-scene break-

Heru'ur, and Cronus disagreed plenty. Not enough to actually jepoardize their alliance, but enough that the other Goa'uld certainly knew about it... rumour mongering was kind of a thing amongst the many thousand year old living gods. It was just something that couldn't be helped. Rumours also helped with intelligence gathering, for example Cronus's atlas class had managed to out perform Heru'ur's entry into the competition, so Heru'ur was presently sulking... allegedly, that might have just been something the rumour mongers were throwing out to make Heru'ur look like a bitch, which was entirely possible.

Jack looked at the ship. He supposed this was better than the JAG Colonel having to deal with the whole Tok'ra shooting incident. Thank god for the sarcophagus at least. That prevented the incident form being an even bigger pain in the ass. "The president is going to include this picture in his speech?" He rolled his eyes, "I mean you know the public," besides weapon nerds, "they'll probably get confused there are a couple ships called Atlas. Hell we've got one on the roster." The (American) Atlas was due to be laid down in just over a month.

"Press secretary says the design responds well. Its good for grabbing an audience's attention," Davis responded, "they want to keep attention for as long as possible." This wasn't even something the president normally had to cover, but then again this was kind of a first to begin with. "Besides Raiden paints his ships too many different colors it would look tacky."

The general raised an eyebrow, "Tacky, Davis?"

"All due respect sir what would you call it?"
... he thought about it for a minute, and then nodded. On second thought yes sparky's color scheme from a military perspective was tacky. Tacky was a good way to put it in hindsight. Not that painting your ships bright fucking gold was a whole hell of a lot better; Heru'ur, and the other Egyptian goa'uld. "Alright but what about the ancient ships?"

"We're not showing them," He commented matter-of-fact. It was at the moment considered too much of a security risk. Even with a wide disclosure of information there were plenty of things the US wanted to keep under wraps. The admirals had carefully maneuvered using the treaty langauge to their advantage. The air force had to hold the stargate, so why not make sure responsiblity to ships fell to a more senior service branch, and it pissed some people off.

Both sides agreed though the ancient dreadnought was probably something to keep quiet. Those kind of weapons, or the potential at least were too valuable to let out of US control. The possibility that the ancients might be returning was another reason for upping the work on the ship. All of this was really about politics now. "What has sparky and friends been up to?"

"The System Lords have been cloistered for the last week, that whole skirmish has turned into a serious mess." Right now the word was that Heru'ur, and Cronus were seriously considering kicking Ba'al's teeth in... or trying to at least. At the very least Heru'ur significantly outnumbered Ba'al so it would be pretty messy either way. Then there was Raiden and the Celts, which wasn't going well from the sound of it. O'neill stared at the display, fed in through Asgard sensors across the galaxy the new Tauri Exclusionary Zone was nice, and the Asgard finally were rebuilding their fleet so the protected planets would finally have some real muscle around. That was definitely good news. Still Odin showing up and nicking SHIELD's CO didn't sound like it was a good thing.

"Oh Jack," Special Agent Rogers, stuck his head in, the NID spook had been in and out of the office for the week enough he considered it okay to barge in whenever, "SF called they want to know about you scheduling time on the Barret?"

Davis glanced at him, "What?" Jack demanded from the colonel. He ran a pretty laid back command his officers could come up to him and voice any questions or concerns they had, "I figured it was a good idea not to get rusty." He stopped, "Also I'm got one on lay away," He admitted after a minute, "So about those new ships?"

-scene break-

Olliver Queen wondered how he'd gotten into this mess, as he adjusted his normally concealed collapsible composite constructed bow. The bastard on the other end of the roof was good, and what was worse was it was a voice in his head that had warned him that the other guy had been spying on Oscorp in the first place. It was ... there was a ping of an arrow punching through cheap industrial steel, and Olliver pulled his head back.

