11991/Fungal Extraction

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Fungal Extraction
Date of Scene: 13 August 2020
Location: Bat safehouse, Old Gotham
Synopsis: Jean and Supergirl aid Superman with removal of an alien parasite.
Cast of Characters: Superman, Supergirl, Phoenix




Superman has posed:
There was a window of multiple days where Superman's current status was unknown. He had disappeared entirely from the hospital that his secret identity had been brought to - which made another problem: that his secret identity was ALSO missing.

The Planet had reacted strongly, trying to find their infected, missing reporter. Was he taken by some kind of strange government lab? Something even more serious? Had an alien spore monster eaten him, never to be found again?!

Fortunately, the Justice League knew otherwise: that while yes, he had disappeared for a handful of days, Superman had crashed into Gotham, and Batman had spread the information about it.

That Superman had an alien spore stuck to him was still certainly a problem, but the Bats had found a way at least to cause the thing to hibernate: for now. The downside was that it was keeping Superman at nearly a human level of power, and slowly pulling him down from there. It was a wonder he had flown at all.

--

Now, in a safehouse Batcave in Old Gotham, Superman rests, in an isolated room kept at low tempratures (as much as Superman could stand, in this state), bombarded with weird sonics that disorient the odd monster.

It is still there, though: on Superman's right hand, it has swollen to the size of a volleyball, and engulfed more of his hand and arm. Tendrils of it have crawled up nearly to the shoulder, fluxing white, fluffy strange and plant-like.

Supergirl has posed:
Upon learning the fate of her cousin, seeing him in a hospital bed looking so vulnerable, Supergirl knew what she had to do. Unfortunately, it would mean a secret would be revealed. A big one that very few people knew. One of those things that Clark had instilled in her about protecting their private lives from their heroic ones.

But it was her cousin and she wasn't going to lose him again.

A trip to a location to meet. A talk with a woman that friends of Supergirl trusted. A quick rush for the pair to go back to the hospital. Only to find that the person they were going to help was gone!

The search followed but with no results. Supergirl apologized to Jean Grey and promised to be in touch when she found the missing patient.

Then the call from the Justice League! Arrangements made, Supergirl arrived with Jean Grey to the appointed place and time. She came in through a window because it was easier than answering questions should she be seen walking up the stairs inside.

Phoenix has posed:
Normally it's Jean heading up some super secret protection missions, but today she's apart of one. Once she received the contact, she dropped what she was doing to meet up with Supergirl and head to the meeting place. Those calls she was used to, and for once it was a welcome one. Their target was found.

She follows Kara in through the window, the redheaded woman lightly floating after her in a nimbus of pink light. She alights on the ground and the light vanishes, leaving the true tones of her green and gold uniform to show. She steps up alongside Supergirl and gives her a nod before turning her eyes towards the quarantined man. "After you."

Superman has posed:
Superman is awake, and does, in fact, look like himself. At least, similar to footage of times when Superman has been battered into pulp by some kind of ridiculous world-eating monster and crunched on the ground. That sort of 'himself'.

Superman is in a bed, and is actually eating - looks like some sort of grilled cheese was brought to him, but he's mostly just picking at it with left hand. He's in a guarantine style bed, his right arm and part of his shoulder surrounded by tech to keep it at a different temprature than the rest of his body, with some buffering towels around his shoulder and armpit on that side. There's a clear section, and an observation room as well, that is probably mirrored - seeing as this is a bat safehouse, of /course/ it is. Villains usually occupy the room Superman is being cared for in, probably, for questioning or temporary hold. Or maybe medical treatment.

Superman's too weak to notice them. He also needs to shave a little: it might be disorienting to see that. He's weary and beat up.

Supergirl has posed:
Seeing him like that, Supergirl already has folded one arm over her midriff, hand grasping the other arm tightly as she half-hugs herself in reaction. She glances over to Jean then nods to the room, moving over to the bedside. Quarantine or not.

"Kal? I brought a friend of mine. This is..." She pauses, glancing over at Jean as her brow furrows. She actually doesn't know if she should call her by her name or not. In truth, she doesn't know her made-up-name, if she even has one. So this puts her standing there looking like a goof.

"She's got abilities I think will help get that thing off you." She looks at his arm, frowning when she sees the thing has gotten so much larger. The urge to just rip it off is there but she resists.

Phoenix has posed:
Choices. So much importance in a simple sound that is a name.

