Aberrant: In Pax We Trust - In Pax We Trust

[tooho]

On top of the PU building...

Sitting perfectly still as the vehicle lands. Lynn just smiles as Pratima steps between the vehicle and herself even laughing lightly as Pratima refers to her status.

Sten's eyes widen

"Woah! Okay, uh...miss? What's your name? I'm Sten Johanssen, not officially a member of the Team but I work with them, from time to time..."

"Dr. Lynn Walker, at your disposal and Tink would be the... hmm well.. the designated head holder at the moment. We might should head in soon before I lose a leg."

Ignoring the Docs departure she pulls her coat tighter to herself. Shifting to the side to look at the vehicle, she looks questioningly. "Are we waiting for anyone else? I hate to be rude, but its been a horrible morning and I'd really like to reattach my arm and head soon. I don't even know where they took Wilson." ::confused

[Alex Green]

Meet Joe Rock

Matt smiles grimly

"Actually that second one is in case you hurt anybody...I think PU will be sending some people soon, dunno what's keeping them. You sure you're okay?"

Joe almost smiles and then turns grim for a moment.

"You mean other than not having a 'thing' and looking like a.... rocky something? Other than that, I can't hear my heart beating and I don't feel blood flowing. On the other hand it doesn't feel like I'm getting weaker, so maybe that's the way it's supposed to be. ::butbut At the moment I'm hoping really hard that there's an off switch somewhere that I just haven't figured out yet. There should be... I mean I was able to walk through a wall a moment ago so there's a lot here I'm missing. ::confused

"I'm tempted to cry, scream, or run around yelling 'Joe Smash'... but mostly I'm worried about how Alice is handling it. ::unsure "

"I'd also like to see how strong I am but I'm terrified to touch anything. I feel STRONG. I left cracks on the street just by walking and pushing down on it. If I try picking up one of those cars I could end up knocking over a building." ::m60

"Matt, I feel like a chimp with a grenade." ::bananagrenade

[Nullifier]

Pratima turns back to Derek with a stern look

"Okay, let's go..."

This time there's is no gentle accumulation of wind...a bone-chilling gust pushes him off the building and quickly towards where they came from...not one minute later they land back at the accident site. Firemen are going over the totalled camper truck as Slag directs a team of PU personnel...

The Doc walks past the firemen and enters the wrecked camper. A few minutes later he comes out, a large pack on his back, and carrying a couple of bags, including a large black doctor's bag and a laptop case. As he walks away from the scene of the accident, he takes out a cellphone and calls his ex-wife.

[He took anything of value that could fit and wasn't bolted down, including all the drugs. ]

[Prince of Boredom]

NYC diner

Steven comes to as detective Mason walks up to his table and slides into the booth.

"How's it going Steve?"

He looks up at Molly as she arrives at the table.

"Two breakfast specials, overeasy."

As she leaves he lowers his voice and looks at Steven

"So what do you have for me?"

Steven looks up at the detective, "Sorry Dave, not much this time. Apparently the son of one of those 'dotcom' milliionaires was kidnapped a couple of days ago. Apparently he was snatched off the street and thrown into a black Voyager minvan. Not exactly sure where he was going but there is a video arcade in the area. No one saw the plates, but they're pretty sure they were New York. I know it's not much to go on, but I'll keep my ears open and see if I can find anything out..."

[ConcreteDragon]

MAKING MOVIES

Robert steps up and points up at the crane camera

"Okay, now, its later in the movie, I want you to look up into the camera, clench your fist and say 'Gotcha suckas!'"

Christan "steps" over to where Roh-bear is standing. "Roh-bear, I have a few lines I would like to add. Just like the last movie, I will pay for the film you use for them out of my pocket, as long as I get reinbursed for any footage that you use. When I'm done, I will finish with 'Gotcha suckas!', so you know when to cut. OK?"

Schenk steps to his mark, takes a deep breath, and waits for the scene to start.

"ACTION"

Raising his fist, Christian curles his wrist, and points the 'Praying Mantis' spine extending from the back of his hand at the camera, shaking it in rhythm while the mandibles pinch insync to his words. "You mess with the kids, I mess with your Life!"

Resetting, he takes the same actions. "Hasta la vista, buggy!"

Resetting, "My name is Buzz Thorn, you killed my students, prepare to die!"

Again, resetting, "Buzz Thorn kills bugs, DEAD."

Finally Schenk clenches his fist and says "Gotcha suckas!" and waits for the cut.

[Heritage]

Bill removes his big mirror sunglasses (didn't those go out of fashion when The Police split up?) and tucks them in the open collar of of his shirt. He replies as he eyes Mona's better "assets"

"Well I certainly liked what I saw..." ::smiley10

*Okay, he's a creep - that's both good and bad.*

Bill smiles and nods

"That's what I was hoping for! Y'see Mona, the Goldman brothers are in the movie business. Ain't no other business like it. We heard about you and big studios, a crying shame...With Goldman you're safe though, we make'em like no one else and we care for our people. Whadda you say? Come with me to New York, I've got a plane ticket with your name on it, a week of shooting and a return of Mona Floss in the lime light! Hell I'll even put you in touch with Goldman Records once we're done...so how about it? I'll even throw in free lodgings for the night, lotsa space in my motel room...  ::wink "

Mona looks Goldman up and down (*shudder*), then looks back at the Hangman.

*You could really use the bucks, honey - sure, with a guy like this, it will be utter sleaze, but maybe you can work you way back in. You only live forever, right?*

At last, she nods.

Okay, Mr. Man, but ah'm warning you - ah don't sleep with a producer on the first date...ah hold out 'til at least the third ::devil

Mona follows him back to the motel, but insists on a seperate room ::biggrin

(OOC: If you want to time jump or something, that's fine with me - Mona's only request is that someone drive her truck to NYC, so she can use it in the Big Apple ::cool)

[Archer21]

On top of the PU building

Delois looks out the window and exclaims

"Shlt, he's sure to be here in no time!"

Sten nods

"You got that right...look kid, just stay still. Jaz and I will try to get things sorted as Mr. Sutherland and Jimmy (the driver) keep you company. Don't worry, everything's going to be alright...we just came in unannounced..."

Frank thinks to himself, *Going to be alright?*

Sten tries to open his door and finds it stuck closed due to the frame's deformation. He looks at the dashboard.

"Tell me if this hurts..."

Frank feels something odd, like having someone move an arm for you.

"No, I'm fine. Felt funny though."

"All right? I just shifted the doors open on both sides, unfortunately I think they're fused like that for now..."

Sten steps out...

*FUSED?! How the hell did he do that?*

The door across the roof on the far side of the vehicle (leading into the building) bursts open as men bearing armored jackets and automatic rifles circle the vehicle and point their weapons at it.

