ic Slave to Time - Part 2 (IC)

[Ari]

The stocky teen glared hotly at Captain Yates, a soup of choice words racing through his head as he tried to think of something to say that would destroy the man's argument and not reveal that he was super-powered by the spirit of a country that technically didn't exist in its proper form yet. Finding none that suited his needs, he went with a mutter of "Well, not everyone's fists are..." the rest of what he was going to say was cut off when he saw the man lying on the infirmary bed, and actually heard what he was saying. His jaw tautened at the mention of 'fangs'.

Subito's eyes flickered over to Agnes in surprise when she claimed they were from 'the War Office'. The roles she was suggesting they play would never have occurred to him. We're doing way better than if I had tried to take the lead he admitted to himself More proof we need to work on your leadership skills, Subito ...Can't argue there, O Dame he thought wryly.

Aloud he said more cheerfully "A good point, Agnes! All you need to do, Commander is send us out t'find these monsters, and we can deal with 'em without you needing to worry about any more harm coming to your soldiers!" he matched Agnes' smile, an odd figure in the blue fatigues "We've got some experience with fighting things like them, you see" he added casually.

[Supercape]

GM

"A good point, Agnes! All you need to do, Commander is send us out t'find these monsters, and we can deal with 'em without you needing to worry about any more harm coming to your soldiers! We've got some experience with fighting things like them, you see

Commander Brasque smiled at them both, but pulled his collar with anxiety.

"I can't possibly let you two out to the Swamp" he started, before wiping his brow and reconsidering.

"But...if you could scout it out..." he mumbled, not meeting the two heroes eyes. He clearly felt he was sending them to great or even absolute peril.

"Then you will be heroes! medals of honour!" he said, trying to cheer himself up.

"I'll speak to the quartermaster, set you up with salted meats and water. Last thing you need is to dry up out their. The water is filthy and the food rancid. I'll give you what maps we have, although they are pretty poor, to be honest..."

[Tiffany Korta]

“Well that sounds like a plan. We’d be happy to scout for you.â€

For the first time she saw exactly what Subito was wearing. She went over and gave him a chaste kiss on the cheek, having to bend down to do so.

“I just love a man in uniform.†She turned to the rest of the room “We’re partners as well as, well, partners it stop’s unresolved sexual tension.†She didn’t expect them to get the reference, but she was enjoying herself. “Oh a Sharps long rifle, I prefer the Baker myself, may I?†she gently took the rifle out of his grasp and stated testing the weight.

She them began twirling the rifle around in a quiet impressive display, before planting the gun on the ground and snapping off a perfect salute.

“Yeah we’re not going to need this.†She threw the gun to the Captain without looking at him “Now about these maps, and maybe some breakfast.†She leant in and whispered to Subito “I hear historic calories don’t count.â€

[Ari]

'YES! We get to go help out! More importantly, we get to give these soldiers a victory'

The herald bowed slightly to the commander "Whatever you give us we're glad to have, sir! Me and m'darling Agnes wi-"

For the first time she saw exactly what Subito was wearing. She went over and gave him a chaste kiss on the cheek, having to bend down to do so.

“I just love a man in uniform.†She turned to the rest of the room “We’re partners as well as, well, partners it stop’s unresolved sexual tension.†She didn’t expect them to get the reference, but she was enjoying herself. “Oh a Sharps long rifle, I prefer the Baker myself, may I?†she gently took the rifle out of his grasp and stated testing the weight.

In hindsight, Subito thought, blushing yet again at the kiss, I should probably have expected that. He glanced at the ground and self-consciously smoothed out his crisp blue uniform('I kinda do look good in blue...') for a few seconds before regaining his composure, willingly letting go of the gun so Agnes could examine it and looking back up at the Commander,

"-ll..we will, uhm..we'll take care of this for you!" he said smartly, hoping that they could get under way with all speed and away from people who thought he and Agnes were married. Young Britannia in this facade seemed to be more comfortable with kissing him than his own mother.

