| EVENT: Brood on a Crashing Starship | ||||||
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| What: An Alien Ship Crashes in a Icy Lake in Westchester County, with some welcome and unwelcome guests. Half the Fantastic Four, some nearby Xavier Institute students detecting a fellow Mutant, and arguably the most powerful member of the Justice League all come to handle the situation. New friends are made, fears are faced, and Earth gets at least one new resident (maybe more). | ||||||
The evening sky over Westchester is quite beautiful at sunset. The colors are lovely, especially as they blend with the leaves of the trees, and the fresh fallen snow and the lake surface reflecting the colors back up. It is one of the wonders of nature. For those without special senses, a way to detect mutants, psychic powers, or being able to track the right extraterrestrial signals, it would seem like a perfect evening to sit in the Park, enjoy nature, and have a bit of Hot Cocoa... For those with those unique detection tricks however, the occasional flicker of the United Galactic Lifeform Investigation/Experimention Sodality Ship Jhar'Ik-Eaux, as its cloaking system has begun to short out, is a sign that Earth is about to recieve some uninvited guests, and for those that can translate the signals being transmitted, they know most of the guests that have survived the ships entering the atmosphere are not only hostile, but some of the most dangerous predators in the known cosmos... the Brood.
Unfortunately, the cloaking device meant the ship got past all of the various spy satellites and other devices...not that there are that many yet. J'onn has been quietly nudging, as a member of the Justice League, that a proper detection system would not be a waste of money. Perhaps the cloak flicker shows up in some system designed to track asteroids. Perhaps not.
Either way, it shows up somewhere else. In the mind of the telepath. He was sitting on the roof of the Hall of Justice, scanning for trouble when he sensed it. An aggressive hive-mind, something not remotely human. Something that should *not* be in this solar system, let alone on this planet. He's airborne without even bothering to uncross his legs first, shifting position in the air to streak towards the situation he senses. << Justice League. If anyone is available, we appear to have a small alien invasion problem. >> Small. He's pretty sure it's just one ship.
Kitty Pryde had been working out some new Danger Room protocols that she had spent the last week developing in her head, now transfering them into code, cursing when they were totally broken and deconstructing them piece by piece. And that's when the alarm went off. "NEW MUTANT PRESENSE DETECTED, IMPACTING AT THE FOLLOWING LOCATION.
Kitty stared at the readout for a while, not sure entirely what she is viewing here. And with most of the X-Men gone on a field assignment, she was left with the unenviable job of being the welcoming committee to a new mutant who seems to have caused some sort of flight crash.
One quick change into her field uniform (with an addition of furlined parka; the summerdress seemed cute for the summer, less so for the middle of Chanukah), and she was off, using her powers to lift her high in the air to look for the impact in the nearby Lake; the crash was almost literally in the Xavier school's backyard, so she doesn't have long to see the impact.
But that's not a plane. That's TOTALLY A SPACESHIP. Quickly, Kitty tries to recall what exactly the first contact protocols are.
This is something students actually study at Xavier's. It isn't you daddy's boarding school.
Invisible Girl is also on her way toward the source of an alien signal that some of Reed's equipment picked up on -- having opted to track down the source on her own instead of interrupt Reed's current project. She got a sort of location on the source, and is using her cell phone's GPS to try and reach it. The phone's GPS system isn't really fond of travelling at nearly commercial jet speeds.
The United Galactic Lifeform Investigation/Experimention Sodality thankfully was a trial run, a first attempt, and so it had the lone ship. Some pieces of the Jhar'Ik-Eaux have already long since been rended away, its mass reduced by failed shields allowing it to burn partly up, the primary propulsion engines little more then slag, the landing struts shorn off, and all but one escape pod long since jettisoned. Either the system controlling the ship has enough contingencies to detect its lack of landing gear and compensates by aiming it toward the largest available body of water... albeit a frozen lake... or someone is actually at the controls and steering the wounded bird. The final descent seems almost graceful as the cloak flickers out completely and a couple of landing thrusters or something that works similarly try in vain to bring the ship to a gentle landing before shorting out and exploding just a furlong... an eighth of a mile... about two football fields length... above the lake. The sudden last drop is sufficient to break the ice... literally, as the ship lands in... or partly on... the lake, cracking the icy surface and causing waves to splash on the banks, the ship resting parly in the water and partly on multiple pieces of ice floating atop the lake. The heat of the ship's surface rapidly melts some ice, heat transferance causing other portions of the ship to rapidly cool and crack... flames that were there quickly extinguishing as they clear snow and ice from their nearby vacinity. And then multiple hatches begin to cave outward as if something is slamming its way out of each of them.
This...is not good. After a moment, J'onn shields his mind slightly before the various thoughts of hideous aggression and eating sentients give him a headache. And or make him wish he could throw up. As he approaches, he considers drama versus effectiveness...and before he comes within visual range, he shimmers and vanishes. Ah, gotta love invisibility. It's mostly, in this case, in the hope he can work out what's going on *before* having to fight it. Whatever it is. He doesn't know, just not human and very nasty indeed. He's also aware of Kitty and Susan's presence. A thought is flickered their way. << Be careful. I am not sure what is on the ship, but whatever it is is highly dangerous. >>
Yeah, this for sure doesn't qualify as good at all. Kitty frowns as the ship fully crashes and crushes into the lake, just taking in the pure size of the thing taking some time on it's own. Eventually though she shakes off her initial jitters, noting the serious deformation of the ship. No bueno.
Looking over, she spots the Martian Manhunter, soon feeling the warning filling her mind. "Hey, don't need to tell me twice," she says out loud with her mouth, crying out across the sky towards the green man. Hey, green man? "You...wouldn't happen to be a Martian would you?" She sounds less freaked out by that prospect than you might suggest; if J'onn does a mental scan, he'll notice a mental image of a very familiar 'niece' of his.
Using her airwalking ability, she pulls herself closer toward J'onn. "So, any idea what kinda threat we're dealing with here? Other than a very serious one?"
Invisible Girl is just barely close enough to see the alien craft hit the frozen lake and her own headlong dash to meet the vessel slows to a stop. Just when she's about to call Reed for advice, she startles and abruptly goes invisible herself as an unfamiliar voice suddenly fills her mind, unable to stop herself from looking around as if that would help. "Um...hello? Who was that?" Hopefully it was someone friendly, and the words of warning cause her eyes to turn again to the downed ship.
Three of the four hatches burst open in various manners, the final hatch seeming to remain closed and untouched, as the viewport of the bridge shows that anyone at the controls is most likely cooking to a crisp in the inferno within, the viewport slowly blackening from all the heat and carbonization. All the hatches reveal brown inhuman creatures of varying sizes. Three of the creatures appear to have literally ripped the hatch apart as each is holding pieces in their claws and tentacles. Another hatch seems to explode off in a firey burst as a pair of the creatures seem to be keeping a severely injured miniature dragon-like alien at bay, the little Dragon spewing flames that are melting the metal and parts of the brown aliens wherever its flame hits, and anywhere a bit of its flame lands seems to not only melt ice and snow, but also boil water and destroy chunks of Earth below, creating small patches of molton rock or liquid glass. The final hatch shows a much smaller, loan version of the Brown Aliens, almost underdeveloped, like a youth or runt, lacking tenticles and its wings are only partly developed... it appears to be carrying the bodies of four possible survivors, or maybe corpses, each looking only partly human-like.
