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Post by Blacksteel on Nov 6, 2009 19:40:15 GMT -5
"Nah. Got enough of that back home. I can do without it here."
He scratched at his chin thoughtfully. "So... what did you do for Zurg, exactly? You were some sort of spy, right?"
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Post by eez on Nov 6, 2009 20:10:04 GMT -5
"Shhh! Don't say that name too loud!" The alien warned frantically, bringing a finger to his bottom lips while his eyes nervously looked around to make sure no one had overheard the agent say it. "What, do you WANT to get us arrested and carted off to PC-7!?"
But nothing happened and the alien just sighed dejectedly.
"Eeeeeeh...." Smoltz groaned, lowering himself to a stature of humiliation and hanging his head. He obviously didn't admire his past like he should have.
"Well it was like this," He began as he found the courage to speak,"I....I was hired by you know who to observe and report; at first. It was simple work and I knew I could do it without a catch and apparently he did too, since he hired me. Anyway, my main goal was to find something that would isolate the Madame President on a routine mission--you know, those fancy schmancy political trips to other embassies and ambassadors--and when the opportunity came around, I reported my findings. And...that's when things got a little hairy..."
Smoltz took some time to clear his throat and ruffle his hair with another sigh before continuing.
"I managed to secure one of Lightyear's rookies, Ranger Mira, onto the trip in order to make the Madame President more vulnerable and just as we were slipping past the Karn System, my employer sprung the trap and managed to crash land our ship onto Karn--which is a rather nasty piece of work. With the trap sprung and us stranded with a pathetic, novice rookie Ranger, I thought it would have been a piece of cake!" He grumbled in frustration, crossing his arms gruffly as he stared downwards with a rather peeved, pout.
"It would have been too if Lightyear, of all people, hadn't been so...so....so darn persistent! When he showed up, things went downstream at the speed of light. Lightyear managed to get his rookies together and ruin everything. Needless to say, it was already revealed I was a traitor since, hey, it seemed like we were winning anyway so I decided to have some fun and warp everyone's image of me. Boy...that paid off REAL well...." He grumbled, sulking back into his crossed arms.
"The mission was simply to strand the Madame President, kidnap her, and make demands upon the Galactic Alliance on my employer's behalf....simple, simple, simple."
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Post by Blacksteel on Nov 6, 2009 20:40:59 GMT -5
"Madame President... I assume she's the big cheese around here, huh?" Hellboy mused. Well, that sounded like dodgy business indeed. In another lifetime, he would have probably gone with Lightyear. But now...? He was actually looking forward to the risk, especially when he had nothing to lose.
"So lemme get this straight. This Lightyear always ruins You-Know-Who's plans, right?"
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Post by eez on Nov 6, 2009 20:51:53 GMT -5
"Yes on both accounts. She runs the Galactic Alliance and Lightyear, well, he's the pride of Star Command and he never fails. Never." The alien snorted, rolling his eyes. "He's got a spotless record, is the perfect altruistic soul, and is the purified embodiment of good karma."
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Post by Blacksteel on Nov 6, 2009 20:55:21 GMT -5
"No one can be that perfect," Hellboy snorted derisively. "Everyone's got another side to them. It's the rule, the norm. Yin and Yang. No one is purely virtuous or purely tainted."
Or so he always thought, and hoped, based on past experiences. Though he couldn't talk for most of those whom he had confronted over the years.
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Post by eez on Nov 6, 2009 21:24:53 GMT -5
"Yeah well....if anyone IS to be perfect, it's Lightyear...." He grumbled off to the side.
And just as Smoltz was to continue in on this interesting subject, Sally's face could be seen emerging from the kitchen with two piping-hot trays balanced upon her expert hands.
"There you boys are! Hope you still have your appetites!" She smiled, placing their individual orders before them both. "One medium satellite sandwich combo--light on the Vulturian mayonnaise--and one jumbo-sized satellite sandwich for the big guy! Oh, and since it's a special week--we're celebrating Cosmo being open for the twenty-fifth year--there's free refills on the house!" She grinned widely, clutching her datapad like a schoolgirl would clutch her books.
"If you two boys need anything, just let me know! I'm at your service. Bye Red!" And with that, the perky waitress was gone and attending her other customers.
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Post by Blacksteel on Nov 6, 2009 21:55:10 GMT -5
"Free refills," Hellboy repeated. "Sounds promising. Hope I'll have room after this."
He waved after Sally, winking roguishly, before digging in. And it was absolutely delicious. It didn't taste like cheap fast food at all. No, it tasted like those home-made sandwiches he was so fond of.
"So.." he said after a rather large swallow which he washed down with a soft drink of sorts that tasted rather fruity. "How're we gonna pay for this?"
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Post by eez on Nov 9, 2009 16:04:43 GMT -5
"I'll take care of that." An outside voice replied as a shadow loomed over their table.
At once, Smoltz jumped up in surprise and scooted all the way over to the other side frantically with his teeth bared in fright and his nails digging into the deep crimson vinyl but ironically enough, who Smoltz thought it was really turned out to be...
"Good morning, my dears. My name is Rustasha'fo."
It was none other than a shaggy, elderly Shagarakian whose mane was turning a dusky brown due to age and whose fangs were old and worn. They seemed feeble and hobbled vulnerably upon their cane as they made their way over to take a seat.
