DC Modern - Timeship

 Achilles tells Elizabeth that she should just get married. She tells him that she has all the benefits of marriage without any of the complications. He doesn’t understand and tells her that she should get on with having babies. Edward and her grandfather have both made the same points, but she’s only 25 and not ready to pop out babies. 

Black Diamond shows up. He’s excited about a show called, Eyes of Gorilla City. Achilles is in it. They banter. He annoys Achilles who does not kill him. 

Chinatown now has the Triad working there. 

Achilles calls Mr. Terrific and explains the situation succinctly. Mr. Terrific tells him the Justice League will get on it. Achilles notes that he doesn’t sound very confident. Mr. Terrific assures him that since he’s the third smartest man in the world, he will figure it out. Achilles does not feel confident in his response. 

The group conducts research on the computer to see if there is a previous case in which the end of the world was imminent. There are several cases. They all find the villain and then destroy him. They don’t find the villain; the villain finds them. This event is not manifesting itself like the others where there were mini-crisis. 

Achilles thinks about possible living prognosticators: Madame Xanadu, WaveRider, and Lilith. He looks into the orb. Now the end is four months and twenty-seven days away. Madame Xanadu has had contact with Achilles in the past and is currently in New Orleans. 

Achilles, Akasha, Elizabeth, and Orichalcum hop into the plane and fly to New Orleans. The cards told her they would be there. The cards have also told her that the future is disappearing. She doesn’t know much, but she reads the card. “The Emperor reversed seems to be behind it. It’s somebody who is all powerful.” Achilles lists possible candidates. The cards cannot say which of them is the emperor. “The reversed Emperor is opposed by the Hermit, which is a character of contemplation, deep study, and scientific knowledge.” Achilles thinks this sounds like Orichalcum. Achilles asks how the hermit can defeat the emperor. Madam Xanadu indicates that a Legion may be needed to fight him. Alas, the Legion no longer exists. 

Mr. Terrific calls. He greets Hawkgirl and tells her she should be Hawkwoman.  “The future is indeed disappearing, but now it’s five months. It seems to be accelerating.  The future is now being destroyed; it’s being rewritten. More accurately, it’s being overwritten.” 

Mr. Terrific continues, “All the pieces of the templar are still there but in a different order. The players in the play are still there but playing a different role.” He also believes that it will eventually catch up to the now. Achilles asks a list of questions, but Mr. Terrific doesn’t have many answers. Hourman’s ship no longer goes beyond four months and twenty-three days. Hourman’s time ship is immune to being rewritten. It’s from the distant future. Elizabeth wonders if something can be taken from the ship that would allow them to also be immune to being rewritten. Mr. Terrific says no. Hourman is a static point in time. If the group can find another person who is a static point, they can try to send him beyond the veil of time. Right now, they plan to use Hourman to protect the present time. 

Orichalcum has figured out that the gift from Harmonia Lee would send her to a place that is protected from the time deletion, but if she exits the place, she will be rewritten. 

Achilles asks Madam Xanadu if she is a static point in time. She does not know. She turns the cards. A mad man, the unfortunate, the lost, and the insane are the four static points in time. Achilles could possibly be one. He asks if Hawkgirl could possibly be a static point; Madam Xanadu does not know. Achilles asks Madam Xanadu, “Based on what you know of the hero community, could you hazard a guess on who these people are?” She cannot. Achilles wonders if Psycho pirate is the madman. There is also pariah, who may be the lost. 

 Achilles asks Akasha if any of his mystic knowledge could give him information. Akasha and Orichalcum find it odd that it’s four and not three and five. 

Elizabeth investigates to see what she can find. One of the first things that pops up is insane Superboy. He is currently in a psi-cell in Ioa. 

Achilles uses the orb to find static points in time that are people. The Monitor’s records do not seem to discuss anybody who is a static point in time. 

Achilles directs Orichalcum to speak to her grandmother. Orichalcum does not feel comfortable speaking with Harmonia Lee. 

Achilles asks Madam Xanadu if Hawkgirl could be the unfortunate. Madam Xanadu thinks that if that were the case, it would be the unfortunates. Elizabeth has the sudden desire to ask a question, but she is uncomfortable asking it. Madam Xanadu picks up on this and asks her if she has a personal question. Elizabeth asks if Hawkman is already a part of her life. Madam Xanadu reads the cards and informs Elizabeth that one of the triad is already in her life. She is unable to tell Elizabeth which one has awakened.

Achilles looks into the orb to see when the wedding is now showing as taking place in three months and sixteen days. Hawkman is now waking up in three months and sixteen days. 

Achilles searches for the unfortunate one in the orb. He scans for some time, but he only finds one repeated reference with any kind of moniker. There is a little-known hero in Gateway city who has had some exposure to timelines. It is Donna of the Unfortunate name. 

Achilles hands Elizabeth his phone so that she can call Donna of the Unfortunate. Achilles leaves a voice message. 

Harbinger, Lady Quirk and Pariah explored the confines of what was the new universe. 

The orb believes Psycho Pirate is dead because Black Adam 3.5 years ago pushed the Medusa head through his skull. 

Elizabeth asks Orichalcum what they need to do to get Donna to the other side of the veil. You would take them to the end point and the end point would eventually take them. Then she would fix the timeline on the other side. If Achilles is one of the static points, they could try to go through with him. If he isn’t though, bad things would happen. 

Achilles calls Rachel but gets her answering machine. 

Orichalcum proposes that they use Quantum’s abilities to attach themselves to Achilles. Achilles wants to use Hourman’s timeship. He calls Mr. Terrific to ask permission to use the ship. 

The group returns to the mansion to pick up Katrina, Donna, and Quantum. They travel to Gotham City and pick up the time ship. They quickly reach the wall of time. It’s an imovable white wall coming towards them. Hourman slips out of the ship and says he will appear at the right moment. 

Preview of the weird temporal stuff that happened: 

Achilles remembers being an eternal hero from the war. He arose fifteen days after his Greek funeral. He’s run across Hawkman and Hawkgirl in at least four lifetimes beyond the Old West. One time it was Cinnamon and Nighthawk in the Old West. In one time, he was Vandal Savage’s general. Savage got jealous and eliminated him. He has intersected with Vandal Savage three more times. 

Elizabeth remembers two more Hawk lives. E will provide two, or I can create them. The known lives are the OG, World War II, Thinagard, the Old West, Mermadon, and ancient Krypton. 

Hawkman and Hawkgirl led the Mermadon’s home after the death of Achiles and the sacking of Troy. They were both killed when they returned home by Hath-Set who had usurped the ruler. 

Akasha – E needs to think. 

Orichalcum – can give herself an expertise science! of nineteen. She has been blending magic and science while making her suit. Bob can also invent some new memories where she had visitations by Harmonia Lee. 

DC Modern - The Collapsing Timeline and Mayoral Maneuvers

The session opened on a bright, sunny afternoon at the Embassy, a welcome respite after the chaos of April Fool's Day. Ferdinand, the Minotaur vegetarian, was already at work, preparing everyone's favorite breakfast. Despite his own dietary preferences, he had no qualms cooking meat for the team, humorously noting that his distant relatives (the beef) couldn't talk anyway.

The morning papers arrived, and with them, a curious sidebar on the front page. Elizabeth Abigail Bennett, known as Hawk Girl, discovered an announcement hinting at her impending engagement. Furious, she immediately called Edward, her supposed fiancé. The conversation was a comical dance of denial and misinterpretation. "While I was in a coma, Edward announced that we were engaged?" she demanded, to which he replied, "Well, I mean, it was going to happen anyways, and I didn't want people to block me access from being able to see you." He even revealed a new "Bennett-Carlton Birds of Prey Aviary" that she knew nothing about. Elizabeth's frustration was palpable, especially when Edward's casual mention of a new ring with a hawk symbol further complicated matters. "Does that symbol mean anything? To me," she asked, eyeing the ring.

Meanwhile, a strange individual in a red unitard with yellow pants and a domino mask delivered a small box to Achilles. Inside, a note from "Flamebird" explained the unusual delivery method via a friend who could "breach the barrier." The box contained a wrong-colored Green Lantern ring—a blue one—along with a note hoping it would work despite dimensional differences. The note read: "Sorry to deliver this, not in person. I was unsure I would be able to get back. But my friend has the ability to breach the barrier. I knew he would be able to find you and get back presuming that he didn't get distracted and deliver this to somebody else. If so, could you please forward this to Achilles of the Myrmidons at the former Themysciran Embassy gate wasted? Indeed. Uh, Achilles. I hope this will work. I don't know about the dimensional difference. Because there's a chance since it's from my home and not yours. It may not work at all. But I know how it is to be separated. Signed. Flame bird."

