2014.03.04 - After The Crash

With all of Metropolis and Gotham's epic business and buzz, one sometimes forgets about the quiet spots, in the periphery. You know, those little pocket neighborhoods just on the outskirts of the city--either underdeveloped, poor, or government land. One such spot was the Duxley University campus, a small community college project just outside of Metropois, abandoned due to financial failure, nearly eight years ago. It was a nice piece of land, with particularly dim-witted and persnickety old money owners, and they had still not sold for a proper price. The whole place was falling apart, and was largely, surprisingly ignored.

It was ten minutes before midnight on a Monday, and the quiet field was as it usually is: freakishly silent, aside from the ringing of crickets. A crackle of twig signified a shift: it was the foot of Mantis, who'd been silently crawling around the area for the last few minutes, just after she arrived. She was looking for something, but had no idea what. She'd seen a vision: a vision of high technology here; alien. With her conversation with Adam and Phyla a night ago, she'd been trying to attune, trying to focus, her extremely unpredictable precognition. The very thing that'd given her such insight had crippled her mind in some ways, making her communication odd, clumsy. She tried to push through it, however, and focus. Aliens, right.

Breaking through some very tall grass, she found her way to the football field: completely abandoned, the weeds has all but taken over in many spots. Unfearful of ticks, Mantis pushed her way through, and saw a clearing--a large bowl--right in the center of the field. She stood at it and stared: something had landed here. It was metal pieces, flopped all over. Crashed here. Random junk remained: the bulk of the ship had been moved since.

The Earth is vastly populated and surprisingly sparse in certain areas, at least according to Drax. Here he is, deposited by Mentor, and looks like an alien on his own home planet. He walks along a hilly landscape and stops by a few trees, squinting a bit as if remembering something. Perhaps it is something familiar that makes him stop, or a memory that he is now able to bring forth, thanks to Mentor. But he frowns and glances around at a sudden, surprised feeling, looking for the trickster out to get him. He walks to a rusted fence at the outskirts of a small school and pulls it open like it was nothing, tossing the chain link aside. Glancing about, he walks more carefully onto the school football field, looking determined to find the source of his strange feeling. Seeing Mantis standing amidst the debris, he says, "I see you there villain," he tells her, "I sensed your destructive evil and...your ship..." he states, frowning as he glances over the metal pieces, now sounding like he doesn't believe his own hasty conclusions.

Mantis at once turns her gaze at Drax: it's wide-eyed, sharp, and her head slightly tilted. The movement somehow looked very insect like, and her antenna and green skin certainly leant to the image. For a moment she considered cowering, simply by glancing at Drax's sheer bulk. He looked like a walking tank there, as a stranger in the dark. She did her best to not appear fearful, however, and stood her ground, as she spoke to him.

"Like moths to a flame, or the arms of a well built nest." Her words were cryptic, poetic. Even she didn't have much control over it; not anymore. "Come, lay trace to the waste. The sneaky footprints." She glanced back to the wreckage, as if indicating that was the focus; not her. A subtle, defensive misdirect.

Heading further into the wreckage, Drax looks dubious at her cryptic comments and then says gruffly, "I've seen worse." Picking up a piece of metal, he studies it and nods to himself, as if drawing conclusions, but doesn't say anything to insect woman about what he might know or have discovered. He merely tosses it back down and returns his stern gaze to her, "Who are you?" he asks simply, keeping close to his persona as a green man of few words.

"A detective speaks in questions," Mantis snapped back, speaking almost the very instant Drax finished uttering the word 'You'. "I'm a emissary of Adam Warlock." Not quite true, but in in her own mind, she was. "A detective, yes. My magnifier is here," she points up to her chest, presumably her heart. "And you're the stranger... aren't you?" she says. While born in Vietnam, Mantis' spoke highly articulate English.

Drax raises his chin, as if doubting what she says, or at least curious as to what the fudge she was talking about, "The only thing you should worry over is that you're a stranger to me," he explains, in a cautionary way. He suddenly glances along the ground and picks up a piece of the tail section where even she can see some of the ship markings as he examines it, "Hmmf," he mutters, "What do you know about this ship...?" he asks her, flopping the piece of metal down in front of her.

"They're going to come back here. The blue ones," Mantis says in a low tone, placing her hands over her face for an unclear reason. It was as if she were visually demonstrating a face--angled, or flat. She took a few steps over to a random, emblem-less metal panel ahead. Looking at it for a moment, she digs her boot under it, and flips the metal square over, revealing several metal cubes, full of wires and holes. "Because they forgot this."

With seemingly no Thanos or evil Kree in sight, Drax looks disappointed with the empty scene. "This is all junk," he states, but watches the metal panel that Mantis uncovers, as if not believing what he says, "I don't think---" he begins, but then the power-cells zap to life and a protection of a Kree man displays next to Mantis.

A life size hologram frowns at Mantis, "Stop! What are you doing on board this vessel? You are not allowed here. Security is now being alerted. You will not stop our mission, invader," he tells Mantis.

