p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"strongChapter 15/strong/p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"strongWashington, D.C./strong/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"strongU.S. Marine Corps Sikorsky CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter, approaching the Navy Yard/strong/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"strong5:56 p.m. EDT/strong/p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"Gibbs took a hard look at the top of the building that was the main headquarters of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service on this specific Earth./p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"He suspected that his agents were doing the same as he was, and the others in his group were looking out at the city, all asking themselves the same questions he was asking himself: emwhat's same? What's different, and how different?/em/p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"The landing pad on top of the building stood out greatly: there was nothing like that back home, on his Earth. It was easily large enough for the Sikorsky and for everyone on board to depart and stretch their legs, and for a small building he assumed to be an elevator./p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"emThat'll take some getting used to,/em he thought. emNot sure who or what to trust. My gut's tellin' me I can trust these people, but—/em/p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""Boss?"/p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"Gibbs looked to his side and saw DiNozzo staring at him./p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""Uh, Boss, you alright?"/p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""I'm emfine/em, DiNozzo," he said, lying. Everyone was looking to him for guidance and support; if he was calm and cool, everyone else would fall right in line. All he had to do was fake it./p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""I believe you, Boss," DiNozzo said with a nod. "Do you remember hearing anything about 'metas' before we got here?"/p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""I hear all kinds of things, DiNozzo."/p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""Like super-people out of comic books, or cartoons, but for real? Like the green guy we just saw?"/p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""Go on," Gibbs replied./p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""I heard about it from a bunch of people, like Balboa…"/p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"DiNozzo's voice trailed off. Marcelo Balboa worked at the Navy Yard 'back home', a fellow NCIS agent who assisted Gibbs's team when Ari Haswari first broke into the complex and kidnapped Kate, Ducky and Ducky's former assistant Gerald Jackson. The mere mention of Balboa made DiNozzo pause, and Gibbs saw his senior agent was upset, as neither of them were certain if the man they knew had made it through, given the chaos during the trip to this universe./p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""Go on, DiNozzo," Gibbs said firmly, but with a soft tone./p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""So, I heard about it from people all over law enforcement, like a guy I used to work with in Baltimore. 'Meta' was one of the nicknames given to people who had these extraordinary, superhuman abilities. Sometimes they'd wear costumes, like when—"/p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""Tony," Gibbs said as the meeting with the Amazon and Colonel Trevor and their costumed allies back at his house came to mind. "Like in comic strips." He hoped DiNozzo wouldn't blurt that out; there was no telling who or what was listening in on them./p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""Yeeeaaah," DiNozzo replied, catching on to Gibbs. "Comic books, cartoons, TV. Heroes and villains. Cops, other federal agents, even a sailor I ran into getting coffee talked about them. Nobody I ran into ever saw one, but message boards were full of stories about these, ah, people. McGee and Abby did a deep dive on one of those boards months ago. I read one when I showed up at Probie's apartment and caught him writing his fourth novel—don't tell him I said that, Boss. McGemcity will kill me."/p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""emI'm/em the one who told him to write it, DiNozzo."/p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""Really," DiNozzo said, surprised. "Figured he—"/p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""The message boards, DiNozzo," Gibbs said./p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""Oh yeah. This was crazy stuff, all done covertly, like Civil War reenactments that my dad used to—"/p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"DiNozzo paused for several moments. Like Balboa, they hadn't heard from DiNozzo's father, who declined his son's pleas to join Gibbs's group./p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""Tony," Gibbs said. "We'll find them. We'll find out what happened to them. Everyone we knew, everyone we can."/p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"DiNozzo nodded, with a sad smile. "Anyway, the stuff on those boards was insane. This stuff went back decades. Conspiracy nuts had a field day. And the section on Gotham was nuts—"/p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""emLadies and gentlemen, we are going to land shortly atop of the headquarters for the Naval Criminal Intelligence Service/em," the pilot said over the intercom. "emWhen prompted, please depart proceed to the standing area designated by the agents on site. There is an elevator on the pad that will take you inside the building, where you'll be taken to a reception area. We should be on the pad in one minute/em."