12037/Conan the Wanderer: Lost

Conan the Wanderer: Lost
Date of Scene:	20 August 2020
Location:	Park Ridge Hyperloop Station
Synopsis:	Conan makes friends like Mon-El, Lex Luthor and Mercy Graves after managing to take the train by himself.
Cast of Characters:	Conan the Cimmerian, Mon-El, Lex Luthor, Mercy Graves
Tinyplot:	The Conqueror Cometh

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Conan the Cimmerian has posed:
In this strange world he's found himself, Conan has been doing a great deal of exploration. First, he had to find out how to obtain the currency of the realm. At a place called Pawn Buddy's he traded some jewelry for green pieces of paper that he was told were money. From there, he began to travel in the great metal carriages he found. It did not take long for him to end up in Metropolis, of all places. The name of the city called out to him, sounding both ancient and futuristic all at the same time.

It's rather amazing that he managed to make it as far as he has, considering he's dressed in a loincloth, but he's on a quest to find mighty warriors to aid him in slaying his enemy. When approached by the constabulary he informs them that he is staying with the Avengers and a quick Google search shows video of him slaying monsters alongside them. Apparently, that's good enough for the law to let him by, though he has been told to find himself a shirt.

So he's in Metropolis, searching for clothes to help him blend in and whatever heroes he might be able to locate. Some people snicker a little at the half naked man, others slow down to check him out. The Cimmerian doesn't pay them much mind, until he finds himself asking a random passerby in the train station, "Pardon, civilized man. Can you lead me to where I can find clothing so that the watchmen will stop telling me to get dressed? And to where I might be able to find your greatest heroes. I have found the Avengers already, but I may need more."

Mon-El has posed:
    The 'civilized man' raises a brow at Conan. Not just because he's mostly naked. But also because of what he just asked. "Really, more than the -Avengers-? I mean, they've got a -Hulk-, dude."

    The train station is bustling today, and there is barely any room to move about. One of them roars onto the platform, passengers pouring out almost immediately. Everyone's getting jostled about with the new influx of people.

    Someone 'bumps' into the man Conan was talking about, and suddenly he frowns, this his eyes widen. "Oh sh*t! Hey!" he looks about, just as a pickpocket starts to slip away through the crowd. "You! Get back here!" But there's already so many people between him and the thief...

Conan the Cimmerian has posed:
"Ahh, the Green Puncher! He is a mighty ally, but he cannot be everywhere..." Conan starts before he's cut off by the guy he's talking to getting his wallet lifted. The Cimmerian frowns, not that he was particularly happy looking before. Then he moves. The huge man is fast, almost too fast, as he goes after the pick pocket. He's not quite flinging people out of his way, but he moves them easily, kind of just gently moving them aside when he can't slide between them.

"Return the items and you shall remain unharmed! Should this chase continue I will not be gentle!" Booms the barbarian, his voice projecting over the crowd.

Lex Luthor has posed:
It isn't every day a time traveler comes into modern times. Especially one that brought history with them. If nothing else, it has Lex's attention from the moment the news reports go on about 'Conan'.

Since it looks like the man will be staying in their time for the moment, it's become somewhat of a hobby for Lex to study Conan. Anonymous buyers have bought video of the man as he went, and occasionally security video footage. Most of is boring, sure... but it paints a picture, and just about no one is gonna complain about their own curiosity being rewarded by anonymous cash.

However, when Conan got on the Hyperloop system for his city, the Man of Tomorrow has suddenly become interested in 'yesterday'.

Scheduled subsidiary inspections were shuffled around just enough to give plausible excuses to get out into the city without cover stories. Luthor's goal? To monitor Conan personally.

So when the thief starts moving down the train from where Conan and the man are down to where Lex is with Mercy and Hope surrounded by awed onlookers getting their own photos and videos of Lex Luthor himself, Lex gives a silent eye flick to Mercy, then to the thief, along with a side nod to him; a clear non-verbal cue to stop the thief in their tracks.

Mercy Graves has posed:
While the woman wasn't thrilled they were going into the expanse of Metropolis to, essentially, do what was elaborate person-watching, Mercy certainly wasn't going to stop Lex. So, she's glued to his side, as ever, keenly aware of most everything around them and ready to jump in to take any threats that might be coming his way. She's in her sharp black suit, short pencil skirt, and polished spike heels. She stands in such a way that she can always keep Lex in the very corner of her eye without being right on top of him. Hope practically mirrors her on the other side.

Then, there is a thieff escaping into the crowd. A crowd of chaos, slack jawed tourists, and other useless obstacles. The nod from Lex is all she needs to step forward one second before the thief arrives near them, so she's directly in his path. Her motions are sharp, short, and incredibly trained. She's practiced in the conservation of movement to cause the least amount of scene with the greatest effect to her enemy.

