Aftermath

[sand-hawkins.livejournal.com]

The meeting room had a side table with a buffet lunch and hotbar.   Given what was about to go down, Sand felt the least he could do was make sure it didn't go down on an empty stomach.

The past two days had, to be blunt, sucked like a Kirby Generation I.  The worst part was accompanying Tara to inform the Strong family that Crystal Strong was altered into a powerful, insane metahuman, while at the same time aged to adulthood.

That didn't go well.

The Dectective Chimp situation, as he understood it, was a bright spot in the darkness, and he hoped things could get settled quickly in that regard.

Mostly, however, although there was business to conduct - the team needed this time together, hopefully to remind everyone that we were, in fact, still a team.

Sand nibbled on a chicken wing while going over his notes.

Comments

[tefe-holland.livejournal.com]

She enters quietly and takes a glass of water over to a seat. They've had a few but she's still not sure on the whole meeting etiquette and usually doesn't say much.

Bare toes are wiggled against the carpet as Tefe sits.

[caleb-z.livejournal.com]

Caleb made a point of remembering to take a shower and throw on some decent clothes this morning. He may have skipped those steps yesterday, but today he needs to avoid being seen as someone who’s coming apart at the seams.

The dried blood he forgot to wipe off of the side of his neck because he never stopped to look into a mirror really doesn’t help him accomplish that, though.

He enters and nods in acknowledgement of the others. “Good morning,” he greets as he sits, and reviews his own notes.

[sand-hawkins.livejournal.com]

"Actually, it's the afternoon, Caleb." Sand says, smiling.

He then lightly touches the side of his own neck, roughly in the same area where the dried blood is on Calebs. "That's one heck of a razor nick, Dr. Zukov."

[caleb-z.livejournal.com]

Razor nick? he thinks as his fingers dab that part of him. “Oh, right. Yes, that. It’s not my blood.”

He heads towards the napkins near the plates at the end of the buffet. If Corrine were here, she’d have consumed half of this by now.

“I’ve been, uh … keeping busy. Must have lost track of time.”

[hotshot1280.livejournal.com]

Trevor shakes his head, grinning.

"Man, I doubt the news that it's someone else's blood running down your neck is as reassuring as you meant it to be."

Trevor grabs a plate, looking around the room for Travis and Bobo as he takes some wings and a piece of pie that he's guessing came out of Ma Hunkle's oven.

[onthecase.livejournal.com]

And there's the Chimp, stepping in gingerly, and looking around as if expecting people to attack him.

There's a look of vulnerability on his face that the rest of the team hadn't seen before.

[kingofbrain.livejournal.com]

Hank walks in behind the Chimp. He's half expecting the Detective to whip around and deck him.

Hank looks around the room and does a head count. "We just waiting on Tara and the Twins, Sandy?"

[onthecase.livejournal.com]

Chimp clears his throat, and looks nervously around at the others.

"Yeah. Um." He runs a hand absently through the hair on his head.

"So I screwed up. Badly. And first of all, I know I can't even begin to make up for what I did, but I want to apologize for it. And I wanted to let you know that I'm quitting drinking. I'm not sure there's a rehab clinic out there that'll take a chimp, and I'll likely need all your help. But I'm quitting anyway. And if anyone wants me to go after what I pulled, I'll go. No hard feelings. I understand."

[caleb-z.livejournal.com]

“I don’t personally feel the need for you to leave, though, given the circumstances, it might be appropriate to place you on restricted duty until such time as your problem is under control.”

[hotshot1280.livejournal.com]

Trevor nods, agreeing with Caleb at least on the first part, though he's unsure of the second.

"I'd actually prefer if you stay, and if you need help, I'm there.

"And since I shot off my mouth in front of everyone, I figure it's only right that I apologize to you the same way. Regardless of anything else, I shouldn't have attacked you in front of everyone like that."

[onthecase.livejournal.com]

The Chimp shakes his head. "You were well within your rights. So was Travis."

[green-shield.livejournal.com]

"Bullshit." A pause. "Okay, that doesn't need to be in the team transcript." A sigh. "Chimp, you are one of the the best 'go figure it out' people we have and I'm not sure what Travis's issue is. It's not like you'd be the only Outsider that has a drinking problem either. Medical leave? Sure. Quitting? I can't sign off on that - for your good or ours."

[sand-hawkins.livejournal.com]

"Well, it sounds like we at least have a quorum majority on this, Chimp." Sand says. "So lets go with this. I have a line on a little-known facility run by S.T.A.R. labs for people with "special circumstances" that caters with longer-term health issues, including substance abuse. In short - 'metahuman rehab'. I'd like to propose that your duty be suspended indefinitely with partial pay - the remaining of which would go towards the funding for your stay. Outsiders will make up the difference. Your initial stay will need to be inpatient, with outpatient follow-ups once you've made significant enough process. But this will give you the help you need in an enviroment that should make you feel less singled out than in a standard facility."

A pause. "As to the incident, no we're not terminating you from the team - this time. Contrition and a commitment to fix the issue goes a long way." A pause. "Make no mistake, though - it happens again, you're gone."

Sand smiles. "And we'll visit. Food from the outside is allowed, so Tara will make sure you get something other than hospital food, we all will, I'm sure."

