9305/There's Something About Caitlin

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There's Something About Caitlin
Date of Scene: 27 December 2021
Location: Themysciran Embassy
Synopsis: Jon comes to warn Donna and Diana of an impending Angelic invasion -- and that Caitlin may be up to her neck in it.
Cast of Characters: Donna Troy, Diana Prince, Jonathan Sims
Tinyplot: Path of Glory


Donna Troy has posed:
    In a field of superheroes where most wear masks and communication can involve an elaborate chain of contacts, it's a relief when the super you're trying to track down doesn't have a secret identity and is listed in the phone book. It couldn't really be much easier to get in contact with Donna, and it only takes Jon a few minutes to look up a phone number, make a call to Titan's Tower, and have an AI route him through when he identifies himself as a member of JLD. Convenience added to convenience, he won't even need to make a trip to Metropolis, because Donna spends half her time in New York, working at the embassy. A meeting is quickly scheduled.

    Donna knows roughly what this is going to be about, because she already got the other half of it from Caitlin. Caitlin is religious, and does not trust a group calling themselves the Justice League /Dark/ who are making claims about angels going bad. It seems only prudent to drag Diana out of her office for a few minutes to make sure she's in the picture too, in case the rest of the Justice League should get a heads up.

    On entering the embassy, Jonathan finds the front desk occupied by a neatly-dressed receptionist, apparently teaching a six-foot tall red-headed Amazon how to use What's App. When he announces himself, the receptionist checks the records and the Amazon leads him to an office, where Diana and Donna are waiting, Donna's briefing to Diana already over.

    "So basically Caitlin seems to think that Justice League Dark is an evil mirror-universe version of you guys," she had explained. "Remember that whole business with some murdering angel they were discussing? Well Cait's a Catholic. She's convinced they're all possessed by devils. Given that Sims asked for this meeting, I imagine this is the point where we get complaints from /both/ sides. Seemed like a good idea we get to the bottom of things before this goes too far."

Diana Prince has posed:
Diana had not been in her office for but a handful of minutes when Donna found her there. She was still wearing her black leather motorcycle jacket, in fact. Standing behind her desk, Diana was reading a note left for her by one of the Embassy assistants, she'd set it aside when Donna came in and lowered down to sit on the edge of her office chair. It was there that the JLD confusion for Caitlin had the Princess smiling softly. The rest... well... Diana had said 'We will get it all straightened out, I am sure.'

After that, Diana had risen from her chair and removed her jacket, draping it over the back of said chair before she walked to the other side of her office to get a glass of tea. The Princess is wearing a white sweater and a pair of black denim jeans, a pair of black boots on her feet. Her dark hair is tied back in to a intricate braided bun on the crown of her head, and she's wearing some small looped earrings that dangle from her lobes.

The Princess offers her sister a cup of tea as well before moving to one of the pieces of leather furniture in the spacious office and study.

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    Jon comes in still wearing his Sunday best--black suit with no tie, shiny shoes, gray peacoat, emerald-green scarf, cabbie hat with flaps over the ears. He doesn't /look/ like the representative for some group all possessed by demons, but you know how demons are. Sneaky.

    He unwraps his scarf and unbuttons his coat as he's led to the office, so it won't be /quite/ so hot by the time he gets there. He blinks a couple of times at Diana also being there, but then nods respectfully to both women.

    "Thank you for seeing me," he says. He looks... tired. Dark circles under his eyes, which must be /bad/ given his already-brown skin.

Donna Troy has posed:
    Donna accepts Diana's offer of a tea with a broad smile. She's not particularly in the mood for tea, but she is in the mood for sharing a drink with her sister. She perches on the edge of a desk to await Jon's arrival to his appointment, and when he's ushered into the room she greets him with another smile and an encouraging nod of the head. "No problem Jonathan. So, I assume this is all about Caitlin's visit to the Laughing Magician?"

    Jon in his Sunday Best is going to have to stand out as the only person dressed for the formality of an embassy, because unlike Diana, Donna still has her motorbike jacket on, and is wearing black leather pants, too. Donna bikes around a lot. It's her second favorite mode of travel, but she tends to avoid flying when it's not some kind of an emergency. "Caitlin tells me you've been texting with Satan and are probably in cahoots with all the hordes of hell. There was something about people being possessed by demons." She gives a slight shrug of her shoulders, and a mildly apologetic grin.