*Oh, okay. That's what he meant by 'going to be alright'.* Reflecting on his own experiences, Frank realizes this sort of response is perfectly legitimate for an unidentified aircraft landing in a restricted zone. Clearing his throat nervously, he tries to reassure the armed security. "Uh, I know it's a bit late, but this is Frank DeLucia requesting clearance to land. My apologies for parking this bird here, but I was directed here by Doctor Johannsen."

Increasingly aware that any more transformations may very well start a hail of gunfire, or hurt the people inside him(*It, dammit, you're not really the car!), Frank concentrates instead on remaining very still, and in the same form.

[ProfPotts]

NYC:

"Okay, I got something on Bat-boy Tyrone. Tyrone Banks, 20, has served two six month terms for, surprise surprise, assault and battery. Doesn't mention anything on gang activities but he could've taken it up in the slammer. Either that or he's a wannabe. I don't have anything on the others."

Josh nods to himself as he pulls the car quietly round another turn in the road, eyes scanning the sidewalks & alleyways for signs of trouble,

"Well, at twenty he's old enough, & they're meant to do a lot of recruiting in the big house; so I'm guessing they were the genuine articles."

"Woah...what is it that you want exactly? I've got hangouts, I've got modus operandi, I've got numbers...Supposedly there're around eight to nine hundred Bloods in New York alone. They're apparently behind a lot of random slashings going on in the city. Initiation rite, they slash someone's face with box cutters...cute...You don't intend to just crash one of their places do you? I mean...uh...they sound dangerous, very dangerous. "

More for his sister's sake than his own Josh attempts to add a trace of humour to his voice as he replies,

"What did you think we were going to be doing out here? Helping old folks cross busy streets? This is just the sort of thing we discussed - the police know about these guys, know where they are, who they are, what they do - yet their hands are tied - they aren't allowed to act, to protect the community. That's why we're here. In any case, I'd like to see if the gas works any better in a confined area... ::wink Where's the nearest hangout - it's time we gave these guys something other than each other to worry about." ::sly

Mentally the young vigillante adds,

*Well, either that or they kill me & some lucky gang member gets some nice new gear to play with...* ::lookaround

[ezekiel]

NYC diner

Steven looks up at the detective, "Sorry Dave, not much this time. Apparently the son of one of those 'dotcom' milliionaires was kidnapped a couple of days ago. Apparently he was snatched off the street and thrown into a black Voyager minvan. Not exactly sure where he was going but there is a video arcade in the area. No one saw the plates, but they're pretty sure they were New York. I know it's not much to go on, but I'll keep my ears open and see if I can find anything out..."

Detective Mason scribbles on a notepad as Steven speaks then looks up...

"This doesn't look good Steve...I haven't heard anything so they were probably told that the kid would die if they called the cops."

The detective sighs

"Its sad to say but if this guy's got the money he's probably better off hiring a trained negotiator and paying off the ransom. Rescue attempts increase dramatically the risks to the victim. With that kind of money if he's smart he's already got Kidnap for Ransom insurance..."

He shakes his head

"Fvck..."

On top of the PU building

"Dr. Lynn Walker, at your disposal and Tink would be the... hmm well.. the designated head holder at the moment. We might should head in soon before I lose a leg."

Ignoring the Docs departure she pulls her coat tighter to herself. Shifting to the side to look at the vehicle, she looks questioningly. "Are we waiting for anyone else? I hate to be rude, but its been a horrible morning and I'd really like to reattach my arm and head soon. I don't even know where they took Wilson." 

Sten looks her up and down...then up and down again as if he wasn't registering what he was seeing. ::dontgetit

"Does...does that hurt? Can you feel your body?"

Sten shakes his head.

"Sorry, weird day. I'm not officially with PU so I've no pull with those men. Jaz will probably get us in though..."

*Oh, okay. That's what he meant by 'going to be alright'.* Reflecting on his own experiences, Frank realizes this sort of response is perfectly legitimate for an unidentified aircraft landing in a restricted zone. Clearing his throat nervously, he tries to reassure the armed security. "Uh, I know it's a bit late, but this is Frank DeLucia requesting clearance to land. My apologies for parking this bird here, but I was directed here by Doctor Johannsen."

The men don't seem reassured but at the sight of Delois one of the armored men stands and raises his hand. The men circling the van all lower their weapons and the man approaches Delois. They speak for about a minute and the man approaches the van and looks inside. He takes off his helmet and nods.

"Sorry Director Sutherland, I wasn't aware you and Director Delois were in the vehicle."

"Yes, yes...you're only doing your job..."

Sutherland steps out of the vehicle

"Now if only we could get that kid out of that thing..."

"Excuse me sir?"

"Oh...nothing, thank you captain."

"So...is this going to be a new vehicle for our teams?"

"Thank you captain..."

The captain's smile disappears as his professionalism takes over again and he slaps his helmet back on.

"Right sir, I'll seal off the roof."

The captain points at various groups of men and they start heading towards corners of the roof, looking outwards. Some head back down the stairs...

Meet Joe Rock

Joe almost smiles and then turns grim for a moment.

"You mean other than not having a 'thing' and looking like a.... rocky something? Other than that, I can't hear my heart beating and I don't feel blood flowing. On the other hand it doesn't feel like I'm getting weaker, so maybe that's the way it's supposed to be.  At the moment I'm hoping really hard that there's an off switch somewhere that I just haven't figured out yet. There should be... I mean I was able to walk through a wall a moment ago so there's a lot here I'm missing. 

"Yeah..."

Matt doesn't really know what to say...its not everyday your partner changes into a walking statue...

"I'm tempted to cry, scream, or run around yelling 'Joe Smash'... but mostly I'm worried about how Alice is handling it.  "

"I'd also like to see how strong I am but I'm terrified to touch anything. I feel STRONG. I left cracks on the street just by walking and pushing down on it. If I try picking up one of those cars I could end up knocking over a building." 

"Matt, I feel like a chimp with a grenade."

As Joe thinks of Alice his vision blurs, he sees her office, empty...the lounge room, where the tv is, a crowd...on the floor between them, mile long legs and lucious blond hair.. ::nervous

Joe's heart strickens as he sees her. Suddenly the vision disappears and he only sees darkness. A strange rumble fills his ears, like rocks falling down a mountain. A few seconds later, light! He sees the crowd around her body, their backs all turned to him...

"You mean that's her boyfriend on TV?"

"Yeah.."

"Oh my god! Look, he just sunk into the street!"

"Jezus!"

"Look, someone get a glass of water for Alice..."

A woman in a business suit with a bunch of files in her arm turns around and starts walking straight towards Joe, looking at the floor. She looks up and freezes, papers falling at her feet. The small crowd around Alice all look back on cue, expressions varying between aghast horror and befuddled wonderment...

New Mexico

At last, she nods.

Okay, Mr. Man, but ah'm warning you - ah don't sleep with a producer on the first date...ah hold out 'til at least the third

Mona follows him back to the motel, but insists on a seperate room

Bill walks Mona to her room and at her door he looks her up and down again

"How 'bout we skip the introductory crap and just jump right to the fourth date...man, this shirt is chafing me!"

