ic Empire of Emerald and Jade

[EternalPhoenix]

March 24, 2017. Freedom City. Various places. Mid-Afternoon.

 

Six heroes. Varying ages. Varying skillsets. Varying modus operandi. All of who sudden vanished off the face of the earth. There was no flash of light, no psychedelic tube of travelling. It was simply six people who were one place and then suddenly not. But from their perspective, they had not moved. The world had suddenly become different around them. And yet much the same. What had happened wasn’t hard to figure out. This was not their world.

 

*****************

 

It had taken Terrifica moments to figure out she wasn’t on her Earth anymore. The lack of tailpipes on the cars was one big clue. Another was the lack of trash on the street. A dozen subtle things that simply were wrong. Fear and curiosity mixed. Her motorcycle was a dimensional wall away, and it was highly unlikely even cash would be of any assistance. So, she was walking. It was indeed The Fens, but..not. The signs of poverty and desperation were…gone. There were people around, of course, but they were moving with a purpose in mind. No loitering on street corners, front stoops, or building lobbies. She fought back anxiety at being stranded. Away from home. From family. First things first. Find a library. Assuming they hadn’t been banned in this dimension, clues would be easy enough to find in one. Newpapers, history books, geography, even encyclopedias could be useful in getting her bearings.

 

*****************

 

In her chambers, the Empress, her Imperial Majesty, Savior of Humanity & Mother of The Modern World, was kind of annoyed. “So. You’re telling me either the dimensional transporter I designed and built failed to function, or that you are the kind of idiot who can’t read simple information displays.” She waved her hand at an apologetic courtier. “No, don’t strain yourself trying to answer. Like always, I already know what happened. There was a flicker from the Terminus. Slight, but enough to throw off the location calculations. it wasn't unexpected.” She pulled back a sleeve and pressed at the flexible flatscreen on her wrist. “I’ve just uploaded the tracker program. It’s based on a combination of their dimensional and super power energy signatures, which were recorded during transport.” She saved her hand at the courtier, dismissing him. “Go. Find them and bring them to me. Gods know I can’t trust you to explain the problem to them.”

Edited April 4, 2017 by EternalPhoenix
Chrome doesn't have DNA, so...new tracking method. Yep.

[Droideka]

Gallant looked about in confusion, once twice, three times as he moved slowly down the street. The people on the sidewalks, in the stores and restaurants, in cars passing by on the road, they all barely gave him a second glance. People who hadn't been there but five minutes ago, for you see, the entire block was abandoned. Most of those buildings were either condemned or near to it. The criminals he had chased, thieves of a low caliber, had chosen it as a location for their base for that exact reason. He had moved in, defeated them all swiftly, waited for the tell-tale sounds of sirens, but as soon as he moved to exit everything seemed to change around him. What strange magic must have been cast on him?

 

He stopped at a crosswalk. A sudden flash of panic shot through him, a thought that sounded different than the ones that normally resided in his mind. His dear sisters, he needed to check on them. He picked up his pace, turning into a nearby alleyway and as much out of sight as he could get as he headed toward the apartments they lived in.

[Kolohehonu]

Hyperactive had gotten stranded in alternate universes before. He had also learned pretty early that the quickest way home from an alternate dimension was to find that world's Waco Warriors.  Or whatever they called themselves on that world. Dr. Orion was always quick to put him back into his world. Two Hyperactives was invariably too many for him. 

 

Yet when he got to Waco he noticed the differences. Of course most of them were good, the place was nicer, if quieter. People moved with purpose. There were no police cars or beggars. People looked at his costume very strangely which was probably worth worrying about.

 

Then came the truly not so great discovery. A simple memorial on Baylor's campus, odd though there weren't really any students around. A set of statues in two rings. Dr. Orion, Druid, and Alan Alchemy stood in the middle a step above the rest. Below them were the rest posed in battle: The Angels, Mystery Master, Black Hornet. Hyperactive stood in front of the last two figures: Vagabond and Triple Threat, the two women he loved. He ran his fingers along his wife's Doppleganger's hand. She had died here, and apparently he hadn't. Or they had decided not to make him a statue. Or he had killed them. Which was definitely the worst of the options. In any case this had just taken a turn for the worst. 

 

Edited March 26, 2017 by Kolohehonu

[Heritage]

Lynn Epstein was working in her office at Silberman's Books when all the books on the bookshelves suddenly changed, the wide variety of multicolored spines suddenly all becoming black and green. The changeling reflexively tried to shift her senses to any number of pieces of glamour she'd created throughout the store, but was horrified to discover she was effectively deaf and blind.  Even more terrifying, she was unable to reach Gretchen, which meant she was well and truly alone.

