"An obsession with control generally seems to reflect a fear of uncertainty."
-Henry Mintzberg
********
"We really need a tech gal," Yoruichi grumbled as she continued to sift through the electronic files of Essex Corp.'s head office.
The only reason she even knew how to do this much was the fact that Squad 12's system had been simultaneously more and less secure than this world's cybersecurity, and she had spent literal years listening to Kisuke gush about humanity's advances in technology.
That, and the knocked-out CEO, was easy to get information from.
Not that he had anything. This was feeling more and more like a waste of time.
"One would think you would not want your husband to attract any more women," Robin said sarcastically as she psychically searched every inch of the company from beside Yoruichi.
"I am just saying it would be useful to have someone to turn to for this stuff," Yoruichi defended herself. "I can get them in, they do their computer magic, and then we're gone. We would be able to capitalize on Mikael's Tech Talents too. We should seriously consider the idea if we continue to go to worlds where technology is such an important factor."
"If you think Mikael would ever search out a wife for 'usage,' I am afraid I am going to disappoint you. For all his utilitarianism claims, our husband moves based on emotion more than thought. If he ever falls in love again, it will not be because she is useful."
"I am not saying he needs to marry someone," Yoruichi pouted. "Just we need to recruit someone we can trust to deal with this stuff. I am sure plenty of women out there would accept the binding for the benefits and to see new worlds."
"The key is trust," Robin sighed as she opened her eyes. By her expression, the shinigami judged that she hadn't found anything. "We might find someone in another world, but here? We know we have enemies but do not know who they are. Be content with Valeria's aid."
Yoruichi pursed her lips. She understood that Mikael's choice in the short story that started this all had been for the Soulsborne games specifically, and they would go their own ways right after. A technology specialist would have been a waste of points in such worlds since technology was iterative, as Yoruichi well knew as someone who had lived through the technological revolution.
Before you can make a car, you need to make an engine. Before that, you need to work metal to the proper shapes, with exact measurements, or the pieces won't work properly. The material needed the right properties, and the inventor needed to know every step of the process, or the end result wouldn't work.
Technology was a game changer when it was the product of civilizations over countless years. A pyramid of knowledge and individual inventions built up by generations and generations of people. You do not go straight from the wheel to robot armies. You need infrastructure. Supply lines.
It didn't matter if you knew how to 3D print every object in the world if you couldn't get the energy to power your machine, the rare elements for your creations, or the parts to build the machine in the first place.
It simply wasn't feasible compared to women like Medea or Scathach, who could enchant a platform to fly within minutes.
Maybe it was because she was centuries old, the almost backward nature of Soul Society, or her own preferences. Still, Yoruichi had always felt that technology could not compensate for the weakness of the people who used it. Spiritual powers, or magic, in this case, seemed superior to her.
That had been slightly mitigated by this world and its technological wonders, but even then, it was the heroes and villains, not weapons, that were the greatest forces in the world.
"I'm done here," the former captain of the 2nd squad said when she finally finished following Valeria's instructions. The little device in her hand beeped in agreement.
"Maybe the others had better luck," Robin sighed as they opened a gate back to the Island.
"It was a long shot," Yoruichi shrugged as she followed the former pirate into the doorway, tossing the small device in her hand casually. "What kind of idiot would put a secret headquarters underneath their actual headquarters?"
"The supervillain kind," Mikael deadpanned from his place sprawled on the couch. Yoruichi tossed him the gadget, and he caught it with one hand, ensuring the other remained in contact with Emma. He would drop it off with Valeria for her to go through more thoroughly. "Anything?'
"No," Robin answered for them both. "You?"
"She's still looking," Mikael shrugged.
"You try and find an unfamiliar mind on a planet of eight billion," Emma grumbled.
"There, there," Mikael pat her head affectionately. "You're doing a good job. Yes, you are. You're the best."
"Don't patronize me!" Emma snapped at him without opening her eyes, forcing him to close his mouth, but Yoruichi noticed she leaned into his touch slightly as an apology.
"I am learning a lot," Melina said, pacifying the psychic slightly. "It is good practice."
"See," Mikael chuckled, the order not stopping him from talking. "Even if you don't find her, it is still a win."
"But I should be able to find her," Emma grumbled. "If I don't, you'll have wasted seals."
"They come back," Mikael shrugged. "I am more interested in the fact that you and Medea both failed to track Pryor down even with me Freeing your abilities."
"That means they aren't protected," Yoruichi nodded as she sat herself on the couch's armrest and ruffled Mikael's hair in turn. It looked fun. "They aren't here at all."
"Yep," Mikael nodded, and far from being concerned, he looked pleased. "But, coincidentally, neither is Sinister."
"So he's definitely behind it," Robin said as she returned from the kitchen, cup of coffee in hand. "Too much of a coincidence otherwise. What can you tell us about him?"