The trio seem to peer around and sniff the air, as if seeking food or scouting for life, flinging aside the door pieces, their language like a mix of hissing, chittering, and screeching, with a hint of a buzz. Their gaping needle like toothed maws almost smiling in sadistic glee, one of them chewing on an arm of some blue skinned being with human-like hands.
The pair fighting the dragon-like creature seem to take advantage of the open space to go in different directions, forcing the large house cat sized dragon to have to divide its fire between them, and allowing them to flank it and fling chunks of debri and globs of acidic spit at it. The little dragon seems to sputter as wounds are catching up with it, and its fire doesn't go two ways at once, leaving it to have to go on the defensive instead of maintaining its attacks.
The little brown alien shows know signs of eating the bodies it is dragging, and seems to be trying to pull them away from the others, almost as if trying to rescue them... or horde them for itself...
Joy. The flames might be a potential ally, that doesn't mean J'onn's going anywhere near them. << Martian Manhunter. Could somebody help the dragon? >> For his part, he's descending towards the trio that are chewing on something that looked like it was once sentient...bent on appearing at the last moment and hopefully knocking two of their heads together with a quick physical attack. He's confident they aren't strong enough to hurt *him*.
Kitty has lived an...interesting life. To say the least. But 'Could somebody help the dragon?' ranks up there for weird crap that sounds totally rational in context. She's quick to nod her head and airwalk towards the scuffle. She hates to see someone get ganged up on, even if they are a fire-breathing monster. "2 on 1 hardly seems fair," Kitty says as she closes in on the brood that is taking the dragon's vulnerable flank. "Mind if I even the odds?" she asks as she pulls her hand back, crashing it forward as she makes it tangible again just on impact. She doesn't pack the same punch of a Logan or Piotr, but it's a nasty strike, and one that is blindsiding the alien horror.
Kitty doesn't allow herself to freak out about being in mid-air combat with a seeming xenomorph.
All of the brown insectoid alians seem to be disorganized, almost as if they are missing something suddenly that helps them coordinate and are unsure how to act without it. It causes the trio to not react quickly enough as the Green Martian does slam the two together, and causes them to be sufficiently stunned to stop flying, leaving the third alone. It shrieks, actually emitting some kind of high frequency sonic energy attack accompanied by the double stinger tail to swing up and over its head and rapidly begin jabbing much of its 8' body at the Manhunter.
The Duo on the other side aren't coordinated, but they thought they had their rival in a bad situation until again a surprise attack again makes them unable to double team the tiny opponent, the blow not so much devastating as catching the Brood in a recent soft spot and sending it spinning into the icy lake water near the side of the ship.
Seemingly the least disoriented of the aliens is the little one with the bodies, surprisingly strong for its size as it must be hauling over half a ton with ease as it scuttles over the surface of the ship away from the conflicts, moving with speed and purpose. Closer observation might also reveal another difference between this one and its larger brethren... it has some kind of makeshift clothing, scraps of cloth wrapped around its body like a little suit of rags or the protective wrappings worn by desert dwellers.
Disoriented, are they? J'onn lifts off again to dodge...not that he's entirely missed, but he's a Martian. He can take it. And then he reaches out to carefully scan that hive mind. Maybe he can disorient them some more, now he's spotted that, although their mind makes him think of...well. It's icky, that's all. Like icky, sticky, goo. Disgusting. He doesn't make a face, but he's...yeah. YUCK. Then again, being an active field telepath, sometimes you have to...
Kitty grins as the one who she blasted at goes for a tumble into the lake far below. "Take that, jerk," she taunts it, only a moment realizing the snark is probably lost on a newly arrived alien. She then turns her attention back towards the dragon and his remaining aggressor.
Invisible Girl stands in mid-air staring at the ship and the beings around it for several apparently crucial seconds, then as Kitty and J'onn start to do ... something, she finally recovers and approaches as well. But she's not entirely sure what she can do to help... wait. That one little being carrying other 'bodies'. Still invisible, she moves closer.
Perhaps there is some distant common ancestor, perhaps the White Martians have come to emulate the faces of the Brood as a show of predatory superiority or a means of intimidation, but the Brood that remains up against the Martian's visage is all that the White Martians have and more in its vile savageness... and then it speaks in Martian >Martiangreenmeat if you wanted to be a welcoming feast for our Queen, all you had to do was say so. Our Queen will enjoy you much, your powers will enrich her, and you shall bring great might to her Hive,< then extends four whip like tentacles that lash at as if to heard the Manhunter into the path of its now sparking double stinger tipped tail.
The pair of Brood that were head knocked together shake themselves off, and begin to claw through the ships hull, ripping pieces off together, then using their tentacles to become a living Ballista, launching large chunks into the air as if to help force the Manhunter were their hivemate is trying to get him. They continue to chitter in their language, though one sort of makes a high pitch woo-woo-woo wooping sound and then a low clicking sound, as if oddly laughing.
The lone Brood vs the Dragon and Mutant Girl also speaks, but not in Martian, in broken English it sneers and gruffly hisses, "LittleTerranFleshMeat, flee or food. Flock die now. You want die now, then stay." then sprays a wide mist of its acidic goo, almost as if trying to make it like a cloud of gas.
The little body hauling Brood makes it to the back of the ship and begins to descend, carrying the quartet of bodies cautiously down the back toward the ice drifts on the broken up lake, its eyes peering across the lake as if intending to flee for the woods once it is down. Its eyes aimed ahead, but almost distant as if its thoughts are turned inward.
"Meat, am I?" Pulling back further, although not quite far enough, a tentacle lashing around his ankle, pulling him into a contest of strength. Instead of worrying about the physical, however, the Martian reaches in then out into that link, trying to send confusion-fear-RUN through the link, trying a bit of, shall we say, telepathic intimidation...but perhaps, in their queen-less state, they will mistake it for an order they must obey.
Invisible Girl follows the little body-hauling Brood, but stops and becomes visible again floating just a few feet from the oddly distracted little being when her attention is drawn toward the chunks of spacecraft being launched into the air. Her eyebrows draw together in a faint frown as a force field stops the forward momentum of each large object just as they reach the apex of their trajectories. She's still not sure if any of these individuals intend to harm anyone or if they're mistakenly trying to protect their downed ship, but she's not about to let anyone get squished if she can help it.
There are times a mansion-underground full of sensors and doodamajiggers for noticing stuff comes in handy. This is one of those times, as far as Jubilation Lee is concerned! A strange impact at the lake is definitely worth checking out. The fact that Kitty's signal is also there doesn't hurt her case for checking-out, either. With this in mind, she borrowed a Quad-X bike and a communicator and set out at top speed. What a kick!
She's just pulling up on the lake shore after a dizzying ride through the woods, looking over the scene. The crashed spacecraft is hard to miss. "Whoa... Cool, but tragic. But where's Kitters?" She consults the Quad-X's display screen, set in GPS and signal-tracking mode.
