One of These is Not Like the Other (IC)

[alderwitch]

Taylor nodded her agreement, her mouth twisting downward, "Stesha took the blast that he meant for me."

She gestured to the shroud but her eyes didn't flicker doward this time. "I'm willing to be bait for any plan we concoct. I also would suggest we spring the trap at night. We work better at night."

Her gaze flicked to Jack then and she took a step back by him. "Which gives us roughly twelve hours to cobble together a strategy. The sooner we get it done, the sooner I can see about setting up a few extra wards."

[Gizmo]

Jack of all Blades gave Ace a sidelong glance. "Evil mirror universe? Tell me he's got a goatee."

When the gentleman adventurer suggested using Phantom as bait, the swashbuckler blinked and prepared to object. Before he could, the mystic agreed to the plan without hesitation. "Woah, seriously?" the fencer asked. "I mean, not to belabour the point, but you're kinda... that's is, uh..." Jack sighed. "You're totes preggers, lady. Isn't there a list somewhere that's like, 'drinking, smoking, acting as bait for cosmic horrors'? 'Things Not To Do'?"

Despite the gravity of the situation, he took a moment to privately congratulate himself. Heh, 'belabour'. Though I guess making puns at a time like this is a bit 'childish'. Woo, on a roll.

[Avenger Assembled]

"I had similar concerns about our son," said Avenger out loud, forcing himself to take pride in what he'd feared for so long. "But Phantom can take care of herself. As for me, I can't think of anyone I'd rather rely on in this situation. Phantom can counter the other Dark Star's incorporeality better than any of us can. Ace and I will be best served getting Dark Star down here. He's very persuasive and if this Dark Star is anything like ours...well, he'll have something to say to me, one way or another."

[alderwitch]

Taylor's eyes flashed at the swordsman dangerously but before she could snap at him, Jack had begun his cool response. Taylor didn't think she'd ever loved Jack more than in that moment as he defended both the son she knew he still had grave misgivings over and her own neccessity in the fight. For all of the doubts that she'd faced in their marriage, Taylor didn't think anyone could have been more rock steady.

She turned her gaze away from her husband and back to the swashbuckler, her voice controlled, "I'm afraid we don't have a choice about my participation in the battle, even if I were willing to sit this out. I'm the only one here that's close to a match for Dark Star on the sheer raw power spectrum. The three of you are all close range. None of you can catch an asteroid, or stop a worm hole, or bend time and space into a pretzel. I can."

[angrydurf]

Ace winced as Jack brought up the pregnancy. He had honestly suspected that Avenger would raise the concern first, though really he should have known half hearted and after the fact sentimentality was more Avengers style.

"Well if all goes according to plan Phantom will be in no more danger than if she stayed huddled here behind these wards." He said plainly, "Moreover I do not think a single one of us has a chance of getting her to do any such thing, if she's going to be in the fight best have it be on our terms."

He smiled at Taylor to show he meant that as the complement it was., "As I see it we have three primary goals with this endeavor, To lure the doppelganger to us, to best him and to imprison him is some fashion." He glanced around for argument then continued, "I am confident that we can lure him to us as we discussed and hopefully best him once we do so." He nods to Jack of all Blades and Phantom, "As for the last however I am at a bit of a loss, as he's extra-dimensional we have to assume he has the means of crossing such barriers thus Phantoms normal prison will prove ineffective, We must manage to not only contain him but render his powers ineffective."

[Gizmo]

Jack of all Blades was a bit taken aback when the room's other occupants responded with derision to his suggestion that a pregnant woman not be purposefully placed in harms way, but he shrugged, conceding the point. "Well, you folks are crazy, but I like that," he grinned shamelessly. When the conversation moved back to the formation of a specific plan, the swashbuckler indicated himself, saying, "Well, I make pointy things then stick them in people. Kinda my thang. Should probably stick to that." Pausing to consider for a moment, he continued, "Actually, let me try something."

