thearena | Time to Rokk and roll

Entry tags:

Time to Rokk and roll

Who: Rokk and Lyle; Rokk and Open
What: Arguing with a teammate and prowling the arena
Where: Starting off in Legion base then anywhere you want to find him
When: During the Hell-rena
Warnings: Probable talk of genocide and murder

1: Closed to Lyle

Rokk had noticed the return of his powers almost immediately even as their hideout decayed around them. He could see properly, as the familiar awareness of the magnetic fields around him that he'd taken for granted his whole life lit up again. And when he tried to generate a field of his own the sheer relief at feeling the metal around him respond to his will was almost overwhelming.

But as welcome as the change was, there was no way he could believe anything good would come of it. Whatever their captor's reasons for restoring them - as he had to assume it was all the Tributes affected not just specific individuals - it surely wasn't going to bode well for any them.

Glancing over at his team he caught Lyle's gaze and silently gestured to a secluded corner with his chin. They needed to talk and he didn't want Brainy overhearing them.

2: Open

Finding one lone Tribute in the arena was, unsurprisingly, not the easiest of tasks. On the plus side the difficulty meant at the very least the Progenitor wasn't on a planet-destroying rampage as he'd feared could happen. But it didn't mean he wasn't a danger. He could just be murdering people without causing vast amounts of destruction.

Rokk had never set out with the sole intention of murdering someone before. Doing so now had left a cold, hard lump in place of his heart. Even if the Progenitor was revived by the Capitol the blood would still be on his hands, he'd have still violated one of the Legion's main principles. But better that than risking what the being who'd once been Jan Arrah could do unleashed on the other, unsuspecting beings trapped here.

He'd armed himself before setting out - a pocketful of nails and other fragments of metal pulled from his surrounds, a length of pipe similarly liberated - and the environment offered other weapons he could use if he needed them. Fortunately as he'd already had to dissuade one of the creatures roaming the streets that had thought being alone made him an easy target.

He stuck to the shadows as much as possible, doing his best to avoid being seen as he searched for his former teammate but in the end he was no spy and wouldn't be that hard to spot. Of course, with so many other Tributes about it was a given that he'd run into someone besides his target sooner or later.

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Nasir was wired, on edge, and covered in sweat. It was a stark contrast to the cold that seeped into his body and the slow way he walked before. The timing of the change was fortunate, considering the monsters he'd had to avoid.

Once the fog cleared, his heat vision goggles had come off. After serving as sentry, Nasir was quick to pick out enemies, as he did now. This person was not Gannicus. He could let him go. Only they were going toward each other and Nasir would not backtrack.

Nasir raised his crowbar. "I see you."

Anyone else who tried to wave Lyle away from an unconscious teammate while the world was literally going to Hell around them would, at best, have gotten a derisive laugh and a rude gesture. But it wasn't anyone else, it was Cosmic Boy; so Lyle reluctantly stepped away from where Brainy was asleep and moved over toward the corner.

"He slept through that siren, I don't think us talking is going to wake him up," he said, jerking his head toward Brainy. "And the way things are right here, I don't want us too far from him in case something else shows up."

"Considering I'm not invisible I be surprised if you didn't."

Rokk came to halt and scowled when he saw the same man he'd encountered at the beginning of the arena. This was not the kind of trouble he'd been looking for. It wasn't that he was overly concerned about the outcome of a rematch - not when the other man wielded a far better choice of weapon than a lump of wood this time around - but he was concerned about the damage the Progenitor could cause left unchecked for too long. This man presented no threat to his teammates or anyone else currently so as far as Cos was concerned there was no need for them to fight.

"I'm not looking for trouble. Not from you. I have other business to deal with so I suggest we both just keep walking." If this encounter was being recorded those watching would hopefully not find it too odd a self-professed villain wanted to avoid a fight. He'd made no secret of what he planned, it should be enough to protect his cover.

"Agreed. But if he does wake up I'd rather not worry him." It was possible even in his current state Brainiac 5 would wake without them noticing and Cos didn't want to risk him overhearing what he had to say.

"Does anything - besides the obvious - feel different to you now? It just seems to me that something else has is up besides the change in visibility." He couldn't think of a more subtle way to ask if Lyle's invisibility had returned. If it had it would at least suggest this was a wide range affect. And if that were the case they had to consider who else might be similarly restored.

