meanwhile - BANGKOK, THAILAND
Sat on the floor, crumbles of paper surrounding them, Alex Wilder and Nico Minoru stare at one single piece of paper.
“Alright, here we are.” mumbles Alex, pulling off his glasses, “Its best idea I got.”
Her legs folded, Nico hunches over the paper. Her arms folded, holding her chin, Nico squints at the document. Immediately her eyes lift from the page to Alex with a furrow brow.
“You serious? We can’t do this. Its too risky.”
Cleaning his glasses with his shirt, Alex shakes his head, “You said that about the last ten things I wrote. ‘Too Dangerous’. ‘We’re gonna die’. Blah blah blah blaaaah…”
“I know that’s what I say…” Nico exclaims, but then points at the paper, “...but this? This is, you know i’m right!”
“Nico, we almost died a million times inside fourteen hours." Alex counters, "Survived ninjas. You dying and coming back..."
Nico furrows her brow and points at him, "Yeah that didn't happen."
Alex folds his arms, "Uh yeah I was there. I remember."
Leaning back on her hands, Nico narrows her eyes, "Then tell me what happened?"
Alex holds up the paper, "Re-read my plan without your mothers voice in your head screaming 'failure' in your head and i'll tell you."
Nico rolls her tongue in her mouth before snatching the paper out his hand, "I prove my mom wrong all the time."
"I know Alex smirks, before pointing at the third bulleted item, “That one will require a whole team effort, but the benefit is large.”
Nico lets out a worried sigh, “Okay.” she gulps, pushing aside all her worried feelings and swelling anxiety.
“So if we do this…” Nico sighs, raising her eyes to Alex, “...we can be free? Live on our own, keep the law off our backs, avoid the entire system and no one will know AND still have money, is this?”
Alex Wilder plants his hands on the carpet, leans back and rolls his neck, stretching. “Yuuup…” he groans before rolling his neck front forward to look at Nico square in the eyes, “...I mean, I have most of the skills to do this, but its the last one that requires everyone to be on board and to work as a team. “
"They are not going to like this. I don't think they'll do it."
"They have to. He's after us. Best we go after him. This is dog-eat-dog survival of the fittest. Just, break it to them easy, you know, they way you do."
Nico face turns serious as her eyes fall back to the paper, “Kill Chase Stein.” she sighs, "Jeezus." she groans.
“Yup.” Alex replies, “That’s all.”
“I am afraid that is not all.”
Alex cranes his neck back and rubs his eyes, “Well I’m afraid I don’t give a rats crack what you think!” he snaps back, “We’ve been in this room for four hours! I haven’t slept, my feet hurt ...”
“Alex.”
“...I barely ate except for whatever strange nut bars we found in the mini-fridge and i’m over here pushing brain power…”
“ALEX!”
Jolting forward from Nico pounding her fist on the floor, Alex sits up with ten perfectly sarcastic phrases sizzling on the tip of his tongue to say - but then he pauses. The blood drains from Nico’s very disturbed continence as her eyes look around the room as if searching for something.
“I didn’t say anything.” Nico whispers, her eyes darting around the room.
Alex skeptically arches his eyebrow, “Uh, yeah ya did. You just…”
Waving her hands, Nico shakes her head, “SSHHH SSSHH..." she hushes, "No-no-no-Before that-before that…” she repeats, “...I didn’t. Say. Anything.”
Alex folds his arms, becoming noticeably irritated, “When I ate that nut bar earlier, did you get high?”
“She didn’t.”
Both hearing the booming voice, Nico and Alex jump up onto their feet!
“THE ROOMS POSSESSED THE ROOMS POSSESSED!” Nico shouts.
“OHHH HECK NO!” shouts Alex, violently flailing his arms about.
“WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?”
Alex keeps flaying his arms around, “I am not about to GET GOT by an evil FREAKING SPIRIT!”
Nico arches her eyebrow, “So you’re gonna SMACK THEM TO DEATH?!”
Alex points at her, “So says the one who looks ready to be DRAGGED TO HELL!”
Suddenly the 70 inch television across the room turns on to a white screen!
Nico and Alex eyes open wide.
“That doesn’t look like the path to hell Alex.” Nico mumbles.
“Nico Minoru…” calls the voice.
“It is when they ask for you BY NAME” Alex mumbles.
Nico holds up her hand, “It could be a glitch! Remember all those glitches with the home devices calling peoples names?”
Suddenly a short bald man with hallow white eyes dressed in clothing that could only be described as either ‘robes’ or ‘greek clothes’ appears on the screen, holds up his hand, and starts pushing out the television screen as if it was plastic!
.
.
