Match of the Millennium

Description: A sign posted on a tree on Niki Beach next to the volleyball net indicates that the winner of the first volleyball match on the beach will be shown the location of buried treasure. The treasure map, hidden in a shatterproof safe, will only be released when the nearby sensors detect that an Xtreme beach volleyball match has taken place on the premises. Will these four brave souls be willing to engage in such a controversial sport for the sake of a few Zack Coins?

[MAX]
"Are you sure this is a good use of our time?"

The question is rhetorical.

Mostly.

After the rather unexpected extension of their leisurely visit to Zack Island: Part 2, Dr. Maeda's normally stoic attitude has taken a turn for the cranky. The cruise had already started to strain her tolerance for being outdoors but at least the massive ship had basic amenities. Enclosed private rooms, air conditioning, proper beds, electricity, running water, food supplies. She never thought that something as basic as getting enough nourishment would become such a high priority.

Now, thanks to that crazed wanna-be goddess, the good doctor was forced to endure a great many indignities. Scrounging through old vending machines for snacks that probably expired years ago. Sleeping in hot stuffy rooms with no reprieve from the sweltering tropical heat. Wearing the same sweat-soaked clothing day after day.

And now - this.

The scientist frowns and crosses her arms, glowering at the face of a man that she's never met before but has learned to hate with a burning passion ever since their stranding on his island. Zack meets her scorching scowl with a cool Colgate smile from behind a pair of dark shades, his likeness hanging from a large billboard mounted to one of the towering palm trees. It is but one of many such portraits, the former celebrity apparently quite fond of decorating his resort in what he knew and loved most.

Next to the man's goofy face, a message painted in large extravagant font declares this area of the beach to be entirely devoted to hosting volleyball matches. Several tall metal poles protrude from the sandy crescent, each once host to a wide net as evidenced by the tattered remains that cling to them like bits of cobweb. Yet more posts, taller and more slender, hoist an array of cameras high above.

"Yeah," comes the cheerful reply as another much smaller figure wanders up to stand at her side. "Look at the bottom."

Max points to the lower half of the billboard and her mother's eyes shift to inspect the writing there. The language used is ridiculous and bombastic, as she's come to expect from anything related to Zack, but a quick skim of the contents make it clear what got her ward all excited.

"You can't be serious."

There is a brief delay in Max's response as she swallows a mouthful of palm leaf, munching on a thick stack of the foliage with the same gusto as if it were a meaty sandwich. Well, at least one of them is eating well. The lack of more pleasant food hardly seems to have fazed the Gear. All the same, she's been forbidden from transforming without permission in order to use as little of her magic reserves as possible.

"Sure it is! Remember what Mister Tom and Mister Lou told us? There's a bunch of those special coins hidden all over the island! I bet the buried treasure will be a stash of those coins. If we get them, we can use them to buy supplies out of the vending machines! At least, that's what Tanwen said. But I think she heard that from Miss Chevy."

That makes a decent amount of sense. Encourage the guests to participate in the various attractions by rewarding them with the island's special currency. Dr. Maeda sighs. If only it wasn't something so... physical. The very idea of doing anything that will make her even more sweaty and tired than she is now just makes her want to go lie down. And besides...

"It looks like all of the nets have been destroyed. And I don't see any balls. How are we supposed to engage in this trial without the proper gear?"

Unfortunately, a solution presents itself quickly as she gazes around the area. A small brick building, almost hidden by the overgrowth near the edge of the jungle, squats suspiciously near the volleyball courts. Even from a distance she can make out the faded lettering painted on its door that marks it as a storage room for spare equipment.

"Lucky us," she mutters.

[BUCK]
There's one person not overly bothered by the whole trapped by a deific flaming bird on a deserted (kinda) island without and water or real food (kinda). Farmboy and consumate outdoorsman, Buck. He's been taking all of this in remarkable stride, even the fact that they have to basically scrounge up a bunch of stupid coins instead of getting in a real fight.

Except he's decided now's a great time to take a nap as well. Stripped down to just his shorts and a cowboy hat tilted to shade his eyes, he sits in the sand with his back up against a palm tree, getting just the right mix of shade and sun. He's basking like anyone would on a tropical beach, even if this one is cut off from the ocean by fire.

One eye opens, peering over at the Doc and Max as they work out the details of getting the volleyball match rolling, not as asleep as he appears.

"Let me know when things are good to go." He mutters softly, letting his eye slip closed again. He even sounds mostly asleep, his breathing low shallow and even, almost like he's.. hibernating? Can he even do that? Sometime Buck isn't even sure of what he can and can't do with his abilties until he actually tries.

"Doc. Why don't you sit in the shade before you pass out." He murmurs sleepily, reaching up to adjust his hat a bit to deepen the shade across his own face. "Max can get things set up." Such a useful mentor he is.

After a moment, he seems to have fallen right back asleep, though his mouth is still going, and if anyone cares to try to listen to his mutterings, it seems he's dreaming of roasting a whole pig at a luau, and really, who can blame him?

