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Summary: Star is the latest to be taken in a string of kidnappings!
Date: February 28, 2012
Log Title: Troll! In The Dungeon!
Rating: PG-13
Westchester - Train Station
In a small red building is the Salem train station. Inside the wood floors creak with age, and there are few benches for those waiting for a train. An old man sits behind the ticket counter for those wishing to purchase tickets inside. Outside the cement platform raises about four feet off the ground so passengers can get on and off the train to New York City. There is a covered area of the platform for when it's raining.
The sun has set and darkness has set in this evening and once the train departs the station the quiet seems to settle over the place. The buzz of a flickering light, rustle of wind and occasional scuttle of an animal can be heard. No one else in the train platform tonight and the parking lot has a few cars still lingering sporatically in parking spots. The chill on the wind seems to cut through clothing and hit right to the bone.
Theo watches as the train departs, Proto is on his back, and his pack is in his hand. Dress shirt and khakis. "See, those 186B trains were put mainly into use after the E series was starting to fail. The E series, wow, they were great trains. Nothing lasts forever though, you know? I mean it is good for a type of train to be able to operate for 80 years! Can you believe that? Cars rarely make it that long, that's for sure," He has gone on like this since they first met up to ride back together from the city. He is usually so reserved, but get him near a train, and suddenly he won't shut up.
"That's really interesting, Theo…" It's the same thing Star's been saying since Theo first started talking about… whatever it is he's talking about. She hasn't really been paying that much attention for quite a while now. She sighs and shakes her head, muttering under her breath to herself and just barely managing to mute the irritated bordom that hangs in the air around her, "So shouldn't have volunteered to bring him home…" Hopefully, the boy doesn't notice her disinterest. It wouldn't do to discourage his interest, after all…
The wind picks up bringing a drastically colder chill with it, and with the cold, a strong oder. There's a smell that's almost nasueating, like the combination of unwashed socks, rotten garbage and public bathroom that permiates the air. There's an ice that starts to form on the railings of the train station, the hoods of cars, trees and bushes with a loud crackling sound.
Theo is in the middle of continuing his rant about trains when the smell hits him. "I mean, when you compare them to the 1850s trains it is amazing how different trains have become but how they are still — " He stops, wrinkling his nose. "Ugh, what's that?" Theo asks Star, glancing around. Proto beeps on his back, alerting an unnatural change, though it's hardly necessary. The teen's stance widens, "Star…you see this?" he asks, toe oscillating on the ground beneath him as he watches the ice form. "I think we better get moving…" Proto's camera spins around on Theo's back, offering sight behind the boy.
Star wrinkles her nose at the horrible stink that hits with another blast of cutting wind, quickly covering her mouth and nose with one hand and fighting back gagging, "Good lord…" She steps up beside Theo frowning at the sight of the frost forming so quickly on everything, "I see it. Be ready to run." There's no question of trying to fight whatever it is that's happening. She reaches into the pocket of her coat and grips her phone.
A silence starts to fill the area, muting out the normal sounds that come with nighttime and once the silence hits the smell starts to get worse. The virbration of something approaching can be heard 'thuding' on the ground before it can be heard and with in moments three large humanoid figures can be seen emerging from the darkness. Standing eight feet tall with skin the colour of moldy ear wax, bald heads, rotted yellowing crooked teeth, each just wearing a loin cloth and caring a large club are three trolls. "We've come to take the pretty lady." One of them says in a dull sounding voice.
"Right," Theo says. "At least they are direct." He drops his bag and holds his hands out to his sides. Proto wraps around Theo, encasing him with the armor. He pushes Star, "Let's go!" From Theo's shoulder, Proto's snake camera twists around, and emits a strobe flash at the trolls in order to try to buy them some time as he begins to run.
"Oh my god." Star does gag a little now, her grip on her phone tightening, "I don't like the sound of that." Then the trolls appear and her eyes widen in horror, fear filling the air around her for a moment before the monsters announce that they've, apparently, come for her, "Shit. Run, Theo!" She's at least got to get the kid out of harm's way, anyway. She doesn't just stand around waiting to be nabbed, though; she turns in the oposite direction from the creatures and starts running a few steps behind her charge.