Hawkeye adjusted his own bow. SHIELD, like NID Cadmus, and every other government agency had dossiers on the League. They also all heard the same rumors. Most were probably bullshit, sure there were might have been dirty leaguers but it seems a bit far fetched at the moment they'd started cropping up. There had never been rumors about Green Arrow, but then Olliver Queen had been a millionaire, and more to the point Oscorp was old money. Robert Queen, and Norman Osborne had been school chums. The world was a small place, but the most glaring evidence was Osborne had snapped Queen Industries when it had gone on the market, and spent years collecting all the pieces of the company that had been cut up during the sell off.

Green Arrow had been running down leads about the whole 'Old Gods' looming in the void, that had been one of things Stewart had pulled him aside to look into in New York. The Green Lantern corp's home world of Oa had a very interesting origin after all... and well Batman wasn't the only one who could run a gambit. Still he'd figured this was some kind of simple criminal enterprise he'd stumbled in on, now it was looking like he might want to call in back up. There was something more going on here than just some spying on a warehouse. He exhaled, and counted the footsteps the other archer was taking across the roof.

The voice was getting harder to ignore. It had been there ever since that cult raid. 'you're very alike, very much though he's been tweaked a bit by your mortal science' Hircine commented in an interested tone. Vigilantes he'd decided were great fun. This kind of hunting was a good sport, and you could really have interesting vigilantes on industrialized worlds otherwise it was so much easier to remain unnoticed by the masses... not that the Justice League was all that discreet.

Oliver really wished his comm piece hadn't gotten broken in the fight, hopefully... hopefully Stewart or some other League member who was supposed to be in the area would show up. The whole idea of this had been low key reconnaisance he didn't have the arrow supply to keep this up, and was lacking on specialty arrows if this guy was a metahuman. He adjusted the arrow he had notched, and looked over at the angle the HVAC structure made. His own arrow bounced off the curve and the payload opened spraying the area rolling ball berring like objects. He'd actually gotten them from Batman, and just built an arrow capsule to deploy them.

Hawkeye rolled to the side pulling his goggles down to better protect his eyes from the rapidly flashing disorienting LEDs in the little metal ceramic balls. Stupid prima donna super heroes with their damned gadgets... SHIELD R&D never gave him anything nearly as cool. Both archers figured now was time to make a move and ended up forcing each other back to cover. Clint considered pulling his service weapon and just shooting Oliver Queen... the man wore body armor he'd be fine... ish. Then again the repurcussions politically of a government agent shooting a member of the Justice League might be a bit problematic ... never mind the paper work. Fury would have a cow if he shot someone as well connected with Senators as Green Arrow... and an angry Fury was such a pain.

The chance to make a choice passed as the sirens of the NYPD drew closer, but more pressingly was the speeding glowing green glob of energy heading right for the roof. That was one of the Green Lanterns... Stewart definitely. So Agent Barton of SHIELD did the smart thing he hurled a flashbang and rolled off the edge of the roof and onto a fire escape. He called for back up, and extraction as soon as he touched the black top of the asphalt. Oliver Queen he could fight, a Green Lantern though was a little out of his league.

Tony Stark would wake up around noon the next day to people buzzing about the fight that took place on top of an OsCorp building in New York, and he would be intrigued. After all what could possibly interest the league that they were going to snoop around one of his corporate rivals enough that a fight breaks out on the roof top.

-scene break-

Working for Cadmus had its ups and down, Luthor found. Hamilton for example was a world class nuisance, but the man did understand Kryptonian genetics... as well as any human on earth could understand that field. Luthor just wouldn't mention that he'd used the man's research for his own little side project. Not that Krypton was an issue right now... no right now the NID was as a whole preparing for a much larger problem.

"So they're actually going through with it?" General Jones asked, refraining for once from grinding his teeth, "This all seems a bit rushed."