"And I'd rather none of us lose our heads to whatever's out there right now, so let's do this quick."

Lyle frowned thoughtfully at Cos, then looked down at his unbandaged hand and concentrated, consciously reaching for something he'd had near-unconscious control of since he was twelve. And at his will, his fingertips began to fade from sight.

"Oh." Lyle looked back up at Cos. "Fuck."

Because if he has his invisibility, and Cos has his magnetism (because he must have to have known that Lyle would too), then things were about to go very, very badly.

Because that meant that the Progenitor had his abilities back, too.

Edited 2014-06-05 07:22 (UTC)

"That's what I thought." Lyle had hit upon the same conclusion he had and it was with a sense of dread Rokk glanced out towards the street as if he could see the destruction beginning.

It wasn't impossible it was a local area effect. But that wasn't a possibility he was willing to bet on - it wouldn't be gambling with just their lives but with those of everyone in the arena, maybe even on the planet. It wasn't a risk he could justify.

"Stay with Brainy. If you run into trouble get yourselves somewhere safe. I'll find you somehow."

Without his usual costume he'd need to scavenge something to use as a weapon. And there was something else he was going to have to do before he left....

Had Garth felt this sick when he'd realised what he was going to have to do?

Lyle grabbed Cos' sleeve with his uninjured hand.

"I'm sneakier," he said seriously. "I can get closer without being noticed."

Because there was no real way to say "of the two of us, I think I'm better equipped to kill an ex-teammate of ours in cold blood" without blowing their cover as villains.

"You're also hurt. And I'm the one with most muscle. What happens if he detects you? You won't have a chance of defending yourself."

He didn't expect Lyle to like hearing that but it was the truth. And he couldn't let Lyle take the burden of this responsibility.

There was every need for them to fight in Nasir's eyes.

"This is the arena. Fighting is our business." Nasir had no reason to hold back and every reason to push this attack now. If he let Rokk go, he was one more enemy to fight later. Nasir wasn't soft. He couldn't afford to appear soft either and he had no ties to this man to give him pause.

Nasir advanced on Rokk.

"I will do what I must."

Eyes narrowed, Cos raised the pipe in front of him and let it go. It stayed hovering before him effortlessly in what he hoped would be a clear demonstration of power to discourage the other man.

"Last warning," he said. "You don't want to get on my bad side right now."

Nasir froze just as he had taken another step forward. His gaze flicked from Rokk to the pipe floating in the air. Floating. He could see nothing attached to this. Was it magic? More technology he didn't understand?

" How is this possible?" He did not expect a detailed, truthful answer. He hadn't lowered his crowbar and stared, trying to steel his face so his shock didn't continue to show, even though it was obvious.

"How isn't important. What is important is that I can do a lot more that just that."

His opponent clearly hadn't been expecting anything like that. Good. Maybe he'd reconsider a confrontation. Rokk would rather not waste his time and energy on a pointless fight.

"I suggest you stand aside."

Nasir no longer knew what he could believe here. First the walls of the buildings had dissolved and now this.

"If I do, I'm to believe you will allow me to pass?" At some point he would need to turn his back on this man and that was not something he cared to do. Nasir stood still, watching, considering.

"That's right. I have bigger concerns than you right now."

Granted Rokk wasn't eager to turn his back on the other man either, restored powers or not he could still be caught unawares. He'd just have to be stay on guard. Letting the pipe drop back into his hand he stepped to the side so the other man could pass him by should he choose to.

Nasir's face hardened but he started to walk past Rokk. Just as he was about to pass him, however, he lashed out. He swung his crowbar to strike him in the head. He released a short exclamation as he tried to crack his enemy's skull.

Nasir had considered letting him go without a fight, but he was constantly trying to prove himself. It didn't matter where. When he'd been a slave in his dominus's villa, he had worked hard for his position. When he'd been a free man, he fought the Romans to prove his worth. And now, as nothing more than a Tribute, he would show that he was of equal concern as any other.

If Lyle's recently-restored abilities had been telepathy, he might have laughed -- because he and Cosmic Boy were thinking the exact same thing.

