2012-10-07 Rainy Morning, and Time Travel

It is a cool Sunday morning in New York. The sky is very cloudy and threatening rain, which is why there aren’t as many New Yorkers around as usual. Rain does not bother Nate, but he came here to people-watch and people-talk (and learning) and the lack of activity means he might have to find something else to do. Not that he had any real plan, he is not good at planning. 
Despite, technically, living in Metropolis, Starfire has found herself spending a lot of time in New York. She's made a few friends but there are still times when she wishes to explore without them. Self-conscious maybe? She knows, despite all she's learned, she's still very ignorant of so much of this world.
So it is, with the promise of rain in the air, the golden-orange skinned alien makes her way through Central Park. What few people are tend to stare at her for one reason or another and they all get a sweet smile from her. She's used to the stares now. The whispered words of 'put some clothes on' and things of the like.
She wants to watch people... To learn from them... Their behavior, their speech... all of it are things she needs to know!
Nate stares, certainly. The alien girl is gorgeous. But mostly, she is clearly not human and not one that hides it, which gets her an extra point in Nate’s book. Nice smile too, “Hey, hello,” he greets, stepping out of his path to approach her. Just then, it starts raining. Most people still in the park hurry in their way, many seeking cover getting out of the area, some pulling umbrellas. But Nate just looks up and smiles. 
Star's about to answer when she feels the first drops of rain hit her skin. Her face lifts upwards and her eyes close a moment, a bright laugh coming from her. When she finally lowers her head and opens her eyes, she smiles at Nate. "Good morning!" The rain seems to have made her quite cheerful, indeed!
That is an odd reaction to rain. Nate finds it good because it is normal water. Not radioactive or acidic, he doesn’t have to hide. But most people do not like to get wet. “Good morning, although it looks like we are the only ones that think so!” He notes, looking at the scampering New Yorkers. “I am Nate, and you would be...”
Star absolutely loves the rain. His statement though causes her to look around before quirking a brow. "Such a shame. It's a very refreshing feeling." She looks back at Nate and smiles once more. "I am Koriand'r. A pleasure to meet you Nate." She even holds her hand out. See? She can learn!
“Refreshing, well,” Nate chuckles. It didn’t feel as a hot day that needed a refreshing shower, but what does he know? “Koriand’r, that is an unusual name, not a codename or war name, though, is it?” He shakes her hand firmly, looking amused.
Nate and Starfire both are standing along one of the paths through central park. It's just started a nice rain that is slowly wetting people through completely. Those two, however, don't seem at all bothered by it.
Star pulls her hand back and gives her head a shake. "No. Just my name. I am told there is a blossom here on Earth that it is phonetically identical to. Most people prefer to shorten it to Kori."
Not too far away, a girl in designer denim and a black, spiky 'do is buying a hot dog from a vendor who was just closing up shop. He apparently needs the money pretty badly, because he opens up the cart again to sell her one. Jubilation Lee adds mustard and relis while he taps his foot impatiently, then collects the umbrella he's holding for her and steps away. "Awesome of ya. Thanks, dude!"
Walking down the street from having finished a bit of training at the park, Jynn rounds a corner and continues walking. As he does it begins to rain and he sighs, "Great." is all that he says. Shaking his head as he starts to get rained on. Walking up passed the girl getting a hot dog, Jynn nods to the man holding the umbrella for her. As he continues up the street he notices a familiar figure and well it's one he wouldn't forget, and as he gets closer he smiles a bit. "Hey Kori." he says to her as he walks over to her. He turns and looks to Nate and nods his head, "Hello."
“A flower? Shows what I know,” replies Nate with a grin. “Kori. ‘Cause Americans like to shorten names, mine is Nathaniel, really... but it is too long.” And he is technically an American too. Then Jynn arrival interrupts his train of thoughts. He glances at the man, “hello,” and then to Star, “friend of yours?” He asks. Just making sure.
Starfire smiles and shrugs her shoulders. "I have yet to see it." That sweater dress she's wearing is getting drenched and starting to cling more than it already did. "Why? Not that I mind. Jackie calls me Ria but he's the only one." And it sounds as if she doesn't plan on letting anyone else any time soon.
And then there's Jynn and her smile brightens. "Jynn!" She leans in to give him a hug before grinning at Nate. "Yes he is." She looks back and forth a moment before saying, "Jynn, this is Nate. And Nate, this is one of my dear friends, Jynn."
Jubilation nods politely to the man passing the hot dog cart she's just leaving, then hears a familiar name. She looks up, scanning for orange skin. Surely that's too big of a coincidence...
Surely not! The teen smiles at the sight of that distinctive hair and eye combination. "Kori!" she calls, hurrying to join the little group. "Hi, hi," she adds, one to each of the two guys with Kori, and a smile for each as well. Nate? Jynn? Names to file away for future use!
Then she gets close enough to notice what happens when you wear a sweater dress in the rain. "Oh, fudge... you're getting soaked, Kori!" she exclaims, quickly lifting her umbrella over the alien woman's head, and trying to stand close to her so /she/ doesn't get soaked. No good deed goes unpunished.
