Emmet loves his wife dearly but can't stand it when she witters on about how great life will be in Paragon City, reasoning himself a realist Emmet ignores her and scans the paper for the low down on Paragon.
"City full of freaks" he mumbles to himself spotting an ad for a club for metahumans called Pocket D, Jane looks over his shoulder smiling "Maybe you should go!" she say prompting Emmet to rub the temple next to his missing eye.
"Don't be silly Angel" says Emmet, causing Jane to cover her nose from the cigar smoke, Jane smiles "I suppose you are right honey, being an old man nightclubs are something you should avoid".
Jane always had an aptitude for sarcasm, she also knew how to get Emmet riled, "I ain't old... just sensible, why would I want to mix with the likes of them?".
Jane gently strokes Emmet's white hair staring into his blue eye, she wonders why he wont just get a glass replacement for his missing eye rather than the patch that covers it, "Come on honey, we have been married for 3 years, 2 of them you have spent fishing or reading, you never get out and socialise... it might just do you some good".
Emmet has always struggled when it comes to people, thats why the Military police had suited him, a small group that never fratenised with fellow soldiers, mistrusted and disliked.
Emmet wonders why Jane takes any interest in him, they met in the last year of his service at Fort Bragg at an officers party, she seemed to like him from the beginning and marrage followed after only 2 months.
Emmet meets her gaze with a smile, he could never say no to her the fear of dying old and lonely stopped him from ever refusing, "I might give it a try".
Day 1 8:30pm
Emmet stands in the foyer of Pocket D wondering why he volunteered to come here, a mixed group of what he can only describe as freaks are milling around.
Emmet decided that getting a drink would smooth over the evening and heads up the walk way to the bar.
A lot of chatter there, loud music covering most of it, Emmet orders a Scotch and looks around, a sweet looking young woman stands next to him and he spots a rather strangely dressed man leaning by the walkway.
Emmet takes a gulp of his Scotch to steady his nerves and grimaces thinking "Cheap Scotch, tastes more like water".
By way of trying the socialising that Jane had advised he asks the young woman about the strange man "He is an... Assasin of sorts!" she says nervously.
Emmet unconciously stares at the strange man who greets him with his own stare.
Suddenly Emmet realises what he is doing and moves over to the man with an apology, the man is very dismissive.
"Why are you standing in front of me" the strange man says, Emmet, realising that he is somewhat out of his depth in the bar says "I think I get the message!" and quickly makes his way down from the bar, the strange man says something that is covered by the music.
Emmet searches for a quiet place moving cautiously across the dance floor the heavy base from the music vibrating his feet, in his younger days Emmet would have had more to say to the strange man, but now feeling old he realises his own limits.
Eventually finding a bar behind the dance floor Emmet spots another two freaks as he would call them, one is a pretty girl that reminded him of some fantasy movie he had seen with Jane once, the other more like a reject from an old Hammer movie doing a wolfman type thing.
Emmet thinks he should try the socialising thing again and tentatively introduces himself.
The music covers the most conversation in the club and Emmet only manages to catch the name Jean from the wolfman, Emmet asks to be introduced to the lady who says something about having already introduced herself, once again Emmet misses the name giving up. Emmet mentions the bad drinks in the club and catches Jean saying something about raves.
Emmet's head pounds from the music, he quickly makes his excuses and leaves, "Gee I don't know why I bother" he thinks to himself.
Arriving home Emmet pours himself a decent drink and plants himself next to Jane on the sofa.
"How did it go?" Jane asks.
Emmet smiles "Oh, I made lots to friends, had a great time!".
Jane looks at him knowingly, Emmet could never lie well to her.
"So... you going again then?" Jane says with a grin.
"Sure, wouldn't miss it for the world", Emmet lights a cigar and thinks about what his lie has roped him into.
(I lol'ed. So got to introduce you to Powerdrive, they can be cranky farts in a corner together).
(( I like that lupe, by the way this thread will only be running until Flagg's origin is compleated in game then be moving to the proper thread, any help would be appreciated, Flagg will spend most of his time at Pocket D and the story may require you.))
(No worries; if you want to use the Fourth as well, let me know, poker night is coming up)
Day 3
Emmet sits in the bar of Pocket D eating stale peanuts from a glass dish.
It is quieter tonight, Emmet puts this down to it being a Sunday and thinks it was a good idea to have skipped Saturday at a nightclub.
His Saturday had been spent shopping for a set of shelves and spare lightbulbs for the apartment followed by a nice meal in the evening with Jane at Le Papillion restaurant in Galaxy city.
The peanuts were becoming a poor substitute for his cigars, he wishes he hadn't forgotten his lighter on the way out to the club, enquiries at the bar just got a disapproving look and a blunt "No!"
Emmet gets up from his stool and walks over to the balcony to look at the dance floor below.
He notes the lack of dancers as a sudden rush of air almost knocks him off his feet, a figure flys past him into the bar area.
Emmet turns around with a grim look on his face and glances at the figure who leans casually against the bar.