The woman steps up to the bedside, though leaves a respectable space as she dips her head. "Jean. My name is Jean Grey. Though some among the larger 'community' also know me as Phoenix. Supergirl came to me to see about helping get this fungus off of you so we can get you back into shape. Given what we know of this thing and psychic powers, I should be able to do that."

She watches Superman as she talks, looking for reactions or recognition that they're even there. A sidelong glance is passes to Kara. "When you're both ready, unless there's any questions."

Superman has posed:
Kal-El looks up quickly as Supergirl comes into the room, an automatic warmth showing up: real pleasure to see his cousin, particularly in this isolating and horrible situation. It's hard to not feel utterly alone in this room with the pulsing nastiness on his arm. Rough socially as well as physically, to be in isolation.

Still.

"While I'm glad to see you, I don't want you anywhere near this thing, Supergirl," Superman says calmly but gently to Kara. The last thing he wants is it jumping to her and harming her! If he can protect her from that, he will.

"Hi, Jean," Superman says, with a curious but reserved quality. He still retains a great deal of /dignity/, even in the hospital bed, barely moving. It's a part of Superman's whole, stemming from willpower, maybe hope.

"It has pushed mind-control on me multiple times; I'm open to solutions to stop that. I'm... dangerous, in any state like that. It controlling me in some way is... worst case." Worse than stuck in bed or suffering. "What do you need me to do?"

Supergirl has posed:
"I'd let it jump on me if it would get it off you," Supergirl says stubbornly even as she stops in her tracks. She is going to respect his wishes. For now. "You should know that by now," she adds with a little hmph noise.

She looks over at Jean. "When these things were first taking control of people, they were urging them to go plant the spores. All you can get out of them when the thing is in control is must help them grow. At least, that's all they were doing then." She shrugs, leaving it to the others in the room to figure out the details.

Phoenix has posed:
"I shouldn't need you to do anything, just try and stay calm. I don't know how this will react, but I intend to do this as gently as I can." Jean replies as she looks to his arm. "They respond to - and obey - psychics, according to what we know and have seen. So I should be able to tell it to leave and that will be the end of this. In fact, could you grab me a container?" She asks of Kara. "This way we can keep the spores enclosed."

"As I let her know when she came to me, I have no intentions of using my powers in any other way then to remove this fungus. You have my word, that anything here that you wouldn't want known will be kept secret and safe. I am also well aware that Supergirl here knows precisely where I live." A moment's humor leaks into her voice and the faint squint of her eyes, even if her words carry the weight of sincerity and the understanding of how grave secrets like these are.

Superman has posed:
"We've noticed that when it is kept cold in here, it doesn't seem to be as able to force it's control over my mind. I don't know how dormant it is, though," Superman supplies. The room itself is cold, and the containment around his arm and the fungal parasite, colder.

The hero gives a nod to Jean as she expresses her sincerity about keeping secrets. If the monster eats him, there are fewer secrets to be kept at that point. "I am sorry to drag you into this; the Justice League's Martian Manhunter is missing, for us to have tried this approach on our own. I'm glad to have your help."

Supergirl has posed:
"He sometimes does that though. Just up and disappears when he thinks something is important enough," Supergirl says on behalf of the missing martian. "The League might not always agree. But there is an all points out for him as well. Kind of like we had out for you, until Batman sent the message you were safe with him."

She does move to grab a container from nearby, with a locking lid, so they will be able to put the fungus inside once it is removed.

Phoenix has posed:
"One of my own was there that night, so if anything, I owe you and the others thanks." Jean says to Superman. "It may have ended differently if she was alone. We all need to help one another sometimes. The world is too big for each of us to watch over it on our own."

Towards Kara she then says, "Supergirl? *If* anything would go south with me, I need you to return and tell the X-Men. All you need to do is ask for Cyclops and say there's an emergency with me. You'll find them swarming out like bees. Otherwise, be ready to seal up this fungus."

Back to Superman she then looks and remarks, "Alright, let's get started so we can get you back on the job." She rolls back her shoulders and turns her eyes back onto the parasite. Barring any disruption, she'll close her eyes and turn her focus inward and then out, stretching out her psychic abilities towards the fungus. It's nothing aggressive initially, nor at speed. She's there to feel this out first.

Superman has posed:
The parasite creature is not really a traditional 'mind' by itself, but neither is it completely part of another hive-mind. It is more like a drone: it can act by itself, but is also open and listening to the greater 'hive' that might be out there talking to it. It is more like a network of weak telepaths, that are looking for assistance from their stronger leader.

