With This Ring (Young Justice SI) (Story Only)

[Mr Zoat]

7th January 2004
12:55 GMT

"Ah, yes. See here and here?"

Mister Stewart looks at the translucent yellow model of Hawkgirl's body currently lying on the bed next to the original. "What exactly am I looking at?"

"Here." I enlarge a section of her spine near where her wings are attached. "Humanoids can't fly through wing power. We're too dense and not at all aerodynamic. Thanagarians get around all of the obvious problems by having minute amounts of Nth metal throughout their bodies, in their bones and central nervous system. You see? Just here." I point as the display alters to more clearly show separate tissue types.

"I did wonder why she didn't have to flap her wings to stay in one place. So what's the problem?"

"Ms Hol doesn't. Whatever removed her 'powers' appears to have done so by transmuting the Nth metal to lead. Thanagarians are no more designed to be riddled with lead than Humans are."

"Got.. that right."

Stewart whips around. "Shayera!"

"Looks like I'm awake." She struggles to turn her head our way. "Who's the new guy? And… why is this yellow?"

"Construct diagnostic equipment, Ms Hol. Sinestro sends his regards."

A weak smile. "Heh. Funny."

Stewart takes his seat by her side once more. "His name's Grayven. Batman brought him here to.. help with something." Nice dodge.

She smiles at him. "Nice of him to remember I'm here." Her eyes move to me, then to her replica. "So I'm guessing you can't fix it."

"Actually, it should be pretty simple. I mean, I'll pretty much have to tear your body apart to do it, but you'll be unconscious for the whole thing." I shrug. "I just need some Nth metal. If you can tell me where you left your mace, I'll cannibalise-." She squeezes her eyes shut and Stewart sags. "What?"

"It stayed in that other parallel Earth. We don't have any Nth metal."

I nod. "Okay, not a huge problem. If I remember correctly there should be a small amount in Kahndaq-."

Stewart half turns to look at me. "Where?"

"Oh, right… I think you call it Egypt here? Apparently a Thanagarian ship fell to Earth a few thousand years ago, I should be able to recover some." I shut down the construct, then smile at Hawkgirl. "Try not to die in the next ten minutes, alright?"

"I'll give it my best shot."

"Excellent." I take a few steps away from the beds. "Father Box, boom tube to Masirah."

"Ploong."

7th January 2004
16:57 GMT +4

I step through the portal and immediately close it down. Yes, that tomb Carter Hall found probably exists here but why would I waste my time looking for it when I already know the location of a perfectly serviceable quantity of Nth metal? But first, tube to Siberia,-

Ploong.

7th January 2004
18:57 GMT +6

-Timbuktu-

Ploong.

"What the hell is that?!"

7th January 2004
12:57 GMT

-and Libya.

Ploong.

7th January 2004
14:57 GMT +2

I squint in the general direction of the construction site as I reactivate my armour construct. In the sky I can just about make out the Thanagarian fighter craft as tiny dots, too far away for a detailed image. Worth stealing one? Probably not. Scan. Hmm. I suppose I could grab a nuclear weapon and destroy the place, but I'm not sure how the Nth metal would react to all that energy and I don't really want to kill the Humans they've got working on the non-critical parts of the construction. Right, that Thanagarian in the white uniform near the top looks isolated enough. How to go about this? Ugh, she looks important and she's trying to destroy the whole planet. How hard do I need to think about this?



Okay, sure, I don't need to kill her, but I killed Klarion after he killed… I don't know what the final figure was but it was less than seven billion! It's not exactly logically consistent for me to get squeamish now.



Fine. Stupid conscience… Father Box, boom tube.

Ploong.

I lunge through the portal as soon as it appears, grab her by both shoulders and slam her against the metal wall behind her. She bangs her head hard and her eyes lose focus. I pull my right hand back and jab at her with my index finger. "I wanted to kill you. Look. Grateful."

"Uuuuuuuuhha."

"Someone's attacking Lieutenant Dul!"

"It's Praetor Grayven!"

"How did he find us!"

Oh, joy. At least they recognise me. Should make it a little easier. Ring, scan for Nth metal. Ah. I rip off her shoulder armour and the small pouches on her hips. Don't need much… Worth keeping as a hostage? Or better yet, as a source of fear? A Thanagarian soldier lands on my left and swings his axe at my side. I let go of Ms Dull and seize his wrist before he can complete his swing.

"Agh!"

I smash him against the wall as well as I start to take fire from his more sensible colleagues. As usual when I get attacked by weapons of actual significance the armour construct starts appreciably weakening almost immediately. What do Thanagarians fear? Obvious enough; these ones fear Gordanians. And.. me, for some reason, but I'm already using that. Three construct Gordanian warriors appear in the air above me and fly at the Thanagarians with a roar!

"What are those?"

That should keep them bus-. The Thanagarian soldier tries to claw at my face with his free hand. Given the shape of their armour it would be easy enough to stab him with a sword construct-



-but he's no real threat so I suppose it isn't warranted. I'll take his axe, though. Hawkgirl's going to need something to fight with. And his shoulder armour and his belt. Right, that should do it. Father Box, boom tube back to previous position.

Ploong.

Huh. You know, it's sort of nice to know that I can still manage to avoid killing people, even in the face of this sort of provoc-.

"Ayieeee!"

"Torek! No!"

There's a damp thump as the Thanagarian soldier one of my construct warriors blasted apart smears himself across the side of the structure.

…

Oh well.

I step through the tube, then two more at random locations on the Earth's surface before opening a tube to just outside the Watchtower's medical bay.

7th January 2004
13:00 GMT

Could get awkward if Hawkgirl starts asking why the ancient armour I've picked up looks so recent. "Stewart? Can I borrow you for a minute?"

He looks up, then hesitates for a moment until Hawkgirl gives him a weak push. With visible reluctance he gets out of his chair and walks out of the medical bay. "What is it? Did you get the Nth metal?"

I gesture to my ill-gotten gains with my right hand. "Yes, but I thought it appropriate to process this stuff first. Before…" I nod through the observation window at Hawkgirl.

He nods. "Right. What do you need me for?"

"My ring needs fear to function, and where Hawkgirl's wellbeing is concerned you are a veritable font of the stuff." The yellow aura around my swag intensifies as I begin removing impurities. "I need you now, and for the same reason I'll need you to watch as I break her apart and put her back together again." His face tightens. "Do you have the stomach for it?"

His head dips and glances back through the observation window. "If it's what Shayera needs? Always."

 

[Mr Zoat]

7th January 2004
13:27 GMT

"Ugggh." I turn around as Hawkgirl's eyes flicker for a second before snapping open.

I smile down at her as Stewart takes hold of her hand once more. Credit to the man, he was a real trooper throughout the whole thing. "Welcome back to the land of the living! How are we feeling this afternoon?"

She hesitates for a moment before answering, tensing and relaxing muscles in sequence. "I feel… Good. How long was I out?"

"About half an hour."

She uses her free hand to push herself up slightly in bed. "That's it? I mean, what sort of recovery-?"

I shake my head. "I felt it best to fix up all of your secondary problems while I had you on the slab." And by 'slab' I mean 'floating in mid air in pieces'. Jolly interesting, actually. Never seen a person disassembled before. "I restored muscle and fat tissue, removed neural scarring… Injected some vitamins to help with the malnutrition. Your reflexes are going to be a bit off for a while.. as you get used to moving around under your own power again, but other than that, you're good to go."

"John, help me up right now."

"Okay." There's a slightly dazed smile on his face as he stands, keeping hold of her left hand so that she's got something to pull on for support.

She pulls back the covers with her right hand, then swings her legs around and gingerly tries putting weight on them. We have an upright Hawkgirl! Stewart moves to her side as she takes her first experimental steps across the medical bay. Tiny, nervous, shuffling things at first, then a more normal stride odd only in the delicacy of her footfall. Then she releases her hold on Stewart and picks up the pace to a normal walk and then to a jog. "My wings." She was clenching them against her back but now she risks unfurling them slightly. "Are my wings fixed as well?"

"There might be tiny changes to the precise distribution of-" She holds them out to the sides and beats them downwards once, rising into the air. "-Nth metal deposits. I wouldn't recommend formation flying-" A slight shift in the angle of attack and she drifts around the medical bay, her eyes wide with joy. "-for a little while." She picks up speed, creating quite a draft. Her hospital gown doesn't quite manage to keep up with her exuberance.

I should probably offer to make her some armour.

A moment later she drops to the ground directly in front of Stewart and grabs him, wrapping her arms around his waist and pressing her face into his chest. He puts his arms around her back and pushes his face against the top of her head.

Really, I should give them a little while, but we are on a schedule here.

…

Maybe a bit longer.

…

Wonder if Jade's seen my video of Klarion yet?

…

Hawkgirl pulls away slightly, then turns around to look at me. "Thank you. I don't even know how to express how.. grateful I am."

I wave if off. "Not even a thing, though.. I would appreciate some advice from the two of you."

Stewart tenses slightly. "Do we have to talk about this now?"

"Not that. The other thing."

Hawkgirl frowns. "What thing?"

I grimace. "There's been a bit of an alien invasion and they're going to destroy the Earth -and everything else in this system- in a couple of days at most. That's the main reason Batman brought me here."

"Figures. Just let me get dressed and I'll head out-."

"No no, other thing first. Can I just check that we're on the same page about the whole 'Justice Lords' thing? Good intentions, but probably took it too far?" Nods. "But there does need to be someone not tied to a particular government looking after the world, just so long as they don't do the highly socially invasive stuff you ended up doing."

Hawkgirl considers for a moment. "The sort of thing we did before Luthor. Could that work?"

"I think it could, with the right people. I was trying to draw up a shortlist in my head, but I don't know everyone here. Heck, where I'm from Wallace West is the sixteen year old Kid Flash."

Stewart nods. "Who have you got so far?"

"Supergirl, Captain Marvel, Nightwing-" Stewart winces slightly. "-Big Barda and Mister Miracle. That covers most bases in terms of power and strategy."

"You should probably try and get that Rayner kid." He glances down at Hawkgirl. "Assuming we're not invited."

"Not without major cosmetic surgery. No offence meant, but they're going to have enough trouble getting out from under the Lords' shadows as it is."

He nods. "Yeah, that makes sense."

"Do you have any idea what Lantern Rayner's been doing lately?"

"Last I heard he was on Ungara but I don't know whether he's still there or not."

I hold my right hand out in front of me, ring sigil upwards. "What's the contact protocol? No, hang on, he uses Abin Sur's old ring, doesn't he? It'll be on here already. Ring, contact Kyle Rayner."

"If you insist."

Hawkgirl looks askance at the ring. "Is it going to keep talking like that?"

Kyle's head and shoulders appear above the ring. Looks like he's got a bit more muscle to him than our art student Kyle. "Kyle here. What's up?" He squints. "Wait, who are you?"

"My name is Grayven. I'm speaking to you through the ring of the late Thaal Sinestro from the Justice Lords' Watchtower."

"Well.. that's.. two things you shouldn't be doing. Listen,-."

"Suck it up. Your home planet's got two days until it's going to be destroyed to make way for a hyperspatial bypass and the Sector's Lantern is nowhere to be seen. Unless you want to do a Tomar-Re, get your arse back here. End."

Hawkgirl looks puzzled. "Tomar Re?"

"He was the guy who was supposed to be keeping an eye on Krypton. Whoops, his bad." Wait, in this continuity it was Brainiac, wasn't it? Never mind. "Anyone else?"

She and Stewart share a look. "We didn't… The Lords didn't start out anything like how we ended up. While Wally was alive…"

Stewart nods. "This group's going to need someone like that. Someone who can keep things from getting too… Serious. Someone…"

"Hopeful. Someone who can.. make jokes, defuse the tension. I never met Nightwing, but if he's anything like Batman…"

"And having someone who can run at super speed doesn't exactly hurt."

"I'll see what I can do." Could their Captain Marvel do that? I don't know him well enough to say. Ours is friendly but he doesn't exactly go around cracking jokes.

"I know there aren't all that many people out there with super speed-."

"Oh, that's no problem. I have something called the Garrick Formula, I can just grant Humans super speed."

Stewart pauses. "I don't suppose you've got something like that for me, have you? I can fight without a power ring if I have to, but I'd be a whole lot more effective if I had one."

Hm. "How about the Star Sapphire? Do you still have it, or did I miss my chance to pick it up from Stryker's Island?"

"No, we've still got it. I just couldn't ever make it work."

"We can have a look at that while I try finding a new Flash. I should probably have a word with the other former Lords as well. Oh, and-" I float the axe into the room and hold it out to Hawkgirl. "-I used the spare Nth metal to put this together for you. According to my database it should match the standard modern Thanagarian design."

She takes hold of it and tests the balance. "Feels just right. I'll get dressed then you can tell me who these invaders are."

I nod. "Okay."

She watches me for a moment. "That means you need to leave the room."

