[09th January 2011]
[Mount Justice, Happy Harbour, Rhode Island, United States of America]
Nabu, Lord of Order, Guardian of this Dimensional Nexus, was growing concerned as it hovered through the teleportation Ankh doorway to the sanctuary of the young heroes. Magic was surging after some poor, deluded, and unthinking, fool had caused an extra-dimensional incursion in a vain attempt to bring Order to the Chaos of this Dimension. Foolish in that it had brought about great Chaos in its wake; the already disturbed Ley-lines, fueled by the slaying of a Lord of Chaos and its powerful allies, were surging wildly, no longer affected by its own efforts to combat the Chaos.
Others attempted to do so by their own methods, but it seemed by the machinations of Chaos or the Balance it was a flare of the element of Law, unbound and unconstrained in its power, that had unleash destruction and potential destruction in its wake. Some would call it ironic, but Nabu would call it 'pain in the butt' as the local species would say. Video feed within the mountain sanctuary, the wards of the various mages who considered it their 'home' of sorts flared slightly at edge of its awareness; each little portion of magic 'feeling' different than the other.
Its host was thrilled at such things, her mind asking questions that it answered within its mind, even as its eyes scanned the news of destruction stalking the streets of Gotham, and words that many of the heroes of this world were now moving to aid yet another city fallen. She had been a fake, a fraud...but in truth had possessed significant power unknowingly; its host's hands moved, powering the ritual the child of Zatara and the Herald of the Shrouded One had prepared. Fueling it, strengthening it, as the door between dimensions cracked open where the man-sized mirror stood, but not its own guidance, for that would that would difficulty circumventing the Concept of Law imposed upon the region of the incursion sphere.
Disturbingly easy in the end, dimension to dimension and then within the Sphere; a success for dealing with the crisis at hand...a concern for the future at the ease of the success as the Herald and Child Mage stepped through with their comrades, Black Canary, and Diana. Superman too would have been ideal, as would the elder Zatara, but the quake's destruction was rippling ever outward as prisons were cracked open. That wretched locus where they had built an Asylum of course, images on the screen from hovering nearby spreading fear as the fires spread amidst tumbled buildings. Another walked free now too, the warlock's prison beneath that wretched earth, in the darkest depths now broken open; aware too late to intercept it was, now its foe was clad and disguised in the Chaos of the destruction around it.
A problem to be dealt with beyond the immediate ones, hands moved at its command, portals opening to the secure vaults of its allies fortress. Uniformed men and women shoving through crates that the young ones had organised; frowns from some of his comrades in heroism as expected, but needs were as the times demanded it and its host agreed. One couldn't make an omelette without breaking some eggs. Through its Ankh, then through the doorway by the young Herald and Martian girl in hovering silence; distasteful weapons of course, of the chaos and demonic blood of the Laughing Magician and Demon Knight.
The difficulties of allying with such beings as these, but it would greater capacity to deal with threats beyond its own Concept such as the incursion currently occurring. News services were reporting both crises now, problematic as power flared and surged. Others would seek to take advantage of them as ever; for where there was crisis there was opportunity in the eyes of the criminals or chaotically minded. For now all it could do was provide support and coordination as heroes were required to deal with escaped criminals while emergency services attempted to respond in one city, while in another the apprentices and their mentors prepared to aid the city's protectors against the Enforcers.
One aspect that was pleasing, reminding it of its previous incarnation during the Second World War, was the greater coordination between the forces of Order upon this world. Or at least upon this continent as its SHEILD organisation cooperated with the military of the United States, its old ally from the last wars, through the harshly Order-filled Waller official. Contentious amongst the Justice League it could feel, some opposed in their hearts while others felt of rightness and stoic achievement at the dealings; it felt it was Good, Order building more Order even in the midst of vile Chaos. Still...further actions were required, Justice League coordination suffering with removal of the Batman to frontline duties.
Permission requested, discussion far too length for its liking, but granted with support of Diana and Red Tornado. Teleport to Watchtower, system access granted on limited basis, acceptable. No support staff as feared, coordination through subordinates in SHIELD, coordination through military forces of all North American nations; alert others to monitoring of potential trouble-spots and dangers. Information relayed from within and without Star City; concerning. Analyse indicated an unintended extra-dimensional summoning, significant casualties and injuries amongst civilian populace attempting to resist occupation, and Law based Elemental Golems in operation.
It also judged the boundary field to be advancing between its study and the data forwarded by the military forces arriving on location;- uncontrolled reaction, estimated major damage to surrounding region of not eliminated. Support decision to send further armaments and a handful of Special Forces personnel through Dimensional Door as Herald refers to it; unfortunate energy outlay preventing further till morning most likely. Tiring to mage, and mage required for combat situation; it agrees best strategy assault upon likely location of Conduit of Ritual. Also agree Conduit of Ritual likely anchored by life of Summoner, elimination of Summoner likely required to break Incursion.
It noted the Objections, but forwarded recommendation to Lawful Authorities of the area. Agreement offered, and the order was given if no other methods available for the defeat of the incursion. Further objections raised by allies on site, Order restricted with agreement to the young Herald and deployed military and law enforcement personnel on site. More objections noted by mentors to certain apprentices; it ignored them and refocused on the coordination of heroes as a potential meta-human response to reduced availability of the Justice League and rapid military response became widely know...
