[07.02: Where the Shadows Lie]
[Our sovereign starship flying free!]
--
[Trader's Journal: Day 2248]
[Current Dimension]
The DC Multiverse
[Current Location]
Fortune's Chance, Carrier, The Bleed
[Trading Report]
Not applicable, well, beyond recharging our batteries in the shelter of the Destroyer Shiftship.
Oh, perhaps deaths and injuries on the Carrier. Eleven in the past three days. Four of which are suicides. But we are slowly getting a system of control in place.
[Diary Entry]
We've done a fast turnover and recharge, even if the original timeline was sort of guesswork to be honest. No matter, our engines are recharged, and the carrier was in better shape than we'd realised apparently. Nor have deaths being excessive amongst the refugees, and boy isn't that depressing when I say 'not excessive' rather than none. But, well, the shock has worn off for some, and the nature of being forced to let them largely run themselves is not a bloodless affair unfortunately. I've been largely forced to work along the lines of ensuring ship security, for both my own firstly, and then for the Carrier itself, and with hundreds of thousands of refugees that's not viable for tight control by us. So, delegation and diplomacy. Fucking joy!
It's a gods-damned city's worth of people over there, and it has been a headache even helping out, or even just forming simple schedules to ensure everyone is fed, and then has a functional sewage system. So, yeah, we are using our fancy teleportation system as shit-transporting system at times as well. Because needs must, and we have needs, many, many needs right now. Still, the one thing I don't want to do is overload my crew, so I'm making sure we operate as normal as much as possible. And gets break time from the madness that is a refugee camp that contains wizards, exorcists, demon-blooded, would-be magical swordsmen, and a host of other things we're still get a handle on.
Largely because the magus group and Church largely hate/dislike each other intensely, and the other survivors are traumatised – and amongst those people are often from 'throwback groups' like demon hunters or just people who'd studied an ancient combat art and survived because of it. Like, seriously, I've seen a kendoka with chi powers and another girl that is definitely a tiefling despite near perfect human looks, and that was only on a walk towards meeting. All amidst lots and lots of traumatised soldiers whose families are either dead or are now a world away. One they'll never return to. Oh, and they are from at least three different nations. Thank heavens some command structure is still intact, and they've got things to keep them busy. Sanity points are the name of the game with them all as Jonathan put it yesterday.
About the only other thing of note is that due to all this, and continuing 'census' to figure out skills, we've been discussing with all factions on the carrier about the need for a self-defence group of sorts. Less for population control than actual defence of said population should 'things' get aboard the ship while we are distracted with other matters. Hells, it'll be big help should we get what want and find a salvageable spot in a shattered universe and need people to help out with scavenging, or simply standing guard because dead doesn't always mean 'dead' either these days. Every little helps when it comes to this increased burden.
Largely because we're departing now, even if the nightmarish destruction of the dimension we were in is still ongoing before our eyes. Temporal shenanigans there. We're moving at an accelerated pace them that part, just like the storm engulfing that region of space. Even if isn't really a storm of course, but, eh, what our brains perceive, and it's best not overthink I find. Too many mortals do and go crazy unless they've started to ascend to a higher level, or have some other protections in place. All I can say is that it is fucking terrifying to view when you understand the basic mechanics of the whole destroying a dimension thing – or sterilising an infection as the Monitors would have seen it. Boss above the power of their civilization at its height!
--
[Trader's Journal: Day 2255]
[Current Dimension]
The DC Multiverse, da Bleed
[Current Location]
Fortune's Chance, docked with the Carrier, travelin' the Bleed
[Trading Report]
Down supplies basically. That's the general shift every day, but our stores are holding up a slight bit better than original expected. With a bit of rationing, we're doing, we've got around three months. Though that's an upper limit rather than a bare minimum unfortunately. Hence why we've made such haste towards this multiversal cluster using the Monitor's 'map routes' or 'fast lanes' – there are other options, larger clusters, but they'd take longer to reach.
Secondly, we have started 'production' of sorts on the carrier. Largely because we had too unless we want everyone going around naked in a few weeks. Clothing from all the scraps we'd picked up, and some tools supplies, along with simple tailoring services on the military uniforms we'd grabbed along with mass grabbing people/supplies off the bases at the end. Recycling and tailoring. Keeps people busy as well, and that's vital with another half-dozen deaths in the last three days. Kara's less than happy about that, but there is limited things we can do to stop it bar try create a liveable situation for people.
[Diary Entry]
We're pushing hard for our intended multiversal cluster. It's the 'fastest' we can reach, even if not the 'closest' in, I dunno how to describe it, Bleed-travel terms?
One of those hard to describe 'sailing facts' of Bleed travel as it's time and space being all screwy at the best of times. Not that the cluster we're aiming for isn't like a mountain to climb as it's 'busy space', or maybe 'active' is the better descriptor, along with many, many, dimensions nearby to each other. That is good as we need choices, but there is a fairly significant 'debris field' around that zone, and that could be good or bad, as there are 'alerts' for 'wildlife' as we move forward. Fast lane or not we don't want to start getting mixed up with Bleed predators.
Quinn thinks we're best aiming for the 'central core' of the cluster as he sees it, largely as that's likely to be the most 'canon' or 'known' dimensional space. Or something to that effect. I tend to agree, especially out here on the edges, and there's clearly external bleed-overflow at the 'other side' of these clusters. Though we may have encountered the problem of getting back not being as easy as going forward, because of the 'trade winds' out in the Bleed. Yes, wouldn't we love our empty dimensional space to be empty and simply a button press forward rather than this irregular, chaotic, mess of 'oh, go fast, wait, no GO SLOW!' that we seem to be encountering of late.
That's to worry about later as we're committed now either way. No point crying over spilt milk as they say.
Now, other news; Jenny is recovering, sort of, and we're all trying to keep her sane and have a supportive environment for her grief. Same as with our other crew members, but they're near adults, while she's a moody teen at the best of times. Thank heavens for Doctor Chen and her team for helping there. I need to help more, but I'm training Azula and have a million other tasks to deal with right now. That and our new crewmembers need time to 'be trained' and 'acclimatize' and all those other buzzwords that go with figuring out what they can do on the ship, while seeing to their mental problems. Just like most of my crew. Issues. What can do?
Finally training of our Red Orc Heavy Squad is now complete according to my Security Chief, so that's good in case we need to bash some heads. Maybe should try recruit more from the refugees? Maybe, maybe not. Takes time to integrate and we have enough trouble with the helping the current new additions. After all, everyone on the carrier got traumatised with the world ending. Babs has concerns about that idea, so I'm inclined to listen to her view to just focus on the self-defence militia and review matters in a few weeks. Hopefully by then all the suicides and in-fighting over there will have stopped!
Anywho, I need to study my Ring project for an hour or so, and then get some sleep my Kara finishes her training with M'gann. So many things to do, so little time to do them I find. So good night for now and all that jazz. Slán.
--
[07.03: Where the Shadows Lie]
[From the fragments of another reality…another's treasure]
Before us lay the fragment of a dimension…just drifting in the Bleed, a truly gigantic thing up close…
Which we were as the Carrier ploughed through the Bleed with a solid speed, moving through the tides and eddies as we moved into the cluster of realities before us. But it was a strange, and frightening, thing to see what lay before us, the unreality of it all as always shinning through. Broken fragments just looming over us in space as we moved towards it, great jagged shards of 'normal space' and even star systems within, that spun and slowly twisted in the red-orange light of the Bleed. Other debris filled the area around us of course, like an asteroid ring around this multiversal cluster, moving, crashing, and bouncing off each other. Merging even perhaps as we made a wake through the Bleed.
"Approach vector…looks good, no disruptions detected" Barbara was calling out as I helped guide in the carrier, M'gann at my side as we jointly sailed the massive vessel "Bleed breach…are we through already?"
"Dimensional barriers are basically already gone" I stated simply 'feeling' the approach, the movement through the barriers that, in-theory, separated the Bleed from the reality within. Much like the Crystal Sphere served as a barrier against the Phlogiston in the realms of realmspace and general 'D ' there should be barriers here…but there really wasn't now. No, instead there was merely a merger of sorts, a layered weakness as the Bleed and shattered dimension 'bled' into each other "We are entering realspace….but be aware the laws of physics are likely to be…wonky"
"Wonky, really Captain?"
I resisted a shrug "Weak then, acting strange as well. It'll be a like where we came from, save not as bad I think with so much still intact. Activate long range sensors and start consulting the Monitor databases….let's see where we might be"
And there was a fair amount intact here it appeared as sensors activated to maximum, now that we were semi-shielded from alerting the things out in the Bleed that had started to dog our tracks the last few days. Like a 'sonar ping' the drones were launched and activated, linking with the carrier and Fortune's Chance as they scanned the fragment of reality and revealed dozens of star systems still within. There hadn't even been a shudder as the carrier, with the Chance docked aboard, entered what had once been the space between stars some time ago.
Here at least the Monitor systems could figure things out, to some extent anyway, unlike in a host of other realms where explorations would have taken months or years. No, this was 'verse' they had been designed to function in at maximum efficiency, and function they did with a former Carrier and a converted hunter-killer set of shiftships working in coordination to our mutual will. Within the fragment the 'strata' of reality could be assessed, and the damage was…I ignored that as it wasn't fixable…and waited as data was collated and then displayed to our mortal minds in an understandable fashion. The information as such was disturbingly fast and detailed, with even a display the dimensional fragment had once been larger at its creation, as well as 'likely to 74.5673% accuracy' spherical….
