Archive Mutants & Masterminds: Legacy - Issue #3 Swords & Sorcery

[SalmonMax]

Echo nodded. "Unfortunately, we don't have much specific data on their conditions, or what caused it. They were being held in some kind of stasis in an alternate dimension. It's likely, given the nature of that dimension and the other phenomenon we observed in connection with it, that their condition is the result of some kind of 'magical' effect. Unfortunately, the most knowledgeable person present in such matters is also unconscious. However, her condition may be more easily understood and treated."

"I suggest, in short, we focus on awakening Aina. Then she may be able to tell us more about what happened to the rest of the League."

[Joani]

Originally Posted By: Djane

"Should be a way to get her back..." She at least was willing to go through all this. If I can bring her back then I can get out of here and get back to my normal life.

"Magelords are bad guys, though. Could one of the Dragon Witches help us? I know of one of them..."

The Spirit hesitated briefly then slowly nodded, „They may be able to help you but we do not have positive experience with them. Never deal with Dragons goes a saying but if you think it’ll save you.“

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

The young heroes were introducing themselves to the newcomer when one of the security personal, a young man going by the name Rodriguez, approached them with very urgent matters.

„Excuse me, Watchwoman? Ladies...“, he nodded at the new Legacy team not quite sure how to properly address them. He fumbled with a PDA in his hands and carefully handled it over to Watchwoman.

„The Celestial Centurion has requested to speak with you... but that’s not the only matter. The ceremony is about to start and... and your presence is expected there, actually the whole team. I’m...“, he cleared his throat again, his eyes trying to stay focused on the PDA instead of MegaGirl’s amazing legs.

„It is my duty to guide you through the whole procedure... so if you would be so kind and follow me?“, he was definitely shy and impressed to be in the presence of Earths saviours.

It didn’t take long and the whole team got assembled to attend to the ceremony. Thousand of people had gathered to cheer at their new heroes, fireworks were ignited and a speech was held by the President. The young heroes had mixed feelings about this, on one hand they had truly achieved an almost impossible feat but on the other the price they paid was too high. Still a bit of pride remained after the President handed them the highest award the League had, the Presidential Gold Medal of Justice.

The team retreated as soon as possible since they had more important matters to attend to and even though the celebration was far from finished they were already heading back towards the HQs Central Office. Serene could feel the presence of her father filling this room – it was here where he organised the League’s Heroes and briefings. She took the main chair and activated the holographic unit accessing the latest reports on their parents and Aina.

It almost shocked her to realize that their parents condition didn’t improve. Everyone was in a coma but at least stable with the one exception being Dawnstar. Her condition was critical and getting worse.

Aina was still unconscious but out of danger – she tagged their conditions and kept the status updated to Hudsy and the team as long as they were in the office. Her mouth was dry from the bad news but she had to take charge and organise their next step, just like her father would.

„It’s good to see you Celestial Centurion – you requested to speak to us? I’m sorry we couldn’t have this meeting earlier...“, she didn’t try to apologize but the celebration couldn’t be postponed. They already left at the soonest moment and almost broke the protocol. The President did understand their situation, though.

Click to reveal..

Alright – you are all at the HQs Main Office and have access to all data available to Matrix (i. e., everything the Legacy League knows). The whole celebration procedure took roughly 90 Minutes. Officer Rodriguez is waiting outside and can be request on demand. You should plan your next steps from here, after I know what you will do I'll close this chapter and start the next.

[Djane]

Djane looked uncomfortable and embarrassed, being half her normal height and needing a specially fabricated dress. She didn't stray too far from Watchwoman during the ceremony.

As the Celestial Centurion came close, she felt the sensation of being in 'synch' with him, and then an idea occurred to her. Quickly she ducked inside the lighter, and summoned up the Spirit.

"There's a man out there called the Celestial Centurion. He's an off-world hero - but I feel some kind of connection with his power. Would he be able to help?"

[Tesstarossa]

"It's worth trying." Djane's condition suprised her, but her mother had always told her Magic always had a price, which was why she largely stayed away from it. Better the reliability of her own power, much as her Father had always maintained.

