18702/The Ultimate Nullifier

The Ultimate Nullifier
Date of Scene:	04 August 2024
Location:	Hall of Justice - New Troy
Synopsis:	The Justice League holds a presentation of the incoming Galactus, and the fate of Tamaran.
Cast of Characters:	Diana Prince, Norrin Radd, Natasha Romanoff, Greer Grant, Mark Grayson, John Constantine, Valeria Richards, Clea, Sersi, Peter Quill, Henry McCoy, Scott Summers, Hal Jordan, Meggan Puceanu, Mary Bromfield, Carol Danvers, Ororo Munroe, Carol Ferris, Marie-Ange Colbert, Kid Devil, Patience Alperen, Tessa
Tinyplot:	Hunger

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Diana Prince has posed:
The Hall of Justice's ground level was closed to the public. Normally a thriving place to come and immerse one's self in the wonders of the Justice League's impact on the culture of the world, today it is serving a different purpose. One of unity between many of the United States' biggest super hero groups, and beyond...

A number of other countries have sent members of their own major super hero teams to come and listen to the information being shared by the Justice League of what is said to be a big threat to global safety, if not galactic safety.

The gathering began to pick up an hour ago, with a large selection of tables and chairs setup in rows in front of a stage in the center of the grand hall of the Justice League's Earth-based home.

With many already seated, a wide array of diversity of super heroes from around the planet await the start of the meeting, and it seems it might be coming promptly.

Wonder Woman, having appeared minutes earlier, dressed in a dark blue cloak that mostly conceals her form within it, stands near others within the JLA roster. They are confering over last minute elements of tonight's meeting, and Diana has just split from them. With her voluminous cloak flowing around her form, she moves toward the stage, ascends the steps, and sweeps herself at a casual pace toward the podium at its front and center.

Others begin to find a place to sit, while some congregate in the back, remaining standing.

Servers have been delivering drinks, and even food offerings from the on-site cafes, but they too are preparing to make their final order deliveries, before slipping out of the way of tonight's event.

At the podium, Diana spends a moment speaking to a Hall of Justice assistant, before she approaches it, and allows her eyes to fall across the crowd gathered tonight.

Norrin Radd has posed:
Problems in space always suggest a form of counterargument rooted in a very sound observation: space is really big. So it's valid, in many cases, to wonder if a problem 'out there' is of any concern to Earth. Two factors underline a greater concern here. First, is simple proximity. For the uninitiated, the star Vega, also called Alpha Lyrae for its position in the constellation of the same name, is a mere 25 light years from Earth. A huge distance in a mortal sense, but... a tiny one on a galactic scope.

The other is more specific. While normal telescopes fail at properly tracking space threats, the Justice League, SWORD and others have worked on building early warning systems that circumvent the limits of 'we'll see that 25 years later.' And as of a few hours before the meeting, some of these systems begin registering a disturbance - or object - approaching the solar system... at a higher speed than any object ever recorded. Not in hyperspace, as truly huge distance FTL travel tends to occur, but simply... going that fast, somehow.

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
It's a gathering the likes of which there has not been in a long time. Perhaps since the Shi'Ar made thier first engagement with Earth. Perhaps even moreso. Natasha Romanova has arrived and placed herself in the area where the Avengers members are arriving, and is not necessarily moving closer to the other groups. Her attention is firmly on the Amazon Princess at the podium as representatives from all over the world, from the many, many heroic groups arrive. They might have different specialties. They are from different origins. Face different threats. Have different purposes. But they all exist with a common cause.

To defend their planet. And this is something they all come together on. where there are many, they will be united as one.

Natasha Romanova stands in a 'ready' position as she watches alertly. Everything being committed to memory. Looking about the gallery as her attention leaves the lectern for paranoia's reason. This many at a meeting so broad in purpose has a high chance of bringing in external threats. So she keeps her eyes open for signs of disruption or attack.

Greer Grant has posed:
    Greer Grant is there and on time. Truth be told she got here early, mostly so she can watch everyone else come in and to enjoy her hot drink that is in her mug labeled 'THE crazy cat-lady' on it. As is usually she's in stripes and fur mode, tail tip gentle twitch in idleness. In her other hand is a cellphone, set to silent, just to be sure she has any contact info that is needed. Naturally she's not in a provided seat. She found herself a perch to be on and against that was once holding all these chairs that got set up. Nice of them to give her a special seat perfect for 'bird watching' the big get together.

Mark Grayson has posed:
Having arrived to the briefing as a member of Young Avengers, as well as one of the heavy hitters that can travel in space as a half-Viltrumite, Invincible is looking at the charts and frowning as he looks at the charts and sips from his punch.

"Whatever that is... I've never seen something fly that fast in space before. And that's from watching Omni-Man leave the Sol system in 30 minutes."

John Constantine has posed:
Show up, it's something John doesn't always do. But when it comes to the potential end of the world - no matter that this is at least the fifth near apocalypse briefing he's been through - well he shows up. After all, a man damned to Hell and doing everything he can to stay out of it would prefer the world keep spinning. He's also trying really hard to get back into that whole save the world with the Darkies thing, of course that might be related to the first reason he showed up. Doesn't mean he has to be happy about it.

He's already found himself a seat somewhere in the back. Two seats actually, one for his arse and one for his feet. He hasn't brought the flask out /yet/, but he is idly fiddling with his constant friend - Gold Zippo. Spin, twirl, pop the top open, close it again. It's the last bit that might be annoying to anyone sitting around him.

He reaches up to snatch a drink off the tray of one of the passing staff with a short, "Thanks, luv."

He truly seems disinterested, bored even - but in reality, John Constantine is watching everything. A man's always best served by knowing the game and the players involved, even if all the players 'should' be allies.

Valeria Richards has posed:
When existence of Galactus had become more widely known to the superhero community, Valeria Richards had started collating as much information about the entity as she could.

And had a few ideas or at least guesses on what to try and what to really not try to assuage the big G to not nom on the planet.

Likely her Father, Reed had a few of his own he'd presented in a more private meeting. But for now the young woman is happy to show up flying the Fantastic Four colours with her uniform and see which directions the current plans being revealed are going.

Clea has posed:
Clea's floating at the back of the room like some white haired specter out of a Victorian nightmare. The chatter and things was unusual, but it was enough to draw her out of her sanctum to see what was going on.

There were going to be a lot of the team there and she'd like to hear what might be happening as well. For once she didn't know and it was exciting in a morbid type of way.

Sersi has posed:
Sersi hadn't much wanted to leave Tamaran. She hadn't missed Earth much. But that didn't mean she wanted it to get eaten by a giant space monster, so, needs must, and all that. She's mostly quiet for now, not wanting to interrupt important information that others are probably better suited than her to distribute. She mostly hangs out by the snacks and amuses herself by turning them into better ones. She focuses better while distracted.

Peter Quill has posed:
Peter Quill, the LEGENDARY Star-Lord (who?) isn't usually a big meetings guy. Or a Hall of Justice guy. Or any of that kind of stuff. But he's here today. He's even ON TIME. The reasons are obvious enough, as the Milano proved the vehicle for much of the action-adventure being discussed today, in both a literary sense and an actual one. They rode around on it. Not only does he show up with some of the people who were aboard the ship, and possibly with some of the colorful members of his crew (they take cheap seats in the back as not to cause too much additional chaos), but he's also carrying some little mechanical device. A silver disc, sort of, with a glass or crystal bit in the center. Like a fancy donut.

"Uh... does anyone know how to plug this in?" He's at the side of the main meeting table now, trying to figure out how to get his device hooked up. "I think its like trying to use a mac-formatted floppy on a PC." He looks around. "Anyone?"

What's a floppy disk, in 2024?

Henry McCoy has posed:
Hank, as both Avenger (reservist) and an X-Man, figured it'd be good to be kept in the loop on this dire threat. But spotting his fellow furry Avenger, he made his way over to Greer to say hello. He flashed her a smile, for once not bothering to hide his fangs, and then set up his tablet (a McCoy original) to auto-take notes and upload them securely to his systems in his lab.

Scott Summers has posed:
One may expect to find Cyclops of the X-Men standing with his back to a wall, keeping to himself, and watching over the entirety of a gathering such as this. It isn't the case for today! Instead Cyclops is seated in a chair among the vast legion of tables. He's wearing his field uniform with its head pulled up to conceal his hair, along with the ruby-quartz visor that is an integral part of his uniform. Are there other X-Men nearby? Probably. For the moment however Cyclops seems focused on the stage and the presentation that begins to unfold.