"Who." Smoltz asked blatantly, not liking his space encroached by some old-timer who could barely see past their snout.
The old thing politely smiled, showing all their yellowing fangs, and tugged on their shawl casually.
"Why, you already know, my dear Smoltz." Rustasha'fo said kindly, his tail flicking about playfully. His beady eyes winked behind the ancient eye-guards and he slowly turned his attention over to the agent with a stereotypical old person lip pucker.
Smoltz just gasped into his hands and did his best not to shiver.
"Mmmmm, I see you already got acquainted with the food, I see. That's always a first."
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Post by Blacksteel on Nov 9, 2009 16:15:31 GMT -5
"...Who the heck are you and why are you offering to pay?" Hellboy growled. He knew well enough in his own time that trusting strangers always led to nasty results. Even more so a millennia in the future, he would bet.
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Post by eez on Nov 9, 2009 16:20:46 GMT -5
"He's--!"
Smoltz didn't get to finish his blurting as the old timer surprisingly placed a padded, furry finger over the teal alien's bottom mouth.
"Loose lips sink ships." Rustasha'fo purred, bringing a claw up to his weathered lips in a shushing motion. But regardless, he took the agent's growl in a kind manner and didn't deviant from his current tone of voice.
"Why, can't an old man help out with the young crowd nowadays? It's bad enough the senate voted that elderly persons such as I can no longer receive benefit packages over one-hundred-twenty." The Shagarakian explained, thumping his cane softly. "Besides, your little friend seems to know me just well enough."
"Y-Y-Yes, I do! Ahaha! I do!" Smoltz squeaked, shivering into the seat's corner all crumpled up and frightened.
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Post by Blacksteel on Nov 9, 2009 16:29:50 GMT -5
Hellboy looked from Smoltz to the furry geezer suspiciously. Smoltz did look like he knew the guy. So well, in fact, that he was trembling in fear of him. The demon surmised that this Rusta-whatever guy must be some big hotshot to reduce Smoltz to such a quivering mess. Maybe he worked for Zurg too? Seemed anything that had to do with the evil emperor made the two-mouthed alien skittish.
Hellboy decided that he would take care to stay on his guard. He still wasn't very familiar with how things worked around here and he didn't trust how commandeering a supposed old man was. "Which is exactly what makes me wonder why you're willing to chip in and help," the demon pointed out in answer to the stranger's bemoaning about his benefit packages. "Seems like someone in your situation would want to count every dime he has. I doubt you're doing this out of any sense of charity."
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Post by eez on Nov 9, 2009 16:34:59 GMT -5
"Oh but I am. Very cynical, the youth today is." The old creature let out a chuckle and proceeded to eat one of Smoltz's little dipper fries with a wide, pleased smile.
"Aaaaah, nothing like a good soft, mushy, deep-fried in potato to start the day. It would be rather excellent with shrimp, I think." He said to himself fondly, taking another and dipping it daintily in a pool of ketchup. The Shagarakian did this routine for several more fries before he grew tired of tasting fast food and slid the rest of Smoltz's food to the teal chatter box; the sandwich left untouched.
"You are excused, Smoltz. Compensation for your services will arrive to you in due time; oh and please, take your food. We wouldn't want to insult Cosmo by leaving such a generous left over. I daresay the fellow would shoot you out of here."
"Oh of course! Whatever you say!" Smoltz hastily nodded, taking his dish and slinking under the table as he high-tailed it out of there without another thought. The agent was on his own!
"Now....you were saying about a sense of charity?" The old furry alien smiled.
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Post by Blacksteel on Nov 9, 2009 16:46:08 GMT -5
Hellboy watched the furry personage eat some of Smoltz's fries, his suspicion increasing with each bite the newcomer took. The demon's flesh-and-blood fingers twitched. He wished he still had his gun, but he had lost it years ago at the bottom of the ocean.
But only when the stranger excused Smoltz and the teal-coloured alien high-tailed out of there like his life depended on it did Hellboy finally realize who he had across from him.
Zurg.
"But... how...?" he found himself asking in confusion. How could he change his appearance like this? Was it some sort of magic? No... it didn't remind him of any sort of magic he'd seen before. And he had a suspicion that at this time and age, magic was obsolete, if not long-forgotten.
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Post by eez on Nov 9, 2009 16:54:30 GMT -5
"Not magic." Rustasha'fo pointed out, holding up a ragged claw. "And it's good to see you already connected the stars for the constellation. I did say I would arrive when you were ready, no?"
The old alien shook their rugged mane once and caused it to puff and fluff a bit.
"But enough of that. I bet you're wondering how I managed to pull the human out of the Raenok's cooking pot." He joked, fixing and tweaking his whiskers with a bored hand. "You should know the amount of technology you are up against."
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Post by Blacksteel on Nov 9, 2009 17:02:34 GMT -5
And a heck of a lot of technology this was! Hellboy supposed it was some sort of projector of sorts, but it was incredibly lifelike. He really wouldn't have been able to tell it was an illusion if it hadn't been for the previous exchange. He wondered if he could do the same thing provided he had the knowledge and assets, as well.
"I'm beginning to realize it," Hellboy said. "So now that you're here... I assume you've got an assignment for me?"
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