"That's Earth at the heart of the broken sphere" I noted looking at the display of about twenty-seven remaining 'original' systems, along with two 'rogue' ones at the edge, and a number of large objects (like ourselves) that were clearly external to this reality "Or am I reading it wrong?"
"No, that's what the symbols are saying" Barbara answered for me, and my idle hopes it might be somewhere like Thanagar, or maybe even Oa, were put aside. Earth was, usually, the centre of the universe in most DCverses after all, so it made sense of a sort "About what we expected…do we head towards it?"
"I suppose so" I replied after a moment, hand rising and bringing up the displays and 'seeing' with my other senses "Faster-than-light should be very easy in this fragment. Smooth ride too. I'll start spinning up the drives and prepare to bring us towards the edge of the Sol system"
"Minutes, hours, days?"
"Minutes" I replied as the data on the reality came up, the Carrier shifting to mimicking an Oan FTL-drive at M'gann's direction "And that's most so we don't disrupt anything on the ship. I'm going to initiate in two minutes. Signal me if anything looks off on the Chance's sensors"
"Aye-aye Boss" Barbara replied from the bridge of the Fortune's Chance, hologram nodding as she turned and started to give orders. Kara was behind me on the bridge of the carrier, studying the data and ready to tell me if I did anything wrong, or corrections needed to be made. Same as Quinn on the Chance down in engineering…though neither said anything as the seconds ticked by and myself and M'gann maintained out link, then began to guide the systems power-up as the drones re-docked with the ship. All bar one that would serve as a warning beacon for us as we reduced our 'sensor profile' once more.
Most importantly our sensors watched for any really dangerous things potentially remaining; - from Anti-matter beings, to Black Lanterns, or creatures from Dark Universes. Thankfully that did not seem to be the case in this dead reality, just an earlier version of the destroyed place we had just been not too long ago. Instead, the engines of the shiftship came to life, the 'consciousness' of the shiftship almost joyful at our command, at the momentum as the ship jumped forward. We smiled at the feeling, at the exhilaration seemingly felt, as space and time warped at our command, weak bonds of reality no match for the systems as they would be in so many other places. Even if we had simply decided to traverse this space rather than 'going around' in the Bleed…well, we'd saved days or weeks of sailing right here.
As others talked, we, M'gann and I, flew the spelljammer, sailing through twisted space-time, the titanic vessel responding easily and swiftly to commands in this time and place. That, in of itself, was great, but a sure sign of the nature of this dimension as dead and slowly breaking down as it was…too easy really. Because one minute we were at the edge of a bleeding reality, and then next we were within Sol system, out just beyond Mars as we slid out into 'normal space' once more in a flash of light. I called this out, the carrier gliding forward as sensors began to scan once more…
'Well, that puts paid to thinking of getting any food supplies of this Earth, now doesn't it?' was my immediate thoughts on the matter as the data came back. Earth was an irradiated mudball, no life detected, and Mars was no better neither….not quite planet cracked, but verging on from the sensors to M'gann's unhappiness. I felt the same to see Earth as it was, and I gave her hand a squeeze as the carrier slowly moved through space, scanning everything intensely now we were deep in-system. Still, I nodded, appearing strong and confident despite certain lack of success in this situation.
"Continue sensor scans of Earth and Mars. Let's see can we identify anything useful" I ordered motioning with my other hand, displays showing globes of both worlds "But for now we continue our approach to Earth and from there we can open portals to potential earths"
"Where you taking us down Callum?"
"Dublin, Ireland" I replied to Barbara "Or the ruins of it anyway. From there we can open portals to target dimensions"
"Homesick, are we?"
"No, and, Yes, I know Gotham has a hellmouth and is the easiest access point, but all those access points are right where the likes of Bats tend to track" I stated back bluntly, if in an amused and tired tone "And if we hit a 'standard' Ireland then, yeah, easier for me to blend in. We need to investigate first, and then try and buy food supplies"
…and the likes of smaller nations would be easier to negotiate with was left unsaid. The Justice League, or various equivalents, were a potential PROBLEM rather than a solution to the likes of us, or a bunch of authoritarian idiots like The Authority, or criminal verses. They didn't HAVE food supplies or manufactured goods to sell us after all and could only serve to stand in the way of what we needed to do. So, we needed to access a dimension where they were friendly enough not to be a PROBLEM while we went about trading with national governments. No. We'd access places not normally associated with heavy surveillance, do both drone and personal investigation in case of dangers, and then see was it possible to move to the next stage. Then we could try fill larders and head home, albeit a longer way than originally intended.
So myself and M'gann raised our hands, willing the carrier to descend into those dark and angry looking clouds, environmental shielding at maximum strength. We could hover over Dublin and clear the death cloud that linger over the dead city, and planet really, so that it would be breathable and safe for us all. Then we could open carefully managed portals from there to the realms beyond….
--
[07.04: Where the Shadows Lie]
[Take me away from the city and lead me to where I can be on my own]
Earth was dead, just as expected, even down to the biosphere as the carrier came to hover over what had been a Dublin city. An older city than I was used to from the looks of it as we came through the toxic cloud layer, and that was even without the ruined state of affairs that it was in. Even then…it was still recognisable in the older parts from home as the Carrier cleared the poisonous air from beneath us, along with the 'fog', so that it was illuminated by lights from underneath the massive vessel. It was one of the, few, advantages of the ship over the Fortune's Chance as we used the Door system to clear out the worst of the toxic materials from the air so we could establish a ground camp more easily.
I glanced at the drone survey results, along with sensor mapping from the Chance, bringing up various maps to compare this Dublin with ones I'd known. It didn't match perfectly of course, so many cities varied between verses, but there was some overlap it looked like to me…
"Sixties or Seventies I'd guess"
"Callum?" Kara queried as I realised that I'd spoken out loud "Hmm?"
"The city" I replied as she came over, hand against my back, head on shoulder "I reckon the sixties or seventies since it looks like…well, our worlds cities. That and everything is aged, destruction aside, so it's been many years since whatever happened, happened"
"What do think happened?" she murmured to me "Beyond the obvious nuclear war?"
"No idea, would be just guessing, but there are an awful lot of nuclear strikes in strange places, and there was clearly A Metropolis where it should be from what we've detected, as well as energies matching Lantern rings and other powers. And Mars…" Mars had been hit with a planet-cracker. Very clearly a human designed planet-cracker, with multiple spacecraft destroyed in orbit of both Earth and Mars, as well as rusted ruined warmachines on Mars's surface "…it's even worse. I am weirded out all the near destroyed Kyrptonian corpses out in space too"
'Because it was more than two or three' I thought looking at the city grid, and then close ins from our drones as they surveyed the ruins 'And hundreds? Why were there hundreds? That's bizarre'
"I'm not sure I want to know to be honest. It's clear this story didn't have a happy ending"
I frowned, sighed. There were indications that much of the destruction in several regions….well, Quinn had speculated an Orion-drive, multiple ones actually, and then there were dimensional tears further out in system from this side punching outwards. That and the destruction pattern was…odd to say the least "True, and we have our own problems. There's very little salvage, and certainly no food"
…and that was one of the other oddities. There was very little left, and while the toxic environment and time would have destroyed much, there were clear signs of organisation in empty stores, or strangely orderly clumps of….ruined stuff…in open areas that would be ideal for us to collect. If the stuff wasn't ruined beyond any easy repair, even magical. The lack of supervillain or even heroic gear was also frustrating, as there wasn't any salvage here like we'd intended, at least beyond the old reliable of stores of precious metals in certain underground storage facilities.
"We aren't here that long, there might be hope yet" she offered encouragingly, and I smiled faintly.
"Maybe, but I think we'll just have to go with the original plan of explore and trade. Can't have everything go our way I guess?"
Honestly it was worse than that. There was next to nothing here, and while there were other systems we could explore in theory, that would take time away from our dimensional breaching strategy. I'd really hoped we'd find semi-intact stores of…something…here on an Earth, but the cataclysm had left nothing in its wake beyond fragments of everything from ruined cities to superweapons. Kara gave a snort "Hmm, true, but Quinn'll have us setup in no time at all down there"
I gave a nod "Aye, he will"
"And who are we sending through?"
I sighed "I'm afraid you'll have to stay here this time love"
Kara rolled her eyes "Uh-huh, to threaten the savage magic users, yes"
"Well….a little" I admitted with amusement "But mostly because rapid and ad-hoc disguises is sort of my thing rather than yours or Quinn's"
"You're taking Megan with you"
That was more a command than a statement or request, and I nodded as that was already the case "Yes, yes, taking M'gann with me and not going on my own…"
--
{Several hours later, in the ruins of St. Stephen's Green, Dublin}
It was creepy without any plant life….just a dead expanse of earth filled and surrounded with rusted metal and stone structures. The air was, technically, breathable here, and I could use magic to ensure it even without. But that was a waste of energy when a simple breather system worked instead as I looked around at the wasteland around us. Beyond the tents and temporary structures erected behind me where our 'Gate Room' had been established by Quinn along with a Monitor drone that was.
The rest of the ruined city was easily visible now beneath the lights of the gigantic carrier hovering overhead like the sky was made of metal and light. I'd established an inner and out security perimeter, just in case of undead or other such things, but everything seemed to be dead here, even the ghosts, demons, and wraiths of times past. Magic wasn't quite dead yet, but the flows were certainly messed up, like a slowly drying out riverbed or lake. Hardly a problem since we wouldn't be living here, but it was a sad thing to 'feel' at the back of mind as I stood here unhappily. Then shook my head and walked back inside the tent, through the shield barrier, and looked to the Window projected unto the stone wall. Beyond it; - a living, breathing, park, in a living, breathing, Dublin.
