Mutants & Masterminds: StarGate Freedom - [Prologue] A New Ally (Kor/Curtis)

z-Servant of Ra · January 1, 2010

Kor was alone in Hephaethus’ lab. He was terribly bored, too, but he knew better than to mess with anything. Sighing angrily, he slumped to the floor, picking at his claws with their shorn ends. Losing them was still hard for him; he didn’t feel like Unas without them.

The door snapped open and he looked up. The Jaffa from earlier was back, the one that he’d insulted, and he had four friends with him. “Now that your lame protector isn’t here for you to hide behind,” the Jaffa snarled, “let me show you how you should treat your superiors.”

Kor came to his feet, roaring a challenge, even as the Jaffa spread out into a half circle, cornering him.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Curtis continued to follow Charlie after the ship landed. The slave only got turned around once; there weren’t many markers in this place, but Curtis was lost within a few feet of leaving the hanger bay. “Persephone’s rooms are that way,” Charlie said once, pointing down a hall, for all the good it did Curtis. He wasn’t sure he could find his way there.

After a long walk, Charlie turned from the main corridor into a smaller hallway. “This is where Heph’s labs are. I need to warn you, when you see Kor, don’t freak out. He’s on o-”

An ear-splitting roar broke the calm of the ship. It had come from the room ahead. Charlie and Curtis exchanged glances and dashed forward toward the sound.

Click to reveal..

Curtis Shane · January 1, 2010

Curtis didn't like the way that roar sounded. He could tell that this 'Kor' was on their side, from what Charlie was about to tell, but he didn't like what seemed to be about to happen. A fight was in the cards.

Or maybe just it was some other angry fit or something. Either way, Curtis wasn't sure about going in or not, though his legs took him to the scene.

Click to reveal..

Caesar · January 1, 2010

Kor wasted no time, his massive right hand pistoned forward into the lead Jaffa, the Jaffa who had no honor to fight Kor alone, the Jaffa who was not smart enough to see that Kor was strong and Jaffa were weak. He bellowed a great roar, a wordless, bloodcurdling, battle cry as he closed the distance between them in two great strides. His blunted claws were still plenty capably of tearing flesh and even armor under the correct circumstances; now they buried themselves into flesh and armor and cloth and Kor's closed his massive clawed hand like a vice as his free hand moved to pull the Jaffa into a grapple, that is, assuming the Jaffa's neck didn't break outright.

Click to reveal..

z-Servant of Ra · January 3, 2010

Kor felt vindicated as his stubby claws tore into the Jaffa's armor and skin. It was like in the ring; this one was no elite. He was no match for Kor, and the Unas bellowed his victory as the Jaffa slumped under his fist.

But his four friends didn't hesitate. They had the single-edge hoplite swords in their hands, the ones that Cronus' Jaffa favored. They swung at him with their downward strokes that he knew well. All four hit, but not all bit into his tough skin. The two that did drew his green blood and sent it dripping to the floor. Both of the wounds made him hiss with pain.

Click to reveal..

Curtis Shane · January 3, 2010

Curtis' eyes took in the scene. He didn't know what the Unas was, but he could easily recognize the Jaffa as the invaders. That made it simple to categorize the other alien as 'Kor.' Of course, if Kor was on their side, he needed help. Curtis' soldier reflexes took over and wordlessly, he shot out to the one furthest on the right. His foot aimed out for a roundhouse kick in the back.

Click to reveal..

z-Servant of Ra · January 4, 2010

His foot missed but only because the Jaffa moved at the last moment.

Thankfully, he wasn't completely shown up - Charlie missed too.

Click to reveal..

Caesar · January 4, 2010

Kor heard and felt the snapping of the Jaffa's collarbone, the rending of skin, muscle, and tendons as he closed his massive four fingered hand. His other hand gouged deeply into the soft abdominal tissue between the ribs and the hips and the Jaffa, unable to withstand so much pain and damage passed out in Kor's grasp. With a triumphant cry the Unas swung the broken Jaffa another of his fellows. The body, limp and gushing blood from its wounds, slammed into the other Jaffa with a sickening crunch.

Click to reveal..

z-Servant of Ra · January 5, 2010

The Jaffa was knocked backwards, sliding several feet. He was on the other side of Charlie and Curtis before he stopped moving. Even after he stopped rolling, he was still.

Kor was a mighty warrior, and one-on-one with the Jaffa, he was able to thrash all but the strongest. The Jaffa were formidable in their own right, though. Wisely, they choose to continue their assault on Kor rather than be distracted by the so-far ineffective slaves. Three hoplite swords rose in vengeance for their fallen brothers and fell almost as one.

