Drama Welcome to PRISON! - Now Accepting New Players!

IC: Antryg Windrose

As soon as Antryg had put his arm around Dean's shoulders, the smaller man had tensed up. Antryg hadn't exactly expected an enthusiastic hug in return, but Dean seemed more than uncomfortable, or even offended. While he didn't throw the wizard's arm off him, Dean suddenly went from lax and a bit forward leaning, like an angry terrier hoping to bite a stranger's hand while keeping as far away as possible, to taut, balanced, and ready. It was as if Antryg's arm now encircled an entirely different person.

Antryg continued his charlatan's act of appearing relaxed and unconcerned, but mentally he prepared himself for whatever Dean would do next. He wished he knew what style of fighting the other man had trained in, but in a way it didn't matter--it had now become abundantly clear that the bumbling little "travel writer" had enough skill at something to be physically dangerous.

It was rather disconcerting, facing Tarrant, whose every gesture and clothing crease--even in that ridiculous striped uniform--bespoke a warrior's training of the highest degree, all the while holding onto Dean, who suddenly seemed like a lit grenade, less elegant, maybe, but all the more deadly due to its unpredictability. Antryg reminded himself to be ready for a move against the arm he was using to genially pinion Dean in place, as well against strikes to his bespectacled eyes, to his throat, and to his groin. He couldn't have said what it was about Dean that made him suspect that an attack to the face might come first--perhaps it was only that his eyesight was obviously a weakness, and that an astute people-watcher like Dean must have been tallying weak points in his mind.

As for Dean's weaknesses, he was a good 6" shorter than Antryg, not much younger, and if he had come from Joanna's comparatively-safe universe, he probably would not have spent the same amount of time, year in and year out, honing what battle strengths he had . . .

"As long as we're all making introductions, I'm John Locke,"

What?

Antryg had been so focused on the multiple threats in front of him that he hadn't been scanning the surrounding forest for more. If anything, Dean looked even more shocked. In fact, his pale, frozen face had the look of a man waiting for the world to end.

John Locke was bald, stocky, again about Antryg's age, and possessed of that undefinable informality that seemed to characterize people from Joanna's universe. Locke also had the decency to walk out of the jungle cover instead of just materializing. The empty and exposed hands were a nice touch as well, but no wizard was such a dupe as to imagine that all weapons could be seen.

"Hello, Benjamin. Small world."

Hello who?

In all likelihood, it was a "small world," or a type of dimensional pocket between Gates, but that didn't explain the number of alarming--or potentially alarming--entities pouring into it.

How much did this Locke fellow know about that?

Tag: jungle group

 

OOC: Though I didn't mention it specifically in the other post, I meant to say that Locke is looking directly at Ben when he addresses him. In case anyone else notices.

 

IC Bender:

The kid, while speaking about the older human, said, "I think something spooked him. He probably thought he was saving us"

?Saving us, by stealing from me? The nerve!? At least Bender could take solace in the knowledge that the arm would have stolen any of the meatbag?s possessions that he did not guard very carefully, and even those might not be safe. Bender was very, very good at thievery.

When Bender mentioned the stink, the girl-boy said, "I do have a sense of smell and I wish I didn't"

?Don?t be a wuss. Nothing in here will kill you.? Right as he said that, his hand came down on the sharp end of a nail, bending it into the wood to which it was attached. Despite how great it would be to watch this meatbag get punctured, especially since there were few things hilarious than somebody trying to talk with lockjaw, he instead opted to say, ?Actually, I?d be careful if I were you. There?s nails in this water. They can?t do anything to me, but you puny humans are really weak, and you could get hurt.? Lockjaw took too long to manifest itself anyway. Where was the fun in that?

The kid really did not like being here, obviously, because he said, "Let's keep moving. The sooner we're out of here, the sooner I can breathe again"

?I?m moving, I?m moving.? He did. ?I don?t like it in here any more than you do. You know I?m not going to find any beer.? There was nothing in front of them but an unbroken stretch of pipe. If an opening existed at all, it was a long way off. ?I gotta say, this place is pretty poorly designed. No prison should have any spaces between the walls that are big enough for a body to get through. It?s like they want somebody to escape.?

Tag: Terry

 

IC Alex Mercer Prison Halls

---

"Skills? well I-" was all Alex was interrupted. [b][i]Yes, just as I was about to say. Any armor smiths, those used to menial labor, stone cutters, mechanists, or plastic surgeons come as well![/i][/b]

Alex looked back, annoyed before continuing "I have a little bit of everything". He said as the rounded a corner.

"If you don't have any particular place you want to go, than I suggest you and Hard Head back there go to the lighthouse and I'll meet you there after a quick recon of the church" Alex grinned at the other man "That is if you can stand the little pest that long."
"After we find your terminal of course."



TAG Spiff, Mitt.