 

Alternate dimension; has to be. S###! Well, time to gather some intel, and-

 

At that moment, someone opened the office door, forcing Lynn to shrink down to pixie size and dive under the desk; whoever it was paused for several seconds, probably due to sensing the sudden in-rush of air associated with the transformation, but those few precious moments gave the tiny heroine a chance to zip out the door and make a break for it.  Once in a dark corner of the store, she could return to normal size but remain undetectable to most human senses, all the better to get her bearings.

 

First up, it was called 'Imperial Bookstore', which had an ominous ring to it, all the books were printed by the Imperial Press (which was even worse), and the most prolific co-author was the Empress herself, 'Qiaolian Song', which was just...beyond creepy. Both the employees and the patrons looked healthy enough, but there was no idle chitchat or loitering; everyone moved like parts of a well-oiled machine. 

 

I need to get up high, get the lay of the land.

 

Following a departing customer out into the street, the changeling then took to the air for a better view.

Edited April 1, 2017 by Heritage

[KnightDisciple]

Carson had been entering grades when suddenly...things weren't quite what they had been. The desk was different, the computer was really different, and none of his things were where they ought to be. And then someone walked in the door. The older man stared for a moment, and Carson was thankful he had the superhuman hearing he did to give him warning. It was the only reason he was standing by the desk instead of sitting behind it. 

 

"Who are-"

 

"Sorry, wrong office. Have a good day!" 

 

With that, he was off before the professor could object, carefully, smoothly weaving his way through the milling students and staff in the hallways. He was soon outside, walking around the campus of a subtly different and changed Freedom College. It looked cleaner, neater, newer, fresher...but something felt off. It wasn't the buildings, it was the people..

 

Before long he was navigating the streets, moving smoothly among people, just another guy out on the town. Of course, everyone seemed more...focused...than he'd ever seen Freedom City people. That was just confirmation he was in some other world. And until he knew the lay of the land, he'd have to try and avoid being too overt. Unless things got dicey, at any rate.

[Raveled]

Warren couldn't explain exactly what it was, but something was screaming at him that the whole city was just wrong. He walked down the street in his civvies, head on a swivel as he tried to take it all in. There weren't any obvious problems, no sirens in the distance or fires on the horizon. There wasn't anyone screaming in terror, there wasn't even any horns --

 

Ah. That was it. There were no horns, no squealing tires, just everyone proceeding smoothly and calmly down the street in a way that only existed in car commericals.  He stood at a corner for a few minutes and watched the steady, smooth, and incident-free procession of traffic. It was spooky.

[EternalPhoenix]

GM

 

Gallant

 

Gallant reached his neighborhood, only to find someone standing in the entranceway to his sisters’ apartment building. A middle aged blond woman with blue eyes, wearing what appeared to be an official uniform. It consisted of a green suit jacket and tie, with the pants and shirt being black and white respectively. There was, of all things, a shield strapped to her back. She was looking around, and (oh, dear), spotted him. She did not, however, raise an alarm or point at the dimensional trespasser. She simply waved in greeting, and kept on waiting. Right in his way.

 

**************

 

Hyperactive

 

There was a voice from behind Hyperactive. “I’d check the dates on those. They died twenty five years ago.” It was a young black woman, in similar garb to the one Gallant had just met. Only hers was a looser fit, favoring a more movement oriented style. She had a bow and a quiver strapped to her back. “Knew you were fast, but whew. Satellites can barely keep up. I don’t have that problem, but I’m not a satellite either.” She grinned, not a little cockily, and glanced at the statue. She sobered a bit. “Do miss Mom, though. And Dad, well….” She shot him a look. “Sure is nice to see you again.” She looked at him earnestly for just long enough to make it believable, and then started laughing. “I’m kidding, I’m kidding.” She half doubled over, she was so amused. “The look on your face…” She straightened, all laughed out. “Nah, I wasn’t born when they put this statue up, and we’ve never met. I’m Arrow Ace, Imperial Defense Force. The Empress needs to speak with you. It’s the kind of thing she’d ask them-”she indicated the statue-“to do, but they’ve been gone for a while.”

 

**************

 

Grimalkin

 

Grim, once outside, saw a most curious sight. Two people who could not any more obviously be, at least partly,of Fae blood (dressed in a similar uniform to the two earlier women) were looking for someone. One was male, and the other was female. The (brown haired and eyed) male had a sword at his side. The female (her human part appeared Chinese) sported glittering wings and she was beginning to speak. “Well, Pip, do you see her?”

 

“Pip” just rolled his eyes. “You know that isn’t my name, Pixiedust.” He had a stiff British accent. Every word precise with not a single wasted syllable.

 

“Pixiedust” pouted. “Fine. Don’t call me Pixiedust and I won’t call you Pip.”

 

“Pip” nodded. “Fair exchange is no robbery. And no, I don’t see her.”

 

“Pixiedust” frowned. “Honoka would see her.”

