semi-closed log | making an ImPact

[solarcharged]

WHO: Apollo and those he's discussed ImPact with (see note below)
WHERE: a private back room at the 'It's All Greek to Me' restaurant, Nonah
WHEN: a handwavey date in late March
WHAT: let's get this team on the road
WARNINGS: language!
( note: knowledge of this meeting is strictly limited to those that Apollo has personally invited following his post about an Unsettled team. If your character missed that post but would want to join then hit me up via plurk (fizzier) or discord (shaz#0911) and we'll figure out a way for them to have met and discussed it! )

[ The ‘It’s All Greek to Me’ bar and restaurant in Nonah is officially the most unlikely place for a gathering of would-be vigilantes, and yet here they are. Apollo knows the staff – he trusts the staff – and although he’s no longer general manager here he is still greeted as part of the family, even when dressed in his white and gold superhero uniform. It was the only place in the world that Apollo could trust to be the inaugural meeting place of team ImPact.

The little backroom that he’s hired for the night is private and secure – albeit not all that glamorous. Apollo dishes out enough money to the owner to make sure that they’re well looked after with drinks (and stuffed olives) despite the repeated insistence that it was all on the house. Apollo makes sure he's paid well all the same.

After a while, once everyone has arrived, Apollo gently chases Mr. Karakostas from the room and closes the door behind him with a grim smile. He pulls his Communicator from his pocket and places it on the table, clearly switched off. ]

Good evening everyone. Thanks for coming.

[ He pauses, surveying the room. ]

I’m going to be blunt – this is probably a terrible idea.

[ Is he joking? It’s hard to tell, what with the grin on his face. But there’s a pointed grimness to it and a hardened edge to his eyes that suggests, no, maybe he’s not entirely joking. ]

We’re not going to have the resources, the funding, the fancy headquarters or any of the legal protection that the other teams out there are going to have. There’s no paycheck to collect at the end of the day and no-one’s going to be giving us medals anytime soon. We’re on our own on this, but at least we’re on our own together. We’re just going to be doing this for the sake of knowing that we’re making a difference, regardless of whether this government is okay with that.

[ And yeah, maybe just to spite the world for exactly that reason. Apollo isn’t going to lie and say none of this is about making any kind of point or anything. ]

We’re going to get our hands dirty and deal with the consequences, whatever they are. Because there are two major threats out there – the OTO and Atropos – and I’m not going to sit by and not help defeat them just because it’s not technically “legal” for us to do so.

[ Yes, there were exaggerated airquotes around ‘legal’. Of course there were. ]

We’re not going to be popular with the government. But that’s not a reason to stop, right?

[ Because honestly? Apollo’s pretty sure that pissing off the government is a sign that they’re doing the right thing. ]

If you don’t agree then you’re welcome to leave right now. No hard feelings and thanks for coming anyway. But if you want to stay and help out then it’ll be good to have you -- Oh!

[ His face lights up as he remembers the most important part of this entire welcoming speech: ]

And we have a team name. ImPact. As in, imPorts who act.

[ GET IT? Yeah, he’s pleased with that one, as you can tell by the faintly radiant grin. ]

So, first order of business – introductions...


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( ooc: feel free to top level with introductions, plus anything else your character wants to say! Hijack, mingle, go mad, whatever )

Comments

[desmodusdraculae]

The Bleed?

[solarcharged]

The space between worlds. Like a weird cavity wall. [ He lifts a hand as if to stave off what he imagines the next question will be. ] Don't ask me why it's called that, it's probably something deeply metaphysical.

[desmodusdraculae]

[Kirk shrugs.]

It sounds obvious enough. Things between universes "bleed" into the space between them.

[Sure, his specialties are biology and chemistry, but you don't become one Gotham U's top scientists--one of Luthor's Boys--without branching out a little.]

[solarcharged]

[ Apollo opens his mouth, then closes it again. He nods. ]

Okay, yes. Maybe that was obvious.

[ Damn it. ]

[desmodusdraculae]

...Maybe I should have mentioned this sooner, but I'm also a biochemist.

[solarcharged]

Somehow I'm not surprised...

[ And maybe Apollo feels a bit relieved at that. Surely everyone feels dumb next to a biochemist. ]

[desmodusdraculae]

Because I'm vaguely familiar with cosmology?

[solarcharged]

Because you seem like a clever guy.

