Owner	Pose
Donna Troy	Metropolis is frequently a scene of alien invasions, though usually they are on a larger scale than this. A short time ago, a small alien scout vessel landed in Centennial park, and half a dozen beings emerged -- a little taller than humans, significantly bulkier, tusked, and four-armed. The park has been closed off by the DEO, and the usual notifications have gone out to the super-teams of the area -- help wanted.     So far the aliens have not shown any signs of overt hostility -- to quote one DEO agent, 'One of them told me to calm down and said they had no intention of invading Earth -- yet.' So what do these aliens want? Well, that's slightly embarrassing. Apparently they are here to hunt the Snark.     The Snark? Everyone knows that there's no such thing as Snarks. That was hysteria, engendered by the recent magical disruptions of Metropolis caused by a minor case of Wonderlanders, but that situation has been resolved. These aliens seem to not be up with the times. Nevertheless, here the aliens are, hunting a non-existent Snark that they seem absolutely convinced they have tracked down to Centennial park.     Intelligence provided to those coming to involve themselves is as follows: 'We don't know who these aliens are, but they're big, aggressive, armed with high-tech weaponry, and honestly they seem like they're dumb as rocks. We'd prefer not to cause an interplanetary incident, but please make them go away.'     By the time the heroes arrive on the scene, there is already a large crowd of on-lookers -- the folks of Metropolis have become quite blase about armed aliens over the last few years, and these days often view them as free entertainment. The onlookers are for the moment relatively well-behaved, keeping themselves behind the barriers the DEO have set up around large parts of the park. The general consensus in the crowd is that these aliens must be real dumb to fall for that 'Snark' nonsense, though of course many of the crowd were themselves hunting the Snark only a few weeks back. There are a few voices here and there who instead insist that this proves they were right all along. Of /course/ the Snark is real!
Tabitha Smith	They hyperloop that gets one from New York to Metropolis is a pretty spiffing thing to make commutes much shorter. But you usually have to be aware of it so when Tabitha Smith, erratic X-Woman named Boom-Boom ends up on the Metropolis side of the link the first thing she does lok back and give some thought to just hightailing it back. But instead she just ends up shopping and maybe having a bit more too drink than she should. Fake IDs are handy for that. So when there's aliens showing up in metropolis yet again. The blonde in ciivilian clothes. Mostly some old red jeans ripped up here and there with some fishnets, a pink zip up crop top not quite zipped up with some yellow sneakers and matching spiky leather belt and choker to match it. Pushing red cateye glasses with yellow tints up on her nose the woman weaves through the crowds and sneaks out to say hello herself. Or more accurately, greet them with a very loud and drunken "S'up. Like you guys here for a party? Like we got a few brewing but thasss mostly New York ya want for that." she advises and even grins at the DEO. "'Sokay I done this before. Brood,  Shi'ar.Old hat!" she states and beams before turning back to the aliens.
Kian	"I don't know if six non-Earthers counts as an invasion," Kian reports somewhat duibiously over comms.  The DEO's tape barrier doesn't mean a whole lot to someone who can pass a couple hundred meters over it, and the birdman takes up his accustomed role as the eyes in the sky.     "No hostile activity *yet*," he further states, with unmistakable emphasis on that last word.     It hasn't even occurred to him yet that he responded to the alert without thinking and immediately went to check the situation out.  He really has been on this planet too long... or, depending on your point of view, long enough.  "You won't be surprised to know that I would appreciate some advice."     Okay, maybe too long after all.
Victor Stone	Cyborg was one of those most enthusiastically convinced that not only was the Snark real, but he was going to personally catch it, presumably to serve it up at Titans Tower. It's this fact, if nothing else, that draws him out to see what can be done about the aliens. Maybe he can reason with them. He's a /very/ smart guy, after all, and /he/ was convinced the Snark was real. He's not going to act like the aliens are stupid just because they fell for the allure.     Or maybe the Snark /is/ real? Look, the Tower's weird and twisted right now and one of his oldest friends maybe doesn't exist, anything's possible!     He approaches the DEO barriers looking all official and Cyborg-y with shiny chrome and obvious tech. "Some of my best friends are aliens," he comments idly to Tabitha, smirking at one of said aliens' plea for advice over the comms.     <<Keep an eye out from above for now, Kian,>> he notes to the bird. <<Unless you want to come down and help talk to these guys.>>
Terry O'Neil	It... sort of looks like Vorpal, but Vorpal is a cat. And the creature who cuts a rather dashing figure in his suit appears to be Vorpal, but with the features of a fox rather than those of a Cheshire Cat. Dark sunglasses balancing on the bridge of his nose, he extracts something out of his immaculately-tailored suit pocket, which he presents to the DEO agent at the cordon. "I'm here with the Titans. Agent Foxy Smoulder at your service." Floofy tail twitching behind him, he lowers his sunglasses briefly and says, sotto voce, "Look, it's Vorpal. But could you really blame me for not going for it?" He glances over at Victor, daring him to condemn him. He was secretly regretful, if Gar had been able to come with him, he would have been Agent Scaley. Which was probably why Gar didn't come.