I shrug. "I just finished dismantling and reassembling you. With you naked I'm seeing less of you than I've already seen. And anyway, I'm from Apokolips. We don't have a nudity taboo."

She points her axe at me. "Well I'm from Thanagar and we do. Out."

 

[Mr Zoat]

7th January 2004
15:11 GMT

I watch through the stealth drone's camera as the nervous young woman returns to her apartment. Before turning the key in the door she takes a moment to puzzle at the paintwork and the wall next to it, where I spent a few moments earlier today erasing the frankly quite foul graffiti her critics had daubed on it. After opening the door she checks the floor just inside for the envelopes filled with dog excrement which I've already disintegrated. Finding none, she proceeds inside, locks and repeatedly chains the door.

Eliza Harmon is not in a good place right now.

I barely remember her from that missing year thing. It wasn't until I started looking at details of this universe's Flash's life that I came across her. Even though he had nothing to do with the Justice Lords' take over he ended up getting tarred with the same brush as far as most people are concerned. He went from being the Lords' second most popular member with a worldwide fan club numbering in the millions to having his museum firebombed during an anti-Lords riot. Before they got removed from power. I'm really not sure what series of events led Eliza Harmon of Manchester, Alabama to live in Central City and I've got even less idea why she's such a huge Flash fan.

But I can work with it.

It's not quite… I don't feel like I did when I was preparing to kill Klarion. That was good, but there was excitement and fear in the mix as well. This isn't the same, but I'm definitely… I'm feeling good about this. I mean, she might well end up dying very shortly or.. viciously attacking me at superspeed… But I'm feeling good about this.

Ah, she's seen the red box with yellow lightning bolt on her kitchen table. And she's backing up. Well, yes, alright, I suppose that at this stage a bomb was more likely than what it actually is. She picks up a broom and carefully uses it to flip the lid off, then jumps back and drops it as the sides fall away, revealing the hologram projector. Ah, looks.. a bit.. bomb-like, doesn't it? No matter, it should start-.

The full colour projection of the Flash appears in her kitchen, his head turned away from her. "Hey, Bats, is this thing on? Yeah? Okay." The image reorientates itself on Ms Harmon. "Hey Eliza. I'm The Flash… Ah, heh, guess that's kinda obvious. If you're seeing this then, ah… I'm… Not the fastest man alive any more. 'Cause I'm, y'know… Dead."

"OhmyGod."

Shayera walks up behind me, coffee mug in hand. "How's she taking it?"

"Too early to say. Looks promising, though."

"So, um, things are getting.. pretty tense… Green Lantern thought it might be a good idea if we all did one of these things, but I've already talked things over with my folks so I don't really need to send it to them. Bats is sending one to his sons if anything happens to him…" The image jerks. "Yeah, okay. Look, point is, I haven't had time to go to fan conventions or anything lately, but I know you've been putting a lot of work in and I figure if anyone deserves this it should be you." He reaches up and pulls off his mask. "My name's… My name was Wallace West, and I used to work in the Central City crime labs. About six years ago I had a lab accident which gave me super speed and.. given that it basically involved me getting covered in a ton of chemicals and then hit by a lightning bolt, I was pretty lucky. It took me a long time to work out exactly how it happened, but I got there eventually. Inside a compartment in this projector is enough.. Speed Formula, to give one person the same superspeed I've got-. That I had." He frowns. "Y'know, it's really creepy saying it like that."

"OhmyGod."

"I never had a sidekick, 'cause, Child Endangerment, right? I spent hours thinking about who this should go to, couldn't.. think of a way to decide… Then I just went on the Flash fan forums for a while and ended up reading some of your posts." He shrugs. "I suppose that's not exactly a fair way to do it, but it's not any more unfair than any other way, right? So, yeah, one shot of super speed in a syringe. You can use it yourself, or you can find someone else. Or, ah… I guess you could just throw it away but… Please don't do that."

"Oh my God this is actually happening."

"There's also some data sticks, mission reports, Justice Lords' records, stuff like that. Everything a budding superhero needs to get started." He smiles at her. "I guess I should have planned this whole thing out a bit better. Tell you what: when this whole Luthor mess's straightened out I'll just come and see you, that'd be a lot simpler." He looks past her. "Huh? Oh, right. Okay, I need to get going. If anything.. does happen to me…" He leans forwards. "Make sure someone's looking after my friends, okay? They can all get a bit intense, and the pressure's really been getting to everyone since Luthor got into the White House. I'm kinda.. worried about what they'd do if I.. wasn't around. But, yeah, this… We'll be fine." He pulls the hood back over his head. "I'll see you in, like, a couple of days. Wish me luck!" He blurs for a moment and the hologram shuts off.

Ms Harmon stumbles forwards towards her kitchen table and checks over the projector. I built quite a nicely ominous mechanism for protecting and holding the syringe of Garrick Formula. Had to make sure it worked on local animals in the same way as it does back home first of course, but the test results were perfectly in line with what I expected. Batman provided the files and Stewart and Hawkgirl tutored me in mimicking Wallace's diction. I'm still not quite convinced that I got him entirely correct, but I suppose she isn't in any position to check.

"This still feels creepy."

I glance at Shayera. "That's because it is creepy. Armour any good?"

She flexes her wings. "It's more confining than Thanagarian armor. Are you sure you can't change the design?"

"Yeah, I've seen Thanagarian armour. New God armour offers far superior protection." She doesn't look convinced. "It's as light as I can make it without completely compromising its protective qualities. Ah, she's applying the tourniquet to her arm."

"A new Flash." She sighs. "You really think that would have made a difference?"

"No idea. I'm not even completely sure that you did anything wrong… Not until you kidnapped and electrocuted your alter egos anyway."

"What do you think we should have done?"

"You should have done it quietly. Covertly. Targeted assassinations of the worst offenders until there just wasn't a problem any longer while.. they handle the rest. You achieve your beneficial change and they don't have to become…"

"Us."

"I was going to say 'compromised'."

"Right."

"Hey, I grew up on Apokolips. You're all soft touches as far as I'm concerned." I turn away from the screen to face her fully. "How are you handling the whole 'Thanagarian' thing?"

Her face falls. "It… I didn't want to believe it, but that's what a hyperspatial bypass of that size should look like. I didn't know the war with the Gordanians was going that badly."

"I was surprised as well. The Gordanians back home are mercenary pests, beholden to the Citadel for their advanced technology. They'd never be able to threaten Thanagar, or anywhere else of any significance."

"And Hro wants to kill everyone on Earth so our fleet can kill everyone on their homeworld."

"Not just Earth. The distance is too great. Father Box thinks they'd need to destroy at least three more systems in succession to make this work. Probably more. And then.. it's a pyrrhic victory at best. The Thanagarian fleet still can't stop the Gordanian fleet attacking Thanagar. In fact it would be even more out of position, and I don't see the Gordanians limiting themselves to occupation if they know that their world was subjected to exterminatus. They'd kill everyone in revenge and spend the rest of their lives hunting down every Thanagarian in existence."

"So the only way I can help my people.. is to help the Gordanians win the war."

I lay my right hand on her left shoulder. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry. Maybe you should try thinking of it as saving the lives of everyone on Earth, the Gordanian homeworld, Thanagar and.. probably about two other inhabited systems. Billions of people not dying."

"Just wish it wasn't Hro." She sighs again. "What's your next step?"

"I'm paying Superman a visit. I want to have a backup plan in case the new people need help. Or can't handle it."

"I'm not sure that's such a good idea. Batman and Superman don't exactly see eye to eye anymore. And if you come from Apokolips, I think he may have killed your god."

"My.. god?"

"Five years ago Superman got kidnapped and brainwashed by people working for someone named 'Darkseid'. When he finally came to his senses he went back there and killed him. You'd have to ask him for the details."

Yes. I rather think I will.

 

[Mr Zoat]

7th January 2004
15:29 GMT

"If you're going to break into my home, you could at least offer to lend me a hand."

I take a look around the vast illusory space this version of Kal-El has created for himself. "I spent a summer working on a farm, once. I was rubbish at it. Besides, if you want muscle you've got those robot lookalikes of yours."

He turns his head away from the tractor wheel he's working on. "Too much to expect a little courtesy, I take it?"

I shrug, hands raised palms up. "Very well. What do you want me to do?"

"You mind sticking those bales in the trailer?"

"Think I can manage that." I walk over to the cylinder of straw. "Can't help but notice this is all Earth crops?"

He pushes the wheel back onto the axle and starts tightening the bolts. "If you're here to see the zoo, it's still up there."

I pick up the bale and carefully walk over to the trailer. "No, that's not-."

"I've got a lot of free time these days and I decided I wanted to grow things that reminded me of Kansas. Why are you here?"

"Are you aware of the Thanagarian presence on Earth?"

"It was on the news. I couldn't really miss it."

Trailer sags a bit under the weight but it seems to be basically mechanically sound. Wonder why he's using that rather than a gravity sled? Ah, psychological regression while under attack. Of course. "They're going to destroy the planet. The whole system, probably. It's actually a device that creates a sort of gravity funnel-."

"I could have guessed. What exactly would you like me to do about it?"

"A few Superman robots would be a great help when I attack them."

"Heh." He doesn't sound happy. "A dozen countries keep me under constant watch. The robots would be intercepted by the US Air Force before they got anywhere near Libya."

"Perhaps, but we-."

"Do you know how many of those I've got left?" Ah. No? He looks my way and I shake my head. "Between the insurgents, the Justice League and SHADE's assassination attempts I'm down to my last nine."

"I didn't realise they were sending people after you."

"Hmpf. Where are you from? I know a boom tube when I hear one but I can't think of a reason for anyone from New Genesis to want to see me."

"I'm from Apokolips." His eyes shift sideways to let him watch me as I deposit a second bale. "I am Prince Grayven, and I understand that you killed my father. I'd like to know how it happened."

"What for?"

"To learn how it was achieved. I have no interest in revenge; I know exactly how repugnant Father was and I can hardly fault you for your actions."

"Alright then. I got captured and brainwashed into becoming his loyal son. I led his armies to victory until he decided to send me to Earth. A combination of fighting Kara, a Kryptonite rocket and getting told off by Lois caused the mental conditioning to fail. I made my way to Apokolips, burned my way through his forces to the Tower of Rage and attacked him personally. He was winning, until I put my hands over his eyes when he tried to hit me with his Omega Beams. I grabbed on and it caused some kind of feedback reaction that blew the Tower apart."

That's it? "And that killed him?"

He shakes his head, eyes not quite so focused on me. "It badly wounded him, though. He couldn't keep fighting." He exhales sharply. "I was more idealistic back then. More stupid. I picked him up and threw him to the crowd. I told them to do whatever they wanted with him."

"They killed him?"

"No. They.. picked him up and tried to carry him off to get medical attention. That was when I realised that some things don't fix themselves, that sometimes… You have to take matters into your own hands and force the issue." He wields his spanner against the nut with considerable aggression. "I knocked them aside, picked him up and fired my heat vision into his eyes until his head exploded." His head jerks in my direction, his eyes fierce and staring. "Is that what you wanted to know!?"

I nod. "He picked a fight and for once he lost. I'm not sure Apokolips is better for it, but I doubt it can be significantly worse." He calms slightly. "I understand you.. continued following that philosophy on Earth once you returned."

"Everywhere I looked, I saw problems I could fix. At first I just tried to brush it off. Say it was because of the left over programming or because I'd been through a hard time. I think I could have lived with a lot of things… Even Luthor getting elected. But not when he tried to start a global war and certainly not him murdering my friend!"

"See, I'm with you on that. You unveil the plot, the international community thank you for your good work, stop their armies fighting each other and prepare them for the assault on the United States. You ask for two days to resolve the matter, and…"

"The only person who had to die was Luthor. I'm not sure I was even going to do that. Not until he put his finger over the nuclear launch button and taunted me about my unwillingness to stop him sooner."

"And afterwards?"

"We shipped Luthor's people off to The Hague, which was the absolute minimum the other countries would accept. Since that was a lot of the government and the rest of the world wouldn't trust anyone else we had to take over in the interim. And then… I couldn't think of a single good reason to give it up. Luthor didn't force anyone to vote for him and the world nearly got destroyed because the country made a bad decision. We appointed some caretakers to run Capitol Hill, people we could trust… Then we started fixing things. In less than a year there were no supervillains left and regular crime was a fraction of what it was before. No more government corruption, no more buying your way into power. No more failed compromises. And it worked." He throws the spanner to the ground. "And it took a day for it to fall apart because Batman got cold feet!"

And you've been hiding here ever since, mourning for the good old days. No, I won't be re-empowering you. Ring, scan him. Status of his organelles?

They're healthy, but the exotic energy reactions are being inhibited. By my calculation the inhibition effect will wear off in approximately five years.

Will gold Kryptonite work?

I was an archaeologist and a Lantern, not a physicist.

Father Box?

Ploong.

Right then. "I bumped into Kara earlier today. I understand that she's working for SHADE."

