Rock'em, Sock'em Recruits

[morethanmyth]

Reading, Berkshire, was one of the larger towns in Britain, but this was also because of the myth population living quietly alongside the humans. There were very few that believed in fairies anymore, but some old superstitions had still endured the passing of time, and that was enough for the hobs to get by.

They were used to a quiet life there, and were usually untroubled by the outside world - or even the world of humans they lived side by side with.

At least until all this nonsense with the fearlings started. Everyone in the myth world knew that change was happening and it was a change for the worse rather than the better. When word eventually came that most of the Guardians had been captured by this evil force, by this Kuk, they knew the world was in trouble.

If the Guardians couldn't stand against them, then who could?

This was why, when the sky crack with lightning and opened him and a strange...thing fell down through it, cracking the asphalt where it landed, in the middle of their community's market, their first reaction was fear.

"What is it?"

"I don't know."

"Looks a bit like them human contraptions, it does."

"It can't be human, it fell out of the sky. And it's covered in slime."

"Don't touch it! Everyone stay back!"

The strange metal thing, whatever it was, suddenly sat up, staring at them all with an empty void of a face, before turning in one direction, running forward and smashing the facade of a building like it was nothing more than tissue paper.

"Everyone, clear out, take shelter! Blin, see if you can get find one of the tooth fairies to take a message to the Guardians! There are usually a few about."

"On it!"

The strange metal creature seemed to try to speak to them but the words were in a language alien to them and it sounded hostile.



Then it turned and went back to its rampage. Oddly, it didn't seem to be attacking any of them and all the damage to the buildings was more cosmetic than anything, but there was no telling if that would hold true for long - or if the creature would limit itself to just their settlement. If it laid into the town, with all its crowds of humans and larger buildings...

*"You're all in danger! You need to take shelter immediately!"

Comments

[justadigger]

Now the green guy was getting to be a bit more understandable, and the girl stopped scarily reminding him of some pretty bad memories. He starts to relax once more, shaking his head at Mellie's question. "No, you were...translating our friend here, somehow," he answers, motioning to him as he says so.

He sighs and shrugs at his question, though. "Barring screaming like a lunatic, I've got nothing to offer in that department."

[thewholeofthemoon]

"If you even try going catatonic, Padfoot, I'm going to summon a newspaper and beat you about the head and shoulders until you wake up." The sounds were definitely putting Remus on edge, as was his friend's insistence that this wasn't real. Which, as much as Remus would LIKE to think that the green guy who flew without a broom was fake, too much else was ringing true.

Such as the fact that he could practically FEEL the fact that the moon's phase had changed.

"Sadly, I haven't brought one of Molly Weasley's Howlers," Remus replied to the green guy. "However, there are..." He paused, then, "Sorry, yes. There should be something we can do." No need to go into technicalities.

[grimbiker]

Not entirely satisfied that Mellie was all right but content for now, Sirius stepped away from Mellie.

"Any excuse to beat me senseless, Moony." He flashed Remus a grin before turning back to the issue at hand.

"Somehow I don't think you want us to start screaming. That'd be too undignified anyway."

Oh, he recognized that he should probably be acting right now. He knew that if he wanted this situation resolved he would have to do something. The problem was he was still convinced this was all in his head. And at the moment it was rather amusing to watch.

[justleftovers]

"I don't remember doing that." Granted, Mellie forgets to close her refrigerator door sometimes, and forgets her keys and leaves her coffee on the counter on her way to work sometimes, but forgetting translating alien speech in the middle of a crowd of victimized little people is a bit much. Still, now doesn't seem an appropriate time to ask if she's gone completely mental.

"I could sing. That usually drives people in the opposite direction."

[googledox]

The green guy rolled his eyes, and then stopped, seeming to consider his options.

"You two, it appears you can do -" Full body shudder of disgust "--magic. Do you have any spells that can amplify sound?"

He said "spells" like it was a dirty word.

[grimbiker]

Sirius watched the green alien and a grin spread across his face. So, he didn't like magic? Well, Sirius could have a bit of fun with that. And the alien did ask.