[Supercape]

GM

A little later, after a slap - up - breakfast...

No expense had been spared on the scouts meal...egg, bacon, bread, even beer.

As the duo trudged south through the increasingly black, turgid and fetid waters of the swamp, it became increasingly clear why. The swamp was alive with every manner of poisonous, blood sucking insect, with stagnant waters and noxious plant life clinging to every surface, including each other. The whole swamp reeked of disease...

Things slithered in the waters, and jabbered from the low trees above them. Frogs and lizards were abundant, but at least recognisable. Snakes slithered unseen and silent around them. Somehow, neither of them could shake the feeling they were being watched...

[Tiffany Korta]

As they had been told the swamp was hell. Everything seemed to want to take a bite of them, well her at least. A gift from her dad she’d supposed he always got bitten to hell when he went on holiday.

“How exactly does a bug bite though invulnerable skin anyhow? Though some of the stuff here is quite exotic, I wouldn’t be surprised if we end up in Jurassic Park.†she sat down on what she hoped was a stable rock “Wow it’s been a while since I’ve had small beer, it must not agree with this me. I need a minute her Subito.†She massaged her soldier, suppressing for now her urge to heal up the bites â€Could you take a look at this bite, I think it’s infected already.†As he leaned in to look at her bite she whispered into his ear “We’re being followed, some filthy figure over that way.†She used her arm to point the way, whilst trying to appear like she was showing him the bite.

[Ari]

The Herald of the Blue Dame had been doing much better at getting through the swamp, keeping his feet dry(somehow), evading the bites and intrusions of the insects that swarmed and crawled around the pair of heroes, swatting them off as quickly as he could detect them. Due to this, he didn't pay much attention to what he was getting off of himself, just that he could smack it and throw it away quickly enough. This and the buzzing, chittering and clicking of their insect bodies, the gaseous bubbling and the distant cries of various animals distracted him fully from the small problems like if they were being tracked by someone through the trees and stagnant water.

"I have no idea, Ms. Stone. Dinosaur bugs and what they can or can't do is a pretty rare course at Claremont. " he said shortly, swiping at a few hornet-like things that were getting perilously close to his head, nodding as Agnes said she needed a break, leaning against the same rock she sat on. He was instantly concerned when she showed him her arm, and was looking in earnest for the supposed infection when she whispered the news to him that they were being followed, almost whipping his head in the direction that she pointed before catching on to her plan, and pretending to look down her arm at the infection with a serious look on his youthful face. In an equally quiet voice he whispered, hoping it wasn't rude to not look at her while talking like this "What should we do? Set an ambush? I pretend to go for something, then circle around and catch them by surprise?" louder he said "Aw man, that looks pretty bad! You think you can press on, dear? I cant get something cooked up to help with that"

[Supercape]

GM

The ragged figure that was following them looked human. Loosely speaking. He was a rake of a figure, all skin and bones and rags. He was filthy, consumed with Swamp Muck, and even at this distance he looked sick with fever. A maddened stare infected his bulging eyes. It was impossible to guess at his race, or where he had come from. His tattered clothes gave no clue. He held a dusty knife in an iron grip.

Whatever his mental and physical health was, he was good at sneaking, at one with the Swamp, silent and quick slither through it.

The madman was following them at a respectable distance, only partially seen at any one time, and quick to duck under cover when prying eyes searched him out.

[Tiffany Korta]

Agnus gave quite a wicked looking smile “Oh I’ve got an idea and it’s a doozy. When I give the sign make a dash for him. Oh and best to close your eyes in a second.â€

With a quick glance to see if he was still there she caused her other hand to glow brightly. She then placed her hand on the wound allowing it’s healing energies to enthuse her body. A bit of a waste for just a insect bite but she need there stalker to be comfortable with her powers. When she was sure he wasn’t about to bolt she went with part 2 of her plan.