/p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"The Sikorsky approached the pad, as three people walked by the elevator; once the helicopter landed without incident, two of the people walked to either side, while the third stood by the elevator. After everyone in Gibbs' and Stewart's groups left the elevator and split into groups on either side, the Sikorsky departed, and the third person – the Director of NCIS, Maurice Drake – approached both groups./p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""Good work, agents," Drake said to Stewart and Julie Todd as he shook their hands. "And" – turning his eyes to Gibbs – "on behalf of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, I know this isn't the Navy Yard and Washington you're used to, but we consider you one of our own. And we take care of our own. Welcome."/p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"Gibbs tried to get a quick measure of Drake as they shook hands. "Been a long day for my people, Director," he said./p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""We've got food and refreshments for you downstairs, Agent Gibbs, and hotel arrangements for tonight and the near future," Drake said. "We'll take care of you. I know it's been a long day, but as unofficial head of your NCIS's Washington field office, I would like a quick word."/p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""Wanted to talk with you regardless," Gibbs said./p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""Not until you get some food and coffee in you, Agent Gibbs," Drake said, turning to Gibbs's group. "Folks. My people and I are sincerely glad that you're here. I can't imagine what you've gone through to get here. But we consider you part of our own, and we take care of our people. We will take care of you. Now – I do want a debrief, but that's not for now. Go downstairs; we'll give you a brief tour of part of the facility, and get you fed and settled in. I can imagine you have plenty of questions, and there will be time to answer them. But for now, if you'll follow two of my agents into the elevator—" he pointed to a man and woman in blue suits – "we'll take you to our hospitality suite."/p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"The other six agents on the roof that were with Drake when the Super Stallion landed followed Gibbs and his people into the giant elevator. The director put up a hand for Stewart and his team to hang back. "I'm glad you brought them home, agents," he said to Special Agents In Charge Marcus Stewart and Julie Todd – both officially running the Washington field office's Major Case Response Team./p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""We got the job done, right?", she said, glancing back at the elevator. She had stared at the sky since she walked off the copter, to avoid staring at her twin sister's doppelganger. "They're here. Not the stadium. Or somewhere else."/p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""Right," Drake said. "Agents. Keep out of their sight for the time being."/p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""Why?", interjected Brooke Conners, officially the team's Senior Special Agent, and ahead on the depth chart of teammates Carl Long and Ned Dorneget. "You know they're gonna have a ton of questions. About us, for one thing."/p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""The Director doesn't want to overwhelm them, and it's a smart move," Stewart said. "They've been through a lot, Brooke. They're refugees."/p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""I've got a lot of questions myself, Brooke," Julie said, "as many as they do. And I'm not alone," she added, looking at Drake and Stewart. "But they've been going on adrenaline. You can't do that forever."/p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""I agree," Long added. "I've been through some…things…and it can't possibly compare to what they went through. But I do know what it's like to run, and run, and run, and need to refuel and rest. If you don't do it yourself – or someone doesn't do it for you – your body will."/p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""That old lady with them looked tired," Dorneget said of Victoria Mallard, the mother of Dr. Donald 'Ducky' Mallard, both part of Gibbs's group. "Marcus, Julie—uh, sorry! Director?—"/p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""It's fine, Agent Dorneget," Drake said to the younger man, who had mostly – but not fully – gotten over the shyness he showed when he first started working with the MCRT as part of NCIS's CyberCrimes division. "Go ahead."/p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""Okay, Director," Dorneget said. "Should Gerald take a look at her?"/p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""Gerald's an M.E.," Stewart said. "I'd rather bring in Doc Tompkins."/p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""He emdoes/em have some medical experience," Julie interjected. "He's patched us up quite a few times."/p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""And Doctor Tompkins is on business in Gotham," Drake said, pulling out his phone. "I'll send him a text. Tell him to meet the group in the hospitality room, and I'll see which doctor's on call to come here and assist. Now – you all hang back for now, give them some space."/p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""Lots of questions, Director," Conners said. "Lots of them." She looked at Julie./p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""Stop it," Julie said back, softly, but with the poker face she usually used in the field. "You heard Maurice."/p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""It's not just for them," Drake said. "It's for all of you, too."/p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"Twelve years before, Stewart and Julie's careers with the MCRT began in the aftermath of a massacre. The ramifications were still being felt to the present – and the arrival of Gibbs and his group had just ripped open wounds that had, over time, scarred over./p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""You're not telling me I can't talk to her, are you, sir?", Julie said. "She saw me. I saw her. Other people saw her, too."/p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""That's right. You two saw each other. No, I'm not saying you can't talk to her," Drake replied. "Just not right now. You both need time to process. There'll be time for you to talk. I'll make certain of it."