ic Set Up

[Electra]

Fleur shot Comrade Frost a level glance, warning the cultural attache that now would be a fine time to practice a little diplomacy. Settling her features once more, she folded her hands on the table. "We're certainly accustomed to welcoming visitors in Freedom City," she told Set and Sekhmet, "including those who have powerful enemies looking for them. I think we've proven already that we're willing to protect you, but that will be much easier if you're frank with us about why you're here on Earth and who might be interested in looking you up over old bad feelings. That fight just now was pretty public, so keeping your return a secret is probably not going to be possible. Anyone who is interested will likely know of your arrival within a day or two." 

[Fox]

"On the bright side, anyone who watched today's show is probably going to think twice before striking out at you, too," Gaian Knight added, gesturing vaguely. A couple of the rocks that were still floating near him waved in an unconscious mimicry of his hand. "They know you have contacts, now, and you may be weakened but it's pretty obvious you aren't pushovers. But Fleur's right - the more we know about how and why you're here, the better-off we all are, just in case."

"It'd also explain some kinda important things," Tiamat added, arms crossed as she leaned against the wall. "I'm no master wizard or whatever, but I'm pretty sure gods aren't supposed to be here. I've got some theories about how you managed it, but if you snuck in maybe others could too - because of you, or just because they found out they could - and a lot of the gods I've known are stupid or jerks. We wouldn't want them hanging around."

[Gizmo]

"Tis less a question of why we have come to the mortal plane and more why was Isis not permitted to partially disembowel me and leave me to be perpetually torn apart by immortal vultures for all eternity," Set clarified with nonchalance undercut by the way he placed a hand over his bare stomach as though imaging that outcome. "She'd have a list of grievances to show you but she has never liked me, even when we were new to existence, I remember that quite clearly. Think prissy, overachieving class president and cool, leather jacket-wearing rebel with a motorcycle." The godling's grey eyes lit up with a spark at that thought and he turned to face the goddess on his left. "Sekhmet. Sekhmet, I need a motorcycle!"

"I do not know what that is, but you may not have one," the leonine warrior growled irritably, crossing her arms over the top of her shendyt sternly. "Truly, you are a child. Return to answering their questions without these pointless digressions."

"Well, we know which sister got the entire allotment of good humour," Set muttered with a petulant frown before reaching into the shadow of his chair and pulling out two globules of inky darkness which he balanced atop outstretched hands like counterweights on a scale. "Without giving a lesson in ur-cosmic mechanics, understand that creation desires, requires balance. In Heliopolis we call this ma'at, and even more than most planes Heliopolis is founded upon ma'at. Tis the core of truth, justice and law!"

"As an Eye of Ra, blessed be his name, I am a divine arbiter of ma'at," Sekhmet spoke up. As she did so a halo of golden sunlight appeared behind her head, forming a glowing disk that framed her dark, asymmetrical hair. Her demeanour suggested this was less a display of power than a show of credentials, the equivalent of flashing a badge. "Regrettably, as such this falls under my responsibilities."

"Ah, yes, just so," Set agreed, shading his eyes with his shadow globules until the light faded away. "More importantly and more interestingly, Set has ever been a key counterbalance of the highest order! In the beginning, when Ra, shiny be his head, was balanced by that bottom feeding tapeworm Apep, it was Set who protected the sun during his much-needed beauty sleep." The self-satisfied smirk the godling wore slipped several notches as he continued with a slight falter, "...my elder self's regrettable war with Horus the Younger was similarly key to ma'at. My reappearance in a new form while the snake and the falcon remain missing has raised rather dire concerns."

[Avenger Assembled]

Frost fought the urge to twiddle his thumbs, wishing for the fifth time that day for the comforting warmth of a cigarette. Damnable Americans and their puritanical hatred of tobacco. "We should consult with Farrow and see if falcon has whispered in his ear these days," he said, settling for sketching a laundry list of ideas on the yellow legal pad in front of him. "I know he has ongoing familiarity with situation. But you, and you, have taken us on journey into mystery," he said, leveling his ballpoint pen at Set questioningly. "It should be Isis and her divine cattle attempting to trample you to death, not snake demons. Is there war between Tamoanchan and Heliopolis? Were you sent below to be kept alive, with she as minder? If there is trouble with gods it is bad news..." He sliced a stroke across the pad, a hard line of ink, and said, "Or does Ra shine you below for some other reason?" 

[trollthumper]

Great, so everything's topsy-turvy for the time being. When it came to the matters of the Ennead, Nick was much more familiar with affairs in Duat than in Heliopolis, but he was still firmly aware of the role that ma'at played in the whole thing. If the great cosmic scales were out of whack, he didn't want to think about what would happen when everyone felt the tilt.

"I haven't heard any upset in Duat," he said - though it seemed that Osiris had been busy at of late. Maybe he'd been trying to calm down Isis. "But then again, that's a good ways from Heliopolis. So. You showing up in Freedom is some great sign of the scales being recalibrated. And there's no way of knowing how they're going to shake out, and who's gonna be counterbalancing who. So, until then... you're right where things start to tip."

