XXX
Disclaimer: I own jackshit
AN: Ok, so... Here is the next chapter, fresh from the mad-house of my own brain. Hope you all enjoy the upcoming insanity that shall soon come forth! :D
XXX
Standing by the window of the 'guest' room I was in, I had to admit, it was one hell of a view.
Though, that was honestly just a bonus, since I was reasonably sure that the position itself also served rather well to obscure everything in front of me from the various cameras that I was sure were dotted around the room. Of course, that was no guarantee that there weren't any watchers hidden somewhere out of sight, on the other side of the glass, paying attention to what I was doing and telling their superiors what was going on. Whether that was true or not, I still felt the need to council caution in these matters, and to ensure that any uses of my power were hidden and kept out of sight. As such, my fists were closed and I had my entire arms covered by long, overly baggy sleeves that came from the oversized shirt meant for a man with nearly twice my bulk. In any other situation, the looseness of the clothing would have been manageable, if a tad bit on the side of annoying, but it was perfect for the current situation.
Inside my fist, a thread spun from my fingers and hung in the enclosed space, a hair-thin tube that contained a copy of the DNA sample I had taken from one Cannon Hawke. Just having it was enough to get me to almost crack a smile, before I suppressed it, not wanting to make anyone suspicious of me suddenly being overly cheerful considering the current circumstances. Still, that didn't stop me from taking full advantage as I felt a part of me jump for joy at looking at an organic template for something that clearly was not Human.
Oh sure, I could see the traces of where a common ancestor might have been between the ancestors of modern Humans and whatever the hell these people were, but the split was ancient. There was an entire evolutionary tree locked away inside the junk data of the DNA strand, with a few stubs that I vaguely recognized from the memories left from the old Amy. It wasn't much, but it was enough to be able to see the common line of evolution from apes, though, it was pretty damned clear that something else had been present in the evolutionary tree before whatever Cannon was had evolved. Traces were still existent of that, pointing at something but the exact details were hard to pin down. Assuming that I had more time, I could look into that in more depth, but I wanted to look more at the immediate future, and that required some knowledge of just what the hell I was dealing with.
Letting my new-found power guide me, I picked at select sequences of DNA and copying them wholesale. With that done, I took the copied sequences and isolated them from everything as I started extracting information from them, trying to work my way upwards to a full map of the organism that had had been Cannon. An interesting thing I quickly noted was that these beings had some rather impressive abilities.
Strength, reaction times and durability in excess of what a baseline Human would have been capable of, not to mention the rather impressive advantage that these beings probably enjoyed in most other physical attributes. Energy storage was impressive, with the ability to last for insane amounts of time without food or water, or to expend that same energy in bursts of power that bordered on the insane. The projected oxygen content in the blood was, likewise, insane and probably helped since their muscle density could probably let them shrug off most small arms fire with little difficulty. Blood vessels were also surprisingly common, for some reason, with most major arteries being replaced with an absolute mess of extremely fine veins that weaved through muscle and general tissue. This, as far as I could tell, meant that they couldn't really suffer from any kind of attack that was meant to bleed them out. And even if they could, the amount of Platelets in the blood would just make that next to impossible.
On those aspects alone, I could already see how these beings could have evolved to be Apex Predators of their environment, and could have mopped the floor with anyone that might try to pick a fight with them.
Of course, if that was the end of it, then that would have been fine. Unfortunately, this was the DC-verse, meaning that nothing was ever truly as simple as it could have been, for some reason. Absently, I felt something... Off about that thought, a feeling of... wrongness, for lack of a better term, hovering in the back of my mind. I suppressed a frown at that, wondering what it could mean besides simply knowing that the thought I had just had wasn't correct. A gut feeling, but one I knew was true for some reason.
It was interesting to note, but not worth comment at this point, especially as I looked at the more... Exotic features of the beings I now stood among.
Almost immediately, one ability became apparent as I looked at extracted sections of DNA that I had noted as being very different from Human DNA and had already taken some time to start dissecting them in detail. Within my mind, I could already see how it worked, cells saturated with excess water molecules that they could apparently extrude between them, connecting each cell only through long chains of proteins that could stretched, bent and even broken while still being able to reconnect together. Even without these links, the cells could communicate through a series of chemical signals and still carry out some of the same base functions that left me slightly amazed that I was looking at a naturally evolved creature, and not the product of some half-mad Biotinker.
Simply put, Cannon, and others like him, could effectively dissolve themselves into a pool of water while remaining conscious, aware and with the ability to transition back at will. Their entire bodies basically broke down into a mass of nerve-like cells that was practically impossible to differentiate from water, unless you had one hell of a very fine sieve and an equally efficient micro-scope that could spot the individual cells. Actually doing harm to one of these beings was probably next to impossible in this form, though, a taser might still hurt, the problem with that came from the fact that all they needed to do was scatter into a sufficiently large body of water and that tactic would be useless. Not to mention that they could simply escape any combat through that same method.
Then again, even trying to fight these beings near a body of water was probably suicide in one form or another. A look at the genetic blueprint for the various nerve tissues showed why that was, along with highlighting another reason that my current situation was... Less than optimal to my continued survival.
