2013.05.26 - Gorillas in our Midst

It was actually somewhat cool as morning led into afternoon. High fifties or low sixties with a cloudy sky that the sun just barely managed to peek through every once in a while.
The apartment couldn't get any cleaner and so, with free time on her hands, Sif once more found herself in Central Park, the mocha in her hand steaming hot and helping keep her warmed. This time, she had a destination in mind. Belvedere Castle.
She had gotten in contact with a gentlemen who she had run into on a previous evening. One she owed more than he realized and as such, the Goddess felt the need to -do- something about it. Asgardian upbringing would allow her to do no less.
Grodd is very interested in Sif because of something he knows about her that she might not even know about herself. Also he likes to do something villainous from time to time just to remind people he's out there. To this end he has built a floating platform with a large electromagnetic ring in the center of it. The ring is built over a hole that is cut into the center of the craft. The vehicle itself is like a flatbed trailer in length with a drivers control panel at the front of it and a curved metal rim at the front. It's a sky-sled floating on anti-gravity pods.
The bottom of the pod is painted the color of the sky so from below it's hardly noticeable as it skims the sky following the data provided by Grodd's network. He locks his targeting system on Sif making the ship maintain its high altitude while staying above the woman. He then walks to the other end of the sled where an array of medical scanners have been mounted next to a transmitter relay and a generator. Grodd powers up the generator building a charge for the large electromagnetic ring in the craft. Once it builds to capacity it will focus an intense, magnetic tractor beam at Sif, drawing her up into the sky by the metal in her armor and suspending her in the air above the hole in the Sky-Sled. It'll just take a few moments to charge up.
The call reached Kent Shakespeare while he was showering after a workout in the Legion Headquarters gym. Luckily for the caller, or possibly to the caller's regret depending on their feelings on the subject, video conferencing isn't an automatic assumption in this era -- plus the computer automatically suppresses such signals in bathrooms and showers. Kent doesn't hesitate -- privacy isn't as much a hang up in the 30th century as it is in modern culture -- and the conversation is brief. He gladly agrees to meet her in Central Park, confirming he knows the location of Belvedere Castle in the park.
After dressing in his uniform, sans jacket as he tends to prefers, he takes a transport tube to the roof of the base and then takes to the air. After a few moments flight though the glass and concrete canyons of Metropolis he reaches the park and prepares to float down to appointed meeting place but instead, noticing Sif approaching the park entrance, he sees Grodd and his sky sled from above. His brow furrows and he remains in the air, swooshing towards the gorilla and the Asgardian woman but remaining what he assumes to be a safe distance from the unusual craft. 
"Did you know you have an admirer up here?" he calls out to Sif.
Sif hears Kent call out and lifts her eyes towards the sky in the direction of his voice. "An admirer? What are y--" Silver blue eyes widen as she finds herself being lifted into the air.
Immediately, the sword at her hip is drawn. Here, she has two options. She could simply teleport out of this or... Find out who is behind it, what they want and why. She's the Asgardian Goddess of War... Can anyone guess which she's going to go with?
Grodd looks over surprised at the flying man, "Hello! Don't mind me. Just giving her an impromptu checkup. " the Gorilla says as he looks at his panels and full of displays, "I recently noticed a health issue but Asgardians are well known for being less than cooperative with doctors. " he says as he controls the field drawing her up. Once he has her floating in a magnetic bubble on the sky-sled he hopes that the magnetic field will stop her from swatting him with that pesky sword by making it stuck in the magnetic field. "Just think of me as your friendly neighborhood Xeno-healthcare specialist." Grodd says to the man who he assumes is a hero but he hasn't seen Kent around before. He really needs to get out more. "Are you a friend of Sif's?" he asks Kent completely ignoring Sif because he is sure that the female will be rendered helpless by his magnificent machine! After all, she's only a woman, right? 
Despite Grodd's attempt at a friendly approach, Kent takes his cue from Sif and takes a defensive stance. "I consider myself a friend of the Lady of Blades," he says to the speaking gorilla, apparently unfazed by Grodd's capacity for speech, "And if she wanted a doctor she would only need to call me." To Sif he calls out, "Do you want my assistance or should I hang back for now, Sif?" His expression shows that he /really/ wants to be able to help.
Sif looks over at Kent. "Your assistance would be greatly appreciated, my friend." She knows that look well. She's won it more than once herself.
Only a woman, huh? Said woman teleports herself from the bubble to reappear right behind Grodd. It all happens in less time than it takes someone to blink. "And which Asgardians do you know?"