Jynn is hugged and he hugs her back, snugging her close to him as he does. When she lets him go, he turns and looks to Nate and bows his head to teh man, "Hello." he says as he bows his head. He too notices that Kori's sweater dress is clinging to her and is thankful that Jubilee just put her umbrella over her head. Wiping the water from hsi face, he looks to Jubilee. "Thanks." he says to her. Though he remember the last time him and Kori were together she was flying around in the rain. "So I take it your enjoying the rain again Kori?" he asks. He then looks to Jubilee, "Umm..sorry I don't know your name. Who are you?" he asks curiously.
Nate smirks when Kori confirms Jynn is a friend. Oh, and close friend. Is he looking a little disappointed? Jubilee’s arrival makes him smirk again, though. “I guess you either have many friends or were in the park to meet them.” He offers his and to Jynn, “nice to meet you. Nate Grey, just another tourist in the Big Apple.” And then to Jubilee, “hey.”
Starfire giggles softly as she steps out from under the umbrella. "Thank you, Jubilation but I like the rain. It feels very nice on my skin."
She looks at Jynn and nods. "I am, yes. Very much so!" She tilts her head back, letting the rain fall on her face a moment before running a hand through that hair of hers.
Straightening, she looks at Nate and grins. "I have a few. Kyle, Jynn, Jubilation and Jackie." She then lifts herself into the air, flying in a quick spiral and letting the contrail her hair leaves color the raindrops and cause them to sparkle like tiny prisms.
"Hmm? Jubilation Lee... don't laugh!" Jubilee replies, almost pointing at him with her hot dog before remembering it's in her hand. She takes a bite like that's why she meant to raise the 'dog all along. "Unh urr Hynn?" Blushing, she swallows the bite. "And you're Jynn? Which would make you Nate? Cool to meet friends of a friend."
She blinks as Kori not only steps out from under her umbrella, but takes to the air as well! "Kori! Don't you know what happens to an outfit like that when it gets wet?" she protests, strongly suspecting the upbeat alien girl doesn't. Not that she'd be likely to care if she did, judging by what Jubilee is seeing! "Totally lovely show, but if you stay out in the wet, we'll /soo/ have to go dress shopping for you before long."
Smirking to Kori as she tells him she is enjoying herself, he looks to Nate and shakes the mans hand. "Hi." he says noting the expression on the other mans face. He is close friends with Kori, which is something he thought would never happen. But still she is good people and he likes that. As he looks over to Jubilee still not having not gotten her name. But it has been mentioned so he s starting to put things together.
It's then that a hot dog is thrust in his face by Jubilee as she states her full name. "Chinese?" he asks due to her last name. "Why would I laugh?" he asks her. "Your name is your name, unless you want us to call you by something elese." Shaking hsi head a little, "Jynn Kisaragi." he bows his head to her. Though with his name you wouldn't think he be Japanese but his caramel skin color and black hair would indicate he is mixed.
He looks up as Kori starts flying through the air, "She really likes the rain." he says as he watches her and begins to agree with Jubilation Lee. "Yeah Kori. I think the next time it rains we get you a short set to fly around in." he suggest. He looks at his watch and grimace, "I'm late." he sighs. "Hey I gotta go." he frowns. "Hey Kori one last hug before I have to head off?" he asks. "You know where I'm staying you can come by later."
Nate does not laugh at Jubilee’s name, nope. Just grins at her embarrassment about it. “Nate, yes and...” Kori taking off surprises him, and he steps back, laughing. He looks at the alien girl for a few instants, very much agreeing with Jubilee. “And she is really not from around here, I guess. Let her have fun, hmm? Clothes that do not allow you to get wet, fly and have a good time do not deserve to be worn again anyway.”
Starfire grins and swoops down, lifting jynn into the air and hugging him again before settling them both on the ground and blinking. "What?" The dress is tight enough, especially wet, that nothing could really be seen unless she was doing it on purpose. Which she wasn't.
She looks over at Jubille and in a sing-song voice proclaims, "Can't. No money." She laughs for a moment before looking over at Nate and just beaming. "Precisely!"
"Chinese," Jubilation replies, still blushing. "And you'd be surprised how many people do. It's kind of like being named Happiness Wong. But nice to meet you anyway," she adds, bowing her head with a slight smile. "Even if just for a few seconds."
Nate's comments draw her attention. "Dude, she is /totally/ not. But that dress is gonna be tight as a tube sock if she gets it much wetter, and that's gonna make for an interesting trip home. Though I get this funny feeling she wouldn't really mind..." The Chinese-American girl just takes another bite of her hot dog, watching Kori cavort and finally lowering her umbrella, though her jeans are already soaked.
“It is just water,” notes Nate. “Way people react, one would say it is raining poison. Now, /that/ is a problem, but not one you have here, hmm?” He steps forward when Kori lands. “Hey, I’ll fix your dress later, don’t worry. No money? Where are you staying? New York is annoyingly expensive.” As he is learning himself. Right now he can’t even get a hot dog for breakfast.
It's raining in New York today and yet, that doesn't seem to deter Star or the small group of people with her. In fact, that white sweater dress Star wears is now soaking wet and clinging.
She looks over at Jubilee with a bit of a shrug. "You would be correct. I do not care." And then she turns her attention on Nate and smiles. "That would be most kind of you, Nate. Thank you!" Yes, the alien has been playing in the rain. And getting lightly chastised for doing so in a dress. Especially one that is prone to shrinking.