/p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""Julie's got a point," Stewart said. "Other people saw her too, and everyone else in her group. People all the way up the chain."/p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""Let me worry about that," Drake said. "In the meantime, stay separate from them, but watch out for unexpected visitors."/p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""Like Ari?", Conners said. "I'd emsure/em love to give emhim/em a 'welcome'."/p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"Stewart shot her a look, while Julie smiled. "Watch it, Brooke," Stewart said. "We want him in a cell, not with his head on a pike."/p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""He is wanted dead or alive," Conners replied./p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""That said, I'm not just talking about him," Drake said. "Others outside the agency. Media. Civilians. Other agencies. Bureau. Agency. DEO, including our colleagues."/p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""Military, too?", Stewart said, glancing at the Marines standing nearby at attention./p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""The White House, too," Drake said. "Anyone outside our agency, from our universe and Gibbs's universe."/p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""What about their NCIS?", Julie said./p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""Good question," Drake said. "Any agents who crossed over are supposed to report to the nearest field office from where they landed, or to the nearest FBI field office. That includes department heads, and their director."/p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""Are you talking about Jenny?", Julie said. In her 2007, Jennifer Shepard was the director of NCIS, and just one in a long line of absent friends./p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""Unfortunately, Agent Todd, no,", Drake said, tapping his phone's photo application, looking for a picture. He found it and held the screen up for the team members to see./p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""McCallister?! The man who tried to kill Leon Vance?" Stewart said. "He's in a jail cell."/p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""Not emthis/em Riley McCallister," Drake said. "He never tried to kill Leon Vance. He became his NCIS's director after Director Shepard was assassinated. All we know is that he escaped through one of the gates near Washington, but we don't have a location on him – yet."/p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""You're going to find him," Stewart said./p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""I may send you to help bring him in, so keep that in the back of your minds," Drake said, glancing at the time on his phone's screen. "The President's about to speak to the nation and who the hell knows what he'll say. Let's take care of our people, and ourselves, and be ready to whatever's required of us."/p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"strongWashington, D.C./strong/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"strongU.S. Marine Corps Sikorsky CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter, approaching the Navy Yard/strong/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"strong5:56 p.m. EDT/strong/p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"Gibbs took a hard look at the top of the building that was the main headquarters of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service on this specific Earth./p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"He suspected that his agents were doing the same as he was, and the others in his group were looking out at the city, all asking themselves the same questions he was asking himself: emwhat's same? What's different, and how different?/em/p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"The landing pad on top of the building stood out greatly: there was nothing like that back home, on his Earth. It was easily large enough for the Sikorsky and for everyone on board to depart and stretch their legs, and for a small building he assumed to be an elevator./p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"emThat'll take some getting used to,/em he thought. emNot sure who or what to trust. My gut's tellin' me I can trust these people, but—/em/p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""Boss?"/p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"Gibbs looked to his side and saw DiNozzo staring at him./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""Uh, Boss, you alright?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""I'm emfine/em, DiNozzo," he said, lying. Everyone was looking to him for guidance and support; if he was calm and cool, everyone else would fall right in line. All he had to do was fake it./p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""I believe you, Boss," DiNozzo said with a nod. "Do you remember hearing anything about 'metas' before we got here?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""I hear all kinds of things, DiNozzo."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""Like super-people out of comic books, or cartoons, but for real? Like the green guy we just saw?"/p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""Go on," Gibbs replied./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""I heard about it from a bunch of people, like Balboa…"/p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"DiNozzo's voice trailed off. Marcelo Balboa worked at the Navy Yard 'back home', a fellow NCIS agent who assisted Gibbs's team when Ari Haswari first broke into the complex and kidnapped Kate, Ducky and Ducky's former assistant Gerald Jackson. The mere mention of Balboa made DiNozzo pause, and Gibbs saw his senior agent was upset, as neither of them were certain if the man they knew had made it through, given the chaos during the trip to this universe./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""Go on, DiNozzo," Gibbs said firmly, but with a soft tone./p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""So, I heard about it from people all over law enforcement, like a guy I used to work with in Baltimore. 