Grodd shrugs at the flying man and says, "Well, you see, that might be good for you, and for her, but it wouldn't meet my needs." he explains as he picks up a medical scanning device, "You see, this is my planet." the Gorilla says like it's a perfectly reasonable thing for a giant Gorilla to be saying. He turns around just as she teleports behind him and slumps his shoulders. Why do they always have to struggle? Why can't they just let him collect his data? Just one time! Just one time he would like to have someone just let him do his job! Turning his large body back around the lumbering beast says, "Quite frankly, I've been trying to get a hold of an Asgardian for a while. I would appreciate if you would stay still while I scan you. I don't want you to wipe out the population of the planet with some Asgardian flu bug. If I can scan you, it will help me develop medication for humans against the infections you might unwittingly carry. We wouldn't want that whole Native American thing happening again."
"/Your/ planet?!" Kent exclaims with a healthy dose of indignation in his voice. "I beg to differ as I haven't read anything about the people of this world ceding their rights to a beast with delusions of grandeur!" Even as he says it it’s clear that Kent realizes maybe he shouldn't have. Plus, he does this as he is flies towards Grodd, now from behind, at the pace of a running man -- in other words he'll be in arm's reach of the gorilla within moments. At least he hasn't let on that he is from the future -- any more than the Legion symbol on his belt and the articles that have run in the local, national and global news about them hasn't already done for him of course -- because if Grodd is concerned about Asgardian germs what would he think of the risk of the potential future microbial cultures carried by the various members of the Legion of Super-Heroes!
Sif laughs. "This Realm is not yours in the slightest." The sword is twirled before the Goddess smirks. "As for disease... I assure you that it is not a problem s the scan will not be necessary. It would be in your best interest to make your retreat. Now."
The Lady gives no signs of seeing Kent's approach towards Grodd, though she is certainly aware of it. Instead, she forces her body to relax in a position that will allow offense or defense, either one, in a split second should it become necessary.
Grodd is trying to do this the polite way so he just asks again, "I was born here, my people live here, it is more my planet than yours." he says to the alien woman, "I don't think it's unreasonable for me to ask you to submit to a medical scan. After all, we have no idea what effects our atmosphere might be having on your chi" but his sentence is cut off as Kent grabs him behind locking him in an iron grip. Grodd looks.. well.. confused.. He leans his head closer to Sif and asks, "Is the other alien attempting to mate with me?" he asks, "Because, while it's flattering, I'm married."
Comments like Grodd’s might disturb a less secure person, but Kept maintains his grip around Grodd's shoulders -- naturally not being able to encompass the primate's chest entirely with his human proportioned arms. He sets his feet down firmly on the platform of the sky sled as he tries to lift the gorilla off of it. "Bestiality isn't my thing, ape," he says before adding, "And as a native born son of this city I reject your claims upon it!"
Below, crowds are gathering at a respectful distance from the flying machine and the conflict occurring on it. At Kent's comment about being a native of New York a large segment of the crowd cries out encouragement for the man from the future.
"Midgard has no ill effects on me. Nor did I claim it was my Realm." Sif watches Kent then turns her attention back on Grodd. Straightening from her stance, Sif arches a brow. "We are done here. You will not be permitted to scan me and unless you plan on forcing the issue, there is nothing anything more to discuss."
Grodd sighs and says, "I had really hoped we could be civil. I only want what is best for the future of our various species. I have a child myself I know how hard it can be so I wanted to offer you friendship and my aid. If you are so blinded by your own arrogance that you cannot see the danger then I can't help you. " he says then he looks back over his shoulder at Kent and says, "You can stop protecting her now. I'm sure she is impressed enough." then Grodd looks back at Sif, "He isn't the father is he?" he asks like that would be unfortunate. 
Kent manages to pull Grodd’s feet up off the platform for a moment and then registers all the comments. He drops the gorilla the inch or two he was off the sky sled and pushes back and up, flying out of the multi-yard reach and says, "Not that I wouldn't be honored to have earned the lady's attentions, our relationship doesn't extend that far." Then, directing his question to Sif, Kent asks, "Are you certain it is a good idea to drop your guard right now?"
Sif lifts her eyes to Kent and grins. Her guard isn't nearly as dropped as one might think.
She looks back at Grodd. "You want a scan of me? You give my friend the details of what the scan will be doing and allow him to view the equipment as well. If he agrees and can understand it all, I will consent as long as -I- feel at ease with what information will be gathered." A brow arches. "The father is of no real concern to you but no, he is not."
