HenryJonesJr

Absolute Comics - Season Two: The Monster Within

Booster shifted restlessly in the lab as she watched Doctor Irons buzz around the lab like a very large and muscular bee. She had never seen a scientist that also looked like an NFL linebacker. He told her he had played football in college, not that it came as much of a surprise. Still, it was interesting to watch him work. For someone as large as he was, he worked on the machinery with incredible touch and delicate percision. She watched as he worked on the helmet for the suit he showed her when she walked in.

Then the edges of her vision began to blur, and she was back in the time she came from. She was in a lab, but totally different from this one. While Irons's was a bit disorganized, this one was sparking like someone was following the man working it constantly cleaning. Actually, there was. A tall, one-armed robot was following the salt-and-pepper-haired man like a puppy.

"Would you stop?" Tony Stark snapped at the robot. "You're like an orphan following Daddy Warbucks around. Except I have more money than he does."

She giggled. Booster wasn't sure if that was from her fractured memories or from her now. It was a good line.

The genius inventor put his head up and looked right at her, answering her question for her, "Can you grab that power core for me? Dummy here would probably drop it and vaporize us all."

Booster watched as she got up and grabbed a glowing blue cylinder and walked it over to the inventor. He took it and smiled at her. Again, she wasn't sure if it was her memory, but he seemed larger than life. The great inventor smiled warmly at her and took the part. He put it in the new suit of armor her was working on, "Thanks, Booster. I would be lost without you, you know that?"

From behind her a door slid open and Steve Rogers, Captain America stepped through it, smiling at the two of them, "Looks like things are going well here."

"Splending, El Capitan," Stark mock saluted, which drew another laugh from Booster. "We're just finishing up here."

"Good," Rogers, whose blue eyes had begun to pale slightly at his advanced age, turned to Booster. "Because we have a mission, Gold-"

She was shaken and came back to the present, where John Henry Irons was rocking her shoulder back and forth, "You okay?"

"Huh? Yea," Booster nodded, shaking the cobwebs out of her head. Skeets was hovering worredly next to her. "Was just lost in my own head there for a minute."

"You seemed to be in a trance, ma'am," Skeets responded with a hint of knowing.

"I'm fine, Skeets," she beamed back at the robot. "Tip top shape. I'm a superhero after all. Nothing gets by me."

"You sure?" Irons was unmoved. "You definitely seemed like you were somewhere else."

Her smile said she was fine, but she was beginning to worry. Her visions seemed to be becoming more frequent. So far they had failed to materialize during an engagement with an enemy, but she had begun to wonder when her luck would run out on that front. What happened when someone tried to kill her and she was paralyzed by some nonsensical flashback?

"So you really think Roxxon isn't going to sell your tech as weapons?" she asked him, quickly changing the subject away from her. She already felt uncomfortable as-is.

He looked over his glasses at her, "Seriously? You're the one asking me if Roxxon would use my work as a weapon? Isn't that exactly what they're doing with you?"

She probably should have saw that one coming. It's true, she was a hired good for Roxxon. A very well paid hired goon, but a hired goon none the less.

"Touche," she tipped her head to him. "That being said, I can leave whenever I want. They tell me to do something I don't agree with, I'll walk. It'll hurt to leave behind all those zeroes, but hey, that's the way the cookie crumbles. But they're going to own the patents for these things. You don't get to choose when and where these suits will go once you meet your deadline and hand them over to the boss man. I dunno, I'd be worried that they were going to do some shady shit."

"I can't think like that," he waved her away and went back to work. "If we all assumed the worst things could happen with our work, there'd be no scientific progress at all. We'd still be sitting in caves heating ourselves with meager fires. Plus, in a world where teenage girls can lift a skyscraper, I think we owe it to people risking their lives for natural resources to make their jobs easier. My inventions can do just that."

He made a lot of sense. She could see his passion regarding the suits as well, "This means a lot to you, doesn't it?"

"My grandfather died in a cave in," he responded, not looking up from the helmet. "My dad never even knew him. Was too young to ever really remember his old man. My grandmother barely was able to keep food on the table. My dad worked himself near to death in order to get me to a place where I could even think of college. Now that I got that education, you damn well better believe I'm going to do my best to help the kind of men that helped me get here. Paying it forward is the most important thing we can do. Way more important than padding your own wallet."

That was aimed squarely at her. She was tempted to fire back, but there was no need for it. He wasn't all that wrong. There was probably more that she could be doing to help. But there was also so many other heroes out there. They could take care of the people for now. She'd lend a hand if they really needed it.

"I think you could be great," he added. "You've clearly got all the tools. But something's holding you back. You gotta get out of your own way, kid."

Before she could really ponder whether he was right or wrong, and alarm started to blare through the compound. Booster sprung to her feet as two guards burst into the lab, "Booster, there have been explosions going off throughout the city. We have no idea what's going on. Orders from Roxxon are to stay put and protect Dr. Irons."

She recoiled at that. They wanted her to protect the investment. They didn't care about the people in the city. She was sent here to guard the guy that was going to deliver astounding tech to them, not play hero.

Irons caught her eye, and she knew exactly what he was thinking. This was the time to help people. If she listened to what the company wanted, she'd be the ultimate hypocrite. But more than that, she wouldn't even be a pretend hero. She'd just be a good, and that's not what she was.

"Yea, well, you're going to have to tell Mr. Agger that he can take that order and shove it where the sun doesn't shine," she said through gritted teeth. "There's no way I'm going to let innocent people die while I sit on the bench. Doc, looks like you're gonna have to look after yourself for a while."

