Star Dust (A Paladin Adventure)

Facing the music

I made it to my neighborhood pretty quickly, not encountering anybody on the street. First things first. I went up to my vantage point. I surveyed the streets and alleys, but I couldn't see anybody moving.

"So. Ms Harrington," Batman's voice said flatly. I turned and looked around. Nobody else.

"Mr Wayne," I acknowledged him. He surveyed me, then he seemed to relax a bit.

"You've got guts coming out tonight," he said finally, his voice a little grumbly.

"It's better to face the music quickly. And I don't believe my courage is really an issue," I said tartly.

A small smile curved the corner of his mouth. "I like you best when you're not trying to placate, or smooth things out,  when you just stand up and say what you believe."

"It's a lot easier," I agreed.

"So...how are you dealing with it?" he said, scuffing his foot on the rooftop.

"By coming out here and hoping for some ass that I can reasonably expect to kick," I said bluntly, and he laughed. "We have more of a problem than you might realize," I added.

"Tell me." So I did, and he listened carefully.

"I've never heard of either of these species, but I'll do my research. I'll call in Superman, Wonder Woman, some other friends."

"That would be great," I said. "I can't help thinking we're in over our heads."

"Might be," he acknowledged. "But if we all put the word out to all the other supers we know..."

"Yep. Stark's going to notify the authorities so they can plan their response. Thor is gathering information and allies from what they call the Nine Realms."

"What are they?" he asked, curious. I shrugged.

"I don't really understand it. All I really get is that there are nine places, but I don't know if they're separate universes or part of the same multiverse or what. Big Physics isn't my best subject."

"Big Physics?" he said, almost laughing.

"Little physics, I get. Stuff like rotation, momentum, temperature, force, all that kind of stuff. I start to fuzz out when I hit special and general relativity. If I can't put my hands on it or see it, I'm not very good at it." I sighed. "I bet you're great with conceptual physics."

"Well--" he started to say modestly.

"Selena came in and bought a necklace today. Really the high point of my day. I was kind of expecting a nocturnal visit."

He reached up and rubbed his cheeks before tugging briefly on his bat ears. "What are you going to do with that information?"

"Not a damned thing," I said. "I took it as an apology."

"As it was meant," the woman under discussion purred, stepping out from the shadows. "I wondered if you might have recognized me, but I couldn't tell."

"That's surprisingly... good of you, Selena," he said, observing her closely. She did a full-body shrug.

"Well, I did feel a little guilty."

"If you want to come back during daylight, I'll give you a 'friends and family' discount," I offered, smiling slightly, and she laughed.

"For that, I will try to be good," she purred.

"She has poor impulse control," Batman said wearily.

"That's kind of a hallmark of supers, I'm beginning to realize," I said.  "Well, I need to be going. I have faces to face. Selina, Bruce has information you should hear." She darted a look at him.