The Last Daughter of Krypton - IC

[ChasNicollette]

Ceri. "Lend me your ears and I'll sing you a song."

Dinah looks up from her arrangement she had been working on. She smiles, "Yeah, I'm here."

Peering over an embankment of laurels lancing up along the back counter, Ceri found her neighbour in capitalism and smiled softly.

Upon hearing about the tea request she continues, "I got some Earl Grey in the back and if you want it, I have some milk and sugar in the fridge."

Ceri blinked at that. "Oh, that's an excellent point. I've no idea how she takes it. I don't even know if she prefers Indian teas to Chinese? Best go with the Earl Grey for now."

The Black Canary looks at the flower arrangement one last time and sighs,"I am not going to be figuring this out any time soon so might as well take a break."

The Weeping Angel chuckled at that. "For a process so very much like Bonsai, arranging flowers strikes me as sorely testing a mind's Zen detachment. Too much of that's bad for yehr health."

The sonic siren then walks over to Ceri and asks, "Do you think she will mind another dropping in for tea? I can buy the sweets."

"Hard to say, we've only spoken the once," Ceri mused. "But something tells me she's a bit lonely, could use a little more welcome, and I hardly think she'll turn down sweets. Not to mention? When it comes to fashion sense, the two of yeh are practically soul-mates."

 

[camerindrake]

Dinah

"Hard to say, we've only spoken the once," Ceri mused. "But something tells me she's a bit lonely, could use a little more welcome, and I hardly think she'll turn down sweets. Not to mention? When it comes to fashion sense, the two of yeh are practically soul-mates."

Dinah rose an eyebrow at this as she goes to the side door that connects with the back of the Talon, "Oh really, How so, my friend." she then laughs, "I hope its nothing like our love for causing the largest fireball possible on Guy Fawkes' night"

She opens the door and walks into the Talon, "I have no idea where Dam..D.C. got that concoction from but I swear I thought we were going to have the sheriffs department coming out to the farm to arrest us."

She walks up to the counter and says to the casheer, "I'll take a half dozen of those apple crepes. Thank you."

She then turns back to Ceri with a smile.

 

[TearsoftheWorld]

Kara immediately smiled and blushed as Pete whistled and clapped at her show of skills, though her parents might have had something to say at her new-found lack of manners. Rose eventually explained who MacGuyver was, though Kara still couldn't quite grasp what made him so popular.

It was just one of those things.

"Diana?" Pete mumbled, and Kara perked up in her seat.

"Who? What?" she asked rather blankly, like a deer caught in the headlights of a car, and her blond hair billowed in front of her face as she turned her head sharply to the side. Rose was already jumping up into the atmosphere by the time Kara caught a glimpse of the raven-haired Amazonian princess, and she couldn't help but smile at the ridiculous amount of food that was piled up on Diana's tray.

The brilliant rays of sunshine that had poured out over the Outsiders was clouded for a brief moment by Damian's sudden mood-swing, but as Diana approached the table everything brightened up again. Pete had darted off to have a few words with Damian, but he returned to the table in short order.

Kara waited for Diana to deposit her tray on the table before getting up to give her a hug.

"Welcome back," she said with a warm smile. "Missed you a lot."

 

[ChasNicollette]

Ceri. "'What do I do when my love is away?' ('Does it worry you to be alone?')"

Dinah rose an eyebrow at this as she goes to the side door that connects with the back of the Talon, "Oh really, How so, my friend."

Ceri smirked mysteriously at that. "Oh, yeh'll see what I mean in a minute."

...she then laughs, "I hope its nothing like our love for causing the largest fireball possible on Guy Fawkes' night"

Ceri's eyes widened. "Yes. Well. That was a Fifth of November to, ah, remember. (She does seem to have a flair for the dramatic, but I don't know if that extends to pyrotechnics?)"

She opens the door and walks into the Talon, "I have no idea where Dam..D.C. got that concoction from but I swear I thought we were going to have the sheriffs department coming out to the farm to arrest us."

"To say nothing of those masks Rose passed 'round to everyone," Ceri replied, eyelids at half-mast, breezily calling not one drop of attention to the near-miss pseudonym faux pas. "Bad enough yehr boy, bless him, he nearly singes our collective eyebrows off, but Rosy... Rosy's got us looking like unto a horde of vandals in those false faces, if poor dear Sheriff Ethan rolled into that mess, we'd have been locked away for certain."

She walks up to the counter and says to the casheer, "I'll take a half dozen of those apple crepes. Thank you."

She then turns back to Ceri with a smile.

"Actually," Ceri, a sudden thoughtful look on her face, holding up a finger, "miss, could we make that seven?"

(For some reason, odd little hunch, it seemed like Zatanna would find six to be bad luck and seven a number of completion? Curious little feeling.)

Having secured tea and sweets, Ceri led them back out to the sidewalk and down towards Sentinels of Magic...

She pushed through the door and the little bell jangled and the younger darksome beauty was sitting at her counter with her own set of cards out.

"'Great minds think alike,'" Ceri mused, regarding the cards before the exotic spell-spinner, "as Uncle Dai would have said, 'and fools seldom differ.'"

Glancing back over her shoulder at Dinah, Ceri then indicated Zatanna. "Dinah, this is Zatanna Zatara. Zatanna, this is me friend and neighbour Dinah, hope yeh don't mind me bringing her 'round to gawk at the 'new kid.' (Also, we come bearing gifts, apparently that's traditional among magi this time of year?)"

 

[Varshanka]

Zatanna and a reading that should not be read.

Sitting at the counter Zatanna shuffled HER tarocchi cards. A very old deck it was rumored to be one of the oldest, if not the oldest, in existence. From what she’d discovered the deck in her hands had been hand painted in 1310, a gift for a up and coming aristocrat he’d used it to divine his, and his families, future.

