11452/Troubled Waters

Troubled Waters
Date of Scene:	09 May 2020
Location:	Daily Planet, Central Business Dist.
Synopsis:	Lois meets with Superman and Slipstream to discuss the Diana situation.
Cast of Characters:	Lois Lane, Superman, Slipstream
Tinyplot:	Wonder Who

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Lois Lane has posed:
A few days had passed since Lois had met with Drake and discussed the troubling case surrounding Diana Prince. Lois was a bit concerned in the least to hear that Wonder Woman May no longer be the pure hearted Amazon Princess they all knew and loved. In fact she may not be Diana at all. But she had to be sure, and she needed to talk to Superman. So she had arranged to meet both Drake and Superman on the lonely rooftop of the Daily Planet at night, when it was less likely they would run into crowds or nosy people out here. Okay, so an urgent text message wasn't as cool as a big bat signal but hopefully it will catch his attention...

Superman has posed:
Superman had actually been doing his duty on the Justice League Watchtower today. It was his first shift on mission monitor duty since the whole "Apokolips and Death" nightmare had begun. Uneventful today except for a few minor incidents, Superman had just gotten off duty when he received a message from Lois plus Drake in regards to Wonder Woman.

Deciding to fly his way from near Earth orbit to Metropolis - the satellite was actually currently just over the eastern seaboard of the United States - Superman takes a moment to enjoy the beauty for his adopted planet, before pushing his speed into high gear, and reaching Metropolis in moments.

Arriving at the Daily Planet, Superman slows down, and slowly floats towards the rooftop with a concerned expression for his friend and teammate, Wonder Woman.

Slipstream has posed:
There is a burst of blue light as Drake appears on the rooftop, dressed in his Legionnaire uniform of blues and silvers, complete with his Overwatch brown bomber jacket coupled with a number of patches on the fabric. Ripples of sonic energy pours off him for a moment as he dusts his shoulders off, hopping about on his feet to keep his ankles loose.

At the sight of Superman descending from the heavens to the rooftop, his eyes widen and he just simply stares for a moment, as if captivated. It's one thing to talk to /the/ Lois Lane, it's another to talk to *THE* Superman. He remembers being at his funeral not so long ago, followed by the high intense rescue of his return. Still. Being /this/ close to a living legend, is a bit overwhelming at first.

"H.. Hi! Um.. Sir.. Super Sir.. man..Superman.. It's an honor to .. um.. share this rooftop with you." The young Legionnaire stammers out as he salutes him, as if he would salute Captain America. It's comical, but this is a A-Lister hero he's in the presence of.

"Thank you for taking time out of your obviously busy day to meet with me, and Miss Lane."

Lois Lane has posed:
Lois Lane smiles faintly at Drake's tendency to motormouth, all the more pronounced in his current nervous status and she can't help but feel slightly amused by that. But this is a serious matter and she remains calm. Hey, it comes with the territory. Always keep cool under pressure.

Turning to face Superman, she nods to him, walking towards the two of them. "Superman, Drake. Hey. Thanks for showing up so quickly. We need to talk. About Diana." she sighs a bit, nodding to Drake. "According to Drake, she's been acting strange, we suspect she is not the real Diana.."

Superman has posed:
Touching down on the rooftop softly, without a sound, his cape all a flutter, Superman smiles. "Hello there," he says to Drake, "The honor is all mine. I'm truly glad to meet you." Instead of returning the salute, he offers his right hand to shake instead. "Thank you for that, sir, but I am not one of our true heroes of the Armed Forces, simply a man doing his best to help in these troubled times. It is appreciated though."

"It was certainly no time at all. I have all the time in the world to help if I can, especially for true heroes like you and Ms. Lane." His eyes then find hers after smiling once more at Drake. "Good afternoon Ms. Lane. I see you are concerned about Wonder Woman. Perhaps you both can fill me in on what is going on with her?"

Slipstream has posed:
Reaching out to take his hand, Drake expects it to be crushed like tissue paper. "Oh. I um.. I'm not a true hero. I live firmly on the D-List. You know... uh.. anyways... wow.. I'm shaking Superman's hand." He says as he savors the moment, then clears his throat. ".. Snowball, can you take a quick pic of this?" He whispers softly. The robot attached to his back peeks over his shoulder and there's a 'click' as her LED faceplate blinks.