Once more she turns her attention to Kent. "Would this arrangement be agreeable to you? I have nothing to hide yet I have learned to be cautious about such thing. He is right. I am with child... If the arrangement is not something you are comfortable with, my friend, then we will be on our way."
Grodd smiles as he is released then smiles wider as she agrees. He turns to hand the scanner controls to Kent, "Gladly! Things always work out better when we all cooperate." offering up the giant gorilla sized hand device. It's an advanced device for earth technology, the kind of scanner which shouldn't exist in this time but it does exactly what he said it does. It takes an in depth bio-scan of the Asgardian, from her overall structure to her cellular structure. It really is just a medical scanning device. He looks back at Sif and says, "I come from a city, cloaked and hidden from humans. In the past we have had unfortunate experiences integrating into human society. Some of their illnesses made our children very ill. You should really consider leaving the planet for a few years. I know it will be inconvenient for your job but forcing a child to adapt to an alien environment is very dangerous for the first few years. " he warns, "Unless your mission here is off critical importance."
Kent floats down and takes the oversized control in both hands and examines it when he does a double take and turns his attention to Sif instead of the device. "Wait, you're pregnant?!" he asks emphatically and then shakes his head, "No, no need to say right now." 
Turning his attention back to the device, Kent takes a moment to figure out the "business end" of it and how to activate it; he then points it at Grodd and scans him with it. After examining the device's results he pulls out his own, much smaller medscanner, and repeats the scan, nodding as he reviews the holographic display it projects for him. 
"Seeing as how it scans at a genetic level even I'm going to forego scanning myself..." Kent pauses and asks the ape a question which might infuriate him more than anything else this man has said: "What exactly am I supposed to call you?"
There's no need for a verbal answer really, the bright smile Sif gives his enough. It's quickly gotten under control as Kent goes about the process of scanning everyone. "A genetic level?" Her head tilts a moment. "Meaning that it will have my DNA?" Yeeeah, No. She knows better.
A look is given to Grodd. "As I said, there is nothing about Midgard's environment that can harm me nor the babe." And then she nods. "And aye, my presence here with Thor is critical." As far as she's concerned anyhow.
Grodd holds out his giant sized hand for Kent to shake, "How rude of me, I'm sorry, My name is General Grodd." he says which depending on what time line Kent is from may be a name of a historic, merciless warlord who wiped out a large portion of Africa's population while at the same time establishing utopian cities where no one hungered, there was endless energy and clean air, all the best parts of technology which he ruled with an iron fist. Perhaps in Kent's world Grodd released a virus which almost killed every human, perhaps he tried to turn everyone into gorillas, which this Grodd did five years ago in this reality, or he could be a hero who stopped the Brood invasion, or he could be a name lost to history but the latter is unlikely. A is always A and Grodd is always Grodd. For good or evil, whatever he does, it unusually is epic and overly complicated. Looking back at the female, Grodd says, "I respect your choice. But the offer still stands, if you require my services, you need only let me know. Oh, and welcome to my planet. Just try not to destroy the place." which, honestly, heroes do break a lot of things.
Kent doesn't take the offer to shake hands, instead he puts the ape's medscanner into the offered palm. "Grodd," he says, dropping the claimed title intentionally. "You can call me Mr. Shakespeare," he adds obvious oblivious to Grodd as a historical figure. To Sif he says, "If you need an exam or a pediatrician or anything, I have a medbay available to me at headquarters," his tone could be taken to mean that he is hopeful that this will give Grodd a good reason to lay off.
Sif considers everything carefully before she turns her attention to Grodd. "I will have to decline the scan at this time. My apologies. I am sure you understand, however. My lack of knowledge about your equipment, as well as you though no offense is meant, as well as my condition makes me less than comfortable with the idea. Perhaps in time however."
She looks back at Kent and tilts her head off to one side, obviously confused about -something- he said. She blinks several times at him. "Pediatrician?" Because this is -so- the place to have that conversation!
Nodding his head once more Grodd says, "I understand. Then, if you'll excuse me. I should be off. I don't like to stay out in public too long. Humans covet my people's technology." then he powers down the electro magnet and powers up the transit system. Assuming Sif will teleport herself down to the ground he prepares to float the platform away into the sky.
