daretodo: ([smm] Secretly Jack Shepherd.)
Peter Parker ([personal profile] daretodo) wrote2009-04-01 06:50 pm

A Merry Marvel Debut

“So, in this land that time forgot somewhere in Antarctica…what’ve we got to look forward to?”
 
We’re all of us crowded in the Quinjet. Iron Man’s at the wheel and me, Cap, Spider-Woman – no relation to yours truly – and Luke Cage are sitting at the back like some seriously deranged Little League team. Truth be told, I’ve been expecting the question ever since I got off the freaky future phone with Mary Jane. See, it’s Luke here’s first trip to the Savage Land and he’s been sceptical as to its existence ever since it came up on Spider-Woman’s computer.
 
Ah, to be that innocent again.
 
As for me? Well, I’m just hoping we aren’t all gonna to die. Doing my best to chew my nails through my costume, I reply, “All kinds of mutates and dinosaurs and big cheetahs and a surprising amount of acceptable nudity.”
 
“Are you #$%$ing me?”
 
“No,” I say. “But it doesn’t matter – we probably won’t survive the crash.”
 
“What crash?”
 
“You don’t go to the Savage Land without crashing.”
 
Without turning around, Iron Man interjects, “You’ve never been there with me driving.”
 
In spite of his words, my spider-sense is going off the charts. He couldn’t have been less comforting. He’s like the band on the Titanic, right now, that’s how comforting he is. Famous last words to die by. Jeez, I really have made it to the big leagues.
 
“Uh huh…”
 
“Seat belts.”
 
“Yeah, that’ll help.”
 
The jet suddenly pitches forwards and then we’re upside down. Spider-Woman lets out an incoherent shriek -- or was that me? Either way,  the noise is loud enough that I could’ve been singing the ‘Star-Spangled Banner’ at the top of my lungs and the only thing I would’ve heard is the sound of a dying cat in a jet engine. Above the din, I can faintly hear the metallic voice of Iron Man say, “Almost there… Almost there…”
 
And, then, sure enough, we’re there. It all happens so fast that I barely remember it. One second I’m hanging upside down and praying to God I don’t wet my suit.  The next, the five of us are standing outside of the Quinjet and admiring the scenery. And what scenery it is. It’s really a shame about the inevitable death that goes hand-in-hand with being here. It’d make for one heckuva vacation spot.
 
Clapping a very manly hand to my shoulder, ol’ Shell-Head says to me, “See?”
 
“I stand corrected.”
 
Which is entirely the wrong thing to say because that’s right about the time that the Quinjet explodes, the force of the blast sending me and mine flying. I quickly shoot off a web to a nearby tree, pulling myself up and out of the line of fire. Only, as I soon discover, there’s a fundamental flaw to this plan. For whatever reason, I can’t stick the landing and so, my arms wheeling like windmills, I fall a good fifteen feet before the ground decides to break my fall.
 
“My back,” I croak, as I pull my sorry butt out of the foliage. “My poor, poor back.”
 
(Some dialogue comes from New Avengers #4 by Brian Michael Bendis.)

risesagain: ([comic] bet you tell all the girls that)

[personal profile] risesagain 2009-04-04 12:15 am (UTC)(link)
If Jean can't, then Phoenix can. They work together, forming two large pieces of a bigger whole and Jean looked at Theresa, then at Spider-Man, trying to pick the mental locks when she already knew where they stored the spare key.

Or at least she used to.

Her concentration dissolved into worry when there was no sound, to rush of thoughts through her head. "I can't..." She closed her eyes trying to reach further, to see if she could a psychic reading from anything. "There's nothing there. It's like a wall or silence. I can't here a thing."

[identity profile] faithanbegorrah.livejournal.com 2009-04-04 03:10 am (UTC)(link)
There isn't much Terry can say to that, so she doesn't.

She isn't sure what to do next, but she finds herself standing up and putting some space between them. What the hell is going on?

The collar she wears only covers up the worst of the scarring Feral left behind; she feels the edge of the longest before she realizes she's got a hand up to her throat again.

God above, not again.

