[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/RUtJzFy.png[/img][/center] [sub][h3][color=SKYBLUE][b]T H E ‘ E M B A S S Y ‘[/b][/color][/h3][/sub][hr][sup][color=skyblue]Four Months Ago[/color] | [color=darkgray]Manhattan, New York[/color][/sup] Ted rushed the platter of dips surrounded by crackers onto the coffee table between them. [color=skyblue]"So... Mister-- Thor..? Son? Mister Thorson? No. That doesn't sound right."[/color] [color=goldenrod][b]"Thorson would be if he had a kid."[/b][/color] Booster corrected. [color=skyblue]"Let me try that again, can I get you anythiiiiing, Thor? Mister Odinson? I can call you Thor, right? Coffee? Beer? Mead?"[/color] Thor had picked up a cracker and was holding it up to the light, inspecting it like some kind of a curio. It looked tiny in his huge hands. [color=salmon]"--chai? Coffee? Soup? Ovaltine?"[/color] Booster continued Ted's questions, in a mocking tone with his best impression of their mutual friend. [color=skyblue]"Hey, you're making me sound like Hank!"[/color] Booster said nothing and just levelled him with a smile. Ted's eyes widened behind the goggle lenses. [color=skyblue]"[b]Oh my God[/b] I sound like Hank..."[/color] 'Thor' ate the cracker, picking up another as he smiled. He picked up another one and eyed it curiously.[b][color=#a4c2f4] "Too which God do you refer? I promise you I can put you in good standing. If someone is in need of smiting, then I would recommend myself. I may be the God of Thunder but I may as well be the God of Smiting, for I am mighty!”[/color][/b] He chuckled to himself. He turned to Booster Gold. [b][color=#a4c2f4]“Servant boy, I will have the largest ale you have. Preferably two, your ale is not very potent.”[/color][/b] [color=goldenrod][b]"[sub]Servant boy..?[/sub]"[/b][/color] Booster muttered, shooting his Blue compatriot an incredulous look, only for Ted to mouth the word "Go" at him. Booster threw his hands up in frustration before the Blue Beetle hissed at him in a harsher whisper, directing him to the kitchen. [color=skyblue]"[sub]Just go![/sub]"[/color] Booster Gold sullenly trudged off to the kitchen. [color=skyblue]"Ha ha haaaa..."[/color] The Blue Beetle laughed uncomfortably to their guest. [color=skyblue]"Aaaaaanyway, we asked you here today since you've had considerable experience in the heroing field... you know, like Justice League, the Avengers, general... divine duties, I suppose. We were wondering if you'd be interested in joining our merry band of... hup!"[/color] Ted had gone to sit down without looking and inadvertantly sat on the edge of the arm of the chair, almost falling on the floor before regathering his balance, and desperately trying to mask the accident with more fake laughter. [color=skyblue]"Ha ha haaaa... Friends. Buddies. Our merry band of Super Buddies."[/color] Booster trudged back into the room with a four pack of brown bottles, still in the cardboard. He took one bottle out, holding it towards Ted, just as the Norse god grabbed the remaining three. Booster watched him and shrugged, deciding this meant the bottle he now held was meant for him, he removed the lid using his gauntlet as a bottle opener and kicked back on the lounge. ‘Thor’ used ‘Mjolnir’ too, surprisingly delicately knocked the cap off the three bottles of beer. Picking up the first bottle he tipped it, and his head back, the liquid running down his throat and into his stomach. The bitter taste lingering on his tongue. Shrugging he took a sip out of the second one. [color=#a4c2f4][B]“I have had many offers for many different superhero organisations. While I am intending to stay loyal to my friends among the Avengers. Your group [i]intrigues[/i] me.”[/b][/color] Suddenly a man in an exuberant red and yellow costume opened a door and jumped out, making a cliched superhero pose. [center][img]https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/marveldatabase/images/4/4c/A._G._Bell_%28Earth-616%29_from_Avengers_Assemble_Vol_1_1_0001.png[/img][/center] [color=red]"I [b]'HEARD'[/b] you've been talking about me."[/color] Ted's voice resonated with an implied sigh. He'd had to deal with this one far too often, apparently. [color=skyblue]"No, you didn't. I told you to wait in the other room. Stop doing this."[/color] [color=goldenrod][b]"Hey? Who's this guy?"