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Post by Deleted on Jun 27, 2014 6:47:15 GMT
Location: Hall of Justice, Washington DC Date: October 8, 2016 Time: 15:45 (3:45 PM EST)
A lone figure landed on steps of the Hall of Justice, hair windswept from flight, and glanced up at the low edifice of the League's earth base for a few seconds before proceeding up the stairs and pushing open the glass door leading inside. Why exactly it was that Shane had felt the sudden urge to visit the Hall of Justice on this particular day, and as Ragnarok no less when he could have gotten there faster by car, was a complete and total mystery, even to him. He really had no reason to be here. He didn't have a Zeta tube designation, the only thing that was open to him was the lobby, and he hadn't been summoned. But still he had taken a whole day off of work, to chase a whisper in his head. The psychologist on the Marine base had told him that impulsive urges would be one of the more prevalent effects of his Schizophrenia. Shane could picture him saying that, and remember every nuance of the scene, even down to the color of the curtains in the room and that the doctor had a slight lisp, that obviously had been polished out at one point, but now that he was in the stress of military life he had begun to slip back into it. Time and time again Shane had proven that psychologist right when he found himself making split second decisions that he ended up regretting in the long run. Crazy man, Alpha told him as he took his first glance up at the tall granite statues of the founding League members. Wasting a perfectly good day here, when you could be working and actually doing something useful. Fishing in the pocket of his black jeans, Shane pulled out his wallet and opened it, quickly turning his license around in its slot so not just anyone could see his secret identity. Then he found his picture of Greg, a copy of the one that had spent four years in the enemy fortress with him, and glanced at it. Alpha settled down as Greg reaffirmed his need to be here, for a mystery purpose.
Just as Shane was putting it away, a small group of tourists who were standing nearby noticed the man in the blue shirt with the golden dragon, black pants, black shoes, and domino mask. "Ragnarok!" they whispered among themselves, and cautiously made their way toward him. A four year old girl that was with them was the first to run up , and she held out her arms. Shaking off his lingering doubt, he swept her up, nestling her on his hip. The adults that had gathered around visibly relaxed. Doubtless they remembered Shane's fight with Green Arrow five years before, and his occasional rebellions against the League, some of which had been caught on live TV. He talked to the girl for a while, who quite adorably called him Wagnawock, and then sent her back to her parents. After that, others came up, brandishing cameras and cell phones, for pictures, and pens and pencils and paper, for autographs. Shane just smiled at them and was as friendly as he could be. Really, he was surprised at their interest in him, after all he wasn't an official member of the Justice League yet; sure he had his connections to them, but even after five years on their call list he hadn't made the cut. He still had things to work on before that day came.Garfield Logan
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Post by Garfield Logan on Jun 28, 2014 6:25:09 GMT
Beast boy was walking through the streets, admiring the sights. He was in his normal form, allowing him to blend into the crowd. He came out of a store with a couple of bags of goodies; most of which is edible. He saw the large structure showing all of the original members of the Justice League. He decided to go to look at the museum.
Garfield was walking through the halls, The white marble bounced the sunlight around, showing how immaculate the place is kept. He gawked at the giant statues, admiring their architecture when he saw a large crowds gathering together and murmuring. He hid his purchases behind a hallway. His curiosity peaked his interest, causing him to go over to investigate. When he saw a man in a superhero costume, one of his eyebrows raised. Shape-shifting into a hummingbird, the green boy tried to get closer. His shirt turned into a collar around his neck. A couple of people swatted at him, causing him to have to avoid several hands. After stabilizing himself, the hummingbird tried to get closer to the hero. "Hey, up here!" he chirped to the man. After heading down the hallway, the bird turned back into his monkey-human form, his collar turning back into his coverall shirt. "What are you doing here?" He whispered in curiosity.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 28, 2014 7:05:48 GMT
Some of the crowd had started to dissipate by the time Shane found himself oddly aware of a buzzing sound, from above. A voice came to him, barely audible and seemingly on the wind. Hey, up here. Glancing up, he caught a glimpse of an odd sight- a hummingbird. First of all, hummingbirds weren't too common in the middle of Washington DC unless one kept a garden with bright colored flowers. Second of all, it wasn't the season for them to be passing through; that was well over by now. Third of all- well, hummingbirds didn't tend to want to come inside. Something was odd about the way it looked at him. Then, it darted away, off toward another part of the Hall of Justice. Shane told the people around that he had to go, and pushed his way out, following the green bird to an abandoned side hall. He checked to make sure no one was following him before he ducked in after it. When he turned around, he found himself looking at an odd, lanky boy. Well, maybe he wasn't fully a boy. He kind of looked like the love child of a monkey and a human. But no, that was impossible. He must have animal shapeshifting abilities. What are you doing here? the boy asked. He sounded genuinely curious, so Shane lost no time in replying. "I really don't know. I just had an urge to visit today. Pictures and autographs are part of the gig for a hero who's even had a small amount of time in the public eye." Shane dropped his gaze from the kid, to the sack of food on the floor, and back to the kid again. "What are you doing here?" A small, friendly smile tugged at his lips.
