| An Unexpected Reunion | |||||
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| What: Lor-Zod finds out he was not the only one to escape the Phantom Zone when he meets his mother, but the two can't quite have the conversation they want when Brynnhildr happens by. | |||||
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It's a pretty normal street corner in midtown Metropolis, a hot dog stand nearby and people crossing at the crosswalks and traffic, mostly taxis, on the street. Lor-Zod, dressed more like a human kid now, sits on a bench watching the people with obvious curiosity. Just watching how the people exist, interact, and so on.
As if in a complete act of randomness a woman dressed entirely in black approaches the bench. Her outfit may be a bit unique, but in New York who would ever notice. She walks directly to the bench and sits next to Lor-Zod without ever looking at him. "I see you've adopted the customary manner of dress of Midgard," she says in English, assuming by now Lor-Zod has picked up the local language. "I trust you kept your true attire?"
New York is quite the menagerie of clothing styles. For Brynn today, it is a bit out there. See, she doesn't normally go around armed and such but... she has learned that the current modern society considers folks with powers and spandex to be quite... normal. So she's got a black spandex bodysuit with chromed and polished pieces of armor such as a sculpted breastplate, a skullcap helm, and a scaled sleeve attached to a single shoulderpad going down her left arm. On her back she has a scabbarded sword and a shield hung as she drifts along through the sky.
Hot dog stands do draw attention though. The smell of the meat and buns and such waft upwards, and Brynn steps down to end with her feet on the sidewalk as she reaches into a pouch.. yes a pouch at her waist, to withdraw a few bills of local currency. "Excuse me." she says in a mildly odd accent. "Do I have enough for one of your... your..." and she gestures at the hot dog picture/symbol on the cart. "That." she adds.
Lor-Zod jumps slightly at the voice of the woman beside him. He'd heard her coming, of course, but hadn't expected that voice. There's a look of shock and a flash of joy as he looks up to her, instinctively saying in Kryptonian, "<Mother?>" Then he blinks, picking up on her subtle act and looks back away again, watching as the hot dog vendor serves the armoured woman. "Yes, mother, I wear it under my human clothes." He pauses, hesitating a split second, before he asks, "What is Midgard? Is that our name for Earth?" He, unfortunately, has yet to meet Thor, to get the reference.
Ursa for the most part doesn't heed any of the other people that pass on by, as they for the most part all carry on about their business, as one can expect in New York. "--I'm glad our little time away from each other did not dull your memory. You didn't think I would let you go to an alien planet all on your own, did you?--" Ursa turns to look at her son with what could be taken for a pleased expression, even though there's no actaul smile, but she's not looking at him with a frozen visage either. She looks with mild curiosity at the armored woman who approaches the hot dog vendor, noting her peculiar manner of dress. "--Midgard is the name for this planet given by it's natives, I have overheard some speak of it. Earth?--" Ursa turns to look at Lor-Zod with slight surprise, "--when did you hear of Earth as the name?--" She then motions with her head in the direction of Brynn, "--what do you make of that woman, Lor-Zod?--"
(--Spoken in Kryptonian.)
"Actually, Midgard is the name for this -realm- according to the beliefs of the Vikings." says Brynn as she hands money over to the vendor after the guy assures her that twenty is plenty for a hot dog. "The -world- is named Earth. Midgard is... well, there is a whole series of realms, or dimensions if you wish to describe it that way. Midgard is simply the one of those dimensions that the gods to -not- live on. Normally... though there are a few here now."
Lor-Zod shakes his head as he says, "--No, but father said I was the only one who could leave the Phantom Zone, because I was born there. I didn't think you *could* follow.--" He does sound pleased that she did, though. "--I think Kal-El was the first one to say it was Earth, but it's everywhere, that's what everybody says...--" He looks to Brynn then as she joins the conversation, switching back to English to offer her a, "Hello." Since she seems to understand Kryptonian, he doesn't, immediately anyway, answer his mother's last question. (--Spoken in Kryptonian.)
The second that Ursa realizes the women wearing armor just cut into their conversation with an appropriate remark, she whispers sharply to Lor-Zod, "--English will do.--" Her black eyes set directly on Brynn as she studies her closely. "--Yes, he said that, we shall talk about it some other time.--" Ursa doesn't press her son for an answer when it's clear the woman can speak their language, and eventually she states outright, "you do not belong in this Midgard, do you? Where are you from?"
(--Spoken in Kryptonian.)
"If you ask the gods of Asgard, they would tell you that all of us belong in Midgard." offers Brynn as she takes her hot dog. She eyes it and then says to the two of you, "I am from Polaria." with a bit of a nod. "Pray tell, what is a Phantom Zone? It sounds... depressing. Much like the stories of Niffleheim or Svartleheim." She is about to take a bite, but pauses before switching the hot dog to her left hand and extending her right, "I am Brynhildr."
Lor-Zod nods to his mother, but then gives a friendly smile at the introduction. He reaches to shake the offered hand, "I'm Lor-Zod, nice to meet you." Then he leans back again, to give his mother a chance to replicate the human greeting, or not. "It's where I was born," is all he says of the Phantom Zone, glancing up to his mother, as if unsure how much he should say. [Now speaking Kree.]
Ursa looks curiously at Brynn, and tries something by switching to a different language altogether, "--of course, and so it is, much like Niffleheim in fact,--" Ursa decides to cut all further questions by letting Brynn provde her own answers. "I am called Ursa," she says back in English, looking incredulous as the woman extends her hand, before Lor-Zod extends his own for a handshake, something she's yet to find on her own. "You seem to be dressed in armor of some sort, are you expecting a battle?" Ursa asks, slowly reaching with her own hand to shake hands with Brynhildr after Lor-Zod had already done so.
