ic Incursion: God Squad

[Raveled]

Miras put a hand on Meatheral's arm and broke out her most reassuring smile. "He's not my god," she said. "I'm sure that if you don't want it, he's not yours, either."

She stood back and considered the hulking mass that was the Hydra's 'corpse.' "The Egyptian military could tear that to shreds pretty easily," she said, "or else someone like Captain Thunder. Maybe even ASTRO Labs will want to take a look at it. We should really be more worried about everything else." She turned to regard the corpses and silvery guts strewn over the tombs. "We should at least clean this up before we leave, I think."

[KnightDisciple]

Sun Walker blinked as Set looked at him and suggested investigation into the stars. That was all well and good, but Sun couldn't even fly! He decided to file the oddity away for later. When Set spoke to him more obviously, about fighting monsters, he gave a nod of respect in return. And then he fought back a sigh as Meatheral started a bit of a panic.

 

"Good sir Set simply means we are all in similar lines of business, and that each of us in some way represents an attribute or quality he himself identifies strongly with. Is that not correct?"

 

This question was directed at Set. 

[Ecalsneerg]

"Well," growled Arrowhawk. He didn't like the feeling of being manipulated. Of some godling pretending to be some daughter to get him out into the godforsaken desert to fight nightmares. He'd probably do that anyway. Not with any enthusiasm, but still.

 

"It'd seem, of the many qualities you found among us, Mr Set." He gestured at the group. "That those qualities would be the sort to come and fight something like this if you'd just asked. And if you went looking for specific personalities, please, think long and hard about who's saying this." Arrowhawk glowered at the young-looking deity. "Don't manipulate me. I was sitting alone on Christmas. You know how you could have got me to come here? An ancient god was making monsters. You could have just asked for my help."

[Gizmo]

"Goodness, so terribly serious," Set noted dryly in Miras' direction before giving Sun Walker a beaming smile. "Something along those lines one expects, oh saintly simian! I'd not pay me too much mind, I'm a well known braggart and dramatist, after all." At Arrowhawk's rebuke he simply shrugged, palms raised upward. "At the risk of making excuses, oh grim and growly geriatric, nay, I could not. Gathering a small army in my place of former power doesn't violate my parole per se but, ah, should anyone in a shendyt ask any of you if you've had the pleasure of making my acquaintance, mayhaps say no?"
 
A faint growl from behind him caused the godling to turn and exchange a look with Sekhemt before clearing his throat and continuing, "Ah. Aye. Regarding your solitude on this delightfully commercial day of celebration." Set scratched behind one ear, avoiding Arrowhawk's glare and suddenly looking very awkward indeed. "I had opportunity to visit the rolling plains of Fólkvangr not long ago and got to chatting with my fellow party-goers, as one does and well! I needed someone to evacuate nearby Naqada in case things went poorly here, preferably someone with a steed, obviously, and what precisely be your position regarding family reunions? Goooood...?"

[Ecalsneerg]

Arrowhawk crossed the distance much faster than it would seem possible for a man of his age and physical condition. Baleful red eyes loomed down over Set. "Oh, I can honestly say there was no goddamn pleasure."

 

He hunched down somewhat, flicking a warning look to Sekhmet as he did. He got close enough for Set to see all the scars, lines and greying stubble on Arrowhawk's face in intimate detail. Arrowhawk spoke in a low, clear, near-monotonous voice. He daren't let any emotion come through. "Vivian Krieger died. A madman killed her. Do you understand that? So believe me when I say that am giving you one chance. If you're messing with me, a fun little game of holly jolly Santa Claus, I am giving you this once chance to stop. Do you understand me?" 

[Gizmo]

Set bent backward at the waist under Arrowhawk's glare, looking suitably cowed by the larger man's potential wrath. "Ra's right buttock, tis akin to an ill kempt Scottish version of Isis. The mind positively reels." Any plans to explain himself further or assume the aging hero of his good intentions were entirely sidetracked by trying to understand how nose hairs could actually be intimidating.
 
Sekhmet took a few steps forward, her expression seemingly much less concerned by the threat to Set's well-being than by upsetting Arrowhawk further. "Champion, I do not wish to be rude... How fully to thee understand the nature of the valkyrie?"
 
Before he could answer there was a brilliant flash of rainbow hued light between Miras and Sun Walker, splashing red and orange light on the former and violet light toward the latter. When it faded a moment later a tall young woman stood there on the sand, straw-blonde hair done up in a thick braid that hung down her back and rested against a quiver of arrows. Her clothing and the armor that went over it were recognizably Asgardian in design, touches of silver and gold adorning black and deep forest green materials. Each of her riding boots was inscribed with four horseshoes running up the outward facing side while a belt covered in metallic snake scales wrapped twice around her waist. Grey wolf fur trimmed the cuffs of elbow length gloves that drew attention to muscular biceps, fangs and claws sewn into the leather at regular intervals. She held a glossy black bow over her head and as she lowered back down to her side her blue-grey eyes went immediately to Arrowhawk.
 
