It was quiet outside the gates of the estate. They'd agreed to wait and meet here.
Unassuming gates, not the colossal metal elaborate monstrosities like those that this man had in their last world, their home world, but a solid wooden gate with a fairly long road to the house deeper within.
Without the extreme wealth for heavy security in this world, he'd instead chosen to blend in and attempt anonymity in a reclusive lifestyle. There were worse ideas. It seemed very quiet out in this country setting. Tranquil, even. The kind of trappings you'd come to expect from a man who had long wearied of the very nature and offerings of Western civilization. A man who had been taught of alternative lifestyles. A man who walked another path. Peter Cannon: Thunderbolt.
Eve stepped out from the shadows. Allen touched down after his flight.
They'd needed to meet, for support. The task at hand was to be an incredibly difficult one.
After all, how would you investigate... how would you accuse... the smartest man in the world?
How would you hope to mask your intentions from the most perceptive man in the world?
"Do you think he knows we're here?" Eve broke the silence.
"Ohhh yeah." Came the reply from the nuclear-augmented, most powerful man of their old world.
"Do you think he knows why?"Allen sighed.
"He's certainly smart enough to ask himself 'Why?' and if he does that, he's also smart enough to figure it out for himself pretty quick.""And how do you think he would handle that? When he figures it out?""I don't think it makes much sense speculating on what the smartest man in the world would do."And with that Allen Adam shifted his molecules to phase through the wall, and Eve disappeared into the shade of the gate, emerging on the other side from Adam's own shadow.
They walked down the long road to the little cottage in the distance.
O F G O D S A N D M O R T A L S . . . A N D T H O S E W H O
S T R A D D L E T H E L I N E I N B E T W E E N
Johnny Mann walked down the streets of New Carthage, his hands deep in his pockets in contemplation of everything that came to pass.
The Greek gods. He'd been dragged into their machinations.
And even worse, his patron's parallel.
This never would have happened back home. From what Johnny could tell the gods were generally constants across all dimensions, able to pierce interdimensional veils. Sure, their glamour often changed in between, but these were beings of such age and power they weren't generally want to change their general forms and habits often. Sure, Odin, Zeus, there were deities who would from time to time change their appearance and mix amongst the mortals, but this was something else.
He failed to recognise the forms that Aphrodite and Hephaestus generally took on this world. And it almost escalated as terribly as you could reasonably expect.
As it happened he had wondered if this problem was the work of Mars. He had long been trying to get Johnny to lose favour with the gods. But this was different. He'd failed to recognise ALL parties.
This was the danger of ignorance. In the game with stakes such as these, he was incredibly fortunate it hasn't resulted in anyone's death or disfigurement.
Then he stopped as an idea occurred to him.
The mistaken identities. Clearly neither form was Mars taking another form; that was not his style. But could his presence here overall - in this new world, where the gods take unfamiliar form - be the work of Mars. Re-establishing a more favourable battleground to crush his foe?
That sounded a lot more like the god of war he knew, whatever appearance he now took. Disturbingly so, in fact.
But would a god uproot ten mortals just to get to a single one?
The answer was obvious and a chill ran up his spine at the realization.
Allen Adam and Eve Eden were met at the door by Tabu Singh, who greeted them warmly and allowed the pair in and offered them a beverage. Allen accepted the offer for a glass of water out of a sense of etiquette and common courtesy on the guest's part. Eve declined.
From that, and her body language in the manner in which she declined, Peter Cannon divined she was here for 'business' and had no intention of allowing common-shared history to intervene in her current purpose, as he watched on from the monitor in his private room from within the depths of the house. He saw a willingness to bypass the collegial for brass tacks.
Peter smiled, a new curiosity to resolve, as he left his quarters to greet his guest.
"It's a pleasure to find you here!" He greeted the pair, without deception.
"Captain Atom, Nightshade!" He announced them both.
"I say these names, of course, only out of common courtesy and for your own comfort. My companion Tabu here is as aware of your other names, as I am." His voice brimming with honesty, and perhaps an earnestness.
Eve furrowed her brow. Was Adam right, did he already suspect the nature of their presence? Was this an effort to throw them off balance? A threat? An upfront honest admission of their knowledge to further solidify trust?
"I don't think it makes much sense speculating on what the smartest man in the world would do."
She remembered, and tried her best to control her facial expressions.
Peter Cannon looked at Eve like he saw through her and chuckled. There was no smirk. It was like someone had just told a wry, polite joke in company. And this enraged her further, enough to make her cheeks go flush, but she regained enough composure to not say anything.
They were sitting across the room from a man who could manipulate almost any situation in virtually any way he wished. A Bobby Fischer of the human condition, and if everything
SHE knew about reading people in her experience as a crimefighter and hero was true, he hadn't been attempting to manipulate the situation at all and found amusement in the realisation that she was looking so deeply into his very first statement. Presumably, her insecurities echoed, he believed they weren't even worthy of his efforts in that regard. She felt naked, exposed.
