:Tickle my foot.: Was the thought that ran through my mind. If it was possible to describe the pain I felt, I would, but the closest I can come, is enormous, and all consuming. I was screaming, and could hear Supergirl screaming as well, though not for the same reason. I felt my powers return, and then it was over. The powers resettled in my body, and I felt, somehow, complete again. A moment later, I felt nasueated. The feeling passed however. I looked to my left, and saw Supergirl floating happily in the air. Then I realized why I wasn't quite right. The air before me was warm. A second later, I was pitched across the room, as the back blast of one of my less useful powers kicked off in the air before me. I hit the floor, unconscious.
Waking up what turned out to be a full three hours later, was a much nicer prospect. Between the meal, and the mysterious recharge from the alien life form, I had regained my full strength. The core members of the Justice League, along with Zatanna, and Supergirl were waiting when I awoke.
"Damn Toto. We're still in OZ." Was the first thing that came to mind.
"What happened?" Wonderwoman asked.
"Backlash. One of my powers generates amplified gravity. It's not something that I like to use. After a few uses, it generates that peculiar back blast of energy." I shrugged, slowly, and carefully.
"How many powers do you have?" Superman asked.
"Millions, but most are suppressed." I smiled. "Never more than 7 active at one time. Otherwise I get over extended controlling them, and it's fatal. Very fatal." A faint nod from him, and a concerned smile from Supergirl. "At the moment, I'm using: Magical abilities, the glow, sun seeker, pyrokinesis, telekinesis, accelerated healing, and my innate powers." I ticked them off on my fingers. "The first is what let's me use the energy, the glow allows me to gather information from what, or whoever I'm touching. Sun seeker directs my towards the nearest source of sunlight around. Very useful when lost underground. Pyrokinesis is rather useless, but it allows me to set just about anything on fire. Telekinesis, is moving things with my mind. Accelerated healing is just that, I've mentioned my innate abilities."
"How do you keep all that straight?" Flash asked. I grinned.
"Bottomless mind." I touched my temple. "So, tell me, were you all that concerned about me, or was there a reason you're standing there." That earned me a sour look from the Bat.
"Yes, we've decided to offer you a membership in the league." Flash cut in. Lantern grunted.
"You've proved your capable of handling yourself." Lantern admitted, a bit grudgingly. "So I've no objections."
"I'm not convinced." Batman grunted. "But I've been out voted." He turned on his heel, and walked out the door. I gave him a sour look and turned to Superman, who was talking.
"You have powers that could be very helpful to the league. We wanted to extend the offer, because of that." He shrugged.
"Of course." I nodded.
"Not to mention, that we'd prefer you on our side, rather than fighting against us." Wonder woman muttered.
"Besides. You can help us not entirely focus on the rebuilding of the watchtower. And be less lazy people." J'onn muttered quietly. I stared for a second, then flashed a look at Supergirl, who was grinning sheepishly.
---
"Well, since I don't really have a choice... I accept." Adam shrugged again, a little to fast, as he winced. "Two years." He muttered to himself. Unfortunately, everyone in the room had some form of enhanced hearing, except Flash and Zatanna, who were closest, and able to hear him.
"Two years what?" Diana asked.
"Until the accelerated healing is strong enough to be useful." He smiled. "Now, if I could have a little privacy, I'll get dressed." They walked out, Zatanna and Supergirl lingering behind.
"Adam?" Zatanna spoke softly. He looked up at her. "Thank you for that one."
"Which one?" He asked calmly.
"That wave blast you absorbed? I was too close, and if you hadn't it would have killed me. Thank you for that."
"Just doing my job." He grinned, deciding to simply not mention it was an accident. She walked out. He turned to Supergirl. "Yes?"
"Answer me a question." She said.
"Anything that I can." He replied quietly. The look on her face was not something he really wanted to see at the moment.
"Those glowing powers of yours, was what I learned true?" She asked, walking part way back across the floor. He stared, and then sighing, nodded.
"Yes, when I lose all control they activate. And yes, that's the only time I lose control." He confirmed it. She smiled at him and turned towards the door.
"My birthday is in two weeks." She called as she walked out. He rolled his eyes, and grinning, dressed.
---
"Flash, why are you looking at me like that?" Superman grunted.
"You look funny. I can't tell if your worried, or constipated." Flash grinned. Superman glanced at him.
"It's that new kid. He's got me worried." Superman admitted.
"You aren't afraid of him are you?" Flash asked with a further grin. Superman didn't even look up.
"No. It's Supergirl. He's so close to her age, and I don't want her to get hurt when he turns her down." He shrugged slightly.
"Turns her down?" Flash asked curiously.
"She's got a crush on him, I can see it in her eyes." Superman muttered.
"What makes you so sure he'll turn her down?" Flash queried.
"I'm going to tell him to." Superman replied.
"Isn't that just a little over-protective?" Flash asked.
"No, he's just not right for her. And I'm going to tell him so." Superman grunted.
"That might not be such a good idea." Flash said, stopping. Superman looked back at him.
"Why?" He asked.
"Me, that's why." Supergirl walked around the corner. "You leave him alone. He's a perfectly nice person. If I decide to date him, it's not any of your business." She poked him in the chest following each word for emphasis. "So, butt out." She hit him a little harder this time. Flash stood back, desperately looking for a way out. After a second, it occurred to him. Super-speed. Then he remembered, that it wouldn't work. He was the fastest man alive, but Supergirl was still faster. He didn't want to risk her temper. "Flash." She snapped. Flash winced.
