Vaster than Empires and More Slow

[Heritage]

"Lynn, long time no see."

"Official business, what's up?"

Grim gave her the rundown as quickly as she could as she deftly weaved through traffic (thank god for headsets!) on her way to Archeville's, but another call came in from Avenger, which had her slamming on the breaks, hopping the curb and peddling like a woman possessed on her way to Liberty Park. A quick redial to Moira insured that Divine would be able to join the rest of them when-

"Ah, the Knights! Just the people we needed to see. Time is of the essence. We've been...travelling. There is an evil dictator who's going to attempt an invasion. He's got their world already, barring a few resistance movements. We're going to go back and throw him down. The Doctor can explain it better I suppose."

Her bike safely locked up some distance away, a once-more-in-costume Grimalkin greeted the ephemeral hero with a friendly wave.

"Hi DS! Welcome back to Terra Firma! Did you bring me anything?"

"Ja... right... dere is much to divulge, und much for us to do, und-"

"vas dere a recruitment drive while ve vere avay?"

The faeling could only grin.

"Uh, kind of, I guess." She marches confidently up to him, hand extended. "Hi, I'm Grimalkin, the Jewish pixie. Infiltration, recon, and occasional kicker of butts."

[Cyroa]

Dark Star nodded and smiled at Grim. "Indeed I did. One super genius," he nods at the Doctor. "Also, an world conquering villain, though he's waiting for us on the other side. Well, not really waiting but still...he needs to be shown the error of his ways."

He looked around. "Who are the others? And...why are all of you gathered here in the park anyway? The Doctor and I would have called for everyone...we just didn't expect to have you all here waiting for us. All joking aside however, this is a dire situation. Scarab? It might be faster if you could scan my mind and transfer or show everyone what we learned rather than either the Doctor or myself attempting to recount everything in detail. We might loose something with words. And your way is significantly faster."

[alderwitch]

"We, too, were attacked by interdimensional individuals." Phantom's hands slid to her side once more, dismissing the arcane energy that had come to her hands as the gate opened without warning. Dark Star, at least, she recognized, "These two are from the same dimension that you have returned from. I am Phantom."

With that introduction, she turned her attention back to the gateway that had brought them here, keeping a wary eye on it lest it be used to track their current activities.

[N/A]

"Arachnos. Our thoughts exactly. We have been attempting to contact you. We were worried that his agents might have targeted you specifically. It is a relief to see the both of you little the worse for wear."

"A recruitment drive? Heh. Something like that. Introductions are certainly in order. Herr Doktor Viktor Archeville, DarkStar, this is Phantom, Divine, and Grimalkin. And these are the Rachel and Ray Trask of the world you just escaped. I think you will find them of stronger moral fiber than their Earth-Prime counterparts. Phantom is a dimensional traveller, whose expertise will be of vital importance in this situation."

"Good thinking, DarkStar. Open your mind to me, and I will attempt to pool and relay what information we have each gleaned up to this point to the assembled group."

[Avenger Assembled]

When Scarab has finished passing along all that the various teams have learned about the menace in the other dimension, Avenger was the first to speak. "So we go there ourselves," he said, not really making a suggestion. "Need to get there, get the job done." He shot an inquiring look at Phantom, not wanting to come out and admit that he didn't actually know that much about how her powers worked. If not her, they'd probably have to jump into some crazy time vortex of Dr. Archeville's, and he wasn't really thrilled at letting the scientist get his hands on him. This is no time for bigotry. Not all German scientists are madmen. Admittedly, he couldn't think of any.

Rachel and Ray Trask volunteered to open their minds to Scarab's mental probes as much as possible, but the mental blocks that someone (likely Arachnos) had put in place were very difficult to get around. They had solid recollections of the layout of Freedom City (a name it still bore, painfully enough) and how to enter the World Tower, but the layout and security inside wasn't something they could force themselves to remember. It would take a deeper probe for that. There was at least no sign of a deadly failsafe in their brains, a sign of either the enemy's capacity for mercy...or his arrogance.

