| Desperation |
| Summary: | Despero reveals himself to the Guardians, in his ploy to stop some future event that Vance will take part in - he mind controls Jack, then abducts the brick |
| Date: | (2014-08-01) |
| Related: | None |
| NPCs: | Despero |
| Scene Runner: | Jack Flag |
| Social/Plot: | Plot |
| Players: |
 .. .. .. |
Another day for the Guardians another ride on a train. Trying to do the normal thing most likely. They're walking amidst the main terminal, not in the ticketed area, but they have tickets to go where they need to go and all that. Probably having just left the counter there. All a normal day, they had discussed Courtney being more 'official' with the Guardians, heeding the spotlight when it calls for the team or something. Vance is up ahead, compeletely 70s male bravado - leading the group, routing them, keeping them on time - sort of like a dad, a dad that isn't that much older than the other members of the group.
Jack is going on about something, "There's this girl up in Gotham, makes prosthetic arms like high-end cybernetics, awesome stuff by earth standards. We should have her look at the ship or something, spruce it up, I think anyways." Turning to look between Courtney and Vance a moment, he is looking sideways, "Worth a shot at least I think …" Going on with the rambling, he uncharacteristically trips over a trash can on the side. More embarassing cause unlike most people, he utterly destroys it by crushing the thing underneath him.
Glancing back, "Spruce up the ship?" questions Vance. "What, do you think it needs some robotic arms like Iron Man's sub?"
Vance slows some so he can better engage the conversation. Currently he is wearing what would be considered Emo pants (tight blue jeans) and a 1950's bowling shirt that has his name on the left chest. It's open at the top and he wears a gold chain with a medallion which reads, 'supafly'. He knows he's not dressed correctly, but he also knows that it likely embarasses Courtney, so he revels in it.
Well at least it is a subway station in Metropolis and not New York or Gotham so its clean and theortically safe. With Courtney's ability to fly public transportation has never been her goto method of getting around. Her only complaint about using it was a distasteful wrinkle of her nose, but other than that pretty compliant and trails along beside Jack "Is that a smart move? Giving the people here access to advanced galactic tech like that?" she pauses as Jack annihilates a garbage can, quickly darting out of the way as a soda can pops from it and flies through the air.
Every moves so as not to be hit by collateral damage, Jack grunts and scrabbles a little. Standing, he blinks at his hands a moment, then grins. Then he chuckles and takes in his surroundings as if they're completely new. Blinking he looks up ahead at Vance revelling in his 70s glory for the simple amusement of what Courtney thinks. "Vance," he says, "At last, I have found you."
Then he proceeds to kneel and punch the floor. It shakes the environment a little and causes some of the marble-granite-etc used to make the floor to splinter. Jack picks up a large piece and is about to chuck it at Vance it looks like. There is a stir from the people in the station, not to mention the floor becoming unstable with the actual tunnels and trains that take off/connect below this terminal.
On Vance's feet are zipped up leather ankle boots in brown suede. Vance wishes he had a theme song to go with his stride. Another intentional anachronism on Vance's part. He's been seen wearing normal attire to fit in with current fashion, but it's too much fun living in the past.
Noting the crash and then the subsequent smashing of the floor with the accompaning words and threatening gestures, Vance says, "Hey whoa man. Take it easy on the architecture. We're the good guys, not the creepos. And um, what are you about to do with that chunk of granite?"
He raises his hands and forms an invisible TK wall (4'x4') in front of him for he feels there's about to be some Tom Foolery about to take place.
Courtney uhms at Jack's stange comment "Well it's not like we are playing hide and seek." she makes a sweeping gesture to Vance, "He's been in front of you the whole time." then the crash and the floor begins to move. It's unexpected so there is a moment of is she going to fall or not. It's a not. "You didn't tell me he was like that crazy movie lady…Sybil." multi personality disorder is what she is insinuating by referencing a movie from the '70s, his favorite decade.