"He's the prototypical scientist villain archetype," Mikael snorted derogatorily. "A perfect example of comic book writers not being scientists themselves. This is all my knowledge from comics, so it might have changed in this world, but he was a geneticist in the eighteen hundreds. Nathaniel Essex became obsessed with Darwin's theory of evolution and, after discovering mutants and the 'Essex factor,' conducted a bunch of unethical experiments to try and learn more. He became immortal thanks to Apocalypse, one of the beings I thought might be the Oppresor."
"Turning Supers into his agents? Decimating the population to ensure only the strong survive? A plan that spans decades? It could definitely be Apocalypse," Emma agreed.
"Right," Mikael nodded but then continued. "Anyway, Sinister got the name because his dying wife called him that. He eventually parted ways with Apocalypse because, while they have the same broad idea about the strong surviving, Sinister sees evolution as the way to make it happen while Apocalypse will kill the weak. Largely normal humans. Thanks to his skill with genetics, he artificially engineered two family lines through social manipulation, Summers and Grey, till the time was right for them to merge to create what he thought would be the ultimate mutant. The next step in evolution."
"But Jean Grey died," Robin nodded along, sipping at her coffee. "And Pryor is only a clone."
"A failed clone," Mikael pointed out. "She only came to life when a portion of the Phoenix Force lit the spark of life in her after it left Earth the first time. But she had no mutant powers, so he altered her memory and released her into the wild. He hoped her children with Scott would at least have some of the potential he wanted to continue his work. Unfortunately, she goes off the deep end. Has a psychotic break and becomes a villainess partly out of jealousy because Jean Grey isn't actually dead in the comics. She becomes the Goblin Queen, and her child, Nathan Summers, is sent to the future to survive a virus and returns as Cable."
"What, exactly, are Sinister's abilities? And what other opposition can we expect," Yoruichi tried to bring Mikael back on track. She knew he could go for hours on topics that interested him.
"He isn't a natural-born mutant," Mikael explained. "But he is a genius geneticist and has had a lot of time to practice on himself and on others. This includes giving himself abilities from other mutants, so I can't say for sure what he'd be able to do. Psychic abilities are almost guaranteed, from mind reading and control to paralysis to turning off mutant powers. None of that is a threat to us. His two main areas of concern are how difficult he is to kill and his cloning abilities."
"Like my fruit?" Robin asked, and another version grew out of Mikael's back and leaned forward to blow a puff of air on his ear for emphasis. He shuddered as the second body disappeared in a flurry of pink petals.
"No, but you are getting a spanking later for that," he grumbled good-naturedly. "They are independent clones, not directly connected together, so even if we kill him once, there is no guarantee there isn't another version hanging around. And each clone might have different powers. Also, to kill even one body takes a lot of effort. Not only is he a shapeshifter, but he also regenerates, so you need to atomize his body to ensure he is really dead, and he will probably teleport away if it gets that far."
"Hit him fast, hit him hard," Yoruichi nodded sagely. Then she bit Mikael on the earlobe. He flinched and glared at her. Hey, Robin couldn't have all the fun.
"Why is everyone so hard to kill in this world?" Robin sighed, sipping at her coffee and ignoring the pair's byplay. And the fact she started it. "Doomsday, Trigon, the Endbringers, and now this? It is sad that the gods were the easiest to kill."
"We are playing in the big leagues," Mikael grumbled, rubbing his ear. "You don't get there in comic worlds without some sort of immortality, or any B-lister will deal with you before the League, Avengers, or X-men have the chance to. And to be fair to the gods, I took them by surprise before they could ramp up, and I was going all out. I might be a coward, but I know my strength in my real body puts me in the top fifty of this universe. The gods, particularly Zeus or Vishnu, could have kicked my ass with preparation, but they were gods. Arrogant assholes, the lot of them."
"Speaking of," Yoruichi asked. "Anything on Odin?"
"No," Melina answered, still with her eyes closed as she worked with Emma to keep looking the world over for Pryor, Sinister, or any of the other people on their hit list. "If he is connected to this plot, he has not shown himself."
"Until I, Medea or Raven visit Asgard at least once, he's beyond our reach," Mikael shrugged. "But I don't think this is him. It stinks too much of amateur compared to what he pulled with the Phoenix. We'll deal with him later."
"So, what do we do now?" Robin asked. "We are meeting the heroes soon. You do know they'll be ready to fight, right? And doing so will just play into Sinister's hands."
"I expect it, too," Mikael yawned as he casually stretched. "We're continuing the same plan. Disturb the grass to startle the snake. We can't find Sinister? We'll just have to force him to move. It sucks being on the heroic side, you're always reacting to villains, but if you can force them to react in certain ways, it's your victory. I have a few plans to force him out, though I would prefer if we caught him ahead of time."
