Fantasy Superhero Times

[Kyrenka]

~Dr. Anne Beaufort and Aia~
Responding to IN-N-OUT​

A quick internet search and this Shield person's face was on her phone. Glancing up, it wasn't hard to find him; the man had Rapunzel hair after all. He stood out pretty well. Doing her best to not seem like she was staring at him whilst she pretended to consider the menu, Anne started feeling more and more uncomfortable. Is...is he not doing anything? Sure, he was classified as a villain, but it wasn't illegal for him to eat a burger in public, right? Unless he has a warrant out. Shit, did he have a warrant out? Maybe she should've did a little more research before coming in. But then again, he's just eating. A cough from the cashier got her attention. Anne flushed a little as she realized she had been standing around for too long. "Uh yes! Can I have three orders of the 4x4, Protein Style? No cheese please." It would hold Aia over, but after this she'd need something a little more. Shield didn't seem to be doing much, maybe she should just....leave? The man wasn't breaking any laws; someone must've gotten nervous and reported him. Poor guy, just trying to enjoy a burger. Since it seemed like this would be a bust she'd have to take Aia somewhere else. Poor girl was all dressed up and ready to go. Typing away at her phone, Anne frowned as she realized the nearest patch of wid that she could let Aia loose in was about 30 minutes away. That's the city life for you. Hopefully Aia could wait for another 30 minutes. Despite the strange looks the workers behind the counter gave her, they delivered her order without much fanfare. Anne accepted the bag but hesitated as she glanced over at Shield again. The man really did seem harmless. It should be fine if I leave him. She doubted that a high profile villain like him would make the effort of a public appearance just to rob an In-N-Out. It'd be really sad if that's what he's come to. Exiting the fast food joint with slight apprehension, the dark-haired woman reentered her van and gave the eager Aia the bag full of beef patties. "Here sweetie, eat up! We've got a little more ways to go but I promise you, you're going to love the park we're going to!" Starting up the vehicle and carefully pulling back out onto the highway, Anne continued gushing. "Thousands of acres of preserved land! It's got canyons and some beautiful woods! I bet it's the perfect ecosystem for raptors." Glancing over at her passenger she added, "Raptors as is birds of prey, not dinosaurs." At this point, Anne was probably just as excited as Aia, if not more so. It was easy to tuck the false alarm from the In-N-Out into the back of her mind.

((Interacting with Daniel Reaving 's Aia | Mentioned @Deathkittens' Shield))

 

[Osuka]

Caesar Aphera
The Crater
What fuckin' time was it again??

Boy was he glad he let them have a moment to do their thing. Fact of the matter was that they relied on sources outside of themselves, and Jupiter even had to use blood rituals in order to do her thing. Considering the fact they really didn't have anything to wrap it with either, it was more dangerous than productive to allow her to do so, but he already knew she wasn't gonna have any of it. While ruminating on that alone, Caesar was reminded very sharply that Henry's own rituals weren't exactly pleasant, either, and was just in time to plug his ears before the man's chanting begun.
Of course, anyone who knew anything about shoving one's fingers into their own ears knew that it didn't really, fully stop sound from entering, and he had to suffer that horrid fucking gargling that Henry called a "Language" for the first time ever. Zeus's beard was it unbecoming, and right now, he hoped he never had to hear it again, considering it quite literally made Warlock bleed just from speaking it. Though, admittedly, he did feel at least somewhat jealous of them. They, in some form, received some kind of inter-dimensional help, while Caesar had, at the moment, just his abilities to rely on as a Fire Manipulator and a Super in general. Alone, he had himself, his fire, and a hell of a lot of quick thinking, but he's seen those two pull things out of thin air that gave him the creeps, even if it was on their side. It made him feel like the underdog, and most people didn't place their bets on underdogs for the simple fact that statistics and common knowledge were against them.

Still, there wasn't shit to do about it, so it meant there wasn't any reason to dwell on it. They might have their creepy demons and crazy Gods, but Caesar had training. He had military experience. He had fire that could melt titanium, and that usually was more than enough for whatever he needed to do. Besides, there were also guns, and there were maybe four baddies he could think of that would have an easier time against bullets than others. That said, when he pulled his fingers from his ears and tried to ignite his hand....

"FUCK!!!" Without warning, a small pillar of blue fire erupted from the palm of his hand, nearly taking his head off as he flinched away from it and violently shook his hand to kill the flames. It was a moment before he spoke again, having regained his composure. "Whatever. Just gotta work out the kinks. You, goblin-thing, fly up high and keep some kind of link with Jupiter so we know if something's coming our way. I want your eyes on anything that moves within a four-mile radius of us, so make sure you don't let anything get past your perception of the field."

Looking back to Henry, still in his most glorious of birthday suits, he shrugged and thought for a moment about what Warlock had to say.

"I'd be willing to bet that the third is the most likely," he started. "I don't know much about magick, but throwing us in alternate timelines or parallel universes would be one hell of a waste of resources, and if we're back to track people down, it probably has to do with the group that killed us and everyone else here. To finish that, though, it might mean that we go back to taking naps in the forever box once we're done, since our resurrections - perfect as far as I can tell, aside from the power thing, would be an imbalance in reality and something had to be used to make us alive again. Make sure you tie up all loose ends just in case, but for now, let's get moving."

That said, Caesar looked around for a moment before deciding that they'd be going in the direction that would most likely be where Supers would be coming from, which was away from the Sun. If Henry was right, then Downtown would be fine, and they needed to head there.

Aelia Aeldyne Deathkitten

 

[Deathkitten]

The Crater
Jewel​

Jewel rubbed her nose with the back of her hand and then sniffed the air, "Nah. We don't need to wait for anybody else to show. We got this... whatever this is. After all, you're one hell of a mage, aren't ya?" She smirked at the kid and patted his back, "Likely, the cause of that spurt of energy is gonna be towards the center. Since the reading wasn't skewed to one side of the city or another, that means it had to have come from a pretty select location."

She motioned for Fay to follow and began a controlled skid down the wall of the crater. She had to hop more than a few times to control the descent better and avoid little bits of what were once buildings.

"God, man. I really can't imagine any villain worth a damn wanting to do somethin' like this," she said as she came to a dust-filled stop, turning back towards Fay, "I mean hells. I know I wasn't exactly a saint or shit, but.... this sort of destruction?" She opened her arms wide and shook her head, one hand swinging to rest on her grimoire, "Anyway. Let's keep goin' this way."

She continued on at a brisk pace, only mildly boosted with magic, and took the opportunity to chat with her little protege. "So, kid. I know we haven't been workin' together long, but you're pretty competent. You don't weigh people around you down. It's nice," she began, softly nodding to her commentary, "I wanna get to know you a bit better, and you to get to know me. I used to be a villain, and that's about all that everyone seems to know about me. It's what was on the news, so it makes sense. Media doesn't care about the why, only the what. Not that it matters now... but yeah. My husband is Oscar Aphera, another thing everyone knows. He's an S-class hero, so... yeah. Limelight's a bitch."

