[center][u][b]July 8th, 4:37 PM Sakakah, Republic of Arabia[/b][/u] Lady Arcana shielded her eyes from the geyser of sand that erupted from the meteoric impact, as the object - an asteroid? No, too small - impacted between the city and the approaching army. Hell, calling it a geyser didn't even seem fair: it was almost like a volcanic eruption of sand that blanketed both the city and the opposing force. She couldn't see anything from her distance, and from the obscuring aftereffects, but whatever had happened...she needed to be there. Lifting above the battlefield, she flew to the scene at windbreaking speeds, pushing through the still swirling pillar of desert. Feeling her boots touch the ground, she attempted to find the point of impact through the choke of sand. Tank slowly worked his way back up to a standing position having landed in a sort of awkward crouch which wedged him into the ground a bit, he was pretty sure he would be finding sand for weeks. He couldn't see jack shit at the moment because of the giant storm of sand and dust surrounding him from the impact or at least not very far so he stumbled around a bit trying to get some sort of bearings on where he landed. Not to mention he felt like he was in a boiling pot from all the friction probably looking like a well cooked lobster while he would probably have to peel what was left of his signature helmet off his head, he was due for a haircut anyway he supposed. Hopefully he wasn't too late for the fighting since he had definitely just caused a lot of bother with his sudden arrival but who knows maybe it might've helped in some way. She had wandered through the artificial sandstorm for roughly a minute now, searching for some sign of whatever - or whoever, even - had caused that Earth-trembling impact. Since she had flown in, she knew where the epicenter of the impact was thanks to her eidetic memory. This at the very least gave her a destination to work towards. Hopefully she would move quickly enough to keep whatever was there from straying too far...if it was capable of doing such. [color=orchid]"Hello?"[/color] She called out, hoping her voice would carry through the vortex of sand. That was when she saw it: a large silhouette against the backdrop. Very large, in fact, although still clearly humanoid. She couldn't make out any features, however- [color=orchid]"Wait,"[/color] she shook her head, suddenly recalling that she could simply clear this shit out of her way with a quick clap of her hands. Drawing back her hands, she quickly slammed them together with just enough force to clear the the area around them of the obscuring cloud. Indeed, with a thunderous crack the sand parted and the air was purified, allowing her to see... [color=orchid]"Oh..."[/color] Lady Arcana muttered, her voice quite small. It was a man. A very tall man. A very tall, [i]very naked[/i] man. A buzz of static sounded from her earpiece. [color=IndianRed]"I didn't realize we were having another one of [i]those[/i] adventures, Arcana. Wasn't the brothel enough?"[/color] Girard could of swore he had heard someone in the cloud speaking causing him to turn around attempting to find them by sound starting to move in the very general direction. He really hoped he hadn't landed on anyone or too close to the action because he could only imagine what it would do to a person or people if it did this to the ground. [color=A9A9A9]"Hello? There someone in here?"[/color] The big man asked figuring he might as well try to help whoever was asking to find him. It would at least be less awkward if they didn't end up bumping into him, he was not exactly decent at the moment. He got his answer in the form of a loud crack clearing the area of debris so it was visible revealing who it was, none other than Lady Arcana who was also feeling a might embarassed if her response was anything to go by. He couldn't blame the woman and honestly he had nothing available to make this any less strange of an encounter. [color=A9A9A9]"Got to say. This is not how I expected to introduce myself to another hero or heroine. But better to get it out of the way quick. Hi I'm Tank, heard about the war and tried to get over here quick to help out...the battle isn't over yet right?"[/color] The big guy said trying to give something else to think about besides him standing in his birthday suit. Lady Arcana could only stare blankly at Tank and his main gun, unable to muster a response. She had heard Grim's quip, but honestly she couldn't really focus enough to give her a response. Not right now, not while so...distracted. How did she keep ending up in these situations? She was a good person, right? [color=orchid]"I..."[/color] she slowly shook her head, trying to regain some composure. Get a grip, Karen. You're the Wizard. You can't get so flustered every time some dude flashes h-his...his [i]main gun[/i] at you! Raising her hands, she slapped her cheeks hard enough to cause a series of miniature sonic booms. She then settled her eyes squarely on Tank. On his face. Just his face. [color=orchid]"Hello, I'm Lady Arcana. Are you here to naked? ...Help. Are you here to help?"[/color] Girard felt like he was going to get some serious flak for this in one way or another, already kinda was as it is. Abby was probably going to both dislike it and laugh at the same time once she found out about the result of his jump while he had no mind to let go that this was [i]her[/i] idea in the first place. Oh well it could be worse, not like he didn't have self control by this point in his life but he really needed to get something to at least cover up with eventually for Lady Arcana's sake if anything. [color=A9A9A9]"No, I hoped to arrive in costume but that plan kinda went up in flames so to speak. As for helping thats why I'm here, can't have people getting hurt if its possible otherwise."