JL New Wave: The Challengers from Beyond! (IC)

Five Things Go Wrong: Four.

As Superman Prime found himself left behind, skirting the edge of that great and terrible rift--

--not that spatial anomalies had ever contained him before--

--Phantom Zones, Stasis Zones, Ghost Zones, Negative Zones--

--nothing could hold him--

--he hauled off, and slammed his fist against the skin of reality, bruising it madly once more--

--time shuddered--

--Aquawoman managed to save her daughter without chopping off her own hand, this time, saving her marriage to King Mer--

--Wonderous Man and Superwoman decided to stay just friends, making Superwoman's relationship with crusading newsman Loïs Lane that much less complicated--

--Jacin Todd stayed dead this time, however, a failure that Batwoman took to her grave--

--but then, beside Prime as he drew back for another time-rattling punch--

krekkaBOOOOM!

A Boom Tube thundered open wide, and a figure in crimson, green, and gold emerged with a cold smirk on masked lips.

"Leave you in the space dust, did they?" he chortled, his FatherBox enabling them to speak freely in the airless vacuum.

"Feel free to fuck off," Prime snarled. "I don't need your stupid little shortcut machines."

"Oh, no," Mister Miracle drawled. "I'm done handing out FatherBoxes like Cracker Jack prizes today. The doc did a pretty serious number on my last ringer's Box and sent him all the way to Dune. Majorly hampering his ability to track her Box through spacetime and hyperspacetime. Not making that mistake again. No, you don't need that kind of help."

Prime glared at him, seriously considering freezing Miracle with his arctic-breath and leaving him to get sucked into the rift.

But of course Miracle would just find a way to escape. He always did. Asshat.

"Then... what?"

"Red sun's still a problem for you, isn't it?" Miracle smirked. "Without your armor?"

Prime's eyes widened, and then scrunched again. "That damn Galactus shredded it. Power Cosmic, Kirby Dots, blah-blah-blah..."

"Our friend from Universe-3 made you a new one," Miracle noted smugly. And tossed a small cube-shaped device at Superman Prime.

Prime snagged it from the air. And it immediately dissolved into techno-organic circuitry that began to spread across Superman Prime's body, interfacing with the last remaining tatters of his clothes...

...rapidly forming into a suit of armor that gleamed and gloamed with power and darkness.

"Clothes make the man," Miracle wisecracked.

Prime held up a finger, grinning coldly as he corrected Miracle: "Superman."

Then joined that finger with the rest of his curled fist--

--and threw another catastrophic punch against the walls between the worlds.

Earth 568- The Dominators are coming

“Watch your left!!!” Ronnie screamed in her mind as she dodged several of the alien beings chasing her, and then heading his call, phased her body through a building next to her and then shot up through it's ceiling to get some height on them. Finally able to breathe for a second she scanned the area and saw more of the creatures approaching from both the North and the South. Just what they were she had no clue, but what they wanted was pretty obvious, beings like her.

It had started last night when she had been on her way to her training site. She was not yet quite ready to reveal herself to Central City, she wanted to be in full control of her powers before she did that, but the wail of a bank alarm drew her like a moth to a flame and she found herself landing in front of the second National bank as two people strode out.

Recognizing them was easy. Who else walked around in a hooded fur lined jacket carrying a glowing blue weapon, while the other one was a bald thuggish looking guy with a red glowing weapon. Great her first opponents would be Captain Cold and Heatwave, a very auspicious way to start if she could win.

Of course they had paused at the sight of her. Well most people would. A six foot woman with long flowing hair made of fire, dressed in a red skin tight suit with a stylized golden sun and rays on it, golden boots and gloves and yellow skin. It was not something you saw every day.

Trying to sound a lot older than her true age of 19 she shook her head at the two of them. “Naughty, naughty boys. I don't think that money belongs to you. How about you just put it back and then we take a little trip to the nearest police station and nobody has to get hurt here.”

The two of them looked at each other and then laughed. Snart looked at his partner and then bowed throwing an arm towards her and Mick bowed back in acknowledgement. “You seem to like fire,” he growled in a gravely voice as he stepped forward. “Here try some of mine.”

He flipped up his gun in the blink of an eye and shot forth a blast of super heated fire. Firestorm didn't even bother moving as it engulfed her and patiently waited for him to finish. When he did she looked at him, her form not even singed. “Finished?”

Mick's eyes widened but Snart stepped forward and with no warning fired his cold gun. Firestorm had been ready though and merely raised a heat barrier around her body. His beam didn't even touch her, evaporating and turning to steam a full centimeter in front of her.

Now both criminals resorted to the one trick left to them...running. She sighed flying into the air and concentrated on Snart. He was the more dangerous of the two. She swooped down on him and was about to fire a blast of energy when he was attacked by a creature. She was so shocked she just hovered there for an instant allowing three more to grab him before she fired upon them knocking them off him. One thing she did know, it was humans before aliens, especially if they were trying to kidnap one before her eyes.

Snart looked at her in surprise then saw more coming. She looked at him and grimaced. “You do something to piss these guys off?”

“Never seen them before,” he replied firing shot after shot off, “ But they don't exactly look happy to see me do they.”

Then a great fireball lit up the sky and Cold's head snapped around. “Mick!”

Firestorm flew down and grabbed him then zeroed in on where the fireball had come from. It didn't take long to find the missing criminal. Blazes were erupting everywhere as he fought to keep more of the aliens away from him. She dropped Cold beside him then fired off blasts of her own, hers more controlled and soon the street was clear.

Looking at the two she made a decision. “Get to safety and by the looks of things warn any others like yourselves. This was a targeted attack. They are not going after people, they just came for you two and then me and I think I know why.”

Mick looked puzzled but Cold nodded. “Normally I don't give a dime for anyone else besides myself and my partner,” he smiled. Then looking where the Aliens had retreated he grimaced, “However when it comes down to Us against Them, it's Us every time.” With that they ran off and she took to the skies.

Now the city was full of them. She had done her best to save other's like her when she had seen them being taken but more often than not the odds had just been too overwhelming. She had seen the Flash on occasions, well a mysterious blur and the heat trail he left as he whizzed through the city. She also knew there were others out there fighting.

“We will get through this,” Ronnie told her, reminding her she was not alone. Smiling she began to fly towards the city again when some sort of missile began to fly at her. Firing off a pulse of energy she turned it into a bunch of confetti and then looked for the being that had fired it. It looked like it was going to be a long day.

A small walk. (Tag Wyld)

The Doctor said:

Resuming her spoken voice, The Doctor declared: "Everyone, this is-- erm--" she squinted "--M'Onel of Daxam-11. We'll do introductions all round in a mo'." Beat. "Nell."

"Would someone mind helping her to The Sun Room with Jon? M'Onel, it'll charge you back up in moments after that flare-out. We're going to need you at full steam if that berk catches up with us. When he catches up with us."

Her cheek twitched. "Shan't be long now."

Click to expand...

Blue waited, expecting Kyle to jump at the opportunity or at least to take charge. As the seconds ticked away, Blue nodded to himself. "Yeah, umm," His eyes hadn't been tracking the Doctor like Kyle's had. Instead, he'd been cringing more than anything waiting for Prime to blow a punch through his back. When that didn't come and the door was long closed, Blue instead found himself looking into blue eyes almost as blue as his.

He opened his mouth and closed it and opened it again. "Well, ah, Mmm." He wet his lips. "Onel, if, if you don't mind I can show you the way. It's a pretty cool room."

He relaxed a bit and a smile played at his lips. "It's got it's own sun." Blue held out his right hand to M'Onel, in case she needed a steadying hand.

"Oh yeah, I'm Blue." As he walked with her, assuming she followed, he continued. "It's well, you might have heard a rhyme about me, but that's you know..." He trailed off, pushing the door open. There was an Olympic sized swimming pool. He held the door open for M'Onel. "Not the most flattering," he shrugged. "I did some other stuff." He opened the sack and pulled out one of the sandwiches, "Are you hungry?"