"I think I can manage," he smiled warmly and went back to work on the helmet.

"Well, my number's on the fridge if you need anything," Booster winked at him.

---

One of the roof guards watched with a smirk as the hero speed off towards the smoke rising from the city. The plan had worked exactly as the Spymaster said it would. The hero would take the bait, because they always did. They were all so predictable.

In a flurry, the guard drew his weapon and fired a successions of shots that killed the other two guards he was stationed with. As their bodies fell, the guard began to morph and warp. In mere moments, what was once a Roxxon private security member was now an exact replcia of Booster Gold.

"Booster" made "her" way towards the entrance to the building, ready to take what was Onslaught's.

Absolute Comics - Season Two: The Monster Within

Guardians of the Galaxy

IN

RAMBLE ON

---

Quill's heavy, rapid footfalls echoed off the stone walls of the cavern as he and Rocket tried their best to put distance between them and the monsters behind them. Around his neck, the little alien girl held tightly, scared out of her mind, he was sure. Whoever she was, it was a miracle she had survived. She was either the luckiest girl in the galaxy, or had some mad survival skills. Either way, Quill couldn't deny that he was impressed.

"Any idea if all this running is actually gonna end with us getting out of here?" Star-Lord asked his furry compatriot. His lungs were already starting to scream. He wished he could use his rocketboots, but the lake water seemed to have affected them.

"How would I know!?" Rocket barked back.

"I dunno!?" Quill protested. "You have like animal senses! Can't you smell fresh air or something?"

"Oh that is just typical!" Rocket growled. "You've got a good sense of smell, so obviously you can magically tell everything about the planet we're on! Can't you see in the dark well!? How about taste a rock and find water or something! I got no clue what fresh air would smell like down here, numb nuts!"

"Okay! God!"

Suddenly, the two came to a halt as a shear cliff dropped off in front of them. Rocket nearly tumbled over as he pinwheeled his arms around to keep his balance, only for Quill to snatch him back from certain death.

"Well that sucks," Rocket sighed and threw a rock into the blackness laid before them. After an interminably long time, they heard the faint thud of it hitting the ground far below. "We're totally gonna die here, aren't we?"

"Oh, 100%," Quill groaned.

"Well, I guess there are worse people to die with," Rocket smiled weakly. "Assuming the girl isn't like a secret serial killer or something. But I doubt it."

"That's oddly sweet, for you," Quill clasped the raccoon's shoulder. "I'm going to choose to take it as a compliment."

"You probably should," he nodded. "That's about as close as I come to giving one."

That's when the ground shook below their feet.

---

The blood of the insectoid creatures coated Jarnbjorn like a thick, slimy film. Their bodies were piling up in front of Groot and Thor by the dozens, yet still more came, forcing the two comrades in arms back towards the way their escaping friends had went. The creatures were drones, nothing more, and nothing less. And if these were the drones, it meant that there had to be a queen somewhere. Whether on this planet or somewhere else. The latter was the more worrying prospect. If these creatures could be controlled from anywhere, the Guardians' enemy was far more deadly than even Thor had thought. These ravenous beings could be sent to any planet and eradicate any opposition. That was a power that could not be allowed to stand in the universe.

That wasn't even considering what Thor had discovered here, either. If what he suspected their enemy was after was obtained, nothing would be able to stand in their way. They'd be able to cut a swathe of destruction across the galaxy that was hitherto undreampt of. He needed to stop that from happening. Even if it was the last thing he did in the mortal realm, he would not let such a devastating weapon fall into the hands of a butcher.

Groot tossed one of the creatures into an advancing column of its brood mates. The tree was formidable, that much was certain. Thor was glad to have such a being to fight alongside. Thinking that of a mortal was an odd experience. He had never really found much worth from them, save from their praise and maybe their mead. But fighting with Groot, and the other Guardians, for that matter, had sparked something in him. If he hadn't already been ashamed of how much he had shunned his responsibilities as a god, he certainly was now. Their lives were short lived, sure. But there was a grace and a fierce struggle for survival in them. Hell, that's probably the only reason they were fighting with him now. Still, it was nothing short of admirable.

"Groot!" he called out to his partner. "They're going to overrun us if we don't get some breathing room."

"I am Groot!" the tree nodded. He understood exactly what Thor was getting at. The two of them struck simultaneously, Thor with Jarnbjorn and Groot with an extended, treetrunk arm. The wall of the cave around them shook as they took off running. Thor looked behind him, and saw the roof of the cave collapsing on top of the brood. He glanced over to Groot with a smile as they headed to meet up with Rocket and Quill.

---

Shayera Hol paced back and forth in the bowels of the Hasselhoff, wondering how long she had to wait to bail on this planet in order to give the appearance of caring about the people in the caves below. Not that she really needed to keep up appearances, of course. No one knew that she was here with these goons. Unfortunately that was a problem. If she did leave without them, she wouldn't be able to claim their bounties. It might be enough to clear her own.

You don't want to do that.

The voice in her head that she had buried for a long time whispered to her. The last time she had listened to it she had gotten exiled from her home and nearly killed in the process. Listening to it now was bound to get her killed for real this time. Still, it was there, and it was getting louder. Maybe it was a side effect from being around the intolerable Asgardian. She had heard stories about their kind. How they could sway the opinions and emotions of mortal folk. Maybe he was subconsciously making her his slave or something. That's all the powerful were good at. Forcing you into situations that you had no business or desire to be in.

