18819/An interview about Cosmic Mstters

An interview about Cosmic Mstters
Date of Scene:	12 August 2024
Location:	Hank's Lab
Synopsis:	Thunderbolt gives the Beast some background on the cosmic threat that could be threatening them all
Cast of Characters:	Henry McCoy, Mary Bromfield

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Henry McCoy has posed:
So Thunderbolt had actually followed up with the request for a conversation and Hank couldn't have been happier. So he met her up in the public parts of the school and then escorted her down into the more private X-Men parts. His lab would do as well as any for interview space and he was, he would admit, curious to see how she'd react to his ... lair.

"So. Welcome to my lab." he said as he escorted her through the doors. He really wanted to traverse the ceiling in his usual fashion but figured that off-putting the poor cooperative cosmic-powered person might set the wrong note. And, he was pleased to note, she hadn't batted an eyelash at his nonstandard appearance. All promising signs.

The lab wasn't too gonzo at the moment - some deep number crunching on some of the data sets he and Forge were working on, plus the usual housekeeping activities. Most of the open-air holomonitors were displaying innocuous screen-savers save for the one that apparently Kate had been using that - sigh - had swing-dancing on a loop.

Mary Bromfield has posed:
Thunderbolt was pretty unfazed with Hank's appearance, and was polite and calling him Dr. McCoy and everything. She whistled a little bit at the laboratory, shaking her head as she says, "This is pretty impressive, Doctor McCoy. Thanks for having me down here."

She glances around, "Admittedly, I'm not too much of a science person, but well, having the Memory of Mnemosyne does have some benefits with recalling what I was dealing with, both with Morg and Terrax, and then evacuating Tamaran." She looks back towards Hank and gives him a warm, if tired, smile, "And Tarot spoke very highly of you, so, what would you like to know?"

Henry McCoy has posed:
"The X-Men, while not strangers per-se to cosmic affairs, are not typically embroiled in them. We have a deal witt the Shi'ar and we've run into the Brood as well as the Kree, but much of what you and your team dealt with are unknown to us. So really, before we delve into specifics, I think some deep background might be in order." he said, gesturing for her to take a seat if she were so inclined. For himself, he leapt up to the bars that ran across the ceiling so that he could hang upside-down while they talked. He'd also sent a command via a hand terminal to one of the PCs so that the conversation could be recorded.

Mary Bromfield has posed:
Thunderbolt sat down in the chair, crossing her legs demurely as she glances up towards Hank, and she smiles towards him, "I'll admit, I'm still catching up on some of this, and I'm probably not the best person to ask about all the different cosmic things. My fellow Titans were a bit more involved in this, and asked me to come along because I'm one of the heavy hitters." She grins, shrugging a bit, "So I'm a little in tune with what's going on, and I'll tell you what I can."

Henry McCoy has posed:
"Anyone that's willing to talk to a mutant and give us some perspective is a friend to us all." he said with an upside-down fangy smile. "Your codecil is accepted, but considering that I've been tasked, along with my comrades, to come up with a viable planetary defense system, any information would be welcome." he said. "When I think about the forces involved to crack a presumably M-class planet apart, the mind somewhat boggles. So, if you'd be so kind, could you give me a rundown of the significant cosmic players we are Terrans should be cognizant of?" he asked.

Mary Bromfield has posed:
Thunderbolt nods, "Well, I dealt with two of the so-called Heralds of Galactus. Morg, and Terrax. I can't tell you much about how Heralds work, save that they seem to make a bargain with Galactus, whom I'll get to in a moment." She pauses, steadying herself, as she actually looks rattled at the thought of Galactus again. "A Herald of Galactus has... immense, cosmic power. It seems to come from Galactus himself, and it allows them to do amazing feats of strength, energy blasts, and regeneration. Like, Morg for instance, held off myself, Wonder Woman, and several others before /finally/ going down." She pauses, to let that sink in.

"Galactus is... I don't even know how to describe him. My first thought on seeing him was like he was some Titan of old, escaped from Tartarus to wreak havoc on the universe. I know he's /not/, but the thought that he might be something that sired those Titans of old in his power is something that still haunts me. Uranus that was never stricken down by Cronus, perhaps, still full of his own power. And... what he did to Tamaran..." She catches herself, lowering her head and taking in a deep breath to steady herself.

Henry McCoy has posed:
Hank noted the Greek mythological references and made a mental note. "I'd hate to see our planet shatter like metal on Hephaestus's anvil." he said. "We do have access to a cosmic being of our own in Ms Grey, the Phoenix. Thought you'd appreciate that one." he said with another upside-down grin. "So we're dealing with beings of extreme ability, able to overwhelm multiple of the strongest magical beings we can field." he said. "While I'm a man of science, I have to acknowledge that magic can be a potent force when wielded correctly." he said. Or incorrectly but this was no time to drag the Latverian or their wayward Russian young woman into the conversation. It'd just be a distraction.

"Note to self: See if Strange is willing to meet with us on topic of cosmic beings." he told his computer systems, which obligingly beeped at him.

Then he returned his attention to Thunderbolt. "All right, why don't you start at the beginning and just tell me what happened." he asked.

