As they had watched the surgery, Unity felt a cold rage build in them. Rage, because of the tortures the 'Doctor' in front of them visited on innocent creatures. Cold, because they were fairly certain... there was nothing substantial they could do about it. Oh, certainly, they could kill or maybe just intimidate Doctor Moreau, but they didn't think they would be staying around long enough to force him to undo anything he'd done... if he even could. If it would even be right for any but the puma on the table here.
That... powerlessness made them simply want to leave, but they wouldn't just leave without at least saying *something*. So after Nissa speaks her piece, they say, "Now that your 'patient' is in a stable condition, we do need to talk to you about that." "And perhaps also about just why that mirror has been buzzing, if you don't know."
"The mirror? Buzzing? I haven't noticed." It would be impossible for the Doctor to have not noticed. And, yet, he seems to honestly not be able to perceive it. Unity's sword continues to thrum.
"If you are going to lecture me on morality, I will insist you leave. We are not in Europe and I will not have the timid understandings of lesser men dictating what I do here. Yes, these creatures you have seen are animals carven and wrought into new shapes. To that, to the study of the plasticity of living forms, my life has been devoted. I have studied for years, gaining in knowledge as I go. I see you look horrified, and yet I am telling you nothing new. It all lay in the surface of practical anatomy years ago, but no one had the temerity to touch it. I will not be so timid!"
“This extraordinary branch of knowledge has never been sought as an end, and systematically, by modern investigators until I took it up! I will not have my time wasted explaining myself”
Unity can't quite stop themself from growling softly, though they quickly catch themself. The man is simply following how he was written... though they wonder what this means for the 'real' Dr. Moreau.
They force themself to think of what sort of argument would get through here. Perhaps...
They walk forward, rear up their foresixths, and lay a large paw on the Doctor's shoulder. It's a friendly gesture, surely, not a reminder of the weight and strength present in their body.
"Who said anything about morality, Doctor? We simply wanted to give our insight into the flaws in your methods," they say, grinning and doing their best to sound friendly. "You are trying to make men, aren't you? While it's truly impressive what you've been able to do, all of your results seem a bit... lacking, don't they? You see, you're missing something."
"Think of humans. They may be born with all the right parts to be men, but it takes many years of learning, of nuturing, before they can actually use them appropriately. But you seem to think your work is done after you've given your creations the form and mind of a man. Having been among them for a bit, and of course from my own experience, I can tell you you'll have *far* better results if you treat your creations more like the children they are, nurturing and teaching them, than if you leave them to fend for themselves without taking more thought for them after teaching them your... 'laws'."
It's hard for anyone not familiar with Unity to tell if their 'grin' is genuine... or more of a snarl.
From outside you hear shouts and a chorus of animal cries and then a gunshot.
"Damnation!" cries Moreau moving to head outside. "My work is constantly being interrupted!"
Zellgato narrows his eyes at the gunfire. "Do.Not.Drink. and operate firearms Montgomery." Zellgato strides over to be abit more intimdiating. "You're going to cause a riot. Flight or Fight responses-Strong in man and animal."
Assuming Montgomery doesn't try to threaten or manhandle Zellgato he'll turn towards the woodline. "Please be calm, my friends will not let your friend die. Would you please return to your nesting place? Or did you need something specific?"
This is not his forte, as he badly internalizes his frustration with the island, doctors, and situation.
"Doctor. Focus on your patient. I'll deal with it."
Theo marches outside with a determined look.
”I will monitor the patient, Doctor.”
Henri will keep an eye on her, trying to think what he might be able to do to help her.
Theo soon joins Zellgato outside.
"Get back," says Montgomery, raising his gun in the air again.
He goes to a cabinet and takes out a small jar of white powder and snorts a tiny spoonful.
Before Theo or Unity can reach Montgomery, he fires the gun in the air one more time. He then lowers it and points it into the darkened woods. Dozens of cries and whimpers shows they understand the threat and are offended by it.
