Log:Mosquitoes Biting, Scene 1

Mosquitoes Biting 2008/08/20 	 Rebound Spirit Guardian Lorelei Michelle Rebound Lightray drones of Orion 1

Past Times

Lorelei is seated at a table with a cup of coffee in front of her reading her PDA.

Dorian comes in from outside, and lets the door close behind him as he looks around briefly before heading in the direction of the counter.

Lorelei looks up. "Oh, hey Dorian!"

Dorian waves to Lorelei, smiling slightly. "Hey there. How are you?"

Alex steps into the shop, reading from a magazine as he comes inside. He's paying just enough attention to not stumble into anything or anyone as steps in.

Lorelei says, "Oh, pretty good, though I still don't know where I am one day to the next. Just going over some lines - hey, Alex!"

Dorian nods slowly. "Ah. Well, at least you're keeping busy. That's good."

[To Dorian] Lorelei says, "And you?"

Jocelyn enters the coffee shop and looks around in surprise at the number of known metas in there. She smiles at Lorelei but doesn't approach uninvited. Instead she heads for the counter to order a strawberry milkshake.

Alex looks over. "Heya, Steph," he says with a smile. He nods to Dorian, now that he's paying attention. "Hey."

Dorian places his hands in the back pockets of his jeans. "Keeping busy. Trying to prepare for the wedding." He nods with a smile to Alex. "Heya."

Lorelei says, "How's it going, Alex? I haven't been seeing much of you the past few weeks. Did you take the job with Masters?"

Lorelei returns Jocelyn's smile.

Alex nods. "It's part of what has me so busy. Well, so busy of late. I started on Monday, had my first meeting yesterday. Now what's this about a wedding?"

Dorian smiles slightly, "I'm getting married. To Zeal Zudares."

Lorelei blinks. "What's what about a wedd - ow!" She swats at her arm.

Jocelyn takes her milkshake from the server and goes to sit at a table where she quietly and inconspicuously watch the meta group.

Lorelei smiles. "Oh, that's great! When's the day?"

Dorian says, "It's still nebulous. We're looking at November sometime."

Dorian shrugs, "But...with the holidays, we might have to push back until late January."

Alex glances at Lorelei for a moment before returning his attention to Dorian. "Congratulations."

Lorelei apologises, "Sorry, mosquito got me."

Dorian smiles to Alex, "Thanks."

Lorelei says, "Yes, congrats!"

Michelle heads in from the Balcony and grabs some more coffee.

Lorelei nods to Michelle as well.

Dorian swats behind his ear. "Someone must have left a window open, I guess."

Lorelei says, "You too?"

Lorelei says, "Well, they did say there were lots of mosquitos about this year. First I've noticed it, really, though. Of course, I've been out of the city a lot."

Alex nods. "And I've been indoors a lot."

Jocelyn slaps at the back of her neck and then looks puzzled.

Michelle waves to the others as she sips the coffee and thinks "Yeah insects are kinda annoying sometimes"

Lorelei says, "Clearly this mosquito has outwitted us and figured out where we were hiding."

Dorian shrugs, "I spent a lot of time in air conditioning, myself."

Alex waves to Michelle. "Hey... have we met?"

Michelle nods some for a moment "I think so, Caleb's brother right?"

Jocelyn checks her PDA and finds Lorelei's number thanks to Mystique. She hurriedly sends a SMS text message - That was no insect.

Alex nods. "Right. I'm Alex." He offers his hand to Michelle for a shake.

Lorelei looks at her PDA as it beeps and looks puzzled.

Michelle smiles and shakes Alex's hand "Yeah, you're the one thats doing the physics stuff aren't you?"

Lorelei texts back, "How do you know and why are we textin?"

Alex nods. "That's right," he says, and follows with a question: "You've heard about my research?"

Dorian just listens quietly to the conversation, looking from person to person as they speak.

Michelle shakes her head "not too much... something about dimensions or something I think you said? Theoretical stuff right?"