Across the Embassy, Orichalcum (Lin Xinwei) received a series of increasingly frantic calls and texts from her grandfather, now residing in a metallic construct body. He was on a quest for a "disintegrator" from the Embassy's workshop or armory, intending to use it on the mayor or the corrupt police commissioner to protect Orichalcum's parents. "I'm going to discriminate the person that endangered your parents that corrupt police commissioner," he declared. Orichalcum patiently, and humorously, explained the concept of murder and the legal system to her exasperated grandfather. "Okay, Grandpa. This, that's called murder in this country and every other country," she stated. The conversation also revealed that Orichalcum's brother, Black Diamond, was recovering well and had even received a power boost, sponsored by the mayor's office.

Adding to the morning's odd deliveries, a cat wandered into the Embassy and presented Akasha with a small note and a pressed, dried four-leaf clover. Akasha's magical awareness immediately sensed an "insane amount of potent magic" within the clover, a mechanism designed to transport the user to a safe place if a massive wave of entropy affected the arrow of time. The note simply said: “I didn't know you existed. Please keep this on you at all times."

A little later, Rachael was relaxing in the pool, listening to music with her earbuds in. Quantum, needing to get her attention, threw a lawn chair into the pool. "You get soaked together with water if something else is thrown at you," he warned. Rachael, startled, pulled out her earbuds. "What do you need?" she asked. Quantum then informed her of the mayor's meeting, and she agreed to accompany him.

Quantum and Rachael attended the meeting called by the new mayor, Angus Miller. The mayor, eager to assert his authority, informed Quantum about the ongoing investigation into former Commissioner Hall's corruption. He emphasized that Quantum, as the superhero liaison, worked for the mayor's office and was responsible for coordinating superhero response for Gateway City. "You're our liaison, too. The superhero Community," the mayor stated. "So, when the mayor's office needs things from the superhero community and we contact our liaison who works for us and you make sure it happens if there's a disaster. You know you're in charge of coordinating superhero response for Gateway City, understood?" The mayor also made it clear that the superhero community's support for Hall was putting them on "thin ice." The discussion then veered into the contentious topic of the Chinatown redevelopment zone and the mayor's problematic views on the immigrant community and gang violence. "The gang violence is happening there, not anywhere else in Gateway City. Thank thank God," the mayor remarked, to which Quantum retorted, "Well, some of your facts are wrong, but I understand, they said, you've been misinformed." Quantum attempted to navigate the political tightrope, trying to ensure any press releases accurately reflected the situation.

Following the meeting, Quantum's tax issues came to light when he reached out to Elizabeth for a referral. He had been under the impression that Ferdinand handled his personal taxes. However, when Elizabeth asked, Ferdinand quickly dispelled this notion, "I prepare your meals that I cleaned the house." Elizabeth wondered how a superhero could file taxes without revealing their secret identity. "Oh, oh, wow, okay, uh, this is gonna require some research," she said. Quantum admitted he owed "about two years worth of back taxes," having been "unemployed for two years" before joining the Myrmidons. He had received three paychecks, totaling $2000 each, but without proper tax forms or direct deposit information, the city payroll was holding his money. "They're paying you without you providing them with identification. Isn't that illegal?" Elizabeth pressed. After much deliberation and a call to her network, Elizabeth found a potential contact: Kate Spencer, a lawyer specializing in superhero law.

Meanwhile, back at the Embassy, Achilles, disturbed by the day's events, consulted the Orb. What he discovered was chilling: all recorded history in the universe abruptly ceased six months from the current date. Future heroes and events he knew to exist were simply gone, erased from the timeline. "The orb records the last in the collapse of the space-time Continuum," he reported. This stark revelation prompted Achilles to call an emergency team meeting in the dining room.

During the meeting, Achilles shared his grim findings from the Orb. The team grappled with the implications of a collapsing timeline and the disappearance of future figures like Booster Gold and the Legion of Superheroes. "You're married in the league married two weeks later. The universe ends," Achilles summarized grimly. The discussion turned to Harmonia Lee, Orichalcum's grandmother, as a potential expert on the time stream, though her possible involvement in the disruption was also considered. "Is there a possibility she's the one responsible for all this?" Achilles pondered. Amidst the gravity of the situation, Orichalcum also revealed that the package her grandfather was supposed to deliver to her contained a fake Eclipso diamond, with a note from Harmonia Lee stating it was for her "favorite" grandchild's protection. The note read: "While my newest grandchild will be getting something later and of lesser efficacy. I wish to make sure that you, my favorite, are protected. Keep this on you at all times."

The session concluded with the team facing the daunting reality of their impending temporal doom, a problem far more pressing than any personal dramas or tax woes. The mystery of the collapsing timeline and Harmonia Lee's role in it became their immediate, paramount concern.

DC Modern - Spring Holiday Special - 1/15/24

 Hello Gatewayians,

Cat Grant here with everything you need to know in small bite sized amounts so as not to overload your day.

As we enter full on spring and the start of April I thought it best that we check in with our home town's current events. 

1.  Recent massive gang bust was done by the Achilles & The Myrmidons.  Over 200 gang members we taken into custody and charged with various crimes ranging from disorderly conduct all the way to aggravated assault.  Most are out on bail and awaiting trail.

2. Former Police Commissioner Hall legal troubles keep mounting.  The New Police Commissioner Angus Miller made an announcement earlier today that his office was referring the delayed response time for 911 calls to the DA's office.    The DA's office only said that the district Attorney would announce any formal charges against Hall later this week.

3. To celebrate their 3rd anniversary in Gateway Mayor Thorne has announced Myrmidon Day complete with a parade for our heroes, a Key to the city Ceremony, and a carnival.  It will be held later in April and will be free to the public.  No word yet if our heroes will actually attend.

And there you have it.  Nothing over the top this week but hey sometimes things are just quiet at home.  And we should thank our lucky stars.

Cat Grant

DC Modern - Holiday Special - 11/27/23

Greetings Gatewayers,

It is time once again time to get everything you need to know in small easily consumable bites.  This week we are covering the Chinatown Redevelopment Zone and Gateway's leading family the Bennetts.  If you are new to Gateway think the Waynes of Gotham or the Knight's of Opal City.

1. Mob actions have been on the raise in Gateway during the past 6 months.  Mayor Thorne has directed Commissioner Hall to put together a task force to handle the recent rise in Mob violence.  He has also vowed this would in no way affect the plans for the Chinatown Redevelopment Zone, a frequent site of mob violence.

2. Socialite, social justice advocate, and head of the Bennet Foundation, Elizabeth Abigail Bennet has woken up from her month long coma.  Ms Bennet was the victim of a mob hit as she was helping residents in the Chinatown Redevelopment Zone resist eviction.  Her Grandfather, Phillip Harding Bennet, has been the temporary head of the Foundation during his granddaughter's convalesces. 

3. While Ms Bennet is still Gateway's most eligible she has been frequently seen in company with her childhood friend Edward Carlton III, heir to the Carlton Energy.  No official engagement has been announced sources close to Mr Carlton say he has been wanting to pop the question for a while.   Carlton Energy was a major supporter of Mayor Thorne during the campaign.

And there you go everything you need to know to sound with it and informed at the watercooler.  Until next time This is Cat Grant signing off.  

DC Modern - Chinese New year Special - 12/11/23

 Greetings Gatewayians,

So Chinese New Year is upon us, 2009 the year of the Ox.  What better time to talk about the current events in China Town.  Or more accurately the former China Town, currently the Economic Redevelopment Zone, soon to be Thorne Heights.  So, as always, here are three things you need to know about the current goings on in the Economic Redevelopment Zone in easily digestible bites.  

- Clashes between gang members and the last of the locals in the ERZ have increased since the attempted assassination of Community Activist and Gateway Scion Elizabeth Abigail Bennet.  Mayor Thorne has not confirmed rumors that members of his anti-gang supers task force were killed in recent actions.  However, there have been no sightings of Black Diamond or his sidekick Automaton in several weeks.

- Commissioner Hall has refused to again comment on rumors that the Mayor's office has forbidden increased police presence in the ERZ.  Locals still living in the ERZ have made vocal complaints about long emergency services response time to calls from the ERZ.  Freedom of Information requests on 911 call and response logs have been denied and there are suits being filed in local court.