The door slams...(I'm guessing with Bill left standing outside but hey, you never know... ::wink ::tongue )

Movie Making

Christan "steps" over to where Roh-bear is standing. "Roh-bear, I have a few lines I would like to add. Just like the last movie, I will pay for the film you use for them out of my pocket, as long as I get reinbursed for any footage that you use. When I'm done, I will finish with 'Gotcha suckas!', so you know when to cut. OK?"

Schenk steps to his mark, takes a deep breath, and waits for the scene to start.

"ACTION"

Raising his fist, Christian curles his wrist, and points the 'Praying Mantis' spine extending from the back of his hand at the camera, shaking it in rhythm while the mandibles pinch insync to his words. "You mess with the kids, I mess with your Life!"

Resetting, he takes the same actions. "Hasta la vista, buggy!"

Resetting, "My name is Buzz Thorn, you killed my students, prepare to die!"

Again, resetting, "Buzz Thorn kills bugs, DEAD."

Finally Schenk clenches his fist and says "Gotcha suckas!" and waits for the cut.

::biggrin

The crew looks equally bored at all lines and look at Robert after the final cut...

silence...

"That's a keeper! Everyone take ten minutes!"

The crew claps enthusiastically and leave their various equipment as they start jabbering together or head outside for smokes. Suddenly Ron runs up to Robert.

"We have her! We have her! A genuine Nova!"

Ron and Rob start jumping up and down like kids at christmas who just unraveled that gift they always dreamed about and never thought they'd ever get...

NYC:

What did you think we were going to be doing out here? Helping old folks cross busy streets? This is just the sort of thing we discussed - the police know about these guys, know where they are, who they are, what they do - yet their hands are tied - they aren't allowed to act, to protect the community. That's why we're here. In any case, I'd like to see if the gas works any better in a confined area...  Where's the nearest hangout - it's time we gave these guys something other than each other to worry about." 

His sister sighs

"I just thought we'd take on people in situations like - she doesn't seem to be able to bring herself to say it - ...you know what. I mean...over eight hundred members? That's a small army! Are you sure you're okay? Maybe we should plan this some more...I mean what, you're just going to barge in there and smack some down?"

...

Seemingly giving in (or is that reverse psychology?) she adds

"The nearest hangout is some battle-rhyming hip-hop bar a few blocks from where you are called Zig-Zag..."

The accident site:

The Doc walks past the firemen and enters the wrecked camper. A few minutes later he comes out, a large pack on his back, and carrying a couple of bags, including a large black doctor's bag and a laptop case. As he walks away from the scene of the accident, he takes out a cellphone and calls his ex-wife.

[He took anything of value that could fit and wasn't bolted down, including all the drugs. ]

Pratima and Slag start talking together and it doesn't take a genius to know that she's upset and doesn't seem to like the doc much. Slag shakes his head and nods on certain occasions. Then Pratima rises up again and leaves. Slag directs the firemen to step away from the vehicle for a bit, which is now drenched in water to prevent sparks.

Inside is a mess to be expected. The doctor grabs what he can (which, considering his resources, is not much...is there supposed to be a laptop in that case? ::confused ) but his cellphone was unsurprisingly totalled in the crash considering he was talking in it before crashing through the wall...He can see a phone box on a street corner not too far away though...

[ConcreteDragon]

Movie Making

"That's a keeper! Everyone take ten minutes!"

The crew claps enthusiastically and leave their various equipment as they start jabbering together or head outside for smokes.

Christian takes the gauntlets and mask off, then tucks them under one arm all 'Apollo Astronaut' style, and looks for a chair to sit in and a cup of De-caff.

Suddenly Ron runs up to Robert.

"We have her! We have her! A genuine Nova!"

Schenk turns to see what the commotion is all about.

Ron and Rob start jumping up and down like kids at christmas who just unraveled that gift they always dreamed about and never thought they'd ever get...

The unmasked 'Bugman' hops/strides (because of the boots) over to the two celebrants.

"You got a what?

A Nova?

Why would you want a nova,

unless..." ::unsure

[Heritage]

Bill walks Mona to her room and at her door he looks her up and down again

"How 'bout we skip the introductory crap and just jump right to the fourth date...man, this shirt is chafing me!"

The door slams...(I'm guessing with Bill left standing outside but hey, you never know... ::wink ::tongue)

(OOC: You are correct, sir!)

Mona yells through the door.

Good night, Mister Man! Ah'll see you in the A.M.!

The singer then throws herself on the bed and gleefully rolls around on it - after sleeping in the back of her truck in a mummy bag for what seems like forever, even this cheap mattress seems like heaven ::biggrin

*Well it ain't exactly the good life, but it's a start.* ::thumbsup

[Alex Green]

Meet Joe Rock

"...but mostly I'm worried about how Alice is handling it."

As Joe thinks of Alice his vision blurs, he sees her office, empty...the lounge room, where the tv is, a crowd...on the floor between them, mile long legs and luscious blond hair.. ::nervous

Joe's heart strickens as he sees her.  Suddenly the vision disappears and he only sees darkness. A strange rumble fills his ears, like rocks falling down a mountain. A few seconds later, light! He sees the crowd around her body, their backs all turned to him...

"You mean that's her boyfriend on TV?"

"Yeah.."

"Oh my god! Look, he just sunk into the street!"

"Jezus!"

"Look, someone get a glass of water for Alice..."

A woman in a business suit with a bunch of files in her arm turns around and starts walking straight towards Joe, looking at the floor. She looks up and freezes, papers falling at her feet. The small crowd around Alice all look back on cue, expressions varying between aghast horror and befuddled wonderment...

"Alice!"

Joe's first instinct is to walk to Alice's side and shove aside anyone who got in his way... he takes one step and then sanity comes crashing back as he sees his outstretched arm and stops.

A vague thought of the fable of the clay and copper pots floating in the steam plays out in his head, as does his recent remark to Matt about accidentally knocking down buildings. Later he will think about how he got here, right now there are other priorities.

Joe orders, "OK, if she isn't talking then this is the point where you dial 911 and ask for medical assistance."

He then adds dryly, "And that's 'husband', not 'boy-friend', thank you."

[Archer21]

The men don't seem reassured but at the sight of Delois one of the armored men stands and raises his hand. The men circling the van all lower their weapons and the man approaches Delois. They speak for about a minute and the man approaches the van and looks inside. He takes off his helmet and nods.

"Sorry Director Sutherland, I wasn't aware you and Director Delois were in the vehicle."

"Yes, yes...you're only doing your job..."

Sutherland steps out of the vehicle

"Now if only we could get that kid out of that thing..."

"Excuse me sir?"

"Oh...nothing, thank you captain."

"So...is this going to be a new vehicle for our teams?"