Mary Bromfield has posed:
Thunderbolt nods, "Well, I was asked by the Titans to go to Vega, which is where this Morg was going to show up, facing off against a Green Lantern, as well as Wonder Woman and several others. Terrax was actually on /our/ side at that point, interested in stopping Morg at the time. The fight was... very uneven. Warlock and Monet were both there as well, and we were doing what we could to stop him. One of his energy blasts knocked me about a mile back, and buried me about fifty meters into a mountain from the impact. Probably the hardest I've ever been hit before."

When we finally had subdued Morg, that's when Galactus showed up. We couldn't tell much about him, other than his power, which was... unimaginable. Beyond anything I've ever seen." She frowns, "That's when Terrax apparently made a deal with Galactus of some kind, because he betrayed us there for his real master. Sucker punched Wonder Woman, and I had to get her out of there before Galactus turned his attentions to us." Since, well, with how much /one/ Herald of Galactus did, facing a second one /and/ their master seemed a really Bad Idea.

Henry McCoy has posed:
Hank nodded as her words were going straight into his computer system for later analysis. "Treachery has, alas, never been a solely human trait. Or mutant, for that matter." he said sadly. "Well, speaking of an inhabitant of Terra who would likely have stood no chance whatsoever against foes of that magnitude may I offer you my gratitude for your efforts?" he said. "I wonder..." he mused, his mind racing. "If, rather than just punching the problem until it goes away, if this Galactus can be ... diverted? Distracted?"

Mary Bromfield has posed:
Thunderbolt hrms, "That might be possible, but he's apparently attracted by planets with life to consume. You could bargain with him, in /theory/, as it looks like Terrax did. But there might be a limit to that. Wonder Woman, on Tamaran, discovered that his weakness was 'The Ultimate Nullifier'. Whatever that might be. But it is one way to stop him."

Henry McCoy has posed:
"Do you know anything about this Ultimate Nullifier?" he asked, perking up. "Or know who I could talk to to get more information. We have some legitimate geniuses in improvisational engineering and several more in the more normal sorts of engineering so perhaps we could lend our efforts to the defense of our world?" he mused. "Of course, I'd need to talk to Cyclops before we commit to any course of action but I'm fairly certain he'll see the benefits." he said. "It has a weakness. That's very reassuring."

Mary Bromfield has posed:
Thunderbolt shakes her head, "Wonder Woman might know more. But at this point I don't even know if it's even a device, or a being, or something else." She shrugs, and nods, "It does have something that it fears, which is reason enough to hope. We just have to figure it out before its too late."

Henry McCoy has posed:
"Fair, fair. All we have is a name. Of sorts. Unknown if it's a device, a being, both, neither? More information is needed." he said. "Still, it's a place to start. Thank you _very_ much, my dear. You've lifted some of my existential dread and given us an avenue, however, tenuous, to aid."

Mary Bromfield has posed:
Thunderbolt smiles a bit, "Well, anything I can do to help, you know. Plus, well, Tarot asked, so naturally I wanted to give you what information I had." She chuckles a little, then shrugs, "I just want to take another swing at this thing. I owe him for what he did to Tamaran." There's definitely an edge to Thunderbolt's voice that she hasn't had before. A way to drive out some demons, perhaps.

Henry McCoy has posed:
"I believe we may still have some friendly contacts among the Shi'ar. Perhaps, if we can get in touch, we can inquire for hard data on this Galactus or this Ultimate Nullifier. Whatever it is." he said. "I'll have to talk to ... our people." he said with a crooked smile. Some things the X-Men kept held close to their chests.

Mary Bromfield has posed:
Thunderbolt rolls her eyes slightly, but lets it go. It's not like she's revealed her secret identity to the X-Men either, aside from Tarot, so doesn't begrudge secrets. "Alright, well, if 'your people' need any help, you know you can count on me if you do." She grins over at Hank, "Need anything else, Doctor McCoy?"

Henry McCoy has posed:
"You've been extremely helpful." he said reassuringly, then dropped off the ceiling to land gracefully on his feet. "And I at least owe you a personal debt of gratitude. Really, we all do, but the only person I can speak for is myself." he said.

Mary Bromfield has posed:
Thunderbolt smiles, "Well, that's not necessary, but I'm just glad I could help you out. Admittedly it wasn't my normal kind of fight, but I'm starting to think that the galaxy can use some guarding too, not just Earth." She shrugs a little bit, "And thanks for showing me the lab. I appreciate the level of trust there."

Henry McCoy has posed:
"I for one hope that we can never run into this Galactus or any beings associated with him. For our own planet's sake." he said. "Not that you wouldn't give everything you had in the defense of your homeworld - our homeworld - but a being of this magnitude is more akin to a force of nature than something that could be taken up arms against." he said. "At least not without an enormous amount of prep-time and deep knowledge." he said with a small laugh. "Unless there's anything you'd like to ask or request of me, let me escort you back upstairs."

Mary Bromfield has posed:
Thunderbolt nods, "Sounds good, and if you do need anything else, you can just contact Tarot. She knows how to get in touch with me." Since they are, well, 'roommates' and all. She grins a bit, thinking about Tarot, then glances back to Hank, "After you, Doctor McCoy."