1964-03-04 - Stay Tuned: The Island of Dr. Mojo
Summary: The one where Mojo abducts people for higher ratings and gives them all expenses paid vacations to DOOM!
Related: Stay Tuned logs
Theme Song: None
mojo howard janie dazzler teddy billy lorna creel 


*

Congratulations, children! You've been given an all-expenses paid trip to the sunny shores of Papua New Guinea. The methods of your arrival vary; for Billy, Teddy and Lorna? The spastic speedster that is the brother of one and the teammate of another was mind-controlled into a run that led somewhere on the island. Teleporting after the platinum-haired punk resulted in landing the pair of new SHIELD consultants on the beaches of the island — but there's no Speed in sight, and to add to the intrigue? Attempts to locate him further have produced no results.

Janie, meanwhile, was abducted in the middle of her daily… well, whatever the case may have been, and one bright flash of light later? She discovered herself lost in the jungles of the island.

She wasn't alone, however — as he was testing out some device or another, Howard found the same result — that atomic coffee maker wasn't SUPPOSED to have a matter relocation feature, was it? Even if it was, the other side of the world was not likely the destination intended.

"I was WONDERING when you children would arrive," comes a voice with no immediate source, familiar to those who have watched W-ILD in the past; it's the 'voice actor' behind the infamous Mojo the Lifebringer. Station 'mascot' extraordinaire. "It looks like our invitation didn't bring /everyone/ to the party, though. So good news, future stars! Somewhere on this island are people who can help you. I'd recommend finding them before the cannibals do~"

*

Janie had been working on some dress or another, and she was lucky that she had closed the shop up for the lunchtime, but still,she looked rather confused as her little boutique had turned to some tropical forrest. Looking at the others around, she sorted her hair with a hand, then tried to find the origin of the voice. "What… Is going on here?!"

*

Lorna spilled out of the portal beside one nephew and Teddy. She still wasn't entirely sure what was going on with the two young men in terms of what to call Teddy to her nephew, but either way she shrugged and moved on. It would seem Lorna wasn't too judgemental. Other than a slight tease here or there when appropriate. This? Tommy speeding off into no where? Definitely not appropriate.

Lorna straightened her shoulder back, glancing around the island beach before them as they came out of the portal. Her gaze narrowed and then a near-curse not quite curse fell from her lips. "Oh no. No. No. No. Of course it has to be a place without tons of metal." She squeezed her eyes shut, her hands held out before her as she blindly spread her powers out before them.

At least she had taken to carrying Seth's knife everywhere. Small favors.

"Billy, can you get a lock on Tommy from here?"

*

Dressed in his super-hero get-up, a black suit with a red hooded cloak— no one better make any red riding hood jokes or they'll be turned into a newt— Billy wooshes up the wormhole towards where Tommy should be. He really expected Tommy to *be* there when they step through, but… Billy blinks slowly after emerging from his wormhole, not at all expecting to end up on a beach. Then again, it could be worse, right? Beaches are where fun and nice things happen. Still, he looks over to Teddy, then squints at his magic-aunt a moment and purses his lips. Lifting a hand, he concentrates, "Am I my brother's keeper?" He concentrates harder, and reality bends around his hand, "Am I my brother's keeper?" And finally, "Amimybrother'skeeper!" this last one rushed out. A little flying drone appears in front of his hand, and it hovers there, and then starts… being weird. It sort of bends in on itself, but only halfway. Mathematical formulae appear to sprout around it in glowing lines, and Billy blinks, "Uhhh. Its like he's in another dimension. Except its like he's not. I… don't understand."

*

When Howard pops into existence he's not exactly dressed for success. No shoes or even sandals, but instead a simple bathrobe. Standing in place with his coffee mug in one hand Howard doesn't say anything for a moment or even hardly move. He looks to himself, then the ground, and finally Janie a slight wave of the hand given her way.

His right hand clasped onto the simple metal mug simply moves up towards his mouth, tipping back coffee down his gullet. He lets out a somewhat contented sigh, as things set in for the older man mentally. "Right". Yet another slow sip as he pats himself down. "Another day, another kidnapping." He pulls out just a small ink pen from the right breast pocket of his bathrobe, a towel still wrapped around his head. "At least this time I've got the bathrobe on."

*

Teddy looks around once they comes out the other side of the portal, reaching up to scratch at a cheek with a finger. "Where are we? It's kinda pretty. We should come back here sometime and just hang out. Swim, drink some beer, get a nice tan." He's in a SHIELD uniform; might as well since he's entitled to wear it and it's nicely functional. Which is to say it has nothing to snag on branches and hugs his body to show it off to best effect. Looking over at Billy, he asks "How can he be in another dimension but not in another dimension?"

*

There's little other immediate response from the disembodied voice that likely brought our heroes here, but there /is/ a set of howls heard in the distance. Howls that sound as if they're getting closer, and closer…

*

Lorna glanced toward Billy and scowled, flexing her hands as she let them fall back to her sides. "Right, well then we can assume Tommy has been kidnapped by the slug and we have to either put on a show like the jerk wants. Or shove reality down his throat and rip this place apart till we find him. Yes? Okay. So. Cannibals. Lets go knock those out?" She arched a brow, Seth's knife floating free from her person with a click as the blade spun lazily around her head.

"Billy, you're our tracker I guess. Teddy, take point for anything that comes out of those woods. I'll take the skies and watch approaches from there." And with those words she was lifting upwards into the sky, some thirty some odd feet above the two boys with a gesture of her hands.