And then something catches her eye. It's a... thing! And it's carrying... stuff! Four stuff, to be precise. And nobody's there to stop it... but with this bike, she can beat it to wherever it's going. "Time for some vehicular action," she murmurs, doughnutting the Quad-X around in the right direction and taking off after the body-carrying Brood. "Cowabungaaaa!"
Once she gets close enough, she fires off a broad burst of bright plasmoids with her left hand in front of it, letting them burst in brilliant stroboscopic flashes to blind it. If she's wrong, she can always apologize and help it later. For now, stop it!
Kitty looks very startled when the monster starts to speak English (broken or otherwise) at her, causing her to raise he fists in a threatening matter. "Yeah, well you're buddy seemed to get a taste of this 'terranmeat', so you better believe I'm ready to bust you up something fierce too. Plus, the purple guy here doesn't seem to like you bullies to much." Plus he's a dragon, which automatically gains him points.
Kitty is currently suspended high in the air, due to her much forgotten air-walking ability. Which makes her sundress attire maybe not the best choice, but hey, she also has the parka to keep her warm. Of course, out of the corner of her eye she catches an X-bike zooming in. "Jubes! Stay away, these things are stupid dangerous and keep callig me meat," she warns the fellow x-brat, in the process taking her eyes off of the brood. Oh the follies of youth.
The Brood that has caught the Manhunter shows to be surprisingly strong, a crest of crimson fur seeming to pop up on its head as it reels in the Martian with surprising strength, as if it were part Martian or something similar. >Meat you are. Delicious. Supple. Were you not for queen, hive would enjoy your meat.< and then to prove its point it lances out energy beams from its eyes. If the Martian's mental attacks reached it, they seem to have caused no effect, almost as if the species lacks a flight response.
The pair ripping up the ship stop as they see their barrage being blunted, and begin to fly up, hissing in unison. They lack the crimson crest of their hivemate, but show other odd features, one seeming to have gills and nictating membrane over its eyes, and the other having a sort of skunk-like pattern on its back, they don't speak, but they do spit, the gilled one shooting a long thin stream, while the other seems to... actually it isn't spitting, it is doing what its sibling fighting the mutant girl is trying to emulate, making a cloud that not only is eating through the nearby ships hull, but actually is crackling in the air.
The one on the water takes advantage of the mutant girl's distraction, and begins to fling ice chuncks, snow, and balls of freezing cold water at her using all its limbs rapidly... almost superfast. Meanwhile the one that spoke in Broken English shakes its head, "TerranFleshMeat stays, Brood eat you soon. First last of 'Flock' die." lashing a tentacle out at the barely able to keep iself aloft little dragon, which seems too fatigued to keep spitting.
The flee message does seem to have affected one of the Brood... the little one... it begins to freak out and is shouting in pain, its words in multiple Earth Languages, all meaning roughly, "Don't hurt me please." dropping the four bodies to cover its eyes, before screeching something in its own tongue. It curls partly in on itself, skittering all over the back area of the hull as if it doesn't know where to run to and is trying to go in all directions at once.
And J'onn...stops resisting abruptly, twisting slightly so that both of his feet will hopefully plant right into the thing, powered by its own strength. Apparently, our Martian friend can fight at least somewhat dirty. He stops the mental attack, as it's not working...no sense wasting energy. He's hoping to knock it flying...and if it pulls him with it, so be it. His attack *should* do some damage, if it works.
Invisible Girl sees the gill-brood and skunk-brood approaching and isn't too worried as her personal force field should be more than enough to protect her, but then for no reason she can tell the little being closest to her starts to freak out. It's been years since she took Spanish and French in high school, but even so some words still stick with her. And a pained 'please' in any language is something she just can't ignore. She rushes over to the little being and 'catches' him in a force field a bit more opaque than her own, to make sure that none of that ... stuff the others are spitting (gassing? EW.) can touch the scared little creature. "Calm down, you'll be fine. I promise. Estoy aqui para ayudar." Here's to hoping that he (she? hin?) understands at least one of the languages he was just using despite her horrifically accented Spanish. She makes herself and the little being invisible and keeps a wary gaze on the two approaching Brood, expecting the worst.
The little one seems surprisingly unwilling to fight... then again, maybe the fact that it was fleeing should've been a clue. Jubilation winces in sympathy. "Sorry... totally sorry!" she calls over the roar of the Quad-X's engine.
And then comes a shout in a familiar voice. Kitty! "Kitters! I'm there!" she calls, turning the bike again and circling around for a clear shot at her airborne classmate's opponent.
Trouble is, by the look of it, her airborne classmate might not be airborne much longer. The little dragonlike creature holding her up doesn't look like he'll be able to fly in a few seconds. She changes course, pulling up under Kitty and letting fly with a burst of explosive plasmoids to cover the two. "Drop, Kitty! We'll take 'em together! You drive, I blast!"
The snowblast isn't so much harmful--Kitty's been in a snowball fight before--as it is disorienting. Pushing the ice away from her eyes, Kitty finds herself and her dragon buddy being rushed. "Holy sh--" she starts, but then she goes into instinct mood. She pushes herself forward and grabs firmly at the dragon before she goes intangible, allowing the vicious brood beast to pass harmless through them both. And then the bike is hovering below them. Taking a deep breathe, Kitty nods and...lets go, going into freefall. Thankfully, the drop isn't too severe, so she is able to ease in the bike, directly behind Jubilee. "Oof. Good catch, Jubes. Not let me take the wheel, you cover me..." she concurs with Jubilee's earlier plan and pushes past her, placing the tired purple dragon across her shoulders. "This guy needs to see a doctor, stat, he's had a rough go of it."
The Brood hit by the Martian's trick is surprisingly less hurt then most would expect, like it had attributes from a very powerful species in it, but the trick did catch it off guard, its heat beams going wide, and hitting the cloud made by its skunk sibling, as it loses its grip and goes toubling into a deep pile of snow.
As the heat beams interact with the sparking gas there is a moment of terror on the pair's eyes as they seem to realize what is happening just before it happens, the cloud going from corrosive gas to blazing inferno liquifying portions of the hull and immolating the pair within the inferno.
The gas cloud wasn't as large made by the speedster and the english speaker, but it is still enough to go up when the plasma interacts with it, surprising them almost as much as the larger ones above the ship, though the blast does leave both partly intact as they fall into the snow below, still partly in flames.
The littlest Brood is shielded from the blasts by the invisible forecefield, but seems to cry a bit as it hears the crunching sounds of bodies hitting ice fairly hard. It holds its eyes still in pain, but seems to calm, "Must save nice doctors. Keep from others, they will eat Doctors. I do not want them to be hurt." its English even better then its Spanish. It curls up a bit into a ball in the Force Field, as if it senses the worst, "Strontian Broodling will not be burned like others, it is stronger, it was meant to be New Queen's protector, not me. It will be strong as long as it knows Queen is alive."
