12165/Homeward Bounds 2: The Incredible Journey

Homeward Bounds 2: The Incredible Journey
Date of Scene:	12 September 2020
Location:	Gotham. Then Outer Space.
Synopsis:	After a quick pit stop, Lockjaw takes Our Heroes to an active battlefield... IN SPACE!
Cast of Characters:	Iron Man, Phantasm (Drago), Winter Soldier, Nightingale, Hulk, Mon-El

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Iron Man has posed:
"Owwww..."

It's about all that Tony has said for the last few minutes. His ows are stretched out, with periods of relative silence in the intervening minutes. But every so often, at seemingly random intervals, a new one emerges from the twisted hunk of metal that used to be Iron Man.

Now it's just kind of sitting there, inert, occasionally saying 'Owwww...'. The helmet seems fine, propped up on Tony's lap as he sits with his legs sprawled out on the ground, the armor's remaining internal structure keeping his back positioned in a mostly upright fashion. Surprisingly, Tony doesn't have much bruising or other damage to his head, though his hair looks like it could use a good combing.

So could his mustache.

But he's not the only one that looks a bit out of sorts. The group's lovable transportation, Lockjaw, has been making whining noises for the past ten minutes now, and quivering almost as if he's sick.

Looking around, his exposed fleshy head on a swivel, Tony tries to figure out where exactly he is, which isn't that easy when you're stuck sitting on the ground in broken-down armor.

"Huh. You know, I've been listening to Bruce Springsteen music since I was a kid, but I don't think I ever really 'got it' until this very moment. There really IS a wrong side of the tracks to be on. The Poor Side is waaaaaaay dirtier... we should leave before we get stabbed by hobos."

Still looking around at the gray, polluted, frankly depressing landscape, Tony can't help but feel that maybe these people ought to go somewhere nicer. Like Malibu.

The cityscape before him is about as bleak as they come. Old Art Deco buildings barely contrast against the night sky, because they're so dark. The sounds of traffic and crime mix together in the distance, and there's a really strong smell of sewage coming off of the riverfront.

A smell of sewage which suddenly gets much, much worse.

"God! What is that? It smells like Hulk after Taco Tuesday..."

Tony can't see it, because he's stuck in his armor, sitting on the ground. But just a few feet behind him, an enormous Magic Alien Bulldog is squatting next to a large sign that says 'Welcome to Gotham.'

The lights on the sign are out, obviously, because then it wouldn't be dark enough.

As Lockjaw finishes up his business, leaving a pile that's nearly the same size as the Iron Man-shaped pile that the Hulk left, he does a few final shakes and then leaps up, running around and frolicing happily. He even licks the side of Tony's head, pretty much soaking the entire thing once again.

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
If it wasn't for the bright light in between trips, the Lockjaw travel service would not be so bad. Nick lowers the now unscarred right arm down once the trip is over. Taking a moment to glance around to see where they are now. Upon his eyes meeting the sign his glance lingers for a few moments. "Well... I guess I am overdue for a visit..." He looks over to Lockjaw and his *ahem* contribution to the aesthetic. Ok that's one thing about dog ownership he doesn't covet.

Winter Soldier has posed:
    There is normally some explaining that has to be done when someone gets flung through a wall by the Hulk, and then stands up as if nothing has happened. And so for the past few minutes, Bucky has conspicuously explained exactly nothing to Nick after the bar incident, aside from mentioning that he's actually alright.

    After which he absolutely needed a drink. But alas Lockjaw teleported all of them before the libation could be acquired.

    So now, the Winter Soldier is in Gotham. Which should be cause to make many people shudder, although they are likely lucky in that right now Bucky doesn't feel the need to start hunting. Given that he's in the company of people who can't defend themselves, he's taking up position in the shadows (not hard to find in Gotham) and keeping an eye out for the unsavory...

    ... and came to the conclusion that, this being Gotham, he was going to have to narrow down his parameters a little. The unsavory that looked like they meant harm.

    Still too broad.

    The unsavory, who meant harm, specifically to the group he was with.... alright, specifically meant harm to the group he was with and moving into that direction with clear intent and visibly weaponry.

    That should be just about enough of a definition not to have to keep an eye on everyone out on the streets.

