Bound in Dust(IC)

[Derin]

"Kristin is correct," Chloe added. "While I would have no problem repairing her brain tissue, I cannot replace the chemical changes born of experience. Were you to use a gravity weapon to destroy any part of her brain I could not guarantee a full recovery, or even necessarily guarantee survival, depending on the damage." Chloe stopped, and had the urge to hit herself. They'd just clarified that speaking about healing fatal or near-fatal injuries was a social misstep. Barely a minute ago, she'd been corrected after talking specifically about healing brain damage in her own body, and she'd gone and committed the exact same faux pas. She should have responded to Kristin's doubts privately, or at least when Subito wasn't listening, But Kristin had voiced the question publically, and confused her.

Social interaction was difficult.

"Yes... tell us about these chocolates, please." Chocolate was a safe topic. Nobody could be upset by chocolate.

[Airon]

“Wow, you really know what you’re talking about right?†Luke was impressed at Serge’s display of scientific knowledge “You’re not mocking me with fake sciency speech, are you?†this last question was mostly rhetorical: Serge didn’t look like the jester of the group, and finding teenagers with advanced understanding of astrophysics apparently wasn’t that uncommon in Claremont.

“From what I can understand, the biggest trouble to monitor are the FTL wormhole engines. Orion… ehr, I mean, I was, well…†he bit his tongue. He didn’t want to talk about his former team “the inter-stellar communications actually work with a byproduct of the same technology as the engines, when the sensors spot the passage of a Grue armada cruising at 500 c, by the time you get the information they are already a stellar system away.†He said it in a down to earth tone that was ill-suited for incredible scope of what he as discussing “Not that a FTL pursuit deep into the N-776 nebula ever gets boring, mind you.†concluded winking at Serge. “Unlike this battle. Jeez, it is now what, ten minutes of WW2 aviation movies stock footage? Did they forget about the bird?â€

[Scuffles]

Kristin covered her mouth and tried her best to stifle her giggles as Chloe took her a little more literally than she had expected. It almost worked, and it was only ten seconds or so before she managed to compose herself enough to lean over and whisper to Chloe.

"I didn't mean Serge was actually going to explode my brain. It's a figure of speech. Like overloading me with really complicated science that I can't quite work out. It might give me a headache at the worst, no need for healing!"

She leaned forwards so she could see Subito in the darkened cinema. "The chocolates are called Maltesers. Not sure if you can get them here or not, these are my last ones from the care-package my mum sent me at Christmas time. Wait.. why on Earth am I sharing them if they're my last ones? That's just crazy!"

[Vahnyu]

"Hahaha, no, but you have to admit, Kristin, THAT would be a sight to see." Serge added jokingly on the brain-exploding matter. "Ok, now, seriously, Chloe, don't fret so much. Right now, you aren't around normal people, by any stretch of the word. We are not some random strangers who get easily disturbed; we are here to help each other be a better hero, and if that includes social skills, then you better be sure that we will do everything we can to help you get a better grasp of them, isn't that right, everyone?" He asked the others enthusiastically.

Turning to Luke, he responded somewhat awkwardly "Well, I do know a thing or two about theoritical physics, but that's mostly due to the academy's courses, because let's be honest; in our line of work, it pays to know which actions will make the physical world work in your favor, and which actions will make it treat you as it's own personal chew-toy. My field is more on the applied sciences, a field I took advantage of to manufacture my power suit." Thinking a bit about the FTL part, Serge said "Hmmmm, well, I would guess that the Lor have sufficient technology to develop comparable orders of light-speed, so that being in another system in and itself doesn't matter much, but I can see how making multiple jumps would make it difficult to keep track of the pursuited object, for even the best of the best sensors."

[Derin]

Chloe nodded and smiled at Serge, although she was wishing he'd stop paying attention to her. She used to be good at this; she used to be able to put distressed, injured patients who were initially terrified of the strange talking medical bay at ease with a few words and some carefully chosen drugs. But the rules were different for humans, and drugging people to make up for lack of social skills was not, of course, an option. Now was it likely to be well-received once the drugs wore off. And she would need to learn social skills, if she was going to be a hero.