"She's a slave. That's what they've turned 'superheroes' into. They can't take the thought of anyone being independent anymore. They got so scared when they saw what a few good people in the right place could do they're doing everything in their power to make sure it never happens again." He sighs, then releases the jack holding up the tractor. "Can you stop them? The Thanagarians?"

"I'm going to try, certainly."

"And then?"

"I'm leaving. Batman's got my number if he needs me." Powdered gold Kryptonite, if you please.

Powdered gold Kryptonite is available at your request.

"Well." He nods. "Good luck."

Release it as a cloud when we leave. He doesn't need to breathe in much. Now, where next? Might as well get Diana out of the way. Father Box, boom tube to Themyscira.

Ploong.

 

[Mr Zoat]

7th January 2004
18:41 GMT +3

I take a moment to look around the shrine. "I did not expect to find you-" Diana's up and has a sword pointed at me. "-in here."

"Did he send you to be my test?"

It's clearly Diana's voice, but it's younger and more aggressive than I've ever heard her. This Diana didn't leave Themyscira until early two thousand, though I don't know if she's actually younger than my own overseer. Hmm. I watch her as she takes a combat pose in full armour. Full actual armour, not that bodice Hephaestus made for her because he hasn't had any since the invention of the wheel. I've seen Amazons drilling with that posture but it isn't designed to help them combat people my size.

I shift my eyes to the statue of Ares at the focal point of the shrine. The world has been unusually peaceful since World War Three was narrowly averted. Everyone is painfully aware how close they came to utter ruination. I doubt that he likes that very much. "What, Ares? No. I don't take orders from Olympians."

"Perhaps if I slay you for your trespass he'll accept it as an offering anyway."

And Themyscira itself has been at peace for its entire history. "Bored now." I raise my right hand and fire a beam of yellow light at the statue. It shatters, spraying stone shards across the room. "Ares? I'll give you twenty seconds to complain in person about that or I'll assume that you're too much of a coward to confront me."

"How dare y-?!"

"I am Grayven, Apokoliptian God of Conquest. Ares is a pathetic and limited deity and it disturbs me that you would even think of seeking his patronage. And please put that sword down. As you are you are no threat to me at all."

She doesn't lower it. "Apokolips. Superman mentioned it. He defeated your king in single combat."

"An impressive feat to be sure, but I'd already left home by then." I look around the room again. "Time's up, Ares. You officially suck."

"What do you want?"

"Does your mother know that you're here?"

Her eyes narrow slightly. "She chooses not to."

I nod, fold my arms around my back and begin walking around the periphery of the shrine. She turns to keep her shield and sword facing me. "So, story so far: you went out into Man's World to help fight off an alien invasion. You make friends, valiant comrades in arms and.. you decide to stay on. A little over a year later and the world starts going crazy as nation turns against nation at the behest of President Luthor and your friend the Flash is killed. You take part in the attack on the White House and install your 'Justice Lords' as the nation's new rulers after Luthor's death. The nation you create is militant and harsh, but just and even handed. The people who created international chaos are punished… But… Somewhere along the line… You start losing popular support."

"We did what we had to. I know all too well what nuclear weapons are capable of. There wouldn't have been a world left if we hadn't done what we did."

I nod my head to the side. "Perhaps. But… You stabilised the situation. Yet, you were still in control two years later. Did you intend to simply become Queen of America?"

"It wasn't about that. It was about protecting the citizens of America from other evil doers. We never intended to stay in power indefinitely."

"Okay. So, Batman builds a portal to a place that isn't on the verge of nuclear Armageddon. And.. you decide to take out their versions of you.. and take their places. I'm curious as to how you justify that. This America, certainly, you had need-."

"Their nation was in chaos. Violent criminals were free to prey on innocent people-."

"No they weren't. They had police, their army and the Justice League. And other, less well known superheroes. They had order. And the technique you used to lure them into your trap!" A pause in my walk and smile at her. "Asking for help which they freely gave, only to have you betray them? Herakles would be proud."

"HAA!" She charges, her sword levelled at my heart. A Herakles construct appears between us turning her sword aside with his own and punching her shield hard enough that she goes flying backwards.

"Responding to vocal disputation with violence. I see that you've turned from Athena as well as Hestia."

She rises to a crouch, shield interposed and sword at the ready. "They turned from me first."

"Because you met a foe able to remove their gifts? Are you truly that arrogant? Divine gifts are given to the deserving. If you lose them, that's your look out. You can't.. demand a gift." I resume my walk. "Is that really why you're here? To ask Ares to replace them? They empowered you, looked away when you used their gifts contrary to their nature and now… You rage at them for your failings."

She rises again, teeth clenched and eyes blazing.

"But you know this, don't you? Otherwise you could make offerings at their shrines. Or go to a sacred grove and merge with the earth to restore yourself. You're afraid that they will confirm what you already believe. That you aren't worthy and that your actions were hideously misjudged."

I stop by Ares' altar, make a fist with my right hand and bring it down directly in the middle, smashing it in two. "Separates the men from the girls, I suppose. Batman reacted to the realisation that he was in the wrong by trying harder to make up for it, even though his country and his family hate him. John Stewart stayed on to try to find a way to heal Shayera, but they've both come to agree with Batman."

"Batman betrayed us."

"Batman was reminded why you got together in the first place. He acted in accordance with your stated ideals." I nudge one side of the altar with my right foot and it collapses further. "And now Shayera's erstwhile compatriots in the Thanagarian navy are here to destroy the planet. Three Justice Lords are working on the problem while you and Kal-El cower in your holes."

"I couldn't fight an army of Hawkpeople like this."

"You have all the weapons Amazon warriors have ever had. But if you want more, you already know what you must do. Confront your guilt, your fear and your sponsors. Plead your case and pray they are feeling generous. The alternative is more of-" I look around at the shrine. "-this."

I dismiss the Herakles construct and walk away from the shrine. Point made, I think. I doubt that she'll be any use for the fight with the Thanagarians but she might get her act together at some point. Shame Ares didn't show up. I kind of want to try going war god highlander on him and seeing what happens. Father Box, was Diana recovering her abilities as Superman was?

Ploong.

Thought as much. Still, maybe if she gets her head back on straight her sponsors can speed things up a-

"AaaaaAAAAAGH"!

-bit. I half turn back as I hear her scream. Oh, she'll either work it out or she won't. I raise my right hand to my ear. Ring, signal the Watchtower.

Channel available, Corpsman.

"Diana won't be helping. I'll speak to J'onn and then my brother."

"Understood."

Huh? "Shayera, where's Batman?"

"Bludhaven. He's meeting Nightwing to talk about the situation."

"I thought they weren't talking?"

"The way Batman looked when he left, I didn't want to ask."

It would be nice to get SHADE on-side. Would make my plans for the future quite a bit simpler, too. "I don't suppose we have a current location for Father Time, do we? It might help if someone who wasn't a Justice Lord spoke to him."

"After what you did on Stryker's Island you won't do any better. And anyway, we don't. Batman's files say he thinks Father Time uses a teleporter to get around."

"Any news on the other potential recruits?"

"The other Green Lantern hasn't shown up yet. Batman said he was going to look for Batson after he finished up in Bludhaven."

"And the Thanagarians?"

"Still working. I'm not seeing any sign that they're close to completing it yet. They seem to be focusing on building up their defenses at the moment."

"Glad to hear it. I'll contact you again when I've finished speaking to Scott."

 

[Mr Zoat]

7th January 2004
15:58 GMT

The local version of J'onn J'onzz watches me as I descend through the sky to the top of what appears to be the only intact building of any size left on the Martian surface. His face… I'm not sure what I was expecting. Given how the other people I've met have the proportions of actual Human beings, I suppose I assumed that his facial characteristics had similarly been exaggerated in the cartoon. If anything they were underplayed; this is very clearly an early attempt to look Human-ish. The jaw is too long and looks like the facial muscles shouldn't be able to support it, the brow ridge would be the envy of the Neanderthal people and his eyes are just orange flashes of colour. Even his musculature looks wrong; like lumps on a plastic toy that are just there for show. He's wearing his black Justice Lords tights with blue cape and red emblem… Or rather, he isn't, is he? That's part of his skin.

Is that a towel?

"Mister J'onzz-." Right. Air's too thin to properly convey speech. I link us by an invisibly thin yellow filament. "Mister J'onzz."

There's a slight reaction to hearing me at normal volume, but he doesn't seem particularly distressed. "Welcome to Ma'aleca'andra. I apologise for not speaking to you sooner, but I'm afraid that I no longer possess my species' usual telepathic abilities."

"Quite alright." I land on the surface of the building. It's weird, seeing structures on the surface of the planet. How long had those white shapeshifting things been infiltrating Earth's space program to cover this up? "My name is Grayven, and while I wouldn't say that Batman sent me, he is aware of my presence."

"Ah." He turns his head a little to the side and reaches up onto his left shoulder to stroke the towel, which.. shakes in response? Ring? Oh, some sort of Martian animal. "I'm afraid that I've been out of touch. How are things on Earth?"

"Superman's moping in the Fortress, Diana's worshipping Ares, Batman's… More. John's much as he was."

"And Hawkgirl? She was quite sick when I left."

"Oh, I fixed her up. She's fine."

"I am pleased to hear that." He gestures towards the door with his right hand. "Would you like to come inside?"

"Thank you." He leads the way inside the door… An airlock, I notice.

He notices me noticing. "When I was hit by Luthor's power nullifier I was locked in a form adapted for Earth's atmospheric pressure. I can survive outside, but it is uncomfortable to do so for an extended period." Ooh. Yikes.

Pressure equalised, the inner door open and he starts down the corridor. "I had been under the impression that those.. things, had destroyed everything your people built."

"They mostly focused on killing my people. The destruction of our buildings was a by-product of that. This building was mostly intact. Repairing it didn't take too long."

"Is that what you've been doing with yourself?"

He.. smiles..? With his jaw structure it looks decidedly odd. And gives the towel-thing another scratch. "I have mostly been attempting to catalogue Ma'aleca'andra's surviving species. The invaders didn't kill everything, and their simple thoughts are the closest I am ever likely to get to contact with another mind. Kh'r is how I knew you were coming, though.. he appears to be having trouble deciding if you are alive or not."

"I had a run-in with a rather unpleasant telepath a few months ago. I sought training in how to resist telepathic probes." I tap my forehead with my right forefinger. "I've become quite good at it."

"Indeed." He glances at me. "Did Batman send you simply to check up on me?"

"No. There's a Thanagarian warship in near Earth orbit. They're building a device that will destroy this system to transfer their fleet to their enemy's homeworld."

"I assume that you intend to stop them."

"Among other things. I'm also trying to assemble a team to.. take over certain functions which the Lords performed."

"I'm afraid that without my shapeshifting or mental abilities I would be of little use to you."

"I may be able to undo the effect of Mister Luthor's device. And, to be frank, I don't think that isolating yourself like this is healthy. Especially for a member of a telepathic species."

"Do you believe that you can handle the Thanagarians?"

"Yes, most likely, but there are degrees of success, and if you-."

"Then I am sorry, but I must remain."

I follow him in silence for a few paces. Fears… Huh. Nothing major that I can see. The shapes… He's weirdly calm. "May I ask… Why?"

"It would be easier to show you." We approach another airlock, this one heavily reinforced. "Ma'aleca'andra's people are dead. But their tissue remains. This was once a medical facility focused on reproductive medicine." The Kh'r-towel makes a chirping noise and the door oozes open.

"You're… Trying to make more Martians?"

"Trying, yes. Most of what I have to work with are simple tissue samples, but the bodies of my species are remarkably protean. In theory, each sample I have collected could be encouraged to grow into a new Martian. They would not have the memories of the original of course, but my presence and their own telepathy should greatly aid in their mental development."

Some sort of sterilisation field passes over us and we enter the laboratory proper. Some of the materials here were clearly brought from Earth, others appear to be local-Martian and part of the far wall is given over to something which appears to match the aesthetic of the now-extinct invaders. Mister J'onzz walks forwards and then stops next to something that looks like a rice cooker.

"With both partners able to carry a child my people never had any reason to develop exo-wombs. The technology I require to resurrect my people does not yet exist." He rests his right hand on it. "By my estimates I have perhaps another forty years of good health ahead of me. I hope that it will be enough." He turns his head to look at me. "But I cannot risk leaving for any length of time."

I nod. "I understand. Are you alright for food? Or is there any other equipment I could bring you?"

"What I have suffices." He looks at the alien device at the end of the room. "When I was a member of the Justice Lords, I was surrounded by Humans who believed passionately in what we were doing. I came to assume that they were representative of all Humanity."

"Bit of a selection bias."

"I understand that now. At the time I honestly believed that we were showing the Human species a better way of life. When we returned to our own dimension I was not unduly worried by our defeat. I assumed that others would simply take over our roles and that the work would continue." His eye orbits relax slightly. "That did not happen."

"SHADE's doing something. Organising superheroes."

