| Magilla Not for Sale |
| Summary: | Two mutated gorillas are set loose at the Zoo in Central Park, Red Sonja and Black Knight arrive to help - more Red Sonja than Dane |
| Date: | (2014-10-16) |
| Related: | NA |
| NPCs: | Gorillas and an unknown (presently) |
| Scene Runner: | Black Knight. |
| Social/Plot: | Plot |
| Players: |
 .. .. .. |
The sun rises over a partially cloudy sky that remind everyone its October, and Fall. Yet, there is warmth in the air, its not quite in the 70s but far better than it could be at this time of year in Central Park. Leaves in the trees fall to the ground, around the park and in the zoo itself. Dane Whitman has arrived in the states and has decided to take a quick stop at the Museums to meet with some old colleagues, just across from the Zoo itself.
What he doesn't know, that is currently happening, is that within the gorilla complex, something strange is a foot. Two male silver back gorillas are undergoing changes, the zoo officials are not yet aware of it. Still inside versus on out in the gorilla habitat, their bodies grow large. Not King-Kong in size, but closer to Mighty Joe Young (about the size of a semi/diesel truck). The first anyone in the zoo knows about these animals is when they fight for limited space in their shrinking cells/cages and break through a wall, spilling out onto a thoroughfare for people walking around the exhibits. Even as people start to scatter and the gorilla's realize they're free, the animals create a cacophony of noise at these new animals, they would like to flee too, but can't.
This at least gets Dane’s attention, and he excuses himself from his friends office to go out and look across the street at the park.
Bellowing animal cries and screeches, paired with human cries, are more than enough to get attention on an otherwise quiet, grey morning in Central Park. And as soon as Mary Jane Watson spots that trouble, she hunts up a spot to make her stand - or rather, her change. Ancient words in a forgotten tongue are murmured, one hand holding the hilt of a hidden sword, and with a flash of light the teen redhead is gone.
In her place stands the taller, more mature and less dressed figure known in forgotten folklore as 'Red Sonja', and known across the Internet for clips of footage of the scale mail bikini-clad swordswoman and her odd vigilante heroics. No one has a name for her, and she has never talked to authorities or reporters. But she is here, now, and she charges towards the trouble fearlessly, blade in hand as she tries to assess what is happening and determine how to help.
Red Sonja has the advantage of getting closer to the two gorilla's, pushing 9 to 12 feet in height now, as everyone else is running away. Where as one gorilla gets up on top of a building, to claim the heighest point presently, the other sees the people running which startles it just a little and to the point it roars and beats its chest, looking around to claim some new territory or simply figure out its surroundings.
This is enough to get Dane's attention as well and much like Red Sonja, he looks for a spot he can change and does a similar magical conversion from Dane Whitman to the Black Knight in Avalonian set, summoning his horse as well to get closer. Curiously, most people near the street would see the horse simply arriving, like a taxi, and him running out to mount the animal, as the two fly over to look at the gorillas.
The Gorillas are more acting normal, if not slightly mad compared to their peaceful selves in the wild that only worry about food and defending their family. This puts people at jeopardy, and the other animals. The one climbing the onto the cat complex get's Dane's attention. The other one, still trying to push people away, that are running to leave, moves to grab a peanut cart, and lifts it to throw at the people as they scatter.
Animals are natural. Their sizes may be less so, but that is unlikely to be their fault. Still, innocents are in danger, and the crimson-tressed warrioress will do what she can to protect them. If nothing else, her life is never boring. Sonja runs through the crowd with curious ease; interestingly enough, no one wants to get in the way of the nearly six-foot tall red-haired barely-dressed sword-wielding woman. Imagine that! As she sees the hurled peanut cart, she twists and leaps up, intercepting the cart with her own body - mostly legs first - and pushing back. It'll mean a rather awkward fall and a rolling landing, but it should break its momentum and prevent it from striking those who are feeling. "You want someone to concentrate on!" Sonja shouts at the mammoth simian, arms raised over her head, sweeping to make herself a bigger visual target. "Concentrate on me!"