"Well, cold and wet clothes aren't good for one's mood... okay, unless you're Kori," Jubilation amends, with a smile for the lighthearted alien. "So, yeah, people get out of it quick if they can, or come prepared." She gives the umbrella a demonstrative bob and grins.
She looks over at Kori again. "No, you definitely don't. But if that thing keeps shrinking, I hope you learned the Earth custom of wearing underwear!"
Nate pffs at Jubilee, “people just set their standards for good mood too high!” They should learn to be more like aliens, yep. “Not from Earth? So not you are not a mutant?” Interesting. But Nate is still wondering where all the strange-looking mutants are hiding. Also, “hey, do you have a spaceship?” Just curious!
New York is /not/ LA. And the bitter winds of an early October rainfall are definitely /not/ what Kyle wanted to be out in. Still, he's trudging out into the 'wild lands' of Central Park, hands jammed into his pockets and his head down in his collar. He peers around a bit uncertainly. Cental Park is a big place, and Kori's still learning about giving people useful landmarks to navigate. 'That thing shaped like a circle' is only useful if everyone is giving directions from the same altitude, after all.
What? It /is/ shaped like a circle! If he had, perhaps, come at it from a different angle he wouldn't be having this problem. Hmph!
There's a blink at Jubilee before her head tilts. "Oh! Those are thing things that you showed everyone at the amusement park from the ride!" Her head tilts. "It is a requirement they be worn?" So much for humility.
She then turns her attention to Nate and shakes her head. "No. The planet I come from is called Tamaran." And then she grins. "Not any longer."
"Good point..." Jubilation admits, and takes another bite of her hot dog while she thinks about it. It's certainly true that New York would be a much happier city if more people didn't have to have so much to have a good day. Normally it's not a problem for her, but Kori's dress does look expensive, and she doesn't have any money, which makes the California girl concerned for her friend.
Who is proving to be quite good at wrong-footing her. The Chinese-American girl blinks, blushing brilliantly. "Um, right... and not /required/, exactly, but it does help preserve a little of your modesty when you're, like, flying around in a shrinking dress," she points out. "Even if you're from Tamaran. Okay, /especially/ if you're from Tamaran!" 'Cuz if Starfire's a good representative of her species, they'd get a lot of stares if they came to Earth. Probably a certain amount of drooling, too!
Nate does not seem too disappointed about the lack of spaceship. It is just he has been watching too many sci-fi movies lately and now he wants to see a spaceship. Jubilee explaining Kori about underwear has him laughing again. “Okay, maybe. You need to preserve your modesty to be taken seriously, I hear. Again with the high standards for... seriousness, too. I am not from Earth either. Well, not from this particular Earth. The way people think here, then things they consider important, they are puzzling sometimes.”
"It's for our protection as much as anything," Kyle says, sneaking into the conversation. He grins at Starfire and Jubilee, joining the little huddle. "If she runs around in her birthday suit all day, she'll cause pileups on every major road from here to Gotham." He winks at Kori, then grins again.
Kori actually looks shocked. Her eyes widening. "Especially...? Why? I am different physically?" She begins closely observing Jubille for a moment before her eyes flicker to Nate. "There is another Earth? Everything about this planet is high standards... You must cover up far too much for everything! I do not understand how humans handle having so much clothing on them. I know it is for protection from the weather but..." She shakes her head.
And then there's Kyle. "Kyle!" Cue that smile. And then something dawns on her and she rushes over to him. "Kyle? Do I differ physically from your Earth women that it would be necessary for people from my planet especially to wear... What did you call them, Jubilation?... Underwear?"
Jubilee takes another bite of her hot dog when Nate speaks up. It beats trying to explain stuff to him. Besides, being laughed at is no fun, especially in the rain. She looks at Kori, thinking about that. "Well... not /that/ different. Not-different enough to be a total babe, if I'm reading most guys' reactions to you right," she adds, just to tease her friend a little.
Fortunately, someone else is better at the whole explaining thing. The teener blinks and glances up. "Artist Guy!" she says, and blushes. "Hi, Mister Too-Artsy-To-Give-People-His-Name... or just Kyle, I guess? Nice to see you again!"
And Kori. Oh, boy. "Kori? Yes, that's what they're called, and it's not that you're different from Earth women, really. It's that you're very much like them, in form. And that you fly... in a dress... which is shrinking from being in the rain..." Sighing, she gives up.
“I don’t think it is a question of being different,” notes Nate, “well, being too different would actually mean clothes might be irrelevant. The problem is how most humans react to other human-like beings that are showing off their bodies. They are usually not taken seriously, they are seen as sexual objects or something. It does not make much sense if you stop to think about it, but that is human culture for you.” He glances to Jubilee, how is that for a helpful explanation?
Kyle double-takes at Kori's question. "I am almost /certain/ I am not qualified to make that assessment," he declares to the group at large. "But, at first glance, no, your physique is not radically different from an attractive human female. This is one of those things we talked about- with the function of clothing, Kori, remember? That there are certain venues for physical presentation?" he says, trying to nudge her memory in the right direction. He grins over at Jubilee, and ruffles her hair. "Hey, Sparkles. You been staying out of trouble?" he inquires of the girl in the yellow coat.