'Meta' was one of the nicknames given to people who had these extraordinary, superhuman abilities. Sometimes they'd wear costumes, like when—"/p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""Tony," Gibbs said as the meeting with the Amazon and Colonel Trevor and their costumed allies back at his house came to mind. "Like in comic strips." He hoped DiNozzo wouldn't blurt that out; there was no telling who or what was listening in on them./p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""Yeeeaaah," DiNozzo replied, catching on to Gibbs. "Comic books, cartoons, TV. Heroes and villains. Cops, other federal agents, even a sailor I ran into getting coffee talked about them. Nobody I ran into ever saw one, but message boards were full of stories about these, ah, people. McGee and Abby did a deep dive on one of those boards months ago. I read one when I showed up at Probie's apartment and caught him writing his fourth novel—don't tell him I said that, Boss. McGemcity will kill me."/p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""emI'm/em the one who told him to write it, DiNozzo."/p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""Really," DiNozzo said, surprised. "Figured he—"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""The message boards, DiNozzo," Gibbs said./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""Oh yeah. This was crazy stuff, all done covertly, like Civil War reenactments that my dad used to—"/p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"DiNozzo paused for several moments. Like Balboa, they hadn't heard from DiNozzo's father, who declined his son's pleas to join Gibbs's group./p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""Tony," Gibbs said. "We'll find them. We'll find out what happened to them. Everyone we knew, everyone we can."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"DiNozzo nodded, with a sad smile. "Anyway, the stuff on those boards was insane. This stuff went back decades. Conspiracy nuts had a field day. And the section on Gotham was nuts—"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""emLadies and gentlemen, we are going to land shortly atop of the headquarters for the Naval Criminal Intelligence Service/em," the pilot said over the intercom. "emWhen prompted, please depart proceed to the standing area designated by the agents on site. There is an elevator on the pad that will take you inside the building, where you'll be taken to a reception area. We should be on the pad in one minute/em."/p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"The Sikorsky approached the pad, as three people walked by the elevator; once the helicopter landed without incident, two of the people walked to either side, while the third stood by the elevator. After everyone in Gibbs' and Stewart's groups left the elevator and split into groups on either side, the Sikorsky departed, and the third person – the Director of NCIS, Maurice Drake – approached both groups./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""Good work, agents," Drake said to Stewart and Julie Todd as he shook their hands. "And" – turning his eyes to Gibbs – "on behalf of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, I know this isn't the Navy Yard and Washington you're used to, but we consider you one of our own. And we take care of our own. Welcome."/p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"Gibbs tried to get a quick measure of Drake as they shook hands. "Been a long day for my people, Director," he said./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""We've got food and refreshments for you downstairs, Agent Gibbs, and hotel arrangements for tonight and the near future," Drake said. "We'll take care of you. I know it's been a long day, but as unofficial head of your NCIS's Washington field office, I would like a quick word."/p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""Wanted to talk with you regardless," Gibbs said./p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""Not until you get some food and coffee in you, Agent Gibbs," Drake said, turning to Gibbs's group. "Folks. My people and I are sincerely glad that you're here. I can't imagine what you've gone through to get here. But we consider you part of our own, and we take care of our people. We will take care of you. Now – I do want a debrief, but that's not for now. Go downstairs; we'll give you a brief tour of part of the facility, and get you fed and settled in. I can imagine you have plenty of questions, and there will be time to answer them. But for now, if you'll follow two of my agents into the elevator—" he pointed to a man and woman in blue suits – "we'll take you to our hospitality suite."/p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"The other six agents on the roof that were with Drake when the Super Stallion landed followed Gibbs and his people into the giant elevator. The director put up a hand for Stewart and his team to hang back. "I'm glad you brought them home, agents," he said to Special Agents In Charge Marcus Stewart and Julie Todd – both officially running the Washington field office's Major Case Response Team./p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""We got the job done, right?", she said, glancing back at the elevator. She had stared at the sky since she walked off the copter, to avoid staring at her twin sister's doppelganger. "They're here. Not the stadium. Or somewhere else."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""Right," Drake said. "Agents. Keep out of their sight for the time being."/p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""Why?", interjected Brooke Conners, officially the team's Senior Special Agent, and ahead on the depth chart of teammates Carl Long and Ned Dorneget. "You know they're gonna have a ton of questions. About us, for one thing."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""The Director doesn't want to overwhelm them, and it's a smart move," Stewart said. "They've been through a lot, Brooke. They're refugees."