The next year, in 1311, Matteo Viscounti ascended the throne of Milan. And until 1535 his lineage ruled, through direct heir, or through his daughters. The cards vanished sometime in 1534, the year the Spanish invaded and conquered Spain. For two hundred years the cards she held in her hands guided the Visconti-Sforza family, the rulers of Milan.

In 1765 Giacomo Casanova described, in his diary, a deck of Tarocchi that his Russian mistress of the time used. And to a “T” the description matched the cards in Zatanna’s hands.

Closing her eyes Zatanna, shuffled, feling the energy of the cards shifting and roiling through and around her, and, when the cards found their place and were ready, she laid them out. Laid them out with her eyes closed, to see what was written before it was done was a bad thing. It was like reading an unfinished book. Bad Karma.

The door bell tinkled, the cards left her fingers. She dealt them. One at a time.

Footsteps crossed the room, scents wafted through breeze of a closeing door. Energy shifted. Twisting. Something.

Something powerful rippled the cards in her grasp.

Glancing back over her shoulder at Dinah, Ceri then indicated Zatanna. "Dinah, this is Zatanna Zatara. Zatanna, this is me friend and neighbour Dinah, hope yeh don't mind me bringing her 'round to gawk at the 'new kid.' (Also, we come bearing gifts, apparently that's traditional among magi this time of year?)"

Zatanna’s eyes opened and she saw. She saw what could NOT BE. What MUST NOT be.

Anubis.

The Grim Reaper.

The Shadow Walker.

The Crone.

Malach HaMavet

Thanatos

Aniketos

Charon

Grimnir (Odin)

Angeu (Celtic)

Ankou (Breton)

Śmierć

Giltinė

Yamaraj

Izanami

A white skinned women walking the Eternal graveyard, a black cloak billowing around her on the souls of the dead. A sword lay bare in her hand.

A black Raven circling a grave.

Jerking, Zatanna’s eyes rolled in her head. So far. So deep into her skull.

“Taht chihw yam ton eb deman semoc.”

And just as quickly it was gone. Cold shivered down her spine. Flipping the deck over she spread them out. Each card a representation of Death. All of them.

Folding the cards together into a pile she held them down on the counter for a moment. Then shuffled them swiftly, looking up at her guests. “Hello,” she replied slightly shaken. “Give me just one moment. Please.” She murmured.

Taking a deep breath she lay out the cards. Death. Death. Death. “This must not be.”

“Nruter, eb edamnu.” She murmured, with the power of Command.

Shuffling once more she flipped a card over.

Death.

Her spine chilled. Crawling with a thousand ants, and she flipped another card.

Tower.

A sigh of relief.

Smiling she looked up at Ceri and her guest. “Greetings Ceri and Dinah, Welcome to the Sentinels of Magic. Please come in and be fully welcomed and at peace in this place.” Standing up as she spoke, Zatanna walked around from behind the counter. Shuffling the cards once more, and placing them in a very old wooden box. Cards in a bag, shuffled themselves and that wasn’t a good thing.

 

[Wyldfire]

"Diana?" Pete mumbled, and Kara perked up in her seat.

"Who? What?" she asked rather blankly, like a deer caught in the headlights of a car, and her blond hair billowed in front of her face as she turned her head sharply to the side. Rose was already jumping up into the atmosphere by the time Kara caught a glimpse of the raven-haired Amazonian princess, and she couldn't help but smile at the ridiculous amount of food that was piled up on Diana's tray.

In an instant Rose was standing on her seat and she was waving with both hands: "DIANA! Over here! OMG! Diana!"

Rose dropped into a crouch on her seat and grinned at Kara, who of the lot of them had been closest to Diana before Diana's impromptu "exile" home. "Well, how d'you like that?"

Diana burst into a grin at Rose's outburst. It was good to see her again. It was good to see all of them again.

...and then started waving again, completely unselfconscious, little caring regards the mockery of others.

Chloe blinked, and chuckled good naturedly. "Oh, man. There are gonna be so many more jocks with their arms broke..."

Pete shook his head, incredulous. "Yeah. Except when it's guys versus girls..."

Damian then pushes his lunch away and says, "I lost my appetite." He looks over to Diana and gives her a curt nod. "I'm going for a walk. I have to deal with some personal issues. You can have my seat.


He gives his colleagues a small smile, "I don't want to be a downer on such a happy occasion for you guys." He then picks up his tray and throws it away. The young knight then walks towards the football field to meditate.

The brilliant rays of sunshine that had poured out over the Outsiders was clouded for a brief moment by Damian's sudden mood-swing, but as Diana approached the table everything brightened up again. Pete had darted off to have a few words with Damian, but he returned to the table in short order.

Not sure how to reply to her grim friend Diana simply replied "Thank you Damian."

Kara waited for Diana to deposit her tray on the table before getting up to give her a hug.

"Welcome back," she said with a warm smile. "Missed you a lot."

Diana returned the hug and said "I have missed you too Kara."

Chloe's chuckle vanished, and her face frowned and paled in the same instant. "Oh, for God's sake, that's not how we--"

Pete was on his feet, and he gestured to Chloe, and Chloe immediately fell silent.

Pete had a look on his face. A seriously intense look. He'd had that look heading into harm's way in Honduras, he'd had that look before winning the race at which he'd sold off that insanely fast car for enough money to pay off his parents' mortgage, turn the feed store into an actual viable business, and buy himself a sweet old fast black fixer-up to replace the sacrificed wheels.

This was Pete's I Got This face.

And, eyes wide, Chloe shut up. Not many people could do that.

He bowed quickly, to Diana, as he darted past her. "Welcome back, m'lady!"

And hurried after Damian.

Thank you Pete, I cannot wait to catch up once there is time."