(--Spoken in Kree.)
"Though, Niffleheim is a land of ice and cold and the dead. That is where Hela, the goddess of the Unworthy dead rules over the souls she has reaped. It is inhospitable, and gloomy. I would never wish to visit there." Brynn shakes her head, and then gives a single pump to Lor-Zod's hand, followed by shaking Ursa's hand. She doesn't know how durable or strong either of you are, so -she- makes sure to restrain herself... "Oh this?" she asks as she gestures to the pieces upon her suit. "Best to be prepared and not need it, than to need it and not to be prepared."
Lor-Zod comments, "The Phantom Zone isn't cold. It's just empty." The he nods quickly to what Brynn says, and explains to his mother, "There are many very powerful people on Earth. Most serve as protectors, they're called heroes. But there's others, those who want to hurt people, and the heroes fight to stop them. I've already had to fight to save this planet once already."
"You fought to save this planet?" Ursa sounds surprised at what her son has to say, but she doesn't pursuit any further questions about it, turning her attention back ato Brynn who has just confirmed her suspicion, the woman is somehow talented in understanding all languages, perhaps she has a universal translator implant. For the time being, Ursa keeps strictly to English. "Places that are oft unwelcoming give us strength," she offers of Niffleheim and the Phantom Zone, hoping to settle the subject. "But we are all here, and here is what matters. I agree with your sentiment of prepardness, it's good to find strong women on Earth." Looking back at Lor-Zod, she asks, "heroes? Is everyone a hero? Or just unique warriors of worth? How did your fight go, Lor-Zod?"
"There are heroes, and there are HEROES." offers Brynn. "There are those with the power to stand out above and beyond the norm. Those who have decided to place themselves between danger, and the unprotected masses. For too long, I was forced to sit aside and watch the evils of the world destroy mankind. After a... journey, a long journey that spanned many galaxies, I returned to Earth and decided that I can no longer sit idly by. Hence... being prepared." she offers as she pats her breastplate with a hand. "That, and I enjoy advertising my wares." she adds with a grin.
Lor-Zod nods to Brynn's explanation, and says, "I've met a few. They all have powers or skills or something beyond normal humans, and they use it to fight." Then he smiles and says, "The battle went well. We stopped them all, very quickly. The most difficult was a robot that could copy the powers of those it touched, but we were able to overload it by making it copy too many powers."
"It is always the case," Ursa agrees with Brynn, "they are those who are heroes by names, and those who are heroes by deed. Often times, heroes by deed are villified for standing up for the greater good." She reaches to give Lor-Zod a strong one armed embrace, adding, "but we persevere. Our character can never be taken from us." When Lor-Zod says more of the fight he was involved with, Ursa looks curious, "a machine that replicates organic meta capabilities? The science here may not be as primitive as first impression suggests." She looks every bit as preplexed by Brynn's saucy comment, returning her gaze to the strong woman, asking, "and what are those wares you are adverising? I took you for a warrior, not a merchant."
"Trust me, it's primitive." says Brynn. "They still use hydrocarbon burning vehicles for transport when contra grav would be so much cleaner and more efficient. Plus, their ... televisions, are truly two dimensional flat screens without holo-projection capability." Odd to hear someone decked out in armor with a sword, talking about tech like that. "Oh, I -enjoy- crafting weapons and armor such as these. I am able to make them far more durable than they would normally be. But, I have had many years to practice such skills. I find it almost relaxing to work metal." She shrugs her shoulders and adds, "Can one not be a warrior -and- a merchant?"
Lor-Zod nods to Brynn's description of Earth technology, though says, "But they still make TV entertaining." He then adds, "I don't think the machine was from Earth, though it could be. Some people have technology much more advanced than the rest."
"It seems this planet makes for a popular destination, doesn't it?" Ursa says to Lor-Zod's suggestion that the sophisticated machine he fought was not of this world. "Perhaps I should inquire about your services at a future time then," Ursa notes when Brynn mentions her joy of making weapons. "If one is to become a true warrior, there can be no other profession to get in his way."
Shaking her head, Brynn remarks, "Some of this world's most famous warriors might object to that. The Samurai believed that a warrior needed to learn to quiet the mind and soul. And yet, they were among the deadliest swordsmen in the history of humanity." She shrugs and adds, "I had the fortune of witnessing some of them during the height of their culture. They were... intense. And yet, they had inner tranquility most times. That is why I forge... because it helps me to quiet my thoughts. Also... a -true- warrior can trust a blade they made themselves... for a part of them is in the blade."
Lor-Zod nods again to Ursa, "There's many non-humans here. Maybe because humans accept them so well. Even though some humans hate their own kind, those they call 'mutants' who have powers. It doesn't make much sense." At the talk of what makes a proper warrior, he stays right out of that.
"Your statement is self-contradicting. I said nothing that would not support a clear mind," Ursa seems almost offended by the argument of choice Brynn takes to refute her statement. "Forging ones weapon is part of a warrior's path, it has nothing to do with pursuit of alternative professions. I should like to meet such a warrior." Perhaps she is suggesting that Brynn's advertisement of her wares makes her less of a warrior in her eyes, in a round-about way. "A true warrior need not trust a blade, for he is a weapon in and of himself." She then gets up from the bench, just as her tone was getting a bit more testing towards Brynn, "Lor-Zod, -we- are leaving," she says as if not leaving it up to Lor-Zod to decide he wants to linger. She starts to walk up the street, not even looking back, certain that Lor-Zod will follow as she expects him to do.