[alderwitch]

Phantom floated up, letting the edges of her cloak frame a man-sized doorway to the void. "I can take everyone inside and take you to where-ever you wish to arrive. It is not a pleasant journey but it should take no more than a minute or two."

[Avenger Assembled]

A quick consultation with Rachel and Ray revealed that the safest place to transition in Freedom City was probably in Wading Way, one of the quieter areas of the city now that most of the world's trade was being handled through New York rather than the city of Freedom. "There's too much risk of running into families with children in the Fens or Southside," Rachel agreed with her brother, a slightly wistful look on her face. Shaking her head a moment later, she added, almost inaudibly. "I've always thought those places were macabre, anyway. Those poor people..."

With that decided, Avenger gave Phantom a slightly suspicious look before volunteering to go first. "Am surprisingly hardy. Would make a viable candidate for first transition and evaluation." Despite the extreme seriousness of the moment, a small part of Jack was actually kind of thrilled right now. I'm going to another dimension! I can't believe I'm going to another dimension! It was just too bad that the only people he could brag to about this were right there with him.

[Dr Archeville]

Get out of our head!

Apologies, Scarab. Though I would prefer if you did not share too much about my doppelganger.

"Vhoa, vhoa, vait a minute!," Archeville calls out, "ve cannot just go barging in dere! Ve need a plan!"

[Heritage]

Grim looks into the depths of Phantom's cloak and feels a finger of ice go down her spine.

It looks like death in there...

"Vhoa, vhoa, vait a minute!," Archeville calls out, "ve cannot just go barging in dere! Ve need a plan!"

The faeling nods vigorously and points at Doc with both hands.

"Yes, yes, this man is right; I can see why he's a genius. If I'm goin' into the Spooky Land of Dark and Swirly, we need a plan and I need some Scotch; if we're outta Scotch, I at least need cherry Pez."

She holds up her hand like she's at school, not the manic Hermione Granger 'pick me, pick me' flailing, just 'present'.

"So let's see a show of hands on our sneaky people; if there's one thing I learned from watching my brother play D&D, it's that you send the thieves in first. And always loot the bodies."

[alderwitch]

Phantom let out something that sounded suspiciously like a sigh of frustration, "Alright, what is the plan going to be? There is a very good chance that with what knowledge of dimensional travel this despot has, that he is also going to be aware of the other illicit travel to and from his dimension. I don't feel it would be wise to split our forces as they are going to have the ability to scry and are surely going to vastly out number us already. I think we need to discover what is giving him the power to travel between worlds and see what we can do to negate that as our primary focus. We know he has the power to move an army into our world already. I'd also suggest sending the two from his world out to recruit whatever forces might be willing to ally against him. We will also need to rescue the children he has taken."

[Cyroa]

Dark Star nodded and spoke up. "I can conceal all of us if necessary. It means traveling at rather slow speed, but I can do so. As for this 'dimensional detection', what would the range of this sort of thing be? What I mean is, if you think it is likely he will detect a dimensional break if we attempt it anywhere on this planet, why don't we just leave? Attempt the crossover somewhere around Mars or Jupiter. If that isn't good enough, then how about the nearest star system? Whatever let's us make that transition undetected. As for the plan?" He shrugged. "We need to destroy his tower I thought. And defeat him of course."

[Dr Archeville]

We need guns. Lots and lots of guns.

We have all we need right here.

"Ve need to do more dan dat, Herr Star," Archeville said, "ve need to give dem hope, someding for de people to rally behind! Someding like.... der Gladiator! He is stuck betveen dimensions now, but if ve can find him und bring him back mit us to dat other vorld...."

[Heritage]

"Ve need to do more dan dat, Herr Star," Archeville said, "ve need to give dem hope, someding for de people to rally behind! Someding like.... der Gladiator! He is stuck betveen dimensions now, but if ve can find him und bring him back mit us to dat other vorld...."

Grim shakes her head, a sly look on her face. "We don't need him, we need the idea of him; I mean, sure, if we can get the real deal, awesome, let's do it. But if we can't get him, we can look into alternatives."

