1001/Three Shades of Green

From United Heroes MUSH
Jump to navigation Jump to search
Three Shades of Green
Date of Scene: 17 June 2017
Location: Unknown
Synopsis: A prologue of Jessica Cruz, where she got the evil ring and first met Hal and Jade, her future colleagues.
Cast of Characters: Green Lantern (Cruz), Green Lantern (Jordan), Jade




Green Lantern (Cruz) has posed:
Jessica Cruz was in her home. She's in normal clothes for now, long sleeved shirt even in this weather. She doesn't want anyone to see her unsightly right arm. She just is laying on the sofa, using a tablet to read reviews of her latest book - and shakes her head. Something terrible happened with it. Damn this evil ring. It's not like she can take it off. With a faint maniacial laughter in her head she steps outside and floats up, her twisted green costume appearing with the green X on the chest and over her right eye as she just floats there, rocking slowly back and forth. "Why are you doing this to me?" she hisses to the ring. "Because I can. Because... I can..." it croons out loud, sounding utterly satisfied. "You're ruining my life!" she shrieks to her right hand, and now that maniacial laughter is even louder.

Green Lantern (Jordan) has posed:
    Hal Jordan, Green Lantern was traveling from a brief stop in upstate New York, and travelling over Manhatten, specifically, Greenwich Village. His meanding pace is slow and steady. Today, at this time, he doesn't have anywhere urgent to go. For a change.

    "Anomaly detected." The Green Lantern ring reports to Hal. "Energy signature detected. Signature of unknown power and quality. Recommendation: Investigate."

    Hal pulls up suddenly. Now that was new. Looking for where this anomaly could be, Hal prepares for the worst and hopes for the best. "Ring...can you give me a location?" Hal waits for the response. "Negative. In this general vicinity. Calculating...energy surge is cloaking itself. Unable to get a fix."

Jade has posed:
    Another person joins Hal, coming up from behind him. She, unlike him, is not surrounded merely by green light. But rather, a green smokeless fire that roils, boils off her dissapating in spurts as if her body were a fuel for it coarses over her form. Her costume is almost opposite, but somewhat similar to Hal's also, white, and black.
    "Hal Jordan," greets Jade, in a friendly enough tone. She can sense the man has a purpose. "You look troubled," she advises, unware presently that anything is wrong. She scans the streets and alleys below from her vantage, and not seeing anything, she looks back to the Lantern. "Do you need assistance?" Jade, always willing to lend a hand, when need arises.

Green Lantern (Cruz) has posed:
Jessica Cruz whirls suddenly. "Heh, stupid cow. They're here to take me! The Green Lanterns are here to cut your arm off, take me away, and leave you to die! Jessica whimpers, staring at her ring which is glowing as she starts to fly away, propelled by her fears and Volthoom's taunts - a dark green streak might be noticable to the two Greens.

Green Lantern (Jordan) has posed:
    Hal Jordan turns to note the new arrival, and smiles. "Why Jade, it is good to see you! I can always use your help!" His smile is quickly replaced by a frown once again. "My ring detected an anomaly...a strange energy signature that then cloaked itself. It usually doesn't do that unless it is something significant."

    Hal uses his will, and tries scanning the area again. That was when GL sees the streak. "There!" His ring locks on her departure. "She's getting away!" With that, he turns up the juice, and heads towards her, form determination on his face."

Jade has posed:
    "On it," Jade confirms to Hal. It's hard to miss such a streak, afterall. She is no longer hovering, but zooming through the air with the intent to catch up to the streak. "Anomly isn't very specific," notes Jade with a measure of dissatisfaction. It's always easier, afterall, to fight something when you know what it is you're up against.
    She stays with Hal, however, pushing her flight speed to it's atmospheric limits. "I suppose I shouldn't comment on how slow the day is, in the future," wryly.