Peter opened his mouth to say something reassuring, to ease the tension and soothe the situation
"It's qu--"When Captain Atom, overly defensive of Eve and her feelings, blurted out the crux of their purpose for being here.
"So, did you bring us to this world?"Peter Cannon straightened up his posture in surprise. Eve looked across at Allen Adam aghast.
"We have a lead that suggested your involvement, however it's from a less than completely reliable source. A villain we fought today. So we thought the best way to follow it up, was directly, in person. So, is this something you could have done?""Oh yes. Probably. It is a plan I even considered once.""Ye-- Yes?!?" Exclaimed Eve, stunned the direct approach could be half as effective as it seemed to prove.
"Yes. When I was considering the R.E.M.M.C theory and potential solutions, I briefly considered it. But following logical progression I swiftly disregarded interdimensional relocation as an option, so had no cause to look into the potential methodology for doing so. So what I mean is, it's theoretically possible... evidently..." He gestured to all around them.
"But I never followed through on figuring out the logistics for how it could be possible, because it was not a fix.""R.E.M.M.C?" Captain Atom queried.
"Do you two not ever read any of the papers pertaining to what you choose to do for a living?" Peter once again seemed stunned.
"Perhaps we missed one." Eve replied flatly.
"Enlighten us.""'Reactive Escalation of Malevolence in Metahuman Communities.' In other words, there's the theory that so called 'heroic' intervention in societies where metahuman power exists, only results in esca--"Peter paused and considered the audience he was talking to.
"In the stakes being raised, in terms of potential damage and harm to the society at length.""Oh what a pile of crap..." Eve blurted out in response.
"Actually, there's a lot of data and scientific evidence that supports it."Eve scoffed, but Allen pressed on
"If that's the case then why do you do it?""I don't generally. I usually don't intervene unless the stakes are at an impermissable level. And generally Tabu has to convince me that even that is the case.""So you read this report, and decided that you shouldn't be-- interfering in the concerns of man?" Captain Atom asked, with no little concern.
"The paper had little to do with it. I'd long viewed it as a truism. It's roots steeped in the Eastern philosophy I was educated in. But that's not the part of the question you're interested in. You think I'm arrogant. That I put myself above the rest of humanity. Let me quell your concerns. I don't believe myself to be above the little people.""Little people?""A joke." And now the smirk came. And the coldness that came with it. His wit held none of the warmth that you would usually associate with good humour. In stark contrast from that of someone like the Blue Beetle.
"But the paper merely presented me with data which long supported what I'd already treated as true. I checked it myself to ensure that it wasn't merely confirmation bias - the classic trap of the closed mind. However, whilst some of it was exagerrated in plaes to support the premise, the exagerration was unnecesary in the first place. The figures bear out the premise, and the testing methods ring true.""Well, if all of that is right. And not just academic... meandering." Captain Atom started,
"Then why didn't you?""Why didn't I what?""Transport us all here. Why did you stop looking into how to do that?""It never got that far. I told you before, I never looked into the logistics behind interdimensional teleportation, because the logic behind it doesn't bear out."Blank expressions on the two heroic crimefighters told Peter Cannon that he was expected to explain why that was the case.
"Alright, broad strokes. Our presence DOES lead to escalation by malevolent forces - you may choose to call them 'villains' or 'supercriminals', whatever term suits.""However our absence causes a vaccuum, which is unable to be filled by any alternative in general society to date. It's a self-sustaining system. And we'd been in it too long. A snowball long left rolling down a hill, building mass and momentum. Without our presence NOW those malevolent forces would consume society - the world as we know it. So whilst the society we were in WOULD have likely mostly been better without our intervening presence in the first place, it had now gone on too far and our absence would almost certainly now make things far worse."They continued to stare. Although there was nothing left to explain.
"I suppose if you're looking for an analogy, we're not entirely dissimilar from an immune system and the reliance and overuse of antibiotics... but for society and the world at large.""What the f--?" Eve cut herself off before cursing the man off in his own home.
"You think we're penicillin?""I think that our overintervention leads to a human society incapable of resolving and preventing its own issues and problems. Yes.""When we stopped the Ghost, are you saying that was wrong! How about when you fought Eric Gore and his super apes! Or Peacemaker's stand against--!""Is this what you came here for? A case by case ethics lesson on the slippery slope of intervention against past foes?""No." Allen interjected, stopping the conflict from escalating further and becoming perhaps ironic in the process.
"No. We're here because some villain cursed out the Thunderbolt, as he left this world. A villain with the power to travel between dimensional spaces.""Qwsp." The Thunderbolt flatly stated whilst musing. Eve and Allen snaped to quickly look at each other, in telling shock before turning to face Peter Cannon.
