26th December 2004
21:35 GMT -6
Boom!
"Don't those things come with a suppressor?"
Shayera swoops through the boom tube and lands in the empty hangar, myself and Diana walking through at a more sedate pace behind her. She's not wearing either the traditional leotard of the Wonder Woman nor the old
body stocking thing. Rather, she's just wearing normal Themysciran guard armour in what I'm assuming is an attempt to visually separate her new self from her former self. Or maybe not; it does cover more of her skin than the leotard. Maybe it provides better protection.
"I can build quieter ones, but not at a man-portable size."
Diana… Has been avoiding my eyes. A radically out of character development, both in Universe 50 and Universe 16. I should probably sort that out.
"Ah, Shayera, why don't-" She looks around. "-you go and tell Batman that you wrecked his ride. I need a quick word with Diana."
Diana tenses, and Shayera's eyes narrow slightly. "Alright, but if I hear fighting I'm coming right back."
"Of course."
She regards first me and then Diana for a moment, then flaps her wings and heads for the hangar door. I wait for her to pass through it and for it to close behind her before turning to Diana.
"So. You appear to have regained your divine abilities."
"I-. Yes." She meets my eyes, showing a little of the resolve I was expecting.
"Did you apologise to your sponsors?"
"Not.. at first. After you-. Even after you left, I still couldn't.. bring myself to accept that I'd made a mistake. But I couldn't keep living like that. So I went to the shrine where the Wonder Woman's equipment is kept and bound myself in the Lasso of Truth."
Oooo
ooooooh. Not only would that compel total self-honesty, but it's… Basically re-enacting what Herakles did to Hippolyta.
She sees my expression and nods solemnly. "It is no easy thing to confront all of your assumptions about the way things are and have your self-deceits torn away. You were right. Batman.. was right. And I am ashamed that I let my pride prevent me from seeing it sooner."
"And your powers came back afterwards?"
"No. My powers came back after I apologised. To my mother, to Captain Philippus… I asked Batman to let me use the Watchtower's communications systems to let me apologise to the world."
I nod, then step forward and lay my right hand on her left shoulder. She.. doesn't really respond.
"While I doubt that anyone else really cared, I respect the level of humility that shows, and your determination to do better."
Her eyes flick up to meet mine for a moment, then return to facing downwards. Yes, I suppose… Something like that, you don't just return to the status quo ante bellum. Still, it's a good sign that she's here. Depending on what my alter-ego's gotten together, we may well need her strength.
I lift my hand off her shoulder. Now is probably the time to pick up Sunset.
Diana takes a step in the direction of the exit. "Batman should be in the command centre. I can show you up."
"Would you please excuse me for just a moment first? I need to pick something up from my own base of operations."
"Ah. Yes?"
"Mother Box, open up a tube to the Mountain."
"Ping."
Boom!
I step through.
10th February
09:02 GMT -7
"Hey, Sunset-."
"Hah!" The door between the parallel universe portal and the rest of the Mountain… Opens, and Sunset punches the air, pale blue light glowing around her hands. "Got it!"
"Um."
She turns around to face me, smugness fighting with irritation in her expression. "Did you lock me in on purpose, or did you just
forget that you reengaged the lock?"
"Oh, that was totally intentional. Good work." She inclines her head slightly and raises her eyebrows. "Come on through and I'll introduce you to people."
"I'll need my equipment."
"You can get it after I've introduced you. You can't know what you need until you've gotten a feel for the magics of the place."
"I.. suppose." She walks past me through the tube. "Just don't lock me in a parallel universe for half an hour."
26th December 2004
21:38 GMT -6
"Sunset, this is Princess Diana of Themyscira. Diana, this is Sunset Shimmer, my magical minion-."
"
Not his minion."
I look at her sceptically. "You
are literally my minion. I pay you, you do work for me. That's pretty much the definition of minion."
"No, minions are entry level labourers and thugs." She crosses her arms across her chest. "I'm a skilled professional heading my own department. That makes me a lieutenant. At
least."
I turn back to Diana. "This is Sunset Shimmer. She's a lieutenant. At least."
"Hello, Sunset Shimmer."
"Are you a demigoddess like our Diana? Can I study you?"
"I.. suppose that I am. And… What do you mean by 'study'?"
"I'll let you two get acquainted. Mother Box, boom tube to command."
Ping.
Boom!
I stride through, arms held wide.
"Let
joy be unbound, for I have-."
"Grayven!"
John glares at me as he keeps rocking a construct cradle, in which lies…
I amble closer as the infant looks up at me.
"Three hours, getting him to sleep."
"I am most terribly sorry." I make eye contact with the baby.
"Hello, tiny human."
"Nmmrarmarn."
The baby wiggles its arms in my general direction and closes its eyes again. I crane my neck in John's direction.
"Yours?"
"Mine and Shayera's."
Hm, not seeing any wings. Not that I know enough about human-thanagarian hybrids to know whether that's typical or not.
"What's his name?"
"Rex Stewart. Rex Grayven Stewart."
…
"I can be available to babysit at very short notice."