The Doctor Is In

September 20, 2018:

Donna has returned to the Watchtower. She fills in Maxima and Alyse on recent events, and enlists Witchdoctor's help. Hal pops in.

Watchtower Station : Observation Deck

The observation deck is one of the best views in all the Milky Way Galaxy. The stars, obviously the Earth, Sun and planets beyond are all visible from beyond it's plasteel dome. At the very center of the deck is the central elevator shaft that connects all other locations throughout the Watchtower.

Around the perimeter are control panels that monitor various functions throughout the sentinel-satellite. This acts as a secondary monitoring womb where 3D projections can readily access the PEMS/Planetary Emergency Monitor System.

Characters

NPCs: None.

Mentions: Caitlin Fairchild, Thor, Wonder Woman, Doctor Strange, Vivienne

Plot:

Mood Music: [*\# None.]


Fade In…

The Watchtower was never quite empty. There were always people moving in and out, to Earth, from Earth and to whatever other destinations their duties took them. A small core of League members had been absent, no more than three days, but the sheer state of them when they returned was enough to raise a few eyebrows. Caitlin, Hal, and Vivienne, along with Diana Prince, Donna and Doctor Strange had all come back in one piece, if not entirely hale and whole. Where the rest of them had gone, Donna did not know. Not at the moment. And perhaps that was for the best, as she's cleaned up, and then made a space for herself in the Observation Deck. She was there now, sitting with her back firmly facing away from the view of the galaxy, a shield in her lap, which she was cleaning, and a sword of similar design set beside her on the floor.

-

At much the same time that others came back, a new person has arrived. Maxima, the self proclaimed Queen of Almerac has been invited to the tower and has decided to grace it with her presence. Now she walks the halls like a small titan, her tall form further enhanced by heels walking along to look into various areas only to pause at the sight of the woman who she met before now with sword and shield.

"Hello, again." Maxima nods to her, "You are.. Donna, yes?"

-

Donna, hearing the sound of approaching footsteps, looked up from her work. She looked no different than the last time she had met Maxima, still wearing her bracers, starcloth armor, and lasso, the usual accouterments. She did not rise, though she did set aside the polishing cloth she was using, retrieving a small pair of needle-tipped tweezers, though she did not, yet, put them to any use, "Yes, I am Donna. You must be newly arrived to the Watchtower." It was, the first few times, a wonderous place, but it did lose some of the shine once you had been up here long enough. And give that Maxima was actually still looking around, well. "Welcome."

-

The woman looks around briefly and nods her head, "It is quite impressive even by Almeracean standards." She then turns her gaze back to Donna, "And I have been invited to stay here for now and work with your Justice League."

"I must admit, I am not at all familiar with Almeracea. And perhaps not as familiar with the origins of this Watchtower as I should be." She offered a smile, though it was a wan one. "But, I suppose you could say that I am a stranger in a strange land, and this Tower and this world, in many ways is still quite new to me. I hope you won't feel trapped by the offer. There are many regulars in our numbers, but all of us have the freedom to pursue our own ends as well."
"So I have been told but I shall reserve judgment based on what I have seen." Maxima nods lightly before looking around once more, "I have heard you have recently returned from a long trip away from here." She looks to Donna, "And yet I saw you mere days ago, "Care to explain?"

-

There were no shuttle launches or teleportation tubes being utilized, but the arrival of Alyse isn't exactly that much more subtle. A swirling rush of lights form, each flickering growing spec taking an almost butterfly-like shape. The swarm swiftly grows, taking shape until they shatter away and leave the form of the blonde witch standing in the middle of the room, dressed in her 'practical' attire rather than her usual gown.

-

Donna remained silent for a moment, before she set aside the tweezers, though she kept the shield across her lap, like some sort of strange apron or a very uncomfortable cushion, "Many months ago, we received word that Atum had been kidnapped, trapped in a comet heading we did not know where. When the comet was located, a few of the League joined with the sailors of Asgard to seek after the comet. We were able to locate a place where we could cross from this universe to the comet's location, but it required the proper alignment of the sun and planets." She paused, for a moment, before she continued, as she saw Alyse, a slightly brighter smile offered to the Doctor, and a wave of her hand to join them, before she picked up the story again. "It required a good deal of power, to break through, and when we did, we were in the realm of Set, a trap. We managed to escape and pick up the chase again, but it took many weeks. We came close enough to the comet once, when the demons that controlled the comet attached the seraphim." There was a sense in Donna, not that she was lying, for she wasn't, but that the events were still too fresh to go into greater detail. "The attack was foiled, but at the cost of many lives, and the Comet took off again. We went after it, finally encountering it racing towards the Source Wall. We made out stand there, and The Lady of the Lake managed to free Atum while we fought Set returned and his demons. In the end, Atum sacrificed himself to trap Set in the wall and chose to remain there with him. The Asgardian ship brought us back, and we were able to affect a spell to travel back to the same point of alignment as when we left, so that we could return to now. But we are all months older now, and that time seems lost, as no time at all has passed here, save for a few days. And the world is worse now than before we left." Whether Witchdoctor approached or not, Donna spoke still, "It's good to see you again, Alyse."

