[center][u][b]December 25th, 12:04 AM
Grim Grotto, Gotham City[/b][/u]

“468-323-9078,” Samantha called off the number to Karen, who somewhat awkwardly typed it into her phone while giving her black Bombay cat an occasional aside glance. “And stop looking at me like that. It’s 2020, and he’s been living as a human for years.”

Karen shook her head at this, still a little disappointed that she wasn’t getting to see some kind of cool magic ritual. Oh well, at this point she was happy to take whatever worked. Pressing the call button, she sat the phone down on the table she was seated at, with Samantha leaping up onto it shortly after.

The phone rang… and rang… and rang… and just before it seemed it would logically cut to voicemail, there was the typical jumbling sounds of plastic that typically came with a landline phone and a tired, distinctly unamused voice that followed soon after.

[color=maroon]”...So help me, if you’re calling this late to sell me [i]goddamn windows…[/i]”[/color]

[color=orchid]”Is that a [i]landline[/i] phone? How [i]old[/i] is that dude?”[/color] Karen blurted out, causing Samantha to lightly hiss.

“Quiet!” She snapped, clearing her throat in the process. “Heya, Ted. It’s Samantha! Remember? I...uh, take it you’re aware of what’s going on outside?”

[color=maroon]”Oh. Hey, Sam.”[/color] Ted responded, the annoyance in his tone rapidly ratcheting down to a friendly, but still somewhat tired tone [color=maroon]”And yeah, between the dead rising, the noisy goddamn bird ladies in the sky and the unconscious minotaur in my backyard, I figured something was up.”[/color]

There was a bit more shuffling and creaking, from his end of the line which sounded almost like someone sitting up on an old couch… and the distinct rattling of a beer-can or two hitting the floor.

[color=maroon]”So, what happened?”[/color]

Samantha exhaled, wondering where to start. Probably should just get to the point. “Well, you remember the new Wizard, yes? Well, she has apparently lost her ability to transform, and it appears to be because someone has found a way to block the tether that allows the Rock imbue her with its power.”

A long sigh resounded from the other end of the line followed by a brief silence as Ted very quickly put two and two together.

[color=maroon]”It’d have to be [i]Zeus[/i] wouldn’t it…”[/color] He finally spoke, more to himself than to the feline, before his tone shifted and that hint of annoyance came back as he addressed Sam once more. [color=maroon]”Where are you now?”[/color]

Samantha nodded in response, even though he couldn’t see it. “Either he himself, or - more likely - someone has done something to him. Given that something has apparently happened to Persephone, and the dead rising months earlier, I dare say Hades is also in trouble.”

Karen listened to the conversation between her cat and the mysterious individual on the other side in silence, unsure of what she could add to the conversation.

“You know where Castle Kasimir is, right? In Gotham? Famous billionaire Zoey Kasimir’s place?” Samantha continued. “Well...we’re in a cave somewhere beneath that. It’s kind of been smashed.”

[color=maroon]”I can find it easy enough, mind casting a little spell or something so I can pick you out from everything else?”[/color] Came the voice from the other end, accompanied by yet more shuffling noises that sounded an awful lot like someone trying to get dressed as quickly as possible. [color=maroon]”Gotham’s always had shitty reception.”[/color]

Sam chuckled in response to this. “It’s because there’s so much going on here all the time. But yes, I’ll do this for you.”

Turning to face away from the phone, Samantha’s eyes began to glow with a low orchid light as she drew upon the arcane energy pumping through the laylines of Gotham City. Karen watched with no small amount of interest as it slowly coalesced into a short cylinder-like shape on the ground. Transmuting from energy to a seemingly physical object, the glow of the arcane ultimately faded from it to reveal an open can of gourmet cat food.

Samantha promptly leaped down and dived into it.

[color=orchid]”...Uh, she did it,”[/color] Karen muttered in the phone, pinching the bridge of her nose.

[color=maroon]”Lemme guess, cat food?”[/color] Came Karen’s reply… not from the phone, however, [i]but echoing off all the cave walls around her.[/i]

Before she could have time to ponder that, however, a massive gout of roaring suddenly erupted a few metres in front of them, lingering for only a few seconds before it abruptly subsided, leaving a… actually kinda short and relatively plain-looking olive-skinned man before them garbed in simple, jeans, work-boots, an old wife-beater and a flannel jacket, a ballcap emblazoned with the logo of some Canadian hockey team resting above his heavily scarred face.

[color=maroon]”Yup. You are a creature of habit, aren’t you Sammy?”[/color] Said man found it in him to quip with a little smirk before he turned towards the blonde teenager and extended one of his hands. [color=maroon]”I’m Ted. Nice to meet you.”[/color]

Karen knew something like this was going to happen, that he would probably just appear out of nowhere like that. Magic tended to be that way, just letting people pop in on you unannounced. Still, she hadn’t been quite ready for someone so...diminutive. He was honestly pretty unimpressive looking if she was honest, though his face was covered in some pretty nasty-looking scars.