Diana then sat and took into what the cafeteria called a chicken sandwich,although it bared any resemblance to what she would consider chicken. She was taught in her younger years that a warrior never passed up food, no matter how bad as there might not be any later.

"I swear, if I find out which of you has been giving him the Emo-Pills, I will seriously be breaking fingers. I know he means well, but dude is a liability, and I for one am getting really tired of the Robert Pattinson impersonation, damn brooding. Sweet zombie Jesus help us."

Rose slipped back down into her seat, and though seeing Damian and Pete both run off had jarred her mood somewhat, she was still sufficiently jazzed to see Diana back again that she hadn't lost her grin. "Oh, they've distilled that into pill form, now? That's convenient, is that over-the-counter?"

"Take two 'Dashboard Confessional' albums," Chloe mumbled, a little bit taken aback that she'd actually driven someone away with her moralising, "and call me in the morning."

Rose blinked, at that. "They even have the same initials."

Chloe shook her head. "'D.C.?' Lots of things have those initials."

Merick picked up a small box of Hello Panda cookies and began to pop them into his mouth. "Oh, hey, Welcome back Diana. How was your trip?"

Diana smiled at Merrick "About as bad as it could have been," then she blushed remembering the time she got to spend with Artemis. "But there was some good in it."

Chloe stole one of these right out of his grasp, rolled this over her fingers, considered nomming it, Oriental Market cookies were better than emo-pills for curing what ailed you. "Yeah, hey, welcome back to America, hope your airline food wasn't as gut-wrenching as the lunchroom fare. (Though, you seem grateful to have it, that's commendable.)"

Rose kind of zoned out a little, daydreamy look on her face. "Robert Pattinson is Zombie Jesus."

Chloe didn't take her eyes off of Diana as she threw the cookie at Rose.

Taking the last bite of the first sandwich she says "The food was about as good as this." she gestured with a second sandwich. "How have things been here in Smallville?"

 

[ChasNicollette]

Rose and Chloe. "Save Me."

Rose simply reached up and snagged the hurtling cookie, she didn't even look at it, she reached up and took it out of the air. And then glanced down at her hand, and grinned softly. "Ni3hao3, Panda."

Chloe grunted. Show-off.

Rather deftly, Chloe had to admit, even more deftly than Rose's snag of that cookie, Diana fended and rejoindered the near-dozen quips and questions which were pelted at her. And it wasn't beyond her notice the way the beauty's cheeks coloured at the reflection upon her time away.

Taking the last bite of the first sandwich she says "The food was about as good as this." she gestured with a second sandwich.

"Yeah, that's about par for the course," Chloe reflected.

"How have things been here in Smallville?"

Examining a forkful of beef tagine, Rose shrugged. "'Bout average. You know. For Smallville. There was this shapeshifty chica who killed her mom and, uh, later, Van McNulty's dad. I guess the technical term is 'bone-morpher,' but I don't get how she changed her hair if she was just morphing bones?"

"Naming super-powers is a work in progress," Chloe harrumphed. "There was this invisible kid, and this guy who could breathe underwater, and a narcissist who could duplicate himself, which, hey, kinky. Also, the aforementioned Mr. McNulty went nuts and started sniping superpeople? So that was fun."

Rose grinned. "Smallville won Homecoming, natch, I went as Kaylee from Firefly for Hallowe'en, and I made Kyle go as Mal. Also, we nearly blowed a chunk out of The Earth on Guy Fawkes' Day."

Chloe smiled faintly. "I haven't died in over three months, though Kara had to save me a bunch of times. (Which, thank you, Double-K.) I now hold the dubious honour of having been shot at more times than my cousin Lois."

"Also," Rose mused, "Pete's got a secret identity. He won a bunch of drag races, became a legend, sold his car and retired. So far as the local racing community goes, Pete's the sexiest thing on four wheels since Danica Patrick, and nobody knows it was him. Which is pretty cool."

Chloe ran her tongue around her teeth. "Um. Are we forgetting anything?"

 

[ChasNicollette]

Ceri. "My statues are falling like feathers of snow."

Zatanna’s eyes opened and she saw. She saw what could NOT BE. What MUST NOT be.

Jerking, Zatanna’s eyes rolled in her head. So far. So deep into her skull.

Ceri hesitated. Held her hand low and open, a signal to her fellow warrior to stand a bit back. Could be showmanship. Could be putting on a show for the new customer. But if she's faking this-- she's very convincing.

“Taht chihw yam ton eb deman semoc.”

Ceri frowned. Again, the curious speech that defied translation. But the tone of Zatanna's voice this time was not benediction but warning...

And just as quickly it was gone. Cold shivered down her spine. Flipping the deck over she spread them out. Each card a representation of Death. All of them.

Folding the cards together into a pile she held them down on the counter for a moment. Then shuffled them swiftly, looking up at her guests. “Hello,” she replied slightly shaken. “Give me just one moment. Please.” She murmured.

"Of--" Ceri watched the shopkeeper like a hawk, worried by her and worried for her. "--of course."

Taking a deep breath she lay out the cards. Death. Death. Death. “This must not be.”

“Nruter, eb edamnu.” She murmured, with the power of Command.

Ceri glanced over her shoulder at Dinah, and mouthed, frowning, Dinah knew a thing or two about vocal manipulation, Ceri mouthed silently: 'Did yeh catch that?'

Shuffling once more she flipped a card over.

A sigh of relief.

Smiling she looked up at Ceri and her guest. “Greetings Ceri and Dinah, Welcome to the Sentinels of Magic. Please come in and be fully welcomed and at peace in this place.” Standing up as she spoke, Zatanna walked around from behind the counter. Shuffling the cards once more, and placing them in a very old wooden box.

"Right, ah," Ceri nodded, and she found that she'd been holding her breath.

Of course. Showmanship. It has to be.

...dunnit?

