The Force of Justice - IC Thread

[Epiphany]

Bryony falls into step with the agent and the officer, listening intently as he 'briefs' her. She doesn't interrupt or ask questions throughout, likely a holdover from her formal military days. The assignment he suggests, though, is one that impacts her current career. While Lady Justice is used to partnering with the military, she's not experienced with the formal application process to an established superhero team, much less the Force of Justice itself. Given they mostly operated on the East Coast, and she mostly on the West, their paths simply hadn't crossed much.

Until now.

The realization of Lieutenant Reeves' identity is curiously relaxing. She's met a few other military supers, rarely had the occasion to work with them in the field, but if anyone else 'gets it', it'd be Legion. With a polite smile at both duplicates, Lady Justice accepts the envelope. "I'll be there, ma'am," she says, lowering the envelope to her side without reading it. Time enough for that later. "Any questions you want me to ask? Any other instructions for this assignment, sir?" Bryony asked, widening the question to the Agent evidently in charge of this briefing.

Actually getting a spot on the team would presumably be on her to make happen. Bryony wasn't sure what the Army's interest was in having her on the team, and she had no idea why the DSA was involved. Definitely more going on than she knew about. But then, that was SOP. Worry about what she needed to worry about; making it to the meeting and charming Lady Liberty.

...just what she needed. Being interviewed by a celeb she'd had a crush on when she was younger. Being interviewed by the Lady that ICM Partners had branded Lady Justice after, a Lady who probably didn't think the imitation was particularly flattering.

Nope, she had plenty to worry about without borrowing more trouble.

 

[Sherwood]

Bryony falls into step with the agent and the officer, listening intently as he 'briefs' her. She doesn't interrupt or ask questions throughout, likely a holdover from her formal military days. The assignment he suggests, though, is one that impacts her current career. While Lady Justice is used to partnering with the military, she's not experienced with the formal application process to an established superhero team, much less the Force of Justice itself. Given they mostly operated on the East Coast, and she mostly on the West, their paths simply hadn't crossed much.

Until now.

The realization of Lieutenant Reeves' identity is curiously relaxing. She's met a few other military supers, rarely had the occasion to work with them in the field, but if anyone else 'gets it', it'd be Legion. With a polite smile at both duplicates, Lady Justice accepts the envelope. "I'll be there, ma'am," she says, lowering the envelope to her side without reading it. Time enough for that later. "Any questions you want me to ask? Any other instructions for this assignment, sir?" Bryony asked, widening the question to the Agent evidently in charge of this briefing.

Actually getting a spot on the team would presumably be on her to make happen. Bryony wasn't sure what the Army's interest was in having her on the team, and she had no idea why the DSA was involved. Definitely more going on than she knew about. But then, that was SOP. Worry about what she needed to worry about; making it to the meeting and charming Lady Liberty.

...just what she needed. Being interviewed by a celeb she'd had a crush on when she was younger. Being interviewed by the Lady that ICM Partners had branded Lady Justice after, a Lady who probably didn't think the imitation was particularly flattering.

Nope, she had plenty to worry about without borrowing more trouble.

Agent Brune and the Lieutenant both smile when you agree to be at the initial meeting. The first Legion duplicate you were dealing with says, "Excellent. We look forward to seeing you there." She pauses, then goes on to say, "Ms. Santos, it is important to us to make sure you know that this is not an order for you to join up, but something that is entirely voluntary. As Lady Justice, you have done a lot of good in the world, and we in the team think you would be a good fit. But don't feel forced to do anything you are not comfortable with. If it turns out that you don't feel that it will be a good fit for you with the other recruits we are courting, let us know and we will happily keep you on our list of friends and allies in the good fight but not as a member."

Agent Brune then says, "Don't forget to bring your invitation or our security people will have a cow, and we don't need the drama for this. It will be good to work with you, ma'am. Thank you for all that you have done for us."

 

[Psychie]

Lady Liberty says, "Well, besides you, we are trying to hook Lady Justice, Terranaut, Turbo, Ultraweapon and TARU, just to name a few. The Lady has her spooky eye on someone that she's hoping to join, but it is quite typical of her to keep her cards close to her chest on certain things."