As the door closed, Blue's eyes wandered the room looking for the exit. "Or not, if that's not your thing." He shrugged.

kizkiz said:

Blue waited, expecting Kyle to jump at the opportunity or at least to take charge. As the seconds ticked away, Blue nodded to himself. "Yeah, umm," His eyes hadn't been tracking the Doctor like Kyle's had. Instead, he'd been cringing more than anything waiting for Prime to blow a punch through his back. When that didn't come and the door was long closed, Blue instead found himself looking into blue eyes almost as blue as his.

He opened his mouth and closed it and opened it again. "Well, ah, Mmm." He wet his lips. "Onel, if, if you don't mind I can show you the way. It's a pretty cool room."

He relaxed a bit and a smile played at his lips. "It's got it's own sun." Blue held out his right hand to M'Onel, in case she needed a steadying hand.

"Oh yeah, I'm Blue." As he walked with her, assuming she followed, he continued. "It's well, you might have heard a rhyme about me, but that's you know..." He trailed off, pushing the door open. There was an Olympic sized swimming pool. He held the door open for M'Onel. "Not the most flattering," he shrugged. "I did some other stuff." He opened the sack and pulled out one of the sandwiches, "Are you hungry?"

As the door closed, Blue's eyes wandered the room looking for the exit. "Or not, if that's not your thing." He shrugged.

Click to expand...

She had followed in a bit of a daze and she finally realizes her lack of manners. "I am sorry Blur, it has been a bit of a day. Forgive my lack of manners. I believe I may have lost my universe. First it was my era I lost."

She have a sad smile. "After my era it was my identity." Her brows knitted as she remembered Triplicate boy's reaction when Laurel had been rescued from the Phantom zone. The fanatical zeal. That many of the colonies Andromeda had helped had built religions around her and that she was some sort of Goddess to them.

"It seems I might have just lost everything."

To lose everything and gain nothing.

M'Onel said:

"It seems I might have just lost everything."

Click to expand...

Blue nodded. "More alcohol than Reuben." Blue lead them around the deep end of the pool towards a small saloon looking, cowboy-style door. As he did he kept talking. "We've all lost something or maybe everything." Not for the first time, he found himself wishing he hadn't cleaned out all the Sam's Clubs on Earth before leaving. At the time it had made sense economically, but mourning the loss of another universe felt cheapened by a snicker's bar and can of Budweiser. Nevertheless, Blue tossed the proffered sandwich back into his gunnysack, and instead withdrew a can of Budweiser. "Tastes like piss, but you might as well enjoy getting drunk before you power back up." Whether or not she took the can, Blue found himself more eager to finally get a bite of his sandwich than for the taste of watered down alcohol.

He grew morose while they walked through the empty saloon. It was missing bottles and people, so it felt more like something at a really shitty western theme park like the Epcot Center or something. The conversation died down to embers, but through the next door was the chapel. "Yeah, I think this is a better choice," he said not to M'Onel, but instead to the walls in a quiet voice. He patted the chapel door. Inside was the floating chunk of his Homeland and the three small claymation sheep. The dregs of his feast was there.

"Ah," he stopped and rubbed his cheek. "So this place is many places in one, if that makes sense. Bigger on the inside than the outside. That type of thing." He stopped, "Well I was mourning the passing of my own Homeland." Instead of walking all the way to the dais, Blue perched on the arm rest of the second row from the back. The door to the chapel still ajar.

He looked down at his hands, shaking his head. "I ah took a good long time mourning the last gasping breathes of my Homeland. A thousand worlds filled with billions of entities, all the fabled stories of all the worlds of man devoured by the Nothingness." He shrugged. "If you need to cry or whatever alone, I can wait outside." He glanced up and then at the dais. "Well clean up my stuff first, but yeah. We can talk or pray or just keep walking."

His lips compressed into a frown, and he finally looked into M'Onel's eyes. "The Doctor wants us all battle ready." He stopped. That was a horrible way to talk to someone, but the soldier in him kept peeking out. Instead he switched tacts. "I say do what you need to. We'll pick, ah damn, I'm crap at being sympathetic." Then after a second he said, "Sorry. Nothing no one can say or do will change how much it sucks not just to lose everything but know everything is gone."

He looked down at the Horn of Gabriel that had somehow found its way into his hands. He ran one thumb around the mouthpiece. A few stray molecular of air were pushed down into that infinite chasm. Like making crystal vibrate at its harmonic resonance, the Horn gave a low, mournful wail. Blue tisked. Now even the Horn was getting mopey. He sighed and looked back at M'Onel. A small smile wrestled its way onto his face and his bluer than blue eyes softened.

He reached out with one hand laid it upon M'Onel's own hands for a second. "There is Hope, but that can come later." He squeezed her hand and then let go.

Bravery or foolishness

ChasNicollette said:

Resuming her spoken voice, The Doctor declared: "Everyone, this is-- erm--" she squinted "--M'Onel of Daxam-11. We'll do introductions all round in a mo'." Beat. "Nell."

"Would someone mind helping her to The Sun Room with Jon? M'Onel, it'll charge you back up in moments after that flare-out. We're going to need you at full steam if that berk catches up with us. When he catches up with us."

Her cheek twitched. "Shan't be long now."

Click to expand...

To busy worrying about what was outside the doors and fully prepared to take the first hit once it got inside. Hopefully that would be slow the thing long enough for The Doc to do something to stop it. Live or die didn’t matter though. Saving the Doctor and her big Blue Box did.

He didn’t notice as Blue and the girl – M’Onel - walked off. He just stared at the doors and thought about keeping that evil evil hate filled man out. And he’d never even gotten a chance to give the Doc a kiss and a thank you for showing him the stars.

But well he wasn’t dead yet so why the fuck not?

“Wrong place wrong time.” He said turning from the doors. “But thanks Doc for showing me what’s out here. If I die anytime soon I wanted you to know that. Thanks for showing me the Stars.” Crossing the room he walked up to her. “Don’t know if your married, engaged, boyfriend, girlfriend, all of the above. But thank you.” He added sliding his hand along her neck to support the back of her head as he kissed her.

Shipping the Shift.

Varshanka said:

“Wrong place wrong time.” He said turning from the doors.

Click to expand...

She glanced up at him, blinking, not quite getting traction on what he was saying. "No, hang on, we're in between, we're in The Bleed, we're no place, we're no time--"

Varshanka said:

“But thanks Doc for showing me what’s out here. If I die anytime soon I wanted you to know that. Thanks for showing me the Stars.”

Click to expand...

She grinned at him, then, as things started to click into place. "No-one's dying on me if I can help it, not anymore. But I take back what I said before, about it not being as good seeing it through someone else's eyes... seeing the stars through your eyes has been just fantastic."

Varshanka said:

Crossing the room he walked up to her. “Don’t know if your married, engaged, boyfriend, girlfriend, all of the above. But thank you.” He added sliding his hand along her neck to support the back of her head as he kissed her.

Click to expand...

She didn't need her telepathy to see the light change in his eyes, to see the intent in him. And Doctor Jamie Hamilton smiled a knowing, warm, gentle smile as he moved in...

"No. Just me. Just me and The TARDIS. That's all it's been for a long, long..."

And then things were quiet, as they kissed, and she kissed back, and kept kissing, her arms instinctively draping over his shoulders behind his neck, fingernails absently playing with the hair at his nape...

...hearts quickening in her chest...

And then.

Throom.

They stopped again.

The autopilot had hopped, skipped, jumped...

...they'd landed.