[/b][/color] [color=skyblue]"Don't ask--"[/color] Ted warned, moments too late. [color=red][b]"Tis I, The Incredible Phone Ranger! The one who answers the call when innocence rings! The one who--"[/b][/color] [color=skyblue]"Dammit! You set him off!"[/color] [color=red][b]"--scourge of the--"[/b][/color] [color=skyblue]"Yes, yes... and you always come calling at Dinner time. Look, are you happy with your long distance? Because we're not. Go wait in the other room until we're done in here."[/color] The Blue Beetle scolded. [color=red]"Oh man... You have beer and crackers in here?"[/color] The strange red and yellow hero broke character, his voice reverting to a more natural, but nasal tone. [color=skyblue]"Just... wait in the other room."[/color] Ted pinched his goggles off of the bridge of his nose, exasperated. Thor laughed slightly at the figure in yellow and red. [b][color=#a4c2f4]“Is he one of your number? Who else numbers among you?”[/color][/b] [color=skyblue]"Presently, we're otherwise engaged as far as he's concerned. I fear if he tries that again we may just [b]have to disconnect him entirely[/b]."[/color] The Blue Beetle scowled as the Phone Ranger slinked out of the room, back to wherever beer and crackers weren't. Before 'Thor' could respond there was a rumble of thunder, a look of panic crossed his face, Ted unable to adjust to this panicked Thor could only watch as the behemoth of a Demigod stood up and stuck his hands into.. pockets? That he apparently had in amongst his mail armour? Out of it, he pulled out several business cards. [b][color=#a4c2f4]"I must away! Before I take my leave, here are my contact details. The first number goes through my Avengers headset, the email is held by a S.H.I.E.L.D agent then relayed to me as well as a postal address-"[/color][/b] sticking his hand into another impossible pocket he pulled out a small stone with several runes engraved upon it. [b][color=#a4c2f4]"-I have enchanted this stone to be able to contact me from anywhere. It will essentially broadcast your likeness before me."[/color][/b] Seeing Teds confusion he flashed a coy, but equally panicked grin. [b][color=#a4c2f4]"The Thunder is my Bat-Signal. You know, God of Thunder?"[/color][/b] [color=goldenrod][b]"Wait-- who else is able to control the thunder in the first place to call you?"[/b][/color] Booster Gold asked, for once with his finger on the pulse. Ted looked at the cards and the rune stone skeptically. He arched a single eyebrow. None of this was adding up. [Center][img]https://i.imgur.com/aC2EaMW.jpg[/img][/center] 'Thor' laughed [color=#a4c2f4][b]"Clearly other Gods of Thunder."[/b][/color] As there was another greater rumble of thunder 'Thor' walked out the door, before it closed there was the brief glimpse of a small coastal town. Before Ted and Booster could react however there was a crashing through the window as a hammer came through the window and crushed the chair that 'Thor' had previously been sitting in. [img]https://static.comicvine.com/uploads/original/4/40015/1528995-mjolnir.png[/img] Shortly after another Thor came climbing through the window. [color=#a4c2f4][b]"LOKI! WHERE ARE YOU?"[/b][/color] [color=goldenrod][b]"He went THATTA[/b][/color][color=skyblue]AWAAAY!"[/color] The pair said, pointing to the door the first 'Thor' left through. The second charged out being pulled through the house by his famous hammer and an unbridled primal rage. The pair stood in silence in the wreckage of their own home. They'd lost a wall, a window and the door had seen better days. There was an uncomfortable pause before Ted finally broke the silence. [color=skyblue]"How are we going to explain this one away?"[/color] [color=goldenrod][b]"Kool-Aid Man..?"[/b][/color] [color=skyblue]"Kool-Aid Man?? Who'd believe that?"[/color] Ted replied. [color=goldenrod][b]"I think I'D believe that..."[/b][/color] [color=skyblue]"You? Well, yeah-- maybe you would... But-- Hmmm... Maybe I can--[/color] Ted ran off into another room for a few minutes. Booster walked over to the kitchen and grabbed two more beers out of the fridge. Ted came back with one of his Doodlebug drones and a small brown box. [color=goldenrod][b]"What's in there?[/b][/color] [color=skyblue]"K.O.R.D. prototype fine tissue nanites. They use 3D printing tech on a microscopic scale. I introduce them to the part of the wall that's still standing, program them to repair the remainder of the wall."[/color] [color=goldenrod][b]"Whoa... you can do that now?"