[color=orchid]”Um, nice to meet you,”[/color] she replied in kind, extending her much smaller hand to shake his, watching as it basically swallowed hers whole.

Samantha, for her part, had simply released a low grunt at the man’s comment before continuing to eat the food she had just summoned. Apparently, she felt her work was done for now.

The massive Venus fly-trap-looking plant slowly maneuvered its way around the room, seemingly examining the new arrival despite its clear lack of eyes. Seemingly satisfied, it settled back into a neutral position.

[color=lawngreen]”We remember you, Titan, we always have.”[/color]

The Green seemed almost angry at the man, like it had held a grudge against the Titan.

[color=maroon]”Oh, look! It’s the part of my grandma that talks too much, what are the odds?”[/color] Ted quipped right back without missing a beat. [color=maroon]”Still cheerful as always I see.”[/color] 

Samantha, by this point, had finished with her impromptu meal. Giving her mouth a few satisfied licks, she turned to stare up at the man. “So, I imagine you know why I’ve called you here: we need help getting to Mount Olympus in order to uncover what is happening and [i]hopefully[/i] put an end to it.”

[color=maroon]”I figured as much. But, well… [i]taking[/i] you there is easy enough.”[/color] The now-outted Titan replied, releasing Karen’s hand and lifting it to enunciate his point in an (almost stereotypically) Mediterranean fashion [color=maroon]”But you do realize the minute [b]I[/b] take you there, things will get very exciting, very [i]quickly.[/i] Even disregarding Zeus, whoever else is up there right now will be more than a little unhappy to find a Titan knocking on the door.”[/color]

The cat offered him a light shrug. “You’re strong, and I’m [i]certain[/i] you have some pretty strong allies on your side as well. Make some calls.”

Karen was thankful to know that she wasn’t the only one that Samantha could be rude and bossy towards, at the very least. She was surprised that attitude hadn’t gotten her feline friend in more trouble over the course of her long life. Then again, she was [i]apparently[/i] a Rakshasa Princess. Go figure.

[color=orchid]”Erm...what do you think will happen, exactly?”[/color] The teenager couldn’t help but ask. [color=orchid]”Do you have any clue what’s going on up there?”[/color]

Ted had just been staring down at the fuzzy princess for a few seconds after her remark, face screwed up in an expression that screamed [i]’Oh, you cannot be [b]serious.[/b]’[/i], and almost missed Karen’s question.

Thinking on it a moment, he took in a deep breath and clicked his tongue as he came across some way to articulate his thoughts on the matter.

[color=maroon]”I’m pretty sure we can rule out this being Zeus’ doing. For all his faults, he’s always been pretty adamant about keeping the world safe as a whole, and if he [i]was[/i] pissed enough to try and [i]end[/i] it, you could be damned sure he’d make [i]everybody[/i] know it was him.”[/color] He began, stroking his chin thoughtfully. [color=maroon]”That leaves… well, just about everyone else on that fucking mountain; if there’s one thing Olympus is, it’s a place full of immortal, vain, insanely powerful assholes. That’s why none of the [i]nice[/i] Gods live there.”[/color]   

Furrowing his brow as something occurred to him, Ted continued.

[color=maroon]”...In fact, [i]most[/i] Gods would make a big show of putting their name all over this, now that I think about it. It’s actually… [i]strange[/i] that they haven’t done so yet. For as loud and obnoxious as they’re being throwing [i]monsters[/i] every which way, they’re being very subtle about their intentions. Olympians don’t usually [i]do[/i] subtle.”[/color]

Karen listened quietly to the short old man before her. Seriously, why were all the men in her life so small?

He didn’t seem to be able to pin the blame for this on any one individual, but was able to rule out the “usual suspects”, so to speak. Not that Karen, even after all the reading she’d done over the past year, was an expert on Greek Mythology...so she didn’t feel confident on making any guesses herself. Besides, this person was apparently one of the [i]Titans[/i], who would know better than him?

[color=orchid]”Well, then how are we supposed to do this? I’m...kind of useless right now, if you haven’t noticed,”[/color] Karen muttered, scratching at the side of her face awkwardly.

