Animus, Chapter 1: Of beginnings and headaches.
 

All was right with the world, well ok it might not have been right but it certainly wasn't wrong. At least not as wrong as it was about to become. The first sign was the pain. A blinding sharp pain in the temples. It was as if someone was trying to drive nails into your head. Then came the light and with it the pain washed over your entire body. Suddenly you felt as if falling and then just as aburptly being torn in a direction that can only be described as wrong.

Breifly you seem to be floating in a field of soft white light. Two figures indistinct in the hazy glow of the surronding light stand to one side. They seem to be conversing about something. Unfortunetly, the trama and pain of whatever brought you here as left you far to dazed to understand what they are saying. Then suddenly you are being yanked in that odd direction again.

When the pain and the movement stop you find that you are not back home. In fact you don't even appear to be you anymore. Your mind is filled with memories that were never there before and yet they still seem natural. They seem like they should have always been there. You also seem to have gained a few abilities you never had before. You realize with a smirk that you're definetly not in Kansas anymore.

(ooc: Its totally up to you what you were doing before being moved and what you are doing now that you've been moved. Also my horrible spelling and the TV stikes again. That title should read beginnings.
Edit: Oooh fancy I changed the title in the edit menu and it fixed itself. Probably because no one posted yet.)

Through the pain, Xan suddenly became aware of a presence occupying his mind along with himself, that was both himself, and completely alien to himself. A few minutes ago, he was making a vicious little Trojan-horse, or maybe he was walking the forest paths near his grandmother's cave on the outskirts of Metropolis, and suddenly the pain was there.

Now, as he runs through the forest, Xan realizes that he is not in control of his body. Well, he is in control, but it's not himself, but the other, alien him. With every ounce of his mental strength, earned through years of computer programming, or maybe it was battling his draconic mind, Xan pulled out the communicator the JL gave him for emergencies (and in case he changed his mind about joining), and asked them to teleport him to the Metro Tower.

LATER, IN THE METRO TOWER!

In four distinct voices of the purest baritone, tenor, alto and soprano, someone is screaming obscenities. Xan is surrounded by ten of the Justice League's lesser members, the Martian Manhunter, and a pile of broken decorations.

"I'M GOING TO KILL WHOEVER DID THIS TO ME, AND ANYONE WHO STANDS IN MY WAY!!" the voices shout, eminating from the very air itself. The ten surrounding Xan close in, trying to block all routes of escape. Xan, or rather, the dragon, charges the closest one, knocking him over. The others, seeing their friend's plight, rush to restrain Xan, and pin him to the ground. The Martian Manhunter comes in to attempt to calm the dragon, and shift its attention to more mundane things, like how shiny the trim on the walls is.

"GET OFF ME YOU BASTARDS!!" the voices scream. Since only four are needed to keep him restrained, the others back away to give the Manhunter some room. Xan turns his head toward the one on his right arm, and stares into his eyes. The man holding his arm down finds his gaze drifting into the deep pools of molten metal which are Xan's eyes. Once his eyes are firmly in place, his grip slips, and everything goes black for a moment, as his head has been slammed against the floor, leaving Xan's right arm free to try and remove the man on his left.

"I'M GOING TO KILL HIM, I'M GOING TO KILL YOU ALL!!!" the voices soften, as the Manhunter's psychic abilities start to calm the dragon. "I'M GOING...I'm...I...That's very pretty, I want it!"

As a little town sleeps, a man feeds his avarice. Somehow, he has entered the local pawn shop as if someone let him in from the inside. As he fills a potato sack with the various oddities people have pawned, a beam of moonlight strikes his face through the window. He's more a boy than a man, and his pale blonde hair, even paler in the lacking light, is stuck to his forehead with sweat. He pants as if in pain, and black droplets fall from his arms. His bag filled, the boy kneels. Suddenly, hundreds of tiny shadows swarm up his arms, then disappear.

Outside, Photius considered the wisdom of his plan. Where do crooks usually sell their plunder? He couldn't exactly use the pawn shop, could he? He'd have to figure it out later. He knew what happened to criminals who stand around considering their options.

As he made his way to his apartment, something bubbled up in his mind. For an instant, he was two different people. As his mind sorted out the odd disturbance, he remembered another life, up to a bizzare incident with searing pain, floating, and shadowy figures. He still felt like he now had two identities, but they were both the same person. Confused, he hurried onward. He'd figure out what had just happened later.

William opened the door to his fridge and pulled out the salami, lettuce, tomato, and italian dressing. Then he pulled out the bread and began constructing a sandwi-~-shed forwards on lengthening legs, then leapt into the air. As he reached the top of the arc, his legs retracted and he slammed out with both hands, projecting ahead of him, only to miss his target due to lack of concentration at the sudden change. He made up for it, however, by spinning around with an enlarged hand, grabbing his foe. The villain screamed something about how he would never be defeated, blah-blah-blah, but it was easy to ignore him. Spring grabbed his communicator with his free hand. "Spring here, I've got the perpetrator. Port me back with him, and then send me right on to the medical bay. I think I've picked up somebody else's memories somehow, and every instance I can think of when that happened the invading spirit was not benign."