The first blow cut across Kor's face, dropping him to his knees and blinding him with blood. The mighty Unas screamed defiance even as the other two swords fell on him. One was turned by his tough hide, but another found in his skin and cut him again.

Click to reveal..

Curtis Shane · January 5, 2010

Swearing under his breath, Curtis rushed to the Unas' aid, snatching up a sword from the fallen Jaffa. In a flash, he slashed the short blade across the nearest foe's face.

Click to reveal..

z-Servant of Ra · January 7, 2010

The sword sliced through the air and twanged off of armor. The Jaffa he'd swung at grinned at him, his expression mocking. He said something; Curtis' best guess was that it was 'Better luck next time'.

Charlie took advantage of Curtis' distraction and dashed forward, catching the attacked Jaffa's hands. For a second, they wrestled; then Charlie twisted his body around, forcing the Jaffa's hands under his arm. From there, he pried the weapon from his hands. The Jaffa shoved him away, his hands now empty.

Charlie's cocky grin lasted as the disarmed Jaffa swung at him poorly, then was ripped away when one of the Jaffa slashed him nastily with his sword. Curtis danced away from his own attacker, his heart pounding in his chest.

Click to reveal..

Curtis Shane · January 7, 2010

Curtis swore, and settled on a more defensive posture. His sword flickered out, on target to thrust at his attacker quickly.

Click to reveal..

z-Servant of Ra · January 7, 2010

The sword snicked down again but Curtis had learned from his last strike; he aimed a little to the right and the blade sliced into skin, cutting a deep wound and drawing first blood.

It was different than training, very different. He was looking another man in the eye and trying to kill him. It was nothing like he'd ever felt before, and Curtis wasn't sure he'd ever be the same person again.

Click to reveal..

Caesar · January 7, 2010

Kor wobbled as blood gushed from his multiple wounds. Arena combat was not like this, there were rarely more than a single Jaffa and nearly never more than two. He grew dimly aware of a pair of human slaves attacking the Jaffa, coming to his aid; one of them was Char-lee, the slave Jono said might not be trustworthy. Kor didn't know any magic like Jono but he knew an honorable opponent when he saw one, and an honorable slave when he saw them. He watched as the smaller slave stole a Jaffa's sword and stabbed him with it, drawing blood, despite his obvious lack of combat prowess. Shaking off the pain Kor pushed himself hard, harder than he had in a great long time. He attacked two of the Jaffa, his huge bluntly clawed hands striking out even as he felt consciousness begin to slip away.

Click to reveal..

z-Servant of Ra · January 10, 2010

As Kor's claws raked ineffectively over Jaffa armor, the massive alien collapsed. The Jaffa had accomplished their task; now they had two bugs to deal with. Turning, they found themselves facing two trained Taur'i soldiers.

Charlie leapt to the attack but missed. His newly purloined sword cut through air, and he received a punishing blow to the side of his head that drove him to his knees.

For some reason - perhaps because he'd managed to hurt one of them, the other two Jaffa focused on Curtis. Curtis wasn't great at dancing away from the swords coming at him and they each struck him twice. The first cut his leg out from under him; the second was a thin slice across his arm. Too stunned to react, he stared at the Jaffa as they glanced around at the downed combatants.

"Yield," one said, his English heavily accented with Greek tones.

Click to reveal..

Curtis Shane · January 11, 2010

Curtis gasped with pain and nodded. Damn it, but no choice here. He tossed away the sword. "I... I surrender."

z-Servant of Ra · January 14, 2010

Charlie glared at the Jaffa, and if his eyes had been weapons, they would have have dropped dead. Instead, he dropped his sword.

The Jaffa sneered and grabbed the swords, then picked up Kor. The two holding him strained under the weight, but they stubbornly dragged him out of the room. "Kree!" one of them snapped at them as he left.

"Curtis," Charlie gasped, leaning over to brace himself on a console and shaking the blood out of his eyes. "How bad are you hurt?"

Curtis Shane · January 14, 2010

Curtis swore as the pain in his leg mounted. It was not severed, but movement was likely to be a very bad idea. His mind was filled with wooziness and stinging pain, but he had enough focus to think clearly and speak.

"I live... though that isn't much right now. Three things to do. One, wrap up my leg or something. Two, make sure those two lying over there are both dead." he wheezed with a certain amount of hardening nerve.

"Uh, three?" Then the answer to the problem of Kor, at least as he could rationalize, was to kick it upstairs to someone who had leverage. "Tell Heph- Hephaestus. Or anyone with clout who'll take umbrage with what those bastards did."

z-Servant of Ra · January 17, 2010

Charlie moved slowly over to him and then to a closet. He pulled a blanket out of a closet and tore it into strips, setting to work on his wound. "This'll do for now, but you're going to need stitches," he announced.

