[20th September 2010]
[SHIELD Headquarters, Beneath Custume Barracks, Athlone]
It was useful to get a good long night's rest before being called for the meeting I found. After all it had been very tiring, stressful, and all around rather unpleasant the past week thanks to that bloody prison; and its aftermath even more-so. In many ways, it was a relief to get away from the Justice League's 'training programme' and back to actual training and progress...and in other ways it had created more problems than just me been given the boot. Such as a very tense and unhappy bunch of former teammates who'd needed calming; with Artemis leading the pack there with rage against the Justice League's decision.
Along a big giant dollop of blaming herself and other silly things of course; I hadn't thought she could cry, let alone need a pep talk from me of all people about staying her course on the Team. Well other than convincing her she damn well needed to get some proper armour over her body. It was all well and good trying to look pretty but I was not letting her get injured because of some Justice League idiocy forgetting she had no bloody super-powers beyond being super-athletic. But that aside, she was turning her life around and the Team tearing itself apart now helped absolutely no-one. Even if there was little I could do right now about that from an ocean away.
"Well I'd like to say it's a fine mess you've gotten yourself, and us, into young man...it'd make my job easier in many ways...but its rather clear you followed procedure to the letter, and acted as we trained you too" the Commander, Commandant O'Reilly, began now that everyone had taken their seat around the conference table here in the 'magic bunker' as some called it "...that and the Cabinet are going to issue a diplomatic protest to the Justice League in private over it. A rather mild one though, so don't think too much on it changing their minds I'm afraid"
He sighed in seeming frustration "...and unfortunately its left us some problems in the aftermath of events in Belle Reve, such as weapons effectiveness, and of course this decision to remove you from the Justice League's 'youth' programme. It's hardly public of course but the American and British Intelligence Services are clearly aware of it from what the State Department and Foreign Office have communicated to the Department of Foreign Affairs. Discretely of course, but still communicated...along with some questions oblique and indirect questions on certain things"
Now it was my turn to sigh in a mix of frustration and embarrassment. It never ended now did it...
"It's about the guns, and them actually working isn't it?"
Mrs. McDonald, representative from the Department of Foreign Affairs tapped her pen off the desk, humming in thought a second before replying "In part Agent, in part yes...the effectiveness of the weaponry against the meta-human inmates has resulted in questions of that mode..."
"Give us crates of them please? Liuk were best mates now! I'm guessin" Constantine interrupted drinking his coffee and clearly unhappy we'd stopped his chair's ability to rest back too much, and its squeaking. Still he as clean looking and nothing...like towns or a small city...had caught fire or mysteriously exploded in my absence, so no one really minded the quasi-question asked. He was engaged at the very least, and an expert (of sorts) now on helping make said magic guns. Mrs. McDonald now used to antics merely nodded in his direction.
"Yes Mr. Constantine, indeed, that sums up that nature of their inquiries on the subject in your rather...colourful vernacular most succinctly. Unfortunately there have been inquiries into matters, such as the nature of your magic, our understanding of it, the nature of the relationship with the Justice League, and a host of other rather subtle inquiries that can only but make the functioning of this organisation in the shadows a rather more difficult prospect we believe"
I resisted groaning at that little piece of news. It was understandable of course, we weren't exactly a bit country after all and while secrecy had let us get up and running my whole running about showing off magic and enchanted weapons sorted ended that. Even if they assumed the cover story of being sorta mercenaries working for the government the fact remained the strategy had gone badly wrong with me now falling out with the Justice League. Even if only temporarily according to them, though not sure I believed that. Very clear values dissonance and culture clash between us in my opinion. Commandant O'Reilly nodded in agreement with the diplomatic liaison to SHIELD.
"Unfortunately that is the primary issue that the Cabinet have made clear to myself in yesterday's meeting, the events of the past two months have brought significant attention to our doorstep. We, they, understood the risk of course when you were apprenticed to the Justice League and concern has been rising based on what we've learned since then on the functioning of the organisation on a daily basis. A dice was rolled, and it came up badly for us unfortunately. So we must move forward based on the reality rather than what we would wish to be true"
'Well this isn't good' I thought before finding my voice "Are we...talking disclosure? Because I thought that was some time..."