[/color] Tank said attempting to make light of the situation while getting his intentions across. [color=A9A9A9]"Hope I'm not late to the show, this whole having powers thing is still new to me but lending a hand seemed like a good thing to do with a war on."[/color] If this wasn't a warzone, Grim would be having the time of her life. Something about seeing the literal Goddess of Magic, who minutes before was ripping apart vehicles of war while simultaneously being fired upon by them, stumbling over her words at the sight of a naked man was highly amusing. It was probably even funnier than the time they chased harpies, considering they knew each other better now. Still, better go check up on them. The enemy forces were demoralized to a point that they had started retreating, the meteor man having been the final nail in the coffin of their defeat. There was no need to go chasing after them viciously disabling the rest of their vehicles, at least for now. So finally Grim brought the jet back, hovering above and slightly behind Lady Arcana to examine this new addition to the field. She whistled lightly. He was a big man for sure, though his ... fashion, or lack thereof, could be worked on. The only thing he was wearing was what looked like the crumbling remains of a helmet. Heh, between his height, build, and what she could see of his face he kind of looked... like... ... Grim's eyebrow began to twitch. The Grim Jet suddenly moved forward, nearly brushing against the bottom of the crater as it hovered close to the nude man, nose almost touching the new addition. Yep, that was definitely Girard. Grim groaned, a hand going to her face. Was everyone she knew going to get some sort of supernatural powers?! This wasn't funny anymore. For fuck's sake at this rate David and Jaina will start shooting eye beams or something ridiculous! God fucking [i]damnit[/i]. ... And she [i]really[/i] hoped he didn't intentionally come to the battlefield like that. Abby couldn't have approved that. Well, the least she could do for her old friend - Grim still couldn't fucking believe this bullshit - was cover him up. Unbuckling from the pilot's seat the vigilante moved to the back of the jet, where a small cot was attached to the wall. The Grim Jet could fly home on its own reliably after all, there have been times Zoey had just crashed in the back. Yanking the orchid sheet off of it she moved back to the front, running her hand over the control panel. The glass cockpit opened up and without a word she threw the sheet at him. Tank next surprise came in the form of a jet hovering down at first behind Lady Arcana and then practically going nose to nose with him as it descended further right above the low ground. It sure as hell didn't look like any normal military jet he had ever seen, he liked the occasional history show, so he took a wild guess some hero had to be the pilot of it and whoever it was apparently was not afraid of getting so close to a man who just made a massive crater in the ground. Good to know. He really had no idea what to do in the face, quite literally, of this so he quietly waited to see if someone was going to get out or whatever was going to happen. Girard had wanted to greet the person inside when the hatch opened but instead got a face full of a bed sheet which he gathered up quickly. That certainly solved one problem of his as now he had something to use as more or less a small robe. Sure it was purple but he had long since passed the idea of looking a gift horse in the mouth, plus he sure it wouldn't look too bad all things considered, he couldn't exactly be picky. It wasn't hard to tell the purpose of said sheet either because seriously this couldn't have been more awkward if he tried and it seemed the pilot was ok with parting with it for the moment at least. He quickly got himself wrapped up from the waist down making normal conversation at least an option now though he doubted this was something he would live down so easily around the rest of the heroes present if these two weren't the only ones. [color=A9A9A9]"Appreciate it...friend!"[/color] The big man said realizing he didn't actually know who was in there. He could sort of see some sort of symbol on the side but from his angle it was not very clear, not to mention the sand kicking up from it hovering made it harder to figure out. Then again there weren't many regular people who owned a jet so whoever it was was either ex/military or had some money to them to get one. Probably wouldn't have to wait all that long to find out though so he could wait until they decided to show themselves. It was at this point that Emerald Knight had actually dispelled his constructs and joined the others. He had followed the grim jet back to Lady arcana and the formerly naked man. Preston was just glad that he didn't have to see a man in his birthday suit all the way out here. At least, not for any amount of time that would have lasted on his memory. He was wordless. It seemed like Lady Arcana was on top of things here, and with the army retreating, there wasn't a whole lot for him to do on earth right now other than gain some more publicity and assure everyone that it was over. Lady Arcana felt greatly relieved when Grim mercifully threw him something to cover himself with. Hopefully it was sturdy enough to not come undone in combat. Or get shot off. Though, considering that the Federation's army appeared to be retreating, that hopefully wouldn't be much of a concern. Still, she had a few questions for this very large man standing before her, such as; "Where did you come from, if I might ask?" Casting her eyes skywards for a brief moment to emphasize her confusion at his sudden and very cinematic appearance, she smiled. "Not that I'm complaining; you seem to have frightened the enemy off." So he was the one who collided with the ground at terminal veloctiy, or maybe even faster. [color=darkgreen]"I guess he was the last thing the army needed to retreat, huh."