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Still end of Summer.
Central Park was still centrally located.
Sadly, Central Park was still beleaguered by… something.
The crimes of food-auto theft being really below radar for the Avengers left the hybrid Defender poking around the park. Taco Trucks (whole) have gone missing which sounded like auto theft to most people and frankly insurance covered this usually. Still those scorch marks left much to be desired and the rumblings? Well… people just disincline to discuss those and choose to stroll in the part of the park that just didn't have those. He was happy to see Kitty did opt in to return as the rendezvous and the arrival of a newer but known face. A hand flagged folks down.
If he was trying to be subtle?
…well…
Doug doesn't know anything about Taco Trucks — but he did decide to take Warlock to Central Park today, "Now, the person you're going to meet, I think you'll really like him," He says, "He's a lot like you. Kind of crazy, all over the place, loves having a good time like nobody's business." He's strolling along with Warlock, who is currently in human disguise. He got falafel! Which is really excellent, flavorful, moist inside, crunchy outside — he offers some to his companion. "Falafel, 'Lock? Give it a try." Can… Warlock even eat food?
Warlock considers the falafel for a moment, and then lifts his finger up and a needle extends out of it, and he pokes it in, then when his finger comes out the needle slides into his finger. The transmode virus thus rushes through the various organic matter that makes up food designated 'falafel', and when its done it looks more or less like a falafel, its only sorta a solid mass, instead. But, Manlock lifts it up and takes a bite, chewing consideringly. "Delight. Falafel converts into tastey morsel of … self does not have words for taste-sensations! Satisfactory experience." Okay he might look human but he talks weird.
Doug sticks his tongue out. "Maybe just stick to recharging at an electrical outlet, buddy." He says. "But I'm glad you liked the Falafel."
Kitty spots the guy from the other day and heads over. Missing taco trucks may not be the weirdest thing she has ever encountered, but it qualifies as the weirdest thing since… school. "Hey, you came back!" she smiles as she approaches.
When food trucks go missing, there are some who take it more personally than others. Those trucks are the heart and soul of New York! Victor Delano isn't going to let it stand. Though, in this case it's a coincidence. Vic's Dad suggested he seek out some people in the park who do Tai Chi. He failed to find them, but it's put him in the neighborhood. His path carries him toward the little group, and as he approaches, he offers them a vague yet friendly smile, which fades as he asks, "Hey, any of you know what happened to that taco truck that used to be here?"
Speedball warmed a grin to Kitty as she approached putting his hand down with a chuckle. "Yeah. Ya know, I like my neighbourhood being creepy-free. It's something I sort of look for in a campus." "Hey Doug. You picked a hell of a time to kick around here man. We were just gonna go poke holes in the dirt and see what comes up." Ooookay then. His head swung like a pendulum Vic's way. A hand slapped to his chest and he was either moved or bad at theatre improve, "Man after my own heart. Dude, no idea. Came to find out. But do not fear we… are getting to the bottom of this." By bottom did he really think Mole People still? Yes. yes he did. Because he said it in front of Tony Stark and so therefore had to be right to impress the man.
Warlock glances sidelong at Doug, and tilts his head, "Self will do that usually, but it is inefficient. This is organic material, yes? But non-sentient? And.." He suddenly seems worried, "Query. Sustenance designated falafel is capable of feeling pain?" For the moment, the resident alien doesn't really notice anything odd.
Doug quirks his mouth. "Not really, it's a fried patty made from chick peas and tahini and served with a yogurt and parsley sauce" he looks up, and then blinks. "Hey, Warlock. Come on. I see a familiar hairdo." A little closer. "Is that" He squints. "Hey Warlock. Gimme a telescope." and waits for Warlock to provide, before he looks through it, and blinks. Blink… blink. Then he takes off at a run.
As he runs, he sticks two fingers in his mouth and whistles. FWEEE-EEEEE-EEEEEET~
"KITTY! HEEEEEEEEY, KIIIIIIIITY!" He waves one hand. "HEY~"
Kitty turns and breaks into a huge grin at the sight of the approaching person. "Doug!" She waves back enthusiastically "Long time no see! How have you been?" For the breifest of moments all thoughts of taco trucks is forgotten.
Vic blinks a few times at Speedball, but then he smiles broadly. "If you need help, just let me know. I love that taco truck." A glance goes to Warlock, and Vic tilts his head curiously. He's about to say something, but Doug beats him to it, so he just nods along. Yep, chickpeas. Kitty's approach gets a little wave from him.
Warlock lifts a hand, and… the strangest thing happens. His hand expands and twists and folds-unfolds and there's totally a telescope right there for Doug to use. Its a mechanical, fancy, chrome and bronze looking high tech telescope. Emerging from his hand.
Speedball had an easy grin warning Vic, "Guys, I have to be that guy, but we're a bout to dig a hole in the-" The ground started to rumble like it was hungry. The Masked Marvel blinked and cracked a wry grin, "Ya know, for as hungry as the park sounds you'd think it'd do everyone a favour and eat all the pigeons."