"Er.. Yes. So.. I am Slipstream of the Legion of Superheroes. Thirty-First century. Well.. the team is. Not me though! I'm born and bred here in the twenty-first United States. Well, I spend a lot of time probably breaking the rules of time and space by going through historical logs out of boredom and I came across a file that caught my eye. It was about Wonder Woman who at one point in time.. actually, this point and time, was kidnapped by a Japanese God named Susanoo. Not to be confused with SnooSnoo, and held captive on his island until she was rescued by the Justice League. During this time, she was replaced by a doppleganger." He says, making a pair of finger gun motions towards the Big S. Pew Pew.

"So, I took a trip to visit her at the opening of her gallery and historical museum of Amazonian weapons and stuff, you know.. who doesn't like kickass shields and swords used by super buff ladies who kick the crap outta men, right? Right. So.. we got to talking and she was acting like a Kardashian. You know what I mean? Great to look at but dumb as a rock? She didn't know anything about her 'stuff' she was showing off, more worried about snagging a fresh drink and being bored. I was throwing out some basic questions to her, talking about the Avengers, but changing the name of Tony Stark, the name of the team, my own code name, stuff she would clearly know and she just went along with it. She definitely was /not/ acting like /The/ Wonder Woman, or Princess Diana.. or ... normal Diana. She was just all out of her comfort zone and out of whack."

"So, yeah.. I .. am .. /very/ .. confident that.. um.. the historical data is still accurate and that she has been snatched and replaced and .. spying on your team, sir. Superman." He corrects quickly.

Lois Lane has posed:
Lois Lane peers quietly at Drake as he tells another lengthy story that could have been told in far fewer words. But she doesn't interrupt. Because he's amusing. She does her best to keep a straight face, nodding and looking to Superman. "Right, what he said. Something is definitely suspicious. And who knows what this being is who is impersonating Diana, or why?"

She sighs, pondering, "I had considered inviting her in for an exclusive interview, but I figured that might be potentially dangerous. However if you were here, it might be safer. Think we should call her in and..I dunno, try and squeeze more information out of her? I shudder to think what has happened to the real Diana, and time is running out.."

Superman has posed:
"Right." Superman smiles. "Nice to meet you Slipstream of the Legion of Super-Heroes. I know of them, of course. Glad to see that you have found a team to help out as best you can. They are good people." Superman than stops talking and simply listens for several seconds as Slipstream...talks.

Absorbing it all in, seemingly without using his own superspeed, he only adds a nod or two here and there to let the Legionnaire know he was keeping up with his briefing.

"Thank you...Slipstream...that was certainly a...lot." Superman frowns, and looks back at Lois. "This makes a lot of sense from the few times I have seen her the last year. Or even two. Well, when I wasn't indisposed of course." Superman smiles warmly, and almost chuckles at that part. When he was "dead".

Superman taps his chin thoughtfully for a few moments. "When gods are involved Lois, who knows what they are thinking and why they did this. Susanoo. Isn't he the Japanese God of Mischief? Similar to Loki I believe." A pause. "I agree Lois. We need to call her in, and see where this is going. What do you think we should do?" It was obvious from that right there that he trusted both Slipstream and Lois. A lot.

Slipstream has posed:
"Ah, yes. Susanoo is the youger brother of Amaterasu, godddess of the sun. Depending on what you read, he was also considered the God of disease and pesitlience. Sometimes also considered the God of the sea and storms. He's an angry, chaotic guy. He once kicked the shit out of a dragon and made a sword outta him." Drake says as he rocks back and forth on his feet as if he had a ton of pent up energy still stored within him. Nervous energy.

"If you are looking to talk to her, I would suggest come up with some information that only /she/ would know and bring it up, then .. maybe use your superhearing to determine if she has fluctuations in her heart and pulse rate to determine if she's lying.." He trails off, clearing his throat.

".. I could just.. uh.. spoil the ending for you, but I'm pretty sure I'm gonna get an ass kicking from time-butterflies for even bringing this up to you in the first place. I'm not even sure if history is meant for me to bring this up, or maybe I'm doing exactly what is expected of me. Time and space is weird like that."

"I really need to stop breaking into the database.. Brainy is gonna yell at me."

Lois Lane has posed:
Lois Lane nods, drawing a deep breath. "Okaay, maybe this is a long shot but..I was thinking, forstly, yes, we should verify that she is indeed an imposter. Drake, what you said so far makes sense, and as you're from the future, I guess you know already what happened, but..Superman, you are one of her closest friends, correct? If anyone knows her, it would be you. Soo, we need to draw her out into the open, and.."