Jocelyn feels foolish for not blocking her sender ID but she was hurrying. She texts back - I got stung too but a bullet would bounce off me. Please not tell anyone. I'm trying to keep it a secret.

Lorelei texts back, "oh. Do you know where it is?"

Alex says, "Dimensional travel actually. Theoretical /and/ practical."

Michelle peers around, looking for the source of the sound she's hearing "Interesting... Well those are unusual subjects around here are they not?" she asks Alex

Jocelyn sends back - No. Sorry.

Alex says, "Yes. It's ground-breaking research. Well, at least for this world, it is."

Lorelei seems to have stopped following the conversation as she thinks about something.

Alex rolls his magazine up, preparing to use it as a swatter. "I think I see it..."

Dorian raises a brow, and looks around for the bug, since everyone else seems to be trying to spot it.

The insect, if such it is, approaches Alex at around head level.

Alex traces the bug with his eyes, and he tries to swat it.

Dorian's body shifts into his energy form, and he reaches out with a hand. A beam of light reaches out, and tries to grab the 'bug' in question.

Spirit misses horribly. "Hmm...I could get it, but I might destroy something in here. That'd be a bit overkill. Is it really that big a deal?"

Spirit chuckles. "Just wait for it to land, and then smack it. They're easy targets then."

Alex keeps his eyes on the bug, turning in a circle as he simultaneously back away from it a little. "Ok, I'll try that..."

Alex stands still and holds his swatter at the ready.

The bug tries to circle round behind Alex! Or it certainly looks like it's trying to do that.

Michelle rolls up a newspaper or whatever is handy for swatting too. Coordinated splatting on 3!

Spirit changes back to his more 'normal' appearance, and walks around behind Alex as well.

The bug tries to avoid Spirit while approaching Alex.

Despite her suspicions Jocelyn cannot help but chuckle at the sight of four metas trying unsuccessfully to swat a tiny flying creature. Althrough she also suspects even if the swatter hits it will have little effect.

Alex stage-whispers in an Ahnold voice. "What are you waiting for..? I'm right here... do it!" Alex turns slightly, slowly, trying to keep at least one eye on the approaching bug.

Dorian raises a brow. "It's moving...intelligently? Very non-insect like."

The insect tries to dive past Dorian and bite Alex quickly.

Dorian steps a bit closer to Alex, so that he's within arm's length. "A normal insect wouldn't be that cautious."

Michelle totally takes a swing at the flying 'insect'... Home run swing trying to knock the hell out of it, ok not really but this must be what a giant feels like.

The mosquito avoids Michelle and lands on Alex to bite him!

It bites Alex's arm.

Alex tries to swat it now.

Lorelei is grinning by this point too.

Alex snaps the bug with a decisive magazine swat.

Alex tries to find the smeared remains of the insect on his arm and/or on the magazine.

The bug is flattend into a smear on the magazine.

Michelle says, "Today, Annoying Insects... Tommorow, we take over the world... or atleast keep this place in business""

Dorian chuckles. "Well, that was exciting."

Lorelei says, "Or they do. I heard on the news that these mosquitos have been moving north... perhaps there will be more...."

Alex says, "And that is how it's done."

Lorelei says, "Ok, 3 metas to swat an insect. How many to change a light bulb>"

Michelle says, "None, people can change their own damn lightbulbs"

Jocelyn shrugs, it seems she was wrong. Oh well, she's now at all this meta stuff.

Lorelei says, "Just an ordinary mosquito, Alex? Or can't you tell?"

Michelle says, "Well considering the bug just got hit with the equivalent of a Mack truck..."

Alex looks over at Lorelei. "You serious?" He shrugs and sits down at a table, unrolling the magazine. He tries to get a better look at the bug.

Lorelei says, "Well, I only ask because of the weird behaviour...."

It's just a smear to Alex.

Alex says, "Looks like mush mostly."

Lightray enters from Bridgend.