"Blimey," The Doctor mumbled, drawing back slightly from Kyle's lips and biting her own, and it wasn't immediately clear if she was reacting to the landing or if she'd been so caught up in that kiss that she hadn't even realized they'd touched down.

kizkiz said:

Blue nodded. "More alcohol than Reuben." Blue lead them around the deep end of the pool towards a small saloon looking, cowboy-style door. As he did he kept talking. "We've all lost something or maybe everything." Not for the first time, he found himself wishing he hadn't cleaned out all the Sam's Clubs on Earth before leaving. At the time it had made sense economically, but mourning the loss of another universe felt cheapened by a snicker's bar and can of Budweiser. Nevertheless, Blue tossed the proffered sandwich back into his gunnysack, and instead withdrew a can of Budweiser. "Tastes like piss, but you might as well enjoy getting drunk before you power back up." Whether or not she took the can, Blue found himself more eager to finally get a bite of his sandwich than for the taste of watered down alcohol.

He grew morose while they walked through the empty saloon. It was missing bottles and people, so it felt more like something at a really shitty western theme park like the Epcot Center or something. The conversation died down to embers, but through the next door was the chapel. "Yeah, I think this is a better choice," he said not to M'Onel, but instead to the walls in a quiet voice. He patted the chapel door. Inside was the floating chunk of his Homeland and the three small claymation sheep. The dregs of his feast was there.

"Ah," he stopped and rubbed his cheek. "So this place is many places in one, if that makes sense. Bigger on the inside than the outside. That type of thing." He stopped, "Well I was mourning the passing of my own Homeland." Instead of walking all the way to the dais, Blue perched on the arm rest of the second row from the back. The door to the chapel still ajar.

He looked down at his hands, shaking his head. "I ah took a good long time mourning the last gasping breathes of my Homeland. A thousand worlds filled with billions of entities, all the fabled stories of all the worlds of man devoured by the Nothingness." He shrugged. "If you need to cry or whatever alone, I can wait outside." He glanced up and then at the dais. "Well clean up my stuff first, but yeah. We can talk or pray or just keep walking."

His lips compressed into a frown, and he finally looked into M'Onel's eyes. "The Doctor wants us all battle ready." He stopped. That was a horrible way to talk to someone, but the soldier in him kept peeking out. Instead he switched tacts. "I say do what you need to. We'll pick, ah damn, I'm crap at being sympathetic." Then after a second he said, "Sorry. Nothing no one can say or do will change how much it sucks not just to lose everything but know everything is gone."

He looked down at the Horn of Gabriel that had somehow found its way into his hands. He ran one thumb around the mouthpiece. A few stray molecular of air were pushed down into that infinite chasm. Like making crystal vibrate at its harmonic resonance, the Horn gave a low, mournful wail. Blue tisked. Now even the Horn was getting mopey. He sighed and looked back at M'Onel. A small smile wrestled its way onto his face and his bluer than blue eyes softened.

He reached out with one hand laid it upon M'Onel's own hands for a second. "There is Hope, but that can come later." He squeezed her hand and then let go.

Click to expand...

Her eyes hardened matching his soldier's gaze and she gave a short laugh. "A Doctor wants us battle ready? Is she Coluan? Sounds like a friend of mine." She took the offered beer. Bud. She almost relished the cheap beer. It was one of the things she missed from the twenty first. It was horrible and delicious at the same time.

"So, this Doctor? What's she doing? Picking up strays to fight some war? And you can call me Laurel. M'Onel is what the rest of the Universe calls me. Just another alias."

She smiled at him again and said "Now why don't we get to this "sun room" the Doctor mentioned."

One Hell of a day

Firestorm was getting tired. Not physically, but certainly mentally. It had been non stop since the night before and for the life of them, they really couldn't figure out exactly what was going on.

That the city was being invaded by alien beings...Check.

That the rest of America was being invaded....Check.

However they weren't sure about the rest of the world or exactly what these creatures wanted, they were too busy saving lives and trying to keep themselves from being taken to find out. One thing was for sure though, they really weren't interested in civilians or what happened to them.

The amount of times they had saved people from falling debris, or burning buildings because these creatures had fired indiscriminately at someone...well they had actually lost count. Yet civilians could run right past a horde of these things and they would do nothing.

Heaven help anyone that had the mutagene in their blood though. Even if it was dormant they would be snatched up and beamed aboard one of their ships. Sometimes they came back, only now they would be fighting on the aliens side. More often than not they just didn't return.

Firestorm had seen the flash a few times during the day, or rather the blur, and they had been helped out by a few other Hero's and villains. However for the last hour they had seen nobody. The aliens were roaming the streets and if anyone was left they were laying low.

She herself was high, on top of one of the highest buildings in the city hiding in the shadows as the sun set. From here she could see the entire city and it was not a pretty picture. They really needed someone to talk to, someone wiser than them to give them some advice on what to do. Perhaps later they could sneak home and see her dad, he might know what to do.

Looking up as the first stars started to come out she sighed. If only they could tell them the answer.

Walk down memory lane (tag Wyld)

Laurel said:

Her eyes hardened matching his soldier's gaze and she gave a short laugh. "A Doctor wants us battle ready? Is she Coluan? Sounds like a friend of mine."

Click to expand...

"Coluan..." Blue said, trailing off for a moment in minor geek-gasm before shaking his head. "Well, its more like the opposite of that. She tries hard and cares too much, I think. Battle is coming. A true ending, I think." And then he caught himself. "Hope that doesn't sound too vague, but something is destroying entire universes."

Laurel said:

She took the offered beer. Bud. She almost relished the cheap beer. It was one of the things she missed from the twenty first. It was horrible and delicious at the same time.

Click to expand...

Blue watched her drink the Bud and a ghost of a smile played at his lips. It died when he felt an itch to drink a bottle with her.

Laurel said:

"So, this Doctor? What's she doing? Picking up strays to fight some war?"

Click to expand...

"I think she planned to fix everything herself, but couldn't help herself from picking up strays." He patted the wood of the handrail he was leaning against. "I mean, she made this whole thing. It travels between universes. It has it's own damn sun...as an accessory in a room." Blue shook his head. "She's on a whole other level. I'm worried we are slowing her down. Maybe the real enemy is just throwing us in her path to trip her up." He frowned in thought over that for a moment. It was the first time he'd verbalized what had been kicking around in his head.

Laurel said:

"And you can call me Laurel. M'Onel is what the rest of the Universe calls me. Just another alias."

Click to expand...

Blue nodded, extending a hand. "You can use Gabriel, if you'd like." He tilted his head from side to side, "Not many people do." He scratched his cheek, "Odd that, to be around so long your story feels more real than your history." He shook his head.

Laurel said:

She smiled at him again and said "Now why don't we get to this "sun room" the Doctor mentioned."

Click to expand...

He couldn't help returning her smile with another, genuine one. Was this what real Hope felt like or more like itching for rebound sex. Was there rebound sex if your girl friend had died instead of breaking up with you? Maybe more like using sex as a distraction so you didn't have to face the bleak, gapping emptiness where your heart used to be.

Blue's eyebrows climbed up a step on his forehead and he nodded. "Yeah, sure." He eased himself off the arm rest and walked to the door, holding it open for Laurel. "This way then."

Even though they had come in through the same door, when they left it wasn't the saloon but a room with white grass and trees with red leaves. The foliage was more than a little freaky, but what Blue was more afraid of was Superman lounging on a distant hill. "Here we are. Not sure what all this is, but the Doctor says time moves much faster here and this sun never sets." True enough, there was a miniature sun in the middle of the room. "I'm not sure but I get the impression Superman wants some alone time. If you'd like I can leave you to your own thoughts or not." He shrugged.

kizkiz said:

"Coluan..." Blue said, trailing off for a moment in minor geek-gasm before shaking his head. "Well, its more like the opposite of that. She tries hard and cares too much, I think. Battle is coming. A true ending, I think." And then he caught himself. "Hope that doesn't sound too vague, but something is destroying entire universes."

