Avenger Assembled Posted November 15, 2011 Author Posted November 15, 2011 Though Sharl talked a lot about his missions with Miss Americana to the rest of Young Freedom, particularly since she was so awesome, he wasn't sure exactly how he'd describe this one. Man, uh, maybe I'm better off without a girlfriend for a few years... "Yeah, uh, you don't want to go this far to have to impress a date anyway," said Sharl who'd watched a lot of Earth movies since his arrival. "If a girl can't appreciate you for who you are, you can do better anyway." Terra-King looked away and muttered "I don't need your pity, boy." He looked back, though, and said to the others, with a little more of the grace and dignity of a king, his subjects now beginning to rally around the beetle, listening to the conversation above that most of them could not see. "You all could easily have dragged me away in chains and furthered my humiliation. For that, I am in your debt."
Fox Posted November 15, 2011 Posted November 15, 2011 "Yeah, well." Gaian Knight's hands and eyes were glowing again, a roughly circular area encompassing himself, Miss Americana, Doctor Rao, and Sharl quietly getting separated from the surrounding stone by an etched line and a series of waist-high angular pillars (that seemed to be forming to discourage anybody else from remaining in the circle). "I'm not aware of any outstanding warrants on you," he continued, "though maybe that's just me. Besides, I don't think you really meant any harm, and hopefully you won't be doing it again."
Electra Posted November 15, 2011 Posted November 15, 2011 "It's Doctor Rao's decision, really," Miss Americana told Terra King. "She's the one you hurt with this stunt. And regardless, we expect you to put right everything you damaged on the surface. But I suspect that the lesson you learned this time is going to be a valuable one, and I'm certain you won't be doing anything like it again, correct?" she told the would-be monarch firmly, before looking to Rao for her verdict. The doctor did have a right to press charges if she wanted to, in a pretty clear-cut case of kidnapping. Just because heroes rarely thought that way didn't mean normal people didn't.
Avenger Assembled Posted November 16, 2011 Author Posted November 16, 2011 "No, I don't think so," said Rao, shaking her head. "I think Jervis and I have both been embarrassed enough for today." She gave him a thin smile. "Goodbye, Jervis. You did give me an evening I won't soon forget," she quoted, "but not the one I'd hoped for." At her words, Terra-King nodded silently and turned to leave, letting the others climb off the beetle onto Gaian Knight's platform before he and the Sub-Terrans made their departure, the dwarfish little creatures now singing a regretful song of mourning for their king. As he helped tend to the doctor, who was now well enough to stand as they headed back for the surface, Sharl made a note to avoid underground adventures where the Sub-Terrans might appear. They were...a little weird.
Fox Posted November 17, 2011 Posted November 17, 2011 "Well. That was....interesting," Gaian Knight observed, though only once the Sub-Terrans were out of earshot. He shook his head. "But at least we had a chance to end things civilly, and everyone's getting out in one piece. Speaking of which," he added, brightening a bit and willing the platform he'd carved out of the rock to pull up out of the floor it used to be part of. "Please keep your limbs inside the platform at all times. Current floor: shoes, children's toys, Sub-Terrans. Next floor: lingerie, hats, damaged buildings. Going up." And up they went, the platform acting true to the joke; the earth overhead parted out of the way even as the earth beneath them closed up again, the earth-mover taking them back toward the surface as fast as he thought he could reasonably manage.
Avenger Assembled Posted November 19, 2011 Author Posted November 19, 2011 Once on the surface after a smooth, comfortable ride at the hands of Gaian Knight, Dr. Rao thanked the heroes again for coming to her rescue, looking abashed for having been the cause of so much trouble. "I don't blame myself," she was quick to assure them, "I only wish I'd done more than simply faint at the sight of that great beast. I wonder how something so big could even tunnel through rock so fast without causing more seismic disturbances..." She was making notes when they left her at the hospital for one more checkup, a reassuring sign given all she'd been through that day. "Well, that was...I don't know?" said Sharl aloud, looking to Miss Americana for cues once they were away from the press of the crowd at the hospital. "I guess if I ask anyone out any time soon, I'll make sure I know them first."
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