The gorilla does take interest, as the red-tressed warrioress leaps, jumps off the calling cart, and tumbles to, even if awkwardly, to stand more in the way of the gorilla. It pauses to stop, front knuckles on the ground to sniff at the air, towards Red Sonja.
The flying horse overhead appears closer to what is going on. Dane sees the red-clad warrior but doesn't know her. It is possibly given her history she might know of prior Black Knights, but of this Era, Dane and this Black Knight does not know Red Sonja other than the internet clips he may have seen.
He does notice she is confronting the gorillas and may too realize they are but acting normal. "Can you lead the Gorilla," he calls down, "I can find a coral perhaps?" From his vantage point while flying that is.
The one on the building sees him, and the horse, as they come close and roars at the two. It backs up, it might be ready to charge and leap at Dane, he is more focused on Red Sonja at the moment, opening up some dialogue to cooperate with the woman.
Sonja doesn't seem to mind being sniffed at, but she does keep moving her arms, making sounds, keeping the attention of the beast on herself, not the innocents in the process of fleeing. When she is addresed, the crimson-tressed warrioress turns her head and looks up, catching sight of the winged horse and its armored rider. "Alright. You find a coral, I can try to 'encourage' him to visit. But they already busted out of their last cage." she shouts back, which is her way of saying she's concerned there may not /be/ a good coral for penning them in right now. For now, she stays ready and keeps the ground-bound member of the pair focused on her.
The gorilla on the ground, does a short charge forward, half sidewise, to sort of threaten the scalemailed warrior. It huffs and snorts.
Just as Dane is getting ready to circle up more, the one on the roof makes a running leap at him, like trying to catch a bird. While he manages to shift on Strider to take it more on the shield, both rider and horse loose momentum in the air. As they tumble down, Dane instead leaps from horse, so that Strider can regain control and not be injured in that fall. He ends up some 20 meters distant from Red Sonja. Being between her and the gorilla that lept at him. She in turn is now between Dane and her Gorilla. The one that lept at Dane stands up. Thus the Gorilla's pinning the sword weilding warriors between them.
The one sniffing and threatening Red Sonja bounds forward, raising a fist to swat the ground, and at her, either to hit her or shoo her away.
Even as this happens, some zoo workers have arrived with tranquilizer. Made for an elephant, even as the first dart soars into the one that lept for Dane, it only seems to make it made. Dane picks up like Sonja was doing, "This way beast, to me!" He backs in her direction a little, as if keeping the gorilla focus from other humans.
Sonja's response to the mock charge is to mock charge back, waving her sword and arm, yelling, an equivalent effort to the beast's display of dominance - thusly clearly marking herself as unyielding to his threats.
There is little Sonja can do to help Dane, and she is rather gratified that he does not break himself or his beautiful pegasi in the fall. As they back up towards one another, keeping the beasts focused upon them, she covers his back as he is covering hers. Attacked, she rolls out of the way and twists back, slapping the flat of her blade against the forearm of the beast to repay its agression /without/ doing serious harm. "You be good, now. No one here is threatening you." she calls, steadily, as she watches and waits. Can she talk it down? SHe has no idea. But she can try.
The slight charging is perhaps what lead to the swat and hit, even if to hit the ground, though aimed at her. Missing and her talking to it illicits a growl then a snort of its nose, not understanding but listengin to her wards. It felt the blade, big it is, more durable, but certainly felt just the same.
Dane's gorilla is nearer the food court proper and not approaching but instead picking up a chair to try and chase others away too. It tosses, only to clink off Dane's shield and nod directed at anyone. Another dart is fired at his gorilla. It roars, but seems less aggressive, it takes more than normal elephant tranquilizer but the zoo keeper that responded isn't stopping so long as they're distracted. "Keep talking," suggest Dane over his shoulder.
The other Gorilla, looks between everyone trying to figure it out. It lifts a knuckle to touch at Sonja, it might be harder than normal, but its inquisitive even - any other human would probably be knocked over, not on purpose, by the gesture (for frame of reference).