Their nerves were over developed to an insane degree. Thicker, denser and almost looking like some kind of organic, proto-superconductor that not only allowed them an enhanced form of electroreception, but also allowed them to project an electromagnetic field around their bodies. The field itself, from what I could guess, wasn't very strong. Certainly, it meant that none of them were likely to become the DC edition of Magneto, but it probably wouldn't need to. A guess and a bit of further digging showed what the true purposes of these specific features were, along with a bit of out of the box thinking as I considered a few articles I remembered from, what felt like, a lifetime ago.
To cut a long story short, their entire nervous system was one big Magneto-hydrodynamic Drive, a form of solid state propulsion that used electromagnetic fields to propel an object. Not only that, but the fields themselves could even be extended, being powerful enough to effect water even at a distance, granting these beings a potent form of Hydrokinesis that was entirely biological in nature. The entire thing was naturally evolved and, to my eyes, was utterly beautiful for it. It was like nothing I had seen through the old Amy's memories, or my own for that matter, and I even found the solution to the energy requirements to be rather interesting. Filters in the lungs collected certain types of elements and channeled them to specific chambers within the lungs; Namely, Hydrogen and Oxygen. In water, they could just practically swallow the two elements and allow it to flow into their lungs, being separated via an interesting form of electrolysis. In air, both elements could be breathed in with every breath, which was both better and worse in terms of efficiency.
Once those elements were inside the body, they could be used to react Hydrogen with Oxygen to produce water and energy. The actual amount of water that could be transformed back and forth in this manner was limited to a certain volume that could be held within the body, not to mention being regulated to prevent damage, but it was impressive. These beings were, along with everything else, hydrogen powered to go with their capabilities, plus a limited form of density shifting to enhance their own durability when required.
Shaking my head, I kneaded the bridge of my nose, uncaring of any unseen observers as I quietly wondered just what I had landed myself into. The only thing that didn't have me shaking in fear was my backup plan, tightly wound around my wrist even as I considered the situation very much like the Cold War era, in that both sides had the capability to annihilate each other.
Behind me, I heard the door shift and stood back up, taking a calming breath and quietly slipping the DNA strand back into a small storage pocket. I didn't want to get too distracted by the various little details, I wanted to focus on the present and try not to cause offence with the beings that could probably rip the water straight out of my own body.
Admittedly, that would trigger my Plan B, but I had my doubts about whether or not I'd be able to care at that point.
XXX
Looking to the source of the sound, I was just in time to see it open fully as Cannon stepped into view. I kept my face blank as I turned my body around to fully face him and the others that followed. However, it was immediately obvious that they knew something wasn't as it appeared. The single glance that I saw Cannon shoot at my left wrist was enough for me to know that, too quick to be taken as anything but an unconscious eye movement, but the fact it had hovered over that area for a second meant that they knew.
I didn't say anything, doing my best to keep my expression and body language flat, but I could guess that they knew about the little surprise I had created in case things went bad. What they knew, I was unsure, but it was potentially better to assume that they knew everything about it and work from there. Assuming that they didn't know much beyond that something was there was also a possibility, but that carried risks that I felt less inclined to take. Though, I wasn't planning to volunteer anything either way, I'd already put forward my abilities as a healer in good faith, so they would have to figure out the rest themselves.
That thought, however, was one that looked more possible than I might have wished, as a new person stepped into the room right after Cannon, followed by Casque bringing up the rear. The door shut a moment later, leaving the four of us in the room, all standing around in a tense silence that I did my best to ignore. Old memories from the original Amy's life came and went, letting me handle the tension easily enough as the new individual stepped forwards and up to the table. I watched as Cannon instantly followed behind, standing to behind the man, and to the left, showing himself as a subordinate and protector of this new individual.
Just that alone would have been enough to figure out that I was probably talking to someone pretty damned far up the chain of command. The choice of clothing probably also helped with that, given that it was a pearl white robe held up by a mantle made from some kind of white coral or bone. Across the mantle, I could see what appeared to be blue gems dotted around, with a rather large one being directly over his Sternum. As for the man himself, most of his body was covered by his choice of clothing, but I did catch a glimpse of well defined muscles hidden underneath it. His face was similar to Cannon in that it was well proportioned, with a hardened edge to it that only came from a significant amount of combat, or training for combat. Black hair was held in dreads that disappeared down his back, all bundled together into a pony-tail that looked like it had been done for convenience, probably an old practice, given that this man was either a currently active, or former, soldier.
"Your... Immediate superior, I take it?" I asked, looking to Cannon with a raised eyebrow. Cannon remained silent for a moment as the new man took a second to glance at him before turning back to me, scanning over my body in turn, and letting his gaze linger on my left wrist once more, eyes narrowed for an instant before looking me in the eye, an amused smile slipping into place on his lips.
"Cannon said that you were observant and perceptive, Ms Dallon, but yes, you are correct. I am High Councilor Siphon, Commander Hawke's immediate, and direct, superior. He has told me much about you, but I felt it best to see gauge it for myself. Now, would you care to take a seat?" The now-named Siphon gestured to the table and I nodded, allowing an amusement I felt to slip through for a second before forcing it down, an intentional slip that I made known as I walked quietly back to the seat and watch him sit opposite me, with Cannon standing behind him, with Casque took his position by the window.
