Veil Walker
Senior Member
Grey's Home
Somewhere on the California Coastline
April 25, 2022
12:30 PM PST
Grey Bastion slumped into his large chair with a heavy sigh. He had been up since before dawn, courtesy of a certain military instructed immortal. The same one who had hidden his stash and forced him to bed early. Somehow, the old man had even managed to rob his vault, further making Grey suspicious of the man's supposed lack of mystical powers. Either way, the grumpy ex-League member had been checking and reinforcing wards on his home for hours, and was just settling into his chair for a well earned rest when the aforementioned immortal strode past quickly, only pausing to check an old pocketwatch and check in on his beleaguered companion. The Colonel gave a soft smirk at his housemate.
"You look terrible. I did tell you to rest up before today." The larger man let out a soft growl from his chair. He'd been plagued with nightmares for the few hours he had actually managed to sleep.
"You know I don't really ever sleep well. It's why I usually prefer to pass out. So, I have to ask you, why exactly do you look so smug today?" The slighter man smiled wider now, nodding to his watch.
"The new arrivals will be here shortly. I am excited to help shape the newest generation of League members." He mentally went through the checklist for the next week or so, trying to account for any and every possibility before it became more than a minor inconvenience. It was the years of military service in him that caused him to set schedules, and have entire days set up with fine precision. Of course, his years of service both as an agent for his country and his stints doing hero work had taught him that schedules usually needed to be adapted on the fly, so he had even gone over what to do in the event things like that occurred. After all, he knew from experience that teenagers weren't always the most precise people on the planet. He even had a serious doubt that any of them would even show up on time. A grunt from his companion interrupted his train of thought, and he glanced at the bulky man sprawled almost haphazardly in his chair with an appraising look.
"I honestly have no idea how I got convinced to let you bring them here. You know I'm not exactly interested in getting visitors, let alone guests." To his credit, the big man didn't look angry about the situation. Not as angry at least as he had seemed when the idea had first been broached. Phillips well remembered dodging the flames and other threats as the man had raged against it. Now he simply seemed defeated by the whole idea.
"You owe me, of course. Don't look so glum, I picked a few specifically for you to teach. You are always in a better place when you have someone to show off for." The Colonel winced as the big man glared at him, lifting his wrist to show the power dampening clamp placed there. In red LED's, it read 10%. The man shot him a look that clearly said: 'Not much chance of that, huh?" Phillips decided to quickly change the subject before the mage thought of some revenge for the slip of the tongue.
"Well, I am off to meet them out front. You are free of course to join me." He gave the mage a hopeful smile, which was dispelled by the scowl on the other man's face. Sighing and shaking his head, the immortal walked out the front door, locking it behind him.
He stood in the long gravel driveway, waiting. Occasionally, he checked his old pocketwatch, though his years of training made him easily able to tell the time based on the position of the sun. Still, it was one of the few nervous habits he had left. It eased some of the racing of his mind to hold it and look at the face, a constant in a life that had been full of change and having to get used to new things. Outwardly, he stayed calm as ever, a smile on his face as he waited for the first of his new trainees arrived. As each person arrived, they were greeted by either their super name, or by Mr./Ms. and then their last initial. After years of name changes and moving, he understood the desire for privacy and would allow them to introduce themselves as they saw fit. That was their right, and he had seen far too many teams destroyed because of a lack of trust and respect. Once all the heroes had assembled, he began a little speech he had prepared the night before.
"Welcome to all of you who have agreed to come here. My name is Colonel Phillips. You can call me Colonel, or Phillips or even JJ if you prefer something more informal. For those who don't know who I am, I served many years for my country, then I became a hero and after years, I then helped train many heroes around the world, including some of those who now make up the Justice League, of which I am an honorary member." He looked around at each hero and gave a small smile. He thought about how they must have seen him. Barely five and a half feet tall, and appearing to be the same age as those gathered here. He was a slim man wearing a long sleeved cotton button up, dark slacks, finely polished boots and an old style cavalry saber belted around his waist. He wore his long black hair tied back in a ponytail, exposing piercing blue eyes. The only ostentatious details were the snarling silver wolf belt buckle and the hawk stylized onto the guard of his saber, done in what looked like gold.
"I can assure you, I am older than I appear. Now I would like to welcome you all to what will be your new home for the foreseeable future." Turning away from them, he unlocked the door and opened it wide, gesturing for them to enter. The moment they came in, an odd feeling of comfort and safety swept over each of the newcomers. The entry hall opened out into a living space that held two plush recliners and a couple of long grey couches, all positioned facing a large television. Past this was a dining area with a long mahogany table and many oak chairs, which looked suspiciously like they were hand carved. At the head of the table, perched in a large, very cushioned chair, a man sat with his arms folded. He was carefully taking each newcomer in carefully, though his eyes briefly paused when they got to both Nicholas and Simon. Even seated, this was obviously a very large, very broad man. He had a shaggy blonde bears and a chaotic mess of hair that fell past his shoulders. He wore a rumpled t-shirt with some stains which looked remarkably like blood, and a faded pair of loose fitting jeans. He wore no shoes, and his feet looked as though he had been working in the dirt all day. At his feet, a huge shaggy black dog sat, grinning at the group of new people. Hefting himself up with a grunt, he gave a small wave.
"I'm Grey Bastion. I was a League member for a while. Didn't work out. I'll be helping the Colonel teach you guys how not to die. In the meantime, I'm sure you all have to be hungry, so I'll cook something. Anyone have any requests or stuff they can't or won't eat?" He paused, listening for answers before shuffling off into the kitchen. At the mention of food, the great shaggy beast padded after him on almost silent paws. To his credit, the Colonel looked surprised for a moment, before turning back and nodding to the group.
"So, I suppose while we wait, does anyone have any questions?"
