[06th November 2010]
[Stonehenge, Amesbury, Salisbury]
Reality reset...and evidently it was filled with loud shouty people I noticed everything twisted and warped in a bright flash before finding myself standing in a suddenly very, very, crowded ancient ritual site. One that seemed to have been given the auld fixer-upper because I was pretty sure those stones hadn't been there a few moments ago.
Not that I was complaining as I let out a loud sigh, resting on my staff as startled people got very excited and started hugging each other. Or in some cases shoving other people out of the way to hug others as Constantine was doing, flying forward to scoop up my cheerfully happy apprentice Gemma...who did the same as I staggered slightly at her passing.
Well caused by her and the sheer amount of concentrated magical power currently here...and at other currently linked locations as well it seemed. There was a helluva lot of magic in the air my brain informed me absently as I gave my head a shake to 'wake up' a little from almost drunk feeling buzzing around inside me from so much magic having been marshalled by myself at least.
'Okay dat didn't work, still feeling...wwwwwooooooooooo-ish like. K...what's around you boyo?' I noted absently feeling hungry, tired and yet full of boundless energy as I glanced around at hugging shouty people, powerful spirits and elementals, what were definitely some Gods and what-felt-like-Celestials-of-some-sort as well, and other associated beings of various powers. Oh, and a small horde of magically endowed children I'd sorta recruited and used as my mini-magical army...
"It worked! It worked! We did it!"
...and people were hugging me and shouting stuff into my face, back, ears...whatever as I nodded that it had indeed worked. Zatanna was certainly happy, as was Kaldur and his two human looking undersea wizard friends...oh and Gemma was back too and hugging and the others as well. Though I had no idea who several of the others were beyond 'young magical recruit' we'd gotten from somewhere, but I was happy, they were happy...everyone was happy...
That was good...
And the world had not exploded either in the process of this hastily arranged Epic Global Level Spell...
...which was also good I had to admit with another nod.
Good things were Good, even when the Christian Devil was currently talking to Constantine, the Giant Plant Elemental, what seemed like six foot tall God in human form, and several of John's rather idiotic friends...
"I need a drink" I admitted as I surveyed the scene before me, and really all around me in truth. Local version OP Harry Potter was the one to reply to me, though and several others seemed to have growling stomachs as the good cheer, loud shouting, shoving, and hugs continued unabated. I could relate, mass magic rituals could make you rather fuzzy headed and hungry in the aftermath, especially with the whole divine manifestation thing in the midst of that...
"Yeah, got a hunger for a bag of chips some reason now you say the like mate, shame not anything ere' ta dig inta"
I nodded as one or two others voiced giddy agreement amidst all the hyperactive buzzing around us all. Yes, bit of an oversight there on my part when writing out the Plans. After all, a good general ensured his soldiers were well fed and happy; an army moved on its belly after all!
"Hey, that's true...well bit a juice left ah guess, hey you three wanna give me a hand..." I asked and took hands in my hands "...anyone hungry? Then. Here. We. Go"
Well it was more the whole Cleric thing than Wizard but fuck it, there'd be lots of questions to be answered in a little bit once everyone got all sensible again so best not to do it on an empty stomach. After all I could feel others doing similar, more selfishly for themselves it felt to me as they likely summoned drinks or other things for themselves. So I prayed...getting an exasperated answer along with a flicker of power...and allowed the magic to activate in a rather limited area amongst my recruits...
'Heroes Feast is such an awesome spell' I mused to myself with a faint chuckle at the odd shapes that the tables took as they formed via my magic. Now it wasn't exactly going to feed an army, but it would be enough to nibble on for them. Next time we had a End of the World I really did need to include the logistics of the required catering...
"Oooh...there's snacks too! Bout fuckin' time that! Got a hunger sumin damn fierce on me like you wouldn't fuckin believe.. " a red haired white skinned woman-spirit stated nearby, well shouted, at a rather tall burly African man with a really impressive top hat "...Sammy get the fuck over here now would ya! Somebody's priest just summoned us' up some snacks and booze!"
