ic Empire of Emerald and Jade

[EternalPhoenix]

GM

 

Gabrielle replied to each of them in turn. She was just enough of a soldier that Gabriel’s magnificence had little effect on her. She did, however, smile slightly at his joke. “Her Majesty does serve light refreshments at all information briefings. So there will be tea.” Chrome was next on the list. “Young man, I don’t know anything about that. I suspect the only one who does is the Empress herself.” She thought for just a moment. “Still, judging from history, you shouldn’t be here more than a day.”

 

As for Hyperactive, she deferred to Arrow Ace. The speedy archer reached into her jacket and pulled out what appeared to be a chocolate bar. She casually tossed it to Hyperactive. “Catch, Ikaika. Eighteen hundred calories, optimized for us speedy types. I’ve only got one other, so the rest of you are out of luck. It’s a useful invention, seeing as there’s seven speedsters working in North America alone.” She grinned. “Saves the kitchen staff some work.”

 

She subsided in favor of her Captain, Gabrielle. “Again Miss, that’s something you would have to ask the Empress herself. She doesn’t need to share her reasons with us. Her instructions have always been absolutely correct.” A grateful nod at Gallant, and she led the way out of the teleport station and about ten paces to the left, she opened a door. She didn’t so much as gesture, instead stepping directly inside. “Majesty, Captain Howard. The heroes you summoned are here.”

 

The Empress Qiaolian Song’s voice drifted out into the corridor. “Don’t just stand around outside. Come in and let me see you. Face to face communication is best suited for this purpose.” The rest wouldn’t know that voice from Eve’s, but it sparked something in Grim’s memory. It was more weathered with age, but she’d definitely heard that voice before. Inside, the Empress was simply a Chinese woman who appeared to be somewhere between 40 & 60 years of age. She wasn’t dressed in anything special, just a dark blue pantsuit. No obvious devices adorned her slim frame, aside from an emerald hairpin. And yet, she radiated power, authority, and endless confidence. This was a woman who was accustomed to both being right and being obeyed precisely because she was right. She stood in the corner of the room, next to a viewscreen. Light refreshments, as promised, lined a table against the rear wall. Otherwise it was an ordinary conference room, just with green walls. “There you are, just as my research showed you. I do apologize for the disruption of your lives, but this is most urgent. Please, take whatever you’d like and have a seat.”

Edited April 17, 2017 by EternalPhoenix

[EternalPhoenix]

PC

 

Terrifica had been puzzling it over for several minutes, and she could only come up with one thing to do. She had to go see herself. It was the only way she’d ever get home again. And yet…she shied away from doing it. It wasn’t like her. She knew what she had to do; there was nothing but to do it. And yet…her mind skittered away from the topic. Her formidable willpower just wasn’t cutting it. She didn’t want to meet Empress Qiaolian Song. She didn’t want to meet the woman who’d virtually enslaved a world with good deeds and endless generosity. Who’d made herself so indispensable to the functioning of Earth that she had to rule the planet. It was horrifying, and Terrifica knew bone deep that the Empress wouldn’t appear to be that dangerous. It was what was behind her eyes where the evil lurked.

 

Oh, God. There was simply no way that coming here was an accident. It was equally impossible that she’d be brought here alone. Heroes from her Earth were likely meeting with her this instant, and they had no idea who they were dealing with. Now there was some motivation. She pulled off her cowl, virtually stormed out of the library, and collared the first green suited person she could find. “I assume you know what I want. Take me to them. Now.”

 

The man smiled. “Right on schedule.” He touched his finger to his ear, and soon afterward Terrifica teleported away.

[Kolohehonu]

Hyperactive snagged the bar out of the air effortlessly. Seven Speedsters? Hyperactive couldn't imagine the person who could keep that many egos in check. After reading the ingredient list, which didn't contain anything he recognized as likely to aggravate his condition, he scarfed it down at top speed. To an onlooker, it probably looked like the candy bar had vanished. 

 

He went into the room grabbed a small bite and a glass of water before giving a slight bow to the Empress. 

"It's an honor to meet you." He smiled as he took his seat in the middle of the conference room. "Urgent sounds like my pace anyways." 

[KnightDisciple]

3 hours ago, EternalPhoenix said:

GM

 

Gabrielle replied to each of them in turn. She was just enough of a soldier that Gabriel’s magnificence had little effect on her. She did, however, smile slightly at his joke. “Her Majesty does serve light refreshments at all information briefings. So there will be tea.” Chrome was next on the list. “Young man, I don’t know anything about that. I suspect the only one who does is the Empress herself.” She thought for just a moment. “Still, judging from history, you shouldn’t be here more than a day.”