*

Janie blinks as Howard is just in a Bathrobe, then shakes the head. "Did you say kidnapped? And why are you in a bathrobe? No, wait, I don't want to know that bit. But would you have something to wear?" she asks, closing the eyes a moment, envisioning something quick and dirty that would be possibly a bit better than just a bathing robe. "Anyway… who are you?" she asks, pointing to Howard.

*

"When I said I didn't understand I meant it." quips Billy towards Teddy with a wry grin, giving a shrug and waving at the drone surrounded by shiny mathematical symbols, "That's just what its saying. I don't know. But… the voice said there's someone who can help us." Billy nods to Lorna and grunts, "Yeah, cannibals are bad. I'm totally against cannibals on a principal. I'm going to check out an aerial view." With that, Billy is shooting up into the sky, scouting out for awhile before he descends, "Okay, so. There's this colosseum thattaway?" He points, "And… some shiny things moving through the trees. Fast. Some coming for us." He looks to Teddy, "Might wanna bulk up." Then back to Lorna, "Some of the shinies are heading another way. I am guessing shinies are cannibals and so anyone they're after is bad: so maybe we should consider going for what the shinies are after?"

*

"For now, John Smith." Howard speaks while tightening up the strap on his silk bathrobe. The design makes it look like it's worth quite the pretty penny imported direct from Japan quite a long time ago and kept in perfect condition. "What would you call being suddenly somewhere else?" As he takes the pen in his hand starting to pull it apart. A cigarette pack comes out of another pocket, and he jams the pen into it the package breaking apart and folding, cigarettes held to the side of it.

Howard starts to move down the beach, kicking back the rest of his coffee. "I'd call it a kidnapping." He hooks the cup onto his belt. "And I'd say with the howling we're about to be the main course, for some VERY nasty savages" The end result of his fidgeting is a rather simple looking handgun made from the cigarette box. The actual magazine hidden under the false cigarettes inside.

*

Teddy glances up as Billy takes off but then keeps an eyes on the woods, waiting for Billy to report. "Well, if they're coming this way, I'm not waiting for them." He does indeed bulk up, growing taller, greener and more muscley. But also with a large pair of bat wings that, with a mighty flap, start propelling him upwards. "Let's fly."

*

In a stark difference to Howard (see what I did there?), Dazzler is as far away as you get from a bathrobe. She's dressed in a fancy sleeveless, white beaded dress with a stand-away collar. Mirror fragments interwoven with the beading makes Dazzler's dress, well, dazzling. Skirt just below the knee, matching shoes covered with silvery glitters, and a stunning display of makeup…well she was about to take the stage actually, but stepping out of her dressing room, a blinding light explodes into being, and her next step brings her inches away from Howard and Jaine. Neither of which she knows. In a place, that, well, looks nothing like a stage. Or New York City. She stand there confused, a microphone held in hand. "Okay…I'm pretty sure I didn't take LSD…why am I not in Kansas anymore?"

*

Surprise! It's not cannibals that Howard, Janie and the newly arrived Dazzler encounter first, but wolves. Not just any wolves, though. No, the three creatures that leap out of the jungle and into the little clearing where the two young women and one older man were talking appear to be made out of some kind of liquid metal, with heads that end in featureless beaks. And the three are moving very quickly into a flanking position. And snarling.

This might be a good time to run.

Meanwhile, Teddy might not see it up close due to being air-borne, but Billy and Lorna see three more of the creatures emerge from the jungles. Teddy's suggestion of flying? Probably a very, very good idea right now.

*

The various metal objects in the distance ping off Lorna's senses and she exhaled a sharp breath, fingers twitching as she held back the urge to go flying after the iron based metals she knew existed. Still, her gaze swung to Billy and she waved a hand outwards in a vague gesture, "After you nephew," She winked and grinned, glancing toward Teddy as he too lifted into the air.

"Mmm good idea. There's something.. metal out there. A few patches of it, maybe weapons or something. Also, I bet, if we can get a hold of one of their guys, they'll have one of those teleporters. Magnetism and electricity are basically the same, so in theory I should be able to power it to get us to find Tommy if he's there.. " A pause, "I just remember that part." A sheepish look as her hair too became magnetized and lifted up around her.

"So, lead on Billy."

*

Shaking the head on the short introduction, but then Janie sees the gun and moves back a step. "ohkey.. so you're saying we're here to be eaten by Canibals or… whatever?" she asks, her eyes lingering on the Kimono… and then starting to fix it a tiny bit. Just… making sure it won't come undone with a few moved stitches. But then Dazzler appears and… "Kansas? No idea, Fancy dress though. But this more looks like… Paradise Island… and … whatever those are." And with that, she points to the Warwolves, the fingers shaking.

*

Howard snags a cigarette off the side of the hastily assembled gun. A quick motion is made to shove it between his ear and his head. At the rumbling he makes a quick turn with his gun. The gun arm ducks a bit lower at the sight of them glistening in the sun.

Howard takes a few slow steps back speaking first in a calm, and reassuring voice. "Well can't always be natives, alright listen carefully." The gun lowering slightly lower in his hands as he tries not to make sudden movements. "This might be a good time to run, I'm not entirely sure, but I've got a hunch if we run fast enough the blood-flow will help me come up with a plan to get us out of this with minimal casualties."