Gunna Sijurvald	There's only so much you can do sometimes. Sitting crouched on a car nearby, a monster is picking its teeth with a tire iron. It takes a moment to gnaw on the metal, sharpening the teeth a little bit, and watches the goings-on with amusement. It's not really sure why they're gathering, but really there can't be a bad ending to this situation. Either someone gets upset and she gets to eat, or they don't and she gets to watch them be ...shudder. Humans. The thought fills her with tingles of weird anticipation. Still, the monster (me) pauses to scratch, and considers whether or not she should get involved. After a moment she hops down, walks past the DEO checkpoint, and snaps the barrier. The shock of the DEO as she does so just adds to the fun. TL:DR - girl dressed in monster cosplay annoys DEO agents, film at eleven.
Colette O'Connail	"Ma'am," the DEO agent says to Tabitha, brows beetling. "This is not a party. It's an alien incursion and potentially dangerous. Please keep your distance."     He's not the only one to respond to the erratic X-person though. " Yeah?" A gangly young man says to her. "Metropolis is the party city. You New Yorkers just don't know. Some of my friends are fetchin' a keg right now, so we got something to drink while we watch the fun. You want in? We'll show you how it's done, Met. Style!"     Not far away, the Titans are making their appearance on the scene, and around Tabby heads are craning to see. "We don't have much about these guys in our database," the lead DEO agent, a serious looking middle-aged woman in a sharp suit surrounded by armed DEO agents tells Victor. "They refer to themselves as 'Branx Warriors' and have issued vague threats, but claim they won't cause trouble as long as we stay out of their way."     From Kian's flying vantage point he can see the alien ship parked out a few hundred feet away, close to a treeline, but so far no sign of the aliens themselves. He may be asking for advice, but two years with the Titans is long enough for him to have developed certain instincts for trouble, and he knows to keep an eye in every direction. That's why he's the first to notice two familiar faces approaching the group of Titans through the crowd. The first is..."     "Goddam it Terry," Colette says, shoving her way through the assembled lines of onlookers to step out into the space the Titans have arrived at, and give the faux-fox the traditional not very hard punch on the arm. "That's bad even by your standards. I thought you guys fixed this Wonderland idiocy. What the hell are Branx doing here looking for Snarks?"     The second familiar figure is the Wonderland Snark hunter Captain Drum, who was briefly a 'guest' at Titan's Tower. "Cheshire!" the small, stocky man calls out as he too joins the group."The snark hunt is back on I see! I came to offer you my services, though I see you have a Snark hunter with you already!"     Colette stares at Captain Drum with a despairing expression. "Oh no," she says. "Not this idiot again."     Before any more discussion can take place, there's a surging of the crowd behind, as they spot something interesting and potentially entertaining happening close at hand -- the breaching of the DEO's lines. A pair of DEO agents approach Gunna cautiously, guns raised. "Stop right there!" one of them calls out to her. "You are entering a secured area. Identify yourself!"     "One of yours?" The DEO chief askes Victor, nodding her head in the direction of Gunna.
Tabitha Smith	In the Mutant's hand seems to be a recyclable paper cup of the big gulp slushee variety. Orange contents worked on with a straw. Victor gets a grin and a chuckle. "As a black guy you probably regretted saying that like the second it came out!" she says understandingly. Where you can get a mimosa shushee in Metroplos is known only to a select few. But she does offer the aliens a sip after taking one of her own. The DEO agent getting a big grin. "Chill yo'. It's Doctor by the way. Doctor Madame McSplode. Done this before. Danger is just like pffft!" she states and grins. The voice calling out the party challenge gets a point of her cup hand and a throw of DIO style horns. "All the kegs. Make sure our friends are down first cause don't waste beer. Party Foul! Then you can try convince a New Yorker Metropolis ha sbetter parties. I wanna see Supergirl doing kegstands and beer bongs!" she yells back while cheering them on. The Titans get grins too. "So is weed legal in this state? Asking for a friend?" she adds and indicates the extra terrestrial arrivals.
Kian	"Only if they look like they'd respond positively to someone small and feathery," Kian replies to Vic, with a bit of a snicker.     "Right now nothing to report.  The ship is quiet and the crew are not making any obvious moves to... well, to *anything*."     There's a brief pause.     "And what in the name of all the Gods is Terry do... no, never mind, I did not even ask that question."
Victor Stone	"Nooope," Cyborg replies to the DEO officer, eyeing Gunna's actions with something between wariness and respect. Super-strength's always a little impressive. "But look, guys, you can't really keep a lid on this. Like she said," he gestures to Colette, "there's been a /bunch/ of weird stuff going on."     Tabitha gets... eyed. "I know what I said," is all he says in response, and then turns to Vorpal and shakes his head.     "/Is/ this more Wonderland stuff?" He puts up his hands. "I'm not blaming you. At all. I'm asking because you would know if anyone would. Oh, hey, Captain." He's got no beef with the fellow Snark-hunter.