"I met with Father Time once, before we removed Luthor from power. If the Justice Lords were bad for the Humans, at least we had the virtue of being open about our intentions. I do not think that he will be good for Earth, but I was wrong too badly in the past to have a great faith in my judgements on the matter."

I lay my right hand on his free shoulder. "I'll let Batman know what you're doing. Maybe he'll have some ideas about how you can speed things up a little."

"Thank you. I wish you luck."

I walk back out of his laboratory. Fascinating. Unfortunate that local Martians are too different to my type of Martians for either their technology or biology to be cross compatible. Having access to Martians could be very useful for either a newly formed League or the reformed Lords. Now, let's see. My brother's doing some filming for a television series in Las Vegas at the moment. Minus eight, so it's early morning there. Father Box, boom tube.

Ploong.

7th January 2004
08:05 GMT -8

I hurry out into their dining area. They'll have heard that so I've only got a few seconds… Take a seat, ring off, lean back, paper-.

Barda charges out first, her weapon of choice in her right hand. Not wearing armour, I note.

I smile at her, a picture of relaxed satisfaction. "Captain. Is that a mega rod or are you just pleased to see me?"

 

[Mr Zoat]

7th January 2004
08:06 GMT -8

"Get out of our home."

I lightly toss the paper down on the table. "Rude." She grits her teeth and raises the rod slightly. "Also, we're in a hotel full of people and we're both strong enough to punch one another through the walls. Do you really want to fight here?"

"Alright." Scott walks past her, keeping his hands visible. "Who are you and what do you want?"

"Oh, ow." I put my right hand over my heart. "Right here, Scott." He squints his left eye slightly and shakes his head. "Really? Barda? I'd have been about yay-" I hold my left hand out flat, about toddler height off the ground. "-tall? Grey skin, orange eyes?" I flick my eyes from one to the other. "No?"

Her eyes narrow for a moment. "Grayven."

I smile. "You see? That wasn't so hard. Good to see you again."

"Okay." Scott raises his hands slightly. "Grayven. I've never heard of you, but that's Apokoliptian armour and a Mother Box-."

"Ploong."

"Father Box."

"Rrrright. Why are you here?"

"I'm here to save and conquer this world, and I wanted to offer you the opportunity to join my Elite before I kicked things off."

Barda scowls. "We're not joining-."

Scott lays his right hand on her shoulder. "Wait a sec. Save the world?"

"Yes. Surely.. you've noticed what the Thanagarians are building?"

"They said it was a shield."

"Oh, Scott. How long have you been away from Apokolips? You really think that in the middle of a war they would send a Command Carrier to a system the Gordanians have never heard of and build a planetary defence shield out of the goodness of their hearts?" I lean forwards. "Proper paranoia, Scott."

"So what is it?"

"It's a displacement generator."

His eyes widen. "But that would destroy-."

"The entire system, yes. And that's why we need to stop them."

"Okay, I-."

"And then conquer Earth."

He leans back slightly. "I'm not sure that follows."

"We clearly can't leave them to their own devices. What happens next time? You want to build a quantum imploder? Sure, go right ahead, that sounds fun!" I sigh and shake my head. "And I would so hate for the Earth to be destroyed. They're a remarkable people, aren't they? Powered flight to fission bombs in a mere forty years, as well as the wisdom to hardly use them at all. I don't mind telling you… I feel at home here already."

"And -in the interests of 'proper paranoia'- why are you telling me?"

"Because you have local knowledge that I lack. And you're family."

"I… Am?" He looks at Barda.

"He's one of Darkseid's bastards." I nod. "You're not related."

"Darkseid may have been a terrible Father to us both, but that doesn't mean that he wasn't our father."

"He handed me over to Granny Goodness. I grew up in the X-Pit."

"Sounds terrible to me. So, how about it?"

"Who else have you asked?"

"Only Supergirl. Oh, that's just because she was on hand when I decided to do it, not because I was prioritising her over you. You know I'd have come here first, right?"

"… Yeah, thaaanks. I'll-." Barda scowls at him. "We'll take a look at what the Thanagarians are doing, but we're gunna have to pass on joining your Elite."

"Could you at least join on paper? I'd hate to force my own brother to become a Lowlie."

Barda shakes Scott's hand off and stomps towards me. "Okay, that's it. I can hit you through an external wall."

"Barda. Sister in law. I came here with peaceful intentions."

She presses a button on her bikini bottom, causing her armour to appear around her. Practical, I approve. "As far as I can see you're just another Darkseid: big, grey and in need of a good hard pounding."

I look her over. "I'm not necessarily against the idea, but I rather thought that the two of you had adopted the Human practice of monogamy. And bes-."

Owowow! I barely feel the wall as it disintegrates around my shoulder, freeing me to fly across the Las Vegas skyline. Check the jaow, yes, that's broken. Ow. Good job Barda didn't have her aero discs on her. I twist in the air as I activate mine, slowing my flight to a more controllable rate. Okay, Batman's got Richard and Batson so that's everyone on my list. Father Box, five boom tubes, random pattern, then back to the Watchtower.

Ploong.

May as well get this party started. I see Barda toss a set of aero discs out of the hole and leap onto them as the first boom tube opens behind me. I wave her goodbye as I slide my ring back onto my finger and fly backwards through it-

-dense gas. Where? Jupiter?

Empty space.

Empty space in a different part of the system.

An island somewhere. Oh, that's beautiful. I'll have to bring Jade here at some point.

Arctic wilderness. Aaaand-

7th January 2004
16:11 GMT

-back on the-.

"Look out!" Huh? Hawkgirl's pinned to the wall by violet cryst-oh no. Oh dear. Armour!

"You hurt Shayera and you're going to pay for it."

And shield! The violet energy beam hits it right in the yellow sigil. Nice that John's love is so strong. Shame he's been overwhelmed. Maybe I should have insisted he wait until I could be here to try using it. Oh, that's not a good look for him. Star Sapphire's glowing up a storm in a sort of headdress thing. Good job for me going crazy isn't making him a more creative ring user. Shayera's fear is keeping my construct-shield together but-. Transition, grab John around the neck with my left arm, grab the headdress with my right hand and rip.

I release John and gently set him down on the floor- This- -as his Star Sapphire uniform flakes away in motes of violet light, being replaced by his armour. -isn't- I dismiss the construct around Shayera. While I understand the need to protect those you love there aren't any threats here. -me!

Gah! I hurl the headdress down onto the floor as far away from anyone as I can!

Arin.

And that's an Nth metal axe. I hold out my right hand to ward Shayera off as she stands over me. "I'm fine, I'm fine. Underestimated how overwhelming the Star Sapphire would be. I'm sorry." Jaw's healed up then. Good show. "John alright?"

The axe is slowly withdrawn. "He's unconscious. Vitals are stable but I want to get him to medical to be sure."

"Can you manage him?"

She attaches her axe to her belt and heaves him off the ground without difficulty. "Please."

I create a poopa scoupa construct powered by my fear of being controlled and use it to pick up the star sapphire. "I'll put this back in secure storage. We'll have to come up with something else for John."

 

[Mr Zoat]

7th January 2004
16:16 GMT

"Oooh." John's eyes blink open. "What happened?"

Shayera smiles at him as he sits up, then realises where he is. "We found out violet isn't your color."

I adjust my recreated goggles as I continue to study his soul. "I've put it back in secure storage."

"What did I do?"

"Stuck me in a pink crystal and pinned me to a wall."

"And wore some rather revealing clothing." Interesting. Anyone wilful enough to be capable of using a green ring is going to have a lot of green in there, but this is… It looks like a source, a wellspring… Wait a second. "John, have you ever encountered the Manhunters?"

"Yeah, a couple of years ago. They made it look like I destroyed a planet to try to lure the Guardians away from Oa so they could capture the Central Power Battery."

Shayera nods. "Simpler times. Evil robots try and take over the universe, we hit them until they stop moving."

"Yees. Did anything… Unusual happen?"

"The leader of the Manhunters got inside the Central Power Battery and absorbed all of its power. I had to use my ring to pull it back."

"All of it?"

"The Guardians went down and I couldn't make constructs while the Manhunter was doing it. To be honest I.. kind of assumed the Manhunter just cut us off."

"You were channelling… The entire Central Power Battery?"

John gets off the bed and starts strapping his armour back on. "I suppose I did. I hadn't really thought about it. Does it matter?"

"Perhaps. I don't have a spare ring for you-."

"I'll take what I can get. I was in the Marines before I joined the Lantern Corps."

"That's just it. There are several augmentations I could offer you. Since.. super speed… You might find it uncomfortable, I was going to offer you strength and endurance. But… When I was studying you in depth -to check for compatibility- I noticed something… Odd." I take the goggles off and pass them to Shayera. "Take a look."

John looks from me to her and back again. "What is it?"

"I think… You appear to be channelling.. small amounts of green light.. without your ring."

"That's crazy talk. Only the Guardians can do that."

"Yes. And possibly someone who briefly mainlined the Green Central Power Battery."

"So, what? I should just be able to stick out my hand-" He extends his right. "-and fire green energy? Because I can't."

"No. Not yet, at any rate. The amount of green light you're generating is tiny compared to what the Guardians must use. However. With Father Box and my own ring, I believe I can increase it. I'm not sure how much. Probably not enough to make up for you not having a ring, not in the short term at least. But, the degree of connection would continue to increase until it stabilised at a much higher level."

"And if you don't?"

"The connection will most likely remain as it is now for the rest of your life. If you had a ring it would give you an edge. Otherwise, it probably won't do anything."

Shayera takes off the goggles and hands them back to me. "John, I know how much being in the Corps meant to you. Grayven and I can handle the.. ship."

"So I can steal green power, just like the Manhunters did."

"No, no. The green power belongs to everyone, the Guardians.. just found an efficient way of focusing it. If it makes you feel any better… Did they ever tell you why they retired the Manhunters?"

"Yeah, because they couldn't understand degrees of guilt."

I raise my eyebrows. "Is that what they said? Well, if you're ever on Ysmault… Try talking to Atrocitus to get the other side of the story."

"What story's that?"

"They decided that all life was guilty of something and killed every living thing in Sector Six Six Six."

"What?" / "And they kept using them?"

I nod in answer to Shayera's question. "With robots, I tend to blame the programmer. Not that any Guardian was ever punished for it. So? What do you say?"

"I.. wouldn't mind getting my power back. How long will it take?"

"Maybe ten minutes, probably less."

"Batman back yet?" Shayera shakes her head. "Then I may as well go for it. Does it hurt?"

"You're not sufficiently aware of your metaphysique to experience any discomfort." Preparing for a battle like this is always enough to generate some fear, even among combat veterans. "I'll get started on that and on fabricating your new armour. We can begin our assault once Batman returns."

I pull my goggles back over my eyes and focus on my god sense. Presumably I will eventually get to the point where I don't need tools like this any longer, but I am a young god at present and not sophisticated enough to do this sort of work manually. I reach into him, connecting his own green to the green of his connection to the green light, teasing filaments out in order to create a larger.. signal. Yes. But there's more to John Stewart than will, and fortuitously will resists the other colours less than they do each other. Colours, experiences, all the things that make him him, I wire them together-

Ploong.

-with a little help from Father Box, and make them more, using the patterns and resonances already there to amplify the whole network. From a child's join the dots picture to a fractal pattern, colours repeating into infinity.

A god's soul.

I'm better and faster at this than I used to be. It's getting instinctive, seeing the correct ways to proceed. Pattern matching, not calculating. This is just about the most intimate it's possible to be with another being. When I eventually do it to Jade… I wonder if there's a way to let her see my own spiritual structure while I do it? Or at least let her see the process as I carry it out?

Hah! The green light is actually resisting my ability to undertake further changes! Wonderful! Completely unexpected, but I'll take it! I withdraw my awareness and I remove the goggles. "Since you've got an internal power source I was able to go a bit further than I normally do. Feel any different?"

John looks up, his eyes glowing green as they did in the cartoon. "I'll say." He holds out his right hand and green smoke puffs into existence in a way which reminds me of the first X-Com trooper to undergo successful psychic testing. "It doesn't feel like a power ring, but I'll take it."

"There are limitations. You don't have a built in database or translation system any more. No virtual intelligence assistance. You'll have to do everything manually, like my version of Alan Scott has to."

He smiles, watching the dancing green lights. "Pain is weakness leaving the body." He squeezes his right hand into a fist and a construct personal lantern appears next to him and a construct ring appears on his right middle finger. "I can manage just fine."

 

[Mr Zoat]

7th January 2004
16:23 GMT

"You have teleporters?"

Shayera raises her right eyebrow. "You don't?"

"Father Box can make boom tubes. If you give me a decent power source and a couple of days I can build a hush tube generator. We don't have teleporters!"

"How does your Justice League get around?" John's floating just off the ground. I'm not sure if he's trying to get used to it again or if he just enjoys it.

"Zeta tubes. They need a relay at each end and they get blocked by stormy weather."