"Oh...? I would have thought you would already have gotten a very good gauge of me, especially after observing my previous conversation with Cannon." I remarked simply as I tucked myself into the table a bit more, drawing the attention of the High Councilor. He looked surprised, but not especially so. Mentally, I wondered about whether he was faking it, or suppressing his actual surprise to make it seem less than it actually was.
"And how did you come to that conclusion?" Siphon shot back. Even as I heard what he said, I noticed that he did not deny that he had, in fact, been watching what had been going on in this room, both before and after Cannon had left.
"You already admitted to being Cannon's immediate superior, presumably meaning that you would want him to give you all the facts before stepping into this kind of environment. Cannon was away for approximately two minutes and forty three seconds, assuming that he didn't need to walk far, that means that you had maybe... A minutes? A minute and a half, to actually talk about what he learned. With that in mind, that amount of time would be too short to get a relay a full report besides a cliff notes version, which could miss points or not cover enough. Coming in here with only that would be just as bad, or worse than, coming in completely blind. So, the only way that I can see that you could get around that, would be if you say our previous conversation and worked out things on your own end, probably with a full support staff as well, given your rather obvious rank." My explanation was simple and to the point, though, it was based on a lot of circumstantial evidence. Still, it pointed out a few things and made it clear that I wasn't stupid by any means. I'd even taken a single cell, set it to replicate once every second and ensured that every replicated cell couldn't replicate in turn. It made a decent enough stopwatch, if a little bit inaccurate for my taste.
Silence filled the room for an instant after that. I could see the three men looking at me with various expressions. Casque looked thoughtful, Siphon looked surprised and somewhat impressed, while Cannon's face had finally slipped out of a neutral expression and simply looked amused as he allowed a snort of said amusement to escape him.
"Observant, perceptive and paranoid, just like I told you, Siphon." I could hear the chuckle in the other man's voice as he glanced over to Cannon as he leaned back in the seat, a hand rubbed over his head, concealing an amused smile as he kneaded the bridge of his nose in turn before looking back at me.
"I didn't doubt that, but I thought you were exaggerating just a bit. Then again, I probably should have just taken your word for it, rather than walking straight into this." Siphon muttered even as Cannon allowed a snort to escape his nose. I glanced between the two, idly noting that the two seemed to be extremely friendly, possibly being old comrades before one thing or another happened. A part of me said that the situation used to be the reverse, but Siphon had to become the Head Councilor for reasons outside his control. I could see the timeline in my head, a feeling of affirmation coming as I lined things up and absently went over them. Memories were slowly becoming just a bit clearer, but some things were still refusing to connect.
Even so, I now had a name to go with the race of beings that I now faced before me: The Blue.
"Still, amusement aside, Head Councilor, I have to ask what happens now?" I asked, cautious and being very careful to not let the caution I felt leak into my body language, something that Casque clearly saw, as he turned to look at me over a massive shoulder before turning back to inspect the undersea city beyond the window. Siphon frowned for a moment at that, looking confused for a second as he glanced at Cannon, then Casque, then back to me.
"'What happens now'? What do you mean by that, exactly?" One of my shoulders rose and fell at his question, the answer seemed obvious to me, but I wanted to be sure I knew what was going to happen, and hopefully not be surprised if it suddenly turned into a public execution, or something like that.
"You are obviously here for a reason, since I doubt someone with the title of 'High Councilor' would randomly decide to turn around and visit a Human that literally dropped in out of nowhere and had admitted to having strange and unknown abilities. Cannon asked me about my ability to heal a two types of very specific damage that could be done to an organic body, and your presence here already points that you have some agenda in all of this. My only question is where I fit into these schemes... And whether or not I get to remain among the living after they are completed, of course." I saw Cannon's head lurch back a bit, having not expected that kind of question from me, especially given how old I clearly appeared to be, but Siphon was a bit more composed as he lifted an eyebrow with clear surprise dancing in his eyes. I'd admit that I was paranoid, and they'd pegged me as such, but I had my doubts about whether or not they had expected me to be this paranoid.
Then again, if it meant that I'd survive to see another day, then I was all in favor of being as paranoid as possible after being dropped into two different universes in sequence. Especially in this strange and utterly weird place that I knew to be the DC-verse.
XXX
Siphon looked at the young woman, a teenager really, before him and idly remembered the explanation she had given of her own world. Considering those words, he could see how it could have sculpted individuals into what he saw before him; Suspicious, paranoid and perceptive to an almost frightening degree.
Amy Dallon seemed to personify those very words, as she had taken everything said and not said, and using it to build a rather accurate view of things. Her conjectures had been accurate to a surprising degree, even if the logic that they followed was a bit off, while her conclusion had been rather surprising. This was especially true when she seemed to, rather bluntly, wonder about whether or not she would get to live to see another day at the end of her part in their 'agenda', as she had put it. Admittedly, Siphon had once been a member of the Council Defense Strike Force, under Cannon's command, and was no stranger to killing in order to defend both his people and his comrades, but being asked quite bluntly, without even saying the words, if he was going to kill someone not even eighteen was a bit of a shock.
