9443/Path of Glory: A Call to Arms

Path of Glory: A Call to Arms
Date of Scene:	04 January 2022
Location:	Avengers Mansion - Study
Synopsis:	Cael and Jon visit the Avenger's Mansion to give Cap the inside scoop. Information is shared, grim determination is formed - and then Cael ruins the whole vibe with an autograph request.
Cast of Characters:	Cael Becker, Jonathan Sims, Steve Rogers
Tinyplot:	Path of Glory

---

Cael Becker has posed:
    Cael is not an uncommon site in the halls of the Avenger's Mansion, though this may be Jon's first trip here, and as the pair pull up in front an climb out of the car they'd borrowed for the trip, the blonde-haired woman gives her friend one of her typical, dryly amused looks. "Get all your gaping out of the way now, because I swear, Jon..." she mutters under her breath - opening the backdoor of the car so Bear can jump out - and offer Cael his leash. The massive white dog (a ten month old great pyrenees puppy) wears a colorful vest identifying him as a service dog trainee, as the pair make their way through the door and into the Mansion. The pup isn't the only new addition to Cael's 'look' - the FBI and SHIELD agent also now sports bright, rainbow hues dyed into the lower layers of her blonde locks.
    "Still don't know if any of the Avengers'll be joining us - it's probably just Cap. They're a busy a lot, you know?"

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    "I didn't /gape/ at Titans Tower! Much!" Okay, Jon gaped. But in his defense, Titans Tower is something to gape at. As is the Avengers Mansion. He glowers at Cael. "Look, these people have been a tangential part of my life for... a while now, and..." He shakes his head. "I won't gape. And I won't ask for autographs, either. Lord, we're here about the /universe/ ending, I can be professional."

    He straightes his jacket and sweater, turtleneck again, green today, and follows Cael on into the mansion.

Steve Rogers has posed:
Steve is in the study. He looks, well, not happy. Not that his face is visable. His back is to the door and he's leaning on the mantelpiece over the fireplace, staring down into the low, cheerful fire. He seems to be half in costume. His lower half is in the trousers and boots, but his torso is just in a well-fitted white t-shirt. He has an almost absurdly large bottle of water in his hand too.

Cael Becker has posed:
    "Uh-huh. I'll believe it when I see it," Cael remarks in a dry tone, as she makes her way up to the study. Giving her friends a hard time is just how Cael expresses her love, after all.
    Problem is, it's hard to distinguish, sometimes, from the shit she gives people she genuinely doesn't like. C'est la vie with Cael, though.
    She raps on the door to the study, only opening the door when summoned by a response from Steve. She gives the man a simple nod as she enters, moving to one of the chairs around the table that is a feature in the room, and dropping into it without invitation. "Hey Cap," she greets the man. "This is my friend I told you about - Doctor Jonathan Sims, one of the leaders of the Justice League Dark, and one of the most knowledgeable people out there about the whole angels and armageddon thing we're facing. Any questions you got - if he can't answer it, the answer hasn't been found yet."
    There's a momentary pause before she adds, "Oh, and this is Bear." And he's a very good boy. He sits down next to Cael, tongue lolling out cheerfully as he cocks his ears at the unfamiliar man.

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    One figures Cael doesn't /hug/ people she doesn't like. That's probably a good indicator.

    "Nice to meet you properly, Captain Rogers," Jon says. His accent is the sort Cap surely heard a /lot/ of back in the day, the 'posh' English accent that comes naturally to people raised in the South of England. "Hardly an angel expert, but I've been dropped at the center of this whole business, so..."

    He sighs, and shrugs, and offers his hand.

Steve Rogers has posed:
At the knock, Steve channels Picard. "Come." He straightens, running a hand through his hair as the door opens. He turns and takes a long drink of the water as he moves away from the fire. "Agent Becker," he says. His voice in that slightly shifted timbre that says 'Captain America' rather than 'Steve Rogers'. Not that anyone can blame him.

He sets the water bottle down and meets Jon halfway, shaking his hand. He has a good and firm, but not obnoxiously so, grip. He gives a good handshake. "Doctor. Please, have a seat. We've got some things to talk about, and not a lot of time."

Steve's lips twitch slightly at Bear, but he doesn't give the dog more than a passing glance. It's a service animal with his vest on. That's how you treat them. Even if you want to smoosh that face and scratch those ears.

Cael Becker has posed:
    "Oh, fine, call me a liar straight out of the gate, Jon," Cael remarks in a dry tone. Even with Steve wearing his 'Captain America' mantle - Cael remains relaxed and casual. After all, it's only the three of them - no cameras. No press.
    "The long and short of it is that a large number of the 'heavenly host' is determined to turn Manhattan into a warzone, lead by the Archangel Michael, who's determined to make this the end times. He wants to unmake and remake reality with no free will, because apparently our reality is traveling through the multiverse destabalizing and destroying other realities. ...and somehow we need to find a way to hold of Armageddon until we can find a way to stabalize our reality." Mincing words just isn't her style.
    "...it sounds completely crazy, I know." Glancing at Jon she asks, "Did I get any of it wrong that time?"