"I'm trained," he countered, his voice more quiet but no less urgent. "Muscle isn't going to mean much here, and any 'defense' either of us puts up is going to be laughable. I've fought hand-to-hand injured before and I'm sure I will again."

Just when he'd thought the situation had been resolved and they were both going to be a reasonable, civilised beings something had to happen to prove him wrong.

If using his magnetism hadn't been so instinctive, so thoroughly ingrained as to require no more thought than breathing that swipe would have cracked his skull and marked the end. Fortunate then that he both had his powers back and that repelling the incoming metal away from him was his automatic first response to the assault.

"Fine, we'll play it your way," Rokk ground out. "Just remember I gave you a chance to walk away."

Unlike their previous encounter, keeping his opponent at a distance would work in his favour this time around and it was with this thought in mind that he retreated, aiming to put some distance between them.

Given that it was practically Legion code to fight over who got be the one to risk their lives in a dangerous situation the concordance would hardly be a surprise to either. Doubtless the same would be true of their determination to protect the other.

"I'm not doubting your ability but I'm still in better shape than you are right now. I've got a better chance even without the element of surprise. And someone has to stay here with Brainy."

Brushing Lyle off, Rokk turned to consider the remains of the shop around them as he decided what to take with him. As he did so, he slipped the fake flight ring off his finger and gripped it tightly in his fist.

Nasir did not know what had happened. His blow should have landed but the crowbar he held fought against him. He staggered back, stunned but still determined. He could not change his mind at this point.

In order to strike Rokk again, he would have to get within reach and so Nasir charged forward, hissing sharply. His crowbar was in the air and he was ready to bring it down-- assuming it would not fight against him this time.

Ready for this assault this time, Rokk stood his ground, steely gaze fixed upon the other man. This time the crowbar didn't so much fight its wielder as slam to a halt in mid-air. A second later it jerked against the hands holding it, attempting to pull free or throw the man off-balance. Either would be fine.

Nasir was nearly thrown off balance but he kept it, even if he had to halt. His hand remained around the crowbar and he tried pulling. It remained where it was.

"What fucking magic is this?" Nasir let go of the crowbar, quickly glancing from it to Rokk and back again.

The crowbar stayed floating in place even when released. Folding his arms across his chest Rokk answered coolly, "No magic. Just magnetism. Changed your mind?"

If it came down it he could always send the weapon flying in the hopes of making the other man chase after it rather than continue the fight. It wasn't the best option but he couldn't exactly arrest the man either.

Truthfully, Nasir would have changed his mind. He was no fool. But it was for that reason that he couldn't back down. He knew how the arena worked. You must gain the favor of the crowd and he could not do that if he ran from battle.

"Never." Ignoring the weapon, he lunged for Rokk. Absent his crowbar, his only weapon was his body and while he did not prefer hand to hand combat, he knew how to fight. He threw a punch at his opponent.

He'd hoped that the man would decide he was too badly outmatched and retreat, not press the attack. Whatever else could be said, he certainly wasn't lacking for bravery. He was also smart enough to realise trying to reclaim his weapon was a waste of effort.

The sudden change of tactics took Rokk by surprise and his head snapped back as the fist caught him full in the face. The crowbar dropped to the ground as he stumbled back a step, momentarily stunned.

Nasir closed the distance between them again and reached for Rokk's throat, intent on throwing him down to the ground and pinning him in place so he could hit him again. He'd never strangled someone to death but he imagined the trick would be to consider this man a Roman.

The situation had quickly gotten out of hand but despite the hands around his throat, Rokk stayed calm. He shoved past the ringing in his ears and with a thought the pipe twisted out his hand and leapt up to try and wrap itself around the man's arm and drag him off and away.

Nasir started at the metal suddenly wrapped around his arm. His grasp on Rokk's throat went slack and, despite his struggle, he found himself being hauled off the man.

"This is your doing! How?" He tried to get his arm free but it was no use.

"Natural talent. Maybe you should think more carefully about who you challenge next time." Lucky for him he'd managed to get the man off of him before he'd had a chance to crush his windpipe. Despite that he could still feel where the hands had been wrapped around his neck moments ago.