 

As for Hyperactive, she deferred to Arrow Ace. The speedy archer reached into her jacket and pulled out what appeared to be a chocolate bar. She casually tossed it to Hyperactive. “Catch, Ikaika. Eighteen hundred calories, optimized for us speedy types. I’ve only got one other, so the rest of you are out of luck. It’s a useful invention, seeing as there’s seven speedsters working in North America alone.” She grinned. “Saves the kitchen staff some work.”

 

She subsided in favor of her Captain, Gabrielle. “Again Miss, that’s something you would have to ask the Empress herself. She doesn’t need to share her reasons with us. Her instructions have always been absolutely correct.” A grateful nod at Gallant, and she led the way out of the teleport station and about ten paces to the left, she opened a door. She didn’t so much as gesture, instead stepping directly inside. “Majesty, Captain Howard. The heroes you summoned are here.”

 

The Empress Qiaolian Song’s voice drifted out into the corridor. “Don’t just stand around outside. Come in and let me see you. Face to face communication is best suited for this purpose.” The rest wouldn’t know that voice from Eve’s, but it sparked something in Grim’s memory. It was more weathered with age, but she’d definitely heard that voice before. Inside, the Empress was simply a Chinese woman who appeared to be somewhere between 40 & 60 years of age. She wasn’t dressed in anything special, just a dark blue pantsuit. No obvious devices adorned her slim frame, aside from an emerald hairpin. And yet, she radiated power, authority, and endless confidence. This was a woman who was accustomed to both being right and being obeyed precisely because she was right. She stood in the corner of the room, next to a viewscreen. Light refreshments, as promised, lined a table against the rear wall. Otherwise it was an ordinary conference room, just with green walls. “There you are, just as my research showed you. I do apologize for the disruption of your lives, but this is most urgent. Please, take whatever you’d like and have a seat.”

 

Gabriel smiled at Gabrielle picking up on his joke. Man, he was such a nice guy, wasn't he? If the others didn't notice that before, it just seemed so obvious now; Gabriel was just a nice guy! He gave the leader of the Empress's elite soldiers (or at least this little contingent of them) a slight bow.

 

"It is, of course, absolutely an amazing honor for us to be here to work for someone so intelligent and caring. This level of foresight and planning is outright humbling, that she could arrange for us to be here yet not disrupt our lives. I look forward to better knowing and understanding the situation and her plan, to ensure safety and prosperity for your great nation. I'm sure we will all learn a valuable lesson or three here today."

 

So nice, and so sincere, too! Gabriel really is just a swell guy, isn't he? When the doors open, Gabriel sweeps into the room, all smiles, arms clasped behind his back. He walks to a spot halfway between the table and the refreshments, before clasping his hands in front of himself. He offered a deep bow, from the waist, toward the Empress.

 

"Your Majesty, Empress, may I say how much of an honor it is to be here? To be able to get a glimpse of this world you've built..."

 

He shakes his head, a smile on his face, as he goes to get himself a saucer and teacup, humming to himself as he selects a precisely-labeled teapot and pours himself a cup, his eyes closing as he inhales the aroma, before turning and going to his seat. 

 

"You've even got one of my favorite blends. Astounding. Truly, this level of knowledge and preparation is a sign of a great ruler. So many miss the importance of small details, but I get the sense you do not, Empress."

 

He sips with a smile, before setting his saucer and cup down on the table, far enough back from the edge to avoid an accident, before folding his hands on his lap, almost like a student in class, and looking at the Empress with a dazzling smile and a twinkle in his eye. How can anyone not like this guy? Nice, sincere, a bit of a flatterer, just a great person to be around. 

 

"I do so look forward to understanding the nature of this urgent errand of ours. I will admit, at first I felt a bit put-out coming here without notice, but now, well, you've handled the matters of our inconvenience, and of course our private identities, with so much attention, care, and subtlety, that it leaves me little doubt that this matter is indeed urgent, perhaps even gravely so. I am sure your research, and your explanation in this briefing, will help us all understand the vital nature of what we're here to do, what sort of problem we're here to deal with. 