"See?" Sonja says, making sure to add volume to be heard, but keeping her tone even and relatively gentle, with perhaps a teasing subtone of intent. She wobbles on her feet, lifting a gloved hand to pat at the knuckle and digit used to brush against her. She flows with the pressure, so as not to fall. "I'm not going to hurt you, as long as you don't hurt anyone else. I know you're confused, and upset. But no one is here to threaten you. They're afraid of you, but I'm not." And it's true; there is no scent of fear on the redhead. None at all.
Another dart for Dane's gorilla, its getting wobbly. More so that he is more comfortable now quietly commenting over his shoulder. "Don't know who you are, but you make it look like you do this all the time," the way she is handling her gorilla. "I think mine's going to sleep soon …" In part, saying he can turn and help her if she needs it, or continue facing the way he is, not sure if that would startle her gorilla. But, just the same. Warning her that the zoo keeper with the gun might focus on her's next and he doesn't know if that will startle the animal as well.
Finger still to Sonja, the gorilla gives in a lite, plopping down on its rump and snorting its confusion. Something of a snarl like chatter, it lifting is upper lip to make the noise, its canines showing, but only so it can make the gorilla chatter. It cocks its head as it sits, watching her for the moment. This might make for good internet clips for anyone daring enough to stand at a distance with a cell phone while she seems to sooth the beast, as it were.
"Tell your friend with the darts to leave mine alone. He's fine. Aren't you, big fella?" Sonja offers, as she walks closr against that finger, until she's standing right in front of the gorilla's sitting form. "That's it. Talk to me. Tell me how confused you are. Let it out. You'll feel better if you let it out." She lightly brushes that gloved hand along the fur of the hand. "My name is Sonja. Some have called me Sonja the Red, or 'Red Sonja', in times long before now and forgotten to your historians. I have dealt with many and varied threats. Oversized upset gorillas aren't new, or particularly upsetting, to be honest." she offers, continuing the conversation for the gorilla, but sharing her words with Dane, who will know them.
Looking around, Dane reasons based on where his gorilla was hit, where the darts have come from. Part of working with his sword and deflections maybe helps him more than any real detective/forensic like experience. Looking in that direction and taking her cue, he waves off any shooting. "Not really my friends," offers Dane, suggesting he is not a zoo professional. It works though, no more shots fired, his gorilla lays down woozy and goes unconscious for now.
Sonja's gorilla continues to listen. Whether understanding or not, she is less confusing to everything that has just happened to it. He huffs a few times, with a snort, a keen sort of whine, low pitch, as if responding even. Sitting there, his eyes go down to the ground, then back up to hears as if listening. Familiar enough at least with human as close to gorilla like primate to understand socializing. It gives in more to that comfort, taking in a big breath and letting its shoulders collapse more. Its guard down as it finds comfort in this changed world, from its perspective.
"It is usually polite, friend, to respond to a name given with a name offered." Sonja offers conversationally, for Dane's benefit, as she continues to talk to and soothe her gorilla. She's not going to keep him, but she's waiting to see if some time remaining calm will help him bleed off the increase in size. Such spells rarely last very long without a magical focus, and she sees no sign of one of those on the beast. "You should perhaps check on your pegasus. That was quite the rough patch, there."
"I am the Black Knight," Dane responds. "The Pendragon." A title Red Sonja might realize is chosen mystically, not by Dane himself. "I didn't know if you were giving your name to the gorilla, and did not want to be unpropitious with my assumptions, I apologize Lady Sonja.” He does give a look for his horse, but affords to Sonja, “I have asked Strider to return to Avalon, not merely for safety but if he was injured there, the Lady of the Lake is far better at seeing to his care and recover than I am.”
Given the time currently, the Gorilla remains large, but seems to dwindle a little. Curiously it is not like mystical magic that has done this. Though his skin seems to flake a little, more closer to being radiated, if Red Sonja is familiar with that. How it received radiation and in what context is a curiosity in itself.
