2014.03.25 - Time To Feed The Flarking Dino

It is a nice morning in a nice, seemingly untamed island in the Sea of Japan. Shouldn't be a vacation resort or three here? Adam warned about reality breaches in the area, but all appears normal. Well, except the island is not in the maps, and there are some odd electromagnetic fluctuations that would make human technology unreliable. Nothing the advanced systems the Guardian use can't compensate, but still noticeable. Adam has teleported them the edges of a forest, there is a beach maybe a hundred yards ahead, a large hill behind them and a couple obviously volcanic mountains just a few miles north, in what must be the center of the island.

Rachel appears with the others, decked out in the red and yellow of her X-Men uniform, and squints at the bright sunlight as she looks around. When she sees the beach, she shakes her head, wryly amused. "Adam? Next time you're taking us to a tropical island paradise, let me know in advance? At least I'd know how to dress." Shrugging out of her jacket, she takes a couple of steps away, before turning back around to face the others. "So what are we looking for?" She asks, reaching out telepathically to scan for anything out of the ordinary around them.

Phyla-Vell is, of course, patently overdressed for a beach visit, what with the full-body covering ensemble on top of a heavy, hooded cloak. Still she doesn't seem particularly uncomfortable, even with the beating sun overhead. The bands tell her there are EM fluctuations in the area, that's easy enough to detect, but Phyla has never been here before. Could be natural? "And this place isn't on maps we could have just found back in New York?"

First Mission to Earth! Though it's no time for a beach party. Even if they are being transported to an island. Rocket's sporting his green/red "Guardians Uniform" at the moment... though his pistols are holstered for the moment. Though his hands are resting uneasily on his belt, just in case he needs to draw them suddenly. There's also a large ammo crate floating behind him on replusor lifts. Just in case something larger is required. Rocket glances back at his ammo crate and then back to Rachel. "Don't feel bad, Ray... Fur is murder." Rocket's on edge, given the frizzing of his tail fur. It's not from the heat or humidity.

"Apparently not, not in open databases," Adam did check his spaceship computers before coming here. Then there is also a slight but noticeable rumble, as if a mild earthquake was going on, but the golden wizard seems unbothered. Space is frayed here, but I sense no real breach. The island stands in a dimensional anomaly, yet it seems a natural happenstance..." he ponders. "Phyla, can you do a sweep for alien lifeforms?" And yes, there are a few of those, all of them huge!

Rachel smiles quietly to herself. She's getting used to Adam ignoring her more flippant comments, and it's become something of a game to her to see what he'll respond to. She's still smiling a bit when Rocket's comment draws her attention, though her expression quickly becomes one of sympathy. "OK, you win." She tells him, then cuts off as she feels the ground tremble. Drawing lightly on her telekinesis, Rachel rises about six inches off the ground, letting the tremor pass beneath her. "How active is that volcano?" Rachel asks with a touch of suspicion in her voice, then falls silent as Adam issues his orders.

Oh, that's easy enough. Mentally she commands the bands to look for bio-electric signatures, decidedly outside of the normal human range. "Oh, Pama," she mutters under her breath. "Those are big." The energy signatures at any rate, which could mean a variety of things. "That way... and that way... and that way." North, Northwest, and North-northeast of their current location. She manages to hold her ground as the rumble washes over the region. "I'd say 'active'."

Rocket drops to all fours for a moment, his tail nervously twitching from side to side. His nostrils sampling the air curiously while his ears perk and twicth. "We.. might have a problem." Rocket jumps back up to his feet and then turns to his ammo crate, triggering a switch and popping her open. Pulling free one of his larger chain guns complete with ammo. And then fishes out a large thermite grenade... what you might call a handheld 'Bunker Buster'. Rocket leaps atop his ammo crate and whips out some electrobinoculars. "Those tremors we're feeling underfoot... it's breathing." Rocket points to the hill directly behind them. Rocket twisting the large grenade in his hand which starts to hum softly.

Adam nods to Rocket, "lets not provoke the local fauna unless we have no choice. I doubt the creature considers us food, we are too small in comparison with its physical mass. We should investigate the alien signals, perhaps..." then there is a flare of light from the forest, perhaps half a mile away. "A rift!" Announces Adam, somewhat unnecessarily.