Terry O'Neil	"You can't blame me for /this/" Vorpal says, taking his sunglasses off. "This cannot possibly /be/ Wonderland stuff going on. The Regalia is not in anyone's possession and it needs someone to direct its magic. Unless there is a hole into Wonderland leaking out chaos- and that is /very/ unlikely, as Nick reported that /something/ is keeping Wonderland impermeable... but I'm sure we can figure out what is going on. I imagine..." He puts his sunglasses back on, "the truth is out there." He glances at Tabitha and clears his throat, "I don't think Supergirl doing beer bongs is a good idea. Althugh, admittedly, I don't know how much beer a Kryptonian needs to imbibe in order to get sloshed. That sounds like the science experiment from hell though," he gives Tabby a grin, and then at Gunna. "Let's not antagonize the jolly-comers, we don't know if they will play a part in what's to come, if this is indeed some sort of... Wonderlanding." Even though he is SURE it is not. "Well... I think we should press forward and see what's what. The good captain here is an indication that things are going topsy-turvy- no offense, Cap'n" he glances at the man, "And perhaps the only way to see this through without any disasters might be to... humor the aliens." He peers at Colette, "What can you tell us about the... uh.... Braxians, was it?"
Gunna Sijurvald	The growl that is offered as a response to the DEO agents' orders is deep and real. The prey in each of them notices: this is closer to dying than I'm being paid to deal with, as something firmly in Predator class ignores their guns and walks past. Furry, with a head too large for its body and more teeth than it should own. The only thing that slows it is Tabitha, because the insanity of humankind has always gotten it a little bit weirded out. It stops, hunches down, and reaches out to tear up a chunk of pavement with its right hand. Then it gnaws on said, glancing up at Cyborg. It's like it wants ...wait, now that he's close, that's clearly a costume.. DEO agents used to dealing with Titans would quickly realize that it's not actually attacking. More a matter of watching things and deciding wtf. Seriously, wtf. It's eating concrete. Besides, this is about the aliens. Who are watching, most likely.
Colette O'Connail	"Just Branx," Colette corrects Terry. "They're too dumb to come up with an ethnonym any more sophisticated than naming themselves after their planet." Apparently that's either all she knows or all she considers worth knowing about them, because after this revelation, she turns to Captain Drum to give him a challenging glare.     Not actually attacking is good. The DEO like it when aliens and other assorted strangeness doesn't actually attack, because it's annoyingly /their job/ to do something about it if they do. They continue to watch Gunna closely, but that's about it.     "Doctor Madame McSplode," the DEO chief repeats in a flat voice, turning her attention on Tabitha for a few moments. She stares at Tabitha for a few moments, before deciding that it's above her pay grade. Mentally she places Tabby in with the Titans, who at least she knows. She's weird, they're weird. She apparently has a weird code name and makes things explode, the Titans have weird codenames and make things explode. It's good enough for her.     Kian is the first person to notice a disturbance in the treeline, rapidly followed by what must be one of the Branx. However there's no time for him to alert anyone else before everyone becomes aware, because the Branx warrior is running at full pelt towards the DEO lines, all four arms pumping furiously, and yelling "SNARK!" at the top of his voice. Kian is however the only one yet to spot that two more Branx are exiting the space ship and staring in the direction of their sprinting compatriot -- who is rapidly closing in on Gunna!"     "Snark!" Captain Drum says enthusiastically. "At last! Here, you'll need this to catch it!" He flings an object towards Gunna, which on close inspection appears to be a perfectly normal fork. He gives Colette a low nod. "I bow to your superiority as the greatest Snark hunter of our age, but if you will permit me to aid you all..."     "TERRY!" Colette calls out. "I'm going to punch him."
Tabitha Smith	"Maybe true but it's still funny in an ironic like way!" Tabby states clearly amused by Cyborg's response. The DEO still gets grins as Tabby instigates an interplanetary kegger. "Supergirl's alcohol tolerance can be solves with SCIENCE!" she  explainswith skyward aimed horns thrust overhead. "And Mustard!" she adds sagely With the chharge Tabby just sips her drink and shakes her head. There's a hiss and crackle as well the McSplode name is lived up to and a glowing ball of plasma light up and floats fast between the charging Branx and the agents who may possibly want to duck as the bomb goes off with a simple if wicked sounding "'Splode!' from the blonde casually sipping her alcoholic slushee. "See, this is why we wait before busting out the kegs. Not gonna have any narcs verus snarks here!" she yells out. She's not mad, she's just disappointed.
Kian	"Oh, Gods above and within," Kian says, just to himself before radioing down, "Three unknowns converging on... on... on..."     He trails off; his teammates will recognize that tone of voice, the one that says, 'Oh, *now* what the hell is Earth throwing at me?' without actually using those words.     "On whoever that is that's eating the sidewalk."     There is a brief pause.     "Sometimes, I really hate this planet...."     He sounds ever so slightly defeated.
