itinere | Open | Took a wrong turn at Chicago

There was no time to think, no time to plan. Eventually the Aegis would arrive on Earth and whoever had sent the contingency to kidnap Jupiter would be taken care of. Caine wasn’t going to wait on that. He had been assigned as part of her personal entourage, and there was no time to think of anything but her immediate safety. Not even time enough to call Stinger.

Snatching up her gravity boots, he shoved them against Jupiter’s chest before gathering her majesty into his arms. Another time he’d have taken time for boots, to take her hand and ensure if they were separated, she would be okay. This was the first attack on her since she had taken her title and he knew they weren’t entirely ready for it, the planet still set for harvest rather than protection.

Setting the portal device on one edge of the roof, set for Captain Tsing’s ship, he took a running start even as the soles of his boots began to glow. Unfurling his wings, he launched them into the air at the portal just as the first blast fired over his shoulder.

Curling into a duck and roll as he hit the shimmering surface, pulling up from the dive just in time to avoid… a tree.

That shock left him fluttering a moment, losing altitude.

“This isn’t the ship,” he muttered, feeling stupid for even saying it. That they weren’t on the ship was very obvious as they hovered on the edge of a settlement that was much more like Earth than the Aegis ship he had been aiming for.

((ooc: open for either Caine or Jupiter, or both if you want. Just let us know.))

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“No, it looks like a resort town.” Jupiter would have poked him in the shoulder but her hands were full of her boots. “We should go check it out.”

However, first. "You'll have to put me down first. So I can put on my boots."

His expression looked entirely doubtful about that plan, heavy brow drawing together and jaw working as if considering words he had yet to say. Brown tinged wings fluttered, settling along the line of his back and trailing behind him.

"I'm not sure that is entirely the best idea. If we are choosing between the unknown and a squadron likely sent by your formally betrothed..."

Yet even as he turned to face the portal, he realized it was no longer there.

"That's not promising," Caine murmured, shifting to lower her to the ground. "Stay close, Your Majesty. I mean that. Not by Jupiter Jones' ideas of staying close."

"I'm going with the unknown. Titus is a coward, Caine." Jupiter grinned as she landed on the ground and quickly put the boots on. They'd been made for her and she grinned widely as they kicked on and she was hovering.

"I have no idea what you mean by that, Caine. None whatsoever, don't I always do what you tell me to do?" The teasing grin on her face belies her actual words. "Haven't you ever been to the beach?"

"A coward who has already hired the best and had it turn on him. Now he will just try to splatter you over the landscape. He doesn't need the legal side of it to make you, and I, pay," he noted, standing over her with his hand on his hip, watching around them for any threat as she worked to get her boots on. "Make sure those are buckled tight," he warned, glancing down at her before watching the surrounding area once more.

He frowned, lowering his gaze to her face. "This is not a vacation, Your Majesty," he said, staying formal as long as they didn't know what was going on. "We don't even know where we are."

"I remember. Tight buckles, but not too tight and then make sure I can flex my ankles." Jupiter muttered as she got them on. And then she was able to look up at him and she just grinned. "No, but we can pretend it is, until the giant aliens come crashing through. Besides we don't know where this is and it's easier not to call any more attention to ourselves if we act like this is a great big fun and relaxing getaway. "

She stops and thinks for a moment, "I wonder if they've got a place for me to buy a bikini."

"Thank you," he said, nodding. He knew he was worrying but it was hard enough with how life normally is with all they had been through, but this was a change he wasn't counting on.

"I'm not sure I can pretend, Your Majesty. Not with your life hanging in the balance." Already she was relaxing, accepting. He was glad for her that she could do that but it wouldn't change his own set of nerves.

"Why would you need one?" That said, he might not entirely know what that is.

'For fun. And possibly also to see the look on your face." Jupiter was just being honest there, she did want to see Caine's face. She was betting he'd go all red and flustered and then Your Majesty her in that tone that she kind of loved.

"It's your life too, Caine. And the portal thingie closed behind us. And no one followed, I think we're okay for the moment."

Now he was definitely suspicious, but he didn't want to ask. "That is all you plan on using this bikini for?" Because so far it wasn't really telling him what it was, and as a soldier and a prisoner, he hadn't much experience with such things.

"My life is at your side. That is the life I want, Jupiter. My life is yours, Jupiter."

Her eyes are sparkling a little with mischief. "It's something I'll wear, Caine." There, that's it. That's all the hints he gets until she finds one. And she's definitely going to find one now.

And now she's making a face at him because she knows and she knows she can't talk him out of that so she's working with what she's got. "I will order you to have fun with me, if I have to."

"If you insist. I am interested in these things," he said with a nod. "Your fashions are always interesting." Though she came from the Abrasax family, though he couldn't say much about it given how the siblings dressed.

"You don't have to order me, Jupiter. It isn't fun then. I will try and relax," he offered. He couldn't promise he could manage it but he would try.

He'll find out soon just how interesting they can be. Until then she's not going to spoil the surprise. She's betting the look on his face is going to be awesome. And she'd like to think she's got better (at least more practical) fashion sense than the two remaining Abrasax siblings.

She leaned up, letting the boots come on as she reached up for a kiss. "I can help with the relaxing."

Hers was certainly practical, and useful for their lives. Of course, he had seen her in that wedding gown and truth was, he wasn't sure he ever wanted to see her in red agani. Nothing that would make him think about what Titus nearly accomplished. Both in marrying the Queen and in ending her life.

"You have a one track mind," he teased, though he leaned in to kiss her gently.

"You have complaints?" She teases him as she breaks off the kiss, slipping her hand into his. "Come exploring with me. I think we'll have fun."

And mm yes, a one track mind when she's got her Caine and he's fantastic. Best boyfriend she could ever have had and she intended on keeping him.

"I have had a lot of complaints about you," he said, smirking ever so slightly, giving her a look as if trying not to give in. "None of them are about the track of your mind though."

His fingers twined with hers. "Lead on then, Your Majesty."

She grinned and snickered under her breath. "Fair enough." She danced a little next to him in the air, tugging him up and out over towards the city.

"This looks like it would be a fun place for tag."

With an extra kick of his wings, he pushed himself up, dragging her along with him. "Is that what you want? To lose at a game of tag? Is that how you want to see the city?"

Oh yeah, he went there.

Open | Took a wrong turn at Chicago

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