"The overview of all our personnel, auxillaries and such is not as bad as we feared, nor as good as I'd dare hope, Watchwoman, but aside for a few, no one's getting any worse. We've got alot of damage equipment, but that's easily replaced. You can look over it when you're ready, as you're in charge, In short I'd say overall readiness is about sixty percent."

She sighed. She was still clad in the pseudo-uniform she'd worn for the ceremony, and looked around to the others. Outwardly she was calm, but inwardly, she seemed on edge.

[Aeonian]

Aeonian adjusts her glasses. "Equipment damage aside, we should also look at the psychological stability of the crew and even our own members. From what I hear of the recent events, the team and it's support crew have not had a moment's rest during the crisis."

She sits back, setting a lag over her knee and steepling her fingers. "This may be reducing our efforts in the treatment of our wounded. That and until we can gain more intelligence on just what put them in their respective states the sooner they can be saved."

She looks up. Frustration building in her expression. "Bah... then there's the fact we're those on guard for the planet... and our allies... Too many crises and too little time and allies to handle them."

"I may be over thinking this... I'm too used to finding solutions that are in front my nose yet this time there's nothing there." She says, slamming the arms of her chair in frustration. More angry at herself for overthinking the problem than anything. She sighs as she slumps into her seat, her cathartic release complete.

[SalmonMax]

"Focus on Aina," Echo recommended. "That is a problem that is immediate and within our grasp, and solving it will simplify a great many of our other problems considerably."

"What is her condition now?"

[Aeonian]

"True... Thing is I've not dealt with a Draconian life form before..." She says leaning back a bit in her seat. "Computer terminals and reactors are nothing to me... A massive draconian on the other hand... Particularly when she has some sort of odd field of some kind... one that's interfering with our sensors yet has no logical source. She seems to be in a hibernative state though."

She adjusts her glasses, monitoring what data feeds she does have. "Fascinating... If I could scan her scaly skin... I'd have a nice prototype for an armored suit... there's no equipment so far in the medbay that can penetrate her scales!" She says in amazement. "After we see what she can do for us, I should ask her as much as possible... the possibilities are endless!"

She starts to look almost like a mad scientist before catching herself... "Ahem... Sorry... New life and all that. Particularly one with such amazing defenses."

"Then again... she's rather... unnerving. Like looking at a wounded lion... never knowing if it will attack. Ive seen strange things before, but this... this is novel. The Professor I worked under before coming here had a saying... 'respect the storm'. I'm staring down an EF5 twister looking at her."

[SalmonMax]

Echo frowned. She hadn't realized there'd been problems with medical tech and Aina's scales.

"I may have a solution to the problem of her scales at least. Once we can get some readings of her internal conditions, we'll be in a better position to assist her natural healing process. I'll be in Medical."

She left the room and headed to the medical center, where Aina's insensate body was resting She went to the Dragon Queen's side and placed a hand on her shoulder. Silvery liquid beaded out from her skin and pooled on Aina's colorful scales.

For the newcomer's benefit, Echo explained what was happening over the comm. "My cells can manufacture single-use automated nanoscopic drones and deliver them by touch. In this case, the drones are programmed to collect physiological data, and use it to repair damaged tissues. They are small enough they should be able to slip between Aina's scales."

(Using Echo's healing power...not sure if Aina is 'damaged' though, so it may be the wrong tool for the job. )

[Aeonian]

"Echo... Just be careful not to cause a pain reflex. That might snap her out of it and she may become hostile..." She sits back, steepling her fingers. "And quite honestly I think she doesn't need ketchup."

She starts watching the readouts on her glasses closely. "I'll be keeping an eye on you over the security cameras in the room, Echo. Also got as best of a readout I can get on her vital signs. If anything red-lines or spikes I'll let you know quickly."

She then looks up at the rest in the room. "I reccomend we be ready for potentially pulling Echo out of the fire." She says as she gets up and grabs her suit. "I'd better get this on and be ready if things go downhill." She says as she starts putting her suit on, looking at the moment like she's putting on a robe than a protective suit from it being so baggy.