With no familiarity with radiation as a term, though she may have seen its effects, Sonja says nothing. But the fact that her gorilla is slowly returning to a more manageable size tells her eventually he'll be back to normal, for the benefit of all concerned. "I knew a Knight of the Black, once. But you are not he. An inherited title, then, if only by legacy. Not unlike the award of Pendragon." Clearly the woman knows that title, if not the way some others do. She would never associate the name Arthur with it. "So long as you see properly to the care of that majestic beast, I'll not complain how you do it." she offers. She would prefer a man who could care for his own steed, but she knows that is not always possible. "I do not sense magic upon these creatures, though I've little enough sense for such things. Still, it would be good to know how this happened to them, lest it happen again when we are not present to lend aid."
"I will join with Strider once this situation has past," says Dane, able to care for horses, quite well, only wishing for the safety first. The gorilla presently soothed, he turns to face the same way Sonja does, putting sword away. "It is an inherited title, I am Black Knight as this is bestowed upon us generation after generation." Though passed on, certainly dorment during the Spectre's Curse at least. "If you are of an age as you suggest," from when she introduced herself, "It may well be you know an ancestor of mine." Dane has come to accept many things are possible. He turns to look at the gorilla now too. From his more grounded science background, he looks past her as the gorilla has shrunk a good foot or two. Seeing the flaking of skin, he comments, "It looks like radiation sickness, not that it explains how it happened."
Look, in the sky! It's a bird! No, a plane! No, it's… oh, it's just Marvel Girl. The heroine flies down from above, glancing between Sonja and Dane, giving the former a bit of a smile, "Hey, everything okay? We got wind of the ruckus, but we weren't able to come down to take a look until now." She tilts her head at Sonja, "Any trouble?"
"An ancestor? Yes, likely. Though I cannot tell you how many thousands of years between this time and that; only that no historians I have met of this age have ever heard of my people or my lands, save a few mystic immortals." Sonja answers. "What is … 'radiation sickness'?" the redhead asks, though she gives a rather grey-faced expression as apparently someone else decided to explain, in a way she found most unpleasant.
Sonja turns and looks up at the floating form of Marvel Girl. "You are the sorceress from the land of the Amazon Princess. 'Marvelous Girl', yes?" Sonja inquires, proving she does remember — in her own way. "We seem to have the gorillas well in hand, but the Black Knight says they show signs of 'radiation sickness'. That is apparently quite bad for our furred friends, and does not explain why it would cause their growth as it did." SHe has no idea who 'we' is, but she doesn't question.
Other than distracting, deflecting a chair, Dane didn't do much, but he did come to help. He turns to look at who this marvel girl is. Himself juxtaposed to the lightly clad Sonja, being full in his Avalonian attire. "Yes, it seems Lady Sonja here has much experience with gorillas, thanks goodness." Helmeted, but a smile is at his lips at least, meaning it as a joke. Following on the heels of what Sonja said, he further ads, "Yes, I can't explain how it came to be or how it accounts for their size, but the marks on this one's skin suggests radiation poison. When it is of a normal size, we'll see have to hope the zoo or the city can deal manage them so that it doesn't worsen." Even if they grow small again, he's hope they can boost their immune systems after this radiation at least.
Marvel Girl laughs a bit, "Just Marvel Girl. I don't think anyone outside of my boyfriend would call me 'marvelous'." She bows slightly, then glances over towards Dane, "Radiation sickness? Well, depending on the radiation that might cause them to grow larger and more aggressive I suppose…" She gives Dane a smile, "As she said, I'm Marvel Girl. But if there's something I can help with, I'd be more than happy to do so."
Sonja is about to say something more, when she winces slightly. "I am sorry. It seems I must be going. Apparently, someone is late for something very important." She doesn't explain further, but salutes both with her sword before sheathing it and breaking into a run. The scary thing is, one would never expect a woman like that to be able to hide very well, and yet she reaches the trees and disappears. And she does it quickly.
