Scavenger Hunt (Prim)

    Immediately, the Savior suit's targeting system locked on to the moving blur that sped across the mountainous landscape just in front of the young man's position. His own eyes narrowing as he attempted to focus in on what exactly this unidentified speeding object could be. Was this another person with a heightened level of strength and Ki manipulation that happened to be interested in the secrets that Mount Five Element potentially held within its treacherously guarded borderlines? Someone potentially with the same source of power as beings like Kim, rooted in mystical and magical artistry?

    If this person was in any way connected to the mystic arts and could at all give him a lead on Mount Five Element's inner machinations, and subsequently maybe even give him a means of helping those like Kim who struggled with magical maladies, then it would be foolish of him to allow this chance to slip away undisturbed.

    "Sav, kick things into gear for me."

    'Right away sir.'

    Soon after the declaration, Kaal blasted up into the sky, repulsors screeching like a raging jet as he closed in on the stranger scaling the side of Mount Five Element, positioning himself so that he would be hovering just over to the side of the person in question. Taking a moment to allow his combat systems to assess any potential threat, Kaal soon decided to address the individual personally, stating in a simple, somewhat airy sounding tone, "You come here often? If you do, I'd really appreciate if you could give me a rundown or two about what I ought to be focusing on finding while I'm here."
    
Kaal PL: 5 - S.A.V.I.O.R. Armor PL: 23,994 - WC: 289 - TWC: 958


    Good, someone who wasn't trying to kill him on sight. Kaal was still somewhat reeling from the first ever life or death situation he had faced when attempting to reel AWOL soldier Kim Lamellar back into the hands of people who could actually help her (him), and so his normally more aloof nature toward strangers was much more on edge than usual. Thankfully, it appeared as though whoever he was speaking to now didn't seem to hold any villainous ulterior motives, and even more so, seemed to be here for the same exact reasons that he was. Answers.

    So, taking all of this into mind, Kaal slowly shifted his flying position so that his back was facing the ground beneath them, held tilting nonchalantly to one side as his eyes remained focused on the speeding blur next to him as he replied in a more serious, but still relatively laidback tone, "I'm local, but, not to this place specifically- and you've got one more thing right too. We're both seemingly looking for something that may or may not even be there."

    The presence of someone like Prim, who appeared to be completely extraterrestrial, if his AI's lack of findings on any Earthly bio pertaining to him, seemed to imply that there were much more than just Earthlings who intended on finding out the secrets that laid within Mount Five. Somewhat encouraging, but simultaneously worrying, seeing as the last thing he needed was someone of cosmic origin finding something out about their planet that his people didn't even know a snippet of surefire knowledge on.

    But, at the same time, any and all help in this type of venture would be appreciated, so Kaal aimed to try to make the best out of a somewhat tumultuous situation. 

    Crossing his arms, Kaal projected from his electric blue visor a holographic model of the current area of Mount Five that they were traversing upon. Not much detail being able to be derived from, as mapping knowledge of this particular landmark was already quite sparse- but it was enough to at least give the both of them somewhere to start, if they were to be working together anyways.
    
    "Two is better than one, right? I think we might have a better chance of finding what we're looking for if we stick together," The blond billionaire proposed as he continued to keep in pace with the alien being before him. "I'm looking for something to make sure I can keep up with people like you. If some sort of magic artifact or something can help me to do that, and help me to then keep even just a few people safer, then it's a rock that I've gotta try and overturn, you know?"

    "So, what do you say? Mind helping a fellow researcher out a bit? What've you got to offer into the pot of knowledge?"

Kaal PL: 5 - S.A.V.I.O.R. Armor PL: 23,994 - WC: 481 - TWC: 1439


    Indeed, Kaal himself wasn't exactly sure if whatever they would come to find on Mount Five Element (if there was anything to find in the first place, anyways) would turn out to be something that he could put his mind toward putting to good use. He was no artificer, nor was he someone that well-acquainted with the mystic arts, but what he was good at was technology- and if there was anything that these last few weeks or so had taught him, it was that technology could be used to bridge even the biggest of gaps between knowledge, strength and everything in between. So, even if Kaal himself couldn't immediately connect the dots between his own growth and whatever the duo would come into contact with today, he was more than sure that with a little bit of time and resources, he would be able to discern what would be useful to him sooner rather than later.
    
    That was, however, assuming the two of them would find anything hidden amidst the magical maladies set before them by the mountain to conquer. Still, they'd cross that bridge when they got there, Kaal supposed, as he allowed for his helmet to now fully retract back into his suit in order to have eye to eye contact with the person he'd be working with for the immediate, foreseeable future. He shook his full head of blond, wavy hair for a few seconds, letting loose a contented sigh as he did- breathing in the pristine mountain air. Completely unbeknownst to the fact that Prim was doing much more than just a simple lookover. 
    
    "Sorry about that, it was getting stuffy in there," Kaal said in his usually airy tone as he offered up a boyish grin. "I should've brought a notepad of some sort, I didn't realize you were able to pinpoint specific locations of magic surplus out here. Is that an ability you just innately have inside? Or was it something you trained yourself up into doing?"

    "Either way, it'll be useful, if what you say is correct. I wasn't planning on fighting against some wayward deity this early into my heroing career, buuuut I suppose a trial by fire never hurt anyone. No pun intended."