Ack. Fire. J'onn backs off rapidly, it being all he can do just to remain in the area. Kitty and Jubilee are probably going to have to rescue themselves, unless Sue can help them, because it's taking him a moment to get himself together enough to act at all. Poor Martian. Hopefully nobody will put two and two together and realize WHY he is partially retreating and freezing up. Hopefully.
Invisible Girl gasps and throws her hands up as if to protect her face from the suddenly igniting gasses around her and the little Brood more out of reflex than because she's actually in any danger. When the little being she's protecting speaks up and explains the situation to her, she studies him for a moment then moves as close as her own force field allows to ask in a quiet but slightly urgent voice, "Where are the nice doctors? I promise I'll do my best to get both you and them to safety." She's not sure who or what the 'Strontian Broodling' is, but she'll try to help deal with it once this little being and the 'nice doctors' have been moved well clear of this mess.
"Whoa!" Fireball city! At least they're below the worst of it! Jubilee has just enough time to duck and gun the throttle, sending the bike on a looping course away from the now-flaming Brood, before Kitty gets insistent about taking the controls. She feels Kitty become immaterial and ghost through her, and she scoots back at the same time, letting her friend and her friend's new friend up to the front. "Get us clear!" she shouts, looking around hastily for someplace clear to be gotten to.
Trouble is, there aren't many places. The little guy and the Invisible Girl (WOW, she's HERE!) look to be in just as much danger as they are, except for the force field. Still, maybe they can help the green guy near all the fire. "Turn right! Somebody's in trouble!" she says, lifting her hands in preparation for a double-blast. "Just stay out of the fire... um, unless you phase us or something!"
"Probably not a good idea," Kitty muses as she starts to pitch the bike up in the air, accelerating at the exact right moment ot avoid another flurry of flames. "The phasing, that is. Don't think the bike's innards would much appreciate it. I mean, it /might/ survive it, but do you really want to test that theory? Especially if you have to explain one of our toys breaking to the Professor?" She's getting chatty, which means that Kitty is nervous. Her bike-piloting skills are not the best in the world but she does keep the trio of them away from most flurries of fire, circling and looking for the best point ot be helpful.
Reed hadn't noticed Sue leaving. He's been so caught up in another project he didn't even hear her mention a unidentified object of unknown origin crash landing. Well not until now. However before he could even join Sue, there was a problem the Fantasti-car was still in the refurbishing/upgrade phase. What to do, what to... With a max speed of sixty miles per hour it was the only plausible form of transportation. It will take time but it's the only way.
Having honed in on the signal in Susan's suit, Reed Richards or Mister Fantastic as he's been dubbed by the press, slowly floats down in what can only be called a flying bathtub. His eyes widen as he grows closer. "Magnificent!" he says to himself in a soft, yet excited child opening a present, tone. It's not long till Reed throws up the holo HUD monocle and begins to scan as the bathtub starts to descend from the sky.
Slowly the Crimson Crested Brood climbs from the Snow, sneering, and still taunting in Martian, >You are a tricky one Martiangreenmeat, but tricks will not save you. Your tricks may bring down other Brood, but from stronger being was this one hosted. Prepare yourself, perhaps season yourself with something you feel will make your taste more enjoyable, you will have the honor of being the Queen's first meal on this planet. The Queen will take this world, as our Queen did the last, and this time no Kreemeat, Skrullmeat, nor Shiarmeat shall stop the Brood from growing the largest Hive ever. Even the Empress will fear the Queen, and then the Queen will become new Empress, a stronger Empress, a smarter Empress, a bigger Empress, a lovelier Empress, a more powerful Empress, and all your metameat, mutantmeat, mutatemeat, and even humanmeat will help the Queen to do it. In the Queen's honor this one thanks you Martiangreenmeat, your sacrafice is appreciated.<
The gooped Brood ooze and fuel the flames, which do not seem to be dying down, but slowly devouring the ship and its contents, immolating and incinerating all that it was, eventually destroying all its records and files, all the data and work that the beings aboard had done... the flames spreading more and more.
The snow seems to have extinguised the other pair, and they somehow seem to have partly survived, crawling weakly from the melted puddle where they landed, though far from in good shape, both missing limbs and parts of their exoskeletons, revealing muscles and organs beneath. Somehow they drag themselves after the X-Cycle, one moving faster then the other, but still a fast drag rather then a properly skilled movement.
Within the Force field, the small Brood whispers in response, as if keeping the conspiratorial tone with the invisible woman, "I... I dropped them when coalesced plasma spheroids exploded and overloaded my optical nerves. I was unable to maintain proper grasp when the hive mind was flooded with unusual sensations that were unfamilar to Brood. I felt a need to mobilize myself in a manner of expedience bit with no particular direction. It was overwhelming."
Martian? What Martian. Having retreated to a safe distance, he's disappeared. Yup. You guys are on your own...and had better not tell anyone he ran away. Fire...Martian...bad combination. Poor J'onn. He'll be thoroughly embarrassed later, but he just can't go back into that inferno, either mentally or physically.
Invisible Girl doesn't realize that J'onn had to escape the flames or she'd have made sure that he had nothing to fear from them. But, her attention is fully focused on the small Brood and helping him find and get the others to safety. He's definitely got some technobabble skills on him, but she got the gist. The ones that need to be saved got dropped, that's enough info for the moment. "Point the way," she tells the little individual, and their combined force fields start to move through and out of the flames, hopefully toward the others that are still there to help.
Abruptly, Jubilee's thought of helping the green guy vanish into confusion, as the green guy himself vanishes! "Wha..?" Still, she has the presence of mind to look around again, blinking as if to clear her eyes. "This just gets weirder and weirder!"
And then she catches sight of the two coming after the Quad-X and its three riders. "Oh, fudge..." she mutters, twisting on the seat so she can turn both arms aft. "Kitty, gun it!" And she sends a double-stream of explosive plasmoids at their foremost pursuer, aiming for the ice just ahead of its... whatever it runs on! Maybe it just needs a nice cold bath, right?
As the small personal craft comes in for a landing, far from the action, Reed continues to scan. He does not stay out of it though with a few long, stretched out, steps he moves towards Sue. It's situations like this that will make a man forget to use the built in suit communicator. Ooo! Mucus of an unknown phylum! Intriguing.
As it looks around for the Martian, the Crimson Crested Brood flies into the inferno, thinking the Martian is there, somewhere, still shouting at the Manhunter in the Martian tongue, >Don't flee puny Martiangreenmeat, no need to preheat yourself, the Queen will consume your fresh and raw, alive perhaps, so your screams can sweeten your meat all the more.< as it plunges deeper into the heart of the melting ship.
The pair that chase the Quad-X roll to try to avoid the plasma blasts, but the frigid water seems to enter their wounds and sizzle, causing them to writhe as the also have to avoid dripping molten metal blobs from the ship. Their movements become more labored, and eventually one ends up getting hit squarely in a wound by a plasmoid while the slower is caught in a drip of ship and melted with it and the ice below it into a sinking metal ball into the lake.
