2567/Heart and Soles

Heart and Soles
Date of Scene:	24 September 2017
Location:	Newark, NJ
Synopsis:	Several heroes investigate a strange phenomenon occurring in an industrial park near Newark.
Cast of Characters:	Blue Beetle (Kord), Crusader, Hellion

---

Blue Beetle (Kord) has posed:
Parkour!

The ancient art of freestyle running!

Parkour!

Practiced by ne'er-do-well urban monks around the globe!

Parkour!

The scourge of industrial park guards throughout Newark!

In this particular park, there have been numerous reports of parkour-practicing ruffians. And /these/ ruffians are especially noteworthy because--as the security guards continue to swear--they're

NOT

HUMAN!

Even now, on this late evening, a quartet of slightly illuminated figures backflips their way off a factory railing before taking turns leaping from bench to bench near an employee parking lot.

And, not far off, a giant insect-shaped airship floats in the sky. From beneath it, holding tight to a strong metal cord, hangs a man in a blue costume. He watches the goings-on below with interest.

Crusader has posed:
Unable to sleep many a night, Vorn has decided to make his way to Newark to see what may be going on. The large being was hopscotching from roof top, to roof top doing his very best to remain unseen

Of course he had to give pause, when he saw a giant...bug shapped Airship! He blinks not once, but three times. He has seen his fair share of air-crafts...but that one takes the cake.

He get out a pair of bonoculars and looks up to see the blue costumed man...who seem to be looking at something else. He followed the gaze to the Parkours who seem to be having some fun.

Oh, this was going to be good

He begins making his way towards the Parkours, wanting to see if perhaps it was anything of interests going on with them. That and he didn't want to accidently fly into said Airship -he still working on flying!

Hellion has posed:
     After having shown the fury invaders a thing or two with his gifts, Julian had been on a kick of just feeling great. He took longer flights out this weekend, causing some trouble in Metropolis. But he decided to make his way out to Newark tonight. Nothing like the smell of petrochemical refineries and broken dreams.

  Hellion had seen some people practicing parkour, while he did find it interesting, he himself didn't see a need to follow them on it. Why do parkour when you can fly?

Blue Beetle (Kord) has posed:
The freerunners continue their acrobatic, circuitous laps about the industrial park. They manage to remain lit by some faint light in the shadows--and then it becomes clear. They, and the footsteps they leave behind, are luminescent!

"Parkour!" one howls.

"ParkooOOoOooour!" cries another before its 'landing' causes it to slide effortlessly through a lamppost. It doesn't seem fazed in the slightest.

The airship maneuvers toward one of the taller storage towers. The blue-clad man hanging from the airship drops onto the roof. He lands with a loud CLANG and then tumbles down it toward the stairs leading up to the tower's door. "Oh, God, my spleen!" his voice can be heard echoing through the lot. The man lands on the entrance to the tower and clutches his knee, rocking back and forth for a few moments.

The extraordinary parkour enthusiasts suddenly, as if on cue, turn their route--and their attention--toward the source of the sound, moving much, much faster than could reasonably be expected.

"PARKOUR!" they roar, cartwheeling and jumpkicking as they go.

Crusader has posed:
Welp - they didn't seem like they ment trouble! The orcish Vorn's voice soon join the brilliant lit teens as he howls our "PARKOOOOOOUR" with them! They didn't know him, he didn't know them. Vorn did not care, it was fun

The fact they were luminecent was interesting in and of itself, especially when it lands through a lamp post. Though he did wonder why the footprints glowed....

Enough of that though! He hears the man cry out 'My Spleen' and he seems to simply change priorities. The being begins to scale the tall building with relative ease. Well he cheated a bit - he can at least fly upwards even if his manvibility sucked. As such he was soon enough upon the same roof as the man who landed and looked towards him. "Hey! You alright!?" he calls out in a deep beastial yet booming voice.

Hellion has posed:
     "What the hell are these guys doin?" Julian snerks at the group. Though Ted's calls for his poor spleen only gets a laugh before he flies over to the sound of the groans, if only to bear witness to the group of parkour hoodlums about to descend on the group.

Blue Beetle (Kord) has posed:
"I ... I was here to investigate some ruffian types!" the Blue Beetle shouts, pulling himself to his feet and limping slightly. "What's even happening?!" he asks, looking about at the sudden arrival of potential allies (or enemies!).

Down below, the ghostly parkour-ers [is that a word? I guess so -- Ed.] flip over Jersey barriers and launch themselves off of the parking lot exit sign.

"Parkoooour!" they wail. "We ... must ... parkour!"

Blue Beetle scratches the back of his neck, even as he tenses for a potential fight atop the tower's staircase. "They /must/?" he asks, his voice quiet.

"Yes!" the ghosts shout. "It is our curse!"

"Well," Beetle sighs. "I've got nothing. How about you all?"