*

Okay, metal wolfmen? Those are bad. Billy lifts into the air after Teddy, because at the moment that seems like a *really* good idea. Since Lorna doesn't have a bunch of metal to fly herself around with, he reaches a hand out to her to wrap her up in bands of force and lift her into the air with him. Soaring up, hopefully out of range of the silverwolves, Billy points in the direction where the other guys went and gives a nod to Teddy, flying them that way. "Let's go see if that's the people we're looking for, then we can find the metal." he suggests

*

"Thanks," Dazzler quips at Janie's compliment about her dress, mostly because it's the only normal thing apparent at the moment. Then the metallic warwolves appear and she shrieks, the difference between bracing oneself to perform infront of a large crowd, and preparing to escape metallic warwolves on a strange island, well, it's very very different. In light of how things stand, Howard's plan sounds solid, and Dazzler starts to run for her life. Too bad she wasn't dressed for track and field, this little exercise in survival might seriously damage her performance dress.

*

Even if there weren't bad guys coming out from the treess, Teddy had no intention of walking through a jungle when they can all fly above it. "Lead the way." he says, prepared to follow Billy.

*

Counting out the seconds in his head Howard lets the two women get a head start on him, before starting to run himself. He's lucky that he's had so many people trying to kill him lately or he might not be able to run as fast as he does. Feet glide across the ground as he moves taking a quick potshot at the metal warwolves. The gun itself lets out a quick BANG as the round propels out the end trying to scare them off not exactly his brightest idea but better then nothing.

*

For Howard, Janie, and Dazzler? The wolves chase the trio towards what appears to be… the colosseum in Rome? Except this is very much /not/ Rome, and that building that stands before them as potential salvation looks a /lot/ newer than the one that held the ancient gladitorial battles.

The entrance to the building is open and on the ground floor, but the question is… will the trio run inside, or stay outside and test their luck with the war wolves?

Meanwhile, from the air — Lorna, Teddy and Billy can see the shiny creatures breaking off to join the rest of their pack in hunting the other three abducted individuals, who are now visible as they exit the trees only a few feet away from the aforementioned Colosseum.

*

"You know, running in that dress… Give me a second…" Janie sais, being sure to make no sudden move as the three Warwolfs get into their positions while she kneels down next to the woman, grabbing the hem… and then ripping the dress with a skilled pull… well, not so much ripping, but seperating the fabric, giving it a not too bad Chinese immitation… but then the gun goes off with her a bit unprepared and she tries to do what was said: RUN… well, bot too good if you have to get up first…

*

Lorna cast a glance toward the metal bits and bobs her nephew summoned and grinned, "Aw, thank you Billy. I don't need that to fly. The earth is made up of 5% iron, which really is more than enough for me." She shrugged, "Also it's what makes the magnetic field." She pulled harder on the magnetic ties that held her to the Earth and glanced around.

"There's a gun that way," Since there was so little ambient metal around she could clearly sense the shape and outlines of the little bits and pieces that otherwise would go by her senses. Then there was the BANG. Yep. Definitely a gun.

"I vote we go that way." And she was off!

*

Howard slows to a stop at the foot of this massive structure for just a moment, before barreling back along, into the structure. "Ladies, we're about to run into a trap, but I'd rather be trapped in their then out here without shoes." His head towel has already partially fallen off coming unwrapped as he moves past, stumbling over a rock in the ground.

*

"Oh, right." Billy lets Lorna go with a sheepish grin, eyeing the colosseum with a wince, "There's a lot of people that way… that makes me think that's where we're supposed to go, which is bad. Its totally going to be bad, I'm just saying. This W-ILD thing is starting to get super extra crazy." But he flies on after Lorna with a look over to Teddy

*

As the pseudo coliseum comes into view, Teddy gains a bit more altitude in order to get a better look inside it. Which leads to him saying "Oh, fuck that. It's full of people in the stands. No way in hell am I going to perform on command. Let's just tear it down now and head off that shit." No, he's not in a good mood. Why do you ask?

*

"Normally I'd kill you, but thanks!" Dazzler shoots at Jaine, her dress is quite expensive after all, but for the time being, ability to run far outweighs being uber dazzling. But then the run doesn't last long, when a colosseum stands before them. If Dazzler hadn't bailed on school, she might have actually known what it was, but as things stands, it just seems like a strangely ominious and very out of place structure. "Are we going in there?" She asks, looking to Howard, he's the one with the gun. From Howard she looks to Janie, "I really hope one of you is one of those super people, because this is not good!" Dazzler would hate for anyone at all to get a glimpse of her deepest secret, not when her career is finally soaring. Why did she have to get sucked into this very real dream?

*

"Don't look at me, I just make superheroes." Howard regaining his footing with a bit of a sigh as he dusts himself off. A look back in the direction those creatures came from. "Super handsome, Super rich, and Super Hungover sure." He pauses looking round the forest. "Not superhuman." He looks towards Dazzler. "You do what I say and when we get out of this I'll buy you a dress worth ten times that one." Looking between the two. "But we need to work together to get out alive."

*

"I can fix that later!" Janie responds as she joins in the run as the last of the group. Stumbling through the underwood in her slippers, them clearly intended for working in a NYC Boutique, not running through underwood. "Trapped or eaten? Better trapped!" she mutters as she tries to grab the towel in the run. "Superpeople? You're kidding, I am just a super seamstress." Which… in some cases was true. if a bit underestimated. "Now… make this a chokepoint, Smith!"