    Opening up a compartment in the wrist portion of his gauntlet, Kaal began to review the information known to him at this point once again, projecting a holographic set of data and running through it once again as he asked, "The name's Kaal, Kaal Colton. What should I call you by? We're going to be working alongside each other for a little bit after all."

    "... Speaking of which though, how long do you think we'll be out here for? I cleared my timetable for today, so I don't really have anywhere else to be, but, I like being as efficient as possible."

Kaal PL: 5 - S.A.V.I.O.R. Armor PL: 23,994 - Sav AI fails to recognize Magic Sight (UT), and thus goes through fully with writer's consent! - WC: 475 - TWC: 1914


    Oof, the mercenary type?

    Kaal wasn't sure if he, as a hero, should be associating with such a crowd. Sure, they were useful for when someone needed some black market, under the table type of information they couldn't acquire anywhere else, but he wasn't so sure he wanted to be treading such a morally gray area so early on in his promising career in public heroics. Although, admittedly, it was a bit hypocritical to start worrying about it now, considering he was still planning on hitting up Kim one of these days to see if she would be willing to work with him for the foreseeable future, but that was different! Totally different. Completely different.

    Scoffing to himself, as though trying to still convince his conflicted inner conscience of his innocent, Kaal shelved the moral ambiguity of the situation for later- choosing to refocus on the process at hand as he shrugged at Prim, stating simply, "Sounds a little suspect, as the kids would say, but I suppose I'll let you stay loose for a bit- just long enough to get this mutual mark for us down." Kaal was completely confident in the case of any combat scenario shared between either of them, considering the marginal difference of strength between the two- but truthfully he hoped it wouldn't come to that. Prim seemed like a more than reasonable fellow, and since he didn't really have anything incriminating on the guy yet, it wasn't as though he'd have any legal basis for bringing him in anyways.

    So, keeping up his airy appearances, Kaal raised a singular eyebrow at the insinuation that magical affinity and the like was purely inherited, replying in a somewhat contradictory tone, "That isn't what I've been privy to experiencing, Prim- I've seen quite a few people, both human and non-human, work their way into having some level of control over both Ki and magical matters alike. What makes you so sure someone can't simply work their way into having either?"

    Sure, maybe Kaal was a prime example of such a thing panning out, but he was quite sure that he was one of the few exceptions. Since the popularization of Ki usage and the gradual acceptance toward magic as a legitimate means of balancing out the difference between aforementioned Ki users and non-Ki users, you were more hard pressed to find someone who wasn't at least dabbling in one area or the other these days.

    Kaal was just one of those very rare cases he supposed. Not that it was that big of a problem to him- he would do all he could with what was granted to him as it was. It was his obligation to do so.

    Which was why he was here in the first place- any little bit helped, and so Kaal continued to listen on to his newfound companion's sage words of wisdom. Eyebrows raising slightly in greater interest as he replied, "It sounds like you've got a bit more experience with that philosophy than you're currently letting on. You here to tip the scales in your favor a bit too, then?"

    Well, that would most likely complicate things- Kaal was raring and ready to claim what laid amidst the mountain's flames all for his own personal study and utilization. But if Prim was there for even a similar reason as he, the blond foresaw a bit of conflict in their oncoming future.

    Even so, that was a problem for future Kaal to handle- present Kaal was content with going along for the ride as long as it would have him.

Kaal PL: 5 - S.A.V.I.O.R. Armor PL: 23,994 - WC: 616 - TWC: 2530


    Forbidden knowledge was always a bit of a treacherous area of life to trek for the normally more aloof intellectual. Sure, there were forms of it that Kaal would love to break into and analyze on an intimate level, but he knew that some things were also simply never meant to be known. The thousand-yard stare in Prim's eyes seemed to suggest as much, at the very least. 

    "Maybe there were things we aren't meant to know, and things we are meant to know, sure," came the initially airy response from the seemingly absentminded young man. "But there's always a way to master either one of those things, if only someone dares to put their mind to it anyways."

    "Curse, blessing, you can name it initially whatever you want- but it's what you end up doing with the power that I say really makes the measure of a man. Complaining about what life's given you doesn't really change anything, so, might as well make do with what you got. Who knows? You might just end up making a miracle out of a nightmare."

    Perhaps it was somewhat ironic that the boy that was born with a silver spoon in his mouth was spouting such righteous ideology about making do with what you had- but even then, the weight of his words still remained just as noteworthy. Kaal could have chosen to remain a line treading nobody who did nothing with the wealth and riches at his disposal, but in the end, it was still him who chose to do something better with his life. So, while Kaal may have agreed with part of what Prim said, there still remained some friendly friction there to benefit from. 
    
    Speaking of agreement, though, Kaal was pleased to see that Prim also took great care in preparing, and staying prepared, for whatever the future could come to throw at them. He never really understood the Earth's more hands-off approach toward dealing with interplanetary threats, and even now, in light of years' worth of near planet-ending conflicts, their progress toward bolstering their defenses was still much too slow to the fast-moving youth. 

    Moving to speak some words of agreement with the antisocial alien, Kaal was just about to open his mouth when all the sudden his suit's inner radar picked up unidentified movement in the intense wall of fire that stood before the two. Blinking in confusion, Kaal nudged his impromptu partner with an armored elbow, pointing into the haze of fire and flame as he said in a low whisper, "Hey, I think there's something in there. And, not in the obvious sense- as in, I think there's something coming for us from in there."

Kaal PL: 5 - S.A.V.I.O.R. Armor PL: 23,994 - WC: 451 - TWC: 2981