✪ 001: Video

[megazero_to_superhero]

[At first, there's only audio. A guy with a pretty thick Rhode Island accent can be heard muttering between keystrokes and clicks.]

—'Kay, where's da video option on dis thing ...

[And suddenly there's video. Oh, look, it's David, broadcasting from one of the library termninals! And boy, from the way he's slouching, does he look really worn out.]

—yeah, dere, dat works.

[In an attempt to try and not look so weak (and also so that people might understand him better through his fatigue), David straightens up with some effort and takes the unlit cigar out of his mouth and holds it between the fingers of his left hand before continuing.]

'Kay, so. All dat talk about da "Second Magic" and operating on parallel worlds got me curious.

See, we got all kindsa people in dis Tower, from all kindsa different dimensions. An' we're all here 'cause dat dimension-killing whatsit got loose in our home towns. But how many people here have actually been to other dimensions before gettin' brought here?

I ask, 'cause I'm one of 'em. It was a big deal where I'm from—even coined a name for our dimension, Primal Earth. Kinda have to come up with a name for da home team when you got entire alternate realities tryin' to make war on you, yanno? [Here, David briefly holds up two fingers with his other hand to illustrate what he's about to say—and he's actually careful to not do it in the way that's obscene to British people.] Went through two of dose. And we had to deal with dis punk who eats entire dimensions, Rularuu da Ravager. For a time I was thinkin' dat dimension-killing thing was actually him runnin' wild.

[David heaves a sigh as he puts the cigar back in his mouth.]

So yeah. I was actually doin' a lot of scoutin' missions for Portal Corp, helpin' explore unknown dimensions and watch for potential threats when da Tower nabbed me. How 'bout you guys? Any of youse done da dimension-hoppin' thing before?

Comments

[megazero_to_superhero]

[He rubs the back of his neck, or attempts to. That powered armor he has on is pretty bulky. And kind of heavy.]

Well, okay, I ain't da best guy to talk to about dis—kinda wish I could talk to somebody from da Midnight Squad right now, I bet dey'd know more—but I mostly know of it from what was happenin' to a town outside Paragon City.

[wegotlucky]

[He's pretty sure that David is from a world quite different from any he's been to, so trying to find common ground here might be a challenge, but he's also grateful that he wasn't called crazy.]

What was happening in that town?

[It's as good a lead as any.]

[megazero_to_superhero]

Used to be a resort town called Salamanca, up until da Rikti War. Well, actually, it survived it okay, but a few years after dat, it became dis huge magical battleground.

Some of da heroes I talked to, dey said most of dese punks were from Ireland. Like da Fill Bollocks an'—[—how did Waver pronounce it?—]—uh, da Twoaha de Dannon ... I dunno, it's Irish, dat's all I can say. Somethin' to do with bein' ancient magical races. No clue why dey were havin' a turf war in America, but dere you go.

[wegotlucky]

Ireland, huh? I don't know enough about it to comment, really. But if I could jump works then I don't see how others from realms in my universe couldn't.

[Well, willingly anyway. He doesn't think the curse that August had warned him about years ago could be considered a standard method of jumping worlds.]

I guess it makes sense for magical beings to exist on Earth in plain sight in other worlds out there.

[megazero_to_superhero]

[David has more to say on that in a second, but first—]

You guys get things like fairy rings dat actually do stuff? 'Cause dose've been poppin' up around Salamanca ever since all da fightin' dere started. An' boy, da things comin' out of dem ain't nice at all.

[wegotlucky]

I can't say we do. Fairies are a good thing in the Enchanted Forest.

...you know, the whole Fairy Godmother archetype only not made up.

[megazero_to_superhero]

Yeah, I getcha. I dunno, over on Primal Earth, it can be a good or bad thing. Like, I've met some types I think are faeries in da superhero community, but if Salamanca's any indication, dere is some scary stuff in da Fey Lands.

[He gives a chuckle, though it's a little drowsy-sounding. Man, where's an energy drink when you need one?]