"At least you don't use Javelins. Those used to take hours to get anywhere. Superman used to say-" There's a flare of blue light as Batman and.. Richard.. appear. "-that it would be faster for him to fly down to Earth."

Batman stays standing on the teleport platform for a moment as he cautiously regards John. "Green Lantern. Are you back to mission fitness?"

John spreads his arms out, a green flame effect similar to Alan's environmental shield flaring around his body. "And then some."

Richard… Nightwing, steps off the platform towards me. "You're the guy who attacked Stryker's Island. And the Thanagarian construction site."

I smile and hold out my right hand. "Pleased to meet you."

He walks past me and takes a look at Shayera and John. "I see Bruce has got the Justice Lords up and running again. Are the other three here as well?"

I look at my right hand for a moment and then turn around. "No, dick, they're not."

"Nightwing, we didn't call you here to start a fight. The Thanagarians-."

"Are building a device to destroy the Earth so their fleet can attack the Gordanian homeworld. Bruce said." He nods. "I had Oracle look at your math and it checks out."

Shayera's starting to get irritated. "So what are you doing here rather than talking to your superiors?"

I hear the teleporter activate again. Batman going to speak to Batson, I assume. I remember something in Batman of the Future about his relationship with Richard falling apart in the normal timeline. I guess he wants to remove himself as a source of tension.

"Where exactly am I supposed to tell them the information came from?! Have you got any idea what they'd do if they found out I was still talking to Bruce? Or that the Justice Lords were functioning again at all?"

"So? Tell them you hacked our communications."

"My beat is Bludhaven. I'm not allowed to go outside my area of responsibility like that. If I did come across anything I should have forwarded it to Nerve Center at once."

I shake my head. "That isn't necessarily a problem. I can arrange for my brother to bring it to you. He's a citizen of the United States with no criminal record-" Of any note. "-so there shouldn't be any added difficulty."

"No. I'm not giving SHADE the run around on this. Kara already reported in, so someone at the top is already looking into it. The only way I can see this working is if we take it to Father Time directly and hope that he's okay with it. God only knows what he's going to do about the Lords working together again, but you can worry about that once the Earth is safe." He turns around. "W-?" He pauses. "He just walked out?"

"Teleported to Fawcett City to talk to Captain Marvel. We're busy, Richard."

"Yeah. Busy." He sighs. "Can the Watchtower's sensors locate Father Time?"

Shayera shakes her head. "Not unless he's got some sort of unique exotic energy output."

"He does. He's a weak source of chronoton radiation."

She nods and walks over to a control panel. "Can you narrow down his location?"

Richard nods. "He's probably either in DC with the President or Manhattan, in the SHADE Nerve Center."

She presses a few more buttons. "I should have him in a few seconds."

"Chronoton radiation? Father Time's a time traveller?"

Richard doesn't look at him. "Could be. No one really knows anything about Father Time."

"Got him. He's in the White House. I can even teleport you into the same room if you want."

"I don't particularly want to get shot dead by the Secret Service. Put us down on a rooftop nearby. I'll contact someone in his escort."

Shayera hesitates. "'Us'?"

Richard walks back up onto the teleporter. "You two have shoot-to-kill orders. I can just arrest Grayven."

"It's fine." I stroll onto the teleport platform. They even have glowing circles set into the floor! "Just make sure you get a roof that can take my weight."

"Coordinates set."

The air shimmers around me, and then…

7th January 2004
11:26 GMT -5

We're in Washington. Huh. That was painless. Have to see if I can persuade Batman to part with the design. Taking it when I've got the sort of rapport going with John and Shayera that I have just feels wrong. Ring? We're on the roof of the Corcoran School of Arts and Design, just behind the ridge of the roof. The South Lawns are in front of us, and Richard goes down on his stomach before crawling up the slope to peer over the top. "It's not a good idea to do this in daylight. But we can't afford to wait."

A city full of nervous people. Adequate power. I take a camera drone out of subspace, stealth it and send it up over the White House grounds. "I'll send a drone to get his precise location." He turns his head to stare at me and I can foresee something along the lines of 'Are you crazy?!' coming from his mouth. "It's invisible to any Earth technology likely to be on the lookout. Here." A second pair of goggles appear from subspace and float their way over to him. "They can give you a feed directly from the camera." He hesitates for a moment and then puts them on, taking a moment to get used to their set up. I put my own back over my eyes and look out through the drone's cameras. Where exactly does the President spend his time? Can't say it's something I've ever really thought.. about…

What the hell?

"Father Time's meeting the President in the Oval Office, along with the heads of the NSA, CIA and the Joint Chiefs. If they're not talking about the Thanagarian situation then I don't-." I take the goggles off my face and clamber up the roof. "What the hell are you doing?!"

I stare out in the direction of the Oval Office. It's on the far side of the West Wing from us, so I can't just look in the window or anything. Father Box, please tell me I'm wrong.

Ploong.

Thought not. "Richard, to the best of your knowledge, is your president Human?"

"What are you talking about? Of course he's Human."

"No, he isn't. That's an Apokoliptian combat infiltrator. Gonzo the Mechanical Bastard, if I remember correctly. You people have managed to put an Apokoliptian war robot into the White House. SHADE got big after the Lords lost power and Horne got elected." I tilt my head downwards, laughing weakly. "Did you people like Luthor so much you had to elect a second supervillain?"

"That's…" He frowns. "No, that's…"

"You know, the original plan was to get you a team of righteous superheroes, help you kick the Thanagarians' arses and set up some sort of new global super team. But if SHADE owns the robopresident… Fuck it. I'm going to actually take over this country after all. And unlike those weak-willed Justice Lords I'm not going to wuss out halfway through. Father Box, boom tube to the Thanagarian bridge!"

"Ploong."

 

[Mr Zoat]

7th January 2004
16:28 GMT

I step through the boom tube and for one beautiful moment every Thanagarian on the bridge turns to stare at me in astonishment. Bird helmets all around, officers at their consoles, the marines… Just staring. Oh, I like this.

"Hello, dead people."

Construct armour forms around me as I lunge for the closest marine. He snaps out of it enough to bring his spear to bear even as his partner raises some sort of beam weapon. The Nth metal point comes at me and I stretch my right arm past it to turn aside the shaft before slamming the heel of my left hand into his chin.

"Oof!"

"Gordanians! Gordanians on the bridge!"

"Do I look like a Gordanian?"

A tower shield construct comes up to intercept the second marine's shot before I grab the gun out of his hands and punch him hard in the diaphragm, sending him to the deck in a crumpled heap. Every bridge officer who can is getting into cover and aiming their side arms in my direction. This place is more like a Covenant bridge than something from Star Trek or Mass Effect, with different parts on different levels. Even most Apokoliptian vessels aren't this grandiose. Maybe it's the wings..?

Father Box, hack the gun.

Ploong.

I raise it and shoot a power control officer who was too slow in getting behind something. Thank you, Father Box. I crouch slightly behind my shield as weapon fire begins to strike home. The shield appears to be holding out better than I was expecting. They must be really afraid of me, and I'm not sure why.

You're missing something obvious. Pay attention, Corpsman.

Marines launch themselves into the air, the melee equipped ones heading straight for me as fast as the Nth metal in their bodies will allow. If they're afraid… I create a sword construct for myself and generate a small squad of Gordanian warriors to fight off the chaff. Yes, that one looks important. He's standing on the far side, shouting orders into a communications device as the marines slam into my warrior constructs. I shoot two marines out of the air as I march across the deck. Certainly, I could generate explosive force to root out the bridge officers but at this point it's more in my interest to appear as an unstoppable force than it is to kill every last one of them immediately.

A sound judgement. Properly re-educated they may be of use to you.

"Aaaaaghh!"

Nth metal weapons can destroy constructs if wielded properly, but these marines appear to prefer axes and spears to maces or swords and my Gordanian constructs are… Their programming realises that they just need to grab the haft to be more or less safe. Thanagarian marines show an almost superhero-like disregard for sensible body- I turn back and shoot a gun-armed marine who was aiming at my side. -armour. Yes, the Nth metal straps are very nice but they don't protect the rest of your chest. I step over a fallen marine who had that demonstrated to her by a Gordanian shoving a claw into her gut. She's bleeding freely but still tries to grab me around the left leg. I kick her in the wound and she curls up in pain instead. Hmm. Probably survivable if she gets prompt medical attention.

"…we need heavy weapons up here now!" The officer looks up for a moment and we make eye contact. I take the opportunity to refresh my armour, changing from construct demon-samurai to a construct Gordanian. Yes, that's better. Without even looking into them I can feel the current of fear as my armour better corresponds to their expectations. "And if we've got any radion blasters, bring them up as well."

A deck officer charges me and gets shield-slammed in the face for his efforts just as the main doors open and a reinforcement unit of marines charges onto the bridge. Quite sensibly the bridge officers use the opportunity to get away from the combat zone as the marines open fire on the Gordanian constructs who have just about finished clawing their way through their colleagues. One construct fails immediately and two others buckle as they try charging straight into the enemy guns. A mental command from me and they switch to a more evasive flight path. This bridge has taken a pounding. I really hope they've got a backup somewhere or controlling this thing could get a little difficult.

Of course! The reserve marines aren't as afraid of me as the ones who witnessed my appearance! It's going to take a little while for me to get used to that mattering. Another goes down to a shot from my stolen gun but they're forming a sort of tortoise with large shields to the fore. The shields are gold in colour with.. avian shapes stencilled on the front. Bowl them over? Bowl them over. Two shots with the gun to make them keep their heads down and I toss it aside, raising my ring. Fear me, mortals.

The wide yellow beam blasts towards them. Really, I just want to knock them over. It's unrealistic for me to try doing this without killing anyone but I'd like to keep the death toll down at least somewhat-. Eh? That doesn't seemed to have knocked ohfuck! Agh, grahh! Uh.

"Get him!"

Okay, apparently those shields can absorb the output of power rings and reflect it back.. redoubled. I pick myself up and recreate my construct armour. That.. actually bruised me a little. Okay, not firing energy beams at the ones with the shields again. Marines with Nth metal axes and maces are flying at me just behind three equipped with shields. If I was some kind of idiot I could just keep firing straight line attacks at them… But I like to think that I'm not. Spear-tipped ropes of yellow flow outwards from either side of me before launching themselves at my attackers.

"Eyyagh!" / "Gaah!"

They strike at the gaping holes in their armour and pierce the more vulnerable flesh beneath. The ones that get hit drop out of the air but only a couple are properly disabled. It's getting harder to wound them. They're not afraid enough.

Soon fix that. The first shield-armed marine flies as close to me as he dares before veering away to give the axe man behind him an unobstructed swing. I grab him by the wing and yank him into the axe's path. He gasps then shudders as it cleaves into his back. I shove his bleeding and crippled form at his stunned colleague. "Good work, chum." A construct sword severs his left hand at the wrist and then grabs the bloodied axe from his right.

"Aaarghugh!"

Looks like Thanagarian blood vessels have the same sort of pressure in them as Human ones. A claw construct grabs a second shield bearer by their left leg and pulls them towards me in an uncontrolled tumble. I reverse the axe and slam the butt hard into his helmet, denting it and rendering him unconscious. A filament picks up the shield and delivers it into my left hand. Worth keeping, that. Three marines try to stab at me with Nth metal spears. Two I intercept with the shield but the third gets through, passing through my construct armour only to be blocked by the Apokoliptian armour beneath. I lunge, swinging the axe at full force and slicing through their spear hafts and fingers before turning the blade aside and striking them with my fist.

"Die for Grayven."

Flesh mashes and bones crack as they're knocked aside and I start to feel the fear again. I raise my right hand and pull on the spike-tipped ropes impaling the fallen. Most pull free, worsening their injures. Two though have latched onto ribs and drag their victims across the floor.

"Ahh-ah-ahhh!" / "Nraaagh!"

The airborne marines hesitate and I pick up my catch and hurl it at them. One ditherer is knocked out of the air while my other target evades, allowing my living missile to slam into the far wall with a thump. A new volley of shots come from the marines around the entrance but now I know what these shields do it isn't much of a problem. A new set of rope-spears shoot around the sides of the formation, jabbing into any hole in the shield barrier and pulling back. Mostly they just come back blood-covered, but there's a yelp as one marine is dragged out of formation as one latches onto her ulna, knocking the marines next to her aside. As a reward of sorts I turn the spike into a construct Gordanian and send it flying into the breach, claws reaching out to rend Thanagarian flesh.

At that point the airborne marines decide to stop poncing about and actually charge me. I batter the first out of the air with my shield and swing my axe at the second. He parries with the handle of his mace, only to find out that however much stronger Thanagarians are than Humans I am far stronger still. The shock slams his own weapon into his chest with a crunch before smashing him to the ground.

Oh, this is good.

