eachdraidh | [OPEN TO ALL/BOTH COURTS] Public Service Announcement [VIDEO]

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[OPEN TO ALL/BOTH COURTS] Public Service Announcement [VIDEO]

[ This time on the network, Kaldur looks far more serious and far less in immediate danger. That's a plus. Possibly. Still, his shoulders are squared at the camera and his face unemotional and grave. ]

Three days ago, I stumbled across some worm-creatures, and with a team was able to manage their numbers. Those of you who have gone exploring may also have encountered them, and discovered as I had, that they had remarkable powers of self-healing and regeneration.

However, we have discovered a way to eliminate the creatures and to keep them from regenerating. If you sever the creatures into pieces, and burn them, it will kill the creature. Fire applied as cauterization to any wounds the worms sustains acts to prevent those wounds from healing.

[ A pause, and Kaldur shifts. ]

I know that many of us are to be opponents in this war, but this is no manner of individual conflict, but rather a threat that applies to us all, and thus the solution should be given to all.

To those of you who are considering exploring this new land, I ask that you take the utmost caution, and recommend that each travel in groups, so that you do not find yourselves overwhelmed by the sudden emergence of these creatures that plague us.

Thank you.

[ The feed cuts. ]

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[ The pale, pointed-featured elf is drawn, stressed and harried, his pupils small in the seat of his pale irises. When he speaks, its a snapping snarl, ]

We are embattled now, in the low hills, with such a beast! Cleaving it revealed that the parts only... made themselves anew into separate beasts! How big must the fire be to be rid of them for certain!?

Large enough to burn the pieces you cleave it into. If you have those among your party who can apply fire directly to the wounds, do so. If not, A large bonfire to toss the pieces upon will also suffice.

[ All business, Kaldur isn't going to take offense at the tone. He knows the feeling of being swamped under by the worms. ]

[ Celegorm snarls a florid word in a foreign tongue that sounds like a curse. ]

Fire! [ He shouts it to figures moving off-screen. ] You must kill them in fire or they'll continue to multiply!

[ He nods to the figure on the video's other side, lips pinched, and terminates the feed. ]

[ There's something almost familiar about this guy. Something he's read in Titans or League reports? It's just a tiny thing, but he knows better than to push that out of the way and mark it as coincidence. So he's locking his response as much as possible before replying. And that's not all—his Batman voice is nearly perfect, if not spot on. He's using it now!! ]

How many pieces?

[ He could find out for himself—he'd actually prefer it. But for the sake of following up on this, he has to make contact somehow. ]

Batman. [ His voice is calm, and largely unchanged, but the undertone of relief is very evident. ]

I had left Nightwing in charge of the Team before I left, so I am not as concerned on their behalf. But, if you are here... Forgive me. There is time for that, later.

Three is the smallest number of pieces we have tried, but that was for a smaller, newly-formed worm. It seems only limited in that the pieces need to be small enough such that they can be burned before the regenerative aspects of the worms have time to heal damage and result in a new creature.

[ The information on the worm comes out formal, as though he is giving a report of his mission back at headquarters. It is familiar, and he relishes that feeling. ]

[ Whoa. Okay. He was right.

...It's so weird hearing himself referred to twice, as if he was a different person. He'll never get used to it. ]

Edited 2014-04-15 20:57 (UTC)

[ Except the bundle of information he received isn't what he expected. Well, whatever. He's used to being surprised, and that's not surprising at all.

...Maybe this guy was a part of one of Bruce's teams. He's pretty sure that he'd have heard about it, but when it comes to Bruce? Nothing's impossible. ]

Did you see where they were coming from?

As of yet, we have not managed to determine a source, only that they are slowly seeking to approach both castles, possibly due to the rise in population in those areas.

Hn. [ A sound of confirmation—it's a good theory, even probable. ] I have a few more questions, though not regarding the worms. What year was it before you arrived?

I was brought here February 18th, of the year 2015.

[ He hadn't even thought of that, the possibilities that others may have come from different times, though he feels as though he would have noticed the absence. Perhaps the same magic that brought them here suspends the actions in this world as different from that of other worlds.

He will have to give this more thought. ]

[ So... maybe he meets this guy in the future? Unseen, he's scratching his head. ]

I have other things that I need to discuss with you. In person.

[ It will be quite the meeting, well-fraught with misunderstandings. ]

Understood.

[ Kaldur's voice is firm. ]

Do you have a time and place?