American Spirit then says, "We have a get-together for the various candidates that we are wanting to join with us in three days at our new facility here in San Francisco." He pulls a envelope out of one of his many utility belt pockets and offers it to you. "Come as you are, or in your civilian id; it is up to you. Either way, we both hope to see you there. The address is in the envelope on your invite."

Deb looks down at the envelope and accepts it, but doesn't open it yet. "Thank you for even thinking of letting me sign on with you. I don't know what else to say, other than I need to be on my way, otherwise I will be late to my . . . appointment . . . that I was going to. Thank you again!"

With that, she powers up her flight and once more takes to the skies, flying quickly along towards the university campus. Setting down in a secluded grove of trees, she glances around to make sure that there is no one watching before powering down all the way. As she goes along to her night shift at the computers, she can't help but think, Holy crap! Dude! The freaking Force of Justice want us!

The alien presence in her mind chuckles. "Such is the way of being one with the Melari. We do good things together, and I suspect that with the aid of the other members of this new team, we shall do great things."

Once she has gotten to the computer lab and is logged on to start her work cataloging stars and planets, Deb takes a moment to open the envelope to look at the contents, being too eager to leave it alone any longer. Wonder fills her, and she is now certain that she will not be able to sleep a wink for the next three days!

 

[Sherwood]

As you all look over the envelopes that have been given to you, the contents are basically the same, just personalized for each of you, being addressed to your hero identity. There is an address given to the manor house for you to arrive for a six pm dinner, and some instructions that are not typical for a party invite. Do not try to teleport into the building; there is a 'landing point' on the grounds outside the manor that is open and safe for your arrival. For the fliers, do not land on the roof, as there are other security measures there that will give off a warning to get down before you are considered hostile and treated accordingly. If you wish to drive up, there will be a valet waiting to assist you.

Arriving in costume is not going to be out of order, so those of you with Secret Id's don't have to reveal them if you don't wish to.

The three days mosey their way along, taking their sweet time and making you wait for the dinner at the manor house. Very rude of them, but it is what it is.

Dinner is at six pm. How do you wish to arrive (flying in, teleporting, walking or driving up in a car), are you in your Hero Id, and at what time do you actually arrive?

D. Rex Purr Epiphany Psychie Silanon

 

[D. Rex]

Sherwood
If the Terranaut were to consult with the org he is from down below that his father runs, GeoCorp, or whatever their name is (I didn't really flesh them out, but can if you'd like), would they have anything to say regarding the invitation?

 

[Sherwood]

Sherwood
If the Terranaut were to consult with the org he is from down below that his father runs, GeoCorp, or whatever their name is (I didn't really flesh them out, but can if you'd like), would they have anything to say regarding the invitation?

Terranaut is publicly known in both his hero and his civilian id's, so arriving in either would not compromise your mission with GoCorp in any way. They feel that you can arrive up in your civilian id, and if something goes horribly wrong, you can immediately shift and suit up in your Terranaut armor and respond accordingly.

 

[D. Rex]

Terranaut is publicly known in both his hero and his civilian id's, so arriving in either would not compromise your mission with GoCorp in any way. They feel that you can arrive up in your civilian id, and if something goes horribly wrong, you can immediately shift and suit up in your Terranaut armor and respond accordingly.

As in if they would approve of him joining the JoF. I'm not sure how tightly I need Campbell tied to the org. If they still consider him an employee or if at this point he is more like an independent contractor.

 

[Sherwood]

As in if they would approve of him joining the JoF. I'm not sure how tightly I need Campbell tied to the org. If they still consider him an employee or if at this point he is more like an independent contractor.

Since I am trying to get all of you into the FoJ, I am going to say that they don't have a problem with you doing this.

 

[Purr]

Spoiler: Sherwood

Tonight I was in the process of putting together a post for what Dreamy was going to do with her 3 days. I doubt they're game-changing, so I'll enter them here for the sake of expressing them (and getting them out of my head)?

Earlier...

Dreamy tries to digest all of the information Dan Phillips had given her to the point of mentally reviewing it several times as the days pass. Luminary was an alien? But which species of alien? There were so many and many of those were far from friendly; it was one big reason her fellow Kairissians were so secretive, hidden, and distant. It kept them alive all this time.