Nightingale has posed:
     From a safe place hiding behind an overturned table or bar, to the streets of Gotham. That seemed to be a day in the life of the group's youngest member. She peers out from behind wings furled about in front of her like a shield, glancing at each one present to assess what physical state they're in.

     "Everyone oka... ohhh, man...."

     For all the crazy things she'd seen and done in her few short years alive--most of them over the past year--this one came close to taking the cake. Keeping her wings in front of her now as a shield to her nose, she moves over to Tony, glancing up and down. "You okay, sir?" Okay, so she needed more training as a healer. But at least she had a few basic skills if needed, right?

Hulk has posed:
Of course, Tony is nowhere near New York right now, let alone in the city... so the Hulk's searching in the immediate area is fruitless. Still, an obviously raging Hulk would terrify any bystanders, especially when he's left unchecked to run and leap down streets.

With no Tony in sight, the Hulk begins to take leaps across the city, heading for the Avengers mansion.

The mansion *may* have a few new holes in it, by the time everyone returns to it.

Iron Man has posed:
"My organs hurt. I need a gin and tonic."

Tony says this with the despair of a man who is certain that he's nowhere near a place that serves anything that he would consider drinkable. He looks around, despondently. "Probably the only thing I'll get out here is bathtub wine. Or whatever it is people buy with food stamps."

Looking at the winged girl a bit sheepishly, Tony's mustache bristles as he asks "You're uh... not a reporter, right? Because if so, I'm off the record."

The Giant Space Bulldog runs off, having slimed Tony pretty thoroughly, but at this point Tony's really too grimy to care about a bit of additional slobber. He still smells strongly of Dog Mouth and Raw Chicken Meat.

"Huh. Where's that dog going?"

It's true, Lockjaw's antenna is glowing now, and crackling with the staticy energy that he gives off right before a jump!

And teleport he does! Disappearing from the immediate vicinity!

But... he leaves everyone else behind.

"I can't see. He left us, didn't he?"

Lockjaw did leave them! But he reappears immediately over at the Avengers Mansion, which now *may* have a few new holes in it. Something that Tony will have to pay for, but it's okay, he gets a big tax writeoff.

Lockjaw cocks his head at the Hulk, whimpering in that way that dogs do when they're worried that a human is upset. But suddenly, his antenna flashes again, and the Teleportation Train starts up again!

As Lockjaw reappears, with Hulk in tow, Tony can hear him arrive, but can't turn his head far enough to see behind him.

Regardless though, it's a moot point, as the group is immediately teleported again, with a Blinding Flash of Light!

"I need a gin and toniiiiiiiic....."

The flash of light clears up, replaced by... a whole shit ton of Flashing Lights!

Blaster sound effects come from every direction, mixed with Big Explosions! Up in the sky above them, an epic Aerial Battle is happening, while on the ground around them a group of Kree Commandos is in the middle of firing on a group of Rampaging Skrull Berserkers!

And in the middle of all of this, One Tiny Settlement filled with Innocent Indigenous Aliens!

Our heroes have just been dropped into the middle of the Last Refugee Shelter on the edge of a Kree/Skrull conflict in the middle of absolutely nowhere!

How will they ever get out of this one, folks?

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
"Oh get your head out of your ass." Nick mutters at the comment about the bathtub wine. "Gotham has hotels for businessmen to stay in. Most of them have bars."

He looks to the fallen Tony, "Dramatics aside, can you you move in th-"

BRIGHT LIGHTS! EXPLOSIONS!

"-at?" Nick blinks, glancing around, "OH COME ON!"

Mon-El has posed:
    Did someone say innocent defenseless aliens caught in the middle of a giant warzone? That's one of the places you'd probably find Lar Gand! Not taking sides in the Kree-Skrull conflict, no, but doing his best to rescue any civilians out of harm's way and get them to safety.

    So he's catching falling vehicles, buildings, and other structures while they rush out of the way, carrying those who can't to some bunker out in the country or something. It's hard work, as fast as he is he can't teleport like Lockjaw. Or be in multiple places at once like Multiple Man.

Winter Soldier has posed:
    "Pretty sure you can find some very high proof whiskey here too. Brewed fresh yesterday, guaranteed." Comes Bucky's wry commentary from the shadows. There's no way to be sure, but he might very well be grinning. First a bar fight, now Gotham. What was next, an actual outright war?