The flash of light does blind at least one of the Trolls and with an angry roar he just starts swinging his club blindly, smashing the ground and what ever he can hit. As the two start running though the other two trolls start to lumber after them, one of them swinging with his club to hit Theo and the other, putting down his club so he can reach for Star with his grubby hands to try to pick her up.
"Faster!" Theo yells, though their shorter legs give the two a decided disadvantage. Theo brings his arms up to block the club, which still sends him flying across the pavement and ice, sliding to a stop. As he spots the troll reaching for Star, he throws his wrist out, launching the tazer at the arm of the offending putrid creature. "Star! Keep running, they're after you, not me!" he shouts, struggling to get back to his feet. He is a little shaky though, his armor isn't nearly as tough as that of his mentor, Tony Stark.
"Theo!" The swing at the younger mutant has Star calling a warning, even as she ducks, trying to dodge out of reach of the troll that's grabbing for her, "I'm running, Theo! I'm running." Boy, is she running! "I swear, I'm never leaving the mansion again, once we get out of this." Cloud is just going to have to come to her if he wants to see her from now on, "Don't worry about me, just get to safety! I can take care of myself." Even if she doesn't have the best track record with that, so far. The icy ground doesn't help her efforts to escape as she pulls the phone out of her pocket and presses the panic button, calling for help for the student as much as for herself.
The Trolls have a leg span that Star and Theo don't have so even though they run the monsters can keep pace. Though while the blind one has recovered the one grabing for Star gets a nice jolt of electricity and starts to wobble, falling backwards with a 'thud!' to the ground. The earth shakes and causes the Troll that was after to Theo to lose it's balance. As he falls forward the club hits Theo right across his back, hard enough to cause the teen to lose consciousness.
The vibration of first one troll and then another falling makes Star lose her balance on the slick ground and she slips, sliding to a stop in a few feet with a pained cry. The fear trailing along after her changes to anger and frustration, "Leave us alone!" She gasps when Theo is knocked unconscious, turning black eyes on the fallen beasts, "What the hell did we do to you, anyway?!"
One of the trolls stops and tilts his head at Star with confusion. "Master told us to get pretty lady, so we are getting pretty lady." As if that answers all. "Master said not to hurt pretty lady unless needed. Do we have to hurt pretty lady or will pretty lady come?" The troll asks in his deep, dull, voice.
"And who is this 'master'? Why does he want me?!" Star slips a little as she gets up, moving to put herself between the fallen Theo and the trolls, "I don't know any 'master' and there's no reason at all why anyone should send you after me. I'm just a teaching assistant." That's not anyone special. Forget the fact that she just happens to be a mutant, there's nothing any different between her and the average New York woman, "Just stay back!" She holds her hands up as though that's going to protect her from being snatched up and taken wherever they want to take her.
"Uuuuuhhhh." The troll begins slowly. "Master said to get pretty lady so we are getting pretty lady." One might get the feeling that these trolls aren't exactly bright. Now that the other two are back on their feet and recovered from blindings, tazing and others mishaps, they start their assalt again, four hands all reaching to grab at Star.
Star tries to dodge out of the way, giving an inarticulate cry of rage when she isn't quite fast enough, "Let me GO! I have classes I have to be there for tomorrow; I can't afford to go with you idots!" Forget the fact that there's still a student unconscious behind her that she has to get to the mansion to see to it that he gets medical attention for a potential concussion, she's got a job to do!
A pair of hands find Star and grab onto her, tossing her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. "Pretty Lady makes lots of noise." One of them says as a hand 'bops' her on the head to knock her out. Once she's out cold, the trolls lead here away into the dark night, vanishing and leaving an unconcsious Theo there for Xavier's to find.