Reaching out with his right hand, he pulled a sliver of the mystic energies surrounding Taylor toward him. It was barely enough for Phantom to even notice, and easily replenished, but once it lazily twisted through the air the the energy manipulator's hand as though carried upon unfelt winds, he was able to stoke it into enough power to shape into a shimmering rapier. Holding it aloft he inspected the sword. It's shape better defined than his usual fare, the blade flickered in and out of sight, mimicking the behaviour of its source. "Ooh, dimension-y," Jack of all Blades remarked.

[Avenger Assembled]

"The defenses in this place can affect even beings like Dark Star," said Avenger calmly. "Some of them, anyway, given his powers. I've had to guess at the precise nature of his abilities...but this place has the potential to take him down. Assuming he doesn't realize that and blast the building from orbit." He thought for a minute, then shook his head. "No, no, if he could do that, he'd have done it to you and Stesha. Lack of imagination, or sadism. This version of Dark Star prefers to kill where he can see faces and hear cries." He was quiet for a moment before he said, "Many of my enemies operate at a different level than the rest of you. I'll do everything in my power to make sure he's taken alive."

[Cyroa]

About this time, Ace's phone rang with a caller ID originating at Star Island. It was none other than the head of the entire facility. And despite the man's normal calm manner, Ace's long experience could detect just a tiny bit of a waiver in his voice. "Mr. Danger? Sorry to disturb you sir, but we're in a bit of a bind here. We've been trying to reach Dark Star but we're not having any luck with the usual signal. I understand you're a friend of his. You wouldn't happen to know if he is out of system or another way to get a hold of him would you?"

[angrydurf]

Ace glanced down at his phone and frowned as he recognized who it was, "I have to take this." He said and stepped to the other side of the room.

Ace listened to the mans words and his frown grew deeper, when it rains it pours, "I believe Dark Star to be compromised, most likely a dimensional doppelganger. Myself and a select team are working on bringing it down, but until we do we don't know Dark Stars condition or whereabouts. If you receive contact assume its the impostor."

After a moment a thought occurred to Ace, "There is one thing I was hoping you might be able to aid us with, Do you know of a reliable way to contain Dark Star?"

[Gizmo]

Jack of all Blades gave his similarly monikered host a sidelong glance. "Well, that was kinda vague and ominous." Off of Avenger's glowering look, the swordsman raised his free hand in surrender. "Y'know, in a brooding, creature of the night way that totally works on you. I don't normally go in for that, but there's a whole... je ne sais quoi going on there," he insisted, gesturing vaguely at the intimidating man's ensemble. He cleared his throat uncomfortably. "So... while you keep.... doing that, how should the rest of us be preparing?"

[Cyroa]

The good doctor actually swore vehemently at Ace's proclamation. "That is definitely not good news. Explains our problem quite well actually," he said in a depressed yet thoughtful way. "Long term? Unfortunately, no. He simply has too much power and a knowledge of how to use it. And quite honestly, having to try to cage him is a worst case scenario we haven't dreamed up a way to deal with. Short term? I suppose. He is vulnerable to energy, relatively speaking. A forcefield energy projection would prevent him from passing through it. Much like a forcefield integrated into a spaceship's hull. If integrated into a pre-existing structure, it might also block his ability to see through it, temporarily of course. Plus, he could likely batter the shield down assuming he simply didn't create a wormhole. But it might work in the short term. This is all theoretical you understand. He did mention something about that a few months back but we never got around to having him test out our latest prototypes."

He paused and asked quickly. "I know this is a long shot, but you are Ace Danger and might know an avenue we haven't tried yet. But you don't happen to have or know where to find a spaceship or FTL vehicle would you? Other than the obvious of course. Or even any space capable heroes that might be hiding out somewhere?" He sounded hopeful, even if that hope was slight.

[angrydurf]

"Thanks for the information," Ace said earnestly. He paused for a moment at the mans query, "Hmmm, I have a possibility, I have a contact who keeps track of up and coming heroes, He's the Headmaster of the Claremont Academy. He might be able to put you in contact with someone who could help you." Ace paused, "But keep it under your hat ok?"