    That'd be a thing.

    After the momentary confusion of Lockjaw departing without them, the Winter Soldier emerges from his hiding spot, manages one step, gets pulled away again from Gotham...

    To an actual, honest to goodness, war zone.

    Instincts kick in and Bucky throws himself behind solid cover, as energy blasts sear through the air where his head had been just moments before. A small explosion obliterates the spot he'd been standing on while in Gotham, and a chip of something metallic whines through the air only to ricochet off his arm. Nearly dead three times within the space of a single second. Yup...

    His hand doesn't quite blur while he draws the pistol holstered under his jacket (a BRNO PSD, for the connoisseurs), but that draw was pretty rapid nonetheless. So now he's armed an in a war zone. Much better. It's possible his mood has improved as well, although it's hard to tell.

    "This is how I know this dog is a friend of yours, Tony. Might as well have dropped us right into Cawnpore in 1857!"

Nightingale has posed:
     Shannon cracks a small smile at Tony, and shakes her head. "No, not a reporter. Looking to study medicine, actually." She reaches up to very gingerly touch Tony's forehead, her pale azure eyes closing. "Please, just hold still a moment, let me make sure you're okay. I promise this won't hurt."

     The most Iron Man might feel is a pleasant warmth, a gentle relaxing feeling, as Shannon brings her healing gift to the fore, as she had been taught the year before, to assess one's injuries, but stopping short of healing them. Even in the midst of a battlefield, she is uncannily quiet, her concentration holding, as she extends her senses outwards, to take stock of any damage the Hulk might have done to one Tony Stark.

     "Well, sir, I'd strongly recommend seeing a medic when we get back home, but my guess is you lucked out this time. Got your noggin knocked about a bit, maybe some bruising. You're gonna be one sore camper, but you should be okay for now." Finally opening her eyes, she draws her hand back and smiles a bit. "That suit of yours in any shape to let you move?"

     Because, you know, warzone. It's a thing.

     No, really, it's a thing.

     With little to no cover where they are, she hunkers down protectively near Tony, looking back towards Bucky. "Help? Please?"

Hulk has posed:
Lockjaw almost gets a roar in the face... but instead, the Hulk is cut off, twice. Almost seeing Tony, Hulk turns towards him... only to land in an actual, honest to goodness warzone... that reminds the Hulk of the Battle of New York. The immediate reaction of the Hulk is to look around confused. "Hulk doesn't recognize this place. Did magicians try to put Hulk into a bubble again?" Hulk begins to walk out into the middle of the warzone.

Literally, just walking right into the middle of the fighting, trying to get a better view of the situation.

Well, at least he's not focused on Tony.

Then, he spots Mon-El... who he recognizes as one of those who can go toe to toe with him and has in the past. "Hulk-"

Then, a few stray bolts fly past... and a couple manage to hit him, stinging him, and he swats at them like flies. "Hulk doesn't like this place."

Looking in the direction of the new annoyances, the Hulk begins to charge right into a group of Kree Commando's, who likely didn't even realize the Hulk was there.

They do now.

Iron Man has posed:
"What the...!!!?? LOCKJAW! YOU DID IT WRONG!"

The dog in question is currently busy running through an active battlefield, his enormous tongue hanging out of his mouth and dragging behind him, flapping in the breeze generated by his bulk cutting through the wind at surprisingly high speeds.

He's leaving a pretty generous shower of drool behind him as he runs past Kree Commandos as they take cover and try not to get ripped apart by rampaging Skrull Berserkers who seem to be doing their best attempt at a Hulk Impersonation at the moment.

Only they're mostly covered in spikes, and have giant claws and teeth and shit. Because berserkers.

"Hey! Miss Wings! What are you doing? Get behind cover! I'll be fine!"

It's a bit more selfless than Tony usually is, but quick as his mind is he can easily see that there's no way for him to get out of this, and she can't be much help, right?

Or can she?

An incoming blast hits Tony in the back, knocking him forward so that he's hunched over awkwardly. Good thing his nonfunctioning armor's pneumatics are still so stiff, I guess.

The aliens are all hiding behind cover, some of them are crying or screaming, but all of them are trying their best to stay away from any harm as their small little town is destroyed all around them.