    "I guess that makes it your turn to give your side of the story," she says to Jon.

Diana Prince has posed:
Diana is seated on the sofa when the visitor arrives. She smiles up at him, her legs crossed as she sips her cup of tea. This was a scheduled day off for the Princess from her Ambassadorial duties, so she doesn't rise, nor act all that formal in the moment. Instead she just looks over to Donna, and then back to John. She lowers her cup to her lap then. "Would you like anything to drink?" She asks him next to be polite. "We have all manner of options, if anything would be appealing, just throw it out there." She notes.

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    Jon hesitates in pulling off his scarf. "Possessed...? Oh good lord." He rubs at his face and goes to drop right into a chair. "No wonder she reacted to me the way she did this morning, if she thinks I'm /possessed/." He shakes his head.

    "Ahh... tea would be lovely, thank you." Naturally tea; he's English, after all, with the stereotypical accent and everything. "I... yes, this is about her visit to the Laughing Magician, in part, and also my visit to... well, I didn't /know/ it was her parish church. I was just going back to somewhere I went yesterday. But I ran into her there. Has she... not mentioned that yet?" He raises his eyebrows at Donna.

Donna Troy has posed:
    Donna shakes her head. "Just the thing at the Laughing magician so far. She said that demonic beings possessed people and forced them to attack other people, and she prayed for and received aid from an archangel. Mostly she seemed worried about you and the Justice League Dark crowd being some kind of secret evil cabal, or probably just that you're being misled and manipulated by someone or something."

    Donna takes a sip of her tea and gives a small shrug of her shoulders. "I've been meaning to speak to her about it, but haven't had a chance yet. She's been chasing up some odd energy spikes we've detected occurring around Manhattan the last few days. I've been rather busy in Metropolis myself -- there's a lot of weird things happening there too. But she's not around right now, and you are. So for now, why don't you tell us your side of events."

    She glances of to Diana and puts her cup down on the desk next to her, shifting herself back a little further onto the desk so she's not perching right on the edge. "This all sounds thoroughly confusing."

Diana Prince has posed:
Diana sets her cup down and then rises up to her full height again. "Tea it is then." She says with a smile toward the British man. As she goes to retrieve it from the bar along the wall, Diana listens closely. "Caitlin is a trusted friend." She speaks softly. "If she has information to formulate her opinions then I am inclined to believe her." The Princess notes. "But, she should be clued in to the nature of the Justice League Dark. Obviously it is not a 'cabal'." She shows a faint smile as she walks now back toward where John is seated. She offers him the cup of fresh tea, with a little stirring stick and some sugar and honey on the side of the little tray. "I am afraid I have been so wrapped up in my own things, that I am not well informed on this matter, beyond what I heard discussed at the bar that night..." When Batman showed up and Vorpal was covered in sausages.

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    Jon leans forward to take the tea, murmuring his thanks. He stirs in some honey, and then a little more, and sips it before nodding. Gathering his thoughts, perhaps.

    "So," he says after a moment, "this all follows after that... problem I mentioned at the meeting you attended. The angel killing people. It... turned out to have possessed Chas Chandler, the bartender of the Laughing Magician." He sighs. "Chas called on it to help him, to 'clean up New York,' and it took him a bit literally. We also discovered, in the course of the investigation, that the angel in question was the archangel Michael. And that... he intends to bring an army of angels to attack New York, as part of some wider trial for mortals in which the fate of the universe will be decided."

    No pressure, right?

Donna Troy has posed:
    Donna tilts her head sharply towards Diana, one eyebrow arching, before she looks back at Jon. "Wait," she says, raising a finger. "The mystery killer was the bartender all along, but he didn't know it because he had been possessed by the leader of the armies of Heaven. Do I have it right that's what you're saying? And next he plans on invading New York with an angelic host, because what, he's bored of aliens getting all the fun?"