Never saw garden gnomes da same way ever since.

[wegotlucky]

There are definitely bad magic users out there. I guess fairies being evil isn't impossible.

But we're probably still thinking of slightly different things given the whole different worlds thing.

[megazero_to_superhero]

I dunno. What do fairies look like in dat Enchanted Forest? Do dey got butterfly wings or somethin'?

[wegotlucky]

Yeah, they do.

But they can also make themselves look the size of a normal human. They're only small when they want to be.

[megazero_to_superhero]

Yeah, I seen fairies like that. Well—I've seen 'em in fun-size and economy-size. Dunno if I remember any changin' between 'em.

How's about for you? Ever heard of da Red Caps before?

[wegotlucky]

[He shakes his head.]

Can't say I have. I take it they're not friendly?

[megazero_to_superhero]

[David gives Neal a wry smile.]

Heh. Understatement of da year. Dey're cruel lil' freaks of nature. Probably da main reason everyone cleared outta Salamanca, 'specially since dey're involved in dat turf fight between da—dose two Irish peoples.

[Why is everything Gaelic so hard to pronounce?]

[wegotlucky]

Wish I knew more about Ireland now.

You ever find a way to fight them off?

[megazero_to_superhero]

Not permanently. S'kinda like crimefightin' in general—dere's always gonna be more goons dat need a lesson dat crime don't pay. Most we can do is step in when dey cause trouble.

[wegotlucky]

I guess being able to keep them under control is better than not being able to do anything, huh?

[Wait...]

You talk about fighting crime like... well, not like the police do it.

[megazero_to_superhero]

Oh, dey do. Just—well. Dere's only so much da regular beat cop can do, yanno what I mean? When you got supervillains out dere with da kind of powers people got in dis tower, it ain't pretty.

[David readjusts the cigar in his mouth before continuing.]

An' da good ol' PPD ain't what it used to be. Da Rikti War really laid into 'em hard.

[wegotlucky]

Supervillains?

[He shouldn't talk, being from a world full of what most people think are fairy tales, but the surprise does come out of his voice all the same.]

I guess when you have a lot of societal upheaval, order's on the short list of things to go, isn't it?

[megazero_to_superhero]

Yeah, pretty much. Da Rikti came close to wipin' us out. Lotsa good folks died in that war. Heroes, soldiers, police—left a lot of openings for scumbags to take advantage once da fightin' was over.

[David's tone takes on a bit of confusion, though, as he scratches a cheek with one of his armored hands.]

I'm guessin' da world you're from don't gotta worry 'bout supervillains dat much? I mean—da one you moved to. Well, either one.

[wegotlucky]

People like that always do end up taking advantage, it seems. Happened in both worlds.

[He shakes his head.]

Can't say I've ever run into any. But I'm sure they exist somewhere in the multiverse back home.

[megazero_to_superhero]

Prolly got things under control better dere. Maybe more like da way it used to be before da war?

[David tilts his head and looks off to the side of the camera for a moment, as if mulling that over.]

Naw, if it was like dat you probably woulda seen somebody. Some villains, dey love to put on a show.

[As much as some heroes do!]

[wegotlucky]

[At the remark about villains who love to put on a show, his thoughts immediately turn to his father.]

Yeah, I guess they do.

[megazero_to_superhero]

Heh, well, yanno—you get somebody who's got a loud costume an' superpowers throwin' deir weight around, it's gonna show up on da news. 'Specially true if dey're doin' somethin' real nasty.

[David readjusts the cigar in his mouth. It doesn't seem like he's picked up on Neal's introspection.]

'Course, in Paragon City dere ain't a minute dat goes by without somethin' like dat going on.

[wegotlucky]

No television or papers in the Enchanted Forest, but news gets around just the same. I don't think we get them like you're thinking, but corrupt magic users can do serious damage if you're not careful and they can be hard to stop.

[megazero_to_superhero]

Corrupt magic users ...

[David frowns, as if reminded of something unpleasant.]

Yeah, I know all about dat kind.