You know that's not the case.

Hol, who told everyone who she knew to call her merely "Hawk", shook the voice out of her head again. No, she wasn't going to get caught up in some crazy crusade. Not again. She had done that once and it cost her everything. Since then it had been her mission to stay to herself. Doing that kept her safe. It kept her from getting hurt. And it kept her getting paid.

Then the ground rumbled below the spacecraft. The voice prodded in protest. She couldn't leave them down there to suffer the fate of whatever happened to those poor colonists that went into the mines foolishly believing they would be safe. No matter how much she tried to silence the voice, it kept calling to her louder and louder until it was deafening in her head.

"FINE!" she called out to herself and took the controls of the ship.

---

Thor came to a sliding stop in front of Quill, Rocket, and the girl, who were all waving their hands in warning as Thor and Groot turned a corner. The Asgardian saw that there was a huge cliff behind them, and that if the two escapees didn't stop the five of them would currently be falling quite a long way down.

"I assume we do not have an escape route this way?" Thor sighed.

"Sure, an escape route from life," Rocket shrugged.

"I am Groot."

"Yea, well, even if you survived a fall those bug things would eat you," Rocket shot back at the tree.

"I am Groot."

"I don't care if they eat meat," Rocket shook his head in amazement. "They clearly want to kill you!"

"Uhhhh..." Quill motioned behind Thor and Groot. "Looks like they're about to kill all of us."

Thor turned to see the brood wave approaching quickly. He snarled and gripped Jarnbjorn tightly. He turned to his new friends and nodded to them, "If this is where the song of Thor Odinson should end, let it end bathed in the blood of his enemies."

"Haha! Badass!" Quill smiled.

"I could live, er, die with that," Rocket nodded.

"I am Groot!"

The four of them stood in front of the girl, ready to make sure that none would get to her as long as they still stood. Thor felt the worst for her. She probably believed she would be saved when they found her in that cave. Yet all they did was get her fed directly to the monsters that had tormented her and took her away from her family. They had hand delivered her to them. He felt a pit form in his stomach over this fact.

The teaming mass of giant insects clambered over one another to get to them. The squeezed through the cave opening like a living avalanche full of snapping jaws and swiping, clawed limbs. As they began to get close, the four Guardians began to let out a war cry, ready for the coming storm.

But before they got there, a rapid fire of blue blasts flew over the Guardians' heads and slammed into the wave of creatures. The four heroes spun to see the Hasselhoff floating over the drop off. Behind its controls was Hawk, firing indiscriminately at the advancing hordes and motioning for them to come on board.

Without wasting a moment, they hopped onto the extended ramp, Thor scooping up the girl as he did. Once on board, he ran to the helm and laugh-yelled at Hawk, "I thought you weren't going to help!?"

"Yea, well, I felt like making a huge mistake," she smirked back at him as she began piloting the ship to the surface. "Do we have any idea where we're going next?"

"Niðavellir," Thor nodded. "I'll show you how to get there once we're as far away as possible from this planet."

Absolute Comics - Season Two: The Monster Within

Houston, TX

Booster Gold landed softly on the roof of the Roxxon Compound on the outskirts of Houston. The heavily-armed, private security guards that patrolled that rooftop nodded stiffly at the superhuman newcomer. She could feel their animosity towards her. Not that she could necessarily blame them. If they brought someone in that could do her job better than she could, she would probably be just as annoyed. Granted there was no one that could do her job better than her, but she understood the sentiment.

"Nice to meet you too, gentlemen," she saluted and smiled.

"Up yours, meta," one of them called back.

"You kiss your mother with that mouth?" she asked as she was led into the building. It was located a few miles outside the city, and was located on Roxxon's first ever well. They had turned it into a kind of museum mixed with a design lab for future technology. Agger was sure that this would be a safe place for Irons to hide out and continue his work. It was defendable, separate from the city, and they could see anyone coming from a mile away. Still, there was something giving her bad vibes. Maybe it was just Agger. She didn't know. But there was definitely something wrong.

"Readings indicate that this facility is full of incredible technology, ma'am," Skeets chirped in her ear as he detached from her armor. "Doctor Irons seems to live up to his reputation."

Booster had done as much research on Irons as she could. Former soldier that served in the Middle East, but then came back and managed to get into MIT. There he got degrees in both mechanical and electrical engineering. If Tony Stark, Ray Palmer, and Reed Richards, among others, didn't exist, Irons would probably in the conversation as one of the smartest men in the world. As it stood, however, he was often overlooked. That's how he found himself working for Roxxon. He didn't have the private capital the other geniuses of the world did, so he had to work to prove himself.

"Yea, maybe we can get him to fix you," she looked at the robot slyly, who recoiled in horror.

"I am made from advanced future technology, ma'am," Skeets shook himself. "I do not believe that anyone in this time could fix me."

"Way to be humble, buddy."

"I do not believe you are one to talk on that front, ma'am," he responded matter-of-factly.

"Touche."

They were led by the leader of Roxxon's security detail, a man by the name of Williams. He looked back at her, "Sorry about my men up there. They're not necessarily thrilled about having enhanced back up."

"I get it," she shrugged.

"Nice robot buddy you got there," he added. "I got one at home. Plays my music whenever I ask her too."

"How dare you compare me to those antiquated things," Skeets was horrified.

"Whatever you say, Alexa," Williams chuckled.

He pressed a button on the wall and a gleaming, white panel split in half and opened onto a similarly immaculate lab. All around her as she stepped inside were automated manufacturing robot arms, welders, and workbenches filled with metal legs, arms, and torsos. She would have expected this kind of workspace to be dirty or grimy, but instead it was clean as a whistle.