[ You've got lowkey nerd vibes, Kirk. That's what he's saying. ]

Are you familiar with cosmology?

[desmodusdraculae]

[Oh, he's very much a nerd.

A vampire nerd with cripplingly low self-esteem.

And one who is quirking an eyebrow and attempting to hide a smirk.]

Would I know the word 'cosmology' if I wasn't?

[solarcharged]

[ yeah alright smartass ]

I know the word cosmology and I know nothing about stars.

[ Luckily Apollo is completely immune to dry humour. ]

[desmodusdraculae]

My mentor had a wide variety of interests, but he'd started turning towards cosmology around the time I graduated. I learned from him.

[Lex Luthor, despite Hernan's many feelings on the subject, was a good man.

Even if he didn't remember him.]

[solarcharged]

So where did the biochemistry come in to it? [ He inclines his head with a grin. ] Don't tell me - you're a hero but secretly a mad scientist on the side.

[desmodusdraculae]

I've always been drawn to science, even when I was a kid. When I got sick... well, I knew what branch of science I had to get into.

I wanted to crack genetic codes and cure diseases... Instead I just swapped one for another.

[solarcharged]

[ It all starts to make more sense, the more that Apollo learns about Kirk's history. The dedication, the quiet studiousness. Apollo knows he'll never be anything like that, even if he had all the brains in the world, but he respects it in other people. The fact that Kirk had to do this to save his life is beside the point. ]

Do you think you'll continue your work here? I'm sure there are people who would benefit from your studies.

[desmodusdraculae]

I.... haven't done that kind of work in a very long time.

[He doubts that any scientific journal worth its merit would publish any of his findings, even if he ignores how unhirable he is.]

I've mostly been working on a cure... and creating artificial dinner.

[solarcharged]

Is that a 'no'? [ Apollo raises his eyebrows in quiet surprise at that, with a solemn look that seems almost expectant. ]

Kind of feels like a waste if you don't, doesn't it? A scientific brain like yours...

[desmodusdraculae]

[It's not something he's even considered. After all this time... he thought that life was in his past, gone the moment he became something else.

...Could he go back?

Would the world accept that?]

I'm... I was merely middle of the pack.

[A lie, but if Luthor couldn't remember him a few years after he graduated... well he must not have been worth remembering.]

[solarcharged]

[ Apollo's expectant look remains in place; he genuinely doesn't believe that at all, but: ]

That's not a reason not to do it though, right? [ He shrugs. ] You could continue your work. Maybe this world would benefit from it.

[desmodusdraculae]

I... have to give it some thought.

[Because it's been a very long time since he thought that was an option for him.]

[solarcharged]

[ Apollo nods faintly; he can tell Kirk isn't convinced. To say he lacks confidence is an understatement, Apollo can tell. ]

And in the mean time, this world could probably also benefit from throwing some bad guys off a roof or two.

[desmodusdraculae]

So you're telling me I should work on my roof tossing skills?

I didn't exactly succeed the last time.

[On Apollo's suggestion, if he remembers correctly.]

[solarcharged]

Yes.

[ NO WAIT ]

Well, no. Maybe. I'm not sure. [ Apollo's expression turns dour. ] Aegis Force say they'll let us do our thing as long as we don't kill anyone. So maybe you need to get worse at throwing people of roofs.

[desmodusdraculae]

[That catches Kirk's attention, and his eyebrow raises high beneath his goggles.]

You care what Aegis Force thinks about us? I thought this whole thing was so we didn't need anyone's approval.

[solarcharged]

I know. [ He purses his lips, irritated by it all. ] But us getting arrested is probably about as useless as not doing anything at all, so. Jacob has laid down some ground rules.

[ What can you do when everyone has power nullifying tech except you! Apollo lists them off his fingers, as Jacob had done: ]

We don't kill anyone. We don't make anyone disappear. We don't torture anyone. We don't start any private prisons and we don't start wars.

[ Apollo shrugs. ]

Anything else is fair game, I say.

[desmodusdraculae]

[A tiny, inner part of Kirk sighs at this. A part of him had been hoping that joining imPact could help him resolve the pull in different directions he'd been feeling ever since Hernan announced that the Justice League would be doing things differently. Instead, he somehow found himself doing exactly what Superman wanted him to do.

Even if it would probably break every bone in his hand, he was going to punch the man of steel the next time he saw him.]

Wow, way to take all of the fun out of it. Let me guess, no jaywalking either.