“Now let’s see about that other problem.â€

As quickly as she could she snapped round in the stalkers direction and dropped on top of him a blinding column of light.

[Ari]

Subito nodded a slow affirmation at Agnes' whispered words, the stocky teen tensing himself for a spring and pretending to examine the supposed infection with a murmur of concerned worry just before she used the healing power of the Light, smiling at Young Britannia and saying as if chiding "Dear, really, you shouldn't worry me like that."

“Now let’s see about that other problem.â€

Looking away as the hammer of light struck home he said smartly "On it!" hurling himself at the ragged figure and wrapping his powerful young arms and legs around their luckless stalker, saying loudly in his ear "Alright my friend, I've got you! Do you speak English? ¿Habla usted español? Tu loqueris Latine?" he asked clearly, wishing fervently he had taken the language courses Claremont offered sooner 'Sure I can understand all of 'em, but in times like this I wish I could speak them too..'

[Supercape]

GM

The light of Young Brittania was a shock for the scrawny figure, used to the dingy hidden sun that lay above the mangrove tree cover.

He began to jabber in some hybrid Creole language, which the two heroes could understand. It was almost gibberish to the normal ear.

""

Despite their understanding, the scrawny figure made little sense, clearly half mad or more. His blinded eyes still gazed a thousand yard stare with madness, and he twisted and turned in some restless state. He smelt ill, full of disease and fever, and was slick with sweat. On his neck, a tatoo of a serpent coiled around his throat.

[Tiffany Korta]

Agnus was right behind Subito arriving in time to hear the poor man’s babbling away. Any anger she had towards the man evaporated when she saw the state of him. The majority of her medical knowledge had disappeared with the good night sleep but she’d retained enough to see what a poor state he was from living in the swamp to long.

“Well that just about confirms what we’d already suspected, but there one thing he mentioned that’s worth checking upon.â€

She gently took hold of his hand, trying not to startle the poor thing, and as subtly s she could began to send her healing energies through his body. She dropped into his Creole, one of the many she had spoken in the past.

<â€Tell me more about this Lady of the Swamp.â€>

[Ari]

Releasing the man when he realized how little threat he was to the pair Subito nonetheless kept a hand on the ragged man's shoulder, taking up position to keep a lookout. He couldn't speak the language and find out what was wrong with this guy, but he could at least make sure nobody snuck up on them. He closed his eyes, focusing on the sounds around them, the decibels of the voices striking his eardrums almost painfully.

[Supercape]

GM

The scrawny figure was half mad from disease and malnurishment. The other half of his madness came from somewhere else.

But the presence of Young Brittania was not to be denied. His eyes unglazed slightly and focussed on her face.

"Oh ho ho!" he cackled, addressing her more directly "a dark lady, into the swamp, like the mistress of the mangrove, like the maiden of the marsh! nobody knows where she came from, where she is! her eyes are everywhere, in every beast, every crawling thing of the swamp!" he mumbled, his eyes jerking away to dart left and right alive with paranoia.

He grabbed Young Brittania with feverish urgency.

"The Snake people, the Yellow Sign, we ruled the swamp, searching for the Sceptre and the Chains! to rule the earth once more!" he said, a momentary glimpse of pride flashing across his face "but we were undone by the lady of the swamp! she and her degenerates...full of disease and inbred horrors...they infiltrated...poisoned us..."

[Tiffany Korta]

Agnus gave a little sigh. So much for an easy solution. She deliberately spent a few extra minutes making sure she’d healed as much of the man disease as she could before she talked to Subito.