"I can do better than that!" someone feminine sounded stated loudly a little distance away, getting a retort from a deep voice man sounded like a moment later.
"Then let us behold which amongst us can summon the finest of feastings!"
Other voices echoed on the wind as a rather large
"...ya see thought him everythin' ah know. Chip off the ol block he is..." Constantine's voice was saying to somebody just behind me as I took up the appropriate bottle and knocked back a gulp. Ah, that was better...
Big burly white god-dude was evidently cheerful as he appeared at my side amidst the chaotic mess of the crowd talking loudly "Well this deserves some Merriment don't we all agree? It's been centuries...millennia since there's been a crowd together like this! Who's up for a PARRTTTYYY?"
Evidently a significant portion of the crowd agreed with him as several shouted back agreement or encouragement...
I blinked, glancing up as my teammates started jostling at me again and music seemed to start from absolutely nowhere...
Wait...is that Riverdance?
"THEN LET'S GET THIS PARTY STARTED!"
--
[06th November 2010]
[Cabinet Office Brief Room, No. 70 Whitehall]
Life had stopped making sense some time ago Jason David Wynn-Jones had found as he remained calm and stoic amidst the barely organised chaos of the Crisis Room. He sipped his tea as the Minister for Defence shouted hysterically about something or other that was pointless in terms of current events.
Really, the easiest way to handle such things was to accept that reality was the way it was and one worked on what you could when you could when the crisis hit. Of course it had stopped making any sense at all when the world's children had vanished a few hours ago and the response of his nation, and the Irish, had been grab every 'wizard' they could so they to summon Gods and Demons to Earth to get them back.
Successfully too as all the children were back, both in the United Kingdom and in the rest of the world according to all reports. Alive and well, albeit somewhat traumatised by what had occurred; his own grandchildren amongst them. They'd given a Jolly good show too; evidently helping organise this response on the children's side of things after some phone calls. At least the generation after his son and daughter were proving up to the task of the family duty!
"Section Chief, your suggestion?" the Prime Minister asked sounding stressed as she motioned at the screens of what appeared to be a woman dressed for a medieval reenactment dancing with members of the Territorial Army atop one of their Scorpion Light Tanks. She was rather limber for one in such armour his mind noted idly as the clearly befuddled reporter spoke soundlessly under the moonlight.
"Well there isn't much we can do in that regards Ma'am..." he replied honestly. Nice woman he found, rather intelligent and calm too, which was a real shock to him really considering the fact she was a member of the Labour Party. And not even a Communist either! Would wonders never cease?
He motioned at the screen "...indeed it'll distract attention for several hours while we come up with a cover story alongside the Paddies, and maybe the Yanks as well. My recommendation is that we simply claim ourselves and the Irish have established the organisation years ago and had such plans in the event of just such a terrible event last occurred earlier tonight"
Another sip of the tea helped calm the nerves a bit more as he glanced at all the news feeds from the various ritual sites "Such events as seem to have occurred in the aftermath are only going to give us more time to prepared a reasonable statement and ensure there are no incidents that might upset the beings that have saved all the children..." he paused and took another sip "...beyond that. I would recommend we start ringing catering companies, plus any breweries nearby perhaps, and ensure all very powerful beings that have arrived are kept happy and given our thanks while they hang around..."
--
[06th November 2010]
[BBC News Live - Stonehenge]
"But, but, but...you're the Devil? Like literally Satan!"
"Oh no I'm retired now. Lucifer Morningstar is the name, there is another guy called Satan now, a real go getter the First is"
"Wha...how...what...how do...does the Devil retire?"
"Ah one can only spend so long in Dad's basement before deciding to move out and do one's own thing my dear. So one day I just locked up the Gates, handed the Key over to one of the Interns, and gave them the job minding the place. A dreadful place I found, filled with dreadful people like Satanists, Murderers, Monsters, Terrorists, and Televangelists. The First seemed rather happy about the whole thing, and I was happy to leave and do what I always wanted, so it was a win-win situation for all involved"
"Wha...wha...and what's that your...Morningstar-ness Sir?"