The information out of Invincible that provides some context for those unaccustomed to casually meandering their way through space, does cause Cyclops's chin to rise up and unseen eyebrows to make a vain attempt at rising higher. He doesn't speak, nor does he issue some sound of disbelief or alarm. Instead Cyclops takes in the information and leaves it to simple consideration. No doubt it'll factor into all manner of different avenues of thought and strategic planning.

Hal Jordan has posed:
Suffice to say that those gathered who travelled to the Vega system, who witnessed some of the events that have led to this particular gathering have only recently arrived back on planet. Space is pretty big, and even with a host of ways to 'cheat' such as the Hyperspace portals that Green Lantern rings can open and the various other means that others have at their disposal, it takes some time to make one's way from place to place.

The fact that such a gathering would be called, would be assembled so quickly is testement to the seriousness of the situation. Which perhaps stands to reason.

It is not often that one witnesses the death of a planet. Even less often when it isn't due to some stellar phenomena or freak accident. But to have an entire world consumed?

Yes, thanks to certain efforts they were able to save millions of Tamarians. But how many more died? And how many more might still die if they do not unite and find a means to turn back the threat now known to them as...

Galactus.

Hal Jordan, Green Lantern for Sector 2814 was one of those present. Present on Okaara when they met with the former -- and noew returned -- Herald of Galactus, Terrax. When they battled Morg, current Herald of Galactus. Present when they frantically evacuated as many souls for the doomed world of Tamaran before the end.

And now present here. But not alone.

Gathered not that far from the podium he stands with a 'lantern' of a different sort, one of the Star Sapphires, representatives of the violent emotional light spectrum in contrast to the green light spectrum of Will. Standing, conversing quietly at her side, he only turns his attention to the front of the gathering when Diana, Princess of Themysciria, approaches the podium.

Meggan Puceanu has posed:
Among the JLA contingent stands summer sunshine incarnate, right down to sunny glow of her braided golden hair and vivid green eyes. Gaea's youngest child has a vested interest in being here beyond her double Justice League affiliation, based on her parentage. If the threat wants to trouble the planet, it's personal. Meggan pushes back a loose strand behind one of her distinctive pointed ears.

Watching Diana depart from their company, she flashes a thumbs-up for good luck as Wonder Woman heads to the podium to address the mixed group of guests, allies, friends, and others.

The server headed by loses a glass without unbalancing the tray as it floats over to her of its own free will. She catches the offering and brings it to her lips. Keeping the emotional resonances at bay to avoid feasting is awfully difficult as it is.

Mary Bromfield has posed:
Thunderbolt, having had time to rest and recover on the Milano, arrives with Peter, and might have been a bit of a reason that he and the Guardians were here on time. She's used to riding herd on a group of younger foster siblings, so a Mantis, a Quill, and a Raccoon aren't too much of a challenge, relatively speaking.

Still, she looks a little tired, as having fought on Vega and then watching Tamaran get... consumed even with everything they had there wore on her. So, she's letting Hal and Diana take the lead here, while looking around for those that she knows and giving them a reassuring smile that she's not /entirely/ sure she feels, deep down.

Carol Danvers has posed:
Carol Danvers showed up drunk. No need to take advantage of an open bar, if there was one. There really should be one. She had been there, at Tamaran. She had seen Galactus.

She didn't need to be briefed on what was coming. Hopefully she'd be sober by the time they got aroudn to figure out what they could do about it. If anything.

Greer Grant has posed:
    Tigra looks at the fanged smile greeting from Hank McCoy, "Doctor." Giving him. Green eyes sweeping over others and how the groups split up and form. She seems amused by something, no idea what it could be. Just that the corner of one mouth stays up in a not-quite-a-smirk expression. She will offer a lift of the mug to her co-workers as well. Despite maybe not being eyes front, she is giving the podium the majority of her attention. Honest.

Ororo Munroe has posed:
Ororo arrives at the Hall of Justice with some of the X-Men and stands on the side of the room. She is wearing a black cloak with the X-Men symbol on it. She crosses her arms and patiently awaits the start of the meeting, not saying anything, merely content to listen and maybe coordinate the information back to the others if needed. She watches Peter Quill as he passes by and frowns confusedly as he asks about a floppy disk. She isn't sure what to say to that. She also notes some others as they pass by. Maybe she chose that position on purpose, maybe not.

Carol Ferris has posed:
"I'll go to Zamaron after we're finished here and pass on what's happened to the other Star Sapphires. We'll do what we can," Carol Ferris, dressed in the metallic violet of her Star Sapphire costume, the sapphire gems at her forehead and navel glimmering even more brightly than the leathery sleeves and thigh-high boots, says quietly to Hal Jordan.

The contrast of their two costumes is drastic, Green and Violet, and yet they linger close to each other, Carol's violet eyes cast up to him in concern. She's even passed on the beverages and appetizers being served, the line of her lips set in dire anticipation. She'd already heard at least some of what was about to be said.

It was a matter, now, of what defenses could be rallied. And so, as Diana takes to the podium, her attention to turns that direction, and seemingly without conscious effort, she tucked herself a little closer in against Hal's side, her arms folding across her stomach.

Marie-Ange Colbert has posed:
Marie arrived with the contingent of X-Men here for the briefing. Clad in her training uniform, complete with the extra straps to hold her batons and most importantly, her tarot cards, she's a bit more... flashy than she might like.

But this isn't a normal day, and she isn't a normal person. Today, she's a soldier and she's enlisted for war. A war that, from what she's gleaned so far, makes perfect sense to the... horrifyingly /repetitive/ readings she's been getting on her cards. Every time the same cards. Every time the same positions.

Of course, her position in the room changes when Tarot lays her eyes on Thunderbolt. Wordlessly moving across the room with a dancer's grace to take her place by the magical woman's side, hooking both of her arms around the brunette's and offering a gentle smile of support. They've faced the End of the World together before. They'll do it again.

Kid Devil has posed:
    Kid Devil arrives, looking a bit overwhelmed at the location and the attendees. He waves his work badge at one of the... are there ushers? Whoever's handling the flow of attendees. "Yeah, the folks at the lab made it sound like an astronomy-related emergency?" he says uncertainly. He shrugs and makes his way inside to find somewhere to sit, where he unfolds a tablet to start taking notes.

Patience Alperen has posed:
Patience Alperen arrived and made her way to a seat. She came wearing her black, red and gold armor just without the weapons. If something were to actually happen here? There are far more capable sorts to deal with things. The black cloak she wears over her armor is pulled back, the hood lowered, as she settles into a chair to watch the presentation.

The list of attendees is a who's who of proportions beyond anything Hollywood could host. For that reason she looks around the large hall, with curious interest, at the many recognizable faces. As the presentation begins she turns her attention to Diana at the podium and listens.

Tessa has posed:
Tessa decides to come to the meeting as soon as Marie mentions it. While the Hellfire Club's board is frequently made up of those who tend to be at best neutral to those who proclaim to be heroes, and at worst outright ready to kill them on their paths to taking power, the fact remains that world-ending, oblivion-level threats do tend to have them throwing their not inconsiderable money and collective might at solving the issue in question, regardless of what for it might take. It's the reason they're working behind the scenes against Sentinels, after all, and part of why she is the one wielding the might of White Queen. What is power, if there is nothing to wield it over?

She smiles at Marie and Ms. Bromfield, then smooths her white suit before taking a seat next to the X-Man known as Cyclops. Or as her files have noted - Scott Summers. One side of her mouth tilts upwards in something resembling a smile. "Cyclops. You're a very difficult man to get a meeting with. Perhaps this meeting can change that?" She lifts an eyebrow at him momentarily, then turns back to the podium. "Ms. Colbert and Mr. Ramsey know how to reach me, and of course dearest Emma."

Diana Prince has posed:
At the podium, Diana's hands reach out to hold on to either of its edges. She waits for everyone to find their seats, or settle in, her eyes scanning over those faces present-- many of whom she knows, while many others are yet new to her even. Once a suitable hush falls in, she gives everyone a very faint smile, that comes and goes from her visage in short order.

"Firstly... I would like to thank Captain Quill, and his brave crew." She starts, her right hand raising up to motion to the crew of the Milano. "Star-Lord is his name, and I wish that all should approach him, and his people, to learn of their bravery. Without them... we would not have the information that we have. They have orchestrated the saving of thousands... of lives, and deserve more than I can ever give to them."

She waits for a round of applause to come and go, rolling over the room like a wave across a shoreline, and when it softens again, she continues, with her voice dropping in tone.

