Coffee Shop Blues (IC)

[Sandman XI]

Elizabeth looked to the man in awe. It was like he pulled the most statuesque being out of her head and became it. She made this sculpture back in school, but it was nowhere near as... real. Her mind nearly couldn't wrap around it.

Dionysus smiled, "My child. There are so many things I could teach you, but we have a limited amount of time. Luckily we're on dream time. So, we have as much time as it demand we have. Let us not tarry!"

"You really are him, aren't you," Elizabeth grinned widely. She was truly impressed. "OK, what are we going to do now?"

"The first thing I want to do is show you a bit about your ancestors and relatives," he said picking her up and flying from the field towards a great mountain. "From them you will learn a bit about yourself and your purpose. Although there are lessons to be learned, take everything you hear here with a grain of salt. Look for the true meaning and not the face value."

[Sandman XI]

Hercules gritted his teeth, "Your words are getting you deeper and deeper in to a world of pain." He smiled sinisterly, "As for your friend, she serves a higher purpose now." Lightly touching edge of the blade against her stomach, he looked to Push, "You my talkative man, I have a proposition for you. Instead of talking yourself into a painful death, why don't you join me? We could fulfill your every whim and need. You could sit in the council of gods. My friend, you could become more powerful than you ever imagine. Drop this filthy mongrel. You can do better." Hercules whistled and a woman walked in. A woman in a toga, she seemed to be the picture of perfection. Hourglass curves. Warm skin. Long raven hair. Almond shaped green eyes. She walked into the room and, at Hercules's wordless command, knelt before Push. "We have what you want. This and so much more," Hercules said triumphantly, "Now, what do you say?"

[Quinn]

Push stared at the woman kneeling in front of him, then back at Hercules, then back at the woman.

A beat.

Then his eyes fixed on Herc, but they were no longer amused and cheerful. As a matter of fact, they were as cold as ice, and possessed of a fury that would make even hardened criminals quake. Great Hercules...had miscalculated. Badly.

"Okay, first, I'm insulted you think I can be bought so easily. But with a brain the size of a walnut, that doesn't surprise me. Second, I'm downright furious that you'd pull that kind of...of..."

A stream of curses flowed from his mouth as he clenched a fist, warps of energy unconsciously appearing all around him. The ground directly beneath him started to vibrate, small stones and dirt beginning to rise and float as the energy in his body was brought to the fore, and a low rumble filled the air.

"Really. What could have possibly made you think I could be bought off like that? Is it the hat? The coat? I break in here, disrupt your precious ritual with some epic rokk, call out your daddy issues, which, by the way, still creep me the frak out, and blow up all your little cultist buddies! What do I have to do, huh? Call you a wimp? Fact is, mate, before I just wanted to rescue the girl. Now, I'm still going to rescue Eliza, AND kick your ass up between your ears!"

His arm shot forward, a rip in the air roaring forward to impact Hercules on his barrel chest with the force of a dozen sledgehammers, another coalescing above his hand as he charged forward with a mirthless laugh.

"Bring it!"

[Sandman XI]

Hercules sighed and shook his head as Push ranted. He didn't hear an acceptance, so he was better off not listening to the angry mortal. That was, until he caught a bolt of... something in the chest. It felt heavy and piercing for a moment. As if the mortal had channeled all his rage into one blast of hate. Luckily, his godly physique could handle such anger and such energy. In what looked like a scowl and a smile at the same time, "Have it your way, mortal." Hercules looked to the woman, "You, get on my throne. This gnat will be gone soon." The woman stood and went to the throne as she was told. "Now you, insolent fool," Hercules pointed to Push, "I'm going to teach a lesson. Lesson one: When someone asks you to be a god, you say YES!" Hercules stepped forward and with his mighty reach, grabbed Push by the torso with one hand and squeezed hard. Followed by planting him face first on the ground and pinning him with his massive knee. "Second lesson, I'm going to teach you why you chose pleasure over pain. Right now you are in pain, yes? Pain hurts, right?" He took off Push's hat and threw it at the altar where it landed on Elizabeth's stomach. "That said, I'm offering you a second chance," he said mussing with Push's hair.

