Log:Butterfly Drops a T-rex

Wasp Venom 2013/09/01

Regan Penetrator

7

Steel's Gym

''Inside the door is a spacious reception area. Directly opposite the entrance is a wide full length window of thick armor glass providing a gallery view into the workout area. To the east is a desk where gym staff check membership cards, schedule sessions and give out information. Next to the desk are vending machines selling snacks and chilled drinks and a jukebox. The west side of the reception area has a pair of old fashioned pinball machines and a holographic Hogan's Alley combat shooting game. Some framed Photographs, a Plaque, and the Gym Rules are hung on a wall beside the gallery window. ''

''The central area of the reception has a half dozen tables and chairs for members who are waiting for their booked session or discussing the outcome. A short flight of stairs leads down to the massive stainless steel door of the workout room as well as doors to the restrooms and changing rooms that are equipped with showers for freshening up after an exhausting practice. An arched opening provides access to the more conventional areas of the Gym, a weight training facility, the exercise room, and a heated swimming pool.''

A man walks into Steel's Gym and looks about. His features are wide and dark dark brown, almost black. He's dressed in crisp new jeans, a white t-shirt with a confederate flag on the chest, a white Stetson hat and brand new black cowboy boots. He pauses just inside the door and looks about.

Regan looks up from the display on the counter to regard the new arrival. "Good evening, I'm Regan, the manager here, may I assist you in any way?"

"Yes," the man says in a thick accent. "I understand heroes train here? I would like to see this hero training facilities if I may."

Regan nods. "May I ask what your interest might be? Is it purely curiousity driven or do you have an interest in utilising the facilities yourself." Regan's tone is mild, her hands resting lightly on the counter top in front of her.

Penetrator says, "I would like to use faycilities myself. I have, how you say, meta talents."

Regan nods and gestures across the room, moving from behind the counter to lead the way in that direction. "Use of the facilities is free of charge to meta-humans who dedicate themselves to defense and assistance of the city. For others there is a charge."

Penetrator nods as if not really surprised by the answer. "Ah. I am just visitor to city. How would I know if charge was worth it?"

Regan leads the way to the door which opens on her approach and she moves through. "You would look at our schedule of fees and determine whether or not the money required meant more to you than the opportunity to use the facility. How many hours of access do you think you would need?"

Penetrator chuckles softly, "Hours? Minutes, at most."

Regan leaves Steel's Gym and enters Workout Room. Penetrator leaves Steel's Gym and enter Workout Room.

Workout Room

''As if straight from a martial arts movie, there is a field of blooming cherry trees. Their beautiful light pink blossoms are on each branch, cover the ground and fill the air. A tall Chinese style temple looms in the distance, and other than a few large rocks and 3 trees, there isn't much to protect you in this fenced in garden. The area is designed to be dramatic, even going as far to have faint oriental music played by Marcus Bard on traditional instruments and arranged to flow from one to the other based on the combat. ''

''For added effect for you fist throwers the floating blossoms trail in lines of pink flows the winds from each blow giving a feel of being in a movie. The 'sun' is set to the right angle to cast it's rays on a slow moving stream that bisects the garden with a bridge on it. There is a small pagoda in the middle of the bridge. ''

Regan moves toward a bird bath that shimmers on her approach to reveal a control panel. "Operational costs are one hundred dollars an hour, that includes having someone to operate the simulations for you." She turns to regard the man. "There may be additional charges based on any special requirements you may have."

Penetrator follows Regan into the workout room and looks about with an appraising eye. "Very, how you say? theatrical. I can see why it is popular with Americans. I, however, am not Americano and am not easily impressed by pretty trees or fancy black costumes from king fu movie."

Regan nods slightly. "The simulation can be adjusted to taste." She comments mildly in her polished English accent. "Depending on your personal preferences and your training requirements. If you need assistance developing a training regimen I can assist with that as well."

Penetrator hmms. "Can simulation make potential victim, say stationary maniquin to represent mayor's wife or gym owner's fiancee? And can simulation make nice brick wall that will protect fiancee from bad people?"

Regan turns her attention to the man and blinks momentarily, her lips curling into a soft smile. "You haven't deigned to share your name with me, which, if I were a suspicious person, I would take as an indication that you're not here in good faith. You have compounded that impression by making an utterance that I could, if I were a suspicious person, interpret as an act of overt hostility." She presses a button on the control panel and there is an ominously loud thump from the direction of the doors. "Have you and whoever hired you done even basic research on who I am?"

Penetrator reaches in his pocket and pulls out a nail. He hands the nail to Regan. It has been sharpened on both ends. "Real ninja," he says, "did not use Hollywood throwing stars. Real ninja used sharpened nails, because sharpened nails were easy to conceal and could not be traced. Everyone had tools to make sharpened nail. It did not require fancy forge or special metal. Nails are nothing. I am like nail: nothing special. While I am in town, I wanted to warn you. I am not the only meta visiting Colonial Bay. Very nice man called Rewind is in town Very nice man, no one would notice him. But Rewind has nasty temper and nasty power. It would not be good to, say attack university where Rewind has family."