[/b][/color] [color=skyblue]"Well, they're still in the testing phase, so I can't legally sell them yet. And they'd be exceedingly expensive if I could. And they're slow... But they'll eventually get the job done."[/color] Ted released a nanite spray into the broken part of the wall, he opened up his wrist gauntlet and started programming the nanites to sample the broken remnants and task them with producing the components to repair the wall. He waved his wrist across the gap to scan the task area. And stepped back to watch. [color=goldenrod][b]"Slow?"[/b][/color] Booster asked. [color=skyblue]"Well it's only a small section of wall, not particularly thick... I'd say seven hours?"[/color] [color=goldenrod][b]"Seven hours?!? We could fix it ourselves in less than that!"[/b][/color] Ted turned and stared at Booster. [color=skyblue]"No. You couldn't. And they're tiny robots, what do you expect?"[/color] [color=goldenrod][b]"Well that doesn't solve our problem though, does it Ted? How are we going to explain this?"[/b][/color] Ted smiled and held up a finger. He brought out the Doodlebug and set it to hover in the air. Using his wrist control he programmed the doodlebug to scan the unharmed segment of wall, flew the doodlebug over to the gap, where it then projected a hologram of the wall over the wreckage. Ted turned to Booster and smiled. [color=goldenrod][b]"That'll work."[/b][/color] The pair sat back on the lounge and looked at their work as they heard the front door open. She walked through The Embassy with her head in her phone, completely preoccupied. Ted and Booster quietly stared as she walked through the room, hoping everything stayed business-as-usual. But her head was so deep in her phone she didn't notice the Doodlebug floating there. After a crash she got up furiously rubbing her head and searching the floor for her phone, a hologram of the wall being projected onto the ceiling. [color=limegreen][b]"What did you two idiots do?!?"[/b][/color] [color=skyblue]"I-- err-- we--..."[/color] Ted stammered. [color=goldenrod][b]"Well, you see, the Kool-Aid Man..."[/b][/color] [color=limegreen][b][h3]"UGH! I DON'T EVEN CARE!!"[/h3][/b][/color] Fire picked up her phone and stormed out. The Blue Beetle and Booster Gold watched as she left, green steam rising off her hair. [center][img]https://dkn-wp.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/30084107/IMG_20190130_080043-740x431.jpg[/img][/center] [center][h3][b][color=skyblue]"BWA-H[/color][color=goldenrod]A-HA!"[/color][/b][/h3][/center] [sub][h3][color=SKYBLUE][b]R A V E N ' S P E R C H[/b][/color][/h3][/sub][hr][sup][color=skyblue]2002[/color] | [color=darkgray]Ugh... New Jersey[/color][/sup] [color=mediumslateblue][b]“So THIS is superheroing..?”[/b][/color] Jughandle sarcastically asked. [color=skyblue]“In this context, THIS is superheroing.”[/color] The Blue Beetle confirmed. [color=fuchsia][b]“I had no idea superheroing was done on a bus. Apparently my parents had me superheroing my way to school every morning.”[/b][/color] Fateball replied. [color=mediumslateblue][b]“And why ARE we on the bus?”[/b][/color] Jughandle asked. [color=skyblue]“Because Mize doesn’t own a car.”[/color] Ted flatly said. [color=olive][b]“Nonononono. I OWNED a car.”[/b][/color] Said the Mize. [color=olive][b]“I just don’t drive because… well…”[/b][/color] Ted inhaled deeply. He was exhausted, and conversation felt like it was draining the last of what he had left. [color=skyblue]“Because you have next to no control of your powers and you rapidly degraded your car every day when you drove it, until the thing literally fell apart underneath you on a main road. Like a teenage Mister Magoo.”[/color] [color=fuchsia][b]“What’s Mister Magoo?”[/b][/color] Fateball asked. [color=skyblue]“It’s before your time. Which [b]*YA-AWN*[/b] funnily enough puts it even further before my time.”[/color] The Blue Beetle explained. The bus pulled out of the terminal and slowly trundled down the street. [color=mediumslateblue][b]“But why the bus?”[/b][/color] Jughandle asked. [color=skyblue]“Because the bus costs us twelve bucks each, whilst Amtrak would charge us over fifty per head to barely get us there any earlier. And because if Mize could do that to his car, I [b]AM NOT[/b] getting on a plane with you.”[/color] [color=mediumslateblue][b]“And why do we need to go to Boston in the first place?”