 

“Pip” didn’t bat an eye. “She can’t see through illusions. I can. Speaking of.” He pointed. Right at Grim. “Right there. Ma’am, do you mind if we talk a bit? Fair and honest negotiation? Completely aboveboard?”

 

**************

 

Gabriel

 

The more Carson walked, the more he became sure he was being followed. It was by no means even a mediocre job. She wasn’t even trying to hide it. She was small, slight, and of Japanese descent. She was in green and black, almost like a suit. Or a uniform. The more he looked, the more it actually seemed like she was trying to catch up to him, but her (much) shorter legs, the irregularity of the crowd, and her apparent timidity were all working against her. “Give ‘er points for effort, I guess.” The voice came from a black haired and green eyed man walking next to Carson. He’d just appeared to be a part of the crowd until this moment, when he’d sidled up while Carson was distracted by the girl. On second inspection, he was dressed much the same as the girl, but while she was meticulously tidy, he was about as sloppily dressed as a person could be and still claim that status. A set of silver headphones around his neck and a guitar of the same shade strapped to his back completed the terminal slacker look. “…we chat for a bit? All this walkin’s wearin’ me out, man. There’s a café up ahead.”

 

**************

 

Chrome

 

“Nice day, isn’t it?” There was an Indian woman standing next to Warren. She was wearing the uniform, but her suit jacket had been changed to a lab coat, she’d exchanged the tie for a ribbon bowtie, and her belt was quite oversized for its purpose. Her accent was a bit strange. Not quite British, Indian, or any shade of American. “Sun is shining. Everyone’s getting along. The Empress still reigns. All is right with the world.” She looked at him, and he could she was middle aged. “You mind walking with me for a while? There’s a job for you. Something only you can do.” She turned back away, looking at the smooth traffic. “Interested?”

Edited April 1, 2017 by EternalPhoenix

[Kolohehonu]

"Miss Ace, Is that reputation from this Earth or my Earth?" Hyperactive asked. "I haven't even been around twenty five years. And unless I'm pretty off, neither have you. You sure sounded convincing." Hyperactive knelt down and examined a plaque and as far as he could tell backed up her story. 

 

"On my Earth this is where the Immortal Ten have their statue. I hope your Empress didn't tear that down to put this up. But I suppose they tell the story every year round these parts." He was trying to stay calm, the whole joke with pretending to be his daughter had shaken him up. At least he hoped that was what she meant.  "So if this was a job for the Warriors that means she wants it handled low key I assume." 

[KnightDisciple]

6 hours ago, EternalPhoenix said:

GM

 

Gabriel

 

The more Carson walked, the more he became sure he was being followed. It was by no means even a mediocre job. She wasn’t even trying to hide it. She was small, slight, and of Japanese descent. She was in green and black, almost like a suit. Or a uniform. The more he looked, the more it actually seemed like she was trying to catch up to him, but her (much) shorter legs, the irregularity of the crowd, and her apparent timidity were all working against her. “Give ‘er points for effort, I guess.” The voice came from a black haired and green eyed man walking next to Carson. He’d just appeared to be a part of the crowd until this moment, when he’d sidled up while Carson was distracted by the girl. On second inspection, he was dressed much the same as the girl, but while she was meticulously tidy, he was about as sloppily dressed as a person could be and still claim that status. A set of silver headphones around his neck and a guitar of the same shade strapped to his back completed the terminal slacker look. “…we chat for a bit? All this walkin’s wearin’ me out, man. There’s a café up ahead.”

 

Carson just idly regarded the man, showing mild surprise on his face. 

 

"Hm? I suppose we can talk. Not sure what about, though!"

 

He seems surprised, confused, and humble. Most anyone'd believe it, too. 

 

"Lead the way, Mister..."

 

Clearly fishing for a name, then. 

[Droideka]

Gallant gave his best smile and sent a small wave back toward the woman, before running hand through his messy hair. Internally, he felt a bit frustrated. The fear that had shot through him had briefly compromised his rational thought, and in turn had almost led to him compromising his relations. He moved towards a nearby crowd of civilians near a marble fountain, his eyes shifting back over to the woman once more.

 

She didn't appear to be guarding the building, as tenants easily went in and out past her, and every few seconds her eyes would move to him once more. She was here for him, then. He tapped his against his scabbard as he weighed his options, this time glancing around the crowd. He had missed it initially, but it appeared there was another suited woman nearby. This one much bigger, and though she was currently at a bench feeding birds it was clear he was her sole interest. Across the road, sitting at a nearby coffee shop was yet another suit, this one a short male, his eyes again trained on him.  

 

'Best to get it over with, I suppose...'

 

He smiled and waved to each of his observers in turn as he sidled up beside the blonde woman. He stood, attempting as best he could to appear casual for several seconds before leaning over to her conspiratorially.