"How are you going to do that?" Yoruichi asked with a smile, knowing her lover would have some convoluted plan. Kisuke was the same. Did she have a type? Maybe, but it made things easy. She needed to eat, fight, and fuck. The perfect life.
"By being my regular charming self," Mikael said, his face the picture of innocence. "I shall be reasonable, understanding, sympathetic, and even heroic. I will be beyond reproach. My saintly disposition will force him from his cowardly hiding spot as my radiant glow illuminates the darkest corner of the world. Sinister will be so in awe of my merciful and wise demeanour that he shall come before me and beg for forgiveness."
As one, Emma, Melina, Yoruichi, Robin and even Raven all smacked Mikael on the back of the head.
"Spousal abuse," he grumbled as he rubbed the back of his head, but he was grinning. "I'm being oppressed by the majority. Come see the oppression inherent in the Harem System."
Robin giggled, and Yoruichi rolled her eyes as Emma and Melina continued to sift through billions of minds.
"No, seriously, what is the plan?"
"Meet up with the heroes soon and talk," Mikael shrugged. "The entire purpose of this whole scheme can only be one of two things. Either it is to target us or the X-men by pitting us against each other or to distract us so we don't interrupt some other plan. If it is the former, a peaceful resolution is the last thing they want, so it is my goal. If it is the latter, you both will be on our second team and ready to strike while I am there. It's why I set up the meeting so quickly. The longer we give him, the more chances Sinister or whoever is behind this has to fulfill their goal, and the more likely communication will break down."
"Then why did you allow them to choose the location?" Yoruichi asked. "If we did, we'd have the ambush potential, not them. We're giving up the field advantage, which will limit us to holding back."
"Eh," Mikael shrugged. "It makes them feel better, but it won't matter in the end. Remember, these are heroes. They are more concerned with collateral than we are. They'll choose something out of the way. And it doesn't matter if they lay traps or bring an entire army. We'll have the advantage, no matter what."
"If you say so," Yoruichi sighed. "I guess I am going to be on the secondary team?"
"You both are," Mikael nodded. "Tsunade and Priscilla will remain on the Island, but the rest of us will either be at the meeting or ready for the counterattack. Emma will keep looking. Meilina will have to come."
"Without you touching me, I can't get through defences without alerting them," Emma cautioned.
"If you find them at that point, subtlety will be pointless," Mikael shrugged.
"What about Victoria?"
"What about her?" Mikael asked Emma curiously.
"She's on the Island," Melina answered. "She brought Amelia, Wonder Woman, and her sister."
"Are they on this side of the Bounded Field?"
"No. They are heading for the Amazon village to meet with their mother."
"That's fine then," Mikael shrugged. "I knew when I brought her back that she'd be able to visit the Island and bring others. It's one of the reasons we have the Bounded Field in the first place. And if they get killed, it's their own fault."
"If you say so," Emma didn't seem particularly pleased with his blase attitude but dutifully kept looking for their quarry.
"If this is going to go down soon," Yoruichi said, standing and stretching. "I'm going to grab a little cat nap. You want to come?"
"No," Robin shook her head. "I am going to finish my book. It might be a while before we have a peaceful moment again. We could be at war with the heroes of this world soon. Maybe we'll be outlaws hunted down for a bounty."
"That's grim," Yoruichi laughed as she left, knowing the pirate's sense of humour. "Let's hope you're wrong."
********
"Gah!" Glory Girl grunted as she punted another crow/T-rex hybrid away. "Yuck yuck yuck yuck. So gross."
"They're fascinating," Amelia disagreed as she held one by the neck, her new Kryptonian biology giving her the strength to carry the monstrosity with one hand despite being five times her size. "They mutated because of some sort of virus or plague. Heightened aggression, stronger bodies, and a limited healing factor at the cost of degenerating cerebral development. The virus acts almost like a more developed form of ophiocordyceps, controlling them to spread even further. It could be airborne, bloodborne, or even waterborne."
"They're gross," Victoria declared imperiously.
"They are quite repulsive," Donna agreed.
"Is their blood a method of gaining Insight?" Wonder Woman asked the healer as they continued to fly along the border of the magical barrier in search of her people's new home.
"No. Different pathogens entirely." Amelia declared easily. "More than that, this virus, this Rot, is... lacking. It's still deadly for anyone exposed without someone like me, but it is just... empty, I guess is the best way to put it. It's a biological disaster waiting to happen, and my power loves it, but compared to Mikael, it's missing something."
"Like what?" Glory Girl asked curiously.
"I don't know," Amelia sighed as the bird turned to slurry in her hands. "It's like... Insight comes from something greater than the physical. There is a psionic or spiritual aspect to it that I can only barely grasp, thanks to my own Insight and the Runes. This Rot had something like that once, but not anymore. Like it used to be greater but is now just a disease."