It's also not a traditional awareness, not like a human mind; it has a different structure to it. However, base instincts are there - aligned to needing to eat and survive, and reproduce. It is acting like an advanced plant, trying to extend root systems - in this case, into the extremely tasty Superman, as if he were the best dirt ever. It is no longer attempting to be 'buried' - no need, this is a better spot, so it is trying to survive these harsh conditions of cold, and grow...

There are some thoughts, though most of it consists of trying to grow up Superman's arm out of the super-freezing box it's in.

Phoenix has posed:
She may be able to do frightening, explosive things with her powers, but precision is where Jean excels compared to most. So this macro-lens level psychic work is right up her alley. She seeks out one of those connections to the greater mind and tries to instill herself between it and redirect the focus of the expanding colony onto herself. The mind of the woman alone is a formidable thing, like a floodlight in a field of people holding lighters. It's bright, clear, blinding even. It glows like a beacon, and into that light she begins pouring her intent.

Recognize me. *Obey*.

Superman has posed:
The fungal creature doesn't seem to react one way or another about any of that, other than that Jean may get the sense that it is, in fact, listening. Whether it entirely takes on the items as commands it HAS to do, or will take under advisement, is probably hard to determine.

It does have it's own mind; and it possibly doesn't always obey it's 'queen' normally. Still... it may just depend on what Jean attempts to require it to do: if it will go against what is in it's nature...

Phoenix has posed:
Jean tries to instill a sense of wrongness, directing her mental awareness towards the wall of cold that has stood in the fungus' way. There is nowhere to go, no place to spread. There is no food ahead. There is cold. There is death.

She stretches out a hand that does not make direct contact with Superman's arm, but there is a hovering cloud of pink light that begins to form like a bridge. On the other end of that, she focuses a portion of her power. At the center of her palm, she imagines more light. This light is warm and rich, full of the promise of life and safety. It's a tiny tendril of the deeper power within that invites the fungus across that bridge of telekinetic power.

Come. There is a better place. A safe place.

And if it does agree, the bridge is ready to encase it and draw it out as soon as it shows itself, like pulling free a parasitic worm.

Superman has posed:
The fungal creature is smart, as it turns out. It doesn't want to give up current fertile ground, but it does want this new yummy treat! It adjusts, extending several root-like tendrils to try to grow into this rich area that Jean offers: to test it out, try to soak up that light and warmth.

It loves energy, so the power and energy is quite attractive!

Superman looks tense, and is sweating a little bit, aware of some shifting through his arm, but makes no complaints. He does move his free left hand near Supergirl, though, if she wants to accept his request of support.

Supergirl has posed:
Keeping the container in one hand and ready for Jean, Supergirl accepts that offered hand quickly. She gives a careful human level squeeze, showing her support for her cousin through this.

She glances to Jean, watching the glow and all very carefully. She does draw in a breath and hold it. Prepared in her own way to freeze the thing should it make an attack instead of going along peacefully.

Phoenix has posed:
As the initial bits of bait arm accepted, Jean lets more of her power flow into the link. She remains ready to block any contact with herself and keep it contained in the space between. The area between her hand and Superman's arm is a bubble of pink light, but across it floats and swirls a single thread of incandescent gold. Where it goes, it leaves a subtle afterburn shine as if it was boosting and brighting the woman's own power.

Psychically, the interior of the bubble is like a warm and welcoming cocoon. That same golden thread is tantalizing as it dances just outside of the cocoon, a power source of incomparable purity that vibrates in time with Jean's compulsion.

Come. We will find you someplace safe, somewhere you can grow. We can set you free of this cold, where others only want to destroy you. We will give you *life*.

Superman has posed:
The strange parasite draws tendrils /out/ of Superman's upper bicep, and tries to grow into the zone Jean is creating for it. It is loathe to give up the current source of food, though: much like any plant that has roots currently anchored, it wants to keep that safe location. Still, a delicious offering is being given, and the psychic messaging is very suggestive to it... it seems to be working, but it hesitates, tryign to find something to anchor to.

Supergirl has posed:
"Does it need something to go into? I mean it's a plant?" Just one of those random thoughts that comes out of her mouth. She tends to be impulsive. It's why Supergirl's directions in fights are often 'go hit that'. It's simple and direct, and usually her first instinct. Thus, the running over of the mouth.

But having super speed, she also has an idea. And the ability to carry it out very rapidly. "One sec. I'll be right back." Another squeeze of Kal's hand then she is airborne and heading out the same window she entered.