[Celestial Centurion]

Originally Posted By: Joani

"It's good to see you Celestial Centurion you requested to speak to us? I'm sorry we couldn't have this meeting earlier..." she didn't try to apologize but the celebration couldn't be postponed. They already left at the soonest moment and almost broke the protocol. The President did understand their situation, though.

Herak did not understand why the League had wasted time on a ceremony that was unnecessary. He did not deign to comment on it however as he was unaware of any possible cultural requirements that may have required the process. Instead he simply went straight to the point as Echo and the technician discussed Aina's condition. “The magics that were the salvation of this world have left a wound in the very fabric of space. A great evil boils beneath the damage and the scar that exists now is only a tenuous solution, a membrane that will only hold back the Void for a time before the corruption behind it spills forth once more.” The Centurion paused before continuing, “Hælious has told me that I am where I am needed. I believe that this region, this very world, is still at danger from the evils that we have already encountered.”

He looked around the table, everyone was there save Echo and D'jane who had disappeared shortly after coming to the meeting. “I believe that we have little time before the next attack upon this world. I offer you my aid to this end.” The Centurion looked to each of them, ending with his gaze on Serene, waiting for her reply as the leader of the League.

[Djane]

There was a popping noise from Watchwoman's belt, and a thick cloud of mist poured forth from the lighter clipped there. It poured itself into the dress that was lying on the floor, and filled it out, resolving into the form of Djane.

"Sorry! I had a question that needed answering. Hi Watchwoman." She nodded at Serene. "Listen, uhm. Sorry if I stared a little too long last time I was out. Uh, it turns out that genies tend to, er..." Her face reddened. "To be rather... attracted... to their masters. They also say that I can take a male form if it's easier for you but never mind that. So, ah, if it happens again: that's why, and I'll try not to let it get in the way of anything." Unless you want me to no no bad Djane, don't act like a slave, she doesn't treat you like one.

She looked around. "I had an idea. Where is - oh, there's the Centurion! Hi!" She waved at him. "Listen, long story short - har har - my magic is broken and I need someone who can fix it and I feel this synchronization between us whenever we're close. Maybe the Centurions have a way to fix my lighter? If they can fix it then maybe I can help the wounded members of the League."

[Aeonian]

"A lighter?" Aeonian states to Djane as she fits her helmet on. "If the problem is just mechanical then I could easily fix it, but if it's magical... well... I am unable to assist there."

She presses a button on the right wrist of her suit and it shrink-fits to her form. "If all that needs to happen to trigger the lighter is it successfully being lit, then I'm your handywoman."

She presses a button on her helmet and it closes up. "Just let me know if it's just a fix-it job."

[Tesstarossa]

TK looked at them. "Our next course is to fulfill the bargain we made with Aina then isn't?" It was something that needed to be said, she didn't want Aina to wake up and remind them of their obligations without warning.

[Aeonian]

"And what obligations are these, pray tell?" Anne says, stretching out while keeping an eye on Echo over her glasses. "Didn't know I'd be walking into all this this quickly... I'm quite... surprised actually. Almost intrigued."

She looks over the white haired woman. "I suppose you were there when all this went down?"

[z-Watchwoman]

"Hold on," Serene said suddenly, holding up her hands. Her lips were thinned, pressed together for just a moment. "One at a time."

Turning, she rose and walked around the table to the Centurion. She offered her hand gravely, feeling a bit stupid but also knowing that these things were important. "Celestial Centurion, we accept your offer of aid, though TK is correct - we have to honor the bargain I made with Aina." The mother of my half-brother or sister. "If you wish to stay on Earth and work on the issue of the scar, you'd be welcome. And if you wish to come with us, then you are also welcome."

She glanced at Djane, her cheeks flaming as the djinn confessed to a magically induced crush. When she was done, Serene choked out, "Uh, yes, any help for Djane is, uh, good." She barely managed to stop from giving a super-retarded thumbs up.

"So. Once Aina is awake, we'll need to be ready. I recommend packing as soon as possible," she added. "If Echo is successful, we'll be leaving the moment everyone who is going is ready."