"I never really learned magic by school. Too poor for it, basically. So, how does someone like yourself get so damned good at what you do at such a young age?" As soon as the words were able to escape her mouth, a pillar of blue fire off in the far distance took her attention away from chatting with Fay. It was a good distance off, but... well that answered the question as to what the hell made that energy signature.

"Ah shit. Time to go a little bit faster," she muttered, stepping up on the cover of her grimoire, which now acted as a flying surfboard, "Keep your wits about ya, and if you see any funny business, don't be afraid to shoot first! Got it?"

Osuka Aelia Aeldyne

 

[Deathkitten]

The Crater
Jupiter​

Horrible, terrible, awful noise. Jupiter grimaced even with her hands over her ears and sighed when it was over. She gasped a little when she realized that in doing so, she got blood in her white hair, "Oh damn it! Seriously? Not two seconds and I already manage to get myself messy... and Caesar. Like hell if I'm gonna let myself get killed again. I need to think like a damned wizard and have twenty different contingency plans. AT LEAST. Motherfucker that brought us back thinks she can toss us back in the drink so easily, then she's gonna have another thing coming."

She huffed and looked up at the imp that was now flying high above, scouting the area for anything incoming. Jupiter herself started gingerly walking in the direction of the city, attempting to avoid any sharp bits of debris. "What's wrong, Caesar? I thought you'd never have a problem with control," she teased, trying to lighten the mood. They were, after all, childhood friends (and kinda had massive crushes on each other). Caesar was always trying to get her to be with him, but she was... to put it bluntly, incredibly embarrassed and shy. She could handle demons and villains and anything like that any day of the week. Her crush? HAH. Good luck.

Still, teasing him made things feel a little less scary and otherworldly. Teasing was a hint of normalcy.

This feeling was unfortunately interrupted by a signal from the imp after a few minutes of walking. "Two incoming," she said, voice stern and serious, "Mages, I think. Fast. I think I recognize one of them... maybe? Jewel? Typical for a mage, she hasn't aged a day if we really are in the future. Strange to see her coming, though, for a villain, she's normally not too aggressive unless you approach first. Mayhaps villains use this place as a hideout now? Not sure."

Osuka Aelia Aeldyne

 

[Osuka]

Fay D. Fluorite
Crater's Edge

In the time that Jewel had decided it was time to move in, he felt two spells go off, and they weren't anything to sniff at. Both were rituals, as far as he could tell with how the mana moved, and his chain being sensitive to it was the only hint he got, even if it was almost undetectable at this distance with how it vibrated ever so slightly. Still, if they were at the epicenter of the crater, then that meant that what they were doing was a hell of a lot of power to be slinging around. Everything had a ripple effect when it came to mana, after all, and though it was likely nowhere near what set off someone's alarm to raise it on the radio, it was enough to let him know what was going on was coming from heavy-hitters. If only he had his staff... Summoning it wouldn't be viable in this instance. They were too close to the zone they needed to investigate, and the travel time would be too long to bother since he didn't really have a full grasp on teleportation magick, and he wasn't about to risk screwing it up.

With that said, he found himself deigning to float down the slope rather than slide down, having used a touch of magick to manipulate the weight of his body rather than the surrounding air to offset his interaction with earth's gravitational force. Sure, it was a bit of finagling to get it right, but once you got the basics down, one learned that science did really help with Magick when applied correctly.

Far as what Jewel was going on about, he knew a little bit more than just what the Media portrayed. Fay knew that she did somewhat enjoy conflict, whether she was a villain or a hero, and he knew that her magick wasn't powerful by just luck. What she used was limited, due to her grimoire, but repetition gave a lot of efficiency over time, and that made things more powerful when you got the nuances down. Still, she could do well to learn more.

He was about to answer her question when, just as she had, Fay had spotted the pillar of flames that flashed towards the sky and quickly died out. There was a Flame manipulator in the area, or maybe a mage. Was the ritual magick part of what had happened earlier with the energy spike? If so, they had a problem, considering there was a lot a Mage could do if they were using up mana in a small area just to create something bigger when the surrounding portion had come crashing back in towards them. Of course, it didn't happen everywhere, but it was common enough that most mages called it a "Vacuum Effect." Something churned in Fay's gut: He didn't like not knowing what they were running into, but Jewel already declared their intent, and he didn't have a choice in backing out since he accepted the request from the Council - morally speaking, anyway. When he said he was going to do something, he was going to do it, so it was no surprise when Fay only nodded to her declaration and picked up the pace with his flight, using gravity as a sort of slingshot every few meters with a touch of magick to manipulate the discrepancy.

"Jewel," he called out as he caught up to get next to her. "I got a weird feeling about this. What if the person who set off the energy spike is using up the Mana in their immediate area to have the rest around that area cascade in so they can do something bigger? We're gonna be up a crap-creek without a paddle if they set something big off and we can't counteract it in time, and it only gets worse the more they let it happen - it's like making a vacuum stronger and stronger the more you let it come in and then disperse it since the force behind it will be bigger each time, though only high-ranking mages do it since it's no small task.

"There's also the question of just who could do ritual magick before setting off a pillar of fire - there might be Raiding Warlocks in the area getting themselves up to snuff for another attack somewhere, and if you read the report about the school I was at, that didn't go so great for the home team. It might be better if we actually scry before we move any further than the next few hundred meters or we might hit an alarm system of some kind."

Deathkitten

 

[Aelia Aeldyne]

The Crater
Starfinger​

My dimension senses were tingling. I used the golden eye to scour the devastated area once more, and I discovered what made my hair rise. Somebody had teleported robots into the area. And… People with power were here too; I notified Caesar instantly.

“Watch out before moving. People are coming. Seven robots, two casters. Can’t tell who they are, but the robots teleported in, and not by technological means. I wouldn’t be able to summon anything worth the effort right now, so I suggest we make ourselves inconspicuous.”

What worried me more than the robots were the casters, though. If they were here, it meant the energy spike had been sensed, which also meant that they were coming expecting to find someone – or something. With the golden eye, I peered at them from afar.

“Chick with blue hair and a book, rings anything ? Same question, girl in a white cloak ?”

Without waiting for an answer, I did the best I could and set up mental wards around the three of us. They were shoddy and not very potent, but they had the advantage of not being easily detectable. Typically, those were the kind of mental constructs that would make things look like nothing was wrong, while preventing access to the psyche of the person.

“Anyway, I think the best we can do if people are coming is to find cover and wait for them. If they’re enemies we take them out, if they are not, we talk to them. That’s the best I can think of right now.”