"Thank you captain..."

The captain's smile disappears as his professionalism takes over again and he slaps his helmet back on.

"Right sir, I'll seal off the roof."

The captain points at various groups of men and they start heading towards corners of the roof, looking outwards. Some head back down the stairs...

Listening to the short conversation, Frank starts to get a little worried. *Get the kid out of that thing? Oh no...I assumed my perceptions were just merged with the vehicle, I didn't realize I was merged with it! Damn it all, I refuse to be stuck like this. Okay...okay...let's back it up Frankie. Concentrate on how this occurred, and then on how you can revert to your own body. One step at a time...*

Forcing himself to think calmly, the college student does his best to recall any sensations or thought patterns from just before he became the van; anything that might help him understand how to reverse it.

Mentally rewinding the entire experience, he focuses on the memory of changing the van into the shape it is now. *Okay, that's good. Baby steps. Let's see if it's possible to at least change back to the van.* Concentrating, he tries to remember the van exactly as it was and, keeping that image fixed in his mind, tries to flow back into that mold.

[tooho]

On top of the PU building

"No.. no it doesn't hurt. ::blink Feel a bit.. scattered though." ::rolleyes

"Sorry, weird day. I'm not officially with PU so I've no pull with those men. Jaz will probably get us in though..."

Smiling, she looks to the other men. "Which would be Jaz?... Uhm... what's up with the little... 'copter?" ::cool She looks doubtfully at the parked craft.

[Prince of Boredom]

Detective Mason scribbles on a notepad as Steven speaks then looks up...

"This doesn't look good Steve...I haven't heard anything so they were probably told that the kid would die if they called the cops."

The detective sighs

"Its sad to say but if this guy's got the money he's probably better off hiring a trained negotiator and paying off the ransom. Rescue attempts increase dramatically the risks to the victim. With that kind of money if he's smart he's already got Kidnap for Ransom insurance..."

He shakes his head

"Fvck..."

Steven glances up and smiles at their waitress delivers breakfast, "Thanks, Molly."

"Look, Dave, I'm really sorry. I wish I had more for you. I'll keep asking around and see if I can find anything else out. Is there anything at all that I can do?"

[ProfPotts]

NYC:

"I just thought we'd take on people in situations like - she doesn't seem to be able to bring herself to say it - ...you know what. I mean...over eight hundred members? That's a small army! Are you sure you're okay? Maybe we should plan this some more...I mean what, you're just going to barge in there and smack some down?"

"Sounds like a plan." ::sly

After a brief pause Josh adds,

"It's not like I'm going to try fighting every gang-banger in the city tonight - just make an appearance; try to give them an alternative to the obvious gang-war stuff we broke up earlier. After all, the whole point of the 'masked vigillante' thing is that we can do this stuff without the need to fear reprisals towards us or anyone else, right? Oh... & I have the element of surprise..." ::rolleyes

"The nearest hangout is some battle-rhyming hip-hop bar a few blocks from where you are called Zig-Zag..."

"Right."

Josh heads over, parks the car nearby (but out of the way), dons the 'suit' (which looks nothing like 'bugman' ::tongue ), stealthily approaches the building (via rooftops if that's a viable option), & gets ready for a 'one-man insertion team' operation (something akin to the Iranian embassy siege by the SAS... or, at least, the half-assed version of it...). ::wink

[Nullifier]

Inside is a mess to be expected. The doctor grabs what he can (which, considering his resources, is not much...is there supposed to be a laptop in that case?  ) but his cellphone was unsurprisingly totalled in the crash considering he was talking in it before crashing through the wall...He can see a phone box on a street corner not too far away though...

His thoughts now more calm and focused after the time spent packing and dressing, he starts to think of what he should do now.

*Well, first thing's first, I need a place to stay.*

As he walks towards the pay-phone, dressed now in jeans and a white t-shirt with a cartoon on it, the Doc takes a thick black personal organizer out of one of the laptop case's outer pockets and starts to flip through its post-it laden pages, looking for a likely name. Assuming he finds one, he puts the handset to his ear, puts in some change and dials the number.

[Looking for a minor contact who can provide him with a safe, private, and quiet place to stay for a few days.]

[ezekiel]

Doc in NY:

His thoughts now more calm and focused after the time spent packing and dressing, he starts to think of what he should do now.

*Well, first thing's first, I need a place to stay.*

As he walks towards the pay-phone, dressed now in jeans and a white t-shirt with a cartoon on it, the Doc takes a thick black personal organizer out of one of the laptop case's outer pockets and starts to flip through its post-it laden pages, looking for a likely name. Assuming he finds one, he puts the handset to his ear, puts in some change and dials the number.

[Looking for a minor contact who can provide him with a safe, private, and quiet place to stay for a few days.]

The doc sifts through the pages and eventually finds an old client living in Brooklyn that might be able to help him. After a brief phone call Jonas Thompson eagerly accepts to lodge the good doctor for a few days...

PU Building

Smiling, she looks to the other men. "Which would be Jaz?... Uhm... what's up with the little... 'copter?"  She looks doubtfully at the parked craft.

Sten looks at the vehicle and shakes his head

"Long story, Jaz would be Director Jasmine Delois. C'mon let's head in..."

Forcing himself to think calmly, the college student does his best to recall any sensations or thought patterns from just before he became the van; anything that might help him understand how to reverse it.

Mentally rewinding the entire experience, he focuses on the memory of changing the van into the shape it is now. *Okay, that's good. Baby steps. Let's see if it's possible to at least change back to the van.* Concentrating, he tries to remember the van exactly as it was and, keeping that image fixed in his mind, tries to flow back into that mold.

grrroooooooaaaaann

A loud whine of screeching and groaning metal startles Sten and the men on the roof. Clicks of safety's coming off of guns are heard all around the rooftop and men drop into prone positions aiming their rifles at the newly erupted minivan...

"Hold your fire!"

Director Sutherland raises his arms as does Sten and Jasmine, all emphatically repeating their plea of resistance...The "wings" of the vehicle slowly start stretching back into the side of the van. As the jet fans reach the sides of the van the groans grow even louder and the fans tumble to the floor. Gaping hole at on the sides of the van show where the fans ripped the metal from the wings as they fell. The doors fused by Sten melt back into place and the jet reactor at the back of the van wiggles from side to side as the sounds of tearing metal fill the air...

Meet Joe Rock

"Alice!"

Joe's first instinct is to walk to Alice's side and shove aside anyone who got in his way... he takes one step and then sanity comes crashing back as he sees his outstretched arm and stops.

A vague thought of the fable of the clay and copper pots floating in the steam plays out in his head, as does his recent remark to Matt about accidentally knocking down buildings. Later he will think about how he got here, right now there are other priorities.

Joe orders, "OK, if she isn't talking then this is the point where you dial 911 and ask for medical assistance."

He then adds dryly, "And that's 'husband', not 'boy-friend', thank you."