He waved his hand in a slightly negative gesture "No, at least not a public one as yet. Though the timeline on that has been reduced to a year or two I expect, even without unforeseen events like Tropico, or Belle Reve, getting into the public sphere. What has been discussed, and provisionally agreed by the Taoiseach and Cabinet, is a selective disclosure to the intelligence services of the Americans, and before that, the British. We've stayed, and can likely stay ahead, of MI5 with the reorganisation of their ranks for a few years...and Justice League while powerful are limited in time and numbers to put feet on the ground here..."
A motion at the glowing holo-globe sitting out there in the main operations room past the warded and hardened clear glass window-walls "Sadly that is not the case with the CIA...or the Russians and the Chinese should they too turn their eyes towards us. G2 just doesn't have resources or focus to deal with that in the long run, so a controlled disclosure to key individuals in...allied...nations such as the United States and United Kingdom has been judged the best course of action in the coming weeks. Getting ahead of any revelations is just the best of bad options, especially if we are to take advantage of the goodwill our young Agent here managed to achieve in the Belle Reve fiasco a few days ago, and prior to that in Tropico in cooperation with the British"
"Annnnddd...the Justice League?" I asked curiously. The reply was rather firm in its statement of the negative of that question. Not that I'd complain about it of course, but someone had to ask.
"No. They'll find out eventually of course, but based on recent events its felt that it would in the country's best interest to seek out international support prior to giving a full report to the United Nations, and to the Justice League as well"
"Only problem with that is their going to know once stuff starts getting on computers, either from Batman and his highly advanced computers, or from one of the Lanterns with their hyper-tech ring things. Just to point out Sir" I answered something that everyone here basically already knew now. So all I could assume was that this was already factored into the decision somehow. Or it hadn't been and this was a snap decision taken because I'd gotten myself chucked from the shiny prestige seat at the JL table the government probably wanted down the line. The Commander nodded.
"Yes, I'm aware, as is the Cabinet, for the short term the approaches will be informal, in person, and with that information up front along with a secure laptop based on our arcane encryption systems created by those here at the table. We understand it is time and resource intensive to create them, but they are a very useful bargain chip alongside the weapons that have been developed. Our negotiations with the British are already at an advanced stage in regards cooperation, as Tropico of course shows, and if we have to move forward more rapidly than expected...or desired...then it's best to try and gain the most advantage we can. Even for doing things such as gaining access to those on the 'possible recruitment' lists that have been assembled from the magical community here and in the UK"
Ohhh...this wasn't exactly the best news ever. Not the worst either...just like the whole 'see the shrink for a week' that got mandated after the Tropico battle, and now extended for much longer after the...incident...in Belle Reve. Something that I probably needed but didn't really want much, but considering where we were and the time it would take it was the best of bad options really. Still I had other things related that I wanted to clarify in regards things I wanted to do...
"Understood Sir, though may I ask will there be any issues with my request to supply certain items and equipment to...well, my former teammates now I admit...The Team in the coming weeks. Or Connor's citizenship, and Artemis's..."
Mrs. McDonald shook her head and gave a smile "No, no, there is no particular difficulty with maintaining such friendly contacts within the Justice League's youth programme...such that it is...and maintaining friendships is only to be encouraged. Commander?"
"Yes indeed, all that was agreed to earlier prior to this divergence between ourselves and the Justice League is still approved. We still hope the situation can be rectified at a late date, and readmission considered if need be of course if desired, but moving forward with our own development has to take priority now. Honestly lad, keeping up to date with your new friends there would be good for your mental health as much as theirs considering what we now know of how the...training...works. Because the world truly does not need emotionally vulnerable, or compromised, super-powered vigilantes"
Constantine chuckled "Which is why ye need to be seein the men in the white coats for a wee bit mate"
The Commander rapped his knuckles gently off the table "Indeed Mister Constantine, one has to avoid following up on the lessons taught by your own, and Mister Finn's, prior circumstances. As we found out last year these islands could do without unhinged magic users...or at least anymore of them. So Agent your on leave for the next week, thought I'll admit training with young Miss Master's is approved as is some ritual studies you've requested pending review. By that time we'll hopefully have managed to arrange a private meeting with someone like Warden Waller from the US side, and with our British contacts, in regards what we've just..."
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