Victor Stone	<<Oh c'mon, you love us,>> Cyborg replies to Kian with a bit of a grin. But he's eyeing Gunna and Drum both, thoughtfully.     "This isn't going to turn out to be one of those things where the Snark is actually a person right in the middle of us, right?" He raises his voice and shouts at Gunna. "Hey, you! Are you a Snark? Could you even be considered 'snarky?'" Worth a shot.     He's also scanning the area around Gunna for any sign of anything invisible, checking the full spectrum he has available to his sensors.
Terry O'Neil	"I...er... think they are just... hitting the pavement?" Vorpal says, and whistles at the fork toss, which is pretty good. "Your aim has gotten better, Captain," he says, dismissing the foxy illusion and leaving him in... well, a suit. The suit is real. "We lack the proper equipemtnt to fully locate the Snark, and the Snark is..." the Cheshire glances at Vic, "I have a theory that it is not so much a defined who as it is whatever it fits the very loose definition of one at any one point. Raven was 'it' because she is... Raven. So I am thinking that maybe we could sabotage this if we /all/ tried to become The Snark. Considering there Can Only Be One, we could, admittedly, cause a metaphysical upset and puzzle the mechanic of whatever it is going on to cause such a hunt to happen." He glances at Tabitha, "Solid Hypothesis, Doctor Mcsplode?" He glances around the group, "But the Branx are coming, so let me..." Rabbit Hole. Vorpal steps on the other side, his suit having grown a bright, multicolor affair, and a top hat atop his head. "Welcome, welcome to the hunt of the great Snark, my dear guests!" He says, arms open wide not in an attempt to stop them, but to call their attention forward. Knowing that they were incredibly stupid gives him the chance of potentially distracting them while the de facto team agreed on the course of action. Purple, glowing barriers appear framing him on either side, with a "TROLL BOOTH" in the middle of it. "Now, BEFORE you begin... have you brought the Snark Hunt Regulation Permit? And Form 2394235-XDY-OPTS sub-literal c filled?" An enormous book appears out of nowhere, which Vorpal begins to thumb through, glancing up at the aliens. "I hope our welcoming firework did not startle you gentlemen /too/ much. There is an extra penalty for being startled. Or piddling one's space long-johns in fear!"
Gunna Sijurvald	Shouting at the monster makes it growl. It makes it tense up. But the fork being thrown at it is a more direct action, and it snaps at the air where the fork was a moment earlier. Yes, snaps as in bites. The fork is in her mouth now, as she steps up toward Cyborg threateningly. "No yell at Troll," she says firmly. Then her eyes begin to track over Cyborg's shoulder, looking at Vorpal. Her eyes narrow, and she frowns more deeply. And licks her lips. She's never eaten rabbit before. Did someone say 'volunteer to be the Snark'?
Colette O'Connail	The keg finally arrives, carried by a pair of partying Metropolitians, just about the time Tabitha elects to fire off a warning 'splode. The explosion is a cue for the onlookers, already a little spooked by the onrushing Branx warrior, to put a little distance between themselves and the action, or in other words panic and flee. Fortunately Colette is very quick-thinking when it comes to alcohol, and successfully manages to commandeer the keg before it vanishes in the general retreat.     The oncoming Branx reacts to the explosion by dropping his gun, falling to the floor, covering his head, and cowering. "That's no Snark!" Captain Drum tells Vic. "The Snark is a beast of variable conformation, but I've never seen one that looks remotely like that, and I've seen every kind of snark except for a Boojum. " He pats Vic on the arm. "You're just confused because of last time. Your friend wasn't an /actual/ Snark, it's just that her generally snarky nature confused everyone. Easy mistake to make, old friend!"     The two newly-arrived Branx Kian had seen exiting the ship raise their guns at the ready, though not actually pointing at anyone, and stride purposefully towards the DEO lines. "HEY!" one of them calls out. "You humans promised you no shoot at us! We not invading you yet, but we start if you keep shooting!"     His fellow pokes at the cowering Branx with a toe. "Hey, you being coward! That illegal. What wrong with you?"     "Snark!" the cowering Branx repeats. "Ulf found Snark! Now he gone!"     "No no no!" Captain Drum says to Gunna, waving his arms around in alarm. "Do not eat the fork! You'll need that to catch the Snark. Oh no, she's eating the fork! She's eating it!" He tears at his hair in panic, looking around. "Did anyone else bring a fork? Or a thimble? Or some soap?" He starts shaking Colette. "You must have! We need something to catch the Snark. A railway share! Anything!"     Colette ignores him as best she can, which involves shoving him away. She's seeing to the keg.     Vorpal sets up his 'troll booth' and intercepts the two newcomer Branx, who look it up and down, and then look him up and down, suspiciously. "We don't got form," the leader says with a growl. "Don't need form! We Branx, not subject to Earth laws. And don't call me sub-literal, I very good at reading!"     The other Branx nods in agreement. "He very good at reading. Read almost twenty words, and all number!"     "Shut up! I better than that. Almost thirty words!"