"It is not what we are looking for, then," Wonder Woman said.
"I think Donna would have told us if she ran into any sort of monstrosity like that," Vicotria snarked.
"It would be quite noticeable," Donna said with a frown.
"What is it?" Diana asked her sister.
"We have only been in this land for a moment, and we have already been attacked a dozen times," Donna admitted. "I fear that living here for any length is impossible."
"Mikael did say this place was a death trap," Amelia pointed out as she continued to survey the sky and the ground for further creatures of interest. Already, this little trip had given her a bunch of ideas. Just because she wasn't creating monsters didn't mean she didn't find them fascinating.
"They'll be fine," Victoria hurried to reassure the younger Amazon while giving her sister a warning look. "The Boss is prickly, but he's a total softy inside. Priscilla told me they helped set up a bunch of protections."
"Can you not call her and ask for the location?" Donna asked.
"Don't have service," Glory Girl shrugged. "Separate dimensions aren't covered by my plan."
"At the speed we are going, it will take us hours to fly over all these mountains," Diana pointed out. She had to be back soon if she wanted to participate in the meeting. She also didn't want to let the Elden Lord know Victoria had brought them over. If the Elden Lord was behind the kidnapping, they were on enemy territory. "It might be best to return another day."
Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.
None of the younger women flying with her looked thrilled with the idea.
"We've barely looked," Glory Girl pointed out. "Let's pick up the pace, give it another half hour, and if we don't find a clue, then we'll go back, and I'll ask, and we can try again next week."
That would put them close to the appointed time, but Diana could make it. And she really didn't want to explain the situation to these three. All of them would insist on joining them for the meeting.
Well, maybe not Amelia. She'd probably only go along because Victoria would want to support her 'Boss.'
And a small part of Wonder Woman also wanted to check on her mother and people. She hadn't seen them in weeks, and, as Donna pointed out, this place was no Themyscira.
"Very well," Wonder Woman agreed. "Half an hour. If we have nothing, you will take us back."
"Great!" Glory Girl beamed, lowering her altitude and speeding up, prompting the others to do the same.
At these speeds, talking wasn't possible, which was for the best. They skimmed over mountains and valleys in a wide formation, keeping their eyes open for signs of human habitation.
Other creatures tried to attack them, from more deformed crows to drakes, odd butterfly-like creatures, and some land-bound creatures tried to shoot them out of the sky with rocks. The group of women was moving too fast for any of them to really slow them down, though Amelia did end up catching one of the lightning drakes to drag with her mid-flight.
Despite their speed and the incredible amount of land they were covering, it was almost at the half-hour mark before they noticed anything that could point towards the location of the Amazon village.
It was Diana who saw the bodies and dived into the valley. The other three followed suit at seeing her digression, and soon, all four of them were hovering in the air over a mountain of beast corpses.
There were wolves, mutated dogs, more of the grotesque birds, boars, reptile-like creatures and innumerable other varieties of monsters gathered. They were piled high, hundreds of them. Some were clearly old, dried and dedicated, but others were fresh, with blood still wet from wounds.
Wounds that came from bladed weaponry instead of the natural claws and fangs of monsters.
"Oh god," Victoria gagged. "That stench. Urh, I think I'm going to blow chunks."
"It is most foul," Donna agreed, covering her own nose as she looked around. "What is this place?"
"A burial pit," Diana answered easily. "Look around the valley. The walls will collapse with little effort and bury all this in the rubble. They disposed of the creatures they couldn't eat far from town to prevent disease. It will also mark their territory from other monsters. We're close."
"But why can't they eat these," Glory Girl asked, looking down at the pile of bodies. "Some are obvious, but that boar looks fine."
"We'll have to ask them," Amelia said. She had floated down and was touching one of the bodies. "It's all mixed together, so I don't know what belonged to which animal originally, but there is both Rot and a different pathogen here. Closer to Mikael's blood, but still lacking. Eating any of this will definitely kill you. If you're lucky."
"Come on," Diana said, starting to fly away. "Spread out. They can't be far."
Indeed, the Amazonian village wasn't far, though the inhabitants had seen them well before they saw it. A pair of patrolling guards rose from a concealed position in the crags to greet them mid-air.
"Lady Diana, Lady Donna," the lead guard bowed her head as she and her patrol partner greeted the four. "This is a pleasant surprise. The Queen will be delighted to see you two again."
"Artemis," Diana grabbed the woman and pulled her into a tight hug before letting go to give Donna the chance to do the same while she moved to the second guard. "Thetis. I am glad you two are doing well. You remember Amelia and Victoria?"
"We do," Artemis nodded at the pair. "Well met."
