7214/Age of Despair: The Mountain Makes a Housecall

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Age of Despair: The Mountain Makes a Housecall
Date of Scene: 12 April 2019
Location: Gotham City
Synopsis: Willow's plans to drag Sam to the Watchtower change when Kara shows up unexpectedly, as does Hellboy. She confesses to them about Nightmare Nurse and it's determined an exorcism is likely in order. Next stop: John Constantine.
Cast of Characters: Willow Rosenberg, Sam Winchester, Supergirl, Hellboy




Willow Rosenberg has posed:
(lead up scene https://www.unitedheroesmush.com/scene/scene.php?id=7208 )

AS it happens, while Willow intended upon taking Sam to the Watchtower to haunt the place until she could speak to Kara directly, other plans were afoot, that being that Kara had no intentions of waiting...

"Okay..." Willow says, worrying her lower lip. "I tell you what. I'll bring you along with me. I have to go and report something anyway.. but you can't fanboy. And no autographs. And ohmygosh, please don't tell them I told you about him?"

Sam Winchester has posed:
Sam tries his best not to look too giddy about this news even as he crosses his heart and says: "About who?" with a big grin.

See? Secrets safe.

"So, uh where do we go to get, uh, beamed up?" he asks. "And sure, no autographs or you know generall fanboying. Promise."

Supergirl has posed:
There is a knock on the window.

Not the one with the fire escape either.

Should they look outside, they will find a figure floating there. Seems Supergirl came to get her information directly from the source instead of waiting. She hovers there with her skirt and hair shifting in the breeze outside, as though she was standing in a hallway after knocking on the front door.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Well, that's one way to avoid the building's doorman, and certainly not how Willow expected to next be meeting Supergirl. Heck, she's not even sure if the windows open! (they do, for the record, but it's going to take a bit of fiddling to get the screen out and back in again. Thank goodness it's spring, or it's going to be coooold for a bit).

There's a tiny squeak of shock from Willow, who, to her credit doesn't try to banish Kara, and given the wards about the place, if it isn't Kara she'd most likely be barred from entry.

"Oh gosh. Sam!" Because, of course, when Supergirl floats outside your window, you get the tall one to let her in. "Quick before someone sees her!"

Sam Winchester has posed:
Sam is suddenly reaching for his piece when there's a knock on the window his mind going through all the flying monsters that could be out at this hour. God please don't let it be the fairies. He'd been tangling with them all week.

Then it's clear what's happening and Sam relaxes. "Oh wow," he says stopping reaching for his piece and grabbing his phone instead. "Do you think she'll say, 'General care to step outside?'" he asks before he realizes it's him who's supposed to let her in.

Sam reluctantly parts with his phone and goes to open the widow with all the screen fiddling until he has it open and he's stepped out of the way to let the Girl of Steel enter.

Supergirl has posed:
She waits patiently, hovering there until he manages to get the window open and the screen off. Then she flies in through the opening and lands, booted feet touching down on the floor.

Supergirl has looked better. She's likely not sleeping and the stress is starting to show. Her eyes have dark circles around them. She's been trying so hard to be the presence for Superman, to cover for his absence. But people are beginning to suspect. The pictures of Big Blue have not been seen like they usually were and whispers had started.

She manages a smile to for the pair. "Thank you," she says to Sam first then glances to Willow. "I got your message that you wanted to meet me?" After all, she can be on the other side of the planet in the span of a couple of minutes. It was a simple matter for her to come here.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow gives the pizza a sorrowful look. One small pizza between three people isn't much more than a snack. Still, she offeres politely, "It's just cheese. I don't eat meat." Nose crinkling as she says that. "And yes! I didn't want to just tell everyone, but I figured you and John should know.. and oh."

Willow hushes a moment and contemplates before backtracking. "Uh, So, this here is my friend Sam. He's, well, I'm not sure what you know about me?" This to Kara. "Well, my beste, actually. Anyway, Sam is kind of in the same line of business. I accidentally said something I shouldn't have. But he's cool and everything. He's a Hunter."

she leans in and whispers that like the place is bugged and everyone can hear (which they can't). "They're kind of a secretive lot. I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to blurt it out, but it happened. I was trying to explain to him why I'd not been getting back to him and.."

A sigh wracks her petite frame. "Sam, this is Supergirl. Supergirl, this is Sam. He kinda knows that Superman is, well, not well."

Sam Winchester has posed:
Wow maybe it's for the best he didn't snap a picture of Supergirl, she's looking rough. No judgements, but that sort of picture could be dangerous, whole mythic aura of superheroes etc.