Amanda Waller nodded, "There isn't much choice is there? Not at this stage. The military has managed to swell fleet numbers because of the Goa'uld Civil war and the Tauri Exclusionary Zone that the goa'uld established around earth-"
"Which is a good thing I'll say,"

The head of Cadmus nodded, "Perhaps so, but it means its harder to keep the secret." The new ships were also being split and modified by two different branches. It was a bad descision from a security perspective, but nothing could be done. It was a political choice, and it didn't matter that the president was an Aif Force vet. He was also the first president to lose nearly an entire Carrier battle group on his watch. The threat of alien invasion was too much, and for an organization like the NID supporting their political backers did have to be mediated by the need to protect America.

Things like the alien ruins, and active alien installations, on Mars were suddenly secondary concerns to the threat of another invasion, the Russians back engineering Thanagarian tech, and the Chinese having working, if outdated examples of goa'uld technology. Those were just the big three issues for the NID in the back of everyone's directives were updates on the Justice League, and SGC. "Disclosure will change global political reality in ways we can't predict," One of the senior analysts commented, it'd be another game changer. It wasn't that the population didn't know about aliens, if that was the issue then it wouldn't be such a big deal... no the matter was trying to put it in perspective just how small Earth was, while preventing a panic.

Lex Luthor, while everyone else chattered around the massive holographic television displays, looked through the copies of requisition forms. Where people like Tony stark had known about aliens Bruce Wayne had been the one on the front line of financing new weapons. Maybe if the other billionaire playboy philanothropist had been read in he would have been the major help but that job fell to Wayne. A part of that grinded on Luthor, not the least bit because when LexCorp had gotten divided up a lot of the stock had been grabbed up by people who would be arguably friendly to the Batman's interest... not that Talia Al Ghul wan't doing a good job as CEO. So Wayne was going to end up with almost a trillion dollars in government defense contracts even though security oversight knew he was Batman. It actually made him, Luthor, wonder if some deal hadn't been cut between Wayne and the Government. A kind of 'I'll throttle back on being batman, and oversee weapons development' deal, because Batman was a whole lot less visible as of late. Something had to be going on.

According to these Wayne had his fingers in everything from aerospace to armor production, and Wayne Energy would be overseeing the decomissioning of the USS Enterprise's nuclear reactor. In the realm beyond the public eye though was where Luthor was really looking. Wayne Aerospace's proprietary surface to orbit systems, with Lex Corp a fading memory, and others out of the way Wayne would be the only Megacorp focusing on comercial space lift. That was a few hundred billion dollars that were all but assured to go to the Gotham playboy... just because he had forked the money out for in house satellite launch capacity back in the 90s.

"Relax Luthor, we're on the same side." Jones grunted, "Besides if Wayne is building stuff for us he can't it to the other guys, your corporate types should understand that." The world war II era super soldier crossed his arms, "its a different age we had the SSR to do that work back then, and Stark, Howard was around, was the big genius. Now its all about money, and less about patriotism. Of course if you run for Senator, we'll be slightly better off won't we." Better off in the since that the NID would have one of 'their own' signing bills. "After all how much of the president's speech is just gonna be smoke and mirrors, and flat out bullshit."

"Relax gentlemen we're not fucked yet. Percy thinks he's got a good chance with that metahuman superhero in the midwest and that'll be a great publicity coup, and he's buddy buddy with Alva apparently." Always nice when a superhero had his own source of income, "We'll also be getting access to those Ancient ruins SHIELD found in Egypt,"

There was a pause, and another analyst's head snapped, "I thought we were gonna have to read the Israeli's into that?"

"We still might," Hopefully after stripping the place to the bed work ... and that was when the alarms started off. "Fuck shut that noise off, tell me we're not being invaded yet?"

Luthor looked down at his 'watch', which was actually a small tablet computer, not unlike the ones Wayne's merry band had integrated into their gloves. The genius gritted his teeth, as he read through the display, "Its that oaf Hamiliton."
"What, god damn it we can't do this now." The doctor knew they had an immenient threat.

