2014.03.16 - Unintentional Apocalypses

It has been a week since the assault on Apokolips, since Diana dragged herself and two teammates back through a wormhole to the Watchtower... only to collapse from blood loss caused by heavy pieces of shrapnel embedded in her back. She was fortunate that, at the time, Tony Stark was still alive; fortunate her sister Donna and Wonder Girl could be called to remove the armor trapping the shards and help him clean and bind her wounds. It means she survived.

Not her finest hour, that.

A week later, however, she is hale and whole again. She goes about the business of the embassy as if the near-death experience never happened. And if any thought of it still lingers in her head, it goes unseen. She hasn't altered her routine, particularly. Nor has she changed her approach to people at all. She is all she has ever been.

Nowhere is this more evident than in the training yard. She faces off against one of the best of her sisters. Their weapons are blunted, this is only practice, but their strokes are swift, sure, and unrelenting upon one another. Occasionally, Diana is pushed back. Just as often, she is pushing forward. The fight is fast enough that it is hard to track. But, Diana is the faster, is the stronger. There are those who would say the outcome of the bout was never in question, and perhaps that's true. But, there's no point at which the other Amazon seems out-classed. And no point when Diana appears to dominate, despite the fact she very likely could.

Thus the match ends amidst applause and cheers from spectators -- both Amazon and not -- as she reaches down a hand to help her opponent back to her feet. They clasp forearms and hands, smiling, before Diana turns away and walks across to the weapons rack to replace her training sword and shield there.

"That was incredible," A voice comes from a little ways away at the same time that a cheshire limps slightly towards her. "They told me you'd be in training and I came over. I didn't want to create a distraction while the bout was going on so I made myself look like a little old lady."

A trace of spectacles and wispy white hair hangs about him before disappearing completely. His costume is a little different than usual-- aside from being black and silver, the pants have been replaced by black shorts, probably to account for the fact that his right leg is bandaged.

"I'm sorry I didn't come around sooner. I heard you were injured but I spent a good amount of time unconscious at the Watchtower and then recovering at the Tower..." he says quietly. Keith is leaning on a glowig purple cane which, with appropriate attention to theme, has its handle in the shape of a flamingo.

Diana would have to have some sort of reference for the theme to appreciate the details of the cane. She does, however, appreciate the need for it, given the bandages. "There's nothing to apologize for, Keith," she tells the cat. "I am pleased to see you are will. Though, I see you were injured, also? I had not heard that."

She steps away from the rack, picking up a towel and rubbing it across the back of her neck and face, giving him a curious cant of her head and a faintly concerned expression behind the smile on her lips.

Yellow-green eyes dart down to his leg, and back up to Diana. "Oh, this? Just a scratch, really. Nothing to worry about, just a battle injury that happened just a few days ago. Some typical monster thing."

The Blessing of Hestia would most likely tell Diana that Keith is not telling the full truth- he is speaking partial falsehoods.

"Are you alright, though? I heard the injuries were very bad, but you're up and about as if nothing, so maybe I misheard."

"I heal very quickly," Diana replies. "A gift of Gaia." She smiles, but there is a shadow in her eye as she pins the cat with a direct look. "What aren't you telling me, Keith?" It's probably a good thing, shades of Jon-El notwithstanding, she isn't a mother. Imagine growing up, raised by a woman who can detect falsehoods and half-truths as easily as breathing.

She sets the towel down, once more, still eying the cat. "What happened in this battle of yours?"

Feeling the directness of those blue eyes, Keith looks to the side. He had lost his mother at an early age and never really had anything close to a maternal role growing up. He grew up weaving a string of lies about himself-- lying about liking girls, lying about whom he was hanging out with, lying about the fact that he'd go with his neighborhood friends and try to push the gangs off their block. His Aunt and Uncle knew very little of what was really going on with him, they were shocked and surprised when they were told about how he died.

One doesn't grow up lying and evading without making some bad habits. "There was a demon trying to come through a portal. Huge. Skyscrape-sized. Duped some man into summoning it with his own life. I just... stopped it. That's how I got this."

Maybe that'd suffice. He had to admit that the directness of her gaze unsettled him, and at the same time he felt uncomfortable concealing what he had done.