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Marvel - The Beginning: The Outstanding Runaways
CHAP 4: BANGKOK DANGEROUS
PART 2: THE TEAM
STORY:
In a blind teleport courtesy Nico Minoru - the team has found themselves in Bangkok, Thailand. Hunkering down in Alex Wilder's Father Corporate Building, Nico and Alex have sequestered themselves in a room to come up with a plan on what to do next as Chase Stein remains somewhere out there with their families money - hoping to kill them all.
Suddenly Karolina kicks open the door with Tandy, and Ty rushing in the room, “ALRIGHT! WE WERE GONNA GIVE YOU TWO PRIVACY BUT NO CLEARLY MEANS NO ALEX!!”
Alex turns around, glaring at Karolina, “ARE YOU FREAKING SERIOUS!” he shouts, pointing at Uatu pushing out through the television, “A FREAKING GHOST IS COMING THROUGH THE TELEVISION BUT NOW, IT MUST BE THE BLACK GUY THAT MORE OF A THREAT THEN PARANORMAL FIVE!”
Ty stands up straight and holds up his finger, “We had a bet…”
“OH %^&* YOU!”
“CAN WE FOCUS ON THE POLTERGEIST IN THE TV!” yells Nico, pointing at television of Uatu pushing through the screen, “FOCUS ON THE POLTERGEIST! FOCUS ON THE FREAKIN’ POLTERGEIST!”
Seeing Uatu push through television, Karolina’s mouth drops open, “OH %^&*~!”
Alex points to the door, “LESS TALKING MORE RUNNING!”
Tandy immediately thrusts out her hand, “WE GOT EM!” she shouts, shooting a bright white dagger out her palm that zips across the room while Ty thrusts his hand, sending a snaking dark ribbon.
Exiting out the screen, Uatu floats over the floor, raises his finger to his face and halts Tandy’s light dagger inches from his face in mid-air and dissolves Ty’s attack.
Both Ty and Tandy both look at each and then at Uatu. “What the…”
“ALRIGHT, MOVE IT B-TEAM!” exclaims Karolina, pushing Ty and Tandy apart. Stepping between them, Karolina readies herself.
“I GOT THIS!” she shouts as she pumps both her arms.
Instantly the room thuds! The lights flicker on and off. Karolina’s skin pulsates with bright rainbow colors. Grinding her teeth, Karolina feels her power swell as her blond hair rises strand by strand! Her blue eyes flicker white with radiant light and she holds out her hand, “EAT TH...
Sighing, Uatu holds up his fingers, “That...” he says, snapping his finger "...isn't necessary."
Immediately the light in and around Karolina's body snuffs out with white smoke rising off her shoulders and power leaving her body.
With an awkward half scared grin, Karolina turns her head to everyone behind her, “Uh Guys, this is bad!”
Alex eye twitches and points to his own face, “Oh so 'NOW' we listen to the black guy!”
Karolina rolls her tongue in her mouth, “YOU COULD’VE EXPLAINED THE SITUATION!”
Alex eyes open wide, “I’M SORRY A MAN SHOOTING OUT THE TELEVISION REQUIRES A FREAKIN EXPLAN…”
“SHUT UP!” yells Nico, stepping in front of everyone, “JUST…” she sighs, turning to face Uatu, “...let me handle it!”
Alex points behind him, “We need to…”
“Whatever this is its too late to run!” Nico chides, “Besides, you all made me team leader right? So let me deal with this one.”
Unable to help the smile to his face, Uatu tilts his head, “Aren't you a curious one.”
Bravely stepping forward, Nico clenches her jaw, approaching the strange short man dressed as if he was an extra in some Ancient Greek Play.
Having gotten close enough, Nico observes the strange figure like a reptile turning aside its face to observe something with one large eye.
“What are you?” Nico asks, “Who are you? If you were, something bad, odds are you would’ve attacked by now so you want me to ask you stuff so don’t play coy with me.”
Uatu grins, “Very intelligent.” He comments, “And Correct.” he adds. “I am, a Watcher, my name is Uatu.”
Tandy steps forward, "You-Tu?"
Nico turns to her, "YOU-AHT-TWO!"
"Less throaty on the 'Ah'." Alex advises.
“His name is Uatu and he's a watcher creep” Karolina chides.
"OH SHUT IT!” Nico snaps from over her shoulder.
Turning back at Uatu, Nico draws in a deep breath, "Sorry..." she sighs, barely able to keep her knees from shaking, let alone be team leader. Still Nico composes herself and continues.
“Okay Uatu, I’m Nico…” but then Nico pauses and squints her eyes at Uatu, “But something tells me you knew that."
Uatu nods.
Nico glances at Karolina, "'Kay maybe a creep..." she mumbles as Karolina throws her hands up, "FINALLY!"
Turning to Uatu, Nico continues, "Alright So let’s get to it. What’d ‘you want? Why did you come through the TV?”
“To ensure you would assemble everyone.” Uatu answers.
Nico squints her eyes, “Interesting way of assuring we do something.”
