The Universe's Mixer

How could he not be happy? It had been a long time since something weird had happened in the City. He'd had a very nice couple of holidays with Charlie and their cat. He was teaching at the City Institute a couple of days a week. He had a couple of investment clients that were very satisfied with what he was doing for them. There was very little to be unhappy about. Currently.

The pessimist side of him kept wondering when the other shoe was going to drop, when he was going to end up on the bad side of something. But it was easy right now to push that side away and make it shut up.

Today he'd decided he was going to take a stroll. The weather was warm. As if it was still spring. Though, he'd noticed, that's the way that it was most of the time. Occasional rain, some wind, but for the most part, it was like they were in a controlled environment. Always the perfect temperature. Until the City threw some big snowstorm at them, or like that massive storm a few months back. Ted supposed that not having to deal with that kind of thing all the time made up for the few days that they did have to.

Really, this place wasn't all that bad in the end. It sure as hell was better than prison. Though, honestly, Ted was confident that living in a sewer was better than prison.

Ted stopped to look in a store window and admire some things inside. He knew that technically he could go in there and buy everything he was seeing, but it still felt a little weird. He still thought of it as Charlie's money. Charlie's house. It was like he was living Charlie's life. He wasn't used to just doing what he wanted with all of it.

The sun was setting, which meant it was time to find a certain safe house. The crone rarely took the same way twice, even with the shift of the City. Anyone who could or would follow the crone could and would find a way to remember where she was going. She took her time as this was likely to be the last time she would be her own self. She had no idea what the outcome would be; she'd seen the girl that Eric frequented on occasion and had seen the effects. But, she knew she was not that simpering little girl.

Stopping by the shops to get a few things for herself, a dress, some shoes, maybe a small bag of chocolates and a bottle of wine, Baba Yaga prepared for the night. There was nothing overly different in her preparation, but there was a different feeling to it. She'd put it off for many reasons, and finally decided perhaps it may help in the coming days. She had big plans, and she was going to share them as well as a few other things with the Viking.

The crone got into the safe house without much issue,seeing as what could be worn was. She rarely left a clothing store in the same clothes she'd been wearing when she walked in. The two other treats in a small bag. She didn't care if he was already awake. Though there were times she watched him when he was dead to the world. It wasn't romance so much as curiosity. There were times she had to fight herself from touching him or worse to see if there was any sort of survival instinct.

Having set her "treasures" down on a counter, she found the one glass she bothered keeping here. He didn't need it really, so why bother? He drank right from the source after all. Now, what would he want to do first?

It had been a slow news week for Lois. No, who was she kidding? She had been scooped on all of the big stories ever since she'd arrived here. She'd had a handful of interviews with some fascinating people, but where were the stories? Where was the human interest?

She was either losing her nose for news or the City was conspiring against her, as some might speculate. Either way, Lois was just waiting for the day when she got the axe.

That was, of course, assuming her editor even knew her from all of the other people in the bullpen.

She wasn't going to give up though. That was why she was currently hanging out at one of the trendier restaurants in the City, rumored to be a favorite eatery of the mayor. Despite it being late December, the restaurant, located on the patio in front of one of the City's skyscrapers, was perfectly comfortable. The warm weather normally would have unsettled Lois for the time of the year, but she was too focused on finding that next cover page story.

She supposed that some people might say that you should be careful what you wished for.

There was a rumbling and Lois heard the slight chink of dishes rattling together. She felt the ground shaking, though it didn't exactly feel like an Earthquake. It was too much of a rhythmic pattern for that.

Lois turned as the shaking began to get more intense and she heard the sounds of something very heavy smacking against the pavement.

"You have got to be kidding me," was about all she had time for as a gigantic face turned its attention towards her and then a furry hand swept downward and scooped her up as if she was nothing more than a rag doll.

As the gigantic gorilla-yes, gorilla-started off toward the Wayne Enterprises tower, Lois looked up at it, still in shock.

"No, no no. This is not happening!" she shouted. The shout gave way to a scream as the gorilla reached the tower and grabbed hold of it, beginning to climb upwards.


OOC: open to reactions from all. The JLC will be doing the actual defeating the giant ape but others are welcome to join in with the rescue if you'd like :)