What was curious was to anyone able to sense it, there was a pulse of electricity in the air, and what was almost a thrum coming from the ground that sounded like maybe Morse code? Whale song? A game of pachinko played super far away?
"Query. Is person designate Kitty Doug-friend?" asks Warlock of his human buddy, blinking, tilting his head. His ear expands and folds out and expands into what looks like a small satellite dish with an antennae sticking out of it. Warlock looks suddenly seriously alarmed, so much so that his entire body shifts into that of a robot looking man— chrome and bronze and black, with black tendrils for hair that stick straight up, "EMERGENCY." he declares, "TECHNO-ORGANIC ENTITY DETECTED. TECHNARCH INVASION IMMINANT. SELF WILL NOT ALLOW DEVOURING OF SELF-FRIEND DOUG'S WORLD."
That got a "Thank you, buddy, you're aces" before Doug took off, abruptly. And didn't stop, until he crashed full on into Kitty, possibly going through her if she wasn't of a mind to be tackled, but tackle he does. Tackle and hug. "God, it's SO GOOD to see you!" He says, laughing. "I'm good! I'm good. I got tired of kicking around Europe, and decided I was ready to come homeand I found a new friend." He turns, and gestures. "Kitty, this is Warlock. Warlock, this is Kitty Pryde. Kitty and I used to" Used to what? Doug stops, and tilts his head. "…What was that? I swear I heard something…" His powers. Morse code? Whalesong? He's fluent in both. Then he looks up. "…Uh-oh." Doug's friend just turned into a space alien.
He adds, to Kitty, "So, uh, when I went to Europe, I found a space alien. He's as sweet as pie, but he has some issues with his father."
Kitty hugs Doug back grining from ear to ear "Europe huh?" She looks over his shoulder at the mention of a new friend, just in time to see him shift appearance. "I can't wait to hear all about - Whoa?!". Kitty goes intangible at the sound of the words 'invasion imminant'.
Vic tells Kitty, "Hi, it's nice to meet you. I'm—" The moment the word 'emergency' is uttered by the alien, he looks around, dropping into a stance that's ready to fight. "Get to safety," he says, not to anyone in particular, but just in case anyone felt like they needed an invitation to get the Hell out of Dodge…
What ever it was below was pushing itself up through the ground in a heap of dirt; some of the rocks turning red with heat and friction. Somewhere Frank Herbet was taking notes out of his window and thinking 'Yes this is what my dust planet needed'. Funny enough no other citizens had the same reaction when a huge mechanized stone serpent broke through the soil. Its huge lamprey mouth gaping open with a whirrrrr of interlocking gears not too terribly unlike a wood chipper. It seemed to be zeroing in on a large metal gazebo nearby which, oh hey, they were all standing in front of.
Speedball stopped and turned to watch this. It was barreling at them when he bemoaned, "Awwww you were supposed to be Mole people!" Now what would he tell Stark? Man. Odds were good too. Still he was in the mindset with Vic, "Guy's right! Break!"
Warlock's back extends, and what looks like a jetpack emerges; his hands fold and twist about eachother to become blasters. And then the blasters fold in and become knives and then the knives shift around to become hands. He zooms up a bit, then down, then up a bit. This is what happens when a shapeshifter is indecisive. Moving quickly over to follow Doug, the alarmed Warlock says, "Self-sire is beneath ground!" He points at direction, "Size estimate: Lar—" He pauses, and blinks his bright yellow eyes at the metal serpent, "That is not self-sire." Frown. "Confused. That is not a technarch. It is… other kind of techno-organic amalgamation?" He finds the concept baffling.
Cypher's response is as eloquent as befits the Mutant Master of Language — "Gah!" He steps back, when that giant metal serpent bursts out of the ground. "I'm surprised I'm saying this about a gigantic robot monster," He says, to Warlock, "But buddy, I think that's a false alarm." He looks down at it, and then says, "But, hey. Remember the stuff we talked about! Maximum Power Alien Atomic Ray-Gun formation, Warlock!
"Illudium Q-36 Explosive Space Modulator IS GO!" Doug adds.
Kitty has a sinking suspicion she now knows just what happened to the taco truck. She is standing her ground in her phased state looking up into the gaping maw of the… thing that just burst from the ground and sighs, "I thought this kind of thing only happened up state." She drops into a fighting stance and prepares herself for the coming onslought. "Anybody have any idea what that things is?"
Vic shakes his head. "I've never seen anything like this," he says. He frowns as he studies it, squashing whatever fear he might have as his quick eyes take in weak points, strengths, punchable places. Going against his own advice, he runs toward/ the thing, fast, to see if the laying on of hands and displacing of energy will short it out. Or short //him out. Preferably the first thing.
The thing was HUGE up close! Body of a serpent the size of 1-1.5 school buses and its maw big enough to wrap around a food truck, most definitely, grinding it into scrap before ingesting it.Vic was running at it and it was making the attempt to pass through the space Kitty was in.THere was, int eh rings of stone that spun around the creature a short and they started sparking. Well if the goal was to safe the Gazebo? They make have temporarily succeeded in sparing it from being 'dinner'. On the down side? It was now veering towards the next most enriched source of metal: Warlock. It spun around with a violent whip of its head as if trying to reconcile its directive and it sent Speedball and Vic flying back into the treeline of the park. Oh a better note, one cannot crush which one cannot touch leaving Kitty perfectly fine being run over like Buick smacking into a ghost.