 

IC: Benjamin Linus

It took a great deal to rattle Ben, so the degree of abject terror in his eyes and the way his stomach felt like it had dropped through the ground spoke volumes. At least, it would to anyone who knew him. But all Ben could think of was that it was him - that thing. That thing that had caused him so much trouble for so many years. That thing wearing John Locke's face. But he quickly reasoned that away. No, that man was gone. Jack had killed him. And the island wasn't going to let him return. Besides, if he'd been off the island in the first place, Ben reasoned, there would be no world left for any of them to exist in.

No, it wasn't the monster. But the alternative was only slightly less unsettling. It was John Locke. Which seemed to lend some credibility to the warden's claim that they were all dead. Though perhaps resurrection really was possible. Ben liked to think he would have remembered dying. Although he had to desperately hope that John didn't.

As John spoke his name, the others turned to look at Ben. Indiana gave him a particularly piercing stare, making direct eye contact with him. Ben looked away as quickly as he could, back to Locke, but was sure the professor had seen the recognition there. Still, he was apparently a cautious man and turned to Locke, asking, "Do you have a basis for your claim? I don't tend to trust the word of a man that came wandering out of the jungle."

Locke slowly lowered his hands, gesturing to Ben with one instead. "Did that seem like the reaction of someone who had never seen me before?" he asked Indiana. Ben swallowed hard, trying to compose himself. The time for pretending Locke was lying about his real name had already passed. They had seen his reaction, after all. Still, Ben was scrambling for something to say in rebuttal or defense.

Meanwhile, Locke gestured to Antryg. "You - Antryg is it? You might want to be careful. The last time I saw him, he managed to stab a man a bit taller than yourself to death."

Ben let out an internal sigh. Well, not at the bit about him killing Keamy. Though he wasn't about to apologize for ridding the world of that particular piece of filth. At least Ben now knew that Locke didn't remember the last time he had actually seen Ben. If he had, he probably would be reacting with much less calm than he was. "Well, that did require a knife," Ben replied in his characteristic deadpan, entirely dropping Dean's hapless tone.

Before the others could react too negatively, Ben added, "I'm not trying to hurt these people, John. We all want the same thing - to figure out where we are and to get out of here."

"That remains to be seen," Locke replied evenly. "You were lying to them. That doesn't exactly inspire confidence, does it."

Ben pursed his lips. Locke's world was so often black and white. Still, Ben had gained an enormous amount of perspective on and respect for John since his death. He may be stubborn, but he was still a good man. A true believer. Ben tried to remind himself of that and measure his response. "I know you may not understand this well, John, but there are any number of reasons to lie to someone. I didn't tell them who I was for the same reason that she hasn't," he gestured to Corinna. "I couldn't be sure they weren't a threat to me."

Locke grinned that broad, toothless smile. "Somehow I doubt that. In any case, you're right. I don't see the point in lying." Looking around the group, he said, "His name is Benjamin Linus. He's the leader of a group of people on a small, especially unique island. And island where I crashed, along with a number of other people. Ben was... less than welcoming. And a very, very good liar."

"Yes, and if you remember, the last time we met, I voluntarily exiled myself from that island so that you could lead it, John. I left everyone and everything I had ever known in order to help you and your friends," Ben spat back. Of course, that wasn't where their story ended, but he thought it best to leave out anything that Locke wouldn't have known. This was going to rapi

 

Hi, guys, I'm goin on vacay from today to Tuesday the sixth. I don't know if I'll have internet access, so the cat may be away this weekend. Just a heads-up.

 

OOC: Prison Break!

 

OCC: here, here! i volunteer Hannibal to chew the Warden up so we can all escape . It pays to have a cannibal around

I`ll have a Hannibal post up later today

IC: Jack Shephard
The Church

If there was anything Jack had learned from his past ordeal, was that he shouldn?t jump into things blind. After his initial anger worse off, the cool and methodical surgeon mentality kicked in. He wouldn?t make the same mistakes he had made on the other island before. He couldn?t afford to.

?What do I know??, he mumbled to himself. ?I?m a prisoner on some island i cant escape from? ? hadn?t he heard this one before? If there was something he learned the hard way was that anything is possible, you just have to find a way to get it done. No, he wouldn?t rule out escaping just yet, despite the Warden?s warnings. ?I?m to be judged for my moral faults and I?m due to be executed? ? what those faults were and when this so called trial would take place he had no clue, so he would have to worry about that later. ?I?m able to wonder off and explore this prison though? ? there seem to be certain areas that appear to be of interest to the Warden more than others, like the old Church he was in. There had to be a reason for that. Finding this Warden was vital. He had to be on this island somewhere. And since he could explore around, he would also make that one of his priorities besides escaping. ?I must assume there would be other prisoners besides myself? - this could be a very good thing. The right ally can make a big difference when things get tight. Who those prisoners would be was another story. He hoped it would be other people he at least knew.