The 'hill' saw it too, and an eye, black, lizard-like, the size of a truck opens as something that must weight several thousand tons stirs lazily. The earth does something more than rumbling this time. It would be a mid-strength earthquake, except it is not.

The report that Phyla-Vell gives is not terribly reassuring. "How big and... what should I expect?" Rachel asks, rotating in mid air toward each of the directions Phyla-Vell indicates in turn. The comment about the volcano is heard, but only acknowledged with a quick nod. It's just moved down Rachel's priority list. "Another one?" She asks Rocket, her voice now slightly tense, even though she'd trying to keep things light. His next words are even less reassuring, and he gets an incredulous look from Rachel before Adam chimes in to back up his analysis. "What kind of 'local fauna' are we talking about, Adam?" She asks, then shakes her head. "Never mind, I'm going to take a look." Rachel levitates upwards, swiftly rising above the trees, and gets an excellent view of the 'hill' as it stirs into life. Rachel's voice arrives in the minds of the others a moment later. << I think the local fauna's provoked enough as it is. Want me to distract it? >> Rachel says that with a lot more confidence than she honestly feels!

What's the thing some of Phyla's human friends in the Annihilation Wave resistance group used to say when things went bad? Oh, right. "...oh hell." That is big. Her next words are lost when the ground rumbles hard again; she pushes herself into the air to avoid falling, and with one gesture, creates a yellow platform to lift Rocket off the ground as well, just in case.

"The energy signature from that one is huge and it really is that big... then I think everything else on this island is going to make us look even smaller!" she calls up to Rachel.

While everyone else is trying to talk him down... Rocket's not so sure. After all... the minute he puts his guard down things usually tend to go even more insane. Though he does after a minute or two of the large grenade humming power it down and put it back in his ammo crate. Though the same cannot be sad for the chain gun... which gets held close like a child would hold a security blanket. The bigger the better. Excpet when it coes to sentient beings. "Being the smallest thing on the plate just makes you the appetizer for the main course." Rocket remarks, before hopping off his ammo crate and turning his focus towards the rift. Thankful when Phyla lifts him off the ground as it becomes more active. "Thanks Phy, I owe you a drink. Just keep me out of mouth level if these things decide to pop up and say hello. As much as I love a good firefight, let's get the job done first."

"Rocket is right," states Adam, "closing the rift is our priority... follow me." He flies towards the luminous event, which is still taking place. Weirdly enough, the monstrous lizard is also following, although at snail pace. Maybe it likes shinny, flying little people.

The rift is quite the light show, in red and purple. Almost pretty, except it hurts looking at it in ways lights shouldn't hurt. It is wrong. It feels particularly wrong to those with cosmic senses, but anything with a shred of common sense can feel it is wrong. From the rift a group of people is emerging, half-running half-stumbling forward. They seem humans, although they wear clothes from the 50s or 60s. They look apprehensive, maybe fearful.

"Small could be good!" Rachel calls back, not bothering with telepathy this time as Phyla's narrowed the gap between them. "Maybe we're too small to make a decent lunch!" She's doing her best to look on the bright side, but she's still getting used to the idea that being surrounded by giant creatures isn't the thing they should be focusing on.

As Adam flies toward the rift, Rachel casts an uneasy glance back at that enormous lizard, still not sure that allowing it to amble along behind them is the wisest idea, before twisting around in mid-air and flying after Adam, a faint, fiery aura surrounding her as she puts a bit of effort into catching up.

She's not at all sure she's glad that she did, as she gets a good look at that rift. What particularly makes her skin crawl is realising that her reaction to it isn't all, well, her. That part of her that's linked to the Phoenix doesn't seem to like the lightshow either. The movement on the ground is a relief as it gives her something else to look at, and Rachel arrows downward again, dropping to her feet in front of the people emerging from the rift, raising her hands in what she hopes is a reassuring gesture. "Hey, slow down, you're safe..." She says, while the others will hear, tagged on the end, << Aside from the REALLY BIG lizard back there, but we don't talk about that. >> Reaching out toward the newcomers telepathically, Rachel frowns slightly as she finds their minds shielded from her, and works at penetrating whatever's getting in the way.