Ceri smiled faintly, almost apologetically, like they'd intruded on something deeply personal. "That's the trouble with omens, isn't it? Some are more ominous than others."

 

[camerindrake]

Dinah bites her bottom lip she knew Zatanna in another reality but she knew the warning about the infinite, Do not influence it unless asked by the natives. She then whispers to Ceri, "Lets say its better if she tells you if she wishes, but I'll let you in on a secret she is no fraud."

She then smiles saying, "Hi, I'm Dinah Cain. I work at Nell's" She then asks to keep appearances, "Zatara would that be as in John Zatara of Shadowcrest?"

She then offers her hand to Zatanna though secretly hoping she wouldn't catch that she was from a different Earth. She then smirks, "Love the fishnets." She then remembers and gets an embarrassed smile, "And our about our gifts, them being apple crepes and Earl Grey tea."

 

[Varshanka]

Smiling she looked up at Ceri and her guest. “Greetings Ceri and Dinah, Welcome to the Sentinels of Magic. Please come in and be fully welcomed and at peace in this place.” Standing up as she spoke, Zatanna walked around from behind the counter. Shuffling the cards once more, and placing them in a very old wooden box.

"Right, ah," Ceri nodded, and she found that she'd been holding her breath.

Of course. Showmanship. It has to be.

...dunnit?

Ceri smiled faintly, almost apologetically, like they'd intruded on something deeply personal. "That's the trouble with omens, isn't it? Some are more ominous than others."

“Very troublesome some of them are. Yes. Very troublesome. Nothing you should concern yourself with though.”

Dinah bites her bottom lip, she knew Zatanna in another reality, but she knew the warning about the infinite, Do not influence it unless asked by the natives. She then whispers to Ceri, "Lets say its better if she tells you if she wishes, but I'll let you in on a secret she is no fraud."

She then smiles saying, "Hi, I'm Dinah Cain. I work at Nell's" She then asks to keep appearances, "Zatara would that be as in John Zatara of Shadowcrest?"

Lifting one eyebrow Zatanna relooked at Dinah, “Yes, Shadowcrest is my home.” She finally said, wondering how this person knew even that much about her.

She then offers her hand to Zatanna though secretly hoping she wouldn't catch that she was from a different Earth. She then smirks, "Love the fishnets." She then remembers and gets an embarrassed smile, "And our about our gifts, them being apple crepes and Earl Grey tea."

Two hands touched in greeting, and Zatanna knew. She understood. More than one person in this room was not exactly.. normal. “Thank you, for the gifts of food, drink, and compliments.” She said, the side of her lip upturned in a wry smile.

Clearing a display table Zatanna gestured, “Will this be suitable?”

 

[ChasNicollette]

Ceri. "Whatever you do, don't be afraid of the dark."

“Very troublesome some of them are. Yes. Very troublesome. Nothing you should concern yourself with though.”

Ceri smiled faintly at this, reassured but perhaps not in the way that Zatanna had intended. This was obviously a deflection, to hedge bets against dire predictions not quite coming true as, well, predicted. Oh, me itching I'Ching.

"Glad am I to hear it," Ceri smiled, playing along with the show...

Dinah bites her bottom lip she knew Zatanna in another reality but she knew the warning about the infinite, Do not influence it unless asked by the natives. She then whispers to Ceri, "Lets say its better if she tells you if she wishes, but I'll let you in on a secret she is no fraud."

...Ceri's eyebrow quirked, and she regarded Dinah with a certain kind of mystified horror. Huh. So that's how that feels. When someone has a secret and they're not quite letting on. I'm not usually on this side of that equation.

Shaking her head, she watched the two ladies interact.

She then smiles saying, "Hi, I'm Dinah Cain. I work at Nell's" She then asks to keep appearances, "Zatara would that be as in John Zatara of Shadowcrest?"

Lifting one eyebrow Zatanna relooked at Dinah, “Yes, Shadowcrest is my home.” She finally said.

Ceri squinted. There it is again. 'Zatara.' 'John,' this time. Lord. Where have I heard that name? Strewth, I'll need to ask The Sullivan Girl.

She then offers her hand to Zatanna though secretly hoping she wouldn't catch that she was from a different Earth. She then smirks, "Love the fishnets." She then remembers and gets an embarrassed smile, "And our about our gifts, them being apple crepes and Earl Grey tea."

Two hands touched in greeting. “Thank you, for the gifts of food, drink, and compliments.” She said, the side of her lip upturned in a wry smile.

Clearing a display table Zatanna gestured, “Will this be suitable?”

"That'll be lovely," Ceri nodded easily, taking the carry-tray of drinks from Dinah and setting this down, careful not to dislodge the creamers and sugar packets precariously balanced on that little flat spot in the middle. Then, quick little nip of fingers, she plucked the takeaway paper bag, all the better to bring you crepes with my dear, out of Dinah's fingers and setting this beside the three teas.

There. Almost normal. Almost like this isn't completely strange.

Three newish friends sharing a cuppa and a smackerel.

She glanced at Zatanna. She glanced at Dinah. And back again.

"So, erm," Ceri hesitated, "what brings yeh to Smallville, Zatanna? I mean, it's a lovely town, but it's awfully funny how no-one ever comes here except them that mean to or them who are meant by someone else to be here. Why here? I mean, I'm not trying to-- to challenge your right to be here, it could be none of my business. Just a spot of... curiosity."

 

[ChasNicollette]

Jamie. "No matter how many deaths that I die, I will never forget."

"So, erm," Jamie mused, reaching out, utterly apropos of nothing, completely oblivious to any faux pas, rude and not ginger, and took a fork from one of Barry's plates and skewered one of the limp French fries, holding this up he examined it for a moment (they're a bit... different) but then remembered he'd been saying something.

