2789/Bam! Zoom! Straight to the Moon!

Bam! Zoom! Straight to the Moon!
Date of Scene:	05 August 2020
Location:	Hall of Justice - New Troy
Synopsis:	Three particular members of the Justice League of America discuss plans to revitalize that team, along with ideas for a shiny new HQ.
Cast of Characters:	Bruce Wayne, Clark Kent, Diana Prince

---

Bruce Wayne has posed:
The lights are off, and no one's home at the Hall of Justice in Metropolis. Except tonight, what's become conventional wisdom for the locals isn't exactly true. The lights ARE off, for the most part, but there is at least one person here, striding through the hall purposefully, with security systems and alarms automatically de-activating in his passing. For once, the Dark Knight isn't really trying to make any sort of dramatic entrance or lurk in the shadows until a tactically opportune moment to interject and reveal he's been there all along. Not much point to it...not with who he expects to either already be waiting or soon arrive.

His path takes him to the central room of the Hall, where a massive round table sits, currently covered in canvas to protect it from dust.

As dim spotlights turn on to partially illuminate the room, Batman reaches to grasp the cover and yank it off, revealing the polished surface, upon which is embossed symbols representing those that have been part of the Justice League of America, arrayed around the edges of the table, equally spaced. The chairs are tucked away along the sides of the room, he doesn't bother with them. He does, after a moment, speak to an audience that he knows can either already hear him:

"Clark."

Clark Kent has posed:
"Hi, Bruce," Clark answers in an easy tone, emerging through a doorway from one of the wings of the structure; the tactical annex, where the man he's speaking to did some of his best work, years ago. "Just checking on some of the old tech of yours. Looks like it all still turns on, although I imagine there are some OS updates to install, databases to update..."

He glances up and notes that the spotlights have clicked on and says, approvingly, "Also, I figured we've spent enough time in the shadows. I assume Diana's on her way?"

Diana Prince has posed:
Diana actually still visits the Hall of Justice on a fairly regular basis. She comes to speak to those who still caretake for the facility's grounds and to use some of the building's ample resources... also, sometimes she comes to just check on former members who return here, such as Arthur Curry who recently was using the library as a place to sleep.

So to come here, was not asking a lot of the Princess that still holds a residence in Metropolis too. She venters to the building by car... no fancy vehicles here, other than it being a rather nice sports car... rather than alien-powered-technology!

Superman will likely hear her, no less, out in the corridors, being that she's dressed in casual attire. A red dress with heeled shoes, her hair tied back... she's coming from a social gathering it'd seem, likely on her way to this very room now as she's got her own ways of sensing where others are afterall.

Bruce Wayne has posed:
"It was built to last." Batman replies to the Man of Steel, before turning to glance over his shoulder as the Princess of Themyscira arrives, accompanied by the ghost of a smile,"Diana." He turns his cowled gaze back to the table now, then glances back towards the two of them, a flicker of amusement cross what can be seen of his face, though it's brief enough it might almost take super-senses to tell it was ever there at all.

Whatever it was that struck a note of humor with Bruce, however, he keeps to himself, shifting right back into "Business" mode.

"We've been lax. Myself as much as anyone. The Brainiac affair should never have escalated to the level it did. Maybe we felt like the newer heroes and groups had it in hand. Maybe we were preoccupied with other matters. Whatever the reason...we were barely there. Leaguers were on the front lines, but Brainiac was the kind of threat the League was made for. It should have been all of us." Despite the harsh assessment, there's nothing of anger in Batman's voice. It's his characteristic cool, rational reasoning. "We shouldn't let that happen again."

Clark Kent has posed:
With a swirl of his cape, Superman takes a seat and steeples his fingers in front of him. He's not in his chair, though: instead, Hal's. It would be kind of awkward to have all three of them right next to each other at this big round table, after all, and he tries to set the awkward aside along with his glasses.

He gives Diana a friendly nod as she enters, then tells her with a smile, "I'm wearing a cape, and yet I feel somehow underdressed." The moment of levity passes quickly, though.

