(Mis)Adventures in space
"That, Firebird, is what we call a crash." Bloodmoon's sarcasm was ignored as the quartet got out of the slightly damaged spaceship. "What went wrong with the landing?"
"For starters, the ship had almost zero fuel when we started, we're lucky it didn't completely burn up in hyperspace." She glared at him. "As for the landing, the landing gear was more rusted than I thought, we'll have to land in water, next time."
"Can it float?"
"Like a boat. Where are we, Leo?" There was a large, forbidding castle, and not much else on the floating space rock of a planet.
"According to information, we are at the home of former space sorcerer Bongo."
"Former?" Hunter looked at the eye.
"Bongo?"
"Yes, killed rather tragically by poisoned food at the home of the great space sorcerer Mogul." Leo rolled a bit. "I shall notify you, if there is a problem at the ship."
"Thanks Leo." She turned. "Shall we explore? There might be things we can use."
"Bongo? That's a name?" Bloodmoon blinked. "That's pathetic, no wonder he croaked."
Entering the hall, Mystic sent out a few lights. Revealing peeling paint, rotting wood, and cobwebs.
"Talk about your fixer uppers . . ." Bloodmoon muttered.
"I don't know, some paint, new furniture- what?" Mystic met the looks of his teammates. "That Tri-D show of designers would have a field day here."
"Firebird's right, you're watching too much." Hunter glanced around. "Where to first?"
"Attic or the basement should have his expensive stuff, or bodies of past victims." Bloodmoon noted Firebird's look. "Hey, it happens in all the horror and suspense movies."
"Attic would be a good start. That's where most of the cool magic items would be." Mystic nodded. He ignored the looks his teammates gave him. "Fantasy channel is cool."
"Okay, top to bottom." They began trudging up the stairs, unaware they were being watched.
"Well, that was disappointing." Firebird closed the attic hatch. "All that's there is cobwebs, dust and one large spider." The hatch rattled. "A hungry one." She got off of Hunter's shoulders.
"Well, shall we split up?" Hunter noticed the looks from Bloodmoon and Mystic. "What?"
"Bro, did you not learn anything when Jack and Lawrence split up in the graveyard to find Maria?" Mystic looked horrified. "That's the worst thing anyone in a suspenseful place can do."
"Or a horror film." Bloodmoon added. "As soon as they split up, someone is going to die."
"We're supertroopers, what could happen?" Hunter retorted. "Firebird, back me up, will you?"
"We have our radios, as long as we stay on the same floor, we'll be fine." Firebird sighed. "There are only four rooms on this floor anyway."
"One of you two will go first." Mystic decided. "It's always the ones that suggest splitting up that get killed."
"Now you're making it up." Firebird began walking to the first room. Hunter entered another. Bloodmoon shook his head, but went to a separate room. Mystic glanced around, but still took the fourth room.
Firebird's room was a bedroom, pink canopy bed, red curtains everywhere . . . and a lot of hearts. "Great, I chose the honeymooners suite." She rolled her eyes and began looking through drawers. Nothing. Moving over to a wardrobe, she opened it to reveal a bunch of dresses, all in red, pink or some mixture of the two. A full length mirror was also there. Looking at her reflection, she absently frowned, before closing the doors and locking it. The bathroom revealed make up, thousands of perfumes, and pretty much all the beauty products from all the planets. The bath itself was in the shape of a shell. Turning to exit, she saw the curtains move. "Anyone done in the other rooms?" A chorus of no's. She moved carefully, knife out, and gently pulled back the curtain.
The other rooms had nothing to offer, so the guys trudged out. Bloodmoon suddenly rushed past them, breaking the door to Firebird's room. Hunter and Mystic were right behind him. Entering, they saw nothing out of the ordinary of the room, except- "Where's Firebird?" Hunter glanced around, as Mystic hyperventilated. He found her hat near the curtain, along with her knife and earpiece. "Bloodmoon?"
"Felt her alarm, someone else must be here."
"I knew it, I knew it, I knew it . . ." The mantra repeated.
"And whoever it was took out an alpha class supertrooper in a blink of an eye." Hunter sniffed the air. "Something reptilish." He pulled back the curtains, revealing a door. "Firebird went through here."
"Lead the way . . . I can't sense her anymore." Bloodmoon let Hunter take point, opening the door and revealing a winding staircase that only went down.
"Think she's okay?" Mystic's eyes were wide.
"She'll be fine, If I can't sense her fear, she's either got the situation undercontrol, or she's unconscious."
"What about dead?"
"Nah, I'd feel that." Bloodmoon shrugged. The stairs came out behind a bookcase in an old library. "Hunter . . ."
"Working on it." He began sniffing the area. Mystic meanwhile, found a book on a table.
"Spells for beginners . . ." He began to read.
"Here." Hunter pushed another bookcase, revealing an old elevator. "Heard it grinding a second ago."
"Mystic, we're going." Mystic raced over, still holding the book. As they went down, chanting could be heard.
"What are they saying?"
"Something about fire and a goddess . . ." Bloodmoon and Hunter exchanged looks.
"Be prepared for anything."
"Somehow, I don't think you meant this." Mystic blinked. A bunch of pink demons were playing badminton in a grassy meadow. A record machine was wear the chanting was coming from, and there was a picnic. Firebird was sitting with a couple, one who was fairly young and playing with her hair. Firebird looked a little annoyed, but fine.
"Firebird, you alright?" Mystic looked concerned.
"Just fine . . . apparently these guys own the place."
"Why hello, travelers!" a pink, male demon waltzed over in a dress. "I'm Bruce, welcome to our humble home!"