[color=maroon]”We get you inside, we save Zeus, you get your Magic Mojo back and if you’re feeling generous, you can stop him from violently murdering me the second we’re done saving the world.”[/color] The scarred man replied with a slight shrug and a hint of a smirk. [color=maroon]”Sound like a plan?”[/color]

Karen pursed her lips at his suggestion, glancing off to one side. He...seemed surprisingly confident in her ability to pull this off. Samantha [i]did[/i] tell him that she had lost her powers, right? He’d heard that part, hadn’t he? [color=orchid]”How exactly am I supposed to save Zeus? I don’t think the little bit of magic I can manage right now is going to be too useful against literal [i]Gods![/i]”[/color]

[color=maroon]”Wouldn’t worry too much about that, [i]we’ll[/i] be doing most of the fighting.”[/color] Ted Explained with yet another relaxed shrug [color=maroon]”...Also, I can do [i]this.[/i]”[/color] 

‘This’ apparently meaning casually poking the blonde in the forehead with two fingers… which caused her to be immediately engulfed in a bright, crimson flame, which [i]may[/i] have given her a bit of a start, but didn’t actually [i]burn[/i] her or harm her in any way; instead, condensing around her frame and seemingly hardening into a red, scaled down version of her Arcana costume… with the addition of bronze-coloured armoured plating, and the mark of a flame in place of her usual thunderbolt.

[color=maroon]”You’re familiar with the template responsible for your your transformation, right? Well, this armour’s basically a scaled back version of that.”[/color] Ted explained simply [color=maroon]”’Only difference is, instead of channelling the power of six gods through your body, you’re basically just [i]wearing[/i] some of [i]mine[/i]. Should help even the odds a bit.”[/color]

Karen yelped only slightly when she was engulfed in the strange fire, having experienced something similar in the past...albeit with electricity rather than flame. Unlike when she spoke the Word, however, she wasn’t transformed. She didn’t feel power flowing [i]through[/i] her, or anything of the sort. Rather, it was [i]surrounding[/i] her, like a literal suit of armor. She would imagine it was a bit like how Zoey felt in her Iron Fang armor.

[color=orchid]”...You guys are bad about giving people the heads up before you do stuff like this,”[/color] Karen noted with a sigh. [color=orchid]”Still, thanks. Erm, what does this let me do?”[/color]

A grin made it’s way onto Ted’s face and he crossed his arms, very clearly holding back a laugh at the girl’s weariness about old men that hand out magic powers. After all, it wasn’t that they were [i]bad[/i] at it, per se, it was that watching people’s faces when it happened [i]never got old.[/i]

She’d find that one out herself at some point, anyway.

[color=maroon]”Well, ya won’t be able to [i]fly[/i] in that, but you [i]will[/i] probably be able to ‘Leap tall buildings in a single bound’, as the comics say, and can definitely bench-press that armoured jalopy of a car over there.”[/color] He began, once again enunciating with his hand [color=maroon]”And, well… ya know that thing I know you do because [i]everyone[/i] who ever was the Wizard does the [i]exact same thing[/i] where they hold lightning in their hand whenever they want to look intimidating or they’re just bored? Try that now.”[/color]

Karen knew what he was talking about, he wanted her to channel magic into her hand. Why didn’t he just say that? Was this how she sounded to Raymond back in Arabia? Still, she had an idea where he was going with this: if it enhanced her strength and durability, then maybe it also enhanced her magic power in some way.

Holding out one of her hands, she curled her fingers into a claw and drew upon the laylines...only to watch as [i]fire[/i] was almost-instinctively conjured instead of the simple arcane energy she would normally receive as Karen, or the lightning she would get as Lady Arcana.

[color=orchid]”...Fire! That’s actually pretty cool!”[/color] Karen couldn’t help but smile at this. There was just something [i]awesome[/i] about being able to control fire. Balling her hands into fists and pumping them in excitement, she grinned to Ted. [color=orchid]”Man, now I feel a [i]lot[/i] better about going to Olympus! Let’s do it!!”[/color]

[color=maroon]”Now, now… before we get ahead of ourselves, I’m gonna need to borrow your phone for a second.”[/color] Ted stopped the teen with a hand on her shoulder before she could start bouncing around the room, the slight grin he’d formed at the sight of her enthusiasm fading slightly as he thought what dreaded thing he had to do next, eyes turning back to Sam to show his pure disdain for the idea. [color=maroon]”...I gotta make a call.”[/color]

[hr]

The entrance to the Grim Grotto from outside the manor opened, more than likely drawing the attention of the four inside. Stumbling through it was a ragged looking David O'Rinn, dressed in a shuffled suit and reeking of alcohol. His eyes fell upon Samantha the cat, some old guy having a conversation with Karen, and a giant potted plant that looked straight out of the Little Shop of Horrors.

[color=black][b]"... Wait, Goddammit, Tommy [i]did[/i] drug me!"[/b][/color] the boy exclaimed upon seeing the plant.

[color=olivedrab]”Who is this? I don’t think we’ve met,”[/color] the giant plant asked in the soft and nasally voice of Harris Herzog, leaning towards him and examining thoughtfully despite not having eyes. [color=olivedrab]”Hi, I’m Harris Herzog, I’m a friend of a friend of your… mom’s? I dunno, Grim just has a bunch of kids in her house and I don’t know, it’s weird right Josh?...”[/color]

A moment of silence passed.