He pointed his wand straight at Brainiac and said "sonorus."

So Sirius was going insane? So what? That was even more of a reason to have a little fun. The next time the green man spoke it would sound like he was talking through a megaphone.

[justadigger]

"Mm. Well, you did seem...rather out of it while doing so," Simon says to Mellie, making a vague hand-rotation gesture - the sort of thing when you're not really sure how to explain something.

The wizards and Brainiac get a curious watch as Simon rests the butt of his staff on the ground. He does want to help the situation, but his current options are pretty limited - and much as he'd like to make his own way of dealing with the flying creatures, it seemed like these lot had it under control for now.

[thewholeofthemoon]

Remus glanced at Sirius, not entirely certain what had gotten into his best friend, but there wasn't time to figure it out. "That spell will amplify your voice," he explained to the green man. Since Sirius didn't seem willing to do so and they hardly needed to antagonize him more. "There are others that can be used to amplify the sounds that your robot creates. And Padfoot, explain what you're casting BEFORE casting the spell on the Muggles? It's only polite."

It was against every single Statute of Secrecy currently on the books at the Ministry of Magic, but that was what memory charms were for.

[justleftovers]

"I feel like I just woke up from a nap." Mellie rubs her eyes, but there's no sleep dust there, no puffiness from having just woken up. Bizarre. The child on the ground runs away.

Is Hottie McLonghair's name siriusly seriously Padfoot? And is his blond friend talking about some breed of dog? A person more rooted to reality might flip the metaphorical chess board off the table at all of this, but somehow Mellie's managed to cut her tether to what she's supposed to expect and is just floating along, peacefully zen with the fact that this is all completely and totally bizarre.

Maybe she's been dropping acid and doesn't know it. Probably best if her FBI ex-boyfriend doesn't find out.

"If these two can do magic," she says, gesturing to Remus and Sirius, and grabbing Simon's arm as if he's the only solid thing around her, "do they have a forcefield or anything?"

[googledox]

Sirius was fortunate that Brainy didn't instinctually punch him in the face with his shield because that was his first instinct after magic was thrown his way thanks to enemies like Mordru.

"I NEED YOU TO -"

He took a moment out of bossing them around to roll his eyes once he realized the effect of the spell.

"I NEED YOU TO CAST THE SAME SPELL ON ALL OF US. PROVIDED ITS EFFECTS CAN BE NEGATED AFTER THIS."

The expression on his face said "And they had better be."

Sirius, he does not like you.

[grimbiker]

Sirius had resigned himself to getting punched in the face often. Not that he minded that Brainy had refrained. Even if this was all an elaborate hallucination he didn't imagine it would be too pleasant.

But he was blissfully unaware of how close his nose came to being broke. So instead he continued to grin.

"Oh Moony, what's the fun in warning them," he said flippantly before turning to Brainy. "Don't worry. You won't make yourself hoarse." He turned to the others, raising his wand. "This won't hurt a bit." As a show of good faith, he cast the spell first on himself before casting it on his companions, one at a time.

[justadigger]

"Guess that makes sense," Simon half-mumbles about Mellie's sleepy feeling, and then looks a bit surprised to see her grabbing onto him. Once he recovers from that, though, he chuckles and lightly pats her arm. "I don't know, but if you're worried about getting hurt, stick with me," he adds.

Sirius gets a frown, and Simon tilts his staff in the wizard's direction. "This whole mess is weird enough, young man, without adding to it by throwing around flashy stuff without any explanation or warning. It's not going to do you any favors in the trust department," Simon explains in a calm, but warning tone.

He does take the spell without incident, however, but refrains from trying out its effects just yet.

[thewholeofthemoon]

Even though Remus was fully able to cast the spell himself, he allowed Sirius to cast it on him instead. It wasn't too strange. Not as strange as it maybe should have been, given the fact that the last time Remus had seen Sirius, he'd been sneaking out of Remus's small home in the early hours of the morning after another fight.

He mostly blamed Voldemort, but it wasn't like Sirius was completely innocent in all of it.

