[20th March 2010]
[The Watchtower, Earth Orbit]
It really was super awesome to remember that he was right now in space and sitting around a table with the coolest people on the planet. Even if much of what they were doing right now was pretty boring stuff about financial records and international treaties; things that he was just super glad he had the Wisdom of Solomon to be able to deal with.
Or at least sit through till they got to the really cool part of these meetings when they all talked about the bad guys they'd fought and what new dangers they might need to fight off in the future. Those parts were just the best and helped remind him that he, they, were making a difference out there in the world like only real heroes could. Not that he had much to say this time, between school and patrolling nothing much had happened on his watch. Which was good, because stuff happening was often bad...even if he got to do cool things while helping people.
So he was happy to tell everyone that when all the boring talk about United Nations Budgets, and something about China, and the time came to talk about all the cool stuff. Because there was always interesting stuff to talk about since villains were...kinda dumb...and never seemed to remember how much they themselves sucked and the Justice League absolutely rocked. Why then never even seemed to remember that...duh...he was immune to being shot with bullets?
Like didn't they think that after the first time they tried it out?
"...so nothing much on my end other than that incident with that idiot with fishing gear who was trying to do some smuggling, God it even sounds stupid now I say it..." Green Arrow was saying as the superhero beside him rested his arms on the table and gave a grin across at Black Canary who was rolling her eyes for some reason before the hero nodded towards Wonder Woman and the Flash "...anyway, I think you two were the only ones that had anything serious to have deal with since we met last week so spill, what had you two and Bats so busy for the last few days?"
Wonder Woman folded her arms and sighed "Preventing some rather vile men from escaping justice, while also keeping a near international incident from becoming public knowledge in the process. Batman had asked myself and Flash to be watchful during our time in Washington, and his concerns proved to be correct in their nature and we had to deal with some mercenaries. I'll let Batman explain in summary before I and Flash will clarify some of the details, largely he was investigating the incident and those involved while I handled matters with the United States State Department"
'Well that's awesome to hear' he thought to himself as all attention switched to the black clad form of Batman, who was taping on the computer pad on the table without looking at it. That was so cool how he could do that; and he also gave the best explanations of things of anyone he'd ever met - even if he did sound really grumpy all the time. And act really grumpy too...and glare alot too. But that was just how he showed his affection to them Uncle Dudley had explained, just like an 'ornery guard dog' he'd said. Even if Billy still wasn't entirely sure what Ornery meant exactly as yet. Up on the main screen a police picture of a rather angry looking man appeared alongside several other pictures other men beneath it.
"Dmitri Hordiyenko, mercenary, smuggler, hit-man and leader of the Death Shadows mercenary group. Currently working for the Falcone Family from all indications that I have been able to uncover, and sent to eliminate this man..."
Another image appeared, an older man in a suit, who looked like one of those boring old guys worked in the bank back in Fawcett City "...Edward McGinty, Chief Financial Officer of Duvalic Pharmaceuticals, which, while I have yet to prove it to my own satisfaction, is a money laundering operation and front for the Bertinelli Family. Mr. Ginty, along with corporate executives from several other major corporations, was present from investigations in the Hyatt Regency Hotel with representatives of the Government of the Republic of Ireland in regards investing within that state. While he and his associates have refused to admit who their employers were it is very apparent that the Falcone's were intent upon preventing the Bertinelli's from moving these funds outside of Gotham as well as eliminating Mr. McGinty. With this goal in mind these men walked into the..."
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Soundless security camera footage appeared on the screen now to replace the pictures of the crooks. He watched with interest, then disgust and anger, as six silent men with ski masks walked through the doors and started shooting at people with their weapons, before the image switched again and what he guessed were security guards were pulling a bunch of stuff old dudes out of maybe a dining room. He seen such things before and it was a bad as ever; and once again he thanked The Wizard for the Courage of Achilles and Wisdom of Solomon to be able to not jump up and just go down there and give those bad guys aright trashing for what they'd done. Strangle though on this video a single guard, in one of those nearly identical black suit and sunglasses pieces all security guys seemed to have, strode forward alone with a walking stick seemingly in his hand as Batman continued explaining about this...
"...till they arrive at this point and encounter what we now know to be one of the protection detail of one the Irish Government delegation, one of the Minister's of State in fact. From what we can see on the security footage this individual seems to utilise a force-field of some sort to prevent fire from the attackers reaching those behind him. He very clearly moves to stand between the evacuating diners by advancing upon Hordiyenko's men at a steady but oblique angle initially. Small arms fire also very clearly fails to penetrate these defences and an explosive device is thrown by..."
Wow, like that guy was clearly evil! Like, he had a skull mask and this creepy black blurring misty look over his dark armour and coat as he waved his big stick around and stopped the bullets. He watched at the explosion caused static on the screen and another camera angle appeared, still in that black, white and grey, as the evil skull guy staggered back a moment before slamming his big stick into the ground and suddenly...darkness?...seemed to be flying towards the camera...
"...so this is the only footage we managed to salvage of the incident after this point..."
Holy Moly! Are those tentacles?
Two of the criminals just suddenly broke out of the darkness and were racing towards the camera...till the one just behind the first was suddenly tripped as these black nightmare tentacle things expanded from the dark mass that seemed to cover the far end of the camera's coverage. Before wrapping around the very clearly screaming and flailing criminal before dragging him back into the air just as the skull faced man...thing...emerged from the black fog like in one of those horror movies that Uncle Dudley wouldn't...tried to stop...let him see. It was awesome! Scary too...but still awesome!
Skull-man seemed to wave a hand at the criminal hanging from the air from the tentacle as he walked past, then the tentacle and black fog just vanish...
