Players: Hector Hall (Dr. Fate), Sanderson Right after the incident in Harlem... Hector Hall reaches the diner several minutes early and waits patiently. Sandy's car backfires *right* outside the diner. No surprise entrances here, no siree. The All-Star enters as nonchalantly as possible, hanging his fedora on the hatrack be the door, and glancing around. Hector Hall: This man before you presents a rather odd combination of traits that give him a rather unique appearance. The most noticeable thing about him is his silvery-white hair, which has been cut very short on all sides. As you continue to study him you notice his eyes, which are a steely blue color, and seem to hold within their depths a sense of antiquity, an almost timeless quality. Oddly, his face is smooth and relatively untouched by age, and his movements are those of a man with the vitality of youth. His features are strong and well-defined, with a regal, hawklike cast to them. He stands about six feet tall, and has the appearance of a trim and well-toned build, if not overly bulky and muscular. This odd man's style of dress is fairly casual. He is dressed in a navy blue dress shirt, with the top button undone and the sleeves rolled up to the elbow. He also wears a pair of pleated khaki slacks, as well as a pair of sturdy but comfortable brown leather shoes. A brown leather belt is around his waist, and a simple sport watch is on his left wrist. The only other accessory that can be made out is a golden wedding band on his left ring finger. Hector Hall catches sight of Sand and chuckles, waving him over to the small corner booth he's sitting at. Making his way over to Hector's booth, Sandy raises his eyebrows. He slides in across from the white-haired guy and pauses. "I'm guessing you know pretty much exactly who I am?" Hector Hall nods, "After a quick chat with Kent Nelson, yes." He extends a hand, "Hector Hall." Sand reaches across the table and briefly shakes the proffered hand, nodding. "You go by Hector?" he asks, then frowns slightly, not waiting for an answer. "Hall...Hall...hm. Not, by any chance, related to Carter, are you?" Hector Hall smiles, "Hector's fine. And yes, I'm Carter and Shiera's son." He flags down a waitress and orders two cups of coffee. Blinking, Sandy shakes his head. "Wow. I...holy mackerel." He rubs the back of his neck, then lets his hand slide down, falling to his lap. He looks at Hector in a mix of surprise and disbelief. "So you really *are* next generation." Then he grins, "I'll be good and not tell you what we used t'dream about your mom." Hector Hall laughs, "That's probably for the best. I'd hate to have any more disturbing visions dancing through my head then I already have from tonight." He smiles, "Kent and Inza send their regards, by the way." Interrupted only briefly by the arrival of the coffee, this conversation just keeps getting more and more interesting. Sanderson's eyebrows go up again and he lifts a finger. "Ah, right, that was another question I have for you. Hope you don't mind. When you say you're talkin' to Kent and Inza...and you *did* say they were dead, which is pretty much the scoop as I knew it...what do you mean? How? Where?" Hector Hall chuckles, "You'll probably be glad to know that Kent and Inza are living the peaceful, happy life they didn't get in this world inside the Amulet of Anubis. I can either summon them out of, or project myself into the Amulet when I want to talk to them." He shrugs, "Basically the Lords' way of rewarding them for their sacrifices." Sanderson huhs thoughtfully, testing his coffee. He looks into the cup, and only looks up halfway into what he's saying. "Well, yeah...they certainly deserve it. I wonder if anyone else gets such a sweet deal." The way he says it...it's halfhearted and a little wistful. Hector Hall smiles, "Our 'extended family'? I'm certain of it. Though they tend to get their little slice of heaven somewhere besides the amulet." He sighs, "Then again, my own experience with being dead wasn't all that pleasant." He glances up, "It's a loooong story." Sanderson mmms. "Well, if you wanna tell it, then I wanna listen. God only knows how often I've inflicted mine on people. If you don't, though, I can always snag the info from Wes or Jay. Or Ted. I mean...if you don't feel like telling it." Hector Hall chuckles, "Well, let's give you the abbreviated version, and one of the old-timers can fill in the details. Bottom line is that I spent most of the last couple years trapped in the Dream Dimension. My soul, apparently, was rather unique, in that it wasn't supposed to exist. Somehow that little quirk, and I'd imagine a million other things, determined that I was going to be the next Dr. Fate. Kent first started talking to me while I was trapped in the Dreaming, and guided me back to this world when the time was right." He shrugs, "Truth be told, a lot of this magical and mystical stuff is very new to me. I was a scientist before I died, so it's certainly changed my outlook on things." The Dreaming, huh? Here's a guy who's really familiar with that. Sanderson rests his chin in his hands, obviously thinking. "Yeah...yeah, I hear you, about the mumbo jumbo. I mean, yeah, it works, but I'll never pretend to understand it. Well, okay, maybe I'll pretend." He pauses, smiling slightly, staring at his coffee. "Do you remember what you saw? In the dreams...?" Hector Hall nods slightly, "The Dreaming itself is a very changeable place. You don't really sleep there, as the whole place is just a composite of all the things that ever have or ever will be dreamed. When I very first arrived there, I could travel around and enter other people's dreams, but later I was 'tied down' so to speak, and just watched things unfold around me. The future, the past, just plain utter weirdness, I saw it all." Sanderson's eyes travel up from his coffee to look at Hector, and his voice is curious, but serious. "Ever have...hmm. Did you see me there?" Hector Hall ponders for a moment, trying to recall. "I know I saw Wesley there a few times, though he didn't see me. But you?" He pauses again, "Yes....once or twice, at least, I recognize the face. I didn't know who you were then, though." He pauses, "Do you have the same kinds of dreams Wesley does?" "Yeah," comes Sandy's voice quietly, after a slight hesitation. "It's only begun recently, but yes. I was actually asking because I spent a good forty-something year chunk of time there, and I was wondering if I made an impression." He grins, but you can tell it's hollow, uncomfortable. Hector Hall nods, "I think you were freed before I arrived. I'm don't know who or what, but there's supposedly some entity that actually runs the whole show. And I think for some reason he's taken an interest in certain members of our 'family'. God only knows why." He shrugs, "I heard whispers, but never actually saw whoever or whatever this thing was." "The Lord of Dreams," muses Sanderson, then drinks a good half of his cup of coffee in one shot. "I'll have to ask Wes. I haven't talked to him about it in a long time. He might know...he knows quite a lot about dreams." He looks wry again - this is better. Usual. Then he finishes the coffee. "Hey...I really appreciate your humoring me, here. Answering questions and all. I'll spread the word if you like, so you don't get the third degree each time you meet an old-timer..." Hector Hall smiles, "I'd appreciate it. And I figured it's only fair that everyone gets a good idea of who I am and what I'm about. For Kent and Inza's sake, if nothing else." He stands up, "But as you can probably guess, I don't get much off time. It was a pleasure. I'm sure I'll see you again soon." He drops a 5-dollar bill on the table and nods to Sanderson before heading out. And, dear readers, you can safely assume Sanderson wrapped up dinerly details - what kind of income does a Doctor Fate have? Is it a lucrative position? Perks, benefits? God knows! But, right, he went back to his hotel and collapsed into bed immediately afterwards. Damnable dreams.