I looked to Quinn as M'gann gave me a happy little wave, looking all human girl, with red hair and freckles and all generally stereotypical 'Irish cailín' all in all. Passive scans with the monitor drone showed a 'standard' human template, and the general radio and television intercepts indicated a Justice League that wasn't overly hostile…from the point of view of Ireland on the other side anyway. Really the main info was all local information, and that wasn't exactly great as something bad had happened mere weeks ago, but it was not really detailed what had occurred. Not surprising when local news dominated, and Ireland seemed to have escaped the worst of it apparently….and now we knew more about a Post Office robbery than major threats. Which was fun and all.
"Good, you're here" Quinn muttered looking back at me, Isabel at his side point out things on his datapad as he waved at the window "We're ready for you to go through. The Window can now be a Door"
I nodded "Okay. Cloaking?"
He waved his hand as if waving me off "Yeah, of course. Monitor-tech, Monitor-linked dimension. None of their fancy special toys will pick it up easy, and Debbie's helped with spells on top…" he jerked a thumb over his shoulder to where Deborah sat, giving me a friendly smile "…so as safe as we can go. You and Megs ready to go walk about?"
"That's what I'm here for, and why I watched people walking around a park for the last hour. Yes" I relied drolly giving him an amused look and waving my hand over my clothing as I took off the mask here inside the room and the illusion effect rolled down over me. Disguised clothing in that my illusion was of a rather 'mild student-y' look, with glasses and everything. M'gann was certainly the prettier of the two of us, and the less nerdy as well. Quinn rolled his eyes, reaching over and grabbing a scanning device and shoving it into my hands.
"Well, here you go then. There's no nano-goo or cray-cray viruses detected. It's late evening there, there are people, and the Door is at wall"
I pulled out my pocket watch, nodding as I saw that, yes, we were on schedule "You are correct. M'gann, you ready to go?"
"Yes!" she chirped back, clearly glad to see somewhere other than the ship, a dead world, and the crazy and/or depressed people aboard the carrier. Then she nudged up at the edge of mental barriers, and I gave a nod as I completed the link {Ready to go!}
{Same here, I'll bring us through under invisibility and then we'll reappear in the city proper} I signalled back to her as I looked to Quinn and the waiting security detail "Well, we're heading through then I do believe, so I'll make us invisible. You've got links to our tags?"
He nodded, holding up the data-pad showing that, and I sighed as I waved at M'gann to come with me as I stepped up the Door and cast a spell upon both of us. We were both well protected despite the civilian disguises, and I'd added the anti-scry and other spellcraft needed so even things like events leading up to my…birth…weren't repeated by being found by purely mechanical scrying means. Gods-damned space whale thingies. So, I walked through the Door with M'gann, feeling the rush of magically active energies flow all around us now along with the chill of a cold, dry, evening in the Park. Money would be start I suspected, but the first thing I did was grab an abandoned paper…
Resisted freezing as I nearly spat out 'Klarion Lives?' in response….
This wasn't my Earth, or my original's Earth as I wasn't being compelled to leave, but the 'child-adult split' criminals being hunted that was being spoken under investigation on page three I did recognise, along with the timeline…
And what the feck was this about a The Cake Lantern?
--
[07.05: Where the Shadows Lie]
[I wanted to see it, and now that I have, I want just to be left alone]
Sell jewellery and other 'old family junk' - get cash. The good old-fashioned way to fund yourself without standing out, and in the case of myself and M'gann it involved hitting three pawn brokers and doing that strategy as different people. The disturbing part was I recognised these places….I recognised the owner in one situation, even if he was clearly a different person in a different dimension. Punts too, not Euros, and the prices were disturbingly familiar along with the locations. Such as discount we'd just gotten as I walked out of the computer shop into the near night air with a laptop bag slung over my shoulder with said discount laptop and other pieces within.
One of my favourite pub-restaurants also existed here….
It unnerved me to be honest as M'gann and I strolled through the streets, just two ordinary students out and about for the evening. The streets were busy, and listening in on conversations had hinted at his place being…
Too fucking familiar at times, yet also so very uncanny valley. I had to fight the urge to see about a house in Cork. Thankfully I could do that as we walked over the pedestrian bridge over the river, her following my lead as we moved eerily past not-my-home here, and then onwards to a familiar locale. Here it wasn't quite busy yet, too early for the later night drinkers, and also midweek so there was only a small crowd here so far as I gave smile as we entered. Then finding a nice spot that was both large enough for the laptop and for us to eat, along with being quiet and the screen not viable to others.
"Thank you, projects to finish for tomorrow, so even over dinner" I said in a faux embarrassed and awkward look as I got the password for the pubs 'net-connect' system, the girl smiling back as she went off with our order in hand. Sure, we could try scanning 'actively' with our ship's advanced systems, or the Carriers, but that was a sure-fire way to raise attention, just like high level magic and other such things…so low tech, boring, 'web-surfing' was the way to go with a local machine, through public connections. Then don't anything that would look bizarre or more than student nonsense…such as the moronic metahuman boards filled with all their obsessively stalker behaviour of heroes usually. I should know, fuckers and their bullshit post the whole Sportmaster Summit incident.
{Language} M'gann pouted at me as I projected my irritation at the idiots whose website we were accessing as the drinks arrived {They aren't ALL bad}
{Sure, they aren't, we'll just stay out of the NSFW sections. Member'?}
She pouted again at as I smiled at the barmaid, taking the pint into hand, then letting out a contented sigh as I took a drink. Ah, a few minutes away from the craziness…even if this was crazy in of itself {Shush you}
"Hahhh, nice" I murmured ignoring her in a teasing manner and then bringing up the local news, thankfully RTÉ existed here too, and I went for the daily news first and worked out from there {You exist M'gann, maybe we should open up and see what…}
[Image of her smacking my hand. Glaring unhappily] flashed at me, and I grinned at her, moving my hand and not going anywhere near such things {Fine. Fine. But, yes, it's very familiar. Good and Bad. No SHIELD though, and that makes things a bit harder}
{The League isn't exactly the same either} she thought back to me as we made small talk about 'college' softly while the barmaid returned with our food {And Black Adam….he's free? And running a nation?}
{Hmm, yes, and….that's a lot of dead again. No Starro though…or yet}
{We should warn about that, and…}
I nodded idly {Can't do anything like that right now. They are us M'gann, and I'm fairly sure I'm not there, and a few I know are dead here, like Brendan for one. Things might not be the same. Let's hope anyway as we're ahead of when it happened at home. Also, those Satanists are still in charge of England}
{What?}
{Devil worshipping Tories, they are still alive and in government here despite…well that fire happened at home as well} I thought back, though holding back the horrific memories of said operation and that nightclub of debauchery and wickedness {So that's the UK out as a potential market I think}
Honestly, I didn't want to go to US if we could at all help it, even if M'gann was giving all the subtle signals of wanting to see 'us' again, even if I clearly wasn't amongst them. She was, and so was Connor….and I did not want to have Artemis rubbed in my face again. Time had passed but was all too fucking surreal in a way that Kara's home dimension and the other nearby 'verses' hadn't been. So, my mind was focused on research confirming this dimension wasn't outright evil, that the Orange Lantern clearly wasn't Larfleeze nor Lex Luthor, and they weren't going all Justice Lords. Some hazy memories were at my mind on that, but I really didn't want to think too much on this surreal place and a place long ago so like it. As long as that was the case, and they weren't likely to attack us….
{I think we're okay to try contact these people in the next few days} I thought at M'gann a little while later as we finished the meal and the place began to get busy, indicating it was time to leave and seek out the hotel I'd just booked for the night {But we'll hit a library in the morning for some more research first. I'll sent an encrypted data-packet to Kara once we leave here and are a distance away….}
--
(The next day…)
{I thought we were waiting longer?} M'gann asked me as walked along the midday streets {It looks good, but…}
{Yeah, it would, but we have a senior TD having a clinic today for three hours. I know…or knew him, and his position is basically the same within the part here in this dimension. Meet him. Prove we're legit and then meeting other people} I pointed out as we neared the location {Senior people who can us access to what we need to start with}
{TD? Clinic? What?}
{Member of Parliament, meeting his constituents, man we could use to get access to other things} I replied as we moved through the busy streets {Next one he'll be doing is a month away. Let's call this an ideal opportunity to take advantage of}
This earth was similar to ours, far too similar…but feelings aside, and hers pushing at me about wanting to see herself and Connor, I did not want to think about it. We had a goal, and it was good to focus on that goal, and not think about anything like that as I'd forced myself to sleep last night. Arty wasn't my Arty, and it was a long time, and a different place and space, and I was happy, very much so. Now I'd push on and get access to a major agricultural supplier hopefully, albeit in a delayed time I expected, and hopefully much of it could be kept hidden till the deal was ready to be done. That way led to less time dealing with superpower costume wearers…
So, into the brightly painted electoral office, as it was clearly an upcoming election year here to my eye, and waited patiently with M'gann as I was now disguised in a more 'normal' black business suit with white shirt and red tie. More professional than yesterday, even if it was to sit with the secretary and make idle chat about 'needing help with business plans' that'd keep the story straight. If the man was anything like I remember…well, then he was at least mildly corrupt, though very much loved in the constituency as he 'brought home the bacon' as they saw it.
This would serve to make him very wealthy if a deal could be done, and that was what I led with as we were ushered in after a moment of polite talk. Then leading with the unbelievable part of our story as M'gann monitored his mind for panic and other things that would be bad. It took a moment after I'd laid out the freshly printed proposals on the fairly massive amounts of food and other things we wanted to acquire in once off windfall…
"Yer….Magical Aliens?"