[MegaGirl]

After the ceremony, Karra dashed back to her room and reluctantly change out of her dress, putting on her racy black-with-gold trim uniform, before heading to the Central Office. And then there was the talking and talking that went on forever.

Her habitual innocent cheer wilted under the barrage of ceaseless words, her expression somber at she looked at the holographic display showing the condition of their parents. It wasn't fair! They were all sick, but they weren't getting more sick, except for her mother, who was getting more sick. And even Djane - who was awesome - got sick like Mom too. She was so small, only coming up to her knee.

They talked about fixing the mean Dragon-Lady and Djane's Lighter and the ScarVoid in space - that sounded bad, like Black-Hole bad - and for some reason, Echo was in a fire - that also sounded bad, she remembered how weak and weird it felt to be Echo - but they weren't talking about how to fix Mom.

"If we can fix the Dragon-Lady, we can fix Mom!" Karra said petulantly, slapping the table lightly, which still caused stressed groaning sounds from the metal composite. "They were found in the same place, the Bad-Word-Place. I wanna make Mom better before we go help the mean Dragon-Lady."

[Aeonian]

"I already have a theory as to how to permanently "heal" the rift between our world and... Hell... as we've come to call it." Aeonian says, brushing off some dust from her suit. "Our universe is like a sheet of paper. A sheet with a small tear in it intermeshed with another sheet with a tear. The gap now is closed from the interaction of matter moving through it placing a weak mesh."

She walks over to the door near the hallway. "Thing is, the space between universes isn't a vacuum like outer space. It's teeming with proto-matter... like the pulp that will form into a new sheet of paper.

All that needs to be done is to form a universe between ours and theirs. The proto-matter needs a huge energy source to start attracting material. In the process some of that "universal pulp" will close the rifts on both our universes. as the vacuums of both our universes suck the proto-matter in to close the rift."

She looks over all in the room. "How do we do this? Simple... we launch three micro-black holes at the speed of light right at ground zero of the rift. The resulting event will go into the trans-universal medium. Attracting the material to heal our damaged reality."

She clears her throat. "The risk to our universe and theirs is nil as long as there is no mistakes made on our side. Unfortunately the side effect of an error of aim would be the destruction of all matter within our universe."

"Thing is... and this might make things improbable... we'd need to convert 3 massive hadron colliders into collider guns capable of generating a gravitic warp using negative energy to push each black hole to the speed of light and launch them to their targets. When the collision occurs it will happen just outside of our universe in the mesh between our universes."

"Anyone else have a better idea? I realize that we'd have to break the magic that created the rift in the first place. Take out the supports, you can collapse the tunnel."

[z-Watchwoman]

"Uh..." Serene's mouth was open, presenting a less than charismatic vision to the room. Her chin snapped shut as she realized the image she must be presenting. "Aeon, I appreciate the input, but there's not really..." Serene composed herself and tried it from a different angle. Using the term "not a chance in hell of allowing that" would probably only damage the morale of the new person. "I'd need to know that there's no way something that dangerous could go wrong. Add in that we're dealing with the X-factor of magic and I'm not sure we'll ever get to that point. Thank you for addressing it, however. I certainly hope you'll keep working on it."

That settled, Serene turned to problem two. "Karra," she said simply. "We're going to do everything we can for your mother. If Echo can help Aina, then we'll see if she can help DawnStar. But if we have to leave before DawnStar is healed, you'll have to choose between staying with her and coming with us. I won't make you leave her. That's up to you."

Serene glanced at the viewscreen monitoring Aina, hoping that it would show some positive change from whatever Echo was doing.

[Joani]

Echo’s nanodrones flooded the wounded areas analyzing Aina’s DNA and returning confusing and partially conflicting data. For one Aina mass in relation to her size was unusual and seemed to fluctuate. Her vital signs in relation to a normal human would declare her as dead but her heart was still beating, only at such a slow pace that it seemed to be suspended in time. Aina’s scales still proved to be impenatrable and it took Echo some effort to adjust.

With very slow success the nanites started to mend the wounds covering them with artificial tissue since they failed to synthesize Aina’s DNA. At least she was making progress or so it seemed.

