Underground Tunnels Connections and Cronk pt2

JP with Omni, Redsword, mdman

Paris, France
Early Morning
Underground tunnels connections

Cronk paused for a moment, taking in the tunnel. He was certain he was behind the doctor. Of course, the centipede may have put him further behind. He cursed the now-dead centipede. He still had some of the guck on his new shoes, which now appeared to be much older. These dress shoes were hurting his feet anyway. Cronk kicked them off so his feet could breathe. He took a deep breath, as his feet now felt free. Cronk peered ahead and saw a strange greenish glow. It could be a glow beetle. They inhabited the caverns of Norway. He wasn’t sure if they were in France as well. Maybe something similar. If it was, he swore he wouldn’t let it distract him like the centipede. Now barefoot and only one sleeve in his new high-class clothing, Cronk moved forward. Maybe the green glow was a lighting source for the evil doctor.

Sung held his hand up signaling to stop. He said nothing just Sung sniff the air. He waved signaling to go to one side of the tunnel. He closed his eyes taking a few deep breaths. then opened them. "something stinks up ahead and is big." Sung said in a whisper. "it's coming" informed Sung.

The orc was so intent upon finding Doctor Lemaire, he was going over inside his mind what he would do to him. First, maybe he’d rip off one of his arms, then the other. Perhaps he’d then use the syringe that he had found and poke out his eyes. Cronk stopped and unwrapped the syringe. He sniffed it and cringed. Whatever had been inside it was pungent. Cronk was glad he was smart enough to wrap it so the stench could have affected him earlier. He looked up as if he was struggling to realize what he had been doing. That’s when he realized the green light was now behind him. Cronk turned to look and discovered that two men were standing there. One was holding a lantern giving off the green light, the other a pipe. A focused mind might be a powerful force, but it Can Miss and pass by details. Cronk looked the two men up and down. His face showed the orc was disappointed. “You not him,” the huge mass of muscle said. “Where evil doctor?”

Dumont took one last puff of his cigarette and dropped it to the ground, snuffing it out with a turn of his shoe and squinting his eyes into the darkness. When the hulking figure approached from the shadows of the tunnel, Dumont instinctively recoiled a couple of steps. It was an orc, and in the greenish glow of the luxium lantern, the larger man appeared quite intimidating. Without time to pull out his revolver, Dumont instead put a hand up, signaling his submission and nonhostile intent. “Unh? You are looking for an evil docteur, friend? It seems our paths are intertwined. We are looking for the same.”

Cronk looked the two strangers up and down. Neither was the one for whom he searched. He gave a great huff through his tusks. “Evil doctor…” Cronk’s eyes turned to the light. “Oooooo! Light, not fire! Why light water?”

Dumont looked to Sung to see if the man was feeling as unnerved as he was by this unexpected occurrence. “Tis just a bit of science, mon frère. Special stones. Here, you see?“ said Dumont to Cronk as he grabbed a pellet of luxium and handed it over as a peace offering to the orc. “Drop it into water and VOILA! You have a green light. I am called Dumont and this is Sung. What might your name be, good orc?”

Cronk looked a bit confused, putting a finger to his chin. He seems to accept the green light explanation. However, the wheels were turning in his mind. “Cronk not friar…Cronk follow evil doctor.” He pointed with the covered syringe in the direction from where they came. The sleeve feel loose from the syringe to reveal it. “Cronk find evil doctor. Cronk squish him like bug!” With the last statement came a slight infrasound growl. He had an enemy and would destroy that enemy.

Dumont suddenly felt nauseous and lightheaded but he did not hear Cronk’s low bellow and he didn’t sense any danger to himself. He shook the feeling off as he held a hand against the wall.

Sung was quiet watching what was going on. Sung heard a low guttural sound. He got a little dizzy and was able to fight off the sense of dread. He experienced this before with Orc's in Japan known as Orc growl. He slid one food back some to balance himself. He hope that this was not going to turn into a fight that would end badly for both people. Sung was not afraid of The Orc but did not want to fight him either. Sung hand to calm the Orc somehow. "Yes, evil Doctor, I am Sung, S..u...n..G. We are searching for the Doctor. He has hurt many people," said Sung slowly not making fun of Cronk but making sure he understood Sung. "Have you got hurt by the evil doctor?" asked Sung. Sung was trying to figure out of he had been injected by the doctor.

Cronk held up the syringe. The sleeve he had wrapped it in fell to the floor of the tunnel. “Evil doctor use this!” Cronk exclaimed, waving the syringe back and forth before the two strangers, perilously close to puncturing both of them. “Evil doctor kill Boss!”