"Mostly human magical travellers. Which I will prove here and now. This is not a threat, merely a demonstration of capacity" I replied at his disbelieving face, holding up a hand and summoning magic too it till formed a swirling red-silver sphere of energy and arcane runes causing him to startle and pale "Remember this not a threat, merely a demonstration of ability as you requested. My dear?"
I glanced at M'gann as she rippled in form to her 'orc-martian form', which was green and red haired, with fiery eyes unlike original form that came her orcish heritage now. Held it a moment, before I extinguished the ball of energy and she turned back her human disguise "See, we are who we say we are. We can supply gold, platinum and other metals in the stated quantities in advance, and I'm sure you can find scientists to confirm our statements in regards offers of technology"
"I…I…why…why here? Us?"
I shrugged "I'm from Munster, just not this dimension's Munster and shur I'd like to keep it all to my home nation's benefit where I can"
'And not deal with the Justice League, or the Satanists, or the likes of Rash the Ghoul and that fucking clown who should be dead' I didn't say, M'gann feeling he was at least considering things now panic had faded momentarily. He actually started to read the documents…
I smiled later as we shook hands on the makings of a deal to at least start the process of finding supplies to feed a floating city for several months…
--
[07.06: Where the Shadows Lie]
[I'll always remember your kind words, and I'll still remember your name]
--
[Trader's Journal: Day 2269]
[Current Dimension]
Me? An Earth uncomfortably familiar. The Chance? A Dead world
[Current Location]
Dublin, Republic of Ireland
[Trading Report]
(Sales – Valuations in local currencies (dollars), set at third of market price with time delay)
10.2 million worth of gold
52.6 million worth of palladium
34.6 million worth of Osmium
26.3 million worth of Ruthenium
42.8 million worth of Iridium
62.1 million worth of Rhodium
45.5 million worth of arcane artefacts (mental protection)
15.5 million for Basic Arcane Training Materials
25.6 million for Arcano-tech encryption system over twelves machines
48.5 million for four modified T-45F Power Armour with full Anti-Kryptonian and Mageslayer railguns/beams
Now into more 'open value' here in that the agreement is on acquisition of our food supplies from various global sources.
Technology; -
System' Alliance (Historical Records) Biochemistry and Agronomics full electronic manuals and teaching pack (2084)
Systems Alliance (Historical Records) Soil Revitalisation Programme Guide (2067)
Systems Alliance (Historical Records) Computer Programming Guides (2022/2029/2036/2045/2067)
Systems Alliance (Historical Records) Computer Hardware Design Basics (2024/2036/2042)
United States Medical Guide / Mass Bay University documentation - Stimpak
United States Medical Guide / Mass Bay University documentation – Radaway
United Nations (ex)Military Grade Ferrocrete (Androsynth variant) (turned civilian, cheap)
Various mid-twenty-first century light combat vehicle/construction designs for Systems Alliance and United Nations
Improved Refrigeration Machinery Designs various sources
[Diary Entry]
Well, I've an office now. Yay!
And a secretary too! Yes M'gann, you are my 'Personal Assistant, sorry.
We've made a trade deal after a very quick three days of negotiations, and various people going through the Door to the dead world and seeing the giant floating spaceship there. I'll admit one of those days was very much spent on making VERY CLEAR to various parties that revealing secrets would be bad, and the magically signed non-disclosure agreements would work as specified. Not dangerous or mind-controlling thank you very much, but I do know how the Justice League works, along with LexCorp, the League of Shadows, and all the other listeners like the Green Lanterns. Secrecy through NOT SENDING EMAILS is the way to go, along with limited communications to limited, arcanely encrypted, sets when anything out of the ordinary is mentioned.
Sure, the Green Lanterns tend not to be great at using their hypertech AI rings to sniff about, but they have in various realities as well, and this is not getting fucked because of such things. Fuck it, if Rash the Ghoul can do to stay hidden and not reveal secrets then a national government can do the gods-damned same. Especially when I gave them ALL THE BLACKMAIL on our Tory friends in the UK. Because, yes, apparently, they are the same horrible, monstrous, people that they were in my reality. So, yup, they'll be released after we depart and I'm sure they'll all get a nice visit from the Justice League/various defo-not-UK military killers. But it's the *after we leave* part that matters to us. Because this'll be a big, damned operation and why we need a national sponsor to pull it off even in a few weeks.
See, there ain't enough food in Ireland to pull off supplying a whole city's worth of people, albeit a small city, for several months up to a year ideally. Not going to happen, even if we can pull in a fairly significant haul from Irish suppliers immediately despite, or maybe because, Christmas is coming up. That fucking abomination Klarion yet lives, somehow, after performing that monstrous ritual of his, and that's only two weeks ago – and the world yet reels. Not so much Europe as the times saved many again with night here when it started, but the grief lives on, worse than home. So different here. It hurts.
Right. Yeah. On a schedule. Seven to eight weeks to pull a world spanning supply operation – secret global supply operation – together. Uh-huh. Yup. Thankfully this side of things is for me to try organise while Kara and Quinn handle the refugees and shipping through the planned portals to the ship.
Yup. That's the plan. Oh, the plan, yeah. The plan is to buy up a whole lot of stuff across the world from various Irish trade partners and businesses through the government, both directly and indirectly, and ship them to various warehouses. Then we use our Teleporter, good ol'James, Debbie, myself, and the like to create a Door at those sites and shove through the containers filled with food, clothes, and the like…then replace with various other things like precious metals agreed. Bing, bang, boom – rinse and repeat a few hundred times at dozens of locations across the globe.
The goal being that none would suspect a global conspiracy to acquire all the tacos and toilet paper!
Yes, indeed, it helps me to focus on that and not on this fucked up world and the headaches it is giving me. It's, just, hard to be back and not-back. The sooner this is done the better. Which is a problem as that's going to be said seven to eight weeks. At least I get to enjoy Christmas at 'home' one more time in about a month?
Shore leaves for crew too. Yeah, that too. And I'll just make sure some people are okay, those that didn't have help at times. Very, very, discretely. I'm sure Gemma's fine, but there are a few that went to school that, well, had trouble. Cassie maybe, that she was only revealed because of us, so, she's safe with anonymity – something I won't risk with those scumbag Olympians about in this dimension. I don't know anymore. We should just leave. Not think, but we do what we must I suppose. Here we are, things are going well, fast, and I need to use that, so we depart and return home without the risk of starvation and sickness.
America is off the list till the last weeks though. Can't risk the superhero insanity till we're nearly done, now can we?
No. We can't. And the risk is very high in superhero central. I don't want to see them. I don't want to see Cork either. I just want this to work. We'll get this work and then leave for places afar. I'm a travelling merchant, and one should be on their travels, I think?
Right, back to actually useful things. We're trading databases, the current ones being fairly limited, but we've a few things that'll help Ireland, and the world as a whole, over the coming years. It'll also serves as a massive incentive for this to go down fast. Yes, yes, bad business as we're selling things for a fraction of their value here – but time is a concern, and we needed to hook our 'allies' fast. And we have, haven't we?
Encryption systems, even if they aren't on SHIELD standards, will keep some of the alien crap, and as well as the Justice League a time, along with the ability to propel computing decades ahead over coming years. Same with the agriculture and genetics data and guides, they'll be a major help for the older economy and rural areas I used to live in. Over time anyway. It'll lead to a new Green Revolution, all without the worst problems of dear old Lex and his problems, which persist here I think. I've ensured LexCorp are VERBOTEN for this whole arrangement of course. Boss above but the government here use them far more than they did in my home dimension!
Well, no more. I've given them the ability to purge the usual Lex backdoors over the next few days, and the stuff we've given will outstrip anything Earth produces for a century or two. Security first, just like the small boost we've given to the Irish Army, my old trainers in the Ranger Wing, even if they don't know me. I think the Power Armour will help greatly should bad things happen. Nothing too dangerous, but I can at least give the tools that we have been denied by the usual Justice League issues as I see them. SHIELD was right and correct I see now, and even if I can't rebuild it here – I can do what I can do to make the world a better place. Even if I never have to return.
Now, once more to battle. These schedules for our secret world spanning conspiracy to nab the toiletries won't write themselves!
--
[07.07: Where the Shadows Lie]
[But I've seen you changing and turning, and I know that things won't be the same.]
It was amazing to watch the crew, my crew, in action as the ruins of Dublin on this dead earth now had a large facility built up in the middle of it thanks to Quinn and the engineering team under Kara's direction. Magic and technology used to assemble in less than two weeks a major structure with rails and cranes to rapid transit containers through the Doors unto this earth, and through another Door up to the Carrier. Oh, it might look very early twentieth century, and the health and safety a bit iffy at a few bits for my mind, but it was a 'clean air' environment and the transport systems worked before my eyes.
Work that had taken up my week as hundreds…thousands…of phone calls and emails had to be sent, and dozens of meetings organised and then completed. I'd have much more to do, but I'd wanted to get eyes on the operation now we were finally up and running, and the machinery of global orders were put into motion at last. These would be the first deliveries and dozens of people, some of the more skilled refugees amongst them, now calling out and directing traffic as the first of the containers was drawn through from another, better, and alive earth. I couldn't help but smile as cheers went up, mostly from the refugee workers, and my suspicions of similar up on the Carrier when we sent them through from here to the work teams there.