"Barry," Jamie resumed, scrutinising the newcomer with a scrunch of his face and a squint of his eyes, though neither of these was unfriendly. "Are you a local boy? Local-ish? That accent sounds a bit-- a bit to the right of Kansas. Iowa? Dash of Missouri? Very Midwestern, at any rate. Where're you from originally? (Not, you know, that I'm one to talk.)"

 

[AmenRa]

Afghanistan - 32.3 KM NW of Konar

US Army Special Forces recon team, callsign "Scorpion"

The foothills of the Hindu Kush weren't really foothills, but large hills with deep crevasses and sheer walls of rock going up and coming down. It was difficult terrain to navigate on foot, much less in a vehicle. However, the Afghan mountain tribes had been walking these hills for thousands of years, taking their goats to graze and lately, setting up ambush sites for those opposed in the war of their country.

Intelligence regarding the area was sketchy, and usually gained from word of mouth by traded goods. Captured Taliban didn't talk without something tangible to put in their hands, and in most cases, didn't talk at all. But it was because of some talk that the Powers That Be learned of a large transport of weapons coming through a pass in the mountains via mule and cart. And this shipment of weapons was invariably destined for a village that was Taliban controlled.

Team Scorpion moved out in the wee hours via helo, and they were inserted into the Hindu Kush to arrive in a vantageous position to recon the suspected shipment route. If they indeed saw the mule and cart train coming through, a TLAM cruise missile attack would be called in.

They walked all day and into the next night, but never made it to the site.

They were ambushed going into the southern side of the pass, near the hilltop where they would have observed the transport.

"Echo Base, this is Scorpion Six!" The team leader yelled into a hand mic. "We are engaged offensive! Requesting fire support!"

"Mountains around us are too steep, ElTee, the signal's not getting out!"

"Roger, try sat uplink!"

The sounds of gunfire continued to echo through the pass, while the bullets themselves whizzed and bounced off the rocks where the six-man team were taking cover;

The Taliban soldiers had them at a disadvantage: the Green Berets were hunkered down among rocks at the base of the mountain pass, while the Taliban were firing from enclosed positions on the hilltop. The Taliban had the upper hand. They had the high ground.

A rocket propelled grenade impacted the rocks, sending one of the Special Forces soldier headfirst into a shower of metal fragments and stone.

"Echo Base, this is Scorpion Six! We are under attack! Request fire support at our location!"

There was no reply on the secure satellite uplink.

The Taliban soldiers continued their assault. The Green Berets ducked and returned fire as they could.

And then, alerted by the sound of something breaking through the air at supersonic speed towards them, both Taliban and US Army looked up into the night sky.

A bright, fiery ball hurtled towards them.

The Taliban soldiers realized it was headed directly for their hilltop location. The began to flee their fortifications of rock.

And then, the object struck.

The resulting report was like a thousand canons firing at once. The Green Berets watched the hilltop impact above them, and they saw the shock wave a it pushed tons of dust and rock over their heads.

"Sat uplink must have worked!"

"I guess," someone replied, "but what the hell was that?"

On the hilltop was a large crater. Something moved in the base of it, then came up the side.

It appeared to be a man. Of course, the soldiers below would never know, for they could not see the very top of the hill where the man-shape emerged from the crater.

As he stepped out of the crater, he adjusted the collar of the long, black coat he wore. He then looked down the rim of the crater he had made, and then scanned the area around him. He saw a few mangled bodies, left of those that were not instantly incinerated. He made a frown, then stepped towards the edge of the hilltop, where his super-sensitive vision saw clearly the US Army soldiers clustered in a firing line below. He nodded his head, understanding where he was and what had happened.

Note to self: re-tune the Gate for varience in latitude and longitudal harmonic frequencies between planets, he thought.

And then, Var-Sen of Krypton took flight, heading for North America.

 

[Varshanka]

Zatanna

There. Almost normal. Almost like this isn't completely strange.

Three newish friends sharing a cuppa and a smackerel.

She glanced at Zatanna. She glanced at Dinah. And back again.

"So, erm," Ceri hesitated, "what brings yeh to Smallville, Zatanna? I mean, it's a lovely town, but it's awfully funny how no-one ever comes here except them that mean to or them who are meant by someone else to be here. Why here? I mean, I'm not trying to-- to challenge your right to be here, it could be none of my business. Just a spot of... curiosity."

“Well, nothing special really. I don’t work for any major, or minor, corporation. Never worked for Luthor Corp, or Queen Industries, or anything like that. I don’t know really. It just seemed like Smallville would be more receptive to a Magic Shoppe than Metropolis, and I’m not really fond of big crazy cities. Don’t like the little Podunk towns that count livestock for population either, but,” shrugging she looked at both females. “I don’t know.”

 

[camerindrake]

Dinah smiled and responded to Zatanna, "Well in either case we are happy to have you here.

Dinah then took her tea and then opened the bag of crepes before getting a slightly sour look on her face, "Blast it, I forgot to grab napkins."

She then nibbled at her bottom lip and then asks, "You wouldn't happen to have any napkins or paper plates would you Zee."

 

[TearsoftheWorld]

"I have missed you too Kara."

Kara wrapped her arms around the Themysciran and gave her a little bit of a squeeze before she let go moments later to allow her to sit at the table and eat her lunch... or at least what the cafeteria considered to be passable as lunch. Again Kara was thankful that she had brought her own lunch to school... she wasn't sure if her stomach could even handle what the lunch ladies had to offer.

It had to be worse than swallow a shard of Kryptonite.

"Oh, hey, Welcome back Diana. How was your trip?"

"About as bad as it could have been. But there was some good in it."

"Yeah, hey, welcome back to America, hope your airline food wasn't as gut-wrenching as the lunchroom fare." Chloe remarked.

"The food was about as good as this." Diana responded as she gestured towards a second sandwich."How have things been here in Smallville?"