"Right as usual, Bruce," he answers with a grim twist of his lip. "I was lured off into space right as it was starting, thinking it was something I could handle quickly on my own, and landed in a trap only Brainiac could have set. No one even knew to look for me, and it took ages to escape on my own. Meanwhile you were all here, dealing with..." He trails off and takes a deep breath before finishing, "Dealing with something I should have been here to help with."

Diana Prince has posed:
Diana sweeps into the room at a casual stride, as her eyes go from one of them to the other. She affords them both a smile, a much larger smile than either of them are willing to share as well. She steps up to the table as well, at about equal distance from one of them to the other. To Superman, she glances down at herself and then over to him, she tilts her head to him for a moment... just a little toward her right shoulder.

"Your attire will far longer be remembered than mine." She replies about their states of dress.

Then, the Princess looks between them both. To Batman -- and his rundown of their status with regard to recent events -- then to Kal with his response.

For her, she glances down to the table in front of her waist and raises her hands up to rest them side by side on the back of a chair in front of her stomach. "We are very lucky, in today's world, to have other teams of powerful heroics who are willing to step forward when we cannot be there, as a group." She says as she looks back up, and slowly moves her gaze from one of them to the next. She speaks calmly, her voice laced with that very non-American accent, sultry and inviting, but also kind.

"I would very much hope that this would be the last kind of attack of this nature that we should face. But in the likelihood that it is not, I hope to stand against it with the both of you at my sides."

Bruce Wayne has posed:
"It may be time to aim our sights a bit higher than we did in the past." Batman reaches to his belt, extracting what at first glance appears to be a simple laser pointer, but when it activates it's instead projecting a three-dimensional hologram. A few seconds tick by as the cross-section of a structure starts to flicker into place. It is very clearly at least the beginnings of the design for a considerably more expansive headquarters than the Hall of Justice.

"If we're supposed to be the first line of defense against the greatest threats. I was thinking we might want to place ourselves somewhere that puts us a bit closer to external threats...and gives us more effective global monitoring capabilities."

There are clearly segments that in the fine detail are not finished, and right about the time the questions may form, Batman adds.

"The design isn't complete. I feel we should consult some of our other members on the details and technology. I believe nearly everyone might have some kind of contribution that could build towards a greater whole. Pooling our resources to be prepared for as many eventualities as possible."

Clark Kent has posed:
One thumb on his lower lip, Superman looks curiously at the hologram as it appears and the details begin to fill in. "Other than elbow grease and maybe some Kryptonian tech, I'm not sure what I could--" He cuts himself off as some especially significant details appear. "Oh. /Ohhh./ You're--?" Serious? Always. Remember who you're talking to, Clark. His blue eyes flick over the sections of the lunar surface that are starting to fill in, recognizing some of them firsthand. "Yeah, I guess that Kryptonian elbow grease will be more than usually helpful, in this case. I can ask my cousin to assist, as well." A smile begins to form on his lips.

Diana Prince has posed:
Diana's eyes go to the hologram display as well. She stares quietly at it while Kal replies to it, her own thoughts all culminating within her mind as she listens to them speak about it. She has a neutral expression on her face now, with her crimson-hued lips in a pensive state.

She does come to speak up though. "The Moon is over two hundred and thirty thousand miles from Earth. If we build an installation there, we will have the whole world wondering what we are doing. We will have to be very open about our operations there. The last thing I would want to do, is have the facility cause more nations to question the League -- let alone other teams -- intentions by building a complex on the lunar surface."

Diana... is a bit of a homebody, in that she likes being on Earth. She's not one to jump up out of her seat for a mission to space, but she'll always go if her presence is needed.

"I see the merit in it, do not get me wrong, I just hope we try to... plan carefully, for what it will mean to our world community." She draws a small breath then, and nods once. "I will, of course, help where I cam. It is a bit out of my area of expertise though." And that last bit is said with the hint of a playful grin.

