Siege of Space City
Disclaimer: "I want you! I want you!" - Apollo Creed, Rocky
Chapter 9: Meet the Professor!
Here's a new profile for you! This time, it's a profile of one of the powerhouses of the West Coast Misfit team: Thunderbird!
Thunderbird
Real Name: John Proudstar
First Appearance: "Christmas Chaos!"
Affiliation: West Coast Misfits
Hair: Black (chin-length) Eyes: Brown
Powers and Abilities: John Proudstar's mutant abilities make him, essentially, a super-athlete. His most famous power is his superhuman-level strength. However, he also possesses superhuman speed (in running speed, only Velocity is faster. He is fast enough to outrun an American Bison), superhuman-level agility, endurance, reflexes, and stamina. He is also incredibly durable, but lacks true invulnerability. His mutation also makes him a large and powerful body.
Birthplace: An Apache reservation in Camp Verde, Arizona.
Bio: Born in an reservation, Proudstar hated life there. As a child, he would hear his grandfather's stories about the Apache's warrior past, and he felt reservation life had made his fellow tribesmen complacent. As a teenager, his powers emerged when he rescued a little girl from a charging bison. He would also befriend a traveling Ace Starr, aka Wildstar.
When the X-Men and the Misfits were attacked by the android known as the Mimic, Proudstar was one of the mutants Ace had gathered to help fight it. After the Mimic's defeat, Proudstar became one of the original West Coast Misfits. He joined to bring pride to his tribe, and to prove to the world that he was a warrior in the tradition of his Apache ancestors.
The Xavier Institute
"Well, that game was wrecked." Jesse Aaronson grumbled as he walked into the Institute.
"I dunno." Bobby Drake shrugged as he accompanied the electronics-scrambler inside. "It's really hard to wreck a game of Mutant Ball. It's designed for stuff like this."
"Hey, guys." Fox waved at the two New Mutants. "Wanna watch this?" He pointed at the TV. Bobby and Jesse looked at each other for a moment.
"Yeah, sure." The two New Mutants shrugged before joining Fox at the TV. They then saw Logan watching it.
"What're you watching , Mr. Logan?" Jesse wondered.
"Some show." Wolverine shrugged.
"Oh mah Gawd, he drove the race car into the living room! Mah couch! It was bad enough Ah had to deal with that damn bear!" Bobby and Jesse burst out laughing.
"I remember the bear." Bobby chuckled.
"You know Scott, I do have to admit..." Jean blinked as she watched the drunk Beast, Warren, and Zandar, dressed as the Spanish Inquisition, try to "interrogate" the New Mutants. "...this is funny." She and Scott were watching the scene out the window.
"You got a point there, Jean..." Scott nodded in agreement. "Those three do a pretty good impersonation."
"The interrogation is not working, Cardinal Beastenez!" The drunk Zandar exclaimed, as he repeatedly smacked Paige Guthrie, the blonde epidermic metamorph codenamed Husk, with a pillow. However, Paige had husked into a steel form, so the blows really didn't affect her. "I can't get a confession out of her!"
"If it helps, you are really annoying me." Paige frowned, crossing her arms.
"Oh, she's getting mad..." Sam winced. "If Ah were Zandar, Ah'd stop and hit somethin' else." Paige then snatched the pillow.
"Uh oh..." Zandar blinked blearily.
"YAH!" Paige started smacking Zandar with the pillow. It didn't help the pink-haired drunken Dreadnok that in her current steel form, Paige could really pack a punch.
"OW OW OW OW OW!" Zandar yelped as he ran away, covering his head with his arms.
"COME BACK HERE!" Paige yelled as she gave chase, swinging the pillow like a madwoman. Jean and Scott burst out laughing as they witnessed this event.
"Ha ha! Look at her go!" Jean whooped. "Go, Paige!"
"Paige, calm down!" Sam ordered as he ran after a furious Paige. "Put that pillow down before you hurt somebody!"
"Ah am hurting somebody!"
"Somebody we care about!"
Space City
Razorback's shuttle successfully docked with the station.
"Alright, everyone." The Arkansas mutant announced. "We're docked. Pressure's equalized."
"Let's do this." Jester unbuckled his restraints. "You guys, can I say something?"
"We all already know that you are a moron, Jester. Give it up." Hardcase grunted as he unbuckled himself from his seat.