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Post by Garfield Logan on Jun 29, 2014 7:43:39 GMT
"I...er... I was visiting the city, came to see the museum and pick up some souvenirs," Garfield replied. He picked up the sack and started heading back towards the group. "The hero life would be nice in the praise, but wouldn't you be nervous about a criminal using your fame against you?" Garfield questioned. Secretly he wanted to try being famous for a little bit, but didn't think he would be able to handle the unending attention. "I'm Garfield, what's your name?" He replied with a smile. He could hear the group chattering in the back group, but wasn't sure about what. He had a suspicion about what it was though. He looked over his shoulder and it confirmed his hypothesis. The teens were talking about the hero and the boy.
"Are you, like, friends with Ragnarok?" One of the girls asked as she walked up to the two. She was wearing bug-eye sunglasses with her weather jacket. She was chewing a piece of bubblegum rather loudly. "Uhhh...." Garfield said, looking at the hero for an answer, raising his right eyebrow. "Hehe..." He smiled, scratching the back of his head. The woman just stood there, chewing her gum like a horse, waiting for an answer. He wasn't sure how to answer the question.
An amateur journalist shoved Garfield aside, trying to get in close to the hero. He was holding what obviously looked like a fake microphone. The "cameraman" behind him had a video camera that was purchased at the nearest superstore. After regaining his balance, the boy looked over again. Maybe he didn't want to try to be famous after all, too many people in the way.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 29, 2014 21:41:48 GMT
"I do get nervous about it, sometimes. It's a risk that all superheroes have to take. Actually, that is one of the reasons why the Justice League exists. If somehow a villain manages to turn the world against a hero of good reputation and character, others can be there for him, to help restore his image." Four years ago, one wouldn't have caught Shane even thinking anything like that. After losing Greg and the emergence of his Schizophrenia, he had refused to trust anyone. However, the unity of the League and the dedication in the friendship they showed him had Shane fully determined to stick with them, even if he never became a member. Garfield. A good, old-fashioned name. Shane smiled and nodded at the kid at his side. "Shane. Nice to meet you." Though he didn't intend to, he toned down his voice a bit, minimizing the chances of anyone accidentally overhearing.
They emerged back into the lobby, and almost instantly they were approached yet again. Ragnarok had to stifle a full-bellied laugh at the girl in the glasses. He smiled and became 'in the public eye' Shane again. "We actually only met a few minutes ago, but any fellow hero is a friend of mine." Lightly, he placed a hand on Gar's shoulder, and let it rest there. Instantly the voice in his head spoke up. Assuming he is a hero... You know he is, Alpha. The 'reporter' made Ragnarok start as he just pushed Garfield out of the way. The hand that had once been on the young man's shoulder clutched desperately for him, but missed. It had all happened too fast. Shane sighed softly with exasperation, but thankfully he didn't do what he really wanted to: roll his eyes. He hated the press and media for always trying to rake in the viewers and cash, often at the expense of others. Glancing quickly over in the direction Garfield had went, he briefly had a glimpse of the young man regaining his balance before someone else got in the way. He couldn't just leave without saying something, so desperately he searched his mind for something snappy and encouraging. In a second he had it, and leaning a bit toward the guy with the mike, he glanced toward the camera, smiled, and said, "I'm Ragnarok, at the Hall of Justice, reminding everyone that the League and their friends work hard to protect what you care most about." A few seconds later he had rejoined Garfield, and motioning the monkey-like boy to follow, started pushing his way through the circle that surrounded them. "Excuse me... good day, ma'am... please let us through... no more questions or autographs, sorry sir..." Finally they made it past the bunch of people and to the door leading outside. As he went to open it, Shane turned to Garfield and said, "I didn't become a hero for the fame. No matter how weak or strong of powers you may have, or how much you appear, associating yourself with the League gets you noticed, and to an extent famous."
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Post by Garfield Logan on Jun 30, 2014 7:34:58 GMT
Garfield followed the hero through the crowd. He had to shove his way through part way. "Noted," he said, once they got through the crowd. The green boy kept up with Ragnarok as they walked away from the crowds. "Where are we going to?" He asked with some excitement. When he got a chance, Garfield turned back into his normal human form, allowing him to blend into the population.