One hand up, snapping into the man's jaw, the other grabs forward at his wrist, moving with his intended follow through as she guides his arm in that direction and then abruptly twists around, pinning it against his back and driving him into the ground. The hold is painful and effective, her knee at the base of his spine. It all happened in a matter of seconds. "...I believe this man has your property." She states flatly in the direction of the other two at the end of the train.

Mon-El has posed:
    The thief didn't stand a chance. Conan might have been too slow to maneuver through the crowd without hurting anyone, but he ran past the wrong group. Before he knows it, he's on the ground, his arm pinned behind his back as he cries out in pain. "Okay! O--" But before he can finish talking, there is a whoosh of air and a blur of movement, and suddenly Conan's previous conversation partner is getting his wallet handed back to him by a dark-haired young man whom Lex will definitely recognize as Mon-El, birth name Lar Gand.

    "Try not to keep valuables in outside pockets. Especially in crowded places." he admonishes, as Civilized Man goes slack-jawed.

Conan the Cimmerian has posed:
"Excellent work, Spike Shoes," Conan tells Mercy with a nod of his head and a loud chuckle. "You are unskilled and unlucky, thief. If you did this among my people you would have found yourself short a limb..."

Then there's something zooming past him that the barbarian can hardly track. When the young man appears rather suddenly, holding out the wallet to Conan's civilized acquaintance, the Cimmerian turns his head slightly to the side, "How did you do that? Are you a wizard?" There's an accusatory expression on his face.

Lex Luthor has posed:
Lex, for his part, had his eyes on Mon-El the moment he popped up on the train.

Conan was an oddity, but he was by all accounts a superb human specimen out of his own era, nothing more. Seeing a Daxamite outside of news reports was rare for Lex. Seeing Mon-El in METROPOLIS of all places when Superman was known to be alive again was really rare.

Standing up and clasping his hands behind his back, Lex watched the ongoings for a few moments, before he spoke up, "He's not a wizard. He's an alien from another world who views it as his duty to protect people." Lex informs Conan.

Which, to be fair, would probably be pretty much like a wizard to someone like Conan.

"You seem lost, Conan. Do you need directions?" Lex asked casually, an eyebrow quirking in silent invitation.

Mercy Graves has posed:
Spike shoes? Mercy looks up from the captured man and gives Conan a single, elegantly arched brow of skepticism, but she doesn't argue. The other helpful threat, Mon-El, gains a far longer look from her pale eyes. Evaluating him quietly, warily, but the goal of the matters is done. She jerks the thief's arm up in a quick, violent motion, dislocating his shoulder in that single move. He cries out in pain, but it seems she considers that enough of a lesson.

She smoothly picks herself back up from the floor, knees tucked together and balanced on the balls of her feet. "Run and consider the damage to your shoulder any time you think of robbing someone again." She states flatly, but doesn't seem interested in arresting the man now. Once the thief is on his pained, tail tucked escape, Mercy moves slightly forward to Lex's side once more. Subtly placing herself between the Alien and her boss, she remains his loyal, mostly silent shadow.

Mon-El has posed:
    "Far from it." Lar chuckles at Conan's question. "In fact, I kind of hate magic." Because, well, it's the only thing that can really do anything to him. Then he nods at Lex's description. "Yeah, basically what he said."

    However, he frowns at Mercy as she dislocates the thief's arm, drawing a yelp of pain from him, and sends him packing. "Was that -really- necessary?" he asks, sounding annoyed. Not that criminals don't often get a few bruises and broken bones after running into -him-.

Conan the Cimmerian has posed:
When Lex speaks to him, Conan turns to watch him for a moment. Apparently he's famous already, even in this strange city. A brighter expression forms on his face as he says to the alien, "I have destroyed otherwordly monsters, but never met someone from another world who is here to protect people. Your hatred of magic is only right. I am pursuing an evil wizard with ill intent and I need warriors to join me. You and Spike Shoes are welcome, Noble Alien." Then he turns towards Lex once more, "You know much, stranger. I think you must possess much wisdom and be of some import to have skilled warriors in your service."

Lex Luthor has posed:
As Mon-El speaks, Lex gives the Daxamite an appraisal, even as Mercy keeps herself between him and the alien, before his eyes go to Conan. "For your purposes, I would be one of the most knowledgeable people on the planet right now." Lex confirms for Conan. "I watched your arrival in the news. It was a curious sight." Lex looks Conan over, then. "You seem like you could use some knowledge of the time you find yourself in. I would be happy to assist you in understanding where you are currently."