Romania - Tower - Star's Suite
A large painting of an elegant woman surrounded by a marble frame sits above an elegant marble fireplace. The fire seems to always be burning and keeps the room at the perfect temperature of comfort. The marble around the painting his highly polished to the point where it reflects what's in bedchamber. On top of the mantle sits an old clock that doesn't seem to work, a vase of flowers that never wilt and a pair of matching candelabras that shine light throughout the room.
The large ceiling is adorned with paintings of cherubs, musicians and women who seem to be enjoying themselves. A large and decant chandelier hangs from the middle of the ceiling providing more light from candles that never seem to die or melt. The walls are just as painted as the ceiling but instead of women and cherubs its decorated with mountains and villages. The bottom three feet of the wall is white with decorative molding and adorned with golden designs.
The bed is a large king size bed with a canopy on top and bed curtains that can be closed around the large golden bed frame to provide solitude while sleeping. The silk linens are white decorated with gold and blue design and compliment the canopy, which is cream colored, with floral design. Next to the bed sit two small wooden end tables with matching oil lamps on either side that turn on or off on command.
In the middle of the room sits two elegant armchairs that match the bed's gold frame and linens along with a matching couch. A marble toped table sits in the middle with an antique glass wine decanter, with intricate detail in silver on the bottom and top (http://i43.tinypic.com/23moc4j.jpg), with two matching wine goblets. It's filled with a rich red wine that is pleasing to the plate and it never seems to empty. There is a matching platter of a variety of cheeses that never go bad and pair excellent with the wine.
A large decorative mirror with golden molding surrounding it sits on one wall and on one side of it is a gold and white dresser with a sitting chair in front of it. On the dresser are a variety of perfumes, elegant brushes and combs and other beauty products for a woman. On the other sides of the mirror is a large armoire that matches the rest of the decor of the room. Inside the dresser are a variety of gowns made from the finest silks and linens that are all the perfect fit.
//http://i43.tinypic.com/ehb3w5.jpg//
As Star wakes up, she'd find herself in the bed in a highly decorative room. The bed is soft, comfortable and warm. She'd find herself in a old fashioned night gown and that any headache she may have had from waking up after being knocked out, non-existant. There's a soft knock on the door of her new room as someone is calling on her.
It's the knocking that finally rouses Star. The soft sound intruding on the unconsciousness that fell into true sleep some time ago. She stretches and sighs, slowly opening her eyes to find herself starring at an unfamiliar ceiling. A frown draws her brows together and she sits up quickly, fear flooding the air around her when she doesn't recognize her surroundings, "Oh god…" Where the hell is she?! She throws the comforter back and slips off of the bed a little too quickly, having to catch herself before she lands with an undignified thump. She lets the knocking go on for a minute or two before she calls out shakily, "C-come in?" Her voice is hesitant and possibly too soft to be heard through the door.
The door opens on it's own and in walks a hunched back man with a face that only a mother could love. With one large eye and one smaller one and stictches all across his face so that it's like he's made up of bits of different people. "Hello Mithstreth. I have brought you thomething to eath if you are hungry." He says putting down a silver tray of food and tea. "I am thorry the trollth were tho rough with you."
The sight of the monstrous man has revulsion spiking around Star as she takes an invountary step back, "Where the hell am I?" Forget that this unfortunate creature is bringing food and she hasn't eaten since before leaving Cloud's, she want's information first. Her stomach, however, has other ideas and growls at the smell of food, "And my name is Star, not 'Mithstreth'." She eyes the tray of food disrtustfully, "I demand to know who you are and why I've been brought here!" She scowls, anger blending with the fear and disgust in the air.
"You are in the Mathsterth tower Mithstreth." Igor says in his thick lisp as he will not call her anything but that. "I am Igor." He says with a bow. "I am jutht a manthervant but anything your require I can athitht you with." He says givng another bow. "You have been brought here at the Mathsterth requetht. While you are here the room ith yourth."