Crusader has posed:
Vorn blinks "You guys are Ghosts!!!!" he exclaims. Well this explains alot. But it brought up questions "We do not supposed....you want this curse lifted, or are you fine being like this? If not....we might be able to help?" After all - these ghost might like being like this!

But none the less he slides over to Blue Beetle and helps him to his feet "No clue, Vorn never delt with Ghost before. Delt with a demon once...well helped. Some other folks did the whole capturing thing" he tells Ted. "Are you alright?" he asks Beetle. Well seems he is an Ally! And hopefully those Ghosts do not attack them

He looks to Julian and cants his head at him "They are parkouring. We would think this was evident by the constant shouting of the word Parkour" he tells him. Captain Obviouse it seems!

Hellion has posed:
     Julian raises an eyebrow to Vorn, his cobalt eyes just are in awe at the two.

  "Well, that's a thing I guess." He offers at the thought of the ghosts. Not much a telekinetic can do to help, not that he would. Hellion Just scoffs at the group, unsympathetic to the plight.

Blue Beetle (Kord) has posed:
"Indeed--we ARE ghosts!" one of the spectral freerunners intones. "Our tale is a tragic one..."

The Blue Beetle, meanwhile, groans and covers his face with one hand. "Just my luck," he mumbles.

The ghost continues: "We were once pirates--MUSIC pirates! We lived above ... a shoe store that once ... was here! But our desire for the freshest sounds ... led us to scramble the computer systems of ... the construction crews that wanted to steamroll the building!"

Another ghost chimes in. "We were thus cursed even as we cursed those who caused our demise ... as we were crushed by the demolition crews' equipment. Because we interfered ... with the plans of the store ... we must show off the dope kicks ... that once were on sale!" The ghost points eerily to its feet.

"Beneath this very parking lot ... are the ruins of Davy Jones' Foot Locker, its crushed cash register heart!" The ghosts stare at the heroes. "Would you help we pirates finally find rest?"

Blue Beetle continues to mutter. "I hate my life." He sighs and looks at Vorn and Julian. "I--I've made some questionable choices in my life, fellas. I really hope I'm just hallucinating somewhere peaceful right now, I'll be honest."

Crusader has posed:
Vorn listens rather attentively to the ghosts his face never showing what he is thinking. But than he laughs "By Juthuum! We do not know what kind of messed up shoe monster you fellas pissed off, but oh are we glad we are not in your shoes" did he just pun? He just punned.

He slaps Blue on the back "Ahh, do not hate your life, let other people do that for you! Vorn is sure we are not hallucinating...if we are than the folks here need to really work on their air quality" he hefts Blue by the shoulder with a tight Squeeze and would probably have Julian in the other arm if Julian wasn't flying right now "Sure we can help but you fellas to rest!"

He licks a tusks "So, lead the way!" he was just jump head first into this wacked out adventure it seems. A side glance to Blue "Also, Vorn can help heal your spleen...or leg if you do not mind things getting a bit weird"

Hellion has posed:
     "Is this shit what acid feels like? I mean really?" The hovering telekinetic just keeps to the air, trying to figure out if he should stick around, or just fly away and forget anything ever happened. "Ghosts forced to parkour, Davey Jones' foot locker? What in the F&@$."

Blue Beetle (Kord) has posed:
"We may be redeemed in ... one of TWO ways!" one of the ghosts says, ascending the stairs by leaping back and forth across the rails. "Unearth our ... bane--the cash register left behind when the store was wrecked!"

"Or," the ghost continues, "show off your freerunning skills ... and take the parkour crown."

"It's metaphorical," another adds, grinning. "Not ... literal!"

"Indeed," says the first. "Bring the ill. Bring the thrill."

Blue Beetle claps his hands and waves them in imitation of a casino worker. "Nope. I'm out. My knee is toast right now." He pats his waist. "I don't even have one-use ice packs on me. I don't even have a utility belt to carry them in." He sighs. "I bet Batman keeps them on hand."

"Well ..." the ghosts ask in unison, "what will it be?"

Crusader has posed:
Vorn looks to Blue "Like Vorn says he can give your a hand with that" but he shrugs at the Beetle before looking up to Julian "Do not be ridculouse. Acid is waaaaay worse than this. Trust us on that. If anything else....Vorn would say it more like eating the fish taco at Sandy Plantans Shrimp Taco Stand" he shiver "We do not recommond doing that!"

But than he faces the ghosts "Hmmm, unearth a cash register, or run free. Cash register WOULD be easier, but Parkour sounds WAAAAAAY more fun. Vorn will accept this challenge of the free run!" he gives pause. Oh lord some building are going to hate him after this.

Hellion has posed:
     "I don't really do parkour, never needed to. Cause I can fly." He offers, before looking around. "If the register is in the ground, I could probably help with that...I guess." Julian still doesn't know exactly why he's still here. "So there, Unless you are good enough to beat them."