Rokk stepped back and wiped at his face, trying to clear off the smear of blood from his split lip. Tilting his head he frowned at the other man as the pipe wrapped itself more securely around his arm. "The better question is, what should I do with you now?"

"We are gladiators now. To lose the crowd is to die, by your hand or not. I choose to lose my life in battle." Nasir lifted his chin in defiance. "Whatever gloat you have, I do not care. You will end my life as you will. I will not beg."

He gave his silent apologies to Agron for failing him. He only hoped his lover would never find out. He hoped he would breathe again when this was over and that, when the time came, Gannicus would take this man's life and gain victory.

"Nice speech. Under any other circumstances I'd happily take you up on the offer of ending your life. You've managed to annoy me, quite an achievement for an ordinary human." It was a good thing Rokk had been subjected to plenty of villainous monologues in his life. It made it much easier to know what sort of garbage to spout to sell his story.

With a sigh of exasperation he went on, "Unfortunately my teammates and I have this little bet going you see. They seem to think they're so much smarter than me and the best way to prove this is to see who can go the longest without killing. Stupid, isn't it?"

With a gesture he directed the makeshift restraint to drag the man towards a nearby tree. He could use it to cuff his opponent to one of the branches and in doing so 'accidentally' thin out the metal enough that it could be broken.

"But I'm not about to lose so I'm going to have to let the wildlife finish you off for me. Don't worry, I'm sure it won't take too long."

Lyle eyed the door, wondering if he could make a break for it. The Capitol had taken his Legion belt, if he left the weapons behind he might not have enough metal on him for Cos to grab him.

He recognized the set of Cos' jaw though; the way he was holding his shoulders. This wasn't an argument that he was going to win unless he physically overpowered Cos, and that was not going to happen. If Cos failed, then Lyle would need to be in some kind of shape to fight the Progenitor.

"Rokk," he said finally. It wasn't a name he used often, and it felt strange in his mouth. But if Cos' was going to do this, he needed to know that what Lyle was about to say was serious. "As one of the sentients on the team who doesn't have extra power? Go for the joints."

Nasir stared at Rokk. His lips curled back but he refrained from snarling. He remained still. It wouldn't do him any good to try and free himself now when he could be tied to the tree again.

"Gratitude for your generosity." He hissed. Though maybe he should insult him in an attempt to get him to finish him off now. It would be a more pleasant death if he didn't manage to escape. That is, unless he drew it out. Better to take a chance on living.

Rokk smirked at his captive mockingly. "So you do have some manners. I'll tell you what then. We don't want our audience to get bored if you die too quickly so let's make it more interesting." He flicked the crowbar along the ground so it landed just within reach of the man's foot if he stretched. Just in case something came along before he could break free.

"Remember to put on a good show now." Turning away, Rokk waved over his shoulder as he went on his way.

Nasir waited until Rokk was out of sight before he started to try and pull himself free. To his surprise, it didn't take long. Was it an oversight?

One thing he knew. He didn't want to run into that man again.

A flicker of surprise crossed Rokk's face as he glanced back at Lyle, quickly clearing into comprehension and he offered a grim smile in reply. "Noted." He was grateful that Lyle wasn't arguing the point further as he'd half-expected him to. The other Legionnaire wasn't the best when it came to following orders and this was one job he had to do himself.

A rusted length of metal pipe liberated from the building earlier and a bottle of water were the only supplies he bothered to claim before turning to go. There was little point in more. One way or another, he didn't expect to be out there for long.

Pausing at the blocked off entrance to the building, Cos tossed over his fake Legion ring as he said, "Don't come looking. No matter how long it's been."

By the time Cosmic Boy found him, in the amusement park, he was building things. He couldn't do it at the same magnitude he'd once done, but at his touch, scraps of metal from a Gravitron were changing and morphing into other inorganic growing substances, twisting together in a slowly growing structure as he changed the matter within it.

It made sense, after all. The Legion had found him in a planetary dyson ring around a star, in a citadel of crystal. He was someone that felt the need to make a home, perhaps because of the ache that had never gone away. The that had started in the dark and never abated.

He was humming as he did it and in that moment he looked for all the world like the Jan the Legion had once known.

