Star Dust (A Paladin Adventure)

Meeting a bunch of strange heroes

When we arrived at the tower, chairs were set up in the lobby with a center aisle that faced a small platform and a 3D projector. I took a far-side end seat so that I could sit with the dogs. Pete came over to say hi to the dogs. I got a hug and questions about how I was doing. As we talked, more people arrived and Pete excused himself to talk to some of the others. Deadpool stopped for a word or two, then introduced me to Colossus, Negasonic Teenage Warhead (now there was a name she was bound to regret once she hit her twenties), Shadowcat, and Rogue. Professor Xavier rolled up and introduced me to Storm, Agent Brand, Archangel, Iceman, Forge, and discreetly gestured to the top of one of the columns, where Nightcrawler perched. Dr McCoy joined us before I saw Thor enter the room and excused myself to speak with him.

"Emma!" he said, patting me firmly on the back. Torburn and Sigurd greeted him as well, and I had the impression that that they were communicating with him beyond their quiet barks and vocalizations. "Before you ask, I had speech with my brother yesterday and he is well and undamaged." I smiled. "And I will convey your greetings the next time I encounter him." I thanked him.

"How are Sif and Magni?" I asked.

"They are back on Asgard with my father, who is preoccupied with the current threat," Thor said.

"You're quite the diplomat," I said, teasing, and he flashed me a smile before turning away to answer a hail.

Toward the edge of the crowd I saw Batman and a group of...affiliates. Nightwing and Wingman were facing off in a heated debate, observed by Batgirl. Batman was watching too. Red Robin and  Damian were facing off, and as I watched, Red Robin smacked Damian. I turned away hastily.

I heard heels clicking on the floor. "Poppy, wait!" I turned to see Batgirl hustling toward me. "Don't leave me alone with all of them!  Sometimes, I swear, there's only one functional brain cell among them. They get so irrational. Let me introduce you to some friends." She steered me over to a knot of superheroines, "Poppy, this is Black Canary, Huntress, and Manhunter." The three women cautiously greeted me, and I had the feeling that I was interrupting something. After a little chatter, I eased away and Batgirl waved at another woman.

"Supergirl, meet Poppy," Batgirl said. The names were getting ridiculous. There is no reason for mature women to be called 'girl.' Supergirl was warm and friendly, though, despite the costume that made her look like a caped cheerleader.

We were interrupted by Stark obnoxiously tapping the mike, and as I sat down, the dogs hustled up, their chat with Thor apparently over. "This thing on?" he asked, knowing full well it was. I rubbed my eye. "All right, everybody, time is fleeting. A lot of you know already that we seem to be in an alien incursion here. We were first alerted to the problem a couple days ago by Poppy, and we began to investigate..." Tony quickly summarized what we knew, using the 3D projector to illustrate, then turned the floor over to Superman.

"We've done some investigating and found that there is a little evidence that Skrulls have been found in Washington, Chicago and LA, nobody's seeing the Kree, and activity on the part of the Skrulls seems to be limited to intelligence gathering. New York is apparently the test case, and it is my personal feeling that any invasion plans are in their infancy. We have met with local and national leadership, first to apprise them of the threat, second to provide our assistance. As we are meeting, so are the police and other law enforcement bodies to explain the situation and go over their action plans. In this city, the plan is to declare martial law for the duration of the situation. Citizens will be restricted to their homes aside from the daylight hours. There will be exceptions made for emergency personnel. The National Guard will have a larger presence. Agencies including the FBI are making finding information on the Kree and Skrulls their first priority, and assets are being shifted here from all over the country." Superman stepped back.