16th September 2012
12:37 GMT -6
Liberty, Iowa.
It used to be a medium sized farming town. Then farming techniques improved and farming itself became less profitable, and the vitality started ebbing away. And then some combination of John Constantine, the Resurrection Crusade and an actual resurrection of the town's war dead completely destroyed it. A few survivors were written off as delusional and are now either happily living somewhere else or guests of the state in various secure hospitals.
A ghost town. My rune stone says that it's mildly thaumically active, noticeably above background. I don't know whether it's a
literal ghost town or not. All known sites at which the Resurrection Crusade practised magic ceased functioning when the last of their elders were killed, but no one ever checked the place over.
"Orange Lantern and Supergirl... Three, on-site. Beginning search.
"
"What are we looking for?"
"Anything that looks like a demon. Anything that looks like it comes from a parallel universe. Anything-. N
o.
"
I roll my eyes as Kara points to herself.
"Unless you're secretly a demon and want to mutter about no one else having 'the mark'.
"
She taps the middle of her chest with her right forefinger.
"I have the mark. It's the symbol of House El."
"I'm not sure it counts if it's worn on clothing, but well prepared.
"
Scanning for intruders… Nothing, but that's hardly a surprise. If you're establishing a bridgehead into hostile territory you either flood the place or you send a small team who won't be spotted easily. And with there being no one around…
"Are you seeing anything odd?
"
"I don't know. I've never been here before." She sniffs. "There's a strange smell, though."
Ring? Oh. Chemicals consistent with burned flesh. Burned
human flesh. Doesn't seem to
go anywhere, though it
does suggest that something strange is happening. Incendiaries
were used when the town was destroyed but the residue shouldn't be airborne after over a decade.
"Do you know what it is?" She sniffs again. "It smells like bacon. I think I like it."
Ring, anything unexpected but not demonic?
Ah. Recent signs of habitation. A couple of the cars are out of place from where they were abandoned when the survivors fled the town. Wood has been removed from some of the less intact buildings, and it looks like someone has gone through the gardens.
Someone or some people has/have been living here. Living here for a while… But then Truggs didn't tell me how long Demongirl had been here for.
"Ooh! And I smell people!" Kara flies off to the north. "Over here!"
I fly after her, generating construct armour to go over my power armour. Nothing on infrared, nothing on sonics, someone is definitely hiding themselves. Only question is, are they magic-using hermits or are they our target?
"HELLO!"
I consider remonstrating with Kara as she puts her hands to her mouth to announce our presence. But we're hanging here in the open sky within easy view of the ground. Just announcing ourselves isn't a terrible way to go, especially if whoever is there is nothing to do with the Demon Earth.
"IS THERE ANYONE THERE?! WE'RE SUPERHEROES AND WE'RE HERE TO HELP!"
Kara bows her head slightly and closes her eyes. Trying to hear a response. I'm still not picking anything up, but I could try more exotic forms of scan if this doesn't-.
Kara's eyes snap open and she points to a house in reasonable repair. "That one."
"Sure?
"
She nods. "The sounds don't match what I can see. And the-" She sniffs again. "-smells coming from it are weird."
"Weird
how?
"
"Like… There's
one smell… And then there's a
different smell? You know?"
"No, I don't know. Is the kryptonian sense of smell actually sensing chemicals in the air, or does it work in some other way?
"
"I don't know. I've only had it for a couple of days, silly."
"Alright.
"
I free the hellwraith from my ring and send it forward towards the detached house indicated. Huh. Actually, this would be a decent place for a superhero base, if the superhero in question could do long distance teleportation. An attacker would find it very difficult to hide their approach, there's plenty of space and-.
"Mastaaaaaaaah!"
I watch as the hellwraith is consumed in golden fire as it enters the house's garden. I instruct it to pull back but the flames don't relent. It burns for a few seconds and then it's gone.
I give it a moment, but there's no sudden rush of knowledge that would come from it returning to my rings. I try deploying it again and nothing happens.
Couldn't happen to a nicer demon.
I create a megaphone construct.
"Whoever's in the house! This is the Justice League! Please come out with your hands visible and carrying no arcane paraphernalia! You have until the count of five to comply or reply, then we will force entry!
"
"Stop! Stop!"
"Sir?! Are you under threat?!
"
"I can't-! He won't let me take it off!"
I can't locate the speaker. Even looking right through the windows reveals nothing.
"Sir, please come out of the house, and we will endeavour to render aid.
"
"O-okay! I'm coming out with my hands up! Don't shoot, or whatever you do!"
I generate a construct railgun and load mage slayers.
"Sure!
"
Kara frowns disapprovingly at me, and I dismiss the megaphone construct.
"I won't shoot. I just want it in place in case
he does. This is a very precise instrument. I can use it to negate defensive and offensive spells without killing the caster, or injure them without killing them.
"
"Oh. Well, that's okay then."
"
I'm at the door!"
"Alright sir, you can come on out.
"
The door swings open as far as its hinges will allow it, slamming into the house's outer wall and bouncing back. A man with pale skin dressed in loose fitting cotton and denim clothing slowly walks out, my eyes immediately drawn to the
golden skull-helmet covering his entire head.
"Please, help me.
It won't let me take it off."