basic_powers | (no subject)

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frozen horrors

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As the final bell for school rang out, Tyler made his way out of the school with the rush of other kids. He couldn't stand going to the Bar today, October-weirdness or not, not after not being able to do a goshdarn thing to help Bob.

That didn't stop him from wanting a meal without getting pelted by applesauce, though.

It was only a few blocks to the K-square, he could buy himself some burritos and a slurpee, he told himself as he ran down a back alley without looking around to see what was there. And why should he look? The super-powered students of PS238 patrolled by air regularly as part of their training.

Not like anyone would be so stupid or determined as to try and snatch a kid around here. And even if they did, they'd be in for a surprise.

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John doesn't answer straightaway, instead pulling a small, metallic red PDA out of one pocket and consulting it. "We're aware of several different versions of the group calling themselves that," he says at last. "In several other universes. I take it you're not referring to the ones with the gorilla and the convertible?"

Tyler gives John what be best described as a weirded out look.

"...The version I'm talking about is about a year ahead of us, has four memembers, and faced off against Gozer on top of Central Park West." He replies. "Among a bunch of other things. Including one trip I tagged along to help out with."

"The Gozer incident is a commonality across- oh-" John flicks the thumbwheel on the side of his PDA. "Four universes, possibly five. In one universe, the Shandor Building was dedicated to the Sumerian death goddess Ereshkigal instead." He glances up from the device. "Every other Shandor Building incident that the Ministry is aware of involved one or more of the Great Old Ones. The part where they're a year ahead, though- that helps."

More thumbwheel flicking.

"If only because in nearly every other universe in which the Ghostbusters existed, they've either retired for health reasons or been killed in the line of duty by now."

"Considering they recently had to deal with recovering the Ark of the Covenant, I can believe it." Tyler pauses. "There was something that happened to them called the Foliage Census as well if that helps."

John makes a disgusted noise. "Amateurs," he mutters. "Yes, we're aware of them. All right, I've got a fix on that universe- there's a Ministry in that world's Canadian government as well. Oh, that's the one with the splinter Deep Ones. That should be interesting if Father Dagon ever really exerts himself."

He sets the PDA aside.

"Anyway. You've made contact with that particular universe? Do you mind if I ask how?"

Edited 2007-11-20 22:10 (UTC)

"Through Milliways." Tyler says, since it doesn't look like he's going to get into too much trouble for this. "It's a bar at the end of the multiverse. Ray goes there a lot to get dinner and catch up on sleep since time stops for you usually when you enter it."

"That would explain why we've been having trouble tracking you, then," says John. "Our scanning capacity isn't capable of following a dimensional point-to-point rip that far... Tyler, at this point I think we're probably as close to being on the same page about the situation as we can get right now. My government is currently looking at an extremely unfortunate confluence of circumstances that could have world-wide consequences for our Earth and at least thirteen others besides- possibly even more. Explaining all of it to you in enough detail for you to understand would take longer than I think any of us have. When were you planning on making the dimensional jump next?"

"Not for another two weeks, barring the Landlord of the Bar's whims." Tyler says, looking alarmed. "If you want me to stop going i'll do my best..."

"Two weeks... well, it's cutting it a little close, but that should be all right," says John. "I was going to suggest you ask any of the Ghostbusters there about some of the entities that we're dealing with, as a sort of briefing out of time. Since it doesn't look like that's going to work..."

He turns and rummages through a brown accordion folder before coming up with a sheaf of papers. One of them is a map of the Earth's magnetic fields, with some pronounced spikes in the red areas and a few others in places like western Australia and off the coast of New England. The red spot in the Canadian Arctic archipelago contains the highest spike of all.

"This isn't much more than a skeleton briefing, I'm afraid. I'm going to have to ask you to read over these when you get home. We'll be in contact with you when we can, but if you reach any of the Ghostbusters before a Ministry agent sees you next, talk to them about it. Of all the private agencies still in operation today, they probably know the most about what's going on."

"Uh, okay..." Tyler looks over the sheaf of papers carefully. Great. More homework. The phrase 'when you get home strikes a chord. "Oh crud, did you tell anyone you were taking me?"

John makes a face. "One of my compatriots was going to put up a spotlight tonight. Unless you had a better idea, of course."

Tyler rummaged around in one of the more secluded and concealed pockets of his backpack taking out a bluetooth headset with a handheld video screen. "Yeh, I do. Just hope Jenny and Dillon haven't found out I'm gone yet."

Those two forget the meaning of the words 'Collateral Damage' and why most mere mortals like keeping them to a bare minimum.

"This should work, I mean it transmitted a signal from the moon." Among other places. He pressed the speed dial on the handheld portion and waited for the tone.

-"Mr. Revenant?"-

"Speaking. Tyler, correct me if I'm wrong, but your signal's coming from a fairly unusual location."

-"..Uh...You're not wrong sir."- He tried thinking fast, he couldn't tell his teacher about Milliways, these guys knew about the alternate worlds but somehow it felt...Wrong telling Revenant about the bar. -"I kind of got kidnapped."-

There's an exasperated sigh from the other end. "And they left you with your communicator?" says the Revenant at last. "Are they issuing demands yet?"

-"No, they're not issuing demands. Someone in the government kept 'accidentally' losing their paperwork to set up an interview on American soil."- He looked to John. -"Mr. Korpan says they'll be happy to take me back, soon as the interview is done, but I wanted to call and let you know."-

A long pause.

-"And to make sure that Jenny and Dillon didn't get any ideas about shooting the plane I'm in down."-

"Helicopter," murmurs Korpan, but otherwise he nods.

"I see. In that case, I'll make the appropriate arrangements. But if I were you, I'd ask for a pen and pad now, because I expect a full written report on exactly why they felt this kind of action was necessary."

-"Yessir."- Tyler made a face. -"How many pages do you want me to write?"-

"Use your own judgment. Revenant out."

With the phonecall ended, he tucked the communicator back into it's proper place in his backpack, right next to the slimmed-down Daffy Putty egg. "I think that covers that..."

Then something else comes to mind, something Ray said after their little stint working for the US government. "Can I ask you guys for something?"

"Within reason," says John. "But sure, what?"

"Since getting kidnapped by you guys just tripled my homework load, you think you could help me write that report Mr. Revenant wanted?"

John smiles wryly. "Might as well," he says. "All right, let's get started."

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