- Currently only a single tenant building remains in the ERZ.  It is still at full capacity and none of the owners seem interested in leaving despite the increase in gang activity.  The current owner of the building is a Nonprofit under the umbrella of the Princess Project a charitable organization run by Wonder Woman and her sisters Donna Troy and Rachael Storm.

And there you go, everything you need to know to sound well informed when you celebrate your Chinese New Year.  Until next time.

Cat Grant

DC Modern/Legion Crossover - Harmony in Time crossover, Part 4 (11/13/23)

 Hello Citizens of Gateway!  Ugh we really need to find an easier way to say that.  Again we will just have to put a pin on it.  Cat Grant here with your Catbites for the day.  We are doing something different because my science editor has been harassing me to get more exposure.  So here is a a special SCIENCE! edition of catbites.  Today's topic the Antimatter universe.  Yawn.  Here are three things you need (boy that is a strong word) about Antimatter Universe.

1. The Antimatter universe was once composed of millions and millions of worlds, not unlike our own.  However during the First Great Crisis scientists believe that the waves of antimatter energy that plagued our universe also destroyed all the Antimatter universe planetoids save one.  This planet is known as Qward.

2. The Antimatter universe has Air in place of the cold vacuum of space.  This means that "space" has a constant temperature of 68 degrees and a breathable atmosphere.   So you could float from planet to planet if you needed, however, sadly with only one planetoid there is no where to go.

3. You will not be destroyed instantly if you go there.  In fact unless you are hit with a wave of antimatter or attacked by a "Shadow Demon" you can transverse through the universe with no fear of instant obliteration.  Though with only one Planetoid you would be hard pressed to find food and water.   

And there it is, absolutely everything I want to print in my column about the Antimatter universe.  Now you know everything you need for your summer trip to the Antimatter universe.   Next we will get back to the important events of the day and less BLAH, BLAH, BLAH of our science editor.  

Cat Grant

DC Modern/Legion Crossover - Harmony in Time crossover, Part 2 (10/23/23)

 

[no Catbites]

Previously, a group of Legionnaires came to the Myrmidons for help gathering the essence of OG Supergirl from four locations in order to save Hunter’s sisters in the future. The teams split.

Now, Achilles, Orichalcum, Reflecti-Kid, Quatro Lad, Katrina, and Hunter head to the Fortress of Solitude via the Myrmidons’ invisible jet. Katrina is holding the rod used to gather the essence, but the atmospherium in it starts absorbing her own essence, so she passes it to Reflecti-Kid. Upon arriving, it starts to vibrate.

Reflecti-Kid uses their mirrors to help keep Achilles and Hunter warm since they don’t have protection from the cold. Hunter scans inside the Fortress and sees robots inside. But she also hears someone approaching through the snow outside. A large group of black-clad ninjas from the League of Assassins attack the group. The group easily takes them down, but their bodies dissipate along with their swords.

We discover the Fortress door open and the robots destroyed by ninja swords. Reflecti-Kid, Katrina, and Orichalcum follow the rod outside, while Achilles, Quatro, and Hunter head inside to find the intruders. More robots have been destroyed inside, and the group come across Black Diamond, Vandal Savage, and an Indian version of Ra’s al Ghul. The other group comes across an image of Superman praying that Kat identifies as a time displacement illusion due to the thinning of the barrier. As Reflecti-Kid sets up the rod at that spot, Grandfather attacks them and Kat, thinking they’re enemies that Orichalcum has brought to him, while more ninjas attack Reflecti-Kid.

Achilles and Hunter go after Vandal, while Quatro breaks a couple of Ra’s al Ghul’s ribs. Ra’s makes a note to remember the Quatro race. Achilles almost runs through Vandal, but Black Diamond interposes himself and takes the blow, fatally wounded. Vandal wounds Achilles with the Stygian Dagger that he got from Patroclus. Hunter takes Vandal to his knees. Vandal notices the bat symbol on Hunter’s costume and says he’ll remember that.

Kat hits Grandfather with so much energy that he begins to melt. Orichalcum is unable to convince him that her comrades are friends, so he keeps attacking. She grabs him and takes him high into the air. Meanwhile, Quatro wounds Ra’s and forces him to flee by hitting his wristband and swearing at “the time lord.” Meanwhile, Achilles strikes at Vandal again, who also decides to flee with his own wristband. But Achilles strikes at the band to stop him. Black Diamond gives a last gasp to intervene again, but Achilles severs his hand and still manages to damage the wristband. A blast of energy from the broken wristband bursts out and affects Quatro and Hunter’s wristbands. Vandal flees on foot, but Quatro catches up and takes him down. Meanwhile Kat takes out the remaining ninjas.

Hunter binds Black Diamond’s wounds as best he’s able with primitive technology. The image Reflecti-Kid is watching reveals it’s Superman mourning a dead Supergirl. Reflecti-Kid finishes collecting the essence in their rod. The groups reunite, and Orichalcum questions Grandfather, who says Indian Ra’s came and said that the group was trying to steal from Superman.

Superman himself arrives, and Achilles explains what happens. Superman takes Black Diamond to a bio-bed to heal him. Meanwhile, Kat fixes Hunter and Quatro’s wristbands and examines Vandal’s, which turns out to be powered by magic and was probably created by Mordru. She concludes Mordru has sent his own agents to the past. Superman promises to return Grandfather and Black Diamond to the Embassy once he’s healed. Achilles takes the Stygian Dagger from Vandal.

The group crushes the gem that Dynasty created to send them to the anti-matter universe. They step through, leaving the invisible jet with Superman. They arrive in a barren universe with wonky physics and a rocky planetoid. The rod leads them toward the planetoid, where there’s a stone fortress that was the site of a battle. There they see about 20 Weaponers of Qward.

DC Modern - Session 12 - 8/28/2023

Hello fellow Catizens.  I swear we are going to nail this opening one day.  Just not today it seems.  So much to cover in this bit of catbites.  So with out wasting anymore time here is everything you need to know is easily understandable catbites

1. As the world now knows Achilles and the Myrmidons stopped an assassination attempt on the President at the closing day of the World Security Summit.  The Myimidons, and their leader, have received praise from universally everyone.  Mayor Elect Thorne has even suggested the city have a official day to celebrate our home town heroes.

2. The accolades have coming pouring in, including from current Justice League Chair Wonder Woman, "They have done a great thing today and I can think of no finer team to protect my adopted city.  Not everyone was as thrilled as Princess Diana. Former JLIer Fire was quoted as saying, "I don't see what the big deal is, I mean we saved the world dozens of times and you know the President lives on the world."

3. In other news, I am sure you will all be reading my front page piece so I will not waste time bottom lining it for you.  This is one of the few times where I think 15 column inches may not be enough information.  I stand behind every word.

So there you have it Gateway!  It has been one hell of a week with the the saving of a President, the accolades of millions and the down fall of a hometown hero.  What could be more exciting!  Be here next time when we will have everything you need to know all in...well you know.

Cat Grant

DC Modern - Session 11 - 8/14/2023

 

Hello gatewayians. 

Cat Grant here. Still recovering but at least at home now. Many thanks to all the well wishes, flowers, gifts, and cards. It warms my heart that so much of my adopted city really values what I bring no only as EIC but for our shared water cooler experience. So here is everything you need to know in easily digestible catbites. 

1. The final day of the security summit is finically here. With dignitaries galore. Key note speaker will be the President himself. I am glad I already have my invitation. 

2. New development for old Chinatown is scheduled to begin this week. In addition to knocking down old tenement housing they will also be taking down the fire gutted bizarre, which had been home to many shops including a cute little curiosity shop. New luxury high rises are set to go up after demolition is complete. 

3. Former Mayoral candidate and Super hero Rachel Fury has conceded the race despite major electoral inconsistencies. Princess Thalia, her formal Title and name, withdrew her objections late last night despite an ongoing justice department investigation into the election. Mayor elect Thorne has commended her and said he is planning on moving forward and looks forward to the new term. 

And there you go. Everything you need to know. And all hard hitting news items. Take that Lane!  

DC Modern - Session 10 - 7/31/2023

Hello Gatewayers. Cat Grant here. Well it has been a wild November folks. Now that we are past Thanksgiving and the holidays season is in full swing maybe we can take time to slow down and enjoy this season of peace.   As always here is all the news you need to know in easily digestible bites. You can share these around the water cooler or cash bar at those obligatory work holiday parties. 