"'Bout average. You know. For Smallville. There was this shapeshifty chica who killed her mom and, uh, later, Van McNulty's dad. I guess the technical term is 'bone-morpher,' but I don't get how she changed her hair if she was just morphing bones?"

"Naming super-powers is a work in progress. There was this invisible kid, and this guy who could breathe underwater, and a narcissist who could duplicate himself, which, hey, kinky. Also, the aforementioned Mr. McNulty went nuts and started sniping superpeople? So that was fun."

"I guess so," Kara said as she rubbed the spot on her shoulder from where Van had shot her with a Kryptonite bullet. The wound had healed once all traces of the meteorite had been removed, but Kara could recall the pain rather vividly, and it was an experience that she hoped never to repeat again.

"I'm just glad they've put him somewhere where he can't hurt anyone else."

"I haven't died in over three months, though Kara had to save me a bunch of times. (Which, thank you, Double-K.) I now hold the dubious honour of having been shot at more times than my cousin Lois."

Kara finally smiled as she tucked some of her golden hair behind one of her ears.

"You're welcome."

"Um. Are we forgetting anything?"

"There's the dance on Friday."

 

[Varshanka]

Zatana, Ceri, Dinah - Tea and Crumpets

Dinah smiled and responded to Zatanna, "Well in either case we are happy to have you here.

Dinah then took her tea and then opened the bag of crepes before getting a slightly sour look on her face, "Blast it, I forgot to grab napkins."

She then nibbled at her bottom lip and then asks, "You wouldn't happen to have any napkins or paper plates would you Zee."

Quirking her lips in a smile, Zatanna slid across the room and through that strange beaded curtain. It took her but a moment to collect some napkins., which she normally used for cleaning glass counters. As for paper plates, Zatanna had planned long ago on partaking of meals here, when she had not time or inclination to venture forth from her studies.

Returning to the gathering of girls, Zatanna handed over equal shares of the soft white napkins and firm paper plates. Far better fare indeed than any fast food chain would provide, but less than a five star resort. Not much less, but still.

“Plates and napkins, biodegradable and very Earth friendly.” She supplied with a grin.

 

[LuckyVic]

Barry Allen

"So, erm," Jamie mused, reaching out, utterly apropos of nothing, completely oblivious to any faux pas, rude and not ginger, and took a fork from one of Barry's plates and skewered one of the limp French fries, holding this up he examined it for a moment (they're a bit... different) but then remembered he'd been saying something.

"Barry," Jamie resumed, scrutinising the newcomer with a scrunch of his face and a squint of his eyes, though neither of these was unfriendly. "Are you a local boy? Local-ish? That accent sounds a bit-- a bit to the right of Kansas. Iowa? Dash of Missouri? Very Midwestern, at any rate. Where're you from originally? (Not, you know, that I'm one to talk.)"

Barry had already finished one plate, and was more than half way finished with the second. "Actually yes. I'm from Iowa, and have been living the last several years in Central City." he replied.

 

[Abraxas Winterlight]

Kyle

"I haven't died in over three months, though Kara had to save me a bunch of times. (Which, thank you, Double-K.) I now hold the dubious honour of having been shot at more times than my cousin Lois."

"I still believe I have you beat by at least fifty Chloe, not counting Honduras." I leaned back in my chair, my hand finding Rose's. "Of course you look lots less intimidating than I do in my work clothes."


"And you left out that werewolf in Alaska that me and Mer took down." (Royally pissed off that pack that came looking for that rogue too.). Also, that amorphous, ameobic.. whatever your dad called it, that blob we took out in Peru. You know Rose, the thing that was the size of a bus and looked like strawberry snot. It's currently in Antartica, thanks to J'onn's help in getting it there, since freezing is the only thing that stopped it."

"Also, Vamps have been springing up in North America lately. I helped a Slayer take out a pretty foul nest of them in California last night. It was bad, real bad." I squeezed Rose's hand again. "I've also been terrorizing the mob in Gotham and Metropolis, but thats small fry compared to what you guys have been doing. Anyway, welcome back Diana."

 

[ChasNicollette]

Chloe and Rose. "Nothing is more powerful than beauty in a wicked world."

"I guess so," Kara said as she rubbed the spot on her shoulder from where Van had shot her with a Kryptonite bullet. The wound had healed once all traces of the meteorite had been removed, but Kara could recall the pain rather vividly, and it was an experience that she hoped never to repeat again.

Chloe winced. Of all the times her bizarre energy-exchange healing power would have come in handy, and she had been all the way across town. She could have saved Kara for a change. But she was okay. It had turned out okay. And that was okay.

"I'm just glad they've put him somewhere where he can't hurt anyone else."

"Amen to that," Chloe nodded emphatically.

"I haven't died in over three months, though Kara had to save me a bunch of times. (Which, thank you, Double-K.) I now hold the dubious honour of having been shot at more times than my cousin Lois."

Kara finally smiled as she tucked some of her golden hair behind one of her ears.

"You're welcome."

Chloe nodded firmly, gratefully, respectfully. From one superpowered blonde to another, even though Chloe secretly had to work at it. (Being blonde, not superpowered.)

"I still believe I have you beat by at least fifty Chloe, not counting Honduras." I leaned back in my chair, my hand finding Rose's. "Of course you look lots less intimidating than I do in my work clothes."

Chloe smiled faintly. "I didn't say I had you beat, Kyle. But my statistic's still pretty impressive, given the number of times Lois has been chased away from sons on porches by mamas with shotguns..."

Rose chuckled at that, interlacing her fingers with Kyle's and shaking her head. "'She's a bad, bad girlfriend.'"

"Um. Are we forgetting anything?"

"There's the dance on Friday."