And also, apparently, physics. She remained silent and focused on the conversation, hoping to learn something.

[Ari]

"Awwww" said Subito to Kristin teasingly "Why you gotta hoard your stash, Kris?" laughing quietly, he watched in bemusement as the two scientists from earlier argued passionately with the Air Force captain about the value of the bird's life in between shots of wire-borne aircraft shooting with great clamor and little effect at the thing as it rent holes in a miniature CN Tower that looked like it had come from a much better film. Alas, the beseeches of the Men of Science were as a hot coal in the ocean, and the grim-eyed captain refused to halt his men's assault on the bird, and in a feat of spectacular irony the animal's death throes smashed the sky-scraper he was conducting the fight from for some reason, yet spared the two men who had unknowingly brought its wrath into the world. With a solemn orchestra backing them, the two looked at a matte painting of the ruined city(you could see the edges) and waxed logorrheic about the need for proper funding for scientific projects like that which brought the world this magnificent creature, and considerably less oversight like that which killed it.

With great fanfare the shot faded to black, there was a short break of about ten minutes to allow for bathroom breaks and the like, followed by the next installment of the marathon: "The Fury of The Jade Mummy!" a picture from the early 1960's made by Chinese film mogul Jiu Dao, which he intended as a metaphor for how the incursions of Europeans into the Asiatic lands usually ended up a failure due to insufficient respect for the inhabitants and their customs, and translated by the xenophobic producer Madison Shang into a profoundly goofy story about a kung-fu warrior becoming emperor, being mummified by 'wandering Egyptian priests', and discovered by a team of bizarre caricatures who accidentally unleash his fury and get killed in various strange and confusing ways.

To a gentle melody of flutes, the English title of the movie appeared over a graceful countryside shot, provoking more than one burst of laughter at the clash of styles. The obligatory narrator performed his deep-voiced duty, stumbling more than once over the Chinese proper names that lay all too often in his path, and then promptly vanished from existence at the first sign of the headband-wearing star Ren Li.

[Airon]

"Yeah, come on, Kristin!" Luke playfully feinted at Kristin's box of chocolates as she tried to move it out of his reach "Ok, now I feel like American Air Force trying to hit that bird." said as the girl kept evading his hand. "Nice moves, by the way." he was warming up, this group of guys and girls his own age almost felt like his old team - and thinking about that brought back sad memories.

He decided to distract himself with the movie. "This looks better" commented while Ren Li performed pointless but fairly well-executed wu-shu stances and taolu "Oh, never mind... here we go with the recycled shots." Ren proceeded to repeat the same sequence of movements through a choppy and inconsequential editing “So, Kristin… you a kung-fu girl? I bet you can beat that guy†he pointed at the screen “armed with that box of chocolates…†he hoped not to come across as too sarcastic. Kristin was clearly quicker and nimbler than him – the comment may have been ironic but it had some truth in it.

[Scuffles]

Kristin cocked her head to the side a little as she watched a fight break out on the screen, a horde of brightly dressed attackers practically lining up to fight the hero of the film one at a time. "Well he's got some moves, some of the choreography isn't even completely cheesy!" she chuckled she played keep-away with the box of chocolates.

"I could take him for sure though, especially if he was trying to steal my chocolate! That would be grounds for a whuppin'!" she grinned, then shot a glare at Luke for dramatic effect. It didn't last long, and she chuckled again as she tossed the box to him. "Actually I don't have any Kung Fu at all. Before I came to Claremont I was a decent enough Judoka and since I've been here I've learned a little kickboxing and basic weapons handling to go with it."

She paused, then looked carefully up and down the row of seats for a moment to make sure nobody was paying too much attention. "This is my real trick though.." she grinned, then yanked the chocolates back away from Luke with a little burst of telekinetic power, the green glow it caused seeming mostly insignificant in comparison with the light from the movie screen.

[Ari]

Subito watched Ren Li's efforts with a critical eye as well "He's got good balance, I'll give him that, not easy to pull of spin kicks on that kind of terrain. My sis's been trying to find a good uneven slope for ages to practice stuff like that, no such animals in the city though" he leaned back into his chair as the exposition of how Ren Li's character had become one of the more prominent warlords in the history of northeast China, and had nearly become a power to rival later dynasties, but had been betrayed by one of his generals on the eve of a crucial battle, and had only been given a mummification because of his valor impressing the opposing warlord.