Green Lantern (Cruz) has posed:
It's a Lantern-like being appaerntly - in a green costume, glowing with green light, even with a ring on the finger... but she looks terrified. She tries to evade, zooming towards the skyscrapers of New York City to try to evade pursuit. "Stop..." she whimpers softly. "Why won't this stop..." she whines as she shakes her right hand but to no avail as she keeps traveling - she's apparently not in control of this joyride.

Green Lantern (Jordan) has posed:
    "Yeah, I know. Usually the ring is too detailed." Hal Jordan agrees. "Yeah. The "q" word is one I don't ever use." Quiet. It was a dangerous word to the law enforcement AND super hero biz.

    "Looks like a Lantern...kind of. Strange." Then he notes something strange. "Jade...can you detect a conversation or something? The female with the ring...seems distraught." Hal pauses, looking concerned. "Something is wrong."

Jade has posed:
    "I'll try," she tells Hal. And as roiling as the flames are now, they increase as she further extends her power, trying to make out that particular conversation that Jessica might be having. But, as no conversation is happening yet, she shakes her head, "No. But, I agree. Something isn't right. We need to stop her. She's running for a reason."
    She points out towards where Jessica is heading, "Your rings aren't the only magical rings around. But ...," she trails off, frowning, as she turns up the speed a bit more, determined to catch the fleeing Cruz. "You're right. Something's not right about this."

Green Lantern (Cruz) has posed:
Jessica Cruz sees TWO pursuers - one a pretty obvious Green Lantern, another of a similar hue but looking covered in vermillion flames. "VOLTHOOM! STOP! PLEASE STOP!" she starts shrieking as she shakes her hand even as she travels pell-mell into skyscrapers - the only response is a maniacial laughter, a sinister voice. "Yes, feed me your TERROR! They're coming to get you! They're going to expreiment on you! Run! Hide! Flee!" And then Jessica does a right angle and shoots straight up - but as she's resisting the ring, she's not as fast as the pursuers - it can't draw on her fully.

Green Lantern (Jordan) has posed:
    The loud "CRACK" as the trio break through the speed barrier this close to a city is concerning. Hal Jordan nods to Jade, and says, "We need to get smarter about this. I'll try to head her off....see if you can get around her." He waves to the west, and the sun. "Perhaps coming out of the sun, it might blind her. I'll try and move her that way if I can." And then she changes direction, and heads up.

    "Well, so much for that, but same plan...I'll follow, see if you can get her broadside, and as we get higher up, we can push speeds...then catch her." Hal pauses, "You okay in a vacuum?"

Jade has posed:
    "Perfect," Jade agrees to Hal, seeming to understand the plan, and quite perfectly at that. She follows him, pushing up speed, and readying herself for a little trip into the upper atmosphere. She observes, "She's erratic. She's just trying to run. Blindly. No evasive manuvers at all. No attempt to lose us. Just to get away. Very unlike most people we encounter. Let's go, Hal. End this."
    She rockets upwards, preparing to enter that vaccum of space.

Green Lantern (Cruz) has posed:
Jessica Cruz continues to evade - though the conversation is lost as she enters space - even though, Jessica looks terrified but as outer space enfolds the weird Lantern-esque figure, Jessica's fear fades as she beholds the grandeur before her - and she comes to a stop as she shivers, not sure what's going on anymore as she just floats there, staring at the stars - the moon - her back to the sun.

Green Lantern (Jordan) has posed:
    "Exactly. Smart." Impressed by Jade's analysis, Hal Jordan pushes the ring's power with his will, and moves closer and closer to their target. As they enter the upper atmosphere, Hal knows he has her. There were very few beings in the Universe faster than a Green Lantern in space.

    Then, she stops. Hal moves towards her, and stops around 4 or 5 meters away. "Excuse me. I am Green Lantern. Are you okay?" Hal notes that Jade is also on the other side, ready and willing to help...or fight. "We're here to help. If you let us." Hal can see her expression...and the terrified look is not what he expects. He holds his hands open, in an attempt to reassure her that they were not here to hurt her.