Feeling a bit better, he started looking at the Church all around him a bit more closely. Maybe he could find some helpful clues in here somewhere.

Just as he was going into a more detailed search, Jack heard movement by the door. As he turned around, a man walked in. Jack had no clue who that was, so his guard immediately got up. ?And I have no weapons, great?, he thought to himself annoyed. For a brief second he watched the man. Even though he was a stranger, Jack got no sense of danger for him? at least for now. He was dressed just like Jack, so he knew this man was another prisoner. Taking a breath, Jack decided to take the direct-with-no-bullcrap approach. ?Who are you??, he asked the man.

TAG: Jack Bauer and anyone else coming to the Church or is in the Church that i missed

 

OOC: To my cell mates, please be patient with me a bit longer as I sort out Jack and Terry.

IC: Jack Bauer

As Jack made his way into the Church, he could see that the only occupant in the room was the man he had seen through the windows. Determining that this man was just as confused as everyone else, Jack relaxed the grip on Bender's arm, which had given up on trying to find Jack's nonexistent wallet. He walked carefully down the aisle as the other man did the same.

The other man fixed him with a suspicious glare and calmly asked Who are you?

"My name is Jack Bauer. I'm a former agent of CTU and a fellow prisoner on this island."

Jack paused and examined the church, taking in everything.

"I came to this Church in order to use it as a look out point to survey the island we're on. If you want to escape, you can tell me where the stairs are"

Tag: Jack Shepard

---

[b]IC: Terry McGinnis[/b]

Terry continued trudging through the sewage pipe after Bender, doing his best not to breathe in. Bender seemed to be growing tired of Terry's comments about their current predicament as he said

[i]Don?t be a wuss. Nothing in here will kill you.[/i]

Terry wasn't so sure about that. And apparently, Bender seemed to change his tune as well. He came to a sudden stop and once more Terry had to catch himself from plowing into the robot.

[i]Actually, I?d be careful if I were you. There?s nails in this water. They can?t do anything to me, but you puny humans are really weak, and you could get hurt.[/i]

"Great" Terry muttered, "I guess that's how they stop people from escaping"

As Terry continued to urge the robot to move as quickly as possible, Bender replied

[i]I?m moving, I?m moving. I don?t like it in here any more than you do. You know I?m not going to find any beer.[/i]

"Hey, if we escape, I'll buy you a truck of beer. This guy I know can afford anything. If you speed it up, I'll make it two trucks."

He was sure Wayne wouldn't be pleased about spending money on a robot's alcoholism, but if it led to Terry's escape, he'd pay it. Once again, Terry wondered if the old man had any idea about his current whereabouts. If the world's greatest detective, couldn't find him, then his only hope remained this strange partying robot.

Terry squinted into the darkness, desperately looking for a way out, but all he saw was more unbroken pipe that seemed to drag on and on.

[i]I gotta say, this place is pretty poorly designed. No prison should have any spaces between the walls that are big enough for a body to get through. It?s like they want somebody to escape.[/i]

Bender had a knack for stating the obvious.

"I think you're right. Watch out for traps. This Warden seems like the type of guy to booby-trap a sewage pipe."

[b]Tag: Bender[/b]

 

IC Darth Vader:

"Skills? well I-" That was all the non-Jedi got out before he was interrupted by the other?s foolish demands. He did not look happy as he continued. I was gratified that I was not the only one who did not like the helmeted one. "I have a little bit of everything".

An answer lacking in any specificity, just as I had expected. What was his story? Was he one of Sidious?s experiments? My Master was always trying to push the boundaries of what the Force could do. It did not seem possible. Had there ever been a form of Sith Alchemy that left no trace of itself behind?

"If you don't have any particular place you want to go, than I suggest you and Hard Head back there go to the lighthouse and I'll meet you there after a quick recon of the church" The man tried to ingratiate himself to me by grinning, as if that would erase all of his prior behavior. ?That is if you can stand the little pest that long. After we find your terminal of course."

?I do not take orders from anyone within the walls of this prison.? I stared the man down, cursing the helmet that did not allow me to hold eye contact with my inferiors and demonstrate just how inferior they really were. All he would see was a cold, expressionless mask of molded plasteel looking in his direction. It had been made to look intimidating, along with the rest of my suit, and I had long ago learned to use body language and voice to supplement the atavistic terror most felt when just looking at my form. It was still no substitute for a good old-fashioned penetrating gaze.

?However, your suggestion is intriguing. If, as this warden claimed, there are no guards to be found, that makes finding out all we can about this island easier. Of course, we cannot take any knowledge gained from his words at face value.? The man said he was both invisible and omniscient. Not even the Sith would claim that.