*

The interior of the colosseum seems a welcoming enough place; the entrance hall is made of the same alabaster material that the entire building seems to be made of, and the floor is… well, dirt. However, as the three walk past the gates they'll see a flash of light and just as quickly as it was there? The entrance is sealed off. From inside, they can hear voices. Voices that may be vaguely familiar to the involved celebrities, as they appear to be of an adoring public. Chanting and banging something in unison.

The remaining opening at the end of the entrance tunnel reveals what appears to be… a rock quarry of some sort, countless numbers of stones in various shapes and sizes lining and jutting out from the ground here and there; once they exit they'll be able to see the source of the chants and bangings; dark-skinned natives dressed in various tribal outfits and carrying metal-tipped spears which is the source of the banging. The word that they're chanting again and again in time with the banging? Sounds like a broken-english version of 'CRUSHER! CRUSHER! CRUSHER!'. All in all? That's a /lot/ of noise coming out of that crowd. As for the Crusher they're speaking of…

*

Within the grand arena is a figure at least one person here will recognize. A huge human, built like a tank; presently wearing nothing on his upper body, and a pair of loose sweatpants. Hefted up and over a shoulder is a huge iron ball and chain, the sort attached to prison inmates who are particular flight risks. His back is presented to the entrance proper, standing almost fifty yards away. "What the hell is this?" he asks to the open air, looking left and right. The area is principally solid rock, although there are shards and veins of iron throughout it irregularly on top of the weapons. None more than perhaps four or five pounds, but there's a fair amount. "Tribals? You think I wanted these goddamn nobodies cheering me on?! Hey! You hear me, you slug?!" He then turns his head, fully twisting about to face those who have assembled. After a few moments, he plants his large hand in his face. "Jesus Christ! Nobodies? A bunch of nobodies?! The only one I know is in a bathrobe, and like hell will THAT get me an ounce of prestige!! Plus some pop star? A POP STAR, Muujuu?!" Howard gets an accusing finger from the former boxer, followed by Dazzler. "You said everyone'd know my name! EVERYONE! This ain't the deal we had, slugman!! Where's the Justice League? Where's the Avengers?! Thor! Superman! That hot chick with the bracers and skimpy outfit!! I am a FIGHTER!!"

*

Lorna was quick enough to catch sight of the three people going into the large.. Romanesque stadium. Her brows pinched high as she felt the various bits of metal that took up residence around the place and glanced back toward Teddy. "I might be able to bring it down if you really want. But I think that'll risk people that might be innocent." Her brows scrunch up and she exhales.

"Mojo wants a show? Fine. I'll give him one. Billy, can you give me a mask or something?" She cracked her knuckles and rolled her shoulders back.

"Also if you can summon some metal that would be lovely. A car would be helpful." She paused only so long to get her nephew's response before flinging herself forward from the air into the center of the arena.

*

Janie chokes almost as that guy starts to rand and foam, fully forgetting that there is just another short girl in the arena. "Uhm… I bet you'll excuse me if I just sit that out, right?" she says, as she moves a bit sideways, circling a bit around. the man. "Because I ain't a popstar or known, you can just ignore me, right… crusher?"

*

"To be honest, it's at least a really expensive bathrobe." Howard calls out across the field somewhat mockingly but in a rather deadpan tone. "I think when I bought it back in fourtyfive it was about eigthy thousand to have handmade." He holds up the sleeve, walking his way further in, as if he owned the place, taking off his towel to reveal that head of dark brown curly hair. "That should get you at least page seven."

*

"I don't think we have a choice." comments Billy to Teddy, though his expression is grim, "About fighting for the audience, I mean. They have my brother somewhere." Sticking with the flying thing, he eyes the big guy with a skeptical look, then notices … a guy in a bathrobe. Billy blinks. Glancing sidelong to Lorna he hesitates, "I've never conjured anything that big, I… don't know. I'll try?" Reaching out he closes his eyes a moment, the telekinesis whipping around him, concentrating, "Let's get Lorna a car." He sounds uncertain, "Letsgetlornaacar!" But reality shivers as he forces his will upon it, "LETSGETLORNAACAR!"

And Lorna gets… a thousand odd cars. Only they're little toy cars. Metal, at least, but… palmsize and in a pile below on the ground. Billy flushes, "Errr—" He sounds a bit weary.

*

"I'll definitely take you on that new expensive dress offer!" Dazzler shoots at Howard, before Jaine makes her offer of repairs, and she adds, "even if she fixes it!" But then they are inside, the crowds chanting for Crusher, and Dazzler has the weird sense that they do not intend for her to perform her song "Space Crusher", they just don't seem like her fans. She is out of place, not too comfortable, and then Creel calls her a pop star. This actually gets her to scream at him, "I'm not a pop star! It's called Psychedelic Rock, ok? It's complex, it's new, and it's deeper!"

*

Crusher Creel just kind of rubs his face in obvious exasperation, letting out a long-suffering sigh. "Just… you three. Like… stand over there." He points off near the entrance, where a large rock offers a fair amount of cover. "I don't even know why you're here. God. He could have just had some angry hobo with a knife for this. Not ME. ME!! MOOOOJOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!" Both arms thrust upwards to the heavens, shouting his raw, pointless defiance. Oh, the Absorbing Man is not a happy camper. "Maybe you guys are the peanut gallery. So just, like. Enjoy the show? That's the point of this, right? …Uh. So. How's it going?" Headscratch.