"Tamaran has been destroyed..." Diana announces, without any preamble. "Tamaran is the home of a dear friend, and a member of the Titans. We did everything in our power to stop the onslaught of a terrible enemy, but his power exceeded our own, and we were only just able to find evacuation for a mere fraction of the planet's populace..." This news has weighed heavily upon the Princess of Themyscira, and she has been eager to get it to everyone within the teams of Earth's hero community.

"The survivors have been taken to a newly colonized world, one that we are tentatively calling 'New Themyscira', until a more suitable name may be selected by its new inhabitants. I wish... that the number of survivors could have been higher, but if it were not for the brave efforts of Star-Lord, his crew, Mantis... Rocket, and several others, I am afraid the numbers of survivors would have been much lower."

Diana sweeps her eyes toward Carol, nodding once toward her. "Captain Marvel equally provided invaluable aid in the fight that saw a new threat realized, and with her insight, we are further hoping to resolve any further incidents of similar outcomes. But... we have a new threat, and that new threat's name is Galactus."

Wonder Woman allows everyone to settle upon that name, allows her words to reverberate through the microphone of the podium, and the speakers that propel it throughout the hall. She waits for a few moments, before she continues. "We first came across this rumored threat many weeks ago. We responded to an emergency beacon from the Green Lantern Corps, and we were too late to truly aid them. When we arrived, members of the Justice League-- and allies, found a large number of the Lanterns already fallen in what appeared to have been a very large scale fight. We attempted to work with the Oan people on the aftermath of this fight, but they were less than responsive toward our offers, and thus... we set out to conduct an independent investigation, that eventually brought us to Tamaran." She lowered her chin, and drew in a soft breath. "Sadly, we were too late to further aid the people of Tamaran. Galactus arrived, and with it his wrath upon the people. He appeared in the form of a man larger than the planet itself, and utilized his hand alone to smash the world to pieces, as the last evacuation ships fled from the surface of the besieged world."

Another pause was taken here, before the Princess raised her chin again, her eyes leveled upon the audience before her. "I took a chance, and with the power of my Lasso, I managed to compell this Galactus to speak. He spoke an answer to my question, of what is his greatest weakness... and he simply answered me with... The Ultimate Nullifier."

She shook her head from side to side, her fingers wrapping around the edges of the podium a bit tighter. "He escaped the lasso after providing that answer, and through it I was knocked unconscious. When I awoke, our very own Green Lantern had pulled me from the final moments of Tamaran's existence."

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Natasha Romanova listens thoughtfully, a frown on her face as she reviews data. Her mind on many things. What was the purpose of an entity that as was said existed to consume or destroy planets? Why was such a thing so powerful? If it was so powerful then why in turn did it seemingly hvae to deputize other beings to act for it? She would quickly bring up the reports of the encountered deputy. A petty despot and tyrant. What was teh logic in such a powerful being of selecting such a lesser thing?

And what was this Ultimate Nullifier? Something that would come later in the briefing, likely. Now was not the time for questions. Now was the time to listen and then to start to plan.

John Constantine has posed:
Finishing up with the drink that he'd snagged moments ago, John has no idea what to do with the empty glass. Oh, look there, a potted plant so conveniently placed right there in the back corner he's occupying. He shoves the empty between the plant's branches. He plops his feet down from the chair he was using as a footrest and leans forward, elbows on is knees. His right leg bounces up and down. He's either bored, has to take a piss, wants to /get/ pissed or he's jonesing for nicotine already.

The latter is confirmed when he removes a pack of Silk Cuts from one of the many pockets of his trench coat.

Don't worry! No need for panties to get bunched. He doesn't light it, but he does tuck it between his lips. He might wind up eating the thing before this is over.

He's even more likely to wind up eating it if talk keeps happening of men such a size that they can pop a planet like a child's balloon.

Ugh, this one's gonna suck if it actually comes to pass.

However, Ultimate Nullifier /almost/ gets a chuckle. That'd be wrong so he swallows it down into what sounds like a clearing of his throat - it's all the bloody cigarettes. But Ultimate Nullifier - sounds a wee bit like someone's been watching too much WWF.

Mary Bromfield has posed:
Thunderbolt smiles down at Tarot, giving her a firm hug as she doesn't say anything for a long time. Just wanting to have Tarot near her is enough to restore her spirits and her hope. And she lets Tarot lead her back towards the X-Men, which... well, she's not one herself, but she definitely considers them allies and friends in this fight.

When Diana mentions what happened on Tamaran, Thunderbolt's expression darkens, as she recalls all those they were unable to save. Even with the help of the Wizard and so many other powers present. Though with the revelation of the Ultimate Nullifer... she searches the memories of Mnemosyne for possible answers.

Norrin Radd has posed:
Once Quill gets his device hooked up (it turns out the Hall of Justice does not have an input for Xanadarian Serial Bus C, but someone smart can kludge an adapter), the displays on the main conference table come to life with a variety of information.

A good bit of it is quite basic. It shows the course of the Milano from Earth to Knowhere and then toward Vega. It shows the many, many planets of that solar system, with little pop-outs detailing brief summaries of the dominant species on Each. It depicts the approach to one planet, Okaara, the interception of the Milano by several other vessels (coded to match one of the main civilizations that seems dominant in the system, the Citadel), and it being escorted down to the planet surface.

There is more data on the encounter there, but that's organized elswhere. What is catalogued here is a massive anomalous sensor ping somewhere in the midst of the system. The pop-out for that one is a number of truly strange readings (particularly gravitic distortion), and a few that are just lines of ???

The Milano then approaches Tamaran. Scans show numerous Citadel ships on the surface, and it begins an attack run at a spaceport where the Citadel is currently loading their ships to evacuate - taking the looted bounty of Tamaran with them. Several Citadel ships will quickly flip colors to disabled, while the scan registers other vessels all around the planet as they begin to launch.

The last set of data is the log of the planet's destruction itself. The culprit doesn't appear normally in these scans, only as another anomalous set of off-the-chart readings in the planet's orbit. But the destruction itself is catalogued in detail, with the planet's mantle cracked open and its superheated core sucked out into space... with all the destructive consequences one would imagine. There is more data, tons and tons of data, really.

The final ship tracking information charts the course of the Tamaranean evacuation fleet, stolen Citadel ships, and other vessels as they chart their course toward the refuge world the Justice League had already been developing for the last set of alien refugees to arrive at the Atlantic Starport.

Greer Grant has posed:
    Greer Grant's expression changes with the news. Even she can't ignore the destruction of a planet and the gravity of what Wonder Woman is saying. She turns her phone in her hand, resting it against her thigh to remove one distraction. Eyes flick to Peter Quill as he is mentioned, then to Carol before returning to Diana. Clearly this is a grave threat and on a scale that few foes can even dream to reach. She takes mental notes of key things being said. Her main reaction is a single thrash of the tail before it stills completely.

Valeria Richards has posed:
So there's a weapon. Making one was on the list but if that work is done. It's one less build she might have to help cook. "So did anyone get any specs or a location on this 'Ultimate Nullifier?" Valeria asks with a hand raised.

That it might be a weapon also gets more frowns. "And I'm assuming everyone is fine with using it on a sentient being if it's lethal to Galactus?" she asks further, keeping her voice raised as best she can in order to be heard.

Clea has posed:
Clea gives a look to Hal over the crowd and there is a dip of her head to the Lantern, she'd not seen him in over a year. She also quietly greets the other Avengers and those that she knows. Then she looks to Diana as she speaks and there is a frown at the information given. World endings? This was no good.

For the moment the Sorceress Supreme of the Dark Dimension floats in her place and worries internally as the information from Captain Quill comes up.

Carol Danvers has posed:
Carol Danvers shakes her head as Diana acknowledges her, "I couldn't do enough," she says simply, regret and anger in her voice. She had almost gotten used to feeling strong, feeling almost invulnerable. All of her might seemed like nothing in the face of what they'd encountered.

And her cosmic awareness still left her skull throbbing, a constant, blaring warning siren that keeps pressing at the back of her eyes. Carol didn't like being humbled. She clung to her pride and without it, she felt unstable.

Soon enough, she would convert her fear and her shame into rage and fuel that rage into action and then she would be ready to help ssave the world.

But right now, she was kind of barely holding on.

Henry McCoy has posed:
Hank leans in close to Greer. "Way above our paygrade, but I might be able to help. Somehow." he commented. Last time he met Galactus it did not go well. For anyone. He glanced over at Scott, but Slim was firmly in Leader Mode and likely would want options, opinions, and likely science miracles.

No pressure, Hank.