Cadmus gave its scientists a lot leeway. Part of it was to make sure they got results, but also so any unfortunate implications could be concealed from congressional oversight. If the guy who talked to congress didn't know the details it wasn't lying... per se. The last thing Cadmus, or the NID as aa whole, needed waso ne of their 'special cases' embroiling them in a turf war with another intelligence Agency.

"Put that fire out, find out how it got started," The director all but bellowed, "And you two get a team and go get Hamilton do no let him start a pissing match with SHIELD. He gets nowhere near Wayne manor, am I clear?"

General Jones saluted, "Sir, yes sir." He turned, "Wallace Luthor come on. We'll make sure the doc didn't take anything too dangerous and then we'll go after him" The, former, billionaire stared at his back... was he serious... Lex was trying to avoid field work. So much for taking the opportunity to check on project Krypton. If Hamilton had endangered his pet project there was going to be hell to pay. He'd put too much effort into the initiative for that fruitcake to mess it up because he was running half cocked off to Gotham.

-scene break-

While NID's Cadmus directive members were busy with their own problems across the country and snug on the west coast the guardians were settling in after another fight with Nerissa. "So Oa was created like Kandrakhar,"
"Not precisely no, certainly similiar." Cedric remarked, "Oa was born during the mass of chaos during the war in heaven." He looked up from a much more contemporary book than the one the guardian was pouring over. Where as the massive at least leather-looking bound tomed was at least a few thousand years his books was substantially newer... only been in publication for a few months even. He drifted off, "The universe wasn't like it is today, long ago before the rise of the petty young gods back when the Aedra, and Daedra had been young even there had been tremendous bloodshed. The wars in heaven spanned across the stars, across what you call galaxies." Of course attempting to explain such a vast area, a scale of that size, of that magnitude was quite difficult.

Cedric knew for example Sithis was lying... well not perhaps lying. Concealing the ease with he could have killed Nerissa with something as simple as by breathing perhap... so he could only assume Sithis had some goal in mind for the Guardians. Phobos had likewise come to a similiar conclusion... not that it didn't annoy him any less on realizing such. The possession of one heart vastly increased the magic available to the guardians beyond his own reserves, but entrusting the keeper with a second seemed insane... especially when the guardians were so annoying... and ignorant.. "Oa was born of dyings gods," He grunted, "So like Khandrakar it is a massive font of power," A wellspring of self generating magic, a kind of living place, "its a living world beyond the scale of this one." Phobos commented crossing his arms as he finished healing someone who by all rights should have been his enemy.

Cedric got up and came back with the tea kettle, he'd decided to leave expresso maker off today after the last accident that the Guardians had had with it. It was also why there were using cups that could be safely dropped... he really didn't want to have any more of his good china broken. Not that he couldn't magically repair the damage, but it was the principle. "Your highness Dakota is on the news again," He announced sliding the remote to the prince who snatched it greedily off of the counter top. Will's mother had returned safe, and unharmed from the chaotic city on schedule, and the Prince of Meridian was still interested.

Will leaned her head back and rolled her eyes. The whole situation with Meridian had gotten really fucking weird. Phobos now though was just the lesser evil... well that and Nerissa was a much bigger threat, and not just to earth. Even with Sithis far beyond her she could feel the hints of autumn in the air. Kandrakhar's power stirred from the heart, but it had to compete now for her focus with the aetheric wellspring of another heart. Sithis had warned another such disruption of the Earth's natural flow of magic would have worse consequences for them now. The second heart took time to get used to. The one good thing about all of this was the second heart did a good job evening up the difference in skill. It forced Nerissa to back off for the time being, but the fallen guardian was likely just biding her time and plotting. Which was probably going to make it all the worse when she did strike back.

Phobos cursed angrily when the newscaster stopped, and the picture changed to announce a new breaking story, and then the channel changed. The White House press secretary now dominated every television screen currently attuned to a satellite or cable station, as well a wide array of youtube or other media sites. It was a major undertaking, and in the ensuing days would cause a major outbreak of whining, complaints, and general disturbance amongst generations of Americans.