[alderwitch]

Taylor blinked as the swordsman drew her aura into his hands and formed some sort of weapon out of it, automatically taking a wary step back to Jack's side. Her eyes were curious as she watched the flickering blade, "That's a... unique power. I'd appreciate a warning before you grab big handfulls of my aura if you can. It's a weird sensation."

She shrugged, tucking her hands into her jean pockets and turned her gaze back to the walls of the library, "I suppose, I'd be best see if I can find something to hold Dark Star. Some modification of the demon containment circles maybe."

Her muttering faded from English to Arabic and then to Hebrew as she wandered away from the group to run her fingers over the leather backed spines of the books.

[Gizmo]

"Heh, sorry," Jack of all Blades apologized with a sheepish look. "Sometimes I forget when this stuff is, y'know attached to people. Don't worry, though, it's less like taking a handful than taking, like... a sample and copying the recipe." The swordsman shrugged. "Sort of, anyway." He twirled the dimensional rapier with a flick of his wrist. "You won't miss it."

With Ace on the phone and Phantom browsing the arcane library, the two Jacks were left more or less alone. The fencer let out an long breath and rocked back and forth on his heels. "So... baby on the way, huh? You hoping for a boy or a girl?" He gave Avenger a broad grin which wavered only the slightest bit.

[Cyroa]

There's a wry and slightly frazzled chuckle on the other end of the line. "Yes, I've already tapped that particular well. Ah well, we'll just have to hope it's enough I suppose. I need to run and try a couple more options. Crisis and all that. Thank you for the help. If there's anything else I can do for you, let me know."

[angrydurf]

"Will do, thanks again Doc." Ace said into the phone and hung up to rejoin the group, speaking loudly enough for phantom to hear as well. "STAR Island is have a bit of a crisis, this other Dark Star might be behind it but they were able to pass along what details they had on our Dark Stars powers and how he might be contained." The ageless hero explained.

Ace continued to relay what most of them basically knew. "He is effected by energy normally so any kind of energized force field should hold him but he'd still be able to use a worm hole and I would theorize whatever dimensional travel he is capable of so we'd have to counter that as well."

Ace paused thoughtfully "They said that some one had managed to hold Dark Star a few months ago, but they hadn't been able to research how." He looked to Avenger and Phantom, "Either of you know anything about that?"

[Avenger Assembled]

"It's a boy," said Avenger, his fearsome demeanor slipping to be replaced by something between happiness and fear. "We're still debating what we're going to call him." He even smiled at that. When Ace returned, he said, "Yes, I was around for that. It was some kind of mad scientist from Europe who was trying to use him to power a weapon." He thought about that. "Fleur and Phantom saved both of us," he admitted, an unhappy look on his face. "Dark Star would be the one to ask about where the equipment went, though. Taylor and I had other things on our mind that night."

[alderwitch]

"Sucked through a worm hole into a deep quandrant of space along with everything else in the room, Taylor provided as she walked over with a few books in hand, her expression grim, "Where it created a black hole. But, if we can't get in contact with our Dark Star, there's a good chance that he's contained him somehow. It is highly, highly unlikely that he's killed his opposite in this world, if he even can. That, I would have felt the ripples of. Reality tends to scream when you do things like that despite what that silly movie 'The One' would have to say about it, it's just not that easy to kill your alternate part. Nature abhores a vacuum and all that."

She thumped the books down on her desk, "I remember the device, though, and while I'm not so hot on the science, I might be able to duplicate something with magic."

[Gizmo]

"Well alright," Jack of all Blades nodded. "Sounds like a plan. Meanwhile, I'll just, y'know, stand over here. And wait." The swordsman leaned against the end of one the library's bookshelves, lazily twirling his dimensional blade. He glanced over at Ace. "Boy, sure glad you came to family home, invading my privacy and risking my secret identity, 'cause clearly I could not have gotten here a moment too soon," he drawled in a consummate deadpan.