    She gives a small shake of her head and picks up her teacup again, resting it on her lap. "Caitlin said that when she visited the bar, you and Phoebe and someone dressed as a knight and one of the Batfolks was there. She claimed that there were people attacking other people, though she didn't mention who. And they /stopped/ attacking each other when she prayed to Michael. Who you say had previously been possessing barkeepers and murdering people around the city."

    She takes a sip of her tea and shakes her head. "This doesn't make any sense. Why were you texting Lucifer? Consulting with someone like that is generally not a smart thing to do. And it concerns me that this is the second time this year I've had to tell someone it's not sensible to try solving problems by asking for advice from someone who calls themselves 'the Prince of Lies'. "

Diana Prince has posed:
Diana offers a smile to the man as she steps back over toher own drink. Remaining standing now, she reaches for her drink and raises it up for another sip. Her eyes go from one of them to the other.

"Lucifer came by here not too long ago." Diana says then. "He wanted to barter a deal to visit Themyscira." She shows a faint smile then. "I told him that would be a challenging pitch to sell the Queen..."

She gently shakes her head from side to side. "He was charming. He returned some lost Themysciran artifacts to me as part of his bartering plan. But... nothing more has come of it. I agree with Donna, however. I would not trust him, ultimately."

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    Jon snorts at 'aliens getting all the fun,' then sighs. "Lucifer showed up for a /therapy/ session. The details of which I will not reveal, because I extend the same courtesy to every patient regardless of the state of their soul or lack thereof. Thus, he had my number, so when I told his bloody demons to stop /possessing/ people or I'd have words with their master, I got a text from him promising to take care of the problem. Later, one of them showed up at my friend's home, and when I got there to check the alarm ward ping, Lucifer was there, having 'destroyed' the demon in question. Either he's sending out minions and not having control of them so he can have plausible deniability, or he's actuall as incompetent as he appears; either way I don't /trust/ him." He shakes his head.

    "As for Michael...? He has no love of the minions of Hell, but I need not tell /you/ that Heaven and Hell are hardly the only players on the field. He was tormenting sinners, through his actions. It may have been bent through the lens of being in a mortal host; I'm not certain. The Justice League Dark recently astrally projected to the Silver City and spoke to the Archangel Uriel, who informed us that this whole business is some kind of trial for humanity--which makes me think we're supposed to band together or prove we can solve our problems without violence or... gods, I don't know. What I know is that I don't work for Lucifer /or/ Michael. I work for the gods of Egypt, and /twice/ now the Great Mother has spoken through me--I call her Neith, I believe she may be the same entity you would call Gaia--and indicated that while she's /quite/ unhappy with this whole business, she's going along with it and... trusts that we will succeed in the end. For all the good /that/ does."

Donna Troy has posed:
    Donna gives a small, unconscious nod at Jon's explanation of his run-in with Lucifer, but the mention of Neith provokes a more obvious frown. "If you have communed with an aspect of Gaia, you are blessed," she says. An aspect. There's no emphasis to the way she says it -- no sense she's trying to make a point, so much as that's just the way she sees it. To the Greeks, Gaia plays a similar but not quite identical role to Neith, who presents war-like aspects wholly absent in her Greek opposite number. It would make sense that a Themysciran would not see them as being entirely the same entity. To the Egyptians of Ptolemaic Egypt, the reverse assumption would be likely -- that the Greek Gaia was simply an aspect of Neith, as viewed by the northern barbarians across the sea.

    "This doesn't sound any /less/ unlikely the more detail you add," she says after a few moments thought. "It has been a very long time since I can think of any divine beings personally fighting in mortal wars, rather than just acting as manipulators of mortal agents." She raises a hand to forestall any complaints. "I am not doubting your word when you say this, Jonathan. But is it possible you have misinterpreted the thrust of what the messenger Uriel told you? Perhaps this Michael is planning some less direct test than actually bringing an army of angels to assault random New Yorkers?"

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    Jon merely nods to Donna's statement regarding Neith being an aspect of Gaia; his own personal interest in religion, and his diverse family background, lead him to believe /both/ are aspects of something else, lenses through which humans view something vast and incomprehensible. There's no need for him to declare one over the other, really.