*

"CRUSHER, /baby./" comes the voice coming from seemingly nowhere — at least until up near the top of the stadium, the media menace himself appears, flanked by the man three of the assorted heroes know only as 'Mr. Domo', as well as a rather… flat version of Tommy that looks like it was painted on some kind of mirror. The three are inside what looks almost like a glass case; although attempts to penetrate it will find something much, much stronger than glass separating them from the outside world. "You should know better than anyone, you don't fight the champ the first time you get in the ring! That one there? /Iron Man's/ old man. The blonde chick in the wild getup? That's a big time music star! You're being broadcast /live/ across the world right now, so don't think for a /second/ you don't have a chance to be a household name right now, if it looks like these VIPs are in danger!""

And as the sight comes into view of Billy, Teddy and Lorna in he air? Mojo skitters in a circle on the legs of his chair, clapping his hands gleefully. "Now, NOW the fun has begun. DING DING DING! The main event has arrived! Minor Domo!"

Down in the quarry, there's another flash of light, and the young woman that Billy, Teddy and Lorna would recognize as 'Mina' suddenly appears; wearing what can best be described as a ring girl's outfit, complete with a large sign that reads 'ROUND 1' held over her head in one hand, and a microphone in the other. "Oh, oh, ohmigosh. Uh, cannibals and… cannibalettes! The magnificent Mojo presents to you the show of a lifetime! In this corner, weighing in at… at… um, Mr. Domo, we didn't get their measurements."

Up in the 'luxury box', Major Domo shakes his head in a long-suffering manner.

Minor Domo continues, "…we have Polaris, Bobby and… uh… a green guy! Is that the Hulk? Can the Hulk fly? Why does nobody ever tell me these things?!" she asks, panicking visibly a bit for a moment before continuing, "…and in this corner, weighing in at… uhmm….. A LOT, standing really, really tall, the menace from Manhattan, the bruiser from Brooklyn, the one, the only, ABSOOOORBING MAAAAAAAAAAN!"

The assorted crowd of natives goes wild for the announcement — they seem to know exactly what's going on.

Once her announcement is done, 'Mina' waves happily and vanishes in another flash."

*

"I'm a former boxer, you goddamn thing. You fight wash-ups, but it's still a FIGHT. The only hook Howard boy can throw is one that deposits beer in his mouth. Dazzy-girl ain't got her pyrotechnic show here to… do nothing useful. And… who the fuck is she?" Janie gets another accusing finger. "She's the MOST useless. The. Most. Useless. How about this. Howard!! Brawl me. You lay one finger on me, you win! Huh? How's that, tough guy?"

*

A glance was spared toward the toy cars that rained down and then Lorna was flying toward the center of the arena. She didn't land with a super hero pose. That would imply anything less than a perfect touch down and Magneto had trained his daughter in landing. Her hair wasn't green, but still the dyed brown Wanda had magick'ed so, floated around her magnetized. She cut a figure in her green suited armor, knife whirling around her head as her arms crossed.

"Absorbing man. Oh great. So you work for the Slug? This entire time? Geeze." She scowled, and exhaled a breath.

"Teddy, Billy, be careful whatever that guy touches he seems to turn into." She called back over her shoulder. The young mutant then curls her hands, flexing her hold on the metal in the area.

"Also, Teddy could you cover me?" With a pause only for acknowledgement, she closed her eyes and yanked. Hard.

Anything that was immediately in the area and metal? She pulled her way.

*

"He lays a finger on you? Is that a deal?" Janie says, her face red as the guy accuses her to be all useless. But then she starts to smile widely, cracking her fingers. She doesn't need to get that close, just… to abotu 65 feet. Which was like… going in two thirds of the arena, but she did so with that wicked smile. Not that she would blind him or blast him or even harm him really… no, it is jsut the laces of the sweatpants that gain a little life of their own, tying the left to the right. Giving him that smile while standing "But wouldn't that be all unfair if you just stood there? Comeon Crusher, don't want to come over?" she yells at him… when the metal got ripped to Lorna.

*

Howard pulls off his towel from his head dropping it to the ground as he walks forward. He's ready to go one V one with the giant of a man that is creel even if he's taking his sweet time to get over there. And then comes the cars. Covering his head he ducks in place to try and avoid brain damage. "Kind of hard to put on a show when you're being pelted with toys!"

*

"Look… Absorbing man. How about we tell this Mojo guy he can go stick it up his behind and not fight at all?" suggests Billy, calling out, even as he floats there in the mid air with a thoughtful expression on his face. Wait… He sees FlatTommy and stares, aghast, and he *zooms* over towards where he and the others are in the giant fishbowl. With a fling of his hand a band of pure force strikes out to try to shatter the glass, and Billy blinks upon seeing that this proves ineffective, "Uhh. You freak! What did you do to my brother? Don't *make* me turn you into a snail because I will *totally* turn you into a snail if you don't put him back the way he was right now!"

*

Dazzler certainly seems out of her element, a big fight in a big arena with chanting crowds. Well, chanting crowds she can swim with, it's more the expected fighting that's so not her thing. "Why am I even in here? I was supposed to perform at Club 82…" Dazzler bemoans her ruined show. No doubt she'd be in for refunds, and some disappointed fans. "Can I be sent back? I don't really know how to fight…? I can sing if you like instead…" she offers, looking quite desperate to really not be there.

*

"Forget about him! Go after the slug! Billy, turn into a toad!" Teddy calls. He'd follow his own advice except that Lorna asked him to cover her. Absorbing Man turns into what he touches? Then let him eat dirt! Teddy gains more altitude then folds his wings and dives straight at Creel, only using them for course correction.