Tabitha Smith	"Aliens are people! Soylent Green is People." Tabby states and grins as she detonates her bomb between sips of champagne and orange juice mixed and frozen into a lighty iced concoction. "I am very wise and a master in the ways or Snark. Behold!" she says as the charging alien cowers. The woman does however seem more pleased that the fight ended before it started. "Here, have some of this. It is what some of us call 'Liquid Courage'!" she offers the last half to the poor scared thing. The DEO agents get a smile and then there's a thumbs up to the Titans. "Told ya I knew what I was doing." she reminds sagely and a little smugly. "Hey, your friend migbt need help. He's not scared he's sensible and aware that we could totally. I could totally destroy your whole ship with a single blast but I'd rather say hello and offer you a drink. Cultural exchange! You fine folks. Metropolis and little ol me from New York via Virginia" she yells out and starts waving over Collette with the confiscated keg. "We have a tradition called Beer Bong. I invite you to partake with us!"
Kian	Kian listens in to the goings on at ground level over the radio, but that doesn't help much.  Since there seems to be precious little violence going on, the birdman spirals down to a landing behind Terry.  No, Terry's outfit doesn't throw him, he's used to that sort of thing by now.     That probably says a lot about where his brain is after two years on Earth.     "So I think this isn't an invasion?  Or if it is, it's not a very good one.  They seem very confused."
Gunna Sijurvald	Having clearly cowed Cyborg into silence, Gunna lifts her chin triumphantly. She turns, walking away from him, and stands under the Troll Gate sign for a moment. She looks like a troll. She smells like a troll. Unfortunately nobody's ever taken any time to teach her to read signs, so she doesn't realize the fact and looks at the rabbit for a moment as if considering teaching it what the inside of her tummy feels like. She would too, but not tonight. Had that sausage earlier. "Go Snark now," she says firmly, then leaps into the air at an angle, spraying dirt all over from her feet digging in deep. She bounds into the forest, vaguely in the direction of whatever was scaring the stupid alien coward, and vanishes into the brush. A bear runs out a moment later, terror making it bray, but it's just a small one. Like, this big. > < Birds explode into the air shortly after, but she's clearly moving fast. Got a scent. Or, something. It's hard to tell sometimes, y'know?
Victor Stone	"Well there's nothing over there except for the... troll?" Vic notes to Drum. "Huh. There's Asgardian energy there. That's... interesting." He watches her leave and shakes his head. Was she the Snark? Was she not? Who can say? He frowns at Terry, thoughtfully. He has no idea how to become the Snark, beyond being snarky, and some of the trouble with that is if you /try/ to be snarky you often fall flat and just hit 'annoyingly smug' instead. They're not hunting the smug.     ...Wait, no, what is he doing? They're not trying to actually hunt the Snark! They're dealing with aliens!     He turns to the Branx striding out from the ship and calls to them, "/Or/ if you just want to hunt the Snark, this man here is our foremost expert! Captain Drum! He can guide you in Snark hunting!" Give the people what they want? Whether that's Beer Pong or Snarks.
Terry O'Neil	Vorpal does his best to look stern and disapproving. "Earth? Oh no, no, my dear Branx, you are not on /Earth/ when you pursue the Snark. No. For, you see, the Snark is a creature of Wonderland, and therefore everywhere it is, it /is/ Wonderland. It is virtually impossible to hunt a Snark outside of Wonderland, therefore it is a figurative possibility that wherever it may be, it is Wonderland. In a way similar of how consulates work... in fact, as a representative of Wonderland /and/ the most notable personage residing in the Monarch Of Hearts not including Her Royal Majesty herself, I am in a position to grant dispensations, since wherever /I/ am, it is honorary Wonderland Territory. Hence the booth." He taps it. He glances at the two, "We can forego the forms, but firest and foremost before you can participate in the hunt, you /must/ perform the sacred ritual dance. It is /extremely/ bad luck to forego the dance. It is a direct invitation to the hand of fate to weigh the scales against you." He gestures "After, of course, you have taken part of the innaugural libations as offered by my esteemed colleague Doctor Explodo." He pauses. Wait. That was the right name, right? He glances at Tabitha, gives a slight shrug, and back to the Branx, "Those are the terms. Otherwise I am afraid we would have to put you..." And here, darkness suddenly surrounds the area around the Branx talking to Vorpal. It seems that they are standing on a slab of concrete floating over an infinite abyss surrounded by the darkness of space. Far in the distance, looming over Vorpal's suspended booth, is the image of a woman who is so impossibly tall, it boggles the mind. She is clad in red that looks like a dying star, and her crown seems to pierce the heavens themselves. And her eyes are red. "In time-out. With the Queen." And suddenly, just as quick as it came, everything is gone. And Vorpal breaks out into the sweetest smile he is capable of. "But I'm sure that won't be an issue, right? Step right up for the...er... Beer Bong libations!"
