[center][h1][b][u][i]Galactic Bazaar - Marketplace district[/i][/u][/b][/h1][/center]

"[i][color=violet]Well... That happened.[/color][/i]" This was all Maria could think of when she saw Alan - her guide to getting a good roof seat - ran off chasing after an old cowardly friend and leaving her behind. Not that she minded that though, him being there was a convenience for her and not much more.

Thus, sticking to her original plan, Maria wandered around the area mostly looking at the skyline to see if there was any rooftops worth heading up to.

She found a building suitable to her; nice, tall, and seemed emptied out for a time. As she was walking towards the roof however, she heard something in the building's middle-most floor. Curious, she snuck just outside the they were in and decided to eavesdrop. It was a group of three sitting opposite to each other three-to-two on a round table in an otherwise abandoned and messed up room. It seemed she stumbled on a condemned building, the kind that seedy business types are often seen doing business in.

To one side was a boy and a girl, about the age of her comrades, the boy looking slightly younger than the girl. She couldn't make out their attire exactly, but she could tell one had black hair, and the other had a sapphire blue.

To the other side, was a small man in a suit with a couple of armed brutes on both sides of him. Giving the impression of being a crime lord. She couldn't make out their voices, and their minds are just filled with thoughts of the boy and the don backstabbing each other sooner or later. The girl, on the other hand, was difficult to make out, possibly due to the long range.

However, there was one thing she could hear that caught her attention.

"These are gifts, from us to you, courtesy of Moonstrike."

Courtesy of Moonstrike? Were those two a part of Moonstrike...? No, it didn't seem like it. The way the boy phrased that suggested he was some outside force...

Before she could think on it more, she heard something in her mind.

"[i][color=red]Hey Maria, Where are you right now?[/color][/i]" The voice said. It was Alan's voice. While he doesn't have telepathy, Maria used her own to make a telepathic network of sorts between the Star Marines back during the war, using herself as the core keeping it up. All her allies had to do was say her name, and use their mind as a transmitter and receiver, and she could pick up messages from them and send messages herself.

She looked towards the deal happening in the other room. This was something to think of for another time. Whoever they were - friend or foe - Moonstrike One will likely mention them when asked either way.

"[i][color=violet]Still trying to find a good scenic spot on the rooftops. ...Did you catch Klein?[/color][/i]" She asked Alan, walking down the stairs and towards the entrance of the building.

"[color=red][i]Who do you take me for? Course I did. Guy says he's going to join us, but I want a good scan of his head first just in case.[/i][/color]" Alan responded. Maria couldn't help but give a sigh. She already tapped into Klein's mind while she was in eye contact with him. She could only see so much from such a quick look around, granted, but from what she saw, there didn't seem to be much to worry about. Still, may not hurt to have a good thorough scan just in case.

She exited out of the building and noticed people around her looking towards something in sheer awe and fear, some of them running away screaming. She looked towards the direction they were looking at, only to find...

"[color=red][b]Ah, there you are. See, Klein, what'd I tell ya? She always pops out in the nick of time.[/b][/color]" Alan said, very nonchalantly given what's happening...

Alan's arm was on fire. White fire at that. By the looks of things, it didn't seem like Alan noticed, perhaps his own magic enveloping him doesn't cause any pain. More importantly, his arm was on fire in public, in the middle of the street. Not even she could imagine what must be going through Klein's head to see Alan just walking around in broad daylight in a town of thousands with white flames moving up his right arm, encompassing the right side of his chest.

"[b][color=violet]Explain... Now.[/color][/b]" Maria simply said. Though the way she said it was in a deadpan tone to match the deadpan expression on her face, it was still rather easy to tell: She was pissed.

"[b][color=red]Hmmm...? ...Oh, ...Right. Long story short: Turned it on to make a point to Klein here, and now I can't seem to turn it off. Every time I try to force it to turn off, it gets even worse. ...Oh, and now [i]both[/i] arms are on fire, ...[i]Okay![/i][/color][/b]" He said as he suddenly noticed his left arm was now matching the right. Maria put her hand to her face; one would assume as a reaction of shock, but in actuality, it was to contemplate on what was going on with him. This was bad... Alan was lighting up like a human bonfire, and everyone around them was seeing them as a bunch of freaks, monsters, and/or aliens by proxy. Clearly it wasn't something he was in control of, but it's definitely his magic - his lacking of pain to his now burning arms proved this - so it's not like he's been infected by another's...

"[i][color=violet]...By another's?[/color][/i]"

"[b][color=red]...Ummm...Everyone like my Act? Just down here to promote the circus in town and...accidently got too carried away on the oil. Don't try this at home, hehe... [i]Come on, come on, come on...turn off, damn you.[/i][/color][/b]" Alan said, at first trying to write it off as a freak show performance to try and keep people from being scared of him, before then whispering to himself to turn the flames off.

...It did not work, and if anything, it started to get worse as he suddenly became a bit nauseous, white flames suddenly coming out of his mouth at unspecific intervals like the breath of a dragon. He turned his head to the floor as soon as he figured that out to keep from hurting anyone on accident, and the flames were enough to shoot him up and hover off the ground for a few second crashing back down a flaming mess. The flames continuing to slowly explode outward, yelps of fright echoed throughout.