-

A blink is given to Alyse by the woman called Maxima who steps to the side and idly holds out her right hand as if to grip something. She doesn't finish the gesture though when she realizes that this person is known by Donna and then instead listens to Donna's tale. She blinks a few times before saying, "And no one requested the help of Queen Maxima?" She shakes her head, "I feel like I could have been helpful."S he then looks back toward the Earth and states, "And yes, I have sensed a degree of panic coming from the planet. A great deal of emotional turmoil. I was going to ask about that shortly, after having moved in what I wished."

-

A look is then given to Alyse again by Maxima and she states, "Greetings."

Alyse herself looks more like she'd stepped out of some private academy rather than that she was a member of the League, but the Witch gives a smile at the greeting from Donna and raises her hand. "Donna, good to see you again. Less of a crowd this time, no?" She draws closer, smile on her lips before the Fey woman turns her gaze towards the newcomer and she bows her head. "Hello there," she offers lightly. The Witch did seem awfully…cheery today.

-

"Perhaps you might have been. But I think, in the end, it ended in the only way it could have. Set was imprisoned, and Atum has finally been allowed rest, after all of his long years. Though we have lost his power and the protection he provided to us…I cannot fault such an ancient for wanting nothing more than a chance to lay down his burden at long last." Donna shifted her hands on the shield, smoothing her hand over the slick surface of it,a s one might an animal, settled in the lap to provide comfort, "Yes, everyone seems to have gone their separate ways. But, if I may, Alyse, I would like to ask you for a favour." Donna, for her part, did not seem to find Witchdoctor's clothes at all strange, but then, she had known the woman for quite a long while now, by her standards.

-

A look at the cheerful witch and then she turns her gaze to Donna briefly, "I see. I am young compared to many here. I have been trained since birth but I still feel behind in many ways. Yet, I will likely live a long time and as such I cannot say at some point I may not wish rest as well." She shrugs her shoulders briefly before then looking to Alyse, "I don't believe we have been properly introduced. I am Maxima." She nods her head, "I am now with the Justice League as far as I care to be." She nods her head, "I will help this world and if you are helping as well, then I look forward to working with you."

-

"A favour?" Alyse speaks, drawing nearer with each step and lazily folding her hands in front of her. Still cheerful, the woman was practically 'glowing'. Tilting her head to the side, her gaze goes over Donna once more. "Are you wishing to spar again? Or is it something else?" A blink, a flicker of her eyes before she turns back towards Maxima and bows her head once more. "Alyse, or Witchdoctor if one in being formal," she offers in returned greeting before smiling. "I help where I can, fight alongside the others here and…" she pauses to chuckle. "Occasionally end up grievously injured for it all."

-

"I have lived, now, more centuries than I care to think about, and time…has been a malleable things. I am barely more than an infant in the eyes of such a one as Atum, and yet, I find myself more tired than I could ever expression." But what she felt, was not what she showed. She looked, in most ways, very much like the Donna Troy she had always presented to the League. "Your help will be welcome, especially now, with the hell realm coming so close to earth and their denizens invading the mortal realm." There was something that appeared in her face, that might nearly have been a laugh, at Alyse's question, "No, I think I will save your strength for more important things. A favour, with two parts, if I may. First, Caitlin. She is strong, of course, but mortal. I think…when we faced Set…she saw things no mortal should see." Donna shook her head, "Something broke inside of her, and I do not have the skill to fix it. A bandaid of sorts is all that I can offer. Will you look in on her?" A pause, before she continued, "And second. The Green Lantern. He was one of the worst of our injuries, and I am concerned about his well-being." A flicker of sadness passed over Donna's face, at Alyse's comment. Witchdoctor had, indeed, provided good service to the League. But too often at a terrible cost.