Meggan Puceanu has posed:
Meggan needs no cue about when to clap. Her gaze lifts away from Wonder Woman long enough to alight on the crew of the Milano, settled among none of them for overly long. The brimming interest evaporates under the burden of Tamaran's demise, dragged under as spreading ripples mark the reactions of others throughout the room. Seneca wasn't wrong, two thousand years ago, that the greater the mob in which she mingles, the greater the potential danger.

Though no Stoic by anyone's imagination, she bites her lip to keep the brimming questions at bay and, moreover, any outward frown. Data mostly flows over her head from the presentation that Peter shows them, but some points don't.

At least one. "Do we know why this Galactus needs to consume..." The briefest hesitation lingers, her eyes narrowing, brimming in a faint glow. "Tamaran and other places?"

Her drink is set again to her lips, the flavour overwhelmed by the emotive hues in the atmosphere.

Sersi has posed:
In response to Valeria Richards's question, Sersi interjects cheerfully, "Well, if you believe in the trolley problem, the math is simple. One sentient being versus all the planets it would ever consume. If you believe in staking a vampire, then you believe in killing Galactus."

Peter Quill has posed:
"Aha, there we go!"

Rocket has some spare parts, which get thrown from back in the crowd somewhere, and with a bit of 'jam it in there it'll fit somehow' and a bit more 'bang on it till it works' he gets the whole fancy PowerPoint show on the road. "Oh, hey cool, nice setup you guys got here. You've really spruced the planet up since I was a kid." All they had was VHS and modems that made you hang up the phone.

With his work done, he backs up from the display and takes a seat vaguely in the vicinity of the podium, in case Diana needs him for anything.

"If you've got any questions, uh... do not direct them to me because I don't understand most of this stuff. I just fly the ship and look cool doing it."

Ororo Munroe has posed:
Ororo frowns a bit in concern as she contemplates the news thoughtfully, perhaps thinking over all the lives that have been lost or maybe contemplating the sheer scope of this whole matter. It makes the busy work preparing upcoming school curriculum dwarf in comparison. She is steadfast in her posture like she usually is, knowing that thoe heroes probably have a plan and it's probably a good one.

Hal Jordan has posed:
One would think that the Guardians -- of the Universe variety, the little blue ones, instead of the Galaxy variety, the crew of the milano -- would be a little bit more forthcoming about what they know. As perhaps the oldest single race in the entire Galaxy, no one should be more aware of just what sort of threat Galactus represents, what things he is capable of then the Oans.

The fact that a significant number of their Green Lanterns were seemingly slaughtered by the Herald of Galactus Morg should likewise tip the scales and force the Guardians to be somewhat forthcoming with the information.

But they have been rather silent on the matter.

Indeed, it has become something of a war of wills between them and the Green Lantern of Sector 2814, with them refusing to answering the inquiries he has put forth to learn more about Galactus, his Heralds and this Power Cosmic that they seem to channel, a force equal to or perhaps exceeding even the emotional light spectrum.

In trun, Hal has been equally defiant in answering any inquiries in his breaking of the long standing prohibition on any Green Lantern entering the Vega system. One more mystery that the Guardians have refused to elaborate on. But one that Hal is fairly certain that he has solved, after meeting the mysterious Orange Lantern on Okaara.

Which raises all sorts of potentially troubling questions. Ones that there are not time to deal with now. But ones where a recknoning will come due.

"I'd appreciate that. Perhaps the Zamarons will be a little more forthcoming with you then the Guardians have been with me," Hal murmurs quietly to Carol as Diana goes through the recent, tragic events that befell the Tamaranian people and their homeworld.

"I'll try again after this. Perhaps they've heard of this 'ultimate nullifer'. It sounds like the kind of thing they would lay their hands on and then refuse to tell anyone about."

Hal might be just a little cynical about his Green Lantern superiors right at the moment. Secrets and lies tend to have that effect.

Patience Alperen has posed:
Patience Alperen has had encounters with powerful supernatural creatures and beings. But one that could destroy an entire planet with what could be reduced to the swat of their hand? There is only One she could imagine with that power, but He is considered a/the Creator. This.. is certainly outside of the usual rule book. As it were. Frowning, her mind briefly considers the Spear she is the guardian of. Could it have some effect on such a powerful being?

Looking back to Diana, she focuses again on the presentation and displayed data to learn more.

Scott Summers has posed:
Cyclops offers applause for the Milano and its crew. Though he goes quiet a moment later. Tessa's words have reached Cyclops, but he doesn't seem ready to leap into a conversation while the presentation is unfolding. He watches from behind his visor and seems to remain attentive to the information being provided.

Galactus.

The Ultimate Nullifier.

The mention of Galactus' greatest weakness results in Cyclops turning his attention toward Henry McCoy. He considers Beast for a moment, nods in his direction, and then promptly returns his focus to the meeting underway. More detailed conversations on the Ultimate Nullifier and Hank's theories will surely come later.

Cyclops doesn't turn his attention toward Tessa, but continues to watch and listen. He seems to split his attention rather well however when he speaks in hushed tones back at Tessa, "I'm sorry that meeting me has proven more difficult than you'd have imagined. No one informed me that you wished to speak with me". He pauses for a moment. That pause is likely so that he can listen to the presentation as it continues. Only in a moment of quiet does he murmur quietly toward Tessa without looking toward her, "Is this a matter to be discussed here? Or another time?"

Valeria Richards has posed:
There's a nod of her head sent top Sersi. "Oh. I'm not one of the types that would be against it. But we are in a community that is often aghast at what's effectively an assassination. I get enough grief for thinking about doomsday weapons as it is." she points out.

"When, if we knew enough about why he eats planets, what energy he gets out of it. What can we do to effectively put him off making a meal of this planet, or others. Without wrecking the planets for us and other worlds inhabitants." she adds.

"Is containment even viable. Or displacement to an empty plane of existence. Or has everyone ever's first and only instinct is to just try and shoot the bastard?" she finger guns to make her point.

Greer Grant has posed:
    "None from me," Tigra will offer to question about using lethal force. It is needed at times, they can look for options, but honestly they don't have the information yet. Slitted eyes go to Hank McCoy, "You're smart. I'm sure you can figure out something you an do. Thing about our job is that there isn't a higher pay grade." Not really at least. "My thought is about making sure we are aware what collateral there may be, if any, with this Ultimate Nullifier." There she contributed. "Do we have any video or records of the encounters with new bad guy." The question aimed mostly at Star Lord, and Wonder Woman.

Kid Devil has posed:
    Kid Devil listens carefully as he quietly types his notes, but halts and looks up when he hears of a planet being destroyed. He types in the name Diana recites so ominously.
    With a whole data set being uploaded into the nearby systems, Eddie collects a copy for himself, oceans of data scrolling across his screen in all sorts of colors and arrangements.
    "*Ultimate* Nullifier?" he wonders aloud, though mostly talking to himself rather than trying to interrupt the proceedings. "That implies the existence of some category of lesser nullifiers. If we can't get the big thing, whatever that is, maybe a bunch of the smaller things will work? Or maybe that's what it is anyway, a networked array of some kind? Is it even a *thing*, or is it maybe a *person*?"
    So many wild possibilities, tapped frantically into his tablet to be collated later.

Carol Ferris has posed:
"I'm glad you were there."

Whispered words from Star Sapphire shortly after Diana mentions falling unconscious, her violet eyes briefly turning up to the Green Lantern beside her before returning her attention to the rest of the speech.

Her lips tighten at the mention of the Zamarons, eyes shifting back to him dubiously.

"Perhaps."

The same Zamarons who brainwashed her and turned her into Hal Jordan's enemy, for a time, until Hal 'convinced' them to reconsider their ways. Things were better, but they were far from perfect, even if Carol Ferris was the defacto leader of the Star Sapphires, now. It was absolutely worth a shot, regardless.

Mark Grayson has posed:
As Invincible is sipping his drink, when the images of Tamaran and it's destruction are brought up, he nearly spits out his drink. "I've seen this!" he suddenly exclaims, in a motion to wave his hand. "Ah, hi! Invincible. My father is Omni-Man. A Viltrumite from a couple of galaxies over. He was known on Earth as a book writer, mainly travelogues."

"But he also wrote a short lived sci-fi series based on his travels. One of them was called 'Ghost System' and his description of all the planets remind me of those images. No idea what caused it, the main character mused the star went super-nova and destroyed everything."

"I'll get you a copy... if my mom didn't donate it to Goodwill."

