[17th October 2010]
[Mount Justice, Happy Harbour, Rhode Island]
The shower was helping I noted as I closed my eyes and allowed the water to hit my head and temporarily clear away some of the cobwebs of tiredness thanks to only getting maybe two or three hours sleep. That and the fun video conversation with my Bosses because across the ocean about where I was and what I was doing. Well, with my actual official ones rather than my unofficial ones in SHIELD, about being here in the mountain again and...Oh, and did I mention those super-powered ex-teammates of mine are all emotional traumatised because of the most retarded attempt at a training exercise ever?
Because that's what everyone wanted to hear about after getting me kicked off the Team – the Justice League and gone and broke their sidekicks by sheer fucking incompetence. Or at least that's the impression I got from the looks of said Bosses when I confirmed the vague reasoning behind why I was being 'invited' to stay in the mountain again for a few days.
Training accident my ass; that was like describing a hurricane as a strong gust of wind that knocked a few things over. I shook my head under the water before turning it off and grabbing the towel nearby. Madness, the whole thing was bloody madness. What was worse I could sort of grasp the logic of the underlying idea; a Kobiyashi Maru scenario to see how they all reacted under pressure. I'd been pushing for proper training for my teammates after all, and this would technically count as that.
The problem though was with the whole psionic mind link training was that powerful psionists who were untrained could have unintended effects when they panic. Untrained psionists like M'gann who'd done just that and then everyone had reinforced each other because they had not trained for handling such a situation. Martian Manhunter then proving utterly unable to control the scenario he, himself, had set into motion. Valiantly I resisted the urge to start banging my head off the wall as I dried myself off.
"Well, par for the course I guess..." I grumbled with a tired sigh. It was pretty hard to guess at multiversal outcomes but damn if I'd ended up in one particularly odd version of the DC section of it with a less than ideal Justice League. Considering how this place 'felt' all those years ago I shouldn't be surprised that at the state it was in, but it did grate somewhat on days like this I found...though likely because it was people I cared about getting it in the head for rather idiotic reasons and general lack of planning. So instead of a scenario where they were supposed to suffer a simulated loss, they instead got convinced it was all real as the world literally died all around them.
As best I could piece together it was supposed to be your bog standard evil alien invasion, save that the Justice League got wiped out at the start and left the Team in charge of the fight back. Or something like that anyways, that was the basic brief, but it seemed to have spiralled badly after that when Robin died and they all got it in their heads it was totally real. I'm not really sure if I should be happy or bothered by my seeming role, and subsequent death in it, in their little collective nightmare.
Because me somehow convincing the US President, British Prime Minister and the Russians to launch mass nuclear strikes against the aliens when they started exterminating humanity...seemed a bit beyond my powerbase right now. Well without mind-control shenanigans at least, and those were really for 'End of the Line' scenarios like the Omega Protocols for Morticoccus, Darksied, The Monarch, The Dark Knights, and the like. Scenarios that my teammates didn't know about thank the heavens considering what they'd created without those fears.
Then again...they believed John Constantine would summon unholy horrors from hell in army format before going down, so I shouldn't judge their view how far I'd go when pressed. Probably good I hadn't told them the full extent of my abilities or fears because sadly I could imagine even worse than what they'd collectively designed as their nightmare humanity ending scenario. Well Humanity and Martians from M'gann had mumbled about during the earlier sobbing fit...
"...aaannnnndddd I need to restore my wards on the room it seems, and locking doors.." I muttered as I opened the spell protected door to the ensuite and people who were allowed through them were sitting on my bed, as I emerged with towel around my waist and a mild glare on my brow I expect raising my tone to a more audible level "Hi guys...ehh...I'm here to talk but could it...wait five minutes maybe?"
'Personal space people, personal space even in trouble times' I rumbled internally as both individuals barely acknowledged my existence beyond a dead-eyed glance at me from one, and the faintest hint of a smirk on the other. Artemis had her arm around M'gann's shoulder as the Martian girl sniffled again. Neither made any move as I just stood there in the doorframe looking at them to do so. I sighed "I have to get dressed ladies"
"That's okay, I'll wait" M'gann replied lifelessly staring at the ground and shuffling her head. Artemis blinked for a moment, paused, then nodded at me "Oh yeah, we'll wait right here, no need to rush on our account Skulls"
Normally I'd make a sarcastic response, or just shout at them out to bugger on off for a few minutes, but not the ideal time right now. M'gann was still like a lost puppy right now it looked, Connor from the sounds it was punching something repeatedly outside, and, Artemis it seemed had recovered enough to be back to the usual bravado and teasing front back up in a small measure "Fine then, there are other ways around this impasse"
A click of the fingers and some draconic and the rudimentary spell triggered and summoned my 'wizard' robes of sorts unto my body like liquid flowing over my body. More twenty-first century than not in fashion, but they had some resembles to the ones I'd favoured back another lifetime ago. They were also enchanted with protections and other useful things if I were ever caught unaware during things like a shower, or on the loo, by an enemy. Artemis gave a small unladylike snort at me and rolled her eyes "Hmph...borrriiinggg"
I shook my head in exasperation; I blamed her mother, and father...and sister...for this attitude of hers at her age considering she wasn't an orc but who was I to judge. Still it was a little uncomfortable to be honest, but as usual I just bulled on through and walked over towards them, giving a faint smile to both of them "Well I'm glad you're feeling better at least..." glanced at the green-skinned girl staring at my feet...or the floor maybe "Hey M'gann, you two want to talk a little before breakfast..."
