[17th November 2010]
[Watchtower, Low Earth Orbit]
I let out a tired groan, sliding back against the wall behind me to sit down as the energy from the somehow focused berserker rage faded away, along with the red coloured environmental shield that had surrounded my body. That...had not gone exactly as I had expected or planned, not at all I could admit resting my head back exhausted against the...super-special-space-steel?...bulkhead behind it. I focused on not closing my eyes, because that would likely involve me falling asleep immediately after being so drained. Mostly from the combination of ritual spell and...whatever the fuck Gestalt-magic-power-ring-bullshit just happened to seemingly the whole bloody human race. A nice, relaxing, restful sleep...
"Dammit...up, move, sleepy time later" I managed to mutter before awkwardly starting to shove myself back up into a standing position with the help of my staff. An arm slid under my shoulder, helping me back up to stand straight again. Bad decision making brought on by tiredness I expected as another issue popped into my head seeing the skull-faced mask and body armour in the gleaming metal 'Oh...yeah...best trigger a polymorph I guess again, musta dropped me illusion during...the thing'
"I must get you to teach me that spell..." Zatanna muttered softly beside me as my word went...sorta woosy for a moment as I ignited the spell and brought myself back into official army gear. Personally I preferred the field dress with nifty little beret to the more fancy and less comfortable service dress. That and my current get up had pockets, lots of pockets, and pockets were great for having things in them. Useful things, from spare clips, to mars bars, and grenades...
'And my thoughts are rambling...great, lets buy some time before burnout' I thought with a sigh as both myself, and Zatanna, who wobbled slightly at my sudden lethargy from the il-thought-out spell. Not that she seemed to be any better, muttering to herself, giving a yawn, and seemingly using me for support as much as I was her. Unsurprising, everyone involved in such a massive magical effect was going to be drained after performing it, and then having...a newly Ascended God? Elemental Being? Manifestation of Species Wide Will?...draw from mind and magic for its Ascension.
'Followed by creating the goddamned Red Lantern Corps apparently' my mind groaned at me, as I reached into one of the pockets and pulled out a 'Stamina Restoration' potion. And I could feel it at the farthest recesses of my mind, the far distant power, rage and will, thrumming so much yet so much weaker than it did with my patron deity. It was still forming, like thunder rumbling...
Alaya...a whisper from amongst the far distant storm at my probing of the lingering traces of the spell as it fade away into the recesses of the collective subconscious of mankind. I downed the potion and immediately began to feel stronger, more awake, and able to face the next few hours as my thoughts cleared 'My fault there I bet...dammit, gestalt consciousness and she-it-whatever has gotten a download of the entire species even if it's unlikely to be truly manifested as an ascended. Or maybe is, who knows with a collective sub-conscious gestalt...there will be a lifetime of research to go into it'
Yawning again Zatanna's exhausted sounding voice indicated she taken notice of my sudden burst of energy "What's that? No fair! Give me one!"
I straightened her as she staggered slightly at the movement. Yep, she was as bad as I am, and a glance at her father indicated the same with him sitting on the floor while some of his Justice League colleagues moved to surround him and bombard him with questions I expected. With a sigh I fished my hand into my pocket and pulled out two more potion bottles as my own teammates stalked into view along with the others from the Justice League came into the room. Some striding with questioning looks, some looking very confused, and one or two appearing exhausted as I felt a moment ago; I handed one of the small corked bottles to my fellow magician.
"Here...just a warning; it will wake you up for a few hours and then you are going to need to sleep just as badly as I do. So if you want to go to sleep now, go...because when this wears off then we going to crash like after the last ritual"
A statement that wasn't listened to I noted as she barely even sniffed at the potion before drinking it down in one quick motion. Followed by blinking, and something of a smile "Tastes bad, but wow...it does work!" she frowned and looked across the room "...you should probably give Dad one too..."
I nodded, already starting to walk the short distance towards the older Zatara and push through the small group besieging the half-asleep sorcerer "Already ahead of you, next few hours...days, going to be insanely hectic and we need to start giving answers to questions I expect"
Because on the big screen from all the other ritual sites I could see very similar reactions to the what just happened even at a glance; some were sitting in exhaustion, some were wandering about looking a bit dazed, and more than a few had seemingly fallen asleep just like I'd nearly done. Honestly at least this part of the operation was basically as I'd expected to happen; for the next few hours at least most of the worlds mages, and involved mystic beings, were going to need a little rest.
Just like Mr. Zatara looked about to do as I offered the magic-wake-up potion to him with an explanation and warning over the nature of it; I'd detailed it before, but tired minds forget such things. And, in a show of father and daughter solidarity, he downed in an identical motion to Zatanna's a moment ago. Though his reaction as the false energy filled his veins was to stand back up immediately and started motioning for Batman, Wonder Woman and the others to come towards him. And...at the very, very, confused looking aliens amongst the ranks who hadn't been caught up in the whirlwind of power...
"Okay, Skulls, Zee, what just happened? Explanations. Now. Miss Martian is hiding in the closet from us right now saying the angry lady's going to get her" a feminine voice demanded as an arm clammed around my waist and started to push me forward, as one the other side of the suddenly appearing Artemis Zatanna was pushed towards Team Anxious Sidekicks and Friends...
"Uhhh...shouldn't her Uncle be getting her out and calming her down?" because they sounded like the family thing to do.