-

A look over at the woman and she tilts her head before saying, "Something no mortal should see?" She asks and then tilts her head before considering and then looks down, "I have never considered such a being to exist." She then looks over at her, "And the one known as Jordan was injured?" She hmms, "I see." SHe then looks back over toward Alyse, "You are a healer." She then nods, "Well, I doubt I'll need much help in that area but I'm sure it is good to have you." She then looks ot Donna, "I am sure now that I would have been of help. I doubt there is much I could see that would break my resolve." She nods, "I will help where I can with Caitlin in the even that she'll allow me."

-

Despite all the radiating 'good vibes' the Witch seems to be riding on at the moment, there is a frown that comes to her lips and she bows her head. "I will do my best," she offers with a nod, "With Caitlin, I will see if there is more I can do. At the very least, I will speak with her." A breath exhaled, she turns to glance toward the observation windows and to the stars beyond. "Hal too, I will check on. He made sure I was cared for when I was wounded, I would be a poor friend if I could not do the same…and a poorer doctor." The last is added with a return of that smile before she turns back now, looking to the Amazon. "And yourself Donna? Who is ensuring your well-being?"

Maxima's words earn a nod and the Witch gestures with her hand. "I would welcome your aid certainly. The body is far easier to fix than everything else."

-

"But you are no mortal, Maxima. Or at least, so far as you have told any of us, your lifespan will far exceed any of the mortals of this Earth. And I am immortal. It is a difficult thing, for such as we are to imagine something that we could not see and then live to tell the tale. And Set… is, was, a thing born of nightmares, and Caitlin is still young, by human standards. And Hal faced that nightmare with no thought for his own safety or sanity." Donna did not include Witchdoctor in her estimations. She honestly had no idea how mortal the woman actually was. "But I would be grateful for both of your assistance. Alyse's question brought only a shake of her head, "I have died, in one way or another, more times than even I can remember, and I have learned to live with the pain of death, and the worse pain of living. I will be well in time. I am more concerned about the others."

-

A look over at Alyse and she nods to her before looking back to Donna, "I suppose." She shrugs, "My realm, however, is the mind." She nods her head, "I am empowered by my mind, have control of it, can act upon it, and destroy with it. I am no surgeon of the mind but it is my area." She shrugs, "If allowed I can help." She then looks over at Alyse again, "I would like to help you in that area to help prove my good intentions."

-

Alyse's lack of inclusion in the comments is noted but hardly questioned. Instead the Witch tilts her head to the side and steps a little closer to Donna, reaching out a hand to gently squeeze her arm if the gesture is permitted. "Even so, ability to endure doesn't mean there is a need to suffer." Whatever response she got? She turns her gaze to Maxima once more. "I would be interested in seeing how your ability works then. Perhaps together, we can put it to use."

-

The Hangar Bay departed and Hal Jordan is announced as "Green Lantern #1" by the Watchtower Systems as he arrives on the Observation Deck by means of the elevators. His uniform of green on blacks snug and neat as expected, that future grown beard and tangle of hair trimmed down, domino mask covering his nose, eyes orb-whited and a whistle escaping him. The sound of it bouncing off the empty smooth walls and polished up floors.

"Yes yes, Green Lantern on deck. I do appreciate the #1." He regards to the electronic voice. Apparently in his usual state of 'unaware' anyone is up here. Upon spotting them he lets out a casual, "O hi."

-

Donna allowed the touch, lifting her hand to cover Alyse's for a moment, "Better my suffering than theirs." Her tone was honest, without a shred of self-pity or the air of a martyr. And that was Donna to the life. And very much in the spirit of the woman whose shard of soul she carried. To put others before herself. "You both have my thanks. I cannot ask for anything more than what you have offered to do." A glance, away from the pair and towards the time display on the wall. "I am afraid, however, that I have duty to report to. I will be in medical, if either of you need me." Donna rose from where she was sitting, still patently refusing to look out at the window to space, gathering up sword and shield, and the small toolkit she had brought with her. Just in time to see Hal make his entrance. He recieved a smile, "Good to see you, Hal." She offered another to, Maxima, to Alyse, "Thank you both." A curl of her lips, as she passed Hal, "I would not want to meet #2." But she doesn't stay, instead moving to depart the deck.