Great. Even when Set's neutral, he's still chaotic.

[Gizmo]

"I know of no such conflict," Sekhmet told Frost, making a displeased face at the title of 'minder' but unable to refute its accuracy. "I too would know the reason for the attack." The goddess gave Set a hard look, subtly clenching one fist atop the conference table as she did.

The shorter deity cleared his throat and interlaced his fingers. "Ah, well, this is merely conjecture on my part, you understand..." His qualifications were cut short by a low growl from his left. "My elder self, in all his questionably attired wisdom, may have potentially made certain promises of alliance which in my present incarnation I might find... less than tasteful. With friends like these, yes?" Stroking his chin with a sudden thought, he asked the Russian at the table, "Incidentally, how is Hel this era? She was always a bit young for my interests but now..."

Sekhmet grimaced, an expression that bared her pronounced canines. "My task is made infinitely more difficult then, thanks to thee, betrayer. I do not know why I ought to be surprised." Looking to the heroes about the room she explained, "I am to both keep the liesmith whole and prevent his mischief while on the mortal plane, yes. Ra's irrefutable wisdom was that here Set might be kept out of the way and far from godly whims until he might be required."

"Which brings us to how we circumvented that troublesome Pact of yours, haha!" Set chimed in, looking particularly amused now. "Go on, have a guess. Tis simplicity itself but a method so absolutely galling to any god worth the name it's little surprise it's not been done before."

[Electra]

"Well, if you're anything like the gods we've seen before, it probably involved giving up enough of your power to drop below the threshold of godhood," Stesha guessed. "It seems as though the Pact focuses on divine power rather than mythological standing or number of worshipers when determining who is a god and who is not bound by the Pact. "Or," she added, allowing for other possibilities with a tilt of her head, "you could've been reincarnated and born into a mortal body, I think that's worked at least once, or renounced godhood entirely and become a mortal man. Each of those methods comes with its own set of problems, but the first is generally the most straightforward. What did you have to do?" 

[Fox]

Gaian Knight opened his mouth to say something, but didn't get a chance - behind him, Tiamat broke out into laughter; so great was her amusement that her whole body shook, lips pulled back over suspiciously-pronounced canines as she nearly doubled over. "You did, didn't you?" she managed, looking at the pair with unapologetic (if somewhat more sympathetic, for Sekhmet) amusement. "I thought you smelled thin for gods - you brought yourselves low. You took all that ego and all that power and shoved enough of it aside that you could slip through the cracks."

"In which case," Gaian Knight cut her off, shooting the woman a look that she politely acknowledged by shutting up, though she looked no less delighted, "In which case, any enemies you might have are less likely to follow you but a lot more likely to send things like those snake women, to try to attack while you're relatively weak, once they find out...if they haven't already."

[Gizmo]

Set made a nonplussed face that soon turned rueful at Fleur's blasé reaction. "Hrm, 'tough room', yes? Twas a time mortals were impressed by things like making fire or surviving decapitation. No longer, haha!"

Sekhmet's shoulders actually slumped slightly for an instant before she regained her proper posture. "Ra's wisdom was that, being physically inclined, I would have less trouble acting with a sliver of my usual power." The goddess' voice was tight and controlled, betraying no emotion but her fingernails were beginning to leave appreciable marks in the conference table where she gripped it.

"More likely His Sun-Shininess knew you would be least likely to balk at such an order, Mistress of Dread," Set snorted, more derisive of the one giving the order than the one following it. "Regardless, tis much more to godhood than raw power! And tis not even the best part," he added, grinning broadly as though about to deliver a punchline. "The greater part of Sekhmet's might resides safely in Heliopolis, yes. Mine? I have no idea! Not destroyed, certainly, no more that my current incarnation. A mystery indeed, haha! Exciting!"

[Avenger Assembled]

Frost sat across the table and stared at Set and Sekhmet for a long moment before rising to his feet. "You poor people," he finally said. "And I mean this with every word. To fall from heavens, even by choice, is no small thing. And here you are on Earth, and things are as they are." He hmmed for a moment, then brightened himself, clapping his hands together and raising a faint puff of white mist. "And for now, this is delightful! Come, we shall find you both honest proletarian work and it will be marvelous, yes. If you regain divine heritage and turn yourself to wickedness, you will be defeated again, as is the way of the world, and if not..." He shrugged. "As for my Lady Hel," he said sociably, "she is as ever Death, cold and grey and patient. You could learn much from this. Say, there is thought. Have the two of you an education in the ways of 21st century - this can be easily arranged. " 

[trollthumper]

That was one of the last things Nick wanted to hear. "Just so I'm clear on this," he said, "you cut off a portion of your divinity so that you could slip the bonds of the Pact. That I understand. Gods are the types of people who can take out their own heart and juggle with it." He fixed a stare on Set - he didn't often engage in staredowns with deities, but he had to bring what he could to the table. "And all that power," he said, his voice dropping the temperature of the room by a degree, "is floating around somewhere in the realms divine, and you have no idea where it is. Gotta say, you sound pretty cavalier for someone who's got their ka lying about where anyone could touch it."