A frown marrs Kori's features for a moment as she lets everything everyone has said to her before her arms cross of her chest stubbornly, inadvertantly pushing it up. "Well that's just stupid. How I dress has nothing to do, what so ever, with how sharp my mind nor physical prowess is." And if it weren't completely child like, she'd stomp her foot. With a sigh, she tugs her dress down as far as it will go. "Where do I buy these... Underwear?"
Jubilation actually gives Nate her first approving glance. "Totally not flattering, but true," she agrees. "Though I don't think it's unique to this Earth." Kyle, fortunately, does just as good of a job of persuading Kori. Jubes giggles as he ruffles her hair. "Hey, careful with the 'do! The rain's hard enough on it!" Really, she wishes she was wearing the yellow coat rather than her designer jeans and jacket. It'd be easier to weather this... well, weather! At least she had her umbrella handy!
She does have to cover her mouth so as not to giggle at Kori's opinion of the whole thing, especially that look on her face. "No, really, it doesn't have a thing to do with that, and I've got to applaud you for saying so. But if you really want to buy these underwear, it's available in lots of places. And if you want help finding them, I'd be happy to take you shopping sometime. Or now. When you want," she says, not without approval. It's not every day you can help a pouty Tamaranian see another point of view, after all. And Kori has one cute pout.
“Hey, I like this Earth a lot. You have peace, movies, peace, Internet, art galleries, peace, democracy and hot dogs.” Nate could mention cute aliens too, but he is sure they get the idea. “I can live with some silliness. At least most of the time.” He grins at Kori, “oh, don’t worry too much right now. If you are around people that won’t freak out at talking with an alien, chances are they are not going to be too bothered about the wardrobe.”
"Well, this part of Earth, anyway," Kyle tells Nate, amending his statement. "Part of Europe are almost as nice. But, there's plenty of places in this world where society is five or six hundred years behind us. Other locations where people are still using stone tools to hunt." He shrugs at Nate, then glances sidelong at Jubilee. "We all know you're just going to take her to Victoria's Secret," he informs the girl with a raised eyebrow. "Hell, you could probably just take a look at whatever the Angels are wearing this year and get it in her size." Kyle jerks a thumb in Kori's direction- as if there was any confusion.
Starfire looks back and forth between the two boys as they talk then gives a nod to Jubilee. "When I have money." And then her attention is back on both men. "Thank you both. I appreciate that. I am comfortable in this for the most part. I do not relish the thought of adding another layer to it." And then she's blinking at Kyle before she ohs softly. "I remember that store! I looked at it not long after arriving here. They had a very nice dress in the window. It was lacy and silky and a beautiful purple... Of course, I understand now that it was made to be slept in. Such a shame." There's a sigh and a soft shake of her head. "I am told I would look quite nice in green though..."
"Okay, I can agree with you there, Nate. Peace is totally cool," Jubilation says with a smile. "So's all that other stuff, but I can really appreciate peace. And movies."
Then Kyle looks over and makes an observation. "What, there's something wrong with Victoria's Secret? Besides, it's not like I wear it /all/ the time," she ripostes a bit testily, turning to look at him. Her umbrella turns when she does, brushing a lamp post just hard enough to get caught and pulled out of her hand, falling to the ground. With an irritated sigh, she stoops to pick it up.
*RIIIP!!*
The girl's blue eyes widen in dismay, and she reaches behind her... yup, she just split her pants. All the way up the back. And everyone's close enough to read the signature lettering on those white, black-dotted undies if they care to, and know they're from the very store in question. Oops.
Blushing red as a Jersey apple, Jubilee stands, holding up her jeans by the expedient of putting her hand over the back. "Um, 'scuse me... I need to do a little shopping of my own," she says. "Totally be back soon... maybe..." And she hurries off down the walk.
Nate is a little lost about this talk about underwear shops. How did the conversation end up there? Jubilee accident makes him... okay, he will be good and not laugh. Cough. “I think I like your friend,” he mentions to Kori, “I bet you are never bored around her,” which is the most important thing, of course.
Somewhere in the distance, the rain starts swirling in a fashion not caused by the local weather. It's not even a bad time in a Ghostbusters movie. It's worse. Bits of lightning start zipping out as the universe convulses in a particular spot, bending back and forth, light distorting like someone's going all mad scientist with their CGI moviemaking gear. Then there's a loud clap of thunder. No, no local thunder gods present.
Whatever's stressing the warp and woof of reality finally has had enough, and a sound that can only be described as 'Mythbusters-style explosion, as cool as the water heater going up' resounds in the open area, and the distortion turns into a proper vortex that suddenly shatters like glass, starstuff mixed in with some radiation that probably isn't very safe. Smoke billows out of the fracture in time and space, and a human body suddenly gets ejected from the portal into this reality, tumbling over and over until it comes to a halt, clearly unconscious. And possibly on fire for a couple of seconds? Maybe. The rain seems to take care of that quickly, while the fabric of time and space begins knitting itself back up and soon, all is peaceful again over yonder, other than someone facedown on the grass with bits of shrapnel all around her. Pitter patter goes the rain.
"What the... hell?" Kyle peers around, standing with a more dynamic posture. Without a gesture from him, a green, angular domino mask covers his face, his eyes burning almost a snow-fall white. "Everyone get behind me," he warns the group. He seems to be watching things flittering through the sky, and follows it to the focal point of the vortex. 