[Quinn]

With his face planted into the ground, it was tough for Herc to hear anything the manhandled hero had to say...but he did hear something.

"Heh. Heh, heh....hahahahahaaaa...."

A low laugh came from below Herc's knee, followed by a slow turn of Push's head, so his cheek was plastered to the floor. A humorless grin was on his face, and he laughed again as the villain ruffled his hair, giving Push the opportunity...to spit in the overmuscled villain's face.

"No."

Closing his eyes, Push reached down to the core of his being, touching the spark of kinetic energy that roiled and boiled within him, and pushed it outwards. A shockwave of kinetic energy exuded from him, slamming into Hercules with the weight of an express train. The Roman warrior rolled with it well, catching himself on the ground a few feet away. He looked up, and saw a most unwelcome sight. Push was standing by the altar, his hat in one hand...and the massive stone throne floating above his other. The woman sat, looking shellshocked, on the open space where it had been a moment ago.

"Thrice. I say. And done. No."

And with an inarticulate cry, Push flung his arm forward, the massive seat flinging itself forward right at Push's opponent!

[Sandman XI]

Hercules felt his body erupt when the energy coursed over him. It was like feeling everyone of his muscles tighten all at once. Like being put through a ringer. No pain, he thought, no glory. He snarled and stood up, just in time to catch his thrown throne. "Bravo, mortal," he clapped slowly, "Your aim is true and your ... whatever you did, was forceful." He began to swing the throne, but he noticed that the fool was over the top of the prize. Hercules snarled, "So, you think you've gotten off easy have you? I could come over there and put you in a thousand holds that would make you scream for mercy from whatever you worship." He paused for a second and smirked, seemingly taking Push's measurements, "You're quite short for mortal man. You probably have bones that would snap like a twig. Tell me, will you scream for me then?" He ripped the throne in half and roared, "WILL YOU SCREAM FOR ME THEN?!"

[Quinn]

Push watched the ancient hero bluster at him, and at the tearing of the throne, merely raised an eyebrow. The rage and fear Hercules attempted to engender struck Push's mind, but his catalogue of nightmares flowed to the fore, his mind filling with pictures of daemons and spells he'd fought against, chasing Scratch...and bested.

"Make me scream? Make me scream? Let me fill you in on something, Jerc. I've walked in the dark places, where no man dares tread. I've chased eldrich abominations that dwarf the great monsters they say you've vanquished. I've fought against the beasts of Old Night, demons and ancient magics that would tear the boundaries of this world asunder! I live in a city where this happens on a regular basis, guys and girls like me standing every day against...against...villains like you, who seek to abuse the laws of nature and men!"

The hero stood on the edge of the altar, placing his body between Muse and Hercules. For once, his humor abandoned him, and the words flowed from his mouth, his anger apparent at this kidnapping scum's attempt to match himself with the things he'd seen and done since leaving Gear City, and what was to come for him in Freedom City.

"You're nothing but a blustering oaf, swaggering in his comfort zone with nothing more than the memory of your great deeds! While you live in history, I make history! While some tell stories of your adventures, I have those adventures! They called you a hero, but I'll swear from here to...to...to Athens, that you're no hero! You're the villain of the movie, Herc! The one who kidnaps the heroine! I'm here, straight from Freedom City! I am a hero!"

He stopped, breathing a bit heavily, then he threw his head back and laughed.

"You don't scare me, Hercules. And you damn well know it. I can see it in your eyes now, you're wondering just why I can keep getting up. Askin' yourself why the mighty Hercules is being laid low by some punk kid from outta town."

[Sandman XI]

Hercules listened to the shouting. While he was not afraid of the tiny feminine-built mortal man. He did have an ego. And thus his morale was a big target. It hurt him. He scowled. It. Hurt. Him. With a quick leap of rage, the giant angry god leaped into the air and let his large foot try to do the talking. Unfortunately for Hercules it missed landing right next to the mouthy mortal. He did not speak. He did not want to speak. He did not want this mortal to speak, much less move, anymore.