Jade has posed:
    While she's defintely had some experience, she knows she's still got a lot left to learn. The praise gives her a reason to smile - later. Presently, she's focused.
    She moves next to Hal. The fire from the Starheart's power flowing freely off her body, similar and yet utterly unlike that of Hal's.
    She watches Jessica, closely, but adds gently, "You've done nothing that we know of that is a cause for you to run from us. We help those in need."

Green Lantern (Cruz) has posed:
Jessica Cruz slowly extends her right hand. A power ring is there. But not anyting like Hal's ring. It is dark green, the color of moss, with a splotchy X on it, like the emblem around Jessica's right eye and on her chest - and faintly glowing green 'veins' extend all the way up her arm up the side of her neck. "It... it won't stop... help me..." she whispers softly, shivering. "It's... it's bound to me... literally... I can't take it off... it... it's going to kill me..." She murmurs, "Volthoom... it told me... that you were going to take my ring... but cutting my arm off... but... I never know if it's lying to me... it's ruining my life..."

Green Lantern (Jordan) has posed:
    "Volthoom...what? We won't cut your arm off.." Hal Jordan moves like lightning, and tries to encompass the ring in a willower-induced shield. If it was controlling her. Holding his right hand with his left, he pours on the willpower, trying to seperate the person from the ring.

    Hal uses willpower generated tweasers, trying to get under the ring, and remove it from her finger. His dual purpose is to place another shield around Jessica in order to save her from the vacuum if he was successful.

    Through gritted teeth, Hal Jordan looks at Jade, and says, "Perhaps...together...we can...try and save her!" Hal grimaces, as he feels the power. What kind of a ring was this? It was strong!

Jade has posed:
    Jade frowns, listening to Jessica's explination, seeing the correlation of the ring, and the mark on Jessica also. It does not sit well with her. "Who is Volthoom?" She asks, quietly, just after Hal. But, her eyes move back to the ring as Hal attmpts to remove it. Knowing how strong Hal is, and the fact the ring is still there, she nods. "Yes."
    She looks to Jessica, "This will not hurt. But. Perhaps if this Volthoom, this ring, speaks to you, it is best to distract it, while we try to remove it as well. Break it's concentration. Tell it you are not running anymore," she suggests. "That you aren't believing it, anymore."
    She pours, then, the pure magic of the Starheart, a green light, with, and into Hal's, to try and remove the ring also.

Green Lantern (Cruz) has posed:
But you can't get under the ring. It's literally attached to her. Jessica screams in pain when you try to pry it up - it's apparently wired into her body's systems, especially the nervous system as she flails, constructs flickering in and out of sight - spiked tentacles, terrible beasts - the kind of stuff a Sinestro Corpsman might use - but they're shaded green. The efforts of the two are only seeming to cause Jessica agony as she starts to flail at the two of them, creating constructs of eldritch terrors and spiked appendages. "YOU'RE TRYING TO RIP MY ARM OFF!" she shrieks, echoing the ring's earlier words as she lashes out, trying to get her hand away from their misguided help.

Green Lantern (Jordan) has posed:
    "Good plan Jade!" Hal says, his teeth still clenched as he wages his battle of wills. The screams make him back off a bit, but with Jade's power and his, perhaps another tact...

    "We're not ripping your arm off...fight it! Fight it and we'll help you. Use your willpower! Fight back! Whatever it is telling you, it is lies! Be strong! We are here to protect you!" Perhaps, he needs to attack the ring directly. With a shot of willpower, Hal targets the ring, in an attempt to make it try to protect itself by removing itself from Jessica. There must be some way to distract it, make it leave her...

    Through the power of the emerald energy, Hal says, "I'm coming for you Volthoom! If I were you, I'd flee!"

Jade has posed:
    "No," Jade reasons with Jessica, "We're trying to remove the ring." But she, too, backs off. And, while Hal attacks the ring directly, she takes a cue from him. Small green shots come out of the star-shaped mark on her open palm. Small energy blasts, concentrated. Not at Jessica. But at the tentacles, on the ring itself.
    "You are stronger than it," she tells Jessica. "It knows it. That. That is why it keeps you in terror. Others would have been consumed by such a thing. But you persist. Because you have an inner strength. And it does not want you to realize this. Find it. Now."
    