At least, that was what it seemed to be about, there was a serious issue with the dialogue in that it didn't match the events on-screen beyond the most cursory details, and sometimes totally contradicted them. To Chloe he asked casually "Hey Chloe, one thing I'm curious about: do you know about keeping from hurting yourself in exercises? I always seem to end up lifting too much, tensing for too long, spending too long without water, and if I try to ease up on it, I overdo THAT somehow and start to weaken my muscles"

[Vahnyu]

"Tsk, tsk. I mean, really, Kristin. Who brings chocolate as a movie snack, when Pop-corn is obviously the superior choice by far?" Serge said in mock exasperation, and mimicked grabbing a handful of popcorn. Realising that he hadn't bought any to begin with, his face moped as he continued "...then again, I shouldn't be one to talk, since I didn't even get a snack in the first place." Oh well. he thought. At least the movie is enjoyable, and while the visuals were primitive, and some of the moves felt stiff, the editing at least gives the action a dynamic feeling.

[Scuffles]

"Popcorn? Superior?" Kristin exclaimed in mock-outrage. "Superior to chocolate? Serge, I'm sorry but you're dead to me! Nope! Don't change your tone, too late now!"

She chuckled a little. "Okay I'll give you some credit, popcorn is good. Why didn't any of you lot think to get any? There's a lot of movie watching still to do and we're starting to run out of junk food already! It's practically a disaster! Just like the script of whatever this is that we're watching!"

She leaned forwards a little so that she could see Serge in the dark. "I'll come with you to the snack bar after the next lame fight if you want. I could do with stretching my legs before they fall asleep on me!"

[Derin]

"My job is generally more on the side of healing injuries than preventing them, but if you would permit me to do a brief diagnostic inspection of your muscles I could advise you on how much strain they can safely take. All strength exercise is technically damage, of course, so exactly where you draw the line between a good workout and an injury is a little inexact, but we can get an idea. Furthermore, I offer my healing services freely and would be happy to fix any damage you do do to your muscles while training."

To Serge and Kristin, she said tentatively, "I find popcorn to be a far less distracting snack and thus superior to accompany entertainment, especially if it is not flavoured. I have not eaten popcorn while watching a movie but I would expect it to detract less from the movie than chocolate."

[Ari]

GM

Further discussion about the varying merits of snacks was cut short by a sudden disturbance. As Subito opened his mouth to suggest a time and place for this diagnostic, a sudden slamming noise heralded the arrival of an anachronistically-dressed man with a smooth forehead, a cold quirk of his lips, an ankh hanging from his right hand on a leather thong, and a sarcophagus hoisted over his left shoulder. Walking calmly down the central aisle to stand directly before the screen, he watched in evident amusement as Ren li's character, having been mummified in the Chinese fashion, arose to battle with the Russian archeologist who had disturbed his rest by not observing the proper rituals needed to keep him at peace. Placing the sarcophagus gently on the ground, he turned and addressed the confused students.

"Young lads, and ladies" he began in a placid, utterly smooth voice that was almost infuriating to listen to "I am Heqanefer the Twelfth, a devotee of the great god Osiris and a magician besides. I have come to perform a very spectacular experiment for your delight, and edification. In this sarcophagus" he began, tapping the item in question with the ankh "rests a mighty king of the ancient Egyptian empire, a man born and extant in the Ninth Dynasty around 2140 B.C." he removed the lid with a smooth tug, revealing the corpse laid in state within "Hed-Ra, son of Shed! By the power of the ankh, symbol of the eternal wandering of the soul, return to your shell to strike down mine enemies, and bring back the glory of the ancient world!" thundered Heqnefer, raising the suddenly glowing ankh above the body, which suddenly twitched and began to slowly lever its way out of the coffin, peering at the world from behind its bandaged eyes, which were lit with a spectral luster. In a few moments, its previously confining wrappings were rearranged by its raiser, granting it free range of movement on limbs that by rights ought to have snapped then and there.