Rubbing its eyes, the littlest Brood nods, and tries to peer around, finally squinting and blinking a few times before pointing toward a section of opening in the ice where there are bunches of tiny pieces floating instead of a larger chunk. The little Broodling makes a soft gurgling sound and shakes its head, as the stretchy professor approaches he peers at him, "That would be an erroneous observation, while resembling a viscous membranal fluid for bacterial and particulate defensive purposes, there is no need for such in a Brood, we lack the gaseous inhalation issues that would require such materials. It is in fact an adaptive variation on a venomous and corrosive solution for the purposes of digestive and paralytic offensive needs, the caustic nature amplified as needed or desired by the Queen's will. The variation of using the Mephitisoids Pheromone Glands as an additional generation and distribution system was the most likely reason for the selection of a Mephitisoid as a host for that Broodling. I am unaware of the logic behind the selection of the Saurid, the Grosgumbeekian was obviously selected for their capacity for supersonic quadrapedal movement, the Skrull was most likely selected for the ability to disguise itself and convenience as they were prevalent aboard, and the Strontian of course makes an excellent weapon or protector." pausing, "But I fear this is not conducive to rescuing the scientists that I was endevouring to evacuate from the vicinity."
Invisible Girl has LOTS of practice in dismissing extreme verbal technobabble diarrhea, so she does what's likely going to be the quickest and most expedient way to handle the situation. "Reed, take care of him, I'll be right back." She releases the force field around the small Brood once he's close enough for Reed to assist, then promptly turns toward the broken section of ice indicated and dives right in. Yes, yet again, force fields ROCK. He said 'four nice doctors', so she uses her cell phone's flashlight app to try and search for four forms in the water. Please oh please be close by and okay...
"Woo! Cool off, freakazoids!" Jubilation exults, throwing her fist in the air. This is /sooo/ cool! Just like Space Commandoes!
And finally, the bike pulls up next to Reed and the little alien. It seems to be the safest place around. The Chinese-American mutant clambers down, leaving Kitty free to rush her new friend to the nearest dragon-hospital. Or the mansion. That might work, too. "Whoa... Mister Fantastic! Hi! I think I saw the Invisible Girl earlier. Is she still here?"
And then she recognizes the small Brood. "Um, hi little guy... totally sorry about the flashburst," she says, blushing a little. "I thought you were with the bad guys. Are you okay?"
Sue's words bring him back to Earth, so to speak. As he looks up all he can muster is a "What?" before Sue takes off to earn her Polar Bear badge. That's when Reed finally notices the small alien life form. As it speaks, Reed wonders to himself as he walks over to it, his hand on his chin. As the teenager on the four wheeled vehicle arrives in such a matter that would make anyone jump, Reed pays no attention. He isn't being rude. Either he's just that oblivious to the danger around them or is he's just that focused on the alien that he has tunnel vision blinders on? As he stares he tries something. Let's try Kree. "Klaatu barada nikto?" wait no Skrull? "Bah weep gra na weep ninny bong?" he quickly adds to the questioning. But before he receives an answer; Reed Richards, possibly smartest man in the World, realizes something and starts to look around. "Sue?"
The shouts in Martian are no longer destinctive, as they're being broken up by the flames and the sounds of the ship melting and parts exploding within, but they still can be heard as the Crimson Crested Broodling continues to search for the Manhunter. More and more of the ship sinking as there is less ice from the heat. Even the snow around the area is disappearing as heat radiates off the ship.
Beneath the water the four bodies lie in a heap, seeming to have all sunk to the bottom, none floating at all. Each is a different species, and none seem to be moving, but then matters might depend on the species... right.
The little Broodling pauses as the Chinese-American Mutant Girl appoaches, then it raises a clawed hand and with a wide gaping mouth sort of smile says, "Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii." it considers, but figures that must be the right greeting, "I am still partly impaired visually from the plasmoids, but the spectral variations were quite... varied... somewhat pleasent until my optic organs were overwhelmed from the excessiveness." it then looks to Richards, "I am fluent in most Terran forms of communication, but if you desire to speak in Kree, Skrull, most Shi'ar Dialects, Badoon, 'Flock' or Xandarian, I can speak those ass well... actually I adore Xandarian, so if you know it I would enjoy that greatly."
Invisible Girl makes it to the bottom of the lake and can't help but be saddened by seeing the bodies there, but, she's not one to give up. So she collects them in a force field and heads back toward the surface as quickly as possible. No need to worry about getting the bends. Double bonus.
Leaving the frigid water followed by a force field containing water, four bodies, and some of the silt from the lack bottom, Sue sets down gently on the bank of the lake near the silly bathtub thing Reed arrived in and promptly heads over to aforementioned vehicle to see if there's some kind of first aid kit included as the other force field fades slowly allowing the water to drain away quickly but not too abruptly. "Reed! Please tell me you packed thermal blankets in this thing."
Jubilee, busy greeting the small alien, blinks at the mention of languages. "Um, sorry... English is all I know," she says apologetically. "Well, that and Cantonese." She looks up at Mister Fantastic as he speaks, aghast. "You /didn't know/? You /don't/ know? Oh, fudge..."
Fortunately, Sue gets back about then, with cargo. "Sue! Thank goodness. Um, who are they?"
As Reed looks around his gaze finally lands on the young Asian teen. "You aren't Sue. Who are you?" he asks the Asian girl, but again circumstances change and Sue appears asking him a question. with a tap on his writs the flying bathtub hovers to their position. "Susan you should know better. All the Fantasti-cars have been and always are supplied with survival and medical supplies." Sure things like a defibrillator and a stock of blood and plasma isn't your usual band aid, but one can never be too sure for such situations or flat out disasters.
More and more eruptions and explosions seem to be going off inside the ship, the Crimson Crested Broodling now so deep even his Martian Shouts are no longer audible. The pops and booms seem to be getting more and more frequent and progressively louder as there is less and less ship, more and more flame, and even less ice and snow as the ship is now starting to be hot enough to create a bubble of great heat around it, actually making it like a sauna for dozens of yards, and causing the water near the ship to star to bubble as if boiling.
The bodies lying on the ground, for those familiar with the species, are a Kree Male, a Shi'ar Female, and a male and a female each of the Skrull species. They are laying quite still, and the Skrull's necks seem to bend a few to many times. All four just sort of flop there as they are placed gently beside the aviating basin.
The Little Broodling slowly moves over, "Dr. K'Vohrkn, Dr. S'Paak, Dr. Hielleauxnhurz, Dr. Paeh-Parr... wake up. No more resting. One of you will soon be new Queen. You must wake up so you can command me and other Brood, please... I helped get you out of Hive Room where you all were sleeping. If Strontian Broodling comes before you have hatched, it will slaughter me by old Queen's command. Please wake and hatch." the little Brood pleading with the bodies.
Jubilation blinks again. "Of course, I'm not Sue! I was just asking you where she was! And she's /right there/!" she fires back, losing patience fast. This may not end well.
Fortunately, there are other things going on. Jubes watches as the little creature pleads with the four beings, all of whom look quite dead to her. "I don't know if they'll be much help," she says, hesitantly. "But if that thing comes out here after you, it'll have to get through me... and my plasmoids fireworks." She steps out between the Broodling and the lake, watching the wreckage.