Suddenly her form is clouded by mist, and she assumes the form of one of her heroes, Sergeant Shrapnel; she's complied the likeness from pictures and newsreel footage she's seen over the years and it's pretty damn impressive. 'He' fishes a rumpled cigarette out of his ammo belt and sticks it in the corner of 'his' mouth, though actually lighting it is beyond Grim's capabilities.

"If someone has a good idea of what he looks like, Scarab puts it in my head and I make with the magic."

Sarge mimes taking a drag off his smoke then flicks it away, the cig winking out of existence before it hits the ground; the shapeshifter assumes her own form seconds later.

"I'm not saying it's a whole plan, but it can be part of one, or at least a back-up."

[N/A]

"If this world's Centurion analogue is trapped between dimensions, that would explain how this self-proclaimed Dark Lord Arachnos managed to take over. If these people are to throw off the shackles of the tyrant, they will need both his power to inspire and his literal power to help. We must free him."

"Once Gladiator is free, DarkStar's idea of entering the other dimension off-world is a good one. Mars orbit should be far enough away to avoid getting his attention. Between DarkStar and Phantom, transit to Earth and Freedom City should be a simple matter. Once in the city, Phantom and I can pool our talents together and scry upon the enemy. We will gather as much intelligence as we can before we strike. This team is well-suited for a stealthy incursion into his fortress. If we take down the shepherd, we can disperse the sheep."

[alderwitch]

"Free him!?" Phantom burst out, "Any attempt to get at him is only likely to free the enemy that he's been locked in battle with, who also happens to wear Centurion's face if you'll remember. We can't free the one unless the other one can be subdued completely.

[Cyroa]

Dark Star nodded at Phantom's words. "I agree. We cannot bring their Centurion out of that 'place/dimension/whatever'. The man put himself there to hold back a villain. Unless we can defeat that villain, an unknown prospect at best not even counting the fact that they are in some 'nexus' point on the dimensional lines, there is little he can do to help."

[N/A]

"If The Gladiator is holding off his counterfeit counterpart, then he is buying us valuable time, and we should focus on Arachnos. In any event, now that I am familiar with him, I should be able to make mental contact with him, and gain his input on the matter. For now, then, I see your reasoning. And Grimalkin has graciously offered to step up if we need an appearance from him while he is otherwise occupied. If there are no other objections, it is time. Take us in."

[Avenger Assembled]

"Propose we organize physical and mental reconaissance teams," said Avenger, agreeing with Phantom that now was the time for action, and with Scarab's order of battle. "Grimalkin, myself, possibly Dark Star infiltrate and explore while mentalists perform their own investigations. If we go into space, not all Knights can breathe vacumn." He was one who could, but that was one issue he didn't want to delve into just now. "If life support can be provided, suggest we transit in Mars orbit. If not, suggest we transition somewhere like Antarctica. Likely not a common site for invasion." When it was established that Dark Star could indeed make his compatriots immune to space, Avenger joined on for the trip to Mars. "Take us up."

[alderwitch]

Phantom simply shrugged and confirmed that she would be fine on the surface of Mars as anywhere else and was indeed capable of teleporting from Mars to Earth's surface without additional aid.

For those that entered the void within Phantom's cloak, it was an unsettling trip through sensory deprivation. The inky blackness in front of their eyes only ever broken by searing flashes of eldritch lightning. There was no sound or sensation within. Each was inside for only a minute or so before they were released, starting with Dark Star so that he could make the surface of Mars habitable for the rest.

When the last knight was released, Phantom's body became visible once more under the shadows of her cloak as she returned to her ephemeral state.

[Cyroa]

Dark Star nodded. "I can provide life support for everyone easily." He looked around at everyone. "If everyone's ready, stand close together. We'll be taking a quick trip out to the 4th planet. From there, Phantom can transition us over. Then I'll get us back. It'll take longer on the return trip since I'll be making a stealth approach but still doable."

He waiting for everyone to gather round. "Last chance to use the bathroom! I'm not turning around once we get started," he said with a grin. When everyone was set, he reached out and launched them into space. It took only moments before they were floating above the Red Planet. He was the last in and first 'out' of Phantom's cloak.