Rokk came to an abrupt halt when he spotted Jan, lingering at a distance and watching the display before him. It was impossible to look at him and not see the Jan Arrah RJ Brande had first introduced him to what seemed such a long time ago. The one whom he'd trusted with his life and who would never harm his friends.

He should act immediately. If Jan- If the Progenitor hadn't noticed yet him he had a chance of ending this quickly. Imra had told him about Candi's death and the horrors done in the Progenitor's name in the second galaxy. He'd seen the hatred inspired by that legacy first-hand when they battled the Credo. But every time he'd seen that face himself it had been a friend. First Jan himself then Garth. Both people who'd sacrificed so much to protect others with barely a thought for themselves.

It took too long for him to gather himself but when he finally did a shard from one of the rides rose into the air, shaping itself into a cruel point.

I'm sorry Jan.

He made himself watch as the spike flew towards Jan's head with all the considerable force he could muster.

Just as it was about to hit, Jan looked up and immediately his body turned into the same strange crystal that Garth had been made of when he'd come back to them in Jan's body. Despite the force Rokk had put into it, the crystal was stronger and the metal bounced off harmlessly.

"That wasn't very nice," he said, looking almost bewildered as to why he was attacked. He turned to face Rokk and there was the slightest twitch of familiarity. "Do I know you?"

Edited 2014-06-20 09:06 (UTC)

...Nass.

Despite himself there was a flicker of relief that he hadn't been successful in snuffing out another life, however temporarily. But now he'd lost any element of surprise it was going to be a lot harder.

Steeling himself Rokk stepped forward so Jan could see him clearly though he kept a wary distance.

"You should know me. It's Rokk. Remember Jan?" Inwardly he knew he should act now, take what advantage he might have from the confusion. Candi hadn't been able to reach Jan, why should he expect to succeed? But he wouldn't be able to forgive himself if he didn't at least try. It doesn't help that the former Legionnaire looked so much like Garth had like that, for all that Garth's spark was missing the similarity remained.

"Rokk." The name evoked something just on the edge of his memory. "You're not one of mine, are you? No - no - you'd never attack me if you were one of mine."

Rokk Rokk Rokk. Where did he remember that name? Oh, this was going to drive him crazy.

"That means you're variant. But where - where have I seen you before?"

"I'm from the Legion Jan. Just like you were."

Even as he spoke Rokk was reaching out, tendrils of power wrapping around wires and cables around them. He needed to be careful. While he wasn't in the worst shape, he wasn't anywhere near peak performance either. The Progenitor was too dangerous to risk losing to because he overreached himself. Fortunately there were sufficient ferroalloys that he didn't have to struggle as he sent several thick lengths of cable snaking up behind Jan ready to seize him at the right moment.

"Do you remember the Legion?"

If the Capitol hadn't ripped Brainy's implants out, if Lyle wasn't already injured, if the clock wasn't ticking down to the moment when the Progenitor figured out he had his powers back, Lyle would have kept arguing. He wanted to, he desperately wanted to spare his friend from having to do this -- he was fucking Rokk 'Cosmic Boy' Krinn, he'd been shouldering shit so the rest of them didn't have to damn near since the Legion had formed -- but there wasn't time for Lyle to fight him on this. Following orders to the letter had never been his strong point, but he was a practical sentient. They didn't have time to fight each other.

He almost fumbled the ring when Cos tossed it to him, but managed to keep it from hitting the floor all the same. He'd have to come up with a reason for this to not "count" for their bet, or some other reason for them to keep not killing people.

"I'll take care of Brainy," he answered instead of acknowledging Cos' order. He'd do exactly what he had to and Cos couldn't order him differently on that."

"Oh oh oh, I know this one," Jan said, snapping his fingers. "I know it. I saw something. A symbol and it took me so long to remember but then I forgot again."

He suddenly looked up.

"I remember. Yes. My old friends..."

A brief nod in acknowledgement - Lyle wouldn't deliberately endanger Brainy when he was so vulnerable so he was willing to accept the answer - and Rokk left without looking back.

He just hoped they weren't attacked while he was gone and Lyle was stuck defending them both on his own. But he couldn't afford to worry about that now.

Putting the rest of the Legion out of his mind, Cos set off in search of the Progenitor.

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Time to Rokk and roll

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cw: cussing

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cw: language

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