Chapter 3;-
The Dark Shard: Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
[18th March 2011]
[Orange Zone, Gotham City, New Jersey, United States of America, Earth-16]
Colonel Rick Flag Jnr watched impassively as the techs went about scanning the...portal?...mirror?...that he'd been flown in shortly after a National Guard patrol had stumbled upon it after investigating an explosion the day before in the area. He resisted shaking his head at that; it'd taken hours to investigate what had been a small battle nearby it seemed, if it wasn't Gotham, and the Army overstretched, he'd have been utterly disgusted by that simple fact.
Now though it was his task to secure the place, from the bloodsuckers as well as the various costumed lunatics that still lurked free around this disaster area of a city. His Suicide Squad were ready nearby to reinforce should this thing be a concern, or should they need to deal with larger game than their 'enhanced' weapons and gear could handle. Something he expected as his eyes continued to move, watching everything as he stood with his rifle held at ease, but ready to takedown an enemy at a moment's notice.
Whatever it was...they could see a building, the inside of one, though the strange shimmering water-like surface, and with this Apokolips scare earlier a nuclear armed B-52 was on standby over-watch. Informing the Justice League was still to come, once they'd fully secured the Site, and then locked down the surrounding environs. Not an easy task in the rebuilding warzone/disaster area that was Gotham city.
"Ma'am" he answered immediately as a secure number dialled and he answered using his 'free' hand while adjusting his grip on the rifle with the other. Amanda Waller's, Director of this hastily assembled SHIELD grouping the armed forces and government had put together on the British model, voice was harsh and commanding as always. After the 'Hell Escapade' as the Marines had called it, had caused Killer Frost to become a Nun, and his own discover that religions, perhaps all of them, were at least partially true, the need for such operations were long overdue in his opinion.
"Colonel, is the Anomaly Secure?"
"Yes Ma'am, immediate Site secure; within the hour the surrounding neighbourhoods will have a full Army cordon established, and techs assure me scanning equipment will be up and running"
"I want your personal assessment Colonel?"
I did not sigh or grimace at that "I'm not qualified in that matter Ma'am, but the Anomaly has the potential to be a Beachhead Scenario"
The voice was calm as ever, as if speaking of a morning coffee, or a small damage to their car "As I expected Colonel, continue your efforts to secure the site. Do not let in any of those crazies till we can investigate this matter, and confirm it isn't retaliation for recent operations. I'm currently in the process of authorising experts on the less...scientific side our group's, and allied organisations, operational remit"
'Magic of course, while I'm still unsure of the mechanics as yet, the effects are certainly there' Rick thought but did not say "Understood Ma'am, and if the Justice League, specifically the Batman arrives?"
"Halt him, but clashing with him and his allies is strictly forbidden, unless in self-defence. Inform him, or them, of their responsibilities under the United Nations Charter their little group of vigilantes supposedly operates under. Only those I authorise are to have access to the Anomaly, and I want those monitors up and running yesterday Colonel"
"Yes Ma'am, it'll be as you command" he replied as the line cut out and he gestured at the nearest hazmat-clad scientist "The equipment?"
"Ready Colonel, we're establishing a link up on the room as we speak...we'll have secure data transmission with the Base within fifteen minutes"
Rick nodded faintly, the mask and helmet making it hard to detect he suspected "And any more information on the Anomaly?"
"No Sir, we are doing tests, but the energy readings are confusing, though it appears to be stable as best we can...and physical observation indicates movement of things, dust and wind, on what we believe to be the other 'side' of what is a dimensional bridge"
"Right, keep going at your work, I'll make sure cameras and other monitors are brought up..." Rick began detailing quickly to the tech, mentally reminding himself to bring in scans for various meta-human, or paranormal, abilities such as invisibility, puppetry, and other such esoteric abilities. There was a dangerous possibility after all that something had already come through, or was even here unseen, and that was unacceptable in his opinion...
--
[18th March 2011]
[Wizard's Sanctum, Off the Quays, Dublin, Republic of Ireland, Earth-16]
"Here, drink this and that nasty headache will go away..." I told Zatanna, holding out a small vial, as she half-staggered into my kitchen in a bathrobe and slippers hair still all damp and messy from the shower "...though I'll warn the taste leaves..."
It was out of my hand and down her throat before I could finished the sentence "...much to be desired. Also, please don't get sick on me, again"
That, thankfully, wasn't what happened as Artemis came rushing out from behind Zatanna, huffing in irritation as she dried her hair, then shoved Zatanna gently from behind. Playfully maybe, and into me as I caught the stumbling girl as she groaned, Artemis coming past her to put her arms over mine and Zatanna's shoulders and bringing us into a hug "And how are my two favourite people in the world today! Little miss drunk talk and mister responsible!"
Despite the sarcasm and irritation in her voice I brought my arm around her waist, pulling her in close, and giving her a quick kiss as I found myself in an impromptu three person hug "Love you too Arty"
Artemis huffed at that, kissing back, then pulling back to huff at me again as I guessed that the hug was supposed to mirror the drunken hugs myself and, very much should not have been drinking, Zatanna had given her last night at the part "Hmm...maybe I'll forgive you. Too beautiful girls laying in your bed, me, your gorgeous girlfriend being one of them, and you sleeping on the floor...hmph!"