"Doc's kinda a clean freak, to be honest," Williams whispered as they moved through the lab. That much was obvious, but so was the work of John Henry Irons. The mechanical limbs looked like a prototype of the armor she herself wore. That was impressive considering she had came from the future. Sure, they were bulkier and were several iterations behind, but Irons was on to something. She sure hoped that Agger was telling the truth when he said that they weren't weaponizing these things. They already looked like they could do some damage.

They turned a corner and she had to shield her eye from the sparks coming from a welding station. In front of it, a burly African American man sat controlling the welding arms from behind a protective barrier. Around his head she saw that he was wearing goggles to protect his eyes. As the sparks dissipated, she saw that he was putting the finishing touches on a completed suit. It was a hulking construct of metal, and she could tell that it was for mining.

John Henry Irons laid back and pulled the goggles off his head. She could feel the relief washing over him. He turned, revealing a face that seemed to be chiseled out of the same metal he had just been working with. If she didn't know better, she would have thought that he was a statue himself.

His deep, brown eyes narrowed at her, "Well, looks like my babysitter finally got here. How's it going, showboat?"

"Wow," Booster shook his head, "everyone is just so friendly here. Is it something they put in the food?"

"Sorry," he put his hands up. "Stressed after having to pick up everything I was working on and move it across the country."

"Sure," she nodded and presented her hand. "Booster Gold, pleasure to meet you, Doctor Irons."

He shook her hand with his oven mitt sized grip, "Glad you're here. And I appreciate you making sure one of my inventions didn't hurt anyone. Wouldn't have been able to live with myself otherwise."

"It's the job," she smiled. "What's that one do?"

He smiled with pride, clearly happy she asked, "Gives the wearer quite a bit of super strength, endurance, and durability. The idea is we'll get one guy to do the mining operations of twenty in a much, much safer manner."

"Quite impressive, sir!" Skeets flew over to examine the armor, before he shorted out and buzzed as he often did.

"Can you do anything about that?" she asked the engineer hopefully.

"Probably not," he shook his head. "I'm more of a nuts and bolts kind of guy. Not AI."

"Yea, that's what I thought you'd say," she sighed.

Absolute Comics - Season Two: The Monster Within

THE GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY

IN

RAMBLE ON

---

The four Guardians and their new charge tumbled through the darkness towards an unknown fate, before splashing down into a pool of clear, clean, and cold water. Thor came back up, breaking the surface with the small, green girl clinging tightly to his neck. Her grip was strong, but not strong enough to cut of his air. He was a god after all. It would take more than a child to take him down in such a situation. He looked back and met her eyes. She was scared. Of course she would be. But there was a determination to survive in them as well. She had to have that to have survived for this long in such circumstances.

He looked around, seeing that Rocket was now afloat on Groot, who bobbed up and down like driftwood in the calm waters. Quill treaded water next to them.

"Is everyone unharmed?" the God of Thunder asked his comrades.

"My guns better still work," Rocket grumbled. "I hate when they get wet. They're not supposed to get this wet."

"Seriously?" Quill shot back at the little mammal. "That's what you're worried about right now!?"

"They are expensive!" Rocket bared his teeth. "I understand that you don't appreciate the finer things in life, but that doesn't mean we can't."

"I am Groot."

"You're right, buddy, he is a simpleton," Rocket chuckled.

"He didn't say that," Quill rolled his eyes.

"I am Groot."

"Yea, that is rude. I agree," Rocket patted the living tree's head.

"Enough."

Thor's word rung through the cave with force, silencing their bickering. The three Guardians that were with him were strong and capable warriors, but they were still nowhere near what he would consider a team. During the days of Asgard, Thor had the Warriors Three, Lady Sif, and Heimdall by his side when he was on the battle field. There were none that could stand up to them when they stood shoulder-to-shoulder. Maybe one day Thor and these misfits would turn out to be just as strong of a fighting force, but the others would have to learn to work together before that would be possible. So far that was looking unlikely.

"Rocket," he started calling out orders, "can you find a beach? Or shallows where we can stand? If those creatures are here, and they find us like this, we will certainly end up as their meal."

"Yea, sure," was his response. "Let me just get a flare out. Should give us a clear view of the cave."

Suddenly, a blinding white light exploded before him and flew up, illuminating the domed-cave that surrounded them. Thor could see the hole they had just fallen through, as well as a beach about one hundred meters away, "There. A beach. Once we're there we can find our way out."

"Uh...we should probably get there pretty fast," Quill's voice was filled with fear.

Thor followed his eyes up to the roof of the domed cave. Where once had been what seemed to be black rock was now looked like a night's sky of stars. Hundreds of them gleamed down at the five of them in the cold underground lake. But they were not stars. They were the eyes of the creatures staring back down at them hungrily. There were more here than in the Asgardian cache on the dead planet. That much was for certain.

"Move!" Thor growled and the three swimmers were making haste towards the beach. The cold water slowed the others' movements, but not Thor. The cold was in his blood. He liked it. It fueled him. It gave him something to fight against, and that was always where he was at his strongest.

As they moved through the deep, black waters, he heard things falling around them. Usually one would have to worry about a cave in when hearing that in normal situations. This was no normal situation however. He knew the creatures were now in the water with them. More were joining with every swimming stroke. All it would take was one to get below the Guardians for them to end up a snack. They needed to get to that beach, and fast.

