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

[rogue-starsr.livejournal.com]

Sarah has her shoulder back in the brace, but its definitely not as bad as last time she jumped, and most of the other Hulk and Deadpool bruises shouldn't take too long to heal. Nonetheless, she's braced for anything as they jump.

Then she quickly relaxes as she sees the place. "Ok, so after all that, and with all this jumping around, I need some new clothes. Anyone else for a shopping trip?"

Ok, so every now and then she's still aloowed to be a teenage girl.

[uneasy-rider.livejournal.com]

It's daylight where they are, and the Ghostrider leaves just Roxanne behind.

Who promptly passes out from shock.

[proteus-maximus.livejournal.com]

Morph stretches his arms to cushion the fall of the lady Ghost Rider.

"Dammit, I had a lot more I could've done for that world.."

[house-of-mystiq.livejournal.com]

"We don't get to stay at our leisure," Raven says sadly. "Probably for the best. There are some places a few of us might not leave." She offers him a little smile. "One of those Easter Island stone heads thought you were pretty cute."

[spidey2099.livejournal.com]

Lyla's got the drill down now, and appearing in a shopping center, she helps holo him back into street clothes so as not to monkey with anyone's fears of masked men.

Then she works on triangulating where they are.

"Who's hungry? I can't remember the last time I had a meal."

[house-of-mystiq.livejournal.com]

Raven shifts into a nondescript form - average height and size, jeans and a plain black t-shirt - although she keeps her hair red.

"I could eat half a deer." She raises her eyebrows. "What's the Tallus say?"

[spidey2099.livejournal.com]

His head tilts, waiting for something.

Then, finally, his eyes start to dart around the place.

"Be More Flexible."

[tj-nocturne.livejournal.com]

"Totally not a problem here," says TJ. "So what, we have to take a yoga class, or is it being all metaphorical on us again?"

[proteus-maximus.livejournal.com]

"I'm more flexible than anybody.. happily demonstrated on request."

He waggles eyebrows at Raven.

[spidey2099.livejournal.com]

Miguel can't help but glance to TJ at that remark.

[house-of-mystiq.livejournal.com]

Raven completely misses it. She's too busy grinning back at Morph. "We could set a record for fastest mission yet. Worth a try?"

Her skin darkens to brown as it takes on a woody texture. She bends backwards and grabs her ankles, forming her body into the loose D shape of a bow. "There's a Target." She nods at the familiar red and white iconography of the middle class store.

[rogue-starsr.livejournal.com]

As usual, Sarah tries to ignore Morph and Grandma's banter at the start of a new mission. "Well, we'll figure it out. I'm starved though. Then I want some clean clothes to change into, a shower, and some time to sleep... if we're not being attacked by then. I think I still have some Deadpool on me from that last shield trick."

[house-of-mystiq.livejournal.com]

Raven has no difficulty holding the pose. From her upside down vantage, she adds, "We should also get Miss Flamey Skull into a bed before the sun goes down. Wait...should we put her in the bathtub instead? Better make sure we find a hotel that still uses porcelain. I'd hate to melt a plastic shower/tub combo."

[rogue-starsr.livejournal.com]

"True, maybe Spider's assistant can search for a hotel that meets our needs, and some of us can grab some food, clothes, stuff like that, and meet at the hotel?"

[spidey2099.livejournal.com]

"Rooms already booked at that hotel right there," he says, pointing to a Holiday Inn a couple blocks away.

A glance to Roxie's big bike. "Anyone know how to drive one of these old heaps?"

[rogue-starsr.livejournal.com]

Sarah nods. "I'm betting some others might know better, but they had some motorcycle like things on Battleworld. I can figure it out if I can figure out the hoverbikes."

[wwii-hero.livejournal.com]

"Don't sweat it. I've been riding motorcycles before I was shaving." Patriot winks. "I'll take you shopping once we get some food, Sarah. No problem." He glances at Mystique and Morph. "Unless some of us, you and I can't pretend we're not naked by making fake clothes out of our skin."

[rogue-starsr.livejournal.com]

"Uhm... that's just fine. I think I'll skip that power..."

[wwii-hero.livejournal.com]

"Sounds like a plan," he grins, clapping her on the shoulder. He glances at the two shapeshifters with a wink. "And just keep that in mind next time one of them hugs you."

[rogue-starsr.livejournal.com]

"Yeah." she adds, looking at the two. "Which is among any number of reasons I avoid just that." she mutters quietly.

[spidey2099.livejournal.com]

"Okay. Sarah, go shopping. Bucky, give her your sizes and let her dress you, and you can take Roxie back to the hotel on that bike - your name is Jordan Boone when you check in. TJ, Raven, Morph and I will get a bunch of food and as much info about this place as we can. We'll meet back in the rooms in half an hour."

[house-of-mystiq.livejournal.com]

Raven straightens up, surveying the options. "Everyone good with Chinese? I wouldn't mind a little tissue diversity in my diet. I still have some restructuring left to..."

She pauses, a slightly confused look on her face, then tries to poke a finger into what appears to be the pocket of her bluejeans. A bloody red line opens at the seam. She stares at it in delight.

[rogue-starsr.livejournal.com]

Armed with permission to hit the mall, Sarah is off like a shot with a broad grin on her face, not even seeming to notice the jarring of her arm as she moves. Back home, those with powers weren't terribly welcome to use public places like the mall, unless they wanted to fight sentinels over it, and the matter replicators on Battleworld, while useful, somehow lack the appeal of an actual shopping trip, so this ought to be a unique experience.

[tj-nocturne.livejournal.com]

TJ's normal grandma just tried to kill her friends every so often. This one is... much weirder, but far easier to tolerate.

"Yeah, Chinese is fine," agrees TJ, rolling her neck in an attempt to stretch it out. "As long as I get something spicy, and in large quantities."

[wwii-hero.livejournal.com]

"Sounds like a plan." Patriot grabs Roxie and heads off on her bike.