 

"You and your friends seem quite taken with me. Were I a more nervous sort, I'm certain my cheeks would be radiant as the sun!" He chuckled softly, his eyes behind the mask sizing the woman and her well-crafted shield. "Care to inform me what I've done to catch your interest so?" 

[Raveled]

Warren looked the woman up and down quickly, trying to read her and coming away blank. That outfit certainly didn't seem to be the regular fashion, but something about how she was wearing it made him think that it wasn't the normal way it was supposed to look like, either. And was that an honest-to-God shield on her back? In any case, it was probably just best to rely on the hologram projector and play dumb. "I don't know who you think I am, ma'am, but you're mistaken. I'm just a kid, uh." He looked around quickly and spotted a sandwich shop, realizing that it was almost lunchtime and that his nanites could always use more fuel. Especially if he wasn't exactly in Freedom City anymore. "I'm just getting lunch!"

 

Warren turned and walked into the shop, walking straight up the counter. "Um, yeah, hi. I'll have the turkey club on wheat bread, a bag of chips, and a water." He dug out his wallet and started counting out bills. "And hold the mayo, please."

 

The boy behind the counter, not too much older than Warren, suddenly stopped punching in the order. "You don't want mayo? But... that's on the club sandwich. That's supposed to be on the club sandwich. Why would you order the club sandwich if you don't want mayo?"

 

Warren felt goosebumps on the back of his neck and waved with the hand holding his money, swiping the order out of the air. "Don't worry about it. I'll just have the regular club, with the mayo."

 

Now, though, the other boy was watching the dollar bills in Warren's hand. "What's that? Where's your food card?"

[Heritage]

Standing invisibly on the roof of 'her' bookstore, Lynn noticed many things; for starters, the West End no longer seemed to be a neighborhood of old Jews and young hipsters. The crowd of people she saw was so diverse, in terms of age, gender and ethnicity, that it suggested some form of major urban planning, or even a lottery system, because in Lynn's experience for good or bad humans normally group together based on like or dislike, or else followed current socioeconomic trends, with one group gradually taking over a neighborhood as another moved out.

 

Also the West End, while never as trashy as say the Fens or parts of Greenbank, was never this clean, nor did the air smell this fresh; her sensitive nose didn't pick up even a hint of internal combustion on the wind. Instead the changeling saw solar panels on every roof and the hazy outlines of several wind farms in the distance.

 

Finally a thought hit her.

 

Everything I'm seeing is based on science and logic; it's like all the issues Mom railed against my whole life were cleared away in one fell swoop. Did Neil Degrasse Tyson find a Ring of Three Wishes or something? No, not Neil; he still has a sense of fun and silliness. This was either done by machines or maybe aliens like the Vulcans; pure logic and ruthless efficiency.

 

And then she noticed the clearly fae-touched couple in uniform...and the fact that they noticed her. Well, point in hiding, she guessed as she dismissed her cloak of glamour with a wave of her hand.

 

"Ah, yes...okay. Be right down." She dropped down to pavement and did a little roll, jumping up to her feet in one smooth motion. Noting the pair's elfin features, she pointed to them and scratched her head. "What's with the faerie blood? I'd figure Lord Vader or whoever's in charge would have outlawed magic, along with religion and any other 'superstitions'."

Edited April 2, 2017 by Heritage

[EternalPhoenix]

GM

 

Hyperactive

 

Arrow Ace shrugged. “I don’t know. Your Earth is as much a mystery to me as mine is to you.” She crossed her arms. “Never heard of the Immortal Ten, but history’s not my subject anyway. You can ask Her Majesty when you see her.” There was a little something in the way she said that, like that not happening was inconceivable. “She knows just about everything about just about everything. And what she doesn’t know she knows how to find out as quickly as possible.” She walked up to be a bit closer to him. “Low key is right. It’s a big problem, and Her Majesty doesn’t want the public alarmed needlessly. I’m not trusted with the details, though, so if you’re in you’ll just have to come with me to see her. The only thing I know is that innocent lives are at risk.” She grinned again. “So, how about it?”

 

**********************

 

Gabriel

 

“Hendricks. James Hendricks. Codename’s Ultrasonic, though.” The café was right where James said it would be, and they took an outdoor table. “The lady is Honoka Takei, codename Kyojin. We’re with the Imperial Defense Force. I was only half listening during the briefing, so I’m not sure why, but we need your help.” Since they were stationary, it didn’t take long for Kyojin to reach them.

 

“Jimmy, you left me behind!” The girl was annoyed with him, but not really.

 

James didn’t notice her distress. It seemed like this wasn’t the first or the last time he would get scolded for carelessness.  “Do you remember why we need him? I had my headphones on during the briefing and I missed some stuff.”