Colette O'Connail	Colette has acquired a plastic cup which she has filled with beer, but she is sadly without the other accoutrements necessary for beer bongs. "Knock yourself out," she says to Tabitha, with a magnanimous sweep of her arm in the direction of the keg. It's easy to be magnanimous when you're gifting people someone else's keg. "Alternatively," she adds after taking a sip of beer and making a face. "This beer is pretty terrible. We could all just give up on this nonsense and hit a bar." Never mind the fact that there are aliens and chaos, someone else can deal with that. In Coletteworld, bars are far more important.     Vorpal's Wonderland bluff provokes a startled reaction from the two Branx at the Troll Booth, but it's possible Vorpal has tried to be too smart for the stupid Branx, because once the illusion fades, the leader turns to his fellow and asks "What happen?"     The second Branx consults an instrument of significantly greater scientific complexity than you might expect these beings to have. He presses a number of buttons, turns a dial, then shows the screen to his boss. "Unknown!" He declares proudly. On the screen are alien characters that anyone capable of reading the Vegan dialects will recognize as saying 'Too complicated to explain. Consult your handlers.'     The Branx nods his head and declares the entire matter "Not our business!" He frowns in Victor's direction, then turns to nod at his less literate friend. "You go back to the ship. If they starts firing again, blow 'em all up." The second Branx salutes, an impressive three-armed salute, and wanders back towards the ship. The leader glares at Vorpal and Kian, saying "Not invading YET!" to Kian before stalking forwards to investigate the offer of Snark expertise. "This small man?" He asks Vic, gesturing with his gun in Captain Drum's direction."     Captain Drum bows low to the Branx leader. "Captain Drum at your service, sir! However I cannot claim to be the foremost expert in Snark hunting today! No, we are in the presence of true greatness," he says. He turns to Colette, doffing his hat, and bowing low.     "I am going to kill him in a minute," Colette says, sipping her terrible beer and glaring.     The DEO chief is getting a headache. While the Branx are the reason the DEO are here, Gunna's appearance -- and disappearance -- is only adding to the confusion. She stares in the direction Gunna had vanished, watching the small bear, the flock of birds, and various other creatures that come speeding out of the treeline in her wake. When the animals are accompanied by another Branx, she can only sigh.     "SNARK!" this latest Branx arrival yells, four arms pumping wildly as he sprints towards the barrier, as panicked as the first Branx had appeared to be. Unlike the first he calms down enough to bring himself to a halt when he comes to the Troll Booth, eyeing both Vorpal and Kian suspiciously. He looks up at the 'Troll Booth' sign, fails to be able to read it, and then looks back down at Vorpal and Kian. "You responsible for Snark?" he asks with a growl. "Gorf found Snark. Call me. I go over. No Garf! Snark musta killed him. Why you no warn us Snark dangerous?"     The cowering Branx raises his head. "ULF GONE TOO!" he calls out. "SNARK SCARY!".     "Shut up!" The Branx leader calls back. "Coward! Being scared forbidden. Illegal!"
Tabitha Smith	"McSplode! Explodo is my maiden name!" Tabby states emphatically with a grin, a held out index finger. to Vorpal. "Wonderland. Then doesn't that also require a hookah. No one did answer if weed was legal here. Cause now that kinda needs to include smoking!" Tabitha points out sagely and remembering some of her Disney more than her Carrol. The beer is offered and taken and Tabby does agree with Collette. "Gah, yeah that's nasty but for a kegger it's perfect. I hope the trend of bad beer os not continued in this city!" she states and chugs the drink down fast before the horrible tasting alcohol can get nastier by flattening or going warm. "Okay. Guys!" she yells to the aliens declaring the scared charge a criminal for being senbsible and not wanting to blow up. "Not aiming at you but you wanna look up and anyone already in the air might wanna get some major distance. Imma show you why you don't wanna invade!" she states and turns to the agents and then the titans. "Gonna get loud!" she states and raises a hand over head to start charging a very large bomb. Filling to about twice Tabitha's height before it floats skyward very fast. There's a few second but soon Tabby grins. "Tick... Tick... Tick..." she says softly. BOOM! The blast despite the original spherical shape is directed skywards and upwards where nothing is in the way to cause collateral but ther sound is enough to rumble for a very great distance. Building destroying, dominator lab wrecking force. All safely dispersed away from anyone. "Next one is aimed at the ship. Don't wanna party. Fine. Piss off from my planet. Others here pack even bigger punches. Don't tick them off!" she states and sounds way, way more serious and intimidating. "I wanna drink this beer. Don't be assholes about our hospitality!" she warns.
Victor Stone	Vic takes a defensive stance as Tabitha makes a giant /boom/ up in the air. Then he blinks at the space, clearly impressed. "Nice," he says succinctly. He appreciates a good boom.     "Please don't kill Captain Drum," Vic says to Colette. "Help him find the snark, and he'll disappear from our lives forever." He grins. "Assuming you think the snark is real."     He eyes the Branx. "I don't think we can convince them the Snark isn't real. I don't think we can convince them of anything. Maybe we should just get them drunk and send them on their way?"