That one? I pointed at the little armored abomination, ?will go to the church, while you and I explore the lighthouse together.? I did not want to let the cloaked one out of my sight, while the other was more of a hindrance than a help. Best to keep him far away as long as possible. ?It is better to separate those with special abilities, in case harm were to befall both at once and leave the rest unprotected.? I continued to limp along, playing my part. ?We must get our possessions,? Weapon ?first.?

TAG: Alex, Dark Helmet, anyone else interested

---

[color=black][hl=silver]IC Bender:[/hl][/color]

When Bender warned the human about the nails, the human said, [i]"Great. I guess that's how they stop people from escaping"[/I]

?Gee, you think?? A slightly metallic-sounding snort followed. ?I don?t know why you?re not King of the Universe with a brain like that.?

The boy, hearing Bender complain about the lack of alcohol, said, [i]"Hey, if we escape, I'll buy you a truck of beer. This guy I know can afford anything. If you speed it up, I'll make it two trucks."[/I]

Afford [i]anything?[/i] Bender liked the sound of that. He could mooch at the level to which he had grown accustomed. Those jerks at Planet Express didn?t know how to treat him right. They never had. Bender had to meet this kid?s friend. He had not really cared about getting out of here before, since one place was as likely to have alcohol as another, and what did he have to get right back to anyway? Now, though? He had incentive.

After Bender commented on how silly the design of this prison was, the kid said, [i]"I think you're right. Watch out for traps. This Warden seems like the type of guy to booby-trap a sewage pipe."[/i]

?Well, it?s a good thing I?m already in position, so I can bow down to the great King of the Universe. You, sir, have once again blown my mind with your wisdom!?

It was time to get this party started. ?So long, sucker!? he shouted behind him, then chuckled. He ran down the pipe, even though he was pretty much on his h

 

IC: Antryg Windrose

"Besides, I should think my not giving my name is less of a concern than two men materializing suddenly."

On the whole, Antryg agreed with Dean--well Ben--on this point. Even if everything Locke said was true and Ben was a liar and a killer, Ben had only his physical strength and his wits with which to make any evil desires manifest. Q and Tarrant obviously had quite a lot more power than that.

That was power's deadly trap--the more someone had, the easier it was to bring ruin upon himself and everyone around him, however good his intentions might be. Likewise, the most virulent human snake in the world could only do so much harm if he was condemned to cower and hiss in a corner.

It was that hard truth about power, and a resulting ban on wizards' interference in the lives of ordinary men and women, that had gotten Antryg every one of his multiple death sentences. Quite possibly, it would earn him some kind of execution even after death, if the Warden could be believed.

Feeling a surprising amount of compassion for the diminutive murderer on his right, Antryg released him with a pat on the shoulder--not so much out of trust, as out of the recognition that it was useless to try and play nanny to the man. Despite Ben's hapless travel writer act, he seemed to have ample experience at making and dealing with enemies. If he happened to do or say something that caused either Q or Tarrant to bring a murderous elemental down on his head, well, Antryg could at least set up counterspells around Corinna and Indiana.

Assuming those sorts of counterspells worked on this island.

"Dean--or Ben, whatever you wish to be called--I wish you no harm," he assured the other man. "I wish no harm to anybody here, although in fairness to John, half an hour or so ago I hadn't met any of you. These sorts of things make it easier to feel impartial. Still, if we can keep conflict to a minimum . . . particularly conflict involving individuals versed in pain spells, death spells, drawing forth Abominations out of the Void, telekintetic exsanguination, dissolving people into unrecognizable puddles filled with slivers of bone, or otherwise altering the physical universe in ways some of us would find acutely uncomfortable . . . well, then, that would be all to the best."

Tag: jungle people

OOC: This is just like "Twelve Angry Men" only surreal and psychotic.

 

IC: Jack Shephard
Church

Jack watched closely as the other prisoner introduced himself. The man had an edge to him that Jack just couldnt explain. "My name is Jack Bauer. I'm a former agent of CTU and a fellow prisoner on this island."That was it. An agent. No wonder Jack got that vibe from him. Even though Jack didnt know him, for some bizarre reason he got the sense that this was a guy he would get along with and might be of great help. He seemed to be studying everything the same as he was, looking for any clue he could find about the place. "I came to this Church in order to use it as a look out point to survey the island we're on. If you want to escape, you can tell me where the stairs are"

Looking around aswell, Jack answered, "Well i just showed up here with no clue how i even got here in the first place, i assume the same happened to you". Moving towards the left side of the altar, Jack continued talking, "I havent seen any stairs but i think that side door over there might be a good place to start looking". As he started moving towards the door, he added with a small smirk on his face "My name is also Jack by the way... Jack Shephard".

Tag: Jack Bauer

 

OOC: finals and food poisoning make me a very unhappy and unposty person. will as soon as i can. sorry for the holdup.