Instead he sticks out a hand. "Hey, like she said, I'm Sam and I will aboslutely keep Superman's condition a secret. I'm a huge fan, so, really, I'm glad to help."

He doesn't comment on the hunter stuff, but hey, if he knows about Superman he figures the JL can know about him.

Supergirl has posed:
As Willow explains the situation, Supergirl frowns a bit as she focuses on Sam. Her blue eyes are evaluating, trying to decide if he is or isn't worthy of trust. Willow has helped the Justice League though, putting herself at risk. A friend of hers...

She takes the hand, giving a firm shake but very cognizant of her own strength and not hurting him. "Nice to meet you. You understand that secrecy is of the utmost importance. Although I think people are beginning to suspect." She sounds like that is her own failure. So much she is taking on her slim shoulders.

"What did you want to see me about? You said it was about Superman."

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"I can tell you secrets about him if you want?" She's really not sure what, other than he's a Hunter, but she's sure she could dig up some dirt on him to offer as compensation. She's even about to hesitate explaining matters until Supergirl seems to decide on her own and forges ahead with wanting to know what Willow had to say about Superman.

"Well, you know how he's not been responding to anything?" Because that was true. In fact, one of the reasons she'd been called back so soon was the fact that everything but magic had been tried. "I was there and something wasn't right, so you know me, I was cleansing the air." She makes a vaguely sage-smudging gesture in the air. "And he wasn't alone."

Hellboy has posed:
    Even from out in the hall, the sounds of heavy footfalls could no doubt be heard, whoever was outside was not any kind of secret bat-obsessed ninja master, especially not when whoever was outside rapped across the door loud and hard enough to almost sound like sledgehammer shots. After a few moments of silence a low, distinct voice could be heard even through the door.

    "Hello, Willow? Ms. Rosenberg? It's uhh...yeah. It's Hellboy. Are you in there?"

Sam Winchester has posed:
"Absolutely," Sam says about the secrecy. "And, yeah was beginning to wonder why the Planet hadn't been putting out any good pics of Superman lately."

When there's a knock on the door, Sam looks to Willow, mouthing 'Hellboy?' like seriously, who the heck has she been hanging out with?

Supergirl has posed:
Supergirl's eyes widen at the revelation and she is about to ask for more details when the sound of hooves on the floor outside are heard. She peeks through the wall to see Hellboy approaching and watches as he knocks.

"It looks like him," she tells the pair on the interior in case they were unsure.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow was now sure she'd become Grand Central station, or someone had posted a hobo's mark outside her door. Regardless, she knew the voice and hops up to quickly let Hellboy in and just as quickly close the door behind him and lock it again. "Oh wow. How'd you find - nevermind. You're here now."

The pizza is regarded woefully. Even with Kara declining, it wasn't a lot of pizza, and politeness suggested she offer to her latest guest. "Uh, it's just cheese. You know Supergirl. And the other guy is my friend Sam. He knows about you know who. I was just going to tell everyone what I found out."

Which, as it happens was both very little, and a heck of a lot.

"I know we closed up that magical hole, and warded the place, but somehow something etiher got in, or was in already." And truth be told, nobody had thought of specifically exorcising Superman himself. At this point it was also debatable if they could, but that would more be a matter for John to figure out. "She says her name was Naughty Nurse? No! Nightmare Nurse. She seems to know John. But she wasn't herself. And oh! He reacted. I think he broke her hand."

Hellboy has posed:
    The lumbering figure made his entrance, cloven hooves impacting against the floor, wearing his typical 'work' attire, the longcoat and 'superhero' shorts. ('Unstable Molecule Shorts' didn't sound right somehow)

    The figure regarded the room with that same blank stare on his ugly face, glowing yellow eyes extremely difficult to 'track' given the lack of pupils, his mouth hanging open just slightly. He looked down at the small cheese pizza, before looking around the apartment for a phone, for a LAN line. Yeah yeah it was the future now, but it was difficult sometimes to remember that home phones were mostly an obselete oddity to society.

    "I wouldn't be surprised, that entire rescue operation was sort of one big improv session. Not to say you and John didn't do a great job. Because you did. Do a great job. Just to be clear."

Sam Winchester has posed:
When Hellboy enters, Sam gives him a long, nervous look, holy shit that was a demon. He looks to Willow and Supergirl and finding neither of them reacting he stands down, but moves to the other side of the room.

It takes him a moment to catch up to the conversation, "So there was a portal then Superman broke a nurse's hand?" he asks, okay maybe he didn't follow that closely, but on the other hand, demon!

Supergirl has posed:
Supergirl knows the demon yet she didn't follow that either. She gives a nod to Hellboy, "Good to see you again."

