15045/It's Superman in a Clark Kent suit!

It's Superman in a Clark Kent suit!
Date of Scene:	06 May 2023
Location:	Lucifer's Penthouse
Synopsis:	Sinister and Lucifer reach an agreement of aid from Superman in the Brood issue.
Cast of Characters:	Lucifer, Sinister, Superman

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Lucifer has posed:
Security. Cameras. People. One would never think the whole 'its a bird, its a plane, no its SUPERMAN' was an actual *thing* until the man himself is actually something someone wants to report to you. The good thing is, minimal security for a club that is set up for the powerful means that while SOME may report it - and passerbys may point it out - there's not much in the way of bells and whistles going off in Lux or the Penthouse.

That's just how things go...

Lucifer has changed out of the suit and is now in jeans and a tee shirt. He wasn't intending to go to the club tonight for various reasons. Even if it is a Friday night. He felt like he would have more important things going on. So, he walks over to the windows of the edge balcony and opens up the one that is also a door. "Ah. Mister Kent was more punctual than I may have anticipated. Please, Superman, do come in?"

Sinister has posed:
"I had a feeling this would be the case--" The jacket's off at least, but Sinister's otherwise still in his designer jeans and poloneck. He has a holoimage of a screen in front of him as he emerges from a room in the penthouse that looks remarkably like a panic room that was converted into a miniature lab and containment space. Regardless, he's got a book open on one side, floating along beside him as he reviews the notes and data on the pad. "Punctual. Prompt, even. My thanks to Mister Kent... Superman," he inclines his head that way as the balcony is opened.

"I trust that Clark... filled you in on some of the details? We don't have to reiterate ad nauseum at this juncture?" Bottles float from their awnings, fill glasses; cognac and whiskey, an inquisitive look sent toward the man of steel. "I have a funny feeling you don't drink on duty."

Superman has posed:
Seeing Lucifer there, Superman will float into the room. "Someone Clark knows has a direct line. He talked to them and I was talking to them as soon as I could. They did tell me of the situation," he looks to the club owner. "How did the Brood make it to this galaxy? What do we know?" he asks.

Yes, it's odd to work with a man called "Lucifer," but if they can prove that the threat is real, the enemy of my eney is my friend. It's a situation that can bring rivals together to fight against a bigger threat.

Superman focuses on a few spots in the room. Serial numbers on the vials in the small lab, mainly, which he tries to memorize. This does bring a different light to Nathaniel. While there is no reason to X-Ray search Nathaniel, Superman is a little leery of Nathaniel. A respected scientist is a big unknown factor.

A gesture will go to Superman's head and point to Nathaniel, just indicating that the man is right. He's not a drink on the job person. "What's your current plan of attack and who else have you told about this?" That's a big question Superman's had since they left.

Lucifer has posed:
Lucifer takes a slow breath. When questions like this get asked, Lucifer is bound by conscience (and the pain staking opposite of his usual identifier) to not tell lies. However, he does know very well how to tell the truth, but not the whole truth, in order to stay the course.

"Nathaniel will have a bit more information on the actual where, when, and why the Brood is here. I can tell you that, due to the nature of them, we have told strictly three other people. A dream walker (the easiest way to explain Drago), who has worked with us many times on different issues. We have also consulted with a man in New York by the name of Stephen Strange, better known in some circles as Doctor Strange. Since he has ties to enter the multi-verse, we thought it best for him to look into some aspects of the issue. Then, by way of coincidence, another person witnessed us capturing one of the Brood's victims that had evaded Nathaniel for a little bit. All three of them have been told that this is all on a very hush-hush basis. The girl...she was just confused and nothing's come from that occurrence. Nick and Stephen are trust worthy people for us to work with. They know how to keep things quiet, mostly because they have had to do such for other reasons themselves elsewise."

One thing is sure, the Devil can talk. That Silver Tongue he's known to have...well it's not as strong for now because he's speaking in absolute truths. This situation, as far as he's concerned, calls for it. Though he's going to leave his own explanation at that and let Nathaniel fill in the rest.

