Visiting Futures Past

“No matter which way you go, time travel is a raw deal. You go into the past, and either events conspire to prevent you from achieving what you want to while you are there, or you get caught up in events you don’t want to be caught up in, or you’re part of some self-fulfilling prophecy”

“Should you really be having this conversation with your daughter from the future?”

“Shit. Then there’s that. How does that work, when I know your mother’s dead again?”

“I am so glad you improve as a parent.”

Solaris had debated wearing her new union suit but decided against it feeling that might come off as aggressive. Instead wearing a fitting pair of black slacks, with gold strapped heals, a deep blue silk top and a golden leather duster. Her blonde hair swept away from her face with pearled combs, as she stepped off the small boat onto the Guardians new island base. She looked at the tall modern sprawling building, done in the heavy brutalist style. “Quite the modern castle.” she said.

"Yeah, but it makes sense, seeing as you want to be able to fix the building when some idiot blows up a wall." Penny noted, looking around. The island was practical in design, but also had a lot of luxurious features. There was what looked like a small golf driving range, a couple of pools, and the docks they'd gotten off of had a pair of fishing boats, as well as three small, folded wing amphibious airplanes sitting at the dock or in lifts above the water. The grounds were well kept and landscaped as they walked towards the front. A man stood at the door, smiling as they approached.

"Good afternoon, Lady Elizabeth." the man said, with a Londoner accent. "I can't deny I'm pleased to get a chance to meet you. I am Tate Atkinson, codename Silver Paladin. I'm the current exchange member with the Guardians from the Watch."

“A pleasure to meet a countryman. “she said shaking his hand. “Sorry it took me so long to visit I’ve been working on settling in and figuring out where everything thing is. This is a bit of an upgrade from the congressional golf club.”

"Yes, well, they wanted their golf courses back." He chuckled. "Though I understand that the annual birthday celebration is held there, still." He opened the door for the ladies, and led them into a lobby, which had Solaris's own portrait, along with over a dozen others, the apparent former leaders of the Guardians. The lobby had a secretary, who smiled and nodded, waving them through to the main offices. "As you can tell, we have support staff as well as the active hero types here. Aside from the Icon's you saw at the dock we have a couple of business jets and a couple of retired trainers for quick response across country, and a few helicopters."

“Mobility and fast response have always been important, especially with national duties, and good support staff is invaluable.” She looked at the painting of herself not sure what she thought of it. She shook her head. “Looks like you have a much larger team now than I did. I understand that there are something like 10 active members now?”

"Six on site, four more in their home city but on call, then ten more affiliate members, those who haven't been on the active team in the last couple of years but are still authorized to use our resources. The Affiliates tend to get 'called up' when there's injuries or illnesses interfering." He explained. "Technically there's multiple teams that are supposedly subsidiary but, well, that's got a somewhat checkered past."

“There were not a lot of independent teams in the 50s, I can imagine the vetting on some of them is more lackadaisical. I am curious what are the credentials required for the team now? She passed at another photo, an older picture of her team one with her missing. She paused and lowered her head giving a small prayer for her friends.

"Yes, quite." His tone was that English 'Not what I meant, but I also shouldn't speak out of school' tone that said quite a bit. "And the team was nearly disbanded in the sixties, partially due to the Cuban Missile Crisis, which you may or may not be aware of. For good or ill, Alexander attacked Washington DC on the day the Guardians were to be shuttered, so it was reborn in a new form. Technically it's a charitable non-governmental organization that works heavily with FEMA and law enforcement but you know how those technicalities are, especially in the community."

“I’ll have to look it up. Penny has mentioned it, but only in regard to how it killed the comforts of commercial flight. Or perhaps during your next downtime you can come visit me up north. Wait.” her blood ran cold. “Please tell me Alexander isn’t a problem anymore. That he has gone far far away.”

"He's not turned up in the last few years. Rumor has it he's currently at war with the Fifth Reich in another set of dimensions, making him not our problem. Neither of them our problem."

“Oh, thank god. I have enough to deal with without his courting.” She was debating, asking where Pinnacle was. He was the leader of the team, and she was not blind to the subtle insult of him not meeting her at the dock or at the door of the facility. “Are there any Legacy members from my old team here? I understand Tankman’s family is still in the business.”

"Not at current. Ra, formerly Thoth, not that I fully understand that group of mystics, visits on occasion and Nerid has visited as well. The Current Tankman is a reserve member." He led them to a formal office area, a secretary position there but no one currently present. "This is Pinnacle’s office, he asked me to show you up." He knocked on the door, and opened it for her. "Good luck, and hopefully I'll see you again before you leave."

She gave him a knowing look, that sounded foreboding. “I’d like that, you’ll have to tell me where to go when I get back to England.” She tightened her spine and walked in her heels clicking confidently against the polished floor.

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The man called Pinnacle was just hanging up the phone as she entered, waiting for her to get to the desk before standing He reached out a hand for her. "Ms. Summers, it's a pleasure to meet you. I am sure I don't have to tell you that you're a bit of a legend around here." He greeted, his tone pleasant, his grip firm but not foolishly trying to show his strength.

He was tall, with dark hair, getting just a hint of pepper in it. His face had the tan of a man who worked outside a lot, and his form was strong not just from his obvious Enhanced status, but from work. His uniform was tactical style pants, in black, with a Silver and blue tight, long-sleeved shirt, a utility vest hanging on a hook behind his desk. His eyes were whisky brown.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you as well, it’s a treat to get to see how things have developed. Thank you for the invitation.”