- In the month since the election there have been 2 recounts and both have shown Thorne the winner by a slim margin, less than a 50 votes.  There are rumors that the election is under federal investigation for tampering but Thorne has proceeded on with life as if he is Mayor elect.  He has announced several new projects and initiatives that he will pursue as soon as taking the oath of office Jan 2nd.  

- Gateway to host UN Intelligence and Security Summit this week and Gateway City has dove headfirst into celebrating spy culture.  With movie houses playing old spy thrillers, Bars holding "cosplay your favorite spy" contests all week, even the Gateway Museum is has a massive temporary exhibit on the "History of Spies and their tools of the trade, it seems the whole city has Bond crazy!  (Our apologies I just could not resist)

- With so many spooks in town it is not surprising that the number of calls to the City Police about people creeping around in the shadows has jumped.  911 calls have reported everything from shadowy ninjas on roof tops to robot Nazi's in the alleyways.  Police have found followed up but found little evidence of a nocturnal invasion.

And there you are.  Have fun celebrating SPY week.  

Cat Grant

DC Modern - Season 2 - Episode 9 - 6/26/23

 Cat Grant here. I wish I could say things…give you all the news that is worthy to print in easy to manage…nevermind. 

 

I write this from a hospital bed. Have been witness to a tragedy of Homeric proportions.  

 

I have no words for the valor, courage or raw unabiding love I witness last night.   

 

Love turned to sorrow. Love turned to rage. Either way love forever lost. 

 

Let us hope things get better…I fear, however, they are going to get much worse. 

Orichalcum caught Cat Grant before she hit the water and then saw a blinding red light. Achilles is alone on the bridge with his shattered sword. Orichalcum takes Cat to the hospital, followed by Achilles. The others take care of Ferdinand, Thomas, and Flamebird. Cat will recover. While Achilles is waiting for her to wake up, Lois Lane shows up as Cat’s emergency contact.

Orichalcum returns to base where the others are seeing to the other wounded and fills them in. She asks Grandfather how he ended up in the diamonds. He say he put himself in them because he knew he was about to be erased from the timeline. He notes that Orichalcum’s Homo Magi heritage is through her grandmother. Grandfather wants his body back, but it probably destroyed. She contemplates building a golem body for him.

Akasha studies his grandfather’s diary again, which starts in mid-1920 when he’s 60ish. The diary ends in 1968 when he’s sick. But he mentions a protégé that the organization will groom to take over Leviathan. He established criminal organization called Leviathan who fought Ra’s al Ghul because of opposed goals. Akasha investigates Leviathan and  finds that there’s a patent on cloning held jointly by Cadmus Labs and Juniper Startup, the latter of which is one of many shells traced back to Leviathan.

Quantum talks to Flamebird about having a portable yellow-sun light source with her at all times set up through his nonsense powers. She reluctantly agrees to try. Meanwhile she suggests looking for the stygian dagger in the waters below the bridge.

Rachael treats Thomas and Ferdinand.

Cat Grant wakes up. Achilles tells her she was very brave and leaves, meeting Flamebird on the way to base. She didn’t find the dagger but did see an odd energy signature that she recognized as red lantern energy. Achilles researches Red Lanterns with the Orb.

At dinner, Akasha opines that her grandfather overrode Grandfather’s history. Orichalcum suggests she and Akasha do a blood test to see if they’re related. Thomas runs the test, which indicates that there’s a 99% likelihood they’re 1^st cousins. Orichalcum says she’s going to build Grandfather a body. Achilles tells them the Stygian is now a Red Lantern.

Next day, insert Cat Bites here. Rachael goes back to campaigning. Polls show her neck-to-neck with Thorne, who is playing up her friendship with pedo Quantum. The negative ads continue for the next few days, but Rachael doesn’t go dirty but instead runs with her taking a bullet for Thorne. The back-and-forth goes viral.

Quantum consults with Akasha about reading Mark Shaw’s mind.

Election day. The team votes. Thomas tells Rachael he plans to leave after the election. The celebration party is held at the Embassy, attended by lots of celebrities, super and not. Quantum’s mother has been promoted to a two-star general. Achilles doesn’t respond to Donna or Cat’s expressions of sympathy. The election is too close to call for most of the evening, so the party dwindles down to hardcore watchers. At 2AM, Thorne calls Rachael and says he’s going to pull ahead by 35 votes and offers her a position in his administration as head of Community Outreach. The next day, the election is called for Thorne by the exact amount he said, but an automatic recall is triggered. Rachael asks Orichalcum to investigate and she finds that 267 late registrants from Chinatown gave him the win. Thorne-supported candidates downballot also won by thin margins.

DC Modern - Season 2 - Episode 8 - 5/23

Cat Grant here, it is with Heavy Heart we most report of the death of a Great Man … err Goat. Dr Tripod was killed today by an assassin at his penthouse home. I have no words to express our feelings of lose and despair. Gateway has lost a great man today. The Country has lost a bright new leader. And I have lost a dear friend. Rest now dear Tripod. Know that we will carry on your great work. 

The city reacts to the death of Dr. Tripod. Rachel issues a standard statement of condolences. His lawyer shows up and gives us all an invitation to the reading of the will because we’ve all been named as beneficiaries. Rachel suspends some of her campaigning to match Thorne, who is as well. Orichalcum finds nothing electronically suspect about the election.

Achilles asks Commissioner Hall for info on Tripod’s murder, which he sends over. Multiple stabs, no heart removal, seems to be crime of passion, castrated, strange metallic substance in the wounds. Orichalcum identifies the chemical composition of stygian iron from the report, which Quantum confirms.

Next day at the reading, Cat Grant is there but Achilles resists killing her despite her goading. Charles Simpson, the lawyer, gives Orichalcum a lead-lined box, which she refuses, so it goes to someone else. Quantum gets a box as well, that she doesn’t open since it is said to have art from Tripod’s childhood. Akasha as “and other” gets a box with personal belonging from his time as “leader of Myrmidons.” He likewise doesn’t open it. Rachael gets a long box that she opens with Amazonian art and artifacts, i.e., the last of the items he stole from the embassy. Cat Grant is named head of the Dr. Tripod Memorial Committee for Gateway Park and is given the designs for the monument and plans for a new chair in mythological studies at Gateway University. Achilles in his secret identity is meant to be the chair. Achilles gets a box with a quill. Profits from the poem he stole from me are to go to help the homeless.

We return to the embassy. Rachael returns the artifacts to the vault. Quantum’s box contains statues of shepherd boys in erotic poses, which are also put in the vault. Akasha’s box has an unpublished memoir, “My Memories as Leader of the Myrmidons,” a fake communicator and membership card, and a key to open all doors in the embassy.

Orichalcum analyzes the quill as well as its mate, which Achilles broke previously. Orichalcum and Rachael think they can repair it and rebind it to the other. Achilles hopes they can prove his authorship of the poem. They might also be able to identify the creator.

Orichalcum gets a text from her brother, who probably got the inheritance meant for her.

Cat Grant is searching for Patrick Peliades through an ad in the paper, so Donna calls Achilles to ask about it. She opines that Patrokles has some sort of magical teleportation to enable him to cross the country.

Akasha takes a mental impression of everyone so he has a baseline to determine later if someone is replaced by a clone.

Orichalcum and Quantum try to use Achilles’ own stygian properties to connect with the fragments of the stygian dagger we have. The fragments embed themselves in Achilles, nevertheless he feels a pull toward something. They fit Achilles with Themysciran armor to protect him from the dagger.

The team gets in the jet and uses the pull, which directs them to the southern part of town and a specific warehouse. They break in. Patrokles speaks to Achilles from the shadows. He attacks Quantum and has Old Bruce hanging from a noose from the ceiling. Flamebird is also immobilized in the basement with kryptonite rays. Both are rescused, and Patrokles tells Achilles to meet him on the Gateway Bridge to finish this.

At the bridge, he has Cat Grant and says Ferdinand is elsewhere with a minute to live. Rachael, Quantum, and Akasha go to save him, while Orichalcum stays with Achilles at the bridge. They rescue Ferdinand from his underwater captivity. Achilles fake kills Cat while Orichalcum blasts Patrokles’ dagger out of his hand. Orichalcum rescues Cat as she falls while Achilles then stabs Patrokles’ and tries to stab himself but breaks his sword on his invulnerable skin. Patrokles is angry that Achilles betrayed him again. A Red Lantern ring speaks to Patrokles.