Bruce Wayne has posed:
"It's not lacking for ambition, I'll admit." Bruce sets the projector down on the table, though the design remains visible and in place. "The distance won't be as much of an issue as it may seem. There is integrated teleportation technology that should allow us to go to and from the base in fractions of a second. And return us to Earth just as quickly, whether individually or in groups. Of course there are multiple failsafes and back-up transit options if the teleporters are offline."

He looks to Diana and nods, "I certainly agree we shouldn't be trying to hide this. We can coordinate with SHIELD and that division that I'm not supposed to know exists. Certainly there will be critics, but I think we can make the right people see the utility of it. Particularly if we emphasize the lack of opportunities for civilian collateral damage the next time someone tries to attack our base."

Batman glances between the two, "I do have some ideas for the Hall, but they're more theoretical at this point. Less headquarters, more embassy, though if necessary it should be a perfectly serviceable auxiliary headquarters, with a few upgrades and updates."

Clark Kent has posed:
"You're absolutely right, Diana," Superman says, directing a thoughtful nod at each of the others in turn. "We have to be as transparent about what we are doing as we can without jeopardizing our safety or anyone else's."

"But there's an advantage, too: with our headquarters here" -- he reaches down to tap one forefinger against the tabletop -- "no matter what our ideals, we'll be perceived as the Justice League of America." He tilts the finger to instead point at Batman's hologram and continues, "If we set up our headquarters there, we can truly claim to be a Justice League for the entire world."

Moving both hands back up to clasp below his chin, he continues, "That said, I don't want any of us to be taken away from our normal duties, or to start feeling too remote from the world we're supposed to protect. If we do this, we should have a fast response team up there at all times, but limit the length of the assignment so that we're all spending most of our time on the ground: living our lives, protecting our people." He shifts slightly in his seat, then looks to the others. "What do you think?"

Diana Prince has posed:
Diana's stare goes from one of them to the other, and back to the hologram to watch it as they speak. But when she speaks up again, she returns her eyes to them. "I agree that this is a great solution, potentially, to show that we are here for the betterment of Earth rather than simply the betterment of the United States." She adds, being that that is a question she's fielded many times in the past few years since she became a public figure.

"We live in a world where the civilian space industry is only just now beginning to get its feet under it. There are talks of civilian corporations landing their own vehicles on the Moon in the next few years, let alone Mars in the decade ahead." She pauses as she looks between them. "I would ask that we make a way to allow civilians to come to this ... Moon Base ... as well. It could be a big boon to the scientific community if we had such a fast route to such an important place."

"But... I understand there could be reservations about being 'that' open with this facility." Diana's hands raise up as she crosses her forearms over her stomach to clutch her sides with her hands. "I will trust in both of your opinions on these matters..."

Bruce Wayne has posed:
Batman cants his head curiously, studying the facility design after Diana speaks, "There might be a compromise to be had there. Whether as a cordoned-off portion of the main facility, or a separate research station that we agree to transport resources for and assist in the construction of. At the most restrictive, we could agree to share certain sensor data from the externals with the appropriate agencies. We'd likely already be doing a more expansive version of that with SHIELD, the Avengers, the Titans, and the Fantastic Four." He looks more squarely at Diana, "But I'll see what I can come up with. I don't think there's anything unreasonable about sweetening the pot for the various nations that might have an interest, provided we can work around the security concerns. It certainly might provide an opportunity for nations that can't afford their own space programs to get researchers off-Earth for a while."

Batman looks to Superman then and nods, "And you're right. Unless someone like J'onn, for example, chooses to take up residence full time, monitor and reaction force shifts should be no more than 24 hours. Possibly less depending on how many end up on our roster. But that's a discussion we can have another time, with more of our members weighing in." Bruce may sometimes have a tendency to take the ball and run with it, but he at least seems to be TRYING to avoid making unilateral decisions here. "Also the teleportation systems should allow for rapid response for many of us even if we're not present in the base at any given time."