Still confused by the data her nanites extracted she tried to make sense of the readings and filed all anamolies for later review. Aeon was right about one thing, Aina was, straight from a scientific point of view, a very extraordinary species but Echo also knew that she was a magical creature and if parts of her data was only explainable by ´magic´it would be nearly worthless for her, or anyone else.

She sighed, a very rare human emotion she emulated and opened a channel to the office.

„I’m not entirely sure if my nanites are succesful. Our knowledge about her kind is extremely limited and produced no usable information or data. I fear we have to either wait for her to wake up or focus on a different task and not waste valuable time.“

Serene acknowledged Echo’s report and turned to face the team again. It was still up to MegaGirl to say if she wanted to stay with her mom or plan for their next step. Hudsy provided her with some more data concerning Dawnstar’s condition, something Karra either wasn’t aware of or probably failed to understand.

At her current state Dawnstar won’t survive another year. She was in a comatose state, her body seriously mangled and reduced to a shadow of her former powerful self. Hudsy showed her footage from intital success by supercharging Dawnstar with a fusion reactor and it seemed to restore her to full health but it only lasted for 15 minutes. After that the reactor collapsed and the energy Dawnstar drew was simply too much for it to maintain. Within an hour she was back to her comatose state.

Right now the only thing keeping her alive is a Titan-Class Battleship that runs it’s system on absolute minimum and relays it’s energy to her. The reactor will burn out in roughly 300 days. Without it Dawnstar would die within 3 days. „She’s like a black hole“, Hudsy concluded making sure that only Serene heard and saw what he just revealed.

At least it looked like Echo’s attempt to heal Aina was succesful.

[Celestial Centurion]

The centurion frowned under his helmet, the others were not fully aware of his powers, as he was not aware of their own. "The Healing Light of Hælious does not require mechanical devices, if you wish it I could attempt to aid Echo in this task." He considered the alien woman's condition, "How does she absorb energy? This systems' star, it has bounty greater than even her need, of this I am certain. I could act as a conduit between her and it, or I could take her to the star itself, bathe her in its life giving power." His face hidden as it was it was impossible to tell his expression, but he turned to Megagirl and said, "She is your mother. You need only ask of me and I will aid her how I can."

[Djane]

"Yeah, I'll do what I can too... er, well, if I can get my powers back. Do you think that's possible, CC? Have you felt the connection too?"

[Celestial Centurion]

"Indeed I have, as I have mentioned before. There is a resonance, a sympathetic parity between ourselves. I do not understand the reason or source of this resonance however." Herak rose, his armor eerily silent despite its obvious mass, the plates slide along each other with no noise perceptible to human ears. "I do not know of any way to restore your power, or if that power can be restored. It is possible that you have made the ultimate sacrifice to preserve life, a deed for which you should feel immanently proud." He walked around the table to her, "I will try however, to heal you. The Sun's Health is a potent gift capable of restoring and reviving, perhaps it will help you." The Centurion's hands began to glow with soft golden light and a palpable warmth that soothed. He placed his hands on either side of D'jane's head and she could feel warmth and light, and power flowing into and through her.

Click to reveal..

Using Sun's Health - Rank 10 Healing (persistent)

Roll: [17 +10 Modifier = +27]

[MegaGirl]

"I'll go with you guys," MegaGirl girl said in a small - at least for her - voice, brushing some hair from her face with a deep sigh as she traced a finger over the table top, leaving a deep groove in its wake. Her melancholy tone gained a note of confidence as she continued, almost as if by rote. "It's what Heroes do, saving people and places and things, even when they don't know how to save their mothers. I'll go, cuz that's what Mom would want me to do."

Karra chewed on her lip, glancing over and down at the Celestial Centurion, a slight thread of self-conscious embarrassment in her voice. "I dunno how Mom or the Shytari eat energy and stuff, then spit it out. I... can't do that - But Mom said that's okay! It's not my fault, I'm just different. Just like it's not the Shytaris fault that I'm bigger and stronger than any of them."