 

[Mr Zoat]

7th January 2004
16:31 GMT

Five move to surround me in the hope of avoiding my weapon, their belief that I can't see the ones behind me giving them the courage to try this. I don't look around as I block a strike to my rear with the shield then spawn a new Gordanian construct to drag my attacker down. They rise a little into the air, hoping to at least hold my attention. Yellow light flowing strong I deactivate my aero discs and use the ring's flight aura to erupt upwards towards the one whose tassels suggest seniority.

"Shoryuken!"

I keep the blade of the axe back so that only my fist strikes the armour in the centre of his chest. Nth metal is a remarkable absorber of force but I struck in the assumption that a display of force, of obviously overcoming their strongest advantage, would serve me better than a clean kill or KO. I turn to the other marines with a grin as the squad leader flies across the room to land hard on the floor of the lowest level. I gesture with my right hand and generate new spiked ropes, letting the hooks on the end mirror the movements of my foes like Cobras following a charmer's pipe. A thought and my construct Gordanians pull back as well, flying around to flank me.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the Thanagarian Empire, I respectfully suggest that this is the time to yield. I have no particular love of unnecessary bloodshed but I am perfectly prepared to kill every last one of you if it proves to be necessary." I change my expression from the grin of a confident pugilist in the midst of a fight to the calm smile of a victor and allow the moans and whimpers of the wounded and dying to filter into their consciousness. "Surrender now and you will live to see Thanagar again."

Professional soldiers don't break and flee but these ones look about ready to fall back in poor order. Why aren't they doing that? I clearly have overwhelming force on my side. I look around the room as the officer who called in reinforcements nervously sticks his head out of cover. "You. What's your name?"

He briefly glances at his remaining forces before returning his attention to me. "I am Lieutenant Kragger of the Thanagarian Navy."

"Those heavy weapons are taking their time, aren't they? Don't think they're going to get here soon enough."

"We will never surrender to the likes-" That's who he is! He's the one Mister J'onzz leaves near-vegetative by forcing his way into his mind! "-of you, Praetor." They keep calling me that. I know it means either commander or magistrate but it's a very particular translation that presumably has some special meaning for them. Ring, I'd like a look at their database. Are these computers power ring proof?

Hardly, Corpsman. Accessing now.

The marines who were close to me have pulled back towards their comrades. Lieutenant Kragger turns to his subordinate. "He's the Praetor! If we kill him, the war is over!"

Don't give orders you know full well won't be obeyed, fool.

Data available, and I would not be so swift to demean his intelligence, Corpsman.

Ooooooooooh. So.. my alter ego unified the Gordanian clans, forged them into an empire and now leads them. And they think I'm him. Easy mistake to make, I suppose. They only identified him a little over a year ago which is why Shayera didn't recognise me when she first saw me. Any chance he could detect my presence here? Probably not. Any point trying to contact him myself? No. A military that could batter the Thanagarians to breaking point isn't something I want anywhere near any version of Earth. Hm. If these Thanagarians think I'm basically super-Hitler there's not much chance of achieving a negotiated solution.

Ah well.

"You couldn't take me when you were fresh. You certainly can't…" What's that noise? Ah. I don't turn to look at the three Thanagarian fighters currently lurking just in front of the bridge's front window, but I do look at Lieutenant Kragger as he manages a vicious smile.

I missed you doing that. Well played.

A storm of ironically yellow bolts blast the window to smithereens as they try and track me. I take three hits which ruin my construct armour and transition down to the lowest level, out of their arc of fire. Shield interposed.

"Evacuate the bridge! Carry the wounded if you can, leave them if you can't!"

One problem resolves itself. You know, if I had my flipping drones… Okay, my ring and armour can throw off most methods they could use to detect me. Construct armour. A ship this size could have hundreds of fighters. Do I try fighting them or move further inside the ship? Father Box?

Ploong.

I did not know that. So, Nth metal throws off boom tube generation and I only got in here because they have a great big window stuck on the front. Don't really think the main hangar would be a better place than here. Top surface of the ship? No, there's nothing up-. Fuck! Guess they've written off the rest of the wounded! I crouch shield over head as another volley of yellow bolts punch clean through the walls of the bridge. They're only approximately aiming at me but they're hitting with agh!

Fine then! I fly up and out of the window at high speed. Three ships close to, another five further back. Guns are on fixed nose mounts. I fly past the first fighter and hammer its left wing with the blade of my axe, cutting through and throwing off the balance of its antigravity propulsion system. Two plumes of smoke erupt from the cut and the fighter lurches to the side as the others in the squadron try and reacquire me. Standing in the air I glare at the closest and open my soul to their fear. They saw their fellow Thanagarians fleeing, didn't they? The yellow light builds in my eyes for a moment and then blasts out, smashing clean through the craft and severing the rear third. As it tumbles in the air the canopy blows and the pilot leaps free. Right, wings. Does he have a grav-chute on that ridiculous armour? Doesn't look like it. He's not going to-? Yes, he drew his sidearm and shot me. Fine then. Flashes of yellow from my eyes annihilate his pistol and pierce his wings in what looks like an extremely painful location, causing him to yelp and drop from the sky. He'll probably manage a survivable landing.

The third fighter manages to bring its guns to bear and open fire. Construct armour fractures when the beams strike home, right shoulder and forearm, before I get the shield in the way. My eyes glow again before the beam flashes out, gouging a furrow along the underside of the craft. I open my eyes wider as the beam reaches the armour protecting the main engine and increase the power. The beam slices into the hull and the fighter jerks as an internal explosion signals the end of its participation in the fight. Okay, so, what next? I sort of.. jumped in without coming up with a concrete-.

GAAAAAAHH!

Trans-transition! Get me back inside. Aaah. Guh. Agh. I'm… I'm lying on the uppermost walkway. The commander's station. No bodies up here and the fighters didn't manage to hit it. Uhh. Fucking.. anti-boarding external.. defences. I don't think that was just a big electrical discharge but whatever it was it hurt like agh! Aaaah. Right. Okay, map. This isn't fun any more. Ring, connect to the command station.

Impossible, Corpsman. The bridge has been physically disconnected from the rest of the ship's systems precisely to prevent a remote take over.

Okay, so I need to get to the computer core. Or at least somewhere I can make a hard connection. I push myself up onto my feet, taking a moment to steady myself. That.. really hurt. I should heal up before too long but I'd rather-.

The doors below me burst open as the marine heavy weapon teams finally put in an appearance. The first thing they see in the combat zone is the groaning bodies of their own fallen. Good start. Unfortunately for me they fly upwards and spot me almost immediately.

The first two are carrying what look like… Blaster Launchers? Hook coated chains wrap themselves around the bearers and yank them back down towards the middle layer where they land with a pair of yelps. Three shield bearers keep back, covering another marine with a short barrelled weapon of some kind. I create another construct Gordanian just in time for us both to be struck by another fusillade of yellow energy bolts from outside the ship. I create a barrier covering the hole where the window used to be just as the marine with the gun fires. Oh, what's-.

Ah.

Blood?

 

[Mr Zoat]

7th January 2004
16:34 GMT

I tap the fore and middle fingers of my right hand against the mush that a good portion of the left side of my abdomen has been reduced to. They come away damp with a strange red-purple liquid that I presume is what my blood looks like these days.

I'm… Hurt.

I'm hurt.

And there's the pain! Ah! Gawhah! U-uh! Arhhuh.

Ring, do somethi-.

I'm trying. Your body is resisting-.

I know the injury is resisting. Do something about the pain!

Similarly impossible.

I drop to my knees, then to all fours.

"He's down! Hit him again!"

"It has to recharge!"

Fuck. Fugker. Aaaahh. Ring. Ahh. Assess damage.

Difficult. Were I to use humanoid physiological norms, I would say that your digestive and waste purification organs have either been destroyed or critically damaged. Your skin and armour are pierced front and back. Furthermore, the shot appeared to contain some form of poison which is now spreading into the surrounding tissues.

"Icthultu take it, I had family on New Andar. I'll take his head-." Armour. "-now!"

I look up as the marine flies at me, shield forwards and knife drawn. I'm finished going easy on you people. Twin beams of yellow light flash from my eyes and strike her neck, forming an agony matrix construct.

"Aieaaaaghah!"

She drops to the middle deck, shaking and burbling as the matrix ravages her nervous system with levels of pain that should cause unconsciousness but now cannot. I raise my right hand from the floor and point it at the other two, firing beams of yellow which pierce their spines, paralysing them but leaving them both alive and aware.

Ah-oh-h-h-h-oh. Ah, this hurts. What was..? He said… I take a few breaths and try and get my mind in order. He said 'radon blaster'. I checked. I tried exposing my skin and my blood… Blood. Ugh. To radon at… Under various environmental conditions. Nothing much happened. It's a noble gas!

Left hand shielding my wound, I sta-ah-h. No I don't. I float up off the deck, clearly sagging in the air. The marine with the knife… The agony matrix construct isn't there any more, but she's curled up in shock rather than coming after me again. My eyes drift back to my wound and I move my hand aside slightly to give me a better look as my blood continues to pour out.

Shit.

Okay. What next? Leaving right now is looking like a-.

Ploong.

Marvellous. Awwwwahh! Damn it! Okay, not only does whatever was in that gun bypass my defences, it also stops boom tubes. Dahh! Two more deep breaths, shuddering. I really haven't felt anything like this before, certainly not since I got to this crazy Earth! I mean..! The last one! I wave my right arm in the direction of the radon blaster and attach a construct rope to pull it to me. Ring, what the fuck is this?

It is a 'rad-i-on blaster', Corpsman. My records indicate that the charge negates New God resistance with a high degree of effectiveness, though I never had a chance to observe it directly.

Prognosis?

You survived the initial blast but are bleeding heavily. I don't have enough data to precisely judge how your kind respond to traumatic injury nor how toxic radion is to your kind beyond the resistance bypass effect. If you continue to bleed as you are now you will certainly die.

Patch… Patch the wound?

To start with.

Mgkrarughafugha!

Bandages of yellow light cover the wounds, front and back. Blood stops flowing outwards but the pain is even worse! Aaaaawwwwwoooo! AH! Next, next… No. Ring, subspace the blaster. It disappears, and I take a quick look around the room. Those who are still alive are all watching me. And they're… They're less afraid. As I am now, any one of them could kill me.

I take a couple of breaths. I don't like fighting like this.

Bolts of yellow flash out from my eyes, seeking brains to liquefy. Twelve shots to finish off all of the marines and bridge officers left. What a.. waste. A stupid waste.

Well done, Corpsman. Given how you were fighting earlier I was starting to think you didn't have the stomach for it.

I twist up my face as another wave of pain hits. Next step.

Your organs cannot be repaired by power ring. Your regenerative abilities can deal with it but are being suppressed.

Can you remove the radion?

No.

I work out what Sinestro wants. N-nooo.

The longer you wait, the more likely one of those fighters will come in closer. Or more marines will brave the bridge. You are in no condition to fight them as you are.

He's right. I drop myself back down onto the upper walkway and use a construct blade to cut a long thin section out of the deck before whittling it to a blade and x-ionising it. I don't think I can hyperventilate anymore but I'm trying.

The only way to get rid of the poison is to cut it out.

Subspace my armour.

It vanishes, revealing grey skin, purple blood and a squelching mix of tissues and what I presume to be organs in the wound itself. Ring. Cut away image of affected area. One appears in front of me. Huh. Looks so… Small. I hold out my x-ionised scalpel. No anaesthetic that will work.

I have cut myself before, to see how fast I heal now. I did briefly consider cutting off a finger to see if and/or how fast it grew back.

On the plus side… I doubt very much that anything will ever hurt this much again.

Uuuuuuuuuuuuuu!

The blade slips through the construct bandage and into my insides. Things have flopped around a bit and ah-ah-ah I have to use staple constructs to pull them around so that I can get at the bits I need to.

Slice.

A construct reductor extracts the lumps of flesh and drops them onto the deck.

Slice.

Like… Like meats for a pie.

Aiahhhhaaa-hha-hah-ahhhhhhh!

My breathing is slowed, huffing deep breaths. Construct tourniquets appear inside me to prevent the internal bleeding worsening.

Can't… Can't feel faint. Can't afford to feel faint.

 

[Mr Zoat]

7th January 2004
16:40 GMT

Lights... Dance before my eyes.

Good work, Corpsman. Your approach to the task showed considerable resolve, marred by only a single instance of pleading. An entirely satisfactory performance.

I slump back on the floor, the sharpened chunk of deck plate falling from my hand. U-huh-hurr. At least one of us is happy. I take a moment to look down at the glowing hole in my abdomen. Ring. Did I get it all?

The constructs currently holding your insides together are detecting attempts at regeneration throughout the site of the injury. Further analysis will have to wait. Your next step-.

Form construct-replicas of my organs, link them to my organic components and keep the Thanagarians from hitting it again.

Your nervous system is resisting any attempt at interfacing and your guts don't generate enough fear to overcome it. Furthermore, I feel that the pain you are currently experiencing will prove to be an excellent aid to memory.

What? No, never mind. Scan immediate environment. Anyone coming?