[SKYE]
"Uggggh," the blonde wrestler's tone is strained. Her twintail style is holding together, but barely between a bit of dirt and grease suggesting she may not have had a shower in the past day. Or two.

"THIS SUCKS," Skye tugs her shorts into a (marginally) more comfortable position as she trods heavily across the sand, taking the lead in front of her mentor. "I liked it better when we had free access to the buffet." She sighs, sticking her lips out in a pout.

"So is this supposed to be good for training? For ratings?" She pauses. "Or are we seriously stuck here?" As she turns with her question, the corner of her eye catches Max, Dr. Maeda, and the nearby Buck.

"Oh, hey, people," Skye manages a weak wave.

[BRAUN]
"No clue!"

Judgeing by Braun's cheerful voice, Buck's not the only one that seems unbothered by the circumstances. Perhaps roughing it is just part of his nature or something he's been used to having to deal with before? Perhaps powerful unknown entities freaking out and causing disturbances around those unable to adequately deal with them is a paint by the numbers scenario for someone who grew up a stones throw away from The Makai? Either way, he's somehow managed to find an intact volleyball, probably bounced away by sheer chance during whatever stray shockwave rolled over this part of the island . Like others present he's dressed down as well, having removed his jacket and somehow obtained , or perhaps always had handy, fitting shorts but he doesn't look much different all in all considering that he usually walked around bare chested, bare footed and uncivilized unless forced not to.

As he walks, he bounces it between his massive palms before spinning it around atop a claw that somehow doesn't puncture it as he strolls behind Skye.

"I'd lay bets on them having lost control over a situation they helped make and then trying to spin it as good for the ratings while they panic in the background..." he drawls out to Skye, "...One thing you're learning rapidly is that these fight organizers don't really know what they're doing most of the time. We all found that out the hard way back in the last tournament now it's yer turn while the rest of us just get that fact reinforced. Just gotta take it aaaalllll in stride and ride along with it. We'll figure somethin' out..."

Eventually he spots the others present and he brings the ball down and clamps his hands on either side of it. His nostrils flare and his deep voice rolls out with a grin on his face, "Weeelllll.. Lookee, lookee. Seems we're a little late to the party. So what -exactly- are we supposed to do then? Should I knock over a tree and we use that as a 'net' or somebody got another idea in mind?"

He likewise spots the building that still sits undisturbed and then adds, "Course sure checking there seems smart but I like knocking trees over."

[MAX]
Unlike the two men, Doctor Maeda seems to have lacked the foresight to prepare extra clothes in the event of sudden divine intervention. While she's shed her traditional lab coat, the heavy yukata and shorts she usually wears remain snuggly in place. Far more snugly than she'd prefer since the blistering heat has all but plastered them to her skin leaving unsightly sweat stains around her neck and arms.

The young scientist turns to frown at the sound of fresh voices. Her dour expression softens into something more neutral upon noting the presence of other members of the stranded party. Annoyed she may be but the woman seems to understand that getting into any sort of altercation with these people will not end well for her. At best, Max might try to intervene again and she'd rather keep things cordial. These people are likely her only real hope of surviving this ordeal, after all.

Such calculating thoughts would normally take Eiko but a few moments to run through her head. Instead, she finds herself staring almost dazedly at the reclining shapeshifter for several seconds before nodding in agreement. This weather is definitely getting to her. Taking a rest in the shade sounds like a good idea.

Apparently having come to the same conclusion, Max's hand wraps around her wrist a moment later and starts to drag her towards the storage building. While it isn't particularly large, it's wide enough to create a large wedge of cool shade on the sand. Dr. Maeda sinks down against the wall without complaint and closes her eyes, attempting to think cold pleasant thoughts. It doesn't help but she can't come up with anything better to do.

Meanwhile, after settling her mother down, the little Gear turns and gives an energetic wave at the new arrivals. Clearly the weather isn't affecting her nearly as much, though she has notably ripped the lower half of her pants legs off to create a makeshift pair of shorts. The girl's skin, a faint shade of lilac normally, seems to have darkened to something closer to wisteria. Perhaps her version of a sun-tan or an automated response to the more extreme environment?

"Oh, hey Mister Braun! And um... Miss Skye, right?"

The girl points enthusiastically at the large billboard, drawing their attention to Zack's goofy mug and the rules for participating in this attraction.

"It's volleyball! I've never played it before but I learned a little bit about it on the Internet. I think we have to hit a ball over the net a bunch of times. Oh, right!"

Remembering that she was tasked with acquiring the necessities of said game, Max whirls around and tugs on the door to the storage shed. Unsurprisingly, it rattles noisily and fails to budge. Frowning, the Gear gives it another few futile jiggles, even going so far as to plant her feet on the wall and hang sideways from the knob to try and brute force her way through. Were she in her transformed state tearing this flimsy piece of wood apart would hardly take an effort but as she is now the diminutive bioweapon struggles with the stubborn lock as she were a child attempting to unseal an over-tightened jar of pickles.

The incessant noise makes Eiko open one eye blearily and glower sideways at the girl. Max sheepishly plops down onto the sand and shrugs.