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[09th January 2011]
[Star City, California, United States of America]
I was tired, and we hadn't even started fighting yet. Drinking down a potion helped with that, but it was only a false burst of energy in many ways; clearing the mind, but I'd need to get proper rest afterwards. Playing team teleporter, from inside a bloody sphere of Law, had been bloody taxing even with Zatanna's help on my side, and Doctor Fate's on the other. Enough to get through the Team, with Black Canary, Hawkwoman, and Wonder Woman in support, but just as this insanity blew up didn't Gotham have to suffer a bloody earthquake!
'Cataclysm! No Man's Land! Vampires!' part of me wailed silently, but I'd hammered down on that with my magic to give me a calm and clear mind for the coming fight. Numbers weren't exactly great on our side, and these things were...problematic to say the least. Short range teleportation, fire based elemental attacks of some sort, and a threat levelling ability that went for more advanced weapons and threats over lesser ones. They were still dumb as bricks, not sentient or sapient really it appeared as I stood on guard as Wonder Woman's Lasso did its truth thing...
'Most of which is a derivation of *The Law Says* or *Peace or Perish* let's be honest' I thought into the mind as yet another question came back somewhere along those lines. Even the fact the thing was letting us do a 'Clarification of Legal Status using Local Truth Verification' as the Major and Chief of Police had written it on the document was bizarre enough. But maybe not...these were Law based Golems and outside a few basic instructions from their still unknown creators. Probably someone like the Mercykillers I imagined, all of which were aimed at societies a helluva lot less stable or [in-theory] civilized as modern advanced democracies choose to run themselves as.
'Yes, it appears to merely replying by rote to our questions; I do not believe we can learn much more from this conversation, and we risk conflict with each passing one' Wonder Woman replied telepathically, and getting agreement from her Justice League colleagues, very carefully removed the Lasso from the creature's arm, and then retreated back away from it in a non-threatening a manner as a woman in armour and super-strength could manage. Or with all of us standing warily nearby with weapons...not quite at the ready, but in a formation to cover ourselves should the whole thing have gone horrible wrong; and even that was with myself and Zatanna 'shielding' the police SWAT team's guns from attention.
"So?" Green Arrow queried as we all retreated, and wasn't that irritating, a distance away behind our barricade and into building that served as the 'forward operations base' or was usual called a repair and car service station called Carl's apparently "...what'd our little demon buddy have to say?"
"That their dumb as a bag of bricks and yet still kicking our asses..." Black Canary grumbled arms folded across her chest "...but most of it just confirmed what we guessed at already; big dumb powerful magic things that have maim as 'light punishment' and murder as 'severe punishment' basically Arrow. Closed lipped about this Mr. Albert Davis being the source behind it..."
"But lack of response beyond 'Not Authorised' sorta indicates he is..." I answered nodding towards the building surrounded by all armed golems of doom "...well, that and it being invader central apparently"
"Yeah, all roads lead to our multi-millionaire living up on yonder estate now doesn't it?"
"Agreed Green Arrow, and it doesn't appear we have any option other charging in..." Hawkwoman replied to Green Arrow having scouted from the sky above. Normally Kid Flash would handle that...but him running at speed apparently set off the murder golems because it broke speed limits. Only the fact he had said speed, and Zatanna's illusions of him paying a 'speeding fine', had stopped the 'Kill Kid Flash' response. So scouting had been our Hawkperson and night-scopes, though it was well past dawn by now despite the darkness, and problems existed to stop standard infiltration "...their guard is too effective, and they can see through you two's magic, and seem to be aware of the presence of all of us at various stages, so..."
I listened to the discussion, but really there was little other option available than storming the fort so to speak, and everyone knew it. Which was why we had all the members of the Star City Police that weren't guarding the people assembling in shelters down in City Hall, the Team, two full wizards, four Justice League members, and a team of Delta Force armed with weapons the Justice League did not approve. Nor for the 'Kill Order' assigned to Mr. Davis, or whoever he'd paid to be the Anchor in this Dimension, if there was no other way of breaking the ritual. Because...Doctor Fate seemed to be reasonably sure about that, what would be needed to stabilise the thing in the same mould as I was.
"You guys ready for this?" I asked the other members of the Team as the discussion, short as it was, came to halt and decision was made "...no issues with the plan? Everyone understand their parts?"
"Yeah, and boy has it been a drag having to walk slowly everywhere, let's get to beating glowy demon butt then" Kid Flash grumbled, stretching his legs and I glanced at M'gann who gave a nervous smile, nodded, and sent over a telepathic 'Ready'
I smiled back, I was in my 'army uniform' today, the proper Irish one of course with some weird patch they'd come up with for 'allied forces' or something, and my skull-mask armour was beneath the polymorph; then glanced at the [in-theory] leaders of the coming assault "Now, any objections to myself and M'gann linking everybody up; the Team have done it, I'm pretty sure Batman briefed the League, so any further explanations needed? It will improve combat reactions, and separately I'll try prevent the whole teleporting thing they've got, but any freak-out's about witchcraft or such, well...now please, not later"
At a gesture from Wonder Woman to go ahead, and generally only nervous looks from the small horde of police officers assembled around us, I took a deep breath, steadied myself and connected to the barebones link M'gann had established. ...
Staff thumped off pavement "Dimensional Anchor"
...she was experienced, sorta, at this now after the 'Injustice League' fight and then the mass ritual during the Great Upheaval and from my point of view was a big help for sustaining the spell. Power flowed through me, building up as I tapped my staff off the ground. My own variation of Chant and Prayer that I liked to call...
"Battle Meditation"
'Battle Meditation' echoed out over the link telepathically as well, expanding, as did our consciousness with pulse outward amongst the group. Initial confusion fled, though there was some minor resistance that ended as I allowed them to withdraw as much as desired. Now came the time too attack ...
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