Sinister has posed:
Sinister watches privately. In that there's a whole lot of attention being paid to him and the surroundings and a whole lot of attention being paid to words, so this /demands/ the same level of respect be given it. It's only polite and proper, after all. The whiskey is floated to Lucifer after that, with a bit of a top up on account of very many words being spake thus!

He himself sips on his cognac. "In this instance, I do not think they came from outer space. They seem to have come from underneath, which doesn't necessarily say anything. There could be a pod buried underneath New York after all, that has recently had a stasis override." He considers with a press of lips. "I received an alert on unusual ionic radiation signatures, which I have a trace on globally, as a matter of protocol and it pinged on Manhattan. I went to investigate, found the trace to be strongest in the storm drains and lo and behold, on entering found there was a brood queen trying to reach the outside into central park. That alone was odd, as they're usually drawn straight to the people, she was heading to hide, I think. Or pick her targets more carefully, I'm not sure which, the minds are tough to read accurately." Mindreader? Mindreader. Oh dear.

"Also this is by far not the first time they've made it here. But again, it tends to be kept quiet as there's one or two empires out there that nuke whole worlds, because of the threat of a brood infestation. I have six in custody now, in stasis. Six before I was able to get there... I will note. And she herself has been erradicated, but I have her arm in one of my laboratories. I need it for comparative MRNA and DNA analysis."

Superman has posed:
"A dream walker," Superman says just making a small checklist of skills and capabilities. He does not question the skills. No skepticism lingers in his voice.

"Doctor Stephen Strange," the words hang on the tongue. It's a name he's familiar with, at least by reputation. "I know people that speak highly of him," and Superman -does- have some idea of what the Doctor can do. Maybe not the specifics, but the broad strokes. And a nameless victim that got pulled into everything.

"What will you do with the six you have?" Superman asks very pointedly. Although, he wonders if maybe Nathaniel let one lose, or if one got out.

"How many do you think were here?" Superman's wondering how many traveled and were left behind. It makes him wonder how big this pack could be and how quickly they could spread.

Lucifer has posed:
"Well..." Lucifer begins, giving a glance to Nathaniel before looking back to Superman. "One we actually managed to separate from the..." He balks and looks to Nathaniel again. "Is it a parasite or a symbiote? Or something else altogether? Anyway, we killed the infection - for lack of better term - but at nearly losing the woman it was taking over." Of course, it's truth, he's just omitting /how/ for the time being.

He won't speak on the others. Nathaniel has that covered as well. In fact, he only knows so much himself, the specifics are in Nathaniel's brain. "Would you like something to drink, Superman? Tea? Water?" So he'll just play Nice Host.

Father might just be proud!

Sinister has posed:
Sinister gives a very slight sigh. It's more an afternote of thought brought about by some inner dwelling -- he looks a long moment at Superman, then at Lucifer as if gamely gaining something from the looking. Ultimately though: "I'm looking to find a more workable cure than genesplicing the lot of them to have ridiculous healing factors. Currently, that's the only -known- cure for infection. They're a parasite, Lucifer. They can't reproduce on their own, their DNA is encoded on a retrovirus that invades and converts every cell in the host's body, until they've beocme a brood member. It's invasive and it's absolute, if the infection has reached a critical level. The test subject we cured... hadn't reached the point of no return." And here he holds up a finger "...But that was pure guesswork on my part. Not a guarantee, or an option except for the very newly bitten. In fact, that particular method of cure has an equal chance of saving the parasite as it does the host, if it's gone beyond or is near to fifty percent conversion." He lets this just sit in the kryptonian's mind for a bit.

"As to how many there were or are, or remain, I have been keeping an eye. But I've also not been a complete and total idiot... I've not gone looking. I lack in what I'd call... realistically helpful manpower. I'm not classically known for being the Nice Guy..." he says with airquotes.

Superman has posed:
"I've heard conversations calling it both. It defepnds on who you ask," Superman clarifies that it's just as confusing to him. The sky blue eys stay on lucifer then a question comes out. "I'm still waiting for my answer," he says in regards to Lucifer's question. There's a question in th air. It has yet to be answered and it doesn't deal with drinks.