"Two, we'd better hope they aren't dead," Charlie sighed. "I shouldn't have done that, but... damn it! They were ganging up on him!" He ran a hand through his hair. "She's going to kill me."

Curtis Shane · January 31, 2010

"And what about me? If I'm supposed to be serving this Hephaestus, I don't want flak for having done nothing about this Kor they've carried off." Curtis growled.

"Get help from them, say that their servant was carried off by out of line- whoever they are!"

z-Servant of Ra · February 1, 2010

"Our word against a Jaffa's," Charlie snorted. "I think we can trust Hephaestus, and he might be able to do something. And Persephone. We can trust her. I just wish... I knew where they were."

Time passed slowly for the two men, after they'd cared for their wounds.

For Kor, the time passed more swiftly in the sarcophagus. To him, it seemed just moments after his defeat that he woke up in there. It was somewhat common for this to happen to him - whenever a Jaffa defeated him, it was usually because they'd beaten him to a pulp. The stone box released him, to reveal six Titans - Jaffa that had already beaten him at one point, waiting for him. "Not recommended," one of them said at the dangerous look on his face, holding the zat in his hand level.

Caesar · February 1, 2010

Kor awoke to the grinding of stone sliding against stone. Light poured into the darkness from a widening opening as the cover stone of the sarcophagus slid away. He sat up and came face to zat with one of Chronus' Titans. His face wrinkled with displeasure but as he stood from the box he gave no resistance. These jaffa had attained their position by besting him and so while he did not honor them he did respect them. Six of them left no chance for him at any rate, he had been laid low by regular jaffa using group tactics and these were titans. They had all beaten him one-on-one to gain their rank.

Kor stood and looked at their leader, "Jaffa cow-ard dead?" He hoped that the coward, the instigator of the fight, would not be raised, as for the others, he would find them and ensure they met their ends as well. Someday.

z-Servant of Ra · February 2, 2010

"I don't know of any of my Jaffa dead, slave," the highest ranking Titan there remarked, quirking an eyebrow. Kor remembered him; he had a way of grappling opponents even stronger than him. Something about the way he'd held Kor's arms had immobilized him. He remembered how they'd all defeated him; he'd need that information someday. "Whom do you speak of?"

Caesar · February 2, 2010

Kor thought hard but could not recall hearing a name. "Jaffa come to Heff-stuf lab. Attack Kor no honor. Kor kill two," he said holding up two fingers. "Have many jaffas, attack Kor at same time. Kor wake here." He explained as best he could, knowing that despite the animosity between the Titans and Kor there was also an honorable understanding.

z-Servant of Ra · February 5, 2010

The Titan frowned, his face thoughtful. "I will look into this matter, Kor," he said, nodding. "You will need to return to your place, be that at your master's side or Hephaestus. I hope that by the time Hephaestus and Chonus demand an explanation for this assault on their property, I will have an answer." The property wasn't just Kor but the rest of the lab; he was used to being considered as much a tool as anything in Jono's lab, though not by Jono. The damage to Hephaestus' property spoke of the chance that the attack had broken something. Also unspoken was that Kor would be told the reason as well. The Titans stood back, and gave him space to leave the room.

Caesar · February 5, 2010

Kor drew himself up to his full height, the action added nearly six inches to his already impressive height and revealed just how large he was. Just shy of seven feet when standing properly upright, his shoulders broad and strong. Five of the six Titans took steps backwards and brought their weapons to readiness. The sixth, their leader, grimaced. Kor's face broke out into a feral smile, he'd proven his point without so much as a word; one on one he stood equal to these men, only the fates of battle had allowed them victory in the arena. "Kor go to Heff-stuf lab. Kor wait there. If Kor see no-honor jaffa Kor teach no-honor jaffa less-on." He looked into the Titan's eyes and then moved toward the exit.

As Kor moved through the ship, his heavy footfalls thudding echoes into the halls, he recalled the two human slaves that had helped him and wondered if they had been spared or not. On flanking him where two of the Titans, meant as much for protection of the ship's other jaffa as anything. Maybe Kor go back tell Tit-ans? he rumbled to himself in the Unas language, unsure if he would be getting the humans in trouble or saving their lives. Finally he shrugged and continued on, Jo-no know what do. If the Titans understood anything they made no event of it and simply followed behind the beast. It did not take him long to reach Jono's lab, both it and the secondary sarcophagus chamber where in the lower levels of the ship close to the ships core. He stabbed the door control with a thick finger.