"TRY NOT TO MIND HIM," Remus replied, rolling his shoulders. "HE TENDS TO THINK HE'S FUNNIER THAN HE ACTUALLY IS. IT'S MOSTLY HARMLESS, THOUGH." Mostly. Not always. See: trying to send Severus to the Shrieking Shack during a full moon. It had taken time for Remus to forgive that one. "SO. WHAT DO YOU NEED US TO DO?"

[justleftovers]

"AH!" Mellie lets go of Simon and claps her hands over her ears. "WOW, MAGIC SOME EARPLUGS IN, MAYBE?"

She decides right then that she likes Simon, if only because he seems like the sanest thing around. She doesn't even argue that she doesn't need protecting, because the truth is that she doesn't mind it right now, even if a part of her hopes that he doesn't waste too much energy on her. After all, she's only temporary anyway.

"GIVE US THE ORDER." She gestures to Brainiac. "YOU'RE THE BOSS."

[googledox]

"WE NEED TO CREATE SEVERAL SONIC FOCAL POINTS AND INITIATE A MALFORNIAN SUBSONIC WAVE COLLAPSE TO - "

Brainy paused. This wasn't his team and this seemed to be some variant of Earth around the 20th or 21st century, so there was no telling how primitive and unintelligent these individuals were.

He regrouped.

"WE NEED TO GET AROUND THEM IN A CIRCLE AND SCREAM AT THEM, SO I CAN HERD THEM IN A WAY THAT LETS ME BLOW THEM UP. SINGING HORRIFICALLY OUT OF TUNE WILL ALSO SUFFICE; THE HIGHER PITCHED THE BETTER."

Brainy led the way, flying over to the other side of the cloud, which was starting to disperse.

[justadigger]

A rather loud chuckle comes from the old man at Mellie's reaction to the increased volume, as well as Brainy's instructions. "WELL, IF THERE'S ONE THING I WAS ALWAYS GOOD AT, IT WAS RAISING HELL," he comments in a deep, rumbling bass tone. A squeaking noise of distress is heard from within his hood a rather cross mole-like animal pokes its head out - quite annoyed in how it was disturbed.

Thankfully, Mellie's not voicing that thought, or the old man would be pretty inclined to argue it. (It's especially thankful right now with the vocal enhancement...)

"WE'D BEST GET MOVING," he says, taking his staff in two hands and running after Brainy - and he's rather spry about it.

[thewholeofthemoon]

On hearing the instructions, Remus flashed a quick smile to Sirius. "THERE YOU GO, PADFOOT. SOMETHING FOR YOUR UNIQUE TALENTS." A little bit of teasing as to his friend's singing ability. "THOUGH A BARK MIGHT BE MORE USEFUL THAN THE SINGING."

The Muggles had seen enough at this point that the shapechange might not bother them. And, frankly, he found he'd be happy to see the Grim.

[grimbiker]

"THAT SOUNDS AN AWFUL LOT LIKE PERMISSION, MOONY." Sirius tucked his wand into his pocket. "BUT YOU SHOULD KNOW I'VE NEVER NEEDED THAT."

He regarded Brainy, unable to stop himself from smirking. "FEEL FREE TO SCREAM, SING, AND EMBARRASS YOURSELVES. I'LL PASS."

One moment the wizard was standing there, smirk still planted on his face. The next there was a dog, standing upright before falling onto all fours. He barked, deep and magically amplified. It was almost loud enough to hurt ears.

He padded into place around the creatures attacking the suit.

[justleftovers]

Mellie begins to use the tone of voice she's normally kind enough to save for the shower. It's not as if she has no sense of pitch, it's just that she's a little...ambitious. Whitney Houston songs should never be subjected to such butchery.

She keeps her hands clapped over her ears, as she's even hurting herself a bit with that rendition of Greatest Love of All. But she does a good job looking for the problems that try to slip by the others.

[googledox]

And the yelling commenced.

Apparently, Brainy's voice could go quite high in pitch, though he wasn't so ambitious that he was trying to make his yelling musical.

The creatures started looking agitated, and guided by the amplified soundwaves, they started corralling into an area over the damaged mecha.