That sounds reasonable, but it's like hosting a virus that can doom the world. Sky blue eyes just level at Sinister for a moment, "How many do you -suspect- there are?" he asks. That's a question he wants some kind of answer on. Nathaniel has some kind of hand on the wheel.

Sky blue eyes stay on the pair for a moment. "So, how do we attack it? We have a powerful mystic, a witness, a man that calls himself a fallen angel, a scientist and an alien," he points out how this is a very capable, but disjointed team.

Lucifer has posed:
Lucifer is now at a loss, so he goes to the kitchen. He can let Superman and Sinister talk about the Brood while he plays host. He puts coffee on, brings out a pitcher of tea, some things to nibble on and then he smirks. "Calls himself a Fallen Angel..." Whispering those words under his breath as he then abandons the current hosting game to walk right back into the living area.

"I do not just call myself a Fallen Angel... I *AM* the Fallen Angel. Lucifer Samael Morningstar. Betrayer of God. Silver of Tongue. Master of Lies but Giver of None. If you wish more proof, I could provide you a bit. I've got wings. I can open a portal to Hell if you'd like to catch a glimpse." He puts his hands on his hips then and just LOOKS at Superman. A good once over. Something is off. He just can't put his Angelic finger on it. "Do not doubt me. I will go as far as to ask Nathaniel to shoot me to prove I am who I say I am. Are we clear?"

Sorry Supes. It's a touchy subject sometimes.

Sinister has posed:
Well, that was bound to happen eventually. "Well, you may have gotten the most vehement but also the least angry response there that I've seen in quite some time. He's the progeny of the jealous god, Iaweh, cast out of that one's dimension to fall to the earth below, to rule over the realm of punishment. Apotheotic Samael, the bringer of Light -- essentially a celestial being and he gets very annoyed when people argue that he doesn't exist when he wants them to actually grasp that he does."

His cognac is finished as he looks to Superman. "There's not a lot of individuals that are relatively safe from the Brood that have a decent skillset that can work. So that's why we wanted to talk to you. What I need, what /we/ need... is a probe deep under Manhattan. We need to get a guage of how many there are of the original crew, if there are any still in stasis. Bear in mind that I've had the /pleasure/ of encounters with these things before, but the tactics vary -- sometimes, there's just a single queen, depending on whatever they're working on, as a blueprint of invasion. Otherwise, you end up with a queen and a retinue, as I like to call them. Usually a handful of drones and fliers, usually a back-up queen, but not necessarily so, if she's jealous. But I, personally, want to find out why this Queen was behaving oddly and not going toward the densest population, but rather... away. But that's personal."

Superman has posed:
There's a pause from Superman. Lucifer does the introduction. "How do you rank amongst Blaze, Lord Asmodel, Lord Neron, Trigon and a slew of others?" Superman's not questioning Lucifer, it's a question of -if- he should be impressed. A lot of demons boast about similar positions. Lucifer has power, but Superman wonders if Lucifer's presence on Earth is causion a helacious civil war. It makes him wonder if Lucifer's hold is as strong as he thinks it is.

It's kind of like when Superman used to say, "Last Son of Krypton" when surrounded by at least four other Kryptonians. The phrase loses luster when others claim similar.

"Alright. A high-ranking member of Hell," Superman corrects the source about Lucifer.

"He's also one in a long line of people boasting about similar power. I think other Demons may be vying for title in his absence," Superman says for a moment. Again, Superman understands Lucifer's power, but it's hard to stand out when various entites are vying for similar.

"You're asking me to be the probe. See the nest, report intel and survive?" he says thinking aloud like that. A pause comes from Superman. "What if it's survival? Animals learn to survive after years, or even generations, to the advancement of man. What if we're seeing this on a dangerous level?" he ponders aloud.

Lucifer has posed:
Lucifer rolls his eyes. "The ones who have claimed to be me got a quick ticket back to where they came from. My story is, I got bored. Hell was nothing but a prison. A punishment. Though some would call it a blessing I suppose. You don't have to even pretend you believe me. I know my truth, and I have spoken it." This much more is said by the Archangel who then turns and walks back towards the kitchen. He won't go any further trying to prove himself unless it just happens to come out.