"Martian Manhunter...is currently in contact with Mars right now, and he says that his mental state would only adversely affect his niece. Please see to your team and teammate, there shall questions to be answered in short about...whatever just happened before everyone started glowing and shooting red beams around your world!" Hawkwoman sounded uneasy, as did her armoured body language. Still I had to ask, despite knowing we'd basically blood sacrificed or burned from existence every single Starro on the planet. Even those that tried to escape...knew it from the memories of...I resisted wincing. Sometimes magical mental barriers and memory were as much a curse as a blessing during such events...
"Starro has been...dealt with?"
"We're fairly sure yes...yes we are reasonable sure that Starro has ceased to be a threat. Scanners are still watching for signs of it..." she shook her head "...but the Red Wave seemed to strike it down across. Don't you all...remember...your..?"
Uncomfortable shifting of feet around me from my teammates, who were all looking confused...till Artemis shoved, speaking with a voice sounding a little strained "Yes-yes, Naked Red Magic Girl shouting in head...laser beam hands...now Team talk and have Team Leader here get our teammate calmed down..."
I blinked muttering "Team Leader?" as I was hustled past the Justice League member and into the hallway, hearing off in the distance the voices of Martian Manhunter, Hawkman, and Superman talking loudly into the main computer screen beyond. Artemis gave an unladylike snort, sounding both amused and stressed as Kid Flash, Superboy, Robin, and...Icon's trainee Rocket?...following along in something of whispering huddle of confusion. Finger poked into my waist.
"That would be you Skulls!"
"I'm pretty sure I'm not on the team anymore..."
"You don't get a vote, so get in there in explain what just happened to all of us Team Wizards"
Oh, this was just fine and dandy. I had John Constantine running about unmonitored, somehow catalysed the creation and manifestation of the godsdamned Alaya consciousness, had Red Power Rings running around where their shouldn't be, potentially millions lay dead on the Earth below...and right now I felt the pressure on my wards from a very, very, scared Martian girl...
Well, best to start on the most immediate problem as I triggered a small and connected to the little psionic talking shop M'gann had established and get everything organised. Because I needed to get back down to Earth, and SHIELD, and...figure out the exact nature of what had just occurred, and of the extent of the deaths I knew to be likely over a million in number at least...
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[17th November 2010]
[Ritual Site, Glastonbury Tor, Somerset]
"GARDNER. WHAT. HAVE. YOU. DONE?" Green Lantern Jon Stewart found himself shouting as he and the dozen other Lanterns starred in shock at the Red Coloured Central Power Battery humming in the centre of a field in England. Because it was almost identical to the one on Oa...and the Guardians were freaking right the fuck out judging from the demand for reports every couple of seconds, cutting out to talk amongst themselves, and then ask the same questions again...
"It was...an accident? Heh heh heh,...well Starro's gon!? So...Success?" was the unhelpful response as Stewart fought down the spike of Rage he felt at the insanely dangerous antics of this IDIOT who'd somehow blundered his way into becoming a member of the Green Lantern Corps. Because here they now stood in the middle of a field, surround a division of the British Army, dozens of mages, Doctor Fate, the Original Green Lantern...and really none of the Lanterns present were sure what to do exactly.
They'd assembled a Strike Force as quickly as could be grabbed from other Sectors, and promptly arrived to find Humanity had somehow accidently managed to wield the Red Light of the Emotional Spectrum. Jon Stewart should know...he and Hal Jordon had felt, lived, the effect at the edge of the solar system even if seemingly in a diminished effect than here upon the planet itself. Only the fact of Magical Illusions (of all things!) of Doctor Fate, some very exhausted magicians, the fact the world was focused on what had just happened, and those governments aware of it were intent on keeping it quiet for the moment as well, was keeping the presence of thing secret.
"Yeah success in throwing me into a nightmare, thank you Lantern Gardner..." the young problem from SHIELD muttered standing beside his scruffy mentor, Doctor Fate, and Alan Scott just below assembly of Lanterns "...as what they've done. We're pretty sure they...we...summoned the Manifestation of the Will of Humanity...and..."
Young Mister Fortune groaned, waving at the great Red Battery, trimmed in faintest green and gold sigils and lines, unlike the pure emerald of the Battery on Oa "And then I'm pretty sure it got ANGRY at Starro trying to mind control, and then eat, us after killing over a million people worldwide...so...Magic Red Battery of Angry Justice, Vengeance, etc, etc..."
"Indeed it is as he says, containing the Starro creature, from across and from this world was proving beyond our capacity to control and the death toll was rising to levels that the nations of this world felt the need to act..." the blue and gold clad form of the Lord of Order stated "...such as occurred was not what was envisioned, but Magic has been beginning to flood into this dimension once again. First in a trickle, now in a great torrent, when Ascension occurred briefly...a new Totem of the Red was raised and given form by the Will. This artefact is under my protection, in the interest of the Humanity till the United Nations can discuss such in detail, but the aid of the Green Lantern Corps would be most welcome in prevent such dangerous knowledge across the cosmos"
Young Fortune was rubbing his head, sitting on a rock and looking at the Red Battery askance "Yeah, and help researching the damned thing...and probably training the Red Lanterns that'll start popping up in the future...oh, and I'd tell the Guardians ye work for this thing feels like an Anchor of some kind to me, or maybe a dam. If it breaks it's gonna flood the universe with all the pent up energies behind it...or something. I think it copied itself from Gardners ring and then..."
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