| The Imp and the Ogre |
| Summary: | Jack Flag and Starfire encounter more bounty hunters, one may realize who Starfire is |
| Date: | (2014-09-28) |
| Related: | http://ageofheroesmux.wikidot.com/plot:lady-martuk |
| NPCs: | Two Bounty Hunters |
| Scene Runner: | Jack Flag. |
| Social/Plot: | Plot |
| Players: |
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Its been some time since Mongo and Starfire seems to be a regular fit around the Guardians. They had a slight adventure mid-week involving despero that Jack, Stargirl and Vance had to deal with, but all in all the fuel cell from the escape pod is workking out. As part of that, Jack had asked Starfire to go with him to a neighboring solar system to get some parts for the repairs they have been making.
They went to a blue giant system, 6th planet where it is large and humid. More water in the atmosphere than in oceans, so lots of fog and steam and the like.
They are at the intergalactic space port there, a city in a clouded rain forest. Most of the buildings are done in a blue wood, either natural or stained that way, open doors and windows over locked rooms and closed spaces. Walking through the market to get to the junk dealer to look for pieces, Jack turns to Stargirl, "So, you're free, but ever think of checking in, seeing what your people are doing, or too soon for that?"
Starfire knew he meant her, not Stargirl, as she flew along beside him with her feet a few inches off the ground "It's been so long since that was my choice…" she sighs "But I'm not ready yet to go back, I'm not strong enough to do what will be required if I went back now" there was a grim sad look in her eyes at that statement.
"You know, you're with us now, we probably seem like misfits," at least by Earth standards, or maybe just Jack is a misfit on the team, "But when you go back, we'll be with you." Then he shrugs, "Not that I know what's required of you, but you have some friends here is all I'm saying."
That is one one purple ogre with three eyes spots him from a sidestreet and nudge his friend, an orange imp that is more face than body, with stubby legs and arms, and two wings and a tail. They talk quietly a moment and then move to follow Jack and Starfire.
Starfire smiles and at Jack and reaches over to hug him "Thank you, that means a lot. I used to think that the distance between my sister and I could be closed, that we could be close like family ought to be, like I was with my parents. When I released her though, I wasn't expecting a hug or an apology but I wasn't expecting what I saw on her face, in her eyes either. I realized that no matter what I did to try and change things between us, it would never change how my sister feels about me, that day she withdrew even further from me then I'd ever seen her. Where my brother will stand in it all…that's still unknown" but she did notice that two individuals had fallen into step behind them, matching Jack's foot falls "We have a party"
Jack takes that all in, listening to her as she explains her family dynamics. "That being a princess thing, must make it more difficult to just be normal family, lots of expectations." He could go on, but she's aware of the tail they picked up and he looks over his shoulder. Which he probably shouldn't have, but he did.
The big purple ogre/troll fellow picks up his pace, as he notices Jack looking, while little orange flies a little faster. Jack turns to Starfire, "Not sure who they are, I think I should find out, I know we're on a few bounty posters in some of the local sectors … but you don't have to stick around." As if, it could just be trouble for him.
As if to answer that, the ogre calls forward, "Not so fast Guardian, you'll fetch me a handsome price with Lady Martuk."
Starfire turns to Jack with a warm smile and gives him an appreciative kiss on the cheek "As you said, I'm one of you now, part of the team and you are my friend. We face this together" but the declaration that is uttered from their tail makes that smile drop into a grim fierce expression as her eyes blaze and her hands clench into glowing fists. She turns around as even her hair takes on a flaming quality "A Price?! You mean to SELL him?! THAT SHALL NOT HAPPEN!" she declares defiantly "Turn and walk AWAY and no one will be HURT" she orders with authority in her voice.
"Ain't for you girl, we just need Jack there, his face is on the poster, its life," says the purple ogre.
Jack shakes his head, "Look fellas, I ain't going, lets just shake hands and part ways hwere. The ladies right though."
The orange imp pauses a moment, patting his friend, "Hey wait, I think I might know about that one, she might be worth more."
Little orange flies up a little and pulls out two daggers, "You both come quietly and we'll make this easy." The daggers flare up, some sort of flame ability of the little orange alien, its coming from his arms and flowing onto the daggers it seems.
Starfire looks darkly at the purple ogre "That's not how life should be! Jack stays FREE!" then looks around measuring how crowded the area was and how quickly if at all it was emptying before throwing a starbolt at the orange one in a curve ball fashion and simultaneous another starbolt at the purple ogre's feet "Sorry boys, not gonna happen. Turn around and forget about us, we're really not worth it"
The area start to clear when the daggers come out, followed by more clearing when starbolts start to fly. The purple ogre sort of eats the starbolt - it hits him and he has to think about it, but shakes his head and starts to move towards Starfire, Jack intercepts with a punch, pushing him back a little, Jack puts himself between the two and Starfire.