"I'll keep you away from the mouth, don't worry." As if Phyla would do that! ...well, maybe. To tease. As the group gets closer to the rift, she frowns deeply. "I... Rachel?" she calls for the telepath's attention, and then taps the side of her head; hopefully that's close enough to 'read my thoughts right now'. << My bands aren't reading these people as human. >>

Rocket taps a few buttons on his belt and his ammo crate starts following him again. "Can anyone get a reading on the rift? Where it's going by chance?" Rocket questions as he keeps glancing back at the monsterous lizard. His mind already working on various methods to take it down should it be required. His finger hovering over the trigger for his chain gun. He glances back though when people start coming through the gate. "Or just ask them." He notes. If the lumbering giant lizard decides to charge them, Rocket's fully ready to unload with a whole belt of ammo.

Adam hovers a few feet over the ground, frowning at the newcomers. But mostly studying the rift. "I have to close it," he says to the others. "Please, see I am not disturbed." He starts gesticulating, multiple lines of blue and white light surging from his hands to reach the breach, mingling with the red there, as if he was casting a huge net.

The people getting out of the rift cluster around Rachel, babbling about a plane crash and asking where they are. When she touches their minds, however, they are cloaked, by something unpleasant. Getting past the veil is like wading through a thick, hideous spider-web, while knowing there is a giant spider nearby. And beyond... dark, alien, hungry thoughts about eating her soul and stealing her appearance. One of the folks, a kindly-looking old woman, winces, then hisses. "The mentat has breached the shield, sisters, slay her!" And her face seems to melt into red wax-like flesh, neck vanishes, limbs grow and the body deforms into an ovoid form, then a thin tongue-like appendix shoots from its mouth, aiming to Rachel's forehead.

Seems Phyla's sensors were dead right.

The mountain lizard is still coming. Slowly. Earth trembling with each ponderous step. Not angry, not in a hurry, perhaps just curious.

As Adam announces that he's putting up his 'busy' sign, Rachel makes one last, probably futile, attempt to draw his attention. "Adam? Shouldn't we be trying to get these people back home before..." But Adam is already hard at work and either concentrating or ignoring her. And she's being surrounded by the people from the rift anyway. "Calm down, it's OK... is anyone hurt? We'll get you fixed up..." Looking around a little desperately for assistance, Rachel's eyes light on Phyla-Vell at the opportune moment. She frowns, reaching out with her mind - and then her eyes go wide as she receives the message. A moment later, Rachel's green eyes are blotted out by white heat as she pushes her telepathy past the horrible fog in the people's - in the creatures' - minds. "They're...!" That's all Rachel has time to get out before she's under attack! A telekinetic shield snaps into place as she tries to protect herself from that tongue, and then she's trying to push herself skywards telekinetically - but she's surrounded.

First thing is first: Rocket has a gun. Phyla puts the uplifted raccoon and his quantum-made platform higher, to allow for a good vantage point. Thankfully the platform is small and requires little effort to maintain. It takes considerable more concentrate to craft two giant hands made of the golden energy, both of which close on the nearest Dire Wraith and forcibly yank it away to give Rachel some breathing room. And you thought Skrulls were ugly!

The Dire Wraiths change the equation... especially when they start getting all big and gross and tonguey. "Rachel! It's time to feed the flarking Dino." Rocket turns his focus from the big lizard, dropping to one knee on the quantum platform and opening fire into the group of monsterous aliens. "They should satisfy it's appetite." Rounds from Rocket's chain gun tear massive holes through the Dire Wraith's disgusting flesh. He's glad that he packed something bigger for this paticular mission. His aim is careful as not to hit Rachel, though if she manages to get away from them..... all the better for his firing arc.

Rachel shield stops the tongue half an inch from her face. And a second later the head of the Dire Wraith is pulverized by Rocket gunfire. Phyla manages to push a few aliens to the ground with the quantum hands, letting the redhead take off. Then Rocket annihilates two dozen Dire Wraiths in half a second. A few manage to raise mystic shields, but only a couple manage to make them strong enough to stop the bullets of that ridiculously overpowered super-tech chaingun.

"Stop the wizard, keep the rift open!" Screams one of the wraiths. Some of the do try, casting badly aimed bolts of black energy to the four heroes while trying to seek cover to Rocket's attack.

A few stray bolts hit something behind the heroes.

Namely, a hill-sized reptile. It was hard to miss him, folks.