[identity profile] like-arrows.livejournal.com 2009-04-04 04:35 am (UTC)(link)
Like I said, I don't always expect the unexpected. That's kind of the nature of the unexpected: you don't see it coming. Pushing between some branches toward the sound of voices might not be the smartest thing I've ever done, but it beats being stuck in the jungle alone. At least, it does for the moment.

I'm really not expecting what's on the other side, so forgive me if it's not my finest hour. "I'm really not going anywhere with you in head cheerleader mode," I blurt out, mostly because the sight of these guys has got me too confused for wit or stealth, which really has to make me wonder how I've made it as far as I have anyway.

[identity profile] like-arrows.livejournal.com 2009-04-04 04:57 am (UTC)(link)
That's probably what I get for interrupting their little camp out, but not having any idea where I am means that, for better or worse, right now misery needs company. Of course, considering my last run in with Spider-Man here, it's a good thing not to be recognized.

"Uh... Nico Minoru," I offer cautiously, glancing between the three of them. Wow, this is awkward. "I just... crash-landed." Literally.
risesagain: (i think i made you up inside my head)

[personal profile] risesagain 2009-04-04 05:05 am (UTC)(link)
Her experience amongst the impressionable youth has recently been limited at best, destructive at worse. Death has that affect on a person.

Still Jean has remained tethered to the idea of being headmistress and teacher first, other assorted things second, so the confused girl makes her want to help her, not harm her.

"Are you one of the students at the Institute? Are you hurt from your landing?" Jean asked, giving a look to the other two that hopefully suggested that they make themselves helpful.

[identity profile] faithanbegorrah.livejournal.com 2009-04-04 05:14 am (UTC)(link)
"Are ye hurt, lass?" Terry asks, giving Nico a lookover for any obvious harm. She's starting to think she's lucky that all she did was not get hit by a blast from Cyclops before showing up here.

[identity profile] like-arrows.livejournal.com 2009-04-04 05:44 am (UTC)(link)
"I'm fine," I insist hurriedly, glancing down at myself a moment to make sure it's actually true. There's a few scratches, sure, and what I'm positive will be some nasty bruises soon enough, but no cuts, nothing bleeding. I can deal with that when I have to. "Bruised, but fine. I think I'm alone. There were others with me, but they're gone..."

Focus on the rest first, Nico. I can deal with disappearances when I know where I am.

It's only about then that I really get that first question. The Institute? "I'm not a student," I add. "Or a mutant." Oh man, wait, that's Phoenix. At least, I think it is, which only makes this whole thing that much more bizarre. After time travel, you'd think this wouldn't actually be that weird, but turning up places out of the blue, apparently, is always weird. "Where are we?"
Edited 2009-04-04 05:44 (UTC)
risesagain: (must reconsider all the sides of it)

[personal profile] risesagain 2009-04-04 06:01 am (UTC)(link)
"The million dollar question."

Jean stood, still shivering but less so as she brushed clumps of mud off of herself. This entire situation was getting stranger by the minute. Besides all of the obvious she wasn't keen on whatever strange event that had just occured taking in teenagers, especially civillians.

"I suppose there's only one thing left to do: find out where we are, so that we can leave. And..." she turned her head slightly to look at Spider-Man. "If these are the Savage Lands I'll eat my shoes."

[identity profile] faithanbegorrah.livejournal.com 2009-04-04 06:10 am (UTC)(link)
Terry snorts at Jean's declaration before she can help herself. It feels good - a small bit of amusement in the predicament they've found themselves in. "Let's move," she agrees, with just a bit less pep than Spider-Man had before.

[identity profile] like-arrows.livejournal.com 2009-04-04 06:43 am (UTC)(link)
I checked the area where I landed before I came out this way, and I know well and good that the Leapfrog's nowhere to be seen. Not, of course, that this means it's not there, but there's no sign of the others, and right now, following this lot seems like my best shot of getting some answers. Anyway, it beats dealing with that big Skrull guy.

...except that Spider-Man's just drawn my attention either, and instead of listening to him, I listen to the bushes, and then I don't have to listen for anything because that's when five dinosaurs bust through the brush. And they're little, but I saw Jurassic Park, okay? These guys aren't Old Lace by a long shot. "Now! Try running now!"