"Ugh, thanks for that John, and I'm glad you were a gentleman after I...you know"
"Threw up on him Zee? Or the magic *cleaning* attempt after?" Artemis replied to Zatanna, whose tentative hug of me turned into burying her face into my shoulder, nodding silently, as I saw her blush crimson. Seemed her mind was clearing thanks to potion, and the reasons I'd shut down her drunken magical attempts to 'help' us as she stagger about. Thankfully a past life had experience with drunken sorcerers and sorceress, and I was a much better drunken wizard than she was a drunken sorceress when it came down to the mini battle it came down to in the end. Of course being in the middle of my sanctum had made it a very short...thank heavens...if embarrassing mini-battle.
"Ish whed ahs wuz srries" was muffled into my shoulder as I awkwardly brought my arm around her and patted her back in a 'there-there' gesture. Artemis merely made another huffing noise, then started laughing, grinning at me, then winked.
"Wasn't all bad though"
I resisted blushing, instead giving her a *look* in replied "Yes, you said, several times"
"So the drunk remembers?" she hummed back moving to perch on my shoulder and have me awkwardly hug the clearly mortified Zatanna "...I thought you were acting drunk, got all sensible in the blink of the eye you know"
"I'm a combat trained wizard Artemis, it is like flicking a switch and I can be functional...ish...despite being out of it..." I replied then sighed "...and I'm still think how we avoid Dad Wizard getting all mad at us...me...mostly me...due to this. Or Robin of course"
"He doesn't know about Robin" the huggy daughter muttered and I patted her bathrobe covered shoulder as she started to relax and calm.
"Sure he doesn't, the Dad Radar not noticing that blip..." I started to say before my phone beeped, then beeped again, till I took it out and noted the Alert message "...and I might just be saved by the bell. Or, in this case, doing an investigation in six hours"
Artemis looked at me with a teasing grin "I thought you were off duty due to...you might be crazy and all those things that might make you crazy"
I gave her another *look* rolling my eyes "Yes little things like crazy murderous Goddesses, and demons, and other things that made finding a state approved psychiatrist probably really, really, hard I imagine. Anyway it does help, but this is from up above, so onward I'll be going. Firstly, let's get breakfast, because I am fecking hungry, and eager to put last night behind us all..."
--
[19th March 2011]
[Orange Zone, Gotham City, New Jersey, United States of America, Earth-16]
"Oh, it's definitely a portal like you say..." young Fortune confirmed to the American soldiers and scientists standing about as Jason Blood stood with the group along with the illustrious Doctor Fate "...and I'll back up Doctor Fate and Mister Blood here that it's magically created, extra-dimensional too considering the drone went through, and came back. No idea how to shut it though, and that's bad, as my spiritual advisor indicates this is not a good thing"
"Yes, as if had more problems in this wretched city than its dark arcane heart, and the vampires infesting its shadows and lower levels..." Jason agreed unhappily, glancing towards the area where construction equipment were hurriedly moved in by army engineers "...and now this. I have to concur with Nabu in that we must not attempt to brute force closing it unless we are absolutely desperate, but we must understand it, and especially where it exists"
The American woman, Waller, in her business suit shook her head "That won't be happening unless a critical threat appears, but we have preparations made, and the Justice League have been notified. I imagine they are watching even now. Now, is this portal like the one in Scotland, linked to this...Sigil location?"
"No..." the spirit Nabu, Doctor Fate, replied in the more feminine tones of its current host "...this breech is to somewhere else, unknown to Fate without investigation. For now though the barriers beyond have been strengthened, Fate will allow no other breeches to this place beyond to occur, or others to transfer over from the frequency of this dimension"
"So we...you cannot confirm what is beyond?"
"No Ma'am..." Fortune replied clearly unhappy, nodding towards the portal's direction "...not without going through. It LOOKS like a warehouse somewhere, but I would stress things can look absolutely fine...and not be as they look. But, then again...could be a perfectly friendly dimension, as it's been opened from our side clearly...so who opened it? And did they go through? And for what reason?"
'Ah, and that is the question is it not?' Jason thought, though he had suspicions, which he voiced "Vampires I would expect, with all we have seen of late from their vile kind, and that is a concern, as unleashing such things...upon a world like ours would be disastrous"
Fortune continued looking towards the hidden portal "Basically we need to know more, and we need to more really bloody fast...so we need send someone through, and a certain spirit is telling me its gonna be...once we get setup a Rune of Recall, or Emergency Teleport, and similar to Scotland. As Two Portals? Vampires around both times? Yeah I'm with Blood on this..."
--
[19th March 2011]
[Brockton Bay, Maine, United States of America, Earth Bet]
Jerry Dunleavy had been working down by the docks before they'd fallen into ruin, though now he was a night watchman rather than working at the docks. And one thing he'd learned as he looked up and heard weird mechanical noises from inside an empty building, was that now was the time for Jerry to keep on walking, hand on walkie-talkie, and pretend he'd heard nothing.
Curious night watchman didn't last long in the job, especially with Tinkers and Empty Warehouses, as Stan...something Polish sounding...had learned a few months ago thanks one of those freaks testing out some 'Game' armour or something. So Jerry had had desire to end up in the hospital for months on end, so he, as usual, saw nothing, and that made the night all the easier.
Of course even if he had been looking the invisible shadow would have easily passed his notice, for even enhanced senses and scry spells would have slid off the shadow as it slipped through reality, then up onto the roof. Even as tiny cameras were being set up above his head Jerry was happily retreating back towards his hut as the rain began to fall and the shadow retreated, gone before Jerry's eyes glanced up where it had been up on the room. Gone, but many eyes now watched Jerry as he complained in soft mutterings as the rain picked up...
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