Deathkitten Osuka

 

[Kyrenka]

~Dexter Heidrich~
With Nikias Telos
​

It was pretty rare that Dexter got frustrated, but he was quickly getting annoyed at his project. Carefully turning the eerily realistic arm he was working on, he huffed out a sigh. He had decided that his thesis project was to design a new type of prosthesis; people had been so concerned about creating prosthetics for military and practical use, that there was little work done on restoring the person's senses in their lost limb. Except the nerves don't want to cooperate. It was a great idea in theory, but much more challenging to execute. That was always the problem. People could study the human body for an eternity and still not understand everything that made it work. He had been convinced though that he had gotten it right this time. He had the nerves, he had the port connections, he had the sensory pads, and every other detail he could think of. However, when his dad tested it out there was no sensation; not even when he placed his hand on a stove top and burnt the flesh-like casing protecting the false arm's wiring. Removing his glasses so he could rub his eyes, Dexter sighed again. I need a break. Staring at a project for too long wasn't conductive; he could come back later with fresh eyes and try something new. Or maybe have Telos take a look. His mentor gave some valuable advice every now and then, it was worth asking the man for his opinion. A notification rang on his phone, causing dark eyes to glance over. When he had first signed on with Nikias Telos, the man had installed some sort of alert system on his phone so that he was aware of situations as they developed. Frowning, he flicked through the details of the alert he had gotten. Activity at the OA crater? It had been years since anything legitimately connected to the OA had happened. That can't be good. Getting up, Dexter headed towards a corner of the lab that housed a metallic suit. This model was meant to be lighter for easier movement but at the cost of extra strength. It'll do. Dressing himself in the protective armor, Dexter sent a message to his mentor.

Nikias Telos

me

Ready to deploy, do you want me to stay or go?

 

[Daniel Reaving]

Aia
Location: In-N-Out
Interactions: Kyrenka
Mentions: Deathkitten

Aia sat eagerly watching her mother from the van. Letting out deep gentle breaths as she waited to be called on. A few passing people giving her curious looks to which she ignored as her eyes sat trained on Anne, slowly shifting back and forth in the front seats between the van. She debated on opening the door and joining Anne but figured she would get scolded and decided otherwise. Her head tilted slightly to the right in curiosity when Anna came out with a big bag of something. Was she gonna call on Aia now? She wanted out so bad. As Anne came back to the car Aia sat in the driver seat letting out a few curious yips at her mother in some confusion before reluctantly crawling back into the driver seat.
When she realized they weren’t going to be hunting Aia pouted letting out a few clear disapproving grunts and hisses. Though that all changed when Anne handed her the bag. Her nose had immediately picked up the scent as she nearly tore open the bag to find the yummy treats inside. Looking into it as her long tongue snakes out of her mouth and into the bag, pulling out a patty a few moments later before whipping back into her mouth. Eating the entire patty whole with a happy look before she delved into the bag to collect the rest for munching on. Listening to her mother intently despite not understanding most of her words as she munched on the meat. Still a little disappointed she didn’t get to go out and into that place, but food occupied her thoughts right now as she engulfed the rest of the meat. Leaving the buns and anything else in the bag she dropped it on the floor to be discarded later. Slowly she shuffled around in the seat before finding a comfortable position and laying down. Placing her head on Anne’s lap to take a quick nap
​

 

[Deathkitten]

The Queen Mary​

Jenny didn't move a muscle as he approached, staying silent with her hands hovering over the keys of the piano. The only sign that she even heard anything at all was the tiniest movement of her brow - tightening in a centimeter in confusion or concern. Wolfspider got far more of a reaction thanks to the strange effect of his voice, which, lucky for him, included ghosts.

She turned her head to look at him, fast as a whip, a startled look in her eyes. She wasn't all there, however, struggling to maintain fact from fiction, dreams from reality. Her brow furrowed, but her face stayed so gentle and soft. He asked a question... She felt compelled to answer, but what was the question? Reality was too blended together. This ship alone had seen so much time.

Time...

What year was it?

NO. The question. He had a question.

After an eternity of what may as well have been a buffering wheel in front of her face, she spoke up. Her voice was soft, scared, and a little melancholy, "...My name is Jenny." Should I ask him questions? Would... he get mad... if I tried? And then, there was another man here with this little boy. Some sort of shadow. Try as she might, she couldn't respond to him, only to the boy, and even then, only because of his strange siren-like voice.

Osuka ManofManyRoles

 

[ManofManyRoles]

Unfortunately, siren laced words or not, there was something about seeing your own dead wife was enough to lock someone in a sort of post-traumatic emotional setting. In any other setting, those words may have brought Shade a shred of comfort or calmness...though this wasn't the case. His head turned towards the source of the voice, and with it, those starlight white eyes and same tone smile that didn't budge, even when he spoke with that smoker's voice. "WolfSpider...." His head turned to look at his ghost-wife for a few more moments before he dropped into the floor of the stage. As much as he'd want to try to speak to his wife, get some sort of reaction from her...there was someone else here now, and showing any sort of kindness or concern put himself at risk as he'd seem 'out of character' and the slightest break in that could result in rumors...which could embolden anyone who felt concern or fear over his existence. "Did you hear Shade's getting soft"? He could hear it now, jovial laughter and emboldened criminals who he'd tried so long to keep in check now thinking he was going soft.

Darting beneath the floor he slowly rose up next to the young man...he was a child. He had thought maybe his voice was just meek for an adult but no...up close this was definitely a child...wonderful, that's two troubles for the day. His wife's specter, and a child....he always had trouble with causing any harm to children, let alone trying to intimidate them. There was no reason for it, and whenever he faced a child all he could think of is his own. A monster he may have become to some, but he couldn't act one to the young. "Your name is WolfSpider?....Why did she answer you? Why are you even here?" A few kind words and a costume did not make a hero nor villain...he couldn't stay here and babysit this boy...but he couldn't just leave. Not after he had heard her voice. It sounded so frail...so scared. She had never once sounded like that, and he'd known her since they were children. She was always confidant...happy. It hurt to hear her like this, it made him grateful he had complete control of his vocal spectrum. "....Ignore my other questions. Can you ask her why she's here? She seems to respond to you."

It bothered him, asking for help. It made him feel weak...pathetic. And with his wife here, it only brought back memories...and just like that, he wasn't completely there anymore, mentally. He was stuck in a dissociative flashback loop, like many with PTSD would have with the right cues. He was back home...he was playing a tape...and he was watching a video. And as much as he wanted it to end, as much as he could try to force it to end, it wouldn't. It looped over and over again on repeat...until it finally came to a close. What had only been a few seconds in reality, had felt like an eternity in his own head. He had to ask again, make sure he hadn't missed it. "Why is she here?"
Osuka Deathkitten ​

 

[Kyrenka]

~Dr. Anne Beaufort and Aia~
Responding to IN-N-OUT​

Anne breathed a sigh of relief as Aia settled down for a nap. Good, no tantrum. The alien was surprisingly well-behaved but she did have her moments. Glancing at the other police reports on her phone, she frowned. They were all too high profile for her tastes. Airport had tons of people, the hotel was high class, etcetera etcetera. She didn't want to let Aia loose on a crowd and she didn't want the wrong pair of eyes to spot the alien. The thought of the poor girl being trapped in a lab to be studied forever made her heart twist painfully. No, we're sticking to the low profile stuff. Maybe if something more manageable came up they would take it. Keeping one hand on the steering wheel, the dark-haired woman used her other hand to gently pet Aia's head. They were getting closer to the national park on the edge of LA. Just stay away from the crowds and let Aia run free for a bit. They were definitely getting a hotel room near there for their stay in LA. The park itself was much more beautiful than the pictures could portray. Something about nature just really connected with Anne. Of course, nobody loved the open air as much as Aia did. Pulling off the side of the road and a little ways into the woods so that they'd be away from prying eyes, Anne put the van into park and turned off the engine. Patting Aia's head, she softly said, "We're here sleepyhead." Reaching over to unbuckle the alien, she continued speaking, "Remember, stay away from people and don't go too far. If you want to hunt something bring it back so we can get rid of it later." She had seen enough sci-fi movies to know that that was how the alien would sometimes get caught. Being careless and leaving strange corpses behind. That's not happening to us! Anne had taken great care to dispose of the prey that Aia hunted.