Click to expand...

"So she is overly emotional? And I had noticed mine was in that process. Might have been whatever she is fighting aided and abetted the head cases that started it in my universe," Laurel gave an uncharacteristically dark smile. "If that's the case I am very interested in seeing this through."

kizkiz said:

Blue watched her drink the Bud and a ghost of a smile played at his lips. It died when he felt an itch to drink a bottle with her.

Click to expand...

"As strange as it might sound, I like the taste of this stuff even if it does nothing for me recreationally. I used to go to a couple of bars in Metropolis with some of the League before I had to leave there." She smiled yet again. "I used to enjoy the camaraderie of it. We didn't have anything like that back on Daxam. Just wish the booze hadn't gotten to a couple of them. It was kind of sad seeing what being a hero can do to a human."

kizkiz said:

"I think she planned to fix everything herself, but couldn't help herself from picking up strays." He patted the wood of the handrail he was leaning against. "I mean, she made this whole thing. It travels between universes. It has it's own damn sun...as an accessory in a room." Blue shook his head. "She's on a whole other level. I'm worried we are slowing her down. Maybe the real enemy is just throwing us in her path to trip her up." He frowned in thought over that for a moment. It was the first time he'd verbalized what had been kicking around in his head.

Click to expand...

"I think you might not be right on this point. I saw the look in her eyes when Superwhateverthatwas showed up. Armored look was new but the symbol was a give a way. It being a man was a shock, but hey Multiverse can do whatever it wants right?"

kizkiz said:

Blue nodded, extending a hand. "You can use Gabriel, if you'd like." He tilted his head from side to side, "Not many people do." He scratched his cheek, "Odd that, to be around so long your story feels more real than your history." He shook his head.

Click to expand...

"I know that story too well myself Gabriel. I haven't been just Laurel for over a thousand years."

kizkiz said:

He couldn't help returning her smile with another, genuine one. Was this what real Hope felt like or more like itching for rebound sex. Was there rebound sex if your girl friend had died instead of breaking up with you? Maybe more like using sex as a distraction so you didn't have to face the bleak, gapping emptiness where your heart used to be.

Blue's eyebrows climbed up a step on his forehead and he nodded. "Yeah, sure." He eased himself off the arm rest and walked to the door, holding it open for Laurel. "This way then."

Even though they had come in through the same door, when they left it wasn't the saloon but a room with white grass and trees with red leaves. The foliage was more than a little freaky, but what Blue was more afraid of was Superman lounging on a distant hill. "Here we are. Not sure what all this is, but the Doctor says time moves much faster here and this sun never sets." True enough, there was a miniature sun in the middle of the room. "I'm not sure but I get the impression Superman wants some alone time. If you'd like I can leave you to your own thoughts or not." He shrugged.

Click to expand...

"I will let him have his solitude. I will also do my best to call him Superman. Where I come from he was always Superboy. And he was blond too." Laurel felt the time dilation as well as what that did to those wonderfully greasy yellow solar rays. Felt like Klordney day and Christmas all together. It felt like those rays ought to be fattening but Laurel was so glad they weren't, because with the way they charged her up she'd be as big a Charli Taine when she was inflated. "Thank you for being so up front with me Gabriel. I will be ready when the Doctor needs me. Although I have a few boons to ask of her when she gets the opportunity."

The complete dialogue between Laurel and Gabriel

He reached out with one hand laid it upon M'Onel's own hands for a second. "There is Hope, but that can come later." He squeezed her hand and then let go.

She took the offered beer. Bud. She almost relished the cheap beer. It was one of the things she missed from the twenty first. It was horrible and delicious at the same time.

Blue watched her drink the Bud and a ghost of a smile played at his lips. It died when he felt an itch to drink a bottle with her.

"As strange as it might sound, I like the taste of this stuff even if it does nothing for me recreationally. I used to go to a couple of bars in Metropolis with some of the League before I had to leave there." She smiled yet again. "I used to enjoy the camaraderie of it. We didn't have anything like that back on Daxam. Just wish the booze hadn't gotten to a couple of them. It was kind of sad seeing what being a hero can do to a human."

Click to expand...

"Yeah, don't think I'll die of cirrhosis, but that's all the immunity I got. Makes for a really lousy drunk." His right lip curled into a smile, but it didn't touch the other half of his face. Then he shrugged, "Hi, my name's Blue, I'm an alcoholic. Been sober a coupe of hours." Then realizing how dark his self-depreciation had become, he added, "In my homeland we drink watered beer like this instead of water, so it's more like nostalgia for me..." He was quiet and this his whole mouth grinned and he laughed. "And getting a buzz."

"So, this Doctor? What's she doing? Picking up strays to fight some war?"

"I think she planned to fix everything herself, but couldn't help herself from picking up strays." He patted the wood of the handrail he was leaning against. "I mean, she made this whole thing. It travels between universes. It has it's own damn sun...as an accessory in a room." Blue shook his head. "She's on a whole other level. I'm worried we are slowing her down. Maybe the real enemy is just throwing us in her path to trip her up." He frowned in thought over that for a moment. It was the first time he'd verbalized what had been kicking around in his head.

"I think you might not be right on this point. I saw the look in her eyes when Superwhateverthatwas showed up. Armored look was new but the symbol was a give a way. It being a man was a shock, but hey Multiverse can do whatever it wants right?"

Click to expand...

"Oh, yeah Prime." Blue held up his invincible, invulnerable Witching Cloak. Instead of devouring light and making photons its bitch, the Cloak was Swiss cheese. "Did a number on me. I think my Cloak is donzo. But don't think he was a known enemy before we showed up." Blue raised his finger, "She picked up Kyle, that's the dude with the crazy green eyes. I'm pretty sure Kyle was first and not entirely expected. Then me from the Nothingness that devoured my Homeland. Then Superman from Prime, who apparently can punch holes through spacetime." He raised his pinky, "And then you from something like the Nothingness, just more futuristic." He set his hand back upon the Horn of Gabriel.

"And you can call me Laurel. M'Onel is what the rest of the Universe calls me. Just another alias."

Blue nodded, extending a hand. "You can use Gabriel, if you'd like." He tilted his head from side to side, "Not mean people do." He scratched his cheek, "Odd that, to be around so long your story feels more real than your history." He shook his head.

"I know that story too well myself Gabriel. I haven't been just Laurel for over a thousand years."

Click to expand...

"Got me beat there, only a few centuries and I'm already wishing my story was over. How do you do a stretch that long and keep your sanity?"

She smiled at him again and said, "Now why don't we get to this "sun room" the Doctor mentioned."

He couldn't help returning her smile with another, genuine one. Was this what real Hope felt like or more like itching for rebound sex. Was there rebound sex if your girl friend had died instead of breaking up with you? Maybe more like using sex as a distraction so you didn't have to face the bleak, gapping emptiness where your heart used to be, but damn it felt good to smile at a pretty girl again.

Click to expand...

"Yes! I'm going have to start wearing eyeliner if I get any more emo." Blue's eyebrows climbed up a step on his forehead, and his smile widened. "Let's leave the depressing stuff here." He looked for a moment at the floating chunk of his Homeland and the claymation sheep. He sighed and eased himself off the arm rest and walked to the door, holding it open for Laurel. "This way then."

Even though they had come in through the same door, when they left it wasn't the saloon but a room with white grass and trees with red leaves. The foliage was more than a little freaky, but what Blue was more afraid of was Superman lounging on a distant hill. "Here we are. Not sure what all this is, but the Doctor says time moves much faster here and this sun never sets." True enough, there was a miniature sun in the middle of the room. "I'm not sure but I get the impression Superman wants some alone time. If you'd like I can leave you to your own thoughts or not." He shrugged.

