Warmth blossomed on his face, and he could feel the air beginning to thicken around him, seeping into his nostrils and half-open mouth as he gave up guiding himself and simply let gravity run its course. The heat intensified as he plummeted through the atmosphere, but he paid it little heed. The thickening atmosphere also had the very distinct effect of slowing his descent considerably. Idly, he reached out with his mind and began to force the air around his body, eliminating the air resistance as well as the friction and heat that it caused.
To say he'd been surprised when the portal he found had dropped him within spitting distance of the moon would be an understatement, and he really hated being surprised. He'd managed to make it to earth's outer atmosphere without running out of steam, but he was still eager to get himself back on solid ground. There was no telling what the rigors of space travel would do to his body if he used up the air in his lungs and passed out, rendering him unable to maintain a protective barrier. Likely a lot of not good things that would put a pretty serious dent in his not dying record. It was of little concern now though as the glorious blue-green orb known as earth hurtled up toward him at breakneck speeds. More specifically, a small island off the coast of asia. It was a place called japan, if he remembered right, but it had been so long since he'd been here that he couldn't say for sure anymore.
When he finally hit the ground, it was with a resounding thud that echoed off the buildings surrounding him and he left a crater half as deep as he was tall, in addition to shattering the glass in the nearby storefronts. He rose to his feet as the dust began to settler, clearing it off himself with little more than an off-hand thought, and climbed out of the hole he'd left. The welcome he received was less than pleasant.
A man dressed in a uniform that he assumed meant law enforcement of some sort had pulled out a weapon and aimed it at him, and was shouting something in a language he didn't understand. He ignored the man and looked around for his staff, catching sight of it beneath a nearby vehicle. Still ignoring the man, he walked to the vehicle and shoved it aside, uncaring if his actions injured the bystanders, then called the staff to his hand. Reunited with his compatriot of battles past, he felt immediately more content in his lot. He closed his eyes and exhaled slowly as he gripped the shaft with both hands, running his fingers almost lovingly over the smooth wood. By all rights, the item should not have survived the fall, but it had survived much worse in the past thanks to Tom's connection with it, and it would no doubt survive worse to come. Absently, he realized that something had begun to pelt his skin and clothes from the direction of the man in the uniform, and when he opened his eyes to regard the man he noticed that he had been joined by several of his compatriots, all of whom were now firing on him enthusiastically with their weapons. A low growl formed deep in his throat, and he swept the staff in their direction, using the motion as a guide and causing a nearby car to launch itself through the group, no doubt killing most.
"Is this how you greet your guests!? With open hostility? I have been to PRISONS with better manners than you lot!" More of the men appeared around the corner of a nearby building, these ones carrying larger weapons with a much faster rate of fire. His lip twitched in the beginnings of a snarl and he contemptuously turned the bullets back against their owners, slaughtering the lot of them before a single projectile reached him. From there, the situation simply continued to escalate as more men arrived with larger and larger weapons. It wasn't long before they attempted to use an explosive projectile, though that was turned back even easier than the others, striking a flying vehicle and destroying it instantly. These men were little more than insects before him, and while they may have struck the first blow, he fully intended to strike the last.
To say he'd been surprised when the portal he found had dropped him within spitting distance of the moon would be an understatement, and he really hated being surprised. He'd managed to make it to earth's outer atmosphere without running out of steam, but he was still eager to get himself back on solid ground. There was no telling what the rigors of space travel would do to his body if he used up the air in his lungs and passed out, rendering him unable to maintain a protective barrier. Likely a lot of not good things that would put a pretty serious dent in his not dying record. It was of little concern now though as the glorious blue-green orb known as earth hurtled up toward him at breakneck speeds. More specifically, a small island off the coast of asia. It was a place called japan, if he remembered right, but it had been so long since he'd been here that he couldn't say for sure anymore.
When he finally hit the ground, it was with a resounding thud that echoed off the buildings surrounding him and he left a crater half as deep as he was tall, in addition to shattering the glass in the nearby storefronts. He rose to his feet as the dust began to settler, clearing it off himself with little more than an off-hand thought, and climbed out of the hole he'd left. The welcome he received was less than pleasant.
A man dressed in a uniform that he assumed meant law enforcement of some sort had pulled out a weapon and aimed it at him, and was shouting something in a language he didn't understand. He ignored the man and looked around for his staff, catching sight of it beneath a nearby vehicle. Still ignoring the man, he walked to the vehicle and shoved it aside, uncaring if his actions injured the bystanders, then called the staff to his hand. Reunited with his compatriot of battles past, he felt immediately more content in his lot. He closed his eyes and exhaled slowly as he gripped the shaft with both hands, running his fingers almost lovingly over the smooth wood. By all rights, the item should not have survived the fall, but it had survived much worse in the past thanks to Tom's connection with it, and it would no doubt survive worse to come. Absently, he realized that something had begun to pelt his skin and clothes from the direction of the man in the uniform, and when he opened his eyes to regard the man he noticed that he had been joined by several of his compatriots, all of whom were now firing on him enthusiastically with their weapons. A low growl formed deep in his throat, and he swept the staff in their direction, using the motion as a guide and causing a nearby car to launch itself through the group, no doubt killing most.
"Is this how you greet your guests!? With open hostility? I have been to PRISONS with better manners than you lot!" More of the men appeared around the corner of a nearby building, these ones carrying larger weapons with a much faster rate of fire. His lip twitched in the beginnings of a snarl and he contemptuously turned the bullets back against their owners, slaughtering the lot of them before a single projectile reached him. From there, the situation simply continued to escalate as more men arrived with larger and larger weapons. It wasn't long before they attempted to use an explosive projectile, though that was turned back even easier than the others, striking a flying vehicle and destroying it instantly. These men were little more than insects before him, and while they may have struck the first blow, he fully intended to strike the last.