[/color] He muttered to himself, amused at how the situation was playing out before him. [color=darkgreen]"Emerald Knight. Nice to meet you, Mr..."[/color] [color=silver]"... What? Of course I left money on the counter! They accept dollars, right?"[/color] A couple of yards away from the others was a man with white hair wearing some vintage costume. He had his helmet cradled in his arms, full of... falafels? His orange goggles were also propped up to his forehead, revealing his face, completely, munching on falafel while talking on a Bluetooth... ... Wait a minute, is that Jimmy Chong?! [color=silver]"Yeah, I'm on the way to where that crash happened. Just going to finish my snack, first... What? Of course most of my gear's off! It's hot and that mask gets stuffy! Not like I'm near anyone in this ass-end of the des-"[/color] Jimmy Chong looked up, his mouth agape as the falafel that was about to enter his mouth fell out his hands. His arm holding the helmet jerked instantly to catch the food from falling to the ground, although he worked rather hastily to put his mask back on and slide his goggles back over his eyes. [color=forestgreen]"Yeah, I'll call you back..."[/color] Celerity said, pushing a button on his bluetooth and hanging up. He had just noticed the group assembled before him, too close for comfort. He wasn't worried about any sort of fight, though... no, he was worried that his return to the public eye would have been too soon! Taking a big gulp, Celerity slicked his hair back and cleared his throat, before waving at the others. [color=forestgreen]"H-hey... am I late for the afterparty?"[/color] [color=IndianRed]"Is that...?"[/color] Grim's voice in the ear piece trailed off as the jet repositioned just slightly to look at the second green addition to their little impromptu vigilante party. He had already put the mask on, but she swore she had recognized [i]him[/i] too. Not as closely as Girard, but rather... [i]'Even the fucking movie stars get powers now?!'[/i] Lady Arcana glanced to the new voice, her face brightening when she recognized it as the little man that had been rushing about the battlefield beating up thousands upon thousands of soldiers. It was thanks in part to his efforts that they had been able to demoralize the army so quickly by displaying how outmatched they really were. [color=orchid]"Hi there!"[/color] She greeted him warmly, a gentle wave of her hand. [color=orchid]"And no, we were just greeting Mr. Tank here."[/color] [color=darkgreen]"Tank..."[/color] Emerald Knight mused to himself in the cloth-bearing man's silence. Gesturing to the very large man in front of her wearing a very purple sheet around his waist, she briefly blushed at the naked image still locked in her mind. Damn you, eidetic memory! She then moved her hand towards the other heroes as she introduced them. [color=orchid]"This is Grim, and Emerald Knight. I'm Lady Arcana!"[/color] [color=orchid]You were a big help out there against the infantry, Mr....?"[/color] [color=forestgreen]"Run. I mean, I gotta run. I think something's going on... over there! I gotta check it out because... I'm fast, and shit!"[/color] Celerity performed a complete 180, and started walking away very slowly and awkwardly, pushing the button on his Bluetooth, once again. He feels very weirded out at meeting four other heroes this early in his career, and most especially away from the press. What's more concerning to him, however, is being seen [i]with[/i] them. They did a lot more than he did, he's pretty sure, and he'll look like a... a... a [i]side character[/i] around them! [color=forestgreen]"I think they saw my face. Yeah, of course I put my mask right on when I saw them! I don't know, though, they didn't recognize me. [i]Weird,[/i] right?"[/color] Celerity shrugged, before lowering his mask and popping another falafel into his mouth. He seems to have enough to share for everyone, although he didn't go on and offer any. Weird, especially with how slim he looked. Damn, short guys and their fast metabolism, right? Girard had to say he was a little disappointed that his entrance had been the ending point for the battle, the cloud had settled enough for him to see that the Federation army had collectively shit bricks and was on the way out from the heroes intervention. Not exactly what he had been anticipating as his role but it certainly made an impact either way with the crater he made in the battlefield. At least it was over and with far less casualties than there would have been otherwise if any of them had kept to themselves so he was glad for that at least. Tank lightly smiled as he was introduced to the three others present by Lady Arcana, he knew of Grim and Emerald Knight via news bits so that was neat but he couldn't quite place the other guy even if he looked familiar. [color=A9A9A9]"Good to meet you all, circumstances being what they are. As for your question before I jumped from Maine to here, seemed a good a place as any to start since crime picked up quite a bit in places like Amnesty Bay."[/color] The big man said wanting to give an answer if not entirely specific about some information but chuckling thinking about it. [color=A9A9A9]"Never figured I could pull a stunt like this but go figure eh?"