The Bailey. [ It's probably the best area for him to get his Batman mode on. And off. ] Fifteen minutes.

[ And without asking if Kaldur would even be able to make it in time, he's cutting the feed off. It doesn't make him happy to be so abrupt, but for now he deems it necessary.

He also doesn't specify where in the courtyard. Because he's hiding in the shadow of a tree (thinking to himself that yes, this is ridiculous, he even changed into the batsuit just in case) waiting for the right moment to beckon Kaldur over, if he shows. ]

[ It is abrupt, but not something Kaldur is surprised at. Lucky enough that he is in the castle, and after asking a fairy for the quickest way into the courtyard, he arrives promptly on time, observing his surroundings as he enters. The best cover is the small sprawl of trees, so he heads in that direction since Batman is not otherwise visible. ]

Over here.

[ He's making himself visible enough for a moment, then stepping back. Still visible, but not to everyone. It's the best spot in the area in case this was a trap; as much as he doesn't want it to be, he was raised by Batman. Being extra careful is necessary. ]

Batman.

[ He joins the Justice League leader in the shadows, but the back of his neck prickles. Something seems... off, by just the slightest margin, though the figure still seems familiar to him.

He is the slightest bit tense, waiting. ]

I will attempt to answer your questions as best I can.

[ He has questions of his own, but those can wait. ]

[ So far so good. ]

This might sound strange. [ A warning, but a brief one. ] There are lots of people here, some who have never heard of America or even Earth.

[ And because of that, he needs to be extra cautious. ]

It might be something you've noticed.

Yes. Several individuals I have worked with are from different worlds or planets, or some sort of alternate Earth. They are fascinating, the diversity in them, though there are several who are familiar with each other, or from the same worlds, as well.

[ Kaldur's been proactive, kicking worm tail and taking names (and being an organizing busybody).

Still, the way that Batman starts with that knowledge specifically... ]

You do not know me, or at least, you do not yet.

[ Still, the time difference that holds.... For Batman to have heard, but not introduced? It would have been at the very start, when he and Garth first aided Aquaman. Six-seven years previous, at least. ]

Close. [ He considers his next words carefully. ] But the date that you spoke of earlier is beyond the one I came from. You also mentioned Nightwing—a person who isn't around anymore for me.

[ Ha ha. ]

This leads me to think that we're from similar places, but ones with differing timelines.

Robin is no longer...?

[ It is a blow, and one harder than he expects it to be, even if this an alternate version of one of his dearest friends, a different world. First Tula, and now Nightwing as well? He cannot master his expression as quickly as he would like, as he tries to keep his posture from showing his surprise and defeat. ]

Grayson... Forgive me. This is... hard news to take.

[ So young. Strong, and capable, and well-knowing of the risks, and yet still... Even younger than he was when Kaldur last gave him leadership of the team, if Batman is to be correct.

Batman... his first protege. Dick had seemed often akin to a son to the man, it must be even harder for him, with Kaldur speaking so casually that Nightwing had things in control. ]

Forgive me, I did not seek to bring up poor memories, for you.

But I must agree: Nightwing is alive and well, in my timeline, beginning to take on the responsibilities he was meant for.

I am curious for other diverging points to this as well, but I am not sure... if I am prepared to receive more potentially ill news so soon.

[ He had left The Team to straighten his mind, and yet this world confronts him with more problems of that nature, beyond the puzzle of returning home. ]

[ Well, that's not what he expected. And it makes him feel really, really bad—it was easier to say that Nightwing had gone missing or died when he actually became Batman, but it wasn't easy to see reactions to it.

Especially not when he's right there.

Time to make a decision, one he probably shouldn't. One he's probably told others no before. ]

...

[ Ugh, it's hard to break the mold. He looks away for a moment once Kaldur's done speaking, then looks back to him. ]

That's not it.

[ He loses the Batman voice for that, then reaches up to tip the cowl backwards, revealing his own face. ]

Sorry—I... had to be sure that you were an ally.

[ He's way, way too soft for this. The nice Batman. ]

[ Of all the things he is expecting, it is not this.

To hear Grayson's voice, if perhaps a little deeper than he is used to and then to see... this. This man who is what Kaldur hopes he will return in time to see, his friend full grown and into himself.

This Grayson is far more burdened than the one he knows.

And far older, it strikes him, as apparently the date Kaldur has come from has not come to pass. ]

I am... relieved, to see you well.

