[07th November 2010]

[Farmhouse Bed & Breakfast, Amesbury, Salisbury]

Poke...

Ugh...my head hurt I thought with a faint groan of discontent. Tiredness, a headache, that annoying buzzing sound in my ears along with...

Poke...

What the fuck was that...

Poke...

I forced my eyes to open and grunted slightly at the light flickering over me. Okay, I was in a bed, I felt like crap, and someone was sitting on it beside me and had, was, evidently using their finger to poke my cheek as I blinked and looked upward.

"Good Mornnninnnngggggg Skulls!" a bemused sounding voice announced as I groaned again, rubbing at my eyes as a grinning face leaned over and looked down at me one hand resting just on the pillow beside my head with an arm for balance as she shimmied up a bit. Idly I noticed I could hear the sound of either a shower or maybe just heavy rain outside "...we thought you'd never wake up from your little beauty sleep! Wakey Wakey eggs and bakey"

"Ugh...Wha?...Artemis...why are you in my ro..." I managed to raise my head up, blinking rapidly as I noticed that I appeared to be in a room I did not recognise. Hotel room maybe...I forced my eyes open a bit more...looked like I was in a single bed, and there was a bigger one on the other side of me. Past my blonde haired teammate...who was sitting on my bed, atop the blankets with her back up against the backrest of the old fashioned bed "...K...k...this doesn't look ughh...good..."

Artemis flicked my face with her fingers with a pout on her own "Hey, pretty lady right here Skulls! Snf...snf...after everything you said to me last night...sniff..everthing you did to me...I could cry..."

What?WHAT?

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

She was looking like she was going to cry, one arm coming up to shield her eyes and showing me the tears "Snf Snf Snf...so cruel, so, so, so cruel..."

Oh sweet heavens no...I am so going to the nine hells for this, or jail, and then the nine hells...

Artemis burst out laughing the hand coming away from her to pat me on the cheek "Hehehe...ahh...the look on your face Skulls..."

"Artemis, dear...what are you doing?" an exasperated voice queried along with the sound of a door opening and sound of the shower shutting off. Tired and confused I brought sore eyes to gaze at the bathrobe clad form of Paula Nyugen Crock, and a smaller towel around her hair, as she came into view. This was all a bit too much for me as I tried to push myself up in the bed, propping myself up on my elbows as I did so...and seemed I was only in a pair of boxers...

Okay, what the fuck was going on?

"Umm...just waking Skulls up Mom, it'll be breakfast time soon!"

"Of course you were dear, now go get your shower and leave the young master be" came the reply which caused Artemis to huff slightly "Fine Mom, going, going..."

'Don't look, don't look" I told myself as she pushed herself up to stand, seemed she'd chosen a long t-shirt and underwear as her sleepwear and was...well, being Artemis as she motioned at me with a wave while moving away "...see you in a bit young master, and no peeking now either Skulls!"

With her disappearance around the corner, and sound of a door moving I just stared tiredly at her trying to ensure the blanket covered and gave me some remaining shred of dignity "Okay...what's going on? Where are we? Why am in my underwear in a strange bed and sharing a room? Last I recall was End of the World was undone and talking to various scary powerful beings..."

Paula shrugged before sitting down near the desk in the room, pulling off the cloth over covering her hair and beginning to comb it "Well in order young master; you, and several others, are recovering from your ordeal with your magic...something about arcane backlash...and sleeping off your hangover as well I expect. As to where; in this rather pleasant accommodation not far from the ritual site you were at, while I...and my daughter, though she largely invited herself into that role...have been designated your minder of sorts while you slept it off. Though that is in part linked to your current attire...your robes were rather dirty due to a combination of alcohol, dirt and various other things. You stank basically, so that had to go they were removed before putting you to bed young master. Do not worry, a clean set of clothing has been sent over and is hanging in the cabinet there..."

"Sent over...how long was I out? What time is it?" Oh this was just wonderful I noted rubbing my sore head and giving an unhappy sigh "...and what about the others? Teammates, Constantine...basically all those...ya know...Gods and Demons? All those children we...I...shanghaied into the whole madness?"