"Dammit! Now all I can see is my friggin' codpiece. I need a gin and tonic."

Mon-El has posed:
    Lar had just gotten finished securing the last of the surviving natives and getting them to safety when suddenly, a bunch of people from Earth teleport in out of nowhere. Including Hulk. And a giant dog.

    Well, he'll have to ask questions later, since lasers and stuff are still flying. And Hulk is rampaging. Quickly, he assesses the situation, and notes that Tony is immobilized and therefore the most vulnerable. Therefore, he flies over to him and grabs him, moving as fast as he can without hurting anyone else toward an abandoned building.

Winter Soldier has posed:
    Three times the pistol barks, extending a short lived fireball from the barrel with each shot, downing a visibly armed alien with every shot. Right now Bucky isn't picky as to which sides people might be one, because it's abundantly clear to him that neither side cares one bit about the unarmed aliens cowering for their lives behind what cover they can find. The return fire chips the corner of the building he's using as solid cover, but he's been in worse spots.

    Of course, then an appeal for help is made, and James can see the teenager out in the open, next to the shiniest target for quite some distance around.

    "... Dammit!" There's nothing for it. He breaks cover and dashes across the firing lane of the Skrull he'd been suppressing, sending a few shots their way on his way to the now bent-double Tony. "It seems like I'm always pulling Starks out of tight spots."

    Two more shots down two aliens coming at him from opposite sides of a road, clearly to the mutual surprise of both of them, which delays him just long enough that Lar gets there before he does.

    He's still swearing in fluent Russian while he jumps the last of the distance, lands in a roll, shoots another Kree running up, grabs Shannon under his left arm as he rises up and dashes to the corner of the next building over, putting her down next to another cowering alien. He's struck too much by the similarity of a battle just across the Siegfried line with the Howling Commandos to worry much about what he's doing, his instinct to protect innocents kicking in with a vengeance... never mind these innocents have dull red skin and antennae. His pistol keeps barking, keeping the road and this particular sector of the battlefield clear of any combatant, be they Kree or Skrull, that tries to approach.

Nightingale has posed:
     Well, at least Tony was safely out of the way. But Shannon knew the minute she took to the air, she would have the biggest target painted on her back out of any of them. So she remains crouched and still, her wings forming a feathery shell over her back as she tries to shield herself the best she can under trying circumstances. There was no cover, not even any concealment in this situation.

     "Damn it, Bean! Why did you have to go to MIT when you di... eeep!"

     Apparently, her call for help had not gone unheard. Plucked from the battlefield, she doesn't even put up a fight, thankfully recognizing her rescuer. At least she manages to keep her wings out of his face. "Spasibo," she says, offering a light smile.

     Then, of course, there's the unintentional lesson in the 'finer points' of Russian. "Yazyk!"

     Oops.

Hulk has posed:
Once the Commando's are sent scattering, and those he's smashed in tossed at the berserkers who are getting in the way, the Hulk finally gets an idea of what's going on.

Grumbling, one last Berserker is tossed away, and Hulk leaps over to one of the smaller buildings that are abandoned.

Then, with a loud *POP* of material being ripped apart, a large circular bit of material is grabbed, and the Hulk leaps with it over nearby the group... and deposits it over them, giving them solid cover to hide in. "Hulk deal with the puny blue and green things now." Hulk growls out.

Uh oh, is the Hulk actually going to shut down the warzone by himself?

He leaps out of cover, and starts smashing directly into the middle of the battlefield, starting to smash and throw various soldiers around at random other soldiers.

Yep... the Hulk just declared war on both factions.

"HULK SMASH YOU ALL!"

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
Nick watches as Tony is plucked up, Shannon is plucked up, and Megan- Well, she's probably the smartest one of all beause wherever she hid, she's GOOOOOD. And Hulk is doing what Hulks do best which means.-

Giving a shrug the rockstar starts treking towards what appears to be the safe zone established by Mon-El. At the very least, they do have an inventor to go collect so there's that.

Iron Man has posed:
"GAAACK!"

As he's suddenly snatched up off the battlefield by a handsome stranger, Tony goes completely limp, unable to move at all. But it's not because of the twinkle in his rescuer's eyes, or his dashing smile. It's because he's literally frozen up in his armor.

