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thejusticelounge2013-06-18 06:02 pm
bossymarmalade) wrote in thejusticelounge2013-06-18 06:02 pm
Entry tags:
battle warnings
As John followed the Sinestro Corps toward Coast City, he caught the messages coming over the League commlink. If Superman was heading to the Watchtower, he’d want to be involved. The more non-Lanterns involved in this, the more trouble there’d be for everyone.
“All League members and heroes in the Coast City area—do NOT engage the Sinestro Corps. Do NOT attempt to reach Coast City. This is Lantern business. Most importantly, do NOT engage Kyle Rayner under any circumstances.”
He switched communication over to the Watchtower alone. ”Superman, J’onn, stay on the Watchtower and keep it secure until Guy or I give you the all-clear. Stewart, out.”
“Acknowledged,” Clark replied with only mild reservations about not being on the front lines. He trusted John as one of the League’s most capable leaders. Even still, he added, “If you need me, I’m there in less than a second. Keep me posted.”
The Watchtower is quiet, despite screens and electronic bulletin boards flashing the warnings about their current lockdown status. The civilian staff is on edge, whispering nervously to each other in the corridors as they go about their routine tasks, cooking dinner in the cafeteria, changing linens in the residential wing, vacuuming the rugs in the lounge. A handful of the more bold among them question Superman, demanding answers, and he responds to each with his usual patient sincerity. But he can’t tell them how long the situation will continue, and the air of burgeoning dissent continues to thicken.
[[Zee, are you okay now? Sorry I couldn’t answer earlier.]] He glances up from his phone at the blackness of space beyond the viewport, but it’s silent and still. [[Do you have Billy with you? Keep him home. No, take him to Ma and Pa’s. I don’t want him out right now. You can blame it all on me if you want, but tell him Marvel is forbidden to join this fight..]]
The echoes of Kyle’s twisted voice had faded from them, leaving Zee to try and gather up the pieces of what was happening to everyone else. League comm and phone in hand, Zee quietly held Billy back for now. The allure of having her son transform into the all powerful, and protecting hero Captain Marvel was strong, but she knew this power didn’t protect her son- only those that needed saving instead of him. She held him back for now, feeling even more confident in this decision when receiving Clark’s message.
[[I’m fine, BIlly and I are together. I’ll take him to your parent’s as soon as I can, but where do you want me?]]
Smoothing back Billy’s hair she spoke softly, “Honey, I’m going to take you to Kent Farm for now, okay?” her hands rested against his shoulder, giving a gentle squeeze, “Captain Marvel isn’t going into this fight.”
He touched the arm smoothing his hair, as comforted as he was by this. “No, Mom…you need Captain Marvel. I can’t go to the Kent’s, Captain Marvel needs to help the League right now!”
He looked at her plaintively, frustrated that she and Dad would probably just chalk this up to him pouting over being left out of the action, and at a loss as to how to convince them that his protests had nothing to do with that.
Rocking back on her heels, and sliding onto the floor next to Billy she fiddled with her League Comm, allowing Billy to hear the similar message it’d been blaring, “The call right now is saying for League members and heros to stay back. Dad isn’t even out there right now Billy.”
With a sigh she relented just a hair, “I can take you to the Watchtower so you won’t feel like your missing out on information the rest of us have, but you’re not going out as Captain Marvel.” She locked her eyes with his now, she’d said what she meant and she certainly hoped that was the end of the argument.
It was a little progress, and certainly better than being in a position where he had to outright defy them. He looked visibly relieved. “Thanks, Mom,” he hugged her tight, “But…it’s not that I feel I’m missing out…”
He took her by the hand, his big eyes encouraging. “I know you and Dad want to protect me. But it’s probably best if I at least be in the form of Captain Marvel. At least I’ll be invulnerable then, right? Can I change before we go?” He still held her hand as he tugged her towards the door, although if she wanted to zap them directly to the Watchtower, she only needed to say it backwards. He was ready for either, but he knew the sooner she and Captain Marvel were with Dad and the others, the better.
“BIlly!” she snapped, yanking her hand back from him and stamping her foot down, leaving her feeling as if she were the child on the other end of this debate now. Throwing her hands up over her head she groaned, wanting nothing more than her family to be together now, regardless of her eleven year old boy’s appearance and powers. This dispute was getting them nowhere and Billy wasn’t budging. He could say the word at any moment just like she could’ve to transport him.
Kicking herself for going back on her word, she relented as her outfit shifted into her familiar fishnets and tails “Transform, fine. But I’m transporting you. No flying to the Watchtower.”
trying to bite back her irritation towards giving in to Billy’s request, she mumbled a few spells. Locking up the apartment, and transferring Pot and Tah back to their hutch in Shadowcrest, hands over her ears the entire time as she waited for Billy to change into Captain Marvel.
He jumped a bit when she snapped at him, hurt that she yanked out of his hand. He hadn’t meant to make her angry. Why couldn’t he make her understand? If he tried to explain, would it just make it worse?