The fact she had even needed to ask that question pointed to several things that probably weren't right on a cultural level. Again, not surprising on an intellectual level, not after hearing about the Endbringers, the decimation of ocean-going industry and the removal of space travel to try and escape. However, knowing something and experiencing something were two entirely different things, not to mention the surprise of seeing such fatalism from one so young, in and of itself.
With all that in mind, Siphon took a moment to carefully consider what to say, trying to word his next statement in a way that would not be seen as some kind of hidden threat or such. Admittedly, he knew that his pause was probably being seen as such, the girl's eyes were too sharp not to miss it, even as she glanced over at Cannon and Casque to take them in, scanning their bodies and making sure they were exactly where she had last seen them before cycling back around to him. It only took a moment, after seeing that, that this girl had been active in a far more lethal community for Powered individuals. One that apparently had far less moral difficulties in dealing with individuals that were dangerous enough to warrant it; The mere fact that they had legal 'kill orders' and the 'birdcage' already pointed to that.
"... Ms Dallon... I can assure you that no harm will come to you at any point, of that, I guarantee. However, you are correct in that, after hearing of your ability, we decided that we could leverage it to aid us in a rather long term project, potentially either shortening it, or even completing it in it's entirety. Of course, that hinges on your agreement to help us in this matter." Siphon hoped that the young Healer would agree, if only for the potential future that hinged on the outcome of the deal between the Blue and the Black. Admittedly, it wouldn't be the end of the world, but given the number of threats that often cropped up, he doubted he'd even need to wait until next Tuesday for that to happen.
Throughout his statement, Panacea remained quiet and watched, gears turning in her head as she leaned back in her chair with arms crossed and a firm hold over her expression. It was a good Poker face, Siphon could admit, but he could see the vaguest of interest lurking behind dark eyes. She was curious as to what he, and the others, had planned. Probably also knew that they might very well leverage that interest to try something, even so, Siphon would ensure that it never fell beyond a bit of word twisting, if only because he didn't want to think about what could happen if things deteriorated to physical violence and death.
"... Why?" The sudden question caught Cannon and Siphon off guard, while Casque remained silent and still, but paying exacting attention to what was being said at the table. Siphon considered the question, and the implications that went with it, mentally wondering what to say before he finally settled on what to say; Clarification.
"'Why'...? Could you please be a bit more specific, Ms Dallon. Why... What?" Ms Dallon placed both hands on the table, fingers interlaced together as she leaned forwards, focusing on him completely, while not ignoring his two comrades in the room either.
"Why the rush to try and get me, a complete strange that you know next to nothing about, to assist you in what I assume to be some kind of project to fix something related to the genetics of your people? You don't know me from Adam, and you already said that you're working on the project, so my inclusion in such a matter could be seen as a security risk, and an unneeded at that. So, my question is, why take the risk?" Siphon could see where she was coming from. Indeed, a part of the High Councilor could even agree with the fact that it was a risk, but it also had the potential to pay off in the biggest way possible, and in such a way that might draw a bit of wind out of the sails for those that had tarred the entire Human race as nothing but brutes and savages. With Ms Dallon as an exception, it might be easier to even change things to a more neutral perspective and move away from the constant calls for war with the Humans, and their Atlantean sub-species, especially in the aftermath of Admiral Maylander's attack.
"... The reasons I wish for your help, Ms Dallon, are complicated, but the just of it is that we need the help. The project to find a potential solution for the genetic illness that we are currently investigating is complex, very complex indeed. Internal politics among my fellow Councilors is making it difficult to keep the required resources available, let alone granting the project what it rightfully needs. Right now, we can't even begin to estimate when the project might be completed, but our current best guess is that it won't be finished in anything less than five centuries, at best. If you can shorten that timeline, then I think you can understand why I might be willing to take the risk." The Head Councilor spoke, his convictions showing at the end as Ms Dallon remained quiet for an instant, simply examining him with dark eyes, looking for any hint of deception. Admittedly, he had omitted a few things, but he had little doubt that she would catch on to those, so it didn't matter either way. Watching her lean back, she took her hands from the table and then glanced around the room...
... Right before her gaze settled on Casque.
"That... 'Genetic illness' you mentioned... It wasn't for your kind, was it?" Amy Dallon stated, surprising them all enough for Casque to even fully turn to face her, moving away from the window as Siphon noted some small glimpse of surprise that was quickly forced down on the time-worn features of the old man. Instantly, thoughts raced in Siphon's head as he turned to Cannon, who looked equally surprised at the sudden deduction, and tried to figure out how she had learned of this. However, before Siphon could get a word in, Casque spoke for the first time since returning to the room.
"That is correct, Amy Dallon. My people, the Black, are suffering under a form of genetic illness that is slowly killing us. It is not shortening out lives or forcing pains upon us, for we are still capable of living long lives, but it is forcing us, as a people, to die a slow death. As part of an agreement with the Blue, in return for no longer pursuing aggressive actions against the Human race for this actions in turn, we had hoped to cure ourselves of this ailment. Unfortunately, as young Siphon said, internal politics have effectively doomed us to the current situation." Casque paused for a moment, taking a step forwards and seeming to tower over the much younger woman as he looked down at her, eyes focused in a way that could pierce through tank armor. Siphon knew that look, and he was mildly impressed that all he saw from the self-proclaimed healer was a minor twitch from her crossed arms. Absently, he put another mark down for her on the sheer fact that she could look Casque in the eye and not run for cover, which was something many people could do even back when he was pretending to be a Blue.