"Oh don't look at me like that. You played your hand, you said 'a villain we fought today', he's all over the news cycle...""Then how does he know you?" Eve asked, between gritted teeth. She was getting tired of all of this.
"As far as I'm aware he doesn't. I haven't really shown myself since we came here in any major way. Th--""Then how?" Interjected Captain Atom.
"As I was about to say... You do realise I'm not the only 'Thunderbolt' in this world? Don't you?""There is?" Allen replied, somewhat shocked.
"Well, yes. I've looked into the history of this earth since we came here, and assumed you'd both done likewise. Assuming this world and our own would have a singular shared history - in a wider spanning multiverse, no less, as we ourselves now have evidence of - would be sheer folly. Surely you both realised that and did the same?""Then what have we missed? Who is this strange new Thunderbolt, another Peter Cannon?""No. In this case, he was some kind of djinn, genie, or energy based lifeform. Discovered by a young man and utilised for the... well, incredibly small-minded, use of fighting crime.""Other Thunderbolt..?" Captain Atom considered this news, musing aloud.
"Another Vic Sage?" Ted Kord thought to himself as he guided the Bug in the direction of the disturbance.
"I can barely believe there was one out there like him, let alone another."He'd received notification of an alarm being triggered at STAR Labs Deep Space observation site, in Ivy Town and had decided to check it out before heading home.
"Maybe that's why he's dead. The universe took him out because it couldn't stand for two of that particular brand of crazy."He didn't genuinely believe Vic to be crazy. Not really. Just, had tendencies that made him "questionable" in social settings.
As Ted began to lower the bug to cable-length, a flicker on a display monitor alerted him to the presence of another. Ted used his line to drop down to the grounds outside of the main building, just as he heard shouting come from within the building. He stood aghast as the rising flames reflected in the lenses of his mask.
"You tend to the fires, the civilians... I'll go find the one who tripped the security alarm that brought us here." Came the voice from the one his display monitor had warned him about. Christopher Smith. The Peacemaker.
Ted nodded in agreement. It seemed the most suitable use of each of their abilities. Peacemaker drew his sidearm, killed his jetpack, and strode towards the facility in search of the one who'd disturbed their peace. Ted rode the line back into the Bug. He prepared the extinguishing foam and fire hoses, and guided the Bug to where he'd heard the scared shouting earlier.
This was going to ruffle some feathers lately, the security and fire doors were meant to compartmentalise and section off the building for a reason, but Ted was damned if he was going to let anyone die just over a little property damage. He blew a hole in a wall, to give the people a place to flee the flames from and watched as a fireball jumped to feed on the new oxygen he'd just allowed into the building. He met the challenge with the extinguishing foam and beat the fire back.
Scientists rushed out of the newest exit now that it was safe, and a singular blue figure made it's way in, his BB Gun drawn, calling out to any and all stragglers to get out of the building.
For all the property damage that Ted had caused with his Bug, he began to wonder about Peacemaker's point of entry. From knowing him over the years he'd found him to be less than subtle. There was probably a smouldering crater, and a small pile of shell casings.
And then as if to affirm his fears he heard a burst of semi-automatic gunfire and a grizzled scream of rage. And then eerie silence. Ted gave pause, listening on for more signs of his colleague.
After a few beats when he found there was none. His eyes widened and he pushed on in the direction he last heard the cacophony come from. He burst through a set of blast doors and found himself in a long corridor, leading to a balding, overweight janitor mopping the floor absently in this eerie silence.
In the middle of chaos. Fires, gunfire, screaming, terrified staff... a janitor mopping a linoleum floor. It was surreal.
Beyond the plausible.
"Hey!" Ted called out, raising his BB gun.
The janitor continued to mop the floor behind him, as he backed away around the corner at the end of the long corridor.
"HEY! STOP!" Ted ran to the man, calling out as the man slowly vanishing around the corner. His eyes looked up to meet Ted's, with a vacant glare and expressionless face, just before he disappeared from sight.
"I said stop!" Only the mophead was still visible now. Back and forward. Then... nothing.
Ted finally got to the end of the corridor and...
Nothing. An empty hallway. With a mop lying abandoned on the floor by the corner.
"But... how--? How'd that old fat guy move so fast?" Ted wondered to himself aloud. He turned around to check the other end of the long hallway and saw Peacemaker lying prone. Slowly, groggily, coming to his senses. Ted saw something which chilled him to his bones.
Fear. There was fear on the face of the Peacemaker. A terror like he'd never seen before.
A man who'd devoted himself to preventing war, who'd come face to face with the true horrifying darkness of the worst of men's souls... and this was something else. Something new.
"What happened..? What did you see?"
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