He wished he had Solomon’s wisdom when he was just plain, ordinary, useless Billy.
“Yes, Mom,” he said quickly and respectfully. “And gosh, I couldn’t fly up there even if I wanted to! I’d rather stay with you, than fly up on my own and not be with you so we could protect each other!”
He wasn’t sure she heard him; she was brusquely moving about, preparing to leave their home. Yeahhhh, she was mad, all right. Glumly, he summoned Captain Marvel. It was just as well that the magic word didn’t have to be spoken enthusiastically to work.
“Shazam”, he uttered dejectedly. The lightning and thunder crashed around him instantly, and the boy was gone.
The instrument of the ancients approached the magician solemnly, even a bit contrite. Physically he was her peer, and in some ways behaviorally as well, but he still respected her as the only mother of any permanency he had ever known. He held out his hand to her, and said as though the sound and light of his transformation hadn’t declared it for him, “I’m ready to go, Mom.”
Running a hand through her hair and replacing her top hat, Zatanna gave a final look around their home before turning to face Marvel. Despite the physical transformation Billy went through to become Captain Marvel, it was times like these that she could see nothing but the eleven year old boy she called son behind his blue eyes. It was often a comforting, but also troublesome reminder in situations like today.
She took his hand, looking up to him with a small but appreciative smile. He could’ve left at any second, he could’ve ignored her to fight whatever this thing was that had caused them so much trouble today, and yet he was still right beside her like she’d asked him to be. Curving her smaller hand against his she cast, “rewothctaW.” and with a slight lurch they were there.
Marvel released her hand reluctantly. ”We should find Dad…or at least Martian Manhunter. J’onn will know what’s happening down there.”
He took a few steps in the direction of the Monitor Room, before stopping and looking back at Zatanna over his shoulder. She wasn’t following yet. ”Are you okay?” He watched her for a moment, trying to gauge if she was still angry with him.
She shifted from one foot to the other, her lips pursed in thought. Did allowing Billy to transform into Captain Marvel keep him safer, or did it only put him in further jeopardy now that they were on the Watchtower? The thought had infected her as soon as she’d transported them to the Watchtower. He might be her son, but what authority would she have over him if J’onn sent him off to do battle with all this? Marvel had a duty to protect the world, probably greater than any hero she’d known. Now she juts felt like she’d led him into exactly what Clark had been wanting him to avoid. Perfect parenting today Zanna, excellent really.
Marvel’s voice pulled her from her own ideas swirling in her head, “Yeah…I’m- yeah just fine.” her hands fluttered nervously against her side as she followed behind him, “Whoever we find first, I guess. J’onn or your Dad might already know we’re here anyway knowing them.”
“All League members and heroes in the Coast City area—do NOT engage the Sinestro Corps. Do NOT attempt to reach Coast City. This is Lantern business. Most importantly, do NOT engage Kyle Rayner under any circumstances.”
He switched communication over to the Watchtower alone. ”Superman, J’onn, stay on the Watchtower and keep it secure until Guy or I give you the all-clear. Stewart, out.”
“Acknowledged,” Clark replied with only mild reservations about not being on the front lines. He trusted John as one of the League’s most capable leaders. Even still, he added, “If you need me, I’m there in less than a second. Keep me posted.”
The Watchtower is quiet, despite screens and electronic bulletin boards flashing the warnings about their current lockdown status. The civilian staff is on edge, whispering nervously to each other in the corridors as they go about their routine tasks, cooking dinner in the cafeteria, changing linens in the residential wing, vacuuming the rugs in the lounge. A handful of the more bold among them question Superman, demanding answers, and he responds to each with his usual patient sincerity. But he can’t tell them how long the situation will continue, and the air of burgeoning dissent continues to thicken.
[[Zee, are you okay now? Sorry I couldn’t answer earlier.]] He glances up from his phone at the blackness of space beyond the viewport, but it’s silent and still. [[Do you have Billy with you? Keep him home. No, take him to Ma and Pa’s. I don’t want him out right now. You can blame it all on me if you want, but tell him Marvel is forbidden to join this fight..]]
The echoes of Kyle’s twisted voice had faded from them, leaving Zee to try and gather up the pieces of what was happening to everyone else. League comm and phone in hand, Zee quietly held Billy back for now. The allure of having her son transform into the all powerful, and protecting hero Captain Marvel was strong, but she knew this power didn’t protect her son- only those that needed saving instead of him. She held him back for now, feeling even more confident in this decision when receiving Clark’s message.
[[I’m fine, BIlly and I are together. I’ll take him to your parent’s as soon as I can, but where do you want me?]]
Smoothing back Billy’s hair she spoke softly, “Honey, I’m going to take you to Kent Farm for now, okay?” her hands rested against his shoulder, giving a gentle squeeze, “Captain Marvel isn’t going into this fight.”
He touched the arm smoothing his hair, as comforted as he was by this. “No, Mom…you need Captain Marvel. I can’t go to the Kent’s, Captain Marvel needs to help the League right now!”