[color=olivedrab]”Josh says it’s weird, he also says he accidentally sneezed and now my face is burning. Fun times all around.”[/color]

[color=black][b]”... What the hell?”[/b][/color] Was all David could muster as the plant went off on a mini tangent. He paused, remembering his mom had mentioned a Harris a few times, and snapped his fingers. [color=black][b]”Wait, are you that bug plant dude with the tail my mom talks about? Or is that a different Harris?”[/b][/color]

[color=olivedrab]”Same one, I’m just using this plant as a vessel so that I can talk to you guys about the minotaurs and stuff, you know how it is,”[/color] Harris said, finishing with a sigh. [color=olivedrab]”I remember when I was surprised by a talking cat, that was a simpler time.”[/color]

Another strange moment of silence passed, the creature slowly moving through the air as if breathing. Well, it was breathing, but as if it were breathing with human lungs.

[color=olivedrab]”Josh says hi, you haven’t met but he’s like my protege or something, I dunno, he came out of the sewers butt-naked and… oh, wait, I wasn’t supposed to say that.”[/color]

David blinked. [color=black][b][i]’... Man, this guy is frigging weird with a capital W.’[/i][/b][/color] He began to move towards his suit, continuing to talk to Harris. [color=black][b]”Well Harris, my name is David, I’m Grim’s protege slash foster son. I go by Blackstar in costume.”[/b][/color] He paused, finishing slipping into the suit and holding his helmet under his arm. [color=black][b]”... Where are Zoey and Malcolm? Do you know?”[/b][/color]

The plant’s “head” nodded down thoughtfully as Harris tried to remember.

[color=olivedrab]”Hmm, last I recall they left to go see about clearing the castle, It’s mostly been me… well, me and-”[/color]

[color=lawngreen]”Us.”[/color]

[color=olivedrab]”Yeah them, and Karen, she punched a minotaur. I helped.”[/color]

[color=black][b]”Huh. A minotaur. I saw a few outside, I think.”[/b][/color] David says, sliding on his helmet. He turned to Karen and the old man, his voice being run through a modulator, giving his tone a deep, almost robotic quality. [color=black][b]”Oh, and hey Karen. Why aren’t you in your hot fo- I mean Shazam form? And who’s the other guy?”[/b][/color]

Karen raised a hand to wave to David, her cheeks reddening at his near slip. Normally she wouldn’t be embarrassed by this, given all the gross comments she often got from guys as Lady Arcana...but David felt like some odd kind of family, so it was a little strange. [color=orchid]”Simply put, I [i]can’t[/i] transform right now. This thing I’m wearing is...well, it was given to me by this guy.”[/color]

She thumbed to the rather short man beside her. [color=purple]”His name’s Ted. He’s a Titan.”[/color]

Blackstar paused, processing what Karen had said. [color=black][b]”... Titan? Like, the Titans? From Greek mythology?”[/b][/color] He asked, mulling it over in his head. [color=black][b][i]’Well… It would explain the minotaurs and harpies and all that.’[/i][/b][/color]

[color=maroon]”Yuuuup.”[/color] Ted replied flatly, nodding towards the boy [color=maroon]”...Might as well get that one outta the way now; things are only gonna get weirder from here on in, anyway.”[/color]

[color=lawngreen]”We hope they do, Titan, so that you are the first to be slain!”[/color] The Green’s many voices roared at Ted, fury echoing in the roar of every single voice.

[color=olivedrab][i]Green you… you okay there buddy?[/i][/color]

[color=lawngreen]”We have demanded your death ever since your foolish error, and you only continue to live because you are required to save our world, we will grow over your burning corpse, interloper!”[/color]

For a brief moment,  the skin on the interloper in question’s hand cracked open, revealing flesh that glowed like molten steel as his eyes locked onto the potted plant with an angry red glow and steam began to rise slightly off every inch of exposed flesh on his body. For one single instance, the incomprehensible wrath only a [i]Titan[/i] was capable of bubbled to the surface and the ground began shaking slightly to the tune of his heartbeat…

[color=maroon]”Getting just a [i]little[/i] tired of the comments from the peanut gallery…”[/color]

[color=IndianRed]”Interloper is right,”[/color] A rumbling, modulated, and deep voice broke through the conversation from the door to the wine cellar. The armored visage of Grim stood there, glowing white eyes settled intently on Ted. [color=IndianRed]”Grim. You are?”[/color] The hero stated in a cold voice, heard even through the synthetic rumble.

Zoey didn’t like unexpected visitors. They tended to break her windows.

...And then it was gone, with a calming exhale as the olive-skinned man turned his head towards the new arrivals.