"However... If what you say is true, then, with your aid, we might yet see the rebirth of our people. No longer slowly dying as age takes us, but renewed with fresh blood. Such is a hope that many have given up, but one that I would ask you to deliver onto us... Panacea." Casque continued as his gaze remained fixed, even going so far as to use her 'Cape' name. The use of it didn't surprise the powered individual in question, merely resulting in a raised eyebrow as she seemed to consider it for a second before nodding and heaving a shallow sigh. Looking to the side, Siphon saw the way Cannon was looking at the girl before following his line of sight to see her knuckles.
They were white.
"... Alright... Alright... I'll do it, but if I manage to do it, I would like to ask for something in return... Well, two things really, if that is alright?" Ms Dallon asked as Casque raised an eyebrow at that, nodding to gesture for her to speak.
"Ask, and we may consider it." Casque remarked as Amy returned the gesture.
"Well, the first request I have is that, if I manage to solve the problem of, what I'm assuming is, your infertility, then I'd like permission to integrate pieces of Black DNA into my own. The second request I have is that one of your people help to train me in the use of the abilities granted by said DNA, along with some lessons in self-defense to go with it." Ms Dallon asked, her voice remarkably calm and clear for what she was asking, as Siphon felt his mind coming to a crashing halt, along with Cannon, who was looking at the Healer with eyes so wide that the High Councilor was sure they'd fall out. Amazingly, Casque managed to suppress most of his surprise, only showing a single raised eyebrow, raised just a bit higher than was normal as he remained silent, letting the silence drag out for a moment before speaking.
"... Many among my kind would argue that you ask for much, too much perhaps, and would see you punished for your arrogance in thinking that you could bargain for such power... And yet, I feel as though you are not giving me a choice in the matter, as you hold the future of my people in your hands." Casque noted as he turned to look back out, into the ocean beyond, but stopped as Panacea shook her head.
"Even if you refused my requests, I'd still try to heal your people to the best of my abilities. All that it would mean is that I'd just move on to ask the High Councilor if he might agree to the same two requests, and if not, then I'd simply move on to try figuring something out for myself. Admittedly, I'd love to get some training to be halfway decent at self-defense, since the Superhero/Supervillain community in this world doesn't follow the same rules as those back home, but I think I could come up with something, eventually." Panacea explained with a half-shrug. Siphon felt his mind grind to a halt once more after hearing this explanation, absently wondering just how she would do such a thing as to incorporate the DNA into herself, but that was a thought for later. Casque looked at Amy for a long moment, bringing an armor-clad hand up and scratching at his chin with a talon-tipped finger. The member of the Black seemed to hum in thought, the deep bass sound causing a rumble to be felt for a second within the chests of those present before he lowered the hand before looking back at Amy.
"Had it been Rahger who commanded the Black, he would have seen you punished for even having asked for such... But I can respect your request, if only for being bold enough to do so. Though, while I will not offer an agreement at this point in time, I shall merely offer to take back your requests to the others, and we shall, collectively, decide on whether to agree to them or not." Declared the teacher and warrior, in a tone that offered nothing beyond that it would happen, but not hinting at the possible outcome.
"After getting proof that I'm, at least, half as good as I claim to be, of course." The Healer remarked at that, her tone taking a knowing edge to it as Casque nodded in agreement, a slight smile playing across ancient features.
"Of course." The member of the Black offered in agreement. Siphon, after letting his mind reboot after the insanity he had just heard, took this as his signal to stand up and gesture to the door.
"Then, if it is not too much trouble, may we begin with those affected by the other ailment that Commander Hawke mentioned earlier? They are being gathered in one of the empty rooms normally used for Physical therapy, at least, those who had volunteered to be the first for you to heal." Siphon remarked, internally surprised by the turn out as at least twenty three of the total fifty seven Blue that had suffered under the hands of Admiral Maylander's scientists had volunteered to allow a Human to heal them. Absently, he considered whether it was the opportunity to be healed that pushed them to take the chance, or their trust in him not to lead them to their deaths.
Either way, Ms Dallon only looked at him with a smile before standing up, Cannon quickly moving around and taking the seat to allow her to stand before sliding it back under the table. Amy offered a nod in return before gesturing to the door in turn.
"Shall we?"
XXX
My hands hurt.
Five minutes after walking out of that totally-not-an-interrogation room, and my hands still hurt from my attempt to prevent my own raw terror from showing, especially after Casque deciding that towering over me was a very good way to have a casual conversation. A part of my brain was still hammering the fight-or-flight response, and I was very much in favor of flight. My memories were coming back, especially after meeting the High Councilor, and I was rightfully rather fearful of what a member of the Black could do, especially when they could easily lift enough water to submerge a city into the air and juggle it around with little effort. Hell, if I remembered that comic correctly, then one of the first offensive uses of Hydrokinesis that the main character used was to take control of the blood inside a man's brain and basically press the 'blend' button...
