-Hey everyone! Had a lot of personal stuff happen, kinda had to tend to that before I could continue. It's taken a long time but everything is finally settled. So here is Chapter 9!
"This fucking crossbow is going to drive me nuts." Roy growled to himself, wincing as the stock kicked against his injured shoulder. The bolt hit the center of the target with a dull thump. It had been three days since Laurel had died. Roy still didn't like thinking about it. He couldn't think about it. Oliver had warned everyone when this had started, that this was probably going to get really bad. Roy had no idea at the time how right that was. The new guys had avoided most people. They weirded Roy out to be honest, all of their faces were exactly the same.
"How's the shoulder Roy?" Clint Barton walked up, flanked by a newly recovered Black Widow. The archers had become fast friends, but Clint had refused to leave Natasha's side since the assassin had opened her eyes. She was leaning on his shoulder pretty heavily, still kind of unsteady on her feet.
"Painful. I can use it now at least. Jennifer said if she catches me drawing a bowstring, she's going to strangle me with it." Roy laughed.
"She's pretty strict with her patients." Natasha agreed, smiling.
"Glad to see you back on your feet." Roy returned her smile.
"I've been telling Nat how great it's been to be able to talk over the finer points of combat archery with someone who can actually draw a bow with a bigger weight than fifty pounds." Clint said brightly.
"You still need to help us replicate some of your trick arrows." Roy said.
"Speaking of that, how is Oliver doing?" A bit more serious of a tone crept into his voice.
"He's still a zombie. He only leaves his bunk to piss or get more liquor." Roy said grimly.
"He's a good guy. No one deserves to see someone they care about die like that." Clint said.
"The commandos are probably one of our better assets. That's a lot of military experience to fill in for our…losses." Dean was holding a command staff meeting. Sam Winchester, Steve Rodgers, John Diggle, Eddie Buck, Bruce Wayne, and Niner, were representing their respective outfits.
"We'll do what we can, but our first concern is the Republic. You guys did pull us out of one war into another." Niner said.
"You do understand that if we don't stop this, you won't have a republic to go back to?" Bruce Wayne shot back angrily.
"I've got brothers back there sir. Comrades. Some of us have loved ones." Niner replied.
"We all do." Steve said, speaking for the first time during this meeting. "Clint had a wife in our world."
"I'm sorry." The clones face was concerningly boyish, looking around the table. "I didn't know."
"Regardless. We have no reason to think these higher power types are going to let us leave until this is over. Even if they did, the Rot isn't just going to go away." Dean said.
"Let's table that for now." Sam said. "We need to talk about this plan of yours."
"Right. What I'm proposing is a trip to our home universe to consult with a friend of ours. Bobby Singer. We have a lot of lore stocked up and odds are some of it pertains to dimensional traveling. Maybe some mention of the Rot. We're playing a game where we don't know the rules. I think it's about time we change that." Dean said.
"Cas says it's doable. He says we should keep as much of this quiet as possible though when we talk to him." Sam said.
"Why is there a question about this being doable? Doesn't that box make it easy?" Steve asked. Sam and Dean exchanged an uncomfortable look.
"Bobby…isn't alive right now. We'd be taking a lateral step into our universe, but going a few years back as well." Dean said.
"Time travel?" Buck asked. "What am I saying? I'm fighting a war for the damn multiverse. Okay. Time travel." The Spartan finally just nodded and took a heavy drink from a water bottle.
"We're going to put together a team and head out as soon as possible. Since Sam and I are both going, we're going to be leaving Clark in charge. Any objections?" Dean asked.
"Who's the team so far?" Steve asked.
"You, the ODST's, Barton, and Harper." Dean said.
"I'd recommend a second team holed up somewhere, just to be safe. I mean we have the manpower now." Bruce said.
"Okay. Who has ideas for team two then?" Dean asked. He leaned back in his seat exhaustedly. Having multiple seconds in command certainly took the strain off of him, but it was painfully bureaucratic at times.
"I'd suggest some of the commandos, give them a chance to shake down." Buck said. Niner nodded thoughtfully.
"I'll run it by my squad." He said simply.
"We'll throw in Arthur and Diana. They've been anxious for some action." The dark knight said.
