tushanshu | 001 ♒ Video

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001 ♒ Video

[When the video starts, the man sitting at the console is still peering warily at some of the hardware. It doesn't seem quite as advanced as the systems he'd outfitted the Aquacave with, but he doesn't particularly trust much of anything here. He's blond, probably tall, and somewhat damp-looking, dressed in an... interesting... orange scaled shirt. His posture is also impeccable, almost royal.] It isn't every day I start things off by being fished out of the sea. [He's not pleased. Not pleased at all, which is obvious from his scathing tone.] The joke is much less humorous to my wife and me.

Obviously I've been... filled in... by the natives, but I'm not sure I trust the information given. Alternate dimensions are rarely so straight-forward. [He mumbles something under his breath and it probably isn't all that appropriate or kingly, but hey, alternate dimensions, just another Tuesday. Or whatever day it is.]

I'm Arthur Curry of Atlantis. Contact me if you're someone I'd actually like to speak to, you'll know who you are. In the mean time, to my 'neighbors'... don't mind the noise, we're doing a little rearranging.

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[Tracing the consoles back to their sectors isn't difficult. And if Arthur were anywhere other than in the Water Sector, Bruce would be...

Not concerned, but wary.

As it is, it's a small matter for him to suit up, head out. He watches the suites for a time from a nearby warehouse roof. Generally, when he can he keeps tabs on which are occupied and which aren't. So, when he sees movement in one of the previously-unoccupied apartments, he drops down to one of the windowsills, soft and soundless.

But he doesn't actually make himself known until he sees Arthur specifically.

He has his hand back. That's recent. It means that Arthur is possibly from a time point after him (he hadn't yet had time to catch up with the League during his foray into the Insider identity). Does Arthur even know he's alive yet?

Hm. Guess he'll find out.

He eases the window open silently and slips inside, an uninvited shadow.]

Aquaman.

[It's the calm, authoritative glass-gravel voice that Bruce uses when he's being Batman. With any luck, Arthur won't call him Bruce in a location he hasn't yet swept for bugs.]

[Arthur's made himself somewhat easy to find on purpose, all things considered. He doesn't keep very many secrets about himself, certainly not about his identity or his heritage, which makes him somewhat unusual within the League. So the others with their secrets can come to him when and how they need to.

The furniture has already been rearranged in the suite, some of it is down in the pool, but Arthur is generally moving around the rest of the place and inspecting it.

To his credit, he doesn't startle when he hears a gravelly voice. He's been expecting this since Kyle mentioned a 'You Know Who' with a plan.]

Batman.

[There we go. Looks like all those years in the League taught him something.

Uncharitable thoughts aside, Bruce actually does like Arthur. More than he does some of the other Leaguers he's had to work with. He's no Diana, but worse people - and less talented fighters - could have washed up on the shore instead.]

What's the last thing that happened for you?

[Logically he gets all the secrecy and the masks, but it's not really a luxury he's ever had; makes it hard to actually understand it, just like he's sure they don't quite get what it's like to be him and Diana. Still, he's been around long enough to know that working costumes = working names for everyone else.

Even this dark, brooding familiarity is still familiarity, and though personal trust might still be a little shaky (though that was a while ago that Bruce's "contingency plans" got him dosed with fear toxin), generally, it's not a bad thing to see him again. Alive. Despite everything Arthur does consider him to be a friend of sorts.]

The question of the hour. Mera, Aqualad, Aquagirl and I had just forced Xebel's army back where they came from and I was briefly a water spirit again. Last I remember I was in Miami with Mera.

[Sometimes, he thinks that someone saying 'I was a water spirit again' really should faze him. That it doesn't says something to the absurdity of his life.]

Hn.

[... and then, because while it's hardly in his nature to volunteer information, what he's about to say is fairly common knowledge in the League...]

I'd just come back from time.

[What are their lives that time travel and being a water wraith are common enough occurrences not to even raise an eyebrow at? Then again, Arthur's never really been normal. His first experience with the big, wide world was the sea.]

I see. So that wasn't you during the black rings incident. [His memories of that are really, really vague and mostly hearsay, to be honest, but something about 'Batman's skull' had been a major point during the mess.] I'd say congratulations on being back but... Well. [Waving a hand vaguely at the suite. Their current situation is obviously not ideal.]

How long have you been here?

No. The body that everyone took to be mine belonged to a clone. Darkseid's omega beams had sent me back to Vandal Savage's time.

[... the first of many, honestly. Bruce sets about sweeping the room for any listening devices, not even bothering to look at Arthur as he speaks. He's sure the man will cotton on to what he's doing soon enough.]

Nearly seven months.