Kent offers to fly Sif away by extending his arm to her. After she takes it they disembarks Grodd's sky slead together as he flys them to the upper battlements of Belvedere Castle. Despite his opinion of the creature, he gives a wave to Grodd and announces to the crowd below, "Seems it was mostly a misunderstanding, you may all disperse," as his flight ring carries him and Sif over their heads to his chosen destition.
"Good day to you, Grodd." Sif offers a small bowed nod of her head before taking Kent's arm. She's no stranger to flying so her footing is found immediately upon landing. "Thank you." She gives a bit of a wry smirk. "That's the second time you've helped me, my friend." She's going to have to introduce him to Thor. "I am in your debt."
Slipping the scanner into a secured compartment Grodd waves and floats away on his platform. See, he's not a bad Gorilla, not really, he just doesn't have good people skills.. yeah, that's it.. 
Of course later he will scrub that hand scanner for trace DNA from Kent and hopefully learn more about him. So it wasn't a total loss. Knowledge is power. Speaking of which. Grodd drops the capacitor for his super magnet as he flies away. It falls to the ground and lands with a crash.. then a spark then it discharges with a VWOOV sound harmlessly releasing all that energy in a electromagnetic pulse wave... Well.. harmless unless you’re an electronic scanner like that medical scanner that was used to scan Grodd's DNA or anything electronic in the general vicinity of the unit while Grodd floats off. Knowledge is power and Grodd never gives away power when he can avoid it, even if it costs him a mag-lift.
Electronic fitzing sounds come from Kent's ring's comm system and his pocket -- where his medscanner and Legion omnicom are located. "Nass!" he exclaims in frustration as he realizes what happened and looks to where the super magnet crashed to the cement walkway assuring himself that nobody was beneath it.
He sighs softly and asks Sif, "Do we need to do anything about that?"
Sif blinks and tilts her head slightly. "Is all well?" She then turns her attention towards the magnet and frowns slightly. "I can teleport it away from here..." She looks up to where Grodd had been and frowns slightly then looks back at Kent.
Kent pulls the omnicom out of his hip pocket and looks it over. "It seems to be rebooting," he says. And then, as if to himself, he says, "Probably should have Brainy check it out though." Then laughing he says, "Or I'll just kick it into diagnostics mode." He watches as Sif teleports away the fallen magnet and says, "So..." as if unsure how to divert the situation back to the topic Sif had called him about.
Once she returns, which takes about as long as it would someone to blink, Sif tilts her head. "It is no irreparably damaged then. Good." A brow arches before she chuckles softly. She's more subtle than Thor, yes, but she can be just as direct when need be.
"You're still wondering why I called, I am certain. It was to once more thank you for your help that night. I was unaware that I was with child at the time... Had you and the others not stepped in..." A shudder runs down Sif's spine and her jaw tightens.
"If you would permit, when he returns, I would like to introduce you to Thor. I would also like to offer my assistance to you in return. Should you ever have need of me, you have but to call."
Kent's face lights up in a smile. "It isn't a bother, Lady Sif, but you are welcome," he says in regards to her thanks. He then returns to a topic brought up and shelved earlier, "While the brute completely mishandled the situation, Grodd wasn't completely wrong." He then asks, "Are you certain that the pregnancy is proceeding properly?"
"That's very kind of you but I insist. Unless the idea makes you uncomfortable." Sif then offers a bit of a laughs and a shrug. "As certain as we can be. Tis still very early into it." It has to be if she didn't even know. "I have yet to be able to return to Asgard to see the healers."
Kent nods as he listens. "It doesn't make me uncomfortable, not at all," he says and then adds, "Can we call it a friendship more than a debt of honor though?" When the topic of healers comes up he says, "I could always check out the progress in the meantime if you wanted," in such a way that it is clear he is not being dismissive at all -- with all the alien cultures he was exposed to in the future he knows better than to scoff at folk remedies, they often lead to new medical advances.
Sif smiles warmly and nods her head. "Aye. I would be honored to be called your friend. I will speak with Thor on the matter." She can't imagine there being a problem though. "I am still curious... What is a pediatrician?"
Kent makes an 'oh!' expression at the question after grinning at her previous statement. "A pediatrician is a doctor who specializes in children -- both their development and medical practices as they pertain to them," he explains to try to alleviate her confusion.
Those brows furrow further. "Why would a child need a specific healer?" Sif... Just isn't quite getting it. This just aren't like that where she comes from. "Perhaps this should be discussed when Thor can be present as well." There's a pause before, "Would you care to join me in the evening meal?"
"Sure!" he replies emphatically.
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