He followed Shane for a little bit, before watching a cat burglar steal a purse from an old woman. As the man was running away, Beast Boy turned into a Peregrine Falcon and took off after the man, before quickly catching up to him. A quick peck to the head stopped the man from running as he swatted at the bird. "Get out of here! He tried to use the purse to swat Garfield out of the sky, but missed the falcon.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 5, 2014 19:12:25 GMT
Shane thought for a minute, and realizing that he really didn't know where he was going (impulsive decisions!), shrugged. "I got the day off today to do pretty much whatever. Is there anywhere in particular that you..." He was cut off by Gar running off to stop a purse snatcher. Almost immediately Shane followed, just in case his new friend encountered any trouble. The kid made Shane smile. Turning into a falcon was admittedly a clever idea, and slowed the perp down effectively. Of course, there were faster ways to do it, like turning into a big cat and taking one's target down right away, but that would attract unwanted attention, and in a split second's time whatever popped into one's head flew (No pun intended). Garfield dodged well; it was obvious that he was used to having to evade. It made Shane wonder exactly how much heroing experience he had. I'll ask later. The snatcher tried to shake off the bird, but to no avail, and in that few seconds of delay, Ragnarok caught up with him. A quick shot to the right shoulder put the purse on the ground and the guy clutching himself in pain. Then, a well placed blow to the back of the head ended it, and he slumped to the ground, out cold. It was easy- almost too easy. "Well then, we have a purse to give back, and a stop by the police station to make." (Feel free to have something bigger happen)
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Post by Garfield Logan on Jul 6, 2014 3:20:39 GMT
Turning back into a human, Garfield handed the purse to the old lady. "Why thank you young man," she said in an elderly voice. She stood straight up, turned around and pointed a .45 cal. pistol at the boy. "But you really shouldn't have," her voice turned lower and manlier. Pulling off the wig, she was really a he. Garfield gave a look of shock and confusion. He jumped out of the way, turning into a kangaroo mouse, the boy dodged the bullets that were being fired at him. Getting closer to the man once more, the boy turned into a Kangaroo and kicked him in the chest, sending the man flying backwards. Garfield went to get closer to the man once more, but the thug grabbed a young girl and used her as a shield. Pointing his weapon at her temple, the man smirked. "Get any closer and her head will be pudding," Nodding at Ragnarok, "That includes you, fancy boy."
Garfield was trying to think of a way that he could get to the girl without putting her at risk. The boy looked Shane for help, wondering if he had any ideas. Taking another look back at the girl, her face was white with fear and tears were streaming down her face. She tried pulling away, but the man was too strong.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 8, 2014 5:47:07 GMT
Whoa! Shane's eyes widened in shock and confusion as the "old lady" revealed herself- or himself, for that matter- for who (s)he really was. Odd was the nicest way to put the situation at the moment. Frikin' messed up was closer to the right description, actually. It isn't one that a hero got into every day, in any case. Why was this even happening, for chrissake? It all had to be a setup, to lure a particular person out into the open and then catch them unawares. That particular person being- Shane? Or perhaps even Garfield? In either case, a man in an old lady's disguise was just too weird for words.
Gar seemed to have it all pretty much under control for a minute or two, all things kangaroo concerned. The kid was clever. Shane really admired that. All he had to do was step back and watch the other guy- the thief- while the young man worked his magic. A couple of bullets flew his way, but a quick force field easily neutralized them. Shane didn't think that the big perp saw him do it, but Ragnarok made a mental note to be cautious now anyway, just in case. An anticlimax came fast, faster than the hero expected. One second, the former grandma was grimacing in pain from a large kick, and the next, he was smiling while he held a girl at gunpoint. Hopefully it was a real girl, and not just another player in this game... that would be downright creepy. From the way she was crying, she probably wasn't in on it, but one could never know.
"Get any closer and her head will be pudding. That includes you, fancy boy." Shane pressed his lips together in annoyance. Fancy Boy. That was the name of his mother's dog, for chrissake. No one called Shane Aaron Rourke fancy boy. Well, time for backup plan #1. Ragnarok returned Garfield's glance, nodded slightly to tell the kid to stay put, and then addressed the thug. "Okay, man, you've got our attention. What do you want? You couldn't have rigged this whole schpiel for absolutely no reason." If plan 1 failed, well then, plan two- which relied completely on superior speed and reflexes- would end this.