"I will let him have his solitude. I will also do my best to call him Superman. Where I come from he was always Superboy. And he was blond too."

Click to expand...

"Well, I've never felt right calling someone that could burn a hole in my face a boy to their face or behind their back." He laughed. "Or someone whose junk you can see that easily." He waved at Superman. He turned back to look upon Laurel.

Laurel felt the time dilation as well as what that did to those wonderfully greasy yellow solar rays. Felt like Klordney day and Christmas all together. It felt like those rays ought to be fattening but Laurel was so glad they weren't, because with the way they charged her up she'd be as big a Charli Taine when she was inflated.

Click to expand...

She was radiant, even celestial in the light of the miniature sun. He laid back against the bow of one of the alien trees and didn't think how vaguely demonic they seemed to him. Instead, he finally pulled out one of his Reuben's and unwrapped the wax paper. He munched on it while she recharged. He was as happy not talking as talking, so he didn't mind her silence.

"Thank you for being so up front with me Gabriel."

Click to expand...

Blue raised his sandwich in salute, chewed awhile longer, and swallowed. "Anytime Laurel."

"I will be ready when the Doctor needs me. Although I have a few boons to ask of her when she gets the opportunity."

He eyed the sandwich but resisted taking another bite. "Well I'm not her aid-de-camp, but knowing her, the Doctor would rip her left arm off if it meant making someone happy." He gave Laurel a little salute with his sandwich and tore off another chunk of his sandwich. He chewed for another couple of seconds. After he'd finished, he balled up the wax paper and disappeared it into his cloak.

Kyle "The Smile" Raynor

ChasNicollette said:

And then things were quiet, as they kissed, and she kissed back, and kept kissing, her arms instinctively draping over his shoulders behind his neck, fingernails absently playing with the hair at his nape...

"Blimey," The Doctor mumbled, drawing back slightly from Kyle's lips and biting her own, and it wasn't immediately clear if she was reacting to the landing or if she'd been so caught up in that kiss that she hadn't even realized they'd touched down.

Click to expand...

Blimey was right. The kiss had made his heart skip across time and space and slam back into his chest when he forgot to breathe. And it was only when she spoke did he realize just how.. well.. hard he was. And that it was pressing against her, trapped between her and him and kinda demanding to be noticed.

“Damned straight. Blimey that was..” And then he gave a shake like a dog, or like ice had been poured down his spine. “Fuck, did we.. land somewhere?” He asked, as the realization that he had his hand on her ass and was kinda holding her against him, or rather parts of him. Hard parts. “You smell - and taste - like cinnamon rolls with cream cheese frosting.”

Keep to The Stars. The Dawn Will Come.

Varshanka said:

Blimey was right. The kiss had made his heart skip across time and space and slam back into his chest when he forgot to breathe. And it was only when she spoke did he realize just how.. well.. hard he was. And that it was pressing against her, trapped between her and him and kinda demanding to be noticed.

Click to expand...

The Doctor had a lot of senses. And all of them were exquisitely acute.

Damn right she felt him pressing against her hip. She even got his measurements.

Her ears were very pink at the moment.

Focus, Hamilton.

Varshanka said:

“Damned straight. Blimey that was..” And then he gave a shake like a dog, or like ice had been poured down his spine. “Fuck, did we.. land somewhere?” He asked, as the realization that he had his hand on her ass and was kinda holding her against him, or rather parts of him. Hard parts. “You smell - and taste - like cinnamon rolls with cream cheese frosting.”

Click to expand...

"Either that or the Earth moved. Well, one of them," she quipped, trying not to get lost in the whorls of his fingertips as she could feel them through her pinstriped trousers with his hand against her arse.

"You-- I don't know if I have the poetry to describe the sensoria you evoke. You smell of courage and taste like hope and feel like that sweet spot in everyone's local library right between the fiction and non-fiction... like my favorite decimal point in The Dewey Decimal System--"

She paused, and frowned.

"We're outside the main Orrery."

She turned and whirled from his grasp-- not in a rejecting fashion, she was just... distracted... and swiveled The Console's monitor screen, tapping one of the keys... with one hand as she adjusted her glasses on her face.

"Earth-568. Oh, up to the upper half of the triple digits, even."

Then her eyes went wide.

"Oh, sprock. Dominators. Everywhere. He's using Dominators now, too? Bloody Hell!"

And she ran for the doors.

Aussie_Wolf said:

She herself was high, on top of one of the highest buildings in the city hiding in the shadows as the sun set. From here she could see the entire city and it was not a pretty picture. They really needed someone to talk to, someone wiser than them to give them some advice on what to do. Perhaps later they could sneak home and see her dad, he might know what to do.

Looking up as the first stars started to come out she sighed. If only they could tell them the answer.

Click to expand...

Behind Firestorm on the rooftop, there came a sound like the wind amongst the gravestones of a cemetery between the worlds, like the sound of a ghost haunting The House of Mystery...

...and a blue box a bit larger than a phone booth faded into existence, a light atop it strobing bright white-blue light as gradually the box wasn't there until it was.

Then a door in the front of it creaked open, and out stepped a slender, tall brunette woman taking off her glasses, looking... broken.

Her deep brown gaze seemed to look into Firestorm's soul for a moment, and indeed, Ronnie and Lily might feel a sensation of a third mind traipsing around in their fusion, their matrix.

"Firestorm of Earth-568."

"I'm called The Doctor."

"And I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

"Your world has just become a casualty of a war beyond all imagination. You can either stay here and die fighting for this one world..."

"...or you can join us and fight for all the worlds in a Multiverse under the shadow of Great Darkness."

"Join the resistance."

<Why does she make me wanna scream in frustration and giggle at the same time? I bet I’m sittinging in a hospital with someone from HR filling out forms. I’m smashed my head wide open and a really cute female doctor is looking at my brains wondering if I should be put back together like humpity dumpity. Or served with fava beans and chianti.

FFFFFFFfffffff…..

Why the hell does she lean out open doors when the fall can kill her? She’s either the bravest person in the twenty-seven know universes.. or she’s nutters. Fuck I’d like to give her a nut or two. Damn it. Stop thinking that shit.>

Even before he started to think he was at the door, ready to catch and brace if she started to fall forwards.

Sitting on the floor of the living room Harlie rolled the ball back and forth with her son. “How’s my pudding?” she asked with a giggle as the toddler laughed and hit the ball, making it bounce and wobble. Looking up as the front door opened she jumped up and ran to her husband, throwing her arms around him with a kiss and a sigh of joy. “Hey Mr. J, how was your day at work?” she asked with a delicious murmur in his ear.

He still couldn’t believe she’d married him. Damn she was beautiful. “Well Mrs J.” he replied with a sad sigh. “We finally caught him. The district attorney is pulling out everything. Every crime he’s commit will be on the books. And there’s a lot of them.”

“Who’d you catch?”

“You’re newest client. The DA wants you to evaluate him for the witness stand, or for Arkym.”

“What.. wait.. you mean…”

“Yeah. Commissioner Gordon final caught him. The Batman. He’s.. well.. he’s fucking insane. Kept calling me Chief O’Hara. And was referring to one of the boys in blue as Robin.. or Robyn? Not sure on gender. He needs a full psychiatric evaluation.”

“Oh.. dear.” Harlie whispered. She’d kinda been rooting for the Batman to evade the police until her and her husband could transfer out of Gotham. Get somewhere safe. They’d been looking at a farm in a town called Smallville. No murder sprees or psycho’s lived there. She’d even thought about raising horses for disabled kids.

“The worse thing.. it’s Bruce Wayne. WHne we finally got his mask off he was screaming about his face. Give me back my face..” Shuddering at the memory he continued. “He may be.. umm.. dissociative?