[/color] The guy in green seemed to get anxious about something before running off in a hurry with food in hand. He seemed alright if a bit skittish and since he helped he was an pleasant acquaintance if anything. Back in the city, things were not quite as well even with the army in full retreat. The forward elements had been faced with either progressing into the guns of the defenders, or attempting to route through the powered individuals making a mockery of their forces. Gunfire was sporadic across the northern end of the city, the few tanks proving themselves excellent targets for RPGs and infantry stranded away from their IFVs as they tried to march into the city. Raymond himself observed from the cupola of his Stryker, directing fire across the command network and steadily making a counter-push. "Stryker-three, full advance on sector four. Anti-tank, move to support." His commands were acknowledged with affirmatives from the vehicle commanders, the sound of engines revving and moving into the desert. They were routed, but they were still fighting fiercely enough to give his meager troops difficulty. At least he was no longer on a time limit and working against insane odds. A tank round struck the side of one of his unit's vehicles, sending shrapnel into the sand and forcing the crew to exit. Those tanks would have to be removed first, but he couldn't afford to move the thinner-armored destroyers up without adequate cover. Cover that didn't exist outside the urban environment of the city, and against an enemy that was well within range to quickly acquire them. He had a choice here, and looking out across the sands with his binoculars, he made it quickly. "Ordnance out, all units halt advance." His troops knew the command well enough, as LIS training covered just such a scenario as unlikely as it ever was to happen. Focusing on the first tank in front of him, Raymond lifted his hand and drew in arcane energy from the leylines beneath the city. They weren't quite as strong as those elsewhere, but it was more than he had been used to because of Lady Arcana's presence. Even before he said the command words, he could feel the lance forming in his hand and straining to strike out at his target. The arcane command loosed it, a concentrated lance streaking out across the short distance to impale the tank directly in the frontal armor. Designed as it was to defend against more mundane means, the metal parted easily against the attack, the interior lighting from within as magical fires ignited everything within and detonated the entire vehicle. Streaks of electricity sparked outwards in a circle, chaining between infantry and vehicles one by one until a section of the advance had been vaporized. Almost immediately his troops moved forward to take advantage of the gap created, firing upon the disorientated soldiers and seizing the initiative. He didn't like expending his energy in such open displays, but with the distance between himself and the heroes beyond, the only one he thought might notice would be Lady Arcana herself, and she seemed quite occupied at the moment. Nevertheless, he ordered his unit to strike forward, his command vehicle rumbling out of the city and on a course towards the gathering. Frowning when the Speedster ran off, Lady Arcana briefly entertained the notion of following after him...but that would be rude. He had no obligation to stand there and talk with them, even if his behavior was kind of dismissive. Turning back to her other new friends, she could only shrug. [color=orchid]"I guess he isn't one for conversat-"[/color] Her voice stopped instantly as a prick shot into her neck, a sensation she had felt before...though this was the strongest she'd ever experienced by far. While at first it had been confusing, Samantha had explained to her that what she was feeling was the presence of magic. And this magic was strong...incredibly strong, to the point of causing her to worry that perhaps the Federation had sent in those weapons she had seen earlier. [color=orchid]"One moment, I'll be right back,"[/color] she excused herself from the group with an apologetic bow of her head, flying up into the sky. That was when she saw it, the row of burning armor and charred remains. Frowning, she flew over to the area and landed on a building on the outskirts of the city to look for a possible source to the attack. It didn't take her long. She hadn't noticed it before, but now that she was focused on the task it was quite easy to feel the presence of magic in one of the individuals within their NATO "allies". Shifting her gaze in the direction of this presence, she finally settled on one of about a dozen of the vehicles that had showed up to defend the city. Without hesitation, she floated from the rooftop down towards it....though remained about twenty-five feet off the ground, just in case they opened fire on her. [color=orchid]"Someone in there used magic,"[/color] she called out, her expression an unusually sombre one for her. [color=orchid]"Who was it?[/color] Despite the rather sudden appearance of Lady Arcana above the advancing vehicles, the gunners only spared her a glance, not moving to direct fire. Their individual commanders lingered in their observations a little longer, though still simply directed Raymond to her presence. Out in front, he saw her first and ordered a full stop of the unit. "You seem rather sure of that." He called back, simply smiling up at her and gesturing for his troops to stand down needlessly. "Perhaps it was a bit of residual effects from the Federation's vehicles. We did pop a few rather well." To the side the gun crews of the tank-destroyers nodded in affirmation, sharing fist-bumps with each other and giving thumbs-ups to the other vehicles in formation. War was their business after all, and while Lady Arcana might shy away from death, it was their primary directive. "How about you come down to the ground so we don't have to shout at each other? You've got my word that no one here is going to shoot at you, not that it would do anything." Lady Arcana offered a slight smirk. He said that, but in truth heavy caliber weapons would bounce her around if she was merely standing on the ground. It didn't hurt, but it was really fucking annoying. She, after all, didn't weigh any more than her build would suggest. Still, if it would help them to have a more amicable meeting, then she would do it. [color=orchid]"Alright,"[/color] She agreed, drifting down to the base of the vehicle so that she could stare up at him instead. [color=orchid]"And yes, I am certain...certain it was [i]you[/i] specifically now that I take a closer look.