"Good job guys, good job" I said to Kara and Quinn with a grin as I rested both hands on my walking cane, studying the movement of the containers as well as the activation of the anti-scry wards and detection baffling systems "Looks like we got this party started"
Quinn gave me a look "It's not a party Callum"
"Yeah, I know that Quinn" I replied with amusement "But it's damn-well better than where we were. Seeing our hard work in action is pleasant let's go with"
"Nathan's on edge" Kara pointed out nodding "Good moods of some aside"
I sighed "You are both trying to kill my buzz as some would put it. And, yeah, I know he is, and good reason too. That's why we'll only do these ops during schedule times. We can't afford to burn anyone out as this'll take time to do"
"Better for the generators too. Those baffles really start to heat up" Quinn muttered "But don't we have that lot of newbies helping out?"
"More hassle as they have to be watched and trained too" Kara told him quietly, and I nodded in agreement as she continued on about the soldiers from refugees getting said training "More manpower, but it's a lot of hassle managing them in the role"
"Tell me about it" I muttered shaking my head "But it's working, so there's that. The fun stuff is going to be when it's not from Irish warehouses with help to ensure it's covered up, that and the training on the gear next week with the ARW. Nathan's a bit unhappy about me dumping that on him. Which is fair"
"Busy?"
I shrugged back to Kara "I'm on overwatch response firstly, and second I'll be helping put anti-scry wards in certain buildings as part of our deal….and playing herd on whichever magus comes with"
Because we needed to play ball with Lady Barthomelloi, as well as both putting them to work, so they had less time to plot, and felt needed, so they also had more focus on plotting against each other than against us. The Emiya Clan and Caster and her would be husband were settling in nicely, but Jenny was needing a good bit of support right now. Doctor Chen was handling that along with others, as the main three of us, along with most of the rest of senior officers, had this morass to wade through. With that in mind I pulled out my pocket-watch, glancing at the time and sighing.
"With that in mind, I do believe I'd best get back to that other side to get ready for the next meeting, so orders are in warehouse when we want them to be…"
--
{Government Buildings, Dublin, Ireland, five days later}
"Weryl, you go here, and we'll anchor the wards with Order…" I directed as we used the cleared away paint and plaster from the wall to inlay strong protective barriers into Leinster House during a day off. The government wanted their buildings protected, and I was happy to do just that even if it would take several days of effort in multiple parts of the buildings to get basics established. Thankfully I'd brought an extensive team with me in Azula, Breylna, Debbie, Onmund, Gloria, Weryl, and Arniel Gane from my existent crew, and Medea from amongst out new additions. Along for the 'ride' was 'Waver' as he'd asked us to call him, and his 'Lady Reines' here to both observe and help.
Considering the effort involved I wasn't going to say no as their boundary field was an interesting evolution on techniques different to my own, albeit familiar ones. We'd actively power the defences from the Ley-lines, and those involved would make it impressively multi-layered and long-lasting by local standards. Sure Illusk, and Netheril, and other such spellcasters would scoff at a mere hundred years without a caster to help, but I found it pretty damn impressive. Meshing the layers was my responsibility, though Weryl was a great help as being an Order mage it was natural to reinforce such defences and anchor it. Made my life so much easier too as it matched my inclinations.
Mental protections were merely a start for the inhabitants, and annoying blonde girl-magus was VERY willing to offer suggestions at that. Not that I disagreed with her fully either, watching as Weryl's Order Magecraft almost made him like a faceless humanoid blob of Order energies to my arcane senses. Protections against mental influence were the start as the passive defences, and in a few days we'd work on more 'active' defensive protections. Really, with giving them the databases it was best to isolate attacks from various demonic forces, aliens, and other such attacks. M'gann working on a laptop nearby, more deliveries to organise, so that she could test the psionic dampening effects of the boundary field later…
Bzzzz-ping
Both she and I startled at the alerts, and I immediately pulled out my phone as I wasn't actively involved in the current spellcasting. Held up my hand to M'gann that I'd take it, and that she could listen in "Problem?"
Barbara's voice came back over the line "Yes, something just pinged our training op. Something weird and marked as chronitonic-aberration. Teams are evacuating now. Sending James to you…"
Click
…and then Mister Karden was standing before me as Barbara finished "…now"
I gestured at M'gann and Debbie to come with me, then at Arniel Gane "We have an overwatch potential, continue with the work, we'll return shortly"
Handed James a teleportation disk "Go and I'll teleport after you activate"
"Sir"
Click
…and then he was gone just as M'gann and Debbie came to flank me and pulled out the other prepared side of the disk artefact, infusing power into it even as I held the phone to the other end. Babs voice coming through against within seconds "Damn…teleport? FTL event? Boss, something just dropped in over site…"
"Teleporting" I replied as the other side of the disk 'connected' to this one "Now"
Then we were standing on a tropical island, one devoid of people and well outside the area of 'inhabited' or 'watched' as the last days of operations here had shown. Training the Irish Army Ranger Wing in the four sets of Power Armour we were selling them, along with a number of other devices to go with it. All under a sensor baffle and active cloak that…
Rippled in orange light suddenly, along with a semi-familiar energy release…
I drew out my pocket watch, dropping my illusions, just as M'gann and Debbie did, counting down as the two-dozen people on site raced to get back through the open 'Doors' as James clicked himself away from the site as well as I called out "Three minutes!"
"We won't have three minutes" Debbie said to me looked up at the flash of orange light….
It was seeking something and had the general location even. Flashing over the…
'Gods-dammit it's the baffle' I wanted to complain as Babs told me that the weird energy source triggered again – Temporal Distortion tainted high tech. Not what had been a Lantern ring. The barrier went down seconds later, and there were suddenly two Orange coloured humanoids in the skies above us as the temporary base vanished swiftly as per our operation plans. My eyes narrowed; voice silent but speaking with magic into the comms.
"Babs, Blackout Protocols. Get everyone clear and we'll evac after"
Neither of the 'Orange Lanterns' were the one from the news reports, and I was almost certain that was T. O. Morrow in a ghostly orange shade that indicated Orange Light Assimilation based on the records. It would seem we would have to buy a few minutes more to evacuate properly and clear up all evidence of our presence. Spells ignited, both M'gann and Debbie raising defences as I gave a smile, activating Temporal contingencies on my pocket-watch spells and giving a jaunty wave with cane in the other "Hello there! You seem to be a little lost I see! Would you like directions to not here by any chance?"
--
[07.08: Where the Shadows Lie]
[I remember that summer in Dublin, and the Liffey as it stank like hell]
"Hello there! You seem to be a little lost I see! Would you like directions to not here by any chance?"
I hadn't even waited for my words to be spoken before I sync'd up with M'gann and Debbie with both a Battle Meditation from myself, and a psionic link between us three. Responding had always been a possibility, and I'd worked together with everyone enough to know how to fight as an overwatch response team. The 'base camp staff' were already gone within seconds of the site being detected, and now the locals being trained, and our training team were moving to escape through Doors. We only had to delay till they and the remnants of the base equipment was gone…
Debbie summoned shadow creatures as I finished speaking, as I finished activating illusions over all of us, and on the shadow things, as M'gann psionically blocked any empathic abilities like Green and Red Lanterns back home possessed. Now we three went invisible as shadow creatures took our places, me stepping back magically silent, while M'gann and Debbie hovered up into the air back. Now I could speak like a ventriloquist from the shadow-thing standing in my place, our movements Hasted and boosted by Cat's Grace as well. There was a reason I liked scrolls and contingency spells as rapid deployment like this was vital as our mysterious new Orange Lantern and his clearly assimilated minion/victim scanned rapidly.
"Mine" he growled at us as the ring swing an orange beam over the battle, eyes narrowing to my vision as energy spung up rapidly around him "That shouldn't exist in this period. I want it. But I'll be needing you to talk"
"Oh, we all like to talk" illusion-me replied as I aimed to delay, pulling out and then 'burning' stored spell crystal to further illusions to hide the Power Armour further, along with adding more 'chaff' to the environment to battle the sensors "And we are open to negotiation for purchase of goods…"
'I' didn't get any further as orange constructs came into existence….in far great development and numbers that I'd seen from Greens or Reds before. Railguns, and some sort of generator construct perhaps, springing into existence as the man also reached out with the orange energy to try seizing us, or our illusions anyway, in three separate orange spheres…
'Let's go with hostile then' I thought with my two linked allies moving backwards as they moved upwards, the three shadow-things attacking the spheres to free themselves even as I summoned three archons to aid us in combat. All while Debbie cloaked them in shadowy illusions and empathic energies to look as if they were the real ones as M'gann launched a psionic assault on the Lantern's mind….
Only to be rebuffed by some sort of tech-system as the railguns spun up and fired in shocking swiftness as I summoned up a shield both on two of the archon-us mere seconds before the rounds hit them. Hit them very hard in fact for a purely tech-based system, the Lantern-construct lashing out as well with orange beams at the shadow-us as the 'prison spheres' were smashed. Easily too, but that was likely because the archons were likely assumed to be us as the Lantern moved and dodged, annoying smart….
'Now' M'gann 'ordered' as *she* moved, the real here, shapeshifting into a dragon-form while summoning up fire-sorcery to cloak herself moments before she smashed into the Lantern's body. Momentum disrupting a few of the energy constructs…shield generators apparently, I judged, as I went after the Lantern-construct as Debbie moved with M'gann, and controlling the illusions as a physical assault became a brutal psionic one. My magic rose to me as I silently cast, darker energies rising to my command as I closed with the orange glowing construct even as M'gann tried to tear memories out of the Lantern's mind. Below the clock was ticking, teams moving through illusioned Doors.