Curtis Shane · February 7, 2010

Curtis had been recuperating when the door opened. His eyes widened as Kor stepped in. "He's alright!" Curtis gasped, jabbing Charlie. Then he saw the two heavily-armed and armor-clad Jaffa and he was less sure about the state of the situation, was it good or bad?

Caesar · February 7, 2010

Kor entered the lab just ahead of the Titans and saw Charlie and the other human slave sitting on the floor. The other slave looked worse for wear, bleeding and bandaged up with what looked like rags. Charlie looked better but only just and the bodies of the dead jaffa still lay on the floor. Kor stomped over to the dead jaffa, the one who had instigated the fight.

Behind him the two Titans entered and saw the aftermath of the fight; blood and bodies and the injured slaves. They looked at each other, exchanging a put upon expression that made them look like two parents now having to clean up after misbehaving children. One moved to a console on the wall and spoke into it while the other checked the downed jaffa, confirming that they were dead.

Kor stared down at the corpse of his foe. The Titan came over and looked down, "Was this the one who started the fight?"

Kor looked up, "No honor. Kor kill first." He smiled, or bared his teeth, either way the point was clear, yes, this was the jaffa responsible.

The Titan nodded and moved toward the injured slaves. Four jaffa entered the room and the Titans directed them to police the bodies of the fallen. The Titans themselves simply walked out of the room leaving the injured slaves where they were. Kor sighed, he'd wanted to take a trophy but the jaffa would not allow it. He looked at the two slaves, they were hurt, and had been because they were defending him. "Char-lee Kor friend." He looked at the other man, the one who looked closer to death's door, "Friend?"

Curtis Shane · February 8, 2010

Curtis looked at the big alien, and managed a smile, albeit pained with his injury. "Curtis... friend."

He paused, then decided to understand who he was going to be stuck with, as a slave. "So... what's Hephaestus like? Since I've been sent here to serve him.. and you'd know right?"

Caesar · February 8, 2010

Kor nodded, "Cur tiss. Friend." He located his spot in the corner and squatted down, his hand dangling between his bent legs, elbows resting on his knees. "Heff-stuufs good. No like other Onac. From here." Kor pointed to the display which still held an image of Earth as it ran the scans Jono had programmed it to run while he was away. "Onac make Kor slave. Heff-stufs good to slaves. Good to Kor."

Curtis Shane · February 10, 2010

Curtis was confused. "Ok, that's good but...? From Earth? I don't understand?" He turned his head over to Charlie. "You know what he means?"

z-Servant of Ra · February 11, 2010

"Yeah, I do," Charlie said, his voice thick with pain. "What he's saying is that the fuckin' Goa'uld are really snake-aliens, who infest us and use humans as hosts. Heph's host is from Earth. A number of the Goa'uld are, but they have other planets they hail from, too." He shifted his leg and grimaced. "But don't worry... Heph's one of the good ones."

Caesar · February 12, 2010

Kor nodded silently, the Unas wished Jono was here now and could tell him if these new friends could know that Jono was not an Onac at all. Jono would also be able to heal them. Kor wondered where his friend was, it was unlike him to be gone for so long.

Jono · February 17, 2010

Jono was still mulling over what had transpired with Aphrodite and the ceremony where Ra gave out his dubious rewards. What he wasn't prepared for was blood in the corridor and entry of his workshop. What the hell?

He keyed the door open to discover Kor in one piece and not one but two humans within. I hope they at least hide the bodies well... perhaps they can clean up the blood before anyone notices.

"What happened?" He pointed to the man he didn't recognize, "And who are you?" The two men looked like they had been through some bad fighting. It must have been jaffa.

Third question was spoken as he looked to Charlie, "Are you alright?"

z-Servant of Ra · February 18, 2010

Charlie sighed. "I've been better. I'll heal. Some Jaffa jumped Kor, and, um... Curtis and I helped. Or tried. Mostly, we got our asses handed to us." Charlie looked frustrated.

"Oh, and Persephone is giving you Curtis as a slave," Charlie added. "She thought you could use him." Charlie gave him a meaningful look, then bent over his wound. "However, if we bleed out, we're not going to be much use to you at all."

Curtis Shane · February 18, 2010

"Well, I couldn't beat a artichoke," Curtis replied in a self-depricating manner. "I was a military tech at Cheyenne, not a real soldier."

He regarded Hephaestus, and noted the alien's nervousness, probably of the unexpected discovery. "Besides," he spoke calmly, "the ranking Jaffa already know about this. Kor explained things, and it looks like we're not going to get crap on this."

z006 · February 19, 2010

Bethany and Shayltar wept silently for a time, making sure not to shake the bed enough to disturb Hades next to them. Eventually, though, duty turmped personal horror and loss. That was true both for the Tok'r infiltrator and assassin as well as for the Senator's wife.