Michelle says, "Oooo let me try... This bug died of natural causes"

Dorian chuckles.

Alex smirks. "Thanks, Dr. McCoy."

Lightray comes into the coffee shop from the outside. A frown is in place of his usual smile.

Abruptly a loud sound, like a crack of thunder, shakes the coffee shop.

Lorelei says, "Was that thunder?"

Alex looks up from his magazine. "Sounded like it was right on top of us..."

Jocelyn jerks in shock and knocks over the remnants of her milkshake.

Someone comes in the door... He(?) looks about at speaks. Or rather, makes a lot of clicking noises.

Dorian furrows his brow, "That's odd."

He also shows off something - an ID card maybe? With his upper left hand.

Michelle blinks for a moment and looks at Alex and the others "Anyone know that guy?" she asks peering at the potential ID card curiously.

Lorelei gets up slowly and gets to a position she can be seen. Not that she's sure he's human (or a he) under that armour.

Dorian raises a brow, and then walks over to take a look at whatever is being held up.

Alex says softly. "I hope I didn't splat his brother in law...?" He stands and slowly approaches the ant guy, hoping get a better look at what he's holding as well.

He clicks again, rather louder, and waving two guns about. While showing the ID to Dorian.

Jocelyn is mopping up the spilt drink when she looks up to see who just entered and is amazed by what she sees.

Alex decide to let Dorian check out the ID and not provoke that gun-wielding ant-man further.

Lightray comes into the coffee shop. A frown is in place of his usual smile as he moves around to one side of the Ant-Guy.

Alex says, "What's it say, Dorian? It looks like some kind of Guild license."

Dorian raises a brow, "I'm not sure. It's definitely a Guild thing. Though since we're not a member of the Guild, I'm not sure it holds water here."

It clicks again and fires its (lower) left-had gun - at Lorelei.

Some sort of shiny net or webbing is ejected from the gun and entangles Lorelei - then the gaps begin to fill in. It looks like Lorelei may be encased in tinfoil in a few seconds.

Lorelei says, "Um - help?!"

Dorian grimaces, "Great...someone who thinks he's a bounty hunter or a slaver or something. Fine."

Lightray seems about to say something, but stays slient as the Ant-guy fires at Lorelei. He instead raises a field of sunlight around himself and flies to close with Lorelei.

It chitters a bit more.

Michelle blinks "Uhh guild stuff? well whatever he's doing I say we kick his ass now and find an interpreter for whatever he speaks later because I have no clue what the hell he's saying"

Jocelyn rushes over and tries to rip the netting away.

Alex tries to wrestle the Ant-Man's gun wielding arms into a direction where the weapons aren't pointing at anyone.

Jocelyn moves over to where Lorelei is getting enveloped and attempts to tear the netting off her while pretending it's easy as ripping a sheet of paper.

Alex grabs the Ant-Man by his extended gun-hand. He twists until he's got the arm behind the Ant-Guy. Alex manages to wrestle another one of the creatures arms into his grasp as well.

Jocelyn tears through the netting releasing Lorelei and tosses the bits on the floor. "That was lucky, it was already starting to rip there. Just like tearing up a sheet of paper.

Lorelei says, "Thanks..."

Michelle rolls her eyes and sighs "I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess no one here speaks Ant... And I'm not sure he knows english or can write it" she grumbles

Lightray holds out a hand and a blade of sunlight appears in it. He turns to keep himself between the Ant-Guy and Lorelei. He murmurs, "An old flame, Lorelei?"

Lorelei scrambles for her feet. "Very funny..." She strikes a stunning pose for the ant-guy.

Alex struggles to hold the Ant-Guy in place. "Hey... Try not to be too hard on him. What if he's the Guild licensed exterminator."

Lorelei says, "What if he's try to exterminate us>"

The ant-guy makes no visible to reaction to Lorelei's effort.

Alex says, "Just saying... let's not break too many of his arms."

Alex grunts, "Nice... armor... you've got there..."