When they were merely yards from the beach, Thor felt a clawed, exoskeletoned hand wrap around his ankle and yank him below the surface of the water. He felt the girl panic on his back. She would not last long under the surface, and it would be easy for another creature to snatch her off his back and she would be gone forever. He would not let that happen. He reared back with his free leg and slammed it hard into the clawed appendage. He felt the insectoid's grip loosen as the arm popped off of its owner. Thor and his charge broke back above the water, where he found vines stretching from Groot's arms towards them. Thor grabbed hold, and the tree pulled them swiftly towards the shore.

Once they were there, he let the girl off his shoulders and he took Jarnbjorn off his back. All around them the creatures stormed their way.

"There's a cave back that way," Quill motioned behind him. "Looks like it leads...somewhere."

"That terrible choice of words is unfortunately the best we got," Rocket admitted. "Should we head that way and die in a small cave, or stay here and die in a big one?"

Thor's mind was racing with possibilities. The tunnel could lead to an ambush of more creatures. It could be a dead end. But it was probably the only chance any of them had to survive.

"Quill, you and Rocket take the girl through the tunnel. Find a way out. I will ensure this filth does not enter the tunnel."

"Thor, no," Quill shook his head. "You can't sacrifice yourself here. Not now. Come on, we'll all go."

"Nay, Peter Quill," Thor shook his head. "This is not where I die. But if it somehow is, I need you to find Niðavellir, the land of the dwarves. Tell them of the symbol we saw here. They will be able to tell you the rest."

"But-" Quill was cut off.

"No time for parting tears, fly boy!" Rocket yelled as he took his guns out of his holsters and began firing at the creatures on the ceiling who were now trying to cut them off from the tunnel. "We gotta go!"

Quill met Thor's eyes. The boy may have been a mere mortal, and not all that special of one. But he had courage, and sometimes that was enough to make one special. He would have died with Thor. The Asgardian could see that now. It was touching, even if he didn't think he deserved that dedication. He broke the gaze as one of the insectoids charged up the beach. Thor decapitated it with his large axe.

He walked backwards towards the mouth of the tunnel, swinging the great blade left and right, slashing through the exoskeleton armor of the approaching horde. None of them seemed to feel pain. There was only one, all-consuming goal, and that was to rip the Guardians limb-from-limb. They were like robots, alive only to finish their goal.

As terrifying as the situation would be for a mere mortal, Thor was not that. The blood that splattered on him after every strike Jarnbjorn was true seemed to empower him even more than usual. It was the berserker blood lust that he knew all too well. Often he would try and hide it, especially when fighting sentient beings. But now this was all he had to keep him alive. He would kill every single one of these abominations if it meant his comrades would escape unharmed.

Thor reached the cave mouth and set up a wide, powerful stance that would allow him to guard the entrance fully. The creatures may be able to get around him some other way, but he would kill all that tried him here. As he prepared for the next wave, a large rock from the cave flew by him and smashed into two of the approaching creatures. He turned to find the tree standing next to him.

"I am Groot."

"Thank you, my friend," he smiled mischievously. "It is an honor to fight by your side."

---

On the other side of the galaxy, sparks crackle around the mighty hammer Mjolnir.

Titans: A DC Comics Roleplay

WHere we at, people!?

Absolute Comics - Season Two: The Monster Within

She looked at herself in the mirror, unable to really grasp what she was about to do. She was a woman that had no idea who she really was, about to go out for a social meetup with a coworker. Was Sandy a coworker? Or was she Booster's boss? The hero honestly didn't really know.

Didn't really know. That was the story of her life at this point. She didn't know her real name. Didn't know where...or when she really came from. Hell, she didn't even know what kind of drink she usually ordered at a bar! She was a cypher to herself, how could she possibly have anything to say to another human worth their time?

She adjusted her shirt to make sure it looked as she hoped. Nothing more than a simple tank top and a pair of jeans to go with it. If she was being honest with herself, she had no idea what was considered fashionable in this time. She had seen so many different styles. This would, at the very least, be passable in the

"Ma'am?" Skeets's voice emanated from the door of the bathroom. She had gotten used to him not giving her much privacy. He was a robot, after all. He wasn't trying to be creepy, he just had no semblance of what was appropriate when it came to human behavior. "Are you okay?"

"Fine, Skeets," she shrugged. "Just getting ready to go out for a drink. What do people drink in 2019 anyway?"

Skeets buzzed for a second, "Bloody Mary's random fried food stuffed into them. Beers brewed less than five miles from where they are consumed. Whiskey."

"I think I'll stick with whiskey," Booster muttered to herself, the words seemingly springing from her subconscious. "Yea, that sounds good."

"Sounds good, ma'am," Skeets was apprehensive. "But that's not exactly what I meant."

She turned over her shoulder and looked at the robot, "What do you mean, then?"

"During the meetings today, you had two more reactions," the AI responded matter-of-factly. "Once when Captain America was mentioned, and once when Tony Star was. It didn't read differently on your vitals than when we first appeared in this time."

A long sigh escaped her as she thought about it. She knew that Skeets had been monitoring her vitals. Of course he was. The robot was attached to a suit of armor she never really took off. He knew when her heart rate spiked. Skeets hadn't brought it up to her yet. Maybe he did know a little bit about propriety. He didn't want to hurt her by bringing up things that made her uncomfortable.

"Yea, Skeets," she nodded. "I think...I think they're my memories. They're triggered by words, phrases, sights...different things. I don't know. But they hit me like a punch in the face."