After all, helping uphold the peace, prosperity, and security of such a wonderful, shining civilization as this? One of the highest honors possible. And we all bring such gifts to this great endeavor that it's only natural we assist. To whom much is given, much is required, as the Lord said. I'm sure we'll all rise to the occasion."

 

He settled back in his chair, his smile set to "maximum dazzle", quietly sipping on his tea. 

 

His eyes never broke contact with those of the Empress. 

[Droideka]

Choosing to continue standing, for sitting still made him a mite uncomfortable, Gallant smiled at his fellow hero who's name he knew not before turning his grin to the Empress.

 

"Right he is Madame Empress! With an adventure so important that it stretched beyond the veil of reality, how could we refuse?" He made to bow, before shufflling and making for a traditional salute, before shuffling again to press his arm against his chest, before finally halting, instead placing his arms at his back. "I'm afraid I am unaware of the customs of your fiefdom. Perhaps Madame Howard could educate me later..."

Edited April 17, 2017 by Droideka

[Raveled]

Chrome followed the other, older heroes into the room. He was surprised to see a single woman in there, even older than the adults who came with him, without any fancy contraptions on her. He glanced around and even did a quick RADAR burst to see if there was something hidden, but nothing immediately stood out to him. Maybe everything she did was internal, like Doctor Metropolis or Seven? Or maybe she was just hiding her tech somehow.

 

In any case the young metal man took a seat at the time, readjusting self-consciously as he felt the leather grab at his exposed, metal flesh. It was a squirrely feeling but he forced his attention past that. "I want to know what's happening back home," he said again. "I have responsibilities back in my home dimension that aren't going to wait forever. What happens if we're here for a week, or even overnight?"

Edited April 18, 2017 by Raveled

[Heritage]

Lynn opted to try none of the refreshments; she had very few physical needs, and memories of innocently ingesting Doctor Archeville's mind controlling nanobots quickly came to mind, and she wanted to full cognizant during this briefing. She took a seat, folding her legs under herself, the whole time pondering the mystery of the voice of the Empress; had she encountered her alternate back on Prime? There was a conversation of some type, possibly about books...?

 

And then Gabriel went all chummy and talkative, and what the genuine f###? The Jewish pixie and the Catholic crusader didn't see eye to eye on everything, but each had a healthy respect for the other, and she felt she knew him well enough to say that humanity's God-given free will was one of the things he respected most.

 

No way; there is no way Gabe drank the Kool-Aid. He's got to be stronger than that.

 

If it was anyone else, she would have bought it all hook, line and sinker, and part of her still wanted to believe his earnest spiel, but her heart told her it was a big stinking pile of BS that smelled like roses. So instead she just smiled and looked at the Empress expectantly, an eager child ready for her lecture.

[EternalPhoenix]

GM

 

The Empress was smoother than silk in replying to Gabriel’s speech. Defiance, even of the ultra polite sort, didn’t appear to ruffle her feathers. “I’m so pleased you approve, Gabriel. The fact of the matter is that I have been quite cautious. Perhaps you did not notice. The Jade Dragons used none of your names.” She indicated Hyperactive. “Until you mentioned yours, Hyperactive.” The words had just enough of a twist to indicate she knew he was lying about the name he used. “They don’t know them. They used my tracking program to find you and then spoke to you exactly as I instructed.” Her eyes settled on Chrome, and he saw the slighter flicker of curiosity in them. “There isn’t anything to worry about regarding your absence, Chrome. I have agents in all of your places. They’re…let’s just say well trained in mimicking people. You’ll have a full report on their activities before you’re returned.”

 

The Empress flicked her eyes at the viewscreen, and it turned on. “I have a dragon magic problem, not to be confused with a magic dragon problem. Those are much more easily sorted.” The screen showed what appeared to be a live feed. There were two massive dragons, and four people. “They’re from another parallel world, it appears. Running from certain doom at the hands of the Terminus. I’ve looked and their world is…well, I’m sure most of you know what they’re capable of. Those of you that don’t should be grateful for your ignorance. Unfortunately, they chose my world to run to.” With a glance, the viewscreen shifted to archived footage. The six of them came blasting out of a ragged dimensional tear, which one of them closed with a word and a gesture. A second video showed them assaulting a small town. It cut to them all battling intensely with IDF agents, though none of them were Jade Dragons. The people apparently all had fire related abilities. All but one showed off superhuman strength and a form of flight. One of the strong ones was a fair hand with a sword, as well. And of course, the dragons acquitted themselves well. The third and final video was of the one who’d closed the tear throwing up a massive force field, and the IDF agents’ best efforts just bouncing off. “None of my agents can penetrate their force field. It is coded so that no one from this dimension can get inside. They’ve been making forays into their own world, apparently trying to save it. It’s a matter of time until someone on that side notices. I’ve taken great pains to keep my world safe from the Terminus. Some of my best agents and the finest people I have ever known have given their lives in furtherance of that goal. These people are endangering my world, and no one I have can stop them.”