[angrydurf]

Ace smiled at the affronted swordsman, "I truly am sorry if that causes you any problems." He replied earnestly, "I made the best call I could at the time, and while I understand the importance of your identity remaining secret I had no reason to believe we'd be given this long a reprieve."

He pulled a small cylinder from his pocket showing it to Jack. "This is a gravtic stabilizer, I believe it will negate the targeted effect of many of Dark Stars powers. However I'm not sure I can get the field to extend beyond myself, I think your senses however should be able to tell me if any of my tinkering is working though." And with that he began fiddling with settings on the device looking o Jack occasionally for confirmation that something had happened.

[Avenger Assembled]

"It would have happened anyway," said Avenger, backing up Ace in a situation where he was too distracted to cling to petty grievances. "This is an interdimensional fugitive planning to kill a guardian of the universe. What do you think he'd do here with the rest of us dead and no one to stop him?" he asked Jack of Blades, giving him a frank look. "Better to risk embarassment now than fight Dark Star at _your_ front door, with no warning."

[Gizmo]

"Yeah yeah," Jack of all Blades grumbled. "Big bad, ultimate peril, very scary. Excuse me if the multi-hour wait kills some of the drama for me." He resisted the urge to snap at his brooding host. 'Embarrassment' would be the least of his worries if his civilian identity were compromised. Not every hero had loved ones more than capable of handling themselves against super powered psychopaths, not to mention the various mundane gangs from whom the swordsman had drawn considerable ire. Somehow he doubted Avenger would be forthcoming with an apology, however, and so Jack simply let the matter rest. Moving the stand closer to where Ace was working, the energy manipulator focused his energy awareness of the device the immortal adventurer was tinkering with, noting the changes in its humming aura and relaying them back to Ace.

[Cyroa]

Suddenly there was a ripple in the center of the room only a few feet in diameter. For those familiar with Dark Star, the wormhole was obvious. On the other side of the portal, against the blackness of space, stars twinkled and Dark Star’s outline could be seen quite clearly.

“I don’t know exactly how you managed to conceal yourselves from me. Clever. But futile and foolish. If I gained enough information from the Other to know where and how to find some of you, you might think I know where you live too.†He just shook his head. “Such small minded fools. Ah well. Why you bother to fight back is beyond me. Are you waiting for help? I can assure you, any help that might be threat to me is…busy. Even if by some miracle they stop the couple dozen small planetoids heading for this pathetic mudball, it will certainly keep them occupied for cute some time. I could destroy the planet regardless right now but I’m simply making sure there are no loose ends. I’m sure you understand. Now, I have things to do so…shall we skip to your demise now?â€

[Avenger Assembled]

Avenger looked up, tensed, and found his niche in an instant. "You miserable coward," he spat. "Hiding in darkness just like your pathetic, lily-livered little mirror image! I've always found him to be a pathetic little excuse for a man, hiding behind his powers when real men are busy getting their hands dirty, and I can see you're no different. What did you do, lure him in by dangling puppies and orphans in front of him?" He spat blood on the ground, the dark fluid not incidentally landing on the 'decorative' markings on the floor. It was a good thing he'd never explained their use to his Dark Star. "You little worm," he taunted. "What are you waiting for? Are you just going to sit there and lob insults like the miserable star-dropping you are, or are you brave enough to actually come in here and fight!?"

[angrydurf]

Ace didn't have to feign disgust at Avengers behavior but he followed the vampires lead none the less hissing, "We're not ready what do you think you're doing, trying to get us all killed?" though he knew his words would easily be picked up by the senses of the ephemeral being on the other side of the portal.

He haphazardly flipped on the gravtic stabilizer he had been toying with and dusted his hands with something from a small pouch hanging from his belt a he tried to step out of the path of the portal, neatly placing himself near Phantom just in case.