Then back to the business at hand as she looks to Willow. "Nightmare Nurse? Who was she? Why was she there? Did you get rid of her? Do I need to go there?" Suddenly she is floating in the air without even thinking about it, apparently prepared to fly right back out that window she entered from if Superman is in danger.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow takes a moment of being confused before she figures out what Hellboy is looking for. "Uh, I have a cellphone?" She's really not sure what he wants a phone for, but just in case he's worried about matters, she's trying to reassure him that there is a way to contact the outside world.

"No, not a portal," Willow corrects Sam. "She was actually in the room, but hidden behind a magical veil. I dispelled it and there she was - but she was possessed." And lest everyone jump on that who was there for the intial encounter, Willow reassures, "It wasn't the Enchantress. It was her brother Incubus. He's trying to get back with her."

Because /that/ is ever so much more reassuring.

Here's where she has to come clean, though. "He was trying to convince me to join with them. Said they'd show me how to fix Superman. That's when he work up enough to grab her hand and began squeezing it. She started crying out in pain and then the entity left. He passed out again, and.." And well, he's still in that coma. Unmoving and unresponsive.

Hellboy has posed:
    Sam stares, and HB turns his head to regard the 'younger' man(Chronologically, at least.), and even though his face betrays no emotion, there was an element of annoyance in his voice. Just a small amount...but it was there.

    "I know, I know, the hair's a mess. It was kinda windy out there earlier, I don't know what to tell ya."

    When Willow spoke and offered a smartphone, Hellby merely held up his massive stone right hand, instead reaching into his coat pocket with his left, and pulling out a rather large mobile phone with rather large buttons, that looked sorta like the monsters they built during the '90s. Punching a few numbers, and the big man was speaking softly off to the side.

    "Hey, Gi-NO! Yeah, hey, I'm calling in a favor. A cheese, a meat lovers, one with the works...yeah that's right. No...yeah...Yeah, thank you."

    He returned to the group, just in time to look over at Willow as she spoke.

    "That could have gone badly, you know a guy called 'Incubus' is gonna a piece of dirt and probably can't write a song worth a damn. I'm proud of you for resisting whatever he was whispering in your ear."

Sam Winchester has posed:
The joke breaks some of the tension and Sam offers a small smile in reply. "Hey, I'm Sam."

Sam adds, "And man, does everyone order from Ginos?"

Then it's all about Willow's story, "Yeah, I am with Hellboy, I'm glad you resisted, I don't know Incubus, I mean I know what /an/ Incubus is but it sounds like you were saying capital 'I' there. Anyhow, things that make promises like that it doesn't usually work out."

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow's guilty little start speaks volumes about whether or not she'd resisted temptation, enough that she doesn't have to confess the truth of the matter. Doesn't have to, but she does anyway.

"Wellll, it's mroe like I was still thinking about it - I mean, I wouldn't have really joined with them, but if I could just pretend? Then I could get the secret and we could help him. And there would be someone on the inside!"

It's terribly clear that as much as Willow is a very good little witch, she's also struggling with more than a small share of feeling inadequate to the latest crowd she's keeping, and the enemy has her number.

"I don't know that he is an incubus," she adds. "But that's the name he gave. They're going to get back together whether we want them to or not, and he said we won't be able to stop them then. I just want.. I just wanted to help."

As for the pizza, yes. Yes, everyone does order from Gino's. It's a local thing.

Hellboy has posed:
    When Willow speaks, Hellboy looks like he's about to interject, when the lights flicker on and off, and the sounds of beetles whispering secrets backwards could be heard from the walls and floorboards. The man looked around, and instead of seeming concerned or afraid, he merely pulled from his belt one of his many trinkets and charms, this one a pair of old teeth hanging from what looked like ancient rope. One of the incisors was covered in gold or at least a gold-like substance, and they chattered together while dangling from his massive stone middle finger in such a way that beat the darkness back, and returned some of the power to the lights.

    "Pizza's here, one sec."

    HB was at the door, where the whispering and chittering was even louder. After a few moments the shadowy thing seemed to leave and the apartment was back to normal again, and the big man lumbered back with a few boxes of pizza balanced on his outstretched right hand, with one six-pack of beers resting on top of the top box.

    "I was gonna say something...Willow, you didn't agree to any terms or demands, did you? Contracts are serious things, and they don't tend to care whether you're 'fibbing' or not when you sign your John Hancock on the dotted line. Shades of gray, those are all well and good for human politics and the guys in capes and pajamas. In a world like this, the rules tend to be different."

