Suspiciously Quiet

[house-of-mystiq.livejournal.com]

The carnage in the hotel ballroom disappears in a gut wrenching wave of nausea and blurryness. When she can see again, she's on her knees, surrounded by her fellow Exiles.

Raven braces herself for the worst. Zombies roaming the streets, the sun blotted out by swarms of locusts, a world where every restaurant is non-smoking. She opens her eyes and sees...a suburban strip mall.

A Best Buy anchors one end. The other end is held down by a Dick's Sporting Goods. In between, there are a couple of ethnic restaurants, some clothing stores, and, to her immense relief, a Cox Smoker's Outlet.

Comments

[uneasy-rider.livejournal.com]

Revisiting this sucks, but someone is finally asking and not just asking to get something quick to shut her up.

"Daddy was dy'n of cancer and he was what me and Johnny had. Grandma taught me some things, so I used 'em. Called something called 'Zarathos.' Mah books were miss'n though. Guess Johnny took 'em to make his own deal with the devil Mephisto."

[wwii-hero.livejournal.com]

"Aw, crap. Mephisto's bad news."

[uneasy-rider.livejournal.com]

"Tell'n me. Daddy got clear of the cancer and then the bastard made him fall off the bike. Zarathos pointed it out to me. 'Cause I make a deal to have Zarathos ride me separate but guess he could that without Mephito's say or something - cause he was gonna take Z and have Johnny be his jailer or replace his soul or someth'n." She blows the bangs out of her eyes. "Details are a little fuzzy after the four of us got to the graveyard."

[wwii-hero.livejournal.com]

He frowns. "Magic's always been a bit hazy to me... I was never all that close to Doctor Strange... but it sounds like Zarathros made Mephisto break a deal."

[uneasy-rider.livejournal.com]

"Who's Doc Strange? And what's the problem with the Prince of Liars bust'n a contract?"

[wwii-hero.livejournal.com]

"Not positive... but I'm not sure it's even possible. We should talk to the others. As for Strange... he's the Sorcerer Supreme. At least in my world."

[uneasy-rider.livejournal.com]

"Like head magic guy for everything?"

[wwii-hero.livejournal.com]

"Something like that," he nods. "Let's go get some food in you, huh?"

[uneasy-rider.livejournal.com]

"Still feel sick. But -" There's something about Buck. He and Morph are the nicest guy on this crew she's stuck with. It wouldn't do to let him down. "Morph gonna be there?"

[wwii-hero.livejournal.com]

"Probably. Sarah's getting some shopping done, but she may join us later, too."

[uneasy-rider.livejournal.com]

"Nice lady." She gets up. "Bucky?"

[wwii-hero.livejournal.com]

"Yes, Roxie?"

[uneasy-rider.livejournal.com]

"Why are they all bother'n with me? God, this Broker guy, on down..."

[wwii-hero.livejournal.com]

He shrugs, chuckling.

"That's one of those questions that I think we all ask ourselves at some point in time or another." He pauses. "Well, for God, anyway... I've never asked about the Broker guy, myself..."

[uneasy-rider.livejournal.com]

"What about you?"

[wwii-hero.livejournal.com]

He shrugs. "It's what I do." He pauses. "It's what he would have done, too."

[uneasy-rider.livejournal.com]

"Cap?"

[wwii-hero.livejournal.com]

"Yeah." He looks downcast for a second, but he covers it with a grin. "It was weird to see him in that last world. But even though it wasn't my Cap... it was still nice."

[uneasy-rider.livejournal.com]

"Come on." Roxie looks like she's got her bravado back. "Let's get something spicy and figure out what we gotta go blow up."

[wwii-hero.livejournal.com]

"Sounds like my kind of woman," he winks, but the flirt, while friendly, is joking. "Let's go."