"It's locked, I guess."

"You don't say."

Apparently immune to sarcasm, Max just nods and scratches her head as she turns back to regard the door. After a few moments of silent thinking, she starts to circle around the outside of the building. Unfortunately, there don't seem to be any convenient windows or port holes to climb through. But, unwilling to give up, the Gear goes to one of the large palm trees that loom tall over the shed and starts to scamper up its trunk. Upon attaining the necessary height she kicks off and flops ungracefully onto its roof, vanishing from sight briefly.

"Aha!"

The girl's head pops over the edge of the roof, a pleased grin plastered on her face as she peers down at her caretaker.

"There's a skylight! Should I smash my way in through there?"

[BUCK]
Buck slowly opens one of his eyes again as more voices join those of Max and the doc. He focuses that one-eyed gaze right on Sky and Braun, giving them a small nod of greeting. "Nice, you found a ball." He murmurs, still sounding half-asleep.

Though at Braun's words he's craning his neck to look at the palm above him giving him the best shade he's found on this island so far. "Whatver you want." He says to the beastly warrior, "Just leave this one alone." He states as he reaches up his hand and pats the trunk of the palm.

"But Max is checking the shed for a net." He states with a jerk of his thumb to where his mentee is now scrambling on the roof of said shed.

"Just kick it in." He hollars to her. "Not like there's anyone on this island to arrest you."

He frowns, and then slowly gets to his feet. "Guess I need to start waking up, huh?"

And with those words, he seems to almost instantly get more energetic, like he pumped himself full of caffeine. He shakes out his arms and then his legs and nods.

[BRAUN]
A flippant toss of the volleyball sends it into the air, straight upwards, as Braun keeps walking and moves past Skye, expecting her to catch it or not as she sees fit. He draws near to the building in question, looking it over thoguhtfully and then turning his attention towards the rooftop where Max waits.

"Howdy Max." he responds towards her with a lopsided grin. His gaze cuts towards the good doctor and he just drawls out, "Doc." still with that lopsided smirk.

His attention finally rests on Buck and he just lets out a rough laugh, "Yeah, yeah. I wouldn't wanna ruin your relaxin' restin' spot there, fella. I know how hard it is to find a spot on the ground that feels juuuust right. Anyway...."

A loud *BOOOM* resoundds as Braun slams his massive hand against the door with enough force to buckle most barred and locked doors in a single blow. The large bruisers strength is hardly a matter for debate among the NFGers and that was before his training with the likes of Zog or Kongou or spars with Hawksley came into the equation. So short of it being some sort of specially reinforced material he's busting in.

"She just doesn't wanna get in trouble with her mom, bein' all misbehaving and tearing up property." he offers towards Buck over the sound of his fist impacting. "Fortunantely for 'em both I got no problem with misbehavin'.. Let's see what we got in here.."

[MAX]
The door, while sturdy, proves no match for the beastman's brawn. Splinters fly in every direction as the wooden barrier crumples like cardboard and goes smashing into the opposite wall of the shed's interior. Apparently neither Max or her mother were prepared for this sudden display of physical prowess as both nearly jump out of their skin at the loud crunch.

Eiko, fortunately, was sitting down and mostly just ends up startled and annoyed. The little Gear, however, nearly goes tumbling off the roof as the building rattles underneath her. A show of quick reflexes allows Max to grab the edge of the overhang with one hand and she dangles in the air, wide-eyed and silent, for several seconds as if she were hanging off the side of a mountain cliff rather than a dozen feet above a bunch of soft sand. Eventually getting her wits back, the girl plops down onto her bare feet and pokes her head around the now doorless entrance to peer inside the old shed.

"I don't think mom cares about me banging up stuff on this old island," she retorts, rotating her head to peer up at Braun. "But I'm not supposed to use my combat modes without a good reason. Not enough seithr here for a quick recharge."

Eiko makes a soft noise that could be interpreted in multiple ways and goes back to reclining against the wall. Max chooses to take it as agreement.

A quick glance around the inside of the shed reveals a lot of... well, mostly sand and cobwebs. It's obvious that this building hasn't been attended to in a very long time. Fortunately, someone had the foresight to stock the spare nets still wrapped in their original plastic packaging. About half a dozen of them fill a dusty bin on one of the wall shelves. A fair few extra balls are piled up in a mesh hamper nearby though half of them seem to have succumbed to erosion. There used to be even more spares but the shattered remains of the battered door have rendered most of them unusable.

Eager to prove herself useful, Max squeezes past the bulky cat-man and starts to dig through shelves and boxes to see if there's anything else that might be of interest squirreled away. Her search doesn't turn up much, however - just a few rusty old tools and a small manual air pump to refill the balls. Grabbing those and a couple spare nets, the girl carts her haul out in both arms and dumps everything in a small pile on the sand.

"I think that's all there is in there."

[BUCK]
Buck watches Braun batter down the door as if that is a pefectly acceptable mode of entrance. Hell, he probably would have done the same if the cat man hadn't beaten him to it. "No worries, Max, you just conserve what you can. Especially if Lou and Tom get it in their brains to make us fight later. We'll need it."