 

IC: Jack Bauer

The other man seemed to be examining Jack like a doctor would examine a patient. Like Jack, the man moved carefully and methodically, taking everything in.

Well I just showed up here with no clue how I even got here in the first place, I assume the same happened to you.

Jack nodded. "There are over a dozen of us with no idea how we got here. I was traveling with a young man and a..." Jack, held out Bender's arm "robot"

He lowered the arm and continued. "We got separated and I'm hoping they found an escape route. Hopefully I'll be able to discern that much from the top of this church."

I haven't seen any stairs but i think that side door over there might be a good place to start looking.

Jack nodded in agreement and began making his way towards the side door. The other man moved with him and said

My name is also Jack by the way... Jack Shephard

"Nice to meet you" Jack replied. As he opened the door, he motioned the other Jack through "So what skills do you have?" he asked. In the event of an escape, he knew that every body counted.

Tag: Jack Shepard

---

[b]IC: Terry McGinnis[/b]

Terry wasn't sure what was more foul: The sewage he was currently wading through. Or Bender's attitude. Apparently being in the sewer did not help improve relations between Terry and the robot. As Terry began to point out certain things he'd notice, Bender clearly indicated he'd already figured it out.

[i]Gee, you think? I don?t know why you?re not King of the Universe with a brain like that.[/i] When Terry had mentioned the possibility of traps, Bender responded

[i]
Well, it?s a good thing I?m already in position, so I can bow down to the great King of the Universe. You, sir, have once again blown my mind with your wisdom! [/i]

Terry said nothing and continued to follow the robot. Suddenly, Bender broke into a run and the only source of light illuminated the sewage pipe grew more and more distant. With the danger of traps, Terry struggled to keep up and maintain his balance.

[i]So long, sucker![/i] Bender yelled as he ran.

Terry let out a series of curses that would surely have earned him a month's grounding had his mother heard him. Even Bruce might have smacked him with his cane. But Terry very literally was up ****'s creek without a paddle. He had not planned on dying in a sewage tunnel, but life was funny that way.

And then Bruce's voice rang throughout his head.

[b][i]Focus McGinnis! Concentrate![/i][/b]

The old man had operated in the dark for years. Terry had even heard that he'd once defeated the Penguin while temporarily blind. In doing so, Bruce Wayne had learned to use his other senses to navigate. He had begun to teach Terry these techniques. But Terry was a novice. Bruce had perfected these techniques through years of study and training. Terry had been Batman for barely 2 years now.

[b][i]Batman is more than a suit[/b][/i] Bruce reminded him over and over again. He had insisted that Terry learn martial arts and undergo self defense training. He'd paid good money for Terry' physical fitness. Just because the suit had augmented strength and sensors did not mean that Terry could afford his guard down. Not in the eyes of Bruce Wayne.

And so, Terry calmed himself and closed his eyes, letting his other senses take over. He ignored his sense of taste and smell for the moment and focused on his hearing. He could hear the steady stream of the sewage rushing away from him towards some unseen exit. He could even hear Bender's splashing as the robot continued to make all haste towards an exit.

Cautiously, Terry began stepping foward, he had his hands out, carefully searching for any traps as he followed the stream of the sewage and the sound of Bender's footsteps.

As he made his way further and further down, he heard Bender's footsteps growing louder. The robot was returning. Slowly, Terry opened his eyes to see Bender's bright beams coming towards him. Either the robot had grown a conscience, or he'd failed to find an exit. Terry was betting on the latter.

"Dead end"

 

OOC: Food poisoning, too? This just isn't your week Well definitely get well.

 

IC: John Locke


The other group members, the ones whom Ben had been with, had watched their exchange closely. The tall man had let go of Ben's shoulder as he spoke, seeming to size things up. If Locke didn't know better, he would have said he saw sympathy in Antryg's eyes. Sympathy for Benjamin Linus could be dangerous. Locke knew from experience. Still, Locke held his tongue as Ben spat back.

"Yes, and if you remember, the last time we met, I voluntarily exiled myself from that island so that you could lead it, John. I left everyone and everything I had ever known in order to help you and your friends." Ben had a point. The last time they'd seen each other, Ben had even apologized for making his life miserable. Had extended his hand, which Locke had reluctantly taken. The difficulty was, Ben always had a point. He was always prepared with an explanation of some sort, and that made it very hard to know when was telling the truth.

Locke kept studying Ben silently as he continued, "Besides, I should think my not giving my name is less of a concern than two men materializing suddenly."

Locke's eyes darted to the mysterious men. Ben was deflecting, but his caution was something Locke could appreciate in this situation. These must have been the men belonging to the other set of tracks he'd been following. The tracks that had mysteriously disappeared without doubling back. Though Locke hadn't actually seen the men 'materialize', as Ben put it, he didn't doubt it.