'cause this is the part I'm good at.
risesagain: (how do we rise up?)

[personal profile] risesagain 2009-04-04 07:10 am (UTC)(link)
It has been a long time since Jean was in any sort of conflict where she wasn't playing some sort of integral role in starting it.

Tiny dinosaurs running through the trees was actually somewhat refreshing, once she got over the shock and started to run.

"Move! Let's head South, away from them!"

[identity profile] faithanbegorrah.livejournal.com 2009-04-04 07:14 am (UTC)(link)
Running is not a battle tactic Terry pulls at the very sign of danger, but she isn't stupid. Without her power she's no match for a pack of bleeding dinosaurs.

Small as they are, the little @$#&ers look pretty nasty.

Usually she's the one doing the leading, but Terry doesn't need to be told anything twice.
Edited 2009-04-04 07:15 (UTC)

[identity profile] like-arrows.livejournal.com 2009-04-04 08:27 am (UTC)(link)
"Does it matter?" I ask. Any direction away from the dinosaurs works for me. Running some direction other than straight might help, though, and it's not like we can get any more lost than we already are, so I veer right, holding an arm up to protect my face.
risesagain: ([comic] bet you tell all the girls that)

[personal profile] risesagain 2009-04-04 08:53 am (UTC)(link)
"We can ask for directions later."

Pushing branches out of the way as she ran, Jean was certain that this was anything but elegant and graceful. It didn't matter. Getting the ragtag team out of harm's way was her first priority. Everything else, could be dealt with later.

[identity profile] faithanbegorrah.livejournal.com 2009-04-04 09:09 am (UTC)(link)
Looking back means losing a bit of speed, but Terry'll be damned if she's going to run without checking to see if a dinosaur's fixing to make her dinner.

There's no need for her screaming here - not when it won't do a thing to help them - but when she looks forward again, she barely ducks out of the way of a low-hanging tree. A branch, a vine, something whips by her forehead, and Terry finds herself letting out a short yell, half in frustration, half in pain.

This is already rating as one of her least favorite outings ever.

[identity profile] like-arrows.livejournal.com 2009-04-04 08:56 pm (UTC)(link)
Okay, I have to admit, that's pretty cool. It'd be a little easier to appreciate the front row seats if I weren't lost in the middle of a jungle, but it's still cool.

"Nice," I say, just a little too aware of how juvenile that sounds, before continuing to move forward. I don't need to go fast or far - I just need to see if I can spot something around here I can use to cut myself. It'd be a lot easier if I had Chase's switchblade, but that's back with the Leapfrog and Chase himself, wherever that might be. If I can just get the Staff of One, I could probably manage a teleportation spell or at least something to give us a little height... "If we get above the treeline, we could see if there's anything around. It'd give us an idea which way to go."
Edited 2009-04-04 20:57 (UTC)
risesagain: ([comic] our doubts come through)

[personal profile] risesagain 2009-04-07 04:42 am (UTC)(link)
Jean turned her head, slowing just long enough to see Spider-Man take out the dinosaurs. It was trick she'd seen before and she rolled her eyes at the commentary.

"Good plan. We can wisecrack when we're up there too," she said, turning her direction slightly to head up hill. "This way, towards the summit."

[identity profile] faithanbegorrah.livejournal.com 2009-04-07 05:03 am (UTC)(link)
If there's anything Terry likes less than the possibility of being eaten, it's someone else doing the heroing when she can very well take care of herself, thank you. But this time she honestly can't without her power, so she sucks it up.

"Thank ye," she tells Spider-Man, before starting after Jean. It's all she'll offer him.

She's come to expect the unexpected in her line of work, but every once in a while, something still surprises Terry. Ending up in a jungle with dinosaurs? Sure. Losing her power? Horrifying, but nothing she hasn't handled (badly) before.

Woman in a wedding dress falling out of a tree in the dinosaur infested jungle? She's got to give this place points.

Terry starts for the woman, slowing down only when she realizes someone had been there to catch her -- and her surprise can only go so bloody far, honestly.

"Gambit?"