Yes.

I get a quick mental picture of another marine group heading... I turn my head to look at the door to the captain's promenade. Right. This is going to hurt more. I grit my teeth and lean forwards, putting my right foot flat on the floor. Akh! I squeeze my eyes shut for a moment and take a couple of deep breaths. Up! Get UP! Armour, put my armour back on. And the construct armour in case they have a radion blaster. Now up!

I lean forwards and plant my- Owowow -right hand on the deck. I push up into a crouch- Raaaagh -then take a few breaths. Don't have long. I lean right a little and push- Rrrrrehhhh. –up, getting upright and gently putting my left foot on the ground. Not putting.. any weight on it. But I need to look like I'm unhurt. It's a little hard to tell given how different people here look compared to how they looked in the cartoon, but-.

The door slides open and another set of Thanagarian marines fly through, guns in hand. Yellow light flares from my eyes, jinking around the front rank's shields and stabbing into the flesh beyond.

"Ahh!" / "YAAAAGH!"

Yeah, we're past the point of talking. Huh, not seeing-. One gets a shot off with a rifle-sized energy weapon of some kind and it hits home-. The site of my injury is glowing brighter than the rest. It's drawing their attention! Okay, okay, it won't actually hurt as long as the construct armour stays up.

"Gah!"

The next marine out of the door flies straight at me with some kind of lance. I knock the point aside with the back of my right gauntlet, letting my Apokoliptian armour absorb the weak energy discharge before grabbing its wielder around the throat with my left hand and squeezing until I hear a crack. A filament grabs the x-ionised scalpel from the floor before flicking it at the next shield-bearing marine. It embeds in the shield and then explodes in a blast of brilliant white energy as the x-ionisation effect reacts vigorously with the energy reflection technology. Have to remember that some metamaterials don't play nicely together.

"Uh."

Corpsman-.

Yes, I've seen them. I couldn't hope to keep the barrier I had over the front of the bridge up while I was cutting into myself and the Thanagarians are only too happy to use it as an entry point. I form a minigun turret behind me and spray enough fire in their direction to force them to keep back as I charge forwards. A half-blinded but still oncoming marine has no time to react and I grab her around the head with my right hand and mash her face into the wall. Ring, chlorine gas.

Transmutation underway.

Thin wisps of yellow-green vapour start to appear around me. Power output is based on fear. I'm not going to get all that much until people without breathing equipment start trying to fly after me and realise what I'm doing. Hopefully as the acid melts their lungs. Honestly, when I owowow. Right. Little more care. I get inside the doorway as the next marine appears, his eyes widening as he spots the gas. When I get control of a space faring military, everyone will wear fully protective gear while in a combat zone. He tries aiming his rifle with his right hand while shielding his mouth and nose with his left. I jab him through the gut with a construct-blade.

"Akgh..."

That's more like it. I grab his gun as he collapses and my follow up eyebeams disintegrate his throat. I increase my pace to the fastest walk I can without causing flashing lights to impair my vision. That appears to be.. all of the squad they had assigned to this corridor. I feel a tiny tremor of feedback as one of the marines in the bridge destroys my minigun turret. Fine. Ring, suggestions?

Thanagarians typically operate with short chains of command, and senior officers like to be nearer the action than is entirely sensible. Personally confronting and slaying Commander Talak would most likely cause their military response to fall into disarray. Alternately, destroying the primary generator-.

I take a moment to calculate the likely effect of a highly energetic blast surrounded by Nth metal occurring inside a planet's atmosphere. No.

The ship's primary weapon battery can be used to destroy the hyperspatial bypass structure. The weapons can be accessed directly or via the primary computer core.

I hear a yelp from behind me as the marines try flying through the chlorine, and a corresponding increase in the production of the gas around me. Ring, locate Talak. If he's outside the ship...

Commander Talak appears to be directing the assault from a command station a short distance from here.

A picture forms in my head of him, Kragger and a small squad of marines... Ah, there's the gas masks. Okay, map? Okay, this shouldn't...

Wait a second. Am I..? Ring, if all of the officers are dead, exactly who was going to give the evacuation order?

What purpose would an evacuation serve? Corpsman, you may be wounded but you are not crippled. It is not beyond your abilities to kill everyone in the Thanagarian flotilla. Then you can proceed with your plan to inspire the creation of a force to protect the Earth by posing as a threat yourself.

Ring, I don't want to kill all those people. Not if there's a halfway sensible alternative.

A sub-par choice under the circumstances.

I'm wearing a recording of your brain on my finger. I think I'll make the strategic decisions. What sort of access to their computer systems can I get from-

Incoming message from Lantern Stewart.

-here?

Basic, to say the least. Warships are not designed to be 'hack friendly', Corpsman.

Internal communications?

Yes.

Put John on.

"Grayven, what the hell are you doing? Nightwing just-."

"Your president is an Apokoliptian robot. Given how fast the pro-SHADE agenda has advanced since the Lords lost power I suspect that the original was killed and replaced by SHADE. A detailed analysis of his body language could probably tell you exactly when it happened. If you've got the time you should probably check up on his family."

"My God. Okay, Shayera's on it. Where are you now?"

"Thanagarian Command Carrier. Listen, does the Watchtower have the ability to broadcast to the whole of the Earth?"

"We can override channels but SHADE will probably block us if we do it for too long."

"Okay, I can work with that. Stand by to transmit."

 

[Mr Zoat]

7th January 2004
16:42 GMT

"Hello, Commander Talak."

He barely reacts, scowl deepening slightly. "He's off the bridge." He turns to Lieutenant Kragger. "Anti-boarding protocol sixteen."

Kragger bows his head in acknowledgement. "I'll get right on it, Commander."

Thanagarian armour plating means that if I want to forcibly connect myself to the system by power ring I would usually have to maintain either a filament or construct link, but a few seconds' fabrication work bypasses that requirement nicely. I put the plate back after I implanted my bug so unless their internal sensors are a lot better than I think they are they'd have to pull apart the entire ship to work out how I'm doing it. Of course, if I actually get into the primary computer core their arses are mine anyway.

I stop for a moment, wincing as a new wave of pain spreads through my abdomen. It… I think that the pain is decreasing, but it could just be that I'm getting used to it. "Commander, is there any chance I can talk you out of this? I saw what you are building in Libya. You have to realise that the attack is never going to work if we've seen it coming."

"I have nothing to say to you, monster."

"I'm a monster? I saw your plan of attack, Commander. How many are going to die even if it works perfectly?" Come on, say something incriminating.

"The Gordanian homeworld will be razed to the ground and the war will be over."

Two marines jog into view at the intersection just ahead of me. I'm getting the impression that they're a little short staffed. They get half a second to stare at me in shock before my eyebeams pierce their spines. Protocol sixteen means they're using health monitors to guide others to my location, but they only trigger if the wearer dies. Paralysis won't set them off. This is what they get for not using proper power armour.

"Don't be absurd. The original Gordanian homeworld is a slave-operated agricultural planet in the Vega Systems called Karna, and it's controlled by the Citadel Empire. You're threatening my Throne World of New Gordane."

"Whatever it is called, soon it will be ash."

"And then what? You know full well the fleet has already left and is heading to Thanagar. You've got… Days at most. Even if you carry out your objective you won't be able to stop it." This is the problem with soldiers; if someone with the fancy hat tells them that a plan will work they just put their heads down and push on. He doesn't have the authority to call the whole thing off so he probably won't even consider what I'm saying. Fortunately for me, the bridge computers had access to records on the state of the war. My alter ego hasn't exactly been Geneva Convention compliant but then neither have the Thanagarians. I can't say exactly what his motives were… "At each step of the campaign I have offered your people honourable terms. I would do so aga-."

"Terms you knew we would not accept."

"Terms you could have accepted with a minimal loss of face. I want to conquer your people and integrate them into my Empire, not eradicate them entirely."

"We remember what your people did on New Andar."

"A perfectly predictable result if you site your ground based defence systems in the middle of inhabited areas. And have a population almost entirely under arms."

"The Gordanians are slavers and raiders. Your promises mean nothing."

"I haven't broken my word at any point during this conflict. No, this is about-."

He bares his teeth as he turns to his subordinate. "Can we not get him out of the system?"

Kragger cringes slightly. "We're.. trying, sir."

"-your rulers' pride." No, this isn't working. Not too far from my objective, now. Another approach. "I was talking to Shayera about it earlier-" He goes rigid. "-and-."

"Sir,-" Kragger sidles up to him. "-he probably just got her name from our database."

"Why would her name be in your database? She's not part of your crew. No, I had a chat with her on the Watchtower… Her intelligence reports mentioned that, didn't they? We went over the plan, and she agreed that not only was it unworkable, but would almost certainly doom your species. I mean, my control over the Gordanians only goes so far. If you do this, they will hunt down every last Thanagarian in the Universe. You've seen the statistics. You know the strength of our fleet, or you would not be attempting this act of desperation. Commander, this will not result in your victory."

Ring, play recording.

"It… I didn't want to believe it, but that's what a hyperspatial bypass of that size should look like. I didn't know the war with the Gordanians was going that badly."

"Sir, that could easily be falsified."

"…the only way I can help my people.. is to help the Gordanians win the war."

"Aaaaaah!" He grabs Kragger around the upper arms. "Find him!"

Can't use rage. "She and her lover, the former Green Lantern John Stewart, are friends of mine." There's something in his response, a slight change in posture. That hurt. "Surprised? You shouldn't be. Five years apart and you show up trying to kill… How many people? All her new friends... How many are you willing to kill rather than capitulate? How many must die before Thanagar has its fill of blood?"

"Six and a half billion on Earth. Two billion on Gratan. One billion on Sesyus. AND FOUR BILLION GORDANIANS! FOR THANAGAR I WILL DESTROY EVERY ONE OF YOU!"

Thank you. "Stewart, did you get that?"

"I got it alright. Relaying now."

"Let me know when it kicks off."

Talak snaps out of it. "What? Who was that?"

"Another man. A better man than you. And you should include in your count the five billion Thanagarians on Thanagar. And the three billion Lizarkons. Not that I imagine you care about them. Hmm, or maybe they'll take my offer? Maybe they're a little less mental than you bird types."

Ah, there we are: the communications room. Better guarded than when Batman snuck in. No way I can take all that without letting someone know what I'm up to.

"All will burn. All will die. Not for the glory of Thanagar. Not even for its survival. For your pride, Commander."

I hang up. I don't know exactly what the nations of the world will do when they hear him openly saying he intends to destroy the Earth, but I do know that this ship is perfectly capable of jamming worldwide communications. At present, at least.

I fly at full speed-

"Grayven! He's here!"

-eyes glowing as beams burn through the chests of the first two guards. Immediately the other marines fire back, energy beams slamming into my construct armour. And I can't afford to let the armour go down and it's cracking already. Another two fall as I get inside melee range. The closest drops his gun and charges me barehanded while the others grab their melee weapons. Eyebeams take two more as I punch my attacker in the ribs hard enough to cave them in. No time for flashiness as the rest lunge in from all directions. I grab an arm to turn aside a mace strike and fly sideways to get outside the reach of an axe. Can't concentrate long enough for a construct. Grab, crunch-

"Huuuuuuh!"

-micro transition, shoot, agh! Two marines shot me from the far end of the corridor. I take a second to form a minigun construct, forcing them back into RAAAAAGH! AH! FUCKING FUCK FUCK! An Nth metal spear just, uhh, just hit me in the chestplate. The construct's down. EEEEagh! Trans… Transition into the communications room, eyebeam the technicians and point a fucking minigun at the door.

Ring, take their communications.

Done, Corpsman.

 

[Mr Zoat]

7th January 2004
16:47 GMT

Alright… Ugh. Cover: none. Points of ingress: one, with a construct turret keeping an eye on it. Floors, ceiling and externals are well armoured and I'll get plenty of notice if they try coming through there. The communications centre has its own power plant so they can't cut that off. Right now the world is hearing from Commander Talak's own mouth how he plans to destroy the planet.

They have the technology to well and truly mess up Earth's militaries except that without access to their full communications suite or the bridge they can only shut down things within a few miles of the ship. They can't call home either to get new orders or tell them that I'm here… Assuming they haven't done so already. Their point defences are excellent on the ship, but the hyperspatial bypass itself has only light defences. Earth militaries don't even need to destroy it completely, just smashing the power generator will shut it down. Heck, just damaging its systems a bit would alter the displacement effect too much for it to be safe for the fleet to use it.

On the down side, my wound is oozing. A-and it really hurts. It's not leaking blood as fast as it was so I think the blood vessels must be healing or.. something. Since I've got a little breathing room I should fabricate some sort of… Maybe I can just repair the armour? Actually, how much power-?

A little under nine percent remaining.

Oh. Oh well, looks like having the personal lantern in subspace is going to pay-. The minigun turret blazes away as a foolhardy marine tries sticking his head around the door. Another corpse for the pile. I'm getting plenty of fear from them but they're not sodding getting a clue! And… If I try recharging I'll lose my constructs. The turret and what's left of my construct armour. Fabricating Apokoliptian armour is fairly power intensive… I can't risk it.