"Another freak of nature," he thinks to himself as he walks back to his stool, "Nice club!" Says the multicolour costume, "Bit too noisy for me," replies Emmet sticking his hand into a puddle on the bar which he quickly wipes in his pocket.
He orders a Scotch from the bar and turns to the figure, he spots him smoking a cigarette and reaches for his cigars in the pocket of his grey suit, the figure folds the cigarette with his tongue and swallows it. "Got a light?" Emmet asks holding up a cigar.
The figures hand bursts into a blue flame and Emmet gingerly leans forwards to accept the light.
The first puff of the cigar is heaven to him as he takes a long drag, "Thanks," says Emmet through a cloud of smoke "No problem!" is the reply from the figure as he suddenly changes into a less garish form.
"Nice trick."
"I have more powers." the man replies, "I'm sure you do." Emmet says chewing his cigar.
The figure introduces himself and Emmet, as he often does after a few glasses of Scotch, forgets the name after two seconds. Emmet reciprocates with a "Nice to meet you," followed by a muttered "I think." causing the figure to raise his eyebrows.
Emmet puffs on his cigar as he looks over the mans shoulder spotting a female, or so he can only imagine, demon watching them.
She moves quickly out of sight as Emmet asks the man if that was indeed a demoness that had just left.
"I haven't left," says a voice behind him, causing Emmet to spin round.
The demoness glares at him as he fumbles an apology, she moves towards him with menace in her eyes.
The multicolour figure moves between Emmet and her, warning the demoness not to start trouble.
She mumbles something about the suppression field in the club and backs down.
Emmet takes a strong tug on his Scotch as the figure explains that not all demons are evil, even pointing out that he is a half demon himself.
Emmet recoils in fear, "B..but isn't that a contradiction?"
"Why?" asks the half demon, "You know, demons, Satan and such." The half demon states bluntly that he does not serve Satan and the demoness mumbles something about not being from the "Underworld" and that she is from the nether regions or Netherealms, "something like that," thinks Emmet.
The demoness spots someone and moves away leaving Emmet and his companion on their own.
The half demon reclines on a pocket of air as Emmet sits on his stool.
"Sorry kid," says Emmet, "I'm not that familiar with the supernatural... although I have some experience of the Rikti."
"I am not a kid," replies the figure "I am over 3000 years old, and anyway the Rikti arn't demons, they are aliens."
"Supernatural, aliens makes no difference, they were rough times." says Emmet.
"Rough," the half demon laughs, "You should have been involved in The Rikti Wars!"
"I was," says Emmet smoothing back his white hair "during my time in the 16th Military Police Brigade, lost a lot of damn good friends." Thoughts of Vietnam also flash through Emmet's mind, but he pushes them away.
"Try losing your girlfriend!" says the man.
Emmet isn't up for a 'suffering' contest so he replies "Spent most of my time shining a seat with my butt at Fort Bragg," Emmet admonishes himself for using the cliché "Sorry for your loss kid."
The man floats onto his feet and answers his cellphone, he says he has to leave and Emmet says "Thank you for keeping an old man company."
As the half demon starts to fly away Emmet asks him for a light for his now extingushed cigar, the man hands him a shiny Zippo and tells him to keep it before disappearing down the walkway.
Emmet's own cellphone begins to ring, its Jane asking him if he is ok, "Yes honey......I have the car..... no I haven't been drinking!"
After the phone call Emmet orders himself 'One for the road', gulps it down and leaves.
Driving back to his apartment in Downside, Emmet thinks about his encounter in the club.
"Maybe they aint such a bad set of people," he says to himself stopping at a red light.
He looks down spotting the missing lighter on the seat next to him, "Thats where it...."
A searing pain rips into the back of his head, glass from the drivers side window rattles off of the dashboard and Emmet is dragged from the car.
He lands on the road disoriented as a large thug dressed in a red leather jacket and a badly scarred face bears down on him, through natural reflexes gained from handling soldiers in the Stockade, Emmet quickly brings his head up to meet the thugs nose with a sickening crunch.
The thug clutches at his broken nose, cursing as Emmet strikes him in the throat with his knuckles, flooring the thug.
Emmet runs to his car, then engine still running he slams his foot on the accelerator narrowly missing a dumpster by the side of the road.
Emmet slows down watching his mirrors, wondering if his heart is going to hold out as blood and sweat runs down his face.
"Not bad for an old Coot," the thug says lifting himself from the road.
The thug smiles as he spots his prize for the evening at his feet, Emmet's wallet lies in a puddle of blood.
The thug checks the wallet, pulling out a drivers licence.
"Well, well, well Mr Emmet Flagg, looks like you got yourself a new sparring partner!"
Day 1 1:30pm
Emmet Flagg sits in his new apartment almost choking on the the smell of fresh paint.
His wife Jane had insisted on lilac walls, entusiastic that the change from the dull grey of the Army quarters would ease him into civilian life.
The former Colonel was not finding retirment easy, the military police almost garanteed that he was busy but all he had to do now was to read the paper and puff on his cigar to cover the damned smell.