"Yes?" He smiled nervously at her.
"Thank you for playing devil's advocate." She smiled, and walked away. Flash exhaled in relief. Superman stared, rubbing his chest.
"Since when could she do that?" He wondered. Flash said nothing. He was faster than Superman at least.
---
"So how exactly do these powers of yours work?" Zatanna asked. She was standing in one of the training rooms, along with Adam, Fate, and Etrigan. Adam took a deep breath.
"Can you feel the energy flowing through this room? The electricity, and the other forms?" He asked first of all.
"No, can you?" Fate asked.
"Yes, and I can manipulate it. Not exactly mind you, but as my powers grow, and I age, the control is refined." Adam explained.
"We can control it as well, but we let the spell feel the control." Blood muttered.
"Right, but I can also see the power. It's called Mage-sight. I can turn it on and off, at will. It looks like this." He lifted his arm, and swept it across the walls. Three gasps met his actions. The wall glowed white along the edges, with red, and blue, and yellow lines along the wall, and a light green glow suffusing them all. "The red, is electrical lines, and the blue, plasma power conduits. The yellow, is CO2, probably for the fire suppression system. Never have been able to figure out why it glows that way. The light green glow, is the ambient magical energy that I use on a day to day basis. Every person lets out some, but this world, is what I, that encompasses all me's, call power bare. There is not an over abundance of power, like there is in some worlds. In those places, it forms into pools, and rivers, called nodes, and ley-lines, buried under ground usually." He continued.
"Usually?" Zatanna asked.
"Sometimes objects can be used to store energy, and some have found a manner to store magic in living form. They are called Heartstones, and they are very dangerous, if not kept under direct control of a number of powerful mages. There, there are four ranks of mages. Apprentice, Journeyman, Master, and Adept. Apprentice, is the newest, with only shields, and a few simple spells, such as fire starting, at his command."
"Shields?" Fate asked.
"Like so." Adam's eyes flashed white, and the air around him seemed to bulge slightly. "This shield is physical in nature, so an energy attack, will pass it as if it wasn't even there." The air reverted to normal, and he smiled. "Smite me." He grinned. Zatanna grinned.
"Yob Dab!" She commanded, and then grunted as she stepped forwards, rubbing her rear. "What happened?"
"The nature of the shield shifted reflectively. You received the brunt of your spell. I've had them bounce back on me before, and learned the trick for just such an occasion." He grinned. "Sorry about that. I didn't know how else to explain it. It reflects energy as well, but physical attacks punch clean through. Anyway, Journeyman are beyond that, with more powerful spells, and are the lowest strength we let deal with weather."
"Weather?" Blood asked.
"Yes, using the magic where there are nodes, and ley-lines, causes knots of magic to form, and that effects the weather. Since there aren't any here, there's no need to worry about it. Masters are as strong as most people can reach, which is about where I am, and they are strong enough for gating. It's only recommended for adepts, but they can do it."
"Gating?" Zatanna queried.
"Very dangerous spell. Doesn't work here. It uses what we call the gate-plane, a negative energy realm, where distance is not a factor. Shields can be anchored there, but it's equally dangerous. It will drain off all energy directed against you, but your's as well, so it's very nasty. In any case a gate makes two places as close as walking across a room. Distance is limited, except for the few permanent gates. They can only go to one place. Unfortunately, no one living knows how to build one. It's possible to extend the distance a gate can go, by putting two mages into action, usually adepts, they each build one gate end, and then link them together in the middle. The funny thing about gates, is that it has to come from completely internal energy. Even when I'm at full potential, I don't gate. Some people can't, because they're sensitive to it, but I simply don't, it's far too dangerous for me to attempt." He yawned. "An adept, is as powerful as it gets. Strong enough to raise, and control, full demons, they are few, and far between, and usually guarded closely. Only one group of people has a lot of adepts, but they keep to themselves. Others shun magic, for reasons, beyond the comprehension of most. On an area called the Dorisha plains, magic, outside of Shaman's, is forbidden. Powerful artifacts, lay sleeping under the soil, and an accidental activation, would be disastrous. The plains, are circular, and bowl shaped, and are mirrored a ways to the north, by what is called lake Evendim. The two were the sites of the bases of operation, of two powerful mages, Adepts of a class beyond anyone living now. One good, one evil, and the last two men standing, in what was called the mage wars. In the final battle, the magic contained in both towers was released, creating the shockwaves that formed the lake, and plains, as well as unleashing what became called Mage storms." He took another deep breath.
"What are Mage Storms?" Fate asked. Adam smiled slightly, he could tell all three were enthralled. He was only giving a simplified version, but...
"Waves of enormous power, that changed the land it passed over. Sometimes, they'd leave the area completely magic free, and not even the simplest of spells would work. Other times, they would create change circles, that would morph those caught inside, into things that were not even human. Some became transportation circles, moving only what was in it, somewhere else." He yawned again.
"That answers all our questions for the moment." Blood smiled.
"We shall speak again." Fate whispered, and vanished. Blood turned, and walked away.
"So, are you the only source of information on these powers?" Zatanna asked, as we walked.
"No, an author, Mercedes Lackey wrote books about it, that's where one of myselves learned of it, and then travelled there, to learn. Read the books, they're more comprehensive than I am." He laughed. Zatanna turned away, and Adam entered the room he'd been offered, and collapsed on the bed.