In the several beats of silence that followed, Set slowly raised his hands, still leaning away from the Scotsman and afraid to take a step backward. Moving just his wrists to wave them back and forth, he managed a weak smile. "Hooraaaaay...?"

[Vahnyu]

Meatheral could only stare, as the godling and the archer exchanged words, some of them not entirely civil. You could cut the tension in the air with a butter knife. And then what appeared to be a Valkyrie descented from heaven. If Meatheral had been feeling lost before that moment, was nothing compared to how he felt now. "Soooo.... Anyone else feeling like they're missing what exactly is going on here? Or is that just me?" He tried addressing Miras and Sun Walker, completely oblivious to Arrowhawk's past or his connection to whoever that Valkyrie was supposed to be.

[Raveled]

Miras could only stand aside and watch as Set and Arrowhawk's confrontation played out. It had the air of macho chest-pounding, and the arrival of the woman in silver armor and a wolf pelt didn't seem likely to defuse things. The mage took a step back, taking her well out of the triangle of valkyrie, Arrowhawk, and Set, and circled around to Meatheral. "I think they know each other," she said to him a bit lamely. "I figure the best we can do is stay out of their way until it blows over."

She finished the last of her water bottle and walked over to a clear patch of stone, between two loops of silvery intestine, and lowered herself to the tomb stoop. "That was some pretty impressive magic back there," Miras remarked to Meatheral. "Do you just do the classical things, or more periodic elements? Because a magnesium elemental could've been handy back there."

[Ecalsneerg]

Arrowhawk stopped mid-growl, and backed away a few steps from Set. He looked at the Asgardian who'd just appeared. The... face looked familiar. Somehow. It was recognisably the young woman who'd sent him the message. His hands went limp, and the bow dropped to the sand with a soft thump.

 

He took a couple of steps forward. His jaw mouthed a couple of times, but syllables wouldn't come out. Instead, he reached up and pushed his hood back, dropping his domino mask off to the side. John looked at his daughter. "How?" he forced out, voice hoarse.

[Vahnyu]

"Yeah..." Meatheral agreed with Miras, as he wathced the ensuing drama unfold. "Yeah, you're probably right, Miras." It was becoming quickly evident to Jerry that superheroes led complicated lives... a few orders of magnitude more so than normal people do.

 

"Periodic Elements?" this gave Jerry some pause. "Heh, I haven't had to think about those since I gratuated from highschool..." he commented, before realising what he just did, and mentally kicking himself for that slip of the tongue. "Ahh, ahem, anyways, right. About Elements... huh... you know, I haven't really thought about that. Truth be told... this magic of mine?... well it ain't. Mine, that is. It's... kinda... complicated." He awkwardly said, trying to find the correct way to explain it to Miras, before settling in an answer. "My magic comes from this... weird book, right? That I found one day. In an old library. It had all sorts of spells... I... think? I wouldn't swear on it to be true, since all of it was written in what seemed to be Latin? Some Greek? There were even egyptian hieroglyphics and stuff in there, too, and I could have sworn I glanced upon some Babylonian text... or not? Anyways, the point is, the book'd might as well be full of giberrish. Then a fire broke out. Before I realised it, the book had spontaneously turned to dust and stuff, and then, whamo, it had entered me... I think... emmm... next thing I know, I am speaking words in languages I'm not fluent, seeing flashes and pictures full of diagrams and holy symbols and runes and stuff in my mind's eye, my body turns to water, and, well... here I am." He finished lamely. He could not have made this explanation any worse than that, even if he'd tried. "Bottom line is, so far, I'm only able to transform into one of the four Classical Elements... Well, I don't have much of a say on the matter, really."

[Raveled]

"That's interesting." Miras glanced at the growing confrontation, but the magical discussion with Meatheral was pulling her attention away from the meeting of the archers. "I wonder if that was a defense mechanism, or is the book sentient? Did it choose you to be its bearer, or did it just want to survive? And then that forks off into a whole other bunch of questions."

 

She stuck out a hand for the young man to shake. "I'm Miras, by the way. Somehow we superhero types never get to have a proper sit down, you know? Anyway, I got into magic the traditional route; i found some old books in an apartment I was renting, and since I didn't have anything else to do I started reading and experimenting. And now I can stop time. Not much call for that in the industrial sector, though." She flashed a half-smile and leaned back, feeling the hot stone through the material of her robe. "If you can remember what any of those shapes are, I can try and run them down. Who knows, maybe you'll be lucky and whoever wrote the book is still alive."