The woman with the danish in her hand, the one who had asked if it was Alice's boyfriend on TV, faints and tumbles to the ground. Everyone is so stunned by the sight of the Stone Thing in front of them that no one even attempts to catch her. A wisp of blond moves on the floor...

"Joe...is that you?"

Alice's voice calls out weak and confused...

NYC Diner

Steven glances up and smiles at their waitress delivers breakfast, "Thanks, Molly."

"Look, Dave, I'm really sorry. I wish I had more for you. I'll keep asking around and see if I can find anything else out. Is there anything at all that I can do?"

The detective shrugs

"I don't think so...maybe you could see to it that they know that playing ball with the kidnappers might be whats best. Try not to be mistaken for a cop though, lord knows who's watching them..."

Zig-Zag

Josh turns a corner and drives by Zig-Zag. A squat brick building with a lit-up green and yellow sign. An alley up the side of the building reveals a side door guarded by two black bouncers wearing red bandannas. One must be a regular customer of the local Mcdonald's if one was to guess by his beltsize, the other looks like the type that pumps weights and eats raw eggs, must be at least 6'3". They seem to just be talking together as they lean on the small metal rails of the cement stairs rising up to the door (about five steps). A small crowd is at the front door, kids wearing the latest in hip-hop fashion, what used to just be normal street clothes now donning brand names. There doesn't seem to be any windows...

Movie Making and the long flight to stardom

Mona yells through the door.

Good night, Mister Man! Ah'll see you in the A.M.!

The singer then throws herself on the bed and gleefully rolls around on it - after sleeping in the back of her truck in a mummy bag for what seems like forever, even this cheap mattress seems like heaven 

*Well it ain't exactly the good life, but it's a start.* 

The next morning Bill offers to drive Mona's truck up to New York as she takes her flight up there.

She flies coach, stuck between Gerda the perfum reeking lady and a stuckup anal retentive geezer who tends to smirk when spoken too...the flight is best forgotten...

The unmasked 'Bugman' hops/strides (because of the boots) over to the two celebrants.

"You got a what?

A Nova?

Why would you want a nova,

unless..." 

Ron slaps the costumed actor's shoulder gleefully

"Take the rest of the day off Schenk! Ol' Rob 'n I are going to tweak the script a bit for Mona Floss, the woman with a node!"

Schenk swears he could see dollar signs rolling in Goldman's eyes...

Later

Mona steps out of the airport terminal and immediately spots a short, fat man who can only be Bill Goldman's brother. His open shirt shows a couple of medallions trying to push down his chest hair and the man waves chubby jewelled fingers at the Nova. In his hand is a cardboard sign proudly displaying 'Goldman Productions'...

[ConcreteDragon]

"Take the rest of the day off Schenk! Ol' Rob 'n I are going to tweak the script a bit for Mona Floss, the woman with a node!"

"Aahh, OK."

I hope this Nova knows what she's getting her self into, The sequel to the worst movie ever made.

Schenk heads back to the trailer, changes out of the 'suit', and looks in the Times to see if there's any plays he want's to watch (OOC--use influence to get tickets on short notice).

The next morning before going to view the Daily's, Christian finds Ron. "Hi, RG. How did it go with ...?" Schenk Sees Mona. (Wowza)"Hi, I'm Christian Schenk. (the 6'4" actor puts out his hand) So, what are you going to do in the movie? Are you going to use your 'Powers'?"

[Nullifier]

Doc in NY:

The doc sifts through the pages and eventually finds an old client living in Brooklyn that might be able to help him. After a brief phone call Jonas Thompson eagerly accepts to lodge the good doctor for a few days...

After writing down and confirming the address, the Doc thanks Jonas warmly, says his goodbyes, and hangs up. Glancing back at the accident, and seeing his RV in the sorry shape it's in he sighs and flips through his book again, locating the numbers of his car insurance agent and a garage in town and places a couple of quick calls about the accident, arranging to have the vehicle towed, stored, and asessed. Looking back at the accident site again, he tries to see if the Utopia people are still on the scene. If they are, he walks back over to talk to them. Otherwise he goes to the nearest subway station, and from there to Brooklyn.

[Alex Green]

Meet Joe Rock

The woman with the danish in her hand, the one who had asked if it was Alice's boyfriend on TV, faints and tumbles to the ground. Everyone is so stunned by the sight of the Stone Thing in front of them that no one even attempts to catch her. A wisp of blond moves on the floor...

"Joe...is that you?"

Alice's voice calls out weak and confused...

*Arrrg!* ::angry

Joe really wants to rush to her side and take her in his arms ::wub , but since that might have fatal side effects ::nervous he grits his teeth and says almost forlornly

"Yeah honey, it's me. I was... I mean I am..." ::butbut

[tooho]

PU Building

Having turned to head in with Sten, Lynn nearly jumps out of her skin when she hears the grinding of metal. ::nervous

Dropping to her knees, she throws up her arm to protect Tink and her head, "Bloody hell, Tink! What's going to go wrong next?" ::blink

grrroooooooaaaaann

A loud whine of screeching and groaning metal startles Sten and the men on the roof. Clicks of safety's coming off of guns are heard all around the rooftop and men drop into prone positions aiming their rifles at the newly erupted minivan...

Looking on warily as the metal creature shrieks and moans, she winces as parts fall off. "Jeez, that looks painful. I'm feeling more and more grateful for my powers, little guy. Do you think they are going to open fire?" ::confused

[Archer21]

grrroooooooaaaaann

A loud whine of screeching and groaning metal startles Sten and the men on the roof. Clicks of safety's coming off of guns are heard all around the rooftop and men drop into prone positions aiming their rifles at the newly erupted minivan...

"Hold your fire!"

Director Sutherland raises his arms as does Sten and Jasmine, all emphatically repeating their plea of resistance...The "wings" of the vehicle slowly start stretching back into the side of the van. As the jet fans reach the sides of the van the groans grow even louder and the fans tumble to the floor. Gaping hole at on the sides of the van show where the fans ripped the metal from the wings as they fell. The doors fused by Sten melt back into place and the jet reactor at the back of the van wiggles from side to side as the sounds of tearing metal fill the air...

*Oh shit don't shoot! ::blink Concentrate man, bring it in and get this done with!*

Doing his best(and not very well) to ignore the gun barrels pointed at him, Frank keeps concentrating on returning the van to it's original shape, even filling in holes if needed.

[ProfPotts]

[OOC:

... One must be a regular customer of the local Mcdonald's if one was to guess by his beltsize...