He smirks, "And getting you some decent clothes." Then, he pauses a moment, the smirk disappearing briefly, "'Spike shoes' is Mercy. She's one of my bodyguards."

Mercy Graves has posed:
Mon-El receives a quietly dry look from Mercy, the shift of her lips into just the slightest line that wouldn't quite be called a smirk on anyone else, but it's quite a show of emotion for her. She states simply, "Would you rather me turn him over to the US justice system, where he will rot in an unfairly weighted prison system for god knows how long, lose his right to vote, and any other chance at a normal life for a foolish mistake? This has given him something to think about, left him with a reminder of poor choices, without destroying his life. Maybe he will think better of it next time."

What little explanation she has to give done, Mercy shifts just a subtle inch closer to Lex as she's introduced to the other anomoly on the hyperloop today. She tilts her head in a slight show of respect to Conan and offers what might be edging on a smile. "Conan. You seem an incredibly capable fighter. It'd be my honor to spar some day."

Mon-El has posed:
    "An evil wizard, huh?" Lar considers this. "And kind of ill intent are we talking?" he asks. "What's this guy capable of? Must be a lot, if you've been going around saying the Avengers aren't enough." he remarks. Yes, he heard that conversation.

    He arches a brow at Mercy. "Oh, so because you don't agree with your own government's policies, -you- get the right to be the judge and jury then? I might not know everything about Terran politics, but I'm pretty sure he'd have -plenty- of chances to get back to a normal life--/without/ having to deal with any broken joints."

Conan the Cimmerian has posed:
"Then I am truly in good company," Conan says to Lex with a deep nod of his head. "Yes, my arrival was strange to me, too. Riath Thalm, the wizard I am pursuing, transported us here through his wicked powers before cutting himself open to summon a giant beast." Then he takes a breath and considers Lex again, "I would be glad for your help. I have been trying to find the clothing of this land for myself while searching for more warriors to build my force."

Mercy is given a grin, "It would please me to train with you, Mercy. I have known warrior women most talented when I am from."

When Lar starts questioning him Conan replies, "The creature he summoned took the efforts of three Avengers, a bird and myself to slay. There may be more like that as we quest to destroy Thalm, possibly more than one at a time."

The talk of law and politics has the barbarian shaking his head, "You civilized people have many laws."

Lex Luthor has posed:
Lex gives a look to Mon-El. Then, he raises a brow. It's almost condescending, in that way a teacher silently scolds a child who is woefully ignorant. "When you live in this nation all your life and understand it's culture like a native, your words might have weight. As it is, we are individuals and have the right to our own opinions and free speech, as given in the first amendment."

Lex continues, speaking as if to a woefully ignorant child, "apply and get approved for a green card and graduate from a reputable law school on US law, then you get to talk about how fair or unfair our system is to us. Until you do, you're just another illegal alien coming to dictate to humanity, talking to two humans who know more about our planet than you. Far more."

Then, Lex looks to Conan, "I can give you a tour of Metropolis. I know a tailor at LexCorp Tower that should be able to manage your proportions, if you're willing to come with me."

Mercy Graves has posed:
Sharp blue eyes momentarily pull back in Mon-El's direction, that almost smile she had given to Conan quickly falling away. The blonde remains silent as Lex speaks, listening to the diatribe respectfully. When he's finished, she jusd adds flat and quiet, "...Yes, you know very little of Terran politics." She seems content to leave it there, not here to debate the justice system but she also doesn't seem swayed by the Alien's arguments. She keeps herself very notiably at just the right angle that she remains partially between Lex and the other one at all points in time. She's poised, ready to act in defense if she needs.

Conan's commentary earns another, actually close to warm smile. "Hope and I would be more than happy for another challenge on the mats. You'd be welcome to train with us any time if you care to accompany us back to the tower. Mr. Luthor's tailor would... Do well by you." As polite as she can manage without actually commenting on his current state of dress.

Mon-El has posed:
    Lar appears to have a rather...nonchalant attitude toward the description Conan gives of the monster that took 3 Avengers and then some to take down. "Oh, yeah--that sounds like a field day doesn't it? I could try to see if I can drop-kick them into orbit then deal with them out there. What does this Thalm guy want anyway?"

    And then Lex goes on talking to him as if he were a child. "Ha, as if that would do anything." he scoffs at the notion of attending school for US law. "You'd still manage to find -some- reason to hate anyone who isn't human. Won't you, Mr. Luthor? Xenophobes like you always do."

    His eyes go back to Conan. "Trust me, I know his type."

Conan the Cimmerian has posed:
"I would like to tour this city," Conan says to Lex, the discussion of law and the like not meaning anything to him. "I will come to see this tailor. I do not have much of your money, though."