"Your time ends now, Vance, my old nemesis," says Jack, hucking the bit of rock he has, it bounds into and off the TK wall Vance has up. Grabbing a couple of larger bits in each hand, Jack starts to semi-run circle Vance, seemingly ignoring Stargirl at the moment. "I'll stop you before you stop me," and he does a sort of evil chuckle, which doesn't really fit Jack and his nonchalant sort of grinning attitude. He chuckes another, as if testing the strengh of that TK wall. "You'll never extinguish the Flame of Py'tar now!"
"Hang on, wait!, what!? Oh cripes!" are Vance's subsequent responses and answers to the dishing out of assault that Jack brings physically and verbally. He then realizes that it's an old enemy whose name he tries to recall, "Despero? No way man." While continuing to fend off potential attacks, he exclaims to Courtney, "Jack's been taken over, we gotta draw him out of here. Too many people can get hurt."
The name means nothing to Courtney, though names mean nothing considering that Jack's mind has been taken over by the apparently hostile enemy of Vance. "You really put the sand in this guys vaseline." she comments idly. Yes getting the controlled Jack out of the subway is a priorty. Since all of Jack's attention is on Vance, she pretty much just walks up behind him, makes a grab for shirt collar and waistband of pants. Rarely without her belt it is easy work to lift him up, as long as he doens't weigh over 15 tons, and throw him bodily in the direction of the exit.
Despite his strengh levels, Jack has nothing in the way of mass/density control. Even as he's liftning another hunk of rock, easily lifted by Stargirl as well, he's laughing when Vance mentions the name Despero. "Ye…." he is affirming, until unceremoniously hitched up and hucked towards the exit. Jack weighs as much as a normal man, so hucking isn't that hard at all, she can probably toss him into a wall, crack the wall even if she likes. It moves him, but doesn't phase him, this causes Jack to laugh more, as if Despero is getting a feel for how strong he really is.
"Ah ha, Vance, using a woman to do a man's job, how uncharacteristic," well, not really, 70s bravado and all, 31st Century Vance was in the company of females on the team too. Jack zips over to a bench, "Yes, too many people," he confirms. lifting the bench and tossing it at running people instead. As if that might draw Stargirl away from his primary target for the moment.
Lifting off the ground, Vance takes to the air of the terminal and starts flying toward Jack. Instead of directly engaging, he will do what he can to grab Jack by the ankle with his TK and lift him off the ground. Like Stargirl, he intends to hurl Jack toward the exit. He knows he cannot hurt Jack with his TK. All he can hope to do is get him away from the bystanders.
"Stargirl!" exclaims Vance, "Once he's outside, let's get him to the Metropolis River and cool him off."
Between one moment and the next Courtney goes from normal citizen to Heroine, complete with costume change and staff in hand. The Staff is thrust outward toward the flying bench the beam of energy shoots out forming a forcefield for the bench to hit instead of bystanders. "Let's" she confirms, getting him outside is going to be the hard part. Seeing Vance do a repeat of what she did she "Head out, if he wants you that badly he will follow. I'll block the exit so he has only one way to go, out.
Unceremoniously tipped again, Vance easily TK's Jacks angle and chucks him at the doors. There is probably a large set of doubles that leads directly to the streets outside - or the flat area near the surface parking, depending on the layout of the Metropolis Metro Station. "No escape this time Vance, just you and the girl," he calls colliding into the ground near those iron looking door - or whatever future metal they used in Metropolis. Its apparent Despero isn't in the vicinity maybe, he continues to utilize Jack, who starts grabbing chunks of whatever rock his hands can dig out of the ground to try to rapid fire at Vance for the moment.
There is a gasp from the fleeing people as the bench hurtles their way and then is deflected by the now transformed Stargirl. If not for the crazy guy still trying to tear the place up, they might even applaud, or breath a thanks. Instead, they get back up and continue to move away in their panic.
Following the hurled Jack out of doors, Vance keeps his shield up to deflect the projectiles. He calls to Stargirl as he does, "Look around for a pink guy with three eyes and a big fin on his head. That's Despero. He's psychically controlling Jack from a hidden location since he's too scared to come out himself. Just be careful, he's psychic."