[Quinn]

"Oh, he doesn't like that!"

Push leapt aside with an easy grace, kicking in the afterburners and leaping away with a laugh. A wide grin spread underneath his scarf, and he swept his hat onto his head as he did a quick backflip for emphasis and landed neatly on his boots, beside one of the room's pillars. Music started to pump into the room once again, a loud guitar sound filling the air; "Don't give us none of your AG-gravation!"

"Gotta warn you tho', you fight with Push...you better fight dirty."

Within the space of a heartbeat, both of his hands were in his pockets, and yanking out two things. In one hand, a small black cylinder, with a red button on top. On the other, a single army-surplus flashbang. A quick toss, and the grenade landed in front of the old Roman, as Push ducked behind the pillar and pushed the detonator. For a moment, the room was lit up like a Christmas tree, as it let off a combination of light and sound right in Hercules's face. Combined with the musical barrage from all angles, it was if a full-sized rave had just erupted in the one room for a few seconds.

Play for time, Push. Keep him off-kilter, wait for him to make a mistake.

[Sandman XI]

Hercules swatted the flashbang out of the way harmlessly, but then the music started. This was not battle music! Still the music was the last thing on his mind. The foremost was making this mortal choke to death on his own anger. Hercules leaped over to Push in fluid angry motion. Though this might have not been the wisest idea. The tiny girl-like body of Push evaded his rim rocking blow.

[Quinn]

That "girl-like" body served Push well in that split second he came charging. Ducking under the outstretched arms with reflexes honed in years of vigilante work, the kineticist moved expertly right through the Roman warrior's guard. A smirk crossed Push's features as his clenched fist came up, a massive warp surrounding it as he slammed as much kinetic energy as he could reach into the shot.

"OO-RAH!"

With force that could rip through walls, crack concrete, dent steel, his fist connected with Hercules's jaw, ringing his skull like a bell and lifting his feet off the ground for a split-second...but the villain rolled with the punch, and Push ducked into a roll under his left arm to come up behind the wrestling legend.

[Sandman XI]

Hercules was tired of all the chatter. Reaching way down into his rage, he swung at Push with the force of a megaton bomb... and whiffed again. the ground rumbled as he smacked it. He and Push now stood in a large crater where the throne room used to be. on the edge of the crater were two people. Muse's still limp body and the raven haired girl who was hanging on for dear life. Hercules's inner circle stood at the edge of the crater ignoring the raven haired girl's pleas for help. Watching the two warriors fight.

[Quinn]

A lot of things can run through a man's mind when he's fighting something likely way out of his weight class. Particularly when that opponent's back is to you. That punch could have cracked Push like an eggshell, and the hero knew full well half the reason he was still standing was luck. Looking objectively, he was in one hell of a bind. If this fight went on much longer, his reserves would be drained dry. If he kept going, no doubt he could take the son of a god down, he'd be exhausted, but he could still do it.

And he had a perfect opportunity too. The overmuscled jerk's back and spine were completely exposed. One solid blow...and then there was that scream. To his credit, Push's hesitation was minimal. He leapt in the air and kicked in the jets, flying backwards, away from the beautiful target that Hercules had given, and swept up both Muse and the raven-haired worshipper in his arms. He hovered there, in midair, looking down at Hercules. The music stopped abruptly, and he quietly floated down and placed the conscious woman on her feet, before turning back. He cracked his neck left, then right, the sound audible in the hushed quiet of the throne room, as he carefully and slowly lowered Elizabeth down to a relatively comfortable position...before he stood again, and stood at the edge of the crater.

His eyes flashed, and silently he leapt forward, kicking in what tiny fragment of kinetic energy he had left, flying towards Hercules with bantam courage, flinging his arm forward as a massive warp engulfed his hand. The last roll of the dice. If Herc took this, it'd be all over...he fired, and it flew forward, barely ahead of the renegade kineticist, and both blast and hero connected with a mighty eruption, as dust from the crater flew into the air.