"And you left out that werewolf in Alaska that me and Mer took down." (Royally pissed off that pack that came looking for that rogue too.). Also, that amorphous, ameobic.. whatever your dad called it, that blob we took out in Peru. You know Rose, the thing that was the size of a bus and looked like strawberry snot. It's currently in Antartica, thanks to J'onn's help in getting it there, since freezing is the only thing that stopped it."

"He called it," Rose frowned, trying to remember, "a 'eukaryotic macrozoa with amorphous motility.' (And I think you should have been nicer to that lycanthrope, he was probably just lost.)"

"Also, Vamps have been springing up in North America lately. I helped a Slayer take out a pretty foul nest of them in California last night. It was bad, real bad." I squeezed Rose's hand again.

Rose's eyes were half-lidded. Her hand squeezed back.

This is the pretty little sunny-tressed thing, snappy dresser, brutal axe kick, that goes gaga for darksome demonicky superhuman boyfriends with a heart of gold? Yeah, she better keep it professional or she an' me are gonna have words.

(...listen to you, Rosy Mac, when did you get so territorial?

Feeling guilty for crushing on Professor Barry, much?)

...shut up.

"I've also been terrorizing the mob in Gotham and Metropolis, but thats small fry compared to what you guys have been doing. Anyway, welcome back Diana."

Chloe chuckled softly. "And that's the stuff that's been happening, uh, not in Smallville. 'All the news that's fit to print.' And, of course, you're right, Kara, we've got the dance on Friday. Ushering in the winter with a bit of a secular ritual thingy, it, uh, should be fun. (And I'm not just talking about the dress-shopping.)"

 

[ChasNicollette]

Pete. "This Is War."

Pete walked away from Damian, away from the football field.

He paused, then, as he walked past the dudes' locker room, past the coach's office. He stopped.

Welp. No time like the present.

Coach Walt Arnold sat with his feet up on a desk, his ever-present whistle dangling around the neck of his ever-present red Smallville Crows jacket. He glanced up as Pete entered, and frowned darkly.

"Ross," he harrumphed, swinging his feet to the floor and glowering at Pete, as though he knew no other expression.

"Coach," Pete nodded back to him.

Coach scrutinised Pete, narrowing his eyes. "This ain't a Torch thing, is it? Last time that little nosy parker with all the skirts and boots tried to interview me, she almost threw me off of my Homecoming victory, that ain't something I forgive lightly."

"Nah, sir," Pete shook his head. "I'm here as my own man, today. And as Bill Ross' kid."

"Hnnfh," Coach grunted. "Billy was a good kid in his day, a good kid and a great receiver. The year he an' Jonathan Kent played together was golden days for this town. Yer brothers, they weren't no letdowns, neither. Am I to unnerstand you're lookin' to carry on their proud heritage?"

"Manner of speaking, sir," Pete agreed. "Team's had its share of setbacks. The whole season got delayed statewide on account of damage wrought by Meteor Shower 2.0 an' all them power surges and things, Granville High's equipment shed burned down under mysterious circumstances, things almost didn't get started again in time for that Homecoming win you mentioned. And now your boys are playing in the snow, which, they're tough enough, but it slickens up the terrain icier than Lambeau Field. QB sitch is a little iffy. I heard you lost your, uh, 'star tailback' to an unfortunate injury today. Win number 200's coming up for you, and word is you're stagin' emergency tryouts so your roster's not lacking when the time comes. Word is you weren't happy with how they went yesterday, and now they're needed more than ever."

Coach snorted softly, dubious. "'Word is.' There ain't no escapin' the reporter thing with you, is there, Ross? But y'ain't th' only one knows how to keep his ear to the ground. Word is, Ross, you're friends with the loose cannon headcase what subtracted Troy from the team in the first place. You been seen 'round with him. You an' those, whaddaya call yerselves, 'Outsiders.'"

Pete's eye twitched. "Guilt by association, yeah?"

Don't back down.

"Stands to reason, innocence should work the same way," Pete replied, his I got this face fully in play. "Yeah, I'm buds with Cain. I didn't have no part of him sending a Crow home with a busted wing, and I can't honestly say as I approve of his actions. But you know who else I'm buds with?"

Coach narrowed his eyes. "Lay it on me."

Pete leaned forward, both hands on a chair in front of him, and his eyes glinted. "Matthews."

Coach arched an eyebrow. "Matthews. As in. Kyle."

Pete nodded. "Word is, there's that phrase again, you're looking to him to be your saving grace this year and next. Keep your wins a-comin'. An' he ain't showin' a lick of interest. Now I can't promise I'll sway him one way or th' other, Ray Charles is his own man, but one Outsider to another, I'll put in a good word for you. Maybe that'll make up for certain other associations."

Coach chewed this over for a moment. Pete could almost see the checks and balances clicking into place like tumblers behind Coach's eyes.

Coach glanced at the papers on his desk, grabbed a sheet, handed this to Pete. "Permission slip. You got a spot in the tryouts, Ross, get this back to me sooner'n pronto. My advice? See if the secretary'll let you use her fax machine, wing it to your dad at the feed store that way."

Pete took hold of the slip, but Coach Arnold didn't release this immediately. He met Pete's gaze with smouldering eyes. "You got a spot in the tryouts. Y'don't get on the team 'nless you can play, I don't care how much of a shotgun your friend has for an arm. Capisce?"

Pete plucked the slip out of Coach's grasp, his own gaze unwavering. "Yo comprendo. Just you wait."

And Pete turned, and he walked from that place, and Coach Arnold quietly contemplated this turn of events.

The Alumni and The Booster Club had expressed their utmost faith in him, but he didn't need their pretty words.

He was just getting warmed up.

 

[AmenRa]

You call him Doctor Jones!

"I hate to leave good company," Jones said as he stood, "but I have some presentations to prepare for my next class." He shook hands with Barry and Jamie and headed to his classroom.