As John was chewing on his thoughts, sizing up the situation and attempting to choose his words, Antryg spoke up, looking down at Ben, "Dean--or Ben, whatever you wish to be called--I wish you no harm. I wish no harm to anybody here, although in fairness to John, half an hour or so ago I hadn't met any of you. These sorts of things make it easier to feel impartial. Still, if we can keep conflict to a minimum . . . particularly conflict involving individuals versed in pain spells, death spells, drawing forth Abominations out of the Void, telekintetic exsanguination, dissolving people into unrecognizable puddles filled with slivers of bone, or otherwise altering the physical universe in ways some of us would find acutely uncomfortable . . . well, then, that would be all to the best."

Locke's brow slowly lifted. This fellow certainly had a lot to say, and though the gist of it made sense, there were casual mentions of some other things that were less usual. For his part, Ben stared unblinking at the strange wizard, taking things in but evidently undaunted. Ben nodded sympathetically, as only he could in response to a statement like that, "Thank you, Antryg. I agree on keeping conflict to a minimum." Ben's eyes slid over toward Locke, fixing him with a pointed stare.

John couldn't help but smile. He was good. Locke had to give him that.

Out of the corner of his eye, Locke caught the other tall man staring him down. He stepped forward and spoke firmly. "Alright, that's enough," he said, looking then to Ben. "I can forgive some distortion of the truth. After all, which one of us doesn't have something to hide? If that happens to be a name, fine. You can go by Ben or Dean or whatever you want. It doesn't change the fact that we're all stuck in this prison together without trial or reason. If you want to continue to argue over past differences and what's right and wrong, that's your choice, but I intend to find answers."

With that, the man turned around, putting a hand on the young woman's shoulder and beginning to continue in the direction their tracks suggested they had been headed. A rousing speech, to be sure. Locke could almost see a shadow of Jack in the man. It appeared he'd taken the leadership role in this group, anyway. He'd even directed his words at the two mysterious newcomers. Locke wasn't quite sure what to think of them. But he had a surprisingly high tolerance for people appearing out of nowhere in the jungle. He was willing to accept them, so long as they weren't causing problems.

Locke's eye

 

IC: The Vam
Cell H

?A wire? Why would anyone carry around a wire? And what threat does a wire pose to you??

The Vam ?stared? at the god, an absorbed memory from one of his more recent meals: Star Trek: The Next Generation?

?Not enough that the Vam cannot Feast, nor that the Vam is imprisoned, but, the Vam is sharing a cell with Data!? The realisation led to related memes bubbling up. ?So what does that make the Vam?? The protoplasmic scourge contemplated itself against pirated memories of that television series. ?Black. No eyes. Except that which the Vam makes himself...goodness, the Vam is Geordi La Forge!?

The Vam switched attention from The God of All Mankind, to his other cell-mate, recognising the other's maroon and black one-piece ?pull-up suit?.

?Q?! Is this down to you??

?Besides, both of you are still constrained with the thought that this is a physical place. Listen, our bodies, are not real. Look.?

The Vam looked at the God of All Mankind as His body changed appearance from an old man, to a young boy, to a small sperm, to nothing, back to his mid 30s Middle Eastern look, all before the Vam could drop into the extra space.

?Bother.?

?This is not a feat by extraordinary power. Simply a reflection of my soul in different stages of my life. Thus, my soul is trapped in this place, not my body. The walls are not there because well, I am not here. This is just an imagination presented to us. Remember what the warden said??

The Vam remembered, and figuratively narrowed his eyes as his wise cellmate contiinued.

?So in truth, my friend.. There is no point going to the other side of this wall since what's there is really not.?

?Or this is the biggest wind-up since that War of the Worlds radio broadcast, and the Warden is not really here. Still...? The Vam tailed off, as he thought about things. ?...the Vam is game.?

A directionless constipated groan stretched for several seconds, then the mass of bioplasm flooding the cell disappeared.

To be replaced by a little boy about seven or eight, in yellow tights, a tight yellow sweater, his torso and head bulked out by mother-created yellow-and-black-striped bumblebee outfit.

?BEHOLD THE VAM!? The familiar booming voice from the child's mouth sounded wierd, though nit-pickers everywhere would have thought the vocal cords would have changed with the appearance. ?The Vam never looked like this, obviously.? The child confessed as it turned it's arms over to examine it's new appearance. ?But Dave the Fireman's Mum packed him off to Penarth Primary one day for a fancy dress party. He came 3rd.?

The Cardiff firefighter had been a victim that The Vam had latched onto with a tendril and used as bait to catch anyone who tried to save him.

The boy turned an innocent face to Manny. ?The Vam confesses that the Vam thought you were full of crap..., but the Va- ow, ow, hold on a sec'!? The Vam reached down to tug on the thin fabric constricting The Vam's bits.