"Ray gun! Activate!" Warlock jumps up, and lifts his hands up, his legs down, and arms and hands combine and soon enough the shifting is.. one big ass gun, with a glaring face on the end— the mouth will open to blast, and the bright yellow eyes are fierce. This blaster has tiny little jets on the side to maneuver it over into Douglas' grip, and to help keep it upward facing, since its a bit heavy. But Doug has to aim and pull the trigger. But then the thing is coming at them! The gun extends out around and folds around Douglas to form a sort of armored suit, one with a jetpack on the back. VOOSH and back they go flying. Doug might have to aim and fire, but he rarely gets to drive. The gun says: "It is hungry like Technarch!"
This mode lets Warlock put maximum energy into the ptchoo-ptchoo! Doug stands his ground in front of the oncoming snake, as a little techno-visor drops over one eye. The reticle on the head's up display looks like a little angry face. Doug aims Warlock at the oncoming monster, gets a lock on its head, and fires!
And yes, Marvin… there is an earth-shattering KABOOOOOOOOM~
Kitty flinches as the thing crashes toward her. As the thing hits the mark where she is standing she sees the arcing of the electronic disruption she grins - works every time! The thing seems to writhe in outright discomfort and decide that maybe this wasn't the best course of action for an easy meal. She realizes with horror that it has changed course for her friend. "NO! Doug look-" the warning dies on her lips as she watches the techno-organic being he had called his friend change shape and envelope Doug in some kind of suit. With what looked like a big - "oh boy" she says as she instictively flattens herself on the ground to sheild herself from the blinding flash.
Vic hits hard, and the fact he doesn't break every bone in his body is evidence for not being normal. He gets back on his feet, cracks his neck, and rolls his shoulders. The split lip that's bleeding will close of its own volition soon, and in the meantime, he says to no one in particular, "New plan," he says. Kitty has the electric disruption in the bag! As for him? Well, when elegance fails, there's nothing like brute force. He takes a running start, picks up a lot of speed really fast, and he punches it.
Speedball went ricocheting off every tree like a damn pinball. This was not how this played out in his head.
The Giant creature seized and shorted, the whirring gear teeth in its face falling into a disjointed rhythm. It was shorting out and was halfway to bearing down on Doug-lock when , oh man, they were opening fire on it?
This here is what we refer to as a 'Day wrecker', class.
It went to move when Vic punched hid it, causing the shorted mechanization to rear up and get mowed down by the laser fire in spectacular spatter. Chunks of stone and gobs of charred meat hit the ground with a tink and a splat. The wiring inlaid in the creature's scales and stone apparatus seemed to spark on the half that was still left. The head dropped to the ground sending a shock through the earth like a car fell off a parking garage. And out… bounced a New York licence plate.
Suitlock keeps Douglas safe and back away from Giant Thing of Thingness, but lets Douglas keep with the aiming and firing mode thing. The gun does say, "Pew!" after the blast is shot out from its mouth. After, "Query. Initiate communication mode?" he asks of his partner.
Doug lowers… Gunlock a little bit, though he's also wearing him as Suitlock, and he approaches the critter, stepping over the license plate. "I think…" He says, to Warlock, "That it's down for the count." He looks down at the critter, and says, "I really sincerely hope so. You know if I were going to make a movie about burrowing creatures that eat everything, I'd probably set it out in the desert, maybe make it about giant worms."
Kitty peels herself up off the ground, well, okay, out of the ground, same difference really. She looks around trying to spot the other two guys. "Is everone all right?" She calles, it is then that she notices the liscence plate and picks it up for a closer look. "I think we have confirmation on what happened to the taco truck."
Vic shakes out his fist, because ow. "I'm all right," he says. "How are you? Everyone else okay?" He stares at the others, wide-eyed. "That was so amazing, what you guys did!" He goes in search of Speedball. Last he saw, that guy got knocked ass over teakettle into the trees.
An older gentleman standing on the knoll cutting through the park walking with a man in his 40's bald, and with a turtleneck and spectacles, honestly just trying not to get hit by the debris on an evening walk, gawked in awe. "Young man, not a terrible idea. You might be onto something. Walter," he said turning to the other man, "My wife is never going to believe this."
Walter picked up the licence plate and noted to his friend, trying to let his blood pressure come down, "So stop telling her everything, Frankie. You kids alright? That was… Thank you."
Speedball came back and had a remote control in hand looking at it confused. "Okay I'm calling Stark on this one. Found this back there. Looks a lil high tech to be a high school electronics project." He stopped and looked to Vic with a wide grin, "Heeey you're okay!" Wasn't that supposed to be Vic's line?
Frank looked to Walter and then the group of youths, "It's late but if you want come by the Marquee Soda Shop. Malts on us. ." There were worse things in life than appreciative citizens.