[/color] It was pretty easy to tell, especially when she was this close. From farther away, it could've been any of the cew in that vehicle, but just standing right here? No, it was absolutely this guy. It wasn't entirely how he had imagined his first meeting with Lady Arcana would turn out, though nevertheless he pulled himself from the cupola and put both feet on the ground in front of her. He was still looking down at her to a degree, but quite a bit less so being on a more even level. "Is that so? Well, I've been known to put on a magic show or two for the kids back home and company functions." Raymond offered a disarming smile, and a couple others within earshot laughed at the comment. They knew full well what he was capable of, so found the banter amusing. "Raymond von Lüneburg, CEO of Lundgrau Intelligence Services." He offered his hand amicably, still holding a smile despite figuring that she wouldn't buy his act for long. "We all know who you are, of course. Is why no one thought to shoot you when you came down to talk. Company policy and all that." Lady Arcana accepted his offer of a handshake, despite not having a particularly good feeling about this guy. His attitude - joking as if he had no powers - rubbed her a little bit wrong too, given what he had just done with them. He was powerful, [i]incredibly[/i] powerful...almost certainly enough that he could have disarmed those soldiers without killing them. While she could tolerate lethal force from soldiers who could easily die if they tried to spare their enemies, it just came across as uncaring from someone with this intense of a magical footprint. [color=orchid]"Lady Arcana,"[/color] she introduced herself, even though he already apparently knew. It was only polite, after all. [color=orchid]"It's good to meet you, Mr.. Luneburg. I appreciate the lack of shoot-yness on the part of your soldiers."[/color] Pursing her lips slightly, she looked him over, wondering if this was some setup to let a spell loose on her. Was she getting paranoid? [color=orchid]"Thank you for helping to defend the town, but we should allow the opposing forces to retreat now. Most are just conscripts who were forced into this war, just like the Republic here."[/color] "Forced or not, they made a choice." He said evenly, fixing his eyes on her and standing firm. They did choose to try and force a way out through the city, which was the smarter choice even if it may have proven deadly. There was no way they could have fought their way through the heroes. "Choices define people, and perhaps the ones made here today will affect how the Federation will react. We've proven that NATO will not allow anymore of Asad's tyranny, and for that I do have to thank you for your intervention." She seemed just a bit on edge he thought, maybe because she had assumed he was a caster and a double agent. That one was something he had also thought of as a concern, if Asad had magitech, perhaps he also had trained his people in the use of magic. At least those who had the gift. Here and now though, he was facing down with the inheritor of the rock, and making a good impression would do well. "Unlike the US government, my people operate under the impression that those few vigilantes who have proven themselves are not the enemy. You in particular saved New York City not too long ago, a place that I personally call home along with many in my employ. Would be a bit asinine to attack somone who saved your city." [color=orchid]" 'Fight for me or you and your family dies' isn't a choice, it's an ultimatum,"[/color] Lady Arcana countered. But getting into an argument here wouldn't do either of them any good. Whoever this man was, though, he apparently wasn't actually affiliated with any government. The Intellect of Mnemosyne allowed her to recall where she had heard his name once: He was one of those Private Military Contractors. Were they doing Magi for hire services now? Still, it was nice to hear that he didn't consider her a danger to be eliminated. If she didn't have to worry about a knife - or autocannon - in her back, then she would at least be able to focus on the task at hand. [color=orchid]"I-"[/color] Lady Arcana paused, noting the flash of jade in her eye. It was about at this point in the conversation that the Emerald Knight decided to descend from the sky like an all important being, literally dropping in on the two speaking parties. [color=darkgreen]"I'd hate to interrupt,"[/color] He didn't hate to interrupt, not one bit. If anything, he liked cutting in. It made him feel a little more authoritative. [color=darkgreen]"but I don't think that strongarming people into fighting for you is the way to go."