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    Jon, having shakes Steve's hand, goes to take a seat. He holds up a finger to Cael. "/Less/ free will. Not that important of a distinction, I'll grant you, but..." He shrugs.

    He takes on a business-like tone. The Archivist more than Jonathan Sims. "We're working on a long-term solution to the problem, there's some sort of... test or trial going on. The /immediate/ concern is, yes, Manhattan is about to be invaded by the armies of Heaven. That asteroid, 2021-JF09? It's actually 50,000 angels coming to Earth, broadcasting a song in the angelic language. WAND and the Titans have both taken a look and are sharing data, but I know they intend to arrive at St. Patrick's Cathedral, Midtown. After that... I'm not certain. Battle isn't my forte."

Steve Rogers has posed:
Steve also takes a seat. For an instant, it's not hard to believe that he is actually over a hundred years old. It's gone as fast as it arrived though, and he's back to all business.

"Hallelujah," he says with more than a hint of bitter sarcasm. "Luckily, there's quite a few of us who are very good at it. Though if what I've read in these reports is true, fighting them head on unless your name is Superman or Thor might prove a little difficult. Not that I'm one to shy away from a challenge." He sighs, leaning back in his seat. "I was raised a good Catholic boy. Part of me says that this is all at odds with what I was taught. Then again, the Revelation of Saint John is all there too, so maybe not.

Cael Becker has posed:
    "Fire and brimstone and turning people to pillars of salt and destroying the world in floods is all very Biblical," Cael points out dryly. "I don't see why we should be surprised by any of this." She gives Steve a small, tight smile as she adds, "You're better equipped to handle this than most of us, Cap - and you better believe I'll be in the thick of things. Helping cover the late evacuees, or trying to deal with the misguided idiots who're siding with the angels or - well, I'd swear to God, but it that sentiment hardly makes sense - shooting Michael in his face. And hitting him with a chair if I get the chance." There's something tight in her voice on that last bit, and Bear lets out a quiet whine, licking Cael's hand, and nuzzling her with his wet nose.
    Bear's a good boy - but he's also a massive and very obvious tell. Oh well.

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    "I was a good Anglican boy," Jon notes drily. "But as you note, there's the Book of Revelation to consider. Thus far I think that's part of where Michael may be going with this whole business, enough American eschatology likes to focus on New York as a terrible den of sin and evil." He sighs.

    He glances to Cael, resists the urge to reach over and comfort her. Instead, he looks back to Steve and spreads his hands. "What questions can we answer? I know Agent Pezzini was going to send over the report that I gave to SHIELD... what other information might you need?"

Steve Rogers has posed:
Steve listens and thinks. Thinks and listens. This is a massive thing, and he's not sure how they're going to get out of this unscathed. "I don't know if you have the answer, but I'm going to ask anyway: How do we stop them? Can we stop them, or are we, those of us who don't do magic, just a delaying action until the wizards figure out how to banish them back to whence they came?"

Cael Becker has posed:
    "The power of 'love and friendship' apparently," Cael remarks in a dry tone. "So I'm fucked." She'll leave a more serious answer to Jon - though she does add, "Being a delaying action is of itself important. We can't let Michael achieve whatever goals are needs to 'win' - to start the End Times and reclaim the energies that made our reality - and there will be a lot of people to save and protect."

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    Jon rolls his eyes at Cael. "You're /fine/, Becker, lord. But, yes, she has a point--the fewer people that die in this, the better. The more time we can get to figure out the real answer, the better. It won't be 'banishing them back whence they came,' it's..."

    He frowns, thoughtfully. "We're working on the answer, but what I know is that this is some kind of... trial or game, set up by the archangels long ago. Various people are being placed in roles in the game, and I've been selected as Gaea's Champion, evidently. How we stop them for certain...? I don't know. But if they chose /me/ to be involved in some major way, then I know the answer is through understanding the enemy and... well, yes. Love and friendship. I'm a psychiatrist, not a soldier."

    He looks to Steve rather earnestly, then. "You're more of a New Yorker than I am. You know, I'm certain, how many people might try to stay behind and defend their homes, how many might get caught not able to get out. People who might come back to try to help--and some who will, yes, fight /with/ the angels. I cannot quite wrap my head around saving the entire universe, but 'delaying action' will save a /lot/ of lives. And fighting the angels isn't merely a matter of magic--sheer force /will/ harm them, at least the lower ranks. There will be people who will need to be taken out non-lethally, there will be civilians to defend. There is much that non-magical sorts can do to help in this."

Steve Rogers has posed:
"I was born and raised only a handful of miles from where we sit right now. The people of this city have survived and thrived through so much. A lot of people will stay. I can't say how many will want to help the angels. Honestly, I think the best defense for that is getting people like the Avengers and the Justice League out in front, standing up to them and making sure it's known that we are there to save them all from, well, extinction."