With those two handling the shed, he turns his attention to the court instead, wandering across the sand to where the two poles mark the line between the halves of the court.

He only fusses with the knots on the snarled and tangled net still attached to the poles for a moment before cursing under his breath.

He flexes his fingers, sharp claws sliding free of his finger tips and begins to slice through the salt-encrusted ropes, making short work of freeing the old net so a new once can be put up in its place.

"It's be too convenient for there to be useful things in there, looks like we're still going to have to play for coins, eh?"

[BRAUN]
"Seithr, eh?"

Braun seems to understand the word and its meaning well enough...and what he doesn't understand he can extrapolate. Mana, Seithr, Aether and many more names applied to the same set of concepts that govern the world or compete for governance.

"Sounds like a pain yeah..." he considers but he says no more on the topic being as that Max is not his charge and thus fundamentally what she can or can't do via her combat modes is simply not his business.

He does, however, nod in approval at her quick in and out and then reaches down to gather up a bulk of the goods Max had brought forth in oreder to deliver them to the area of the court so matters can begin to get undreway.

Buck's use of his own talents doesn't escape his notice either and Braun lets that lopsided grin crease his features once again before stepping towards him but his smile fades at mention of the coins and he displays hte first signs of grouchiness at all now. "I thought we were hear for fightin', not competing for coins like this is some sort of damn videogame... I barely paid attention to how this is all supposed to work. How's it supposed to know what -Extreme- Volleyball is? If we get to crazy we'll just destroy the equipment."

[MAX]
Max watches the two men set about getting things set up for a moment before turning back to check on her mother. It's obvious from a quick glance that she's not handling the extreme climate very well. The shade seems to have helped but the woman is still sweating like a mule. The Gear frowns and puts a hand to Dr. Maeda's forehead, checking her temperature.

"I'm fine," Eiko says, gently waving the hand away. She doesn't bother opening her eyes this time, merely tilting her head towards the beach. "Go play. If there really is some of those coins to be found, we'll need them for supplies."

"Alright. Let me know if you need anything, okay?"

Another noncommittal noise proves to be enough for Max and she turns to dart over to join the others, though not without a worried glance over her shoulder. While most of the people who got trapped on this island are specimens of peak physical fitness there are those like her mother and their amusing hosts who aren't quite as hardy. They need to work quickly to deal with those so-called trials that the bird-brain nattered on about. At the very least, some decent food would go a long way towards keeping everyone healthy. The goddess hadn't lied about that part, at least. Every fruit tree Max had managed to sniff out within a few miles radius is a burnt husk now.

Right now, however, her focus needs to be on the game. Braun's question causes the small girl to scamper around in front of him and raise her hand like she's a schoolgirl answering a teacher's question. She doesn't wait to be called on, however, and shifts her arm flapping into finger pointing towards the array of cameras mounted around the arenas on poles.

"I think those are set up to automatically grade the matches. At least, that's what it says on the big poster. Not sure if they still work though."

[BUCK]
"I'd rather fight, too." The shapeshifter says sullenly as he tosses the net away, stepping aside so the others can mount a fresh one in place. "But I'm also hungry, and unless I want to try to figure out the exact stomach I need to eat palm fronds." He makes a distinct face at that. "We gotta play the game."

He frowns up at the sky. "I've been keeping myself cold blooded to keep energy low but I'm gonna run out at some point." HE may not need facy fuel like Max does, but his powers eat through their own fuel quickly. Literally. There's a reason he scarfs hamburgers after his matches almost ritually.

"So, coins it is." He mutters.

He looks up at the cameras. "Are they even still working?" He has to wonder. And then Braun's worry about what qualifies as extreme also takes up residence in him mind.

"Maybe destroying the equipment is exactly how it knows we had an extreme match." He points out, as that makes a certain amount of logical sense to him, at least on the surface.

He does cast a worried look in Dr. Maeda's direction then back to Braun. "And we're not the only ones on the island that need supplies." He says, a bit more softly. "But I swear, when I get my hands on that fire bird." He growls, then shakes his head.

[BRAUN]
The beastman's own supernatural senses have been put to good use as well and thus far, based on his expression as he listens to Buck and moves away from Max as she attends tot he doctor, should good and well enough that he hasn't had much success either..

"I know." he rumbles under his breath, largely for Buck to hear and not for Skye or Max, casting a glance towards the doctor in the distance. While his opinion of her wasn't particularly high he's no interest in seeing her suffering and though she puts on a good enough show for Max's sake, the large brute isn't unfamiliar with putting on a good poker face to hide how you're really feeling.

"And we can't sit around waitin' on a rescue. Some of the old mentors could bust right through her little show without battin' an eye if they could be bothered to get involved and the ones most likely to be gettin' involved, includin'. the NOL or Sacred Order ... would just end up gettin' us caught up in the crossfire. By the time they got here it might be too much for some folk here... so...yeah. Coins it is."