[/color] He had only been able to hear Lady Arcana's comment about fighting or dying, so he assumed that this guy was the standard private military nut who only protected those he felt were valuable to him in some way. Emerald Knight almost wanted to launch a giant green fist into the man's balls, but he felt like that would be a little much for first introductions, especially since Emerald Knight was here to be a peace keeper. Him starting fights was a very bad idea. "You what." Though his troops had seen Lady Arcana as a friendly to some regard, with this new intrusion they did not share the same sentiments. Guns were in hands and pointing at green-suited shortman, and even the tank-destroyers shifted their turrets to point in his direction. Seemed the troops didn't take too kindly to someone dropping down and getting up in their leader's face. "If you're going to butt into a conversation, it generally helps to do so with all of the information. My troops all fight quite willingly, and don't much take kindly to such assumptions." Lady Arcana held her hands up towards the two of them, allowing her usual smile to filter back onto her face in the hopes of diffusing this misunderstanding. [color=orchid]"Ah, Emerald Knight, he wasn't trying to strongarm me...we were talking about something else."[/color] His facial features tightened up, realizing that he had probably made a very bad first impression to this possibly good person. He said nothing. Thank god his mask his his embarrassment. She then looks to Mr. Luneburg, offering him that same placating expression. [color=orchid]"Emerald Knight was a [i]huge[/i] help against the Federation out there, your men don't have to be afraid of him. He's one of the good ones."[/color] Emerald Knight Nodded swiftly. [color=darkgreen]"Yeah. Good. I helped. Sorry."[/color] Raymond eyed the green-clad hero with suspicion, though at those words he gave a gesture back to the troops and as one they put away their weapons. They were still on edge, but it was bleeding away slowly. "Very well. As I was saying to Lady Arcana, we all appreciate the intervention. We wouldn't have been able to hold the city on our own without it, even with reinforcements on their way." Arcana bowed her head lightly in appreciation for his gratitude. [color=orchid]"Naturally. We couldn't just let these innocent people but conquered. Especially not with magic."[/color] She didn't know if he was aware of the presence of magic-based weaponry on the other side, but if he wasn't then it was probably a good idea to pull him into the loop to prevent any unneeded loss of life among his men. [color=orchid]"I'm not sure if you're aware, but the Arab Federation has been given some very, [i]very[/i] powerful weaponry by the same individual behind the New York riots."[/color] Emerald Knight wasn't aware that Lady Arcana was able to comprehend the full power of the weapons being used against them. It wasn't anything against her, absolutely not. But the fact that she knew that these weapons were being distributed to other people, the one behind the New York Riots being one of them, was surprising to him. For right now, he just stood by and nodded. All his off planet work kept him from always being in the loop. A serious expression crossed his face as he regarded the sorceress, having assumed that both events were connected but until now nothing too concrete. Of course, as the source of magic on this world, she would be able to more firmly ascertain such things, but considering her previous interventions he thought that might have been a bit beyond her. "Yes, my personnel are aware of the military capabilities of the Federation, we lost a dozen men over the last few years trying to acquire those secrets only for them to be unleashed on the field of battle. Such is why we do not operate on the same principles as the two of you. If we do not react with lethal force, then not only will my own people die, but so will the innocents of Arabia under Asad's boot." She really didn't want to argue with him right now, which she had a feeling any attempt at counterpoint would devolved into. Still, she felt like she should at least clarify her objections in this instance. [color=orchid]"I understand the need to stop Asad, and I plan on staying here to help do so. Or at least take all the toys he shouldn't have away,"[/color] she explained, glancing off into the distance in consideration.. [color=orchid]"I would never ask normal human soldiers to die trying to follow my principles. But you're the strongest Magi I've ever felt...and these conscripts aren't the ones we should really be worrying about. It's whoever has those-"[/color] Before she could continue, a burst of static from the command vehicle interrupted her and a decidedly British voice came over the intercom. "Squadron Charlie to NATO command, we are under fire from unknown source, three planes down behind enemy lines." Silence followed as the radio operator picked up the headset and hurriedly issued GPS coordinates to try and move towards. "Negative NATO ground, cannot comply. Enemy has air superiority. Unknown weapons in play-" The feed went silent again, the screen displaying the message 'Lost Signal' in bold red letters. As much as Raymond was enjoying the chat they were having, it seemed very clear that they had other problems at hand. Emerald Knight had been watching the events go down. From the disclosing of dangerous weapons up until the sudden radio feed that dropped off as quickly as it came. His left arm bent up at the elbow, his ring already glowing as he prepared for a quick flight. [color=darkgreen]"If it's an dogfight, we have a good team to take care of it, right Lady Arcana?"