The Chinese mummy on-screen sent a terrific backhand into the chest of the ultra-serious African translator, sending him flying on cunningly-concealed wires into the wall of the cave, at the same time Heqanefer pointed at the assembled movie-goers and said in a commanding tone to Hed-Ra "Go, O Pharaoh, DESTROY THE USURPERS!"

[Airon]

“Oh, but of course the crazy guy shows up during the best fight of the whole movie!†Luke jumped on his seat at the sight of the anachronistic madman. He put a hand on the shoulder of his Puerto Rican schoolmate “Subito, what the hell! I heard something about “no Claremontian group gets a night out without a fight†but I thought it was just an exaggeration!†he looked around to see how his classmates were reacting to the menace, getting ready to access his powers to join the fight. That priest looked like a wannabe and a bit on the loony side, but he could be a bigger threat than he looked.

[Scuffles]

Kristin hunched down in her chair as the self proclaimed magician made his speech. "This guy isn't for real, surely?" she muttered, then dug out her program, expecting to find 'lame fake magical entertainment' somewhere on there. The mummy rising out of the sarcophagus made her sit up a little straighter.

Surely not.. but damn the ankh and those eyes are.. man that can't be real surely?

"Can any of you guys tell if that's fake?" She whispered as she glanced along the line of her friends, flipped up the hood of her jacket and started to dig in her pocket for the mask that she kept handy at all times. "I mean, why here if you're gonna raise a mummy? It's a bad joke, right?"

[Ari]

“Subito, what the hell! I heard something about “no Claremontian group gets a night out without a fight†but I thought it was just an exaggeration!â€

Subito shrugged helplessly at Luke's outrage "I didn't know this would happen, believe me! I'd have gotten my stuff on at the door if I had had any idea" he rose as well, placing a hand over his hear as he looked at the weird figure Heqanefer cut "Now why didn't I hear him?" he muttered in irritation "If he had done somethin' at the front door or in the hall I would have known about it, how did he-?" he glanced at the movie, where the Chinese mummy was beating the literal stuffing out of a tiger puppet "-Oh. The movie. Darn"

He sighed angrily and murmured to Luke "Well, at least we can fight them" he looked down at the mummy with a cold intensity, ready at any moment to shed his everyday disguise and become El Heraldo!

[Derin]

It took the reaction of her classmates to tip Chloe off that she wasn't looking at a theatrical stunt. But whatever was going on, it was in a movie theatre full of bystanders, and it was dangerous. There was some kind of magician, a mummy, and within seconds there would be a panicked stampede. "A mummy. A real mummy? This is very important: does anybody know whether it is alive or dead?" If it was dead, she could hurt it. Probably. She'd never fought mummies before. But the magician... he was alive, and he was a problem. "Maybe it's time for some creative medicine," she muttered to herself.

[Ari]

GM

The theater was abruptly turned into a scene of near-riot, with the movie-goers, previously entranced by the odd scene before them, scrambling over the seats, pushing furiously t escape, and generally causing a ruckus. Heqanefer looked impossibly smug at this, and suddenly looked at the five teens who hadn't started running. Quirking an eyebrow at them, he gestured to Hed-Ra and said something in Egyptian. Whatever it was, Hed-Ra responded to it by throwing his coffin at Subito and roaring at him, which froze the young man in his tracks.

Thus disabled, the bandaged corpse hurled itself through the air, somersaulted between the last two rows between itself and its target, and landed on the top of the seat the young paragon had just vacated, where he seemed to be making ready for an attack

[Airon]

Luke hadn’t planned for his debut as a superhero in Freedom City to be so splashy: the again, keeping a secret identity wasn’t a big concern for him: in his head, Claremont was just a temporary situation.

He had his jeans ripped in correspondence of the Saiph mark on his thigh – what seemed like a questionable fashion choice, was really just to easily access the source of his powers. As his fingers touched the mark, the cosmic energy filled him and he felt the alien fabric of the costume condensing over his skin.

