[18th November 2010]

[Highlands, North of Fort William, United Kingdom]

"Shhh, so'kay now, you're safe an' sound now...shhh, now lets get you covered up alrite? S'okay, we'll get you somewhere warm an' safe I promise. Hey, hey...what's your name?" I hushed to the girl who clung to me for dear life, holding her as she intermittently sobbed into my chest from the nightmare she, and all the others, had endured. It was uncomfortable mind; and holding a naked woman should not feel so dreadful as I motioned for one of the sick looking soldiers nearby to hurry up and get something to cover those we were freeing from their restraints. The trembling girl sniffled, arms wrapping more tightly around me as I hugged her back and motioned for others to hurry and get help.

"Am...Amreen...Bashier, I...I...I'm from London, we...we, at...it was a nightclub...s'uppose safe...and she..." she managed to get out before falling back into dry heaving sobs. Burying her head once more in my chest, and I brought my hand up to her shaved bald head, and just held her as the room filled with wailing sobs. It was horrifying, but efficient merciless horror that was frightening in its methodical organisation the part of my mind that wanted to be anywhere but here informed me to...just not have to throw up right here and now. Or the fact potential enemies of humanity had decided to 'modernise' their own operations like and make it Efficient.

"It's okay Amreen, I'm John and we're here to take you home, you're safe now don't worry"

Nightmarishly efficient in this unnervingly clean building, especially for what looked like a cattle milking parlour in basis, and the others in the 'farm' buildings surrounding it. It had the same purpose I supposed holding that clean shave head and resisting wincing at that; it seemed everything was harvested while ensuring the human 'cattle' remained alive and 'in good health' so to speak in their horror harnesses. Magic filled the air too, ritual symbols in various spots adding to the surrealness; Fey symbols, a demonic sigil, wards against various things like snooping, and even more disturbing to my eyes spells to 'encourage' certain response in a subject; from arousal, to animalistic terror and/or pain...and anything in between...

'Flavouring for the produce' I mentally hissed glancing around as another of the dozen women or more women in this section were freed from their shackled position. Freaking out and lashing out at her rescuer as one of the other soldiers moved to help his compatriot and calm her down in her panic before she hurt herself, or one of the others still trapped. To avoid getting in the way of the outbreak I guided my charge out a little away from the commotion; in the end sliding an arm behind her knees and lifting her up in a bridal carry and bringing her near the entrance and into a waiting blanket to cover her nakedness. She hardly noticed any of it as best I could tell, continuing to cling as two, no three, family figures came into view. All as sickly and disgusted looking as I suspect I myself looked.

"Hey, Amreen, shh...now this nice lady here is going to take you somewhere warm and safe. Hey, it's okay..." I started as one of the female British soldiers came over motioning silently about bringing my charge inside. Something she started to panic about before I gave her another little hug and motioned everything was okay and she was still safe. Honestly, I'd like to get somewhere she would be standing on cold stone floors and concrete in her bare feet "...she'll get you some shoes and clothes and something warm to eat. I'll be still here, just say you want John Fortune and I'll come a'running okay?"

With a slow nod as I looked her in the eyes and smiled, she disengaged herself sluggishly while holding the blanket tightly around her body as the unarmed woman soldier gave an encouragingly smile before gently guiding her towards the 'house' building with lights on and many soldiers milling about outside it. Motioning with my right hand I indicated the three to hold up a moment in speaking as I motioned the need to go around a little out of sight of those other women and girls being brought out of the 'cattle' barn behind us. Once I got out of their line of sight, and up against the bright spotlight lit walls of the farm building...I immediately threw up...

A hand rested on my shoulder for a moment "Easy young warrior, we can talk a later point..."

"Yeah mate, felt that way meself not more' a few minutes ago, no need to keep up at this..."

With one last cough I wiped away the spittle and flecks left on my mouth with my sleeve, took a deep breath, and stood back up as I let it back out "No, I'm fine now. Just held it back till they couldn't see, don't want to scare'em anymore than they all are. I'm ready and able to talk and act, the sooner we solve this disgusting mystery the more easily I'll sleep at night. Or at least as easily as I can sleep after the fucking horrors in these farm buildings at least"

Wonder Woman nodded, face turning and studying the women being brought out of the building I'd been assigned to sweep and clear this time "Do you feel up to a brief summary of do you wish me to let you rest a moment and confirm what I suspect..."

I shook my head and cut her off, standing up straight and summoning my magic to enforce calm upon my mind and keep it orderly "No, I'm fine. It's a milking parlour in the simplest, most nightmarish, terms. All inside were trapped and restrained in stalls of some sort, and they were being 'harvested'...but in a manner, as to keep them alive. And by milked I mean literally as well; whoever these bastards were they were taking everything they could off these poor wretches; blood, milk, hair, nail clippings, you name it..." I took in another breath and let it "...and were organised about it too, I'm damn sure my magic translated a sign as indicating these girls as 'high-quality female virgins' and there are spells in place..."

Motioning at the building I grunted unhappily "This isn't what you see vampires and Fey doing! Nine Hells, this was a fully functioning Farm..." I took a breath "...any luck on the missing Lanterns before we go more into this horror show?"

Wonder Woman gave an unhappy nod as Constantine thumbed a cigarette into his hand, lighting it up to smoke and relief his obvious stress as she replied "Yes, only one of them though; and the back of his head hand been burned open somehow and his brain gone. We're not sure how or why exactly, but from what we have seen so far I would hazard in the early stages of harvested as you say. His horns had been cut off as well, and he was clearly in the early stages of...the slaughterhouse section here. Perhaps luckily, or unluckily for those who must study them, there are security cameras of this place. Batman and some of the British Intelligence Officers are studying them as we speak"

"Mate, this is the demon conspiracy thing all over again. This ain't some small time operation..."