((Interacting with Daniel Reaving 's Aia))

 

[Osuka]

WolfSpider
Queen Mary

He got the Lady's attention! The ears under his mask and hood seemed to perk up to the point where they moved the tough fabric, though the movement was minimal. This was already so cool, but... When he squinted and tilted his head to look at the woman while upside-down, something was wrong. Was it just him, or did she seem worried? Scared, maybe? Why was a Ghost scared? Something wasn't adding up. Was the ghost stuck here, or was it forced her? Slowly, he began to move, but his movements didn't seem aggressive - exactly how he was trying to keep it. If someone - living or deceased in this case, was in trouble, wasn't it his duty - having his blessings, to do something about it? The Lord surely wanted him to find this place to do something about Ms. Jenny's current predicament, and if the big man upstairs thought WolfSpider could handle it, who was he to not try? Still stuck to the ceiling as he moved, WolfSpider made sure to make his every movement known - even purposely making them audible so that the figure wouldn't take his motions as threatening, but of course, he was foolish in making his appearance known so eagerly when there was another entity. He didn't even know if "El Obscuridad" over there was friend or foe.

Either way, he felt something pull in his gut, and WolfSpider was already making his move. The moment Mr. Tall, Dark, and Incorporeal decided he was going to merge into the stage, it was reflex that his right hand shot out away from him to sling silk and yank himself to it, snapping in place - but the man was still close.

"Hey!!" WolfSpider yelped as he nearly fell off the ceiling. It was a concentrated effort to snap his arm out again to shoot even more web just to wrench himself back into place, now looking The Shadow straight in his face.... Which was unsettling. "Come oooon, man, jumpscares are cheating!"

It seemed like the man was either thinking... Or maybe something was bothering him - probably both, since it seemed like El Spooky knew the woman on stage, but either way, he waited for the man to come back to earth so he could finish his line of questioning. Having heard him out and nodding, WolfSpider used the web he had already made to start an easy descent to the floor, and instead of his super cool wallcrawling, simply strode up to the woman on the stage, hopping up with little effort before he lifted his mask so only she could see.

"I know I might look either weird or scary," he started, though he gave her the best smile he could muster. "But don't be afraid. I'm not a bad guy - I promise, but just keep what you see a secret, okay? You're a Spirit, right? That guy over there wants to know how you got here, and so do I. Did something drag you from heaven to bring you here, or were you stuck here when you uh..."

It was hard to think of a good word to use. She might not even know if she was dead, for all he could tell due to having never been in such a predicament.

"Is someone making you stay here?" He asked, tilting his head a little. "I'll do everything I can to help, but you gotta meet me half way, Ms. Jenny. After that, you can ask me whatever you want. Scout's honor!"

Deathkitten ManofManyRoles

 

[EldridSmith]

As soon as Nikias perfected the scientific side of the armor he got a text from his apprentice. Using his technopathy he read the message without having to touch the phone. He signed placing the armor in his storage space before teleporting to Dexter. "It's likely another trivial mission, I've already sent 7 units ahead under my control."

Growing up as the oldest of five siblings, he was used to loud entrances; so when Nikias appeared in the lab Dexter jumped a little. He had to admit that it was a little annoying, but the lab did belong to his mentor so he had every right to teleport wherever he wanted. Fortunately, Dexter was already suited up so his expression was hidden behind his mask. "It's the crater from the OA incident though, it could be the first signs of OA activity in ten years," he responded. It made more sense to actually go out into the field themselves and see what was happening in person, but he was only an apprentice. Whatever Nikias decided was law.

"The crater can wait until it requires a mandatory appearance from all S class heroes." Nikias says waving his hand bringing the prosthetic arm to his hand. "I see you have made progress. What are your current results?"

Taking off his helmet, Dexter set it down in favor of showing Nikias the inner workings of the prosthetic while talking. "The arm is failing to completely connect to the patient's nervous system. Its motor system is working perfectly and it responds to the patient's commands, but it still lacks sensation." Frowning at the charred 'skin' around the palm he added, "The patient even tried putting his hand on a stove and still nothing. Something isn't working and I can't figure out what it is."

"I see you're solely relying on science for this project..." Nikias says waving his hand over the arm causing the individual pieces to disassemble and float in order. "You're not sending the same signals the human body expects, your arm receives them but isn't sending them. Find the source of that issue and all will be solved." He says being intentionally vague to force his apprentice to figure it out on his own.

Magic. It was an undeniable force in this world, but it had too many contradictory rules to even begin to make sense. Science was much easier. Sure the theories changed from time to time, but that was only because new information would be found. Science was consistent and reliable. His brother, Gavin, was the one that liked magic; not Dexter. He had to admit though, it was impressive how Nikias only needed to wave a hand to disassemble the prosthetic he was working on. The dark-haired apprentice felt his brows furrow at his mentor's words though. Not sending the same signals? Examining the separate parts once again, he occasionally compared it to the notes he had on the nearby monitors. I have been relying a little too much on electrical signaling, haven't I? Every prosthetic relied on electrical signaling, but the body had chemical signals as well. I shouldn't have designed it using other prosthetic models, I need to design it like a real arm. That meant redesigning the model and figuring out how to implement chemical signaling into a mechanical arm.

"It seems my advice has enlightened you on the issue." Nikias says before checking his phone via technomancy... and it was a mandatory call for him to make an appearance. Fuck. "Looks like my presence has been demanded and I don't want to bother the paperwork of ignoring it." He inspects the suit Dexter is wearing. "Why are you in a tier 3 suit? You should have a tier 4 or 5 on for a mission like this." He says, another suit of similar dimensions but much lighter and stronger construction appearing. "I know you see magic as ever changing and fickle but to truly succeed these days it is an invaluable asset. ESPECIALLY for armor. Now quickly get changed, we are due in five minutes."

Keeping his face neutral as to not offend Nikias, Dexter accepted the armor without a word and began changing. He didn't like to describe himself as stubborn, but he supposed that when it came to his dislike of learning magic he was a bit inflexible. You're here to learn, just do as he says. At least his mentor was willing to teach him, the apprentice had heard a few stories of mentors that just threw their apprentices into the field without any help. Putting on his helmet, Digerati was now dressed and ready to do. Turning to face Nikias, he waited for his mentor's next command.

Unfortunately for Dexter there was no command, only an immediate arrival at the crater. The seven suits of power armor circling around them. Nikias waving his hand to send them to deal with other tasks (One to the Queen Mary, one to the Hilton, two to the in and out burger, and three to the airport.)