Here on Earth, in San Francisco where things are "a little flaky and a little shaky" with the diverse Carbonites living on their earthquake-prone edge of this beautiful and storied continent, Dreamy realizes she has no real friends. Plenty of admirers, yes. Friendly acquaintances, yes. Carbonites who seem to really enjoy her company, yes. But people who knew and understood the real her? Saw past the surface of her body and into the being inside? Had a history with her where trust, love, respect, and faith were intertwined like the roots of a tree?

There was no one on Earth like that. No one at all.

Flying underneath the shimmering stars as she looks out to sea, Dreamy wonders who to call upon, but the three Earth revolutions pass by quickly and she is unable to ask the young Carbonites at each of the charities she is assisting, or her modeling agent and crew, or even the librarians in the San Francisco Public Library System. With no one to talk to about the Force of Justice, she realizes she is no wiser than she was three Earth revolutions ago.

Now...

Spoiler: Mood Music

"Let's Go" by the Cars


Partial lyrics
She's laughing inside
'Cause they can't refuse
She's so beautiful now
She doesn't wear her shoes

She never likes to choose

She's got wonderful eyes
And a risque mouth
And when I ask her before
She said she's holding out

She's a frozen fire
She's my one desire
And I don't want to hold her down
Don't want to break her crown
When she says

"Let's go"
I like the nightlife baby
She says
I like the nightlife baby
She says
"Let's go"

And so three Earth revolutions later, as the Earth's sole star begins its daily dip into the Pacific horizon, Dreamy the Starborn finds herself soaring and approaching the Force of Justice mansion. Using the same route traveled by Dan Phillips's car, the Kairissian arrives at the spot where she was when she and Agent Dan Phillips parted ways. Lacking a timepiece of any kind but having a keen sense of Earth's rotation and the driving science behind it all, Dreamy is here 15 minutes before she is expected. She looks toward the Force of Justice mansion and, invitation in hand, the lone Kairissian pauses when she sees the guard post.

Dreamy is clad in one of her favorite Sun Top outfits - a stylishly string-bound affair all glowing in the changing colors of molten fire. She feels the ruby reds and dawn-like oranges compliment her knee-length hair and blue eyes, plus it was the first bikini she had ever worn that had tassels and she just adores how the tiny little trails dangle like falling stars down her thighs. She simply had to remember to keep her hair at room temperature lest her bikini, and perhaps her invitation, catch fire.

Hovering just centimeters off of the ground, for she did not want to chance mussing the floor inside the Force of Justice's living realm, Dreamy bounces along to a song going through her mind. She bops from one foot to the other and back. Perhaps from the outside, it looks like she is having fun, but deep inside, her thoughts are blazing by like a comet across the sky of her youthful mind.

Hope I'm doing the right thing, changing my destiny and all. She frowns and examines the unopened invitation Dan Phillips had given her. What am I going to do if they don't play nice? Oh, what if they turn out to be mean? I'm not in the mood to incarcerate or recycle; I just want to meet people like me!

Something in her mind realizes that she has probably been noticed by the guards by now, but she does not let that distract her. Dreamy looks up into the sky, past the clouds, the horizon, the atmosphere, and the moon hanging in the sky to the planets. Without error, she confidently locates the planet the Carbonites refer to as Jupiter and thinks, I wasn't born far from here. Shining Rim isn't that far. The Carbonites call that moon Europa. Well, Europa is different than the other moons and it gets along with the other moons. I should be like Europa and try to get along even if I am the only one like me.

Maybe I'll meet friends here? There is but one way to know.

Let's go!

Though she did not need to breathe, Dreamy looks as if she takes a big breath and after letting it out, she approaches the Force of Justice's guard post. She waves with a friendly smile.

"Hi, there! I'm Dreamy the Starborn! Agent Dan Philips the DSA Carbonite sent me. I think I'm supposed to give you this?" Carefully, she tries to hand the guards her unopened invitation.

 

[Silanon]

About three days since that faithful meeting. Within: A short farewell, after all relevant things had been said. Eight hours of studying, nine hours of well-deserved sleep; some amount of traveling, and lots of preparations. "Better safe than sorry" is usually a decent guideline, and it becomes more relevant the higher the risks become. Here, people gather because they don't play by the usual rules - means that one of the supposedly safest places might be the opposite for her. Or the Book, rather, but both fates are intertwined. Only she will enter tonight; the Book is safely stored away, or so she hopes, at least. The place? Literally just a thought away. She does her best to think about anything but the exact location. Some mages read minds. Others as well. No point in making their work any easier. Luckily, this is a night where thinking about other things is almost natural. There's an entire future laid out in front of her, guarded by fences, and men, and wards. Potentially. Time will tell. Time that slowly moves forward, a second at a time.