"[color=violet][i]This reaction... If I'm right...[/i] [b]Alan, stand up, raise your arms and look towards the sky.[/b][/color]" Maria said.

"[color=red][b]The hell...? Now's...[i]-Cough- -Cough-[/i] not the time for stretches, little lady.[/b][/color]" He said as he slowly got up, spitting up white plasma-like slime from his mouth that erupted into a flame of its own.

"[color=violet][b]Just do it![/b][/color]" Maria said, trying clearly to be as stern as her static voice and expression can make her. Not having much to lose, Alan slowly did as he was told; he looked towards the sky, and stretched his burning arms as high as he could. He could feel the energy building up within him getting focused into his arms and head.

"[color=red][b]Oohhhhh, SHHIIIIIIII-[/b][/color]" Was all he could say as all the built-up energy suddenly burst forth from his hands and mouth, creating a giant pillar of white flames shooting towards the top of the dome, tall enough to where just about everyone in the Bazaar could see it, and all of the civilians began look in awe and dread. The civilians around Alan, Klein, and Maria in particular now running away in panic. The Bazaar's Security department and law enforcers saw what happened and were effectively on the move towards the source.

[center][hider=Pillar of White Flame][img]https://nn-dmo.or.jp/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/0728.jpg[/img][/hider][/center]

[hr]
Meanwhile, at the northern part of the Bazaar, where some of the more important buildings reside, including a Stock Trading Center, the security there had effectively saw the pillar as well and an alert was called asking for all forces to come through. A couple of guards stayed behind to guard the trade center.

...Bad luck for them.

As they stared at the pillar of white flames in the distance, they heard what appeared to be a hiccup, and looked towards the right, seeing some boy in a lavish red velvet coat, moving erratically on shaky legs and with some goofy smile on his face; basically, a drunkard.

"[color=blue][b]Aye! 'Ello Guvnors! ...Any of you two know where I can find a good bar at?[/b][/color]" The drunken man(?) said in a rather gritty cockney accent, looking closer, he looked quite young, no older than maybe 16...wearing an ancient captain's hat, and an eyepatch, one would assume he's out trick-or-treating early.

"...I think you've had enough already. You got an ID, boy? You look a little young for a drunk."

"[color=blue][b]Wh-Wha-No, Not for a swig of the good ol' rum, just some cheap food to fill me up. Just pulled some muscles and blew me load - not...in that way - and I am abso-flutely-flamished.[/b][/color]" The poor kid on his shaky legs looked like he was a brisk wind away from just collapsing on to the ground. Didn't take long before that actually happened. Prompting one of them to run off towards him.

"Hey, You alright, kid?" Said guard asked. The boy's eye were practically spinning in circles as if his whole world was spinning out of control. The guy tried to do what first aid he could for him, until he suddenly felt a sharp pain of his own, as from behind him, something large bit onto his arm, he couldn't see what it was before a sudden rush of searing pain like nothing he ever felt before coursed through his arm and his entire body, too painful to even scream as he himself went on the ground, he couldn't see what it was that bit him, before he went unconscious. But he could see a faint shadow of what it was on his last moments of consciousness...

And what it was: a giant lizard, painted in a reticulated pattern of orange and black, humanoid much like a Karusian. But whereas Karusians were more akin to dragons, this one was more a humanoid form of an actual lizard. More accurately, he was a giant muscular Gila monster, in torn grey jeans and a fur-loined bomber jacket. The sleeves of which were removed, likely to not get in the way of the other factor of this giant lizard man, the sleek black metal contraptions that could be described as his arms.

The other guard was better off in comparison, a tiny robot snuck on him while he was about to head over to save his partner, tasering him with electricity and knocking him unconscious. From out of the shadows, an old man in a white coat to match his equally silver hair and mustache slowly walked out to stare at him, grab the bot, and then look towards the Lizard.

The boy in question was none other than the Pirate that entered the Circle of Hell and escaped, Arron Falcon.

Making the old man the now-confirmed accomplice, Professor Audric Abreo.

This third one, the lizard, was an unknown however. But most likely, it was the one Kotaro and Ein caught on the Security camera that day.

"[b][color=silver]A bit excessive, don't you think? Casualties to a minimum and all...[/color][/b]" Professor Abreo said. The lizard sighed and looked at the old man with his brown eyes.

"[color=orange][b]He'll live, The venom's powerful, but non-lethal. ...He'll just wish he was dead for a while. Besides, I do what I need to.[/b][/color]" The lizard said in response. The professor sighed and shrugged.

"[color=silver][b]...Fair enough. Still seems a little extreme, but we don't have time to discuss ethics. Grab the captain and come inside. We got work to do.[/b][/color]" Abreo walked into the Trade Center right after saying this. In response, the Lizard nodded and grabbed the mumbling Arron Falcon by the right leg and dragged him inside the Trade Center. Arron mumbling a [i]song[/i] all the while.

"[i][color=blue]~And they sailed their ship cross the ocean blue, a bloodthirsty captain and cutthroat crew. It's as dark a tale as was ever told, of the lust for treasure and the love of gold~[/color][/i]"