Invisible Girl waits for the odd looking vehicle, then promptly start rummaging through a storage compartment before returning with four tiny silvery packets. She pauses as a wave of heat from the disintegrating spacecraft actually makes it past her force field and looks toward the still burning ship. "... Reed. We need to stop that fire. Like, NOW."
Sue's in command of this mission. Giving her a nod, Reed 'steps' back into the Mark 1 and commands it to levitate up, making a odd sound that is somewhat reminiscent of an old cartoon. Much like the controls from his favorite science fiction television show as a kid, Reed's fingers run over the panels commanding the 'tub' to take a path that would lead over the fire. Once over the flames Reed disperses a mist that seems to extinguish the flames in mere moment. Eco-friendly and safe to all life forms.
As the flames are extinguished, a voice can be heard from within the ship, it is not speaking in any Earth Language, and is infact speaking repeatedly in multiple languages, Kree, Skrull, various Shi'ar species languages, all saying, <The Ship has been compromised, Data Cores will be translocated and molecular implosion will in 2 minutes. Thank you for participating in the United Galactic Lifeform Investigation/Experimention Sodality Project and traveling on the Jhar'Ik-Eaux. Goodbye!>. Oddly there is no sound of the Crimson Crested Broodling... yet.
The bodies do not move, though only someone familiar with Skrull Physiology could probably be sure about Doctors K'Vohrkn and S'Paak, Dr. Hielleauxnhurz would require a Shi'ar medical knowledge, and Kree Biology would be needed for Dr. Paeh-Parr. They don't spit out water, they don't respond to the little Broodling's plees, and the show no signs of inhaling or exhaling.
The littlest Brood seems on the verge of crying, "I tried so hard. I tried to be good for everyone. I told you all how it felt to change and how it felt for the others to change. I told you even when the Queen was angry. I tried to warn the others when Officer Kulluh, Engineer Ch'um, Counselor Leipewpepe were infected, even though no one believed me. I was good. Why will you not help me? Why must I be slaughtered?"
Invisible Girl hastily shakes out the blankets, but the little Brood's words and the stillness of the four bodies is getting to her. "No one's going to hurt you, little one. I won't let them." The strength behind that statement is a tiny glimpse at the level of momma bear Sue might be capable of. But not at this moment. "Please help me now. They're not breathing, and I don't know if that's normal for them or not."
"We'll help you," Jubilee says impulsively, if not loudly. "We'll help you, small one." She doesn't take her eyes off the ship, but moves a little closer, as if to offer comfort by proximity to the little Broodling. "But little dude, seriously, you've gotta tell us what's going on. All I know is that a ship crashed into a lake, and there were some nasty things on it that called everybody meat. And you. And a little dragon. And these... doctors..." She /really/ doesn't want to say 'dead people'.
As he flies over the wreck Reed hears Sue over the comms and decides it's time for him to step in. "Susan, breathe." Reed's voice comes out of one of her gloves as clear as if he were there. Presently he's still putting out the fires, but this isn't stopping him from helping. "All our suits have scanners on them. Well yours and mine do. I don't trust Johnny with one." he says adding that last bit to try to snap her out of it. "Put your fingertips on where they would have a heart or hearts, ask our little friend where they would be, then press two fingers in the center of your wrist. There will be a holographic display that will give you a full three dimensional diagram of their bodies." Reed pauses as he waits for Sue's response.
As it stares at the bodies, an almost clinicalness comes to the little Broodling's voice, not as much that it doesn't care, but more like this is how it observed medical professionals speak and it is clear and concise, "Dr. Paeh-Parr is a Pure Breed Kree, the blue coloration is natural, but she should actually be a darker Blue, her species is similar to the Homo Sapian Species of this planet, but for breathing she would need a higher concentration of Nitrogen." pausing for a moment, it looks over, "The Skrulls, Doctors K'Vohrkn and S'Paak, can go long periods without air if needed, shapeshifting their systems to survive as needed, but their vertabrae should be more smoothly aligned and not jutting out in that manner. Doctor Hielleauxnhurz is Shi'ar, his white feathers show his seniority and his species, and he should be breathing quite a bit, as they are a hyperventilating species, constantly filling their lungs with more air to keep a steady supply of needed gases to their system." after a moment, the little Broodling places claws on the Kree and Shi'ar, "Pulminary organs are located here and here, the Skrulls can relocate theirs so it may take a few attempts to locate where they have hidden theirs for their own protection."
The Ship's countdown continues, the voice continuing to call out in the various languages and announce how long. The external flames extinguising revealing many rooms surprisingly intact on 3 different decks... the ship starting to sink slowly into the lake as the ice still was sufficiently weakened and no longer completely able to keep the remains of the vessel above the surface.
Invisible Girl looks at her glove when Reed offers instructions on how to use the nifty stuff built into it, then looks at Broo when he offers more information about the four bodies, and moves to check on the Kree and Shi'ar first. "Where would their cardiovascular organs be located?" She's making a concerted effort to appear calm now, but the paleness of her face and the tremor starting in her hands gives her away. She does spare a glance to Jubilee as if asking the girl to ... keep watch? Step over and help? Run in circles and scream? It's difficult to say.
Jubilation frowns, listening. "Was there anyone else aboard the ship? Someone with a... a mutant life-sign? Kitty said she came to investigate because she noticed such a sign."
She glances at Sue, giving the woman a puzzled look. And then she notices the woman's pallor. She moves over to help. If she wrong, she's sure Sue will tell her so, and quick. "How can I help?"
Reed waits and waits and when nothing about the life signs is said, Reed decides to take the next step. "Sue? You can do this two ways now. You can press the same buttons on your wrist three times. This will harness the energy from the unstable molecules in your suit to shock the heart, but I have yet to test that. And I don't want you too. Or.." Reed pauses for a long moment as he doesn't want to try the next route, but just might have to. "Using what you see on the scan you can massage the heart with one of your force fields. You need to concentrate and visualize your had on their heart." as he says this he hears Jubilee's statement as to the mutant life signs.
The littlest Brood looks at the girl, "Doctors say I am Mutant. Different from others in Hive. My mind works differently, I feel things my kind does not, I think more and an individual instead of a member of the Hive. Though I still serve the Queen, I think for myself. While I am the same species, I am different in many ways. My wings are already present, despite being hosted by an adolescent, I have developed hands, and no Hive marking on my crest. All these ways and possibly more were the reasons I was called a mutant when I asked the Doctors why they called me this term. Is being a mutant bad? Must you put me on a cross or kill me? Many transmissions from this planet speak of the elimination of the Mutant Threat or the ending of the Mutant infestation." the little Broodling looks pleadingly at Jubilee as if afraid to die, but not intending to run from fate. Pausing, the Broodling looks to the skrulls and seems to scan them carefully, "While their body heat is greatly disipated, I believe here," pointing to the female Skrull's left forearm, "and here" pointing to the male Skrull's lower abdomen, "are where their pulminary organs are presently, due to the higher heat concentration." listening a moment, then adds, "Also, electrical shock would most likely be far more harmful then beneficial to the Shi'ar, only damaging the system further as they're less electrotolerant."