Run man - I can already hear the sound of a million or so lawyers & one irate clown pounding their feet in your direction! ::tongue ::biggrin ]

Zig-Zag:

Josh frowns as he continues past the 'club' & turns down a quiet side alley,

*Okay, first I'll chuck a few grenades in the win... Oh... Well, that's plans 'A' through 'G' out the window... or not, as the case may be... This'll teach me to not read-up on the latest crack-house designs in Pimps 'n' Dealers Quarterly...* ::lookaround

"Okay partner, add some sort of rocket launcher to the 'shopping list' - strickly for blowing down crack-house doors, you understand..." ::wink ::ohcrap

*Right - there's no-way I can take them all on man-to-man. Last time a lot of them ran - I was lucky - but I could use that sort of thing to my advantage. Should have designed the suit to look like a big bat, or bug, or something creepy like that. Oh well..."

Thinking quickly, & taking into account the equipment he's got on-hand (next time he's bringing the truck... ::devil ), Josh formulates his plan. If it's viable, he'll park the car so that the lights face down the alley - if not, then he'll carry out the same plan without the B-movie light-show. In either case, he'll let off a smoke grenade (white or grey if he has one) at the end of the alley - then switch on the car headlights to add drama (if possible) via 'backlit' smoke. Then he'll stand in the smoke - in the 'suit' & overcoat - taser in either hand, & pose with an air of mystery & menace for a moment to try to put the willys up the two guards. His next actions will depend on how they react, naturally, but if they attack - or (against the odds) are actually effected by the 'show' - he'll (using the smoke & any other cover he can find for protection) try to taser both of the guards.

As he sets up his little 'stunt' the thought passes through Josh's head that he really should have theme music for this sort of thing... ::nervous

[Heritage]

Mona steps out of the airport terminal and immediately spots a short, fat man who can only be Bill Goldman's brother. His open shirt shows a couple of medallions trying to push down his chest hair and the man waves chubby jewelled fingers at the Nova. In his hand is a cardboard sign proudly displaying 'Goldman Productions'...

*Oh lord, this keeps getting better and better...* ::rolleyes

Mona looks a little better for the plane ride - not having access to large amounts of booze also means she smells much better, too ::tongue

Mister Goldman! It is an honor and a privelige to meet you, sir!

She gives him a firm handshake (non-crushing variety) and a mostly genuine smile.

[Prince of Boredom]

NYC Diner

The detective shrugs

"I don't think so...maybe you could see to it that they know that playing ball with the kidnappers might be whats best. Try not to be mistaken for a cop though, lord knows who's watching them..."

"I'll do what I can..." With that, he looks down and finishes his breakfast, "While you're here, is there anything else I can help you with?"

[ezekiel]

After writing down and confirming the address, the Doc thanks Jonas warmly, says his goodbyes, and hangs up. Glancing back at the accident, and seeing his RV in the sorry shape it's in he sighs and flips through his book again, locating the numbers of his car insurance agent and a garage in town and places a couple of quick calls about the accident, arranging to have the vehicle towed, stored, and asessed. Looking back at the accident site again, he tries to see if the Utopia people are still on the scene. If they are, he walks back over to talk to them. Otherwise he goes to the nearest subway station, and from there to Brooklyn.

Slag is indeed still there as are Project utopia people in white smocks gathering bio-goo into vials from what's left of Lynn's bullet riddled creature. The nova nods as the doc approaches with a stern look on his face

"You made quite an impression back at PU...I don't think Pratima likes you much..."

Meet Joe Rock

*Arrrg!* 

Joe really wants to rush to her side and take her in his arms  , but since that might have fatal side effects  he grits his teeth and says almost forlornly

"Yeah honey, it's me. I was... I mean I am..." 

There a slight groan and Alice sits up, rubbing her forehead.

"Ugh...good, I had this weirdest dream or something..."

She turns her head and looks at the people around her, all staring at...something. Her gaze follows their stares

"Oh...my...GOD!"

She gets up hastily and pushes by her colleagues.

"It's true..."

She runs up to Joe

"Are you okay?!"

She looks like she want to touch him but doesn't seem certain whether the rock would snap her fingers off or not...

PU Building

*Oh shit don't shoot!  Concentrate man, bring it in and get this done with!*

Doing his best(and not very well) to ignore the gun barrels pointed at him, Frank keeps concentrating on returning the van to it's original shape, even filling in holes if needed.

The jet reactor at the back jiggles and clanks, hanging loosely. The PU gunmen seem edgy as the Directors keep repeating their pleas. A large bang resounds as the reactor tumbles loose and Sten runs over to it. A large hole is left in the back of the van...the rotor at the top tumbles as if snapped at its base and the holes in the Van start sealing themselves...Soon all that's left is a typical blue and gold PU minivan...then a flash of light bursts from inside the minivan. Frank is suddenly very tired and breathing deeply...breathing....

Dropping to her knees, she throws up her arm to protect Tink and her head, "Bloody hell, Tink! What's going to go wrong next?"

Looking on warily as the metal creature shrieks and moans, she winces as parts fall off. "Jeez, that looks painful. I'm feeling more and more grateful for my powers, little guy. Do you think they are going to open fire?" 

Tink opens its arms and shrugs...Lynn's head starts to tumble as Tink gasps

"Oh!"

and grabs the head by the hair and pulls it back up...

"So sorry, Mistress!"

Once the head is pulled back up into place Lynn notices that the 'vehicle' is now a simple minivan with a passenger gasping in its backseat...

Movie Making

*Oh lord, this keeps getting better and better...* 

Mona looks a little better for the plane ride - not having access to large amounts of booze also means she smells much better, too

Mister Goldman! It is an honor and a privelige to meet you, sir!

She gives him a firm handshake (non-crushing variety) and a mostly genuine smile.

"Oh no miss Floss, the honor is all mine! We're all pretty excited to have someone of your ahh... - Ron looks her up and down - caliber. Its not everyone someone like you will accept to play in an indie film...By the way, uh, is there anything we should about what you can and can't do? Or more importantly, what your willing to or won't do..."

NYC Diner

"I'll do what I can..." With that, he looks down and finishes his breakfast, "While you're here, is there anything else I can help you with?"

The detective smiles

"I was going to ask you the same thing...is everything alright Steven? Need anything?"

Zig-Zag showdown

Thinking quickly, & taking into account the equipment he's got on-hand (next time he's bringing the truck...  ), Josh formulates his plan. If it's viable, he'll park the car so that the lights face down the alley - if not, then he'll carry out the same plan without the B-movie light-show. In either case, he'll let off a smoke grenade (white or grey if he has one) at the end of the alley - then switch on the car headlights to add drama (if possible) via 'backlit' smoke. Then he'll stand in the smoke - in the 'suit' & overcoat - taser in either hand, & pose with an air of mystery & menace for a moment to try to put the willys up the two guards. His next actions will depend on how they react, naturally, but if they attack - or (against the odds) are actually effected by the 'show' - he'll (using the smoke & any other cover he can find for protection) try to taser both of the guards.