 

The Empress was showing emotion. A blend of irritation, old grief, and just a touch of anxiety. “Twenty five years is not so long ago, that panic would not ensue if this became widely known. Captain Howard, you remember that day, don’t you?”

 

Gabrielle was ashen. It was plainly obvious she had no idea what the problem was. “That was a bad day, ma’am. A very bad day.”

 

The Empress continued. “There you have it. Your job is to get past that field and through whatever method, get that mage to lower it. I won’t say that it’ll be easy. Any interaction the IDF has had with them has been hostile. And regardless of what you think of my world, you would be blind not to see that it is a peaceful one. They’re aggressive, mean tempered, and violent towards anyone not their own. So, will you help me? Or do I waste more time finding more likely candidates from your world?”

[KnightDisciple]

Gabriel listened to the Empress. He set his cup down on its saucer, and then pushed said saucer further onto the table, before folding his hands into his lap, and looking at the Empress.

 

"Agents in our places? How convenient."

 

Gabriel wasn't stupid. He just hoped the rest of the League would notice soon enough. But the implicit threat in that sort of arrangement was not something he'd just ignore.

 

"I'm sure they'll do just fine, no one will notice, and our lives won't be...disrupted. Will they?"

 

That wasn't really a question.

 

"As for your little 'problem', we can just go talk to them instead of shooting at them, it should be fine. The Freedom League has protocols for Terminus Refugees, and I'm incredibly familiar with them. I've used them a time or two. It makes me wonder why you didn't just contact the Freedom League on our Earth to ask for help?"

 

He smiled. It didn't reach his eyes.

 

"Perhaps not convenient enough for you? No matter. I will of course go speak to these poor refugees, see what we can do to help permanently re-settle them. I think we'll just make sure they're fully off your world. Wouldn't do to disrupt it. After all, it is so very peaceful. We wouldn't want to ruin that peace."

 

The smile somehow both became more powerful, and less friendly.

 

"And then of course you can send us back to the lives you so carefully pulled us from. In case we're in any way disrupting the peace here ourselves."

[Kolohehonu]

Hyperactive all but bit through his tongue. He had been a little worried when the empress had called him out on his using a fake name, and his sense of worry grew when imposter agents were mentioned. Then the real bombshell of information with why they were here. The concern he had for the affairs of his own world were still present, but now he was far more torn about what to do with these people. On the one hand they were hurting people. They needed to put a stop to that. On the other hand: Emily. Emily, his very complicated and very wonderful girlfriend, had probably been just like these people. He had met her when she was very desperate, very afraid, and very tired. One of the few survivors in a terrible war against the Terminus. She still woke him with her nightmares about the Terminus from time to time. Her nightmares about losing him. 

 

"I agree we need to try talking to them." Whispered Hyperactive, he glanced at Gabriel glad to have any ally in this. "I've known refugees from the Terminus. Sometimes those who fight monsters become like them. But that doesn't mean we give up hope." Hyperactive collected himself and forced the turning feeling in his stomach of fighting someone like Emily (which felt like he had been asked to roundhouse kick a blind puppy with cancer) to be pushed aside. He needed to focus.

 

"Do they want anything? Have they been looting or raiding specific targets? Do we know where they'll strike next? How much of a warning is there between their coming and goings?" Hyperactive rattled off far too quickly for a normal human ear to comprehend. He stopped tried to take a deep breath and repeated the string of questions slower, mostly for the benefit of the others at the table. Then he took a brief pause collecting his racing thoughts again. 

[Droideka]

Gallant leaned on his chair, smile dimming slightly as he took in the fact that a doppelganger had replaced him. The faint, soundless voices in his head chittered, in ironic bemusement, irritation, and...hunger, apparently. The thought of some stranger with his face, pretending he was as Gallant as Gallant, interacting with his dear sisters...