[color=maroon]”Name’s Ted. I’m here to help.”[/color] He stated with a slight shrug [color=maroon]”...That is, if your petunias don’t try and kill me first.”[/color]  

[color=IndianRed]”Charmed,”[/color] Grim replied dully, staring at the man for a long moment more. Finally her gaze swept across the other occupants, from the giant plant, to Karen in yet another suit - she’d have the full rainbow soon - and finally to her eldest son. [color=IndianRed]”I see you’re ready to go as well, David.”[/color]

The teenager was massaging his temples, only for his head to snap up when he heard his mother’s voice. [color=black][b]”Wha? Oh, yeah, all ready, I uh… Woke up when I heard all the noise.”[/b][/color] He went back to massaging his temples, muttering [color=black][b]”God I need an aspirin”[/b][/color] under his breath.

Malcolm, for his part, just stayed as quiet as possible, the fact that the glowing eyes behind his visor stayed glued and locked onto David’s every move the only evidence that he was [i]screaming on the inside.[/i]

[color=orangered][i]’Don’t puke, don’t puke, don’t puke, [b]don’t puke...[/b]’[/i][/color] The younger foster-brother chanted within the confines of his own brain, knowing there’d be hell to pay if Zoey found out he’d been covering for him this entire time while he went out boozing. [color=orangered][i]’For the love of God, man, we don’t need [b]that[/b] shitstorm right now...’[/i][/color]

Karen raised her hand to wave at Zoey and Malcolm as they entered, noting the tension in Zoey’s voice regarding their newest ally. She didn’t quite have the heart to tell her that there would be even more joining them soon. [color=orchid]”Hey guys. Did you get everything taken care of up there? I hope so, because I still can’t fly like this.”[/color]

[color=IndianRed]”... Yes, we made sure to clear out the halls and brought more medical supplies to the bunkers. Patched up someone. I see you got a new suit - no more help from the Green?”[/color] Even as she spoke Zoey brushed passed the others, the armored suit hiding how the woman tensed as her back was put to ‘Ted’. However she was now examining David, her thoughtful hum distorting.

[color=IndianRed]”Did debris from the shaking strike you?”[/color] She asked in concern, raising a hand to grasp onto her son’s helmet to pull up and check on him.

[color=black][b]”Just a bit, nothing too major though. Add to that the fact that I just woke up like half an hour ago, and I don’t feel in the best of shape right now.”[/b][/color] David replied, smoothly saving himself from the wrath of a thousand fiery deaths.

Karen smirked slightly, leaning against the nearby table for support. Too bad she couldn’t do the air-lean right now. [color=orchid]”I’m sure he’s fine. He just wandered in from the outside, after all.”[/color]

[color=IndianRed]”... Excuse me?”[/color]

David’s eyes widened slightly, but he chuckled slightly. [color=black][b]”It’s a funny story. That’s because one of those damn things got into my room, I had to escape through the window and climb down to the ground. I came in through the hidden entrance outside, remember, the one hidden as a boulder?”[/b][/color]

[color=IndianRed]”...[i]Excuse me?[/i]”[/color]

David’s smirk fell. [color=black][b]”... Wait…”[/b][/color] He paused, realizing his mistake. [color=black][b]”Oh, [i]fuuuck.[/i]”[/b][/color]

Malcolm’s head and shoulders visibly slumped at that and a pained sigh escaped him.

[color=orangered][i]’Oh balls…’’[/i][/color] He echoed internally. [color=orangered][i][b]’...So close.’[/b][/i][/color]

[color=lawngreen]”Fascinating, we detect faint signs of wheat in the child’s stomach, mayhaps some hops. Another disgusting meatbag profiting off of the suffering of plant-kind, like everyone else.”[/color]

[color=IndianRed][i][b]”Excuse me?!”[/b][/i][/color]

Karen’s eyes shifted slightly to the side, wondering if she should feel at least a little bad for starting that whole snitchalanch that just fell on David. The raised brow Ted gave her at that moment, however, informed her that yes, yes she probably should. [color=orchid]”...Sorry.[/color]

[color=maroon]”Boys will be boys…”[/color] He whispered to her in more of an amused, uncle-ish kind of way [color=maroon]”...Buuuut that one’s probably gonna have a sore ass for a while, thanks to you. And judging by the guilty look of the other one? Him too.”[/color]

Without another word Zoey had yanked David’s helmet off and let it clatter to the ground. Her metal-encased hand grabbed onto his jaw as she examined him, noting his eyes and complexion. [color=IndianRed]”You [i]have[/i] been drink- [i]is that a hicky?![/i]”[/color] The guttural noise that was distorted by Grim’s voice modulator couldn’t quite be identified, though the way her free hand clenched it probably wasn’t anything good.