Hunched over as he is, he looks as if he's in classic Damsel In Distress Pose.

Out on the battlefield, Lockjaw is still running around all willy nilly, though he seems to have picked up a Kree Commando in his mouth at some point.

The Commando is screaming and thrashing violently, while Lockjaw just kind of shakes him like a giant squeaky toy.

Sure enough, he squeaks.

Back at the place where he's been set down, Tony sits in his armor, getting crabbier by the minute.

"Dammit. Did I put a urine collection unit in this armor or not?"

Back on the battlefield, the Kree are calling what seems to be some sort of tactical retreat, though probably hard to tell for sure if you don't speak Kree. Either way, they're pulling back, while still trying to concentrate their fire on the Hulk, and any remaining Skrulls who are in their line of sight.

The Skrulls, for their part, seem to be trying to swarm the Hulk directly, running toward him with Crazy Eyes as if they're feral or something.

"Hello? Uh... Avengers Assemble?"

"Dammit. That usually works."

Mon-El has posed:
    Lar sets Tony down, doing a quick scan of his internals to assess whether he is in critical condition or not. He'd likely get the same result as Shannon did. Iron Man isn't terribly injured, although a bit banged up. Not anything he won't recover from, though.

    He's aware of the Hulk throwing Kree and Skrull soldiers around outside...honestly, they had kind of been asking for trouble. Especially those berserkers. If the Daxamite has learned anything in all his time in the Legion, it's that he can't stop every bit of hurt in the entire galaxy. So for now, he focuses on keeping those who have nothing to do with the conflict safe.

    "You want out of the armor or no?" he asks Tony. On the one hand, it's keeping him immobile. On the other, it's still protecting him.

Winter Soldier has posed:
    Two shocks follow in quick succession, so close in fact that it's hard to determine which caused the greater concern. One is, of course, that a building has appeared where a building hadn't been before, deposited there by the friendly neighborhood Hulk, leaving Bucky and the distressed aliens inside of solid cover. The other is that he's just been told to mind his language in a language Bucky was pretty certain nobody else around here knew how to speak...

    With the threat of imminent death receding for a short while, and while listening to the sounds of the Hulk winning a battle by himself through the expedient of viciously attacking every other combatant, James Buchanan Barnes, the Winter Soldier, the unshakeable warrior, looks over to the source of the Russian... and blinks, shaking his head for a moment.

    "Rogers... you have no idea what you started."

    Then he simply nods to Shannon and takes a deep breath. "Sorry. Stress of the moment."

    Hey look, is that a window he can look out of to keep an eye out for any remaining Skrull and/or Kree while simultaneously hiding his embarrassment? Why yes, yes it is. And so he does. Intensely. "You should probably go see how Stark is doing. He's the only one of us that keeps getting beaten up."

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
"That call probably works better if we were Avengers, I guess." Nick replies, seemingly coming within earshot of Tony, then looking over towards Lar Small world. "Just HOW attached are you to that armor? Because like him, I'm thinking you're probably better off outside of it."

Nightingale has posed:
     Shannon's eyebrows shoot straight up her forehead as she stares down Bucky in turn, caught between an amused smirk, and pure astonishment. "How is it always that the first part of any language one learns is the 'conversational' sort... wait..." She goes dead silent for a few seconds as something clicks. "Are we thinking of the same Rogers? Because if so, then I owe you some thanks when this is all over."

     Nodding in agreement, she gets up to move over to Tony, although not without a quick hand on Bucky's shoulder, and that winsome smile of hers. Thankfully, the group is under relative cover, so she takes the hint and makes her way over to where Mon-El, Nick, and Tony are all gathered. The billionaire playboy genius is plopped down in the middle of the grouping like some shiny, broken tin man doll. "I'm not sure about that," Shannon says. "That armor might be keeping him from moving, but it's also still protecting him." She glances at Tony, her lips pursed for a moment. "Is there any shot of getting some mobility back into the suit, under the circumstances?"

Hulk has posed:
When the entire army of both sides begin to swarm over the Hulk, his response?

Let out a feral roar as he gets tossed this way and that, and he grows two full feet in quick succession.