The two bouncers keep talking together, unaware of what's about to happen as Josh parks the car in the alley. A loud bang and smoke starts to fill the street...The pumped up bouncer shrugs with a wtf look on his face as Ronny McD (like I'm scared of Ronny's men in suits... ::wink ) waddles down the stairs. Right on cue, Josh hits the light give the smoke a surreal glow. The vigilante walks to the middle of the headlight beams. The bouncer still at the door decides that his buddy might need a hand a runs up to him. Mcd Looks at Josh

"What the fvck you doing bro? Get the fvck outta her before I decide to cap your ass..."

The bouncer opens his vest slightly, showing a glock tucked in his pants. Josh realises that through the smoke fatty can't see that he's armed or armored. Ah-nuld is behind him, coming up fast...

[ProfPotts]

Zig-zag:

Seeing as the bouncers haven't gone off the handle right away, Josh decides on a quick change of tactic &, instead of the tasers, pulls the pin on a concussion grenade & rolls it down the alley to (hopefully) detonant between the two thugs (after they get a moment for a classic wide-eyed look of surprise ::blink , naturally ::tongue ::wink ).

[tooho]

PU Building

"Don't drop!... Oh... good god.. Ever felt like your heart jumped into your throat? Ten times worse when your head isn't attached. Ick." Taking a sec to swallow down the nausea, she starts walking towards the person, carefully holding her stomach. ::cry

Looking more closely at the person, she knocks on the window. "Need some help? Glass of water? Long hot bath with bubbles and two shots of whiskey?" Grabbing the handle of the door she tries to open it and pat the person on the arm. "If your day is going like mine, we could use a nice stiff drink and some aspirin.. though not necessarily together." ::wacko

[Archer21]

Frank is suddenly very tired and breathing deeply...breathing....

"Whoof." Opening his eyes, all he can do for a few moments is just stare at his hands. *I've got hands again. Thank God!*

Resting his head back on the seat cushion, Frank closes his eyes again, reveling in the wonderfully familiar sense of his own body. *I'll get up in a second. Just a second to catch my breath, that's all...*

Looking more closely at the person, she knocks on the window. "Need some help? Glass of water? Long hot bath with bubbles and two shots of whiskey?" Grabbing the handle of the door she tries to open it and pat the person on the arm. "If your day is going like mine, we could use a nice stiff drink and some aspirin.. though not necessarily together."

((Normally I'd post a description here, but I've no idea what Frank looks like physically post-eruption.))

Rolling his head tiredly to face the window and friendly sounding voice beyond, Frank forces a smile to his face and opens his eyes. The smile only lasts a second.

"AAAAAGH!"

Scrambling backwards, the pilot hurls himself out the door on the opposite side of the minivan. Landing ass first on the building's concrete roof, the jolt knocks his brain back into order. *Idiot! She's obviously a nova, and she's on top of the PU building, and she was trying to be nice to you! Get past the severed head and say hi in a civilized fashion!*

Popping up with suprising speed, Frank looks sheepishly at her from the other side of the van. Waving in an 'I'm sorry' gesture, he comes around to her side.

"I'm really sorry about that. Hi, my name's Frank DeLucia. You?"

[tooho]

Looking horribly embarrassed and horrified, Lynn starts backing up as she sees his fear. Shaking, she looks away and walks quickly towards Sten, hunching her shoulders and keeping her arm out as if to keep everyone away from her. "I was Dr. Lynn Walker. Now, I'm the stuff of children's nightmares. You'll pardon me." ::cry

[Heritage]

"Oh no miss Floss, the honor is all mine! We're all pretty excited to have someone of your ahh... - Ron looks her up and down - caliber. Its not everyone someone like you will accept to play in an indie film...By the way, uh, is there anything we should about what you can and can't do? Or more importantly, what your willing to or won't do..."

Well, ah'm strong as an ox, but better-lookin', can take a lot of punishment without complainin' too much, and ah can shoot the pips off a playing card at a thousand yards. Plus ah can just run like the dickens. But ah take it what you want to know is where ah stand vis a vis one the whole nudity issue, am I right? ::sly

Mona strokes here chin for a moment.

Okay, here's the deal - this ain't never come up with me before. Ah mean sure, there was that Maxim spread, but those guys always play it coy - you never can really see nothin' anyway. A woman's body is damn fine thing, mine especially, but if yer gonna show it off, it should mean somethin', know what ah mean? It should say somethin' about the character or what not....and ah am just borin' you to tears, ain't ah? ::rolleyes

Mona sighs and rubs her eyes.

Just lemme see a script and we'll talk ::unsure

[Alex Green]

Meet Joe Rock

Alice ... runs up to Joe

"Are you okay?!"

She looks like she want to touch him but doesn't seem certain whether the rock would snap her fingers off or not...

The look of almost pain in Alice's eyes brings an answering pain in Joe's heart. ::butbut

He had NOT wanted her to see him like this. ::robotmonkey

Joe says,

"Well, other than the obvious, ::ohmy I feel fine."

::cry

[Prince of Boredom]

NYC Diner

The detective smiles

"I was going to ask you the same thing...is everything alright Steven? Need anything?"

Steven smiles and pushes his finished plate away from him, "You know me, I just take whatever life throws at me. I'm fine, just try and keep the streets safe for those of us living out there..."

[Archer21]

Looking horribly embarrassed and horrified, Lynn starts backing up as she sees his fear. Shaking, she looks away and walks quickly towards Sten, hunching her shoulders and keeping her arm out as if to keep everyone away from her. "I was Dr. Lynn Walker. Now, I'm the stuff of children's nightmares. You'll pardon me."

*Good job, genius!* Holding his hands wide in apology, he talks quickly. "No no no...please, don't run off! Look, two seconds ago I had headlights for eyeballs and lugnuts for...uh, well, nevermind. ::lookaround That's my way of saying I got no right freakin' out just because you look a little different. Your suggestion for some whiskey was right on, why don't we do that? C'mon, lady, please..."

[Nullifier]

Slag is indeed still there as are Project utopia people in white smocks gathering bio-goo into vials from what's left of Lynn's bullet riddled creature. The nova nods as the doc approaches with a stern look on his face

"You made quite an impression back at PU...I don't think Pratima likes you much..."

The Doc shrugs, a thoughtful expression on his face, his tone laced with mirth and sadness, "It's mutual. I usually don't like people who shanghai me. She could have asked me to come with her. I've heard all sorts of good things about you folks, but if this is how you run your operation, just whisking new novas off to your clinics without their permission, then I'm not sure I want anything to do with you at all. I'm a citizen of this country, and as far as I know nobody can just take you away without your permission without due process. It's referred to as kidnapping, and it's illegal. Now, I might be willing to consider not pressing charges against her, and giving you folks a second chance, but it's going to take a lot of good faith on your part to restore my trust. I've arranged for my RV to be towed and stored in a garage, and a place to stay. Please don't have me watched, try to contact me, investigate my background, or have my RV or place searched. If I find out you've done any of these things, and believe me I can and will check, I will be pressing criminal charges against and suing both Pratima and Utopia. That's not a threat, just a fact. I'll bet you don't like me very much now either, and that's fine. Still, if you have anything productive to say I'm willing to listen."