"Er, sorry for barging in, but the place looks abandoned upstairs . . ." Mystic blinked.
"Oh, it's quite alright! We heard you needed some things when we questioned your ship . . . please, enjoy yourself."
"Is he skipping?"
"My goodness, you boys are thin!" A matronly demon bustled up. She was easily the four of them put together. "Hear, eat!" She put down one of two trays down on the ground. It was a lot of pastries and cupcakes.
"You're not going to eat us, are you?" Mystic looked at her.
"Oh, heavens no! We're vegetarians. We've tried going vegan, but we still need some meat, so we eat fish." She put down the other tray. "I'm Mrs. Boddy, if you need anything more while your ship refuels. Gretchen, Hans, stop playing pin the tail on Mr. Twinkle!"
"I think my brain cells are dying." Bloodmoon watched as a wellbuilt male demon skipped by in a frilly and lacy white dress.
"So, what level on the demon hierarchy are you?" Mystic looked up from the book. "This book says that all sorcerers have two different level sets of demons."
"Oh, we're Bongo's lower level. The upper level demons for him are purple. Are you interested in magic?" Mrs. Boddy and Mystic struck up a conversation. The music changed to rather flowery and classical music, and both Firebird and Hunter were asked to dance. The demons were rather nice about helping them learn a few things (Mostly Mystic, who got to an intermediate level of magic using in no time.) and gave them gifts, before seeing them off on a fully repaired ship.
"Well, that was interesting." Firebird glanced back at the guys.
"They were all . . .happy. Too much happy . . ." Bloodmoon looked like he was traumatized, he received an earring in his left ear, that could amplify his powers for a few minutes. He also got a few extra black clothes, mostly leather.
"I liked it!" Mystic grinned. "Mrs. Boddy taught me magic, and gave me this cool staff she found in Bongo's staff collection. I just have to think a word to summon it." He held up a polished grey wood staff with a blue with yellow strands crystal.
"What does it do?" Hunter looked up from his gift, a green necklace that made it impossible to hear him walk, and could temporarily camoflauge him. He also received two clips that went on his two guns, and silenced the noise.
"Helps focus magic, until I get good enough to not need a staff. Also a bunch of books on magic, in the sack, I just have to say the one I want, and I can pull it out." Mystic smiled. "Whatcha get, Firebird?"
"A mirror that shows me what I want to see . . . but only recent events." She glanced back, "So pretty much, it'll give me a place to find you guys."
"And the bag she gave you?" Mystic pointed at the red leather purse.
"Just have to think of an outfit for myself, and I can get it."
The next problem came in the form of a space pirate named Kidd. Needless to say, it didn't go well for Kidd.
"Yowch!!"
"Where are the galaxy rangers when you need them!!"
"Mommy!!"
Firebird discovered she had a good aim with throwing knives. Bloodmoon got the antidote to the overly happy feelings he had gotten from the demons, which was fear and chaos. Mystic got to use a few fire spells, before Hunter reminded him that setting ships on fire in space wasn't a good idea. Hunter just shot at the pirates.
"That was easy." Firebird glanced back at Bloodmoon. "What? It was."
Other stops made:
Wild Bill's Circus, where they earned some money from acting in a few of the shows.
"WHO LET THE BRONTO BEAR LOOSE?! AIIIIEEEE!"
"Look out, birds!!"
BOOOMMMM!
"A fuel tank exploded!"
RARRRR!!
"STAMPEDE! AIIIIEEEE!"
"The cotton candy machine won't stop making it . . . HELP!"
"Where did all this powdered sugar come from?"
"Will the two idjits in the children's play area stop attacking each other with lightsabers?"
"That was a disaster." Firebird glared at the three men she occasionally called brothers. "Bloodmoon, where did you get that guitar?"
"Some guy selling them. This one has a laser rifle in it, and won't break under extreme stress. I tested it out on Wild Bill."
"Mystic, Hunter . . . want to explain why you two let the animals loose?"
"They shouldn't be in cages."
"I know two people that should." She muttered. "And you two started a lightsaber war?"
"I like the old George Lucas Star Wars films." Hunter said, defensively. "Besides, I'm not the one who accidentally used her powers to explode a fuel tank."
"And this is why we're shipping out." Firebird took off. "It was an accident."
Planet Las Vegas. A planet that had nothing going for it until a group of humans opened a casino, which became the staple of the economy. There were also hotels and a museum on the history of gambling, not only on earth, but also on the other planets in the league.
"Hey you, stop throwing knives at the knife thrower!" A second later- "Oh, you're having a contest, never mind."
"Where did these lights come from?"
"Someone let the dancing bear out!"
"Hey you, you can't perform there!"
"AIIIIEEEE!!"
"Breaking News, Senator Wheiner's Daughter, Eve Wheiner, was seen making out with an unknown punk rocker! More news at eleven on E! network, your place for scandal."
"Okay, we all know what I did . . . Hunter, did you have to let the bear out?" Firebird patted her new set of throwing knives. She was ignoring the slice marks on her red dress.
"Sorry."
"And Bloodmoon, you just made out with Senator Wheiner's daughter."
"But she's hot." He grinned. "I got her email."
"What did you tell her your name was?"
"Oh, I just told her Bloodmoon was my stage name. I'll give her my 'real' name, when I get to know her better."
"And my powers were a bit out of control."
"Suddenly, I have the feeling our lives are doomed to chaos." Firebird sighed.
Firebird has no clue how true that statement is. Okay, a goof that was pointed out to me, I put Batch 22 instead of X factor. The site where I normally get Galaxy Ranger info used the two interchangeably. (and as of two days ago, it got taken down off the web.) I apologize for the blunder, but misinformation happens.