Moving To Los Angeles

October 18, 2015:

Ulani and Rowan update Mera and Arthur and agree that they need to look more closely at Los Angeles

Atlantic Ocean

Characters

NPCs: None.

Mentions:

Plot:

Mood Music: None.


Fade In…

It's been a busy few weeks for a certain Blue people… with the Lord Of The Deep cults attacking the surface. With Rowans power of persuasion though, they've managed to question a cultist and now have urgent news to share with their people and the Atlanteans.

Ulani has asked Mera and Arthur, to join them in the middle of the ocean where there can be no other ears… they /still/ don't know who they can trust from their own communities.

Ulani, of course, will provide a Hydraport for the royal couple to use.. She's waiting at the other end of it, to greet them when they arrive.

"What do you know of this Los Angeles, Rowan?" she asks the Blue warrior who waits beside her.


Aquaman answers for Rowan as he appears, Mera right behind him, through the swirl of water that is the gateway Ulani opened, "It's a sprawling mass of humanity intent on poluting the world in more ways metaphorical then literal, which is saying something if you'd ever breathed the air there." well isn't someone a Mr. Grumpy pants today. "Please tell me we weren't summoned to talk about Los Angeles."


Mera hovers right there in Aquaman's wake, looking like the perfect Grumpy spouse for Mr. Grumpy pants. She's never had any reason to learn anything about this 'Los Angeles' place, but if it's as bad as Arthur implies… ugh.


Rowan glances over at the King and shrugs. "It's a large city on the western coast of this nation. It's about three thousand miles away, give or take. Coastal City. Seems like the King doesn't like it much." He looks back at Arthur. "It's also where the Cult of the Deep plans to summon… something to take a large number of surfacers to swell his army. Or so interrogations have revealed."


Ulani gives the royal couple a slight bow and confirms Arthurs question with a nod. "Unfortunately, yes, Your Majesties. As Rowan says." Glancing to Rowan and then to the couple again "we believe they are planning something in Los Angeles, that will use the Blood of Power, which I'm convinced is the blood of mutants."

"I know from a … close friend… that the cult has been stopped kidnapping mutants in M-Town and they referenced that phrase 'blood of power'." Looking at Arthur, and then Mera "I'm not sure, but it does seem too coincidental." There's more … but Rowan can add to the explanation.


Aquaman reaches up to pinch the bridge of his nose, "Mutants makes no sense. This is a time old thing, power for the elder is based in magical means or even noble things. Blood of power seems to make more sense when applied to old bloodlines, nobility, magi families, hell, Merlin's blood flows in my veins if you believe the old lineage superstitions. Why mutants? They are a thing of evolution, of science. These worlds don't cross often and when they do it's always something new, a new idea, a new plan, neither of which are the ways of the old gods. They're all very stuck in their ways, it's why they're not called 'current' gods." he looks around the group, "But at this point I'll buy anything. Does it grab only mutants, or does it also take metas or the DNA altered? Technologists? I know two-no, /three/ people with tiny robots in their blood, would they count?" he /is/ grumpy. He's brought snark today which is usually more the Flash's shtick. "Sorry, ignore me. I'm just tired. Continue."


Mera moves closer at Aquaman's apology to the others, putting one hand on his shoulder gently. "Have you perhaps heard when this is supposed to occur? Will we have enough time to gather a suitable defense?" She knows that means working with the Blue denizens of that part of the ocean, and personally she has no problems with that. The really stickler is going to be whether or not the leaders of the Blue in that area are willing to accept Atlantean assistance.


"The fact that the cultists even know of them suggests… perhaps there's more to it than evolution and science. In fact… I might suggest that perhaps they are not a thing of evolution. On my world, on that earth, there are no mutants." At the very least, if they're evolutionary, they're not inevitable. "So far all we know of is them taking mutants. If there are others, we've not seen it yet. As for the timing, our captive said 'When the Blood Moon rises.' There's no lunar eclipse any time soon though and it sounded soon. The only connection I could make is the upcoming surfacer holidays dealing with death and the dead."

Rowan shakes his head and sighs. "It's not much to go on… but it's what we have so far."


Ulani looks at Rowan as he explains… interested. "I wish we had more there, Your Majesty." Arthurs snark doesn't really seem to affect her. She's a soldier turned diplomat, perhaps… she's used to it.

"The Day of The Dead seems the likely the holiday, given they said soon. Although what that has to do with a Blood Moon, I don't know.." the Blue female continues "I was told this is a three day holiday… so which day and why… I'm not sure."

"If we move now and investigate there, we should be able to mount a defense." and the Blue will accept Atlantean assistance, even if Ulani has to argue herself … blue… to do it. "We will need to know /where/ it is to occur."


Aquaman offers a wry grin, "There are telepaths on your world Rowan, some of them will be mutants. It's a gift their genetic modifications excell at." he pauses and then glances at Mera, "My concern is that mutation is not unique to the surface world. We have a… higher then global average in that department in Atlantis, presuambly jump started by the Cataclysm." it is true. For a species that should be at least slightly uniform, the Atlanteans are anything but. Power sets among it's people vary wildly in both power and type and are anything but uncommon. "This might explain the early attacks on Atlantis, if they were seeking mutants we would ahve been a rather localized target rich environment." he blinks at Ulani, "The day of the dead is in May and I'm fairly certain that's a latin America only holiday." he says looking confused. He really has been spending to much time in Atlantis.

