1477/Key To Success

Key To Success
Date of Scene:	15 July 2017
Location:	Unknown
Synopsis:	Just because a magical artefact is inactive, it doesn't mean it's not of use to SOMEONE. Sometimes, that someone barely qualifies as 'someone.'
Cast of Characters:	Jacky Diamond, Superman, 292

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Jacky Diamond has posed:
The downside to having ESP in the classic mode: it sometimes puts on a wig and the stench of opium and sulphones and cosplays as prophecy. The power in disguise has been bedeviling the young mutant and Jacky Winters has found himself randomly in other places for several days now, and at least once, his body came along with him, and he was immensely glad he wears pajama bottoms to sleep in even when summer is too hot in his badly air-conditioned home.

Tonight, it seems, is another random teleport; he wakes up when he finds that he's standing inside the Hall of Justice. It's after hours. And something feels WRONG, but he can't really tell what it is. The vibes are strong, but not very specific. Mostly around one of the trophy cases.

Superman has posed:
After hours means something completely different when you don't really need to sleep more than abuot 15 minutes in a very sunny spot. Cats aren't the only creatures on the planet that are solar powered.

Superman had stopped in to check on something when the Hall security systems let him know that someone appeared in the hall. It was odd, so the kryptonian moved to take a look... creating by supervisioning (it is now a verb; writers can DO that. Shut up, it is a legitimate super power) through the walls to take a sneak peek at who was there.

Jacky Winters was not an immediately recognized face, and so Superman stepped into the room, blue eyes focused on the new arrival.

"Good evening. Are you lost?"

Lion-O (292) has posed:
Lion-O had been spending some time in the library. While it was after-hours for the general public, the Thundercats had been allowed to stay at the hall temporarily during their brief homeless period. Since then, Lion-O has had days when he's spent hours at the digital library, perusing their language programs to try and get more and more familiar with Earth's language. This was one of those nights. The lord of the Thundercats didn't mind the long trip back to the lair, he found it gave him time to think, and the small hover-bike that had been adapted from the kittens' design made the trip easy, at least.

Now he was on his way out, and he stops cold when he finds that there are two visitors in the area.

"Ka-" Lion-O stops. He remembers being told that Kal-El prefers to be referred to as 'Superman' in public. He doesn't know if Jacky is an ally or not, but it is best to humor their ally. "Superman. Have you friend digit?"

No, he's sure he has screwed that up. The lord of the Thundercats sighs briefly and flips his translator on.

"Superman. Is this your friend?"

Jacky Diamond has posed:
Jacky is still trying to follow that faint thread of wrongness that dragged him into a dream and then across the megatropolis to this place. When Superman speaks, he holds up a hand in a 'please wait' gesture while he looks with eyes closed around the area.

The vibes are strong... were strong. They've faded away entirely. Whatever it was has ... faded away as if they were spinning very fast in a direction other than one of the usual three. Like the presence of the ... wait what? Two aliens? Thundera?

"What's a Thundera?" Jacky says, confused. "Where am I this time?"

He realises he's "shut-up-hand"ed Superman and the "oh no" can be seen mugging him almost as if it were physical.

Superman has posed:
The 'please wait' motion has Superman giving a single blink, but he doesn't interupt. Waiting instead for this new person to reveal what he plans to do here. Superman relies on the fact that he can move fast to make him ready to react should the unknown turn out not friendly.

Thunderaians have distinctive heartbeats, and Superman turns to look at Lion-o just as the feline steps into the room. His lips part, ready to reply to the Thundercat, when Jacky suddenly speaks. Superman returns his gaze to Jacky, and a warn if guarded smile alights upon his face.

"Thundera is a planet. You are in the Hall of Justice. Is there something you were looking for?" Superman asks again after having shared a slight 'I dunno dis guy' shrug with Lion-o.

Lion-O (292) has posed:
Lion-O looks wary at Superman's expression and remains tight-lipped, waiting for the stranger to explain. He is not -too- surprised at the mention of Thundera, if only because there *have* been some news items of them as of late. But still, this seems to be something other than an admirer or an alien conspiracy nut breaking into the Hall of Justice.

Jacky Diamond has posed:
"I'm an esper. Something has been poking around from outside, upsetting the natural vibe. It usually gets to me when I let down my defenses in sleep," Jacky says. Which is probably why he's wearing a pair of nylon basketball shorts and an ID bracelet and nothing else.

He moves to stand in front of one of the displays. There's a single silver key, heavily tarnished, sitting on some sort of silk and kept inside a small display dome with a wooden base, and all this inside one of the large glass display cubes. The card that should describe it has fallen apart as if it were decayed by extreme age.