DC Modern - Season 2 - Episode 7 - 4/24/23

Hello again Gatewayians.  Still does not ring true and we will put a pin in that.  It is your EIC, that is Editor in Chief, Cat Grant.  Here is everything you need to know to be on top of world events.  As always there are in small, easy to understand, and dare I say witty, bites.  You can be on top of world events and only have to spend 3 minutes getting caught up.

1. Our Mayor race is heating up as we approach the final leg and polls show a dead heat between local Developer Johnny Thorne and our Hometown Hero Dr Tripod.  Anemically behind is our newly crowned "Amazon Princess" Storm, or as we, here in the office, call her Princess Butterface.  Her numbers are so low her IQ might actually be higher.  

2. October is here and it is a time for Hipsters and GenZers to get their fake pumpkin flavor on and start wearing sweater vests.  But October also promises great news worthy items as Dr. Tripod has hinted he has an October surprise that is sure to win him the Mayorship.  Will what ever scandal he drops be enough to knock out Thorne, the only real threat he has, from the race?

3. In Legal news the intellectual property trail of the century is set to begin this week.  Hometown "hero" Achilles has accusing Dr Tripod, Gateway City's favorite son, of stealing his famous Song of Heroes; while Dr Tripod is countersuing for  Slander and damages to his name and reputation, as well he should.  I predict a short trail, all they need to do is get Himbo up on the stand and see if he can string a dirty limerick together much less a great work of Modern writing as Tripod's Song of Heroes. 

And there it is, all you need to know on this blustery October Day.  We will continue to bring you all the breaking news and items of worth here at Catbites.  

DC Modern - Season 2 - Episode 6 - 6/27/22

Cat Grant here with your Catbites for the week.  Everything you need know in small digestible  cat sized bites. 

Never let it be said that I am not fair and balanced.  Last time we heard from Mayoral Candidate Dr. Tripod.  This week we offered the state to Mayoral Candidate Johnny Thorne.  He has graciously accepted so without more preamble here he is.

My father was a successful and generous businessman from Gotham.  Growing up I learned the value of hard work and loyalty.  The value of everyone getting what they are owed.  

Do we know for sure that Dr Tripod wasn’t involved in Quantum’s alleged sexual orgies with children. I have seen no evidence one way or the other. Have you?

Now that Storm has revealed herself as an Amazonian princess could that mean she was placed here as a young child to be a sleeper agent inside our great land should the Amazon invasions plans fail?

Thank you Mr Thorne.  Well that is all for this catbites.  As always we strive to give you all the news worth knowing in easily talked about water cooler sized bites.  

While fleeing, Achilles and Sarge Steel are bathed in fire by Firefly, hurting the latter. Rachael leaps from the jet and takes out Firefly. A Rainbow Rainbow-controlled She-Devil damages the jet, so Quantum struggles to hold it in the air as the others take to the air to fight opponents. The team takes out the Suicide Squad, and we drop a badly burned Sarge Steel off with Quantum’s mother at a base in Oklahoma. Flamebird has a Suicide-Squad explosive in her head, which the team is able to remove.

Repairing the jet will take time and effort since there are no replacement wing parts.

The news announces that an assassination attempt against Dr. Tripod was foiled by Black Diamond. He is now working security for Dr. Tripod and says there’s a restraining order of 300 yards against us. He also sublet his room in the Embassy to Claude. Rachael kicks Claude out as he threatens to sue.

Quantum hears that they found and secured the real Sarge Steel and got some intel from the copy that we brought in. Achilles leaves a message with Mr. Terrific to ask about Alan Scott.

Rachael has a press conference at a bookstore, 306 yards away from a Dr. Tripod event. Achilles is there, being badly managed by Funky Flashman to do a flyby with condors.

DC Modern - Season 2 - Session 5 - 6/13/22

 Session 5 (6/13/22)

 

This week I decided to turn Catbits over to a person almost as qualified as me to tell you the news of the day and what is important.  As to save column inches and your time without further ado I give you Dr. Tripod, candidate for Mayor.

Thank Ms. Grant it is an honor to fill in for such an illustrious journalist.  So the three things you need to know.

1. SUPER CRIME IS ON THE RISE and I have a plan to stop it.  While we have  a somewhat adequate semblance of a home town super team could they really handle the teen titan kind of villains.  But what are we going to do if someone with bigger guns comes to town.   Such as Giganta, Grodd, or heaven forbid Amazo?

2. PEDOPHILIA is a serious crime and no matter how "famous" the person thinks they are they should be arrested and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.  And if the police or defunct embassy is hiding or protecting such a person they should be prosecuted as well.

3. GOD GAVE THIS LAND TO AMERICA and anyone that would side with the enemies of AMERICA is no hero!  They should be arrested and deported back to where they came from!

This has really been an honor God Bless Ms Grant and God Bless this great city of Gateway!  

The next day, Quantum is at work when King Faraday tells him that he was rescued after the mission where we took down his clone. The captive has revealed other agents that have infiltrated and are set to infiltrate the agency. Three highest priority targets are head of the DEO Mr. Bones (already replaced), head of Task Force X Sarge Steel (to be replaced) and one of the Kings of Checkmate (already replaced)--White King Alan Scott or Black King Taleb Beni Khalid. He says he, Quantum, and Mark Shaw are the only ones to be trusted outside the Myrmidons.

Black Diamond and Flamebird return from the “canceled” mission to the Moon.

Jimmy Thorne, son of Rupert Thorne, announces candidacy for mayor. He was the owner of the tenements that almost burned. He plans to bulldoze Chinatown to redevelop it, with residents provided space elsewhere.

Rachael also reveals that she is running for mayor. Her campaign manager Herb “Funky” Flashman sets up her launch announcement for tomorrow at the Princess Diana Elementary School. Achilles agrees to show up to be hot.

Orichalcum gets a package inside which is a steel box that sets off her magic senses. This is just like the one that Black Diamond got his diamond from. Instead, this one has a monkey’s paw. She throws it in the river. The box also had a green candle from Neron that Black Diamond also received that he used to wish for super powers. Orichalcum starts building a mystical vault to hold it and other artifacts. Black Diamond says that he got a bonus item for recommending her and his friend Charlie Wilkinson, who’s missing and whose family died horribly a month ago. The orb shows that he might become a short-lived villain named Armagibbon who has Captain Atom-level powers.

Akasha finds an entry in his grandfather’s diary that mentions the code to open a safe deposit box located in Gateway City. He accesses it and finds $10k in cash in different currencies, $300k in bearer’s bonds, and 4 fake passports from 1927 (one of which is magical psychic paper). There’s also a journal/ledger/notebook written in a strange cypher and a small magical pendant. One of the fake passports is Harmonia Li, and the other two are Grandfather’s brothers’ names and birthdates but not their pictures.

Rachael has her event and gives a rousing speech:

Ladies and Gentlemen,

 

Thank you very much for inviting me to this wonderful place here in the great heartland of America but also pretty near the coast. It is an honor to speak from this podium, in this storied courthouse, where so many profound legal judgments were handed down that they more or less canceled each other out.

 

In their own unique and unforgettable way, each storyteller examines our crisis of access to care in ways that are at turns haunting, heartbreaking, and outright funny.

 

I am a simple woman with a solid understanding of tractors. When I was a young girl, my father took me on his knee and told me the principle that has guided my life ever since: “Agree with some things, disagree with other things.” His was truly the Greatest Generation, along with a few that came before and a couple that have come since.

 

Why am I running for mayor of Gateway City? That’s a good question, and perhaps there’s no good way to answer it. Or perhaps there is a good way to answer it. Either way, it’s a good question and I’m glad it was raised. Many people consider me out of touch and I can assure you I am not. Our city is sharply divided over a important issues that need careful consideration. We need to take a strong stance on these issues.

 

I want to talk a little bit about our city's children. Before this speech, a young man named Stanley Exley came up to me. Stanley is a mechanic, a noble profession if there ever was one. Or perhaps he is a chemistry professor, also noble. He was holding his small daughter, Emily, an adorable 3-year-old who was recently diagnosed with leukemia. Stanley is a straight shooter, and he came up to me and asked me a question I’ll never forget: “Do you like children?” And I looked him straight in the eye and said, “Yes, Stanley, I very much like children.” Maybe that’s not a popular opinion, but it’s what I believe. And to those of you who would say, “I don’t think children are our future,” I must reply in the strongest of terms: “I disagree.” Sometimes you have to take a stand for what you believe in.