[/b][/color] [color=skyblue]“Because we just do.”[/color] His patience frayed. [color=fuchsia][b]"Because whatever this superheroing we're needed for is needed in Boston, obviously."[/b][/color] Fateball reasoned. [color=skyblue]"Exactly. Listen to this one boys, she'll see you right."[/color] [color=fuchsia][b]"Boston. The City of Brotherly Love..."[/b][/color] She continued. [color=skyblue]"OK. You can stop listening to her now."[/color] [color=mediumslateblue][b]"I thought it was the City of Trees?"[/b][/color] [color=skyblue]"That's Boise."[/color] [color=olive][b]"Nah, WE'RE from Joisey..."[/b][/color] [color=skyblue]"Great. I'm stuck on a bus with pre-pubescent Marx Brothers."[/color] [color=mediumslateblue][b]"Who?"[/b][/color] [color=skyblue]"Animaniacs."[/color] Ted simplified. [color=mediumslateblue][b]"Ah."[/b][/color] [color=fuchsia][b]"AND the Warner sister!"[/b][/color] [color=skyblue]"Alright, that's enough of that, now. Can we have just a few moments of quiet. I't's been a long day, time travel really takes it out on you apparently--"[/color] [color=lightyellow]"--especially without a chrono suit, sir."[/color] [color=skyblue]"Yes, thank you, Skeetz. So if I could just have a little quiet, I might actually try to squeeze some sleep in before we get there."[/color] [hr] [center][b]Four Straight Hours Without Consecutive Minutes Of Silence Later[/b][/center] [hr] Ted stared straight ahead with bloodshot eyes, breathing deeply. [color=olive][b]"I think we broke him."[/b][/color] Mize said, waving a hand in front of the hero's face. [color=mediumslateblue][b]"I'm a man of means by no means, King of the Rooo-- --hoik!"[/b][/color] Ted moved swiftly and grabbed Jughandle by the collar. Eyes twitching, capillaries about to burst, if the brain in behind them didn't first. [color=fuchsia][b]"Whoa, man!"[/b][/color] [color=skyblue]"I'm OK... I'm OK. Just [b]STOP[/b] singing. I am so tired... I can't be held responsible for what's going to happen next if--"[/color] [color=olive][b]"Oh hey, we're here!"[/b][/color] The other three watched uncomfortably as Ted sobbed gently and deeply. [hr] [sub][h3][color=SKYBLUE][b]B O S T O N[/b][/color][/h3][/sub][hr][sup][color=skyblue]2002[/color] | [color=darkgray]Errrr... Boston, Massachussetts[/color][/sup] The four walked around the streets of Boston in uncomfortable silence, the three teens periodically glancing back at the older superhero until he eventually punched through the thick atmosphere. [color=skyblue]"It's OK. I'm OK. I'm sorry about before. I'm also pretty sure this is happening out of some weird cosmic karmic alignment because of how I was around my own teachers when I was your age. I am just very tired right now. So very tired. Let us never speak of the bus again."[/color] The other three paused, considering what he said before Fateball finally spoke up. [color=fuchsia][b]"So where to now?"[/b][/color] [color=skyblue]"It's just up ahead here. Just a bit further."[/color] The Blue Beetle pointed a few houses further down the street. [color=olive][b]"This is just a suburban house."[/b][/color] Mize surmised. [color=olive][b]"What kind of supervillain would live here?"[/b][/color] [color=skyblue]"Look,"[/color] Ted said, levelling with the three teenagers at last. [color=skyblue]"I've just got to get in here and find a way to leave a message with my current location somewhere that the others will find it. So Jesse, jughandle us."[/color] Jesse looked pensive. [color=mediumslateblue][b]"I dunno. Isn't this breaking and entering? Like, in a suburban house?"[/b][/color] [color=skyblue]"First, suburban house, Legion of Doom headquarters where Metallo 'dwells'. Technically it's all B & E."[/color] Ted shrugged. [color=skyblue]"Secondly, what 'Breaking'? The entrance points will all be in tact. You're circumventing the regular dimensional planes to trespass on private property. And finally, I could get us in without you, it's just easier this way."[/color] The three disappeared through space and reappeared on the other side of the door. [color=fuchsia][b]"Well how would you have got us in?"[/b][/color] [color=skyblue]"Spare key."[/color] Jesse wigged out, feeling tricked to sneak into the house. [color=mediumslateblue][b]"The key?! You had the key?! Then why'd you have me bre-- make us trespass?!"