Inside the surgery, the Doctor scowls. "I've been itching to get to work again, and now I am forced to deal with these interruptions," he grumbles before turning to Henri. "Watch the patient. Keep it sedated. I must deal with these troublesome wretches!"
He storms out of the surgery and into the yard.
Nissa backs up her dad without interfering!
She flies a circle around the bad guy so he can’t flee from Theo without getting roasted!
“Get him, dad!”
Unity come out just in time to see Theo is enacting the first part of their plan. "Say, Theo, would you mind passing that gun to us when you've gotten it?" they ask.
Theo easily disarms Montgomery. While he did so there was a chorus of hoots and hollars. The beast-men were excited. Now that Theo has the revolver, the beast-men hold their breath as one.
Everything has changed.
Montgomery no longer has the gun.
This stranger has the gun.
None of them know what this means and they watch silently to find out.
Nissa is circling Montgomery, not Moreau. Moreau storms back into the house as quickly as he stormed into the yard.
I would Theo to use his godling strength and crush the gun with his bare hands, ala Superman.
I would Theo to use his godling strength and crush the gun with his bare hands, ala Superman.
[dice=Strength Check + Physical Avatar]1d20 + 5 + 3
Theo can feel the gun loosen a bit, but he does not crush it.
The Olympian's grip on the gun strengths in his anger.
"Montgomery. If you do some that stupid again, I will shove this gun so far up your a$$, you'll spit bullets! Do. You. Understand!!"
Henri has scarcely had a minute to determine how stable the patient is before Moreau returns. Keeping some cards up his sleeve, Henri calls out the warning for his friends as he ducks down behind the operating table.
"We could destroy it quite easily, though from the sound of it, we'd best turn around and intercept another..." Unity say as they hear Henri shouting.
They turn around and prepare to meet the Doctor.
☀️
Nissa hears Henri’s warning.
“Lovely.”
She soars toward the house, blazing a trail of fire.
She attempts to create a literal firewall in front of the house—but not to the point the flames touch the house. Even if she gets there before he gets out, he could go around the flames.
“Moreau… don’t force our hands. This isn’t our first time rushing toward a gunman.”
Zellgato blinks as things wildly escalate in rapid succession. Hearing Henri shout his warning-, he has a flashback of a camp setting that rapidly followed by death and he makes a break for the inside.
Seeing as Moreau's firearm is not yet-fired, he'll try to side step him to get to Henri to verify he's fine. If Moreau bars Zellgato's path, Zellgato intends to remove him from his path -nonlethally but strongly.
Moreau waves his gun around, confused and not used to holding it. At this point he's aiming at Nissa if he can spot her amid her flames.
Montgomery surrenders his gun spitting out the words, "They must be taught the Law!" and moaning drunkenly.
The woods erupt in hoots and howls. Something bestial has awoken in the beast-men, if it ever slept. Given that it had to be outlawed, it must have always been there. It is not clear whether the aggressive noises threaten Unity and Theo or Montgomery. Or all of you.
The godling shoves Montgomery to the ground, then whips his head back and lets out a long, loud roar.
"I took Montgomery's gun! You saw! I shamed him before you! You saw! I have shown mercy! You saw! If he breaks the Law again, he will be taught the Law by you! But I have taught him! You saw! I took his metal claws! You saw!"
"I AM THEO! And I will kill to protect my cubs and pack! I am here to Follow the Law! Attack me, I will fight and kill you! Be my friend! Show mercy! And I will call you pack!"
The Olympian circles around, looking deep into the trees the match the eyes that now stare at him.
☀️
Nissa glares at Moreau.
“That was not a surrender.” She glances down at the gun. “That was you shooting your best weapon. Your mouth.”
—which is exactly where Nissa aims her tiny flaming fist.
Unity debate for a moment. They glance over and see that Nissa seems to have the Doctor handled. They look and see Theo trying to talk down the beast people.