[/color] He gave her a small smile, but his focus was quickly shifted back to the GI Joe in front of him. "Just point me in the right direction. I'll see what I can do to help out your men with whatever unknown forces are ahead." Raymond looked to the radio operator, who quickly read off a set of coordinates. Of course it was firmly within Federation air space, likely the RAF squadron had been drawn in and shot down with some kind of magitech weapon. "North-north east. In Federation airspace. See if you can find the downed jets first, we need those pilots back in friendly air space. Especially if they've got intel on a new enemy weapon." Lady Arcana nodded quickly to his instructions. While she didn't consider herself subordinate to Mr. Luneberg, she did acknowledge that he knew way more about all things war-related. Deferring to him for the sake of those pilots, she lifted off the ground. [color=orchid]"Alright, let's go find them,"[/color] She glanced to Emerald Knight, returning his smile. Taking the lead with his directions in mind, Lady Arcana lifted high into the air - high enough so that her sonic boom wouldn't hurt the people below - before shooting off in that direction. [hr] It said something about the state of affairs that even 'Tank's' spectacular entrance couldn't hold the attention of the collective vigilantes for long. Jimmy Chong had wandered off quickly, judging from his reaction Grim could only presume that he had been caught flat footed at having his mask off. Then Lady Arcana, words cut off mid sentence as something caught her attention. Beneath the mask Zoey's eyes followed her as she left, but considering she still had the ear piece wasn't too worried. When the Minty Archduke took off as well it left only her and the partially covered Girard. Tank. Whatever he was calling himself. Grim disconnected her mouth piece from broadcasting to any channels, double and triple checking that it had done so before the hatch on the jet once more popped open. Immediately she unbuckled from the pilot's seat once more and put a hand on the hatch to lean out, modulated voice coming out with a mechanical hiss. [color=IndianRed]"What are you doing out here?! You have a family!"[/color] Girard's head cocked to the side as now the only him and Grim remained after the rest seemed to have moved on to other matters rather quickly, he could hardly blame them, and the latter leaned out of the jet's cockpit looking at him. It sort of sent his mind spinning when he got called out for being here though it really was the part about his family that struck heavily. He had figured none of them had any real idea who he was, the whole keeping low profile thing was important up until now, so how in blazes did Grim know he was a family man? [color=A9A9A9]"So first public appearance and I'm already found out. Wow this day went sideways really quickly with just about everything."[/color] The big guy said with a might of exasperation at the situation then something kind of hit him from the back of his mind, there was only one person he particularly kept in contact with in Gotham and that was Zoey who was very rich. [color=A9A9A9]"Wait just a second...this is just dumb now. You too huh? Never figured with how you went on against this sort of stuff."[/color] [color=IndianRed]"I was against this sort of thing [i]because[/i] of who I am!"[/color] Grim reached up, running a hand along the mask covering her face in irritation. Girard was smarter than people gave him credit for, so it was only a little surprising he figured it out so quickly, especially with the big clue she had given him. [color=IndianRed]"People ... people get [i]hurt[/i] doing these things. You know that as well as I do after..."[/color] The vigilante trailed off briefly. Her gloved grip on the hatch rim tightened, and her jaw clenched. [color=IndianRed]"You have a family, Girard. You should be watching your little girls grow up, not out here risking your life. Leave that to people like me."[/color] [color=A9A9A9]"As painful as that was then and still is now I might have stayed home, kept my nose out of things. But you know as well as I do that its not in me to just sit back and let others do the fighting for me."[/color] Girard's expression had a bit of sadness but a strong conviction showing through that was very familiar to him. [color=A9A9A9]"I did try to keep it small and local, you might've heard the reports of some unknown guy beating up thugs in Maine. But Abby has been telling me how much of a waste these powers are unused and I'm inclined to agree more as time goes on."[/color] [color=A9A9A9]"Plus all the models were getting in the way in the old workshop so I needed a new hobby to pass the time. Some things never change and if I lose a couple hours or more here or there its on me to make up for it."[/color] Tank said with a note of humour despite the topic. [color=A9A9A9]"As for getting hurt on the job..."[/color] He stretched his arms out in a gesture to the crater he made as proof in the pudding of how durable and strong he was. [color=IndianRed]"I can't believe this shit,"[/color] Grim groaned weakly, finally just leaning her head against her hands. [color=IndianRed]"Even Abby knows? She encourages this? No, wait, don't answer that - of course she does. You two were made for each other. Plus she's about as stubborn as you too!"[/color] Those long gloved fingers of the vigilante tapped against her head, a growling rumble echoing from the voice modulator as she hummed thoughtfully. Turning the problem over in her head she knew immediately that anything she said would be like going up against a brick wall - literally, it seemed. She had known Girard too long to think she could convince him to just go home. Especially with his wife backing him up. [color=IndianRed]"Hold on,"[/color] The urban legend finally growled and pushed off from the rim of the cockpit hatch, retrieving one of the numerous ear pieces she had stored away. If the others didn't return theirs she'd have to program more later. Grim flicked it to Girard. [color=IndianRed]"Put this on, I'll connect you to the others. This fight isn't over yet, if what Arcana reported before we got here is accurate. This isn't over yet either though, Girard - [i]Tank[/i]. We're having words when this is done! ... At the very [i]least[/i] about getting you some fireproof clothes if you're going to be jumping oceans ..."