Diana Prince has posed:
Diana's grip on the podium eased up a bit, as she was keeping her emotions in-check as well as she could. The fight against the massive Galactus had left her quite disturbed, and even a fair amount of physically battered. She watched the crowd react to what she'd said, while she softly shook her head from side to side.

"It is with sorrow, that I further say that... at this stage, we have very little information on the details of this Galactus threat. We are still hoping to gather more from the Oans, as many of us within the Justice League, believe that they know more than they have been willing to share with us. But to this point, they remain reluctant to share. We know that interstellar travel is yet not easily achieved by many of Earth's hero teams, but those teams that do possess that ability, will share it, if your team needs to get beyond the pull of the Sol star. My own personal transport is at your disposal, if there is something tthat you wish to investigate, with regard to all of this. Simply come to me, and we will work out how to make it happen."

She pauses again, once more shaking her head side to side. "We know that Galactus has allies in the Vega System, and that they have been openly hostile toward our investigation, going so far as to outright attack us upon questioning them. They are allies to this Galactus, and with the Vega star system being relatively close to Earth, the threat of Galactus is as real to our own world, as a home invader would be standing upon our front stoops. The threat is real, and with so little information to go on, the Justice League is currently unsure of where to begin. But, we will unite, and we will find cause to delve deeper in to these mysteries. If the Ultimate Nullifier is a place, a person, an object, or something else... we will locate it, and we will utilize it to protect Earth. All of you are encouraged to join us in this mission. It is a mission that is of paramount importance to the safety of our world, to the safety of our people, and to the preservation of life beyond our own home. The galaxy is in danger from the threat of this Galactus, this world eater, and I have asked you here tonight, to unite with us, to stop him, at whatever cost necessary."

She raises her chin, and takes a moment to let her speech settle, before adds. "The sensor data from the Tamaran incident, gathered from Captain Quill's starship, shall be available to everyone in attendance here tonight, and with it, we hope that your own team structures can dig in to it, and perhaps offer new angles of investigation to get to the bottom of these enigmatic dangers facing all of us..."

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Natasha Romanova would take a moment to think to herself, going to start to work on plans. If those in the Vega system were hostile.. THen obviously they had something useful to know. Whether it was information on the Galactus entity, its history, it's function.. What it was.. Well, it was a place to start. Natasha would muse over to herself in a way that could likely be picked up by any of the Avengers or others near her if they added to her commentary..

"The Vega system is a place to start. The entity clearly has allies there. We can send in infiltrators to gather some for interrogation and supplementary information gathering. If reconaissance gives useful results, then more followup operations can be planned." A place to start, at least. Wherever they weren't wanted was always a lovely place to go to.

Peter Quill has posed:
Quill has dispatched his official duties, which were as grandiose as plugging in a thing. Afterward, well, it's no surprise that the conversation quickly gets... layered, complicated, worried, confused, maybe scared, as people in various corners of the heroing world make sense of it. Peter has an odd detachment from it, at least the frenzy. He may be from Earth, but... he's lived a long time away from it. In a sense, this doesn't have to be his problem. He could get on his ship and go... anywhere.

But he's also Star-Lord. So there's heroics to consider.

"If you ask me," and no one did, "His little minion guys, those are the key. The ones we met, they couldn't even get along with each other. One was there to execute the other, who seemed like he was planning some kind of rebellion. I think that one, the axe guy, no wait they were both axe guys... the uh execute-y guy -- he killed your friends, right? -- that's an aside to Hal, just making sure he's keeping up with the plot.

"So yeah, uh, point is, he's got some dissention in the ranks. Maybe that's something to pull at. Axe Guy #2 seemed like he was almost willing to pull a team-up, but he got cold feet on it." He spreads his hands. "Or there's whatever this Ultimo Nullifactor is. If we had any info on it, that'd be great. But if we don't know more, it seems kinda like a... I dunno, third act McGuffin." Careful there, you're not Deadpool!

John Constantine has posed:
Outwardly, John looks bored again. Inwardly he's really still hanging on every word. Now, he would never admit it, but each word brings the knot in his chest a little closer to his throat. 'Bloody Hell, we're fucked' wars in his head - and worse so, his heart - with 'we got this, not the first time we've been threatened with extinction or planetary destruction.

The stakes are raised on this one. This time he has a child.

Eating that cigarette is mighty tempting right about now. A man that smokes as much as John shouldn't get this news in a 'no smoking' area. He tucks it behind his ear to remove the temptation and finally pulls a flask out of his trench coat pocket. Man has to have at least one vice active in a time like this.

He's already running a mental list of who. or what, he might be able to summon or bribe to find out more about the situation. Demons and their ilk may be from Hell, but some of the more powerful have quite a bit of cosmic knowledge. And then there's the Angels - but John actually prefers the former.

Tessa has posed:
"Oh, this has just increased the number of things we'll need to discuss, if anything." Tessa doesn't need to take notes, but she does regardless, neat shorthand scrawling across the page as she marks down the important parts and any questions that come to her mind. Doubtless many of them will be answered, but she can cross them out once they have been. "You, Misters Cable and Bishop. Sentinels. I have been a bit remiss in the follow-up I planned while dealing with smaller, more immediate issues, but those have been taken care of for now, I believe."

Tessa closes her mouth as Diana starts speaking again, crossing out three questions and writing out several more. Once there's a short lull, she pulls a pale lavender card loose from the notebook and neatly prints a phone number on it before offering it to her fellow mutant. A business card, with her name, email, and two numbers - work printed in neat black like the rest, personal in the blue ink and in her own hand. "Call me, I'll rearrange my schedule. Drive to... Westchester still, isn't it? The Professor's school. We can meet there or one of the Club's conference rooms. I'll cover lunch, either way." Quill's reply gets another quirk of her mouth, and more questions. For now, she's content to listen and observe.

Sersi has posed:
Interested, Sersi raises one green-clad hand into the air to get the attention of the folks running this raree-show. "Question. What do we know about these allies? They're providing something Galactus values. Take that away, and we hurt him, maybe even distract him from coming here."

Hal Jordan has posed:
There are other ancient galactic civilizations out there, other Empires that might potentially have key information about Galactus. Other places that they might turn.

But none of them are as ancient as the Oans who claim to be among the very first beings to gain sentience. It seems inconceivable that they do not know something, anything, that might be of use to Earth's heroes.

But they do like their secrets, as Hal Jordan well knows.

Carol's comment about the Zamaron's has the Green Lantern tipping his head in acknowledgement. "Fair. I don't know why all the ancient races have to be such pains in the ass," he says, doing his best not to dwell on the fate of Tamaran. On the fate that could be awaiting Earth. He has already fought through his little crisis of doubt. Of despair. This is simply not the time or place for it, as easy as it would be to give in.

"Maybe I'll ask Sinestro to go with me to speak with them. If the Oans respect any of us enough to break their silence it might be him, and even he would have to conceed that this Galactus is a grave enough threat to demand answers," he muses quietly to Star Sapphire. "Or maybe Kilowog. And Salaak." The first amongst them, the Green Lantern primary trainer and their primary liason and administer for the Corps. Between the three of them and Hal surely they can get a few past due answers.

Right?

Kid Devil has posed:
    Kid Devil oohs. "A place! I didn't consider that. A point in space that will... disable this Galactus thing? Maybe. But how to lure it there."
    Eddie drums idly on the frame of his tablet while he considers this. Then he snaps his fingers, causing sparks to flicker into the air. "A fake Earth. Duh. We hide this one, and project another one somewhere else. Obviously it's sensing planets, somehow; we just need to figure out the right wavelength and we can make it see whatever we want. Even blind it."
    "Maybe. At the least it might buy us some time. We'd need a projector millions of kilometers across. Interferometric emitters all over the solar system... into the Oort cloud..."
    He's already plotting out the idea on his tablet, mumbling to himself as he works through the math.

Clea has posed:
Clea's looking like she wants to go punch something in the face all on her own...but she keeps that inside for now. This was enough of a delicate thing to deal with.

And terrifying.

Because it was. Then there is a look given over to Sersi when she puts her hand up and asks the question and the white haired Faltine nods, "That's a good question." she murmurs as she floats down a few inches. But she doesn't grace the floor with her presence.

Carol Danvers has posed:
"The sooner any of us find answers, the better," she says aloud.

She'll check the Kree databanks on her ship, see what they have on Galactus. Probably not much more than a 'stay away' sign outlining its progress. The Kree only liked to pick fights they thought they could win. It had served them well.

For tonight, though, she was going to get good and blasted and try to forget the sight of Tamaran being torn to shreds in front of her eyes. Hello, PTSD, my old friend...