"These seemed a little less intense than the one the other day with the news reports of Captain America killing that Stryfe character," Skeets added.

She thought about that long and hard. The vision that had come to her that day was the most intense that she had experience outside the initial one when she woke up in 2019.

Booster looked up at the robot and started, "When we saw that news report, I had the longest vision I've had yet. I saw the moments before I...before we were sent back in time. Parts of it at the very least. I was in a room. It was under siege. Captain America was there. He was giving me instructions. At least I think he was. But he was old. At least a few decades. Iron Man was there too. Then three people I'm not familiar with. An older guy in blue. An older guy in blue and red. And an older guy with white hair on the sides of his head. The three of them were working around some computer. You and I were in a transporter or something. I assume it was what sent us back to this time. As I said, Captain America was giving us instructions. Iron Man was preparing for something to come through the door of the room. I could smell ozone burning. Everyone else looked like hell. They looked like they had been through a war, and they were all on their last legs. This was a last stand. That much was obvious. Everything else was a blur. But before I was...transported, Cap said something to me. Something that wasn't clear in my vision. But it was important. As my vision began to be taken over by the time travel, something came through the door of the room. Ripped through Iron Man like he was a paper doll. That was the last thing I saw, I assume, before waking up in 2019."

Silence hung heavy in the air as Booster finished her story. It was something that had haunted her dreams since the day she saw it, but what made it even worse was the fact that she didn't know what it meant. The words that came from Captain America's lips were nothing more than the wind on a summer day on the beach. They were like trying to catch smoke. Each time she tried to figure out what he had said she just got a headache. It was maddening.

"I'm sorry, Booster," was all that the robot could respond with. "I remember nothing of our final moments from where we came from."

She looked over at him, "I kind of assumed that. If we ever get a chance to link up with Tony Stark or someone else who can fix you, we'll have them take a look."

"I would like that, ma'am."

"So would I," she nodded. Not because she cared about the robot's well being, but because she needed to know everything he had in his databanks.

---

The clinks of glasses and the hum of conversation floated in the back of Booster's mind as she shifted uncomfortably in the seat across from Sandy. She was wearing the same blouse from earlier, a shiny off-white, though a few of her buttons had been undone since she left work. Her hair, usually worn up while in the office, was now falling down to her shoulders in red, slightly-wavy cascades. It was lovely, Booster had to admit. Her gin and tonic rolled in her hand as she swirled her glass, and sighed, "It's good that this job pays well, because otherwise I dunno if I'd be able to take it."

Booster's eyebrow raised, "Dealing with me is that bad, huh?"

Sandy's freckled cheeks went deep red, almost matching her cheeks, with a blush, "Oh, I didn't mean it like that!"

"Relax!" Booster also spat up her drink from laughter. She had ordered a whiskey. Maybe it was something in her subconscious that told her she would enjoy it, and she really was. "I was joking."

"Not funny," Sandy shook her head at the superhero. "Pretending that I just pissed off the most powerful person I know isn't exactly ideal."

"Sorry," Booster was apologetic. "But I would figure Agger was the most powerful person you know. He is technically my boss, after all."

"Please," the PR rep rolled her eyes. "Agger's terrified of you. Only reason he looks so calm around you is because you make him money, and that cures all ills for him. But he's the reason I'd probably leave the job if you hadn't come around. Working for a company with big money sounds great at my age, until you really see how the sausage is made, and Agger is ruthless. When the world is moving away from oil, he's fighting tooth and nail to keep it alive. And even ignoring that...something else gives me the willies."

Booster was surprised to hear that, "You are a superb actress. In that meeting I would have thought you were behind him fully. But it relieves me you feel that way. The guy is slimier than a sea slug. Am I really the reason you haven't left?"

"Sure," Sandy nodded sheepishly. "We can do some good here, even if it's in the name of a shit company. But you need to be careful on this mission."

The superhero leaned over the table closer, "How so?"

"Agger is obsessed with Irons's project," she explained. "I've never seen him more invested in a single company project. He swears up and down that there's no desire to weaponize those suits, but I don't buy it. There's something fishy going on. At least I think there is."

Booster considered her words. It was nothing more than conjecture, and could be nothing more than Agger's normal ick factor. But if he really was involved with what was going on with the stolen suits, it meant he wanted to sell them to the highest bidder. Iron Man wanted to keep such tools out of the hands of those that would misuse them, but it tracked that other people would try to do the exact opposite. That was a scary thought.

"If something's going on, I'll figure it out," Booster comforted Sandy. "After all, who better to foil a plot than Booster Gold? I do it in my sleep."

Sandy's eyes narrowed at her suspiciously, "You can't fool me with that braggadocios attitude, Booster. You're hiding something too. And I'm going to figure it out."

"Well, when you do, let me know, would ya?" she responded, only half-joking.

Titans: A DC Comics Roleplay

Character Name

Kaldur'ahm
Aqualad

Character Age

17

Attributes & Abilities

Kaldur has the abilities of all Atlanteans possess thanks to their life underwater. He can breath below water, can swim and incredible speeds, has dense, durable flesh, and has enhanced strength, ranging towards super strength. Thanks to his time training under Queen Mera, he is also an accomplished Atlantean sorcerer. He has the ability of hydrokenesis, and can even form hard-water constructs, allowing him to turn water into bladed or dull offensive weapons. He can also generate electricity, not unlike an electric eel. He has also been working on the ability to speak to marine life, though he has far from mastered this. During his time training under Aquaman, he has become an accomplished hand-to-hand combatant.