Invisible Girl starts looking for vital signs on each of the four bodies as Reed directed, sighing in defeat as she gets the feeling that the Kree and Shi'ar didn't die because of the crash but some time before. The ... foreign objects in their abdominal cavities make her frown in concern, and when she moves to check the Skrull... "Uh, I'm sorry. What is this?" She indicates one of the scans her glove is showing of the object inside the body, hoping the little Brood will know what it is and what it means. "Reed, two of them have been dead for a while, the other two I can't really tell. But they all have ..." She shivers. "It's making me think of the Alien movies here."
Jubilee's eyes widen in sympathetic horror. "No! No, we're not going to /kill/ you!" she exclaims. "Being a mutant is... it's not always good, but it's not /evil/! I mean, I'm a mutant myself, and so is Kitty. And if I know Kitty, she came to help you if she could!"
As he listens to the conversation over the communication net Reed, rubs his chin as he always does when he thinks. "Susan check for life signs from the embryos." Reed starts as he continues to think. The creature of course. "Little one is there a way to save both the host while at the same time retard the growth and maturity of your hatch mates?" As he asks the questions, Reed pilots the bathtub back to the group of individuals.
The somewhat comforting comments from Miss Lee help assuage the little Mutant Brood's fears, Ms. Storm points out the object, the Broodling seems to smile, "That is the New Queen. Isn't she lovely... her egg looks strong and fully formed. I am sure the Doctor's genetics will help make the Queen a better Queen. Maybe she will not wish me extinguished." there is a sort of optimistic hopefullness in the the tone of the statement. Looking at Sue, "So are the others going to be okay. I hope they did not get too banged up when I dropped them." then at Dr. Richards comments, the little Broodling looks confused, "Not Hatchmates... these... four Queens? But only Empress have more then one Queen at time... unless old Queen wanted to be new Empress?" pausing, there is a moment of consideration, "Queen eggs are quick, they will consume most vital organs, absorb best qualities, if all four have an ovum, then they are new queen already, their genetics are partially gone. Only hyper regenerative abilities already present in the host before infusion could save them. No." pausing again, a smile comes across the odd little mutant Brood's mouth, "Goodbye doctors, I will miss you all. I am sorry I could not save you, but be happy, you will make lovely Queens." then one by one leaning over toward the bodies, the little Brood says, "Hello Queen, please do not find me offensive and allow me to live, I will be good." to each one as if unsure which is the true Queen and which obedience will be bound to.
Invisible Girl stares at the little Brood, her expression slowly becoming horrified. Not at his devotion to his queens, but the fact that there are four of them, and he just said they look ready to hatch. "Reed? It /is/ like the movie Aliens. But all four are Queen eggs. What do I do?"
"So new... hatchmates... are made within... within other people?" Jubilation asks, trying to sort that out. "And that's why you were trying to save them? The doctors?" Really, she's trying to be open-minded, but this still sounds cruel and disgusting to her, to say nothing of gory! "Oh, wow... I just... I don't know what to say. I really don't." She looks beseechingly at Sue. "Miss Storm? What would you say?"
Sue already said it. And Reed is reacting. "Sue? Young lady? I'm coming. I shall be there momentarily." Reed says into his com, his voice sounds normal, but there is an underlying tone only Sue could ever hear: He's scared. As the craft banks hard it comes into a slow descent near the group. Once close enough to the ground, Reed stretches out of the 'tub' and joins them. as he walks over to them he's smiling. His gaze jumps from the bodies to the small creature to the women. Then in a calm tone, as not to scare anyone Reed speaks. "Sue take the girl, get into the Mark one and get as far away as possible." As he says this he looks firmly into her eyes before giving her a slow nod. Then softly he adds "Please go."
Broo looks back at Jubilee, "Oh, I did not expect all four to have Queens, I expected that one would be sacraficed as new Queen. I could sense there was to be a new Queen, so these four were with old Queen in Central Hive Chamber, one had to be new Queen. I thought the other 3 would be okay, and we all would cry tears of sadness and joy for one that was honored to be the New Queen. Well, I would cry both, Good scientists would only cry in sadness, maybe, and other Brood would not cry, they have no compassion or friendship, they have no feelings of pure joy, only elation at the prey's pain or rage at prey escaping." pausing, a moment with a head tilt, "The other one, the Strontian Broodling, it is trapped behind reinforced blast doors, contained near the ship's core. It wishes to consume the Martian, and is angry the Martian is denying the Queen her first meal on this world. It does not know the Old Queen is gone nor that four new Queens will rise... tomorrow... maybe the next day. And when the ship disassembles itself in a glorious molecular implosion, the other Broodling will not be around to see the Queens rise. They are strong, and will make others with the best attributes of the species they joined with." there is a sort of blissful smile at the queens rising, but an almost vindictive smile that the other Brood, the far more powerful one, will not live to see the Queens hatch. Pausing, it adds, "Not all eggs need hosts, only Queens and Empress the highest, and Broodlings like me, the lowest. Majestrix and Warriors hatch from Queens' pure eggs with qualities from Queen's host." as if to assuage some of Jubilee's fears that all Brood require hosts.
Invisible Girl takes a slightly shaky breath and tries to quickly think about how to explain to this little individual that these queen eggs hatching on this planet might be a ... very bad idea. "There's a bit of a problem with that, I'm sorry to say. Think about possibilities. If even one of these potential queens were to hatch here on this world, what would become of all of us humans that already live here?"
"My name's Jubilation," Jubilee corrects unconsciously. "See you when you get here."
And then, in the middle of the Broodling's explanation about what's going on, she's asked to leave. Actually, it's more like Sue's asked to take her away. She blinks at Reed and Sue, then looks at the Broodling. "That... that sounds like it wouldn't be good for anything else living on this planet, actually."
Broo ponders, "Well, typically, a majority would be captured and penned, kept in decent condition for purposes of breeding stock and consumption. The most powerful stock would become hosts or immediatley be eaten if they are designated too powerful to exist, but that would be either beings with hyper regeneration or tremendous force of wills, and the latter of those might be considered for Queen stock for future colonizations. For the most part the human stock would be allowed to roam free for hunting by the few thousand Brood that would live on world..." pausing, "But memories from the last hive contradict this. The Old Queen had a Hive in the millions, and was spreading, and would have been able to challenge the Empress had the Sodality not captured her and a handful of specimens before orbital bombarding the entire planet." there is for the first time shock and horror on the little Brood's visage, "These... these Queens if they are even partly like the Old Queen would either unite and slaughter, rivalling the Empress within a year, or they would compete for territory, and lay waste to the planet... the casualty count would be." suddenly he starts to grab for the bodies, "We must get them on the ship... they must not hatch. I can not crush the eggs, I can not kill my Queens myself, but the ship will destroy them it will make them atomic particulate to be spread to the cosmic winds." reaching out it seems to implore Dr. Richards as it grips his leg, "Please help me stop my kind from destroying your world. I could not live with such carnage."