 

Honoka sighed helplessly and shrugged off her annoyance. “Let’s see…The Empress teleported 5 heroes here from Prime-that’s what they call it there-to help save innocent lives from a dangerous threat. We’re supposed to be discreet, so the people aren’t alarmed unnecessarily. We’re not trusted with the details, so we take him to Her Majesty and she’ll explain.”

 

James looked at Gabriel. “Well, you hear the lady. What do you say?”

 

**********************

 

Gallant

 

“Gabrielle Howard, Imperial Defense Force.” The woman introduced herself before doing anything. She had the bearing of a career soldier, but there was no disdain in her voice for a civilian. This was strictly business. “Long story short, you’ve been brought to another Earth to help save innocent lives. I’m standing here because the version of you that was born here is upstairs with his sisters, and lacks the powers you possess.” She flicked her eyes at the other IDF members in the area. Her professional mien cracked slightly with irritation. “Those are trainees who should have stayed on base.. I appreciate their concern but their presence is unnecessary and I will deal with them later.” The other uniformed persons abruptly looked panicked and quickly departed. Gabrielle sighed lightly. “At any rate, we need your help. Will you give it to us?”

 

**********************

 

Chrome

 

“Don’t worry about it. Put it on my tab, all right.” It was the woman again. She’d followed Warren inside. The eyes of the boy behind the counter grew big as saucers.

 

“Yes ma’am!”

 

“And let him have it without mayo if he likes. Or haven’t you finished the training program yet?” She was being perfectly polite and even a bit nice, but somehow she still managed to be vaguely threatening.

 

“Not yet, ma’am! I’m halfway through it, ma’am!”

 

The woman only sighed. “Remind your employer that only employees who have successfully completed the training program are allowed to serve customers. In the meantime, please make my young friend his sandwich.”

 

“Yes, ma’am!” He got right to work. The people inside all abruptly pretended to not have been watching intently.

 

The woman addressed Warren once again. “I apologize. I should have led with this. My name is Ishanvi, and this isn’t your Earth. I think you’ve realized that by now. You’ve been brought here for a reason. There are lives in danger, and you are one of the few who can do anything about it. If you’re willing to go with me, the Empress will explain everything.” She smiled, but it didn’t entirely reach her eyes. “It can, of course, wait until your sandwich is ready.”

 

**********************

 

Grimalkin

 

“Pixiedust” was the one to answer Grim. “That’s just silly. We don’t throw away things that can be useful. Heck, I’m a mage myself and proud to serve in the IDF.”

 

“Pip” nodded his agreement. “Too right. Though the truth of it is the purebreds aren’t allowed in the mortal realm without a pass, and us mixed-breeds are more and more rare in this day and age. At any rate, you should have figured out you’re not in Kansas anymore. It wasn’t an accident. We have a problem that needs discreet handling, and you’ve been transported in to join the team.”

 

“Pixiedust” ‘s wings started humming and she began to hover. “It is voluntary, of course. If you want to just go home, the Empress will send you back. But I doubt that. There’re lives in danger, and it’s almost entirely up to you to help.”

 

“Pip” took over from there. “The lady is correct. However, we’re not trusted with the details so you’ll have to meet with Her Majesty regardless.” He paused for a moment. “For the record, my name is Dean Borchardt, and this is Xianghua Wang. We’re with the Imperial Defense Force, which is why we’re in uniform.”

Edited April 4, 2017 by EternalPhoenix

[EternalPhoenix]

PC

 

Terrifica had snuck her way into a public library. So far, this world was definitely different. She didn’t find it entirely unpleasant. There was a certain order she appreciated. Less mess and loitering. It was almost the world as she wished it to be, and that very thought set her teeth on edge. She had to find out what kind of world she was in. She realized she stood out like a sore thumb, but the look that one person gave her bare face was extremely alarming. And so, here she was, in the non-fiction section of the public library. She’d start with a newspaper. The date was correct. The name of the paper was different, but that was to be expected. The headlines seemed normal enough, if a bit banal compared to her world. It seemed to be just..what?

 

A caption below the fold stole her breath. Empress Reports All Well With Tuvalu Reclaimation Efforts, the headline read. And beside it, the picture was of an older woman, practically dressed for overseeing work in the Tropical Pacific. The face was the one she saw in the mirror every morning, just older. The caption read Her Imperial Majesty, seen here yesterday, personally supervising Phase III of the project. Terrifica couldn’t breathe. She all but fell into a chair, the newpaper drifting to the floor. She was the Empress. The version of her that lived her ruled the world. Terrifica knew herself. She knew what she would have to do to take over like that. And that highly vaunted intellect simply locked up in horror, over what someone much like her had done. It was her recurring nightmare, only now it was reality.