As he passed the table where the children sat, he saw a new but not unfamiliar face. He gave a nod to her, and he issued a greeting. Diana of Themyscira, welcome back. I am at your service should you need me, Princess.

He considered them children, but not in a demeaning way, simply of the fact they were on the verge of adulthood. They were his children, he believed. Not as much as he considered himself their father, but he felt responsible for them. Just as he had made the promise to a Kryptonian scientist so long ago to watch over one in particular, now he had promised himself to watch over them all.

Someone was waiting on him in the classroom. A very familiar individual wearing a long black coat was studying a large map of Earth that hung on one wall of the room.

"Such a small planet isn't it?" J'onn said in greeting.

"Indeed it is, J'onn J'onzz. And all alone in the infinity of space."

Jones said as he gave the Kryptonian a nod of greeting. "And yet visited by travelers from beyond even the star system it inhabits.."

"And visited by those from within that system as well," Var-Sen replied.

Jones smiled. "You have been missed, Var-Sen. How is Raya?"

"She is beautiful," he answered, beaming. He then held up a metallic, octagonal-shaped disc. "And she sends a gift."

J'onn nodded. "Excellant," he said as he took the disc. "I see the Gate technology I provided you has been modified accordingly. Dr. Erdel would be pleased."

"Further testing must be conducted. The transit singularity is solidified, but the entry coordinates were off by several thousand kilometers. The current configuration is on the disc, however I will send Raya an updated algorithym via the locator frequency soon. There are some bugs," Var-Sen answered, "but we will work them out." He reached into another pocket and brought out a clear, oblong crystal. "I also have something for Kara Zor-El: a catalogue of Sanctuary's lifeforms."

Fortunately, they were alone in the classroom. "I am sure it will make a nice addition to the Fortress's database. Have you seen Kara and the others yet?"

"No, I have not."

"I am sure she will be delighted to see you again. So will the others. Especially one in particular, I am sure."

"Then I will stay for the remainder of your classes."

"You are most welcome."

Var-Sen looked away for a moment, as if he were remembering something. And, indeed, he was. A small smile came to his face. "On second thought," he added, holding up a Smallville High issued visitor's pass (it even had his name on it: John Smith, Ph.D.), "I think I will pay a visit to the school newspaper room."

 

[Varshanka]

A newcomer to Smallville High

Moving into the cafeteria she kept to herself, the opening of her hood pulled low across her face, how she saw was a wonder, but she did. Stepping around people as she made her way quick and quiet down the line of food. It was only at the end that she stopped, taking a moment to slowly and carefully count out cash, paying for the food she selected.

Making her way into the crowded room itself she took a seat at a half empty table. Uncaring, or unaware, of who’s table it was. The jock’s and cheer’s. The crème-da-la-crème of Smallville High. The elite’s.

Looking over at the newcomer one of the cheerleaders approached, speaking to her. Ducking lower the new girl shied away from the cheerleader, pulling her tray closer, as if to guard her food from thieving hands. Speaking louder the cheerleader insisted. But the girl, the newcomer, didn’t say anything, and she didn’t leave. Frowning, her facial expression speaking volumes of annoyance, the hottie in the cheerleader outfit turned to a jock in a football uniform, leaving the issue of the intruder in his hands.

Moving around the cheerleader said jock grabbed her but and snickered, his hulking form moving in on the newcomer, growling he spoke to her, but when she looked up at him and replied, he only looked confused, except for the annoyance that flashed there as well.

Looking back at his gathering of friends he sneered something to them, then turned back to find the target of his pestering gone. Her tray empty of food. Except for a lemon-poppy muffin. A muffin that was retrieved by a hand snaking up from below the table.

Bending over he looked, and found the new girl down there. Hiding from him, and scratching. Scratching at her arm like she had a nasty rash.

Backing away from her he spoke to his friends, and the laughed, though it was a laugh of derision and disgust. Not politeness and joy.

But under the table she crouched, eating her lunch quick and quiet until she was done, scratching her arm all the while. Then she was gone, scurrying through the crowd quick.

An empty tray left behind.

 

[TearsoftheWorld]

"Well how ab-"

Kara had to cut her sentence short as the five-minute warning bell began to chime, sending students scurrying to their next class. Kara rose from her seat and picked up her belongings. Her entire afternoon was on the academic heavy side with English, Science, Mathematics and a foreign language class.

"Um... I'll catch up with you guys later."

With only a few minutes left before she had to be in her seat, Kara made yet another stop at her locker to pick up her textbooks.

"Hey."

Kara peered around her locker door and saw her boyfriend standing there, one hand tucked inside his coat pocket and the other clutching what looked to be a very... very light backpack.

"Hey," she said with a smile as she closed her locker and bent down to grab her bag. She gave Eric a kiss and then started to head off towards her English class until he reached out and grabbed her hand.

"Hey, me and some of the guys are going downtown for a bit. Wanna come?"

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"Well... for one thing I have classes to go to. I can't really afford anymore absences," Kara said with a frown as she pulled her hand free from his hold. "You know I can't."

"Come on, just one afternoon."

"I'm sorry. I can't. I'll see you after school," she added, giving him another kiss on the cheek before she turned around to walk down the hallway.

She made it through the door to her class just as the bell started to ring.

 

[camerindrake]

Dinah

Dinah smiled and said, "Yes, That would be great."

She pulled out one of the crepes placing it on one of the plate and then handed the bag off to Ceri continuing, "I order us each two but my friend here thought seven would be a better number." followed by sticking her tongue out towards her friend.

She took a cup of the steaming hot beverage and placed it beside her plate saying, "Its a simple Earl Grey but we didn't know if you liked creamer, milk or sugar so help yourself to which you prefer." she then took a sip and moaned slighty continuing, "Nothing is better on a cold winters day that a spot of hot tea."

She looks out the window eyes half lidded saying, "This reminds me of good times."