*

Mojo waves one long, yellow finger back and forth at Billy as the mutant? mage tries to break through the glass - even as he /slides/ across the 'ground' of the capsule he's in. Those legs don't seem like they should be able to do that. Maybe something else is pulling him? "Un-uh! Bobby, you came to me to be a star, and you don't seem to realize how much you /want/ it. You don't come whining to me, you don't go cry home to mommy /dearest/ — although, if the Witch is looking for work? Have her drop off a resume. I could use that kind of talent — but feel /free/ to rant and rave about your brother! Drama! It makes for grrrrrrreat ratings! Besides."

Mojo smiles, now. Smiles wide, with /way/ too many teeth showing. "If you try to fight /me?/ I'll break him. See if you can put the pieces together. Although… that might set the Summers girl /against/ you and /that/ would make some great drama, too." he decides, clapping his hands. "But! I'll make you a deal. You win, and beat my Crusher? I'll give you back your brother. Lose? Well. The audience has gotta eat. I think their chief might be a cousin of Emeril's, or something. I'll broadcast it across dimensions!"

*

Lorna's little sudden landing causes Creel to turn, and he immediately perks. "Hey!! You said my name!" He seems actually thrilled that she remembered. Cars start to rain down on him, but he just lifts his arms and they bounce off without any injury worth reacting to. They're tiny, after all, but it definitely confuses the crap out of him. Billy flying off towards Mojo after his little offer appears slightly tempting, because nothing about this is anything he cares about. Only the green flying person seems half worth his time. "That slug? He literally buzzed me on my TV when I was eating chicken and said I'd be on some stupid show to get ratings. And here I am. Uh, no hard feelings about last time, girl. And if you don't wanna brawl this time, you can go stand with the others. This whole thing is stupid." He points towards the rock once more. Of course, then a rather large amount of iron is being ripped from the stone all around him, likely including the spears of the cheering tribesman. It's probably a good few tons total. "Hey!! Damn telekinetics!! So you DO wanna throw down, huh?! I went easy last time!"

Julie begins to advance, and Creel motions sideways. "No. Noooooo. You speaky english? Go to the useless person zone! the USELESS PERSON ZONE! …eh?" He looks down, not sure what just happened. He thought he was wearing his sweats untied, like a real man. He fiddles with the knot.

Of course, this means he has literally no idea that Teddy is charging him from above. The sound makes him begin to turn, before there's a literal EXPLOSION of force and stone. Creel spirals head over heels, crying out in alarm, and then thumps /hard/ a good ten meters away. He then does a very good job of reeling, laying there in utter disorientation and pain. "…ow…"

Maybe Mojo shouldn't have just made that deal.

*

"Hard feelings? You got me locked up under house arrest for weeks! Call this pay back Absorbing Man." She snapped, and her gaze narrowed as she glanced back over her shoulder in Billy, and she realized Tommy's direction. A silent snarl pulling at her lips.

"We will rescue Tommy Billy! I promise!"

As Teddy goes for covering her as requested, Lorna flexes her powers. All the little bits and pieces of iron she'd ripped up around her melt down into a blob of metal. It takes time, and even more importantly, all her focus was on changing the state of the iron through sheer force of will. Screams of metal and deep thrums of the magnetic fields swirled around her as she closed her hands into fists and separated the spear tips, the tiny toy cars and other ambient pieces of metal into one rather sizeable ball of solid iron about… as big as a basketball ish.

Blacksmiths around the world would kill for that ability.

"Teddy duck!" Another twist of her hands and metallic spikes jut out as the ball spins and she twists around, hurling the makeshift weapon at Creel.

*

Janie glares at Teddy as he punches the Guy out of her reach again, and then Lorna hurls the sphere at him. Taking cover behind her arm, she ducks down, trying to get a small profile, just like they teach in the good old Duck and Cover civil defense movie… And then crawl forwards slowly with squinted eyes, trying to get just in range again to give a little better payback than just tying the sweatpants… WEDGIE EXTREME by not only pulling the pants up, but also sewing them three sizes smaller

*

Despite being more then ready to sock one right in Creels smiling face, it seems fate has intervened. First come the cars from above, then the explosions and a flying creel right over his head almost managing to knock him completely over. He hunkers down on the spot as the chaos breaks out in all directions, trying not to step on the tiny cars.

Kneeling down to ground level Howard sets down onto the towel he'd dropped a moment earlier and gets to work with a lone multi-tool from the pocket of his bathrobe, tearing into the device fast as he can to try and build something he can help with… right in the middle of this battlefield.

*

Not rescuing Tommy *now* goes against every instinct Billy has: but he's not sure he can humpty dumpty put him back together again if the giant slug man breaks him. He looks visibly agonized about the prospect, but grunts, and turns to look over at this Absorbing Man fellow. He…isn't quite sure how to go about fighting a guy who absorbs stuff. But he flies off towards Creel, but then he sees metal spikes, "Lorna, no!" Pause, "Oh. Wait. Actually, Lorna, yes!" A metal Creel seemed like a bad idea for a moment, but with Queen of Metal here, he just grins. And stalks over towards the big guy, "Umm, guys, I can't think of what to throw at someone who is Absorbing Man." he admits uselessly.

*

Teddy climbs out of the small crater he made and dusts himself off, looking around to see where Creel went. Good thing he noticed the guy hadn't changed into anything yet and altered his course to not hit him directly. That would have been bad. "Cut off his air." he tells Billy. In fact, that's not a bad idea. And once Lorna's metal sphere shoots by him, he advances on Creel, ready to grab him by the neck if he's still conscious.