 

The state of our economy is in flux. Every single day, the stock market goes up or goes down or stays the same. If elected, I will ask the city treasury to take a good long look at the interest rate and decide whether or not to change it. If elected, I will create jobs where there are none, and where there are jobs, I will create internships.

 

Let us take actions that will make people happy.

 

Let us take actions that will make people healthy or perhaps have the private sector do it.

 

And let us move boldly so that our children and our children’s children can look back and say, “I’m glad they moved boldly on this, this, and that.”

 

It's not just a slogan:

GRADUAL CHANGE, SLOWLY APPLIED!

 

Thank you.

Thomas gives Orichalcum some steampunk device to put on the mystical vault to allow only her, Achilles, and Rachael to access the vault in pairs.

We decide to start with Sarge Steel. Flamebird will disguise herself as a villain for us to turn into Belle Reve and infiltrate Task Force X in order to give us the chance to use Akasha to see if Steel has been replaced. She will be Sonja-Zod aka She-Devil since she might be detected as Kryptonian. Orichalcum puts depowering cuffs on her, and Achilles renders her unconscious.

We deliver her to Belle Reve and meet Sarge Steel. Akasha can’t get anything from him mentally, so Achilles kidnaps him and takes to the air, pummeling him into unconsciousness in the process. She-Devil, Rainbow Raider, Firefly, Mammoth, and Shimmer are among the Suicide Squad members pursuing, while the other Myrmidons follow Achilles in the jet

DC Modern - Season 2 - Episode 4 - 5/2/22

Cat Grant here your new Editor in Chief of the Gateway Times!  That's right I have been promoted for my daring expose on the last EIC's office misconduct.  I promise this will not interfere with my wonderful catbites, short easily understandable news bites, to help you stay informed around the water cooler.  In fact my goal is to have more of the paper written in these understandable everyperson terms so that all can enjoy the news and not the elite few.  So without further adieu here is not only these weeks catbites but some catbites of the other areas of the news

Amazon's fail in their conquest of America thanks to those heroes loyal to her shores.  Pity  Gateway's own can not be among the loyal.  The Myrmidons were documented in San Fransisco attack US soldiers who were trying to apprehend dangerous Amazon sympathizers, who might have been leading a fifth column here in the good ol USA.

Rumors abound that our own Myrmidon Storm maybe a lost Amazonian Princess; perhaps this explains the siding with Amazons over on the West Coast.   It actually makes me feel better to know that Wonder Woman has an ugly little sister.   This somehow makes WW more approachable.  

Gateway City Police continue to show overwhelming support, surveys show,  for the Myrmidons.  Commissioner Hall has gone so far as to refuse to start investigations into their many possible crimes that have been alluded to here in these very bites.  Perhaps City Hall will pull rank and get the ball rolling.

And as promised here are some Catbites from other parts of the paper.  A preview of how you can do hard hitting Journalism for the common man to understand. (I am looking at your Lane)

WEATHER

Tomorrow will be much like today.

SPORTS

Our teams won!

ENTERTAINMENT

There will be new movies out this week.

FASHION

Don't wear that!

NEWS

See Catbites!!

And there you have it!  Remember see you next time to get all you need to know in easily digestible bites.

---

Donna and Diana come to the Embassy to talk to Rachael. They tell her the property of the Embassy has been transferred to her name. They reserve Donna’s old bedroom to be theirs for when they visit. They also give Rachael access to their trust fund of several hundreds of millions dollars. She can also participate in the running of the Wonder Woman Foundation. They also give her a pair of bracers.

Quantum gets a message to meet Mark Shaw at the parking garage. King Faraday, head of CBI, is visiting Argus tomorrow on Quantum’s first day there. But Shaw thinks Faraday was replaced and will be there to set up Leviathan agents. He believes Leviathan is cloning people. Shaw says they need to isolate, subdue, transport, and analyze Faraday to be able to create their own duplicate since the real Faraday might be dead. Quantum is more optimistic about the real Faraday’s survival. They set up a drop point at a bodega near Argus HQ.

Oricalchum and Black Diamond are in the lab as he tells her of fighting the Amazons. He gets a room at the embassy. He wants his L-phone to be able to talk to other dimensions so that he can talk to Flamebird once she goes home.

Akasha is going through the diary of 1885-1925 (his grandfather?). The writer was head of a shadowy league in opposition to the League of Shadows. He hates R’as al Ghul, the British, etc.. His group has assassinated titans of industry The handwriting and photograph match Grandfather. Akasha and Oricalchum ask Grandfather about it. He identifies himself in the photo but says he didn’t live then. Is it possible at some point in the near future he travels back and lives that life?

Achilles receives a package, a letter from Stygian with a human heart. Achilles uses the Orb to identify the heart as belonging to Dave Stevens, an aspiring gymnast from DC. Rachael finds a sliver of Stygian iron in the heart. Achilles turns the remains over to Commissioner Hall to return to DC.

Quantum confides in Achilles and Rachael about his mission. We decide to bring in Akasha in order to help determine if Faraday is a plant. We also send Black Diamond to the moon to get him out of our hair. He wants to take Flamebird with him and so snaps his diamond in half and gives her half. She eclipses out, he collapses, and we take her down. The diamond returns to Black Diamond. We send him on to the moon without her and take her to the medbay.

The news announces that Dr. Tripod is running for mayor of Gateway City.

Next day, Quantum meets Faraday, and they head to lunch, where Akasha is positioned. Faraday tries to poison Quantum but fails, while driving elsewhere. Quantum sends out an alert so the team begins chasing in Rachael’s new car. Faraday confronts Quantum in the car and tries to figure out who Quantum is working for. They take him to a field to kill him, but the team swoops in, takes out the goons, and captures Faraday. We take the injured goons and Faraday to the drop-off point.

Back at the Embassy, a recovered Flamebird warns us that Eclipso’s diamond is strongest on the dark side of the moon, where we sent Black Diamond. We send her after him to bring him back.

DC Modern - Season 2 - Episode 3 - 4/4/22

Cat Grant is visiting with the owner of the paper this week after last weeks bombshell catbites. I am her new assistant Bruce. I will be filling in this week. 

The girl cosplaying as color blind Supergirl has still not been seen since taken ( abducted? Kidnapped?) by the Myrmidons to their fortress. Given their affiliation with the Amazons and their anti American way of thinking are we surprised?  They are obviously guilty, at least by associate, well except for Achilles. No one that fine could be up to no good. 

Amazons attack DC and behead tacky statue in stuffy mausoleum. St

We here at catbites have to be the ones to ask the hard questions to power. Just how many abduction cases has GatewayPD coved up for the Myrmidons?  Is it 0? 3? 45?  We feel we have a right to know. (Obviously Achilles is not involved. No one that good looking has to kidnap anyone. I mean who do we think he is Paris?)

And there it is this weeks catbites. Hopefully next week Ms Grant will be back. As always leave your comments and compliments on our Lex book page. You can also tweet us or old fashion email.  Let them know how great I did while I was filling it. 

We decide to use Bruce from the paper to release a statement to counter the protests erupting outside the Embassy after the Amazon attack on DC. He’s too taken with Achilles to report the message that we’re resisting the Amazons. After he leaves, Amazons attack from within the Embassy.

After fighting off two groups that are teleporting in through a device in the basement, another group manages to make off with Flamebird, whose powers are not working. Although Quantum is seriously injured, we follow the Amazons through the portal to DC. We lose Flamebird but fight plenty of Amazons on pegasi, chimera, hydrae, and cyclopes. We connect with Donna, who takes us to Diana, who has been freed. Diana says Hippolyta is willing to talk peace. She and Donna take Rachael to go talk to her in a cave near Mt. Rushmore. Hippolyta recognizes Rachael as Thalia.

Meanwhile, a colonel offers us a mission to capture 5^th columnists in San Francisco. We agree and take a JLA transporter there, where we discover our targets are Helena and Cassie Sandsmark and Supergirl, who are at the Museum of Antiquities. The museum is being attacked by US armed forces, and Wonder Girl and Supergirl are fighting back. We approach and try to talk to Cassie, but Supergirl continues attacking tanks. Achilles convinces Cassie and Supergirl to withdraw inside so we can all talk. Cassie and Supergirl take Helena and museum employees to safety.

Meanwhile, Amazons are attacking the army here and also attacking in Kansas, in disregard of Hippolyta’s commands. The group in San Francisco aids the military, but a purple-ray weapon is brought out that threatens Achilles, but he and Orichalcum take out the fire teams. Rachael joins the fight in Kansas. Amazons retreat across the US.