“Dissociative personality disorder. Or Multiple Personality disorder. But I guess I’ll be finding out soon enough.” She said with a sigh. “Dinner’s gonna get cold, and this is date night…”

“Oh.. mymy my..” Mr. J. said with a leer at his wife. “Does Mrs J, have anything in particular for tonight?”

“Eighties night. I got a pair of sequined hot pants and a very tight white t-shirt. Sitter is here in an hour…”
​

Grabbing the door frame Kyle looked like he was gonna barf. Or pass out as he shifted from tan to pale white. “Grab the girls and head for Kansas Toto..” he mumbled as his eyes stared into something far far distant. “It’s so green…”

ChasNicollette said:

"Earth-568. Oh, up to the upper half of the triple digits, even."

Then her eyes went wide.

"Oh, sprock. Dominators. Everywhere. He's using Dominators now, too? Bloody Hell!"

And she ran for the doors.



Behind Firestorm on the rooftop, there came a sound like the wind amongst the gravestones of a cemetery between the worlds, like the sound of a ghost haunting The House of Mystery...

...and a blue box a bit larger than a phone booth faded into existence, a light atop it strobing bright white-blue light as gradually the box wasn't there until it was.

Then a door in the front of it creaked open, and out stepped a slender, tall brunette woman taking off her glasses, looking... broken.

Her deep brown gaze seemed to look into Firestorm's soul for a moment, and indeed, Ronnie and Lily might feel a sensation of a third mind traipsing around in their fusion, their matrix.

"Firestorm of Earth-568."

"I'm called The Doctor."

"And I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

"Your world has just become a casualty of a war beyond all imagination. You can either stay here and die fighting for this one world..."

"...or you can join us and fight for all the worlds in a Multiverse under the shadow of Great Darkness."

"Join the resistance."

Click to expand...

Firestorm heard a strange hum in the air and leaped into the air looking all around for the source of it. Just what were the Aliens trying now?

Slowly a strobing white and blue light faded into existence and then a Blue box appeared below it. Her eyes went wide as it finally fully materialized and she landed before it, ready for anything.

Well almost anything. A gorgeous woman stepping out of it was the last thing she expected.

Inside her mind Ronnie whistled and began to pant a little and Lily looked out of the corner of her eye at the floating head that he always became when they joined together.

No one else seemed to be able to see him, but he was constantly there for her.

As the woman took off her glasses and looked at her, it was as if she was looking at both of them. Even Ronnie felt it. "She might be one of the most beautiful women I have seen, But it feels like she is almost one of the most loneliest as well," he told Lily.

Again her eyes glanced at him and she gave a barely perceived nod and her voice answered him in her head. "You might be right there Ronnie, but let's see what she wants first. Oh and do try to control your hormones please. Remember we are sharing a brain at the moment."

They listened to 'The Doctors' spiel and then nodded. So this wasn't just an isolated incident then. It might sound strange but Lily had always believed in the theory of multiple realities, and now here was someone who was confirming her hypothesis.

Looking around at their city she was torn. Should they stay here and fight, or should they go with this 'Doctor' and try to save everything.

"What do you think Ronnie? Stay or go."

"If what she says is true then we are going to be fighting a loosing battle here anyway. We have already seen it, the more we fight the more these things fight back and the more civilians are getting hurt. I vote we go with her, at least we can see things no one else has seen."

Smiling Firestorm looked at the Doctor. "Count me in Doc. You want to shine a light somewhere then I'm your Gal."

So saying she flared up a little and then powered down and flew over to land near the door. "Now why don't you explain things while we get out of here," she smiled.

Blink and You're Dead.

Aussie_Wolf said:

Inside her mind Ronnie whistled and began to pant a little and Lily looked out of the corner of her eye at the floating head that he always became when they joined together.

Click to expand...

The Doctor rolled her eyes a little, and waited for him to get it out of his system. Not that she wasn't flattered, and judging him for what he thought were private thoughts was a bit of a gauche grey area, but still. Saving the Multiverse didn't mean you got catcalled any less.

Aussie_Wolf said:

As the woman took off her glasses and looked at her, it was as if she was looking at both of them. Even Ronnie felt it. "She might be one of the most beautiful women I have seen, But it feels like she is almost one of the most loneliest as well," he told Lily.

Click to expand...

An ache formed momentarily between her hearts.

Well.

She hadn't been able to return to her Earth since fleeing Wonderworld.

Her team, her Authority was dead.

And the only ones who understood what it was like to be The Doctor of Earth-14 were her deceased predecessors in The Garden of Ancestral Memory, so yeah.

Loneliness came with the territory.

There was this... connection... to Kyle.

But was she just going to get him killed like she had her last team? Dying in front of her like Captain Jack Hawksmoor?

This whole Authority, these challengers from beyond, would their blood be on her hands too?

Focus.

Aussie_Wolf said:

Again her eyes glanced at him and she gave a barely perceived nod and her voice answered him in her head. "You might be right there Ronnie, but let's see what she wants first. Oh and do try to control your hormones please. Remember we are sharing a brain at the moment."

Click to expand...

<"And, well, I can hear you,"> The Doctor interjected mildly, full disclosure.

It wasn't the first time she'd encountered a binary hero. Majestros the Manhunter had had a Martian heart...

Hell, Captain Atomstorm from Earth-32 was actually three heroes in a fusion, that was a headful.

It got rather noisy in The Doctor's head for a minute. Between the doubled-up conversation between Lily and Ronnie in Firestorm's Matrix, and the chaotic visions that were planted in Kyle's brain, her telepathy was having a field day.

Standing there waiting for Firestorm to hash things out, she glanced idly at Kyle.

"You know I have telekinesis, right? I can fly. Also I can decide at the last second that my momentum doesn't count and land light as a feather. Or temporarily change physics to Earth-26 settings. (Oh, I should do that one more often.) But honestly, tall buildings are the last thing you need to worry about with me."

And then there came the sequence between Mr. and Mrs. J. At first she thought Kyle's narrative awareness had tuned into Earth-3, and he was seeing The Jester and his wife, but no... no Batman on that Earth, no Robin-- Owlman and Talon-- and Owlman's madness wasn't nearly so Jingle-Bells whimsical with a dash of Rorschach.

Varshanka said:

“Grab the girls and head for Kansas Toto..” he mumbled as his eyes stared into something far far distant.

Click to expand...

The Doctor gave him a puzzled look. "Carry on and bless the rains down in Africa, my wayward son? Mind you, I prefer Zep. Always had a soft spot for 'Kashmir.'"

Varshanka said:

“It’s so green…”

Click to expand...

At that, her expression became completely illegible. "Now, see, that, I don't know what to do with."

Aussie_Wolf said:

Smiling Firestorm looked at the Doctor. "Count me in Doc. You want to shine a light somewhere then I'm your Gal."

Click to expand...

Oh, thank goodness. For once, just once, a bright-hearted hero that didn't blink when getting handed the mother of all Joseph Campbell batons and told to run with it.

The Doctor grinned softly. "'This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine.'"

Aussie_Wolf said:

So saying she flared up a little and then powered down and flew over to land near the door. "Now why don't you explain things while we get out of here," she smiled.

Click to expand...

Gently asking Kyle to excuse them through the doorway, The Doctor glanced up at the sky at a distant, distinctive booming sound...

...and saw a patch of night starting to splinter and turn red.

She hurried aboard, bounding for the controls once more, making sure Firestorm and Kyle were both fully inside The Console Room before snapping her fingers for the doors to shut and cuing up the autopilot program again.

"'Fraid we might only have time for the abridged backstory-- these days we always seem to be in such a rush."

House of The Rising Son.

The Doctor and the others left in a hurry.

Leaving Jon alone with his thoughts.

Not a great place to be when you've just lost everything. Had to flee your own home world to run from one of the greatest threats you've ever encountered. Basically humiliated in battle.