"Niner we leave as soon as we can get the supplies together so go ahead and speak to your boys." Dean dismissed the commando with an authority he was very uncomfortable that he had.
"Alright then. Any further business?" He asked the assembled group.
No one had any further business so the group went their separate ways. Dean and Sam went to go notify the team they would be taking. Niner went to go speak to his squad, passing by several prefabricated walls that were in the process of being put up. Bruce Wayne, with considerable help from Tony Stark and Bruce Banner had thought of the idea, partially to protect the privacy of an increasing number of female team members, and partially to add a sense of order and discipline that the outfit desperately needed.
"What was that about Sarge?" Corr greeted Niner as he returned to the commando's block of bunks. The Republic soldiers rapidly gathered around him.
"Well, it looks like we won't be going home just yet lads. Dean there seems to think that the powers who brought them here aren't going to let us leave until this job is done." He said.
"Why are we listening to them again?" Boss asked. Niner rubbed a hand across his eyes.
"They're friendly as far as we can tell. They also have the special teleporting box thing." He said.
"Why can't we just get home using that?" Jaing asked curiously. The ARC trooper was laying on a bunk, sharpening his vibrosword.
"I think the working theory is that if we do leave, something yanks us back." Niner said. Ordo nodded thoughtfully. Niner went on. "They do want something in return for the room and board. They have an op coming up that they want us to pull security for. If you guys are willing, I volunteered Omega."
"Better than sitting around here." Atin grunted.
"If there's nothing we can do to hasten us getting back then I'm going to have to agree. It's the least we can do." Darman said.
"We'll stay here. Keep an eye on things." Boss said. Niner nodded agreement.
"Find out what you can about our hosts." Niner said quietly. The clones fell silent as Dean approached, wearing a bulletproof vest over a black t-shirt.
"You guys coming?" He asked. Niner nodded. Omega squad began putting on their helmets.
"Expecting trouble?" Mereel asked the hunter.
"Two thousand nine was a rough year. I'm just being cautious" He said simply. Omega Squad followed him to a chalk outline on the wall that they had designated the door between worlds. Aquaman and Wonderwoman were putting a razor edge on their weapons, the ODST's looking uncomfortable in civilian clothes and present day body armor. Thomas was checking the sight on an M4 for the thousandth time. Roy Harper was nervously adjusting the quiver on his back and making small talk with Barton. Steve looked calm as ever, but the man never looked nervous.
"Jenn are you going to be okay leaving your patients?" Cooper asked.
"Vale is actually stabilized by some miracle. None of my other patients need immediate attention. Besides you guys have a penchant for getting into trouble when I'm not around."
"We are not bringing up Signus again. That was not my fault!" Cooper laughed. Dean couldn't help but note the very neat writing scrawled on Coopers body armor. On the chest plate scrawled in black writing was the letters JM, LL, and HT. Cooper clearly was still dealing with the recent deaths. Even the people he didn't know that well.
"Alright boys and girls! Let's move it out!" Dean barked. Castiel tapped something on the box and a portal shot up within the chalk outline on the wall. Sam glanced at Dean, he shrugged and stepped through.
Elsewhere….
Thomas came out of the portal in a crouch, rifle aimed ahead of him. The armored bulk of the clone squad was fanned out, spotlamps searching the area ahead of him. The portal had opened in what looked like a derelict house. Cooper set up a radio transponder that according to the tech guys should actually work this time. A light flickered green and Cooper shot Dean a thumbs up.
"Test. Test. Bruce you receiving me?" He keyed the mike.
"Loud and clear." Came the relieved reply.
"That's a god damn relief. We made it. Setting up base camp here. We'll get back to you when we establish contact with Bobby."
"Roger that Dean."
The hunter turned to the rest of his team.
"Alright, Team Two is going to work on securing this place. Barton I need you to go secure transportation. Steve, go figure out where the hell we are. Sam and I are going to go try to find out the date." Dean said. The open window let a cool nighttime breeze into the room. The combat gear, while a smart precaution, didn't exactly lend itself to traveling inconspicuously in the continental United States. The night time was a blessing.
"After that?" Roy Harper was a little miffed that he hadn't be assigned anything.
"Then we go have a talk with a dead friend."