Still, a bit of a walk and some time had let me get the fear under control and tuck it away, letting me recover from seeing my life, or lives, flash before my eyes. Not pleasant, but kind of understandable in the grand scheme of things, especially when you'd stretching your neck to look up at the face of some two metre tall giant in dark armor.
"Here we are, they should be waiting for us in here." Cannon said as we turned another corner, walking to the entryway of a room that seemed to have a large window looking in. I suppressed the urge to raise an eyebrow at the window, seeing that it had been shifted to no longer be transparent, not to mention the presence of several men outside the chamber, all seemingly divided into several different groups that were all claiming a section of the corridor and silently glaring at each other while trying to out-professional the others. Just from the designs of their weapons and armor, I could make out three distinct groups involved in this little gathering, as my newly returned memories started to put names to faces.
Directly by the door, there were four more members of the Council Defense Strike force, wearing the same silver or off-white armor that the rest of them had been wearing. To the left, a similar group that wore armor of a more muted brown colour. This second group seemed to have armed themselves with smaller weapons, but I had my doubts about what kind of effect that might have in a fight, since I counted six of them in total, and I was reasonably sure that none of them were weak by any stretch of the imagination. The last group, however, stood to the right of the door and wore armor that was a muted red in colour and distinctly different in design as I noted dozens of small spines and spikes covering the coral-like structure of their armor. The fact that they had red eyes and nearly white skin didn't help their image, only enhancing the intimidation factor of it and making me wonder just how they had changed to become as they were.
As we approached, Siphon took the lead, Casque coming up to tower behind me and Cannon shifting to stand just behind Siphon as we walked through both groups and advanced on the doorway beyond. I tried to keep my head down and appear as non-threatening as possible, but I could feel the eyes on me as I walked passed both groups with ill-concealed unease. Even with memories of Earth Bet, and my own experiences, I found it hard not showing a trace of fear while walking down the corridor. I dared not look anyone in the eye, as I knew that the terror I felt was probably very visible in my eyes, and I knew that fear would only incite a predator to action.
The feeling of unease certainly didn't ablate as the walk continued, as I felt eyes burning a hole directly through the back of my head. Risking a glance, I saw Siphon and Cannon look at each other before Cannon shot a look back over my shoulder, to the group on the right side, before glancing back at me. I could guess what it meant, but no words were uttered to offer confirmation, merely glances and information I had no context to make sense of.
However, it didn't take a genius to figure out that both of these new groups were here for a reason: Me.
Or, more likely, they were here to see if my abilities were as I had claimed. I already knew the interest of both the Blue and the Black were on me, but I couldn't help but wonder about why that group of the right would want to see me. Memories slowly came to me, making me aware that they were the Arctic Blue, a sub-species of Blue that lived in the North polar region, along with reminding me that they were, for the most part, rather firm in their isolation from even other Blue. Admittedly, I didn't know how accurate that was, since I was reasonably sure that this universe didn't work on the same timeline, especially with those references to the Justice League.
By the time we reached the door, I was struggling not to start hyperventilating as I saw Cannon finally reach the door before one of the guards at the side of the door tapped something on the wall, and the door opened with a near-silent hiss. None of the various guards moved, but the tension alone was enough to make me very aware of just how much danger I was potentially in, especially if someone suddenly gained an itchy trigger finger. Though, after a moment of thought, I considered the simple fact that none of these guys wanted to pick a fight with a member of the Black standing right there behind me. I could vaguely remember what these guys had been capable of, and even those vague outlines were enough to make me pretty damned certain that I didn't want to pick a fight with them.
Of course, that was only for physical fights, politics were quite another thing entirely, I was sure.
"-not be here, Vana." The flat voice of a man was the first sound I heard as I stepped through the doorway. Said voice was flat, but carrying an impassive edge to it that told of just how much restrained hostility and, strangely, resignation was being hidden under the surface. Looking at the source of the sound, I found it as another voice spoke out, female this time, light and full of what I could recognize as mocking humor.
"Oh, and why is that, Killian? After all, as a Councilor of the Blue, and a Queen of the Arctic, I have both the right and the authority to be here to witness this event, especially since the outcome of these events may yet prove to be a blessing in disguise... Especially given your own past actions..." That light tone remained, but I had to stomp down hard on the shiver that ran up and down my spine that that, the sheer amount of venom laced in otherwise pleasant words was... Impressive, to say the least.
"My Father, for all his faults, had nothing to do with your own actions, Vana." Another female voice spoke, heated and simmering with barely restrained rage as I finally stepped fully through the door, and was able to see beyond the additional six off-white clad warriors standing on the inside of the room. A glance at them showed stoic expressions and professional body language, but I couldn't help but wonder just how tight the hold on their weapons was at this point, especially when I saw the people having such a 'polite discussion'.