Endgame.

[Sandman XI]

Elizabeth's trip was short, but eventful. She learned a few things and was told that she could come back any time she wanted through her dreams. Dionysus then gave her a key. It was more symbolic than anything. He told her that while she could visit in dreams that the key was a one way trip to the real thing. If she ever wanted to come there for real and interact with everything, she just need to hold the key and think about it. She was grateful for the gift and thanked her father. Despite not wanting to leave, she had to. Just for now. She groggily woke up to find that she was not in front of Hercules's throne but lying on the edge of a giant crater. That and she was covered in marble dust due to the oil they covered her in. She sat up and looked around. What had happened while she was out?

[Quinn]

As the dust cleared, it became apparent that one figure was walking out of the cloud while another was lying on the ground. The cultists surged forward briefly, eyes wide, then gasped in astonishment as Push came stepping out, longcoat and scarf swirled around him. Hercules lay unconscious behind him, battered and defeated in the centre of the crater. Push dusted off his hands and caught a glimpse of the now-awakened Muse. They stared across the distance mutely for a moment, then the kineticist shrugged.

"...Have a good nap?"

[Sandman XI]

Elizabeth smiled wearily and rubbed her eyes with a nod, "Quite indeed. Ever seen paradise? I have. It was beautiful." She chuckled, "I could get used to that." She sighed when she saw the demigod laid low, "I met Herakles. He's nothing like," she stopped herself, realizing what she was bout to imply, "He's less of an evil bastard. Nice fellow when he's on your side." She looked at the woman sitting next to her.

The woman smirked, "" Elizabeth nodded her thanks. "" the woman spoke up, "

Elizabeth was shocked, she didn't know what to say. And as the woman said she had little time. With a split decision, she nodded and grabbed the woman by the arm and entered the crater. Without a word she grabbed Quinn by the arm. All three of them disappeared just as the inner circle was heading towards them. When they reappeared they were in the coffee shop again. Dressed differently and with one more person, but in the same coffee shop. She looked to the woman with a smile, ""She looked to Quinn, "Did you enjoy your trip?"

[Quinn]

Push flopped in a seat, pulling down his scarf, and looked Muse right in the eye...then he laughed.

"Heh, hell yeah. What was it Caesar said, I came, I saw, I conquered? Got to see Rome, and even stretch my legs a bit."

The kineticist stood, and held out a hand, his expression still slightly mirthful, but tinged with concern.

"Don't think Jerkules'll be getting up from the beating I gave him for a while, at least. You okay?"

[Sandman XI]

Elizabeth was still lightly peppered with marble dust and wearing that gown, causing the few people who were there to stare at her and the other two people that just popped into the coffee shop. She looked to the raven haired woman, ""

The raven haired woman nodded happily. "" She curtsied and walked away.

Elizabeth shook her head slowly with a smile. "This is one for the record books, as they say," she said to Push. For a second, she pondered the question about Hercules getting up, "I'm not sure. I learned about gods not really being here when I was in my little coma state. Real gods have to stay in their own realms and can only come if humans call them. Even if humans do call them, they're not getting the real deal. Just a packaged up piece of the god. Something called an Avatar. That said, the Hercules worshipers could call him or anyone else they wanted. You'd be good to watch your back." She curtsied, "I'll do the same for you."

[Quinn]

Push executed a somewhat awkward bow, before casting an eye out the window and noting with some relief that the boys in blue and the man in black were long gone. For a moment, he had a mixed look, then he abruptly gave Muse a hug.

"Thanks...for everything."

The kineticist pressed something into her hand, backed off while smiling weakly, and winked.

"And hey, if Herc comes back again, I'll just throw him back up Olympus with a note saying 'Return to Sender'. Stay outta trouble, Liz, I'll see you around."

And with that, he was out the door, into the air, and away.