His eyes widen as he realizes what is forming. "Look out!" he shouts. Kyle punches his right hand towards the shimmering, nascent vortex, and a glimmering shield of force snaps into existence between the group and the explosion. 
After the explosive detonation, Kyle keeps the shield up, trained between the group and the body on the ground. "...hey. Hey! That's a person! She's hurt!" Kyle drops the shield and jogs towards the figure prone on the grass, his clothing abruptly changing in a flash of green light into a fitted black bodysuit with green and white accents. Cautiously, but quickly, he closes on the woman. "I think she needs a doctor. I... how did she get here?"
Running alongside the park on 110th St. on his bike in a yellow rainsuit, Danny Ketch is heading back towards the Brooklyn bridge on his way home from his last delivery of his shift. He's been throwing himself into work lately, both as part of his regular profession and his fiery-skulled "night job." Recent events have pretty much decimated his social life, so work and his Ghost Rider activities have pretty much taken over his life.
He catches a glance through his helmet visor of the disturbance in the park. Reflexively, he glances at his bike's gas cap. No glowing medallion.
Still, he might be needed as Ghost Rider eventually, or someone might just need a hand. Either way, he rounds the corner and enters the park, kicking up a bit of backwash on the way in. "Hope Mom didn't get off work early..." he mutters to himself.
Reality itself cracking, bending, and breaking? Odds are somewhere, some scientist (or possibly even multiple scientists) are having a freak out... That is if they detect what ever is happening.
But right now, in Central Park, there is someone who is not a scientist who notices what's going on. For in a spot obscured by shrub and shadows, a female archer has been silently watching various things in the part. Or at least she was until the weather went all freaky. Then, between the explosion and the human form that suddenly appears, the archer frowns slightly, before she starts to reach for something in her quiver.
"Well, at least it's not another mugging or dealer..." Kate Bishop, a.k.a. Hawkeye mutters to herself, while she watches for the moment, and waits.
Oddly, the shift in weather doesn't cause fear in Kori but rather, causes a battle instinct in her to kick in. She lifts herself into the air, eyes glowing a bit bright as fushia fire surrounds her hands. Her eyes narrow though it's unneeded. She can see perfectly fine without doing so. Still, what just happened has her on her guard. Watching Kyle rush forward? Yeah, that sets her on edge even more. "Be careful," she snaps. She's been through too much to take even something like this at face value. Until proven otherwise, it's a trap. Even then, there's a chance that whoever that is could easily be a foe.
Nate actually manages to react before the explosion, but does so raising a hand to his head and wincing in pain, almost falling to his knees. After Kyle stops the shockwave, he stumbles to his feet, his left eye glowing golden brightly. “She’s a telepath,” he warns. And he would happily say a few more things expressing unhappiness, but he is too busy trying to keep Rachel out of his head, and his mind-shields are not doing much. <Wake up! Stop!> He yells at the girl.
With a loud groan, Rachel Summers stirs, wrinkles her nose as she realizes half her mouth is full of mud, and slowly tries to lever herself upright. Or at least sit up or something. Then, the sounds of shouting and an approaching bike causes her own battle instincts to surface, and she scrambles up into a combat crouch, telekinetic shield snapping into place, gaze sweeping the vicinity to see who's nearest, and then Nate's psi-call hits her, and her telepathic shields clamp down. She assesses Kyle's big green shield in the brief moments she has, then Kori's actions. A brief glance is given to the bushes, but then she looks beyond the nearest people and setting, and suddenly, she's surprised at the sight of the city beyond the trees.
"What... the... hell?" she blurts out in disbelief. "That's not possible..."
Cain Marko is walking quietly along, munching on a hotdog and minding his own business when the explosion catches his attention. He looks around with confusion and sees a light show going on through the trees around where the explosion must have happened. "The hell is going on now?" He starts in that direction, finishing his dog with a couple bites.
Kyle immediately snaps a translucent green shield into place, armor flickering into existence around his body in a reaction to Rachel's unexpected combat stance. "Easy. Easy there," he tells her with the soothing tones you'd use with a panicked animal. "Slow down. No one here wants to hurt you. Who are you? What was that explosion?" The current mantel-bearer of the Green Lanterns looks understandably concerned. Clearly, he's seeing more about her current predicament and prior whereabouts than meets regular eyesight.
Immediately once he gets into visual range of everything, Danny immediately regrets his choice to intervene. He glances to Kory and Kyle, immediately recognizing the pair of them. The others get a bit of a glance, recognition kicking in for none of them. His fingers grip the brake handles, pulling his bike to a slightly skiddy stop on the path. "Danny boy, this is one day you shoulda just went home and nuked some pizza rolls..." He dismounts from the bike, kicks out the kickstand, and leaves it on the path. The engine rumbles down to nothing seconds after he walks away, and Danny himself is sidling up to a nearby tree to get a better look, not far from the bike.
And from her spot out of the way, Hawkeye continues to watch for a bit longer. At least one... Correction, two faces appear to belong to people she recognizes. And the powers that a third person appears to have are a bit of a giveaway as to who they are. Hence why finally... She steps out of the shadows and shrubs, and without even a spoken word she starts towards where that woman who suddenly appeared is, without even speaking a word.