A sudden grin bloomed on her face and she leaned over to give the Centurion a hug, who was grateful for his armor. MegaGirl didn't actually squeeze too hard, but the Centurion couldn't help but be aware of the devastating potential residing in her sleekly muscled arms.

"Tbanks, CeeCee! I dunno what you mean by that you 'Can-Do-It' between Mom and the Sun-Star, but feeding Mom a piece of it sounds like a good idea." MegaGirl looked around at the others, anxious and hopeful. "Is that okay? I can Zoom Mom to the Sun easy, but is it alright if she eats a small piece of it? People won't be mad will they? She doesn't need a lot, just enough to fill her up to her full size, and she's not even as big as me."

[z-Watchwoman]

Serene smiled at MegaGirl's statement. She'd know that the overly tall girl would come with them, even as she'd made the offer. It felt manipulative, but Serene also knew that it would be alright if MegaGirl had wanted to stay.

"I'm sure the sun can make more energy," Serene murmured, before she became transfixed by the Centurion's attempt to heal Djane. Instinctively, she pulled the lighter out of the pouch and moved closer to them. She wasn't sure what she was doing, but moving the source of Djane's power to their attempt felt right. She wondered if she should try to give the Centurion the lighter, but she found herself being strangely possessive of it...

[Joani]

The golden light emerged from the Centurions hands and engulfed Djane in a shower of sparkling sunlight. As Serene approached, the lighter in hand she could see how the lighter started glowing with the same sparkle. Only now she realized that there were cracks, tiny cracks lining the surface of the lighter and it looked kind of worn and battered.

The lighter got comfortably warm in her hand and while the power of the sun healed Djane it also magically mend the lighter. Within a minute Djane was restored to her normal size feeling better than ever. Serene smiled relieved at Djane feeling the strange connection they shared and looked at the lighter which was shining golden as new. The Celestial Centurion made it, whatever he did, his powers restored Djane and her lighter!

Click to reveal..

Djane is fully restored and has access to all her powers again. She feels more powerful and better than ever

In the meantime while Echo was still monitoring Aina and silently cursing the Data for it’s inconsistencies and faulty reports she saw how her nanites got expulsed by Aina’s body. The patches of artificial tissue became ashen and almost evaporated before Echo could retrieve them for analysis. Aina’s condition immediately dropped again, her life-signs reverting to the extreme hibernation state.

Echo accessed Matrix and the entire networks data bank issuing a broad search as a last resort. There simply had to be some kind of documentation in some corner of the digital realm. As she focused on the search she felt a strange sensation of vertigo and displacement and her internal clock briefly was out of sync with the systems timecycle. Even though it was just a matter of microseconds to Echo it was perceptible as an anamoly. Before she could open a channel to the HQ the fabric of time and space behind her opened a portal, a liquid mirror like portal and out from it stepped an elven princess and a creature that could be best described as a cross between an Ent and the Swampthing. A smell of springflowers followed their wake but it vanished as the portal closed.

OOC: Continuation of: Beauty and the Beast

[SalmonMax]

Even as Echo turned around to face the newcomers, she was in the digital link moving with superhuman speed. Red lights blinked on in the medical bay and alarms started going off.

Legacy League to medical lab immediately. Interdimensional breach in progress. Intruders in medical lab. Legacy League to medical lab immediately...

She finished turning around, and her arm visibly reconfigured; silvery metal rising out of her skin and solidifying into an ominous-looking barrel where her hand and wrist had been, and complex-looking apparatus that covered her forearm up to the elbow.

"Identify yourselves and your intentions," Echo told the two calmly, "Or I will be forced to assume you are hostile."

[Celestial Centurion]

Herak had no sooner lowered his hands from the restored d'jinn when Echo's alarm came through. His hands immediately blazed with coronas of stellar flame. "The medical lab. Which way is it?" In response a glowing line in the floor appeared, part of the League HQ's automated systems for guests and visitors. The Centurion blazed down the path immediately, no hesitation, no fear, nor any need for instruction beyond the path to the medical lab. He left a trail in the air of glowing motes and shimmering heat as he passed and in mere instants arrived at the medical bay.