"Igor…" Star sighs, pinching the bridge of her nose and closing her eyes for a moment, "Of course you are. Who else would you be…" She opens her eyes and frowns at this man before her, struggling for a moment to decypher what he's saying, "And why does this master want me here? I don't know any 'Masters'." She does take a moment to peel her eyes away from the hunch-backed man to glance around the room, though she'll actually investigate it when she's alone.
"Masther will explain it all when he meeth you and the other guetht." Igor says as he stands there with his hands behind his back. "The fire plathe ith yourth to command. If it ith too hot or too cold, jutht let it know. The lighth will altho ethinquith themthelveth at your command Mithstreth." He explains. "Ith there anything I can get for you?"
Star frowns deeper and huffs another sigh, "Yeah, alright. Fine." She folds her arms over her chest, looking down at herself, "My clothes." That's what she wants right now, "And my freedom. My brother is going to be worried sick!"
Walking over to an armoire and opening it to reveal a collection of exquist gowns, Igor motions to them. "All your clothing ith here. Shoth, gownth, undergarmenth." He says as he walks over to the fireplace to check on things. "I'm thorry but that ith the one thing I am not able to do for you. You are not the firtht here to athk."
Another deep scowl narrows Star's eyes as she's shown the armoire of clothes, "And what if I want my jeans and sweater back? Those are not my clothes." She shifts her weight, keeping her eyes on Igor while trying to watch the door at the same time, "At least let me call him and let him know that I'm alright. By now he knows that I didn't make it home and he's not someone that you, or your master, want to mess with." She pauses for a moment, "Trust me on that. He's reckless and doesn't think before he acts. Especially when it comes to my safety."
"I'm thorry Mithsreth but thith ith what we have." Igor says sounding apologetic. "You cannot call anyone, we do not have any fellytoneth here to make callth." He says and if he couldn't get more apologetic sounding, he some how did. And it all seem genuine. "I'm uthed to threath Mithreth, I get them from the Mathster."
Star's eyes narrow at the thought of there not being any phones and not being allowed to have her own clothes back, "You can't tell me that there isn't a phone of some kind here." Irritation sizzles in the air around her, "I had a cell phone with me when your freaks knocked me out and brought me here. Return my things immediately!" Hearing that this master of his threatens him has her eyes widening a little, "So when am I going to meet this master of yours, then?" If he can't give her what she wants, then maybe this master can.
Igor shakes his head. "I'm thorry Mithstreth, but there is not eletrithcithy here." And looking around all the light is candle light or fire light, maybe a bit bright for traditional candle light but it's all flickering flames anyway. "I do not know if the Mathster hath your thingth, but I do not have them to return. Ath for the Mathster, he will call on you when he callth on you."
"Then what good are you?" Star scowls deeper and hunches her shoulders, dropping her chin a little, "So if I'm stuck here until this master of yours decides to talk to me, can I at least leave the room?" She gestures vaguely at the room around them, "It's a very pretty room, but a prison is still a prison." She might not have ever had a prison as nice as this one, but she's been confined against her will enough times that just the thought of being confined again sets her teeth on edge.
"I keep thingth clean and make thure you all get three mealth a day. If you have any dietary needth I let it know tho you can get the foodth you need. If you want any thepetic thingth to make your thtay here more comfortable, I can provide you with thingth you may need." Igor offers what he hopes, is helpful. "You can leave thith room, you are permitted to go anywhere on the top floor."
Star sighs again and flops down to sit on the edge of the bed, "You said there are others. Am I allowed to talk to them?" It's always possible that they're on another floor, since she, apparently, isn't allowed to leave this one. "The only thing I need is my freedom." She should have demanded that Cloud drive her and Theo home instead of being all independent and taking the train.
"Of courth Mithstreth. Their roomth are altho in thith hallway." Igor says motioning towards the door. "I'm dreadfully thorry that I am not able to grant you that. Ith there anything elthe the Mithstreth requireth before I take my leave?"
"No. Nothing else." Star waves at him with one hand, her expression thoughtful and calculating. She sighs and rolls her eyes at herself when she speaks again, "Thank you." She's got to be at least mildly polite, even if she is being held against her will.