[ His voice is firm, steady, but those who know Kaldur can see the emotion he holds back. Even if it is not his Dick, it is Dick. And one far more in need of a friend, to judge the way the cowl settles upon his shoulders. ]

And I am sorry for your loss.

[ He pauses, and lets the silence grow, gathering thoughts and generally allowing this new information to shift and settle. ]

Our timelines differ more greatly than I had first believed. For in my world, you, Grayson, are younger than me by at least three years.

Even so, you are my friend, and I doubt that there is any world in which you do not retain the full strength and goodness of your character, and I would not count you otherwise.

[ Automatic, easy acceptance, and yet it is not a decision Kaldur seems to make lightly. He does very little lightly. ]

[from the look of things, jason's already had a run-in with the worms, a wilderness spread out behind him that's clearly some distance from the castle and some minor scrapes and bruises visible on his skin.]

My friends and I have been out exploring for a while now. We encountered some of those worms, but they didn't always regenerate. I'm assuming it's because of the weapons we have from home -- the metal we use is especially effective against monsters, and the wounds we've been causing with them don't heal back up.

I have seen this phenomena. A new friend of mine, Clarisse, has the same capability with her sword. Still, even with such wounds that do not regenerate, we have found that burning is required to fully kill the worms, though perhaps a flame-cleft skull works as well.

[ A pause, as Kaldur considers this information with that he already has. ]

I would advise that you be prepared in any case. Fire has been the only thing we have determined to fully destroy them. And I thank you, for sharing your findings.

[guess who looks not at all surprised by this information.]

Clarisse is from the same place as us. I'd guess her weapon is Celestial Bronze. [not that that's really important right now, if they don't have any way of getting more weapons or raw materials for that kind of stuff.] But we can incapacitate the things long enough to start a fire and toss them in, so we should be fine. More importantly, we can move extremely large distances really fast, so if there's anywhere that's really in need of some help and is too far for anyone else to reach in time, let us know.

Celestial Bronze. [ The name definitely evokes feelings of the Greek deities in his mind. The sort of material King Orin's trident is rumored to be made of. ]

I will be sure to inform you all. I know they have been attacking the homesteads around Glashu, and that sightings grow yet nearer to the castle with each passing day.

Mine is Imperial Gold.

[also not too helpful, even with the weapon in question held up as example. unless, of course, such metals really did exist in other worlds, because then that opens up the possibility of finding more somewhere -- even here, perhaps.]

Do you think they're intelligent enough to be purposefully focusing on the castle?

[ Kaldur is not a smith, to determine the materials of an unfamiliar weapon without testing it in his hand and having it analyzed by someone who did hold that wisdom. ]

They do not seem to be sentient creatures, but like other predators, they may be able to sense the greater concentration of life and magic that surrounds the castle. Even so, I do not know if the castle is even their true target, though myself and others have found it best to operate on that assumption, while still exploring other possibilities.

I have not been able to notice any sort of exterior control on the creatures, but that does not entirely rule out that possibility either.

There are too many question and too few answers.

[jason just nods, a dissatisfied frown on his face.]

So all we can really do right now is keep killing the things and question it all later.

[ugh.]

...At least Clarisse is really good at that.

Edited 2014-04-13 06:27 (UTC)

Unfortunately, that appears to be our best course of action.

[ Kaldur frowns. ]

I fear these may only be a distraction, and that there are greater problems that have yet to be discovered.

So I take it that you need fire and lots of it, then.

[ He'd been trying to stay out of this before, since it seemed handled, but this new information can't help but garner some interest from a dragon. ]

Fire is needed for this combat, yes. [ Kaldur himself is still very leery of fire, for reasons involving dehydration and life problems, but he can work with fire, and its not going to stop him from using it. ]

I would assume the greatest need would be in the castle's defenses, most combative teams have a few members with fire talents to lend towards deployment.

Is that so?

Hmm. The castle is not yet too far out of my flight range for me to make it back there in short order, although I fear I will only be any good for defending the walls and what else might not be inside.

I do not know for certain what particular needs the castle has, but the ability to burn anything is a plus.

The castle has been warded, for whatever help that may be, so contact with on called Thranduil would help with being let into the grounds proper.

Though the situation may be well in hand. I advise only caution to all.

Warded? What, against anything that might enter?

To my understanding, yes. A precaution, to hope that the worms do not breach the castle grounds.

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[OPEN TO ALL/BOTH COURTS] Public Service Announcement [VIDEO]

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kaldur you're so cute

/squishes face

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