Examining the crater, Digerati saw that there were already people there. Were they the culprits? Or first responders like themselves? A window popped up on his helmet's screen as it analyzed their faces with known heroes. The results made him frown though. What the hell? He ran the face recognition again with the same results. That's not possible. He was half-tempted to deny it, to just call the software faulty but he knew better. His mentor probably knew but just in case he whispered so only Nikias could hear, "Sir, the three people down there are confirmed to have died in the OA attack." There were many logical and illogical explanations. Maybe they were imposters, or clones, or they had traveled through time. It didn't matter at this point in time; what mattered was how they would proceed with this.

"Could be time travel or reversal, resurrection, clones, being imposters... we will find out in due time. Come let us go to meet them. I will run a full diagnostics in the meantime." He says using his technomancy and magical means to inspect them.

Following behind Nikias dutifully, Digerati felt some apprehension. These people were unknowns. They could attack at any moment. Watching them closely, he braced himself for any sudden movements. They needed to be on guard.

"Henry Keaton, code name: Starfinger. Alida Beatrice Oscalia, code name: Jupiter. Caesar Alexander Aphera, code name: Lord Caesar." Nikias says with a raised eyebrow and a magic circle around his hand, three holographic files appearing in front of him, their info clearly visible to them. "Well whatever spell was used to revive you all is unknown to me. Mind explaining what you know? If you know anything about this that is."

Joint post with: Kyrenka
Interaction with: Aelia Aeldyne Deathkitten Osuka
Location: Crater

 

[Osuka]

Caesar Aphera/Fay Fluorite
Crater

Of course he didn't have time to really think about a better strategy. They had plenty of rubble to move through, but that would have slowed them down, and he doubted that both Jupiter and Starfinger or Warlock or whatever he was gonna call himself were back into the fighting shape they were in ten years ago. Both of them were notifying him of oncoming entities, with one being a villain with company. Then there were the robots, which were easy enough. He could burn through those if he had to with ease, but there were multiple of them. Super Speed and Super Strength with his Manipulation abilities could only do so much, and of course, he wasn't armored - quite the opposite, he was strutting around with full confidence in his Adonis-like nudity. On the flipside of that, there were celtic warriors long ago that were ballsy enough to charge into battle with nothing more than a sword and their birthday suits for kicks and giggles, and that seemed to intimidate most, but things were different nowadays.

The two that appeared directly in front of him were proof of it, and instead of jumping or getting into some sort of defensive position, Caesar did what only Caesar would do:

"Well," He started, planting his hands on his hips as his feet spread shoulder-width apart, exposing all of his glory before them. "Guess you two were the most interested in what's happened. Care to-"

One of the other potential targets that Starfinger had brought up before seemed to be rushing in awfully fast, and he couldn't help but raise a brow as the blonde-headed... He had to squint. Was that a male or a female?

Fay had decided, once he noticed two other entities just blast by him and his Mentor, to pick up the pace. He wasn't entirely educated on all of the Heroes in the area, and he couldn't make heads or tails if they were friend or foe, but if the robots said anything, he wasn't sure they were going to be friendly, exactly. So of course he was going to pick up the pace. Jewel would catch up if she decided that it was important enough, and covering fifteen miles total with little time to think about it was something a mage of at least his caliber could pull off, and braking?

Well, he had to admit that the braking wasn't very comfortable, but there he was, perpendicular to the three revived heroes and the two that had blown past himself and his mentor. Almost immediately after braking, multiple wards flared up, the only hint of them was the almost imperceptible pulse of mana that came from him. Mental wards layered as his internal reserves were locked into place, and even more layers of physical wards shimmered over his body as he shook his Shield Bracelet into view upon his left wrist. Whatever the situation was, the only thing that he could do was to ward and prepare. His other hand still had a hold of the now rod-straight chain that was enchanted to work as a wand of sorts. If one looked closely enough, they could even notice the thin runes that had been etched into each and every link, and would at least hopefully appreciate the tedious work it took to inscribe nearly two feet of chain with such detail.

"What the fuck, kid?!" Caesar barked, looking at the three of them. "Are you the one with that villain? Do I gotta cook you?"

Fay's brow raised as he took in, then decided not to take in, Caesar's appearance. Instead, he quickly averted his eyes directly into Caesar's own and furrowed his brow.

"Jewel's not a villain anymore," he responded, keeping his hands open and in plain view. Still, he refused to let go of the chain and his wards stayed strong. "We got a call on the Hero Scanner saying that an energy spike was observed here, but I'm not saying anymore until I can verify that you three are the actual heroes that died ten years ago."

Caesar had raised a brow as he looked between the group that had just blurted out his and his team's names and the... Dude-kid? Dude? Kid? Girl? Boy? Hell with it, He thought. Doesn't matter. The kid somehow seemed to be able to contain his own excitement to potentially meet real heroes, unlike some of the others-

"Wait," the naked beast of a man said as he held up a finger. "Hang on. Did you just try to bullshit me? That Nutcase is supposed to have turned a new leaf? If you lie to me one more time-"

"If you even think of lifting a finger, I'll have you unconscious before anyone here can witness you try to throw fire. I didn't survive just to be put down by what could be a Raid Warlock in disguise, so keep your hands to your sides and wait until my mentor gets here.

"As for you two," Fay continued, turning to look at the pair that had shown up for what he could only surmise was the same reason. "Who are you? How do you know they're not copycats in disguise?"

EldridSmith Deathkitten Aelia Aeldyne Kyrenka

 

[EldridSmith]

"How do you know? Because you're not dead already apprentice Fairiel Flourite." Nik says using telekinesis to fully freeze their body in place for a few seconds before releasing them. "I am Dr. Telos, and this is my apprentice Dexter."
Osuka Deathkitten Aelia Aeldyne

 

[Deathkitten]

The Crater
Jewel​

"Bitch please, you don't think we have wards against that kind of shit?" Jewel huffed, finally catching up with the rest of them, fairly certain that with Fay's wards up he wouldn't have been affected by such a thing. Damned fast ass mages with their fancy mobility magic shit. “Calm your tits everybody. Geezus fuck. Also. HOLY FUCKING SHIT ON A STICK, CAESAR." She shouted, hands on her knees as she averted her eyes, "Gonna have to tell your fucking brother that I had the misfortune of seeing your dong. Been dead for ten fuckin' years and the first thing I get to see is your fuckin' penis. Bullshit universal shit."

She hefted her weight to one side, more or less ignoring the drama as she pulled out her cellphone, "Right. Anyway. This is weird and I'll freak out later. I'm pretty sure your ass is real considering you're parading around your cock like some prized ass chicken. Sounds a lot like Caesar. All the self-confidence in the world with no decency." She sighed loudly, "Right. So. Let me introduce people. Dr. Telos, otherwise known as Tartarus. S-class hero. Digerati, apprentice hero. Fay, apprentice hero. My apprentice hero. You know my face but you probably think I'm still a Supervillain. I still go by Jewel, but nah. I'm a B-class hero these days. SO. That shit out of the way."

"No," she continued, "None of us here are here to cause you problems, Mister fuckin' carousel-dick..." She looked down at her phone and began fiddling with it, "Oscar is gonna lose his shit... You know they're's gonna be tests... right? We gotta make sure you aren't being controlled or somethin'? Jupiter, Lord Caesar, Starfinger... Ah geezus this got complicated fast. Here I was hoping it would be a simple case of beating some ass..."