It roars. ROARS. A 747 engines are a quiet whisper compared to that roar. The Dire Wraiths are blow off the ground, even the rift seems to cringe at the roar. Only Adam seems unfazed. Talk about being focused (and obsessive).

For an instant it looked like Rachel was about to get smothered by Dire Wraiths, but only for an instant. For in the next moment, everything changes. In a gory and downright messy way. It's fortunate Rachel still has that telekinetic shield up, or she'd be wearing Dire Wraith brains right now! The golden hands clear a path, and Rachel's suddenly free and clear.

And now that she's got a moment to catch her breath, she's angry too! She nearly got a tongue to the forehead! As she catches Rocket's words, a downright nasty grin appears on Rachel's face. "I can do that!" She calls back to the heavily-armed raccoon, her brain shunting the processing of THAT image into the back of her mind where she can deal with it later. Right now, she's busy! Reaching out telekinetically, she scoops up a couple of Wraits and, as the big lizard roars? Pitches them right into its mouth. She made sure she got the one who'd yelled 'Stop the Wizard', too. "Yeah, I don't think so." She says under her breath, then turns back to the battle below.

Phyla-Vell ducks and weaves when some of the Dire Wraiths make for her. She has to let go of the few with the quantum hands and bring them down to act as he fists, punching and tosses her foes away. In fact, punching them towards Rachel. "More food for the giant!" she calls.

"Flarking Aliens!" Rocket calls out as his chain gun whirs to a stop after ripping a bunch of the Wraiths into Swiss Cheese. "Present company accepted of course." Of course, that's when the roar of the giant lizard shakes everything in it's path. Including everyone's favorite raccoon pal... Rooket's stance on Phyla's platform shaken enough that he falls off one side of it. His large chain gun crashing to the ground below as one hand eagerly tries to catch the edge of Phyla's platform. "Gorram Beast! My Flarking Ears...." Rocket howls, continuing with a stream of alien swear words in everything from Kree to Shi'ar. The gloved hand can't catch a grip as he plummets towads the ground.

The giant lizard closes it huge mouth and... aughs. Seems Dire Waiths taste horribly, the monstrous critter steps back and begins sneezing, bringing down a few dozen trees along the way.

Meanwhile Adam closes the rift; the light vanishes with a thunder-like slamming sound. Then the wizard looks down, as if vaguely curious about all that shouting, roaring and blasting. "Hmm, well done," he approves. "Dire Wraiths from a broken reality," he explains. The few surviving, still conscious ones are now trying to escape. Crisis over.

As more Dire Wraiths are flung up toward her, Rachel's grin, if possible, gets even wider. Snagging them with her telekinesis, she redirects them - and speeds them up - almost without having to think about it, sending them flying toward the huge lizard - who doesn't like the taste. As a result the Dire Wraiths don't go down his gullet, but smack meatily into him instead. Rachel winces. "I think he's full!" She calls down - and then sees Rocket's predicament.

One moment, he's crashing toward the dirt, and the next - he's not, as Rachel's telekinesis deftly scoops him out of the air, rights him, and lowers him to the ground in a less terminal fashion, Rachel herself floating down nearby. "I still owe you for the shooting." She tells him. "That do as a downpayment?"

"Good catch!" Phyla was a moment too late to notice Rocket's fall, dealing with the last of the Dire Wraiths. She's immensely relieved that Rachel was able to catch him, though. Telekinesis: handy as heck, right? With the portal closed and things seemingly calming down, she breathes a sigh of relief. "I call for heading back to Knowhere. After that big thing I don't want to see what the rest of the residents around here look like."

Rocket breaths a sigh of relief when he touches the ground. Reaching up to rub his poor traumatized ears from the roar. "Thank Ray. I owe you dinner sometime. But now that Adam's got this wrapped up... what Phyla said." Rocket pulls free a small torch-like device from his belt and ignites it. Tossing it onto the pile of dead Dire Wraiths to burn the bodies, just to be sure.

Rachel grins over at Phyla in answer to her call, enough relief mixed in the expression to show she hadn't been totally confident of catching Rocket in time! "Thanks." She replies, and then to Rocket, "No problem." She gives a quick nod of assent as Rocket makes short work of the bodies. "Gets my vote."

And a moment or two later, Monster Island is left to the monsters.