Clark Kent has posed:
Superman sits back and considers Diana's suggestion, a little more hesitant than she is about civilians on the base they're discussing. He's not quite as secretive as Bruce overall, of course, but on this matter they seem to start in a fairly similar spot. Still, after he considers their comments, the potential for human advancement wins out.

"That's an excellent point," he says. "Security is important for our members with civilian identities to protect, but I think that we can share portions of this base as a toehold to give world governments and civilian organizations a leg up in space exploration. Once they're properly vetted, Earth's scientists can use this base as a platform to do work that, in the long term, is every bit as important as ours."

He flashes a particular smile at Bruce, adding, "I'm glad to hear you're on board to build some bridges. The more people we have good relationships with, the less we'll be likely to step on toes when we offer aid." There's a tinge of amusement, there. Maybe he's had some influence on his friend over the years. "And the idea of a global fast response -- for me, that's one of the major advantages that I have in doing what I do. To extend that same reach to people like you, who would normally take longer to arrive... Wow." He breathes outward, staring up at the hologram. "It's a game-changer."

Diana Prince has posed:
Diana nods her head softly in agreement to what they both say. "I believe a civilian element to the facility would be... at least one way... to make this not just about the Justice League, but about the Earth as a whole. It would inspire excitement for the project as a whole, across the globe. Well, at least amongst the positive thinkers." She grins lightly then and there.

"I will admit, I'm not as experienced as some on the team with ... existing ... in space. But I do look forward to the view of home from such a foreign perspective." She's been in space before, but never for the sights and views, only for very serious business.

The Princess draws a breath then and nods once again. "We should inform the others, as soon as possible. I believe there has been a growing eagerness for this kind of activity amongst the League as a whole. I also believe we should announce our intentions to the world, before it is complete, rather than simply say that 'it exists now'."

Bruce Wayne has posed:
"I can liaise with the Fantastic Four and speak with the Deputy Director of SHIELD, or possibly the Director. But you know me...any public announcements I gladly leave to the two of you, or the others." There's a slight flicker of a smile there, but as usual it fades to that impassive mien quickly enough. A hand returns to his belt, extracting two thumb drives, each precisely slid across the table to rest in front of each of them. "Copies of the design so far. Share them with the others as you see fit."

He glances between the pair, "And unless the two of you have anything else I should get back to Gotham. Things are at a potential turning point there, and I'd like to make sure it turns in the right direction." There's a brief pause, and then another glimmer of a smile, about as warm as the Batman ever manages, "But because I know I don't say it often enough...it has been...good...to see both of you again, like this."

Clark Kent has posed:
"Same to you, and best of luck," Clark says, favoring Bruce with a smile. "Remember, if you ever need help -- even just a sounding board -- we're here for you. And I'll be in the neighborhood from time to time, anyway, just to check in on Superboy."

He would offer more of an explanation, but long experience has taught him that by the time he thinks to explain something to Bruce, his explanation is redundant, and if by chance it's something Bruce /doesn't/ know, he won't rest until he has the whole story. He simply accepts the thumb drive, tucking it into his belt.

Turning back to Diana, he smiles and says, "I can't wait to let everyone know. Members first, of course, but then we should work together on an announcement to take to the world." He pauses for a second, then breaks into a full-on grin. "As for the views? I can promise, you're going to absolutely love them."

Diana Prince has posed:
Diana uncrosses her arms so that she can reach down with her left hand to gather up the little drive that Bruce slides over to her. She raises it up and looks down at it, flipping it over in her fingertips until she hears Batman's last words, expressing happiness to seeing them.

This gets the reaction he'd probably expect from her... in that she's smiling at him now. "Likewise." She says to the Dark Knight. "Does this mean you are ready for hugs?" She's teasing him, of course. Not able to help herself take a little chance to get one in on him after his moment of opening up a bit.

But, ultimately, her eyes go over to her left to Superman. "I will gladly help you with that. But... the message to the public would best come from you. I feel the world is hungry to hear from Superman more. You... mean a lot to them, you know." She gives a sly little grin to him as well.