 

[Electra]

Fleur let the conversation go on around her for a few moments as she studied the brash young godling. For someone who'd been dumped on Earth with a fraction of his former power in an apparent bid to keep him out of the way, Set seemed remarkably cheerful about his situation. She wondered if he could be putting up a brave facade, but if he was, he was the finest actor she'd ever seen. He certainly seemed happier to be on Earth than in Heliopolis, and she supposed she couldn't blame him for that. It didn't sound like it had been a pleasant place for him. Even so, his lack of healthy fear was likely to make it harder to keep him out of trouble, even with Sekhmet riding him full time. 

 

"I'm not sure there's much we can do now about godly powers lost in another dimension," she suggested gently to Nick, "though you're right it's something to be concerned about. For the moment, we should try and address the more mundane concerns that we can do something about. Do either of you have a place to stay?" she asked the traveling pair. "Do you need to eat or sleep in the bodies you have now? The League has resources to help indigents from other realms get on their feet and get established on Earth Prime." 

[Fox]

Gaian Knight didn't like the idea of all that power floating around somewhere either - especially Set's, as it sounded like at least Sekhmet's godly might was safeguarded - but Fleur had a point; there wasn't much the lowly mortals could do about it at this point. Just one more thing to keep him up at night, he supposed.

"We can likely offer some help with setting up a modern identity, as well, if you feel the need for one - it's useful to be able to blend into society sometimes rather than standing out as heroes 24/7. It wouldn't be immediate - there's a lot of paperwork - but if you think you're going to want the help we'll probably want to get started sooner rather than later. I'm told it's a lot harder to hide in mortal guise than it was in the good old days," he chuckled. "At least for any length of time."

[Gizmo]

"Eh, Heaven is not what it once was," Set opined, waving away Frost's sympathies with an airy wave of his hand paired with a somewhat more gracious smile. "Pity them for having fallen away from Set! But you, oh handsome but high-strung hermetic, worry too much," he continued turning to Nick's terse rebuke with a winning grin, leaning back in his seat at the conference table. "You wield your might over death, yes? Is this a 'safe' power? Naturally not! How many of you champions received your magnificent gifts in an orderly, predicted manner? Not the stout scribe with the peace bound sword, I suspect. Assuredly not Hel's draugr!" With a light laugh the godling interwove his fingers behind his head of brick red dreadlocks. "Change is good, the new is good! Uncertainty is the chance for growth, you see?"

Sekhmet made a sound vehement enough to be closer to a retch than a snort. "Excuses from a sower of chaos," she accused, giving the shorter deity a steely look and crossing her arms over her chest.

"If you insist, I suppose," Set allowed with a shrug. "That doesn't make me any less correct! Know that if my wayward might become a danger, I shall take responsibility and deal with it summarily. Nothing you need crease your collective brows over!" The pledge seemed genuine if perhaps overconfident. "In the meantime! ...hm. Do we need to eat?" Poking his exposed stomach with one finger, the youth considered the question carefully. "An astute question, oh rarest of blossoms. Sekhmet, are you hungry?"

"I am a lioness," she responded curtly, lips pulling back enough to draw attention to her teeth. "My hunger and thirst are legend, never stated, never slaked."

"That would be a 'yes', then."

[trollthumper]

Nick had to admit, he hadn't exactly come upon his own set of gifts in the most orderly fashion. Both he and Set likely had the whole "death" thing in common. He'd had his own powers thrust upon him, and they'd certainly changed how he'd viewed the world. Then again, before all that, I'd just been a high schooler who wanted to be James Dean. Not, y'know, a god. But he figured that if Set was going to set up shop on Earth, it might be best to help him with his everyday concerns. The matter of his missing power could come later.

"I hear there's a good shawarma place a few blocks down..."

[Electra]

"That sounds like a good idea," Fleur agreed with some relief. "Nick, if you could set up a delivery so we don't all have to change clothes, I'll call over to the Cline Building and see if there are any special circumstances apartments open. Hopefully something with two bedrooms," she added, looking at the young godling and his fearsome guard. "Once you get more established in the city, you'll probably want to find housing on your own, but the Cline is a good place to start out. Many immigrants and transients stay there, so it's always interesting, and you'll be able to get advice on jobs and adapting to life on Earth Prime. The apartments are small but it's very nice," she assured them. "I have friends who've lived there." 

[Avenger Assembled]

"Good good," said Frost seriously, nodding in satisfaction at the words of the two new arrivals as he took in his own interpretation of their reaction to their situation. "It is well that you are ready to be man as well as god. And woman as well as lioness," he added to Sekhmet, mindful not to exclude the ferocious lion-woman. "Whatever fate has brought you here, I am sure you will master it as so many have before." He broke out in a smile and walked away from the pair, folding his hands and taking his seat again at the table. "In the meantime, ah, such a delightful report this will make. Gods made mortal, gods defeated by heroes, and the world becoming so much...sunnier! Even with god of darkness among us! Albeit rather...lighter than he once was."