Jocelyn steps over to where Lorelei moved and brushes at bits of the netting adhering to her, and in the process provides a human shield for Lorelei.

Jocelyn says, "That horrid sticky stuff is all over your lovely dress."

The netting still seems to be trying to tunrn itself into foil despite being shredded.

The Ant-guy doesn't even try to break Alex's hold. Instead he draws his third gun with his upper-left hand and attempts to shoot Alex.

THe gun fires a dart fast enough to penetrate even Alex's skin.

Lorelei waits, taking advantage of the cover Jocelyn is providing. Since she can't seem to do anything to this guy.

"Unfff." Alex says as he gets stung by the dart. "Woah... if someone could stop him from doing that again, I'd appreciate it."

Lightray smiles slightly as he says, "I do not suppose any of you have a means of contacting, oh, the Guild or Starguard?" he then moves over to the creature and attempts to cut its gun in twain.

Jocelyn asks, "I thought Starguard had closed down?"

Lorelei says, "Just the branch in Colonial Bay. Well, and a lot of other places."

Lightray strikes the gun that just shot Alex. The blade flashes as it scores a deep gouge in the gun but does not destroy it.

Alex tries to slam the Ant-Guy onto the ground, trying to pin his free gun arm beneath him.

Alex tries to slam the Ant-Guy onto the ground, trying to pin his free gun arm beneath him.

Alex tries to slam the Ant Guy onto the floor, but can't really bring force into the attack.

The Ant-guy just tries to shoot Alex again.

Jocelyn says, "moves over to where Alex and the Ant-Man are struggling, "I can try and help." She tells Alex not noticing he is stunned. I'm not that strong but if you hold him I can try and grab his other arm."

Lorelei attempts another stunning pose.

Jocelyn sees Alex has released his grip so she tries to swing the Ant-Man around and push him into a booth where he cannot get a line of sight on Lorelei.

Jocelyn pushes the Ant-Man back into one of the booths.

The Ant-guy turns the gun in how lower-right hand on Jocelyn.

He chitters a bit more. Apparently he expected the blast to be more effective.

Jocelyn yells in anger, "You chitinous creep, you're ruined my dress!"

Lorelei pulls out her PDA to tell the authorites about all this.

Alex backs away a little bit, and puts his back to a pillar, obscuring himself from the Ant-Guy. And from here, he tries to catch his breath.

Jocelyn quickly checks that she cannot be seen now Ant-Man and she are in the booth, and puts on the squeeze.

For the first time the ant-guy gives a sign of having felt an attack, in the form of accelerated chitteriing.

Alex climbs over to the booth where Jocelyn has the Ant-Guy pinned. He tries to grab its free arm and wrestle the gun from its grip.

Ant-guy shoots at Alex with his free gun.

Jocelyn screams in rage as the Ant-Man 'kills' Alex. No normal could have survived that!

Lorelei says, "Is there anything I can do to help?!"

Jocelyn continuing to shout at the Ant-Man, Jocelyn holds him in front of her and leaps straight at the back wall of the booth with her full strength. "Murderer! You killed him!"

Jocelyn slams into the wall but instead of squishing the Ant-Man against it she hits just a bit to hard and they break through the wall into the kitchen.

The ant-guy responds by firing the entangle-gun at Jocelyn.

But, pinned beneath her as he is, he misses.

Alex raises his head and looks to Lorelei. "Can you make sure any bystanders are looking at you? I'm going to slip my mask on."

Lorelei says, "No prob."

Lorelei distract the bystanders.

Alex slides down to the floor from where his body was flung. He quickly slips on his mask and discards the remnants of his streetclothes.

Once again the ant-guy fires his entangle gun.

This time the net hits Jocelyn and begins to entangle her.

Jocelyn ignores the netting and squeezes the Ant-Man as they stagger about in the kitchen of the coffee shop.

Rebound steps into the kitchen doorway. "Here... let me lend you a hand..." He stretched an arm forward and tries to trap all the Ant-Guy's limbs.