*

Mojo, meanwhile, claps his hands again as everything seems to be according to plan. /His/ plan. Yes, Creel's not doing so well… but this isn't about winning or losing and he's not Vince McMahon to pre-write the outcomes. No, the maniacal menace in the metallic chair is far more Dana White, and just wants to throw things together for the spectacle of entertainment!

"Domo, Domo! Are you getting all of this? What are the ratings?"

"Yes, my blubbering boss." sighs Major Domo, pulling up a small tablet-esque device to consider it. "The crowd loves it, darling. As we knew they would. These… young ones rate highly with our audience, and the presence of Stark and the Dazzler only serve to enhance our viewership further."

"Brilliant! I'm a genius, a glorious, beautiful, geeeeenius!"

*

Okay, maybe Creel should have spent less time complaining and more time getting ready to fight. But he honestly didn't think there'd be one, and is kind of caught flat-footed. But he's far tougher than even a human his size might be guessed, and given that Teddy likely errored on the side of no permanent damage, he pushes himself back upwards with a grunt. "That's it. That's IT." A huge ball of iron is hurtling towards him now, and a split second later. His groin has had the third worst pain in his existence. His breath catches. His stomach knots. For a moment, Lorna might think that she just killed the man. He's not going to be able to guard! He's all flesh right now! The massive ball of iron hits him dead-center. Creel skids backwards a good two meters… but it seems like the force isn't hurting him. No, the iron ball has squished against his chest instead. Crossing his arms before his chest, he then roars, before chest-thrusting forward. Suddenly an eruption of metal splinters is flying at Lorna, a rather large number of them, as stone ripples up from his feet. Once it passes over his manhandled groin… Janie's power suddenly stops. It's no longer cloth! A few moments later, he moves with no hesitation or appearance of pain, now the exact same texture head to toe as the surrounding rock. "I'm gonna CRUSH YOU ALL!!"

*

Lorna really had been hoping that he'd turn into iron. But it seemed he wasn't falling for that trick again. The fact that she didn't pull her throw and actually had the man doubled over in pain? It didn't even register with the otherwise sweet and caring young mutant. It seemed as if there had been a shift in her, as if almost, she had lost some of that kindness since Creel had last run into her.

As the ball shatters? It doesn't go far, not with the strength of the magnetic field Lorna has up at the moment.

"Billy! Portal! Make a portal! Some where on high! Or I dunno? Make a portal!" She screamed, back pedaling up and into the air as Creel charges after them. The metal now floating around her, caught in the air as she lurched up and away from the enraged man.

Her eyes scanned the arena, frantically, trying to figure out what else to do. She needed a power boost. A glance was cast toward the glass box where Mojo sat, enclosed by no doubt electricity. She could try? She could try.

With a scream, Lorna threw her arms out toward the box, trying to draw out the power from it to feed into her own, to boost her own reach.

*

Howard is focused on trying to come up with his big invention to save the day and play hero once again. To steal the show and ride off into the sunset with the girl. He's in the process of assembling… well it's a pile of parts from small cars now BUT there's a good chance it'll be something shortly. With all the fighting he does have to take pause in his work to duck down his head and try to focus, not exactly the most glamorous of displays before a thought pops into his head.

Howard calls out in a bit of a shout looking up at the Chaos. "Hey, uh Creel was it?" He starts. "Didn't exactly think about this before but how much money would you want to just stop fighting, and call it a night?" The question just said with a slight groan as the hangover he's under drifts in and out a bit with all the noise giving him a headache. "I mean just call this whole thing off."

*

Shall he make a wormholes? Or shall he try to take away the guy's air. Well, Billy tries to figure out how he would approach the air problem and fails to find a way, but wormholes? Wormholes he's really good at. He extends his hands out and concentrates, "Trip to the sea!" Whatever that means. But his concentration intensifies, "Triptothesea!" And the final invocation, "TRIPTOTHESEA!" And a hole is ripped open in reality back behind Creel, easily big enough for him, only the view is… odd. Its clearly *way* up in the sky, over what looks to be deep water. "One ocean trap set up and ready! Push him through!"

*

Teddy automatically lifts an arm to shield his faces as the metal shards go flying. Not that they'd bother him but it's instinct to guard his eyes. Course, Lorna pulls them all toward herself so it's kinda moot. Nodding to Billy, he advances on Creel, winding up to punch him through the portal.

*

Creel suddenly stops. He slowly turns his gaze towards Howard, even as a rip in spacetime appears behind with a show of the endless sea. "What?" he states, matter of factly. "You asking me… to throw the fight?" Suddenly he appears angry, fists clenching together so tightly that the stone begins to crack. "Absorbing Man doesn't throw fights!! ABSORBING MAN DOESN'T THROW FIGHTS!!" For some reason this appears to have irrationally made him angry, enough to neglect the danger behind. Suddenly he swipes out, and his spread fingers hit one of the rocky protrusions. A veritable wall of dangerous shares are hurtling towards Howard now, fairly densely packed; no more than a foot or so between them. And now Teddy is rushing towards him; only… there's really not any possible manner he could have telegraphed that punch more. Creel is a former heavyweight champion, and not because he could take hits. At the last moment he snaps to the side, fist thrusting past his face by a scant moment. Whirling around, both hands then SWING, to strike the hulking green figure in the back with a roar, and send /him/ flying through the wormhole instead!! "CRUSH YOU!!" He suddenly whips out his hand, and a few stone projectiles hurtle towards Billy at surprising speed. "CRUSH!!" Another, and his entire /fist/ is flying at Lorna, trailing debris behind…!! Oh no. Now he's definitely not being a nice guy.