"It knew I was here, but when you spoke, it ran away," Jacky says. "I dreamed I was walking through a maze to get here, and then I saw the case, and then you woke me up."

Superman has posed:
"I see," replies Superman, mostly understanding the esper. He understands enough to know that this may be a magic thing. AsJacky moves to stand in front of The Key, Superman turns his attention to look, now not as concerned about Jacky but of trying to figure out if whatever he was sensing could be dangerous or not. He glances at Lion-o.

"Are you able to sense these sort of things?" he asks.

Lion-O (292) has posed:
"I do not, but the Sword of Omens might."

There was no immediate threat yet, or else the blade by his side would have started to make that very distinctive growl. Still, he draws the sword and formally presents it, speaking thus:

"Sword of Omens, give me sight beyond sight!"

The catseye slit on the sword glows white, as the hilt guard curls to create eyeholes for the young lion's eyes. The sword begins to scry...

Jacky Diamond has posed:
"I'm sorry for intruding. It seems to have gotten away," Jacky starts to say. He still hasn't given his name, but it's on the ID bracelet on his wrist, so it's not unlikely that the Man of Steel would know the name there. John Joseph Winters. Age 21. A string of codes, similar to those for MedicAlert, but this isn't a MedicAlert bracelet.

Jacky stops abruptly ... the sword is looking along that fourth direction and there's a whisper of dust, a bleak emptiness that the Thundercat has seen before. A dark place, someone calling on Ancient Spirits of Evil... but not for power. To be hidden away.

"Woah," the esper says. "That's super creepy. Your sword is ominous."

He looks over to Superman, and says, "That key. It was trying to take the key but it couldn't get a grip."

The key was taken from Felix Faust some years back, and sealed by Dr. Fate after its magic was theoretically burnt and disrupted.

Superman has posed:
"Faust's Key? I'll have to seen if I can track down Dr. Fate to let him know," Superman replies as he watches the lion scrying for information on the area around the key.

"Can you tell where whatever you were sensing may have gone, Mr. Winters?" Superman asks. Because Clark can read good.

Lion-O (292) has posed:
"I can't see it very well... it's well-hidden, but the sword is familiar with this manifestation, or its type. Very old. Very ancient." Lion-O sheathes the sword and frowns. "Have you wards against magic in this place, friend Superman?" It would seem inconceivable if they didn't, but he has come to expect his expectations to be upended in this world.

Jacky Diamond has posed:
"I could only follow to tell what it wanted because I piggy-backed on the Eye of Thundera ... oh, that's what that is? Nice! ... Anyway the Eye was able to see far enough for me to catch that last whisper before it was hidden by whatever those old things are."

Jacky shivers for a moment, but doesn't assume his alternate form because he can understand the cat-guy better if he keeps his telepathic sense.

"Man. I may have to start wearing something warmer to bed if this is going to keep happening."

Superman has posed:
Superman purses his lips thoughtfully, consisering both person's inputs. As he thinks, he sweeps his cape off peering at it to warm the fabric befoee offering it out to Jackie in all it - now - frsh out of the dryer goodness.

"We do have wards, yes, thoigh its not my area of expertise. I would have to see if any of out magic users are awake, though as late as it is im not going to hold my breath for it." pause, a glance between the two. "son old and hidden but trying for the key.?" he asks as if making sure he gor it right. his mind is already trying to elimainte h

Lion-O (292) has posed:
"Maybe I should spend the night here. The Sword of Omens can be effective against mystical threats, my friend." The lion-man looks at Jacky, "And perhaps you should furnish us with a means of contacting you for further investigation into this. Your particular talents may be useful in this." And then it occurs to him that this man showed up, just like that, "Are you able to go back where you came from, or do you need to be taken somewhere?"

Jacky Diamond has posed:
Jacky is taken aback by the offer of the cape to warm up in... and there is NO way he won't accept it, because being offered Superman's cape even just as a blanket is awesome. He does say a "thank you" though.

"My name is Jacky Winters. I met one of your people a month or so back, a younger male. He has my contact card."

Yeah, they had the same alien vibe, which is different to Superman's Kansas-flavored alien vibe.

"I can teleport back home. But I'll want to go outside first, so I don't make a weak spot by mistake. So... what //was// that old dusty thing? It felt like it smelled dead."

Superman has posed:
Glad that his toasty warm cape was acceptrd, SupermN headi tilts at rhe question. "The key? An artifsct that Fate saif wasnt activr anymore. So, if someone was peeking in for it, I havr to make sure he kniws so he can check i to the wards." replies the kryptonian from the plains as he motiond for jacky to follow him outside . superman can play tourguude.