h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

*with an oddly out-of-place *kpwing!*, NYC blinks into view in the front area of this shop, in which it would appear that all manner of artifacts are dangling about in every inch of available space. One could lose one's self in here. NYC hopes to capitalize on such a hope. He starts trawling for a change in gear, which is not to say that bilious green prison gear isn't pleasing to the eye. The robot caretaker hasn't manifested herself, but then again it's not hard to hide in this pile-o-fascinating-junk*

*KNP comes out of 'standby' mode and looks over to the new arrival with curiosity. Naturally, she has a database of all the known heroes and villains that Corrupt and Kudos have encountered or heard of, and she instantly recognizes the figure to be the infamous NYC Student. This provokes her to say:*

Hey, you over there! You break it, blow it up, or otherwise render it useless, you buy it!

So I can't have my cake and eat it, too? =p

*NYC pulls out what looks like a combat vest from some techno-thriller movie, complete with black kevlar, black pockets, black bandolier, and black belt. He dons it over his prison gear. NYC continues searching*

Ooh! I'll that that Seburo submachine gun, this shoulder mounted howitzer, this rubber duckie... wow! What a great selection! It's like the stash that I have in my own hideout, down to a T! I have that, I have THAT, I have... that... HEY!

*NYC grabs the KNP by what passes as a collar*

What gives?!

*The amazingly strong robot grabs NYC's hands and pulls them off, her face turning to a frown. Her expressions are remarkably lifelike... in fact, she could almost be a human if it wasn't for the antennae sticking out from her ears...*

Hey, I don't do the stocking, I just watch the store and Corrupt pays me for it. And if you didn't have a guard better than hers, well, who's to blame? Your hideout is part of the universe, no?

*Lets go of NYC and turns into her usual sweet self*

Now, will you be paying for this with cash, check, STUMPED card, or other major h2g2 currency?

*NYC ponders for about half a second*

Well, I WOULD give you my STUMPED card, but that would require that I drop these guns and that I have pockets... which reminds me.

*NYC drops the guns in a pile and dives back into the stocks, eventually emerging with pants and boots, which he also dons over his prison jumpsuit. He returns and grabs the pile again*

...now then, I WOULD give you my STUMPED card, but it's still held with my other personal effects in some odd guard room in a prison which I must be returning to presently--*kpwing*

*the KMP blinks at a puff of smoke where NYC just was*

*NYC returns, quite flustered, and starts rummaging for some slightly more unorthodox weaponry. Kalia looks on semi-annoyed at NYC's choices, which involve a two-by-four plank of wood, an aluminum baseball bat, and a plasma rifle. NYC collects the implements and stares back*

Whaaaaat?

*Kalia glares annoyedly at NYC*

Don't come back again without your STUMPED card, or I *will* charge you an arm and a leg. Right and left, respectively.

*NYC raises his eyebrow*

Do I get a discount on cyborgization, then?

*NYC blinks out with a KPWING! before Kalia can answer*

*blink*

*NYC starts rummaging through the shop looking for any small, portable machine that can rip holes in space/time - a tool that would act not unlike a 'back' button on an internet browser, but for real life. NYC thinks of the implications. Just then, he sees just what he needs on the far wall, complete with diodes and levers and the like. NYC goes over to the thing, and starts yanking at it, until his notices wires protruding on the back that go into the wall. So, he thinks to himself: The problem is that it isn't ON the far wall so much as it IS the far wall. Structural stability issues aside, this is going to raise hell if Kalia ever found out...

...but she ain't here, is she?*

*blink*

*rumble*

*With a -kaSPRONG-, Kudos arrives back in the shop, only to find it rumbling ominously around him. Turning around, he sees that the side wall is completely, utterly missing. Somehow the building is still standing, but only because Corrupt's room is propped up by Kudos's.*

*With a scream and another -kaPWING-, Kudos heads right back to where he came from.*

-kaSPRING-

*Kudos and a wall appear in the shop, the latter knocking much of the shop asunder. Still gritting his teeth in anger, Kudos stumbles to the Front Desk and grabs the phone, punching in a few numbers.*

Yes... yes... I need some sort of construction crew... there's been a sort of incident here, but it's all taken care of now... I just need a wall re-installed... and make it more secure this time... yes... yes, I'll be here... fine, FINE, I'll pay for it... uh-huh. Bye.

*A knock on the door five seconds later announces the arrival of a small construction crew, who haul the wall back into place and hammer at it for a while. Corrupt's room is still a bit out of shape, not to mention the mess in the shop, but Kudos really isn't the kind to care. He heads into the storage room and falls asleep, entirely forgetting about the quest.*

*Peers into the shop from the outside. Takes a few notes. Carries on peering *

*NYC comes in the front door, which most certainly doesn't open up to a privy, takes a copy of the howitzer prototype that was kindly "lent" the shop, and walks out the front door again*