Meggan Puceanu has posed:
What to do in the face of something that eats worlds, for reasons little understood or explained?

News to pick over later, when she has time to mull over everything mentioned so far. Taking in high-level scientific concepts could well go past her understanding, but the immediate threat doesn't leave much room to maneuver. At least Mark sounds cheerful! That slender thread she can clutch hold to.

"I can get people places by different roads, if you need them," Meggan offers lightly, raising her palms. She nods in Sersi's direction. "Or become one of his allies if anyone has a visual or an idea of them."

Norrin Radd has posed:
Anyone who cares can drill further into the Milano logs, accessible from the various panels around the conference table.

There is video of the various encounters, although it is sometimes choppy and poorly focused on the main action, as the source seem to be gear carried by Quill or Mantis during the fights. And Quill likes to rocket around on his boots so it's pretty jumpy.

The two Axe Guys are, well, as described. A pair of great brutes, of different alien species and similar weaponry. On Okaara, all the heroes join with the one later labeled Terrax as the other, Morg, attempts to carry out the 'execution' described by Quill. The fight is long and chaotic, but it is notable how heavy hitters like Diana and Mary Marvel take serious blows even while Terrax is fighting on their side versus his counterpart Herald.

In the end of the battle, Galactus seems to speak from above, and Terrax finds his 'loyalty' again. While Mantis is struggling at that point to hold Morg asleep, it seems entirely likely that the whole group of heroes might have struggled against the two as a pair. They are 'saved' in the last instance by the strange appearance of an army of spectral orange constructs, led by a singular alien... Orange Lantern?

The battle between Carol and Terrax on Tamaran displys the same trend, that these Heralds are well matched even against such blatantly powerful heroes. And then there is Rich Rider's final assault on Galactus himself. It seems to unleash a vast amount of power, drawn from the whole of the Nova Corps...

...and all it does is earn ire from the towering visage of the Devourer.

Valeria Richards has posed:
"If there's a scouting trip. I can hook up cloaking and shields. We might be able to wrangle Nadia to agree to take the Tereshvoka. I can keep the cloaking and shields up and running while we take a look see." Valeria offers as an option for a ride.

To Captain Marvel, the younger blonde smile. "If we get made, having you around to punch minions might help you feel better. Put those hands to work in all kinds of ways. Getaway pilot as well!" she offers.

Diana Prince has posed:
With the speech relayed, Diana moves in to a questions and answers phase. She initially is addressing a number of the foreign super hero teams, as they inquire to Wonder Woman. Fluidly switching between languages, Diana seems to be able to easily accomodate the heroes from foreign lands to America. She eventually comes to Sersi, however, and with a slight nod toward her, she responds.

"We have little information on the allies of Galactus. Terrax was the ruler of the Vegan world that we were initially sent to on our investigation. We had hoped he would see reason, and be forthcoming with information, but he chose otherwise. A second enemy arrived, a man by the name of 'Morg'. He was outright confrontational with us, and through it Terrax betrayed us, and attacked me while I was attempting to help him fend off this Morg fellow... Now, both of them are open enemies, hostile to our people, and very... powerful in their own right. If I were to judge what motivated this? It was likely under threat of Galactus destroying their own worlds. Serve him, or suffer the same fate of which Tamaran faced..."

Diana draws in a light breath, and motions to another seeking a question answered.

OOC: Sersi paged Lara her question! So I could easily find it!)

Scott Summers has posed:
"You speak entirely too freely," Cyclops answers back quietly toward Tessa as she reaches the tail-end of her commentary. His chin shifts and the ruby-quartz visor he wears directs itself toward Tessa. He considers her at length and while his eyes and even some of his face is concealed by the hood that he wears, it's obvious by the set of his jaw that he's particularly unamused as something that his apparent fellow mutant has said. He glances toward the card, considers it, and plucks it from the table. "I'll extend your concerns to the relevant parties," he answers in conclusion. Then as calm as can be, his attention turns ahead and toward the presentation as it continues to unfold.

Despite no words being spoken, it's clear that Cyclops is done with the conversation.

Mary Bromfield has posed:
Thunderbolt echoes, "Well, I'm recovered from Tamaran, mostly... so if anyone needs help, I'm definitely able to do so." She looks over at the X-Men, Tarot in particular, before glancing up towards Diana and Hal, "Not sure what I can do against something that seems to be more like a Titan out of Tartarus than anything else, but it's not my nature to bow out before the fight is done."

Sersi has posed:
Sersi nods somberly. "So, he has mini-bosses we probably have to defeat first. Speaking of people to defeat, has anyone reached out to the people we could call villains? I assume most of them would like to help the Earth continue existing, since all the banks they like to rob are around here."

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Natasha Romanova would nod in the general direction of Valeria, "Excellent. WHen we have a target, we'll get in touch with you to help arrange the proper stealth systems for the transport." She listens to Sersi and Clea, giving them a firm nod from her position. "Denial of assets to the enemy is an excellent starting point regardless of our knowledge base."

Henry McCoy has posed:
Hank, paying attention and noting the briefing down automatically, spent a few moments calculating exactly how much energy it would take to shatter your average M-class planet, then added in a fudge factor in case this Tamaran was not M-class. It likely was but a fudge factor was probably warranted. The number he came up with - very preliminary - had a distressing number of zeroes in it. Not as many as there would be if the planet was actually disintegrated vs being torn apart, but it was a _distressing_ amount of work to accomplish what had been done.

Cosmic problems were probably best left to the Justice League, or some of his more powerful Avengers team-mates.

This was way, _way_ out of his pay range. Maybe he could come up with a practical defense that wouldn't extinguish their star or rip their own planet apart in backwash of such titanic forces.

Or destroy another world of broccoli people.

Peter Quill has posed:
Quill, though sometimes numbled by the scale of things, does have his insights. And the scheming of the villains seems one of them. After all, it was his BRILLIANT 'Take me to your leader!' plan that got them onto Okaara so quickly in the first place. He just knows the vibe, when it comes to these kinda pulpy space tyrant types.

"My read," he adds, tacking on after Diana, "Is that Terrax tried to go into business for himself, and the boss didn't like it. He had some personal interest in that world, too."

He gets up at this point, pushes a hand back through his hair, idle gestures as he works through his own thoughts. "Galactus said something about it: he came to Okaara because Terrax defied him. Terrax got down and kissed his ass, so he spared the planet... and chose a different one instead. So there's wiggle room, right? There's some politics to this, decisions about who gets eaten, who doesn't."

He adds the obvious: "That system had what, 20 something planets. He ate ONE and said 'nah, I'm good' and set off for the next system."

Patience Alperen has posed:
Patience Alperen frowns again as Diana explains there is a lack of information on Galactus at this point. It isn't surprising, but when the World's Best and Brightest protectors are still lacking details, it is still unsettling.

Sitting back, she returns her focus to trying to pick out particular details that might offer a moment of insight. Though it might feel bleak and beyond her abilities, losing faith that a solution can be found will only make the situation worse.

Diana Prince has posed:
When Meggan speaks up, Diana's confident gaze turns toward her. Being that Meggan is a member of the Justice League, and a friend, she gets a small smile too. At the question, Diana dips her chin in a soft nod. "Our very own Green Lantern, can surely reproduce a full body representation of both Terrax, and Morg. This information would obviously be quite valuable for those who may wish to venture in to the stars themselves. I should also mention that the Lanterns themselves are, or were at least, forbidden from entering the Vega system, though I have yet to personally hear a reason for this to have been a rule. Thankfull..." Diana motions to Hal, not wishing to use his name beyond his title. "Our own Green Lantern was willing to break that Oan mandate, and because of it, we were that much more capable of escaping MOrg, and Terrax's deception, and betrayal..."

Diana takes another question then, calmly providing an answer as best as she is able to.

(OOC: Page any questions to Lara, to make it more easily found! Thank you!)

Carol Ferris has posed:
Star Sapphire's gaze had traveled more, the last few minutes. Listening to Diana, of course, and her information, but also shifting to those around the room who were starting to speak up more.

Invincible. Quill. The first gets a bemused curl of her lips, but the second a more thoughtful, almost sharply reproachful stare at the 'he killed your friends, right?' question. Whether or not she liked the phrasing, however, his suggestion of using the minions did bring her gaze back to Hal.

"Maybe that's what it takes to become an ancient race. I'll let you know when we get there."

Hal's mention of Kilowog, however, has her smirking a little, her eyes alight with humor. "If you think that's wise. I'm sure Kilowog is better in front of the Guardians than he is with other forms of... diplomacy."