"Hey," Glory Girl waved casually. Panacea held out her hand for the Amazon to take.
Both guards stared at it in surprise for a second before Donna explained.
"Part of the reason we are here is for her to ensure everyone is healthy."
"There is no need for concern," the guard shook her head with a slight smile. "We are doing very well with Lord Mikael's blessing. His wives have been most gracious in aiding us."
"I'll be the judge of that," Amelia snarked, keeping her hand extended.
Seeing she wouldn't budge, both guards looked to Wonder Woman, who nodded and took turns placing their hands on hers. The healer didn't look alarmed, but she was definitely frowning in thought.
"Can you lead us to Mother?" Diana asked, directing the guards' attention to her once again. "We are nearby, are we not?"
"I'll bring you to her," Thetis said easily. "One of us needs to stay here."
As they started to fly away, with a farewell to Artemis, Victoria lagged a little to fly beside her sister.
"Ames?"
"They have more Eyes," the biokinetic reported. "Artemis has two more, but Thetis only has one."
"That's bad, right? Or is it good because that means Donna's case is normal?"
"I don't know," Amelia admitted. "I'm the best we have, but that doesn't mean I have all the answers. I really need to talk to that Boss of yours."
"I'll talk to Priscilla about meeting with him," Victoria said.
"Thanks."
It barely took them a minute to find the Amazonian village. They might have missed it without their guide as it was further from the barrier than they had been searching.
They were greeted with warm words, smiles, and even hugs from the more affectionate Amazons. Nobody stuck around, though, besides saying a few words. They were all busy with something, whether it was building, gathering, or patrolling.
This New Themyscira was a much busier place than the island paradise the Amazon sisters were used to. There was no music, no laughter.
These were the Amazons as they were initially. Warrior women fighting for a place in a world hostile to them.
"This place is so cool," Victoria said, looking around at the barricades, the houses, and other facilities like the training yard, shrine, and bath house. "You gals built this all in a few weeks? That's awesome."
"Thank you," Thetis nodded her head lightly. "We have not had to use these skills in centuries, but we all were warriors and labourers at one time or another. A few millenia will give you plenty of time to pick up some tricks of the trade."
"It hasn't been too dangerous, has it?" Diana asked. This place was clearly much more focused on the martial lifestyle than she could ever remember Themyscira being. There, they trained for competition, sport and to keep in shape. Here, she watched her sisters patrol along walls their home had never needed. "I can talk to my friends. We can find a place to build somewhere else. Maybe Spain? Or America? There are also a few islands that are uninhabited in the Caribbean."
"Such is not my call to make, princess," Thetis said diplomatically. "You should talk to your mother or the priestess about such topics. I can say we have not had any casualties, and what injuries we've taken have been light."
"But you have been injured?"
"Nothing that our magic or Lady Tsunade cannot heal," Thetis reassured the young Amazon. "Lady Medea aided us with our barriers, and Lord Mikael has graciously provided us information on this land's beasts. We are as safe as we can be. "
"While living right next to a dragon the size of Texas," Amelia snorted. She carefully tried to touch every Amazon she could, which hadn't done her mood favours.
It said something that she was more focused on their medical state rather than eyeing all the beautiful and potentially gay women around her.
"It is like the moon, the sun and the sky," Thetis said philosophically. "Lord Mikael's true body is beautiful and wonderous when you notice it. The sun glittering off his scales in the dawn or twilight. The white of the moonlight reflecting from the waves and the ocean. We know he has the power to destroy us, but so too do the heavens. We do not let our fear keep us from the beauty of this land."
"Woah," Victoria murmured. "I guess that makes sense. Just cause the Supes could flatten the planet doesn't mean he will."
Diana wanted to point out a big difference between Clark and Mikael. Primarily a sense of morality and a proven track record. But Thetis was right. If she wanted to convince her people to leave this place, it was her mother she needed to talk to.
"So it is," Thetis nodded as she led them to the largest dwelling and held the door open for them. "There is also the matter that, like the sky, you only notice Lord Mikael if you look for him. Otherwise, he is just another part of this land. Another range of mountains in the distance."
Before she continued to lead them to the Queen, Thetis paused and looked Diana in the eyes.
"As I said, Princess, it is not my place to decide what is good for our sisters." The guard stood a bit straighter, a note of... pride, perhaps in her that wasn't there before. "This land, it is not paradise. But we are not weak either. It has been nice to fight for something once more. To not rely on anyone but ourselves for our survival. Our prayers still go to the goddesses, wherever they might be, but Lord Mikael did speak the Truth. We had been creatures of peace for too long, and it cost our sisters their lives."
With her peace being said and all four guests looking at her in surprise, the guard led the group toward a gathering room.
It was definitely a step down from the throne room of Themyscira, more of a collection of chairs along a wide table. The only nod to the Queen's position was the more elaborate chair at the head of the table.