Green Lantern (Cruz) has posed:
Jessica Cruz stares at the two of them. "This... isn't the way!" she shrieks, tears streaking down her face - it's agony and your combined efforts aren't accomplishing anything - the ring is literally rooted into her flesh as the tentacles slowly stop. "Stop... please!" she wails as she tries her best to make the eldritch constructs disappear.

Green Lantern (Jordan) has posed:
    Okay, maybe they were going about this all wrong. With a grimace, and a flash of willpower, Hal attempts to knock Jessica out with his trademark boxing glove. Perhaps if she was unconscious it might be enough to release its hold on her.

    Hal listens to Jade, and tries not to get distracted. Hal wants to make this a quick strike, while she is distracted. The only other way he could think of was trying to drain its power.

Jade has posed:
    "Hal," Jade says, pulling back her attack -- but it's too late, the boxing glove has already shot out. "Wait." She puts up her hand to hold him off, telling him with a sidelong glance, "We can't reinforce this - Volthuum's fears."
    She then takes a look to Jessica, holding both her hands up as if in peace, "We -are- only trying to help, he was just - trying to knock you out to help with the ring," she assures. "We won't use our powers anymore. We -are- only trying to help," she attemps to appease, assuage.
    "We won't act any further. Tell us about Volthuum. Everything you can.
    A pause, "Please," she almost pleads, with pure sincerity. Jade /does/ care. And the expression on her face shows it, clearly.

Green Lantern (Cruz) has posed:
Jessica Cruz got the warning and jerked away just in time as she whispers, "I didn't know I could come up here... ummm... I guess you can call me Power Ring. I am..." She sighs softly. "I am... this ring came to me one day. And... bound itself to me. It... feeds on me." A snide soft laugh comes from her hand but the ring declines to comment. "I... I don't know how to not be afraid... I've lived in fear for years...'

Green Lantern (Jordan) has posed:
    Taking Jade's lead, and building on it, Hal Jordan stands down. Nodding at Jade, and smiling, he says, "We are only here to help you. As my friend Saint Walker says, "It is through serenity and faith can one truly evolve a peaceful disposition and enjoy the sunrise." Try to remain calm, and we will help you."

    Hal floats there, trying to to make any overt moves as he lets Jade do most of the talking. "We're just here to help. All of us have fear. It is how we conquer that fear that makes us who we are."

Jade has posed:
    "You have two friends here now. Friends, who can fly as fast as you. Who are wllling to fight Volthuum with you," prompts Jade. "You aren't alone. I'm Jade. This is Hal." She moves closer towards Jessica, now, slow, and peacable.
    "But it's time to tell this - Volthuum that you don't want him. That you don't need him. If he's feeding from you, giving you this fear, you must conquer your fear."

Green Lantern (Cruz) has posed:
Jessica Cruz whispers, "Conquer my fear..." she murmurs. "I will... consider your words. I'm Jessica," she muses as she clicks her tongue. "I'll..." She ponders. "I'll have to just sour the milk... make it not want me anymore..." She sighs softly as she gives the two her address... as she starts to head back down. "I... I hope... to... one day... be rid of this."

Green Lantern (Jordan) has posed:
    Hal looks at Jade, and then back to Jessica. "We'll be here to help the best we can! You don't have to do this alone. We are here for you all the way!" Hal floats down beside her as they re-enter the Earth's atmosphere. "You just have to have hope, and not give in to fear." Hal nods and says, "You will be rid of it. I promise. Hey, who knows? I think, with your willpower, you could make an excellent Green Lantern! Hold onto that, and mayne it will one day come true!"

Jade has posed:
    "We're easy to find," Jade tells Jessica. And, as Jessica hasn't hurt anyone? She's confident that letting her go, to sort things out, will be the best bet now. "Have confidence in yourself. And call us, if you need us." She smiles, in friendly fashion, waves her hand, and moves to follow Hal back to Earth.