Sam Winchester has posed:
Yep, Sam is back to being on edge. I mean for one thing Supergirl is just hovering there, which is super cool and more than a little freaky, on the other hand Hellboy has the weirdest pager or whatever that is.

"What the heck was that?" he asks him.

"And yeah, Willow, never make deals with these guys even if you're just trying to put one over with them, they don't care about the why, they just need you to agree, once you do, they've got you."

Supergirl has posed:
Supergirl gives a nod, agreeing with the advice that the two men are giving to Willow. She does manage to land back on the floor but the damage is done now. Her mind is back on Superman and how to keep him safe instead of how to keep Willow from going to the Dark Side.

"Have you all cleared the Watchtower? Is there anything else there or around Superman? Because if he is clear, I'm taking him somewhere else where he will be safer."

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow already knew not to make deals. It wasn't like she'd had an actually chance to make one, and regardless of what she did or didn't do, John Constantine was going to give her a thorough going over, and if Hellboy was paranoid, John made that look casual, given his own familiarity with all things damned and damnable.

"I didn't say yes." She doesn't tell them she wanted to. She knew better, but she also still thought it might be a chance for Superman. "But we know it's magical now. At least I think it is. I just, I just need to know what it is we're dealing with." Maybe with John's help she could come up with the right ritual to break the spell. It would just be one heck of a lot easier if she knew straight from the source, or had something that belonged to them.

The flickering of lights, etc, does cause some concern, and she adds her query to the chorus, "What was that?"

Hellboy has posed:
    "That was a different Gino. Good guy, came here with a dream and now he's putting his kids through college."

    The boxes were put down on a nearby counter, and the beers were placed alongside them, though one was pulled out of its plastic ring so that the hornless half-Demon could enjoy his gift to himself early.

    "If we think something is still 'on' Superman, then it could be bad to move him. Sorta like moving a guy with Ebola out of quarantine...Do the Justice League know any wizards, or outright magic people? We've got Willow, we've got John and presumably we've got this guy over here, but when it comes to magic the more heads you've got working on a problem, the better."

Sam Winchester has posed:
"Yeah, that'd be superbad," Sam agrees about moving Superman while there was still some sort of supernatural infection on him. "Though for the record, I'm not magic, not like Willow or that John guy. I just hunt monsters."

He also eats pizza and when more arrives he sets about raiding it. "As for curing Superman, I'm good with helping out on research, whatever you guys need to find the cure."

Supergirl has posed:
"We have Zatanna but she hasn't been around in some time," Supergirl admits as she frowns. The smell of the pizza is tempting and she feels her tummy rumble a little but she doesn't have the time.

"I'm thinking those of you who have been helping are our only hope here. If you can get together, do some testing and protection on the Watchtower to keep whatever these things are out. I'll hold off on moving him. For now. But I'm really not happy things keep finding a way into the Watchto--."

She stops mid sentence, tilting her head to the side and looking back partially over her shoulder to the window. It's as though she is listening to something. She turns back to them as she moves to the window, sliding it back open. "I need to go. Please, anything you all can do would be great. Just keep me in the loop, okay?" And with that she lifts into the air and exits the window, hovering outside long enough to try to shut it behind her before streaking off into the night.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"I think John and I might be okay?" She's not sure, but she suspects once he knows who is involved it will make things a whole lot clearer. And that he's likely to turn it into part of her lesson plan, even if it is an object lesson. "He's pretty well versed in exorcisms." Ask her how she knows. She expects another in her future.

There's a nod to Kara as the other girl takes her leave. "I'm sorry it wasn't more, but I thought you'd want to know I got a response out of him." A response that came at the cost of tremendous effort, and because he was protecting Willow.

Hellboy has posed:
    "When John and you decide you want to try and clear him...let me know, I want to be there when it happens, just in case you need an extra hand...or an extra gun. Enjoy the pizza, I gotta follow the Girl of Steel's lead and get to gettin'."

    As he spoke he opened one of the boxes, grabbing four whole thick chunky slices of pizza and folding all of them together as if they were some quadruple decker abomination. Probably easier for him to eat on the go. Before he turned to depart, he glanced over at Sam one last time.

    "Monster hunting's tough work, I might see you around one of these days...best of luck to you, in any case."

    And with that, he was gone.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
And then there were two again: Willow and Sam. Willow divvying up the pizza for Sam to take some home, taking the cheese one for herself, and a few slices of the meat one for Buffy, but letting him have the remainder. Promising she'd do the research she had meant to do, even if she's not sure how to fit it into the rest of her schedule, or even if John was going to let her out of his sight once he found out all that had gone on recently. Still, that was tomorrow's worry. For now, pizza.. and beer.