"Halloween." he says as the realization dawns on him, "The end of the month," he shoots Ulani a look, "And it's global, culturally different, but global." he suspect anything big enough to summon a great big evil doo hickey like this wouldn't be the sort of thing only remembered by one culture. "Is Los Angeles the place of the ritual they plan to complete, or just another attack where they will be gathering people?" because Los Angeles makes no sense to him again. It has nothing old, nothing really at all other then a mass of humanity. "Dammit," he mutters under his breath, "this is the sort of thing Orm would know."


Mera leans against her husband slightly. "Could this be simply another harvesting of individuals to use as soldiers?" She glances at Arthur then back at Ulani and Rowan. "Remember, there were several outlying communities completely empty of their citizens not long after this started."


Rowan shakes his head. This much he knows from fighting the overlords. "That gift was discovered, and bestowed, by technology. The notion that someone could have a biological predisposition to it came as a shock to me when I first discovered it… your wife as well. I uh… nearly attacked her as an agent of the Overlords, and probably would have were she not… er… herself." He gives Mera a nervous glance.

"The overlords and my own people tinker with biology, play with genetics. But to see an entire breeding subrace of people with powers? I suspect the notion boggles them as much as it does me. I have to wonder if they are truely human after all…" The dragon blue trails off thinking and then shakes himself.

"At any rate, they seemed convinced that the Blood of Power would open a way for their Lord to manifest or reach through more easily to the surface. I gather the… scale of the event is to be rather large. Hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions."


Ulani considers Arthurs statement, he's more the expert of Surfacer holidays than she. She's just going off what others have suggested. "I believe both, Your Majesty. A place for the ritual to gather more people…" Ulani glances to Rowan "The cultist told us that the Lord of The Deep would make his presence known among his faithful and his servants will cull the unworthy and those chosen will taken to be one with him."

Looking at Mera, she inclines her head "A fast way to increase his army, Queen Mera." and … terrifying.


Aquaman considers all of this, "There aren't hundreds of thousands or millions of mutants in L.A. Unless they just need blood period and this whole of power thing need only be a small fraction of it." he shakes his head again, "When this is through Mera remind me find a new court Sorcerer, I am tired of being caught flat footed and the Council of Magi need their own Council of Proctologists to-" he pauses and his chest swells as he breaths deeply, calming himself. "We cannot simply park off of the coast of LA and wait for the enemy to strike, even if we know the window of attack. I cannot bring the military to help either, we could go undetected by the surface world, but the instant they intervened no stealthing technology in the world would keep them hidden and the surface isn't ready for another reminder of our military superiority. Suggestions?"


Mera is clearly considering options. "If this Los Angeles is as expansive as you are implying, simply ordering an evacuation would not be possible, voluntary or otherwise." She shakes her head, frowning faintly. "Do we care call on the powered Surfacers to help us repel the Lord of the Deep? Or would that be playing right into their hands?"


"My understanding, Your Majesty, is that the mutants are simply the catalyst and the surfacers themselves the target…" The dragon blue considers for a moment. "The king has contacts among powered surfacers in positions of authority does he not?" If not… well… he can ask the Blue how willing they would be to have a force ready to hydroport in. Or, well, Ulani can.


"There are champions on the Surface who would come if we called." Ulani's been meeting people in the course of this investigation "Those who have come across this issue are concerned." She looks at Mera and shrugs slightly "I'm not sure we have much option but to call on them."


Aquaman nods his head at that, "I do." he says simply, and suddenly he wishes all of the Green Lanterns he knows weren't off playing at Captain Kirk or whatever. He could use that level of firepower. "We need to keep any of the mutant heroes away from this, though I assume a few will try anyway. The fewer targets nearby that could add to the power of whatever is happening the better, but I know of others, allies who would come if called. I will see they are warned and prepared…" sigh. Now he has to remember where he put his JLA decoder ring/card/badge/thingie.


Mera looks at Arthur and nods. "Should we begin with contacting the man with the dark colored garments? The one who contacted me directly when you were … indisposed." If she ever got a name from the man wearing the symbol of an oddly jointed manta ray, she doesn't remember it now.


Rowan quirks an eyebrow. Man with dark colored clothing? Doesn't ring a bell. "I'll leave it to you. Ulani, if she'll come, and I will proceed to Los Angeles and try to more precisely locate what's going on." It's a big city he's given to understand. "Will we see you there?"


Aquaman eyes his wife for a moment, "In times like these?" he says, a small smile flickering on his lips, "Batman is always the first call you make. I'll swing by Gotham, hunt him down, you prepare Atlantis for any potential counter attacks that this could be, just in case. Oh, and see if you can find my old JLA device, I honestly can't remember where I put it."


"Of course, Rowan." There was no need to ask. "Where the stars shine brightest amid the holly and trees. According to the Champion I met yesterday, a place called Hollywood would be the best place to start." With a look to their Majesties, Ulani bows once more "Thank you, for your help."


Mera smiles a bit at that. "Is it the … ?" She gestures with her hands vaguely while sharing a telepathic image. "It's in the vault you inisted upon for my tiaras and other items." One hand reaches for an earring seemingly unconsciously. "I will notify the generals. Atlantis will be ready." In fact, she appears ready to go get that done right this instant.


"Probably wise. If it's planning on expanding it's army that means it's planning to go to war." In fact, Rowan muses, it might be planning to replace casualties… "In any case, I should be going soon. Ulani. Your Majesties." He bows, three times, and then turns to leave.


Aquaman's smile warms, "Jewelery box." he says, offering Mera the word. He nods one two the rest of the group and turns to go, beginning his trek to Gotham, which won't take to terribly long all things considered. It'll give him a little bit of time to figure out how to find Bruce… Seriously, that guy needs a subdermal GPS sometimes.

Unless otherwise stated, the content of this page is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 License