Lightray flys back into the kitchen. After a moment, he closes with the Ant-Guy and lets loose with a blast of sunight.

Jocelyn turns to the two metas, "Thanks heavens you're here. This thing has already killed one of Lorelei's friends, Alex Winters. It was trying to kill Lorelei as well."

The sunlight strikes the Ant-Guy and breachs his armor a bit.

Jocelyn can't get a good enough grip this time to apply pressure.

Ant-guy must be getting desperate. He hits out at Rebound with his free fist.

Rebound says, "Alex is going to be alright. He was wearing some kind of protective suit beneath his clothes..."

Jocelyn says, "He was? Oh that's good. I didn't think anyone could have survived that blast from this thing's weapon."

The ant-guy struggles to get free.

Lightray looks down at the alien. "So, should I just pound on him people?" This seems addresssed to the others.

Rebound says, "Let's take him down now. We can sort it out later..."

Lightray nods to Rebouind and reaches down to deliver a point blank shot to the creature's midsection.

Jocelyn says, "tries to squeeze again while acting as if she is really trying to get free of the netting entangle."

Jocelyn seems to be struggling to get free of the entangling netting wrapped around her and 'accidently' bangs her head into the Ant-Man's face which renders him unconscious.

Jocelyn says, "Ouch. That hurt."

There are a lot more mosquitoes about now....

Rebound says, "I'm feeling a little paranoid. We need a translator down here. And we might need to quarantine the Past Times for a bit."

Jocelyn says, "Ah, excuse me. Could someone get me out of this netting?"

Lightray looks at Rebound, then to the young woman. "I agree, Rebound." He looks again at the young woman, then murmurs, "Are you alright, my dear?"

Rebound tries tearing Jocelyn out of the netting.

Lorelei returns. "Is everyone all right?"

Jocelyn says, "No. I'm bruised and battered. My dress is ruined. I'm stuck in this netting. And my head hurts where I banded it against him."

[To Lorelei] Rebound says, "Yeah. Not any wiser about what's going on though."

Lorelei says, "Yeah. The type of bad guy that talks at least leaves you less confused."

Rebound calls UEMS for a pickup and Mens Sanus for a psychic friend.

Lightray smiles at Jocelyn. "Well, I cannot do anything about your dress, but I can restore your internal balances once you are freed."

Jocelyn stands up. "Thank you, uh, Rebound?"

Rebound says, "For anyone who was bitten, I might recommend staying here, until we get checked out."

The Mens Sanus person manages to arrive first, since the UEMS appears to be woefully understaffed for what took over from Starguard.

Rebound tries collecting mosquitoes with a giant handed swat.

Lightray nods slightly. "I felt no bites but then that is always the way, is it not?"

Rebound nods to Jocelyn. "Good work. You're a brave girl," he says, in his hero voice.

Lightray offers Jocelyn a hand that glows with sunlight. "Shall I takes caer of your bruises, Ms...?"

Jocelyn says, "Kuraka. Jocelyn Kuraka."

Jocelyn nods, "Yes please."

Lightray smiles. "A pleasure, Ms Kuraka." He lets the sunlight flow gently from himself into the young woman who showed such bravery.

The person from Mens Sanus turns out to be a young, scrawny guy who doesn't seem big enough for his suit. Still, he acts professional enough.

Jocelyn smiles. "Thank you, that feels better."

Rebound greets the Mens Sanus rep, "Hey. Can you translate for this bug guy. He's an alien, and he has some kind of Guild license, but none of us could understand him..."

He says. "Of course I - ow. What's happening here, if you don't mind my asking?" He looks like he suddenly has a splitting headache.

Lightray looks at the young man. "Were you just bitten by something, sir?"

Rebound says, "Some of the patrons were bitten by mosquitos that seemed a little too smart. Then bug guy showed up. He tried to wrap up one of the bitten people in foil, and then a fight broke out."