"Right. Tartarus, Digerati, let's head to my house, yeah? We can keep the media out of this until we know for sure what's going on. We don't want them descending like vultures on these guys immediately after getting rezzed butt naked in a fuckin' warzone. It's not fair. If you guys are cool with that, maybe we can teleport there?" she looked to the others, then back to Tartarus, waiting for confirmation. At the same time, she was quickly messaging her husband that he needed to head to the house ASAP, and that she'd explain soon.

Osuka Aelia Aeldyne EldridSmith Kyrenka

 

[Osuka]

Fay Fluorite
Crater

There were two things he didn't like in the world: Pompous airs and people using words they didn't have permission to use, such as a Wizard's name. Even if it was just his first name, the fact of the matter was that this mage of sorts thought they had some kind of right to ignore normal, required formalities between mages for any reason. Even the old-time Wizards asked apprentices if they could use their full name before doing so, and this Doctor Telos decided he was either going to flex out of sheer cockiness or he was going to take offense to a logical question.

The moment Fay felt the Telekinetic pressure tighten around him, he was doing his own little work though... He wasn't aiming to hurt the man. With the mana flooding back into the area, there wasn't really any "casting" of sorts to do, but rather a bit of manipulation. With the Vacuum effect (which he noted earlier) coming to its close, and the Mana around them therefore flooding in, Fay didn't need any somatic gestures or any sort of verbal triggers for what he was aiming to do. Instead, around them, the ground would crack as it was directed downward with just enough force to make it negligible if one was nimble on their feet or contacting the ground at all. There was no reason to directly cast at someone if there was already so much coming in towards them. With the mana being further directed down from his point as he stood, having been locked in place for the next few seconds with Telekinesis, Fay wouldn't have to bother with righting himself, but if those in the immediate vicinity weren't careful, they might at worst have to regain their footing in order to keep standing without having to adjust themselves in a moment of necessity - the force of the manipulated mana would be equal to a boat rocking, but for anyone who was knowledgeable in Magick, they would know that it was no small feat to harness the Vacuum effect in order to bend it in certain directions. Still, it did nothing to free him of Telos's mental grip on his body, and he was yet to be able to speak.

There was something to say about Mages like himself, and if it wasn't the word "annoying," it was "unpredictable." One's willpower, when you were a mage that used it to bend the world around them rather than classical casting, was something that was almost indomitable when they set their minds to something, and he didn't survive this long just to be shut down so easily.

"You claim to be something of a Mage with your actions," Fay started, his voice even and calm as he locked eyes with the man, only speaking once he was released from his telekinetic binds. "But you're quick to anger, aren't you? Forgive this Ignorant apprentice for not realizing that someone of your standing is somehow above even the oldest and most powerful of Wizards to still breathe and entirely forego normal etiquette between Spellcasters, won't you?

"Also, you pronounced my last name wrong," he added "My last name is not an ingredient for baking."

That having been removed from his system, Fay put away his chain and deigned to remain silent as Jewel rushed in to begin her rantings and ravings, spewing this and that about a plethora of different things including her narrative on Caesar's.... Confidence, he would say. Still, having exerted his Will over the mana around them had made him somewhat sore. Fay hadn't slept well that night, and he had forgotten a plethora of his magickal gear at home due to having to rush out the door in order to meet with his Mentor Jewel.


Caesar Aphera
The Crater

Well, shit got serious, didn't it? It was true what they said about mages: Fuck one custom and you might as well slap yourself. Even he had to take a moment to keep himself righted as, somehow, the wiry blonde had managed to crack the ground. Still, if he was an apprentice, it meant that shit could only get crazier if someone let him get stronger, and he didn't even feel jealous when it came to it.

There was the problem with Jewel rushing.... In? Caesar had to look at the woman, hands on his hips again as he raised a brow with a touch of disbelief. For one, what the fuck did she know about him? Two, what the hell did she know about Oscar, and three, why did she seem so absolutely chummy compared to what he remembered? And if he heard her right, did she actually say she was a hero now? Still, there were questions to field, and he looked straight at Telos as he crossed his arms.

"Yeah," he started, nodding his head at the man. "I'm Caesar, that's Jupiter, and the other one is Starfinger. Even with your introduction, I don't know who you are, and right now, I'd hate to say it, but I trust the things I know more than those I don't, and I at least know I can take Jewel in a fight if she's lying, so why don't you tell me who you are?"

With having asked Telos his questions, he was quick to turn his attention towards Jewel.

"And you, missy," he continued, grinning wide. "Can compliment me all you want, but it doesn't excuse you from having to answer any questions either. How in the fuck do you know my brother, how the Hell did someone like you manage to pull the wool over enough eyes to not only somehow become a "hero," but get an Apprentice, and did you just stutter or did you say we were gone for TEN FUCKING YEARS?? We ain't going Nowhere until you convince me you're not full of shit and ready to pop and Doctor Doom here somehow supports it."

Ten years... Ten long, painful, arduous years, and he doesn't remember a single second of it. Was there an afterlife, or no? If there was, did the person who brought them back have enough power to scrub all of that out of their memory?? The more he thought about it, the more worried he was getting over what it meant for Alida and Henry. To hell with him - he always said he would die in a blaze of glory, and the Aphera family more or less accepted his declaration, but what about them???

Deathkitten Aelia Aeldyne Kyrenka EldridSmith

 

[Deathkitten]

The Crater
Jewel and Jupiter​

Jewel rolled her eyes at Caesar as Jupiter watched the lot of them with wary eyes. Her imp friend flew down to rest on the ground beside her, and her makeshift skirt of aluminum didn't make her feel very covered all of a sudden. Ten years. Ten years she was dead, and even if she didn't feel that time pass, her family was definitely affected by it. She didn't know what to say yet. Caesar was leading the charge, as it were.

Jewel didn't have any problem with talking. She glared at Caesar, "Look. Ten years is a long time. A lot has changed. I'd prefer to talk about it in a nice warm room with couches and shit. Your brother is seriously gonna flip shit. Hell, your whole family is. Long story short, though, I'm married to Oscar now. He..." she sighed, rubbing the back of her neck, "He made me change sides. I'm a shit hero still. I'm not very good about caring about people or whatever, but I'm still a hero now. Licensed and everything. As for Fay, he's my apprentice because I got saddled with him. Probably because he needs to lighten up and I need better structure. Makes us a good match."

Jupiter cleared her throat, voice a whisper, "I... has it really been ten years?"

Jewels nodded, pulling out her hero radio she had been given, "Yes it has, chica. It has. Here. Look. I have one of these radios and everything. Set up for broadcast. Has my info in. All that good stuff." She walked up to Caesar with her arm outstretched to give him the device, "Check it over. Hell," she offered her cellphone too, "Call your brother if it really makes you feel better - though I think a reunion should be in person. There's no way he'd believe this shit over the phone. You can see my messages between us... though careful, if you scroll up too much there might be some dick pics and whatever. So yeah. He's my goody-two-shoes hubby. Can we go now?"