“Your species does best with…” Uatu furrows his naked brow, pondering momentarily. Then the word comes to mind and he returns his attention to Nico with warmth and kindness. .“...dramatics.” he finishes.
Nico nods her head back and forth, “Ten points for that.” she smirks, “Okay, so , if you’re not here to kill us, what are you here for? What do you want? How did you know where we were? Is there some soul stuck in this room or something because i’m freaking warning you if you even mention the word exorcism...”
Alex pushes Karolina first, “Then you can have her!”
“OH %^&* YOU!”
Uatu turns his head to the group behind her. Though his eyes devoid of irises, they could all feel it, a pressure, a sense of Uatu eyes roving over each and every one of them before returning his attention to Nico with an answer.
“Simply put…” Uatu says, “I am breaking rules that you cannot possibly understand because something has gone wrong with time. Things are happening in ways it should not."
"Time?" Alex repeats.
"Yes." Uatu confirms, "And it involves you, all of you."
Nico furrows her brow, unaware of a soft red light, glowing in her chest, “No, we're runaways from California, we barely have credit! Let alone deal with time.”
"I HAVE AN AMEX 'BLACK CARD' THANK YOU!" Karolina exclaims.
Nico closes her eyes, mumbling curses until Uatu calls her attention with one question.
"Do you know the whereabouts of Victor Mancha?"
Nico face turns visibly worried. Immediately she turns around and looks to Alex who pulls off his glasses, "Why? He gonna end the world or something" he chuckles..
Uatu face turns serious, "By bringing another world here, yes."
Alex opens his mouth to speak, but then his eyes open wide in realization at Uatu's truth.
Nico turns to Uatu, "Victor is our friend he wouldn't do that."
Uatu sighs, "Friend is a title it means nothing of action." he explains, "He is however, lost...much like Molly Hayes."
Karolina narrows her eyes, "What do you mean, lost?" Immediately Nico turns around, looking at the group, "Where's Molly?" she asks.
Everyone looks around, their eyes scanning around the room suite, Ty and Tandy run out the common area, "She was just here."
"I don't see her!" Tandy exclaims.
Ty stands still, closes his eyes and then open them once more. His eyes coated black, he looks around, "She's not here or in the building."
Marching out to the middle of the common space, Nico turns around, looking out the window at the view of Bangkok's city lights glistening in the night.
Closing her eyes, Nico balls up a fist and grinds her teeth. "Its bad enough Chase tried to kill us. It's bad enough Victor's, glitched and is out their doing who knows what. Its' frickin' bad enough we're in Bangkok...BUT NOW ONE OF US IS LOST?!" she screams.
"That's on us." Nico growls.
Seeing her face turn red, tears leak out from her eyes.
Pushing everyone aside, Alex sees Nico but then notices Ty and Tandy's worried faces as a red light shines from the center of Nico's chest.
Holding out his hands, Alex clears his throat, "Don't worry Nico, I'll go out. Ty and I both. We'll find her Nico..."
"You don't get it do you!!!" snaps Nico, glaring at everyone with tear-filled eyes, "DO YOU ALL UNDERSTAND THAT WE ARE ALL WE HAVE RIGHT NOW!" she screams, pointing at the window "... Molly is gone - GONE!"
Everyone gulps at Nico' face that seems to redden by the second with anger coating every word she says.
"We don't even know if we're in an Anti-mutant country!" Nico continues, "We don't...WE dont' know what we don't know...and shes alone."
Karolina steps forward, holding out her hands, "I'm sure must've just wandered..."
Swiping her hand across the air, Nico glares at her, "NO!" she shouts, "i'm not sure of anything but one thing..."
Closing her eyes, Nico extends both her hands forward. Immediately a red glows with long brass staff emerging from her chest with a hollow circle at its head.
"...We're going to find her." Nico declares, "So help me if its the last thing I do, we're going to find Molly. We're going to save Victor, we're going act like a $%@# TEAM!" she yells.
Opening her eyes, Nico grabs hold of her staff and stabs into the floor with both hands, cracking the tile, "I'm team leader and as teaming leader i'm telling you what we're gonna do: we're #@%!& saving Molly
Alex points over his shoulder at Uatu floating, "And about what he said about Victor?!"
Nico looks at Uatu, simply floating over everyone, "After we save Molly, we'll take care of Victor because Victor is one of us!"
"And what exactly is that?!" Karolina asks with a raised eyebrow.
Nico meet her gaze with a determination that sends a shutter down the girl's spine, "A runaway." answers Nico.
Turning to everyone else, Nico folds her arms, "And as a bunch of Runaways, we take care of our own. Once that's done..." she says, marching to the elevator. "...we kill Chase Stein." she says, walking away.
Everyone's eyes open wide.
Karolina turns to the group, "Jeezus our team is bad@#&$!"
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