 

His hold on the chair tightened slightly as he turned toward the man in white and the bodysuited man in dark. Righting his posture and nigh instantly attempting to sheathe his discomfort, he spoke. "As you both say, we should attempt peace with these fair folk first before resorting to more tried and true methods. As fun as a good brawl can be, we must make care to ensure our strength is turned onto the truly unjust!" 

 

Piece spoken, Gallant turned back toward the Empress. "I, however, would like to make a small request, Fair Madame Empress. After our briefing is completed, might I have a chance to speak with one of your noble officers a small bit before we make haste for grand adventure?"

[Raveled]

Chrome frowned. He didn't like the notion of a doppleganger in his place, even for a couple of days. Someone trying to pass for him, fooling his family and friends... It was almost worse than the idea that he would just go missing for a day. At the moment, though, there wasn't much to do about it; he had to deal with the problem in front of them. "Does your planet have any kind of accommodations for inter-dimensional refugees? What if we contacted the Lor or other aliens? Depending on their biology or their culture, it might be easier to get them off-planet rather than have them stay on Earth." He looked around at the adult heroes, aware of how out-of-his-depth he was. "I mean, Klingons aren't going to be happy getting a job at the Imperial DMV, but maybe the Lor can drop this on Fight-Planet or something."

[Heritage]

Grim's cheerful smile vanished at the mention of these 'mimicking agents'; the Empress had rather cavalierly replaced several people like it was no big deal. She might be a shapeshifter, but the thought of it made her sick to her stomach.

 

Without the mental link, Gretch will detect the imposter immediately; she's probably pinned her to the wall with her Ring and is making her wish she was dead. Hell hath no fury like a Gretchen deceived.

 

And if she somehow doesn't detect the imposter? Forgive. Understand. Do not accuse or blame. You made that mistake once with Bill; never again.

 

With great effort, the changeling kept her tone civil and polite...as she fought the urge to leap upon this woman and claw her eyes out.

 

"I'm sorry, but 'aggressive, mean-tempered and violent towards anyone not their own'? Congratulations, you've just described humanity; your people would act exactly the same way if they were stranded on a strange world. It's what desperate people do."

 

Shaking her head in disgust and crossing her arms tightly across her chest, she continued.

 

"We'll help you with your problem, because that's what heroes do."

 

Then she waited for the Empress to answer the various questions the group had asked of her.

 

[EternalPhoenix]

GM

 

“I’m so glad you understand my position, Gabriel.” The Empress smirked knowingly, a maddeningly familiar gesture to Grim. “I did wonder if you’d ask. The problem with simply contacting your Freedom League is quite simple. I built a dimensional barrier. It wasn’t easy. I spent a decade on the design phase alone. Do you have any idea how much fusion energy it takes to seal off one dimension from another, even just on one side? It’s ludicrous. I’ve only managed to extend it out to the Oort Cloud, with lesser effects the further away one travels. Turning it off isn’t a simple procedure. And seeing as it would have exacerbated the problem, I couldn’t just call for help.” She sighed lightly. “Heaven only knows how many poor explorers have smashed themselves to pieces on it. So instead, dear Gabriel, I brought the mountain to Muhammad.”

 

She was visibly pleased with herself. “I want you to talk to them. I said through whatever method, didn’t I? Violence should always be a last resort, when all else has failed.” She frowned. “However, they don’t appear to speak any language I know. I can write and speak in every living language, and all of the dead ones that had a system of writing besides. I’ve been working on translating the little they have said, however progress is slow. I don’t have nearly enough to work with, for one. Their language doesn’t appear to be related to any of the thousands I know, for another. Well…there’s a vague similarity to High Draconic that I’m hopeful about, but I won’t bore you with linguistics.”

 

The Empress eyed Hyperactive now. “The nearest I can tell, based on body language and the gestures they’ve used is that something’s gone wrong with them. It is possible to be poisoned by entropic energies, but there’s no proof of that. It could be any number of things. I don’t even have enough data to speculate. They’ve simply been stealing food, precious metals, and jewels. Their food preference is uncooked meat, their precious metal preference is gold, and their jewel preference doesn’t exist.” She smirked again. “As I said, I’m hopeful about High Draconic. There’s no real pattern to their occasional raids, or I’d have taken full advantage of them being outside the field. That mage has something that hides them from my satellites, so the only warning we get is a sudden blast of fire. She can’t maintain the cloak and fight simultaneously, so that’s a bonus at least.”

 

Her eyes found Gallant. “Of course. The Jade Dragons are at your disposal for the duration of your stay. Whatever you need they will get for you. However, please do ask Captain Howard for any combat assistance you might require. They cannot fight without her permission. She does require mine, however I’m giving that now.”