Osuka Aelia Aeldyne EldridSmith Kyrenka

 

[EldridSmith]

Nik was expecting the apprentice to try a counter action, though the boy was clever trying to redirect the rushing mana flow it was futile as he quickly redirected the flowing mana beneath Fay's feat causing a 10' hole beneath him as he was locked in place. With split second reaction after the force dispersed the hole was instantly filled once again as if nothing had happened. He released his telekinetic hold and turned his focus to the others once again, entirely ignoring Fay. "I can teleport us all back to my underground facility. We can run proper diagnostics and catch you up to speed on the last 10 years. Also no need worry Jewel, I have couches and all the resources of my compajy at my disposal. Any objections to this course of action?" He will ask, ready to teleport them once they had agreement from everyone... Except Fay.
Osuka Deathkitten Aelia Aeldyne

 

[Deathkitten]

The Crater
Jewel​

Jewel looked at the strange doctor with a brow raise, "Nah man, we gotta go to my house. To the Aphera house. I appreciate the offer, but I wouldn't be able to stand the thought of keeping this news from Oscar. From the families. It's too weird. It's too important. The estate's huge, don't worry. There's more than enough room for everybody to chill out there while we try to figure this shit out. Hell, I can even ring up Green and get some pizza goin'." She looked at Caesar, realizing he'd have no clue who Green was, "Uh. Pizza bro. Some kid that's gotten a lotta respect. Delivers to heroes and villans both. No beef. No bullshit. He's one of my favorites."

Osuka Aelia Aeldyne EldridSmith Kyrenka

 

[EldridSmith]

"If that's your concern they can be transported as well. I only suggest this as I have a lot of cutting edge technology you will all find most useful in this endeavor." Nikias says, his company being well known for high tech fusions of magic and science.
Deathkitten Osuka Aelia Aeldyne

 

[Osuka]

Caesar Aphera
... The Crater.... And crazy fucking mages, apparently! I was revived amongst a bunch of lunatics. Great.

So, the Kid and this "Telos" were.... Interesting, but he doubted this was how mages greeted each other. Last time he was at a party with a bunch of spellcasters - which he had slipped into without too much trouble while not being invited mind you, a lot of it was formal greetings and none of it involved trying to display power in such a raw form. The kid doing... Whatever the hell it was was still impressive, and Telos had given his own warning. Did times change, or did they really just not like each other already? To Caesar, all of this was stupid: They had three naked heroes - okay, well, one of them was fully in the nude, and the other two had.... Something... and they all needed evac, so when Telos started it all by answering the kid's question with a threat, he kinda just wanted to clock them both, but he wasn't sure how things scaled nowadays. It was better that he stayed out of it, even if things looked like they got more heated over the ten seconds it was all going down.

He had to stop thinking. Caesar knew Jewel had a point, and if she was actually going to lead them to their respective families, there was no way that she'd be able to trick them into going somewhere else. Then there was Telos offering to do the work for them - or at least to take them to another secure facility. Still, he wanted to see his brother. Ten years had passed. His family mourned him and had to learn to move on. How would they take this? How would they all react if this was all temporary just for that little brat's hairbrained, riddle-laden scheme? What if they stopped living after it was all done...?

"Let's head to the Aphera House first," Caesar called out, breaking the discussion between them all. "Aphera house can host the Oscalia and Starfinger will have somewhere to actually sit and chill. There won't be much 'chilling out' once we get to either of the Houses, so it might as well be at Aphera.

"And so long as this 'Green' delivers on time and with a smile, I'll pay for and eat as many pizzas as he brings. I.... Do still have my account, right? Please tell me I have my funds still in my account, Jewel, or I'm going to fucking freak."


Fay Fluorite
The Crater

Lesson One: If you can't beat 'em, make 'em irritated. When Telos had decided to make his threat with opening and closing a hole before Fay could drop into it, then ignore his correction as well as his snark, it made it clear that either Telos hated him, or at least respected his tenacity. Finding out could be even more convoluted depending on what happened next - sometimes being attacked was a compliment to one's skill, and sometimes they wanted you more dead than the wooden forever box you were put in afterwards, but if his soreness-inducing demonstration had actually made the.... Mage? at least respect his quick thinking and no-bullcrap attitude, then that had to be that. Still, for Telos to have done what he did had to be more than just what Fay was used to. Pure mental abilities were something they did cover in Alaska, but that lesson was abruptly and violently cut short, and as of yet, he couldn't find more information about it all since he was able to rejoin normal society. It was frustrating not knowing about what kind of... Seriously, was the guy a Telekinetic, a Psionic, or was he an Arcanist masquerading as one of the two? He couldn't tell, but after everyone turned their attention away from him, he was more than happy to dust his jacket of debris from his blast and take a breath.

Still, Fay wasn't dropping his wards, and he was keeping one of the charges of his shield bracelet on standby just in case a villain actually did decide to join them in their little reunion party.

(Fay don't got a whole lot to do here. So he's just here. xD)


Deathkitten EldridSmith Kyrenka Aelia Aeldyne

 

[Deathkitten]

The Queen Mary​

"You look...," she spoke again, hazy eyes drifting over the boy, "Like someone my daughter would desire to be... not scary." She doubted someone dressed like that while being so small and clearly a kid could actually be a bad guy. "A spirit...?" she muttered, brow tightening as she tried to think. What was the last thing she could remember? Shocks of pain, blinding and red in their intensity. There was nothing in her memory of her past but pain. Was that the pain of dying? Had she really died...? And if so... why so painfully?

The man who wanted to know how she got here... The pink-haired beauty managed to turn her head and look at the shadow man. The child had motioned to him, and her gaze felt obliged to follow. She felt like she knew him somehow. Her eyes stuck on his for a long, silent moment before she turned back to look at the fixture of her attention.

"Someone... he...," she managed to say, the corners of her mouth tilting downwards at the thought, "He is more devil than man... I... think I might be here now because of him. To cause pain... or trouble... I'm a pawn in his game."

Osuka ManofManyRoles

 

[ManofManyRoles]

Hanging upside down from the ceiling as it were, his gaze was glued on 'WolfSpider', wordless in his presence. Was it a bit amusing to watch him have a minor scare?... Well yes, but only after he was certain the kid wasn't hurt. In the same method a father could laugh about their kid doing something dangerously stupid, he was allowed to laugh in this instance, because no real harm was done. He simply stood there, clung to the ceiling in upright as he listened to his late wife speak and answer each question in turn...She was completely unaware that she was a spirit, and she remembered Angela....did she not remember him though? The way she looked at him...it didn't have a realization or the hints of a memory regained. Would she know him if he dropped his form?... He couldn't though, not when this child was here. It risked him being known as who he really was...