[Tesstarossa]

TK appeared instantly, knowing Echo wouldn't call without good reason. The young mentalist was unprepared to see Echo already armed. She set herself into a Defensive stance, and faced the two intruders.

She did not repeat Echo's warning, but her eyes began to glow. Just what we need, unannounced guests peircing all our defense systems. Even Matrix didn't detect them.

[Nixx]

The green man pushed his stringy (grassy?) hair out of his face, revealing a disarmingly perfect smile (so far as green teeth permit). He allowed himself a moment to take in this strange new place; all metal, fake stone and weird cold light. He didn't like it much better than the Magelord's dungeons at first glance. Finally he refocused on the native. If he recognized the lump of metallic Armageddon on her arm as as weapon, he certainly didn't show it.

"Good day, miss!" He bowed. "This is The Princess and I am... hm..." a look of shocked embarrassment crossed his face. Up to this moment the whole concept of 'identity' hadn't really struck him as terribly important. He struggled to regain his composure "...delighted to meet you!"

He struck a dramatic pose, "We have been dispatched to rescue a Dragon Queen from the unpleasant clutches of the MageLords. You wouldn't happen to know where we could find her?"

He un-posed and added sympathetically, "Are the MageLords the ones forcing you to make hostile assumptions about visitors? I'm sure we'd be happy to rescue you too."

He waved pleasantly to the newcomers as they arrived. Either he truly had no clue what he and his friend had just gotten in to, or he was deliberately overlooking the escalating peril with masterful skill.

[SalmonMax]

"The Mage Lords do not have the Dragon Queen," Echo said cautiously. "We expect them to try to get her though. That will not be permitted."

"We represent the Legacy League. An group of powerful individuals dedicated to protecting and preserving an interstellar democratic federation and the well being and liberties of the sentients within."

"We do not require rescuing. We are operating at heightened security."

She looked from the plant man to the woman, assessing both.

"Who sent you to rescue the Dragon Queen?"

[Celestial Centurion]

"I am the Celestial Centurion, avatar of Hælious, the Life Giver, defender of life and freedom throughout the cosmos!" The Centurion's powerful voice was alarming even to Tessa and Echo, they had only seen him speak such commands once before, in Hell. "Aina, the dragon witch, is under our protection. You that would seek her out, tell us for whom you work; who has dispatched you to retrieve Aina? Be they friend of foe?"

[Nixx]

The green man did a double take at the loud, armored newcomer. "Friend!" He declared, glad that option was on the table.

"Aina, yes, that's her! We were sent by her people, you know, the dragons? Big scaly folks with nice lawns. From Arcadia? I had assumed we would be rescuing her from the MageLords or their poor misguided minions."

He cleared his throat and lowered his voice, "You're sure you aren't with the MageLords? Defending life and freedom doesn't sound like them but I really want to be clear on this. It would make this terribly awkward."

[Tesstarossa]

"No, we're not with the MageLords." Her eyes ceased glowing, and she looked at everyone. "I think we can all calm down just abit." She looked to the bed and then to the intruders. "They may be able to help."

[Djane]

As the light faded, Djane blinked. She looked down at herself, tossing aside a torn scrap of cloth that had been the dress she'd been wearing. She was back in the silken outfit she usually wore, and back to full size and full power... maybe even more than full.

"Woo. WOO!" She hugged the Celestial Centurion. "Thankyouthankyouthankyou!" She turned into mist and spun away, spiraling around Serene. "Master, look! I'm back to normal! I can grant wishes again! You got any? You know, on the backlog? I - "

Then the klaxon went off. She looked up, then back at Serene, and smiled.

"Never a dull moment around here."

[MegaGirl]

MegaGirl was beaming as Djane filled out to her full size, little that it was - I want Mom to do that! - when Echo's warning came through her Legacy Ring. She barely registered what Echo was talking about before the Celestial Centurion was flying away. trailing stellar fire and Tessa disappeared with a soft pop of in-rushing air.

MegaGirl blinked at Serene and Djane. "Should we go to? We should go. Let's go!"