Dumont had to dodge the syringe a couple of times before Cronk finally stopped waving it around. “Ya ya, ok. Cronk is it? I am very sorry to hear this. Maybe we can help each other, non? May we take a look at this item you carry… a little closer? But safely, if you please?” Dumont asked, trying to calm the orc who was clearly in the anguish at his loss. He slowly approached the orc with a gentle hand on his arm.

Cronk stepped backward. He knew he was following the doctor. If they were searching for him, why hadn’t they found him? When the man touched Cronk’s arm, Cronk wondered if he too had a syringe. That’s where the evil doctor had injected Quinn. He backed up another step, wary of the strangers. “You not from Doctor?” He paused until he was certain they were not going to inject him. He saw they were handling things calmly. Perhaps he could trust them. Cronk handed Dumont the syringe. “What now?” he asked. Cronk was a doer, not a planner.

"No, we are not. It is Mr. Cronk is that your name?" asked Sung you have been down here a while? do you want something to eat or drink?" asked Sung slowly taking off his pack. He placed it on the ground he made all his moves slow but deliberate. bending at the knees and going down if he needed anything from the pack.
cronk sees a man who looks to be in his 50’s he is about 6 feet tall. He looks very athletic and With a well-defined body. His hair turns gray in spots. he has brown eyes and you can tell by his tan skin he has been outdoors. He is still a handsome man at his age. He is wearing dark-colored clothing but is mostly seen in lose fitting heavy fabric pants and shirt and dress jacket, dress shoes or his boots come almost to his needs and are made of heavy leather. the backpack is black and made of leather. There is a leather bag across the top of his pack it is about 4 feet long. He looks at Cronk waiting for a reply.

Cronk stood up straight, and a hand went to his stomach, which growled offering the answer Cronk would have given. He hadn’t eaten for nearly eighteen hours and had expended quite a bit of energy, burying Quinn and seeking the doctor. Cronk eyed the backpack. It seemed small. If there was food within it, it was enough to make a snack for the huge orc. A lip protruded between his tusks. Then, as if just deciding, Cronk squared before the leather bag, looked up at Sung, then Dumont smiled and said, “Cronk hungry. Cronk eat!”

Sung saw this as an investment Cronk could be good for information he would feed Cronrk more later Sung had not prepared for meeting someone like him of his size he opened the backpack placing the other ornate leather bag to the side. Sung pulled a bag out of it and a Canteen. "I do apologize I only have the one canteen" informed Sung opening it and taking a drink to show Cronk it was safe. Then opened the bag and pulled out three rice balls about the size of a softball. it had beans and dried meat in them wrapped in a corn husk. out of the four Sung handed Cronk three. "That's all I have for you, Mr. Cronk. After you eat we will keep looking for a little longer but the Doctor does not stay anywhere long I think," said Sung putting his pack back together.

Cronk looked at the softball-sized rice balls. He held two in his left hand, before placing the whole one in his right hand into his mouth. Cronk chewed twice and swallowed. Placing one of the other balls into his right hand, Cronk repeated what he had done with the first. They were hitting the spot. Taking the canteen from Sung, Cronk took a healthy swig. It physically refreshed him, as well as boosted his spirits. The third ball went into his mouth. Cronk chewed a little more this time, making it last. Pointing back the way he came, Cronk said with his mouth full, “Cronk find needle that way. Next to big rock.”

The orc reminded Dumont of an oversized child with his speech and eating habits. It was somehow heartwarming. He waited for Cronk to finish his snack before bringing up the topic at hand. “Very well, which way do we go? We have not passed the docteur, nor any obvious signs of him.”

Sung also waited until Cronk was done. "take us to the big Rock? or to where you last saw the evil Doctor?" Sung asked Cronk as he stood slipping an arm through the backpack strap. he took out his watch and look at it then put it back.

Cronk put a finger between his tusks. They seemed to want to help him. The evil doctor seemed to want to help Quinn. Now, Quinn is dead. However, the evil doctor did not feed Quinn, nor Cronk for that matter. These two must be trustworthy. Food meant a lot to Cronk. They were now his new friends. Cronk looked back from where he came. “This way,” he suggested. He led them to the exact rock. He sat upon it like before, then pointed down to his right foot, which was huge by human standards. “Cronk kicks needle there,” he explained. “Cronk pick it up.”

"If the docteur came this way, he must been through before we got into the tunnels. Unless there is some hidden access door or... possibly the way we did not choose to go," said Dumont, somewhat disappointed, rubbing his chin.