Even worse, even though The Doctor and them had been only gone a few minutes from their perspective, the literal timelessness of The Sun Room-- the redistributed temporal flow of this interior --made it seem like he was alone for hours.

So he sat, there on the red red grass under the burnt-orange sky in the light of the yellow yellow sun reflecting off the gleaming silver trees.

And he thought.

And he ached.

He missed his mom. He missed his dad.

Even getting revenge on Doomsday had basically been stolen from him by the very asshole who had put him in this mess.

But Jon Kent was strong. Stronger than his dad had ever been. And he could feel that strength returning every elongated second he sat in this light.

He raised his hand, gazed at it, flexed his fingers...

...his vision powers were already creeping back, and he could watch his cells start to fill up with power, start to heal, as his body continued to bioconvert the yellow sunlight at breakneck speed.

Distantly he thought of something his dad had once told him. About the names of stars. Sol, and Rao, and Proxima Centauri. He wondered if this little sun here had a name. Had it ever been in a sky? Or had it been created just to hover here in this grassy place? It was a little sad. Yes, it had this special spot, like a trophy in a case...

...but suns should have a sky.

They were born to fly.

When Blue and Laurel entered, he glanced up. It almost took him a second to adjust... it had been a weird sort of Phantom Zone eternity since he'd seen people. Not quite that long, of course, but-- it can be a long time in your own head if you think at superspeed, even longer if you're in a time machine that can shuffle its own internal temporal mechanics.

Blue waved to him.

And Jon waved back.

He gazed at them quietly and contemplatively for a long, long moment.

The blonde woman almost reminded him of his dad's cousin-- or-- the cousin of the one his dad had replaced on Earth-0. His honorary cousin.

No, it wasn't quite her. Resemblance. Maybe in another lifetime. His Supergirl was dead now, too.

He'd lost two universes, essentially.

What a life.

Blue and-- Blonde-- he didn't actually know her name-- looked like they were kind of on a date. He didn't want to interrupt.

So he sat. In quiet. And got strong.

"Superman" Prime wouldn't find him such easy pickings next time.

This he vowed.

ChasNicollette said:

The Doctor rolled her eyes a little, and waited for him to get it out of his system. Not that she wasn't flattered, and judging him for what he thought were private thoughts was a bit of a gauche grey area, but still. Saving the Multiverse didn't mean you got catcalled any less.

<"And, well, I can hear you,"> The Doctor interjected mildly, full disclosure.

Click to expand...

Lily laughed a little as she basically FELT Ronnie blushing through their link.

"That will teach you to be more careful with your thoughts Ronnie."

Oh, thank goodness. For once, just once, a bright-hearted hero that didn't blink when getting handed the mother of all Joseph Campbell batons and told to run with it.

The Doctor grinned softly. "'This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine.'"

Click to expand...

"'Let it shine down on you'". Firestorm smiled as she sang softly back to her. "So you know the Searchers? One of my favorite songs even before all of this," she said gesturing down at herself

Gently asking Kyle to excuse them through the doorway, The Doctor glanced up at the sky at a distant, distinctive booming sound...

...and saw a patch of night starting to splinter and turn red.

She hurried aboard, bounding for the controls once more, making sure Firestorm and Kyle were both fully inside The Console Room before snapping her fingers for the doors to shut and cuing up the autopilot program again.

"'Fraid we might only have time for the abridged backstory-- these days we always seem to be in such a rush."

Click to expand...

Firestorm glanced back out the door as the Doctor hurried them in and heard the boom and saw the rip in the sky. Well it looked like a rip, or a part of reality was shattering apart. Whatever the red patch was, it was not natural.

The sight was cut off as the doors closed and she looked at the woman as she rushed around doing something with the control panel.

"An abridged version would be fine Doc. Heck I have basically just seen my world taken over by aliens. Just point me in the right direction and tell me what to hit to make it better."

Beside her Ronnie grinned. "I do believe I am rubbing off on you Lily."

"...always stay near the door."

Aussie_Wolf said:

Lily laughed a little as she basically FELT Ronnie blushing through their link.

"That will teach you to be more careful with your thoughts Ronnie."

Click to expand...

<"And I, in turn, will try better to respect your privacy,"> The Doctor solemnly swore. <"Just don't... whoop. It carries.">

Aussie_Wolf said:

"'Let it shine down on you'". Firestorm smiled as she sang softly back to her. "So you know the Searchers? One of my favorite songs even before all of this," she said gesturing down at herself

Click to expand...

"The Seekers, on my world," The Doctor nodded easily. "But I knew it before that as a hymn in chapel at school."

Aussie_Wolf said:

"An abridged version would be fine Doc. Heck I have basically just seen my world taken over by aliens. Just point me in the right direction and tell me what to hit to make it better."

Beside her Ronnie grinned. "I do believe I am rubbing off on you Lily."

Click to expand...

"The Master of The Great Darkness is bent on enslaving The Multiverse and all it contains. He can travel between universes at will, and combined with a form of time travel he can unleash his almost unlimited resources to his purposes anytime anywhere anyverse. His current strategy seems to be using various means to undermine the defenses of each world, the best chances of stopping him on each Earth, all the while gearing up for one big push in which he'll sweep the board and clench The Multiverse in the stony, heartless fist of his dreaded Anti-Life. I come from a world whose primary line of defense, The Judex Luminary Authority, has already fallen in the face of The Great Darkness, and using my shift-ship, The TARDIS, I'm attempting to gather a new Authority to challenge The Master from beyond and undermine him right back. At the same time, I was tracking one of The Master's most fearsome agents... and now he's chasing us from world to world, bent on crushing us before we can mount a proper defense."

She took a deep breath. "Right, there's no short way to say that, is there? Always a wall of text, with me. This gob doesn't stop for anything."

The TARDIS whoomed to a halt again.

The Doctor hesitated.

"This ship, on the other hand... seems to stop wherever she likes."

Kyle

ChasNicollette said:

The TARDIS whoomed to a halt again.

The Doctor hesitated.

"This ship, on the other hand... seems to stop wherever she likes."

Click to expand...

Turning back towards the door he shifted position, moving between her and whatever else was incoming. First line of defense. Or attack. Depending on the situation. He was even thinking about sex at the moment, instead his mind was filled with potential attacks and responses, And a stray though about a Jack-o'-lantern.

Jack-o'-lantern, Jack-o'-lantern. You are such a funny sight. As you sit there, at the window, Glowing on at the night. You were once a yellow pumpkin, Growing on a sturdy vine. Now you are a jack-o'-lantern, Glowing on at the night.

Damn, now he wanted pumpkin pie with whipped cream.

ChasNicollette said:

"The Master of The Great Darkness is bent on enslaving The Multiverse and all it contains. He can travel between universes at will, and combined with a form of time travel he can unleash his almost unlimited resources to his purposes anytime anywhere anyverse. His current strategy seems to be using various means to undermine the defenses of each world, the best chances of stopping him on each Earth, all the while gearing up for one big push in which he'll sweep the board and clench The Multiverse in the stony, heartless fist of his dreaded Anti-Life. I come from a world whose primary line of defense, The Judex Luminary Authority, has already fallen in the face of The Great Darkness, and using my shift-ship, The TARDIS, I'm attempting to gather a new Authority to challenge The Master from beyond and undermine him right back. At the same time, I was tracking one of The Master's most fearsome agents... and now he's chasing us from world to world, bent on crushing us before we can mount a proper defense."

She took a deep breath. "Right, there's no short way to say that, is there? Always a wall of text, with me. This gob doesn't stop for anything."

Click to expand...

Firestorm nodded at the Doctor. " I guess that was really hard to explain in a shortened form." Grinning she looked around the control room spotting Kyle. "Well I do hope from what you have told me you have gathered more than me and cutey over there. I've got to say I do have some amazing powers but against what you have told me it sounds like we are going to need some serious help."