Suiting action to words, Karra swept Serene and Djane up under her arms, and chased after CeeCee... only realizing several seconds too late that her arm had passed right through the ephemeral genie. But before she thought to turn around to go back for her, she giggled, seeing that Djane was being dragged along, her smokey lower half trailing into the mystic lighter contained in Watchwoman's utility belt.

"Whee! That makes things easier! Don't worry guys, I'll get us straight there!"

"I wish she wouldn't go through the walls," Serene whispered in response to Karra's possibly literal assertion.

"Granted Master!" Djane happily exclaimed, the magic rising to her beckons.

MegaGirl suddenly recalled that Mom didn't like it when she ran through the walls, so she took a slower detour, following the line on the floor that CeeCee had followed. A few seconds more wouldn't matter right?

They arrived in time to hear Tessa mention the Magelords and Serene and Djane found themselves unceremoniously dumped on the group - at least, Serene did, as Djane still didn't have legs and was just drifting about - as MegaGirl drew herself to her full height and glowered down at the 'intruders.'

"Magelords? Magelords are BAD!"

[z-Watchwoman]

Smiling, Serene watched Djane spin around her. She reached out for her genie, but her hand passed through her. Before she could comment on Djane's restoration, or even add her own thanks to the Centurion, the alarm went off.

"Oh, what now!" she hissed as she secured the lighter in a pouch. Hudsy immediately patched her into the goings-on in the clinic. However fast her heads-up display was, her body wasn't able to match; the rest of the team zipped away using their various superior-to-human movements. And then MegaGirl took care of even that, saving her a full-out run across the station.

Serene could have wished for a more dignified entrance, but she had long ago learned to ride with the curves life had given her. She regained her dignity by sheer force of personality as she stepped forward, standing before the newcomers. "I am Watchwoman of the Legacy League," she said as Hudsy began to whisper comments and observations about them into her earpiece. "Are you from the Fairie Realm? Who sent you here?"

[Arcana]

"If I must be formal.. I am Arcana, Daughter of the Magus, Princess Morgania of Faerie, Heir to the Legacy of Merlin, Guardian of the Mystic Paths, and Keeper of the Grail of Life.

With my fathers recent death, I am also the Supreme Magus of Earth, I believe the Magus was known to the Legacy League. I have been fighting across the myriad realms of reality to better balance matters across the multiverse, but I was captive for the last few month or so."

Nevertheless, I bring news, and am on a mission of high import, he dragons are in a state of great distress due to the loss of their queen, and with the Mage Lords are prepared to make their great advance, I expect to march across the various dimensions...." suddenly she paused. "Wait, something feels off, what has been happening here while I was captive?"

[Tesstarossa]

"Oh you know, the usual, Villain does horrible unspeakable things to our parents, nearly destroys the world and escapes, we get get sent to Hell, literally, People switching bodies and back, losing powers, destroying a major prison for Villains after freeing them, You know, abit of this, abit of that."

TK's remark was about twenty times less profane than the things she was thinking.

"That was just this morning, I figure this afternoon has even more lined up."

Nobody had ever heard her speak like this before.

[z-Watchwoman]

"Actually, before we get into things here," Watchwoman interjected as she put a light hand on TK's arm, "I want you to answer my questions. I want to know if you've come from Faerie and who sent you. The reasons I want to know this is because you can claim to be many things, but we are the Dragon Queen's protectors and I'm... loathe to trust you with her safety until I know your motivations."

The urge to peel back her mask and make Arcana cooperative pushed at her, but Serene ignored it. The second it became the first tool she reached for was the day she was her mother.

"And there's no need to be formal," the masked hero said. "Just informative."

[Nixx]

The green man was looking increasingly uncomfortable with the level of tension. He took a breath and said over Arcana's shoulder, lyrically as he could muster, "We are just in from Arcadia; Where Dragons dwell in splendor; Each deeply concerned for the welfare of their queen."

"So sorry to have caused you all such stress and bother with our arrival." He added sympathetically. "When it seems this should be such a happy occasion for all concerned."

"But a question if I may: If you are friends of the Dragons and foes of the Mages, why don't the Dragons know you have Aina? Wouldn't the friendly thing be to tell a people where their queen is and how she fares?"