001 | Video

[grouchinleather]

[The camera clicks to show a close-up of a nice shot of leather crotch, which quickly whips upwards to show a white crescent insignia on top of a gray upside down triangle. Look, he hasn't exactly needed to frame himself for a glorified skype conversation before, all right? The Authority would usually just headmail each other.

After a moment more of fidgeting, showing off some various shots of the strangers black trench coat, the camera finally makes its way up to his cowled face--a very, very unhappy cowled face.]

Look, you can all just skip the multiverse pep talk. Until yesterday I lived in the goddamn Bleed between realities, and me and four alternate versions of myself play poker every other Thursday. I'm familiar with the concept.

What I want is how exactly they brought us here. An Earth alternate too stupid to get itself out of the cold war shouldn't have the technology to snatch people from other dimensions.

[Especially without the Authority knowing about it. But he decides to keep that little piece of information to himself, because it's none of their fucking business.]

I tried asking the woman that brought me here, but she was too busy trying to explain to me what a gee golly great place America was. Give me answers and maybe I won't find trying this thing a major waste of my time.

[Goes to hang up, but stops at the last second, and adds:] Speaking of, don't tell me any of you actually bought that bullshit. There's no such thing as a free lunch, kids.

[And with that, he turns the feed off.]

Comments

[walkingballpit]

Hey, it worked for keeping women and minorities and the lower class down for centuries. Why mess with a winning strategy? And another thing - there always has to be a them. If the Russians aren't enough, this new plan of theirs gives them a brand new them. Unregistered imPorts operating outside the confines of the law. Some people already dislike us. Now they've got a reason.

[ Robbie drums his fingers on the table, trying to figure out what an SPB is. He's not used to the acronym. Then, the tattoo stops. The light bulb went off. ]

Super-powered beings? [ Obvious, now that he's said it. ] Some did; some were for it. When 612 people die, it changes the way you look at things. The people for it - they wanted everyone to be held accountable, to make them more cautious, and they wanted proof that everyone had been properly trained before they started putting themselves in bad situations. On paper, it makes sense. Until you realize that registering meant "giving your name, face, contact information, and powers to the government. I don't know about your world, but, in mine? A lot of people consider their real ID almost sacred. That's why we call ourselves things like Speedball, but everybody knows I'm Robbie Baldwin now.

[ A silent pause. He hears the apology - or knows enough to know guys who keep pushing like that don't come any closer to one. ]

Thanks.

[grouchinleather]

[Well, if he was dismissive before, he's certainly not now. This kid, despite giving the initial impression he was a total idiot, actually knows what he's talking about. It actually brings a slight smile to the Midnighter's face; it's that rare to find someone who gets it. The smile quickly fades, however, as he hears his story.]

Got it in one. So basically your government tried taking advantage of a tragedy to draft their own posthuman army, and mass Catholic guilt over said tragedy blinded some of the other SPBs from seeing it for what it really was. They still blind?

Most of us back home have got code names, but I can't say "secret identities" have really been a thing since World War II. There might be a few people left, but I can't say there's anyone that springs to mind. For most of us, what you see is what you get.

[Gives a slight nod of the head in reply to the "thanks."]