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Post by Garfield Logan on Jul 10, 2014 0:03:42 GMT
"Wouldn't you like to know?" The man smirked at the hero. He pressed his gun tighter to the girl's head, causing her to let out a little shriek, when he saw Beast Boy take a small step backwards. The green boy did some thinking about the situation. He turned his back to the group and started to run away before turning into a peregrine falcon and flying away. The thug just smirked at the fleeing kid. "So, fancy boy, it's just you and me." The thug said triumphantly. The look on his face showed that he clearly thought that he has won.
A screech came from the sky, but the thug couldn't see who or what it was because of the sun. He was squinting his eyes trying to see what it was. A black dot appeared, it was getting bigger and bigger. Right before slamming into the man, Garfield turning into an armadillo and curled into a ball. The hit wasn't strong enough to cause any serious damage, but it did make him loosen his grip on the girl from the shock.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 12, 2014 19:37:23 GMT
What part of that nod to stay put hadn't been clear enough? Perhaps all of it, but Shane was sure that he had at least conveyed his message... So when Gar ran off, the older hero couldn't help but roll his eyes a bit. What happened to the old adage that two heads are better than one? The kid wasn't helping him much by just dashing off. Told you he wasn't up to par. Just shut up, Alpha. I need to concentrate right now. "Yeah, just you and me." Tensing, Shane discreetly slipped his hand into his pants pocket, where his folding knife was clipped to it. If he could hit the hand the thug's gun was in, he could force him to drop the girl, and then Shane would take him out. It would be a safer maneuver than charging; just the first muscle jerk alone could set off his trigger finger, and then nothing would have been accomplished.
Then, Shane's upper peripheral vision became aware of movement. Something was dropping rapidly from above. Shane smiled. So, Garfield hadn't abandoned him after all. He caught the perp by surprise and came crashing headlong down upon him as a curled-up armadillo. Instantly Ragnarok was on the move, using the moment of distraction to confiscate the gun from the thug and knocking the girl out of his arm.
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Post by Garfield Logan on Jul 15, 2014 21:26:52 GMT
"Do it, NOW!" the thug yelled. About a second went by before an explosion happened near the library. People were screaming and running away from the blast. As a pillar started to crumble, Garfield turned into a cheetah and sprinted towards a little boy, pushing him out of the way of a chunk of stone. The thug leader chuckled as the chaos ensued. Beast Boy tried to see if anybody else was still in the building but the smoke and dust was too thick.
"Go, find your parents," the shape-shifter said as he turned back into his human monkey form. "It will be ours. I will have it," the leader mumbled under his breath with a mischievous grin on his face
(Sorry for no color, I'm posting from my phone)
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Post by Deleted on Jul 15, 2014 22:43:46 GMT
The little girl ran off, almost as soon as she was free. However the momentary distraction that Shane dealt with in seeing her run away made him completely miss what the thug said next. It was something about "Do it now", he thought, but he couldn't be sure. It all happened so fast. There was a loud explosion, and Shane whipped around just in time to see the old stone library across the street start to crumble. Gar immediately ran off to start helping whoever was trapped inside. Something in Shane told him not to leave the thug whom the kid had left him alone with, but it was clear that the younger hero needed help with his task. Oh, dammit. He would have to leave this perp alone. Rising slightly into the air, Shane started to dash off. "It will be ours. I will have it." Thinking that "fancy boy" was out of earshot, the thug muttered it under his breath. However, Shane was not, and it made him stop. Hold on a minute, so this wasn't just a random attack? What in that library would a group of criminals find it worth their while to steal? Turning back around and flying back to the guy as fast as he could, Shane hovered eye-to-eye with him (Ragnarok was about six inches shorter than the criminal) and grabbed his collar. "Have what?" Shane asked forcefully. (It's fine. )
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Post by Garfield Logan on Jul 16, 2014 0:27:44 GMT
With a glare in his eyes, the thug spat in Ragnarok's face. "You have to wait like everybody else." He smirked. He was trying to act tough, pretending that he has dealt with heroes for a long time.
Beast Boy thought he saw somebody inside the smoke when a sonic blast knocked him back a ways. A group of mercenaries came out, holding a large metal box. There was four tto five men on each side. Another soldier kept the sonic blast on the green boy, keeping him disoriented.
Using a powerful torch, they cut off the top of the container and pulled out its contents. Inside was an old book that appears to have seen better days. It was redish-purple in color and instead of a title, it had a symbol that looked like two triangles intersecting each other and a circle in the middle of them. The symbol was clearly drawn in blood. Speaking in a foreign tongue, the leader started approaching the book. The blood seal began to glow as the pages flipped open, landing on a page written in a lost language.
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