Edited April 4, 2017 by EternalPhoenix

[KnightDisciple]

9 hours ago, EternalPhoenix said:

GM

Gabriel

 

“Hendricks. James Hendricks. Codename’s Ultrasonic, though.” The café was right where James said it would be, and they took an outdoor table. “The lady is Honoka Takei, codename Kyojin. We’re with the Imperial Defense Force. I was only half listening during the briefing, so I’m not sure why, but we need your help.” Since they were stationary, it didn’t take long for Kyojin to reach them.

 

“Jimmy, you left me behind!” The girl was annoyed with him, but not really.

 

James didn’t notice her distress. It seemed like this wasn’t the first or the last time he would get scolded for carelessness.  “Do you remember why we need him? I had my headphones on during the briefing and I missed some stuff.”

 

Honoka sighed helplessly and shrugged off her annoyance. “Let’s see…The Empress teleported 5 heroes here from Prime-that’s what they call it there-to help save innocent lives from a dangerous threat. We’re supposed to be discreet, so the people aren’t alarmed unnecessarily. We’re not trusted with the details, so we take him to Her Majesty and she’ll explain.”

 

James looked at Gabriel. “Well, you hear the lady. What do you say?”

 

Carson calmly took a seat, slouching just slightly, supporting his head with one hand. His eyes were half-lidded, and he seemed unconcerned. The confusion seemed mostly gone.

 

"Good to meet you, Mister Hendricks, Miss Takei. Even if the circumstances are...odd."

 

He didn't move his eyes to glance around the cafe. Too obvious. Instead he relied on his hearing, and his body's innate sense of its surroundings, enhanced by all those wonderful little nodes that Miss Americana had told him about. 

 

"Hm. Hm. Hm."

 

His hand not supporting his head idly rested on the table, the fingers lazily tapping out a beat. One-two-three-four. One-two-three-four.

 

"I think, if you're not even told all the details, the only rational thing to do is speak to this Empress."

One-two-three-four. One-two-three-four.

"Never thought I'd meet even a Queen face-to-face, let alone an Empress. And here I thought meeting with the Pope that one time was the highest I'd go."

One-two-three-four. One-two-three-four.

 

Then he stopped and stood suddenly, brushing off his slacks and his dress shirt. His tastefully understated watch catches the light just so while he does so. Without even trying, he manages to cut a dashing, handsome figure. The sort some might expect on a magazine cover, or so he was told. That natural Irish accent of his, well, it just enhanced the charm. 

 

"Well. No use keeping Her Majesty waiting, now is there? Shall we be about it?"

[Raveled]

Warren didn't know what to think of this woman have a regular tab at a random sandwich shop. Was that a thing people usually had? Of course everything said that he wasn't in his usual universe so maybe that was a normal thing around here. In any case he was hungry and this person was paying, so he shouldn't be rude to her. "Alright, sure, I can meet your Empress." He glanced at the store workers creating the sandwich, noticing how they moved so carefully they took three attempts to grip the mayo bottle, before they remembered to put it back. "I don't suppose she has a different name? It'd be weird to just call her Miss Empress all the time. 'Thanks for lunch, Miss Empress.' 'I'd love to help with your problem, Miss Empress.' 'Those shoes don't really go with that dress, Miss Empress.'"

[Kolohehonu]

"Well I'm sure I can tell you their story a little later." Hyperactive said. It was becoming clearer and clearer that the only way home to Emily was by helping this Empress. That and he was the only one of the Warriors here, he had to help.

"In that case miss Ace, if it's low key heroics you need and I have to speak to this Empress," Hyperactive locked his faceshield in place. "I'll give you a head start." There was a brief pause. "That's a whole lot funnier on my world." 

[Heritage]

When Lynn first heard the mention of 'IDF', she began to imagine all sorts of bizarre alternate universe theories, based on her associations with the term; oddly enough, the revelation that these two changelings actually served some sort of empress made much more sense!

 

"Okay, I'm willing to come along and listen, and probably help."

 

And here she collapsed in on herself as she shrunk down to pixie size, fully adopting the identity as Grimalkin as she, too, hovered in the air, her two pairs of gossamer wings humming on her back.

 

"But let me ask you something, if I may; what is Her Majesty's official policy on religion?"

Edited April 5, 2017 by Heritage

[Droideka]

Gallant narrowed his eyes at the mention of his sisters, though his smile did not drop. He would have to figure that out later. 

 

"I would be delighted to help on any heroic matters, Madame Howard!" He glanced about the area, noting that the officers in question appeared to be trying to shrink into themselves. "Your friends seem cowed, for the moment. Should we go pick them up, or will you be detailing my quest right here?"

[EternalPhoenix]

GM

 

Gabriel

 

Honoka blushed like a schoolgirl (which, as noted, she had been not all that long ago) and stammered a bit. James raised his eyebrows in amusement. “Sure thing.” He touched the inside of his ear. “Ultrasonic here. Three to port in.” There was some chatter on the other end, inaudible to Gabriel. “Sure, sure. Take your time. We’re in no real rush.”