Queen Hippolyta was seated in her chair, leaning forward over a well-drawn map of the mountains and a thick volume as she spoke with Penelope.
"...winter. Which means furs and heartier materials." The Queen said to the priestess. "Even if we do not die from the cold, buildings must deal with snow and insulation is required. We must keep clear sightlines along the paths, which will require manpower. It is better to prepare now while we have the time."
"Snow..." Penelope tasted the word on her tongue. "I have not seen snow in centuries. Can we not alter the enchantments to keep our village warm? These Crystal Lizards are perfect for enchantment."
"In the future," Hippolyta nodded. "This year, we should focus on ensuring our foundations are steady. We can worry about luxuries like enchanted warmth later."
The conversation was very down to Earth, even to be expected, seeing as the Amazons had gone from living in a Mediterranean paradise to in rugged mountains.
Diana was in no way surprised her mother was taking a cautious and thoughtful approach to ensuring her people lasted as long as possible in this inhospitable land.
What was surprising was the fat cat with wings sitting on her lap that the Queen was feeding jerky to.
"Your Majesty," Thetis had waited for a pause in the conversation to introduce her guests. "Your daughters have come to visit and have brought Glory Girl and Panacea."
Looking up, the Queen's face lit in a slight smile as she rose to her feet to embrace her daughters.
The fat cat, dislodged from its nap, gave a yowl of annoyance as it flapped its too-small wings to not fall to the ground. It huffed haughtily as it landed on Penelope's lap, who immediately started petting it to appease its tubby wrath.
"It is good to see you two," Hippolyta said, pulling her daughters into a tight hug.
"You as well, mother," Diana responded. Donna, who had never been away from her parent before now, didn't say anything, just holding the Queen tighter.
"What brings this pleasant surprise," Hippolyta asked, stepping away and giving a nod of thanks to Thetis to dismiss her. "Have the Teen Titans not been treating you well, dear? You know there is a place here for you if you wish."
"Things are proceeding well," Donna hurried to clarify, not wanting the Queen to get the wrong idea. "My teammates have been inviting, if a bit too enthusiastic, and Lady Goodwitch's training has been invaluable. We are here concerning a different matter."
Amelia dove right into the important topic with the grace of a rhino.
"Is Mikael drugging you?"
"Pardon?" Hippolyta asked with a frown as she looked over the healer. "You are the Panacea, are you not? What do you speak of?"
"Something is going on with you all gaining Insight when you shouldn't," Victoria hurried to explain. Just because Amelia didn't care about being polite didn't mean she didn't. "We just wanted to check up on you all and make sure you are all right."
Hippolyta looked to her eldest for a bit more context.
"Since Panacea last scanned Donna, she has gained another layer of Insight," Wonder Woman explained. "I haven't. Part of this visit is to see if everyone is gaining the same, what risk it could pose, and what could be causing it."
"Understandable," Hippolyta nodded. "You have already informed us of the risk of Insight and Frenzy, and Lord Mikael has provided us with more information. You need not worry."
"Everyone I've touched since coming here has at least one more Eye than they should have," Amelia said with narrow eyes. "How?"
"We have cleared our area of the beasts bearing the bloodborne plague," Penelope answered as she stood, cradling the cat in her arms. "I am unsurprised we have peeled back another layer of the veil of Truth. Pray, tell me how many Eyes have I gained?"
Panacea reached out to touch the priestess on the shoulder.
"You have four more," the healer said. "How? And are you sure you don't want me to heal that leg? Tsunade's work is fine enough I can just turn the wood to flesh."
"No," the priestess shook her head sadly as she continued to scratch the cat under the chin. She seemed unsurprised by the increase in Insight. "I shall keep it as a reminder of my hubris."
"Why aren't you worried," Wonder Woman asked her mother, frustration leaking into her voice. "You have eyes growing in your skull. And the more you have, the greater the risk of Frenzy!"
"As do you, daughter," Hippolyta reminded the heroine with a chastising look. "And we are not worried because we know what we are doing. We have tools, enchantments for protection." To demonstrate, the Queen of the Amazons slipped off one of her armbands and presented it to them.
"Deep Sea? Great Deep Sea?" Amelia murmured as she traced the runes carved into the metal. "It would be better to have them on your body, but this would work as a stopgap. Did Mikael make these?"
"We did," Penelope said, nodding at the thick book placed beside the map. "Lord Mikael provided instruction on how to protect ourselves. We will continue gaining Insight from dealing with the monsters of this land, but so long as we do it steadily and without imbibing the tainted blood, we will be safe from the beast plague."
"See," Victoria told her sister triumphantly. "I told you he was a big softy. A real tsundere, that's what the Boss is."
Diana had more significant concerns.