Somewhere on the California Coastline
April 25, 2022
12:30 PM PST
Grey Bastion slumped into his large chair with a heavy sigh. He had been up since before dawn, courtesy of a certain military instructed immortal. The same one who had hidden his stash and forced him to bed early. Somehow, the old man had even managed to rob his vault, further making Grey suspicious of the man's supposed lack of mystical powers. Either way, the grumpy ex-League member had been checking and reinforcing wards on his home for hours, and was just settling into his chair for a well earned rest when the aforementioned immortal strode past quickly, only pausing to check an old pocketwatch and check in on his beleaguered companion. The Colonel gave a soft smirk at his housemate.
"You look terrible. I did tell you to rest up before today." The larger man let out a soft growl from his chair. He'd been plagued with nightmares for the few hours he had actually managed to sleep.
"You know I don't really ever sleep well. It's why I usually prefer to pass out. So, I have to ask you, why exactly do you look so smug today?" The slighter man smiled wider now, nodding to his watch.
"The new arrivals will be here shortly. I am excited to help shape the newest generation of League members." He mentally went through the checklist for the next week or so, trying to account for any and every possibility before it became more than a minor inconvenience. It was the years of military service in him that caused him to set schedules, and have entire days set up with fine precision. Of course, his years of service both as an agent for his country and his stints doing hero work had taught him that schedules usually needed to be adapted on the fly, so he had even gone over what to do in the event things like that occurred. After all, he knew from experience that teenagers weren't always the most precise people on the planet. He even had a serious doubt that any of them would even show up on time. A grunt from his companion interrupted his train of thought, and he glanced at the bulky man sprawled almost haphazardly in his chair with an appraising look.
"I honestly have no idea how I got convinced to let you bring them here. You know I'm not exactly interested in getting visitors, let alone guests." To his credit, the big man didn't look angry about the situation. Not as angry at least as he had seemed when the idea had first been broached. Phillips well remembered dodging the flames and other threats as the man had raged against it. Now he simply seemed defeated by the whole idea.
"You owe me, of course. Don't look so glum, I picked a few specifically for you to teach. You are always in a better place when you have someone to show off for." The Colonel winced as the big man glared at him, lifting his wrist to show the power dampening clamp placed there. In red LED's, it read 10%. The man shot him a look that clearly said: 'Not much chance of that, huh?" Phillips decided to quickly change the subject before the mage thought of some revenge for the slip of the tongue.
"Well, I am off to meet them out front. You are free of course to join me." He gave the mage a hopeful smile, which was dispelled by the scowl on the other man's face. Sighing and shaking his head, the immortal walked out the front door, locking it behind him.
He stood in the long gravel driveway, waiting. Occasionally, he checked his old pocketwatch, though his years of training made him easily able to tell the time based on the position of the sun. Still, it was one of the few nervous habits he had left. It eased some of the racing of his mind to hold it and look at the face, a constant in a life that had been full of change and having to get used to new things. Outwardly, he stayed calm as ever, a smile on his face as he waited for the first of his new trainees arrived. As each person arrived, they were greeted by either their super name, or by Mr./Ms. and then their last initial. After years of name changes and moving, he understood the desire for privacy and would allow them to introduce themselves as they saw fit. That was their right, and he had seen far too many teams destroyed because of a lack of trust and respect. Once all the heroes had assembled, he began a little speech he had prepared the night before.
"Welcome to all of you who have agreed to come here. My name is Colonel Phillips. You can call me Colonel, or Phillips or even JJ if you prefer something more informal. For those who don't know who I am, I served many years for my country, then I became a hero and after years, I then helped train many heroes around the world, including some of those who now make up the Justice League, of which I am an honorary member." He looked around at each hero and gave a small smile. He thought about how they must have seen him. Barely five and a half feet tall, and appearing to be the same age as those gathered here. He was a slim man wearing a long sleeved cotton button up, dark slacks, finely polished boots and an old style cavalry saber belted around his waist. He wore his long black hair tied back in a ponytail, exposing piercing blue eyes. The only ostentatious details were the snarling silver wolf belt buckle and the hawk stylized onto the guard of his saber, done in what looked like gold.
"I can assure you, I am older than I appear. Now I would like to welcome you all to what will be your new home for the foreseeable future." Turning away from them, he unlocked the door and opened it wide, gesturing for them to enter. The moment they came in, an odd feeling of comfort and safety swept over each of the newcomers. The entry hall opened out into a living space that held two plush recliners and a couple of long grey couches, all positioned facing a large television. Past this was a dining area with a long mahogany table and many oak chairs, which looked suspiciously like they were hand carved. At the head of the table, perched in a large, very cushioned chair, a man sat with his arms folded. He was carefully taking each newcomer in carefully, though his eyes briefly paused when they got to both Nicholas and Simon. Even seated, this was obviously a very large, very broad man. He had a shaggy blonde bears and a chaotic mess of hair that fell past his shoulders. He wore a rumpled t-shirt with some stains which looked remarkably like blood, and a faded pair of loose fitting jeans. He wore no shoes, and his feet looked as though he had been working in the dirt all day. At his feet, a huge shaggy black dog sat, grinning at the group of new people. Hefting himself up with a grunt, he gave a small wave.
"I'm Grey Bastion. I was a League member for a while. Didn't work out. I'll be helping the Colonel teach you guys how not to die. In the meantime, I'm sure you all have to be hungry, so I'll cook something. Anyone have any requests or stuff they can't or won't eat?" He paused, listening for answers before shuffling off into the kitchen. At the mention of food, the great shaggy beast padded after him on almost silent paws. To his credit, the Colonel looked surprised for a moment, before turning back and nodding to the group.
"So, I suppose while we wait, does anyone have any questions?"