His look towards Mercy is followed by a nod, "We shall practice at your tower while my clothing is made by the tailor." He pauses, "Does no one wear armor in this time, other than Avengers? Where are all the weapons? Why is it forbidden to carry them? The watchmen I have seen use strange blocks that make a noise like thunder, but they have no pikes or swords."

"Thalm wants to summon an otherworldly god named Raze, if rumors about him are true. I know nothing of this god, only that Thalm cannot be slain by mortal means. I have killed many men and known none save Thalm to survive having their head split in half by my blade."

Lex Luthor has posed:
"Dismissing truth just because I have well founded suspicions of anyone coming to our planet and pretending they're better than us. Then you wonder why I distrust your kind." Lex scoffs as the Hyperloop train comes to a stop. As it does, Lex glances to Mercy, "Get the Limo over here. This isn't too far from the Tower." Lex gives Conan a glance, "Come along, then. We're not far from the Tower." Lex himself begins to walk out of the train and into the station.

"Oh, and tell Peter that I have an... eccentric patron coming in. This one doesn't know fashion, so tell him to expect a browsing session."

Then, Lex glances to Conan, "We can discuss favors along the way. I have no doubt you'll be good for your word." Lex notes as he continues along, his hands behind his back as he goes.

No doubt watching Lex Luthor himself come out of the train with Mercy and Hope with CONAN of all people will raise some eyebrows, though.

They probably think he's one of Lex's many charity cases.

Mercy Graves has posed:
As the hyperloop slows to a stop, Mercy's attention is slightly more on Lex's orders than the alien. She frowns protectively, hesitant to actually leave his side, but she pulls out her phone and automatically starts making a few quick calls. First to the driver, since it's *not* her today, to bring the limo around to the hyperloop parking lot. Then a quick text message is sent to the tailor, her fingertips swiping smoothly across the dark, thin surface of her LexCorp smart pad. "Yes, sir." She clips out to Lex, her concern for her duties more clear than fighting with the Alien.

She's not leaving his side, but tilts her head for Conan and Lex to lead the way out of the hyperloop car. Hope swings out first, clearing the platform subtly and ensuring that there's no dangers from the front, while Mercy mostly keeps blue eyes on the situation at hand.

Mon-El has posed:
    "Ugh, one of -those- types, huh?" Meaning the types who couldn't just be punched to death. "Well I'm guessing someone other than me needs to figure out how to kill him, then."

    Lar glares after Lex as he leaves the car with his bodyguards and Conan, eyes glowing crimson threateningly for a moment. He is very tempted to thermal vision him in the back, but thinks better of it, remembering what happened the -last- time he lost his temper in public. Yeah, it wasn't pretty. The light fades and he just sighs indignantly before shooting up into the sky to be alone with his thoughts.

Conan the Cimmerian has posed:
"I am true to those who are true to me," Conan says to Lex as he follows the man, matching the other man's pace and surveying his surroundings. "I have found the beer of this time to be very good. We will drink on me with what remains of my money! I do not need the rest of this paper, as I have purchased a two way ticket for this vast, mechanical snake back to New York."

"Alien! If you can hear me I would meet with you again," the ancient warrior shouts into the sky. "You are fast and that will be most useful in our quest. Ask for me at Avengers Mansion. I have been there since my arrival to this time. Sky Man, Green Puncher and Thor, Grandson of Bor, are most hospitable."

Looking to Lex again he lets out a single chuckle, "I have exchanged a coin of gold to use a feast hall. Tomorrow at sundown, at the Palace of Shawarma in New York, I will speak with some of those who wish to preserve this world against Thalm and his fearsome god. If the tales wise men tell about the servant of Raze are true we must secure great artifacts from my age, and times even more ancient, to assemble a weapon that can slay the wizard."

Lex Luthor has posed:
"Sounds reasonable to me." Lex informs Conan.

As if discussing ancient gods and weapons was reasonable.

As they enter the parking lot, Lex moves to the far end of it as he awaits the Limo. Itself seems to be coming down the road. Lex wasn't kidding that LexCorp Tower was nearby. "There are many ways to earn money in this age. We use coins minted of various metals, but most people use paper based currency for various reasons." Lex takes out a quarter and a dollar bill from a pocket, showing them to Conan. "The metals represent smaller units than the dollar... and then there are bigger units than the dollar." He pulls out a five dollar bill, "And so forth."

As the Limo pulls up next to Lex, he gives a glance to Mercy, "you can come in the passenger with me this time, dear." Lex notes, looking back to Conan, "I look forward to seeing what you come up with. Conan." Lex gives Conan a million dollar smile.

This is gonna be interesting.