    Then he smirks. "Trust me, it all seems terribly unlikely to me as well. I grew up Christian, I know the Bible well enough to wonder why this is happening as it is. But, ahh... no. I have seen the army with my own eyes. Uriel was evidently alerted by the Presence... ahh... I don't know what you'd call it? The Creator of the universe? 'Yahweh' is a term but I personally prefer 'Brahman'..." He shakes his head. "At any rate, it knew we were there, right in the midst of the army Michael is preparing, and sent Uriel to... help keep us safe from notice."

    A hesitation, and then, "Which... brings me to the reason I'm here. I ran into Ms. Fairchild at her church this morning. I... came to the Sunday service, to... well, that church is where the army will be arriving, and I wanted to see if I should warn them. She... claimed to have been visited by Michael in a vision. He's given her some sort of purpose, and she spoke with zeal that... honestly, I thought I sensed some kind of telepathic compulsion aura coming off of her. I don't know if she can normally... do that. She, too, is convinced this may come to battle, and believes that those who fight and die will... I don't know, does she really think they'd /deserve/ that? I can't believe she... she really thinks that. But I'm worried about her. I'm worried she'll fight on Michael's side, and might bring others into the battle."

Donna Troy has posed:
    Donna arches her eyebrow again, but this time directly to Jon. It's not a message she's sending to her sister, it's simply the reaction to his words. "Caitlin is normally about as telepathic as a brick," she comments. "Did you /ask/ her about that? Because it might have surprised her. I'll ask one of the team's telepaths to look into it." She'll ask Kian. Normally she'd ask Raven, who would be far more apt to the task of identifying any kind of psychic manipulation, but the thought occurs to her that if Caitlin really is under angelic influence, it would probably be a good idea for there to be as little contact as possible between Caitlin and Raven.

    She gives a long sigh and looks down into her teacup. She hasn't drunk nearly enough to be able to read the future in the leaves yet. "Caitlin is very devoted to her faith. Though it has been shaken at times. A few years ago she admitted to me that she had been on the verge of leaving her church, because she had started to see the ways that their dogma did not match what she truly believed. Her church got a new priest though, a Father Pat... I think she said he was a Jesuit? She got on a lot better with him, and stayed. On the other hand... earlier this year, she met Athena. I'm not sure what impact that has had on her belief system yet. But... she has a strong sense of /right/, and her faith gives her no choice but to see something as right, it would not be easy nor painless for her to question it."

    Donna falls silent, deep in thought. After a few moments she gives a shrug, says "I'll talk to her," and takes another sip of her tea. "But it sounds to me like the person who really needs to be talked to is this Michael. People think of us Amazons as warriors, Jonathan. But the truth is that while we ensure we are /very good/ warriors, we consider war to be the final recourse. If the angels are as wise as our gods, yours and mine, we should consider the possibility -- and hope -- that this army of angels is not there to fight unless they can find no other solution."

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    Jon sighs. "She was already so damn... I didn't know what to say. She doesn't trust me, because she doesn't /know/ me. I know how I come across to... most of the rest of the 'cape' community. In league with John Constantine and getting texts from Lucifer, terribly new to this whole business but running around telling people about the potential impending end of the universe. Half the people I talk to just shrug and go 'yes, well, that happens every week, Dr. Sims!' The other half think I'm deluded or misguided." His shoulders slump a bit. "That's why I'm here. I know she won't listen to me--but I thought her friends should know. I don't want to see her hurt by this, or used as a pawn in whatever game's being played. She seems like a good person, but I wouldn't wish this on even a bad one."

    He takes a sip of his tea and then says, "When we faced Michael, fighting didn't work--but me offering myself up in place of all the others who had bound him, to take on their punishments... it stopped him. He showed mercy. I think... I think that's... the trial. To... to... I think they want to see if people still have love and compassion. 'Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.'" He shudders. Swallows. "I think they want /me/ to do that. I... have good reason to believe that's what I've been tapped for." He looks... unhappy. But who wouldn't?

    He looks up and says, "Perhaps that's the other reason I wanted you to know. There /has/ to be a solution that means people don't fight, and die. Because if this comes to battle... people are /going/ to die. An evacuation of Manhattan is in the works, but not everyone will leave, and those who fight to contain the angels will be risking their lives, and... and I've been /trying/ to figure out how to stop this before it comes to a fight, and I... I can't. Not with the forces arrayed that will fight no matter what." He runs a hand through his hair. "I've just been... trying to get people out of the way. Keep the casualties and suffering to a minimum, while we figure out the /real/ solution. Because if nothing else, we /cannot/ simply kill Michael."