Huh. [Yeah that doesn't sound any more fun than his own time travel with Atlantis incident. Granted, Bruce's people weren't enslaved for fifteen years, so Arthur feels like he gets an extra point in the misery bank.

He just watches him move around the place, unconcerned. It's not like they have anything in the way of personal items and he can guess why he's doing it.]

That's... quite some time. ['But what's being done about it?' says his tone.]

I'm aware.

[A bit tetchy? A bit tetchy. Bruce doesn't need any reminders that one of the League's greatest minds has been spinning its wheels in the mud for the past seven months.]

We've been working on it.

[And thus finished his sweep, he straightens up from the critical examination of a house plant and turns back to face Arthur.]

As near as I can tell, we're in a pocket dimension. The Emperor is using some form of magic to bring everyone here. The palace is likely where she performs this magic, it's impregnable and attempts at proving otherwise have been... inconclusive.

[Seven months, and yet Bruce and Kal, plus some others, have gotten relatively nowhere. That's definitely discouraging, all things considered. But if it is some form of magic, then that explains a thing or two. Magic is a much harder thing to crack than run of the mill physical defenses.

Arthur is quiet for a moment while he processes that information. Impregnable castle, powerful magic...] What's already been tried specifically?

[... That earns another Look. You aren't nearly high up enough on the Leaguer food chain to be demanding answers of him, Arthur, and it does ruffle his feathers a little.

He knows the reaction is because he's defensive. That in nearly seven months, he hasn't been able to crack this place - and not for lack of trying. 'What's already been tried specifically?' What hasn't he tried? Everything he knows. Every trick, every plan. With Clark's help, without it. The only thing he hasn't done is tried Zatanna's magic, and that for a very specific reason. She's too young. He's seen her pass out from overuse of her magic before, but at this age? Significant overexertion could kill her.

And that isn't a possibility he's willing to entertain.

Bruce has been trapped in a variety of places for varying lengths of time throughout his life. But never for this long. And he's never spent so much time without a concrete plan.

Oh, he has contingencies aplenty. At least fifty working theories, with plans in accordance with each of those. But until he can put those contingencies to action, he may as well be dead in the water, and it shows in the very slight, tightly controlled frustration in his voice when he speaks.]

Easier to ask what hasn't been. Everything Superman, my team and I could think of, and then some. We don't have a magic user strong enough here that I trust. It's the only avenue I haven't fully explored.

[And what does it say about their predicament that he'd actually welcome the company of Jason Blood.]

[Excuse you, Bruce, he helped to found the Justice League in the first place, plus he- was- foreign royalty. Not that their interactions are ever really not a clash of egos and differing opinions on leadership. Arthur doesn't expect it from Bruce, but some part of him is still used to being obeyed, to being in the loop.

Kyle had said Bruce would have the plan, but it's becoming very clear that there isn't much of a plan at all, and that... That's annoying. Concerning. Frustrating.

Oh yeah, he can hear that note of frustration. His own is growing as well, and it's a little more obvious on his face.] 'Not strong enough', no Zatanna then. [At least not the one he's familiar with. Who knows with all the timeline weirdness here. And he already knows Garth isn't here. He can talk to Mera, see what she remembers of interdimensional travel between Earth and Xebel, but she's likely no expert...]

Never thought I would actually want to see my meddling ancestor. [It comes out as an irritated grumble though.]

A version of Zatanna is here. She's fourteen.

[...and unspoken is the 'and if you try to talk her into doing anything above her pay grade I will put the fear of Batman into you'.

Because really, he and Arthur are bros. Just. Alpha males headbutting bros.]

...Fourteen. [Well, there goes that. He knew Zatanna, though not at that age, and he liked Zatanna... but it's pretty obvious to him that someone that young won't have the skills, experience, or magical capacity to really be a workable plan.

Time to hope Atlan or Garth decide to pop in. Or another one of the myriad of magic users from their timeline.] That rules that out, then. [She had been a friend. He wouldn't put any version of her in any unnecessary danger.]

Mera's people have some experience with interdimensional travel. I can see what she might know. [As he goes over and over his memories of Atlantean sorcery over the next several weeks.]

[Bruce nods, accepting that.]

We'll hold a League meeting when everyone's settled. I'm not going to rule out anyone's input.

[... and with that it's time for him to go. He came, he saw, he stated his intentions, and...]

I'll be in touch.

[Don't you just love the way he disappears like a wizard, Arthur?]

Understood. [Arthur just sighs and shakes his head. Batman is very Batman, and while familiar is kind of nice at the moment, his disappearing act is still as frustrating and melodramatic as ever.]

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001 ♒ Video

> action...?

action forever

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