Athena appears to Hippolyta and accuses her of betraying the gods by attacking man’s world. She exiles the Amazons to another dimension except for Hippolyta, who will rule an empty island, and Diana, Donna, and Thalia. Rachael is transported back to the Embassy, during which transport she sees the other Olympian gods in chains. The rest of the Myrmidons return to the Embassy.

Donna tells them that Flamebird was being held by Circe, who had manipulated Hippolyta to attack before being killed. Circe thought she was Supergirl and had some plan for her, but she was freed and was returning to the Embassy too. Rachael tells the rest of the team of the captured Olympians, which she remembers included Athena and Ares.

Orichalcum’s brother under the name Black Diamond is the new hero of Gateway City, who fought off Amazons.

DC Modern - Season 2 - Episode 2 - 3/14/22

Hello Gatwayians!

Nah that just does not work.  Plus Gateway Chronicle is the 3rd most read international paper so really maybe it should just be my little catnipians.  That really does not work either.  Tell you what we are gonna put a pin in this and get to what you are really here for...the 3 things you need to know, in small little bites, to sound smart and with it at the water cooler.  Without further delay here is this week's catbites

Former failed Wonder Woman, Donna Troy, has been sited in Gateway City again.  This is her third visit to the city since her "friend" Achilles was hospitalized.   "Hey Donna you just had a humiliating defeat as second rent wonder woman what ya gonna do?" ... "A third rate Homerian hero!!!"

Speaking of our third rate hometown losers, they were seen last week on the site of the 5 alarm fire in the northside low rent district.  Surprisingly there was no loss of life and the property damage was kept far below projections for normal five alarm fires.   Perhaps their New Leader Akasha is getting these sad sack losers whipped into shape!

And in sad news, Gateway City's favorite son Dr Tripod, is holding a twilight vigil for Paradise Island.  This is not the anniversary of its disappearance but rather some obscure amazonian holiday of remembrance.   Still it is a good bet that most of Gateway City will turn out if for nothing else than to hear Dr Tripod's new Epic Poem on the subject.

And there you have it Gatewayers!  Every thing you need to know.

Cat Grant

------------

Cat Grant here.  So the Editor-In-Chief of the Gateway Guardian has decided that the three wonderful catbites I provided for water cooler fooder was not up to my usual level of insightfulness.  So without further ado here are 3 more things you need to know to at least be sapient at the water cooler.

Gateway PD is reporting that a young, UNDERAGE, girl was taken from the site of the 5 alarm fire yesterday.  This TEENAGE girl, reporting dresses in Supergirl cosplay, was removed from the scene by Quantum of the Myrmidons.  Does anyone else find it worrying that the PD is playing Maxwell to Quantum's Epstein?

To date the Myrmidon's have been unable to stop, caused through reckless superheroing, or just complete incompetent inaction, a total of 7.8 billion in property damage, according to a independent  audit conducted by WEHATETHEMYRMIDONS PAC.  They conclude that city taxpayer is on the hook for at least 67% of this cost and expect a rise in property taxes, city service fees/fines, and the city sales tax rate to cover the cost.  They ask a simple question: Can a typical family afford to have them stay in the city?

And lastly, to round out this editorially mandated 3 new catbites, the Current Editor in Chief of the Gateway Guardian has been exposed as having an affair with his secretary.  Shocking at this news is it is more shocking that it was just now revealed here first in a editorially driven rewrite of Catbites.  Helps to wait till the last minute of your deadline so no one is there is proof read!  How you like me now Boss!

And there you go, certainly everything I thought we needed to know.

Cat Grant

---------------------------

The next day, Quantum gets a text to meet Mark Shaw. He’s supposed to start at Argus today. He sneaks out of the Embassy to meet him. He’s told to meet with CBI tomorrow.

A LexStar Delivery courier is waiting outside Akasha’s work looking for his secret ID. Akasha signs for the package and receives a leather-bound diary with a card that says, “I thought you might find this interesting. You are his only living heir as far as I can determine” with an elaborate symbol that looks like an octopus. Image search comes up with the name Leviathan. Symbol associated with Atlantis. The diary contains a picture of someone.

Donna Troy visits Achilles. She says she has been the caretaker of a device that she wants to train me with in case she falls again. It’s a silver orb that displays a hologram of Harbinger saying she has been tasked to record history. She displays a recording of Crisis and the collapse of the multiverse and restructuring of time. She recounts her conflicting origins as an example. She gives me a replica of the orb for me to help her. She thinks I wasn’t taken from Ancient Troy but I’ve been traveling through time in different guises as an immortal analogous to Hawkman except without the reincarnation. Between the Crises I’ve been restructured like Donna. She also think Rachael has been restructured too and is actually an Amazon and sister to Diana and Donna, who was sent into hiding to keep her from her stepmother Hera. Achilles agrees to help with the orb and the history.

Orichalcum talks to her brother, Lin Xiōngdì, who found a stone that gives him powers so he wants to join the Myrmidons. He’s coming to visit.

Rachael checks on faux Supergirl in the medbay. She is unhurt except for exhaustion and dehydation but is not waking up. Computer says she doesn’t have a metagene but is a Kryptonian/human hybrid. Computer starts running genetic analysis while a yellow sunlamp shines on her. Achilles and Donna tell Rachael, who had eavesdropped anyway. Donna runs a blood test, which confirms that Rachael is indeed an Amazon.

Meanwhile, we all go to meet Orichalcum’s brother. He demonstrates the stone, which turns him into an Eclipsoid and he attacks to prove his worth. After a brief battle, Akasha takes him down with his telepathy. We take the stone away from him and put it in a containment field in the vault, while Achilles knocks him out to keep him from being eclipsed in anger. We consult Grandfather, who’s no help.

Meanwhile, Akasha tells us of the diary, which is written in Hindi. The picture that fell out of it is Grandfather as he is now but seemingly from the 1930s. But Grandfather was a boy during WW2. Meanwhile, the med-computer analyzes Xiōngdì’s blood, which says he has an active metagene, is Homo Magus, and has a vitamin D deficiency. We put him under sun lamps with faux Supergirl.

Faux Supergirl wakes up. She’s from Earth-23. She’s confused about how she got here. Her name is Flamebird, really Diana Clarice Kent-Armorr. Pure Kryptonian-pure Terran hybrid. No metagene. On her world she attends the Ted Knight Academy. We don’t know what to do with her to return her home, so we’re keeping her for now.

The med-computer indicates the sun lamps aren’t helping Xiōngdì’s Vitamin D levels, so Rachael hooks up an intravenous feed. His metagene keeps him from being affected by sunlight. Meanwhile, Thomas Wayne has been examining the metal from the Stygian’s blade with no conclusive results.

Achilles gets a message from Donna to turn on the TV, where it announces Amazons are attacking DC. Hippolyta demands her daughter be released within 12 hours. She beheads the Lincoln Memorial. Donna says Diana has been taken by the US government and is being held.

DC Modern - Season 2 - Session 1 - 2/21/22

 Hello Catfans!

Cat Grant here and OMG it has been a crazy summer here in the Old US of A!  Can you believe all that has happened?  I know I can't.  What with Superman's return and his battle with Lex Luthor over metropolis.  And old Lex getting disgraced, arrested and bankrupted!  That Amazing return of OG Wonder Woman in Washington DC just in time to save her woefully inadequate sister from complete defeat and death at the hands of Cheetah, Giganta and Dr Psycho.  Over in Gotham the Bat is back and just in time because supposedly cured Two Face resur"Faced".  All in all it looks like the Trinity is back people.  And none too soon.  We should start a MoveON petition to get one of the big 3 to Move On over to Gateway.   But you did not come here for a long digression on the state of super heroics in Gateway City.  No you came for you handy bite sized news briefs.  Everything you need to sound smart and urbane over the water cooler break without having to read another 5 column inches by boring Lois Lane.  So without further ado here is everything you need to know this week in handy Catbite size!

Earlier this week, in what has to be a record for shortest time in the grave, local hometown Hero Achilles was sighted leaving the Morgue a mere 16 hours after being pronounced DOA at Gateway Memorial.  Now I know we all like to look at his washboard abs and those killer biceps, but come on give us a break we did not have time to celebrate, that is to say mourn, his passing.  I mean I had T-Shirts all printed with "Home Town Hacks - 1 down 3 to go"

Also this week it seems our prayers have again been listened to and then spit on and used for lining bird cages.  A new hero literally NO ONE has ever heard of has decided to call Gateway City home.  Akasha proclaims to be a telepath, however according to my sources this guy is more smarmy than swami.   Maybe Gateway's local loser patrol will pick him up and he can live with them at the Themiscaria Half way house.