All though as Kate gets closer, she does catch that woman’s reaction, thus she frowns slightly as she glances at the others that appear to be here and helping her, silently gauging their reactions.
Starfire's eyes look to Nate and she immediately lowers herself to the ground, fire on one hand dying so she can reach out an arm to steady him. "Are you alright?" Her eyes snap up to Kyle and she has to bite back a growl. "Lantern!" Yeah, she's shortened his name and her tone holds all kinds of warning. Knowledge that she's a telepath has Starfire on set even more on edge than before and she's to the point where she's on a hair trigger.
Her eyes note Kate as she approaches and even catch a glimpse of Danny. More people... and it just so happens they arrive at the same time as this woman with the ability to invade people's minds? Yeah, that doesn't make Star feel any better. Too many variables. Too many people. And two she calls friend are here so she can't just leave... one of them getting, what she considers stupidly, close to the telepath.
And her mind? It's currently running over the conversation about panties earlier to try to keep anything she considers vital from being read in her thoughts. What? It's how it works on television!
Rachel Summers' attention comes back down to the people around her, and she edges away from Kyle, despite his reasonable tone of voice, giving all the appearance of someone who feels they're trapped by the crowd near them. "Where am I?" she demands to know, looking from face to face, showing no recognition for any of them, but still backing away. "This can't be happening, this can't be real..." But once more, her green eyes shift to the buildings, oh the buildings. Intact. Grass, all around them. "This is some kinda trick." Then she blinks.
"Wait, what...? Panties?" she queries out of the blue, grimacing and once more focusing her thoughts, pulling them back so nothing's going in or out through her psi-shields. "How the hell did he know...?" she wants to know, gesturing once toward Nate. "Ohhhh, this is so not good..."
Nate nods to Starfire. “I’m fine,” he grunts, “mind-shields are up. She crossed over from another place. Just like me!” Almost the same place, too, maybe Central Park is a good place to jump between worlds. He strides forward, to get closer to the redhead and stops dead on his tracks a few yards from her. “You? You are...” He starts, and blinks. But no, he is not who he thought, not Jean Grey, but the resemblance is startling. “Er... who are you?” Okay, not the smartest thing to say, but he is still rather surprised.
Cain Marko gets close enough to see what's going on and slows to a stop, not wanting to get involved if he can avoid it. Still...the woman with red hair draws his eyes. Something familiar about that one. Can't quite place her but feels like he's seen her before.
Kyle looks around, then apparently makes a command decision. "All right. Everyone take a deep breath. I don't think she's an immediate threat. Kori-" he makes a polite indication for her to land. "Everyone else, stay back. She looks safe, but let's be careful anyway. "You-" he says, looking at Nate. "Do you know who she is? Where she came from?" He looks to Rachel. "You- uh, same questions. Also, what's your name?" he tries, adding a bit more backbone to his tone. He dismisses his large shield, but keeps the translucent body armor wrapped around his body, protecting him from the brunt of any sudden attack.
Danny exhales a bit, then glances back to the bike. Still no glow on the gas cap. He's somewhat relieved but the look of concern on the people surrounding the redhaired girl and said redhead's look of dread and bewilderment isn't making him feel better about rolling into this situation. Since he's not within earshot and still wearing his helmet, he hasn't heard anything regarding telepathy or much else. Still, he stays at the sidelines... the last thing these guys need is some civilian waltzing in and potentially exacerbating things. Which would more than likely necessitate his hellfire-engulfed alter ego.
Out of all the people here, when it comes to what's going on, Hawkeye knows just enough to let Nate take the lead when it comes to Rachel. Not because she knows about his past, but more so because of what he's revealed regarding his powers in the past.
And yet the female archer can't help but glance at the Green Lantern and Starfire, before she speaks up. Danny likewise gets a glance, but since he doesn't appear to be a costumed hero or have powers, she doesn't push things regarding him right now.
"Keep your eyes and ears open. Odds are we aren't the only ones who noticed this, so company should be here sooner or later, and there's no telling what sort of 'company' we'll get."
The moment Nate says he's fine and starts forward, Star rolls her eyes (not that it can be seen) and takes to the air once more. The request from Kyle? She answers with a minute shake of her head. Nope. Not landing. She likes it in the air where there's a tactical advantage. Her eyes flit to Kate and she arches a brow even as that 'fire' consumes her other hand again. She's aware, alright. Hyperly so at the moment.
Rachel Summers squints once Kyle-wards. "You sound like my dad when he's pissed off my mom," she remarks flippantly about his 'command voice'. Shaking her head once, she slowly relaxes from that combat stance, and takes a longer look around. "This is clearly Central Park... but it's not the Central Park I remember." The redhead gestures toward the nearest building on the periphery. "Where I come from, that's a crater leaking radiation. And this...?" she adds, turning around in a complete circle to indicate the park itself, "is a rather large and nasty Sentinel creation facility." Her gaze shifts up to Starfire.
"And if this were my home... you'd have been targeted by every single Sentinel in a mile radius, and here in New York, there tended to be lots of them." Her gaze falls on the biker loitering about. "Nice ride," she comments politely before letting out a long gusty sigh. "So... I'm not in Kansas anymore. No zeps in the air, can't smell fire nearby, and no one's been wearing anything like what you guys are wearing at /least/ twenty years... Colors are too flashy for a warzone, you'd get picked off in a minute and a half." Then, she glances briefly at Nate with a frown. "Do I know you?"