He shakes his head, working to help put the net up and then raises his voice a little louder so that his words are no longer just for Buck. "Anyway if they want a show then let's put on a show. Their fault if some of the cameras get smashed in the process.. At least they'll get their entertainment out of it!"

[MAX]
Max seems to key off the sudden shift in enthusiasm, pumping both of her arms in the air and giving out an excited whoop.

"Yeah! Let's smash stuff!"

It's possible that these two aren't the best role models for a young impressionable bio-weapon.

Either way, the Gear moves to start setting up a replacement net. It isn't that difficult to figure out how it fits on the poles and, while she has to climb up each one like a purple spider monkey to get the fastenings in place, it only takes a minute or so for her to handle the task.

Once she has everything set up, Max plops back down into the sand and runs up and down the length of the net to double-check her handiwork before finally returning to Buck and Braun.

"I got the net set up," she announces proudly, once again thrusting her fists skyward in triumph. "Now we just have to... umm... volley the ball. Or... whatever."

[SKYE]
The ball soars up into the air and Skye blinks a few times before responding with at least passable reflexes. She bumps it up back up before it hits the ground, then bounces it a few more times. "I played volleyball for a bit, ya know," she says to anyone who will listen. After that, he focus seems to be on dribbling the volleyball with bumps and sets, even though dribbling is definitely not part of the usual volleyball etiquette.

In the midst of this, she's a bit slow on the responses to Dr. Maeda, Max, and Buck as they set themselves to getting the net set up. In fact, Skye seems to get completely lost in juggling the ball for a minute there. When she comes to, she seems a bit redfaced about the whole thing.

Catching the ball and tucking it under her arm, Skye brushes back one of her twintails and clears her throat. "Aha, yeah, I'm Skye. I don't know what makes the volleyball 'EXTREME' either, but if it'll help get people food then I'm all in on it."

[BUCK]
Buck fixed Braun with a wide grin. "Hey, who's gonna take care of the little ones if not responsible adults like us." He only half jokes in a semi-whisper to the lion man, hands on his hips. "Though really, maybe I could figure out the right stomach to eat those palm leaves. Max seems to manage." He casts a sideways glance at his own mentee.

"Good job, Max!" He calls up to the purple cat gear as she gets the net in place, shooting her one of his thumbs ups.

Plucking his hat off his head he walks it over to the doc, holding it out to her. "Mind keeping this safe for me?" He asks, simply, then looks side to side and offers in a whisper just for her. "Feel free to stash it on your head, the shade is really nice and does help." There's a wink to her and he's headed back to the court.

"Not a clue, only sport I did was rodeo, and that's pretty extreme already. But I don't think me riding around on Braun until he knocks me off is what Grinny McDooferson had in mind." He rubs his chin, tilting his head to the side as he considers the puzzle. "So maybe.... go wild, screw the rules, and spike a whole hell of a lot? Sounds pretty extreme to me."

[BRAUN]
"Heeey....there you are." drawls Braun, giving Skye a big grin as she finally makes her way over towards the rest of them.

"Can't disagree with that assessment... So let's get ready to get this thing goin' and see what sort of relief we can bring to this madness..."

With the net now prepared he looks over as Buck heads towards the Doc and then he looks to Max...and finally reaches a big hand out to set to Skye's shoulders to take her aside, presumably on what's now looking like 'their' side of the net given how it's been raised .

"So Buck here's a shapeshifter o'sorts... He's probably gonna be able to use tha to get a good aerial advantage. Not sure how 'big' he can get it stands to reason it'll help him in putting up a defense so we gotta watch for high angle shots. Max is a Gear. I don't know much about 'em but I do know she's got her combat mode and she can probably switch it in to give her physical boosts for spans of time. She kept up swimin' next to the boat on the way here pretty easily.. Now I can shift into my battle form for big boosts in strength, speed and size but I usually have to charge up to do it but I can go into a sorta overdrive mode and force it for abit but it can do some damage that I take time t'heal up.. My -point- is..."

He slows down and grins at her, "You're pretty much down t'earth compared to all of that but don't let that intimidate or stop ya. You're every bit a match for Max even if she's a Gear otherwise you simply wouldn't -be- here at all and have earned yer place. Don't get intimidated by any off brand craziness and use it as inspiration to turn it up to the eleven, ya dig?" He forms a huge fist for her to bump.

As he hers Buck upon his return, his nostrils flare and he snorts abit to the comment about riding around on his back but then he just gives a rough laugh and notes simply, "Try it. After all, if they say 'Extreme' but don't give any rules as to what it means...yeah..I say we make it up as we go along... So let's get to improvisin'..."

[MAX]
Buck's attempt to offer a bit of aid to the tired doctor earns him a sidelong glance through one cracked eye before she sighs and accepts the hat without comment, resting it lightly atop her head. It doesn't sit quite right with the large goggles already taking up most of her forehead but without any strong breezes to threaten its precarious perch it manages to achieve some manner of balance without falling off.

While Dr. Maeda seems too exhausted or cranky to dole out any thanks, Max offers it in her stead, beaming a great big smile at the shapeshifter as he saunters back over to the volleyball court.