"And you received this injury doing so?" Diana asks. She watches his body language. Even without the gifts she has been given, it's easy to see he's uncomfortable. Evading her gaze is a sure sign of it, just to start. "Why does that make you so uncomfortable, Keith?" Uncomfortable enough not to meet her eyes, she notes. She smiles, however. "You saved lives. Injuries on the battlefield happen. It is part of being a warrior." Or so she keeps telling herself.

Who else could he tell this to? Clenching his fists and lowering his ears, Keith forces himself to look at Diana directly.

New life, new body, new slate. Was he going to start again by lying to Wonder Woman

Well... who else could he tell this to? Clenching his fists and lowering his ears, Keith forces himself to look at Diana directly.

New life, new body, new slate. Was he going to start again by lying to Wonder Woman of all people?

"Okay... I stabbed myself with the soul-sucking dagger in order to try to close the portal."

It sounded stupid when he said it the first time to Patrick, and now it sounds even stupider when he says it in front of Wonder Woman.

At that, Diana's expression shifts to one entirely of concern. "You did what?" She tries to process that. Soul-sucking daggers generally require blood, this is true. And usually the souls they take are those represented by the blood.

Which leads to the question: Has Keith lost part of his soul?

She directs him to walk with her. This is not a conversation that needs to take place amidst all these people. Instead, she leads him to a more secluded area. "Start at the beginning, Keith, and tell me exactly what happened."

"Well, I sensed some very dark stuff going on a few blocks away while I was on my way here to check up on you a few days ago... the feeling let me to this bank where some strange stuff was going on. Monsters coming out, people screaming, and I could -feel- some sort of dimensional portal open. I can't be near one of those for too long or else I start throwing up and... generally become very weak."

"There were already some kids there fighting the monsters, but there was something coming through the portal... a finger almost the size of the building, so I knew that first priority was to get that portal shut off. I felt some heavy dark stuff going on upstairs, so I went up to the CEO's office were I found the CEO had been... well... it was very gruesome." Keith shivers remembering it, closing his eyes. "On the floor there was this man with this mystic knife stabbed into his stomach. He was fading quickly... said he had screwed up everything. The knife... dagger, whatever, had these glowing sigils around it and I just knew this guy was going to have his soul eaten by the demon. His life was powering the portal. SO..."

He tries not to sound like a total idiot. "I grabbed the knife... and I guess I could have cut his throat and that would have stopped everything, but then his soul would've been demon chow. I figured... since, you know, I'm created by Chaos magic, I thought that maybe getting an unexpected mouthful of chaos energy would upset the demon's little spell..."

Diana remains silent for a moment or two, mulling over what the cat tells her. "So," she says slowly, raising blue eyes to look at him, "you were gambling that your chaos magic would protect your own soul..." She's rather hoping he sees his own folly, so she doesn't have to spell it out for him. Diana is no witch, no sorceress or magic user. But she does understand a little bit about demons. She's faced them before.

Beyond the physical injury, which is bad enough, he effectively risked handing the demon the entire essence of who he is, fueling its power and giving it a powerful vessel to possess. It wouldn't be a heroic sacrifice, after all, if he became a bigger threat, himself. Imagine a demon, already given to evil and chaos, with the powers of a cheshire at its disposal as well.

She waits to see, however, if he realizes all that she's implying himself, or if she'll have to spell it out for him.

The ears lower further and he looks at the ground. He'd kick at the ground a little, too, if he weren't leaning on a cane.

"... Yeah." He drags it out, so that it comes out as 'Yyyeeeeaaahhhh'. "So, ten out of ten for style, but minus several million for good thinking."

The ears lower further and he looks at the ground. He'd kick at the ground a little, too, if he weren't leaning on a cane.

"... Yeah." He drags it out, so that it comes out as 'Yyyeeeeaaahhhh'. "So, ten out of ten for style, but minus several million for good thinking."

He lets out a heavy breath. "In all honesty, I wasn't quite sure what else to do. That didn't include a titanic being of evil coming into the world. It was a catch-22 situation."