After a moment's debate, they trot over to stand next to Theo. They raise a head and say, "You have seen how cruel men can be. If you will control yourselves, we can teach you that there are much more appropriate punishments you can inflict on those who have tormented you than death."
The doctor goes down with a single punch. I guess getting chased out of Europe for doing unspeakable things to animals in what became known as 'The Moreau Horrors' doesn't earn you enough XP to level up.
Montgomery is sobbing on the ground.
The animals are roused by Theo's speech but found it confusing. They're pretty sure he wants them to tear Montgomery to shreds with their claws and teeth, which is also what they want to do. They creep closer.
Unity's sword has stopped thrumming as they are no longer in the house.
Henri monitors the patient, who sleeps obliviously.
Theo audibly growls a fierce warning.
Nissa is relieved that there’s at least no chance of gunplay… so it seems. “Umm… Henri? Can you make sure the Doctor doesn’t die of fourth degree burns on his jaw?”
She flies closer to the animals.
“I get it,” she says. “I get you.” She stops at Unity’s side. “We both do. Unity perhaps more than I do, but lately… I’ve had my share of harsh reminders that I’m different. I’m a person, but I can never really be human enough. And I don’t even know if that’s what other people think of me…” She recalls how weird things have been with LC, ever since her death. Her inability to make it better. Her amazing talent at making it worse. “…or what I expect and assume from others.
“I like being unique and hate feeling different. It’s a paradox, for me.” She turns to Unity. “So I can’t imagine how it is for a trinity such as yourself. But, take it from a body-proud model. You’re beautiful.” She turns to the beastmen. “All of you are.”
Gesturing toward Theo, she adds. “What my dad just stopped is what is ugly. Men with guns. Men using their laws not to keep you safe, but to control you.
“They are defeated. There is no need for bloodshed. Let us talk, but without chanting their rules. Please… speak freely.”
"We do understand something of what you have suffered," Unity add, "So trust us when we say, killing them is far from the worst thing we can do to them. Moreau will suffer for what was done to him." "But we must consider *your* future, as well."
Zellgato pokes his head out the door to confirm the situation again and walks up to Henri. "Pretty sure they're causing a Riot outside...So that might be an issue in this short term." gesturing at the patient, "What do you want to do about her? She's a story character but they're still alive at the moment, even if they may well start over later. If things go badly outside, it'll have to be a quick choice. I have a quick healing medicinal-but I don't know if that'll be a kindness when she's halfway like this..."
Looking back at the door, then shifting and trying to look out the windows in case others are approaching from another avenue, "I have my military medical kit still, I can set up a medical suite for proper, real, surgery. But...We're also here on an important job, that if we do not succed in, many others will die, on multiple worlds."
Over comms he'll send a vocal message to the group "We're here for a potal, before a riot starts-Did we get any clues from moreau?"
"From Moreau's comment, I suspect that she can be stabilized in her current form, but would not be able to speak. I do not find that to be an unacceptable situation. I can assist while you confirm."
Henri begins a more in-depth investigation of the puma-woman's condition and makes sure that her sedation remains at the appropriate level, using Zellgato's medicinals rather than Moreau's if that appears to be safer.
The beast-men, intimidated, hang back. Some slip away into the woods. Nissa's attempt to invite them to parlay slows their departure, but when she talks about not chanting 'their rules' some murmur in agreement, but one voice objects. "I am the Sayer-of-the-Law" says the old grey beast-man, stepping from the shadows.
He looks at Montgomery and Moreau, both defeated, only Montgomery conscious.
"What will you do with them?"
"I'll leave Moreau's fate to Unity", Theo states. "Montgomery.." the godling looks down at the drunk stupid human. "I guess that depends on him.
If he minds his manners, and waits for Moreau's next supply boat, he can likely leave. If he decides to cause trouble.."
The Olympian looks around at the remaining eyes in the foliage.