More subdued, however, she nods vaguely to Quill. "We should follow up with the _other_ Guardians once we're finished. He may have an idea, and there may be ways the Star Sapphires can help with the minions following Galactus." Through the empathic abilities of their rings, perhaps, or just to add to numbers.

Mark Grayson has posed:
Invincible scrubs his hand over his face after a moment. He so just... yeah, should have spoken better on his dad's stupid book. For now, he's quiet again, letting the smarter minds talk. He's just one of the many bruisers after all.

And there is plenty of punch and pie to drink.

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
And after a few moments, Natasha Romanova considers, and then gestures over at Sersi.. And then over at Clea with her fingers, beckoning to the two of them. "A word, if I might? We have to gather information on this.. Entity, most of which is off planet and will not be pursuable for most of us." She seemed to think that the two were some exception for some reason.

Hal Jordan has posed:
It is an interesting point to be sure. There were any number of worlds in the Vega system, quite a few of which were inhabited with all manner of life -- both sentient and otherwise.

Which would suggest that there is more to Galacus then just a pure force of destruction. That perhaps something drives him. Perhaps there is something beyond the consumption of any given world. Something specific that he needs.

"A fair point," Hal says quietly to Quill's observation. "Though until we know more about what drives Galactus I'm not sure what we can read into things," he admits. "And I'm not sure we care overly what his motivations are, or what reason he seems to have targetted this solar system, and presumably this planet next. So long as he's stopped," the Green Lantern says quietly.

Fortunately Hal has indeed seen both Morg and Terrax. Morg got a taste of the Green Lantern ring itself -- though admittedly much of the heavy lifting with him seems to have been done by the still mysterious Orange Lantern.

And he is familiar enough with Terrax as well to comply. "I can," he says, life-szied replicas of both of Galactus' Heralds springing into being about the assemblage, slowly roating in midair for the observation of all. "And I cannot say why the Green Lantern Corps was forbidden from the Vega system. Though I have my suspicions. I'm not sure if that will benefit us though," he admits.

Larfleeze seems like an... unstable ally at best. A menace perhaps somewhere on the order of Galactus at worst.

Carol's amusement at his suggestion makes him arch a brow, though his own smirk briefly slides over his expression. "I don't know. Maybe it will take some of Kilowag's unique brand of diplomacy to wake the little blue imps up and get them off the bench and onto the field finally," he suggests.

There are worse ideas floating around out there.

Sersi has posed:
Since the main presentation seems to have broken up, Sersi walks over toward Clea, who got her attention in the easiest possible way: saying nice things! When she sees the Black Widow beckon them both, her eyebrows raise in some amusement, and she joins the redheaded human for a couple of words of conversation.

"Well, Galactus is--sorry, let me think of how to say this to someone who doesn't have the same senses I do." She pauses, then says, "Perhaps the quickest explanation is, there are cosmic forces stretching out across all of existence, like a web. Galactus is powerfully endowed with those cosmic forces, so if you possess the ability to read that energy, you can sense his presence from a solar system away. I'm not the most sensitive at reading that energy, but I think someone who's better than me could learn useful things."

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Natasha Romanova would nod thoughtfully over at Sersi, tapping her arms along her side in thought. "Such a thing is likely well beyond my capability to comprehend or imagine. I'll defer to those with the expertise on how to go about making plans to utilize that." Again she's thoughtful over.

"Would those that.. You work for have information that they would share? I would imagine that Its purpose would be an anathema to them." Based on what little had been shared with the Avengers, at least. And if anyone would have information on such an Entity..

The Celestials would.

Tessa has posed:
Tessa's face doesn't move from the politely neutral it has settled in. "We are among your heroes, are we not? They will not harm children, should they be listening in." There's a ringing finality to her voice, and a hint of an 'or else' in the tone. "I do appreciate your willingness to meet, Cyclops, but I will leave you to it." She stands at that, making her way quietly to the back to grab a glass of punch, then moves closer to some of the people with the first-hand experience. "Ladies, Gentlemen. Thank you for your service in bringing us this information. Mr. Quill, I may know a few people that can assist you with interfacing Earth and space tech, if you and your crew will be on planet for a little while. As for the rest of you, should you find your way to New York City, know that the Hellfire Club will treat you with the respect you've earned for your actions." She gives the small group around Quill a polite smile.

Clea has posed:
Clea's behind on things. When Natasha motions her and Sersi over she floats over. Because she's not walking! Humph! "Natasha." she intones quietly. Then she looks to Sersi, "I'm Clea." she offers in greeting.

Kid Devil has posed:
    With the main event apparently over, Kid Devil bounds down from where he's spectating to get up close to some of the systems. He compares his data to what's still floating around there to make sure everything lines up.
    After looking from his tablet, to the displays on the conference table, back and forth a few times, he makes a mild 'huh'. "...maybe," he mumbles thoughtfully.
    But he shrugs off whatever this other idea was and sends the outline of his fake-Earth-hologram plan into the conference system for the Justice Folks to review.

Sersi has posed:
"Sersi," she answers in return, smiling at Clea and dipping something like an ironic curtsy. She doesn't ask Natasha's name, since she overheard Clea give it, but does turn her smile in Natasha's direction to somewhat include her in the introduction. "The people I work for? Oh, them. Probably," she says gaily. "I'm not on good terms with them, but even so, I think they'd see the benefit in Earth's continued existence, and be willing to participate on a small scale. Direct intervention is too much to hope for, since it would probably destroy entire star systems. Babies and bathwater."

Diana Prince has posed:
With the questions and answers phase wrapping up, Diana took her leave from the stage. The screens that flanked the stage continue to display information that was gathered during all of which Wonder Woman spoke on, while the various teams began to inter-mingle on the subject itself.

Stepping down from the stage, Diana moves toward the group of gathered Justice League members, who are being joined by various members from other world-wide teams.

It would seem that much has to be discussed, with that ominous signal of 'something' approaching Earth being one of the main topics to follow the presentation.

With much snacks and refreshment being shared around by the Hall of Justice staff and aids.

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Contemplating, Natasha Romanova goes to gesture over at Tessa to join the cluster of those with her planning. "Ms. Fox? Might I take some of your time?" An invitation over towards them as Natasha would put her hand over on her hip after the gesture. Then to Clea..

"Might your.. Extended circles perhaps know anything of this entity? It seems to be on a scale comparable to them. So might they view it as a threat?" Would Dormammu be willing to share anything? Or at least be willing to offer something without his usual reputation for backstabbing involved? If only as if the Earth was destroyed he could't consume it, after all.

Then as Sersi would go to reply to them over she would smile. "Good. If there's a way that you can approach them and get some information and share it, thank you. We have limited access to space, and few specialists. Anything we can gather here on Earth.." Allies, resources, information.. "Is useful."

Peter Quill has posed:
Quill sticks around a little bit. One, he really needs that disk back, they're not cheap and Rocket would be mad! Two, maybe he can talk to Diana once she's not being mobbed. She's so tall.

And let's call three 'vague interest in saving Earth.'

"We come up with a plan yet?" this is what he asks, as he sliiiides into step beside Diana as she dismounts her podium. "I'm thinking questioning the Lantern dudes is up there. That device would be great if we knew where it was. I'm good at steali- asset recovery." Smooth Quill, smooth. "Plus there's the bozos he runs with. I bet those two axe-dudes aren't going to be best friends any time soon, and if one of them is plotting against the boss, maybe all of them are."

Clea has posed:
"Pleasure to meet you, Sersi." the Faltine intones with a smile. When Nat asks about Dormammu, Clea almost makes a face. "Given he is another usurper...he might." she states. "I could attempt to parley with him. But I fear that he would want me to cease trying to control the Dark Dimension." she admits. "I guess if it is the fate of a world though it would be an easy choice to make." she states. "I'll see if I can get an audience with him." she tells the crowd.

Tessa has posed:
Tessa joins the other women with that same polite smile. "Ms. Romanova, ladies. Is this where the information networking happens?" She gives the Widow a quick wink. "I will, of course, be going through the Club's contacts and spreading the word about to those who... will hopefully be able to set aside some grievances in order to keep the Earth standing. We wouldn't want anyone pulling a Maleficient because they weren't invited to the announcement party, after all."

Diana Prince has posed:
Diana is very tall, especially in the wedge heeled armored boots that adorn her legs and feet beneath that full cloak she's wearing over her shoulders. thusly, she's a good two or three inches over six feet tall, when Quill sidles up near to her!