Invisible Girl actually breathes a sigh of relief that the little insectoid actually reasoned out the same conclusion she did so quickly. "He's right, Reed, we have to hurry. Everyone step clear." She stands from where she'd been kneeling next to one of the Skrull corpses and takes a few quick steps back. "I can carry them back to the ship, Reed, but I'll need your help to make sure I drop them in the best place to make sure the self destruct destroys them." She looks at Jubilee again, hoping the teen understands that she's going to get the probably heavy responsibility of staying with the little Brood. He says he can't harm the eggs himself, he might also be compelled to stop them from being harmed.
This time Jubilee needs no translation. She nods and kneels next to the Broodling, resting a hand gently on his head, almost like she might caress a dog's head. "Stay with me, small one. Mister Fantastic and the Invisible Girl have /totally/ got this covered. Maybe you should rest. You look like you've had a long trip."
Reed finally put it all together from the conversation he and the little creature had when he arrived. And now it pleads with him to stop its queens. "Very well." As he looks to the creature being comforted by the girl Reed speaks. "Jubilation would you please get into the Mark 1 with the little one?" Reed is being as polite as he can and hopes both will listen. His attention is turned back to Sue. "I know what has to be done. I'll hack the self destruct and slow it as long as possible, while you get the bodies to the absolute center of the detonation site." He hopes she knows what's going on in his mind, he's about to go against everything he believes in, however with the realization that this is the start of a dangerous pandemic and the pleads of the creature to stop it, there's no other way.
Broo covers its eyes and sort of clings to Jubilee, trying to not look... due to its size it is like having a small child clinging to her leg, though it is perhaps considerably heavier then the average 3' tall human... Intellectually it probably understands everything Richards intends to do, and perhaps more. Letting Jubilee lead, the Broodling does not resist... merely clinging and following where she leads.
Invisible Girl offers Jubilee a brief smile of thanks, then nods to the little Brood and carefully picks the bodies up again with a force field. "Okay, Reed." She and the bodies lift off and she moves to hover over the remains of the space craft, waiting while Reed does the techno-magic he does to slow the ship's self destruct.
Getting as close as she dares to the flames and causing her force fields to darken in response to the extreme heat, she tries to determine the best possible place to drop the egg-containing bodies. Finally, spotting a section of the hull open to the interior, she absently wipes at the beginning of a nosebleed as she lines up the corpses and lowers them inside before releasing the force field supporting them.
Jubilation nods, glancing uncertainly at the flying bathtub. "On it," she affirms, and starts to step away... and blinks as she feels the drag on her leg. She looks down, blinking again as she sees the little alien clinging to her leg. "Um, okay. If that makes you feel better," she says, and moves off, more slowly, to the vehicle. "But you'll have to let go so I can lift you into the Mark 1."
Broo nods to Jubilee as she guides to the extending and levitating bath basin that someone thought was a brilliant idea. There is a glance as the voice of the ship seems to slow to a crawl, perhaps showing the internal clock speed has been greatly slowed, as Sue drops the bodies into the ship. A tear crosses the little Brood's face as it nods to Jubilee and clammers into the tub to bath in its sorrows. Not wanting to look back at its only home ever disappear with all that remains of its immediate family.
Jubilation climbs into the flying device, glancing over the controls. They don't fill her with confidence, but she fiddles gingerly with one, then another until she hears the machine hum to life. From there, it's much easier, and she soon has them airborne. Actually, this is kinda cool... for a bathtub.
She glances back at the little Brood, frowning in sympathy. She's lost her home, too. "So... do you have a place to stay?"
Invisible Girl moves away from the spacecraft as quickly as she can, dragging Reed along to make sure he doesn't dawdle to play with the computer systems. Once they're both back at the unfortunate looking vehicle and have clambered inside as well, Sue insists on tossing up one of her strongest force fields around their conveyance instead of letting Reed try to fly them away from the ship before it self-destructs. "I don't know what's about to happen out there..." She has to stop Reed from offering an explanation as it'd probably only make sense to the little Brood, and then she says while again absently wiping at the nosebleed she hasn't registered yet, "You might want to duck down and cover your eyes, just in case."
The display is actually quite surprising, as the little Broodling speaks, "I am Broo..." the sound seeming disappear as the ship doesn't explode, but instead seems to colapse inward in a sudden rush, sucking in much of the water and dirt within a few yards of the ship, as well as any other derbi, and then there is a flash of light that makes everything momentarily white, before the lake waters begin to slosh and crash back into place, the little Broodling completing the answer, it had started, "That was the only home I ever knew. The host who volunteered to be implanted came aboard before I was joined with him, and I was not laid until he was put before the Queen, so I have no other place. The Doctors and Guards were the only friends I have ever known, my Hive is all gone... I am all alone." there is a moment of sadness, confusion, and elation combined, "I am... no longer bound... I am... free... but I am a Nomad now... a being without a home or people." peering between the two females and the erudite male scientist who is probably more enthralled with the mechanics behind the ship's clean destruction system.
She can't resist watching, just to see what happens. Fortunately, Jubes has her shades with her. But the explosion... isn't! If anything, the destruction of the ship almost seems anticlimactic. But at least the Queens are gone!
Jubilation turns the controls over to Reed Richards after the explosion, stepping back to speak more easily with the alien. "No home or people... well, the Professor might put me in detention 'til I'm dead, but... I know of a home, if you don't mind sharing it with a lot of people like me. Okay, a few like me and most different, but it's clean, it's roomy, and it's safe."
Invisible Girl releases the force field when it looks like there's no explosion going to happen, and she moves to sit, the nosebleed having been a warning, and now the headache has settled in. "I take it you need a ride back to this place, miss Lee?"
Broo nods a bit enthusiasticly... a new world, a new home, a new hive of sorts, not much more that the little rag wearing Brood could ask for, "Thank you. That sounds good. I will try to behave, and will do whatever is needed of me to earn my place." peering barely over the side of the tub and watching the lake travel into the distance...
"Cool. I'll let the Prof know, and he can tell you more." Jubilee hesitates, then nods, apparently having made a decision. "It's not big, but if you want, you can sleep in my room tonight, and talk to the Prof in the morning. I think he'd consider that fair."
She glances up at the Invisible Girl, who thankfully isn't invisible right now, and gives her the puppy-eyed face. "Please? It'd be a majorly long walk... um, I've got a tissue if you need it."
Invisible Girl smiles at Jubilee tiredly. "Might want to give Reed the address, then, so he knows where to drop you both off. Though, you're both also welcome to stay at the Baxter if you want. Of course, from here I'm willing to bet that it's the longer trip...tissue? What for?" She rubs the back of her gloved hand under her nose and smears the drop of blood into a slightly scary stain so she now looks like this whole mess was far more violent than it had been.
Your nose, Miss Storm," Jubilee replies, blinking. "It's bleeding." And she slips a hand into her coat pocket, withdrawing two tissues. Just in case. "Much as I'd love to say I stayed at the Baxter, the school is a lot closer. Plus, I know the Prof'll want to meet the little guy as soon as possible."
She looks down again, at the lake. No sign of the ship's end. Perhaps that's best. This is really more like a beginning. Wait 'til the Prof gets a load of his latest houseguest!