Tag: The God of All Mankind, Q

 

IC Bender:

When Bender finally got back to the kid, all the other said was, "Dead end"

?Well, if you?re going to give me a hard time about it, forget it! What do you want from me? Haven?t I done enough for you??

Bender saw that the kid was pointing up at a hatch. How did I miss that? He leapt up at it and exploded it off of the hinges, then grabbed the edge of the hole, and lifted himself up. He was surrounded by tiles. Ugly, gray tiles, the same the world over. This had to be the shower. The kid would probably appreciate that.

The room was really steamy; one of the showers must be on. The floor was coated with a thin layer of water, which was now running down his body as it made its way through the hole he had just smashed open. The waste he had crawled through was being sloughed off him, and probably hitting the kid beneath him right in the face. The thought made him chuckle.

When he pulled himself up, he was as clean as the day he left the factory floor. He splashed through the water. The steam was thick, billowing around him and helping to hide him from view for a time. Well, not really. That was probably just wishful thinking.

The kid would still be able to find him easily. He would not have wanted to hide from the kid before, especially since he had that wealthy benefactor to introduce Bender to, but the robot had come to believe in the last few minutes that this benefactor did not exist. The human was just making up stories to seem cooler than he really was. ?What a loser,? he muttered to himself.

He remained immobile as the steam continued to build, pressing himself tightly up against the tiled wall. Maybe the kid would go away?

Tag: Terry

 

OOC: Finally time to introduce my Cor-approved new main character Dr.Strange. He and Jack will be my main characters on trial. Terry was proving to be a bit too difficult for that part. But since he's on the island, he's stuck now as a secondary character. Hopefully once prisoners get their stuff back, he'll be more useful. Until then, he'll be Dr. Strange's sidekick. I'll update the list at the end of my post.

IC: Terry McGinnis
Terry had just about had it with Bender. While not as technically skilled as Wayne, he knew he could find a way to shut Bender off if he really wanted. And right about now, he was seriously contemplating it. He?d dealt with some annoying and offensive people, but Bender made Nelson Nash, Terry?s high school rival, look like a saint. And indeed, Nelson probably was when compared to Bender who stole, drank and committed any other crime he could likely think of. Was it any wonder that this robot was in prison? At least that was one prisoner whose incarceration made sense.

When Bender returned, he said
Well, if you?re going to give me a hard time about it, forget it! What do you want from me? Haven?t I done enough for you?

Terry decided not to say the several vulgar phrases that were on his mind. Instead he simply pointed toward the hatch above the robot?s head.

Instead of giving Terry another sarcastic dig, The robot looked up and noticed the hatch. Immediately he lept up and removed it with the finesse of a charging bull.

And in what had become common behavior for Bender, the robot immediately left Terry to rot. As he began to look up, a large cascade of waste rolled down on his face and Terry managed to close his eyes and mouth just in time as more sewage washed down. He thought he heard Bender chuckle.

Terry wiped the muck as best he could with his dirty sleeve and once more looked up. The hole was now clear and nothing else seemed to be streaming down. Vowing to get even with Bender, the young Batman fell into a crouch and leapt up, grabbing the floor above and hoisted himself over the hole.

He was greeted by fog. He struggled to look through the fog attempting to find Bender but the robot was already out of site.

Not really caring what had become of the robot, Terry returned his attention to the room he was in. Realization dawned on him as he felt perspiration on his face from the hot steam. He noticed the grey tiles and the small stalls and realized with relief that they had found the showers.

?Hello?? Terry called out, attempting to see if anyone was nearby. After repeating his call several more times, the young man made his way to the nearest stall and turned on the shower. As clean water flowed down at him, Terry stripped off his filthy prison outfit and kicked it off in a heap by the drain.

He found the soap and shampoo and began to wash himself more thoroughly than he had even done before. He continued until he?d completely used up the soap. Finally feeling clean, he turned off the water and made his way out of the stall. The fog was even thicker now thanks to his very long and very hot shower and Terry struggled to make his way towards the exit. Finally spotting what looked to be an area with towels and clean linen, Terry made a beeline towards it, nearly tripping over something. He caught himself quickly and turned around to see what he?d stumbled upon. He knelt down to find the body of another man on the floor. A quick look showed the man was unconscious. He wore the same outfit as the other prisoners and despite his current appearance; the man seemed to emit an air of importance.

?Hey pal? Terry said, shaking the man by the shoulders, ?Wake up?

IC: Dr. Strange
The former sorcerer supreme let out a sigh of frustration. He had walked right into a trap. How he had missed it, he had no clue. Clearly he had relied too much on his magical artifacts and let his own skills slip. But now that he was no longer the Sorcerer Supreme, Stephen Strange would need to hone his skills again.