*

Electricity was everywhere, for some isolated island it sure had a powerhouse running around the stadium. The power boost was unexpectedly stronger than the mutant had expected, and she buoyed upwards into the air further in surprise for a moment.

Even as electric currents joined her magnetic field, static leapt from the metal shards that moved around her. She'd never handled quite so much power without her father around as a counter measure. Much less been forced to concentrate on holding up a magnetic field with quite so much iron and levitate.

First time for everything it would seem.

Then there was Creel, his screams and rampage had her eyes widening and she lurched forward. She wouldn't make it to save Howard in time from where she was.

"Billy! The old guy!" She winced, expecting to see a flattened man in a bathrobe if her nephew couldn't do something. Then her attention was back toward Creel as he came at her!

"Want me? Come get me big guy!" And just like that she was darting into the portal. Here's hoping Billy's portals weren't shutting randomly.

*

Howard is already looking back down towards the small technological monstrosity he's working on when the first part of the response comes along. He's calm and collected speaking in a mater of fact tone."Actually I was saying we all call it off and go home because th-" There's not even a gap in his speech as he looks up while speaking shifting gears as his eyebrows both raise up at the sight. "Oh, I think he's mad" Then the ground is coming at him, and Howard is fumbling his way to get to a stand. "Guys I think I made him mad!" He calls out, while trying to outrun the blast, instead diving off to one side.

Howard tucks his limbs close to his chest as part of the dive tumbling into a roll, as he uses his hand to help him slide to a stop tearing up his hand and feet somewhat. The pile of parts he'd left behind is completely destroyed, but he's managed to keep the doohickey safe thanks to quick thinking and use of towel. "Come on big guy, not like I'm asking you to sell your first born here, just asking to take some cash not to-" He has to dive back out of the way again, already starting to sound somewhat winded as his back lets out a loud cracking noise. "Oh that's not good…"

*

Billy eeps in a manly and impressive fashion, even as he *zooms* up at full speed— but not before one of the projectiles slams into his shoulder and he cries out. Fortunately, the wormhole remains open: it doesn't require active concentration to maintain a portal once made. In fact, he has trouble getting them to *close* still. That almost never results in inter-dimensional whore-vampires slipping into the real world. He reaches a hand towards the old guy, but he goes into a roll— which makes Billy LOOK AWAY. He does NOT want to see what Howard has under the bathrobe!

*

Magic is something that's notable to Mojo; so when the portal to somewhere else is opened up, Billy gets the maestro's full attention. Bony arms flail around wildly until there's another bright *flash* of light that takes Creel away to somewhere else.

He /also/ creates a second portal at the end of Billy's for Lorna to continue her charge through. A portal with a very, very different destination planned from the original one. He won't mention /that/ particular part, though.

"Looks like you won! A great fight, Bobby-Billy-Baby. Either way, a deal's a deal." There's a snap of his fingers, and the flat!Tommy disappears — and reappears down in the middle of the Quarry in full three-dimensional form once again.

"Feel free to let yourselves out! You know, if /they/ let you out. They might not be happy that you won so quickly." With that? Mojo and Major Domo disappear along with the box that contained them.

…and that crowd of natives grows restless. Some already getting up from their seats and starting in towards the quarry. It may not be the best time to stick around any longer!

*

Howard leans on his arm slightly trying to crack his own back into shape as he takes a moment to contemplate the words. Then he hears that all too familiar sound. It's the sound of a thousand charging natives, a sound etched into the back of his mind. "Son of a… Guys? I think we've overstayed our welcome." He calls out to the others, before starting to move himself.

"Come on, can't we just hash this out over a few drinks?" His arms held out to either side as a spear is flung right through the left shoulder of his bathrobe slamming hard into the ground behind him. The thwing of vibrating wood rings out as he looks back over his shoulder. "Alright, puritans, I see how it is." He pauses for a moment before looking back over towards them. "You know for savages you guys sure don't know how to have a good time." As he makes a run for the portal out of there.

*

Lorna was so occupied in trying to lead Creel out through the portal that she didn't catch when she tumbled through one into yet another immediately. Her momentum such that she glided from flying over the waves and cawing gulls below to.. where ever.. so suddenly that she couldn't stop her motion without a conscious effort on her part to halt.

Green eyes widened as she realized she wasn't over the ocean anymore.

The metal around her jumped, startled and fell as she tried to charge back through the way she'd came.

"Teddy! Billy!" Hand out stretched she called through not one but two portals, her voice likely lost some where over the ocean's crashing well before it reached the stadium with the crowds roaring.

Yet as the portal snapped closed, she was once against forced to stop her forward flight or crash. Green eyes widened as she spun around, power still gliding her every movement and lifting her clothes and hair up in a magnetic wind around her.

"Where am I?" Her voice was small, lost and so very, very confused.

*

"Lorna!" exclaims Billy, looking on in alarm as his wormhole leads to a portal which leads to… who knows what? "Wanda is going to *kill* me." he exclaims, looking around. As the people seem to be getting feisty, he reaches a hand out, "Hey, old dude, I'll give you a ride…" He reaches out to wrap some force around Old Dude to lift him up out of range of the cannibals. "Tommy, let's get out of here! Head south!" Looking around, "I'll open us a wormhole as soon as we get away from here."

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