"Coffee, Nathaniel?"

Sinister has posed:
"Actually, yes. I think I might be going over past reports and observations into the week hours and although I don't need the caffiene, I like it. It /tastes/ good," Sinister smiles toward the devil and looks thoughtfully back to the kryptonian guest. "Not so much solo -- you'll have me there, you'll have Lucifer there. If things go to plan, we'll have the Dreamwalker there, also. He's safe in certain ways, when he's in a certain condition... if it proves to be worse than I anticipate it being, which it could well be, it would still be a good idea to have back-up of the kind that can survive against Brood attacks. I am /genuinely/ hoping that this is a small incursion and simply a case of a stasis pod malfunctioning and letting them loose. The alternative is... unpleasant."

He considers. "For the sake of disclosure, you are well known. Indestructable to almost all things, very fast, very strong, can fly, your senses are exceptionally keen and you have an indomitable sense of justice and fair play, which ... honestly, is rather good." He gestures toward Lucifer. "Nothing forged of earth or the stars can harm him, it has to be rather more specific than that. Plus, there's the strength that hasn't actually been tested at its upper limits, hellfire and occasionally when he goes all into his head, he lets the full potential of an Archangel out, which is a liiiiiiiittle like the condensed power of a meteor hitting very small pinheads. It makes him go a bit odd though."

And then he places a hand on his own chest. "I, on the other hand, am telepathic, telekinetic and I have complete and total control over my molecular structure. I heal exceptionally quickly, so I am relatively safe. I am however, on the lower level of strength from the pair of you. What I lack there, I can make up for in a myriad of other ways..."

Superman has posed:
"One man's trash is another's treasure," Superman points out to Lucifer. While Lucifer may see it as a prison, these other entities may see it as a kingdom. Something to rule over now that the would-be king has taken a siesta.

"We should have Strange there. Or if not him, I know some people of equal caliber," Superman says to Sinister about the plan. Because the Dream Walker could help. However, he is not sure how suspectible a Scientist could be. Yes, there is a lot Superman -doesn't- know about this scientist. And that becomes painfully obvious at Sinister's confession of power. "I would still like it if Strange is there. Maybe some multiversal knowledge can help," maybe the laws, and flaws, of one world can apply to this one. It could be like having an unexpected primer.

Lucifer has posed:
"Precisely the reason why we recruited him." Lucifer offers. "Also. I am still watching Hell. Just..it's more like a job I go to than a prison I'm kept in." Also, there have been a few other angels who have gone down to take a turn as well. But the throne is still his.

"Basically we've been gathering anyone we could think of who is powerful enough to face this threat if needed. Combining our skills to get to the bottom of it. Lead on by Nathaniel, of course. He's the brains of the operation." He smiles, and then a cup of coffee doctored just the way Nathaniel likes it, is floated over towards the man. "Superman? Can I interest you in a drink now?"

Sinister has posed:
"I somehow feel as if my being the brains of the operation is not a reassuring thing," Sin chuckles, taking the coffee as it arrives and curling digits around it. "We can see if Strange is willing. He... was willing to talk at least and share some of his knowledge. He was busy reading a book that hadn't been written though, when we visited." He looks to Lucifer and back. "For what it's worth, the coffee is fair-trade and organic?"

Superman has posed:
"It's a good stragety," Superman admits. He can't fight the plan, even if it does come from a Demon. Well, Fallen Angel.

"It's not a Matter of brains. I just like a contingency plan. A safety net," Superman admits. His gaze stays on Nathaniel for a moment.

"I'm just wondering if the aliens may have a weakness to magic? If maybe the energy could send them back to their own world should they originate in a different world," he says just pointing that one out.

Lucifer has posed:
"That could be something. Even if they aren't weak to magic, we'll have a Strange who can open a portal and send them on their merry..." Lucifer replies, making himself a very Irish coffe, the cup floating aside him as he moves over to the still-open balcony door and pulls a silver case from his pocket. A cigarette is produced, lit with the snap of fingers and all the smoke goes outward somehow. Regardless of wind or anything else.