“So we’re basically left with one of two choices. Either we find the Serpent people, who want to enslave or mankind. No offense.†She said to the little man “Or we try to track down Madame Malaise and her swamp full of disease.†She glace around at the potential thousand eyes staring back out at them. “Cause we only have this man word about this magical swamp dweller…â€

[Ari]

The man's story was truly pitiable, but Subito was still wary "You can talk to these guys, I can't. I would vote we go and find these Serpent People, see if there're any others with this story. If so, we can find out more about this Madame Malaise..that's a great name for this lady, by the way. No matter what she's really called, I'm gonna call her that" he laughed, an odd sound in the close and dreary swamp. Quickly regaining his sternness and fighting back a handsome grin he went on "Anyway, we should ask this guy where these other folks are, I bet he could lead us straight to them!" he declared excitedly.

[Tiffany Korta]

“I got to do something a minute, see if you can get anything from him."

There were things she didn’t totally understand about her powers, some which the Spirit of Justice didn’t exactly hide but didn’t encourage her to find out. One was the nature of where all her stuff went when she transformed. One thing she didn’t want to do was deliver the chain these creatures desired right into their claws, even if it was stashed away.

There was a trick she’d figured about her power, if she could move things through space she should be able to move them through time. To the crazy world of Quantum mechanics it was all the same thing. She wasn’t sure enough to try it on real people; inanimate objects were a different matter. Though she really did like this bag.

Sending a quick text to her manager telling her that she might be gone a while and to use her emergency funds. The she returned it to her bag and with a bright flash of light she bended space and time, delivered her bag and all it contents to the safe (which only she knew the combination) in her studio when she left.

“Right let get going.â€

[Supercape]

GM

The scrawny figure, whose name was apparently "Jenkins" - not a name he divulged, but rather one gleaned from the name tag that was just legible on his confederate uniform. The man had, months or may be even years ago, been a soldier for the southern armies. Now, the skeletal husk was a fanatical worshipper of the Serpent people.

The trudge through the swamp was even slower with Jenkins, who was not in the best of health and not in the best of moods. He constantly mumbled under his breath, in words that made no sense to either of the heroes, and probably not to Jenkins either.

As the swamp got thicker and thicker, turning into twisted mangrove, Young Brittania and El Heraldo could feel something twisted about the flora and fauna, and even atmosphere. It was hot, wet, and uncomfortable. The lizards, toads and serpents that had previously seemed exotic now looked bizzare, as if they were heading into some terrain of horrible dreams.

"Closer closer...the Serpent people crushed, scattered...by the lady of the swamp...." whispered Jenkins, his eyes wide and throat hoarse, fear gripping him. He turned to them.

"Even Broken Crow...lost...to the lady in the swamp? can you feel it...it never ends...."

Crows crowed and toads croaked, and thinks slithered in and out of the water all around them. They both had the feeling they were being watched.

And indeed they were...the eyes of a half dozen or so savages...hidden in the swamp....gazing at the intruders....

[Ari]

Following close behind the two, Subito swatted irritably at the insects that buzzed and crawled around him and the other two, grumbling as his feet sank into the mud despite his best efforts. 'Jenkins' was a pitiable figure, but still infuriating to follow through the American swamplands.

His hearing brought him every mournful cry of every miserable animal for hundreds of yards around, and he hated every moment of it. "I can see why Madame Malaise would set up her hidden base or whatever around here" he grumbled "We'll probably need to decontaminate ourselves when we get back home."

He shuddered as he realized how the world around them was changing, hugging his arms closer to himself as he stepped through the stagnant and slimy swamp water, peering through the trees as they went further into this world of madness. he shuddered at the news that even the mighty Broken Crow had fallen prey to this strange woman, hoping that Young Britannia had the strength to see them through this peril. He knew he didn't.

"You feel like you're bein' watched too, Agnes?" he asked nervously, his dark eyes scanning the trees with gradually increasing speed.