 

And now for Chrome. “I do, actually. These aren’t the first Terminus refugees I’ll have taken in. I do, occasionally, send agents to worlds being actively overrun and bring them here. We have the room. Mars is a billion strong and still growing. They just celebrated their tenth anniversary as a society. The four moons of Jupiter and Saturn’s Titan have slipped past colony status in the last year as well. Venus is proving…intractable on the terraforming front, but there are some hardy souls on Mercury and scattered throughout the Asteroid Belt. As for the Lor…” This struck a chord, and she blinked away a pair of tears. Her voice shifted. “They were attacked, about three years ago, by something that called itself the Communion. Galactic society virtually doesn’t exist anymore, much less the Lor. I’d have lent a hand, but I wasn’t contacted. I didn’t have many information sources out there then and by the time I realized something was wrong, it was far too late. I did aid the Last Alliance in their final stand, however…” She shook her head, blinking rapidly. “I’d really rather not discuss it. It isn’t pertinent. The point is, I’m the only one left.” She was affected enough that she barely noticed Grim had spoken.

 

“Well, Grimalkin. That’s why I’ve brought you here. There aren’t any heroes left in my world.” She breathed out heavily and composed herself. “Will that be all? I do have a multitude of things to take care of.”

[EternalPhoenix]

PC

 

“Of that, I’m very sure.” Terrifica was standing at the entrance to the conference room. She appeared so disgusted that she was almost physically ill. The voices of the two were virtually identical; the only difference being the Empress was significantly older. She flicked her eyes over the assembled heroes. “I’m Terrifica. Grim and I have met before.” She returned her hard eyes to the Empress. “I know you, just as well as you know me. You haven’t technically lied. That does not mean you aren’t manipulating them into doing exactly what you want them to do. That does not mean I am not doing the same right now by telling them that. And of course, that doesn’t mean you’re trying to manipulate them into doing something evil. It could very well be good.” She swiveled her head and took in the entire room. “ I know how I would take over a world, and it would be a fractal web of manipulation no one could parse but me.” Indeed, Terrifica was ferociously repulsed by the Empress’s mere existence. “This will not go the way you want it to, unless I see fit to allow it.”

 

The Empress simply smirked that knowing smirk. “I’d expect nothing less from a version of me, even if you are tragically flawed.”

[Kolohehonu]

Smashed to pieces?! Please Emily, don't be too hasty. It would break him to return home only to learn his love had died and he couldn't get back at the one responsible. All the more reason do this fast then.

 

Hyperactive blinked behind his mask. He'd not seen someone else interact with themselves. It was a strange occurrence, one which he was sure his friends could have told him. 

 

"Who knows what now?" Hyperactive managed baffled. His head hurt trying to follow that exchange. 

[Raveled]

As soon as the Empress mentioned the Lor and the Communion, Chrome felt the bottom drop out of his stomach. He sank into the chair, suddenly not caring how it felt against his bare 'skin.' Warren didn't usually feel guilty about the source of his powers but being confronted with the reality of them, at least in this reality, felt like a kick in the nads. He felt like shrinking in the seat, like disappearing, like turning into a slimy thing and crawling into some dark place where no one could find him.

 

Except he couldn't. As bad as Warren felt right now, there was a real problem to deal with. He pulled himself out of the depth of his funk, only to realize someone else had just stepped in. Someone who looked a whole lot like their hostess. He looked back and forth between the two of them, confused.

[KnightDisciple]

There was a chuckle...from Gabriel?

 

"They say that Satan masquerades himself as an Angel of Light. A beautiful, noble presence. It's one thing to read it, another to see it; the only demons I've dealt with are definitely not beautiful, not like I'm sure the Father of Lies can make himself look at times. But even then..."

 

More chuckles.

 

"You know, I'll be honest. I'm actually mildly impressed."

 

Gabriel's face held a confident smirk, though the expression still didn't quite reach his eyes.

 

"I've seen a lot over the years, done a lot. But there's one experience that stands out as, probably, one of the most profound of my life, at least in a broader sense; I could give some bit here about personal revelations or experience with the Lord or the like, but let me widen the scope. You see, a couple of years ago, I was called upon to take up a duty for a few days, a duty station that had been empty for...a long time. I volunteered, to ensure the safety of many, due to the previous holder having become corrupt. I was successful, and I thought that would be that."