[color=IndianRed]”You snuck out on Christmas Eve and - and [i]you![/i]”[/color] The suit whirled around, Grim focused on Malcolm. [color=IndianRed]”You said he was in his bed [i]while in the middle of a crisis?![/i] What if he was hurt out there?! David this is an incredibly bad example - and you’re both [i]grounded[/i] - I can’t believe - [i]and in front of guests![/i]”[/color]

[color=black][b]”... In my defense, I didn’t start drinking until [i]after[/i] Seven Minutes In Heaven. And that was thirty minutes before I left, so it’s not like I was drinking [i]all[/i] night.”[/b][/color]

[color=orangered]”Oh, [i]goddammit[/i] Dave. We’ve already hit rock-bottom.”[/color] Malcolm groaned out at that last comment, not knowing what ‘Seven Minutes in Heaven’ was supposed to be, but seeing what those words did to his foster-mother’s blood-pressure all the same [color=orangered][i]”...Stop digging, already.”[/i][/color]

Grim had gone silent, which was never a good sign. Silence either meant she was concentrating, on high alert, or so angry that she was biting her tongue to stop herself from saying something she’d regret. The armored visage of the Iron Fang armor just looked slowly between the two boys, fists slowly clenching and unclenching. Finally a deep, shuddering breath echoed from the helmet before she abruptly turned, focusing instead on Karen.

[color=IndianRed]”Can I assume this,”[/color] She gestured to the red armor. [color=IndianRed]”Is due to not being able to transform still? What’s the plan?”[/color] The modulated voice ground out, anger simmering beneath the tones. There were more important things right now, Grim could recognize that despite how distinctly unhappy she obviously was.

Karen quickly nodded, all too happy now to accept the change of subject. [color=orchid]”Yup! This will grant me super not-dying abilities in the face of whatever horrible things await me!”[/color]

She could tell she was obviously much stronger than she was as a human, but at the same time much weaker than she would’ve been as Lady Arcana. She wouldn’t hold her breath about doing much more than surviving against the likes of a God...though she felt like she could probably manage their servants. I mean, Malcolm did survive with Zoey looking after him, so surely she could with a Titan at her back?

[color=IndianRed]”I see. That’s good, in the face of not being able to transform.”[/color] Grim ran her eyes over the outfit, even reaching out to tap her metal knuckles against the chest plate and giving an approving nod. [color=IndianRed]”When do we leave for Olympus?”[/color]

[color=maroon]”We can leave anytime you guys are ready, and [i]hopefully[/i] my… brother... will meet us there.”[/color] Ted explained plainly, spitting out that last bit and casting a rueful stare towards Samantha. [color=maroon]”And from there, it’ll just be a long slog up some shiny stairs until we get to the gate. There’s wards on that thing stopping us, even me, from just porting into the summit, but we can get damned close.”[/color]

The massive plant-beast let out a throaty growl in response to the Titan’s words, baring a group of wooden teeth that suddenly shot into place from within the beast’s head.

[color=lawngreen]”Whatever the case may be, we refuse to work alongside you, interloper, Harris Herzog will travel to Hades to reawaken Persephone, if any smart beings wish to avoid being brutally murdered under the Titan’s incompetent guidance, feel free to join us,”[/color] The Green growled in a cacophony of rage and distaste for the Titan.

[color=maroon]”Ya know if you had a mouth, I’d tell you to [i]kiss my ass[/i], Old Growth.”[/color] Ted fired right back, another glint of red flashing across his eyes before he caught himself [color=maroon]”...But the Green is right, helping Persephone and perhaps more importantly, [i]reviving the Lord of the Dead[/i] can only help us, so maybe we should split up.”[/color]

Karen lifted up her phone for a moment, tapping something into the screen. A second later, Zoey’s phone would vibrate to signal that she had just received a new text message. [color=orchid]”Zoey, I just texted you the details on how to contact King Orin. The…[i]thingie[/i] he gave me is back at my apartment.”[/color]

[color=orchid]”With me on Olympus, and Harris in Tartarus, there won’t really be anyone left to deal with this invasion,”[/color] Karen noted, taking a step towards the heavily armored billionaire. [color=orchid]”You should probably try and gather all our superhero friends and like...I don’t know, kick ass [i]Impossibles-style!”[/i][/color]

That probably wasn’t the best way to put that. This was important, after all. People were surely dying out there as they loitered around here. [color=orchid]”...And by that I mean, we should all be working together to beat this in our own ways! Us magic freaks can deal with the other world stuff, but I’d like to know we’ll have somewhere to come back to once we’re done.”[/color]

[color=IndianRed]”You’re kidding, right?”[/color] Was the absolutely flat response Karen received from Grim, who gazed down at the shorter young woman. She swept a metal encased fist forward, gesturing to the red armor. [color=IndianRed]”Karen, you can’t even [i]transform[/i] right now. Even with your own back up you can’t honestly expect me to just let you waltz off to fight literal [i]Gods[/i] without me, can you?”[/color]