    He believes everything he's saying, clearly, and speaks most fervently about stopping the fighting. Saving people, minimizing suffering.

Donna Troy has posed:
    "It's possible you've been misled, Jonathan." Donna looks at him levelly, her expression open and honest. "I know you believe what you've told me is true, that you're not just making this up. But let's face it. Either Caitlin has been misled, or you have been misled, or both of you have. Determining which of those scenarios is true is likely to be troublesome."

    "You feel there is no need for me to test him with the lasso then, sister?" Diana asks, smiling playfully. Donna grins back at her and shrugs.

    "It sounds like you view this as a test, rather than a true invasion, then?" she asks. "That deaths will occur not because causing death is the intent of this 'invasion', but because inevitably, because we do not know the rules of this test, because we have not been given the questions in advance, there is no chance we will have a ready answer to the test that will forestall any violence?"

    She frowns, looks down at her tea again, and sets the cup aside. "None of this sounds terribly... angelic. It seems to me that divine beings may have great wisdom, but they do not always use it. If these angels are truly offering an ultimatum -- get it right now, or die -- then they have forgotten how to act with true compassion. Of all beings, an immortal has the least excuse for impatience."

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    Jon nods fervently. "I intend to remind Michael of that when next I see him. I... look, I will admit I don't have all the answers. Every time I think I understand what's going on I see another layer to this whole business. It's possible I'm right and she's wrong--it's possible we're both wrong." He hesitates, then adds, "And it's quite possible that I'm wrong. I'm willing to admit that. I just..." He sighs. "I have to prepare for what I've seen coming."

    He looks between them. "I would submit to the lasso," he says, quite firmly. "I serve Truth, among other things. But... part of that is..." He frowns at a spot on the wall behind the Princess. "My role as Archivist was originally created to act as a check on those who do not die in the normal course of matters. On immortals. Michael called me 'Watcher.' He knew what I was, that I am meant to step in when immortals threaten humans. Not the only one such--I've met several others just this week. But the case crossed my desk, as it were. And... the memories I carry of my ancestors tell me that, sadly, this is /entirely/ angelic. They are not beings of pure goodness and light. They are beings of /order/. Of /rules/. Compassion and mercy are among the rules, yes--but there are dire consequences for those who step a toe out of line. There are multiple examples in the past, and in my memories, of angels destroying cities for the mistakes or sins of a few within. Of divine punishment that we may not feel fit the crime. I have been telling people again and again--angels are not /nice/, and none of what has happened so far is out of line with an angel that thinks we're so far gone that he must wipe the slate clean and start over. Better, in that view, to kill us to save us from corruption and chaos. Better to re-start the universe with less free will, less choice."

    He focuses on Donna again, and frowns. "Michael is a warrior. A soldier. He is the one who led the armies of the Host against the rebel angels. I suspect that's coloring his thinking. But... Caitlin said he offered peace to any who would accept it. Maybe she's right. I... don't know." He reaches up to rub at his temples. "I keep praying we can convince him to stop. Trying to find the right words. But there's a Hell Lord who wants him dead, and I can't find the words to stop her, either, so..."

Donna Troy has posed:
    Donna gives a short laugh. "Order," she says. "Well of course. While Metropolis is struggling with the influence of chaos, of course the forces of Order would descend on New York, refusing to be outdone. Perhaps we should point the Angels to Wonderland and hope they just keep each other occupied for a while. "

    Diana shakes her head a little to Jon, giving him a soft smile. "The lasso is not necessary here, I think. It is not simply a lie detector, the lasso is a manifestation of perfect truth. It is simply not possible to lie when you are bound with it, and attempting to do so would burn you. We are not /questioning/ you Jonathan. Just talking."

    "You are talking of the Cities of the Plain," Donna says. "I am sure the records that have come down to us of those events are... simplified. But yes... warriors are not /nice/, because war is not /nice/. But there is a difference between the kind of war favored of Ares, a war fought for the pleasure of fighting and the power it brings, and the war of Athena, a war fought wisely because there are times when war is simply the least bad path available."