Not that Nisha gives them much attention. She's not waiting for the right time, but for an opportunity instead. From a rooftop, she eyes the manor, potential home for years to come. Or rather the street in front, waiting for just the right moment. It presents itself in time. A woman moves up towards the gate, alone; 'hovering' to a silent beat, a fiery presence that stands out about as much as anyone possibly could. Good. Maybe one of those to draw the attention away from her, someday, like the Lady proposed. Certainly the right kind of distraction now.

There are shadows where they left an opening for incoming teleports. There's a shadow right at her feet. Both are the same, just in different places. Old words and sharp gestures remind them of that. One last deep breath, and she steps through, from one shadow to the other. Within the blink of an eye, the rooftop is empty and one of the invited guests has arrived at the landing point. Clothed in that dark cloak of hers, plain other than the edgings on hood, and sleeves. There, fine embroidery in silver forms ancient letter of a dozen different dead tongues; runes and spells that, for now, rest. Just like three days ago, a thin, silvery chain is wrapped around her right arm, covered in the same ancient runes. Some of them have changed their color to the darkest black one could imagine, now that she made use of her magic for once. They slowly change back to their old, silvery self as she steps forward, eyes restlessly wandering to make out the nearest person waiting for arrivals. The left hand holds the invitation, ready to wordlessly present it to whoever takes care of the bureaucratic part of this meeting.

Spoiler: OOC

Arrival via teleport just when Dreamy arrives. Fixed teleport locations for now: The Book (in an attic of a random, vacant building); biggest Library in SF; two blocks away from Linda's place; on the rooftop of a Starbucks near the harbor; and the place where she waited in case an immediate evacuation is needed. Is there a rooftop nearby where she could wait, or should I change that? Shall I roll to hide the Book? Is a roll for the teleportation needed?

 

[Psychie]

Deborah will arrive as Luminary by flying down to the front gate as close to six pm as she can manage. She steps up to wait her turn to speak to the guard, holding her invitation in her hand as she does so.

 

[Sherwood]

As everyone approaches the Force of Justice building, from a distance you can see that it is a fairly large structure, more like a small hotel instead of a superhero base. It stands fairly tall compared to the other buildings around it, being seven stories in height, with a large, flat roof that has a helicopter landing pad on it, along with a hangar for other aircraft. At the moment, you don't know what vehicles may be in there.

There is a security barrier that circles the entire grounds area that stands fifteen feet tall. There is no signs of anything as hostile as barb wire on the top of the wall; perhaps the sheer height of the barrier is sufficient to keep out the riffraff? Set into the wall there are a couple of different entrances with security booths at them. Approaching the guard house, there is a pair of men wearing neatly pressed uniforms that look like what any other private security force might wear. Each person that either flies, walks, teleports or drives up to the gate garners a friendly smile and greeting from the guards as they politely ask for your invitation, acting like they see costumed heroes arrive at their doorstep on a daily basis.

Presenting the invite, the men in the guard house then slip the actual invite into a reader of some sort before opening the gate and letting you pass. As you go in, you can see that they use an intercom to call ahead to the main building that you have arrived.

Once past the first layer of security, you can see that the grounds are all covered in neatly manicured grass and lined with trimmed shrubbery. There are several different buildings besides the main one; two are clearly parking garages. The two other buildings are smaller and unremarkable. No telling what may be in them from the outside.

But they are clearly not your ultimate destination. There is valet parking at the front of the main building for those that wish to drive up, with a young woman that hustles out to your car and opens the door for you. At the top of a small flight of steps there is a large set of doors, and standing there in front of the door is a pair of people, one man and one woman, both wearing expensive suits. They give each of you a very polite greeting, addressing you by your name (your hero name if in that Id, otherwise your given name) and say, "Welcome to the Force of justice, San Francisco office."

 

[Purr]

Dreamy resists the reoccurring urge to Mind Scan the strangers and reply using Telepathy. What is natural for her is very unnatural for the vast majority of Carbonites and this was their homeworld, the rules of which were to be respected.