Sand offers the Chimp his hand. "I've always seen this group at the start as a unique kind of family, and this situation doesn't change that. We take care of our own."

"We have a deal, Detective?"

[green-shield.livejournal.com]

"Caleb, while I'm not doubting your research here, I'm the person on this team that deals in what I can get my hands on and examine. Let me know what I can do there."

[sand-hawkins.livejournal.com]

"This sounds like a plan, Caleb. Let me know what else you need to make this happen, including any...independent contractors I could try to pull in." A beat. "I agree with Caleb - while I don't think Corrine is OK, I do feel Corrine is still Corrine, based on this research. We do need to be as sure as we can be before we jump into the breach, especially considering two of the primary reasons we got back the last time are currently not with the group."

"Was there anything else you wanted to bring forth at this time? I have something for the non-magically inclined team-members to gnaw on as well, but not until you're finished."

[tefe-holland.livejournal.com]

"But Corrine still feels like Corrine even with all the magic and she's still attached to the Red even if she is in the ley lines...doesn't that mean we can find her without the magical aspect of it?"

[onthecase.livejournal.com]

"Not necessarily," the Chimp mutters. "She's the senior partner, but she's still changed in some way, according to what Bwana here's saying." He jerks a thumb at Caleb.

[caleb-z.livejournal.com]

"I've got her sword, so we have something with a powerful link to her. I can't promise you I can find her - that's a long shot, really - but I can damn well make her aware that we're looking for her." Back to Sand. "I'll be in touch about contacting the other mystics. I'll almost certainly be able to benefit from their contributions." Then, to the Chimp. "Among others."

Back to Sand. "I've nothing more to present, other than this ... professional opinion: The entity is as far beyond us as we are beyond amoebas. Our inability to navigate the ley-lines doesn’t translate up; The entity isn’t lost, only Corrine. When she’s ready to come home ... when they join ... she’ll know the way back."

[onthecase.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, keep the evolutionary hokum to yourself on this one," the Chimp mutters. "Things like this didn't evolve, so it's not like it's 'beyond' us. Just... with different priorities."

He's heard enough of how humans are "beyond" chimps to get a little rankled by the comparison.

[sand-hawkins.livejournal.com]

"Good question." Sand said. As he spoke, the images then shifted to illustrate aspects of his presentation.

"Kobra, aka Jeffery Franklin Burr, was stolen at birth by an organization called the Cult of the Kobra, based on a prophecy that one of a set of siamese twins would lead them to world domination and the Kali Yuga , a thousand year period where chaos would reign over the earth. He was trained at birth to be what some consider "The Deadliest Man Alive", both in physical prowess and a sadistic criminal intellect. During its heyday, the Kobra Cult had access to the most advanced technology on the planet and a devout legion of followers that would die for him, even to the point of suicide if he wished it."

"For years various government agencies tried to bring him down, using his twin brother Jason to find him via a psychic link the two shared. Eventually Kobra managed to sever the link and he killed his brother."

"Since then he's plagued most of earths heroes, clashing with Batman, Flash, Captain Atom, Wonder Woman, the JLA and most recently the JSA. He was recently murdered at the hands of Black Adam, but his organization is still active and gaining converts - several costumed supervillains have "found religion" while incarcerated and now show loyalty to Kobra."

"According to records, he has access to Lazarus Pit technology, so I wouldn't rule out him somehow having been brought back. Even if he isn't back though - I imagine his organization is, being run by another."

[caleb-z.livejournal.com]

He rolls the situation around in his mind, and he doesn’t like where this is going. He wants to help – Caleb always was one to stand up for the little guy, after all - but just now, the team isn’t exactly tip top.

He’s hardly at his best, and he has a sneaking suspicion that Sand isn’t either. And what about Ms. Strong? She’s not a bloody caterer – that was stress cooking, plain and simple.

Their single heaviest hitter, along with their primary utility support, are both absent.

The Chimp is on a leave of absence. Trevor should probably have some time to decompress before his or any other life is placed in his care, because just now is when he might snap and loose control for a moment. And when you’re something like Trevor Aaron Cole, a moment is all you need.

Tefe, Brainwave, and the twins are just fine, though. And hell, meeting Tefe by herself in a dark alley would be a frightening proposition for him.

“What are you suggesting?” Please don’t let it be what I think it’s going to be.

[sand-hawkins.livejournal.com]

"Nothing yet." Sand says. "We need some more fact-finding before we can think about taking action, but we're going to do some surveillance and fact-finding, mainly with the folks not involved in the magical research. I want to see what we can learn and find out about Magique and her apparent involvement with the cult prior to taking action."

[green-shield.livejournal.com]

There's a fatigue, but also a desire to just...get to the next thing like the last few years.

"Brother Blood Cult, League of Assassins, Fearsome Five...Organizations get new leaders and either they reform behind them or they fracture - or they do a bit of both and then things can get really ugly. Any specific tact you want taken on this?"

[sand-hawkins.livejournal.com]

Sand looks towards Tefe' "How far reaching is your ability to see other areas through plantlife? Far enough that you could potentially see things going on in, say, Qurac or Kahndaq?"

[tefe-holland.livejournal.com]

"Sure. Anywhere the Green is I can look." It'd be easier if she was in the Green itself but she can still look she just won't do much else but stare at a wall while she does it.