"Our safety nets are being given safety nets. We never go into anything half assed. It's fully cocked or no cock at all."

Sinister has posed:
"As I recall... they're prone to magic as much as anything is, unless..." Sinister exhales once, then sips his coffee, swallowing the scalding liquid for a hit of heat. "Dimensional physics would be very helpful though. You may not know this, so I will inform you -- it is possible for the Brood to infect nearly any kind of lifeform, they're not picky. I haven't found any in my zoological databases that are immune. This includes aliens, mutants, mutates, metahumans, inhumans... I suspect they could even do gods, if the god was for one reason or another, feeling weak and lacking in celestial healing capabilities. So, it is in theory possible for a brood to have dimensional gating ability, as there's /mutants/ that have that talent."

He does incline his head though, firmly. "I am a champion of the contingency planning. I've spent my entire existence meticulously formulating contingencies, it was necessary for my continued existence at times. I admit that this, this teamwork thing, is also a bit of a work in progress, but I'm quite pleased to have had a moderate amount of success with it."

Superman has posed:
Those floating cups don't bother him. They just remind him of other heroes. The fact that both Lucifer and Nathaniel have safety nets, upon safety nets, is strangely comforting. While he's not quite ready to trust them all completely, believes this is an altrustic partnership. He does believe it's the best of a very bad situation.

"Well, the last question should be. When do we strike? If they're not bound by genetic variations, that means we need to handle this sooner than later," Superman reiterates the obvious, and already brought up points. They do need to go beyond planning to action.

Lucifer has posed:
"We'll need to confer with the others. Come up with a time and place. Make sure it's the soonest time possible." Lucifer offers at least this much, but he'll leave perhaps nailing down the details to Sinister himself.

For the moment he simply enjoys his coffee, still steaming, by the mouhful. Hot drinks don't bother him one bit. And he smokes his cigarette.

Sinister has posed:
"Indeed. And to that end, mister Superman... is there a more expedious way of getting into contact with you? Batman has that signal that they send up when he's required over in gotham, but it was a little convoluted getting your attention. I suspect that method is not /the/ most sensible way of getting you on the clock, as it were," More sipping of coffee from Sinister, finishing off the cup. "You know, a burner phone or sending a code-word to some landline someplace... if there /are/ any landlines still in existence."

Just one of those even keeled smiles from him, though he does have a modicum of amusement in his regard.

Superman has posed:
Superman nods to Luci's comments about getting a hold of others. Nathaniel pivots off of that train of thought. A valid question does barrel forward.

"I will get you a device that will help. I expect it back when this mission is over," the last thing he wants is for Nathaniel to have a signal watch like Jimmy Olsen has. However, there is a very valid point in this situation. For this even they will need some way to keep contact. Creating one for this pair with a specific signal tone would be a good way at achieving this.

Lucifer has posed:
Lucifer nods himself and his finished cigarette is gone in a flash of hellfire within his palm. His coffee is also finished and he'll float his cup back to the kitchen. "Sounds like a solid plan. We'll be in touch once we know when we're going to strike..." He offers this and then steps away from the balcony door - figuring that's where Superman will take his leave as well.

Sinister has posed:
The man does have a device to create, after all. Because this is an alien that is unlikely to take one of -Sin's- devices! "I look forward to working with you," Sinister inclines his head. "Fly safely and the like. It -was- an actual pleasure. I wasn't entirely convinced you'd listen to us, in all honesty." He moves to load his cup into the dishwasher, though. Preparations for lengthy reading and probably nepharious plans, on the Kryptonian's departure!

Superman has posed:
Pushing off the balcony, because everyone is right, he'll begin to float off. Taking a moment, he'll look back. The pair recieve a wave. Suddenly the floating resumes before it becomes full blown flight. It doesn't break the sound barrier, but there is a rush of wind and everything else in his wake.

It's a plan and soon the pair will get a delivery. It will look like a simple watch. And it does tell time. However, when someone tries to set the alarm, it lets out a signal. There is a note with the watch. "Don't set the alarm unless you need me."