Converse
13th September
15:34 GMT -5
"Identification confirmed."
Kon's face
lights up even as he charges across the intervening space and matches my embrace, nearly knocking me off my feet as we come together.
"Yeah,
hello Kon.
"
He lets me go and backs up a pace, still beaming. "Two months, you didn't call
once!"
"How was I supposed to do that?
"
"What, they don't have phones in outer space?"
"Not ones that reach
Earth, no. And I knew Guy wasn't here and I didn't want Alan wasting charge with personal messages.
"
He huffs theatrically. "Fine, but you gotta tell us everything that happened."
"Of course! With a power ring I don't even need
slides!
" Might… Leave out some of the mass-killing…
Kon nods and steps to the side as Kaldur approaches. "It is good to see you again." He offers me his right hand.
Ah, heck. I ignore it, step forward and hug him too. He stiffens a
little, then with a quiet laugh decides to just go with it, letting go the moment I do.
**And M'gann! Hello to you-
** She drifts through the air, puts her hands on my shoulders and kisses me lightly on the left cheek.
**-as well. And -deadly serious- whatever you do, don't try looking into Ms Blaze's mind.
**
**Ah, okay, but
why?**
"Angelica." Kaldur offers Blaze his hand, and she politely shakes it exactly
once. "Welcome to Mount Justice."
Canis looks
mildly interested. "Have you brought us a new team mate already?"
"No, he most certainly has
not." Yes, she might have picked her current visage in order to fit in with a group of teenagers, but it looks like her attitude hasn't changed at all. That could make this more awkward than it has to be. "I will be joining the Justice League to replace Doctor Fate. I will simply be staying here-."
"Because it's warded and the Light is trying to kill her.
"
"
Barely warded." She grimaces. "If I can feel the greenery outside
already. Do you really think this place can keep me
safe?"
Kaldur takes her attitude in stride. "There is a grove of trees on top of the mountain tended by a Dryad. By combining her green magic and the Mountain's wards, other arcane signatures are made harder to detect than they would be by warding alone."
Canis sniffs. "And if you are to join the Justice League, should you not be able to defend
yourself?"
"She's going to have some work done. We-.
"
Her eyes
literally flame for a moment as she looks Kaldur over, then she turns her attention to me. "
Please tell me that you've got someone more highly skilled than an adolescent Atlantean warrior."
Canis' hand goes to his mega rod. "I do not appreciate your attitude."
"Welcome to the pack, omega."
I hold out my right palm in his direction.
"Cranius isn't returning my calls, but I'd be happy to hire the most skilled biomancers in Atlantis for you. Otherwise, Kal-El was going to have a word with your father, and this may be the first thing that you've ever done that he'd actually
approve of.
"
Kaldur raises his eyebrows at me. "Why would you wish to employ biomancers?"
I grin more than a little manically as I float the large case I brought with me forwards. Oh, hang on…
"Is Zatanna here?
"
Kon shakes his head. "No, she-."
"
Paul." M'gann mock-scowls. "Haven't you gone to see her yet?"
"I was… Tomorrow?
" M'gann looks unimpressed.
"I went to see Alan, then Diana, then Batman had a job for me…
"
M'gann smiles as her hands go to her hips. "And then
Jade."
"Oh, you.. know about that?
"
Kon nods. "Artemis called to tell us. I don't think she really believes it's happening."
I raise my hands in protest.
"I wasn't
that b-.
"
"This box feels
strange." Canis is holding his hands over the case, frowning. "I feel a.. certain
presence…"
I walk around the case and take hold of the lid.
"No one tell Zatanna I've got these.
"
I crack the lid slightly, and Kaldur's already recoiling. Yeah, I can't feel a thing but for a magic-user these things do rather stand out. As I open it fully Canis frowns with curiosity, M'gann gasps and covers her mouth with her right hand and Kon makes an expression of intense distaste.
A pair of brilliant white wings lies inside the case, thin trails of silver blood dripping from the severed end of each. Canis dips his right fore and middle fingers into the small pool they've made and then brings them to his nose, sniffing them and then licking them clean.
"No one here's
Christian, right?
"
Kaldur blinks. "You mean to say..?"
"Gabriel doesn't need them where
he is.
" I close the case.
"Is the arcane laboratory still where I left it?
"
"Yes, but I.. do not believe we have the facilities for attaching an Angel's wings to someone."
"Proper storage of reagents, Kaldur.
"
"I am unsure as to whether
any Atlantean would be able to perform such a procedure. We do not commonly involve ourselves in the affairs of Angels."
M'gann moves her hand a little away from her mouth. "What.. happened to their.. owner?"
"The First of the Fallen crushed his heart and sent him to Hell.
" I frown.
"Wait, why is this a surprise? Where did you think I was getting my Angel feather rounds from?
"
"A single feather? Not… Two whole..
wings…"
"The metal for the Ace of Winchesters, then. And I'm sure that if Gabriel knew we were using them as weapons against Demons, he'd feel slightly better about the whole thing.
"
Very slightly.
Kon doesn't look much happier. "Batman was okay with this?"
"With letting Angelica stay here? Yes. I didn't ask him about
all of the specifics. But the League needs a Satanus-counter, and we're-
" I smile at Blaze.
"-going to make one for him.
"
Kaldur nods. "That
would be strategically beneficial. And -given your history- he could not honestly claim to be surprised that you were prepared to use extreme methods."
"No.
" I turn away and head towards the corridor towards the laboratory.
"'
Extreme' would have been killing Gabriel myself. This is just making good use of available resources.
" I turn my head back in their direction.
"Look, I'll drop this off and get Blaze situated, then we can all catch up. Oh, and Kon? Do you have any plans for tomorrow after school?
"
"Ah… No? Why?"
"I've sorted things out with Diana and Batman, but I still need to square things with Kal-El. And the one thing I know he likes is Kryptonian memorabilia, so I thought that the two of us could take a trip to the Rao system and see if there was anything to pick up. Sound like fun?
"