Terry O'Neil	The Cheshire cat tilts his chin upward, "Why /should/ I warn you the Snark is dangerous? What are you ... cowards?" He glances at the Branx, "Because being cowardly is illegal. Which means that if you are, we are going to have to round you up into jail and you will no longer be able to hunt the Snark." BOOM! Thank heavens for constructs. Vorpal's earmuff constructs vanish, sparing his sensitive ears from the worst of the explosion, but he sure /felt/ the noise of it in his bones. He taps his comm <<Can we convince the /Snark/ it isn't real?>> just a random idea that hit him. "Threatening to blow us up is cowardly. If you were /courageous and brave/, instead of blowing us up with a ship-- because we don't /have/ a ship--- you would challenge us to hand-to-hand combat. Even if you have more hands than we do, it would be a more even match. So if you blow us up, you will be behaving cowardly and will be illegal. So we'd have to lock you up /anyway/." He crosses his arms and shakes his head, "Looks like you're in trouble. Maybe you should just partake of the libation, then go with Captain Drum. Or be locked up." He glances over at the space ship and suddenly smiles, as if a devious idea has come to him. "... ooh."
Colette O'Connail	"What your problem?" The Branx leader bellows at Tabitha. "We told you we not invading yet! We only here for Snark and you threaten us? Well we not scared of you explosions."     The other Branx looks over from the Troll Booth. "I kind of am," he calls to his leader.     "More cowardice! What wrong with you! Explosion only kill you once, nothing to be scared of. Being scared illegal! Why I get terrible crew like you? I going to complain." He raises a communicator to his mouth. "Branx leader to all Branx warrior! We under threat, report back and return to ship."     "There is no such thing as Snarks," Colette says to Vic with a weary expression. "They're fictional. And even if there was such a thing, how am I supposed to help him find one? He seems to think I'm some kind of expert Snark hunter but, and I feel this bears repeating, Snarks do not exist. So I am not. So who's in for the trip to the bar? Come on, this is all just nonsense. And this beer is still terrible. Bar is the best option." She nods her head in Tabby's direction. "You agree with me on this, right? Tell him."     "YOU CHALLENGING ME?" The Branx leader bellows at Vorpal. "You want fight, I fight! Not scared. No problem. I fight with two arms tied behind back, make it fair!" he shakes his communicator a couple of times and speaks into it again. "I said report! Why nobody reporting?"     "Maybe they all gone, like Ulf and Gorf!" calls out the cowering Branx. "Snark killed 'em all! We should retreat."     Captain Drum gives the cowering Branx a wide-eyed look, and up to the barrier, leaning over it. "You there!" He calls out. "These friends of yours who vanished, would you say that they softly and suddenly vanished away?"     "Is possible," The Branx replies. "I didn't see, I too busy running."     "COWARD!" the leader bellows at him. "ILLEGAL!"     "You know what this means, Cheshire," Captain Drum says in a serious tone. "This Snark... is a Boojum. And there is only one Snark hunter in history who has ever captured a Boojum." He turns dramatically towards Colette.     "I'm gonna kill him Victor! I'm gonna kill him!" Colette replies.
Tabitha Smith	More beer is drunk and an inebriated blonde that has zero cares that might be more expletive but she has zero things about it. But they're interrupting her drinking. The free hand. It's aimed at the Branx. "Who says anything about fair. Ask the Brood. Ask the Shi'ar, Ask the Dominators. This planet is not a hunting ground. You want a Snark, you come bringing soap." she states and her hand starts glowing while still mid chug. "So last chance. Drink up, relax. Or you walk home!" she states over the cup in front of her mouth. "We do apologise for the crap beer though!" she states and shrugs while she teasing pulses that plasma ball bigger and bigger.
Victor Stone	There are, in Vic's experience, really only two things you can do with this sort of chaos: give in to it, or sit it out. Arguing with it, like Colette's doing, only encourages it. Makes you a target. Giving into this madness didn't get them much of anywhere last time. Sitting it out is looking like a better idea by the minute.     "If you kill him, Colette, I'm probably the one who has to explain to the DEO," Vic replies in a deadpan voice. He rubs at his face, trying to think. Suddenly all he wants is a beer. This sounds like a great idea. Just... go get a damn beer.     He frowns, then peers at Tabitha, then looks back to the Branx. "Actually," he says, "she's right. You can't just... come by and hunt the Snark. It's not Snark season." It's never Snark season. "And anyway, it's not Wonderland season either. You're here illegally. We might have to impound your whole ship if you don't leave."     Giving into the madness it is.