"Beast plague?" She asked with trepidation.
"An inferior method of gaining Insight," the priestess waived off her concern. "We gain it by confronting the Truth of the world and Lord Mikael. Slowly. Steadily. So we need not fear Frenzy. You can also gain it by ingesting tainted blood, which heals and strengthens you but risks degeneration into feral monsters. A Frenzy in form as well as in spirit. We have taken great concern to ensure no tainted blood enters us."
"Then how did I-"
Donna's question was cut off when the ground shook, and roots the size of buildings tore from the Earth to try and destroy New Themyscira and everyone in it.
********
"You know," I said, looking around. "Whoever decided on this place for the meeting has a sense for the dramatic. I approve."
We were back at the place where Doomsday had died. The massive hole in the ground was still there, cordoned off from the public, as were the chairs Tsunade had initially summoned for my Family and the heroes. I, who had been sitting on the corpse, didn't have one, but that didn't matter. Instead, I had taken Melina's, and she was sitting on my lap as we courteously gave our hosts time to get into position.
"'Doomsday Memorial,'" Melina read off a nearby plaque. "'A monster attacked Cleaveland and fought its way west. Defeated by the joint effort of the PRT, Justice League, X-men and the newly arrived Elden Lord. Total casualties: 7509 innocent lives.'"
"Bet you can't guess which of those set up this thing," I smirked, not really caring that the PRT was using it for a PR stunt.
I bet there were dozens of these little memorials in this state alone. To this world, it was just another one of the many villain attacks, if more devastating than most.
"No matter the reason, remembering the fallen is admirable," Artoria declared imperiously. She made an impressive sight, clad in full armour with her spear planted in front of her. Only her helmet was absent as she looked over the grounds of what might again become a battleground. "This area is near their headquarters while remaining far from civilization and civilians. It is a suitable place for parley."
"Yeah," I said sarcastically. "They totally look like they're here to talk."
In all fairness, they didn't look like they brought everyone. The coast guard wasn't here, for example.
Sarcasm aside, there were a lot of heroes here.
The X-men, obviously, but also the Justice League, the Avengers, a few other PRT teams, and some independent heroes. Police had also been called, mostly in the distance, to keep any civilians from approaching.
Did this mean they were prepared for battle? Then why not have it further from civilization? But this was also clearly a force ready to fight, so what was the game plan? Were they trying to intimidate us with numbers?
Three again fifty sounded like long odds until you remembered I was one of those three.
...I suppose Artoria with Avalon and a host of the Phoenix Force were also with me.
When I put it like that, I started feeling bad for the heroes. Maybe we should wait longer so they have time to gather more backup. It was the only way I wouldn't feel like a bully.
Then again, I like being a bully.
I waved at the Flash as he arrived half a minute late, an extra large soda in his hand. He waived back, and we both pretended we didn't see the red visor glaring at me with the force of a laser.
Did this world's Cyclops' power work like a biological laser coming from his eyes or like a portal to another dimension like in the comics? Food for thought.
Melina, Artoria and I were surrounded. There were no two ways about it.
I honestly wasn't worried.
No, I should correct that. I wasn't worried about the potential enemies in front of me.
I was very concerned about what the next play would be. My entire plan this time was a counterattack, and I only had two of my wives with me because this place was not the focus. If nothing happened, that would be my loss.
I just had to force something to happen.
Time to bullshit my way to success.
Just another Tuesday, then.
"Hello, all," I said loudly, my voice enhanced with magic as I waved to get everyone's attention. "We are here because there seems to be some sort of misunderstanding. Shall we get started?"
Everyone had kept their distance until now, but at my prompting, the X-men looked ready to charge over, Cyclops in the lead.
Let's see. There's ol'pink-eye, Wolverine, Colossus, Magik, Nightcrawler, Rogue, Iceman, and Storm. It was a regular all-star lineup, not counting a few who had died during Heartbreak, like Archangel. Professor X was surprisingly not here, which, more than anything, told me they didn't think this would be an actual talk and not a trap.
Superman flew quickly to head off the mutant brigade, whispering a warning to them that I could overhear despite the distance. While he did that, others approached more cautiously but with less belligerence.
"We have to stop meeting like this," I waived at Captain America.
"We do," the Avenger answered with a tight smile. "I trust you've been well."
"Eh," I shrugged dramatically. "Same shit, different day. Been running around putting out fires, you know? Healing this, killing that. I've barely been home these last few weeks, and my wives are ready to kill me if I don't slow down."
To his credit, the former soldier hid his wince at the mention of my 'healing' well. He was trying to maintain a position of solidarity, whether he believed I was guilty or not.
Too bad for him. I was still annoyed at being accused of something I didn't do, and I was going to be a petty little bitch about it.
In the nicest way possible, of course. I was on my best behaviour.