"...rendered the fifth of the attackers' unconscious via as yet unknown means. As you can see indicated here all but Dmitri Hordiyenko have been rendered helpless on a path leading from the private dining room and through the lobby to the main entrance. At which point he encountered Flash and Wonder Woman"
A red hand shoot up for a moment along with a chuckle "Heh, by jumping head first through a glass door, down a flight of stairs and then falling at Diana's feet and thanking her for saving him! Skullsy really had an effect on the poor fella didn't he?"
"Indeed, all of those captured indicated a high degree of agitation upon their awakening in regards to the circumstances of their capture" Wonder Woman said and the Flash gave a little snort of amusement then a brief frown.
"I'll say, lot of brown pants all around there...um...I'll say!...not that they didn't deserve it after what they did. Just walk in and start gunning down people left and right! Jeez Louise what...assholes!"
Then the cheerful superhero grinned again and waved his hands around "...and then Skullsy walks out the door in all his totally-not-evil getup and says to us in this super creepy and horror movie voice 'I am not an evil super-villain, so please ignore my evil super-villain getup and voice! Now can you let me back to scaring little puppies and that guy at your feet' and I was like..."
"Thank you Flash for that description of your meeting..." Batman's gravelly voice overrode the helpful description. That made him sad, he liked when Flash told them about things, but he kept his face serious and interested looking. Because he could totally be super cool like the others! "...but thanks to the actions of yourself and Wonder Woman hostilities were avoided, and thankfully so...as it would have proven somewhat problematic to have attacked a delegation's legally allowed protective detail the day before they arrived to celebrate their national holiday"
Green Arrow beside him frowned and glanced at Batman and the others "I didn't hear any of this on the news channels? Or anything about any new meta-human appearing, just that you and Flash arrived in time before things got out of hand"
Wonder Woman nodded "And there won't be Hera be praised. Nobody involved wanted it to getting released to the public the day before a White House visit, neither the White House, the State Department, nor the Irish Government...or us to be honest. They attributed it to the League and left it be..." she shook her head "...which left a rather large quantity of paperwork to be filed out I discovered to my misfortune as an Ambassador"
"So, who is this new meta that you encountered then? From his garb he is some sort of mercenary or assassin hired for the purpose of protecting those present?" Captain Atom asked glancing up at the screen as several images of the evil skull guy in black appeared on the screen; then a picture of what was an ID of a sunglasses wearing man in his twenties. Flash grinned.
"Oh no, Skullsy was all friendly and helpful...well...once he looked like a normal person anyway. Even helped us help the wounded before he was whisked away in a limo and these suited guys from his Embassy"
"He was also very much on guard and polite due to our presence Flash, his body language was not directly hostile but very clearly ready to fight us if forced too...and the magic he clearly utilises were not of the benign sort as best I could tell. Rather malevolent instead I fear..." Wonder Woman replied motioning at Flash then glancing towards Batman "...have you been gain any further information on this Tadhg Murphy. It is rather bothersome to have heard no indication of one of such powers, nor the extent of them, till we almost engaged them in combat?"
Batman just maintained than constant brooding scowl of his and brought up a few more pictures on the screen, what appeared to a picture of a teenager alongside that of the sunglasses wearing man "This Tadhg Murphy is most certainly an alias, and I've gathered as much information as can get achieved through discrete means from the US and Irish Governments on the subject to be sure of that. All evidence instead points to him being this individual instead; a John Fortune, of Mullingar, Republic of Ireland. Currently fifteen years of age, and through rather unusual documentation trails, on the payroll of the Government of Ireland for provision of magical services and training for the past two years. As best I can discover under the tutelage of this man; a John Constantine of Liverpool, United Kingdom...who is also under the official employ of that government it seems from a similar time-frame"
"So we, like, nearly beat up on someone's sidekick? Wow...someone should really have a sit down with those two about not looking like bad guys!"
"Constantine? John Constantine?" an quietly angry voice brought his, and the others attention, to Mr. Zatara who was frowning at the screen. He liked Mr. Zatara, he had all this awesome magic and was real friendly in general. Oh and he could rabbits from hats too! That was also sorta cool!
"You know him Giovanni?" Wonder Woman with surprise at the interruption. Mr. Zatara nodded with a frown upon his brow. Well that was odd, Mr. Zatara normally very calm and collected about such things and not visibly unhappy, or looking like he'd smelled a really bad fart.
"Unfortunately yes, from very much unwanted person experience that I shan't discuss here and now. Though thankfully I have not seen him for many years now, and have had little interaction with the magical community that he moves in. That an apprentice of his...would act in such a manner, and wield darker parts of the art...is a not a surprise I fear. While the man is...well meaning...at times, the truth is his propensity for destruction, and harm resulting to bystander and friend alike, make him worse than many a villain in my experience. If he is training this boy as you say it might be best to make inquiries into perhaps seeking to get this teenager some measure of guidance before he follows his mentor further in days to come. The abilities displayed on the screen are somewhat worrying too see in one only a little older than my own daughter"
"We can't exactly do much my friend, we are not supposed the name of this fellow for instance; merely what we have seen and that he is an official of his nation. There are many his age, Aqualad for instance, who serves as such within Atlantis. It was only last week that we discussed...with a deadlock mind you...over how to continue the training of our own sidekicks. It would be somewhat foolish, perhaps even arrogant, to attempt to interfere with another's training methods before we even know the details behind them" Aquaman offered and Billy kept quiet as always when talk of 'too young to be put in danger' sidekick talks came up. What if they found out his own secret identify and kicked him out?
"So...we're back to the future members talk again?" Green Arrow asked looking up "...because Speedy is really looking to join as I mentioned. Since this situation has come up shouldn't we review the issue in case there's more of..."
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