"My fellow Americans, the President of the United States..." The press secretary stepped aside to allow the President of the United States to take the podium. Unlike countless previous press conferences held in this same wing there was a vital difference. All around the president holographic projectors brought dozens of swirling images to life. Planets, buildings, soldiers, civilians, and what could only be space ships.

Phobos didn't seem surprised, but perhaps more telling was his complete lack of interest. Cedric though was suddenly that much more attentive, and he was normally disdainful of televison. The invasion, the most recent one, had been perpetrated by a rogue alien leader. The goa'uld Anubis had attacked in flagrant violation of intergalactic law. Hayes drew plenty of allegories to the start of world war II.

... except that Earth had been invaded how many times. Still the US would be building its own ships or rather more ships now. What the president was outlying was a massive expansion of the defense budget, and of others. To stimulate the economy to prepare for a war that was raging across the stars. In nearby Malibu Tony Stark spat his double soy chai latte out as the presntation went on, but for Heatherfield the Guardians had other issues.

Phobos face formed into a dismissive half sneer, and the prince rolled his eyes, "He thinks to build a fleet. This era dies, what an oaf. Hircine's armies cross the stars, and Jyyggalag prepares for war no mortal fleet will stop this."

"My prince the -"
"Be quiet Cedric, I want to hear this oaf make a fool of himself."

Hayes unhearing of all of this, or the countless other comments continued with his prepared speech, addressing a star struck nation. Over a million light years away the Asgard Wotan listened, and he was hardly the only one. Other aliens listened in to the broadcast, other powers, and closer to home so to did others nations.

-scene break-

Where Sithis would normally have not cared he paid attention. In Bayville the scent autumn was stronger than even in Heatherfield. The smell of oak, storm, and fallen leaves radiated as the death god rested a hand on the back of the chair. The difference in saturation was that noticeable. With the god of order awake there was no need to be quite so discreet.

"Whats this going to mean?" Kitty asked no one in particular. She'd asked the same question when Spike and some of the others had moved out west to Dakota.

Constantinos, and one of his brothers waited for someone to answer. Sithis said nothing, and no one could answer, "there is a threat against earth, another invasion." No doubt that when it came there would be more panic and more demands, and pressure for something, anything to be done. The attack that was coming was nothing, so long as neither side did anything to escalate it.

"We should do something then." Scott nearly shouted, "i mean you know about it. You have ships you could do something."

"Do not misunderstand your place in the scheme of things," Sithis warned, "a billion worlds like this one are nothing to me. I have seen a billion years come and go, a simple world like this doesn't stir me to action any more. Certainly not when interfering without cause would spark greater chaos and bloodshed. You should prepare though,"

"What about Rogue?"

"Or the one you call Wolverine?" Sithis asked in response, snorting, "you have yet to see an old gods fury up close. If they are threatened then its cause to act, a simple invasion plan is not a threat otherwise I would be constantly busy."

For Bayville, and West Chester, and all the surrounding elements, and all its people things had begun to change since the most recent sentinel attack. Disclosure would change it even more, unlike Magneto the X-men had teachers who had ties to the military. Xavier, and Wolverine were both on notice of reactivation. Wolverine in particular had the un-envious position of being caught in the midst a multiservice catfight between the US army, SHIELD, and others.

Perhaps though for the town the best thing to come from the attack, was the dulling of anti mutant sentiment in the wake of it all. It helped that the Daily Bugle, out of New York, had stepped up its opposition to anti-mutant sentiment. Duncan's, and his friends, experience at the gas station wasn't unique there had been other sentinels rampaging in the area. Xavier though found his biggest support for inclusion and tolerance now came again from the highest office. They all had to come together as a nation in the face of the harsh realities. The galaxy was not a nice place. The speech continued, with President Hayes disclosing a lot, but at the same time not. There were plenty of things he glossed over, or didn't mention at all to the general public. There were plenty of backroom deals that didn't get mentioned.

-scene break-