Flying out behind Vance, Stargirl takes to the sky. She's fine taking orders from the guy as long as he isn't calling her cupcake. What he asks her do draws a look of confusion from her "I'm looing for Dr. Zoidberg?" she gives a shake of her head and shrugs "I'm on it." a creature with that description shouldn't be to hard to find…one would hope. She flies up a bit higher to get an aerial view.
Jack, out to the street now, figures on a change of plan (or Despero does at least). No more hurling rocks and chump change a the chump, he goes for a street pole - not a lamp, but the bigger cable/fiber-optic/telepnone line, ripping it out of the ground. "What is that primitive game you play, I can sense it in his mind - batt the ball?" He'll go swing at Vance if he's hovering close enough. Testing the weight of the street pole.
Its as if the swinging compulsion is given and Jack goes at it. As Stargirl goes up, she sees exactly what Vance described. Purple guy, fin head, yellow space guy suit or something weird. The fabric is shimmery, and he's standing on a nearby roof with two hands to his head watching the events unfold.
With no anchor, Vance is the ball to be batted several blocks away. He yelps when he's struck and yells the distance until he impacts with the side of a building. He's not hurt, more embarassed than anything. He will sit on the sidewalk for a moment to clear out the jolt of the double impact and then rise to his feet and then airborne once again. He's still 3 blocks away and will have to close the distance in the next round.
How does one stop a person who can use mind control, without being mindcontrolled themselves. It's a conundrum that Stargirl doesn't have to deal with that often, but thankfully she has a power for that. Gripping her staff tightly she flips onto it to sit sideways on it. Her hand comes up and blinding flashes of star shaped light shoots from it at the wierd alien dude. Not only are the flashes blinding, it's also like being hit with a 50 lb sledge, several times in a row.
While Vance is batted three block away, the Jack figure seems programmed to keep swinging by impulse. Perhaps indicating a slight change by the puppeteer. What that change is would be a mystery until the 50 lb sledge/star blasts from Stargirl zip into the building. It sends chips and bits of the building itself flying - not large chunks, just akin to hitting a wall with a 50 lb sledge hammer, chips fly, cracks appear. Enough stars fired will make a hole. It goes right through the figure, which starts laughing, perhaps an illusion. It fades and faulters.
The laughing transfers to Jack who starts laughing, then realizing Vance was hit and moved, he looks around, "Now who's the one hiding Vance?" Obviously there is shifting of focus, can't completely control Jack while diverting Stargirl. Jack spots the spaceman and starts running, will be a round or two for him to go three blocks.
Back aloft, Vance flies directly toward the rampaging Jack. Instead of playing it smart, he's a bit flustered and will bring his shield up with the goal of ramming Jack and knocking him hard.
”
So that was a big failboat. "You didn't say anything about illusions and crap." she yells down, not that Vance is in any position to hear her griping for the moment. She knows little about mental powers but would assume that to have such control over Jack this Despero would have to be close. She continues to fly around the area, looking for this Zoidberg's second-cousin looking alien guy.
Vance's TK and Jack collide, literally. Off his game, Vance doesn't account for the speed Jack builds up maybe, and it sort of rings them both. Alternatively, Despero doesn't count on this measure. Jack can stand up to this, and drives a mean punch, but it could lead to a stand still. Staggering a moment, Jack hurls the pole, its not big enough, already splintering from the pervious hit and then this collison. He heads for a large work truck now, parked nearby while the fight spills out and onward.
A second Zoidberg, aka Despero, appears near and floats towards Stargirl, "Impressive," it says looking off center and towards the north, not at her at all. "Not as good as the slave battles on Kalanor, but it suffices." As if toying a little more, most likely another illusion, but perhaps a clue in the direction he is looking. As if still focusing - like on controlling Jack and getting him to lift and chuck the truck at Vance.
The collision causes Vance to spiral into a nearby wall. He's down when Jack moves toward the work truck. "Cripes." is exclaimed and Vance continues to scold himself, "Get it together, Astrovik. This isn't the time or place to play the smuck." He stands and braces himself while pulling his TK talents into focus. He's going to wait until Jack lifts and tries to use the truck as a projectile or a hammer and he intends to use the same truck to smash Jack into the pavement.