He looked at her plaintively, frustrated that she and Dad would probably just chalk this up to him pouting over being left out of the action, and at a loss as to how to convince them that his protests had nothing to do with that.
Rocking back on her heels, and sliding onto the floor next to Billy she fiddled with her League Comm, allowing Billy to hear the similar message it’d been blaring, “The call right now is saying for League members and heros to stay back. Dad isn’t even out there right now Billy.”
With a sigh she relented just a hair, “I can take you to the Watchtower so you won’t feel like your missing out on information the rest of us have, but you’re not going out as Captain Marvel.” She locked her eyes with his now, she’d said what she meant and she certainly hoped that was the end of the argument.
It was a little progress, and certainly better than being in a position where he had to outright defy them. He looked visibly relieved. “Thanks, Mom,” he hugged her tight, “But…it’s not that I feel I’m missing out…”
He took her by the hand, his big eyes encouraging. “I know you and Dad want to protect me. But it’s probably best if I at least be in the form of Captain Marvel. At least I’ll be invulnerable then, right? Can I change before we go?” He still held her hand as he tugged her towards the door, although if she wanted to zap them directly to the Watchtower, she only needed to say it backwards. He was ready for either, but he knew the sooner she and Captain Marvel were with Dad and the others, the better.
“BIlly!” she snapped, yanking her hand back from him and stamping her foot down, leaving her feeling as if she were the child on the other end of this debate now. Throwing her hands up over her head she groaned, wanting nothing more than her family to be together now, regardless of her eleven year old boy’s appearance and powers. This dispute was getting them nowhere and Billy wasn’t budging. He could say the word at any moment just like she could’ve to transport him.
Kicking herself for going back on her word, she relented as her outfit shifted into her familiar fishnets and tails “Transform, fine. But I’m transporting you. No flying to the Watchtower.”
trying to bite back her irritation towards giving in to Billy’s request, she mumbled a few spells. Locking up the apartment, and transferring Pot and Tah back to their hutch in Shadowcrest, hands over her ears the entire time as she waited for Billy to change into Captain Marvel.
He jumped a bit when she snapped at him, hurt that she yanked out of his hand. He hadn’t meant to make her angry. Why couldn’t he make her understand? If he tried to explain, would it just make it worse?
He wished he had Solomon’s wisdom when he was just plain, ordinary, useless Billy.
“Yes, Mom,” he said quickly and respectfully. “And gosh, I couldn’t fly up there even if I wanted to! I’d rather stay with you, than fly up on my own and not be with you so we could protect each other!”
He wasn’t sure she heard him; she was brusquely moving about, preparing to leave their home. Yeahhhh, she was mad, all right. Glumly, he summoned Captain Marvel. It was just as well that the magic word didn’t have to be spoken enthusiastically to work.
“Shazam”, he uttered dejectedly. The lightning and thunder crashed around him instantly, and the boy was gone.
The instrument of the ancients approached the magician solemnly, even a bit contrite. Physically he was her peer, and in some ways behaviorally as well, but he still respected her as the only mother of any permanency he had ever known. He held out his hand to her, and said as though the sound and light of his transformation hadn’t declared it for him, “I’m ready to go, Mom.”
Running a hand through her hair and replacing her top hat, Zatanna gave a final look around their home before turning to face Marvel. Despite the physical transformation Billy went through to become Captain Marvel, it was times like these that she could see nothing but the eleven year old boy she called son behind his blue eyes. It was often a comforting, but also troublesome reminder in situations like today.
She took his hand, looking up to him with a small but appreciative smile. He could’ve left at any second, he could’ve ignored her to fight whatever this thing was that had caused them so much trouble today, and yet he was still right beside her like she’d asked him to be. Curving her smaller hand against his she cast, “rewothctaW.” and with a slight lurch they were there.
Marvel released her hand reluctantly. ”We should find Dad…or at least Martian Manhunter. J’onn will know what’s happening down there.”
He took a few steps in the direction of the Monitor Room, before stopping and looking back at Zatanna over his shoulder. She wasn’t following yet. ”Are you okay?” He watched her for a moment, trying to gauge if she was still angry with him.
She shifted from one foot to the other, her lips pursed in thought. Did allowing Billy to transform into Captain Marvel keep him safer, or did it only put him in further jeopardy now that they were on the Watchtower? The thought had infected her as soon as she’d transported them to the Watchtower. He might be her son, but what authority would she have over him if J’onn sent him off to do battle with all this? Marvel had a duty to protect the world, probably greater than any hero she’d known. Now she juts felt like she’d led him into exactly what Clark had been wanting him to avoid. Perfect parenting today Zanna, excellent really.
Marvel’s voice pulled her from her own ideas swirling in her head, “Yeah…I’m- yeah just fine.” her hands fluttered nervously against her side as she followed behind him, “Whoever we find first, I guess. J’onn or your Dad might already know we’re here anyway knowing them.”