L.L lay in bed with his eyes closed. He felt unusually warm, but he couldn't stop thinking about the dream he had. Opening his eyes slowly he brough his hand up to his face to feel his soft hair and felt feathers brush his face. Opening his eyes wider he saw feathers in front of him. Looking around quickly he saw he wasn't in his mansion. No giant bed, no silk wall hangings. No beautiful women in his bed. It wasn't a dream, it was a nightmare, and he was still in it. Getting up he ran faster then ever he had ran before jumping into the pond. The cold water splashed over him. He poped up to the surface and floated there on the water. Looking around he felt the cold water on him, saw the sun in the sky. And rememberd his entire life in this world. "what the hell...." He said as his beak clacked together. "This is impossible, this is freakin impossible." He said again. He heard sirens off in the distance. He was then filled with an uncontrollable earge to follow the sirens and help out. "Why would God do this to me...." He muttered as he ran along the surface of the water towards the sirens.

William suddenly found himself face to face with John Jones, the Martian Manhunter. "Its not an invading spirit Spring for lack of a better explination it is you." Pointing to Xan he continued, "He seems to have expierenced the same thing and if it happened to two people chances are there are more. Stay here while I send out a message."

With that John related the details of the event over the JL communicators and asked that anyone that expierenced something similar report to the tower. He also requested that Dr. Fate come to the tower.

Derek was asleep at his post again, per usual. He had a habit of falling asleep at the job because of a general malaise in the work place which was only compounded by his alcholism. While he was only an assembly worker and for the most part it was automated, sleeping still wasn't acceptable. Jerry the owner of the factory just sighed as he turned to one of the lower level employees, "Wilkerson, how long has he been asleep?"

"Damn long time chief." Wilkerson replied as he thumbed threw a Victoria's secret magazine, while the magazine upset Jerry, he preferred it over sleeping on the job. Though Wilkerson didn't give a damn one way or the other as he was only 20 and he could always get a new job, he was a real go-getter.

"I'm gonna bash his freaking head in," Grabbing a rubber-ended hammer he rushed towards him, "Wake up Derek!" Beginning a swing downward, suddenly Derek could feel his old bruise on his arm heat up in anticipation of the strike. Then, he felt it, it was a pulling sensation, no, it was different like a wave washed over the world and he was being dragged around by the undercurrent.

"WHOA!" Erick screamed out as he leapt out of his stool, he didn't get far as his slender frame ran into what felt like a brick wall. Spiraling around it was exactly who he didn't want to see. "Mr. Luthor?"

"Having a nice nap Erick's?" Lex asked in his usual angered tone.

"Yessir- I mean no sir." Erick's eyes dropped to the floor, he couldn't stand lex's eyes, they seemed to seethe and burn into him at every oppurtunity.

"Hmm.... I see, well while you may be well rested all of the other teams working on this project are ahead of schedule, while you are behind." Luthor said this as he walked around the desk inspecting every piece of equipment he felt the need to.

"I understand sir and I've been trying my best to catch up." Erick's sat down at his stool once more and tried to give the appearance of sorting his desk as he avoided any eye contact with Luthor.

"Thats the problem isn't it Erick's, your best is never even good enough to simply catch up." Luthor flicked a lamp as he uttered the word 'simply'.

Catching the lamp and bending it back towards its usual spot Erichs flicked his glasses back as he looked at his shoes, "Well sir, I know I've-"

"Save it Erick's, I've had enough of these shenanigan's. Clean out your desk, I want you out of here by the end of the day."

"Yessir." said Erick's as his head fell sullenly, he heard only the tapping of Luthor's dress shoes as his mind turned back towards what had just happened. "Who am I?" He began to shuffle his personal papers in a box when a metal squeak caught his ear.

Wilkerson slid his stool back with a giggle as he wipped out his Employee handbook, "I'm sorry Erick's but this was the third time this week you fell asleep, its my duty as depicted on page 37, section C of the employee handbook to point any disturbance or shiftless nature of my fellow employees."

"Shut the f*ck up Wilkes." Erick's stopped in mid motion, he had never used such profanity, especially not at work. But Derek would have.

Peter looked over at his wall. The apartment was gloomy. He was all alone, and there was nothig to do. Homework all done, no more food, no TV, nobody to talk to. He looked up at the cupboard and noticed a plate falling. He ran to catch it and...

...He caught the ball, and shot for the basket. The ball travelled closer and closer, until. 3 pointer to win the game for the Hawks! Peter was a hero for his team. However, he felt lightheaded. It was almost like someone imposed their memories on him. He felt anguish and pain. What was happening?

Thomas snorted as he woke up. He was sitting inside a very fancy car outside a giant building. He looked around. Everything was strange to him, yet everything was normal. He felt like this was where he had spent years of his life, but...

Screw it. Ever since he'd been stabbed with that artifact, weird shit had been happening to him. Now wasn't the time to think about it, since a very well-dressed man was walking towards the car. Thomas opened the door and got out. The man talked first.

"So, you seem to have enjoyed my car. Did it make your nap nice and comfortable?"

"Mr. Wayne, my job is to make sure your car is safe. What I do when I do it is my own business."

Bruce Wayne smirked a bit, and handed Thomas a $50. This was a rough part of town, and Mr. Wayne loved his car. Thomas took the money, and slipped it into his pocket. He walked away.

"Pleasure doing business with you, Mr. Wayne."

In his traditional manner of appearing infront of an anch made of blue light Dr. Fate made his entrance. John quickly motioned him over and the conversed quickly in hushed tones. Then Fate walked over to William and Xan saying, "I think you two should come with me. I do some research and then we'll see if we can't find anyone else this has happened to. Perhaps even get you all back to normal."

He turned and another blue anch appeared and William and Xan found themselves in a study full of books and a chess set. "Wait here," Fate said over his shoulder, "I'll be back soon. Oh and if you need anything just call my wife."