2013-01-24 Martian Strange Hunter

Most people have not heard of Doctor Strange. Those who move in some circles, however, are aware of him. And in the past, Zatanna did mention him to the League. With the lady unavailable, J'onn J'onzz has made his way to the man's reputed address on Bleecker Street for a...consultation. Of course, he's doing so by a means of utter discretion. Right now, he resembles a rather nondescript businessman in a slightly rumpled, off the rack, suit. He looks like somebody who might be wanting to consult either a doctor (of psychiatry), a financial advisor, or both. Not really anyone those on the street will notice knocking on the door of the house. Which he suspects is far from a normal dwelling, but that is besides the point. He needs advice.

The door of Doctor Strange's Greenwich Village home was, outwardly, quite mundane. IT seemed to perfectly match the decor of the trendy, artsy part of the western parts of Manhattan. The door opened, an asian man standing quietly in askance at the one who had approached.

"Hello, Can I help you?" Wong asked, giving a friendly and serene smile. "If you are looking for medical advice, sir, I'm afraid Doctor Strange is no longer practicing neurosurgery." He offered, making a guess by appearance. Martian Manhunter shakes his head. "Not *medical* advice. Could I step inside?" He offers Wong a smile that's a lot less nervous than his appearance...he doesn't know who the guy is, but while he's sure it's not the good doctor himself, he has solid reason to believe the man is somebody Strange trusts. Probably a close-mouthed, reticent individual who would never gossip about what might occur within these walls.

"I'll have to ask the Doctor on that, you understand- who should I say is calling?" Wong asked politely, nodding his head quietly- a discrete kind of nod. In a low whisper, the man responds, "Justice League." That should be enough to get the man's attention...without doing anything on the porch that might attract anyone else's.

"OF course, Sir, please come inside and I'll get the Doctor." Wong replied quickly, opening the door more fully for this unexpected guest. "I will summon the Doctor, please, feel free to wait in the sitting room." Wong indicated a room just nearby, "There are fresh cookies and coffee on the sideboard, please, help yourself." Martian Manhunter actually bows to the oriental. Correctly, once he's inside, then heads into the sitting room. Drat. No oreos...but he will definitely snag a chocolate chip cookie. Especially as they really are fresh. One of the perks of Earth - good baked goods.

IT wasn't long before Stephan Strange, the Sorcerer Supreme entered the room, smiling towards the Martian Manhunter, his tone dramatic as he spoke. "Greetings and salutations, what brings you to my humble abode today? "I need some magical advice, and Zatanna Zatara is not available." With that...he shifts back into his 'standard' Green Martian form. "I apologize for the slight deception, but I rather thought you would not appreciate a large green alien landing on your doorstep." Not that Strange couldn't, likely, make sure nobody saw or remembered it, but the thought counts, right?

"It is appreciated." Strange said as he moved over to a highbacked chair and sat, "Please, sit and we can talk- Mr?" he said, wondering the other gentleman's name, The change to Green, of course got a bit of a look- but not so much of one. A man changing into a green alien wasn't all that odd in his line of work. "J'onn J'onzz...more commonly known as the Martian Manhunter." Which should allow Stephen to place him. He's not as prominent as Superman, but he's certainly been around. "And we have a demon problem. We seem to have managed to get it locked in a cage, but I for one would rather get rid of it completely."

"I see, tell me about the demon. Do you know anything at all, what it was doing, where it was when you found it- I may be able to identify it, its the first step to getting rid of it permanently." The Sorcerer Supreme said as he leaned forward in his chair, fingers tenting. "You must be very careful with demons, Mr. J'onzz. He may be clever, and waiting in that cage for a moment of weakness."

Martian Manhunter nods. "I suspect he is. I haven't had much experience with them, but from what little I *have* seen." A pause. "Yellow skin, small, non-functional wings, otherwise more-or-less humanoid. Red eyes. Claws. Was disguised as a human when we spotted it, chatting up women in a bar...of all things. Then he decided not to take no for an answer from one of them." And, being a gentleman, J'onn stepped in.

Doctor Strange nods quietly as he takes a long and pensive look to the Martian and thinks for a long, silent moment. "Was there anything about the women that tied them together?" he asked, "The same color hair, perhaps, or eyes- Demons are strange creatures, and have odd bans on their powers at times." he explains, "But, I have some things that should work, regardless of his specific type, an artifact of power that I could loan to the Justice League." Cocking his head, Stephen raised a hand, "You must be very careful with the item, and it should be treated as very dangerous for the power in can wield in the wrong hands- banishment is just one of its many abilities." "He *did* seem to prefer blondes," J'onn muses. "Although that could just as easily, even with a demon, be that he liked that color. I have noticed some human males have such aesthetic preferences in potential mates."

Strange chuckled, "I can't be sure why that is. Perhaps its the bright color. Easier to see, you know." The Doctor looked towards the door and called out, "Wong, bring me the Staff of Tiras Ch'am! We will be lending it out to our friend here."Strange looked towards the Martian now, "You must be very careful with this staff- strike the demon with it on the head three times and he shall be banished! You must take great care not to let it get into the wrong hands, it carries the ability to summon demons as well if used in a particular way." Martian Manhunter nods. "And I would not want to have to deal with the aftermath of that. I have already faced one incursion. It seems Earth has far more of a problem with them than Mars ever did." Likely because they would be spotted and dealt with much more swiftly in a telepathic society.

"Ah, very good then." Stephan replied, a slight smile coming to his thin lips. "I believe even less on earth have had a chance to meet one of your Kind, however, here. They are a part of the Cosmic web, one that does not belong in our realm, but another. Its task should be carried out there alone." Softly, "There are almost none of my kind left." Painful, that, for a moment, although he seems to have a certain resilience, a certain strength for dealing with it.

"Then we are doubly lucky to have you, Mr. J'onzz, in your service of Earth and defending of innocent people." The Sorcerer offered with a quiet nod. "It must be a terrible thing to be so alone on a planet of several billion. I hope you will find friends among your associates in the Society." At that moment Wong returned with the staff requested- a long thing made of some ebon hardwood. dried husks of corn were tied to it, and it had a scent of dried metal to it. IT was offered towards the Martian. Martian Manhunter inclines his head towards Wong and takes the staff. "I will return this as soon as the problem is dealt with. And I have friends. Humans are, it seems, well-inclined towards friendship."

"Good." Stephan said quietly as he stood slowly, "You shall have to make a social call, some time, Mr J'onzz, I'm sure Martian culture was quite rich, and if you wouldn't be against sharing some of its finer points I'd be quite keen to listen, when that is you don't have a demon most certainly plotting a way to do damage to you and those around you." Martian Manhunter nods. "I would like that. I can sense that your mind has a lot of power, albeit not of the same nature as my own."

Doctor Strange nods once more and smile gently towards the Martian as he walks him towards the door. "I, too, have lost much in my life- I would not dare compare it to what you have lost, but I can at least empathize with another lonely soul aching for knowledge in a difficult to define universe. We are all just Travelers, Mr. J'onzz, in that universe. What stories we share can only help us in our travels."

Martian Manhunter nods. "We are. And I will be back as soon as the demon is dealt with." He shifts back into the form of the nondescript man as they walk, clothing changing as readily as flesh...or perhaps he isn't actually wearing any clothes.

Doctor Strange opens his door and guides the Martian out. "Good luck, and Gods Speed to you, Mr. J'onzz." he said with a bow of his head.

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