Negative energy tore into the construct of avarice, necromantic power feeding and corrupting the energy of life now focused in one, lone, emotion. Like a vampire of energy I fed on this wretched and accursed thing shorn of it's will and life, easily tearing into it's 'flesh' as it lashed out with energies that I blocked with my staff. Oh this wouldn't work on the Lantern with the Ring, but this construct…it was just guided energy, with a trapped soul within. I tore into those bonds and bindings as the Orange Lantern shifted away from M'gann, railguns driving her off as illusions flashed over us again, now Debbie coming to aid me as her shadowy magics tore into the gashes and black energy tears I'd made into the construct.
Expending a spell from the walking cane I teleported as our three minds saw and knew what to do now and in the next moments, the seconds passing as Barbara signalled the alert of more Lanterns incoming. Green ones this time, and likely seeing this one out for arrest. A situation both good and bad as our evacuation was nearly complete as I materialised behind the Lanterns, a flight spell active as I raised my staff and ignited a blast of maximised lightning into his shielded back. Just as I unleashed a horror spell immediately afterwards as M'gann shifted shape again to exploit such even as Debbie tore free the soul from the construct along with three archons…
'Shield!' I commanded again, empowering it as the blast of orange light expanded in an explosion-sphere from the Lantern to drive us away, M'gann dropping towards the ground and psionically gripping some metal bars to fling at him in response. My shield met his as I flew back, easily blocking it as M'gann's attack destroyed another of the forming construct weapons. But I could feel the new energy flashing in, another beam smashing into the shield of orange light, this time green. Our teams were clear. The site now emptied of anything traceable.
I tried one last spell, a Death spell to kill the attacker….a Mister Truggs according to M'gann's memory attack, but watched it resisted by the combination ring and whatever tech he was using…
Now it was time to leave our three as one agreed as another free flash was coming in fast even as Guy…Green Lantern Disaster eyed us as we moved, just before illusions could cloak us. No matter, shadows and cloak spells activated, M'gann reverting to her 'Martian' look as we flew back and then used the teleport disk to send us to empty island in the pacific. Then from there a Door opened, and we walked through to the dead earth while the Justice League handled this mess as we, hopefully, disappeared from records and view….
--
{Later, in a Dublin, a dead one}
"A time traveller apparently" I muttered as a tired M'gann rested against my right side drinking an 'Soder' now she had access to them again. Kara sat across from us with Barbara, while Debbie stood reading the data-pad, or maybe rewatching footage "Hence future-tech chrono-nonsense detecting the baffle. Stole the ring off the actual Lantern guy. Like us waving a red rag at a bull, right M'gann?"
She nodded, the psionics, aggressive shapeshifting, and sorcery had tired her out now, but she was holding up well overall I felt "Um, uh-huh, he detected the jammer-thing…and then came looking immediately because he thought it would make him even harder to track by the good guys. We should tell…"
"Don't worry, they won, the League I mean" Barbara offered to end M'gann's desire to tell people we didn't really want to talk too certain things if the man was a danger "That guy is off to super-jail if the signals we detected are right. Problem solved. That one anyway"
I sighed "Bats?"
"Bats" Barbara agreed as Kara gave her own nod of agreement "He doesn't have my genius to help in this dimension…but he's looking for something. That something being us looking all supervillain-y with our secret island base and then disappearing with everything the minute someone finds us. I think Mister Badguy might be squealing on us"
"He didn't know who or what we were" M'gann offered, shrugged "Or he wasn't thinking he did in the fight"
"Well…that's good, but the rings did get a visual, even if they shouldn't have been able to scan us" I murmured after a moment's thought "Then again….disguises. None of our other operations were interrupted?"
"None" Kara replied shaking her head "We've gone quiet though, just in case. We'll start back tomorrow, same with the work in Dublin. Bad guy got caught, we weren't, and nothing left behind. And the training mission had nothing in common with the containers"
"You're giving me my story for the Irish government?" I asked her with a tired smile. Kara gave me an amused one in response.
"Hmm, am I?"
"Maybe" I replied resting my head back on the couch with a sigh, feeling weary "Right. They'll be investigating but we're only here a few weeks. We just need to stay out of trouble"
"Right, sure, easy, and Bats and the Lanterns won't sniff around for the mysterious group on the island" Barbara offered unhelpfully with an amused, albeit as unhappy as me underneath, smirk "We're probably going to have reveal ourselves discreetly if we're getting supervillain attacks like this Callum"
I looked to Kara, who shrugged, and I sighed again "Well…let's try and get through all the non-American deliveries and get basics done before we even think about doing something like that. Dammit, if a bunch of cretins playing supervillain can hide this sort of thing then we should be too! Anyway, there's one or two people I want to approach…" and get out of shitty lives it seemed "…and give options before we've the Righteous Kal-El and Bruce Almighty breathing down our throats"
--
[07.09: Where the Shadows Lie]
[And the young people walking on Grafton Street, and everyone looking so well]
M'gann Outis was 'herself' right now, or Megan anyway, human Megan, and walking beside Callum in his also human disguise, even wearing his nice white suit. It was much nicer than the skull mask and the scary black outfit he used to like when he was John…not that he'd wear that around civilians anyway. That would scare them badly, and they were in 'talking' mode in their human forms as she 'felt' him being very angry at the state of the girl before. M'gann remembered Wally's girlfriend, purple haired Jinx, and this wasn't the same girl….
Or maybe it was, and she could only feel the fear and rage because the girl hadn't learned mental protections on this world. Nor had the girl she remembered have bruises like that or trying to steal like they'd just caught her doing as they'd walked over to talk to her. It made her angry too as she felt the surface thoughts, the horrid mix of fear, anger, and self-hatred that almost screamed out from the girl. Running away was foremost on her mind; - from them, from home, from the whole world. Suddenly M'gann felt the urge to throw a fireball at the mother of this poor girl. The father too.
But that fear also made Jinx awkwardly, with a big front of bravado despite terrible thoughts of what they were going to do to her almost screaming outwards, walking with them into a restaurant. A cheap mall one, and M'gann sat beside Jinx on the outside part of the booth, while Jo…Callum sat across from them trying to talking calming things. Not great, because he sounded crazy talking the truth, but M'gann knew that the world was crazy when it came to the other half of her soul. Even the fact they were magic-evil-not-evil clones from a parallel dimension that came here in a spaceship really did sound not true when she thought about it in a logical manner.
"….al'right, aliens from wherever the fuck" Jinx grumbled at them quietly, clearly afraid of them still, and of going to jail second, after the waitress left their food on the table "And you have stalked me maybe…"
"No, no, we wanted to see you were safe, and you're not!" M'gann said quietly, pouting, Callum sighing thinking at her that she was not helping matters. He didn't feel how the other girl was. She didn't believe anyway would care, and the words didn't scare her any more than before, even the more shamed thinking on what they might demand was very bad to M'gann "We were friends with other you…and she wouldn't want this to happen! No! She managed to get away from those terrible people….but you didn't"
Eyes down, starring at the table was the response, along with mumbling, thoughts chaos to M'gann passive feel of the situation "N'where t'go, s'what? Can't…"
Jinx shook herself "An' what you gone do about it? Tryin to be my sugar daddy and mommy or summin an…an…do…stuff? Fuck no. Not that desperate. No. I can take it at home iffa have too"
Callum sighed, gesturing at the food "Eat up, you're clearly hungry. And no, we don't want anything from you Jinx. For once someone is actually looking out for you, without any self-interest built in, but I agree we look incredibly suspect. I know. So, we're going to buy this nice dinner, followed by a coffee and a dessert, and then, when we're done, we'll give you a backpack full of cash, a new identity, a primer on magic, and a brand-new phone, prepaid for a year. Heavens and hells, if you want us to leave anywhere else, we will, from here, to anywhere in the world. Except Gotham or Metropolis anyway. They're out. But anywhere else you desire, along with a phone number for people in Ireland that have a trust fund should you ever want to work in that field"
"Yeah!" M'gann cheered on softly with a beaming smile "You can go to school and have a new life!"
"Jus…like dat?" she heard Jinx almost stuttered out "I…seriously?"
"Just like that" Callum agreed with a sad smile "Just like that, though I can't promise you anything after the next few weeks. No control, because we'll be gone, but the people we've dealt with are bound by Oath and Contract should you accept. It's not exactly what I'd like, but its enough to give you a chance to unlock your potential"
M'gann blinked at the turmoil, at the emotionally burning question "Why?"
Callum didn't feel it, of course, blinking at Jinx's plaintive question "Why what?"
"Why…me?"
"I think we sort of explained it, in our bizarre, insane, story" Callum offered kindly "But, well, because you're a good person Jinx. You don't deserve…"
M'gann reached out and gently patted the girl as a tear went down her cheek unnoticed even by herself "I'm bad luck! E….e...vil"
"You're a probability manipulator Jinx" he replied kindly "You're just untrained not…evil. Gods, far from it. I know you're not the girl I knew…but I know she'd have helped me if she was here, and I was you. So, that's the least we can do. Help you. Just let us help you Jinx. That's all we ask, and then whatever you want to do in the future is for you to decide"
--
{Later that night, back in Ireland}
"I'm surprised to be honest" Callum was saying as M'gann relaxed on the bed across from him and Kara as he talked about the day to her "I assumed…well, I didn't think she'd jump to foreign country straight away to think"
"I told you!" M'gann said laying on her back, eyes closed and feeling tired despite it being only eight o'clock local time, and so a little rest was what she needed. Her orc side had advantages, but she still got tired with all the work, even if it made feel better, as well as shapeshifting just being generally more tiring than when she had been a White Martian. Callum didn't mind, nor did Kara, Barbara and Mister Mallory who were all after arriving to talk more business in the hotel room. M'gann felt Kara give an amused smile at that.