Grim shook her head, and something flashed across the white glowing eyes of the Iron Fang armor as a minuet motion had her bringing up her contacts. [color=IndianRed]”I’ll call Tank. I’m sure he’ll be happy to lead that particular battle for us.”[/color]

[color=orchid]”What, the naked guy who jumped across the ocean?”[/color] Karen blurted out, folding her arms. She should’ve known Zoey was going to be stubborn about this. It was actually kind of foolish of her to expect the redhead to go along with it just like that. [color=orchid]”Look, next to me Tank is probably the strongest guy ever...but he never came across as the leader-type. What they need is someone to coordinate and organize them, Zoey...and who can do that better than you?”[/color]

[color=IndianRed]”The Sea King, then. He’s a literal King, I’m sure he’ll be adequate at coordinating the defenses on land as he is at sea.”[/color] Grim responded calmly, crossing her arms. The metal scraped lightly against each other, the blood providing little protection. [color=IndianRed]”There are others that can do a decent job leading the forces here.”[/color]

Karen was starting to get irritated now. Resting a hand on her hip, she jabbed a finger right at the warsuited superheroine. [color=orchid]”Um, hello? The the whole fucking [i]world[/i] is under attack by monsters! Nothing’s ever happened like this in...well, longer than any of us have been around! ‘Decent’ isn’t going to cut it right now. They need [i]you[/i], Zoey...the first person with the guts to be an Actor Activist again after so long. A human, to show everyone that even normal people can take a stand and make a difference in the darkest times.”[/color]

[color=orchid]”I’ve already got every advantage on my side that I’m going to get. If having two [i]literal fucking Gods[/i] beside me isn’t enough to help me survive this, then I don’t think you’ll be a deciding factor,”[/color] Karen added, glancing over to the monitors that were now displaying the devastation taking place all across the globe. Towering beings whom Ted would very much recognize now walked among burning buildings as harpies swarmed about them.

Karen returned her focus to Zoey. [color=orchid]”You don’t know shit about Olympus, but you do know how to inspire people. This isn’t about me, it’s about saving humanity.”[/color]

[color=IndianRed]”... I could be a deciding factor,”[/color] Grim muttered under her breath, so low that it was mostly distorted in the modulator. Slowly her gaze roamed to the monitors as well, having followed Karen’s gaze. Though the helmet hid any expression on her face, beneath it her jaw tensed as her teeth grit together. Finally, she huffed lowly. [color=IndianRed]”... Just try to be safe, Karen.”[/color]

Grim reached out, putting a hand on the shorter woman’s shoulder and squeezing at the red armor. With a final great sigh she turned and walked to her computer, inputting the number from Karen’s latest text.

[color=IndianRed]”Call Tank, Aquaman, and Jimmy Chong.”[/color]

As this conversation occurred, from the large plant came an odd sound, a clearing of the throat, but one that was clearly meant to bring attention. In fact it was painfully clear that this was the purpose, as the plant didn’t have a throat to clear.

[color=olivedrab]”Er… Ted? I’m Harris. I’m not The Green, I’m his Avatar or whatever. He… they, want me to go to Hades to help there, but I kinda wanna bring…”[/color]

Harris seemed to struggle with coming up with the word to use, he hemmed and hawed, long stretches of silence going by as he argued with himself as to what was the right word.

Finally he sighed and spoke once more.

[color=olivedrab]”I want to bring my…”[/color]

This last bit seemed to be the hardest.

[color=olivedrab]”...My son.”[/color]

It took some effort, but he finally resolved to say it, it wasn’t as if Josh could hear him.

[color=olivedrab]”Not… my real son, but close enough, he idolizes me, and it’d break his heart for me to leave him behind. I can go to Hades just fine by myself, but I need someone else to take him along, something about The Green being unable to transport physical objects.”[/color]

[color=maroon]”Oh…?”[/color] Ted began, who’d been simply staring back coldly the entire time as the same plant who’d been shrieking death and hatred at him for the past hour suddenly… started doing that less so. Becoming more warm and… [i]human.[/i]

Despite the circumstances the scarred Titan allowed a small, yet noticeable upward turn of his lip to occur on his face, almost as if he were actually [i]smiling[/i]... perhaps even [i]meaning[/i] it, too.

