Zod Off

Alex snapped his communicator shut. “Agitated” he murmured, causing Jacky to give him a nervous look. “Sorry, what did you say?”
The man – face devoid of any sort of good humour at all - clicked his neck, as he tended to when stressed. “Agitated” he repeated, and this time Jacky took a step back. “I’m a little nervous right now” his spider-recovering brain forced him to admit. He glanced at the looming Jaxx and Evelina, back at Alex who looked like he was about to punch something, or someone, and then around at the faded, decrepit amusement park. It was all a bit much.
“Quite frankly,” he told them. “I wish I was somewhere far away from this place, and you unnerving people.” He looked at the hulking dog-like creature which panted at him, good naturedly. “And that monstrosity.”
“Hey” Jaxx said, a little taken-aback “Eve babe and Zod are not ‘unnerving’.”
“Smeg’s sake” snapped Alex, rocking from foot to foot. “Why don’t you all just shut the hell up?”
“Whoa, easy bro.” Jaxx wrinkled his forehead and considered Alex for a moment before turning to Evelina and quietly enquiring: “Hey, Eve babe?”
“Yes Jaxx?”
“Does the Alex dude always foam at the mouth like that?”
“I don’t fink so, Jaxx.”
Alex could hear them mumbling. “I said shut up” he warned.

The Vox Dawg had noticed something was up, it stalked around Jaxx and Evelina’s legs protectively, and growled a warning. Alex watched it dispassionately, as unimpressed as if he’d been watching a tea bag brewing.
Jacky could feel the tension in the air, something was about to kick off. He, sensibly, took another step away.
Jaxx looked down at Zod “What’s up, boy? It’s only the Alex dude.”
But apparently the Vox Dawg didn’t think it was ‘only’ anything. It crouched lower, muscles ready to pounce if need be, wrinkled it's snout and bared its teeth, in a rumbling, Solvay-aimed snarl.

Jacky cringed, and waited for the dog to leap.

“OH JUUST SMEEEG OFFFF!” Alex roared, causing the massive dog to squint in the force of the decibels. Jacky nearly fell off his feet in surprise, Jaxx and Evelina started, and exchanged a concerned glance, and to everyone (except angry-Alex’s) shock, the reptilian dog-like creature cowered to the ground, whimpered balefully, and ran off, into the ruins of the amusement park.
“F’ckin’ mutt” Solvay grumped, ignoring the astonished and upset looks he was receiving.

“Dude, that was my dog! You scared him away!”
“Jaxx… Jaxx…” Evelina tugged at his suit, to get his attention and pulled him to one side. “The Alex dude is normally grumpy, but that was somefink else.” She pulled a concerned face. “I fink he’s gone a bit funny, Jaxx.”
“Let’s keep an eye on him, we'll remember any weird stuff to tell the most righteous Doctor Jade.”
Evelina nodded.

Alex was rocking from foot to foot again.
“I… I…” Jacky stammered. “I thought you liked animals. Don’t you? Weren’t you talking to me about animals once? God please don't hurt me.”

Truth was, while Alex and Jade had been caught in the midst of their merry-making, temporarily shocked out of it, and hustled along to the tree, everyone had forgotten to locate and remove the lust/anger inducing love bugs.
The shock, hustle and bustle now wearing off, the effects were kicking in again.

“I want to go back up there.” Jacky looked yearningly towards the rope.
Jaxx frowned. “But, dude, we have to go find Zod.”
Evelina shuddered. “Wot, go actually into this place, Jaxx?”
“I don’t want to.” Jacky’s new super honest state was to the point.
“Ah, go on. Maybe you’ll get lucky an’ find yerself on a nice riiiide in there.” Alex leered.
“No, but-“
“Come on.” Evelina rounded them up. “We’re all going.”
“I ain’t.” Alex scowled.
Jaxx's eyebrows raised. “Dude, you like totally need to apologise to Zod.”
“I need to apologise to Sod, do I?” Sneered Solvay, uncharacteristically super-sarcastic. “Oh well, in that case, do lead on, Jaxx. I’m sorry to have suggested anything else.”
Jaxx smiled “He’s sorry Eve babe, he was probably just having a temporary flip out.”

The tall MACO-suited GELFS and the bedraggled, head-bandaged scientist, headed towards the gloomy amusement attractions, their feet scuffing loudly in the dirt.
Alex followed a little way behind, swaggering oddly, sipping unashamedly from his hipflask, and running his sleazy, lusty, raging eyes over the others.
He wasn’t sure whether he wanted to hit them, or hump them.

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