"Ah, is that so? And yet, the man you name as your Father is directly responsible for the deaths and disfigurement of my people. He happily ordered them to their deaths upon the teeth of Aescylot's warriors, in some half-brained plan to make himself whole once more. My people, led astray by him, were butchered. Even after he had regained himself, do you know what he did?" The second speaker came into view. Tall, easily Cannon's height, or slightly taller, and clad in a mixture of the muted red coral and some kind of fabric hugged her curves in a way I was familiar with, given the various other Blue I had seen running around. Across the surface of the coral, I could see spines pointing outwards as my eyes traced over her head-dress and noted the dozens of additional spines, along with the hedgehog-like hair that spilled from the back of it and looked slicked back. I couldn't see her face, but I could easily make out the staff she held in her off-hand, looking like highly polished wood with some kind of icon or symbol perched on top of it. I absently wondered if the appearance was really as it claimed to be, since it didn't sound like wood, especially as it tapped against the ground in precise, measured movements that carried this woman closer to the other one. Both of them seemed to stares, trying to dare the other to blink first as to who was right and who was wrong.
"..." The other woman was the one that blinked first, seemingly grimacing as I caught sight of her face as, who I guessed to be, the first speaker came and placed a hand on her shoulder while glaring at the one called Vana. Vana, in turn, merely looked pleased with herself, as her head shifted just enough for me to know that she was now staring at the man with an air of amused enjoyment. The man in question, equally tall with long, silver hair swept to one side, was glaring back at her. Over a well built body, he seemed to wear a tunic top and a pair of shorts, but still wore pieces of armor common among the Blue. I could see wrappings around his forearms and shins, and what looked like a Laurel Wreath, but made out of coral and without any kind of leaves. I had heard the name Killian being thrown around, and could remember a bit about him. Former dissident that had wanted war with Humanity, or equality in a world in which they had to hide from Humanity. Later, I'm pretty sure he became one of the good guys, but I couldn't remember that off the top of my head.
"That's right... He fled, leaving dozens of my kin to die while he escaped... With you, Kiani, his daughter..." A glance over at the woman in question showed that she was trying very hard not to rip off Vana's head with her bare hands, probably helped by the firm hand on her shoulder. Absently, I wondered just why all the Blue were taller than I thought they were, but put it down to good genetics and considered looking through the sample I already had for a few clues... For self-study, of course.
Moving away from such thoughts, I looked over Kiani in turn as memories surfaced. Kiani; Former member of the Council Defense Strike Force; Student of Cannon; Friend of Siphon; The closest thing to an apprentice to Casque as one could imagine; Former dissident after discovering who her Father was; Was probably dead, or undead, by this point in the normal timeline for the comic. She was easily on par with Vana for size, maybe just a bit taller and had a figure to match, meaning that both of them could put virtually any supermodel to shame and probably break hearts with a look. Well tanned skin covered toned muscles that were left fully exposed by her choice in clothing; A black bikini with armor covering her entire right leg, her sides, shoulders and her forearms. Said armor looked like it was made out of semi-molten rock while I could see a strange hilt hanging by her side, along with a more normal one on the opposite side, both lacking blades. I couldn't see her face directly head on, but I could see the barely suppressed snarl quite well, and I could tell that she would have looked a hell of a lot better without it, especially with bright red hair streaked with blond that ran down her back in a pony tail.
It was around this time that I noticed that the silence had lasted for a second, as Vana suddenly turned and looked at us as we stepped through the door. I caught her eye unintentionally as I looked up, seeing her lips twitch slightly as I forced down all emotions and fixed my lips in a pleasant smile. If anything, I saw the smirk on Vana's lips just grow that bit wider as she turned back to her irritated audience, shifting her tone back to something a bit more... I'd hesitated to call it pleasant, less venomous might have been a touch more accurate, but that was probably a matter of opinion.
"But such things are in the past, and I would think it would be best to leave it there, since I doubt it would be polite to argue over such things before the guest of honor, wouldn't you agree, Killian?" The smirk on her face was filled with carefully concealed smugness, masquerading as being polite, but anyone with half a brain could have figured that out.
As she turned my way, looking past Siphon as he stepped between the two of us, I maintained my neutral expression. I could see the gears turning in the head of the Arctic Blue; could see that she was planning something and wanted something from me, probably related to that little triad she just finished. That caused me to mentally pause for a second as I considered it, absently wondering just how much of that she had planned in advance and just how much had been improvised to get the reactions she wanted. I was willing to guess that it a lot.
After all, I had come to think that I had a decent brain between my ears, all things considered.
XXX
It took a remarkable amount of effort to keep his face straight and neutral, even as he stepped between Amy and Vana, looking the woman in the eye. A glance over his shoulder, and Siphon felt himself envious of the young Healer's ability to keep herself composed and not showing her true feelings for a given matter. Admittedly, given the hellish place that the Dallon had spoken of as her home, he could see the reason that having such a poker face might be needed, especially as someone who has to deal with the powerful and dangerous at their most vulnerable.
"What are you doing here, Councilor Vana?" The question was forced out even as the High Councilor moved away from his previous thoughts. A request, if a bit more forceful than was truly necessary. Technically speaking, Vana, as a Councilor, had the same rights as every other Councilor, and even he couldn't deny her from being here, not without serious consequences to consider. Still, being in the same room as the woman that had almost killed his friend and former Commander, Cannon, in a mad quest to revie her son, that was difficult. It was made no better by her needling of both Kiani and Killian, reminding them of past mistakes that were better left in the past.