She regards him, and is immediate to give him an affectionate expression. She was endeared by his crew, and her time around them. They were... colorful, eccentric even, and she'd come to know them to be capable too, inspite of possible early impressions that may make one question.

"You are right," Diana responded to him. "I do not think either of them are fond of the othre. In fact, I would not be surprised to hear that they have already come to blows, since we last saw them. But... the threat of losing one's home, as we saw happen to the Tamaranians... that is a powerful motivation to behave, I am sure."

She drew in a soft breath, and nodded her head a single time. "I would like to speak to the Oans again, and if needs be... persuade them to share what they would know, one way or another." Look out Galactus, Diana might have someone else in mind to tie-up next.

"How is your crew?" She asks Peter. "I have not seen them since returning to Earth."

Sersi has posed:
Sersi looks Tessa over curiously; she didn't expect to see business sharp at a spandex-tie event. She lets it pass without verbal comment, though, and says, "I may have leads I can ask, assuming they want to talk to me and think the continued existence of Earth is good." She shrugs; those parts are out of her control. "What were you thinking of?"

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Natasha Romanova would nod over at Tessa, "Of course. The Club has a great many.. Connections that would be of possible aid. Anything you can do to facilitate information sharing would be appreciated." They couldn't take over the world if it was crisped to a cinder, after all.

A smile is given over to Clea. "Thank you. Do what you think is best without putting yourself at risk." Because risks came when one talked to beings of such scale and power. Een the smallest step into one world could damn another.

She would turn to Diana's direction as Diana would converse with Peter and others. "I'll try and use sources here on Earth that can hopefully get us information while others can focus on things in space." Delegation was a tricky business. "And thank you. All of you."

Peter Quill has posed:
"Oh you know them, keep on keeping on," Peter answers Diana, all very easy-going. Howevevr, his initial answer is the sort that people usually make, and after a moment, he has to admit that the small-talk may be glossing over things a bit. So he's quiet for a few moments, before somewhat helplessly admitting to what he's really thinking. It happens even without the lasso! "I think... Mantis took the whole thing pretty hard."

That's probably an understatement.

"The rest of them can handle this kind of stuff. Rocket's tougher than anyone, and everyone else, well, they've all lost things, so this isn't new territory. Would just help to get a win somewhere along the line, rather than just running into bad situation after bad situation like this." He sighs, and then seems to pick himself back up, sliding back into the normal happy-go-lucky affect. "Ah well. We always figure something out."

Tessa has posed:
"Some form of keeping contact, even if it must be via email." Tessa tilts her head slightly, considering. "My Club's clientele tends to cater to the very wealthy, whether that be new wealth or exceptionally old, and as Ms. Romanova says, we have extensive contacts. Many of those flip into quite unsavory territory, but for world-ending concerns... well. Stranger bedfellows have been cultivated for far less. I am offering to use my position and the Club to trade that information and provide neutral, discreet meeting grounds for people to plan and recover."

Clea has posed:
Clea dips her head to Natasha, "Risk for something like this is something that will probably come up a lot." she states to that. "If you'll excuse me, I need to see about a few things before making a trip." she states. With a bow to everyone the white haired woman straightens, lifts off the ground a few inches and then disappears. Because stairs were overrated!

Diana Prince has posed:
With the mention of Mantis dealing with the loss of the Tamaranian homeworld with a heavy heart, Diana shows a sympathetic expression. "She has a kind soul," she tells Peter in a soft tone of her naturally husky voice. "I witnessed it myself. I hope that she makes it through it well, and I hope that you help take her mind off of it."

She glances over to Natasha, showing the redheaded Avenger a single nod. "Thank you, Miss Romanoff." She tells her, before she regards Peter again, though she still speaks to everyone within ear shot.

"All of this," Diana motions toward the room of heroic people, unifying under the idea of protecting Earth from a greater threat. "We do this to build toward that win. The ultimate win." She states, her voice, and demeanor carrying the implied weight behind what she tells him. "That win is coming, Captain. In the mean time, see to it that your crew finds their shore leave here, and find it relaxing." She offers the side of his arm a touch with her right hand. "You all did very well, and deserve it."

Sersi has posed:
Sersi's lips quirk to the right. "I'll not ask for details, then, as a sign of discretion."

"Ping, ping," says something metallic, its voice sounding rather like a paper clip being strummed to produce a monotonous note.

"Yes, of course," Sersi says graciously to whatever just pinged. "Ladies, circumstances notwithstanding, it's been my pleasure. I'll monitor communications frequencies for use of my name, if you wish to contact me. That's Sersi, if you hadn't heard it yet. Now, if you'll pardon me, there's no use putting off this next chore!"

Ever feel like you walked in on the middle of the movie?

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
With Clea and Sersi heading out for their own purposes, Natasha gives a light nod of her head to Diana. "Of course. Let me know if there are further things that I can assist with." Natasha was a spy and an assassin. Roles that did not necessarily lend themselves to dealing with obfuscating, bureaucratic Oans.

Then to Tessa, giving a nod, "It is appreciated and accepted." Natasha spoke with the certainty that the Avengers would go along with it and so would SHIELD. Her superiors were pragmatic and the Avengers.. Well, the strongest voice that might have had reservations on such an arrangement was no longer with them.

Peter Quill has posed:
While Peter may have had some cheeky motivations at the start of the conversation, by the end... he's practically getting a walking, talking therapy session. She's not Wonder Woman for nothing!

"Yeah, I think she'll be OK, eventually. It isn't the first big thing we've gone through, but with her powers, I figure this stuff is just harder on her than anyone. I'm gonna see if we can't find something fun to do while we're on Earth, to take her mind off it."

Its a little weird to have a human talk about the planet almost as a getaway destination, rather than home.

With her touch lingering, Peter looks up. "Yeah. We'll put something together. I know we will. Alright." He puts back on the grin. "Guess I better get back to it. I know Rocket wants my help with some engine work. Figure you folks will want my beautiful lady in the best possible condition if we take her out again, so I better see to that."

He glances over at the others still present, all kinds of impressive Earth women! "I'll catch all you ladies later. Hopefully we'll have better news the next time aroud."

Tessa has posed:
Tessa produces business cards and hands one to Natasha before offering the other to Diana. She is a pragmatic, practical woman, and she appreciates the bit of kindred spirit that might make her with one of the famed Black Widows. "I am certain SHIELD will be sharing some of this brief with the relevant military factions? If not, I can have Mr. Shaw drop a few rumors in his dear friend's ear. I believe President Luthor will offer his own assistance in this matter, even if it must be personal, rather than overt to avoid paranoia in the streets."

Diana Prince has posed:
Diana offers some parting words to Peter, along with a light wave of her right hand out from under her cloak. She turns then to Tessa, who offers the card. It is graciously accepted, and with a warm smile given to Tessa, Diana glances to the card, before slipping it beneath her voluminous garment. "Please do send Shaw my best," she tells Tessa, knowing all too well who Sebastian Shaw is. "I was suppposed to meet him for dinner, but we never got a chance to arrange it." She states, referring back to a time where she and Cassie spoke to Shaw within the Hellfire Club of NYC.

With a small smirk, Diana glances toward some representitives here from the US Government, before she regards Tessa and Nat once more. "Speaking to the President is next on my agenda. He was not pleased that I held this meeting first, but my belief is that Earth's mightiest must be informed before the governmental bodies.

That might be a dig back to the UN aggressively occupying the Atlantic Starport, a place that the Amazons were essential in developing...

"Thank you for coming too," Diana offered to Tessa herself.

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Natasha Romanova would listen over to Diana as the Amazon Princess would approach, and give her a nod. "I'm sure that President Luthor will find that it is better for him to be seen as going along with things rather than impeding them." Better than to seem to be getting in the way of the incredibly personable and influential Amazon. And probably much better for his reelection chances if he was running.

The card is taken from Tessa with a smile. "Thank you and your benefactors for their assistance in these matters." A deal, even if a rather unofficial one of an open ended nature still deserved acknowledgement. And Tessa's primary benefactors was an extremely cunning man.

Tessa has posed:
"When I found out about the meeting, I knew it would be prudent on my part to attend." Tessa offers the Princess a more genuine smile. "It would be remiss of me to not at least attempt to maintain cordial coordination efforts amongst those who will step up to prevent the planet's destruction. While my own powers do not lend well to fighting, I will make myself available to analyze any data that needs it, and to listen to those of you with the experience to interpret it." She turns the smile to Natasha as well. "Of course. Do give the Director a hello from me, dear. And should you find yourself with a free afternoon, drop in for lunch. I'll make certain that you are only as seen and recorded as you wish to be."