"Of course. I would have earlier, but was letting you settle in, since you hadn't reached out." He gestured to a sitting area with a couch and chair near his desk Someone had set up tea, coffee, and some finger sandwiches already. "Please, have a seat. I obviously heard about your trip to Las Vegas. I don't think finding out Changeling was still around would be the best news to hear after sleeping for so long. At that point, the PR people pushed me to contact you, and having fought the man I thought a…more relaxed setting would be advisable, that creature punches like a freight train. So I know you must be sore"

She took off her coat and draped it over the arm of the couch. She let none of her rising irritation show on her face. He had sat back behind the desk trying to look important in his big office chair, Solaris mentally sighed, another blowhard wanting to make sure she knew her place. She poured a cup of tea then took a seat. “I had heard he was still around. I figured it was only a matter of time before we came to blows again, he has hated me for a very long time.” She sipped her tea, then stood and added a touch of milk, the tea was a bit bitter. She sat back down without offering him anything

"I think he might hate everyone, but yes, it seems he particularly hates you. Those of us in that elite group need T-shirts." Pinnacle agreed. "I also heard you hired some kids from the Academy out in Vegas. Thinking of setting up a working team, or settling into a more civilian life?" He leaned forward to hear her answer.

“Right now, I am just setting in. My assistant said that kids from the super schools can have problems finding jobs, and apparently my instinct to mentor was not impacted by my long nap.”

"We actually hire them here as well, but there's not that many jobs, so from the community at large, thank you." He admitted. "And you're well known for having a strong maternal instinct. I think there are something like three organizations you created that are built around mentorship or humanitarian acts. And I do hope you continue your work there, after all the Guardians themselves, are descended from what you helped create. I look forward to what you might do now a days, when the world could use some old-fashioned guidance."

Solaris waved a free hand nonchalantly“I am still working that out, right now the only thing I’m doing is a project with the MLB to raise money for team sponsored charities. It should be quite a bit of fun. Are the Guardians much involved in charity now? I’ll admit I haven’t read up much on the current team.”

"We are, though I think it's shifted to different goals than before. A lot of what we respond to is natural disasters, so we lend our name to a lot of causes for recovering from those, as well as children and educational programs. I think in your time, it was more technological innovation, but still worthwhile causes, both."

“That is good to hear.” She sipped tea, trying to remember if she’d ever had such a strained conversation with another hero. The only thing she was coming up with was talking to Kreigsmarine back in the war, and he was at least delightfully sarcastic about the whole thing. She stood and fetched a macaroon. Ignoring the second cup on the table meant for her host then returned to her seat and ate it, getting tired of filling the silence, as well as his subtle posturing and disrespect.

He sighed, after waiting for her to say something “Look, I'm going to be honest, I mostly reached out to you because our publicist said I should. I honestly don't know what the current, modern Guardians and yourself have in common. Aside from the obvious, of course. Politically you are a hot potato I could live without and people are starting to notice that hadn’t visited yet, and wonder why you haven’t gotten involved with us again."

Solaris leaned back finishing her cookie. “Let me guess, you are worried that the “Original Girl” is going to try and bully her way back onto the team she founded, leaving you to try and figure out how to work around a dinosaur, who understands nothing of the modern world.” Her tone was cool with polite British frost.

"I had that concern and won't deny it's still there to some extent. Another concern is the weight of election years, and politicians, some who might think pushing the Guardians into a female leader, might look good for their numbers." He stated. "So, I suppose I'll ask, do you have any interest in trying to come back?"

“No.” She answered simply and honestly. “This is not my team, and I have more than given enough to the role of leader of the Guardians. I am still acclimating to seventy years of change. And when I do choose to hero, it will be on my own terms and with my own beliefs.” She set the teacup down. “I had planned to visit, when I was ready. I am still mourning my time, my team, my Guardians. And I find the fact you called me down here for a cock measuring contest more than a little insulting. Your question could have been answered with a phone call. That would have wasted far less of my time and not dredged up as much pain.

He nodded. "You're right, I could have done just that, but PR told me that would be the wrong way to handle it, said it would have looked bad. So, to please the media, I invited you down here. For what it is worth, I apologize for any inconvenience. I tend to focus more on making the team look its best than making individual friends. No insult is intended."

“A pity. Those friends you don’t have may have given you better advice. And if you truly meant no insult, you would have been on the docks to greet me properly, not pulling stupid power plays waiting in your office. I am a woman from the early twentieth century, males being dismissive isn’t precisely unusual to me.” She stood, her eyes ice chips. “Good day sir.” She turned and walked for the office door, pausing she didn’t turn around before saying. “If I should change my mind, I’ll tell you when to move out of my office.”

He stood, frowning but not stopping her. Outside the English gentleman was sitting, looking at his watch. "That actually took longer than I thought."

"Damn it Atkinson." Pinnacle said, hearing him.

"Stuff it, Patrick. I told you to just call her, but you had to be so bloody, I don’t know, you about everything! I'll give her the tour you should have offered long before starting a fight, and you go back to planning for the next disaster. You're good at that, as much as causing them." The British hero reached out and shut the door. "My apologies, we argue frequently."

“Thank you, Silver Knight but I do not know that I am going to be good company after that level of insult. However, I happily will invite you to come drink with me. I did find my favorite underground bar is still here and still has a booth for me.”

"Well then, as long as the important parts of a tour are performed." He looked around. "The door and dock is that way. Did you see our dock? It's quite lovely."

“Yes, it is.” She said walking towards the dock. “Fall is one of the prettiest times of the year in Baltimore.”