Mantis watches the image, her gaze slightly upward, with her full attention... it was almost like she were staring at a glimmering star, but her expression was serious. In a nervous, reflexive swoop, she brought her leg up to a rapid kick, slamming the cube omitting the hologram to the gourd. It was dented, but not out. The other cubes turned, in perfect unison, and a red light was pointed at her. A weapon? She didn't like the look. She turned to Drax, and spoke in Kree language to him. <<"These automatons have advanced eyes. Unforgiving energies.">>

The Kree man frowns as Mantis tries to stamp out the power-cells, "Your clearance is not accepted. You are not allowed on this ship. You will be dealt with," he says and crosses his arms like he's annoyed with this insect lady. The red light powers up from the remaining cells and fires at Mantis! Zap!

"Watch out!" Drax lets out, reaching for Mantis. His hand goes to his belt to grab his knife, but more red lights begin to light up. The lights themselves are dim, as they will take a moment to power up, like the first did.

Mantis stands still, letting Drax grab her away from the beam. The first blast hit her arm as she moved, scorching it slightly. Curiously, Mantis didn't make even a peep or noise in response to the burn, as part of her arm now had a visible hole in it, albeit a small one. This relatively minor act was evidence for Mantis to now label Drax a 'hero', and she almost smiled for a half second, despite the danger. <<"It intends to dispel us.">>

Drax frowns and wasn't sure just what was going on, but sure didn't want to see anyone zapped by Kree technology, which is the bane of his existence. "No kidding," he mutters annoyedly, "There's going to be a lot more dispelling in a second," he encourages her. He stabs at one of the laser eyes and busts it.

"All invaders will be dealt with and your presence will be communicated to the Blue City. You have no chance. Your life is forfeit," the Kree man tells them arrogantly, looking a bit smug for a hologram.

"I wish I could split this guy wide open," Drax grumbles, swiping at another red eye. But the red eyes seem to be powering up from the panel and console and Drax has to duck some beams.

A great ruffling sound was heard from around the area, which was now warming up to be a fiery shoot-out between these robots towards Drax and Mantis. Within a few seconds, an overwhelming, unnatural number of... weeds had consumed the area. Each stem had quickly advanced and swooped in on the cubes, pulling and wrapping them together into a heap. More and more stems moved in, growing outward at a rapid pace. To someone unfamiliar with Mantis' chlorokinesis, this would be pretty wild. A few more laser blasts shot at Drax; they were being held in position by the plants, but the blaster easily ripped through the covering and could still attack. Mantis dove at the panel below that she'd kicked over, and began punching at it. It was slowly denting, but the cubes continued to fire. She punched faster, worried he'd be barbecued at any moment.

Not exactly a 'Spider-Man', Drax has to dive to the side as several more beams seer past him. He doesn't look sure if they would actually kill him, but you can never be sure with Kree technology. "Damn Kree! I am going to kill you!" he lets out to the arrogant Kree hologram.

The hologram fades slightly as Mantis punches the panel over and over, "There is a 98.6 chance you will be burnt to a crisp," he explains helpfully to Drax. He suddenly eyes Mantis, "Wait! Stop that! You have no clearance! No!" he says quickly.

As Drax stands up, he cannot dodge another beam and it cuts him along the arm, "Argh!" he lets out. The lights beep beep for some reason and Drax raises his hand, as if anticipating another blow, but none comes. The eyes power down and the hologram fades away. It seems Mantis is finally successful at shorting out the power-cells.

Mantis looks up, and breathes a sigh of relief. She gazes over to Drax, and her face is filled with immediate concern, and she scurries over to his arm and begins studying the wound. "The automatic flames of metal," she says, and looks up to him to catch his eyes with hers. "Our visages captured; spotted," she says, sounding alert. "Pandora's curious cats," she then mumbles, as if it were cuss words.

Drax smirks again as she comes over next to him, "I don't need a nurse," he tells her gruffly, clasping his cut arm with his hand. He frowns a bit, as his hand then goes to his belt, seemingly having no supplies with him whatsoever. It is not a permanent injury, but it would be better if he had supplies, like bandages. "Are you all right?" he asks her, seemingly not concerned enough to ask for help.

"I always come back," Mantis says, pointing to her injury. The hole was still there, but it had already changed color and looked a little better. "Like a boomerang."

She tapped her fingertips once against his chest; an effort to familiarize herself with the man's 'energy'. Mantis did this frequently: finding a forced, awkward excuse to connect, even if a split second, with others. It wasn't just for lack of social skills, either... she kept her memories of 'identities' like most people kept phone numbers, should she ever need to make contact. Stepping slightly back from Drax, and looked around worriedly at the scene around them.

"Matter is more reliable than the ether," she continues, and her eyes gaze up to the stars. "It was a pleasure meeting you," she said with a smile, "Mantis. My name." She bowed, and looked as if she were preparing to make an exit.

Drax reaches up to grab her hand, thinking he'd stop this insect lady for touching him, but he decides to let her. But he frowns at this mysterious woman.

"Call me Drax," he says simply. He just stands there quietly, but then examines his arm again.

As Mantis leaves, Drax looks about at the wreckage of the ship silently. His perhaps contemplates its origin or what more he will learn of the Kree here on Earth.

"I will find you..." he says, quietly muttering a promise to fulfil his mission.