    "But perhaps you have raised the very point that can be used to persuade him to turn away from war. Chaos without order makes progress impossible, makes compassion meaningless. But order without chaos makes for sterility, and equally denies the possibility of progress or compassion. If he chooses to deny people the option to be evil, he also chooses to deny people the option to be good. Without free will, there can be neither evil nor good."

    "And a Hell-lord too. Well that sucks. When you're trying to stop someone /and/ save them at the same time, it does make things complicated."

    Donna slips off the table and paces a couple of times before stopping and turning to Jonathan. "Well. This may be your fated task, Jonathan. All I can suggest to you is to keep an open mind. Heed the clarity of your mind, and do not succumb to the fear nor anger that will not listen to wisdom, for it is untamed pain that leads to the unmaking of all that Gaia loves. Or Neith, for that matter." He won't have heard the precise words, but the Archivist could hardly fail to note that the words must be a familiar formula. They are -- Donna is quoting one of the laws of Athena, given in guidance to the Amazons of Themyscira.

    "I will speak to Caitlin. We should stay in contact about this."

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    Something in Donna's words seems to make Jon relax just a little. "Wisdom," he murmurs, thoughtfully. "Wisdom, and clarity. I should remember that. I /will/ remember that. The Archivists served Serapis, once. It is Rome my ancestors hated, not Greece--we served the Greeks when they came because they didn't ask us to overturn everything, just... modify it. And they didn't burn down the bloody libraries." He sighs, and shakes his head. "Perhaps I should follow their lead, and look afield for wisdom in this."

    He frowns. "I'll keep that in mind, about choice. It's an argument I've heard before, an answer for why an omnipotent, loving God allows for evil. Perhaps it will work." He shrugs. "Perhaps not. But it's worth a try."

    He finishes off his tea and then smiles. "Yes, we should. You may also consider this an official request from the Justice League Dark to the Titans for aid, should it come to that--and to the Justice League as well, if nobody else had asked." He nods to Diana. "I figured Zatanna had contacted you, but just in case."

Donna Troy has posed:
"Zee has mentioned that we may be called upon to help," Diana agrees with a warm smile to Jonathan. "We will do what needs to be done."

    Donna nods her head. "The Titans exist to save lives," she says. "We will do our best to help find a satisfactory solution to this problem."

    Jon is a smart man. He will probably notice that neither voiced what could be classified as unequivocal support for Jon's aims - this is not so much a rallying to the banner as it is an acknowledgement that they are now aware of the problems that Jon has raised. They have agreed that their action may be required to help resolve those problems in whatever manner they determine is best rather than necessarily the manner that Jon thinks is best -- but at least they are informed.

    "Your phone's in the tower systems. I'll make sure that your calls will be routed automatically straight through to my com," Donna says. "Or you can leave a message at the embassy."

    "As for me, a message at the Embassy or the Hall of Justice will reach me promptly," Diana adds.

    "As for Caitlin..." Donna gives a rueful grin. "She's strong-willed. I will let you know how I get on." She offers Jon her hand. "Thanks for bringing this to our attention. I suggest all three groups pass on anything we learn."

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    Jon nods, seeming content with the answers. "It should not be up to one man, nor one group, to determine the fate of humanity, let alone the universe as a whole." There's something underlying his words, some... frustration, maybe? "Certainly do as you think best. My highest concern in this is that this ends with as little suffering as possible. If I thought walking up to Michael on the 6th and offering my life in exchange for this to end would help... I would." He heaves a sigh. "But, it seems we must go through the motions before we get to that part. If you can keep anyone /else/ from dying... I'll be grateful."

    As if he thinks he's going to die in this. It wouldn't be the first time someone got a warning about that ahead of time.

    He stands, straightens his coat, picks up his scarf. "My phone is always on, and if I can't be reached... well, call Zatanna for the Justice League Dark. If you need me directly, check with SHIELD. I'm sure the Triskelion routing systems will let you through."

    He takes Donna's hand, shakes it. "Good luck with her, and thank you for listening. I pray you're right, and we've misjudged all of this. It would be a welcome relief."