 

He leaned forward a bit, his grin becoming wolfish.

 

"I never thought I'd see another Rider On The White Horse in my mortal lifetime. I'd say it's a pleasure, but, well. That would be a lie."

 

He sat back, his face suddenly serious.

 

"And there's more than enough of that going on already."

[Heritage]

Lynn's eyes narrowed as the Empress continued to speak; so many things made horrible sense if you read between the lines.

 

'There aren't any heroes left in my world'? Of course there aren't; you'd have to take any of them out before they posed a possible threat. So now you need to import some when you encountered something not even your enormous brain can defeat; she must be so annoyed at having to ask for help!

 

Grimalkin cleated her throat. "If they have a spoken language, I should be able to talk to them, given the fae 'gift of tongues'; if I provide no other help, I'm glad you brought me as a potential translator."

 

And then Terrifica showed up, prompting the changeling to groan and slap her forehead. "Oh my God, there are two of them? I thought I recognized that tone of withering condescension!" She offered the Earth Prime heroine an apologetic wince. "No offense!"

Edited April 27, 2017 by Heritage

[EternalPhoenix]

PC

 

“None taken, Grim. I am aware I how sound most of the time. Of course I am surrounded by…” Terrifica attempted to be diplomatic with the following statement. “beings of lesser intellect who may or may not possess lesser reasoning skills. It…tries my patience at the best of times.” Which was likely the understatement of the year. She glared, revolted, at the Empress. “I have and will not, however, allow that impatience to rule me. One decision is all it takes. You decided that the lesser minds were unworthy of making their own choices. You were wrong. You are still wrong. As much as it pains me to admit it, sapient beings have the right to be idiots.” She glared harder. “They have the right to make the wrong choices. To do things that will harm them. To act without forethought. It is the only way they will ever learn. And you manipulated them into giving that up to you.” Terrifica, Terrifica actually spat on the floor in utter disgust. “You revolt me.”

[EternalPhoenix]

GM

 

The Empress, for a moment, actually looked enraged. She composed herself instantly, but the crack in her façade had been definitively shown. She didn’t even look at Terrifica, instead resting her gaze on Gabriel. The veteran hero could easily tell that Her Imperial Majesty was still angry. It was in her eyes, and no amount of self confidence could hide it. The spark that had triggered her anger clearly was being told she was wrong. “While I do appreciate the compliment, Gabriel, I must decline the position. I have conquered nothing. All I have ever done is tried to make people’s lives better. You have no idea how much thoughtless ignorance holds countless worlds in bondage. All that I have, even my titles, were freely given to me. I admit, I may have…adjusted the odds of achieving my goals, but at every stage I had humanity’s best interests at heart.” Any warmth in her voice fled, leaving a bone chilling ice. “And never once did I have to lie to do it.”

 

She then looked directly at Grim and her customary tone returned. “Perhaps yours will have an effect. I have no shortage of agents with similar abilities, however there is always the saying it can’t hurt to try.” She pulled her wrist of her sleeve, revealing the flex-screen wrapped around it. “Ah, and now I’ll have to hurry. My apologies, but there’s a minor situation involving the Grue Remnant that demands my attention. Apparently they think it’s perfectly fine to eat Titan’s livestock without paying for it first. Something about communal property. ” She shook her head. The things an Empress had to put up with. She tapped a few buttons on her flex-screen. “I’ve transferred the relevant files to Captain Howard. Any other information can be gained from her. Captain, I leave the situation in your hands. Please remember what we discussed yesterday.” With that, the Empress pressed another button on her flex-screen and vanished in what could have only been a teleport effect. Apparently it looked approximately the same to an observer as it did to the person experiencing it.

 

Leaving Gabrielle in command-ish of the heroes. “All right, then. As Her Majesty said, the Jade Dragons are at your disposal. Rest assured, we can accommodate any of your biological needs or lack thereof. What would you like before we depart for the mission?”

[Kolohehonu]

"Food?" Hyperactive asked. "I mean if we're going on a combat mission I'd rather do it on a closer to full stomach. Not completely full though, I do wear a full face shield and I've made that mistake before. Cleaning that up took a week." He chuckled, hopefully someone else laughed. The tension here was thick enough to cut with a knife. Sure, he couldn't actually make the whole Empress situation better, but he could ease a little tension. The good Lord knew that Warrior meetings got this way sometimes. "Seriously though protein. Carbs are great but if we have prep time protein." 