Her bolt at little orange hits one of his daggers and pushes him back, the dagger goes flying out of his hand, but he summons it back and throws it at Starfire.
Starfire blinks at purple before saying something in tamaranean as she thought she'd half disarmed the orange one but the dagger simply flew back to his hand and now was flying for her! She flies up into the air, Jack was a big boy, she knew he could take care of himself, she trusted him to. Arcing up over Jack, the purple ogre…sge fires from above at the orange imp.
Jack and he Purple Ogre enter a slug fest, Jack is much bigger than he looks and it seems to go in his favor, they do tumble in to a building doing minor damage there.
The orange imp wasn't expecting the flight so quickly and his dagger easily misses the much quicker Starfire. "Not so fast," he says moving to fire his daggers back at her. Though turning to throw a dagger at her above him, he get his by a starbolt he can't deflect. The dagger soars wide and is beyond his control with the flame hands. Suddenly, he's thinking this wasn't such a good idea. With no dagger, he sends a flameball at Starfire but only to distract as he instead starts flying to get away from this entanglement.
Starfire rolls to the side to avoid the blades coming at her as she dives for the orange imp "You are right about that" swooping around the fireball as she picks up speed trying to grab the imp's tail in her hands
The battle continues below, but the purple ogre comes flying out of the building, Jack follows after him, seeming to have taken a couple of hits but being the better.
The orange Imp is fast, but not as fast as Starfire, she ends up having caught him. "Ayyy!" He wails and turns to look at her, dropping his other flaming dagger, "Right, no Jack, we get it!"
Starfire takes hold of the imp's tail in both hands and shakes her head "Not yet you don't but you will" then she starts to quickly swing him around in a circle above her head by his tail. Looking toward the purple ogre and Jack she let's go of the orange imp, trying to send him whizzing off thru the air at the purple ogre. Not that she was going to leave that to chance! No She was soon flying in the orange imp's wake toward the orge.
Jack, about to chase after the the ogre, starts running, but Starfire swoops down and beat him to the punch, more literallly as he flying into him knocks him out, or mostly unconscious. His eyes rolling a little as he falls over and doesn't move too much. "Enough," cries the Imp, caught in the tangle, but not hit dead on, "We promise, we're leaving."
As for Jack, he comes up, "Nice shot." Directed to Starfire.
Starfire claps Jack on the shoulder "I was taught well at the academy. You ok? What do we do with them now?" She wasn't quite sure hwat was appropriate for the situation, this wasn't her world and that meant she was looking to Jack for guidance.
"I'd say wait for the authorities," offers Jack, "Just not sure if we'll get wrapped up in some public disturbance." He looks around, others are looking at them. "I think we leave them and find another port maybe. That's my go to, but if you want, we can try waiting to file a report too." That doesn't seem like something he's interested, Starfire, Jack, the imp and the ogre are all not local citizens native to the humid planet they're on, it could get complicated is all, hours of paperwork.
Starfire nods and then looks at the imp and ogre with hands still glowing ready tofire off more starbolts "You don't tell anyone you saw us, you don't come after us again and you dont send anyone after us. Deal?"
The imp look more at Starfire than Jack, gives a second but seeing her hands glowing, he nods. "Right no one knows we saw you." Meaning perhaps her more than him. With Jack and Vance, we'll no shaking that others might come looking, with the posters up as they are. Though with Starfire, that could mean more that he won't say anything.
Starfire nods "Good. Now go" she would have rather see them brought to justice but she didn't want to see the inside of a cell either. Then looks to Jack as her hands stop glowing "Let's get back to Vance then and see about a different port"
Getting ready to go to see Vance, Jack gives pause and looks at the two she just told to go, as they're starting to get up, the imp trying to rouse the ogre. "You want me to maybe tie them up, so they have to deal with the authorties when they arrive?" Maybe seeing some hesitation in her and that want for justice. He's with her on finding another port for certain.
Starfire turns hafway to look back at Jack with a grateful smirk "Part of me, yes, but I made a deal and even if they can't be trusted to keep their end…I don't want to give them a reason to break it either. But if you think we'd be safer, it's up to you" turning to walk away again and leave the decision up to Jack but atleast her consciense would be clean. The element of deniability
Jack was good either way, as she explains her viewpoint, that she made the deal and will keep her end of it, he nods. Pausing as she starts to walk away, then skipping a little to catch up. "Ya, see, ya fit right in, that whole honor thing. Can't guess much with all these different systems and how the local authorities might take something, but you always have your word."
Starfire nods as he catches up, a bit of pride showing at his compliment "I am not above taking a life but I keep my word and if those two come for us again their lives will be forfeit. All life is precious though and I do not want to stay and find myseld inside a cage befre the authorities here figure out we're innocent" putting a hand on his back as she gives him a friendly pat as they walk off for their ship to find another port, hopefully minus bounty hunters.