Regan accepts the nail, glances at it and throws it to one side. "You've had ample opportunity to be polite, you've had ample opportunity to persuade me. Instead what you've done is threaten me and my fiancee. You are in the unique position of knowing ahead of time that I am going to hurt you." She comments mildly. "I make that point because people who piss me off do not receive warnings, they don't get advanced notice. Normally the first thing they know about it is me inserting a sharpened nail sideways up their rectum. If you're ready we shall commence."

Penetrator holds up his hands, palms open and empty. "I not threaten. We are talking about simulations, yes? I just want to make sure simulation room can meet my needs before I spend money. That is all. I even try and warn you about new meta in town. We are being all friendly. No need for hostility. I *never* start fight against good people."

Regan shakes her head. "The time for pleasantries is long past. You are a messenger, what happens to you in the next few minutes is going to send a message loud and clear to anyone who even considers this as an option." She advances on the man. "You think you can come into my facility, my town, and threaten anyone?" Her eyes widen. "You think that's acceptable?"

Penetrator doesn't move, his hands still raised in surrender. "I heard you were good guy," he says just before Regan reaches him.

Regan's right hand flattens, thumping heel first into the middle of the stranger's chest whereupon the nimbus of crackling white energy that had surrounded it disappears and the man stands stock still.

"Just so we're clear being good does not mean I tolerate scumbags wandering into my gym and threatening my fiancee in particular, but pretty much anyone is off limits." Regan explains. "All it does is emphasize you're going to commit a serious crime and I can prevent that."

Penetrator's cocky smirk gives way to surprised worry when he realizes that he's frozen in place instead of recovering from a punch that makes Regan look like a criminal. The brown irises of his eyes glow luminescent green for a moment, but nothing happens. Surprise gives way to worry. "This is kidnapping," he finally says a bit weakly, uncertain himself how true that is.

Regan's eyes narrow. "Kidnapping?" Her lips purse. "I'm not taking you anywhere." She turns and leaps back to the control panel. "Now I'm reprogramming the simulation. This is a delicate task, one tiny miscalculation and something bad might happen."

Penetrator closes his eyes and concentrates on whatever is happening in his body. He's never seen a power like this and has no clue what Regan's power could be doing to his heart or other important organs while his other muscles are frozen.

Above and behind the pinioned man a large metallic dinosaur begins to take shape, the holographic and tractor-beam controls operating jointly to construct an eight foot tall behemoth of metal. She seems absorbed in the task and doesn't notice the disconcertingly loud rattle that betrays the fact the metal plates aren't solidly fixed together. With two lumbering steps the metal colossus takes a post looming over the stranger.

Penetrator 's eyes widen, all the bravado and confidence he displayed before gone. He struggles to move, and feels something give, but he isn't certain if the ripping thing is the power holding him or a protesting muscle.

Still distracted by her work at the controller Regan doesn't notice a piece of the monstrosity tumble free until it clangs to the ground just beside the stranger with an alarmingly loud noise. At the sound she finally looks up to assess the situation. "Oh, no." And with one final stab of a finger the monster collapses on top of the man.

Buried under a stack of metal, it is uncertain if the dark stranger survived or is even still under there. He certainly makes no sound.

A second stab of that finger and the twisted pile of metal disappears. Regan moves quickly over to check on his condition and determine whether or not he is carrying any surveillance equipment that survived the accident.

Penetrator is carrying a wallet with both American and Zu currency (not much of either), a passport (Baruti Bezuidenhout), and several more of those double-ended nails in boots, under belt buckle and sewn into the seams of his pants. He is unconscious, but (barring the inobvious) does not appear to be critically injured.

In the process of checking his person and his medical state Regan accidently plants her knee on his hand, trapping his palm flat against the floor as she rolls his body onto its side to move it into coma position. The rocking of his weight will at the very least sprain his wrist and has the potential to break it.

Penetrator does not stir as his hand is damaged.

Regan quickly moves away from the unconscious man to summon him an ambulance.She regularly checks that his vital signs are stable.

Penetrator wakes in about a minute. Other than the damaged hand, he appears to be fine.

Regan looks the stranger and crouches. "So, I got your passport details, I'm going to assume that's a fake but given the stupidity of this entire exercise I wouldn't put it past you to be here under your real name. Now my advice to you Baruti is to go back to whatever hole you crawled out of. and stay there because if I even hear about you again I will grind you into a smear. I don't sleep, I don't relax, I was designed with but one purpose and that was to kill people and I was very very good at it. The last thing you want is for me to decide I've no reason to hold back." She pauses a moment. "Do you understand what I am saying?"

Penetrator chuckles, then in a voice full of irony he says, "I understand."

Regan watches the man struggle to regain mobility, her expression neutral. "I've sworn not to kill again, so if death is all you fear then feel free to ignore me. On the other hand you might like to reflect just how much a cholostemy bag and a wheelchair are going to cramp your inimitable style. T"

Penetrator does not reply. He closes his eyes and concentrates on frreing himself. However, he has not succeeded before the amburance arrives.

Regan guides the EMTs to where the man lays and watches them begin the process of assessment and treatment. Their initial concerns are allayed as they take his pulse and blood pressure. But they're rather alarmed by his inability to move, in time hwwever that fades and the only lingering effects are a possible concussion and his twisted wrist.