At the appearance of another Despero, Stargirl visably winces "You're even uglier that that trogoldyte looking alien that tried to pick me up on <insert name of mining moon>" having no metal abilities herself she has no clue if this is the real Despero in front of her or not, but she doesn't take the chance. A beam of energy fires from the Staff just in case. If it turns out to be another illusion she will quickly start to fly off to the north. Hopefully it wasn't a feint on the aliens part, but she can fly there, check it out and still be back in time to see who smashed who.
Not so much a ploy as she flies in that direction, cause when she turns back to look at Jack and Vance, she can see an alley there - as if he's in there and focusing on the fight to the north of his position.
Jack has the truck up and with TK powers, its not overly hard for him to sort of trip Jack up and push down on the truck with TK power to smash him right into the pavement. It shatters the street as it drives Jack down into it. A pause and Jack is ripping up the truck to get out from that whole now. "Brilliant, but you won't avail, Vance," complains Despero through Jack.
"The heck I won't!" returns Vance with an emphatic zeal while he lifts the truck up again and smashes it down onto Jack. In Vance's head, he's not going to hurt Jack, but he is hoping that one of these days he'll be able to knock Jack out. An unconscious Jack is a non threat to the environment.
Stargirl flies over the alley, nearly missing it as she quickly passes over it. It's the last place she would expect him to be hiding, but maybe that should say something to her. Doubling back she strafes over the alley way again and makes it rain blinding star blasts into the area between the buildings. It's Metropolis, so the chance there is a homeless vagabond hiding there too is slim to none.
Jack is taking the truck - much like a gloved boxer. A few hits are like padded leather, but if it keeps up and he doesn't scrabble out from under, it could take affect.
Then in the alley below, nothing seen at first. But a voice calls, "What, how'd you …" Sounds like the illusion alien, as if he's hiding there or simply invisible even.
At that moment, Jack sort of stumbles, "What the … where …" Then the truck bops him a couple of times and he falls down into the hole Vance created with his body. Not out, but a little dazed for the moment.
Vance will hold the truck aloft one last time as he realizes Jack is Jack again and then will sit the truck aside as he looks up and around for where Stargirl is and where she may have found Despero.
Dropping into the alley when the words reach her Stargirl wastes no time in going to apprehend the alien. As a low lever speedster, on top of everything else, she is no Flash or Quicksilver, but she can move fast when she wants to. Not knowing alien anatomy but pretty sure that a hard enough hit to the head will knock just about anyone out she proceeds to do so before he can gather wits and try to control her.
As if realizing his voice gave him away though's invisible, he's somewhat prepared for the punch. "No," he gets out, as she knocks him back. He's a little stronger than normal it would seem. He doesn't try to stand a fighter her either. The invisibility wearing off, he seems to step back from Stargirl and through some portal like door that opens. Looks like there is all kinds of gadgets and gizmos in there. He quickly presses something to shut the door. Its not a door to an invisible ship, its some form of dimensional doorway - not to another dimension, maybe through folded space at best. Jack gets up but is mind zotted again, he moves to the curb while Vance looks at Stargirl. "I didn't expect your friend there," aka Stargirl, then again Despero is a mentalist, but only strategist in thinking he's the best at it, "We'll be back." The door opens behind Jack and Despero pulls him into it. There is time for parting banter as he means to zip away with Jack to parts unknown.
As things unfold, Vance suddenly realizes that Jack is mind zotted again and he mentally reaches for the truck once more. However things go sideways. There's no time for Vance to react only to yell out, "NOOOO!" as Jack is pulled away. He lunges, but is far too late.
"What the…hey." Stargirl exclaims as he flees through the portal a string of courses, quite unlike her follow him. Taking to the air she quickly returns to the where Vance was fighting just in time to see Jack be abducted. She lands next to the obviously upset Vance, "Go after him." its both question and statement, since the answer is an obvious yes.
There is just the hint of laughter as the door closes, then the sound is gone. No telling where it went, but one clue being Despero, so its pretty obvious it will require leaving earth to get there. No telling what the Flame of Py'tar was either, cause with future muddling, could be from when Vance went to the 31st century (Vance's past) or could be a separate incident from the future of this time point.