Dreamy pauses at the foot of the steps in what she hopes is a display of respect. Her curiosity is all over her face. "Hello there. Are you... the Force of Justice?"

 

[D. Rex]

The all clear from home came quickly enough. They seemed to be excited about this opportunity. Colt was too, the more he had thought about it. Now, just a bit before the meeting, he could feel the anxiety rise in his stomach.

As Colt climbed higher into the sky, passing into the stratosphere, he couldn't help but feel a little nervous at the thought of all those real superheroes around. He had never really considered himself a superhero until recently. Asthetically speaking, of course. Colt obviously had the goods, but up until recently he always just thought of it as a job he enjoyed doing, a duty he took pride in.

Up higher, in the upper stratosphere, a beep in his ear reminded him of the time. And after running a few calculations, he knew he had plenty of time.

Once he made sure that air traffic was clear, he engaged his suits scramjets. And he blasted off across the globe to FoJ headquarters.


____


At the approved landing pad, the Terranaut would touch down gently. Now this... this was a base. He gazed at it appreciatively, trying not to compare it with his own relatively dinky base. Following everyone inside after presenting his invitation.

 

[Psychie]

As Luminary, Deborah walks up to the main doors and looks up at the two people that are welcoming them all with a smile, with her purple glow lighting up the area around her. She clutches the invite in her hand and says, "Good evening. I am Luminary, but it seems that you already know who we all are." She is excited to see what is about to happen this night.

 

[Epiphany]

Thankfully, Bryony didn't have much time to sweat an invite three days later. She had an already full schedule (and an assistant who had a stressful half-day rearranging her itinerary to clear the evening and the next day entire). Lady Justice showed up for a farmer's cooperative and spent an afternoon clearing land, ripping stones and tree stumps out of the ground to make room for property that the cooperative had set aside for a local, community garden. Then as Bryony Santos, she turned up for a block party in one of her old neighborhoods, celebrating Mexican culture and being 'casual' in her civilian garb while entirely aware that everything she did or said could be recorded and put on Youtube. Her last day of freedom would have been spent in a series of six schools, teaching civil engagement, but a big fire broke out in a deprecated part of the old warehouse district, so she joined the firefighters in fire suppression (mainly by clearing piles of wooden debris that could spread the fire or knocking in a wall to allow fire suppression teams to breach a building).

A thorough shower and a special combination of soaps and shampoos erased most of the evidence of that fire from Bryony's skin. By the time she turned up at the guard gatehouse with her envelope and invitation, she was once more dressed as Lady Justice. She drove her own car and turned it over to the valet without a second thought, pausing only to ask the young man his name and thank him for the service he rendered.

She is ten minutes early, likely checking in just after Dreamy and Nisha but before Luminary. If they're congregated until all guests arrive before being shown towards the Force of Justice building, Lady Justice introduces herself and asks a few brief questions to pass the time (i.e. "I'm Lady Justice, what do you go by? My invite came via DSA, who delivered yours? I hope the drive/flight/teleport was nice coming over?").

Once admitted onto the grounds, Lady Justice looks about with unabashed curiosity. She's never had a chance to see a FoJ facility herself, no sense is missing the opportunity. And while she's at it, she makes a note of likely spots for placing a sniper, putting down landmines and anything else that could factor in to deter intruders. Knowing the field of battle was half the fight, after all. Not that she expected a fight tonight but then she hadn't expected a warehouse fire today either. Life is what happens when you're busy making other plans.

Passing the trip pleasantly enough, Lady Justice is all smiles when the well dressed people in suits greet them. Admin? Or Execs? Someone had to keep the lights on in buildings like this and it wasn't usually the superhero.

"Delighted to be here," she answers the pair, and she extends a hand to shake if they're so inclined.

And as the other heroes are already present, came in with her, or turned up shortly afterwards, Lady Justice again flashes a winning smile and extends a hand to shake. "Nice to meet you," she says to each turnout, as if they were all going to be a team and this was orientation day. This wasn't orientation day, though, this was testing day. These were her competitors, if there weren't enough open spots on this West Coast iteration of the Force of Justice. But no sense in being rude about it. Besides, you never know who and how many here will treat this encounter as their first impression. Good reason to get it right.