She smiles, "So, I'm betting if she's pretending to be the real Wonder Woman, she probably has all of Wonder Woman's costume too...Including her lariat. Of truth. We need to lure her out into the open, catch her by surprise and get that lariat. Only then will we know for sure if she is truly a fake. And we can use it to find out where the real Diana is being held.."

Superman has posed:
Well, most gods are chaotic in my experience. Which has been strangely full of them in recent memory." Superman listens further. "Sounds like he is a problem chid. This must have something to do with revenge on Wonder Woman's beliefs. She has a lot of relationships with the Greek Gods I believe. Although that is just what I have heard, not what I know of course."

"As for time and space, you said you were from here, so anything you would know really doesn't impact the time stream. Unless, Slipstream, this is information from the Legion computers on their cruiser, and you are forwarding this from them." A look from Superman..."In which case, I would emphasize that you be careful what you say and do, and not "break into their databases" anymore." That sounded just like Brainy.

Lois talks, and Superman listens. "Yes, Lois. I believe I am one of her closest friends. That is assuming a lot, but we have known each other for some time. The issue is luring her in the open, catching her by surprise, and using her lasso. She is a formidable opponent. It would have to be a surprise, and that is hard to do." A sigh. "We can try."

Slipstream has posed:
"Yes, this is information that I have pulled from historical files. So, technically, I am breaking the rules, but my passing of information also lines up with the time of your success in recovering her. The database is very limited. Time. Place. Bad guy. Resolution, aka, Superman and friends. Any other bits of information is not recorded, but I did go a few days forward to read the fallout before I got it in my head that I should come forward with this information." Drake says as he pats himself down a few times. "So far I haven't disappeared and I think I may have prevented a Brood invasion. No one wants chest babies."

Giving himself a long stretch of his body, he pops a number of joints in his back. "But, you got the intel, the gameplan is all yours now, Superman. The Legion of course is at your disposal. I don't forsee any members of our team turning you down for help. Especially due to .." He pauses, then clears his throat.

"You know, because you're Superman."

Lois Lane has posed:
Lois Lane frowns, considering this. She's less concerned about Drake breaking into databases because frankly, it's what she might have done herself to get to the truth, but hush.

"Right, it'll be tricky to lure her out without her catching on to what were you to. Heck, offering her an exclusive interview might be too much in the spotlight for someone who's trying to hide in the open..However, if we were to stage an emergency, would she not feel the need to pretend to be Wonder Woman and answer the call?"

She smirks, "I'd be happy to serve as 'bait', redirect her attention away while the two of you go for her lariat. It's the best thing I can think of,unless you have a better suggestion.." Lois does peer over the edge of the building, getting a very very crazy idea. But hey, it might be enough for her to.....Hmm...

Superman has posed:
"Right. Not a big fan of breaking the rules, Slipstream, but I appreciate why you did it. If it helps my friend, than I can forgive it. This time. Be careful though. These kind of things tend to have unforseen consequences." There. Lecture done. "Thank you. I am sure we will need the Legion's help, if not now, then in the future." Why? As Slipstream says. He's Superman. The only acknowledgement of that was a smile.

"An emergency is a great idea Lois. Although, she may also take you up on the interview to maintain her cover. Both are great ideas, which we can use to get her to arrive. One is safer than the other." A look. "Using you as bait is out of the question. We cannot put you at risk when she may do something..." Then he sees her look. "I'm not going to be able to stop you am I?"

Slipstream has posed:
"You can use me as bait." Drake says as he shrugs his shoulders upwards. "I'm incredibly fast and pretty much a wildcard. Goofy. Not threatening. She knows I'm a low level scrub so she wouldn't suspect anything."

Lois Lane has posed:
Lois Lane glances at Superman and just smirks, stepping towards the edge if the roof, "Ahh, you k is me only too well, Superman. She may or may not agree to an interview. However, if you were to tell her that Lois is in trouble, dangling off a rooftop and may need her lariat to save her, while you're 'too far away and in the middle of something else' to assist..."

Glancing to Drake, shape shakes her head, "She's less likely to believe a super hero like you couldn't save yourself. Besides were gonna a need you as back you to help grab the lariat. Four hands are better than two..'