The Kree firing at him are annoying, but the berserkers going right up in his face get the Hulk's attention, and the Hulk just starts... beating the ever living snot (do Skrulls HAVE snot?) out of them... with his fists, and with /themselves/.

"LEAVE HULK ALONE, OR HULK WILL SMASH YOU ALL!"

The scary part is... he's actually managing it. He has practically the entire battlefield focused on him, giving Mon-El and company time to figure out their next move.

Still, the Hulk is incredible... but he can't be everywhere at once, so it's a good thing he's a giant target right now.

Iron Man has posed:
"I don't know what's smarter, but I've gotta race like a piss horse, so lemme out of this thing."

The Skrulls are quickly finding out that swarming the Hulk was not a very good idea, and are immediately regretting their decisions. Most of them are shifting into faster, sneakier forms, and attempting to flee the battlefield. The remaining forces who aren't able to escape have kind of resigned themselves to their fate, and are trying to go out with as much dignity as they can.

Only about half of them scream.

"There's a button inside the armor's collar, but it probably won't work. If there's any way to save the armor when you peel me out, I'd appreciate it. I'm going to put it on display in Avengers Mansion next to Hercules' collection of lion pelts."

Tony is probably serious.

Lockjaw suddenly returns, teleporting right into the middle of the group. In his mouth, he's holding a blue leg with no Kree Commando attached to it any more.

He drops this right in front of Shannon, and then sticks his giant slobbery tongue out, panting loudly with two long strands of drool hanging off the sides of his mouth.

Mon-El has posed:
    Lar nods, seeing the button Tony is talking about immediately. "We'll try it that way first." he agrees, reaching into the collar to press it and hope for the best.

    When Lockjaw suddenly appears, he turns to the giant dog. Not really shocked, since he has certainly seen weirder. "Hello there." he greets. "Lar Gand. And you are?" He's not sure if the creature talks or not, but he always plays it safe in case anyone gets offended at inaccurate assumptions. Better to look silly than get thrown into orbit or something.

Winter Soldier has posed:
    "Put that down, you don't know where it's..." Yup. To Bucky, Lockjaw is a dog that needs looking after. As much as these aliens need looking after. But there don't seem to be any more hostile aliens coming up the road or trying to break in, although occasionally one or two come flying by, unwillingly, before coming to a sudden and what appears to be quite final stop against buildings and walls. Proof positive that the Hulk has this. So Bucky can relax.

    "I think we're good from here on out. It's raining aliens, so the Hulk is still around, and that means there's likely a whole lot less hostile aliens around..." So the pistol goes back into its holster, and James reaches into a pocket, picks out a packet of cigarettes, taps one out and lights up. Post battle cigarette...

    "Does anyone speak whatever alien language these people speak so we can tell them they're probably safe from here on out?"

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
Nick's eyes widen at the leg dropped in front of Shannon. "Uh..." He steps forward, hesitating for a moment looking to Lockjaw's expression. He picks the appendage up and throws it away from Shannon.

Nightingale has posed:
     Hercules? Lion pelts? Shannon just cracks a bit of a smile at that, shrugging. "I thought it was just the one lion pelt, sir, the Nemean li...."

     Sometimes, there were just no words for something. Sometimes, there were. And right about now, there was one very, very good word.

     "Ewwwwwww!"

     Yeah, no. There was no way Shannon was going to touch that disembodied Kree leg. Especially not with blue ichor for blood. No, she'd dealt with her fair share of blue ichor, and that only once.

     It was not something she particularly cared to repeat.

     Yet even in the face of something utterly, completely disgusting, how could she deny that ugly, loveable doggo their victory over that Kree? She tries her best to keep a smile on her face, she really does. And she tries to keep her voice from quavering as if she were preparing to disgorge the contents of her stomach (which, by some miracle, she somehow avoids doing).

     "Good dog! Who's a good dog, hmm?"

     Glancing at Nick, she breathes a sigh of relief, keeping her voice low--who knew how sensitive (or not) Lockjaw's hearing was? "Thanks."

Hulk has posed:
When the berserkers start to thin out, the Hulk takes two still living berserkers in hand (because those spikes look fun to use) and he leaps right at the Kree with his living maces and he begins to SMASH into that line as well.

Retreating from the Hulk isn't really an option when he can leap across a planet in under an hour.

Iron Man has posed:
The button is pressed with an audible click, and...