"Fare well Lady," says Dane to Sonja as she leaves, the handlers coming for the gorilla she soothed as it continues to shrink. Moving towards Marvel Girl then, he nods, "I am only recently returned to stateside Marvel Girl, as much as I know of medicine, it is not my field of study. Do you know a competent doctor that we could call in to see to the health of the animals. What happened was beyond them and I'd hate to imagine them continuing to suffer on account of whatever caused this?" He might have more questions, but that's a good place to start.
Marvel Girl looks thoughtful for a moment, "Well… perhaps the local university? I know that there's a few people that could do some work on this, that might be able to help." She then taps her ear, where there's apparently an earbud for a phone as she says, "Doctor McCoy, please? Oh, I'll wait, thanks." She then glances back at Dane, "He's an expert on genetics, would probably be the best bet for a long term solution. Right now… well, hm."
Looking to the zookeepers, they can see the radiation as well, even if they can't quite handle it without better facilities, Dane says, "Take the animals to the university, I will assume the transportation expense." Simply to get things moving in the right direction, "Then Marvel Girl, I am gald you are friends with this Doctor McCoy. I wish I could do more, my knowledge lays more in the realm of Physics I fear, it would do little for our new friends."
Marvel Girl shakes her head, "Actually, I can take them myself." She concentrates, and lifts each gorilla gently in a telekinetic field, then hovers off the ground. "But thanks for the offer of transportation." She smiles at that.
"That comes in handy I imagine," her trick is what Dane means. He gives a whistle and nearly out of no where Strider, his winged horse appears. "If you don't mind company, I would like to go with you? I am curious how this came to be, in the off chance it should happen again?" Not sure if its an isolated incident but want to help with solving the mystery just the same. "I am the Black Knight and Pendragon," he offers by greeting to her just the same, he got her name in the introduction.
Marvel Girl smiles, "Wow, a pegasus? Cool!" She chuckles, "As Sonja said, I actually have worked extensively with the Amazons and Princess Diana, so Greek mythology is a bit of a hobby of mine." With that, she flies up and over at a fairly leisurely pace, though it's probably the fact she's telekinetically hauling a half-ton of unconscious gorilla that's due for that.
She could go faster, so could Strider, but Dane is good with the leisurely place. The handlers leave them enough to keep the gorillas under control. NYU campus certainly has facilities in the city to house Gorillas, not just for research, but for zoological studies as well. Working with some of the local zoos.
"Aye, a pegasus, I fear though not quite of the lineage you know of, this is from Avalon, granted by the Lady of the Lake when she chooses a Pendragon," responds Dane to Marvel Girl. If she wasn't familiar with yet another mystical realm and pantheon, she's now being introduced to it, though with enough legend, like Greek mythology, for her to imagine some of what she's heard in stories alone probably comes from something real. "I assure you, it is as cool as what you do now Marvel Girl. I only fly now thanks to the Lady's gifts."
Marvel Girl grins at Dane, "Nice. Related to Arthur?" She is a bit familiar with some of those things, it seems, "I mean, I've read the Once and Future King, but beyond that, I don't know much about Camelot and the like I'm sorry to say."
Considering it and turning a smile back to her, Dane nods slightly. "In a manner, I suppose, in that he was a Pendragon as well. It is something bestowed by the Lady of the Lake, he was chosen as Pendragon for his era, I have been chosen for ours. I cannot say yet what this portends, only that she chooses one when a great peril faces Avalon and her Realms, on Earth. She has given to me the Sword of Light, similar to Excalibur from those stories."
Marvel Girl nods and lands, "Well, I freely admit to playing a wizard in high school Dee and Dee sessions." She grins, guiding the apes in as the university is ready to take them into their care, "Sounds like quite a responsibility though, being actually chosen like that. Hopefully I'll see you around."
"Tell you what, I'll check in here, you can bring your doctor friend," says Dane as she guides the animals down. "We will chance upon each other for sure, if your boyfriend doesn't mind." Not meant as a come one either, simply as a means to be friendly. "We can talk more about mythology, and you can explain this Dee and Dee." Then he'll fly ahead as she guides the gorillas to where they will be housed, to talk with school officials, being familiar with the orchestration of a university from his own work as a professor.