Terry O'Neil	"Exactly! We are going to have to impound. And that means getting vaccines, de-worming and house-breaking for your ship, because that is proper pound protocol, and one doesn't want to in-pound without the proper procedures pounded in." A clipboard appears in Vorpal's hands, "And you came here trying to hunt a /Boojum/ of all things? Tsk tsk tsk. Your crewmates are gone, vanished, and if you try to hunt 'im, you'll vanish too. So you're stuck in a double rut here, hoss. If you don't hunt the Boojum out of fear that you will disappear, then you will be a coward and illegal. But if you /do/ go hunt the Boojum, not only will you be illegal, but you will also disappear. In both cases you are left illegal, but only in one case do you exist. If I were you-" he taps his pen on his clipboard, "I'd just give up on the hunt altogether and save yourself some vanishing. Sometimes..." he twirls the pen in the air, "Choosing /not/ to fight is the courageous option..." He turns around to glance at Colette, a twinkle in his eye saying that he could make this so, so terrible for her right now. "And if you don't believe me, you might ask my colleague over there, the only known person to have captured a Boojum. /She/ will tell you just how absolutely impossible it was to capture it without vanishing, what devious ploy she employed, and why you can't possibly hope to accomplish it- nor expect her to do it for you again, for her vaunted method can only work once." He gestures, "So, grab a bong of beer and sit down her tale to hear, and booze shall light her spark to recount the perils of the Snark."
Colette O'Connail	"You no impound ship!" The Branx leader bellows at Vic. "We impound whole planet, see? Whole planet! That teach you lesson! And you..." he turns his glare on Vorpal. "I fight you with THREE hands tied behind back! I not scared of anything!"     The cowering Branx has been watching the ever-growing plasma ball in Tabitha's hand, and at this he finally reacts, leaping to his feet, and running towards the ship. "I AM!" he yells back.     "ILLEGAL!" the leader roars.     "Sensible!" The third Branx barks in reply, taking to his heels and following his cowering shipmate. "I not hanging around to get de-wormed! I got de-wormed before once. Hurt for weeks! I don't care if it illegal boss, I flying us out of here. Come or stay, don't care!"     "FOUR HANDS!" the leader snarls at Vorpal. "You wait! I be back and pulverize you in a few minutes. Have to deal with cowards first!" He takes off after his crewmen, who are already almost at the ship.     "Terry, I will kill you too," Colette say, sipping her terrible beer. "I owe you a good killing about three times over by now. " She gestures in the direction of the running Branx. "Look, they're going. All sorted out now. Time to hit the bar, why are we all hanging around? Tell me any of you don't need a beer after all this nonsense."     "There's still the Snark to consider," Captain Drum points out. "And after all, if it's a Boojum, we..."     "SHUT UP!" Colette explains to Drum.
Tabitha Smith	Tabby is in the middle of raising her hand so the bomb growing slowly and steadily doesn't touch ground when it gets to her height in diameter. Cup in hand and ready for a refil as she waggles it at some of the other agents. "If you'd please kindly?" she asks. The Branx on their way out get a wave while the plasma is reabsorbed before it becomes a problem. "Sensible!" she states and upnods as the Branx move to haul backside out of the situation. This allows Tabby to get her own refil and work it down fast. "Much as I'd love to party more now. My work here is done!" she states with one hand on her hips and chest puffed out which is an accomplishment with it already coming prepuffed. "Beer bong and away!" she states and looks for the funnel and hose that must be used.
Terry O'Neil	"And all this time," Vorpal says, dabbing a tear with a multi-colored hanky, "After all these hardships, all of these threats, there is but one thing we have come to know for certain." The Cheshire cat watches the aliens scurry into the ship, their cantankerous and less sensible leader knocked out and carried like so much luggage, the entire gaggle of them soon airborne and speeding away. And then he turns around to glance at the others as Tabitha leads the way towards the celebration, "Is that the real treasure all along was the Snark that Colette made along the way." He hooks an arm with Kian and then glances at Vic, "You're the designated driver, by the way," he says, and drags the bird away and Tabitha-wise. Surely, he is not old enough to drink yet, so it was a joke. Right?
Colette O'Connail	"Forget it," Colette says, as the ship rockets skywards. "Funnels and hoses are almost as hard to find as Snarks. This nonsense is over and I know a good bar just around the corner. Come on everyone, drinks are on me."     She tilts her head towards Terry. "Except for yours," she says.     "Don't forget the Snark!" says Captain Drum. "A boojum! Imagine. You could catch your second boojum, Chance! Nobody has even caught one before, and you could catch two!"     "And yours," Colette adds to Captain Drum. "Snarks do not exist. They are fictional. There is no such thing. For that reason, I have never caught one, Boojum or otherwise."     "Ah, so modest," Drum declares, winking at Colette, who is already marching off in the direction of the bar. "Your secret is safe with me." He watches her leaving a few moments, admiration on his features, before turning to Vorpal. "I say, Cheshire. You wouldn't happen to know the way home? This place is interesting, but I'm starting to feel a little homesick..."     With everything apparently safe, the DEO agents start dismantling the barrier -- the Snark may still not have been found, but Snarks do not, after all, exist.     Soon the crowds have dispersed, and everything is quiet again, except for the songs of birds in the park, and a strange, distant crunching sound, as if some troll somewhere was consuming a tree.