"Thanks for looking out for my mom, Mr. Buck. I was going to put some palm leaves on her after she fell asleep but that works too."

The Gear turns and cranes her head to peer at the other team for a few moments, noting the obvious 'for our ears only' manner in which Braun seems to be chatting with his partner. She -could- overhear what he's saying, were she to use some of her magic to alter her ears a little, but somehow she doubts that eavesdropping on the competition would rank high enough to warrant expending some of her power in her mother's estimation. After all, this is just a game, not the potential life-or-death struggles that could be looming on the horizon.

Instead, Max peers up at her new mentor and waits for him to offer some guidance on how they should proceed. This is all new territory for her and she wouldn't want to make a bad impression.

"It looks like they're coming up with a strategy. Should we do that too?"

[SKYE]
"Oh," Skye says as Braun explains everyone's special skills, at least in summary. "Oh..." Skye continues to listen. "Oh." Her shoulder seem to drop alongisde her pitch, each lower than the last. "I...I guess I can't...really do anything like that," Skye makes a face.

"But I guess...I guess that's OK. I did play volleyball, and like, I'm strong and stuff. So that's something?" Skye's attempt at the conspiratorial whisper is not quite as quiet as Braun's, her volume just a bit too high to be making a secretive plan. "Let's do our best!"

[BUCK]
"Always take good care of your ma." Buck says with a nod and a smile for Max. "It's one of my rules. She puts up with more than you can imagine." He says, speaking as much for his own mother as for Max's. Poor Buck's had to put up with four boys and if the country boy is any indication, his brothers are probably just as rowdy.

"We'll see about that when it's a real fight." He calls back to Braun good naturedly, happy to get into a little pregame smack talk with someone he didn't have enough chances to really get to know the first time around, much to his regret. But a friend of Hawksley's is alright in his book.

"Probably." He says to Max, rubbing his chin. Buck's not really a plan things out kind of guy. Any one watching his fights knows that. He's all about adapting and thinking on the fly but in a team situation...

He gives Max a once over. "From what I've watched of your fights you have me outclassed in speed and agility. But I can provide a solid defense and some power since we want to conserve your battle mode. I can recharge with food." He adds, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I say we keep it simple, keep yourself mobile and grab any balls that look like they're going wide, I'll keep to the center and try to return some power spikes. What do you think?" Sure, he's the mentor, but that doesn't mean he wants to order his mentee around, he trusts her to know what she's capable of. "It'll be good practice for team battles, too. I'm less worried about winning than us learning how to cover for each other's weaknesses." He grins. "We'll win when it matters."

[BRAUN]
Unlike Max, Braun's hyper senses dont' have an on or off switch but he's sportsmanlike enough to tune out anything he overhears while skilled enough to keep his five senses tuned to anything that might tip him off to an emergency - including the doctors worsening condition. He's not been shy about expressing dislike of her following their initial encounter but he's hardly invested in seeing anything happen to her on account of the foolishness that this island escapade has become. So he's indeed 'watching' her even when the others may not be.

As to his pep talk, it was more intended as a means to prepare Skye for any strangness she may be about to witness since along with the Doctor she's the only real 'normal' one present though it is 'normal' by professional fighter standards and not actually 'normal-normal'. His strategy isn't much of one.

"Hey, I didn't wanna work with you cause you could do all those things. I wanted to work with ya for the things you could do. Like I said, you wouldn't be in the good ol'NFG if you didn't have the same potential as everybody. B'sides...you've played volleyball! So you alrady got an edge over the rest of us from the sound of it!"

Yup, this is a first time for him. Not exactly a beach and volleyball sort of guy.

"I don't even know the regular rules o'volleyball let alone Extreme Volleyball. Don't let it hit the ground I guess?"

Braun gives her a fanged smile and then says, "So I guess I play offense and you play defense or something? I dunno. Whatever right?"

With that he steps away and calls out loudly, "So whose on first!?"

[MAX]
The analysis of her personal capabilities earns a quick nod from the Gear. Speed and maneuverability were two of the primary benchmarks for her design, along with the ability to adapt and learn from observation. The most useful traits for a scout - or an assassin. She's certainly not lacking in raw physical strength when the situation calls for it, as many have seen already, but that sort of body modification burns through her magical reserves quickly. As Buck points out, there's no reason for her to expend such a precious resource on what should be little more than a mild diversion.

"I can recharge by eating as well," Max clarifies, unsure if such information is relevant. "But most things don't have enough seithr in them to make much of a difference in my reserves. I'd probably have to eat the leaves off half a dozen of these palm trees to get a full charge. Mom usually carries around some specially made energy bars for emergencies but since this wasn't supposed to be an extended trip she only has a couple with her."

As for the plan itself, she doesn't have any arguments to offer. Having only a vague notion of how volleyball is played from what she remembers of seeing it show up in some of the movies she's watched, Max is more than happy to let someone else come up with their strategy. Besides, she's supposed to be learning from Buck and this could be considered a form of education. Her mother did want her to learn more about human culture, after all.

Max nods again to show she understands.