[/color] Girard felt mildly amused when his friend tried shortly to rationalize a way to get through to him after the frustration of finding out Abigail had been a major player in this decision, not to mention the lack of surprise overall about it. It would not have been the first time Zoey had to deal with this particular problem nor would it likely be the last though she had been successful in the past several times back when powers were some idle fancy and he was just a big but normal dude. This admittedly was not the discussion he planned to have with his long time friend or how he wanted to contact her since it had been a bit since they called one another but it came out now either way. When Grim ducked back into the aircraft for a second he was curious as to what her plan was on the matter. She could just keep him out of the loop but that would be rather cruel and ineffectual as he would continue on anyways or she could let the others attempt to deal with getting him into the game but they might not do it to her legendary standards. In the end he caught the earpiece she tossed to him with a bright smile as he listened to the woman temporarily end her little rant for the moment. [color=A9A9A9]"Oh good, I do get to see some action after the trip over here. Be a waste of a performance otherwise."[/color] Tank moved away some of the helmet remains around his ear to get the receiver in place. [color=A9A9A9]"I'm already feeling the blisters forming on my ears as we speak, but a new snazzy costume I can get behind Grim."[/color] He ended with a wink at her vigilante name. It was business time now though so he got himself prepared to dish out some damage as needed to whoever else required it. [color=IndianRed]"That's my name,"[/color] Grim muttered in response, heaving a low sigh. She sat back in the pilot's seat, tapping the control panel in agitation. [color=IndianRed]"Please tell me I'm at least right that you're partially invulnerable, ri-"[/color] The vigilante got cut off as a red light burst into color on the display, a voice patching through to both her and Girard's ear pieces purely on the fact it was an emergency signal. "Squadron Charlie to NATO command, we are under fire from unknown source, three planes down behind enemy lines." A pause as the operator rattled off a response, and then, "Negative NATO ground, cannot comply. Enemy has air superiority. Unknown weapons in play-" Grim grimaced underneath her mask as the voice was abruptly cut off, her goggled gaze moving to Tank. She gave a short nod to him and shut the hatch, settling back into her position handling the controls of her advanced jet. Her voice, still modulated, came into the other man's ear. [color=IndianRed]"Looks like it's time. Be safe, Tank. We'll talk more afterward."[/color] [color=A9A9A9]"I'll see you on the other side. I'm buying afterwards."[/color] [hr] [b]4:42 PM, Baghdad Arab Federation[/b] Basil Al-Asad paced within the war room of his Presidential Palace, observing the digital map of the battlefield. He wasn't happy, not anymore. The campaign had began with his forces overrunning the poorly equipped and trained defenders of the West's Arabian puppet state. So swift was their victory that it seemed all but inevitable that the entire rotten state would crumble before the day was out. But now Army Group Center had broken. Now they were routing, like cowards, despite their orders to advance. More than a hundred fifty-thousand men, and they were defeated by just five people and a single brigade. Clearly, he had underestimated the power of these supernatural beings, of "The Wizard" that he had been warned of. But now...now he would show them the true power of the rightful ruler of the Arab peoples! "General, has the NATO squadron that entered our airspace been neutralized?" Sharizor the Persian looked up from the digital map displaying their sound defeat in Sakakah, focusing his singular steel-grey eye on the president. "It has been done. My men in the region have confirmed all six jets shot down with no survivors. The Imperialist dogs lay burning on the sands just as promised." "Excellent," Basil smiled. Sharizor had been...an acquisition from his father's war with Iran in the 80s. A former member of the Shah's regime who had fled the Revolution, he had remained in his service after the war. Now, he served him as well. Glancing to the map again, he cupped his chin. "That is a NATO carrier encroaching from the Gulf, yes?" The map displayed the more forward elements of the NATO task force entering the Persian Gulf, at least one carrier they could identify and numerous smaller vessels. "Appears so, trying to acquire identification on the vessel. Looks possibly British, which would match with the designations of the F-35 jets we shot down." He paused, receiving messages from forward observation posts near the coast that were feeding information into the grid. A moment later a name appeared over the carrier and several other vessels. "HMS Prince of Wales, one of their modern carriers. Probably getting ready to sortie more jets into our airspace." Chuckling at this, Basil closed his eyes. Yes, his plans had been partially derailed - he had hoped to be in Riyadh if and when these supernatural entities appeared - but their situation was far from hopeless. Indeed, from where he was standing, they still held a winning hand. "Sharizor, I am going to leave the destruction of the NATO forces and the remaining four superbeings to you," the President explained to him, stepping towards the entrance to the war room. "Have the Annihilator prepped and ready for my arrival. I will deal with this Wizardess myself, using the ultimate gift our new Lord has given us!" Their Lord had stated that with it he would be able to defeat her. With their orchid harlot slain at his feet, the morale of the Imperialist West would crumble, along with all the pathetic puppet rulers of the south that dangled from their strings. [/center]