothes and hitting the wet bar while everyone else was getting dressed. By the time other people were heading back to the compartment with the hot tub and wet bar, Mark was sitting up to his chest in bubbles at the deep end of the jacuzzi, the thick foam almost completely opaque. Sure enough, the jacuzzi was shaped exactly like a roaring lion's head, complete with smaller individual corners for more intimacy. He'd also gotten out the champagne in the classy tall flutes, as well as various bottles of flavored schnapps. "I didn't know what you guys liked," said Mark easily, "so I just got out everything that sounded good or classy. There's a remote, too, for the flatscreen," he said, pointing across the room. "But first, I say we make a toast! Maybe two!"

[alderwitch]

"Oh, sure. I don't think there's a more safe environment to experiment in. I mean, we're all good friends and there's an adult just like ten feet away if things did end up getting out of hand. Experimenting is natural and healthy as long as its done with self awareness and in a place that is safe to do so in." Alex agreed with a little shrug of her shoulders as she pulled her suit up and on, giving a pleased smile as she finally filled the cups at least a little bit in her bikini. Alex would always be petite but at least, she felt, she looked like a young woman rather than a little girl now. The suit, however, was as brightly eyeblinding as everything else she owned. "I'm not gonna get trashed or anything, but I'll try a glass or two? What about you?"

Alex asked that as she headed back out to open the door and catch up to the boys, adding, "And Mark's right. We could use a little celebration lately."

[Electra]

Erin shrugged, adjusting the straps of her silver two-piece. She was glad the suit still fit since she'd bought it last summer, after much agonizing over style and fit. It showed off a lot of well-toned muscle, and a lot more skin than she'd ever shown Trevor before, that was for sure. "I guess," she told Alex. "Alcohol doesn't have any effect on me. One time I drank like two full bottles of chocolate liqueur, and then a whole bottle of Everclear when that didn't work. I almost got sick from having too much liquid in my stomach, but I didn't even get tipsy. It was sort of an experiment."

She headed out the door along with Alex, padding barefoot towards the hot tub and looking for Trevor as she went. He looked good in the black trunks, he always looked good, and she was glad he'd taken off the sunglasses for the occasion. Now that she'd had a chance to get used to it, seeing him wear the sunglasses inside was actually weirder than seeing his eyes.

[Gizmo]

Trevor went very still as Erin stepped into the hot tub room, the stoic expression on his face sliding into a totally unreadable mask as the gears in his mind abruptly slipped from their places and spun freely. "Uh," he managed to articulate finally before clearing his throat lightly and elaborating, "Wow. Hey." Unconsciously he stood a little straighter and squared his shoulders as his mouth remained open slightly, one corner tugged upward.

[angrydurf]

Mike beamed as Alex slipped into the room and slid in to the water beckoning her to join them. If he noticed Trevors surprise he had the good sense not to show it. So really he probably hadn't noticed his eyes being only on the eyebleeding brightness of his fiance. He gave a quick nod of agreement to mark and took up a glass of the champagne, "To Young Freedom." he said firmly showing once more there was a reason why they left the speeches to Mark. He drainded the glass and screwed up his face blinking as he stiffled a sneeze when the bubbles tried to invade his nasal cavity.

[alderwitch]

Alex giggled, first at Trevor's expression and then as bubbles made Mike sneeze. She smiled at him and took up her glass to clink it against his, "To lasting friendship." She agreed and then took a sip herself, wrinkling her nose at the new taste. It wasn't bad so much as... weird.

She went to follow the teens sliding into the jacuzzi, slipping into the water and cuddling herself next to her large fiance's side. "Mark, sometimes you really do have the best ideas. This is going to be such a fun trip."

[Avenger Assembled]

"To Young Freedom!" Mark agreed, raising his glass and downing it in a gulp. He blinked, processed that taste and sensation, and then began pouring peppermint schnapps. Glibly, he added, "The finest team, at the finest school for heroes, in the finest city in the world! May all our adventures end in a lesson learned, and all our friendships last forever," he added meaningfully. "And let's not forget the birthday girl! Erin White, the best friend a guy could have." he added a moment later. Temptation aside, Mark shot Trevor a look at that one, giving his friend a gentle nudge to shake him out of Erin-induced vapor lock. Much as Mark enjoyed playing team MC, and as good as he was at it, this was really Trevor's gig.

[Electra]

Erin grinned at Trevor's reaction, which was exactly what she'd hoped for. "Glad you like it," she told him. "Let's get in the tub." Slipping past him, she took a glass and toasted with the others, though she only sipped her drink, and sat on the edge of the hot tub to dangle her legs in the water. "Thanks, Mark," she said with a chuckle, drinking to herself, though she wasn't sure that was the correct protocol.