*Charlie should have checking in by now with an update on the other human and Jono. We need to go check on him.*

*Jono?*

*The former host of Hapheastus. We rescued him some time ago and freed him; he chose to return here, as Amailee did.* The rush of grief and guilt came again, but they battled it back; more than just their own lives depended on what the two could accomplish now. *We've been watching him and testing him to see if his mind is already too gone from the sarcoughagus or years spent doing the will of a Goa'uld. I sent Charlie, a soldier I was able to rescue from the group sent to Abydos, to watch him and try to connect with him. I also sent Jono one of the captured soldiers from the mountain that the chappa'i was kept in; Charlie should have reported back to me by now.*

Bethany sighed as they pulled themselves out of bed and began dressing. *We should go collect our 'servant' then. I really hate this. He's going to hate me. He liked Amailee.*

*He will...endure. We all will.* The terse reply was less than comforting.

***************************************************

The door chime of Haphaestus' lab intruded on the conversation inside; it rang several times in quick succession. A look to the security system in place showed the new host of Persephone standing outside, a pensive and possibly angry look on her petite Asian features. Ra's 'gift' certainly gave the wife of Hades a gravity and presence she had always lacked while trapped inside the nearly pre-pubescent host her husband had picked for her so many thousands of years ago.

Curtis Shane · February 19, 2010

Curtis heard the ring, and following Hephaestus' glance at a screen which appeared to cover the outside- Bethany?! Curtis wheezed with a jolt of pain mixed with shock. "B- Beth-" he gasped to himself quietly.

Charlie threw a concerned glance his way, and Curtis responded. "Outside, it's Bethany, my friend's sister. Is she a host now?" Things were getting damn personal for him right now, a worry that resounded throughout himself.

Caesar · February 19, 2010

Kor rose from his seated position when Jono returned. Charlie explained the situation and Kor nodded adding, "Titan jaffa heal Kor. Kor tell Titan jaffa no honor jaffa attack Kor. Kor, Char-lee, an Cur-tiss friend." He nodded sagely, clearly his statement of friendship was not offered easily. As the door chimed Kor looked at the magic screen that showed who was outside. He made a low growl, "Who Befph?"

Jono · February 20, 2010

This situation was completely fubar as the soldiers used to say back before he left Earth. He keyed the security to open the door.

"Welcome back Persephone. Perhaps you can do something for your timely gift. I just returned and found them bleeding all over my floor and I've never been terribly good with a healing device."

He really wished he knew whether or not to trust her. There was definitely something different about her, but then such things were often merely ploys among the Goa'uld, like Aphrodites' sex appeal. She had used her 'charms' to bring down many an opponent. Could Persephone's more innocent nature be such a contrivance meant to put opponents off guard and lul them into a sense of security? The damn snakes were subtle at times.

z006 · February 22, 2010

She surveyed the scene in front of her, her eyes flicking from Hapheastus to Charlie to Kor and finally settling down with an almost inperceptable flinch on Curtis. The look was only a phantom, though, and her eyes swept back to the other Goa'uld.

"I gave you a slave to help you in our endeavors, my dear, not as a chew toy for your pet." Her voice light, but clipped, the tone that might have been playful from her former host becoming almost motherly from the mouth of the petite Asian woman. She sighed theatrically, "A moment, then. I've not had much use for healing devices, but I shall see what I can do."

She left the laboratory and headed quickly to a store room that held medical and other supplies; she plucked up one of the healing devices and made her way back. Her expression was one of dispassionate concentration as she healed them, their wounds knitting as a feeling of heat and energy crawled over their skin like an army of tiny spiders. She smiled sweetly at Hephaestus once she was done.

"There. They are serviceable again." She stepped closer to the lamed God and asked in honeyed tones, "Have you made any progress yet? Or has this little tiff kept you distracted? I saw that your lady wife was...shall we say, far more attentive than she usually is. Mending fences? Or are you humilating Ares for a change?"

Her expression was coquettish and her impish questions easily reminiscent of the rumor mills that dominated his high school days on Earth, but her eyes were still old. It looked more...natural...on this face, but it stripped away some of the veneer of innocence that had kept her as insulated from Goa'uld politics as her husband could make her. The way she spoked was different, too; the words were more familiar, the turns of phrase far more modern than they had been before. For a moment, Jono could almost see the woman this host had been watching him from behind Persephonie's eyes. Maybe she was screaming for help.

Mutants & Masterminds: StarGate Freedom - [Prologue] A New Ally (Kor/Curtis)

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