"..it's a jungle out there."
Rolling his shoulders and also gesturing towards the doors and windows, "Time for work, but don't loose situational awareness."
He'll start his examination.
"You focus, doctor, I've got your back." Henri doesn't want to influence Zellgato's analysis, anyway, so he keeps an eye on the room's entrances with the occasional glance at the now-quiescent mirror overhead.
"Let me know when you guys are nearly complete. I can add some divine energy to seal any cracks", Theo called to the medical professionals.
"Oh, it's quite simple. Dr. Moreau lives for his work. We will burn anything he's written and destroy his lab, then send him away in disgrace... with several people who will accuse him of his heinous acts. He will be lucky if he is only thrown in prison, left to moulder and curse his inability to do the only thing he ever loved, cursed by all," Unity say.
"We should, however, make certain that those men who were stranded here get safely away." "To make certain they give that testimony, if nothing else."
In the yard, some of the beast-men object. "No! He broke the law! Bring him to the circle!"
Other beast-men counter, "He is like the Master! He is a Five-Man!"
An Ape-Man you met earlier leaps from a tree and strides towards Montgomery waving his five-fingered hands and crying out, "I am a Five-Man! I am a Five-Man! Am I above the law?"
The Sayer-of-the-Law does not like this. He sternly warns, "I
am a the Sayer-of-the-Law"
The Ape-Man bows deeply and replies cleverly, "I am Five-Man and I bow down before the Sayer-of-the-Law! Bring him to the Circle!"
"No one is above the law!" Unity chorus. They add, "But there is a problem. Dr. Moreau, your 'Master', came here... because he had broken Men's laws. He fled the punishment, and gave you altered laws, laws made to glorify himself instead of bring safety. By the laws he fled, he must be returned to where he came from and suffer his punishment."
Breathing a bit and thinking for a moment. Then leans in a bit to the patient, "I'm sorry, but you're going to have to work hard to survive. I'm going to do my best, but this situation is a mess. Work with me, Live. If you want to survive, I will make you survive. If you give up, then I'll let you pass peacefully as possible. Do your best, and we will too." Taking out some supplies, cleansing himself and the area around them before setting up his own tools and booth, transforming his items around into his own surgery station. A moment later the space next to him crackles as another version of himself shows in scrubs and nods.
Zellgato will attempt to transform them back to their natural state.
"No one is above the law!" Unity chorus. They add, "But there is a problem. Dr. Moreau, your 'Master', came here... because he had broken Men's laws. He fled the punishment, and gave you altered laws, laws made to glorify himself instead of bring safety. By the laws he fled, he must be returned to where he came from and suffer his punishment."
"No!" cried the Ape-Man. "We all came from other places. We were brought here. We must answer the law here. I am a Five-Man and I bow before the law. Montgomery is a Five-Man and is not above the law? Bring him to the circle!"
While some of the beast-men are having trouble following the Ape-Man's arguments most seem convinced. Several call out, "To the circle." and some inch forward to grab Montgomery.
Moreau is still unconscious, but they don't seem to be moving on him yet.
Nissa makes a circle of fire to keep the beastmen away from Theo and the sobbing wimp!
She reminds the beastman, “My father and I defeated the men. You did nothing. I don’t appreciate you or anyone joining a fight when the enemy has already been defeated. It dishonors our effort—which was saving your lives.”
She glances at the Montgomery in his pathetic state.
“Forget this weakling. Speak to Unity. I think you’ll find we make better allies than enemies. But by ‘allies,’ I do not mean ‘subordinates.’”
The Olympian unsheaths The Angelsword, his eyes fixed on those who approach.
"No one fights my pack, and lives."
“He’s my father. I can’t and won’t talk him down.”
She flutters above her flame and looks the nearest in the eye, hoping that the implication is enough to talk him down.
Unity step forward. "Is your law just?" They ask. "What is this 'circle' you speak of? What happens there?"