Nothing happens.

At least nothing that's visible from outside of the armor, which is where almost everyone else is.

"Dammit. I think you just emptied the suit's urine reservoir."

"No. No... I'm absolutely sure that you did."

Fortunately, the armor is still sealed enough that none of its contents are likely to spill out onto the floor, but that's only a positive if you're currently outside of the armor.

Tony isn't outside of it.

"This is the worst day of my entire... AAAH! Shit! Do you guys feel that? What the... It itches!"

It's true, Tony's head itches.

Or more specifically, his brain does.

And so does everyone else's.

It starts as an itch, a feeling almost like mental static. But slowly, as if the station were coming in more clearly, it starts to make more sense.

Feelings at first. Grief. Relief. And... gratitude? The feelings of the people that are currently watching as their hopeless situation just got a lot more hopeful, as One Jolly Green Giant repels the invaders that had come so close to destroying them all.

At first it's just feelings, but the sensations rapidly start to make sense, and vague impressions start to feel more like words, and actual ideas are starting to get communicated.

Apparently those antennae on the aliens' heads aren't just for show...

The overwhelming theme of all the telepathic communication seems to be best summarized thusly:

"Lockjaw has returned! We are saved!"

Mon-El has posed:
    Lar shrugs. "Oh well, it was worth a try." he says, then promptly peels the armor off of Tony in as few pieces as possible, so that the Terran can finally move again.

    The telepathic communication isn't all that unfamiliar to Lar, especially since one of his teammates is one of those types who can use it. Though he isn't sure who Lockjaw is. However, he peers outside at the Hulk still smashing things. "Do I need to go rein him in before he gets more people killed than necessary?"

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
Well it's been an interesting outing so far, that's for sure. Instead of heading home to get rest, Nick has found himself at the bar at no name, outside of Gotham for a giant dog to take a crap, and then to a war zone where Hulk had a blast and he got to play kree limb fetch.

He pauses, feeling the odd sensation. along with the statement popping in his head. A sensation he recognizes from the time running into Morgana at the museum. "The dog's telepathic too?" He asks.

Nightingale has posed:
     Telepathic communication was nothing entirely new to Shannon. However, she was used to it being a little bit more... subtle. Not this damnable itching that was now somehow going on somewhere in the depths of her brain. Her pale blue eyes cross in somewhat comical fashion as she tries to figure out the source of the sensation.

     It finally dawns on her what is actually happening, and she grimaces a little bit. "Wait, if these beings are saying Lockjaw can save them... then save them from what? Hulk's taking care of the battle, so what else do they need saving from? And just what else is Lockjaw capable of?"

     Duhn. Duhn. DUHNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!

Hulk has posed:
Once it becomes clear the armies are in full retreat (at least from the area) and there's a lull in the fighting, the Hulk goes to the top of one of the larger buildings and gives a victory roar that sounds for miles around.

Then, he smashes in the faces of the two berserkers he was using as maces, before he throws them right at some of the remaining Kree retreating.

Even from /that/ distance, it's still a good thing... he'll probably kill two more Kree with that.

Iron Man has posed:
As the armor gets peeled off, Tony finally is able to move, and uses the opportunity to stand up and stretch. It's been long overdue, and he's clearly been cramped for a while.

Cramped and sweaty.

Man in a can.

"Ugh... that's better. Those old models really ran hot, what with all the rocket fuel. But this is better. And I don't know, maybe it's the aliens putting feelings in my brain, but I feel... kind of good? Like we were supposed to help out some kind of way?"

Now that he's out of his armor, Tony looks less crabby. But he also isn't wearing any armor any more. Fortunately, he was wearing his silkweight Action Briefs with the high-cut leg holes (in red and gold, obviously). Unfortunately, it's been a while since he did any manscaping.

As Tony stretches it out, Lockjaw cocks his head to one side, and lets out a slightly confused whimper. Apparently, he's picking up on the feelings the aliens are putting down, and his mouth spreads out into a very wide, relaxed expression, with his tongue hanging out as he pants contentedly.

Then, suddenly, the antenna on Lockjaw's head begins to glow, and then crackle with energy. But before the hastily-assembled group disappears once again, he leaves a final message for the citizens of... wherever this is.

"ARRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"