Superman has posed:
"Maybe. That might just work. She'll suspect something, but it is you Lois. You always seem to find your way into trouble, so you will have that going for you." Another smile from the man of Steel. Looking over at Drake, Superman nods, once.

"Right. Good to have you as back up. Your speed will be a big help. Thank you."

Superman crosses his arms across his chest, and settles into the idea that Lois was going to put herself at risk. "Now...when do we do this then?"

Slipstream has posed:
"I mean, we're all here. What better time than now?" Drake hints. ".. Or within the next forty eight hours." He says as he rubs the back of his neck, glancing upwards and to the side. "You know, for no reason at all." He says as he stubs his foot against the ground a few times, working the toe of his boot into the top of the roof.

"But if you're talking 'bout taking it off of Diana, C--Superman will have an easier time than me. There is no way I can wrestle it from her. I'm just a normal human. But, I can at least cause the distraction to pull her attention away from Superman to take it."

He rocks back and forth a few more times on his ankles, then slides his hand into his pocket to pull out a box of tic-tacs, popping one free, then offers them to the others.

Lois Lane has posed:
Lois Lane smiles, taking a deep breath, pausing only briefly on her trek to the edge of the roof top. "Right, no time like the present! I'm worried about the real Diana, every minute counts. Who knows what sort of trouble she's in? So let's do this. You two should hide somewhere close by. Meanwhile..."

Lois continues her trek to the edge of the rooftop, climbing over the railing. Fortunately it's an old building and sturdy. The giant stone lettering that spells 'Daily Planet' stands out against the side of the building, and it princess some decent leverage for her to hang off on, or to get her footing in case things dint work out.

Not that she's worried with Superman so near. "Go on, let's get this ball rolling!" she calls as she curls into the giant stone 'L'. of course she has to make this convincing, so she edges as close to the top as possible.

Superman has posed:
"I'll be ready when you are Lois. We don't know if she is nearby though. Doing it now may be a bit preemptive. Superman was ready if necessary to save her, but Diana wasn't really the one with super hearing. She would need to be contacted somehow.

"I have her number. JL comms. Maybe we could prepare more, and set this up than doing it right, right now." He smiles. "I appreciate your enthusiasm though, Ms. Lane."

Slipstream has posed:
"Also, a rooftop situation may not be really tactical. How about we just go a more normal plan of action? Just give her a call, tell her that you and Superman want to meet her for lunch since you're in the area. You guys pick a spot, maybe even at your HQ which I'm assuming is totally fortified and designed for combat situations." Drake hints. "Then we can take her from there."

He gives another stretch. "And that way I can rally at least another teammate or two to help us out on my end. Maybe Timber Wolf since he's a bruiser, or G-Force. He can manipulate gravity and take Diana off her feet, thus limiting her ability to fight back if she weighs as much as a feather."

Lois Lane has posed:
Lois Lane isn't *really* planning on 'falling' right now but cmon, it's a good plan! Even so, she's just testing the waters to see if she can even pull it off. "Phew, this would work, but.." she frowns, climbing back out. Okay, so he wants to wait. Lois isn't sure how much longer they should wait, but...She's just the messenger. He's the professional superhero.

"Alright then.." she shrugs, dusting herself off, moving to join the two of them. "I'll leave it in your capable hands." she's not so sure if inviting Diana to dinner will encourage her to draw out her lariat but..

Superman has posed:
"Right." Superman looks relieved. "We'll plan this, and do is as soon as we are all ready. I can tackle her one on one, but if we have some backup to prevent anything bad from happening, it will go a lot smoother I bet." Superman looks over at Drake. "I also agree a rooftop isn't tactical...unless you can fly. We'll think about it, and do this soon. Tomorrow work?"
Superman starts to float above the ground. "Thank you for giving me the heads up on this. I hadn't really noticed with everything going on. Plus, if she was watching us today somehow without us knowing, she won't be as suspicious if we do it all by surprise."

Slipstream has posed:
Twisting the ring on his finger, Drake starts to float upwards. "I can fly. It comes with the whole membership to being a savior of the galaxy thing. I just dress better than Star Lord." He gives a bit of a twirl in the air before he drops down. "Tomorrow works for me. Thank you for the time. It really was an honor to meet you. Like, /an honor/. You have no clue. This was like a bucketlist moment for me. Superhero team up with /Superman/. Like, damn, right? If I ever get lucky enough to have kids, I can't wait to embelish this story with them."