Nate glances at Haweye and then notices there are others drawn by the explosion. Of course, she is right. It is raining but there are still plenty of people in the park, and probably the police will be here soon too. But that is not terribly important; the cops are not the enemy (anymore). “You have moved between worlds, maybe time too.” He explains Rachel. “No Sentinels here that I know about. And... know me? I have never seen you, but I think I know you.” No, it makes no sense, but it is true!
Kyle eyes the woman. "There's... there's something /off/ about you," he tells Rachel. "You're not the right... color. Shape?" He brushes fingers across his brow, irritated. "Is anyone else seeing this? It's like looking at one of those 'perspective image' pictures, but I can't /quite/ focus on her. I'm not sure you're supposed to be here at all. You're just a little out of sync with everything else." He grimaces, frustrated, unable to articulate what his ring's diagnostics is telling him.
Danny blinks as the redhead addresses him directly. He opts to stop hiding behind the tree and simply leans against it, now no longer concerned about maintaining any sort of cover but not wanting to get too far away from it or his bike should things go anywhere near pear-shaped.
In response to Rachel's comment, he looks back at his bike, flips up the faceshield on his helmet and simply responds, "Um... thanks."
Between how Rachel describes her 'home', and Nate's answer, Hakeye frowns. Worse, as Kyle adds his little bit, she glances at Rachel again and shakes her head, as if she's not seeing what he's seeing (but then again, considering she doesn't have the fancy tech he does, that shouldn't be surprising). All though as Starfire does help with keeping an eye out, the female archer can't help but ask her own, somewhat obvious questions.
"How do you feel? Can you stand up, or...?"
Yeah, Kate is 'playing it safe', if only because if something or someone unfriendly shows up to investigate, people might have to move, and fast, including Rachel.
Starfire watches as everything unfolds. Her presence here is only likely to make things tenser considering how tense she is and she knows it.
When Rachel addresses her, Star narrows her eyes. "You should quit trying to invade people's minds." And then she turns that attention on Kate. "There's nothing in a ten mile radius that should cause any concern. Most seem to be headed away from the area."
To Kyle and Nate? She gives her head a little shake before saying. "Be /careful/. I mean it." And then there's Danny.. She nods her head at the boy. The smartest one here as far as she's concerned right now. "You as well. Be careful." And then she's lifting into the air and taking off.
Rachel Summers nods toward Kate and rises to her feet smoothly. "Do you now?" she queries of Nate with bemusement. "My name's Rachel Summers," she belatedly answers Kyle's question. "And I'm pretty sure I'm /not/ supposed to be here. This place is just as wrong to whatever craziness is feeding you data as it is to me, and all I'm using are my eyeballs. Lemme ask what may seem to be a stupid question... but what year is it?" She absently brushes the remains of a Sentinel's parts out of her hair, watching Starfire's departure with one arched red eyebrow. "Trying to?" she wonders aloud to the other's retreating self. "It's not an invasion when someone's broadcasting their thoughts loud enough that they could be heard in New Jersey. It's an invasion of /my/ mind and a pain in the rear to keep crap like that out," she grumbles. "So. Do you guys have Sentinels? Giant robots that like murdering anything that isn't mainline human? Ring any bells?"
“I am Nate Grey,” replies the young man with the white stripe in his hair. “I know about the Sentinels, but there are none here, at least not in the open. Year is, uh...” he actually needs to think about it, since for him it is/was 1995 not so long ago. “October 2012. Summers, uh? Funny, that was my father’s second name.” Yes, but he says he is a Grey, so sue him.
There's a glance at Starfire as she heads off, but Hawkeye decides not to respond with the first thing that comes to her mind. Instead, her attention shifts back to Rachel as the other woman speaks up. The name she calls herself is filed away, even as the description of those 'Sentinels' causes her to quirk an eyebrow.
"Never heard of robots like that. But you might want to keep the idea of what they do to yourself. As is there's politicians pushing registration for anyone with powers, and that's becoming a... Thing."
Of course Nate gets a glance too as she files away what he says. After all, this just keeps getting curiouser and curiouser.
 
Kyle may be a bit new to this hero gig, but when someone arrives out of nowhere, and seriously out of quantum sync with everyone- and everything- else, he can make a guess. "There's this... scar in the air where you came through," he frowns, looking behind her. "I think you tore your way from your world into ours. What year is it by your calendar? What brought you here?" he inquires of the woman.
After nodding once to Kory as she flies off, puzzled a bit by her offhand word of caution, Danny checks the bike one more time. Still no gas cap glow.&r
He decides to make his way over towards the group, hopefully he won't be seen as much more than a rubber-necker. He stays outside the circle of conversation, and tries to maintain an unobtrusive distance.
/THAT/ throws Rachel a bit. "Grey... and your dad's name was Summers? Jean and Scott, by any chance?" she asks, but then Kate's words cause her a moment's pause. "If you value the lives of anyone you love who might have powers, you will do whatever it takes in your power to fight to block that sort of thing while you still have a civil government to vote out of office. Because in my time," she adds, including Kyle in this next statement, "it's 2037... and apparently I just got blown through this whatever you called it by the force of an explosion I and the others set to wipe out the next generation of Sentinels." Her face falls slightly, and she looks around, sees no one but the locals.