Character Synopsis

Kaldur'ahm is the son of Atlantean Sha’lain’a and mutated human Calvin Durham. Calvin was experimented on by the villains Black Manta and the Ocean Master in order to have a man on the inside of Atlantis. While he was relaying information back to the Manta, Calvin slowly started to fall in love with the Atlantean way of life. More importantly, however, he soon found himself in love with the beautiful Sha'lain'a. He hid his true nature from her, and the two were married after a whirlwind romance. Nine months later, Kaldur'ahm was born to the joy of the two of them.

Kaldur grew up around the palace of Atlantis as his mother was a friend and handmaiden of Mera, the betrothed of Orin, king of Atlantis. As he grew, Mera saw the boy had a knack for Atlantean sorcery, and began training him when she could. As the years passed, he was joined under Mera's tutelage by the beautiful Tula, whom he quickly fell madly in love with. The two were Mera's prized pupils, and King Orin began to take a liking to the boy as well, and began training him in martial arts.

When Kaldur was in his early teens, Ocean Master and Black Manta launched their master plan. With the intel that Calvin had supplied years ago of a secret passage into the palace of Atlantis, Manta and his shock troopers attacked Mera and Orin, keeping them pinned down. Meanwhile, Ocean Master, the king's brother, attacked with his forces outside the city. Without their king and leader, the forces of Atlantis were disorganized. Calvin, though he had long ago abandoned his mission, realized his information had been used against his new home, admitted to his wife and son who her truly had been once, and rushed off to help the king and queen. His son, not missing a beat, followed close behind.

When they reached the throne room, they found the royal family near defeat. Father and son joined the fray, though they stood little chance. Kaldur used both his sorcery and his fighting skills in order to drive back the shock troops, but Black Manta proved to be too much for Calvin. The Manta killed Kaldur's father right in front of the boy, before beating Kaldur senseless. The young Atlantean was saved by a resurgent Orin, and the Aquaman repelled Black Manta before leading Atlantis's troops in victory over the Ocean Master.

After the battle, Orin offered Kaldur a place at his side as his protege. Kaldur accepted, and has worn the mantle of Aqualad ever since, protecting the Earth next to the Aquaman.

Titans: A DC Comics Roleplay

Location: United Nations Building, New York City

---

The crisp, clean hallways of the United Nations Building felt more alien to Kaldur'ahm than anything he had seen in his years since breaching the surface and becoming a part of two worlds. How the surface dwellers loved their straight lines, white walls, and shiny floors. He didn't understand why they wanted things to be so...sterile all the time. The buildings of Atlantis were swirling, sweeping works of art that cradled you in their embrace. They were as alive as the beings that lived in them. Here they were nothing more than a space you closed yourself off from nature in. He would never understand it.

Still, he was here on important business, and as strange as they still were to him, he enjoyed working with the people of the surface in order to advance his king's goals. Orin had sent him in his stead to brief the UN's science committee on ongoing ocean cleanup efforts between the two peoples. It was going well, even if there were some southeast Asia countries that could be doing more to stem the tide of plastics entering the ocean. Still, things were improving, and that was good news.

"Kaldur," the lead of the UN science team, a Doctor Khatri from India, smiled and shook his hand. "We're so glad to have you here."

"King Orin and Queen Mera send their apologies," he smiled politely at her, knowing he was not their first choice to address the gathered delegates. Orin, the Aquaman, just held far more sway of these kinds of people. Kaldur was not bitter at this. It was merely fact. The King of Atlantis was far more prestigious and inspiring than the King's squire. But the Aqualad would do his duty, and do it well. For that was what his king had charged him. "I do hope the scientific council are not too disappointed to be briefed by a sidekick."

"Oh!" she was taken aback with surprise. "Not at all! In fact I think it will reassure everyone that there is another generation of Atlantis ready to stand for our efforts in the future."

The thought brought a slight smile to his face. After all that had happened over the years, from Orm's attempted takeover of the surface, to Black Manta's repeated attempts to destroy Atlantis, it heartened Kaldur that the two peoples were creating a lasting partnership for the betterment of the planet. Aquaman always said that people were stronger together, and Kaldur took pride in the fact that he himself was helping to bridge some gaps.

"That is a welcomed point of view, Dr. Khatri," he nodded to her. "Whenever you are ready, I have my address prepared, signed off on by the King himself."

"Well, that's just great!" she smiled broadly. "If you want to follow me, we can get on with it right awa-"

A low rumble jostled through the building, and everyone around Kaldur'ahm fell into a deep silence. His eyes narrowed to worried slits. After a few moments, a pair of UN guards began trotting down the hallway towards him. The first snapped to attention, "Sir, we've been ordered to inform you that you...uhh...may be needed, sir."

"There's no need to salute me," Kaldur waved him off, embarrassed. "What's the situation?"

"Something unknown beamed down into the city," the other guard filled him in. "That's about all we known so far. We can give you the location."

"Thank you," he nodded to the pair of them before turning to Dr. Khatri. "My apologies, Doctor. Our address will have to wait for another time."

He headed off back to where he had left his water pack, knowing he would need it to deal with whatever was going on in the city. As he retrieved it, he fought the urge to call King Orin. The king had more important matters to attend to, and Aquaman had made it clear to Kaldur that he needed to try and stand on his own more.

"Kaldur," the king's voice echoed through his head, "you have served me well. But the world now needs you more than I do. It is time for you to start carving your own path, past failures be damned. It is time for you to become the man you were meant to be, and the hero the world needs you to be."

