A few cautious steps, a tentative sniff of the air. How familiar this felt, yet different at the same time. The first time he had stood upon this street corner in front of the long abandoned Queen Consolidated building he had still been trapped in his monstrous other-form, the taste of freedom still fresh in his mouth. The world had seemed so much larger then, full of potential. That was all before he had become a man and began his war. Then he had been hesitant to enter the building concealing the Team's base because it was unfamiliar and alien, it's grim industrial lines making it seem far more intimidating to a creature that was meant to roam the wilds. Now he stalled on the front porch because he knew all to well what awaited him behind those doors. A new war, one against faceless crime, one that he could spare very little time on while Gretta Tante still roamed this earth, and a new [i]'Pack'[/i], another group who would no doubt let him down at the soonest possible moment. If it hadn't been for Hawkman's insistence and Gabe's persuasions then he would turn his back on the whole ordeal. 

	Instead he forced himself to take a step forwards, followed by another. Before he knew it he was through the front doors, all the while the Wolf in his head was growling it's disapproval. Since leaving the team a year before man and beast had learnt how to live alongside each other more harmoniously, but they still disagreed from time to time. Usually Magnus could quiet the Wolf, but this occasion was proving more difficult than others as deep down the man didn't want to be here either, but he had promised Gabe he would come, and he owed the Gothamite a great deal.

	He was in the elevator now, his last chance to back out slipping through his fingers. The last time he had been greeted by Black Canary, her yammering being an annoying, yet comforting background noise. This time his heightened hearing could pick out the voices of his new companions down in the base, even over the whirring gears of the lift. For some reason their voices were far less welcoming. He arrived on the ground floor, the doors sliding open to assault him with sensations both new and familiar. The smells of his old Pack mingled with the new recruits, eliciting a mix of emotions from him. Joy, anger, sadness, regret. It was dizzying. 

	A deep breath did little to calm him, but he honestly didn't think there would have been a quick fix for this. Maybe there was no fix at all. With a sigh that sounded like a snarl he left the lift and padded silently through the currently empty halls. The stench of BBQ assaulted his nostrils, no guesses to who had been eating that. Magnus avoided the source, wishing to delay his reunion with Ditto for as long as possible. Their last meeting hadn't gone [i]well[/i], and the wolf-man wasn't sure he approved of the Cargitte's recent decisions, both tactically and personally. Instead he made for his old room. 

	It was exactly as he had left it, down to the reinforced steel bedframe. That wouldn't be necessary anymore as he had control over his transformation, much lighter now than he had been before, but the familiar touch resonated with him. He threw his duffle bag on the bed and doffed his jacket, hanging the garment behind a chair back. He unpacked slowly, enjoying the act of making the place his [i]own[/i]. He only had a few clothes, his Nth metal suit and his Bowie knife to fill the wardrobe, but it was more than he had the first time. A picture of his parents, a gift from Carter Hall, was placed lovingly on his bedside table. Next came out his journal, a book filled with a collection of notes and diagrams. It was all the information he had managed to assemble on Grannie's organisation. Carter (quite hypocritically for a historian) had teased him for his preference for outdated note taking, but Magnus couldn't get a handle on computers, no matter how hard he tried. As always it looked depressingly small, proof of how well Tante covered her tracks. 

	Though still spartan my most definitions this was all Magnus needed to feel at home, and it was little enough to re-pack quickly, if push came to shove. Once this was all done he left the room, reasoning that now was as good a time as any to get this over with. A short walk later, passing one of the new recruits on the way, and he was back outside the kitchen, next to Ditto. 

	"Kilian. It's been a long time."