Diana simply nods. "I do not know much about magic, Keith," she tells him. "And I was not there to make the call. Perhaps I would have done as you did. Perhaps not. I cannot say." Her skill set is different, in any case. "Perhaps you should speak with Zatanna about it, and get her suggestions for dealing with such situations. I have no doubt she would know more options than I. Whatever the case, however," she says, setting a hand on his shoulder, "do not put yourself at more risk than you need to, my friend. There are those of us that would miss you, were you gone." And who would be far less than pleased at having to defeat a Cheshire Demon because of it - though she doesn't say that.

"I'll try... I'm a rookie, I find myself making mistakes. Mind you, not ones that I'd do 'twice'." He smiles a little bashfully. "I ... er... I will speak to Zatanna about it. And I expect she's going to pull my ear hard about it before the show. I did bring you something... though I thought you'd be bed-ridden."

He had envisioned himself as a rampaging demon, with his friends having to put him down, when Diana implied it. Oh heavens, that would be terrible. A little shudder and he reaches for his backpack to take something out.

Diana smiles, waiting patiently. As she does, however, she says, "We all make mistakes, Keith. Even me. As long as you learn from them - and survive them, it's not the end of the world." That said... she gives him a direct look, one brow arched slightly. "That doesn't mean you shouldn't, perhaps, start thinking about the ramifications of your actions a little further into the future." He is very much an in-the-now sort of fellow, after all. "Talk to Zatanna. See if, perhaps, she can provide you with scenarios to consider. And perhaps I will do the same. Having a strategy ahead of time is usually preferable to making one up on the spot." So says she who is gifted by the Goddess of War and Strategy, Athena.

"Oh, I'd love to learn strategy-- I guess you don't really know much about where I came from... I didn't really have any training except martial arts. Most of why I do is by the seat of my pants. At least since I died and came back..." he holds out a book to her. It reads Alice's Adventures In Wonderland, And What She Founds There. "I'm just a boy from the Bronx. Ok, maybe a bookworm from the Bronx, but what training I have is due thanks to Daytripper and some spars with Booster. I'm as green as lettuce. Even though I'm purple."

Diana takes the book, looking at it curiously. "Wonderland..." she says, picking up on the title. Her head cants as she glances to him. "That is where the Hatter came from, is it not? And the Jaberwock?" For which she did, incidentall, manage to find a new home. She flips the book over, reads the dust jacket and gives him a smile. "Thank you, Keith. I will read it."

Then, however, she nods. "I will also, as I have time, try to teach you something about strategy and tactics for dealing with the types of things I have encountered. I cannot promise it will match all that you have encountered, but perhaps it will help, nonetheless. You are good, Keith, at thinking quickly and thinking unconventionally. Now, all you must do is learn to think ahead."

"I figured you might want to know what sort of crazy creature created me." He nods to the image in front of the book. It's one of the Tenniel illustrations, with Alice looking up at the grinning Cheshire on a branch.

"I would love that, Diana. I don't want to accidentally bring about the apocalypse with a well-meaning gesture, and you've got expertise from which people would run over broken glass to benefit. I could use some lessons in thinkig ahead..." he grins a little "... Mrs. Haraway at school always said one day I'd end up jumping down a well and forget there's no rope."

"It's fortunate, then, you can teleport," the Amazon observes, a small smile touching her lips. She tucks the book under one arm, opposite hand covering it as she does. "I will read the book," Diana promises. "And we will talk again." She now lays that hand on Keith's shoulder. "Be careful out there, Vorpal. You are facing a whole new battle, now. And it is not easy to win it, if you do not survive it." (Last ditch, necessarily-fatal heroics aside, of course.)

"Of course, Wonder Woman. I'll do my best--- I am not eager to find out if I actually have nine lives or just the one." He gives her a soft smile.

"And... thank you again. When things are less hectic, perhaps I can convince you to attend one of my shows with Zatanna. Some relaxing entertainment and then late-night coffee afterwards?"

Diana nods again, smiling. "I would like that," she assures him. "I will see when I have time and let you know." Because her schedule is likely the harder one to accommodate. "Speaking of, however... Forgive me, my friend, but I must go. I have an appointment at the UN I may not miss, and I must prepare for it. Be well, Keith. Be careful." With that, and a smile, she takes her leave.