Dr. Strange surveyed the prison

 

IC: Antryg Windrose

"After all, which one of us doesn't have something to hide?" Indiana asked.

An excellent question, and one that was likely to complicate their lives on the island considerably. Right now, the surrounding strangers were like so many fortune teller's cards, splayed out face down. Who knew which among them would prove reassuringly harmless when his true self was finally revealed? And who knew which one of them might be a human--or at least sentient--Death card?

He got a partial answer sooner than he expected:

"I just thought you should know who you were dealing with. In fairness, Benjamin, you did recently shoot me and leave me for dead."

"Thank you for sharing that, John."

No hint of either a denial or an apology. Good to know who they were dealing with indeed--unless of course some larger fog of misdirections rendered both Ben and Locke untrustworthy.

As Indiana and his charge Corinna began their trek into the jungle, Antryg casually took up a position more or less between the other magic users and the people who were presumably defenseless against them. Even though the renegade wizard had shattered more or less every law and precept regarding the use of magic in his home world, that didn't mean he felt no need to protect people who had come off worst in an inherently unfair division of power.

Of course, it wouldn't do to look as if he felt any concern about individuals who traveled by teleportation or slipping from shadow to shadow more seamlessly than the most highly-trained warrior. As he fell into line with his unlikely companions, he reached out and tugged a thin vine stringer from the mat of hanging vegetation in which it hung. As he walked, his long fingers began fashioning the vinelet into a makeshift cat's cradle string.

"Might I ask where we're headed?" Locke asked.

"To the lighthouse, unless a shoal of mutant piranhas devours us first," Antryg said. He'd learned a lot about Joanna's world of Los Angeles by watching her television very late at night. "I confess that I have quite a few questions about the lighthouse. For one thing, assuming it is really a lighthouse, and not something with a concealed, alternate purpose, its presence implies passing ships. More to the point, its presence implies passing mortal ships, with crews that have something to lose if they run around in dangerous shallows. What, after all, could happen to a ship filled with shades of the dead if they wrecked themselves upon an island of the dead? They certainly aren't going to come back to life in order to die twice. For that matter, one would expect a dead pilot to know his business and stay away from dangerous shores, given an eternity in which to practice. Unless of course he was an especially stupid pilot, and sailing with him was his passengers' penance. In any case, a genuine, working lighthouse wouldn't necessarily prove the Warden a liar, but it would put us quite a bit closer to the world of the living than he's led us to believe."

--------------------

Tag: Jungle group


OOC: Have I mentioned that The Vam rocks my world?

 

IC Bender:

Through the fog, Bender heard the kid call out, ?Hello?? He repeated it several times, then Bender heard water. Bender remained still, in his position by the wall. He didn?t need normal human vision to see. He had Robo-vision. That was how he knew that there was another person lying on the floor tiles. A drunk, probably. Humans just can?t hold their liquor.

Eventually, the kid turned the water off, having added further steam to the sauna. Bender nearly laughed as the one human almost tripped over the other. The kid spent some time checking the drunkard out, but probably not trying to steal his wallet. Too much of a goody-goody.

The kid then said, ?Hey pal. Wake up?

?I am alright? the other human said moments later. He did not sound like a drunk usually does. ?My apologies. Astral projection appears to have taken a lot out of me. I?ll recover shortly? Astral projection. A likely story. Everyone knew only robots and quadrillionaires could . . .

The kid had been telling the truth! Here was the benefactor, in the flesh. He must have been super, filthy rich if he had ended up here. You had to wreck a lot of lives and engage in extremely criminal behavior to merit a stay in a place like this. Bender could learn a lot from this guy.

The kid responded with, ?I?ll be right back? Then Bender could see him moving away, probably to get a towel. A lot of humans had a real problem with nudity.

Next, Bender heard the other human say, ?I told you I?d be fine? This was a fascinating conversation so far, really. What could they possibly be thinking? Neither of them had mentioned him yet.

The kid then said, ?Yeah, I see that. Well not really. All this fog??

Suddenly, Bender heard the other human saying something incomprehensible, and the fog that had hidden him was utterly gone, leaving only the hiss of the shower that had been left running. Robo-vision no longer applied, but neither human had noticed him yet.

?Thanks. Name?s Terry? Boring!

?I am Dr. Strange? A doctor? Really? Like Zoidberg or like Farnsworth? They didn?t make much money, did they? Nuts. He did not know what to think now. Rich or not?

?Strange huh? That?s appropriate? Back to boring again.

?You?re not the first to make that observation? They really must be trying to tax his patience unit.

The boy paused for a moment and then asked ?I don?t suppose you?ve seen a robot walking around by chance??

That was Bender?s cue. He stretched out his arm and turned off the faucet before stepping forward. ?I?m Bender.? He brought his hand up to the human called Strange. ?I?m gonna be your new best friend.?

Tag: Terry, Strange