“Ok now. Let’s see if I still remember how it’s done.†he whispered to himself before taking off. He flew up above Heraldo, trying to be as flashy as possible “Hey! Hey! Yeah I’m talking to you, you old rotten – hey, that’s accurate – carcass!†his hands started sparkling with light as he dispersed the energy in it, to cause a big flash without damage. “Look over here! You interrupted what probably was the only decent movie of the night. That’s unforgivable!†his hands brightened up to impossible levels as he directed the blinding starlight to the undead’s spectral eyes, before flying up to the ceiling.

[Ari]

Stunned briefly by the air-borne coffin and the mummy's roar, Subito didn't dare to look at the impossible thing on the seat behind him, instead gripping the flag woven between the threads of his shirt and thinking desperately

Blue Dame! Your power is needed to fight this man and his undead ally!

Granted came the familiar reply, and in a flare of light, a fanfare of trumpets, and a fluttering of the Banner he now bore, El Heraldo appeared where once Subito Sondo had stood, resplendent in his sky-blue white-feathered cap, gold and blue jacket, checkered pants and leather boots.

Raising the Banner high he cried "Come, comrades, let us bring this man low, and cast his ill-gotten servant back to what rest he was torn from!" a blast of light, a roar of drums, and a cry as of a thousand voices lifted in triumph answered him.

[Ari]

GM

The magician Heqanefer took this chance to make an attack of his own. With a flare of dark blue, a sheen covered his arms, and his strength was multiplied! Hurling himself at the ones who stood against him, he slammed his empowered free hand down onto the theater's carpeted floor, sending out a shockwave that thankfully only tossed a few of the civilian rearguard to the ground, with Saiph being out of the attack's reach near the ceiling and thus wholly unaffected. The mage stood up sharply, glaring at the children who dared not be cowed by his might!

[Scuffles]

Kristin had just started to get to her feet when Heqanefer slammed his fists into the ground, and she was knocked backwards as the shockwave tore through the row of seats. As she sprawled back into her chair it jolted backwards hard and she recovered her balance neatly with a backwards roll into the row behind. The air around her flared green as she prepared to defend herself, then threw herself towards the Mummy.

Kicking off the back of one of the chairs she launched herself clear over the undead monster in a mesmerizing green somersault, then lunged towards the magician, attempting to distract him with rapid movement as she sent yet another ruined theater chair hurtling towards him with a burst of telekinesis. Her aim was off however and instead the flying seat crashed through the screen.

[Derin]

Chloe felt the ground rock under her and somehow managed to keep her footing. She glanced back at the fleeing bystanders; clear door, no obvious hazards. Nothing she could do for them. They'd be safest if the threat was eliminated, then she could check for injuries caused in the rush.

Sedatives. Chloe felt the nanites move through her bloodstream and settle in the capillaries in her skin as she dashed for the strange magician. "Time to go to sleep," she murmured, grabbing at the magician. He slipped out of her hold, but not before she felt the tingle of nanites leaving her skin to alight on his.

[Vahnyu]

Everything had happened in a flash, and for a few moments there, Serge was left in a stupefying silence as his classmates had jumped to action. "Whoa, there!" Serge went, as the magician's terrifying slam rocked him out of his seat and into the ground. Finally mustering the presence of mind to get his act together, Serge grabbed his backpack and made a run towards the exit, hoping the fleeing crowd and his bliding speed would mask his identity from any and all onlookers. Ah, the much maligned troubles of maintaining a secret identity. he thought, making his way towards the nearest restroom, in order to get in gear, and help the others.

[Ari]

GM

Hed-Ra glared from under his bandaged eyes. His raiser's power seemed only a little effective, if it made people flee and not burst into flame. But he could serve such a one nonetheless, what with him being bound to their service and all.

The flying one had hurt his spectral eyes with a bolt of light like the sun he had seen once, long ago. But the wretch was out of his reach, and he had other prey to attend to, like the eyesore in front of him, all gold and blue and white and red, with not a decent color scheme to be found on his entire body!

"Begone!" he said the Herald, his voice sounding warped and sinister in his ears, and with a coiling of his dessicated body he sent a frightfully-extended arm at his enemy...who caught it on their Banner with a ringing clang.

Hed-Ra wished he was back in his tomb. Less trouble in the Field of Reeds.