Season 9: Week 2: Charles Barkley's Turrible Decisions -vs- Moist Mafia

Charles Barkley’s Turrible Decisions are: Oceanus, Phoenix Force Namor, Krakoa, The Argo carrying/ Argonauts #1-6, Nerkodd: Breaker of Oceans, Nightsister Sith Witch #1, Pete Sosa, Dark Jedi, Destroyer Submarine carrying/ Navy Seal Chiefs #14 & 15 and 45, 48-50.

Moist Mafia is: Indigo Lantern John Stewart, Blue Lantern Kyle Raynor, Killer Shark, Jar Jar Binks, Xenomorph #52 “Snoogans”, Saint of Killers, Gammenon the Gatherer, Xebel Soldier #3 & 4.

“Well look at that tasty glass of water just going to waste. I think I need to get my hands on that thing.”

-Tom Bailey, Regular Customer at Bob’s Diner

Bob’s diner, the only restaurant on Krakoa, the new island in the middle of Otah Gungah, suddenly appeared a month ago to the surprise of everybody on Naboo. The lonely diner has found it difficult to find many customers, especially considering it is four miles out in the middle of the Nabooian Sea. Bob, the caretaker of the establishment figured he would be an early adopter on the new piece of real estate, that as far as he was concerned, was not owned by anybody as of yet. The real estate near the capital city of Theed was unaffordable to even the savviest business man, making the sudden appearance of the island in the middle of the sea a very exciting business venture.

The difficult thing with starting a business is attracting new cliental, something made even more troublesome with the long journey out to the island, something nobody outside of Tom Bailey had made yet. Tom Bailey was a retired security guard for the Senator of Naboo, twenty five years of service in the military and he was out. Now Bob, who never married, had nothing but time on his hands. When he heard about a new diner opening up on the newly risen island in the middle of the Otah Gungah sea, he figured he had to see it for himself.

Tom, a very careful and organized man in his work life, had quickly devolved into a reckless vagabond merely weeks after his retirement. Where the professional version of Tom would have prepared for his journey with multiple tanks of fuel and a months worth of rations, the retired iteration of Tom did none of these things. Day five on the island has left him broke and stuck on the island, hoping that Bob would be willing to feed him. A glass of water, something that he had always taken for granted, was now a luxury. Luckily for Tom, Bob had nothing but time and extra food on his hands, something that Tom was forever grateful for.

After spending yet another sad afternoon in the diner together alone, a loud explosion outside of the diner awoke their curiosity, sending both Tom and Bob outside to see what was going on. To their amazement, there was a battle going on right outside their door. Land and sea were both erupting in violence, a massive ship cracked in half, purple and blue blasts crashed into its now broken hull. A short way from the diner, a man in a beat up long jacket and hat stood looking out towards the sea, only to have a submarine brought out of the water and violently brought down on the rough Krakoian earth. Moments later, blasts of Indigo were sent into the broken submarine, quickly decaying the once strong vessel into nothing more then gray soot.

Tom and Bob stared at each other in disbelief, unable to process the events of the past couple minutes. Moments later, the shores of new Krakoa looked like that of Normandy on D-Day as the once empty landmass was now inhabited by multiple different looking creatures, most of which looked neither human nor Gungan. Many water creatures, making their first venture onto the newly risen island, walked towards Bob and Tom. Bob, who was naturally excited by the sudden rush of possible customers immediately greeted the visitors, asking them if they were hungry or possibly in need of shelter.

Poor Bob, such recklessness in him. No greater example of this was needed to be known outside of his idea of opening a diner on a vacant island. Before he was able to get a word out to the new visitors, he was gunned down by the man in the worn out hat. Tom, immediately threw his hands up in surrender; as he had no desire to have his life end due to his hasty post-retirement decision. Tom, now staring back at the strangers, was terrified, hoping against his darkest thoughts that he would somehow come out of this alive. With his hands still raised, he noticed something out of the corner of his eye. Somebody very familiar, somebody he spent his the previous twenty five years laying down his life protecting.

Tom Bailey: Senator Binks, is that you?

Senator Binks: Yousa better believe it Mr. Bailey. Whata yousa doin out in the middle of Otah Gungah?

Tom Bailey: I’ve been asking myself the same question for the last five days Senator. Speaking of that, any chance you can get me out of this mess?

Senator Binks: Mr. Bailey, of course mesa gonna help yousa out. Laying down yousa life for me means a great deal to dis Senator.

Tom Bailey: Thanks a bunch Senator.

Senator Binks: Exsqueeze me Kyle, but can yousa help Mr. Bailey get to safety.

Kyle Raynor looked over at his fellow lantern core member and rolled his eyes. Though this act seemed utterly useless to him, he still formed a protective energy bubble around the former secret service agent and sent him up in the air, slowly moving him back to the mainland, which was many miles away. Tom thanked the Senator multiple times as he rose up in the air, looking down at the ground as he slowly moved back toward land.

Just as Tom was getting used to the energy construct, he saw swells of water crash onto the shores of New Krakoa, along with a flying streak of red heading right for the group of people. Just as quickly as the island rose out of the ground a month before, it came crashing back down into the sea, violently taking everybody with it. The combatants on the island were fighting back as well as they could, though in the end it was a futile effort.

From Tom’s point of view, the flying streak sent blasts of red energy down upon the island. The island then collapsed upon itself, making every effort to keep everyone on its surface. Both lantern members made attempts to fly away, only to be sent back down on to the deteriorating island, where the ever increasing waves made it impossible for anybody to stabilize themselves. In the end, the newly created landmass that was New Krakoa had disappeared and though there was an obvious fight still taking place under the sea, it was very apparent that it would never again rise above the water level.

Luckily for Tom, by the time his energy construct had broken apart, he was close enough to land to allow him to swim to safety. As Tom finally made it back to land, he lied down on the rocky beach and took a deep breathe. He then said a prayer for the brave Gungan for which he now owed his life. Ironic he thought, a life spent protecting a Senator only to have him save his life in the end. Tom walked back to the nearest town, realizing that reckless behavior was not befitting for a man of his experience.