 

[Purr]

Epiphany

If they're congregated until all guests arrive before being shown towards the Force of Justice building, Lady Justice introduces herself and asks a few brief questions to pass the time (i.e. "I'm Lady Justice, what do you go by? My invite came via DSA, who delivered yours? I hope the drive/flight/teleport was nice coming over?").

Dreamy turns and faces the masked Carbonite, and for a few moments she looks like a canine trying to interpret what is being communicated to her. Head lolled to one side, ear turned in Lady Justice's direction with a confused look on her face, Dreamy pulls one side of her glowing hair back and over her ear as if to hear better.

Dreamy exclaims, "Oh!" as the Carbonite nicely gives her name. "Oh!" again when she gets a good look at the Carbonite's soldierly uniform. A moment goes by as Dreamy processes this information then suddenly, her eyes light up like a pair of miniature solar flares.

"Ohhh, compre-hen-sion!" She smiles happily and the smile stays. "You are Lady Justice! This is the living-realm for the Force of Justice! Logic suggests... you sent the invitation and therefore you must be my new leader!

"Don't worry, captain!" Dreamy winks. "My young Carbonite allies have introduced me with some of your instructional videos! I know what to do!"

Spoiler: Source of instructional videos

Star Trek The Next Generation Intro (Season 1)

Dreamy snaps to attention, shoulders back, chest out, and body straight. She raises her right hand to her temple in salute. "Ensign Dreamy the Starborn reporting for duty, captain!"

Dreamy eagerly awaits Lady Justice's response.

 

[Epiphany]

A floating girl with flaming hair and eyes that glow when she gets excited. Bryony briefly wonders if she's dreaming this interview. Doubtful. No girl this dreamy has ever turned up in her imagination before.

She opens her mouth to correct the girl's first impression but pauses, her mouth still slightly open in wonderment, at where Dreamy the Starborn's logic took her. And the girl's sheer energy.

"Carbonite?" She manages at last. "Interesting implications. I should clear something up, though. My public ID and the name of this team share a word in common, and I expect we share a value for that word. But I have the same invitation that I assume you have. No chain of command...Dreamy."

Dreamy? Literally dreamy? God had a sense of humor.

"It's nice to meet you, hermosa. I take it you're not from around here? Is the Starborn thing a real thing for you?"

 

[Purr]

Dreamy gasps and gawks. "Wha-a-a-t? You mean... your choice of name and theirs are simply a matter of coincidence? Oh, Lady Justice! I thought for certain I had the situation right this time!" She crosses her arms. The stargirl's bottom lip protrudes as she allows herself to sulk for a moment and for that moment, she just looks so adorably lost. But she recovers her poise as her train of thought continues merrily down its cosmic tracks. "Well, perhaps we can be teammates!" Dreamy looks Lady Justice over, but this time she appears to be openly examining more than the superhero's costume. She looks the superheroine in the eyes and comes to a conclusion.

"You are nice to meet too, Lady Justice!"

"Carbonite? Oh, the term is more than an implication. Your race and mine? While your world and your bodies are connected chemically, your race and mine are connected atomically!

Spoiler: We Are All Connected

Symphony of Science - 'We Are All Connected' (ft. Sagan, Feynman, deGrasse Tyson & Bill Nye)

"Your people have more carbon in your physical forms than we Kairissians, hence... Carbonites! It's a pleasant reminder for us that while our physical forms are in many ways compatible," she taps the tassels on her bikini causing their fiery colors to dance as she begins to bounce to a beat apparently only she can hear, "they are remarkably different too! Isn't that neat?"

Dreamy shakes her head she completely misinterprets Lady Justice's word choice. "Oh! I have chosen to call myself Dreamy, not hermosa. Being a Starborn is very real! I was not generated on Earth; I was produced on... what you call... Europa! You know, the pretty little ice moon that circles... uh... Jupiter?" She aims her finger confidently at a point in the ceiling as if the planet Jupiter were in plain view of everyone.

"In these moments, I am the least-experienced and most-recently formed of my people, hence my life-stage, Starborn. But just you wait! I'll soon transform my experiences into a destiny of my own choosing... and thus become a Starchild! Ohh, I can't wait!" Hands joyously clasped to her breasts, she beams a moment and then the young female alien looks around the room.