[Vahnyu]

"Honestly? Your guess is as good as mine, no, better in fact." Meatheral replied. "In fact... it could be either, as far as I know. And it's not like the book's been... forthcomming with me. At least, not that I think so."

 

Taking her hand, he returned a firm handshake. "Tell me about it. The name's Meatheral. Not much of a name, I suppose, but I wasn't having any better inspiration with that part." Smilling, the hero replied, properly introducing himself. "As for the shapes, well... I can't say I remember them, per se, but perhaps... considering that I am able of recalling spell incantations without having memorised them... I may be able to let my subconscious guide me? Or the book? Ummm... Oh, well, it's certainly worth a shot. I'm not gonna learn any more if I don't at least try to, so... I'll be in your care."

 

... Or at least... that's what Meatheral was saying. Because, ubeknownst to him, a magical energy, invisible to the naked eye, resonated withing him, and as soon as they touched hands, Miras could see it clear as a day. The magic that coursed through Meatheral's body was strong. Ancient. And it certainly appeared... sentient.

[KnightDisciple]

"Magnesium would have been less than ideal. At least as something for you to turn into, Meatheral."

 

He wasn't wearing all black but the monkey-man could be a ninja if he wanted. He stood there, his arms crossed like someone tucking them into loose sleeves, though he lacked sleeves of any sort right now.

 

"While in theory flammability would be helpful, in practice this is a less-ideal property when the fuel for said fire is your own mass. Turning into pure flame, though less sensible from a scientific perspective, is safer in that you are less likely to burn yourself up, as it were."

 

Also apparently well-educated.

 

"If you ever begin experimenting with non-classical elements, I would suggest looking into those metals that are dense but non-reactive and non-radioactive. Tungsten and the like."

 

He suddenly blushed a bit and looked embarrassed.

 

"Ah, you may call me Sun Walker, my friends."

[Gizmo]

"Neeerds," Set decreed airily, having managed to slip away from the distracted Arrowhawk while no one was watching and abruptly appearing to rest an elbow on Sun Walker's shoulder. "So, hark: yon impromptu archer convention may take some time, so consider yourselves free to return from whence you came under your own power if able. Standard divine favour speech, boon or blessing to be returned at the time of your choosing, so on, so forth." The godling waved his unoccupied hand in a circle that suggested an oft repeated litany he couldn't entirely be bothered to recite. "Truly good work, one and all, I would be glad to--"
 
"Set!" At the irritated shout the Heliopolian jumped and all but hid behind Miras before turning to look at the straw-blonde valkyrie, glaring from where she stood across the sands pointing at Arrowhawk. "Did thy reckless haste lead to my father's death?!"
 
"Nay!" Set protested reflexively before immediately following with, "Mayhaps! A bit! Barely, though! Lasting neurological damage ought to be practically unnoticeable, I assume!"

[Raveled]

Miras waved at the angry woman with the bow who was standing by the angry man with a bow. Masks and helmets aside, they were very much alike. "He was only own for about five seconds," she clarified, "after taking a missile in the back. You're welcome, by the by."

 

She turned her attention to Set next. "I actually can't get back to Freedom City on my own, not right away. With a couple of days, I could probably replicate your teleport trap," she said, placing emphasis on the last word, "but I didn't bring that much water. If you can't get us home," she added, "maybe you could at least get us to Cairo. There has to be a consulate there. And we can just tell them that we got captured by the great and terrible Set."

Edited March 8, 2015 by Raveled

[KnightDisciple]

Sun Walker had reflexively moved very slightly when he felt Set leaning on his shoulder, but it was quickly curbed and stopped before he took to standing there, choosing to simply look down and raise an eyebrow at the godling.

 

"Wouldn't the more appropriate term be "scholars"?"

 

The edges of the martial artist's mouth quirked upward.

 

"Besides, I get to work on a nuclear reactor. Your mockery is invalid."

 

When the young archer woman came storming over, Sun Walker just stepped to one side. However, when Miras noted transportation difficulties, he nodded and spoke up.

 

"I would most likely be able to run and reach civilization eventually but it would take far longer than I would like."

[Ecalsneerg]

John seemed to snap out of it, brusquely turning a little to snap, "I'm bloody alive. It was one missile!" He threw his hands up in the air. "It's no longer a sodding issue!" He let out a long, deep sigh.