Biggest news of the week has to be how unsafe it is for couples out after dark.  A new loon, could be straight out of Gotham, the Stygian on the loose and sending couples to their great reward.  This, obviously, heart broken misanthrope stalks his prey and very efficiently ends them with single dagger shots to the heart.  

And there you have it after one long crazy summer we are all back to the grind and you have all the news that fit to know in easily digestible bites.  Until next time

Cat Grant 

***Editor's note*** MoveOn.org is not an actual site concerning with the moving of people but rather a progressive site dedicated to social change.  We apologize for any confusing this may have caused.

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3 weeks later

Achilles returned from the dead 16 hours after being killed. He remained in the hospital after waking up in the morgue to heal further. Mourners left lots of gifts for him when he was dead or in the hospital. He’s returning home now.

New hero Akasha has been in Gateway City and was advised by Commissioner Hall to seek out the Myrmidons to work with the team. He arrives at the Embassy and introduces himself as a mystic who can cloud minds. He offers to help Orichalcum with freeing Grandfather.

The lawyer arrives to inform Achilles that his court case is in a week. Tripod’s lawyer has offered a settlement of $2 million with a NDA. Achilles rejects it. They go over Achilles’ testimony.

Quantum gets a call with a location to show up in 30 minutes. He departs but leaves a tracker. He goes to a deserted parking garage and meets with Mark Shaw, who says the government infiltration is more extensive than previously presumed. He’s had no luck finding who is behind it, but non-superhuman-related departments are likely lightly infiltrated. He believes people in meta-departments have either been coopted or duplicated. The infiltrated organization is called Leviathan. Shaw has been able to reinstate Quantum’s clearance with a fake name but will need to put him in harm’s way to gather info. Quantum’s new identity will be Argus’ attaché to Gateway City, granting him access to Task Force X, DEO, and Argent.

Orichalcum and Akasha examine Grandfather’s stones, which spell out “Can you not leave me in such a tiny place with no light?” Akasha talks to him telepathically. Grandfather says Harmonia Li working with someone did this to him. He wants to go on Carson as a speak-and-spell diamond.

Achilles gets a phone call from Patroclus who tells him that Harmonia Li with Per Degaton plucked him from the battlefield and brought him to present to avenge himself. He is using a metal from the Stygian river bed, which tells him of false love and commands him to kills couples not truly in love. He’s going to go after one of the descendants of “Hector’s whores”—Donna? After the call, Achilles destroys the gym and tells Rachael to warn Donna, who is still recovering so Dick Grayson takes the message.

Thomas tells Rachael he made them both a bracelet to detect vibrational discrepancies vis a vis multiversal refugees.

The team goes to Inspiration Point where Patroclus/Stygian has been killing couples. Achilles finds a bench with an elaboration carving with a spear/dagger/infinity symbol intertwined. A red rose is on the bench. Orichalcum detects faint magic. Rachael finds tiny fragments of metal. Can we use these to trace the dagger and/or immunize Achilles to it?

There’s a large explosion across town. Buildings are ablaze with people inside and bystanders filming the blaze. The team leaps into action to rescue people. Per Degaton’s robots started the fire and are fanning it. We manage to rescue all of the people in the buildings, defeat the robots, and help extinguish the fires, though Quantum is seriously burned. One of the people is a yellow-costumed version of Supergirl that we confirm is from elsewhere in the multiverse. We take her back to the Embassy.

DC Modern - Session 16 - 12/21/20

Cat Grant here.  Wow what a year it has been since I moved here to Gateway City.  I am so grateful to all of you who have embraced Catbites as your watercooler news source.  It has been a wild ride, well save for that intern fiasco.  So let's just dive in to this weeks Catbites

Black Adam goes on a world wide rampage and our hometown heroes, for lack of a better word, head to Italy to help in the battle.  Storm gets a massive hit in knocking Black Adam back as Achilles moves forward to do battle.  Black Adam slams his fist into Achilles face, and our hero is left so stunned and thunderstruck, drooling on himself that he allows Black Adam to escape leaving the JSA to finish him off.  

Probably out to prove He has not totally misplaced his trust, Commissioner Hall asks the Myrmidons to guard prisoner General Immortus as he is transported to the Federal holding facility in the Rock Mountains.  Though questionable the team was able to stop an attempt by the Fearsome Five to free Immortus.  After such a resounding defeat a year ago it is nice to see the home team actually put a win on the board, 1 for 12 is an acceptable record right? 

So I was thinking about the future, and most people like to go for round numbers like 10 years, 100 years, a 1000 years.  Me I like to think what the world would be like in 980 years or the year 2986.  My greatest hope is that the future Gateway (Maybe Gateopolis?) will have a more competent group of hometown heroes.  

Quantum gets a response from his letter responding to Shaw’s claim that the DEO is compromised. His mother wants him to set up a meeting with Shaw tomorrow night. Quantum chooses a power plant. He then contacts Shaw to let him know of this meeting. Quantum attends the meeting with his mother and Shaw, and Shaw confirms their identities. Shaw reiterates how various government agencies have been compromised, but Quantum’s mother’s not completely convinced but agrees to go along, and she goes along with Shaw who secretly warns him that if he’s not heard from in two days then Quantum’s mother is the spy.

Achilles’ lawyer visits and says he’s started a lawsuit to reclaim my IP. He wants the quill to use as evidence in the case. Achilles hands it over and asks for Tripod’s head as part of the settlement. Preliminary hearing will be in September.

Bruce suggests to Rachael that they should visit the Madame Xanadu of this world to see about getting him home. He acknowledges that if he’s stuck here he should help her. She starts trying to find Xanadu.

Orichalcum gets a message from a woman who identifies herself as her mother, who should be dead. She traces the message back to an apartment building that was supposedly demolished, but she discovers the building is still there. Achilles accompanies her to the apartment building, which is indeed intact. She goes to her family’s former apartment, which had been blown up and killed everyone she knew a year ago.

The pair enters the apartment, and Orichalcum’s mother is there and most everything is as she remembers it. She recognizes Achilles and acts as if she’s been around the whole time. She claims that Lin’s dad is working at the pawn shop since his father died, and her brother is at school. Grandfather died in an explosion in the shop [rather than the apartment]. Could they be from a parallel world since the multiverse is back? Or might we be in the wrong universe? There are newspaper clippings showing the Myrmidons’ heroics. Dad comes home, we have dinner, and Orichalcum and Achilles leave.

Achilles and Orichalcum fill in the others. In the morning, we go to Grandfather’s shop, and it’s changed to her father’s shop. Quantum has been advertising for the shop with great success. There are still the fake Eclipso diamonds there, which Orichalcum takes. There’s no evidence of other changes.

Quantum hears from Shaw that everything is fine so far and his mother is on board.

The next few weeks are uneventful. Orichalcum’s brother invites us to his 18^th birthday party. He puts the moves on Rachael and tells the rest of us the party is cancelled. She teases him, cuffs him to a pipe, and leaves him. He’s now in love with her.

Achilles talks to Donna, who has been chronicling the multiverse. She can’t explain Orichalcum’s parents, though she does know of NuBruce’s gaslight world.

Quantum scans the fake diamonds. There’s residue consistent with a gas explosion on them. Orichalcum scans the magic on them. The enchantment is linked to the group so it’s stronger the more of them that are together. Putting them together they move around and spell out, “What is in the box?” Orichalcum communicates with them, and it turns out to be Grandfather speaking through them. He claims to be in the rocks.

Orichalcum checks the box, and the diamond is gone, with a note reading, “My dearest, I bet you did not know we have the same birthday. I am sorry I missed so many birthdays. I hope you like our Birthday gift. H.L.” Harmonia Li, no doubt.

Grandfather doesn’t know how to get himself out of the rocks. Rachael suggests Madame Xanadu might help. Grandfather warns, “Watch out for the Nazi.” Maybe the magic bar can help us?

Then Ferdinand appears with a guest—Patroclus! But as they kiss, Patroclus whispers, “I can’t believe you betrayed me,” and stabs Achilles with an ankh-shaped knife, who falls dead. And the note changes to say, “Oh yes, I still have another shoe to drop.”

 

Season One ends