[/b][/color] [color=skyblue]"I don't [b]'have'[/b] the key, I know where it is. I'm not as agile as I used to be and it's a pain in the ass to get to. Also it doesn't lock the deadbolts properly. They'd know we were here after we left. This way's better. And let's be honest, more fun too. Just relax. There's not going to be anything we have to deal with here that can't be handled."[/color] [color=mediumslateblue][b]"Deal with..?[/b][/color] Jughandle didn't like the sound of that. This weird hero talking about killing cats and 'Handling' situations that need 'dealing with'. [color=skyblue]"Just relax. Everything's going to be fine."[/color] The three teens just stared. The more he attempted to calm them the less he seemed to have their trust. So instead he sighed and went upstairs towards his old room. Ted let his bedroom door swing open and really felt the emotional side of time travel as his childhood bedroom from eighteen years earlier was revealed before him. He hit the light and stepped inside. [color=mediumslateblue][b]"Whoa... This is a kids room. This whole thing feels messed up."[/b][/color] Jesse said, as he looked around the room. Ted sighed and gave an exasporated look at the three younger heroes. [color=fuchsia][b]"So what are we doing in here?"[/b][/color] Fateball asked, whilst her and Mize walked into the room. Ted started to inspect items on the shelves. [color=skyblue]"I'm looking for something I know they'll look at, so I can send the others a message to know where I am. So they can come back and pick me up."[/color] Toys, DVDs, books, Ted swept across each looking for the perfect thing. Then he was distracted by something else. [color=skyblue]"Oh. My. God!"[/color] [color=olive][b]"What? Whaddid you find?"[/b][/color] The Mize asked, picking up the LaserDisk player to look behind it. Ted had a big grin on his face, before he slowly paced his way across the room. He picked up a fedora and slowly and gently put it on his head, before pointing at it with a look of amazement and joy which was completely lost on the others. [color=fuchsia][b]"It doesn't match your blue suit."[/b][/color] [color=mediumslateblue][b]"You're not going to take some kid's hat are you? That's busted."[/b][/color] [color=skyblue]"I haven't seen this thing since 2002..."[/color] He said to himself. [color=skyblue]"This all actually kind of makes sense..."[/color] [color=mediumslateblue][b]"C'mon man. You're not really going to take this kid's hat are you. I mean, how would you feel if somebody did that to you?"[/b][/color] [color=skyblue]"I'd feel confused, angry and frustrated over the issue for the next eighteen years of my life, until I had a moment of absolute clarity and found myself getting a hat."[/color] Ted replied. [color=mediumslateblue][b]"Alright, well that was oddly specific, but yeah. It'd suck. Don't take the kid's hat."[/b][/color] [color=fuchsia][b]"Do you [u]STILL[/u] not realise what's going on here, Jugs? It's [u]HIS[/u] hat, this was [u]HIS[/u] room, all of this is [u]HIS[/u] stuff."[/b][/color] [color=mediumslateblue][b]"Whoa... So we're [u]IN[/u] a superhero's bedroom?"[/b][/color] [color=skyblue]"Well, I wasn't a superhero when I was--"[/color] He stopped, seeing the new joy in Jesse's starstruck eyes as he walked all around the room, seeing it in a new light. [color=skyblue]"--sure, whatever. Soak it up. Superhero's bedroom. Don't break my action figures."[/color] Ted went back to looking around the room for something to leave a message on when it came to him. The Scarab. He still had the replica model car in the future. Even when most of the other toys and things were boxed up and left to dust. The Scarab sat in pride of place on the mantle of the Embassy. Super Buddies Headquarters. He'd leave a message there, on the car. Heck, maybe he already had and it was already there. Like his hat. How often does it get closely looked at really? All it would take is one glance, though... And he'd told Booster to never touch it. If there was any way he could possibly guarantee that Booster Gold would get his - probably unwashed - hands all over it, the second Ted wasn't around to tell him not to touch it... it would be to tell him he can never touch it. [color=skyblue]"The Scarab it is."[/color] Ted walked across the room and grabbed the model car in it's perspex display case and set to work figuring out how to crack it open. [color=skyblue]"I think I've just found my ticket out...[/color]