Kaldur'ahm was not sure if his king was correct, but he had his orders. He pushed aside any trepidation he felt and prepared himself for battle. He would not fail his king. He would not fail Atlantis.

Absolute Comics - Season Two: The Monster Within

THE GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXYY

IN

RAMBLE ON

---

The air in the cave was stale and damp, with more and more humidity as the four of them moved deeper into the bowels of the planet. The warm, wet air led Thor to believe that there was plenty of fresh water beneath the surface of the rocky planet, which made sense. The surface had no water, so it had to have its stores below for habitation suitability. The heat could also be used for geothermal power depending on the strength. It was a good spot to set oneself up, at least when they weren't being hunted by ravenous space insects.

"So what do these things look like?" Rocket asked as he kept his eyes peeled on the walls around them. Thor had told the group that the creatures enjoyed using rock faces as camouflage. Rocket, who could see better than the rest in the dark, was tasked with spotting them if he could.

"Like a Bolovax roach, only bigger than a guy," Star-Lord shrugged. "And with huge teeth. You'd be an appetizer."

"At least until I blew myself out of his stomach with these things," Rocket patted the weapons on his belt. "Ain't no one eatin' me without a fight."

"I am Groot," the living tree nodded.

"They are fast," Thor warned his new ally. "You may not have the chance."

"You managed to get away carrying all those muscles," Rocket shrugged. "I think I'd be okay."

The four of them shared a nervous laugh as they traversed the slick, metal platform that made up the floor of the mine, which was still in its infancy. The passage was dimly lit with green, glowing orbs lining the handrail they walked beside. The walls of the cave, assuming they weren't lined with the alien creatures, were black, with luminous blue-green streaks running through them. Rocket and Peter had explained that the ore, when refined, was an important additive to fuel for their ships. It kept the engines from exploding, which Thor figured was quite important for space travel.

"Hm," Peter said as he closed his face shield. "My scanners are picking up life. Looks mammalian. Might be some of our settlers."

"I am Groot."

"Yes, tree," Thor smiled up at the plant alien. "Some of them are indeed alive."

"Guess I owe you one hundred credits, Quill," Rocket groaned.

"Never in doubt!" Peter chuckled in victory.

"Keep your eyes sharp," Thor warned his friend. "The creatures may be leading us into a trap."

But as they traversed deeper and deeper into the cave system it was clear there was no trap coming, at least not imminently. Nothing but foreboding, rocky passage after foreboding rocky passage. Quill said that every step brought them closer to the life forms that were still on the planet. While it should have given Thor a thrill, he felt a pit growing in his stomach. There was something wrong here. He felt like he was trespassing on some forbidden ground. If that was the case, it wasn't a surprise that the settlers would meet a horrible fate. They would have been destined for it by just coming here.The three of

"We're only a click away from the signal," Peter warned them.

The four of them crept carefully towards an opening that seemed to glow with a red light, very different from the green light they had seen up until then. Entering, Thor and the group were completely taken aback by what they saw.

Six of the settlers were cocooned on the wall of the rockface, their insides splattered on the floor of the cave. The room reeked of death and fear, as if their dying moments had been trapped in the cavern.

"Oh god," Star-Lord shook his head. "We were too late."

"I am Groot," the tree sounded just as despondent.

"What kind of person could have done this?" Rocket's fear was palpable. This surprised Thor. The small creature's detached nature was a defining feature, and being shaken like this was enough to prove the scene's grisliness.

And Thor saw something that proved that some sort of otherworldly for was at work. On the back wall of the room, in the middle of the bodies, was an ancient rune that Thor had not seen in ages. A crude face, one side painted in white, the other in black, with pointed ears was drawn on the cave walls. The site sent a pang of fear rolling through the son of Odin's body.

"It's not possible," he muttered to himself, taking a few steps back from the drawing. "It cannot be."

"Man he's really freaked out about that graffiti," Rocket muttered to Groot.

"No time for that," Peter warned. "We got movement in that rock shaft."

"How many of them?" Rocket asked, spinning his guns in his paws, ready for a fight.

Quill paused, "Just one. Coming toward us slowly."

"A scout," Thor growled. "Let us avenge the settlers. We will leave none of these beasts alive."

The four of them dropped into battle stances, ready for anything that might come. They heard the scratching in the rock tunnel as the creature approached, scrambling over the rocks to get to them. It continued to get louder as it approached.

But what came through wasn't an insectoid. It was a little girl. Long, dirty black hair hung over her teal-green face, and striking blue eyes stared back at the four of them full of fear. She was small, no longer than eight if Thor had to guess. Malnourished as well. It looked like she hadn't eaten in days.

He motioned for her to come closer, "Come out, young one. We aren't going to hurt you."

"You wont," she said hauntingly. "But they are coming."

Thor spun to look at Quill, "Multiple movement signs! Shit! More than I can even keep up with."

"BRING 'EM ON!" Rocket growled, full of blood lust. "I've got a shot with every one of their names on it!"

"I AM GROOT!"

Thor scooped the girl up, who didn't struggle in the slightest. The four of them spun and sprinted back from where they came from. As their foot falls started to be drowned out by the clatter of exoskeleton-covered legs hitting rocks, the metal floor creating the floor of the mine gave way, and the five of them were thrown into complete darkness.

Titans: A DC Comics Roleplay

Personally I'd like if there was a former team. Kaldur could have been a part of it as a much younger hero. I could see him stewing over mistakes he made while younger and wanting to make up for them with the new team