The TARDIS whoomed to a halt again.

The Doctor hesitated.

"This ship, on the other hand... seems to stop wherever she likes."

Click to expand...

She was surprised when the guy moved between them and the door. As far as she was able to tell, this guy was perfectly normal, yet he was putting himself in harms way. Well technically speaking it looked like he was putting himself between the door and the Doctor.

Hmm maybe a little something going on there?

Walking up beside him she grinned. "No offense, but how about we both guard the doors. You take the right I got the left, Okay?"

The skies blazed with fire. As if the entire universe beyond was in flames. Armored Dirigibles soared, firing cannons and guns at the invaders. The ground forces were quickly being overrun.

The Pale Martians had arrived weeks ago. First they attacked the military strongholds. Then they began seeking their true purpose. Their way had been paved by their shapeshifting sleeper agents that had taken posts in many of the powers of the world. Many of the nations of the world had just laid down arms, under the guise of these agents. However a resistance had formed.

There were a small band of heroes that were leading the human resistance. The Bat-Man of Gotham, The Blue Beetle, Amazonia, The Flash, The Superlative-Man, The Atlantian and Ba-Kar The Animal-Man. The Seven led the last surge of resistance for the human race.

The Pale Martians had wiped out Amazonia's home in the first wave, bringing her to the world of Man. The Flash and The Superlative-Man had gathered the rest of the team, only meeting Ba-Kar when they arrived in Africa to fight the main invasion force. They were after something beneath the ruins the Mangani called home. And so The Seven, The Mangani, and a last alliance of men, stood on the brink of annihilation.

As the last of the Airships was brought down The Bat and The Beetle glided to the ground. Joining the fray. At first things went well. The Seven were making progress. Holding the line. But then the first of them fell. Giving into her rage, the Amazonian had torn into the center of the Pale Martian's line. She was surrounded and overwhelmed. She inflicted heavy losses on their enemies, but in the end, she would pay with her life.

The Superlative-Man tried to save her, but he was again overwhelmed. Each of the Martians near his equal, they were too much. Swarming and changing forms to avoid his attacks. Swarming, it took hundreds to put him down, but eventually, they would overwhelm him.

The Flash tried to be in all places at once, saving as many people as he could, but this would be his downfall. They used the innocents to lure him into a trap. An army of nearly impervious and incredibly potent killers was more than even The Seven could handle.

The Atlantian had held the coast almost single-handedly, but when he went into the Jungle to help his allies, away from his power source he was no match of the Pale Martians.

As the last of the Mangani rallied around Ba-Kar, The Bat and The Beetle, something happened. There in the ruins of the temple, beneath which sat the item the Martians so badly wanted, there was a sound of the fabric of the world shredding open, and before the last of The Seven appeared a clever blue box....

The Animal-Man Cometh.

Aussie_Wolf said:

Firestorm nodded at the Doctor. " I guess that was really hard to explain in a shortened form." Grinning she looked around the control room spotting Kyle. "Well I do hope from what you have told me you have gathered more than me and cutey over there. I've got to say I do have some amazing powers but against what you have told me it sounds like we are going to need some serious help."

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"Help we've got," The Doctor murmured, gazing at the monitor on The Console and turning pale all over again... almost as pale as one of those Martians. "But the rest're taking a much-needed five and things just keep getting more and more serious."

Varshanka said:

Turning back towards the door he shifted position, moving between her and whatever else was incoming. First line of defense. Or attack. Depending on the situation. He was even thinking about sex at the moment, instead his mind was filled with potential attacks and responses, And a stray though about a Jack-o'-lantern.

Jack-o'-lantern, Jack-o'-lantern. You are such a funny sight. As you sit there, at the window, Glowing on at the night. You were once a yellow pumpkin, Growing on a sturdy vine. Now you are a jack-o'-lantern, Glowing on at the night.

Damn, now he wanted pumpkin pie with whipped cream.

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Aussie_Wolf said:

Walking up beside him she grinned. "No offense, but how about we both guard the doors. You take the right I got the left, Okay?"

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The Doctor moved up between them. "At least we're not dressed like a Peruvian folk band." She smirked faintly, trying to stay brave. "Sorry. Inside joke. Which... hasn't happened yet. Anyway."

"Outside this door they're fighting a war against Pale Martians. Dunno if you have Martians on your Earth, Firestorm. They're each as mighty as a Superman or Supergirl with a longer list of powers... including incredible telepathy. Traditionally, the Pale ones are culturally predisposed to violence and conquest, with a nasty history of experimenting on less evolved races to try and create slaves and soldiers."

"We fought a Green Martian, earlier," The Doctor nodded to Kyle for Firestorm's benefit, "me and Kyle here. That was our first date. And he was... worse. But there are more of these. Much more. And I'm vulnerable to telepathy because to use my powers I need to focus and imagine and there's already a lot of voices in my head."

"We only have one advantage. Well, two, Spanish Inquisition sketch-- they don't know we're coming. And these ones are-- I think-- still vulnerable to fire. Even the sight of it."

"So. Firestorm. Burn as bright as you can, and if they engage us-- burn hot. Maybe decrease the humidity in the air and elevate the oxygen count, if you can."

The Doctor turned to Kyle, squeezed his shoulder, kissed him on the cheek.

"And you. With your incredible brain. The visions planted in it. Keep thinking of that fire. That candlelit lantern. Focus on that. That-- that may keep them out of your head. May make them flinch when they try to scan you. If we survive this, I know an incredible diner on Earth-21 that serves pumpkin pie year 'round. Second date?"

"Meanwhile, I'll be putting up psychic walls in my brain and trying to talk us into another ally or two."

She reached up, snapped her fingers, and the doors swung inward, revealing the African jungle homeland of The Mangani, and an ancient, beautiful, ruined temple...

"Allons-y," The Doctor breathed.

ChasNicollette said:

"Outside this door they're fighting a war against Pale Martians. Dunno if you have Martians on your Earth, Firestorm. They're each as mighty as a Superman or Supergirl with a longer list of powers... including incredible telepathy. Traditionally, the Pale ones are culturally predisposed to violence and conquest, with a nasty history of experimenting on less evolved races to try and create slaves and soldiers."

"We fought a Green Martian, earlier," The Doctor nodded to Kyle for Firestorm's benefit, "me and Kyle here. That was our first date. And he was... worse. But there are more of these. Much more. And I'm vulnerable to telepathy because to use my powers I need to focus and imagine and there's already a lot of voices in my head."

"We only have one advantage. Well, two, Spanish Inquisition sketch-- they don't know we're coming. And these ones are-- I think-- still vulnerable to fire. Even the sight of it."

"So. Firestorm. Burn as bright as you can, and if they engage us-- burn hot. Maybe decrease the humidity in the air and elevate the oxygen count, if you can."

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Firestorm nodded at the Doctor. Oh fire she could do, in fact she could get really hot if she needed to be. Being told to burn hot was like telling a pyromaniac to play with a flamethrower.

That idea of converting the surrounding air into an oxygen enriched environment was also a fabulous one. It would cause her flames to burn hotter and longer. If these Martians were afraid of Flames, then she was going to become a living nightmare to them.

"Don't worry about us Doc, we have you covered. Just if things get a little hairy we might take it outside a little ways. If you really want us to get hot then you might want to put some sunscreen on. We can act like a raging inferno for a little while"

"Meanwhile, I'll be putting up psychic walls in my brain and trying to talk us into another ally or two."

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Lily chuckled at that and talked to Raymond in her mind. "You know we have never had problems with people taking over our mind." Raymond chuckled back. "Yeah you remember that Gorilla that got all upset when we beat his ass. Now that was funny."

She reached up, snapped her fingers, and the doors swung inward, revealing the African jungle homeland of The Mangani, and an ancient, beautiful, ruined temple...

"Allons-y," The Doctor breathed.

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