"Where are they, if you don't mind me asking," the Avenger asked as the heroes spread around us. They were not fully encircling but were far enough apart that they wouldn't get in each other's way.
"I figured a peaceful talk would be best for clearing this mess up," I shrugged again, pretending not to notice. "I left them at home so you all wouldn't feel like we are ganging up on you."
Captain America looked like he was going to say something else, but Superman looked to be done cautioning Cyclops, so instead of continuing the pleasantries, he leaned forward to whisper to me.
"I don't think you did it." I raised a brow but didn't say anything. "No matter what happens, I do appreciate your willingness to talk. We all do. None of us want to fight. I hope we can get through this without violence and find the woman and child."
Man, what was with the heroes of this world making me feel like a dick when I wanted to be a petty asshole? Were they really the good guys and I the bad guy? Is it me? Am I the problem?
...Nah.
Then Captain America was gone, stepping away as the Scott Summers stomped up to stand in front of me.
"Elden Lord." Man, did he gargle nails, or was he just unhappy to see me?
"Cyclops," I answered politely with a smile on my face, despite my desire to call him 'winky-blinky, the one-eyed man.' "Is this everyone?" I asked, and, to my credit, only a touch of sarcasm was in my voice.
Truly, I was a saint.
"No," he spat the word. "We are still waiting for someone."
"I don't see why we have to," I said pleasantly. Butter wouldn't melt in my mouth. "We can get this sorted and go home."
I could understand where the man was coming from. I really could. If someone kidnapped my wife and kid, I'd be much worse than he was now.
But just because I understood him didn't mean I would tolerate this. I was being eminently reasonable when the standard comic world response would be to fight and not even try to clear up the issue.
"We are no-" Scott started to say, but Logan grunted and touched his arm. Rather than stopping him from saying something, the Canadian seemed to be indicating something in the sky. Looking up, I saw a new arrival flying down from the clouds.
It took me a moment to place the man; his costume was so similar to Superman's.
Then it clicked.
This got a bit more complicated.
He landed amongst the heroes, a distance away from me, and there was a palpable hum in the air with his arrival.
I couldn't allow that.
"Greetings, Guardian," I said casually to the alien who could tear apart black holes at his full strength. "Or do you prefer Kallark?"
"You know me?" The Strontian asked, his dramatic entrance put off slightly by my casual acceptance of his arrival. "I don't know you."
Strictly speaking, Guardian could be a valid threat to me despite his weakness to magic, similar to Superman.
There was just one problem if they wanted to use him to intimidate me.
"Eh," I shrugged dismissively. "I've heard about you. Never bothered to introduce myself. Didn't see the point, but since you're here, I'm Mikael."
Then, completely disregarding the baffled look on the alien's face, I stood up, Melina doing the same. I gave a light stretch, completely ignoring the new arrival.
Stronians get their power from their confidence. Guardian, in his prime state, would be a match for Superman. If I hurt his confidence, he'd be no more of a threat than Cyclops.
I wasn't worried about him. I was concerned about the empire at his back.
Having to wipe out the Shi'ar would be a pain in the ass.
"Now that we are all here," I said with a smile, pretending like the people gathered weren't ready to fight me to the death if it came to it. "Let's start this shindig. Artoria? Be a dear?"
The King of Knights nodded imperiously at my words and stepped away. That got curious looks all around, but nobody stopped her since she didn't seem ready to fight.
"Shine Brilliantly, My Radian Hall: Bright Ehangwen!"
The hall of King Arthur built itself around us in an instant. White walls decorated with tapestries showing moments of valour. Rows of seats, enough for everyone here, rose from the floor. A dias rose along the far wall, a throne and two accompanying chairs atop it.
Light shown through vast windows, giving the air a sacred look as the heroes looked around the famous hall, some for the second time.
This was a hall for heroes, for those dedicated to the ideals of justice. In this hall, many of the moral guidelines held today were first enshrined and adapted from old Roman laws. Chivalry. Noblesse Oblige.
So much of modern-day heroism could trace its roots to Arthurian legend.
This was not the Round Table, but this was as close as anyone could come without summoning a certain Mashmallow.
Did I appreciate the irony of using this Noble Phantasm twice in the same location for the same people? You be I did.
Did it also serve my purpose of framing my side as the good guys? Yep.
Did I think it was kick ass and wanted a reason to use it since I wasn't inside last time?... Not telling.
"I shall serve as impartial judge and Ruler for this trial," Artoria declared as she sat on the throne and stared down the entire room, Rhongomyniad pulsing with power in her hand. "I invite Superman and Captain America to join me. No matter the verdict, I shall ensure justice is done. I trust my reputation speaks for itself, and there will be no complaints."
You might have the Shi'ar Empire behind you, but I had an Artoria.
My win, bitch.