/p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""I've got a lot of questions myself, Brooke," Julie said, "as many as they do. And I'm not alone," she added, looking at Drake and Stewart. "But they've been going on adrenaline. You can't do that forever."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""I agree," Long added. "I've been through some…things…and it can't possibly compare to what they went through. But I do know what it's like to run, and run, and run, and need to refuel and rest. If you don't do it yourself – or someone doesn't do it for you – your body will."/p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""That old lady with them looked tired," Dorneget said of Victoria Mallard, the mother of Dr. Donald 'Ducky' Mallard, both part of Gibbs's group. "Marcus, Julie—uh, sorry! Director?—"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""It's fine, Agent Dorneget," Drake said to the younger man, who had mostly – but not fully – gotten over the shyness he showed when he first started working with the MCRT as part of NCIS's CyberCrimes division. "Go ahead."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""Okay, Director," Dorneget said. "Should Gerald take a look at her?"/p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""Gerald's an M.E.," Stewart said. "I'd rather bring in Doc Tompkins."/p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""He emdoes/em have some medical experience," Julie interjected. "He's patched us up quite a few times."/p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""And Doctor Tompkins is on business in Gotham," Drake said, pulling out his phone. "I'll send him a text. Tell him to meet the group in the hospitality room, and I'll see which doctor's on call to come here and assist. Now – you all hang back for now, give them some space."/p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""Lots of questions, Director," Conners said. "Lots of them." She looked at Julie./p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""Stop it," Julie said back, softly, but with the poker face she usually used in the field. "You heard Maurice."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""It's not just for them," Drake said. "It's for all of you, too."/p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"Twelve years before, Stewart and Julie's careers with the MCRT began in the aftermath of a massacre. The ramifications were still being felt to the present – and the arrival of Gibbs and his group had just ripped open wounds that had, over time, scarred over./p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""You're not telling me I can't talk to her, are you, sir?", Julie said. "She saw me. I saw her. Other people saw her, too."/p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""That's right. You two saw each other. No, I'm not saying you can't talk to her," Drake replied. "Just not right now. You both need time to process. There'll be time for you to talk. I'll make certain of it."/p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""Julie's got a point," Stewart said. "Other people saw her too, and everyone else in her group. People all the way up the chain."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""Let me worry about that," Drake said. "In the meantime, stay separate from them, but watch out for unexpected visitors."/p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""Like Ari?", Conners said. "I'd emsure/em love to give emhim/em a 'welcome'."/p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"Stewart shot her a look, while Julie smiled. "Watch it, Brooke," Stewart said. "We want him in a cell, not with his head on a pike."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""He is wanted dead or alive," Conners replied./p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""That said, I'm not just talking about him," Drake said. "Others outside the agency. Media. Civilians. Other agencies. Bureau. Agency. DEO, including our colleagues."/p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""Military, too?", Stewart said, glancing at the Marines standing nearby at attention./p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""The White House, too," Drake said. "Anyone outside our agency, from our universe and Gibbs's universe."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""What about their NCIS?", Julie said./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""Good question," Drake said. "Any agents who crossed over are supposed to report to the nearest field office from where they landed, or to the nearest FBI field office. That includes department heads, and their director."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""Are you talking about Jenny?", Julie said. In her 2007, Jennifer Shepard was the director of NCIS, and just one in a long line of absent friends./p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""Unfortunately, Agent Todd, no,", Drake said, tapping his phone's photo application, looking for a picture. He found it and held the screen up for the team members to see./p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""McCallister?! The man who tried to kill Leon Vance?" Stewart said. "He's in a jail cell."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""Not emthis/em Riley McCallister," Drake said. "He never tried to kill Leon Vance. He became his NCIS's director after Director Shepard was assassinated. All we know is that he escaped through one of the gates near Washington, but we don't have a location on him – yet."/p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""You're going to find him," Stewart said./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""I may send you to help bring him in, so keep that in the back of your minds," Drake said, glancing at the time on his phone's screen. "The President's about to speak to the nation and who the hell knows what he'll say. Let's take care of our people, and ourselves, and be ready to whatever's required of us."/p
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