"I guess they didn't make it." Rachel sheds no tears, but there is a hardening of her expression. "Before the government was set aside, it enacted a series of laws banning people like any of us with 'extra' abilities. Or folks in costume going around protecting people from the bad guys. I can't remember all the details, but I think they banned Halloween too."
Nate nods, looking a little pale. He reaches with his telepathy to Rachel, and then recoils when her shields give hum a weird jolt. That is not /normal/ at all, he has met a few other telepaths (one of them was from Mars, for christsake!) and none has reacted like that. “You look a lot like Jean,” he comments idly. Then he processes her words, “ugh, they have some stupid legislation on the way.”
Kyle shakes his head and backs off of Rachel a bit. She and Nate sound like they have a lot to talk about, and at this point, she doesn't look like she needs any extra helping hands. From the sound of things, she can certainly take care of herself. The Green Lantern eases away from the conversation to examine the spatial rift, glancing frequently at a computer readout his ring is generating for him.
And Danny starts to feel a bit superfluous at this point. He flips the faceshield back down and, with a sheepish wave to the others, he makes his way back to his bike.
And wouldn't you know it, the gas cap is glowing now.
He looks back at the assemblage, fairly certain they didn't get a good look, then plants his palm on the cap. Within seconds, Danny and the bike are engulfed in flames. A few more seconds and the flames die off except for those bathing the now-transformed bike's tires in a never-ending inferno, and those encircling the flaming skull of what is now no longer Danny Ketch.
"Vengeance calls," says Ghost Rider to himself, a split-second before gunning the eldritch engine of his bike and roaring off to whomever either needs his help or demands his rage.
And what Rachel and her people were apparently doing before this happened... What happened in her world once that law was passed.... Not to mention those other names that get mentioned by the redheaded woman.... Oh, and the year she's from...
Yeah, Hawkeye is trying to stay focused. But with all of this, she's seriously going to have to sit down and process things later. For now though, Kate tries to remain calm and focused.
"You guys might not want to toss real names around like that out in the open, if those even are real names." is said matter of factually as she glances at them for a moment over the tops of her 'sunglasses', before she likewise starts to move away. not so much as to examine the singularity, but more so to give the pair something a bit more like privacy, while still staying relatively close in case there's trouble.
Kyle shakes his head. This is way over his head. He'll need to consult with someone much smarter than he is. The Green Lantern continues to scan, clearly in communion with some other intelligence that is not making itself immediately known to anyone in the area. Occassionaly, he mutters to himself and adjusts something on the floating 'screen' projected from his right fist.
Rachel Summers waves in passing to Danny before her attention is diverted by Kyle doing Science over there where she came through. She watches him for a few moments, but then returns her attention back to Nate and Kate. "The thing with hiding things like that is that it looks /really/ bad when they finally do track down who you are and who your family is, blah blah blah." Eyes on Nate for just a moment. "I should look like Jean, she's my mom. I'm guessing we're somehow related, considering that mindjolt you gave me when I got here..." With a rub of her temples. "I gotta think... if the science club there doesn't have any idea what just happened, then I'd better go find someone who can figure it out. Dad gets kinda upset when I don't come home on time..."
Nate does a double take at Danny’s transformation. It is sobering, or something. “Alright. Hawkeye has a point again. We should get out of here before more curious appear. Some dry place would probably be good,” since they are all soaking and muddy. And rain is fun, but with some limits. “Rachel... Rachel? Do you have a place to... no, of course not.” He does not have a place to crash either, or cash for a hotel, and a shelter won’t do it. Okay, “Hawkeye, do you have a place we can go? Please.”
There's a blink as Hawkeye hears her name brought up, before she frowns slightly and glances back at Nate and Rachel.
"I might have something that can help..." is said to the redhead before she takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly.
"I thought Hawkeye was one of the Avengers... and not a girl..." Rachel remarks with some bemusement on her features. "And not that young, he was as old as mom and dad at least, wasn't he? Maybe things are that different between home and here." She's surprisingly unruffled at the notion of time and space being weird like that. "A place to crash for a moment while I regroup and figure out some new plans would be great, thanks..." Her gaze shifts from Kate to Nate and back. "Unless it's some kinda problem..."
And here's where Kate lets out a slight groan as she tries not to massage her temples.
"Yes there is another Hawkeye. Yes he's older. As far as I know he's just a SHIELD agent, and not an Avenger. And supposedly he's a 'secret agent'."
And yes, that had to be said.
"I just hope you aren't expecting anything fancy right now." is said to Rachel. "Odds are it'll just be a safehouse that I've been working on. At least for now until you either get on your feet or I manage to help set something better up for you." Or until she knows Rachel well enough that she doesn't have to worry about her secrets getting out goes unsaid. "So for now it's probably just going to be a cot while you're surrounded by the odds and ends of my costumed life..."
“That works,” replies Nate. Another Hawkeye? Seriously? That is new for him. “We just need to talk, I don’t need to rest. And maybe you should be there too, because if Rachel comes from the future and there are Sentinels... you better know what is coming.”
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Category:RPLogs