 

"And actually if I could read all the files. Not sure if I'll learn anything more, but hey worth a shot?" Hyperactive asked before getting out of his chair at super speed. He was across the room to Gabrielle so fast he probably looked like he teleported. "I read fast." 

[Heritage]

"I could use a good stiff drink, to be honest; preferably something in the margarita family," said Lynn in all seriousness; the thought of a doppelganger interacting with her girlfriend made her sick to her stomach, and she needed strong medicine to drive that away. Looking around the room, she saw a diversity of talent, including a few heavy hitters; that was good.

 

"Also can we see some maps of the region where they're operating, preferably hard copies on paper? Some of us are a little old fashioned."

[KnightDisciple]

On 5/3/2017 at 10:49 PM, EternalPhoenix said:

GM

 

The Empress, for a moment, actually looked enraged. She composed herself instantly, but the crack in her façade had been definitively shown. She didn’t even look at Terrifica, instead resting her gaze on Gabriel. The veteran hero could easily tell that Her Imperial Majesty was still angry. It was in her eyes, and no amount of self confidence could hide it. The spark that had triggered her anger clearly was being told she was wrong. “While I do appreciate the compliment, Gabriel, I must decline the position. I have conquered nothing. All I have ever done is tried to make people’s lives better. You have no idea how much thoughtless ignorance holds countless worlds in bondage. All that I have, even my titles, were freely given to me. I admit, I may have…adjusted the odds of achieving my goals, but at every stage I had humanity’s best interests at heart.” Any warmth in her voice fled, leaving a bone chilling ice. “And never once did I have to lie to do it.”

 

She then looked directly at Grim and her customary tone returned. “Perhaps yours will have an effect. I have no shortage of agents with similar abilities, however there is always the saying it can’t hurt to try.” She pulled her wrist of her sleeve, revealing the flex-screen wrapped around it. “Ah, and now I’ll have to hurry. My apologies, but there’s a minor situation involving the Grue Remnant that demands my attention. Apparently they think it’s perfectly fine to eat Titan’s livestock without paying for it first. Something about communal property. ” She shook her head. The things an Empress had to put up with. She tapped a few buttons on her flex-screen. “I’ve transferred the relevant files to Captain Howard. Any other information can be gained from her. Captain, I leave the situation in your hands. Please remember what we discussed yesterday.” With that, the Empress pressed another button on her flex-screen and vanished in what could have only been a teleport effect. Apparently it looked approximately the same to an observer as it did to the person experiencing it.

 

Leaving Gabrielle in command-ish of the heroes. “All right, then. As Her Majesty said, the Jade Dragons are at your disposal. Rest assured, we can accommodate any of your biological needs or lack thereof. What would you like before we depart for the mission?”

 

Gabriel stands, staring back in the eyes of an angry Empress, a smirk upon his face.

 

"The worst lies are the ones we tell ourselves, Empress. I am intimately familiar with all the possible nuances of Conquest. I have saddled the White Horse, I know the ebbs and flows of power and rulership better than most any mortal this side of Heaven. Just because you used honeyed words, knives in the dark, and twisted this entire world around with benevolence and shining gifts of technology does not make it less of a Conquest."

 

He steps closer, his smile falling away, his face impassive. Everyone in the room suddenly feels...on edge. There is a strange, slight, background hum present as Gabriel speaks his next words, the volume lowered and the cadence carefully measured. 

 

"And I swear to you now, if our 'doubles' back home harm so much as a single hair on the heads of any of the loved ones of those you so unceremoniously ripped from their homes, not just mine but any here? I will saddle that Horse once more, I will call upon every favor, every alliance, everything I can short of selling myself to the Morningstar himself, and I will come tear your pretty little house of cards down, Empress. So you tread carefully."

 

He turned, walking back to his seat, leaning back in it with a neutral expression on his face until the Empress leaves, at which point he will turn to Gabrielle, giving her a winning smile. 

 

"Would you mind terribly pointing me to the men's room?"

[Raveled]

Chrome's mouth was hanging open at the end of Gabriel's speech. Even though it was physically impossible he felt like he had goosebumps; it felt like that speech should have ended with a thrown fist, not a polite request. The teen finally closed his mouth with a click and pushed himself back from the table. "I guess if we're going into a fight I should do some carbo-loading," he said. "The nanites can get hungry if I have to change around a lot." He wandered over to the side-board and began building himself a Dagwood.