Steve's brow furrows. "If people still decide to fight against us, we'll deal with it. Put 'em down, and get them out of here."

Cael Becker has posed:
    "Nope. I'm screwed - completely screwed," Cael remarks - though she says it with a hint of a smile at the corners of her lips. Times are dark - but she's still finding the humor where she can. "But I'll be there helping however I can. I mean, I plan on ICEing my way through as many of Ms. Fairchild's followers as I can." She pauses a beat before clarifying with, "With an ICER. I meant an ICER." She runs her fingers over the top of Bear's head as she adds, "Oh, and I suppose it's worth mention - that Caitlin Fairchild of the Titans will be siding with the Archangel Michael. So... yeah. Having the Avengers on the right side of this will help - but we won't have all of Earth's defenders on our side, unfortunately. I'll settle for 'the vast majority' though."

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    "The Titans themselves are not siding with her, that I can see," Jon adds quickly. "At least we don't have to deal with /that/, thank the gods. They've been informed, as have... everyone else, I think, except the Fantastic Four. Though by now everyone's seen the news."

    He sighs. "There are people coming in from outside to aid the angels, unfortunately. It's all a bloody mess." Another sigh. "But... I'm glad we can consider the Avengers informed. I can provide what tactical data we have, and as I said--WAND, specifically Dr. Foster, has readings from the incoming vanguard, if that might be of help."

Steve Rogers has posed:
Steve just grunts. Troublesome. This is all just a mess. He sighs again. "All I know is that I'm going to do what I do best. I'm going to put my helmet on, grab my shield and march up to the Omnicidal Maniac of the day, look them in the eye and tell them 'No, you move."

It's at times like these that he wished that alcohol worked on him at least a little bit in sane quantities. A little, relaxing nip might help right now.

Cael Becker has posed:
    "I've been analyzing some data - from the airports, the bridges, the ferries and subways - obviously, access //into// Manhattan is severely restricted now as we try to get everyone out - but prior to the evacuation being announced? We had four times the usual amount of visitors compared to last Christmas. And from EMS, Fire Stations, and Police Stations - there's a lot of incidents around St. Patrick's - unsurprisingly. Not really violent - just... strange noises, gatherings, those sorts of complaints. So yeah - people are coming in to help the angels. To greet the End Times - looking to get... Raptured or whatever." There isn't an eyeroll large enough for that sentence, but she sure as hell tries.
    "Anyways. We appreciate your time, Cap, and we know you and the other Avengers will do everything you can. We'll... we're going to find a way to handle this." She has to believe that.

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    Jon has to /firmly/ tap down the desire to do more than smile widely at Steve's pronouncement. Drawing inspiration, maybe. He nods in agreement with Cael, and says. "Yes, thank you for your time... I know there's much to do, to prepare. It will be... reassuring, knowing you're out on the field. You and the other Avengers."

    He clears his throat, cheeks darkening /just/ a bit. Glances to Cael. Well. Shall they?

Cael Becker has posed:
    Cael glances over at Jon - and after a moment, she lets out a quiet snort of amusement. Rising to her feet she says in a dry tone, "Cap - Jon's been going through hell here the last few weeks," and it's only going to get worse. "...don't suppose you'd mind signing //something// for him before we get out of your hair? I'd appreciate it. And you can give me hell over the request later," she invites casually.

Steve Rogers has posed:
For the first time in this whole meeting, Cap laughs. His smile really does light his face up. He rises, frowning in thought. He doesn't really keep a lot around for this. When he does the occasional appearance, that stuff is provided. "Hold on a second."

Steve slips out of the Study. He's only gone for a couple minutes. He returns with a pad of paper and a pen. He scribbles something onto the paper before he peels it off the pad. The paper is from a JVD Fashion stationary pad. It reads:

'Doctor Sims,
It may be the end of the world, but we're still here. We're still standing. We won't give up. I'm pulling for you.

-Steve Rogers.

A note: Cap has nice handwriting. He passes the signed sheet to Jon with a smile. "What I wrote there. I mean it."

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    Jon's cheeks go /far/ darker. "Becker... that's not..." He glares at her. This is her getting back at him for ruffling her hair in front of the Titans, isn't it?

    But he takes the note and reads it over, and the embarassment fades some. He smiles, swallows, blinks back something in his eyes. "Ahh. Thank you, Captain Rogers. That's..." He clears his throat. "Honestly, you were one of the people I figured they should have asked, rather than me." He folds up the paper and puts it in his wallet, behind a picture of his husband and daughter. "Thank you," he repeats.

Cael Becker has posed:
    From the amused twinkle in Cael's eyes - yes. Yes, that might very well be part of it.
    But ultimately, she's pretty sure that Jon will treasure that damned piece of paper - and that was the real point.
    "Thanks again, Cap," Cael replies, clapping her hand warmly into his. "We'll get through this somehow. Yeah? I mean, we always seem to avoid Armageddon." She gives the man a friendly nod, and stooping to pick up Bear's leash, heads for the door with the pup - and one embarassed psychiatrist - in her wake.