"Did she?"
Callum gave a huffy-sigh "Yeah, yeah…you were right M'gann. Mind reading, hmmm?"
M'gann only responded with a "Hmmm!" of her own, trying to think on nice things rather than what that poor girl had gone through, nor the terrible misery of being so near Uncle J'onn and Connor…and yet not being near them at all. Those people weren't them, and this world was so sad because it wasn't home. But thinking like that wouldn't help anyone, especially herself, and knowing Callum felt the same meant they had to actively fight against such things. So, playful it was as she heard him give a snort.
"Hmm, apparently is her answer, but she chose to come here for whatever reason"
"Here, or here-here?" Mister Mallory asked curiously "And she….okay?"
"Okay? Not…great, but she's better than going home I expect. Very get away for very obvious reasons" Callum answered "And no, not here-here, but a hotel room in Galway, with an anti-scry bit of jewellery and a whole new identity. That's our good deed for the day done"
"Well, better luck than me" Kara replied, though she wasn't sounding depressed, just a bit unhappy "I might not exist, so that could be it, but at least my pod isn't trapped in any nearby places….and we're being looked for very aggressively Callum. Babs?"
"Yeah, sorry to say, but I think the Lanterns really want to talk to us about…stuff" she heard her fellow red-haired friend mutter from where she sat, laptop being typed on to M'gann's hearing "Bruce as well, but it's not picking up on the standard stuff, but they're looking for advanced tech like Mister Lantern-Thief tried to steal off us"
'We could see them again…' was M'gann's first thought, but she pushed it down as that was bad, instead using spoken words "But….we're being good about those now?"
"Yes, we're training the Rangers on the carrier, on the dead world, for now" the human red-head replied "So there shouldn't be a trail to follow. But, magic, lots of magic got used. Nearly Christmas here Callum. Kara?"
"The Irish government is getting a bit worried too, afraid of another supervillain attack. Want to at least ensure no trouble with the Justice League and United Nations for after we leave. They want us to talk to the United Nations with them in secret"
M'gann opened her eyes, looking at Callum as he looked unhappy, but nodded after a minute "Not the League, but the UN?"
"Just the UN" her friend Kara agreed looking at Mister Mallory, nodding at him "They want to make sure the secure databases we've given them have buyers and don't get them in to trouble when we leave"
Callum nodded, slowly, looking at his girlfriend "What do you think?"
"I think we can stall a little bit Callum, but we might have to just in case of trouble. Another week it's Christmas, and we'll be close by then. Only a fortnight or three weeks after that…"
"We will be sailing away" M'gann finished for her, not trying to feel sad. Not trying to feel relieved as well.
"Yes, that" Barbara agreed "So we can stall a little, and then have a secret UN meeting, and then by the time bureaucracy starts to move we'll be gone…"
--
[07.10: Where the Shadows Lie]
[I was singing a song I heard somewhere, called "Rock 'n' roll never forgets"]
Azula was like a man in a woman's body Katara had found over the months stuck with her on the ship, with none of those little things, like common sense, in her mind when it came to 'normal life'. Or what counted as normal life right now anyway since they'd lost to her and her brother…and the world was, mostly, saved from their father, the Firelord, afterwards. By becoming Firelord in Azula's case, and then taking Katara and Aang as wives. Oh, officially, they were Aang's wives now…
But Katara saw now that Azula was the husband and that she, and her Aang when they returned, were the wives in the relationship. Azula was like Father, a warrior with no idea how to act properly, and Aang, much as she loved him, was like Mother, except he was a boy. Tui and La but Katara had tried to make Azula even a little more womanly during their time together, so that when they did return home to Aang they could at least be pleasant wives together. After the first three months living with Azula in their cabin…Katara had shifted to making her into a slightly more pleasant husband instead. Trying Azula's idea of 'romance' with Aang with 'Katara is now unclad, it is now time to produce an heir. Chop. Chop. I'm next after her' was just not acceptable. No. No, it was not.
'I blame the Firelord' was Katara's viewpoint most mornings on the whole situation as she lay in bed beside Azula. Not only had the dreadful monster tried to take over the world, and done every terrible thing, but he'd also turned Azula and Zuko into what they were. And it had turned out that Zuko was the more 'normal' of the two siblings….which had been a terrible thought, followed by the more practical problems of helping dress Azula into less threatening clothing most days. Easier said than done with Lord Perfectionist that was Katara's husband-in-reality. Like now as she huffed and puffed in polite annoyance 'are my sandals cleaned?' and 'where is my sword?' as Katara 'gently' shoved her out of the shower and back into the main room.
Pure armour and the 'I AM A WARRIOR!' look was not what was needed with diplomatic meetings, even if Katara had to allow the general armour, which was decorative now at least. The captain wanted things to go pleasantly, even if they needed to be able to defend themselves as usual, and Katara carefully ensured the trousers were nice looking rather than simply 'training gear'. Because Agni forbid that Azula wear a dress instead of Fire Nation soldier's trousers!
"There we go!" she managed to get out at last, finishing the last adjustments to Azula's hair, as she stood in front of the large mirror as Azula surveyed herself "Very Imperial"
"Hmm, hmm, yes. Just so. Good" Azula replied after a moment, nodding, hand on her sword hilt and glancing at Katara's still unclad state "Now do you wish…"
"No, I can dress myself, and you have to check your files" Katara replied without saying 'No. I am NOT letting you pick anything out'
Ty Lee would normally be a help, but she was busy getting ready for the meeting in her own room as a bodyguard….or still sleeping potentially…so it was just herself. Distracting Azula with work was the best way to go, and it worked as Katara quickly studied herself, and then began dressing in the underwear and then dressed she had made based on proper Water Tribe appearances. Except much lighter to deal with the warmth of these lands versus the South Pole, and what Miss Asa and Chao had had helped with to make everything 'Princess-like' as they called it. Not that Katara felt like a Princess, but…
'Head up, be strong, keep everyone at home safe' she reminded herself firmly as she walked out of the room with Azula, then followed along to where the captain couple waited, because when wasn't in charge, the other would be. Both of them and Miss Megan, though with her pale white skin disguise rather than her normal green, were already prepared, with Miss Megan wearing a dress for the meal, as was Lady Kara. Katara gave a warm smile, and a wave, to them, noting Azula nodding to her mentor as they joined them, four 'formally' dressed guards in the still-strange attire of the lands beyond the spirits gaze.
They needed food…or they needed food for all the people from the horrid world that died, and that was something Katara could fully get behind as they entered 'the shuttle' and left the ship. Then likely through one of the spirit portals as she listened to Lady Kara explain things, as well as to Lord Callum to Azula, talking about what to say, and what not to say. Katara had hated Lord Callum at the start for helping Azula win, but, well…he was a good influence on Katara's and Aang's jailor/ally/husband, mostly, and on making sure the Fire Nation stopped being horrible monsters. Or at the very least were monsters that defended the world from other monsters that lived beyond in these terrible lands.
But this part wasn't too bad, even if still strange, as she sat at the fancy looking table and was introduced to 'Mister Dangun' who was…
Well, Katara wasn't really sure since he was a 'Ruler' of the world, but Not-actually, and the other people who ruled nations did. The local rulers they had reached an agreement with had brought him, so he was important, not powerful. She assumed he was like the Earth King had been…
Still, he was important enough, and Katara treated him like she had with the Earth King, and how Azula had taught her to deal with nobles, before she and Azula showed off their bending. Politely and not scarily of course, followed by the captain talking about the 'multiverse' and other such things that Katara found absolutely terrifying when she thought about it. The 'Justice League' thing she found interesting, as Courtney had talked all about it during her check-up now that they knew she was pregnant, and it seemed to exist on a few worlds. It was a nice idea to have strong heroes like that to stand up and fight evil, much like Aang was the Avatar…and maybe if Aang had something like that then they wouldn't have lost to the Fire Nation. Maybe.
Thankfully Katara found she didn't have to talk too much at this overly formal and overdressed informal and private meeting. Just very basic details about her home, even if the way Azula and the captain talked about it made her sound like an actual Princess and that Aang was sort of ruling the world after uniting everyone after fighting the Long War. It was…a weird way to describe getting beaten up by the Firebending Siblings and then dragged into a marriage to end the war, but Katara didn't mind much as she ate the meat dish. Chao cooked better, but that wasn't surprising and Katara had found the bossy cook girl had spoiled her appetite with all the good cooking she gave them all.
"….agreement reached with the Republic of Ireland is sufficient for needs Secretary-general, though we are open to further discussions to ease the burdens…"
All while the captain droned on about business, as well as Azula, while Katara stuck to more 'safe' topics with the pale skinned people from this 'Eyre Land' place, and the wife of Mister Dargun. Healing and waterbending, along with traditions of the Water Tribes, both hers and the Northern, while they talked about the local midwinter festival of this world. That was very different to home as the midwinter was not the time for festivals in the Water Tribes, but the rest of the crew really wanted shore leave, and Katara couldn't help but agree – as long as it was somewhere nice like this. Not the dead world, because that would be really depressing.