 

The archer turned back to his Asgardian... daughter. "This is just... quite a lot to process. I'm not a magic person. I... you're an adult, and from where I've been sitting..." His piercing eyes softened slightly. "I buried your mother only a few years ago. So..." He gestured vaguely at the woman's outfit and arsenal. "This is all very, very... new." 

 

John forced a small smile. "I like the bow, though."

 

[Vahnyu]

"And well met, Sun Walker. It has been a pleasure working alongside you as well." Meatheral returned the greeting from the inheritor of Sun Wukong's powers. Set's bombastic greeting came as somewhat of a surprise, as he had been focusing on the two other heroes there, Sun Walker and Miras. However, his question proved important, as Jerry knew that he couldn't possibly make the journey back on his own, powers or no powers. "Well, a portal would be mightily convenient, true. In fact, if y-" but before he could finish, he was interrupted by the valkyrie, who seemed to have a major beef to pick with the Egyptian deity. "-Yyyyikes! Talk about irritation..." And then, the bomb dropped, or rather, Jerry became aware of the bomb that had already been dropped. Father and daughter. That was the relationship between the Valkyrie and Arrowhawk. The bowman himself looked somewhat emotionally charged by all this. "Ohhh..."

[Gizmo]

"Time can work... differently between realms," the straw blonde explained hesitatingly, making a halting gesture with one hand as she began trying to illustrate the point before deciding against it. Having taken in Arrowhawk from head to toe with an unblinking intensity when they'd first come face to face she now seemed to be looking anywhere else. "My mother... A mortal valkyrie be a rare thing, the results unexpected." Squaring her shoulders she manged to look the elder archer in the eyes. "My birth was impolitic. I have trained well to overcome but I did not think to ever set foot upon Midgard until recently."
 
"Pleasant perk of the 'god stuff'," Set commented airily, stepping out from behind Meatheral with as much nonchalance as he could muster. "One meets the most interesting people at parties. More of a bacchanal, truly, Dionysus or no; the Norse do know their beverages." Shrugging casually, he made a show of inspecting the fingernails of one hand while explaining to the air, "The venerable old one-eye has become less generous with the replica-Mjölnirs of late. I put in a good word with an old acquaintance among the aesir. I'm terribly persuasive."
 
Ignoring the godling entirely, the young woman continued, "I am named Osla. Osla Jónsdóttir." That hung in the air awkwardly for a moment before with sudden inspiration she raised her bow to display the weapon for her father. "This is Orheidir. Her name means arrow hawk."
 
"She be unappreciative of 'oh hai there' jests," Set warned the small group of heroes in a whisper out the side of his mouth. "Now! Let us give them some privacy, aye? I'm sure another opportunity to give the strapping Scot your number will be forthcoming, Sekhmet. Who would like to help prepare a shadow portal ritual, eh? Valuable on-the-job experience!"

[Raveled]

Miras stood with a slight grunt and shook out the sleeves of her robe, freeing her hands. "I don't know much about shadow portals," she admitted, "but if you hum a few bars I can follow along." She paused, and added, "And I'll make sure that this particular portal doesn't drop us in the ocean or the Arctic or something." The mage handed her shoulder bag to Sun Walker, then went to stand beside Set. "Alright. How exactly are we doing this?"

[KnightDisciple]

Sun Walker calmly and politely took the bag, stepping so that he was not in anyone's way as he watched, curiosity evident on his face.

"I must somewhat shamefully admit I still have not fully grasped the mysteries of the arcane ways. I certainly believe in them, but at this time it is still mostly, ah, jibberish to me."

He actually blushed a bit at the admission. He seemed to feel it made him less worthy to be here, or something.

"Perhaps one day I shall approach the enlightenment and knowledge of my honored ancestor."

Well he wasn't faking all this humility, that was for sure.

Edited April 20, 2015 by KnightDisciple

[Ecalsneerg]

John's face contorted in a small smile. "Osla. I like that. It's a pretty name." He cast an eye up and down the bow as his... daughter (that was going to take getting used to) proffered it before him. "And I reckon if you named your bow after me, and did all," he waved his hand at her vaguely, indicating her outfit, "Then it's not as awful that I..." He stopped short, and looked at his feet.

 

"​I missed a lot. I missed a hell of lot. But..." He sighed, and lifted a hand to the side of his daughter's face to make her gaze meet his. "Now I actually know you exist, then... well..." John's brow furrowed, his eyes somehow harder than the red glaring ones his mask presented to the world. "You're not impolitic, and you should train for you, not for me, and not to anyone who thinks you shouldn't be around. I didn't expect you." He drew his hand away. "But you're not... who's calling you impolitic?" The archer snorted, disgruntled.