[tooho]

Sounding wearied and pained, Lynn waves her hand negligently. "Don't trouble yourself. If Wilson.. looked at me so horrified, I shouldn't expect less of strangers. I don't take offense" though she obviously still looks ashamed "and the whiskey is a must. *sigh* I'm Lynn, newly errupted nova. Who might you be?" ::unsure

Keeping her distance she looks around for Sten and Jaz. "They better know where I can get a drink. I have to pull myself together and head in for.... Oh, NO! I have to be at the hospital for my shift!" Agitated, she runs her hand through her hair only to end up patting Tink instead. "Phone. Need a phone now." ::nervous

[ezekiel]

Zig-Zag

Seeing as the bouncers haven't gone off the handle right away, Josh decides on a quick change of tactic &, instead of the tasers, pulls the pin on a concussion grenade & rolls it down the alley to (hopefully) detonant between the two thugs (after they get a moment for a classic wide-eyed look of surprise  , naturally   ).

ping...pingping...ping ping...

The grenade bounces softly and rolls directly between the two thugs

"What the..."

BOOM!

Ah-nuld bounces back, head over heals and groans on the ground a couple meters back from where he was. The mass of flesh held between McD's flabs of skin keep him from falling though he steps back and seems a bit overwhelmed by it all...bouncers just aren't used to grenades these days..

PU Building

Keeping her distance she looks around for Sten and Jaz. "They better know where I can get a drink. I have to pull myself together and head in for.... Oh, NO! I have to be at the hospital for my shift!" Agitated, she runs her hand through her hair only to end up patting Tink instead. "Phone. Need a phone now." 

A phone is thrust in her hand as Sten walks by

"Here, use mine. I can call for you if you'd rather not talk to anyone yet..."

He looks in the van

"That's some job you did kid, lucky the roof is reinforced. That engine at the back could've gone through if it wasn't. Can you stand up? Maybe we should head inside, discuss what's happening to the both of you..."

Negotiatin' with Ms. Floss

Well, ah'm strong as an ox, but better-lookin', can take a lot of punishment without complainin' too much, and ah can shoot the pips off a playing card at a thousand yards. Plus ah can just run like the dickens. But ah take it what you want to know is where ah stand vis a vis one the whole nudity issue, am I right?

Mona strokes here chin for a moment.

Okay, here's the deal - this ain't never come up with me before. Ah mean sure, there was that Maxim spread, but those guys always play it coy - you never can really see nothin' anyway. A woman's body is damn fine thing, mine especially, but if yer gonna show it off, it should mean somethin', know what ah mean? It should say somethin' about the character or what not....and ah am just borin' you to tears, ain't ah? 

Mona sighs and rubs her eyes.

Just lemme see a script and we'll talk 

Ron's eyes open with glee and he slaps her shoulder. He just wanted to know what stunts she'd be willing to undertake or not, this was definitely an added bonus to be eXploited.. ::wink

"No, no you're absolutely right! It should definitely mean somefin. The director's Roh-Bear Doo-Toa. I mean, he's French! We're in good hands, believe me! He's such an artist that he believes actors should "be" the character and ACT instead of read a script and hope to portray the character...Don't you worry, we'll give you some background info and Roh-Bear will do the rest..."

Meet Joe Rock

The look of almost pain in Alice's eyes brings an answering pain in Joe's heart. 

He had NOT wanted her to see him like this. 

Joe says,

"Well, other than the obvious,  I feel fine."

,,

Alice's hand hovers next to his arm, trembling. She taps his arm with her open hand and pulls back immediately, as if burned by the contact. She then taps the arm repeatedly and breaks out in tears as she grasps Joe around the waist and holds on to him, wailing. ::smiley4

"Oh...Joe!"

NYC Diner

Steven smiles and pushes his finished plate away from him, "You know me, I just take whatever life throws at me. I'm fine, just try and keep the streets safe for those of us living out there..."

The detective looks at the old man and smiles

"I try Steven, I try...look, if anything happens, you know my number."

He stands up

"Be careful out there and for god's sake, don't freeze to death! My house is open if you need a bed..."

The detective pays for the breakfasts and leaves...

Peeving off the wrong people...

The Doc shrugs, a thoughtful expression on his face, his tone laced with mirth and sadness, "It's mutual. I usually don't like people who shanghai me. She could have asked me to come with her. I've heard all sorts of good things about you folks, but if this is how you run your operation, just whisking new novas off to your clinics without their permission, then I'm not sure I want anything to do with you at all. I'm a citizen of this country, and as far as I know nobody can just take you away without your permission without due process. It's referred to as kidnapping, and it's illegal. Now, I might be willing to consider not pressing charges against her, and giving you folks a second chance, but it's going to take a lot of good faith on your part to restore my trust. I've arranged for my RV to be towed and stored in a garage, and a place to stay. Please don't have me watched, try to contact me, investigate my background, or have my RV or place searched. If I find out you've done any of these things, and believe me I can and will check, I will be pressing criminal charges against and suing both Pratima and Utopia.

Slag raises an eyebrow as the doctor speaks with a stupefied grin on his face.

[...]That's not a threat, just a fact. I'll bet you don't like me very much now either, and that's fine. Still, if you have anything productive to say I'm willing to listen."

Slag purses his lips

"Good...You have the right to remain silent and refuse to answer any questions. Anything you say may be used against you in a court of law."

Nearby police officers walk up to the doctor and grab him by the arms, placing handcuffs on his wrists.

"As we discuss this matter, you have a right to stop answering my questions at any time you desire. You have a right to a lawyer before speaking to me, to remain silent until you can talk to him or her, and to have your lawyer present when you are being questioned. If you want a lawyer but cannot afford one, one will be provided to you without cost. Do you understand each of these rights I have explained to you?"

[Heritage]

Ron's eyes open with glee and he slaps her shoulder. He just wanted to know what stunts she'd be willing to undertake or not, this was definitely an added bonus to be eXploited.. ::wink 

"No, no you're absolutely right! It should definitely mean somefin. The director's Roh-Bear Doo-Toa. I mean, he's French! We're in good hands, believe me! He's such an artist that he believes actors should "be" the character and ACT instead of read a script and hope to portray the character...Don't you worry, we'll give you some background info and Roh-Bear will do the rest..."

Noting his sudden excitement, Mona realizes she's just given the little weirdo ideas he didn't have before.

*Oh dear God.... ::nervous*

She nods.

Alright, let's meet the rest of the team and...get this thing rollin'...

*Waitaminute, did he just say 'no script'? ::shocked*

[ProfPotts]

Zig-zag:

Josh follows up the 'nad by charging out of the smoke, a drawn nightstick in either hand, & proceeding to bust some heads. ::crazy