 

Honoka stammered a little more before speaking to Gabriel. She was purposefully not looking at him. “DC’s network gets a little busy sometimes. So many people coming and going out of the Central Complex.” The world started to fade from view for all three of them. “Oh, there we go.” It was an odd feeling, like they were in two places at once. Until they suddenly weren’t.  They were standing (despite James having still been seated earlier) on what was recognizably a teleport pad big enough for eight. It was surrounded on three sides by dark green walls. The sole opening led to a red and black patterned carpet hallway. It had only one physical exit, and no operators were in sight.

 

Honoka stepped off the pad and onto the carpeting. “Welcome to HQ. If you need to change, the compartment is shielded.” James followed, and the two waited for Gabriel.

 

**********************

 

Chrome

 

Ishanvi smiled at him. It was slightly like watching a tiger or a shark smile. “Her name is Qiaolian Song. She isn’t the type to stand on formality, so address her by her name or titles, however you choose.” The workers were quickly finishing Warren’s sandwich. “I wouldn’t worry about her shoes matching her dress, however. She had impeccable taste.” A different worker from the first handed Warren his sandwich. Ishanvi touched a finger to her ear. “We’re ready here.” One teleport sequence later, they were on a different pad from Gabriel. However, they were only a few dozen feet down the hall. Ishanvi stepped off the pad. “If you want to change before we go in, the compartment is shielded. And no one here will care what you look like. Especially the allies from your world.” It was almost as if she knew what Warren was. But that was impossible. Right?

 

**********************

 

Hyperactive

 

Arrow Ace grinned again. “I have a faster way.” She touched her finger to her ear. “Yeah, it’s Toni. Took a run down to Waco, but we’re ready now.” She paused for the other speaker. “Oh, you know us speedy types, always running off somewhere.” The teleport effect took hold of them, and they were suddenly on a third teleport pad, with the same hallway beyond it. Arrow Ace stepped off the pad. “We’re here.  Oh, and Arrow Ace is just a codename. My name is Alyson Antonia Arroway. You can call me Toni. We Jade Dragons don’t stand on formality that much.” She looked distracted for a few moments. “Sounds like everyone’s here. Let’s go meet everyone”

 

**********************

 

Grimalkin

 

Dean looked slightly uncomfortable. “I don’t have much use for it, myself. I wouldn’t know.” He touched his finger to his ear and started speaking softly.

 

Xianghua, on the other hand shrugged. “Same as magic. Some of it’s useful and so we keep it around. The parts that weren’t useful or were actually harmful, got reworked until they weren’t anymore.” She tilted her head, listening. “Teleport’s incoming.” The world faded, and then they were on yet another teleport pad, with the hallway beyond. “Don’t ask how that works. It just does.” She flew off the platform, Dean close behind. “This is HQ. We’re getting the five of you together first, and then you’ll meet the Empress.”

 

**********************

 

Gallant

 

Gabrielle seemed slightly amused by the chivalry Gallant was putting on display. “It’s Captain Howard, normally. My associates can find their own way home. We’re taking the express route.” She touched a finger to her ear. “This is Captain Howard. You may initiate transport when ready.” The teleport effect took them, and they arrived at the fifth teleport pad. The same hallway was beyond. Gabrielle strode briskly into the hallway and looked it up and down. She then waited for him to come out into the hall.

 

**********************

 

Everyone

 

The IDF members got together. Honoka and Xianghua locked arms, reasserting their partnership. James and Ishanvi exchanged a few quiet words. Dean and Arrow Ace kept their eyes on the Prime group. Gabrielle cleared her throat to get everyone’s attention. “Jade Dragon squad. Good work out there. Current orders are to escort the VIPs to the Empress’s briefing. After that, see to their personal needs before transport to the operational area. As you know, this a top priority assignment. Keep it together, and we’ll be finished by the end of the day.” She about faced. “My instructions are to join you for the briefing. My squad will remain outside. If you need anything, please ask who you teleported in with for assistance. Are there any questions, or can we proceed?”

[KnightDisciple]

2 hours ago, EternalPhoenix said:

GM

 

Gabriel

 

Honoka blushed like a schoolgirl (which, as noted, she had been not all that long ago) and stammered a bit. James raised his eyebrows in amusement. “Sure thing.” He touched the inside of his ear. “Ultrasonic here. Three to port in.” There was some chatter on the other end, inaudible to Gabriel. “Sure, sure. Take your time. We’re in no real rush.”