"No, why?" He winces. "There's a massive a mount of telepathic activity going on, and on an uncomfortable 'frequency' at that..."

Lightray sighs. "Just a thought. Is the mind one mind, or many small minds?"

"I'm try to work that out.... this is the alien? Let me make contact."

He winces again as he enters the ant-guy's mind...

Lightray ov er at Jocelyn. "Perhaps you should stand back, Ms Kuraka?"

"Ok now let's - damn this is intricate!" He loses his professional tone and sounds like an awed kid.

Jocelyn nods and steps back through the hole in the kitchen wall.

Rebound raises an eyebrow as he watches the kid work.

"Ok... it's what I thought... I've never seen one before though.... Yes, it's a hive mind. This is a drone... and the bugs too, they're all connected...

Rebound's expression reads of mild disgust. "Any idea how many of them there are? What about his Guild License?"

Lightray murmurs, "Well, that helps explain why we did not understand him earlier" He qwas just droning on."

"Hang on, I'll find the main intelligence and ah WHY HAVE YOU DAMAGED MY HAND?"

The telepath's manner sudden because forced, his tone of voice flat.

Rebound says, "Don't worry. Your hand will heal. It's good that we can understand each other now."

Rebound pauses a moment, look at the kid who's now apparently possessed. He looks to Lightray and nods, indicating the young professional. o O ( That's the way it's supposed to happen, right?? )

Rebound says, "Why did you try to shoot my friend with your foil gun?"

Lightray looks from the telepath to the drone, then back again. "I hope you do not do any damage to the young man you are communicating through. We as a species are not parts of a whole, but individuals."

"I DO NOT UNDERSTAND YOU I PRESENTED MY CREDENTIALS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE ACCORD WITH EARTH GOVERNMENT YOU DID NOT IDENTIFY YOURSELVES I ACCORDINGLY ATTEMPTED TO SUBDUE YOU UNHARMED TO DETERMINE IF YOU WERE THE FUGITIVES YOU RESPONDED WITH VIOLENCE AS IF GUILTY"

"I AM AWARE OF THE MENTALITY OF SMALL-MINDED SPECIES I ACTED ACCORDINGLY"

Rebound says, "Sorry. We didn't understand your credentials. We were attempting to subdue you until we could verify your credentials. How about we apologize to one another and move on?"

"THAT IS ACCEPTABLE NEVERTHELESS IT IS ESSENTIAL TO DETERMINE IF ANY OF YOU ARE THE FUGITIVES"

Rebound says, "I get it... the mosquitos are how you go about finding the fugitive. Who are you looking for? Maybe we can help you speed up your search."

Rebound thinks. o O ( So long as it's not Chrissie... )

"I WILL NOT SHARE THAT INFORMATION UNTIL THOSE PRESENT IN YOUR LOCATION ARE ELIMINATED AS SUSPECTS THERE ARE MULTIPLE SUSPECTS IN YOUR LOCATION THEREFORE A HIGH PROBABILITY THE FUGITIVES ARE AMONG THEM IT IS POSSIBLE YOUR APPARENT HELPFULNESS IS SUBTERFUGE"

Rebound holds out his wrist. "Here. Test me."

Rebound is bitten by a mosquito almost at once.

Lightray smiles slightly and offers his wrist.

"YOU ARE A POSSIBLE SUSPECT YOU DISPLAY CONSIDERABLE DEVIATION FROM HUMAN GENETIC NORMS IT IS POSSIBLE YOU ARE AN IMITATION."

Rebound says, "Hmm. Your methods aren't as exact as I'd hoped you to be. So what happens now that I'm a possible suspect?"

Lightray looks over to Rebound. "I must go, Rebound. There are matters I must take care of."

"IT IS NECESSARY TO USE THE DEVICE WHICH CAN GIVE CONCLUSIVE CONFIRMATION BUT I HAVE ONLY ONE AND CANNOT CARRY ONE IN EVERY HAND""