--
[21st October 2010]
[Conference Room, Beneath Pentagon, Arlington County, Virginia]
It was very tiring playing teleportation bouncing between Happy Harbour, to my Sanctum, to SHIELD, and now to the Pentagon thanks to the prepared ritual circle Georgina Snow had prepared. International cooperation at its finest...well, right now at least. Considering all the things in terms of power available on the planet, and in the stars around us, it was a rather poor setup indeed. That and the past few days were tiring in their own way, so it was something of a relief to get a few hours away from the gloom of my teammates even if it was for work once again.
Damn but my period of 'psychological leave' turning out to be rather stressful and busier than it really should be. Everyone was recovering, and Black Canary was actually being useful there for a member of the Justice League. Though I was still pretty sure she was a proper, or qualified, psychiatrist like the nice man I'd seen back in Athlone who was paid by the Government to listen and at the same time keep his mouth shut. Really why did the Justice League not have a support organisation behind them? After all both Wayne and Queen were bloody loaded with money and could afford it!
'Then again...Bat-suit and Green-clad Archery dude, so personally hiring a shrink had likely never been considered either, so why worry about on the organisation level when someone's girlfriend would do' I reminded myself walking forward out of the ritual circle to the curious glances of those present. As per usual really - when one entered a room full of shiny science gear via means of magic teleportation ritual one tended to get odd looks sadly.
I ignored them of course as Miss Snow waved me to take my turn to summon my 'mentor' here as well for the dog and pony show. This didn't take long as I summoned up the power and connected with the other side of the spell across the ocean, and then ignited the magic with their support. Tele-conferencing teleportation was awesome my opinion as it saved so much time and effort with regards scrying or sympathic magic. And John Constantine was reasonably well dressed as well as moved over to the table and I pulled out my laptop and placed it upon the table to be used once security were sure it was 'safe' in whatever manner that meant.
Not that they had much means to judge that considering all the protective runes and blood wards I'd placed on the damned thing since getting a hold of it. Never could trust who'd get access to it in my opinion since I'd made a spell-book of sorts out of it thanks to digital scanners. Still preferred my good old paper books but there was a certain utility to combine tradition with 'modern' technology. Especially for presentations like here and now I found, connecting it to the projector supplied and bringing up my power-point display based on the findings so far on the 'arcane' end of the small arms design proposals.
Not that'd I'd managed to get much done on the damned thing in the past few thanks to events, but turned out Constantine and Finn weren't great at presentations based on their findings. That Yoke there, with the thingie, innit fuckin' demonic, and that's bleedin' strange were not appropriate phrases to use when trying to get your point across to non-mage professionals who couldn't feel what a mage could feel or hear, or sometimes see.
A tap of the buttons brought up various pieces of information on the Ace of Winchester from looking over it, along with references to various occult compendiums and even one or two scientific papers. Really my goals for the day were getting whatever Waller and her people had found in their searches, anything their scientist had picked up, and in getting a new company formed that could be used to fund weapons research by all parties involved through legal means. And hopefully generate money down the line whenever the weapons could be produced on something more than an individual basis.
Capital sums were all very well and good but income generation was much more important for the long-term success of such a project. Well that and letting me interview Mr. Kadabra...the supposed time-traveller. Because there were strong indicators he might evidently, and even if he wasn't his 'looks like magic' tech was too good to just ignore. Like a lot of stuff that was on this world, but one had to start somewhere sadly; Cold Guns, Red Tornado's creation of actually functioning AI, the list just went on and on I found...
--
[23rd October 2010]
[Mount Justice, Happy Harbour, Rhode Island]
'Well we're making some headway at least" I mused with a faint smile enjoying the sea-breeze as our, at least somewhat less depressed than yesterday, group walked along the beach outside the mountain. Reduced a bit in size as Robin and Aqualad were off with their mentors hopefully not performing stressful missions, but everyone else was kind of doing their own thing. Even what I'd count as sort of crazy consider cold October weather as M'gann and Connor swam about in the sea...then again aliens, so what was I doing leaning on common sense for that.
Still Wolf was...
'Bloody Connor and his naming conventions' I thought resisting rolling my eyes as the Dire Wolf ran after the stick that Artemis had thrown for it. With the Sphere also burbling afterwards as well I noted in further proof of the oddness of the situation. Honestly considering he called the Sphere, well, Sphere as well so maybe I should be just grateful the dire-wolf wasn't female or he'd be calling it Bitch if we weren't careful. Because that's what we needed him shouting out on missions; come here Bit...
My eyes snapped to the west and I turned as I felt the energies in the sky. I narrowed them searching as I felt the faint pressure building steadily. Hand came out of pockets, moving swiftly in motion towards the others that something might be wrong. This was hardly ideal as two were in the sea in swimwear, Kid Flash watching one of them and no noticing my warning, and Artemis without her bow. I summoned my defensive gear with a few words to stand with staff in hand and defensive wards in place. At least my lot noticed that as I called out to them that something was approaching...
'A flying silver car evidently' my mind informed me as said flying silver car fly through the air to hover over the beach near to us and a big burly dude sitting at the front was gesticulating wildly at us and shouting something that sounded like threats...or accusing us of stealing...
'Since when do Celestials ride around magic cars? Oh crap is...this...a dude who got out of a Potterverse? A really buff Weasley and friends?' my mind queried as my teammates sprung into action and I ignited a flight spell to put myself between them and them and the threat. Delay was the name of game as there were Red Tornado and Black Canary present in the mountain so...
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