[color=maroon]”I have a few ideas about that could be done, yes…”[/color] Ted stated flatly, not giving away anything quite yet [color=maroon]”But tell me, why the [i]hell[/i] would you want to bring your son to [i]Hades[/i]... pun intended.”[/color]

[color=olivedrab]”My son is an eight foot tall blue demon with acidic body fluids and an ability to heal any wounds that he takes. He’ll fit right in,”[/color] Harris joked sarcastically, though he seemed reluctant to use sarcasm, almost as if the use of it made him worried. [color=olivedrab]”I don’t mean to brag myself but, I am the Avatar of the collective consciousness of all plant life on Earth. I do agree that he can be a bit of a… jerk sometimes, but I’ve taken hits from the Wizard for God’s… I mean, Zeus’ sake… nah that’s still not cool, I still believe in god and stuff even if all of this is proven to be real and wow I ramble when I’m nervous. But yeah, I survived getting hit by the Wizard, I broke to pieces but that’s not really an issue for me...”[/color]

Harris’ rambling continued on for some time afterwards, but nothing that he said post this point had any importance to the topic at hand.

Ted’s brow continued to rise as the Avatar talked… and talked… and talked some more. It was actually almost refreshing, after all the doom and gloom of the past hour or so to hear Harris awkwardly ramble on about his son as well as [i]literally[/i] everything and [i]anything[/i] he could think about to cover up his own nervousness… but, the Titan still needed him to get to the point at… well, [i]some point.[/i]

[color=maroon][b]”Harris.”[/b][/color] He finally cut him off, a bit more gently than most in the room would think he would, after hearing his gruff, sarcastic tone for the past hour. [color=maroon]”...Is there a town by where you and your son call home? A river perhaps?”[/color]  

Harris sputtered for a moment, slightly flustered at being cut off, he worried to himself about whether he had done something wrong, he thought to apologize, but that wouldn’t exactly help the situation when there was something clearly asked of him, why would he deviate from that?

[color=olivedrab]”Er… yeah! Hope Springs, West Virginia, a few miles away there’s a forest with a few giant trees that are completely out of place, that’s where we live.”[/color]

[color=maroon]”Alright then…”[/color] Ted began, looking down at Karen’s phone, still in his hand from having called his brother, as he began to use his google-fu to find ‘Hope Springs’. At the same time, he pulled a golden amulet, emblazoned with a silver and bronze skull from his pocket [color=maroon]”You see this? This is a beacon of Charon.”[/color]

Holding out for a solid minute for Harris to get a look at, the Titan calmly took a step back, vanishing into another fireball and returning mere moments later.

[color=maroon]”I left it hanging from the weathervane on top of City Hall. Take it, dip it into the river and for the [i]love of all that is holy...[/i]”[/color] The scarred man explained, voice suddenly growing eerily serious, as if discussing a matter of life and death. [color=maroon]”Do [i]not[/i] stiff the Ferryman.”[/color] 

The plant nodded frantically.

[color=olivedrab]”Got it, I really appreciate it,”[/color] he earnestly thanked the Titan. [color=olivedrab]”Well, I suppose I’ll have to meet you all around, I hope… that sounded wrong… oh well, Green says see ya… That’s a lie, he’s still pissed, but eh what are ya gonna do?... I should go.”[/color]

[color=maroon]”Best of luck, Harris.”[/color] Ted stated with a small grin [color=maroon]”...And seriously, [i]pay the Ferryman,[/i] you don’t wanna get on [i]his[/i] bad side.”[/color]

The plant raised a leaf in a poor parody of a salute, it was kinda cute in a way.

A moment later the massive plant’s head went still and drooped under its own massive weight once more, like physics had finally noticed its existence, it began to brown due to dehydration, and one last leaf fell from the stem, resting on the ground.

As the plant fell limp the ground, the scarred, flannel-clad Titan cast his eyes back towards the Wizard and Grim, brow raised as they said their parting words.

[color=maroon]”Well, Kiddo…”[/color] He stated, raising a hand and materializing another portal into existence with a snap of his fingers. [color=maroon]”...Ya ready to go?”[/color]

[color=orchid]”[i]Yes![/i]”[/color] Karen replied, stomping towards him impatiently. She had been ready for what felt like ten, no, fifteen minutes now!

Karen was so very thankful that Ted’s long conversation with Harris was [i]finally[/i] over. Seriously, she knew that the plantman needed to get to Tartarus and that it was important, but did they really have time for them to ramble on like that? The world was kind of in the middle of being invaded!

[color=orchid]”Let’s do this, old man!”[/color]

[color=maroon]”That’s the spirit, Kid…”[/color] Ted chuckled a bit as he rapped her on the shoulder and led her through the fiery hole in reality [color=maroon]”Just, uhh… little warning about my brother though, he’s a bit…”[/color]

 [b]”WEHEEEEEL! IF IT AIN’T MY [I]LEEEEEETLE[/I] BROTHER AND SHAZAM’S TIIIYEEENY LEETLE GIRL-WIZHAIRD…”[/b] Came the thunderously loud, though oddly strained voice of a massive man in a ten-gallon hat, improbable sunglasses covered in rhinestone and a garishly shiny jacket with tassles hanging off the entire length of his sleeves.

[color=maroon]”...Odd.”[/color][/center]