He quickly restored his gravity shielding, letting the others breath as they were released. He looked around, their relative position behind Mars still the same. "Well, that was fun. Welcome to another universe everyone. So where would people like to be taken?"

[Dr Archeville]

Dr. Archeville was curiously tight-lipped. Some may think that it was because it had been a so long since he'd worked with a group of this size.

We... wha... hunh? Oh, I hate working with others!

But we must act now! An entire world is at stake!

Two worlds are at stake, you smarmy git, and rushing in won't help either one!

Well what do you suggest, then?

If these fools would give us half a moment we could contact the Lor, see if we can get something from the Lor here that would convince the Lor over there that we're on their side, get them to help us.

There are all manner of ways that could not wo-

I know that! Then there's what that cloaked girl said, about making sure we subdue the Evil!Centurion before dragging the Gladitaor out of the void and back to his world.

You have a way to do that? To subdue someone like the Centurion?

You know I do.

I know we have several ideas and theories, but nothing provably tested. And besides, we would still need parts, we cannot just whip up devices from no- WHOA!

Yes, yes, I- WHOA!

Archeville had half-stumbled into Phantom's cloak, and his eyes went a bit wide at the sight of the interior. "I am starting to really not like transdimensional travel."

[Avenger Assembled]

On the surface of Mars, Avenger did a perfect imitation of a man who couldn't breathe carbon dioxide until Dark Star put up a field large enough to sustain all of them. With that done, he was about to bring up his earlier plan to infiltrate the sneaks and mentalists on the team into Freedom City when he took note of the red sands underfoot and the pink sky overhead. Succumbing to temptation, he took a step or two away from the group, looking up at the tiny figure of the sun overhead, raising his hand to blot out the Sun with his thumb. My God, have I really come so far? For all his doubts about being a superhero, for all his worries and angst about his life, the awe and wonder of standing on another planet took his breath away. Well, it would have if he breathed. Childhood dreams and aspirations came boiling back to him, and the gritty vigilante of the night bent down and picked up a rock from the surface of Mars itself. "Erm," he finally said, "Need to make plans. Can we put the sneaks one way and the mentalists another?

[Dr Archeville]

When Archeville emerged from the shadowed folds of Phantom's cloak, he showed a mix of wonder and annoyance at his surroundings.

Dammit!

Oh, what are you going on about now?

We're on Mars!

Yes, we are! Is it not spectacular?! We have been wanting to do this for years!

Yes, but on our own terms, not carried by someone else!

Oh, do not be like that! Yes, the journey itself may be as important as the final destination, but look around you! This is-

Not 'our' Mars, for one thing, and for another, these... clods tromping around are ruining the pristine surface!

... but you just said it is not our Mars, so-

Shut up! I know what I said!

Look, we are here, now. True, it is not 'our' Mars, but I highly doubt anything Arachnos has done would impact anything here. In fact, in this universe, Earth has probably had less impact on Mars, sent fewer probes, so it is probably more pristine than 'our' Mars.

Well... maybe....

Come on, just take a look, take it all in.

Archeville's "annoyed" look faded and turned more (but not completely) to the "awed" look as he turned around and took in the Martian landscape. A smile eventually spread across his face.

"Ja, speaking of dat,"[/color he said at last, "vhile I can act as a Sneak or as a pseduo-Mentalist, I am not really geared tovards either. Vhat I am best at is technology, so if somevon can either get me to a computer to do some reconnaissance, or a vorkshop in vhich to build soemding of use, I believe dat vould be de best use for mein talents."

[alderwitch]

Phantom blinked and then took a closer look at the doctor as he emerged from her cloak. There was something wrong with that man. Deeply and utterly wrong. Uneasily, she turned her attention to retrieving the rest of her erst-while collegues from the depths of her cloak but she kept one wary eye on the doctor and resolved to look more closely at the matter as soon as opportunity presented itself. It wasn't quite like the feeling she had from other dimensional entities, but it wasn't entirely like anything she could recall off the top of her head.

---

Continued

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