[Tiffany Korta]

“Well time travel cleans away all known germs guaranteed.†Even her humour sounded a little forced in such a sick alien environment

“Of cause we’re being watched, we’re going to meet Jenkins friends, who don’t exactly trust outsiders at all.†she gave a little sigh

“But we need Broken Crow’s help and that means we need to stop this Madame Malaise. Which means we have to gain these peoples trust. †after a moments though she gave a smile, more genuine this time “Time to turn on the charm I guess, luckily we’ve got that in spades.â€

[Supercape]

GM

The men, and women who were watching them crept closer into view. They were odd, somehow, a mongrol blend of every race and creed but with dark eyes, scrawny hair, and a steely skeletal frame. Human, but degenerate, out of some pulp fiction story from decades ago.

They spoke, a deep and fluid creole language, French and English woven into its own form. Both El Heraldo and Young Brittania could understand the language without difficulty.

"Not soldiers...not snakes...who be these two, they have them a snake-believer...where they be from?"

They were cautious, these eight men and women, nasty and suspicious. They held spears and knives, and blow-pipes, like primitive hunters. Nothing in their speech or movement indicated a morsel of pity or concern, just cruelty.

"The spawn of the mother! Swamp people! Madness! Disease!" gibbered Jenkins, clearly frightened. Given he was a worshipper of the Yellow Sign, of the Snake People, for him to worry was in itself worrisome.

[Ari]

Starting as the ragged people slunk out of hiding, shivering a little as he saw the look in their eyes. He put up a good face though, smiling at the circle of decrepit humanity around him and Agnes and Jenkins. He put a warm hand on the shoulder of the shaky man beside him, saying loudly and calmly "Try and calm yourself, Jenkins." trying to make the encouragement come through the mere tone of his words "You are not undefended. We will not let them hurt you if we can in any way avoid it." he looked anxiously at Agnes, saying much more quietly and uncertainly "Hey, uh...you can talk to these people too I hope? I'll try and back you up somehow, put on a lightshow and make triumphant noises if it helps."

His shoulders hunched up a few inches, ready for a spring in case they were attacked.

[Tiffany Korta]

Of all the people they had to bump into it had to be the other group. Madam Malaise’s bunch if you would.

“So do I Subito, so do I.†she managed a weak smile.

She adopted a posture that suggested that she meant them no harm, which was true as she really didn’t really want to start a fight. Then she gave them one of her winning smile, when she was famous she had some media training and knew how to deal with people.

“Hello there we’re he to try and broker a peace between all the parties. To use a cliché take me to your leader…â€

[Supercape]

GM

Jenkins almost died of fright as Young Brittania spoke. He went a pale yellow and croaked without words.

The marsh folk crept towards further into the dim light of the setting sun, now an orange haze shining through overgrown mangrove trees. They were human, but had a degenerate mongrol look about them, a combination of too much inbreeding and maybe some other foul process. All races, all creeds, and more than a few deformities. They smelled of disease too, any many had obvious signs of infection...although they also seemed to have a rugged vitality to them too, moving with sinewy grace.

They barely spoke, but with spear and knife pointed onwards, southwards, where the growth and deformity of the vegetation grew thicker. Water levels rose, insects and lizards crawled, flew, and bit.

"Strange people...not the soldiers...." they commented, poking El Heraldo and Young Brittania with spear to push them forward.

"More like the other one. So...another prisoner for the Mistress. Another broken crow...."

[Ari]

While the trio of them were being thrust forward, Subito said gently in a voice that carried through the air "Easy now, we aren't here to hurt you. Lead on. " he smiled at them brightly "We're gonna see Broken Crow already? Whoa, I hope we don't screw this up, I'd hate to go down in history as "One of those two jerks who failed at rescuing the Master Mage from a swamp woman."" he muttered, a look of deep nervousness on his face that quickly vanished into another beaming and beneficent smile at their captors. "So Agnes, how do you want to play it when we meet Madame Malaise?" he asked the older woman with a careless grin, adding with a cheeky wink "Does it involve us pretendin' to be a married couple again?"

He slapped irritably at the insects that droned and stabbed about him, wishing for the tenth time that day he was one of those heroes that had a supremely tragic past that would have made him able to ignore the ceaseless attack.