-

A look over at Hal as he arrives and she nods to him, "Lantern." She then looks to Donna and nods, "I see." She then finally turns to Alyse, "I can try to explain it to you, but in a way, it is to say that I am far stronger, tougher, and faster than what you are used to. Humans, I assume, would be what you are used to. I further enhance that with my mind. I can manipulate the world around me with my thoughts." She shrugs and then turns, "Either way, I must be going." She starts past Hal and looks to him, "I am to Earth. I have heard much both with my mind and from others. I must look." She then is suddenly gone. She didn't teleport…she just moved with obscene speed out the open hanger.

-

There's still a pursed of Alyse's lips at Donna's words. She appreciates Donna's words, but that doesn't mean that she's without her concern. She too turns now, as if she were headed in the same direction, only for her intended patient to appear before her. The Witch, dressed in her skirt and blazer 'practical' outfit, raises an eyebrow at the arriving Lantern. "Well, clearly your injuries weren't quite as bad as they feared."

-

"Oh right, I need to make that report." Hal says upon seeing Maxima and Donna. Both getting a quizzical look as they pass by him and he is left alone with Witchdoctor, "Number #2 is a great guy… was… " A shrug and they're past him.

"Play nice, your Majesty. I know where you live." He teases and once both are gone he smiles at Alyse, "Something is different about you."

"My injuries? Nah. Just another concussion or three."

-

She probably should be a little more concerned, perhaps even a little irritated, instead the Witch just shakes her head with a smile. "You're upright, you're breathing, obviously you've had enough attention to be out of immediate risk." He wasn't wrong about her being different, but the Fey woman actually giggles at the comment. Actually giggles. "I'm…overcharged," she explains, gesturing to herself and even turning on the spot before raising her arms over her head. "It's a wonderful feeling," she explains before lowering her arms and smiling once more. "I would almost equate it to a sugar rush, but not quite."

-

"Overcharged?" A serious question there as he moves up beside her, looking her up and down in a once over. "It looks good." He praises, teetering back on a heel to give her room for that look as if on emphasis. More of him toying around. He at least appears to be in a good mood.

"I am all of those things though, even whistling. I forgot I knew how to do that." A grin from Hal.

"So, again, overcharged? You didn't take out a credit card did you? Maxima slip you some weird Almerac drug?"

-

"No pharmaceuticals that I'm aware of, unless someone has spiked my tea I suppose," she grins, her hands come up to rest on Hal's shoulder before she shrugs her own shoulders lightly. "Remember when you asked me about where I was and I said visiting relations? It was sort of like…breathing the country air. Last time I went there, I was injured and burned out. It healed me up."

Another little giggle, she bites her bottom lip. "This time? I was perfectly healthy. So I have more than I need."

-

Hal's head tips at the touch upon his shoulders. Both brows rise up as he considers this different more light Alyse, not that he's not seen her in good spirits just this is new. "That explains so much." He says sarcastically and gives her forearm a squeeze, "I like it. Who convinced you to try out the new digs?" He indicates the clothing. "Which, perfectly healthy, when have you not been?"

-

"They're not new," She speaks, actually giving a pout before she releases the man's shoulders, even as he squeezes her forearm. "They're what I wear in places where my gown doesn't work. Either for looking weird…or getting stuck in a doorframe." A pause, she tilts her head to the side, her finger coming to her lips. "Mostly when I got stomped by a large green giant. Or thrown into a wall at the speed of sound."

Still smiling a little, she folds her hands in front of her once more. "I am glad you are okay Hal, I was worried for you."

-

"You got stuck in a doorframe?" Hal can't help but bust up at that one, trying hard to stifle it. "The Hulk…. yeah and Zoom. I remember both of those."

A rub to the side of his jaw and he motions towards the elevator. "Want to head Earthside? I've got a sudden desire for french fries and a beer."

"Me too! I mean, glad I'm okay. The Source Wall, New Gods and this Elder Gods stuff… something new and I almost for once in my life felt out of my element. Glad to be back here, the company was great. Wish you would have been with us."

"That was cute too, by the way… the pout. Cheating but cute."

-

"Tell noone, or I'll turn you into…something" the Witch demands, although there's far too much of a smile on her face for the threat to seem genuine. "But I wish I had been with you too. For whatever I might have been able to do, I feel as if my absence was a failure." One might swear that 'brightness' wanes a little for a moment, but it's quick to return at the suggestion.

"French fries and beer?" she repeats with a wide smile. "Sounds perfect to me."

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