"No, it's just my Spider-Sense is tingling." Jester explained.
"Yuh got that Spider-Sense thing, too?" Razorback blinked in amazement. "Hunh. Ah thought Spidey only had thet."
"He doesn't." Hardcase explained. "The man just likes to be an idiot."
"Oh, let him be, 'case." Quick-Kick rolled his eyes. "You know how Jester is. He loves to make his jokes."
"Laugh it up, you guys." Jester rolled his eyes. "But if I were you guys, I'd listen to my gut. As a great actor said as two great heroes, I got a bad feeling about this."
"Whatever, Jester." Hardcase grunted.
"Okay, kids. We're going on board a space station, so I expect you lot on your best behavior." Kicker warned.
"We'll be fine, Kicker." Siryn reassured. "Well...tae be honest...ye can count on me and Rahne, but I'm nae sure about Shiro and Terrell."
"Amusing, Siryn." Shiro rolled his eyes as he put on his Sunfire mask.
"You are real hilarious, girl." Terrell shook his head. The blonde Irishwoman laughed.
"Relax, boys. I meant no harm." Theresa chuckled.
"Razorback, you don't mind if we take the lead on this, do you?" Quick-Kick asked the powerhouse Arkansas trucker/mechanic.
"This involves ya GI Joe guys, so Ah don't mind." Razorback shrugged. "Ah'll stay back here to guard the ship."
"You should come with us, Razorback." Jester suggested. "If Cobra is on board this station, then we could use all the help we can get."
"Ah dunno..." Razorback shook his head. "Ah don't wanna get in the way. Ah'm sure yuh Joes have got all kinds of contingency plans for stuff like this."
"You'd be surprised." Hardcase answered dryly.
"Hey, we've worked with civilians and superheroes before." Quick-Kick reassured. "We are prepared for that."
"Well, if yuh say so..." Razorback shrugged. "Sure, Ah'll help ye guys out."
"Thank you, Razorback." Kicker smiled. The group began to disembark from the ship.
"Hey bro, you ever thought about joining the West Coast Misfits?" Velocity asked Razorback. The big pig-hooded Arkansas native chuckled.
"Naw." Razorback chuckled. "Ah'm perfectly happy protectin' Little Rock." The group exited the ship and looked around the docking bay it was in. "Wow." The obviously impressed trucker's jaw dropped. The docking bay was a very large white room, with a large canopy built into the far wall, "Lookit this place! It's bigger than the back end of a blue whale on steroids."
"And this is just one room." Jester nodded.
"Say what?!" Velocity's jaw dropped at Razorback.
"Must you use such strange metaphors?" Sunfire frowned.
"Old habit, son." Razorback chuckled.
"Where is the old guy that is running this place?" Hardcase grumbled. "For a distress call, this sure is taking a long time."
"Maybe he's in danger." Jester suggested. "This place is deserted."
"Actually, I have heard rumors that the man who built this station lives only with his daughter here." Sunfire remembered.
"She has a daughter?" Velocity's ears perked up.
"Yes." Sunfire nodded. "I do not believe she is much older than us."
"Ohhh, yeah!" The Compton-born speedster whooped in delight. "I knew there'd be something good about this mission! Is she cute?! Please tell me she's cute!"
"Settle down, speedy." Hardcase ordered.
"You are no fun, man." Velocity grunted.
"We'd better get moving and find this Professor guy." Hardcase told the heroes. "If he's in danger, then we got no time for screwing around..." He shot a glance at Terrell. "Or cheesy pick-up lines."
"There is no need, heroes." A voice announced. The gang noticed a certain elder Japanese man in a white hoverchair.
"Doctor Miyamoto, I presume?" Quick-Kick asked.
"Yes." The man nodded. "I am Professor Gunpei Miyamoto. And I do wish to know what GI Joe is doing here in my station." (1)
Well, well, well! Looks like our heroes have just met the man behind Space City! What insanity will happen next? What did Cobra to the Professor? Will Husk kill Zandar? Does anyone really care of Zandar? Can the Joes and the West Coast Misfits save the day? Find out in the next chapter! Suggestions needed badly!
(1) – Professor Miyamoto's first name, Gunpei, is a nod to the late Gunpei Yokoi, the man who created the original Game Boy, and produced the Metroid series.