"Stick to the edge of the arena and toss the ball to you. Got it."

Braun's bellow draws her attention back to the other duo who seem to have finished their own little team meeting. Time to play the game, it seems. Max pads her way over to the other side of the net and takes up a spot near the rear of the court, wiggling her toes in the sand to get used to the feel of the terrain.

"I think we're supposed to flip a coin? Pretty sure I saw that on one of those sports movies."

[SKYE]
Skye lacks any kind of heightened senses, not that she seems the type to make good uof any she had. She's instead taken to doing some warmup stretches while Max and Buck work out a plan.

"Uh, right!" Skye answers Braun's encouragement with a firm nod. "I guess that's true!" The uncertainty in her voice suggests lingering disappointment that she can't transform or become Hyper Skye, Riot of the Skye, or anything like that.

Skye hunkers down, digging her feet in the sand as she spreads them further apart, bends her knees, and leans forward at her waist. "I'm not super speedy either," Skye rocks a bit. "So, um, we need to position well."

"Yeah! We need to flip a coin." Beat. "I don't really have one."

[BUCK]
Buck normally keeps his senses sharpened, but as he's trying to conserve energy, they're just regular dull old human senses at the moment. At least until the sunsets and he needs to be able to see. But his attention is on Max anyway as she seems to get his plan. "Good, and try to have fun, too." He says to his mentee. "Buck rule number one. None of this matters if you don't enjoy it."

Whatever else can be said about the country boy, he always does seem to be doing his best to have fun. Even trapped on an island by a psycho fire bird. IT makes one wonder just what would need to happen for Buck to actually have a bad time.

Turning to Braun and Skye, he waves a hand. "Eh, this ain't a serious thing and you guys have the ball. Why don't you take first serve. Sooner we can impress... whatever.. the sooner we can get back to the group and see about dinner." Surely someone has to have found food. Those palm trees are starting to look suspiciously tasty.

[BRAUN]
"Got it.." rumbles Braun towards Skye, still grinning abit.

"So then. Let's start with me forward and you in back. I'll be offense, you be defense and we'll switch up after get the measure of 'em if needed."

It would seem that the two mentors are indeed of similar mindset as unwittingly they've landed on a similar strategy for them both.

"Alright, you heard 'im! I guess that's on you then!" He fingerguns to Skye and then moves to take a position nearer to teh front while loosening up and then rolling his massive shoulders.

"Got it. Right. Let's get impressive then.."

Chi begins crackling over his body, visibly encircling his torso and digging into his flesh like black and red crackles of electricity. His eyes begin to flare as his grin widens and his body seems to bulk up slightly - building more power into him from the jump though not nearly going all the way.

"Got a few new tricks up my sleeve I'm aiming to show off.. And here we go...!"

[MAX]
"I don't think I'll have any trouble with that rule," Max says, flashing a mouthful of shark-like teeth. Well, apparently she used some of her energy for a few small modifications. Palm leaves are tough!

Likewise, the Gear decides that there are a few other minor alterations that she can get away with under the current circumstances. Her eyes close briefly, notable only because she never blinks under normal circumstances, and when they open a moment later drastic alteration has taken place. Thin vertical slits have replaced her irises which now float in a sea of bright fuchsia, their strange color seeming to have bled out to stain the sclera completely. At the same time, a long fuzzy tail emerges from the back of the girl's make-shift shorts, wiggling free of the confining cloth with the dexterity of a snake.

A furtive glance is tossed in Dr. Maeda's direction to see if she noticed but the scientist appears content to enjoy the shade in silent repose. Emboldened, Max gives her new mentor a mischievous wink before scampering over to take her place at the back of the court. She might not be able to contend with the raw power that Braun seems prepared to unleash but at least she'll be able to keep up with the ball this way.

"You don't have any sleeves, Mr. Braun," the Gear points out, helpfully. Obviously that particular idiom is one she's yet to be exposed to. "They wouldn't make great places to put things, anyway. They're like... socks with holes on both ends. I guess they're a good place to put arms though." Her neon eyes widen slightly as she considers the possibilities. "Is your new trick arms?! I can grow extra arms, you know! But mom says I shouldn't because it weirds people out."

[BUCK]
Well, if everyone else is going to power up, Buck certainly doesn't want to feel left out. He shifts his feet in the sand a bit, grinning across the net at Braun. There's no dramatic flaring of chi from him, no his body just seems to chage shape, though with the subtle sound of tearing muscle and cracking bone to those with good hearing. It doesn't seem to cause him pain though, as greusome as it sounds.

He bulks up, almost entirely in his legs as they reshape slightly, his once loose shorts taut around his thighs. His feet grow longer and wider, giving him better traction in the sand.

He bounces a few times in place, getting some impressive air as he tests the new legs. "Been meaning to try this for a bit. Kangaroos got bounce." He says with a laugh, landing on his tip toes and shuffling in the sand. It's definitely an interesting look, but looking bizarre has never seemed to be a bother for the Oklahoman.