"Lady Justice? Do you think the robot and the Carbonite with the purple glow are like us?" Dreamy indicates Terranaut and Luminary as if they were the aliens in the room. Dreamy then realizes that, in her enthusiasm, she has been talking loud enough for either of the others to have overheard, but she doesn't know what, or if, she should do about it.

Psychie D. Rex

 

[Sherwood]

Dreamy pauses at the foot of the steps in what she hopes is a display of respect. Her curiosity is all over her face. "Hello there. Are you... the Force of Justice?"

At this, the man and woman smile, and the man says, "Well, if things work out tonight, you will be the Force of Justice, along with the other potential recruits that are here this evening. But that is a step ahead of ourselves. Right now, we have what we hope to be a pleasant evening, but first, let us introduce ourselves. I am Paul Rubio, and this is Vanessa Connor, and we are a part of the permanent staff here. I suppose you would call us butlers, if you wish to use such terminology."

Vanessa nods in agreement, saying, "But whatever job title you wish to use, it is a part of our responsibility to make sure that the team members are well taken care of, and to see to your needs, whatever they are. Right now, we have a meal being prepared by Chef Remi, our resident specialist in food preparation, for those that wish to partake. In any case, there are several members of the east coast team inside waiting for you, along with a few other potential candidates. Shall we go inside?"

With that, Paul turns to the door and opens it for you to go in. Waiting for you inside is a well decorated foyer with a modern charm to it. Standing there is someone that you all recognize; Lt Maya Reeves, better known as Legion. Or to be more accurate, it is one of her duplicates, wearing a floor length evening gown with a long slit up the side, showing off her well toned leg muscles. She gives a smile as everyone walks in. "Welcome. We are Legion, and we have the pleasure of greeting you here this evening. If you would please come with us, we will escort you to where the others are waiting."

 

[Psychie]

Deborah looks around in wonder at the grounds and the interior of the building as she enters. As she walks up the stairs, she hears in her mind, "That one woman is an alien, but not a host to a Melari. She is a Kairissian, a race of explorers and wayfinders. Generally friendly, at least the ones that I have met, and she might turn out to be a valuable ally in our fight against the Xaros and being able to warn your people about them."

Deb sends back, "Ok, that's good to know. I think I have seen her before, in a magazine selling perfume. She was also in the news not that long ago for helping free people trapped in a nasty multi-car pileup." She looks over at Dreamy and says, "My symbyote tells me that you are a Kairissian. What brings you to Earth?"

 

[Purr]

One look and listen at Luminary and Dreamy finds herself looking into the Carbonite's eyes, the left eye for the Carbonite and the right for the.... symbiont. Before she thinks of human culture and what is proper, Dreamy extends her mind in a Mind Scan upon Luminary's person alone.

Was... there a Melari hosting inside the Carbonite?

 

[Sherwood]

Dreamy would like to attempt a Mind Scan on Luminary if that's all right?

Stretching your awareness out, you can sense that there is indeed two minds inside this woman; one that you recognize as human (and fairly easy to 'touch' with your scan, as most human minds are), and a second, much more structured and disciplined mind that is much harder to lock onto, but not impossible. Yes, from the 'feel' of this mind, you are about 90% sure that the second presence inside is a Melari, a race of energy beings that need a physical host in order to interact with the physical world.

 

[Purr]

Dreamy's jaw drops as she discovers the very high chance of this fellow alien presence here inside the superheroine. Who else on Earth besides Melari would know about Kairissians? Dreamy gasps, touches Lady Justice's arm, and points silently and excitedly at Luminary.

"You're here!"

Instantly and naturally, Dreamy turns to Luminary and attempts a pair of Telepathic "knocks" at both the Melari and the Carbonite's mental doors - not attempts to intrude or attack, but gentle and friendly offers of private mental communication.

 

[Psychie]

Deb is quite surprised to be feeling a second mental touch on her mind, the only other one she's felt since being joined with the Dude. It is not a painful attack, or one that seems to be trying to take control of her mind, but almost a tickle on the outer walls of her mind.

She sends the thought to the alien in her, Dude, is this ok? Are we in trouble?

No trouble at all! This is what mental communication capable races call a polite knock. I shall answer this one for us.

Opening communication to Dreamy, the Melari inside Deb sends out, Greetings, fellow star traveler. I had not expected to meet any of your race here on Earth. What brings you to this wonderful place?

Purr