A few seconds later, she is coming back through with a huge pot she has to hold with both arms filled with some lovely mix of potting soil. It looks like something /may/ have been in the pot just moments ago by the way the dirt is formed in it. She /might/ owe someone a new potted plant from two buildings over. Or if this works, maybe she can put the hibiscus she tore out of it back in.

But it is her cousin! She'll make it right later.

"Maybe it will like this?"

Phoenix has posed:
Psychic work is delicate, and it's not so easy for her to risk diving her attention from her work and to what Kara is up to. But the other woman is gone and back before Jean can even process and respond. So they'll roll with it! The fallen plant will be honored later for its sacrifice. With care, Jean reaches out her other hand towards the planter in Kara's hand and it is lifted to relocate itself below and within the bubble so that the dirt is within reach of the fungus.

Home, she impresses as she lets her power diffuse among the grains of soil like fertilizer.

Superman has posed:
'Home' isn't so much of interest to the plant, but a place that's positive, warm and allows growth, is acceptable. It moves towards the offering, though one little root remains stuck to Superman, as if a tiny straw interested in slurping on that source as well.

If a word were to be given, the thing is /greedy/: so it wants everything. That's the essence of the creature, this greedy hungry quality. Superman is streaked with sweat, but is trying to hang on; the pain levels are massive, and he starts to pass out, from the stress of it moving inside his arm and veins.

It probably won't entirely release Superman, but ripping it free, at least, won't tear his arm off anymore.

Supergirl has posed:
Supergirl nibbles her bottom lip as she watches it start moving away from her cousin and into the dirt. Except that one tiny bit. She starts to reach for it then thinks better, keeping her hands to herself and frowning a little.

She moves that hand instead to Kal's free one, giving him that support as she wraps her fingers with his. "It's almost over. I think..."

Phoenix has posed:
And pull is what Jean does. It's heartless, but necessary. That psychic power snaps shut around the last tendril like a bear trap and she pulls, trapping it along with the rest within that bubble of power. The infected soil is pulled free to hover within that luminous pink sphere while the pot drops away with a crack of terra cotta.

Jean's other hand comes forward to support her containment like she was holding a basketball out at arm's length. As her eyes open, there is a brief gleam of golden-white before they return to green, full of focus and concentration as she says through set teeth, "Supergirl, if you could with the container? Just hold it there so I can transfer this."

Superman has posed:
Superman releases a strangled noise as it lets go, and jerks back a little, as if trying to get out of the containment... and mostly just passes out, instead. Ripping the connection free was too much, after the long period of it eating at his mind and body. But he's breathing, and though he's no help, seems to be okay, if unconscious.

The creature whips around wildly, angry at being yanked from it's delicious Kryptonian, and tries to surge for Supergirl -- but is held in the telekinetic prison of mixed infected soil.

Supergirl has posed:
As the thing flails, Supergirl carefully holds out the container for it. She isn't thrilled but she is sure Jean has it under control. Only once it is inside would she shut the lid, sealing the thing in and finally breathing.

She looked to Kal, reaching out with her super senses. Heartbeat slowing down from the heightened speed when he was in so much pain. Blood pressure lessening. Seemed to be going to all normal levels again. "Thank you so much for this," she says softly to Jean.

Phoenix has posed:
Jean Grey slowly brings her hands together to shrink the ball of power like the image of a petulant god trying to squash a misbehaving planet. Her eyes are hard focus and behind her pupils there is the impression of light like one finds on creatures who can see in the dark with her powers casting rolling shadows across her face. It's not an entirely comforting image.

Carefully she moves her hands to guide the contained fungus bit by bit into the container, keeping it under an iron hold so it can't touch Kara. She doesn't let go of it until the lid is sealed, and even then she is slow to release her grip as she waits to make sure nothing tries to escape. Only when assured that there's no signs of escape does the light of her power fade away, leaving just Jean with a film of sweat on her brow and an unsettled look on her face. "...I feel sorry for it. It doesn't know what it's causing. It just wants to live."

Superman has posed:
There is indeed no hatred in the plant-like fungus creature, only an attempt to eat and thrive - greedy, maybe, but there's mo malice to that particular wish. It didn't recognize Superman as something other than tasty, and lacks awareness that even Jean was really present: like being locked in it's own world of what it understands as reality. Perhaps the hive-mind it's connected to would know more, but for now, this small one is only following what seems best for it's life.