"To see your guest of honor, of course! I have heard a great many things about her, and I wished to see how much of that was true for myself, especially if it has the chance of helping my people heal from past experiences." Vana replied in a tone so cheerful it was almost sickening. Siphon had to bite back a curse at her and her ancestors as he heard it, knowing it was once more aimed at Killian and his daughter, something that everyone in the room seemed to understand, if the slight narrowing of the eyes was anything to go by. A glance at Cannon was enough to know that his own self-restraint was being tested by the half-mad witch of a woman, but he was holding strong, if only just. A good thing too, since Cannon was probably the most likely to try and kill her, given their past interactions.
However, before the High Councilor could get an edge in sideways, Vana had already shifted her attention to the Healer standing behind her, even as Casque looked down at the Arctic Blue with an impressively blank face and hard eyes. Of course, such actions didn't deter her, as Vana looked at Amy directly, sidestepping him and quickly looking the younger girl over with a clearly predatory stare, like she was examining a hunk of meat, wondering just how to cut it open.
"And, of course, you are the guest of honor I have heard so much about, Ms Amy Dallon. A pleasure to make your acquaintance, and I look forwards to your little... Demonstration to come. However, I must apologize for what you had to hear upon coming here, sufficed to say, that the events of the past have a terrible habit of rearing their heads in the present." Vana explained respectfully, bowing slightly in a more formal greeting used betweens, if not equals, than those that respected one another while a slight smile remained on her face. Throughout it, Vana's eyes remained locked on the Human, even as some of the others around the room glared or frowned at Vana for what had been said. Cannon looked about ready to bolt and throttle the woman, had Siphon not placed a firm hand on his friend's shoulder, much like Killian was doing for his daughter, who was far less restrained.
Still, looking back at the Healer, Siphon found himself slightly surprised when she smiled and returned the bow to the exact same degree as the Queen of the Arctic Blue.
"And it is a pleasure to meet you as well, Councilor Vana. Certainly, it was enjoyable to watch the work of someone so skilled at manipulating those around them. Though, I have to wonder, just how much of your 'past rearing its head' was planned in advance, and how much of it was improvised to try and victimize both yourself and your people?" Amy remarked with a calm smile and a raised eyebrow at the exchange as she gestured to the room before her. Vana's expression didn't waver as she brought a hand up to politely cover her mouth as she seemed to let her amusement known, but that glint in those dark eyes had changed from just something predatory, to something that looked far more like interest.
"Oh my, you are certainly a paranoid one, and from one so young... Though, I can't say that it's completely unexpected, especially given the few things I've heard about the world you once called Home." Vana shot back, tone polite, but interest and curiosity still floating around in amber eyes that seemed to be looking at the Human Healer with greater focus than before. Amy offered nothing, shifting her face back to an impassive mask as she tilted her head to one side.
"Earth Bet was not a kind place, nor a place where the meek could thrive. The Endbringers made sure of that, and those that remained only grew stronger for it, or fell back on overly naive views of the world in an attempt to not face the reality of the situation. Paranoia became the name of the game, and as such, being paranoid in a world where even the weakest of powers could be lethal could be seen as a good thing. Often times, it was just seen as being smart." Panacea responded easily, speaking words that seemed far too calm and ringing of truth to be uttered by one so young.
"And yet, you would distrust my motives simply for wishing to make a good impression on one capable of doing much to aid my people?" Vana inquired, lowering her hand and smiling a bit more genuinely, as though she was enjoying the verbal back and forth between her and the Human, as Siphon watched, keeping a careful watch as to ensure that nothing happened. Admittedly, it was also helping the others, as anger gave way to curiosity and interest at getting a free show to help them understand the strange Human. And, as such, they all watched as Amy tilted her head slightly and offered a full smirk of amusement in reply to Vana's question.
"Councilor Vana, I do not trust you, nor do I trust anyone in this entire city. No, Councilor Vana, I only trust two things in this entire situation; The first is your mutual self-interest to keep me alive in order to leverage my abilities for your own agendas, assuming that I prove that I'm what I claim to be to all of you. The second thing I trust in, is that I have a rather significant insurance policy that will ensure that whoever kills me, will not get to enjoy the aftermath... But that can wait, after all, you came for a demonstration, did you not?" Amy remarked, gesturing to the other side of the room, through a transparent window in a dividing wall, and showing the atrophied forms of a dozen Blue that she had come to heal. Siphon saw them and grimaced, remembering how they got like that even as his mind ran through the various meanings of every word uttered, and the implications attached. Thoughts started being strung together and painting a picture, an unpleasant one, but one that he should have expected from someone in an unfamiliar environment.
"Indeed we did, though, I would very much like to ask about your mention of an 'insurance policy', and what that policy might be, exactly?" Cannon questioned, regaining himself as Killian nodded in the background while his daughter had finally cooled off and took a position by the door, out of sight from anyone entering, but in a good position to return the favor, with interest. Amy glanced over at Cannon, her face neutral with that very same smile pressed onto her lips and something twinkling in her eyes as she answered.
"A Healer, I may be; But healing is not all that I can do." Came the cryptic response that simply left them all with more questions than answers.
XXX
AN: Ok, so there is that chapter, setting the scene before I start progressing into some of the more major stuff, but it should be a good starting point for actions and events that I've got planned further down the line. Still, hope you enjoyed!