"The British idiot, and most of the children who are not from amongst those sea-people from Atlantis, are either here, or in nearby hotels and will be brought together much later today I expect. I've a briefing document for you provided by your superiors to read later on, though they did not expect you to be awake for perhaps several more hours in truth. Many...most...everyone involved with the events of any magical background has shown extreme exhaustion in the aftermath I've been told, partying or no partying after it. The beings that were summoned have largely left for other areas and as the news before you are showing the world is truly in chaos from their appearances and from almost losing our children. Oh, and the rather wild party that followed all around this country and yours"

'Yeah...that'd make sense. Big ritual, pile of divines, horrors, the Devil and whatnot...ugh heavens above no wonder I feel like I've been knocked over by a troll' I admitted to myself. Though still...wait what?

"Wild party?" I winced as I said it and the memories started to roar back. Well at least I'd managed to avoid a TV interview...

"Yes, yesterday declared a National Holiday about six in the morning about two or three hours after all you magic types and your summoned creatures of terrible power decide to turn that big magical ritual of yours in an all night and following day impromptu festival"

"Yesterday?" I grunted out rubbing my head ..."it's the, what now...wait what about Gemma, she's..."

"Seventh I'm afraid, you took...well, were put...to bed yesterday evening about three or four in the evening and have slept straight through the night till now. Your apprentice is asleep next door; she slept through what was left of that night like the younger children, and then awoke for a little bit of the day before going to bed again. I assume she, and the others will be the same" Paula replied than motioned in towards one wall, and then the other.

"...though yours, and my daughter's, friend Zatanna has been taken home by her father shortly after he saw her dancing rather enthusiastically with your little group. The girl Cassandra and her mother are in the room on our other side along with what is evidently Wonder Woman's side-kick and the American girl called Rocket. All the rooms are rather full in this hotel and the others nearby, due to them...and of course the soldiers and police standing guard outside"

I blinked...oh yeah, I remembered that little episode and the whole 'Oh No Not another Constantine!' reaction to Gemma as my apprentice. Poor Mr. Zatara had been very stressed out to my eyes...even on an arcane 'high' of sorts...though that had been understandable. I'd been rather stressed out by the whole madness too, though Doctor Fate playing security along with a few other more Lawful beings had eased that somewhat. Well, them helping...and the alcohol to, that had helped calm the nerves just a little bit as well after finding myself being protective of certain individuals.

Like young demigoddess Cassie...because Hera was a nasty Goddess to her cheating asshole of a husband's bastards and 'lovers' due to some weird thing of blaming everyone but him for his affairs. Of course, the presence of so many supernatural beings under allied-peace-banner of sorts had meant that she was perfectly safe there and then, and for the next short while I'd expect.

But (and that was the problem as it was a pretty massive But right there), most beings could pick up on her nature and she'd let slip the name rather innocently even in front of me. By now I expect that such news was already winging its way to the mentally battered wife of Zeus, King of Cheating Scumbags and not worrying about what his very bitter wife would do to the children of such unions.

I rubbed at my head trying to think as I say the news report with big bold SHIELD outlined in a joint UK-Ireland press briefing. Seemed we were already at the bullshit stage of describing the extent of the organisation I noted as it scrolled by. We'd just had a world-changing event and I'd been out of commission for a day after it, though thankfully John had been out of it as well. which was something good really.

Public Relations material he was not after all. Right... need to get showered and fed, and then I needed to rally the troops so to speak. Promises had been made after all, and I suspect the Justice League were likely rather annoyed with me that I'd shattered the whole 'secret' nature of Mount Justice with recruiting a few dozen high-school students to play at telephone operators. Oh, and the in-theory secret nature of The Team in general...and my taking charge of it, and then having a big giant party afterwards...

Oh the next few hours...days, maybe weeks...weren't going to be much fun at all...

--

Okay I've tried to keep the nature of Artemis's actions in the chapter (which she is like at times in the show and comic) clean and not NSFW but if Mods have any issue let me know, or just change it as I'll be off to sleep in short. I'm fairly confident there isn't but just in case.