trans_9 | Altercations Are Inevitable

Wednesday mutters a curse about eleven hundred years out of date.

The Doctor gapes. It's in his nature. "Amazing. Absolutely amazing."

It was all he could do not to run off away from the group to explore.

Through much of the 'tour,' Sam had followed behind--maintaining his spot at the back of the group alongside the perpetually cursing Irish twins, Connor and Murphy--and remained silent as he took in everything around him, and kept an eye out for anything out of the ordinary, which was difficult considering how everything about this place was completely out of the ordinary for him.

But when they came to what looked to be a massive city within the ship, Sam's mouth fell open in shock. He scanned the area, taking in all the architecture and sculptures that dotted the massive landscape. He arched his neck as he turned his gaze upward at what was obviously some kind of artificial sky, complete with a rather artistic-looking sun.

"Jesus H..." he said, repeating the 'curse' he'd used earlier out of frustration. This time, however, he was obviously awestruck by his environment. "...I don't think we're in Kansas anymore," he muttered.

Vincent headed out of the latest area the ship's administrator had guided them too. It was clear enough that while this place was confining, it wasn't hostile, for now. Thus he didn't bother with the formation movement the loud woman had insisted on earlier. "Administrator, where are the latest releases? Are any of them from universes similar to the 'cluster' that myself, the mutants, and Stark are from?"

Recognizing the tongue that 'Wednesday' used, and feeling it was time for a calculated risk, Vincent probed towards the old man's mind.

//How do you know that language? What are you, really?//

Meanwhile, he looked around intently, committing every aspect of the layout to memory. "One could explore this place for years and still not see all of it."

They wanted to know where the other podlings were? Here was one. He ran over to them--he'd BEEN running. He was panting.

"Oh thank you! People! There are people! Fuck, do any of you have guns? I saw a thing! It was an alien thing! Stacy wouldn't let me have a gun--said I was too high-strung. It didn't see me, but it's a block over, some kind of fucking monster!"

He was freaked. Immensely freaked.

Connor hefts his guns, frowning. "Well fuck, man, breathe and let's sort this shit out. Lead the way." Aliens, huh? Well, if they freaked this guy out then they were probably worth the fucking ammunition.

Wednesday's mind has no particular defenses to it, not obvious ones, at least... but that doesn't keep it from being extraordinarily deep. Why does a labyrinth need a gate? Only the foolish would venture inside. The message vanishes inside... What comes in reply is only the momentary sense of raven's feathers, almost overwhelming despite there being no material aspect to it.

Wednesday looks up sharply at the new man, a hand settling against his sword.

"Eyes open, voices down--let's move. We'll exchange names later--lead the way."

Kate had her hand on her bow, and an arrow ready to be nocked. She wasn't even going to aim, not yet. Drawing herself up to her Hawkeye self.

"Did you see what it is? Who else is over there?" She barked at the man.

"Now, now, let's not all go shooting things unnecessarily. It might be friendly! Sentient! Harmless!"

"It has razor blades for arms!"

"Okay, can't believe I of all people am being the voice of reason here, but, just want to point out one thing before we run in there, guns blazing and everything. Just because it doesn't look human doesn't mean it'll kill us. So don't just shoot as soon as you see it. Even if it does have razor blades for arms."

"Yeah, and it might be waiting to eat us. Shoot first, don't be dinner later. Ancient Earther saying."

"Thank you! One of you at least is using their brain!" That was supposed to be a compliment to Wally, there.

He turned to Harper. "I've been on Earth a lot more than you ever will, sir, and you're right. Oh, you're right. Which is why so many people die there from friendly fire! Now can we just all be calm and not shoot things?!"

Since he was so calm himself.

A deep breath. "Look, we don't know what's here. If it's hostile, we need to defend ourselves, but DO NOT fire unless it's attacking. Not even if it seems hostile. Only when it's directly attacking us--if it even does. No firing first."

That was a fair compromise.

While they argued, something skittered silently across the floor. Something small--but not quite small enough.

It was hungry. It was going to try for larger prey than it had ever taken down before. One was straggling off to the side of the group.

Without being felt, due to the throbbing pulse of her suit, it cliiiimbed up Will's leg, onto her back...

He'd been peeking around the corner of a building, told Paco to stay there until they were sure it was safe. He'd spotted that guy high-tailing it off, they all looked freaked. He was considering going out sans suit--

When he saw the GIANT BUG on the girl's back and it looked like it had a stinger! CRAP!

There was no time for a warning and he could move faster than he could talk anyway. Without a word, Blue Beetle jumped into action.

To the others it looked like an exoskeletoned thing leapt out of hiding, and was slashing at Will, trying to slice her to pieces with massive claws.

There was no time to transform - but there WAS enough time to panic!

"EEEEEEK!"

Will shrieked, and though she couldn't move nearly fast enough to dodge in human form, she had already had her hand at her chest, where the warmth of the Heart of Kandrakar was comfortingly close, and a brilliant glow emanated from her chest as a bolt of electricity shot from her into her blue-suited attacker.

Oh no! Secret was out!

Well - it would be, anyhow, presuming Will had stunned her attacker long enough to get to a safe distance.

"Hold fire! Don't hit Will!" But then she--blasted the thing away?

Cybil reached forward, grabbed Will and YANKED her back out of the way.

"JAIME!"

Paco wasn't always the best at following directions.

He raced around the building after his friend. Whoa hey, people!

Armed people. Wuh-oh.

"DON'T SHOOT!"

Kate could see Vincent gearing up, and great, this guy was getting right in the way. And he wasn't armed either.

"Get down!" she yelled and launched herself forward to tackle him to the ground and roll them away from the line of fire.

Vincent's mind was reeling from what he'd felt in the old man's mind. He felt terrified and awed all at once.

"The Allfather..." He murmured softly to himself, before his attention was caught by the conflict. He saw the armored humanoid engaged in a struggle with the human girl from 'near' his universe, and tried to subdue it.

For now though, he opted for a non-damaging approach, in case it turned out to be a potential ally. His hands flew through the invocations and he locked eyes on the creature as the spell activated. "HOLD AND BE STILL." He ordered it to remain still, using as strong a compulsion charm as he could manage quickly. "Identify yourself!"

Kara's gun was in her hand as soon as she heard the cries, pointed around aimlessly until she saw what the shouting was about, but by then there was a command of "Hold your fire!" that struck her to the base of her spine, frightened and alarmed as she was. It was the voice of command and of her captain, and Starbuck obeyed it...grudgingly.

He didn't hold. What was a compulsion to TWO wills completely in synch and working in tandem. For a moment, his legs felt like molasses, but he was still trying to break through the crowd and figure out where that thing had skittered off to. He could tell it was bad news.

And he WOULD have identified himself, but he was still gasping and trying to catch his breath from having it knocked out of him by the girl.

Electricity was his friend, typically, but that had been a LOT of electricity.

Pfft. Voice of command? Not in Harper's world. Shoot first, ask questions if you got a chance, and Harper didn't really care if they got a chance. Sorry, bug-thing, you're going down.

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