"…manufacturing equipment yes we would be interested in. Except LexCorp and anything made by Lex Luthor, as one of his interdimensional counterparts is a major sponsor of ours and has contracted that we do not purchase from any 'lesser' Luthor's as it was…"
Azula seemed happy with everything, and that was usually a good sign, in relation to politics anyway, because while she might be a terrible wife-husband she was a very good leader and chief. Whatever the Justice League was they were now not going to be let near the ship according to the UN Ruler, and they would be able to do plenty of shopping without hiding everything so much. That would make things so much easier like Asa had said, and Ty Lee might finally shut about buying that dress she wanted. Then they could finally get home to where Aang was waiting for them…
--
[07.11: Where the Shadows Lie]
[When my hummin' was smothered by a 46a and the scream of a low flying jet.]
Barbara Gordon didn't like Lady Barthomelloi, but, then again, she didn't like any of the magus she had met outside one or two exceptions. They were, at heart, villains, or at the very least trained to be villainous and/or insane to become what they were. Not that Barbara couldn't work with villains if needs must, God, she could work with Tirdelk and his goblin squad quite well even, and they were merry little monsters when fighting. But the magus crowd tended to rub her the wrong way for some reason with that mix of arrogance, obliviousness, and actual power that just grated.
In part it was why she was almost glad to be back in her Batgirl outfit, the upgraded one that she had worked on with Callum, Quinn, and Kara. Sure, she had the training to resist mental attacks, but she liked having the extra protections in the suit…and she liked being Batgirl in their faces. To show them, yes, I'm a crazy girl in a costume to your eyes, but I'm also a hero in a suit that can take you down. It was also the fact they were in a near-home type dimension, and Barbara Gordon her did not need her giving away her secret identity whenever she should decide to reveal herself. If she did, different worlds, different choices as many worlds showed.
Thankfully she didn't have to talk to woman overly much, as that was currently Callum's problem to deal with as Captain of the ship. Ships now, and Barbara watched as the carrier began to manoeuvre in the air, the now less tox air of the dead world swirling violent around it as the 'clean zone' mixed in with the rest of the atmosphere. Which was interesting to observe as the sheer size of the Carrier, at fifty miles long and thirty-five wide, combined with all 'air purification' they'd done…a powerful storm had started in their wake. Winds and rain rising, sunlight breaking through the ever-present gloom in several areas according to the sensors on the behemoth.
"Drives are active. Door ready to open" she announced standing on the bridge, though M'gann was the one actually 'sailing' the massive ship "Are we cleared on the other side?"
"Clear, open Door and bring us through" Callum called out, and Barbara confirmed it Burt over on the bridge of the Fortune's Chance, then watched as a massive portal opened before the Carrier. In all honesty Callum wasn't fully behind bringing the ship through, but with need to quickly getting resources aboard, and now the detection of 'Bleed Life' at the fringes of the broken reality, he'd agreed with her and Kara's pressing the matter. They'd made an agreement with the United Nations of this Earth, and…
'Can't trust the refugees to be left alone' she thought with a glance at the leader of said group as she watched the unfolding events alongside a blonde girl named Lady Reines. Barbara would have preferred the Waver fellow; be he was making sure everything stayed calm with said refugees while these two observed her on the bridge for them. They couldn't be trusted, not really, and taking the Fortune's Chance through and leaving them behind…would be unwise they all agreed. Nor would the distance necessarily prevent an attack now the other side knew of them and might actually lead to more deaths should they try to breach Doors at various warehouses around the world. This way they could do ten times the volume in half the time, even if the risk was greater.
"Transition…five, four, three, two, one…and we're through" she announced as the vessel slid through the breach held open by the Monitor drones and out into the Atlantic Ocean of the living world. Getting a veritable flood of signals the moment they did, holographic displays showing radar as well as alien-tech like the Lantern rings that the Monitors expected when the ship was built. Behind them the Door immediately snapped closed as the Monitor Drones entered this reality and those already present broke away to form up around their newly acquired starship. They wouldn't be getting any scans off either ship or the dimensional tech, but Callum's paranoia always demanded more Barbara thought quietly to herself.
Instead, she went to work, Burt over on the Chance bringing up the long list of transmissions actively transmitted at them. Barbara resisted a smile; this dimension's Bruce was likely glaring at them right now from the Watchtower "Captain, we are being contacted by the United Nations, as well as the United States State Department as expected. Shall I put them through?"
"Military response?"
Barbara shook her head "Nothing so far, just a carrier keeping planes watching the area as expected"
"Grand, put'em through and let's get this party started then. I give it a day before the first supervillain idiocy towards us"
Barbara gave an amused snort "Only complete idiots would do that!"
--
{So I jumped on a bus to dun laoire, stoppin' off to pick up my guitar,}
Six and a half hours. That's all it took, and it came in with a series 'distractions' on secondary sites that were feeding the carrier. Largely in an effort to sneak in someone. That didn't annoy Barbara as she responded to the breach attempt, having been on Overwatch to ensure they didn't have to deploy security teams to show their strength as yet. So, they'd hit back like this was a 'traditional' superhero fight as Callum called in an annoyed manner as sensors picked up who they faced.
That was what really annoyed Barbara as she chased down a fleeing Selina fucking Kyle, all about in her kitty-kat dressup, through the warehouse like she was back in Gotham again. Except it wasn't Gotham, albeit an American city none the less, and here was Bruce more aggravating bit…love-interest, save Talia, working with morons like Cheetah and Copperhead. Sure, those two idiots were clearly distractions to try allowing Catwoman sneak in with all the extra fancy tech she sure didn't have home. But still…the bitch had embarrassed her in front of Kara and Callum, and that made her mad.
"Really Selina!" she growled out, not bothering with identities as the stupid cat went up and over a container just in time to dodge the 'sticky' batarangs Barbara had flung at her "Letting team down as always!"
Catwoman, in nearly all dimensions, was a god damned nuisance to catch, especially one in full flight mode like she was now. Debbie, dressed as the Crimson Crow, and now really looking good in that stripperic costume of hers despite additions to it, was after overwhelming both Cheetah and Copperhead already, shoving both into a prison container so that armed guards could bring them to a secure place to 'interview'. They likely knew very little, so Barbara moved up and over the container, her movements silenced by her boots enchantments as she activated her illusion…
And watched it get a whip strike from below moments later, dispelling the shadowy thing. But, unfortunately for Miss Bitch Kitty , Barbara wasn't that illusion, and came up down behind her. Leading with a 'sleep' spell Callum and Debbie had taught her, only for it to be dodged by the Cat-Bitch as she'd expected. But that made good ol'Selina move to engaged in hand to hand a moment, to try make a break for the exit that was now behind Barbara. Something that was very much a mistake. Very much so as Barbara blocked a kick with her leg, dodging the whirling whip attempt…
Then stepped in like she had learned from Ty Lee, hands moving in a precise flurry to hit nerve clusters that the skintight clothing the Kitty preferred did nothing to interfere with. Right arm left leg as it kicked, then left arm, before three more hits had the woman slumping to the ground, grumbling curses at her "Fuckin….bitch…what you do…"
"Nighty-nighty naughty kitty!" she replied in a cheerful tone and hitting Selina with another sleep spell, and then bending over to pick up the unconscious woman "You need to give a nice talk to…"
"Put her down" a vaguely familiar voice asked/demanded, and Barbara sighed as Richard leap out of the shadows ahead of her, apparently just come in through the warehouse entrance "Barbara. That's who you are isn't it? Barbara Gordon. All grown up"
'Little jackass' was her immediate thought on that as a mini-Flash came into place just behind him, as well as two more women coming in behind. M'gann, but not her M'gann, and apparently the female Green Arrow that Callum's original had shacked up with before Kara. Eh, decent but Barbara rated herself higher, and Green Arrow was just inferior Bruce with a bow fetish. Good thing Callum wasn't here, as that was not going to help with the stress he'd been under with this whole dimension being like his home. Barbara would ensure they had stress relief in the future. But, first, there was the ever annoying chibi Richard Grayson "Well if isn't Little Dick!"
…and there he blinked mid smirk, getting flustered as Barbara silently triggered an alert "Wha…, no, you need to hand her over and…"
"Now, now, Dick you need to find your own dates. Unconscious girls are just out of bounds" Barbara retorted as…and that was Wally West in teenage form getting worked up not trying to laugh. And this Megan was getting embarrassed by the situation and the mental link was clearly suffering "When I knew you back home you were big, Dick, but here you've shrunk. It's cute and all, but I really can't take little Dick seriously. Anyone else want to step in for him?"
Snickers and very uncomfortable silence greeted that, momentary, confused, as an orange light came in indicating a Lantern arriving along with another person. But that was enough was a Door opened up before her, and Barbara dropped in the unconscious Selina without hesitation, so she was no longer a topic of discussion as the Mini-Flash was too busy trying to get his giggles under control to stop it. This could all be Bruce, however unlikely, and even if it wasn't he was always inclined to give Selina Kyle a slap on the wrist instead of locking her away forever. She smiled, hands up in a 'what can you do?' gesture as she spoke, Door closing "Oops! Looks like you'll have to wait in line to have a get time with the pussy…cat"
"Please. Stop" came over the comms from an exasperated Kara…
"Please. Stop" came from the Lantern in an equally exasperated tone. Barbara shrugged.
"Stop what?" she asked innocently, hands up in a mock surrender "Anyway, thank you for your help! But it's not really needed as you can see, and aren't the Justice League not supposed to be here?"
"We are not part of the League. Technically" the Lantern boy pointed out, and Barbara…just sighed in exasperation as he seemed to be the only one on his team not sputtering or being awkward.
"That's totally Bats isn't it?" she muttered "Ours is. Diplomatic Immunity!"
Paused, then cut off their reply "Anyone up for lunch to discuss our differences?"
--