All considerations dropped at the comment of her being a pawn in a devil's game. His visage didn't change, though his emotional state quickly shifted from melancholy and downtrodden to...red, burning anger. The idea that his wife would be a pawn, a piece in someone's game infuriated him. Tempting visions of what he might do to whoever delegated her to such a role danced in his mind's eye...who had the audacity to do this to her, to turn her so meek and soft sounding, to strip her of her natural joy and confidence? He wanted- no he needed answers. He couldn't ask her directly it seemed, she only responded to the boy...he'd put his self reservations aside for now. If he had to speak through him and ask him for help, he would...whatever it took, he would have answers. He would bring a reckoning to whoever this 'devil' was. "WolfSpider...can she be more specific? A name, a place...anything? I know you gave her scouts honor to ask questions....but I just want that answered, then you may fulfill your deal."
Osuka Deathkitten

 

[Aelia Aeldyne]

The Crater
Starfinger​

Wordlessly, I listened to every side of the conversation, keeping an eye… an Eye, rather, on each of the newcomers. Destiny Aphera, nicknamed Jewel… I did not remember her. Fairiel D. Fluorite… No idea, she… he… THEY seemed quite young. Nikias Télos, nicknamed Tartarus… Unknown too, though he did look the kind to not attract too much attention. Dexter Heidrich, nicknamed Digerati, was an unknown too. And they did overall leave me a poor impression. Télos and Fay were way too smug about their powers, and too impulsive, too. Jewel sounded rational and level-headed, so that was a good point for her. As for the other apprentice, Digerati… He hadn’t said a word, so I could not really tell.

A sentence caught my attention. Had it really been ten years? No wonder the Eye notified me with an error. A decade down the timestream was no minor desynchronization; it was a temporal manipulation equal to the Fall of R’lyeh, or the Spelljammer Armada. Whatever had brought us back was a powerful entity. That only made the situation worse, because I now had to care about an entity powerful enough to maintain three souls through ten years of chronological displacement. That said, if it had really been ten years… I would be the first to be happy about it, at least in my personal life. It meant that within what felt for a second, I spent ten years not having to talk to my family. They probably wouldn’t have come to my funeral, if I even had one.

Now, the current situation… Télos and Fluorite were at odds with each other, Jewel was trying to talk to Caesar, and Alida seemed quite distraught. I walked up to her, giving her a small pat on the shoulder.

“Don’t worry. Everything will turn out OK. I don’t know your family, but them learning that you are back can’t be worse than this”, I said, encompassing the ruined area in a gesture. That said… if MY own family learned that I was back… there would be blood. My dear mother had probably foreseen it anyway… or not. We were one hell of a special case, today. “Now, give me a second, Jupiter, so I can calm down the heated spirits of those two over here…”

Walking towards Télos and Fluorite, I sighed. Those two did not even seem to know the basics of politeness. It looked like they were both adults, though. A lesson was in order. I had the perfect idea in mind, something that would teach them not to behave like children at the playground, while not being too taxing on me… in a certain way. I’d feel the backlash of this idea for a good while. But there was no time to muse. First step, remind them that they were being stupid. I opened my mind, feeling the heat of psionic power pouring in my brain.

When I spoke, my voice had the harsh undertones and the sickly accent of the Carcosan language, but it was not hurtful to hear or speak, and way less displeasing. It remained grim and stark, and intimidating, though. When I spoke, it was not merely a voice that echoed through the air; it was also a mental calling, a psionic message sent to both Télos and Fluorite; words spoken directly to the mind. When I spoke, it wasn’t so much me, but the one I had a pact with, who said the words.

“YOU TWO… NEED TO CHILL THE FUCK OUT. YOU ARE ADULTS, OR ABOUT TO BE, SO ACT LIKE IT.”

And the air rumbled with those words, as I let go of the power. I did not really like mind-fuckery, but there were times when it was needed. Second step… Well, I was called THE California Warlock, not A California Warlock, and there was a reason for this. They would discover that reason. Snatching a drop of blood from my mouth, I quickly drew pact gate on the back of my hand; it looked like a distorted Saint Andrew cross with a small circle at the center. “Pulling out the nails of the coffin, I open the gates of gold…”

And my dominion – the Golden Man’s dominion – was established. Opening the pact gate was not an insignificant act, and for all the boons it granted me, it also took its toll. Searing heat flared on my right hand, where I had drawn the mark. It was burning white, and my feelings were dulled. On the other hand, I could feel the otherworldly power of the Golden Man flowing through me, and it felt good being back to power. Around me, the air had started taking His semblance, weaving a bony mask of deathly pallor, mounted by a spiky golden crown. Around my feet, and in a quite wide area, the ground seemed to start rippling, as if run through by unearthly tentacles. I closed my eyes, and opened them again. We were now one. The man who stood in the middle of ruins, and the Man who ruled over a ruined city. Insects, we thought, as we contemplated the squabble at our feet. Our power was wreathing around them, not even touching them, but reminding them that it was there, deep and unfathomable. Our thoughts went to their bones, and the feeling that ran through their skeletons was probably enough to convince them that an afterthought could reduce them to bloody children’s puzzles.

And we were one no more. My perceptions were human again, though I was now filled with power. On my hand, the gate fizzled and dissolved, leaving a dark burn mark that would subside after a few days. On the rest of my body though… fizzling golden energy and black mists ran amok, and it was with great effort that I managed to destroy those and regain an almost normal appearance. Third step… Talk like adults.

I waved my hand. The rubble around us was quite large, so a few size categories above what I was used to in terms of dust… but it would do. With a sound like sandpaper, a couple pieces of rubble were reshaped, seven like seats and one like a table. Sitting down, I called out to the others. “Alright folks, sit down so we can talk this matter like polite and responsible adults. Before you say anything, I have a few comments and questions. First of all, the man with the mask. Nikias Télos, was it? You rub off me in an extremely wrong way. First teleporting in robots, then without even a greeting, whipping out data files and asking for information? That’s quite villain-like and not very heroic. You could have started with even a simple “Hello”, and asked if we really were who you think we are. Thankfully for you, we indeed are those people. But presentations would have been in order, and that’s what I’m gonna do now. Ladies first… Alida Oscalia, also known as Jupiter. And if you did not hide your identity, Destiny Aphera, also known as Jewel. Then us men… There is no need to present Caesar, I think… In ten years, you probably have had a Netflix series at your name, man. Now… You, Nikias Télos, also known as Tartarus. You seem to be quite powerful in your own right, but decency commands that you do not make use of your powers on other heroes, less even apprentices, and less even in the current situation. Next is… Dexter Heidrich, also known as Digerati. I do not know who you are, so I hope that you are a good person. Then we have… Ah yes, you made a quite clear point that you didn’t like for your full name to be used. I will thus refer to you as Fay Fluorite. While I commend your prowess at the age you seem to be, remember that the world is huge, and more often than not people will not have followed the same magical traditions as you do, nor even be the same type of caster that you are… Judging by the way you fling mana around, you’re a sorcerer, or someone similar, am I right?”

I sighed. “Now, did I forget someone… Ah yes. I am Henry Keaton, also known as Starfinger, or if I trust you, California Warlock. The title of Warlock is not one to tot around, as many responsibilities are attached to it, so I would appreciate if you remembered that. Anyway, getting to the point. Due to the manner you introduced yourself, I do not trust you, Mr. Télos. As for the current situation, I’d agree with Jewel, and go to the Aphera residence. It would seem we were resurrected just before your arrival, so I would appreciate if we used non-magical means of travelling to any destination. As for what I will do… Caesar, your opinion?"

Deathkitten Osuka EldridSmith Kyrenka