With a glance to Max, he returns her smile, then after a moment adds his own shark teeth to the mix, because they might as well be a matching set if they're on a team. Once he's sure she's ready he turns back to their opponents, crouching down slightly as he nods his readiness to begin the match.

"Okay, Braun, my man, bring it!

[BRAUN]
"Afraid not, darlin'. Two arms and two hands is all I got to work with. Usually they're enough for the job." remarks Braun back towards Max.

He takes some absent minded consideration of their playing field as he searches for a good spot to start off in and then glances up as he hears the tell tale signs of Buck's body morphing and twisting to obtain the added benefits afforded to him by his shape shifting. While it lacks the VFX budget Braun seems to bring along with him, it's still no less impressive and worth consideration and he purses his lips in thought, working his mouth about his large fangs.

After a second or two he seems to reconsider his his prior strategy, such as it was, and then obtains the ball from Skye. "On second thought, maybe you better let me go first and we'll switch up as needed...."

He offers her a grin and then moves back towards the rear position of their side of the net while tossing the ball up and down.

"Alright..." he rumbles while bouncing on his feet a few times, testing the surface of the sand beneath him and readying his body as a soft glow filters in his eyes. "Suit yerself! Yer funeral bro!"

After a few seconds of build up he lifts his arm, sending the ball hurtling sky high into the air. He steps forward, thundering his clawed foot into the ground to create a plume of sand around him and a ripple into the earth courtesy of Zog and Kongou's training efforts and instant later is airborne, shooting upwards and forward in a dramatic twist of his body as he follows after the ball and then brings a massive clawed open palm swinging forward towards it.

The impact is...explosive. Unfortunantely so. As his palm strikes the ball it ruptures, erupting from the wild pressure of the impact and whipping wildly off course as it spins dramatically towards the other side of the net as a flattened mess of synthetic leather and rubber which goes spraying all directions as a confused Braun touches back down in a plume of sand and then hunches his shoulders immediately afterwards in an embarrassed stance reminiscant of a guilty cat caught red handed.

"Uh.....whoops?"

[MAX]
%A mildly disappointed look shadows the Gear's face. The moment is brief, however, as her attention is drawn to the subtle sound of Buck getting into the spirit of things. His own transformation shares similarities to the magic that reshapes Max's body, she notes, though to a far less dramatic and stomach-churning degree. Picking up on the American's anatomy reconfiguring would probably be difficult if she wasn't standing so close. Minor alterations aside, when she transforms most people struggle -not- to have their ears subjected to the crunchy horror show.

The small girl studies the changes that ripple through her mentor's form, noting the differences from her own brand of roided out feline shapeshifting. Plenty of muscle behind those new legs to be sure though the feet seem to be less useful for general maneuverability. Great for kicking or, as Buck aptly demonstrates, jumping.

The addition of jagged teeth the Oklahoma's wide smile earns him a single blink before her own grin redoubles in size. This is the first time she's met anyone else able to do what she does. It's a novel feeling, one that takes her a moment to process. Most of the humans she meets tend to steer clear, even those who joined them on the cruise. The fighters themselves have higher tolerances for weirdness, obviously, but the droves of spectators and tourists avoid her even when she's mostly normal.

"I'm ready," she says, nodding eagerly at the shapeshifter.

Dropping down into a low crouch, Max takes up a stance that very much resembles a cat at rest, both hands planted in the sand between her feet. The long fuzzy tail, purple and dotted with the repeating square patterns of a jaguar down its length, wiggles with anticipation behind her as she focuses her enhanced senses on the other side of the court. Braun's impressive display of power causes her eyes to widen slightly, pupils narrowing even further as she zeroes in on the ball.

The serve goes up, the mighty man-cat hurling himself skywards after it as if exploding from the sand on a geyser. Muscles ripple with power, unleashing a mighty blow upon the ball that... utterly destroys it.

Max watches the deflating orb putter around in the sky like a drunken mayfly, her eyes tracking its wild path from explosive start to sputtering finish. When it comes to rest on the sand a few feet away from her the girl simply stares at the deflated mass of rubber, unblinking and unsure what to do.

"Is... is that supposed to...?"

The tiny Gear nearly gets as much air as the two men when her question is interrupted by a sudden noise from one of the nearby speakers. A deafening electronic buzzer sounds out for a solid three seconds before the all-too-familiar voice of the ghost of weirdness past replaces it, his cheerful words just as obnoxiously loud.

"Heeeeeeey! Looks like we have ourselves a winner! You cats must have been playing hard because my Extreme-o-meter just went off the charts!"

On the other side of the court, a soft electric beep emanates from the heavily shielded glass box containing the promised prize - a treasure map; presumably one that will lead them to the discovery of some Zack Coins(tm).

"Enjoy your prize, you crazy cats! And don't forget to pick up some groovy souvenirs from the Zack Shop with your treasure! Also, photos of your wildest moments are available for purchase at the kiosk."

Eyes wide, fur standing on end, Max's stare shifts from the ruined ball to the now presumably unlocked map case then back to the other players.

"Volleyball is weird."

Log created on 12:39:24 06/01/2024 by Max, and last modified on 16:21:28 06/18/2024.