 

Honoka stammered a little more before speaking to Gabriel. She was purposefully not looking at him. “DC’s network gets a little busy sometimes. So many people coming and going out of the Central Complex.” The world started to fade from view for all three of them. “Oh, there we go.” It was an odd feeling, like they were in two places at once. Until they suddenly weren’t.  They were standing (despite James having still been seated earlier) on what was recognizably a teleport pad big enough for eight. It was surrounded on three sides by dark green walls. The sole opening led to a red and black patterned carpet hallway. It had only one physical exit, and no operators were in sight.

 

Honoka stepped off the pad and onto the carpeting. “Welcome to HQ. If you need to change, the compartment is shielded.” James followed, and the two waited for Gabriel.

 

********************************************

 

Everyone

 

The IDF members got together. Honoka and Xianghua locked arms, reasserting their partnership. James and Ishanvi exchanged a few quiet words. Dean and Arrow Ace kept their eyes on the Prime group. Gabrielle cleared her throat to get everyone’s attention. “Jade Dragon squad. Good work out there. Current orders are to escort the VIPs to the Empress’s briefing. After that, see to their personal needs before transport to the operational area. As you know, this a top priority assignment. Keep it together, and we’ll be finished by the end of the day.” She about faced. “My instructions are to join you for the briefing. My squad will remain outside. If you need anything, please ask who you teleported in with for assistance. Are there any questions, or can we proceed?”

 Carson gave a slight smile to James, but gave Honoka the dignity of not calling out her..flustering. He simply stood calmly until the teleport was finished. After finishing, he blinked a few times but maintained his composure otherwise. When invited out of the booth, as well as to change, he simply gave James and Honoka a smile that didn't reach his eyes, and began walking. Before he was even out of the booth, he was covered in glorious, shining armor, hands clasped behind his back as his great coat flared just so behind him. 

 

He stopped in the middle of the hall and stood, taking stock of who was there, and quickly getting a general idea of the somewhat...eclectic...group before them. He nodded at each of the heroes, and the Jade Dragons, present, taking in as much detail as he could. He turned to Gabrielle, raising one eyebrow (which was just barely visible through his helmet and mask).

 

"I have but one question."

 

He pauses, trying to lend it some gravity.

 

"Will we have a spot of tea in this briefing?"

[Raveled]

Warren stuck his head out briefly, glanced around, and then ducked back inside. He fiddled with the image projector on his belt and stepped out of the teleprojector booth not looking like a young man, but covered in a shiny metallic skin and sporting an abbreviated Claremont uniform. And holding a turkey club (no mayo). He gave a weak wave to the other assembled heroes, thinking on how much older and more ready and at ease the adults looked. All of a sudden he wasn't sure that he was, in fact, the right person for the job.

 

"Hey, uh, I've got a question." He stepped forward, metal toes on the floor of the space. "How long is this job for your Empress going to take? I've got responsibilities back home, you know. If I go missing you're going to have to deal with a load of trouble that just starts with Headmaster Summers. I hope this is a quick job, or I might have to bounce right now."

[Kolohehonu]

"Faster, not as much fun." Hyperactive smiled. "Ikaika by the way." He smiled, the name wasn't entirely false but not entirely true either. And with any luck on this world his doppelgänger had been born Ikaika Akala and not Tyson Masters, he'd found a fifty percent chance in his time across the multiverse. 

 

Hyperactive made a quick pass by all the pads and came to a stop by the Jade Dragons and the rest of the heroes. It was an eclectic group of heroes.

"I hope there's more than tea. Running to Waco made me hungry."

[Heritage]

So they 'fixed' religion; gee, that's a relief! Good thing we had the Empress to tell us what worked and what didn't!

 

However, Grim kept her thoughts to herself as the teleporter did its weird teleportation thing; it's funny how your own form of teleportation always felt normal, but anyone else's felt weird as f###. Once they were at the station or whatever it was,  the changeling spotted a familiar face, as well as few up and coming YouTube stars.

 

"Okay, so if the Empress is so darn smart, why did she order two knights in armor?" The petite figure of Grimalkin, with her pointed ears, spiky auburn hair and black and midnight blue leather costume, strode into the room like she owned the place. "Like, how can you possibly need more than one? Or is this a 'one does not simply walk into Mordor' kinda thing, because I would be down with that." She made eye contact with Gabriel, and waved and grinned. "Hi Gabe! Long time, no see! Hi...other people I don't know." Though she did point at Hyperactive. "You need a better moderator in your comment section; some of those punks are mean!"

[Droideka]

"No questions here, Madame Howard. Though I will say say I'm feeling a small smattering of butterflies flitting in my chest. I've never had the pleasure of meeting royalty before!" Chuckling softly and rubbing the back of his head sheepishly, Gallant shuffled about the room, taking it all in.

 

Intending to offer a sign of camaraderie with his companions to be, but lacking knowledge of any of the myriad folk in the building, Gallant simply flashed his most warm and charming smile at all those he passed.