Blue Beetle (Kord) has posed:
Looking back and forth between Vorn and Julian, the Blue Beetle sighs. "Okay. Why doesn't ... Vorn? is that right?" he asks, pausing for a moment. "Why doesn't Vorn help with the one, and you, my man, you help with the other?" he continues, glancing to Julian.

"It is thus ON!" the ghosts cry ecstatically, and then they're off grinding down the stair rails in their ectoplasmic sneakers, banking off a nearby building wall by running Matrix-style to change direction.

"Hack the planet, or whatever," Beetle calls out. "Buddy, if you can get that register up from underground, I have the feeling we can let these spirit morons get out of our hair."

Crusader has posed:
"Yes, we are called Vorn" he says, speaking in plural apparently. "But yes, this plan is agreeable with Vorn" he grins wider seeming to get amped up for this. Lightning actually seems to circle his limbs with his excitment.

But as the ghost take on he blinks "Hey! You could have given Vorn a warning we would start immediatly!" he exclaims! Great now he has to catch up. But before though he lightly bonks Beetle upside the head "Respec da dead man! It just common courtasy!"

And with that he begisn heading after the Ghosts themselves. He takes off with a sprint quickly gaining speed. As he does so Techno-style synthozied music can be heard comming Vorn and his chest has a line running across it that seem to change with the music beat - a visualizer if you will

He jumps onto the building side nd lashes his arm out like a whip to catch a pole....and Jumps! He arcs downward and back up - the pole groaning in protest before he lets go going flying in the direction of the Ghost. Though as he lands he still running after them!

Hellion has posed:
     "Alright." He offers, only before he begins to cut at the ground, looking to get himself to that register as soon as possible there.

  How he cuts is a little different, he will actually use his hand and chop at the pavement, chipping away at the cement and concrete.

Blue Beetle (Kord) has posed:
"Parkooouur!" the ghosts shout as they race Vorn in their seemingly inexplicable course through the lot, diving between girders, swinging from lamps, and leaping across the rooftops of smaller buildings.

Blue Beetle stands not far from Julian. He looks about the area, surveying. "Maybe a couple feet to the left?" he asks, squinting as he glances toward the nearest street. "If this used to be a strip mall or the like, I'm guessing that we're nearing the back of what would probably be the main store area." He shrugs. "But I don't have a metal detector on me--although I bet Batman does..."

One of the ghosts front-flips off a parked car. "It's ... got to be ... the shoes!" shouts the ghost behind it.

Crusader has posed:
Vorn growls deeply as he begins to put the pedal to the metal! He continues to dash forward trying to gain to the ghost with Vigore. As his feet pound the ground they seem to almost create tremors!

When a car approaches...he seems to just melt into a puddle and glides under the car as formless mass - and continues gliding along. As the Next car comes up it looks like a liquid metal stream surge up and over the car and lands reforming into Vorn without losing a beat

He skids around the corner following the ghosts. His form even becomes laughably skinny to squeeze through small what would have been impossibly small gaps created by objects close togeather as he just goes with the flow of whatever he comes across

Hellion has posed:
     Julian looks to the Blue Beetle a little, moving to the left about where he is told the resister would probably be. He punches the pavement, kicking up chunks of the concrete. His eyes glow green with telekinetic energy. Once he breaks through, he uses a makeshift construct of a telekinetic barrier to dig through the rubble and attempt to find that register.

Blue Beetle (Kord) has posed:
The ghosts spin about, somersaulting off of one another in a kind of chained leap-frog stunt, as they continue to try and race Vorn--although he's definitely caught up with them and is soon to outrace them.

Even then, the cash register is suddenly unearthed as Julian punches at the asphalt.

As time seemingly begins to slow, the ghosts jump, light-footed, off of airborne chunks of pavement and then dive /into/ the cash register. "Approved ... !" the parkour ghosts shout as they dissipate into nothingness.

It begins to float into the air a few feet from Julian and Beetle.

"I'm sure there's an easy answer for this," Blue Beetle says, hands on his hips. "But--regarding ghosts and dealing with this kind of thing--who're you gonna call?"

Crusader has posed:
Of course as noted - Vorn was due to outrace the dang Ghosts! So as it stands when the Ghost Leap Frog their way into the cash register, Vorn didn't actually noticed where he was heading untill it was too late

He tries to skid to a stop - but ends up tumbling his way towards Julian and Ted! A full on collision course that ends with...

A puddle of liquid metal surrounding Ted and Julian feet. It was that or have a 1 ton orc squishing them! But at least he answers "Ghost Busters!!!!" yes his face, completly with tusks was stareing up at the two. Things could be weirder...mabey

Hellion has posed:
     "Ugh, I swear to god this is the last time I'm coming to New Jersey." Julian offers, wiping off the liquid metal from his shoes. The telekinetic just floats above the puddle now. The dropping of the Ghostbusters joke only gets one reaction from Hellion. "Holy fuck, you both are old." He snips, before he takes off towards Metropolis.