I nodded "I know John, I know"

He shook his head "Nah mate, I don't think ya do, or ye Justice Leaguers either; ye need get Giovanni down here' and any other 'experts' ye got as this place..." he motioned with both arms at the rather large country farm yard illuminated by truck and spotlights "...is too big an' organised ta be for the lot we fought ta get here. Fey ain't that modern-minded, and Vamps...they just need the blood, not the rest ah they were doin' 'ere. Like cuttin off one poor fella's testicles, gathering certain bodily fluids from man or woman depending...and a weird ass room that nearly sent yer Martian buddies catatonic till we freed the prisoners' dere. There are trucks for movin stuff, and Nabu swears there's a portal residue right beside what looks to be the main storeroom, and one spot footsteps walk into a dead-end wall. Ya follow me drift?"

Unfortunately I did with a wince as my brain caught up with the implication "Crap. This wasn't to feed the vampires alone with something this large, this was an import-export business in the making wasn't it? Just, with humans as the cattle herd?"

He let out a stream of smoke into the cold night air "Eyup, iffin' had to guess I'd say these bozos were plannin' on trading ritual requirements, like blood for a start, but their's a half cutup alien in there along with a whole rake of stuff in their storeroom all divided up neat and tidy loik that'd certain sorts would need let's say. An' that's not even takin' inta account only half the buildings are fully in use yet! This place would be big, but still small enough that'd if SHIELD weren't about I'd say it could stay hidden fer years, maybe decades considerin the spell-wards here"

"Yes, and it was only the Starro attack, and our continuing effort to ensure it is defeat that brought it to light..." Wonder Woman commented folding arms across her chest, glancing at us and then at still now silent and pale-faced form of Black Canary "...though it seems many of those here were only recently abducted due to the chaos of that event. But if they were planning as you say...then we need to discover who they were intent upon supplying with their wicked enterprise in this place"

Black Canary nodded in agreement, looking around and then glancing at me a moment muttering softly "Well, it does explain certain personality questions I might have had..." before taking on a more calm, albeit uneasy tone "...and would either of you be able to propose who those customers might be?"

I shrugged, as did Constantine "Could be one of a dozen groups, or all of them...and we're gonnna have a serious problem if it's into the Feywild and we can't find those bloody Power Rings we still haven't found despite clearing this place out..." I took a breath "...and how are the Team holding up? What was that ago M'gann and her Uncle? And please insure Kid Flash stays in Glastonbury, I know there's no Starro...but best not let him an Zatanna come here and see this. Bad enough Artemis and Robin got a face full of the horror..."

'And we really need to work on his, and her, tendency to try rush ahead to prove themselves' I thought as the Justice League number gave an unhappy sigh while glancing back at the 'main building' here in the farmyard.

"Miss Martian is okay, shaken but okay. Martian Manhunter entered that building and entered a room with six people secured around a pool of some liquid, and when he stepped into the centre of it..." she winced "...whatever it is, it was setup as some means of amplifying the mental thoughts of the victims, while forcing them into certain mental states. And the overload as he called it forced he and his niece to leave while the prisoners were freed. Artemis and Aqualad are helping feed and calm those freed, while Superboy is moving rubble within the town with Superman and the Green Lanterns, and Robin is with Batman. We asked that he not help with the footage..."

Of course he bloody was, screw age and mental scarring I thought with a faint groan as I nodded in understanding "Yeah, of course he bloody well is, Batman needs to..."

"My friends we have a grave difficulty in this discovery..." interrupted me as the blue and gold clad form of Doctor Fate appeared a little distance away, stepping out from a golden Ankh Teleportation Gate with Batman and the aforementioned Robin in tow holding hand computer wrist things. Hardly a good sign "...and you Fortune I would query you. Your Patron Deity has granted thee knowledge of the Outer Planes, such as the Lands of Summer and Snow and others beyond yes?"

"Yyyyyessssss" I drawled out carefully not liking to have admit to it as always. They all knew, well sort of, of my 'strange knowledge' base on a 'similar' basis to Doctor Fate's save without the magical reserves. And the annoying jokes within SHIELD that did have anyone in the magical side of things that hadn't sold or traded their soul to a magical being on the payroll...

The great golden helmed head nodded, a hand motioning at Batman who stepped forward holding out his hand and causing a holographic image to appear "This creature was spotted leaving, via means unknown, in the presence of the surviving of the two missing Green Lanterns; under what Doctor Fate believes is mental domination. The creature is humanoid, with facial..."

My eyes widened in horror 'No, No, No, Nonononononononoo..."

I couldn't help but blurt out "Shit...that's a fucking Mind Flayer...how...that can't be here!"

Nabu nodded with Kent Nelson's body "Yes, it as I had believed and is now confirmed by a second with knowledge of the Outer Realms; an Illithid has come and gone upon these lands. We must ensure no colony has been established...but I believe it has not even if Duty demands we search. No, what I fear is that such a creature was trading from this place into the dimensions beyond, and has fled with the Green Rings of Will and their wielder to the City of Doors. My powers have attempted to reopen the portal that it fled through...but my entry was barred as..."

'Crap. Crap' as the whisper escaped my mouth saying what my mind detailed that evidently a Lord of Order counted as a God "No Power may enter Sigil"

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