"Why run a piano bar of course! With attached Nightclub that has specials on..."
--
[06th November 2010]
[Stonehenge, Amesbury, Salisbury]
"Hmm, portals between all the feasting areas, that is rather convenient is it not? Anyone we know who came up with the idea?"
"No sadly it was not. It was that Nabu fellow...one of the one Orderlies from the Plane of Law...surprisingly enough who brought it up. Frightfully boring chap, but seems he wants to play doorman so we all figured...why not?"
"Truly wise thinking...hmm, has anyone seen any of the Olympians?"
"No supposedly not. Poor showing that, especially with one of their own helping that filthy Chaos Elemental and his mortals. Though I think the tall bald one is here though, along with the mortal one Diana something...oh is that...what was it...Baal Maqad, Makdad, or Marqod...or some such like that wasn't it?"
"Yes, one of that lot. Thought he was dead as well, but seems not and he's right friendly with that lot who called us all together for to stomp on that. Seems he's playing Bard for this part of the festivities to my eye"
"Truly, wait...that there is...oh, we must say hello! I haven't seen her since she went off and married that African fellow..."
--
[06th November 2010]
[Stonehenge, Amesbury, Salisbury]
"Ah man, we save the world all the time...and they save it once and get a super awesome party from God...well Gods...for doing it just once. That is super unfair!"
"Perhaps it is Replacement Flash, but when we former super-villains decide to save the world we do it with so much more style I must say. Diana, Red Tornado, greetings"
"Richard, it is a...surprise...to see you here"
"Hm? Perhaps, but retirement was getting ever so boring and when these rather nice men knocked on my door asking me to save the children I could say not but how I could aid such a noble task. Also they offered me a job with a great salary"
"Ahhh maaannn...a party and now you're getting paid too? That is so not fair!"
"Flash..."
--
[06th November 2010]
[Stonehenge, Amesbury, Salisbury]
"Mera is going to be so mad at me when she gets here"
"My King..."
"Kaldur'am you have done nothing wrong, and everything right...but that sadly does not mean my Queen will be overly happy to find half of the Conservatory of Sorcery, and dozens of military Cadets from several of the City-States here and not back in Atlantis. You and your comrades in arms she will be proud of...me shall blame somehow for her students been alone on the surface world, surrounded by foreign magicians, priests, and their Gods...sigh...now go enjoy the revels with thy comrades my student, and please...please...try keep them out any further trouble"
--
[06th November 2010]
[Mount Olympus]
"Sup Bitches! Guess who's back?" she demanded kicking down the doors and stared down Zeus and all his whiny little...
Well, that's what she'd liked to have done it, but sadly did not have the courage to do so as she opened the doors and strolled back inside the Halls to the stunned confusion of those within. Hermes of course was the first to great her with a friendly wave as the whispers erupted amongst her fellows.
"Hecate..babe...your back, and looking really well...that, that...does mean that Circe's dead right?"
She smiled "Yes, seemed a number of Gods might have killed her for...reasons I'm sure you can guess at. Oh, also the magic's back..."
--
[06th November 2010]
[Stonehenge, Amesbury, Salisbury]
"Donna...who is this child?"
"Ah, well...this is..."
"She's under my protection! Oh, and that God over there's too, don't mess with her...cuz I know her Da's a cheating asshole!"
"Yes...this is Cassie whose...what the blue and white clad wizard-priest over there just yelled drunkenly...and well...Cassie is..."
"Donna says my Daddy is called Zeus. Is my Daddy really named Zeus? I've never met my Daddy? Is he nice?"
"This is Cassie Sandermark, Daughter of Zeus, Her mother is been flown over as we speak and..."
"Oh Her...oh, best not say that name. This has been just the day for such things it seems...sigh...Hi Cassie, I'm..."
--