My other ring warns me when the power gets low.

Yes, the fall off in functionality. The Qwardian who made this ring considered that to be a 'bug'. The idea of making a weapon that wouldn't kill people despite still having power offended him quite profoundly.

How fast can the recharge be made to happen?

If you speak the oath quickly, about five seconds.

I have to speak the oath every time?

Yes.

Fricking orange lantern doesn't make me say the oath every time.

Chin up, Corpsman. You will most likely be dead soon and then it will be someone else's problem.

Thank you. This is what I get for rushing off almost entirely uncocked when I spotted Gonzo. How far do I think the two shots of Garrick I've got left will take me? Heck, I'm in communications…

"John, you still there?"

"Still here. The US and Israel are in the process of scrambling their aircraft. About half the Thanagarian fighters have moved out to form a perimeter and most of the rest are on guard duty around the bypass generator. The Command Carrier is moving up out of the atmosphere. You need any help in there?"

"I don't suppose you ever learned to do anything medical with your ring, did you?"

"Sorry. Wasn't part of the Corps' training program. I didn't even know they could do more than splint broken bones 'till I saw you do it. You hurt?"

"Yeah."

"Bad?"

"If I were Human I'd be dead. As it is I want to lie down and do nothing for a -eureh- week or two."

"I was planning on heading down to the bypass generator, see if I can help out with the fighters. But if you need evac…"

Do I? "Okay, they don't have the resources to build a second bypas-." I take a hurried step to the side as a marine sticks his gun around the doorway and tries firing blind for a few seconds before the turret construct puts a round through his weapon. Sticking the turret outside would be better but they've gotten rather good at smashing constructs. "Uh. If the air forces take care of it, their mission is a failure and the attack doesn't happen."

"And the Earth doesn't get destroyed."

"But Commander Talak is a shockingly callous man. If they have orbital supremacy they might shoot up a few cities just to make a point. Okay. Can you teleport on board the Command Carrier?"

"I'm afraid not."

"Can you teleport near the ship? If you wreck their FTL system-."

"They'd get stranded."

"No, their shuttles are FTL capable. They'll have to abandon all of their other equipment in order to evacuate, but they could do it. Always leave them room to run."

"Then why not just leave them the Command Carrier? If I take out main weapons control-."

"Weapons control isn't centralised. And that wouldn't stop them grabbing a few asteroids and dropping them. No, we need… The soldiers have heard what I've been saying. They're trying to ignore it, but they know that their commander is perfectly happy to kill everyone as long as he destroys New Gordane as well. They're working through it, but they're scared. If the bypass gets destroyed and they've only got one way out, I think they'll take it. Plus, I-" Wait, what's happening? The marines outside communications are pulling back. "-need this ship for phase two."

"Phase two? You forget to mention something?"

"Originally, I wanted a new super team to defeat the Thanagarians. Then I found out about the President. Now, I want to present myself as the 'opposing force'." Once my insides have knitted back together, at least.

"Think you might be skipping a step." There's a pause. "Okay, Batman's back. I'll head down to the teleporter."

"Make sure you hit the ship in the right place. It's right next to the primary generator."

"Could it explode?"

"I don't think so. Thanagarian engineering is pretty solid, but we'd have to make massive repairs if the ship does a forced shutdown."

"Right."

Three grenades fly towards the doorway and the minigun turret tracks and destroys them before they get any distance into the room. They explode anyway… And the turret construct goes down. Ring what?

The explosive was seeded with trace amounts of Nth metal, Corpsman. They appear to be playing 'area denial'.

Oh dear. I create a new turret construct a little further back, behind a construct barrier. One of the marines sticks the head of his mace out and the turret shoots it, sending it flying out of his hand. Ah hell, I can still see it. I send out a filament and pull it back into the communications room and my right hand. Another volley of grenades come in. The turret automatically shoots the first which detonates as before. I pull the turret construct back before it can be destroyed while I use the barrier to knock the other grenades back through the doorway.

Ring, exactly how power intensive is transmutation?

They're all wearing breathing equipment. Chlorine won't do you much good, Corpsman.

"I was thinking dioxygen difluoride. Just enough to force them back."

Between one and two percent. If you're evacuating soon you can probably risk it.

Right then. "Soldiers of Thanagar. Burn!"

 

[Mr Zoat]

7th January 2004
16:51 GMT

Yellow beams from my eyes pass through the air outside the doorway and a brilliant white explosion radiates outwards!

"YYYEEEEAAAAHHHHHGH!"

"Full body armour! Mention it to your superiors if you ever return!"

Five percent remaining, Corpsman.

Right.

"In blackest day or brightest night-"

Another grenade flies in, meets a construct bat and flies back for a fraction of a second before detonating anyway! The bat crumbles and evaporates. Damn it! Ring, any idea what happens if I use the Garrick Formula while there's a hole in me?

None at all.

How did you become First Lantern again?

By not doing idiotic things like this. I would have never let the war between Thanagar and the Gordanians get this far. That Rayner boy has much to answer for.

Didn't you try to kill him?

I can admire competence, even amongst my enemies.

I send a filament out through the doorway near the roof. Still more marines… And mobile force field generators. They're not man-portable, but they're creating enough cover that a simple incendiary spray isn't going to kill enough of them. Internal doors are sealed so I can't just transition away… If that was safe for me in my current condition.

One near the back's got a radion blaster. Right. That's not good. The filament should be nearly invisible-.

"There!"

Or not. I extend it rapidly as a marine lunges towards it with an Nth Metal axe, grab the blaster and yank it back before the blow can sever it. Ludicrously lethal blaster and a mace. I'm rather conforming to Apokoliptian techno-barbarian type here.

"He just… Took it. How are we supposed to fight someone like that?"

"That's enough, soldier." Ah, the Commander himself. Please tell me this isn't going to turn into a duel. I'm not sure I could cope with the stupidity of it. "He's trapped. Our fighters are exterminating their primitive aircraft. We will complete our objective and then-." The ship.. rattles around us. "What now?"

Kragger comes up behind him with some sort of computer pad. "We're under attack from the outside. With the bridge out of commission and communications-."

"Take a fighter squadron-."

"We can't actually do that, sir. All fighters are currently deployed and-" Commander Talak's face is a picture. "-we can't signal them. We would have to send a shuttle down into the atmosphere in order to-" I guess his day has been worse than mine. "-get a message across. Our guns are operational, but the target is too small and emits too little radiation for them to reliably track. As long as it stays outside the range of our hull's defence field-."

"Do we at least know who is doing it?"

"It appears to be a Green Lantern, sir."

I lean forwards slightly. "Don't you Thanagarians have some sort of protocol for removing insane people from important positions? You can't possibly complete the hyperspace bypass under these conditions and they will get something through your defences eventually. Seriously, the mission was poorly conceived to start with and it's a bust now."

"It isn't if we kill you."

"No, still is! Your own intelligence reports say that Councillor Vayneek has enough support to keep the Gordanian Empire together in my absence! But he doesn't have enough.. authority, to keep the fleet in line to the degree that I do. If you want Thanagar to survive this in one piece you will take your shuttles and you will leave, now. My word that you can leave unmolested."

Yellow, yellow everywhere… Even without the ring keeping me informed, there's no mistaking that the remaining marines would much rather be elsewhere right now. Talak's still got enough wherewithal to realise that he can't be sure that his soldiers are still with him. Can I risk a recharge now? What's he going to do?

The ship rattles again.

"Hyperdrive off-line. You need anything else?"

"Let you know in a second." May as well. "In blackest day or brightest night
Beware your fears made-."

"Then I will face him myself!"

Wait, what?

"Sir, I don't think that-."

Commander Talak grabs a shield and launches himself into the air. He detonates a grenade right at the doorway a fraction of a second before passing through it, another already heading in my direction! I frantically transition to the side, trying to draw a bead on him with the radion blaster! I fire and he drops down to the deck in defiance of aerodynamics before accelerating towards me again, axe ready! Fucking Thanagarians! I activate aero discs, launch myself upwards and bend forwards, causing him to pass underneath me as he swings and misses. Blaster… Needs to recharge, right. OWFUCK! Aerobatics are not a good idea right now! I toss the blaster aside as he pulls an impossibly tight turn and comes back around. What to do when one party's a master of aerial combat and the other isn't?

Endeavour to be the master.

Not helping. Ground him! The fears of this entire ship fuel the chain I wrap around his legs to pull him to the ground. Realising that I'm not going to fire direct blasts he drops both his shield and another grenade! The chain evaporates and I'm not quick enough to get out of the blast!

Aaaaaagh! "Erh."

My construct armour starts to fail FUCK IT! I step forwards while he's still off-balance from the chain and swing the mace! It strikes him hard on the right of his chest and I see ribs give way under his skin as he's knocked aside. That's what you get for wearing stupid, minimalist faaagh!

"Commander!"

"That hurt!" Yellow beams from my eyes blast through Kragger's hand, disintegrating the energy weapon he just used to shoot me in the head.

"Huyah!" He staggers and falls to the floor.

Ow! I'm just lucky it was a sidearm! I turn back to Talak just in time to get my left bracer up to block his axe agh! He pulls back slightly as I move my mace up to a guard position. Do maces guard? His attack pierced my armour and cut into the flesh, though from the feel of it not deeply. When I get back I'm plugging myself into that mana focus thing I offered Mister Queen. Divinity should not be this hard!

Talak changes his grip, left hand at the bottom of the haft and right just under the blade. There's another grenade on his belt but I can't spare the concentration to remove it. He's trying to shield his shattered ribs with his arm but I can see blood on his lips. I'm oozing again myself. He charges forwards, shoulder down and axe out to the side. I brace -he's nothing like as strong as me- and lean into-.

FUCK!

GAH!

Die, fucker!

Fucking elbowed me in the wound then tried to axe me. He overestimated how disabled my left arm was and I caught the haft before returning the favour by kneeing him in the ribs.

OW!

He's reeling. AAAGH! I don't even use the mace, I just punch him in the jaw, sending him flying backwards. Raaagh! I swing the mace overhead and bring it down. He rolls to the side but I still hit the bone of his left wing, the discharge from the mace ripping it clean off!

"Drehurh!"

The next swing hits him in the abdomen, the one part of his chest that could be called armoured. The discharge is still enough to wind him and smack him against the wall. I lunge forwards again, grabbing his helmet and slamming his head against the wall until he goes limp!

Okay Agh. I'm about… I'm about done.

Uh-uah.

"In… In blackest day… Or brightest night…"

 

[Mr Zoat]

7th January 2004
16:55 GMT

Don't let them see you bleed.

Yellow construct manacles around his arms, wings and legs hold Kragger in front of me as a Thanagarian shield as I walk slowly and purposefully out of the communications room. With my construct armour at full strength, my injuries are neatly concealed. Plus, it lets me move my body as if I were fully intact inside. Muscles in my arm damaged? No problem, just relax it and move the armour around it. Facial tremors are a bit more of a problem. The open helm construct only partially obscures it, so I'm settling for biting my teeth together and using my ring to actually make sounds when I 'speak'..

Marines ready their weapons, but no one shoots. Kragger's just about conscious but the man dangling by the throat from my left hand isn't. Talak's chest is a sack of crushed ribs and with his helmet off his battered face is a good deal less intimidating. I make a point of making eye contact with each of the marines, making note of which ones flinch.

"Who is in charge now?" A few look at each other, but mostly their attention remains fixed on me. "No one? Well then, let me make this simple. You are leaving. Your vile attempt to destroy an inhabited world not a party to our conflict has failed. You've lost. But since I have no particular hunger for slaughter I will permit you to leave in good order so long as you do so now." I step heavily on the remains of a charred marine who was too close to the FOOF and my construct boot crushes through to the deck. I make my eyes glow as if reconsidering. "Go."

They don't move immediately. There are definitely a few seconds where I'm worried that I'm going to have to start this whole messy business all over again. Then a couple of the marines closest to me -the least yellow ones- lower their guns slightly. I dim my eyes to show willing, then roughly shove Kragger into the arms of the nearest. He checks Kragger over and then girds his mental loins to speak to me. "The… Commander…"

"Will stay with me until I've persuaded your fighter pilots to disengage. Then I will put him on the last shuttle myself." He tries and fails to match my gaze, just nodding and backing away. Despite everything I've done, they're still not fleeing. This is an ordered withdrawal. Is this what having the divine ruler of your wartime enemies turn up in person and beat your strongest fighters does? Was it Talak and I undermining their righteousness? Simple fear generated by my bloodletting while appearing uninjured? I don't shake my head, but I redouble my effort to remain focused. The pain snaps me back every few minutes but I'm definitely getting woozy.

They're pulling back. Okay, with Kragger and Talak down, who is actually in charge? Oh. That Thanagarian in white armour at the construction site was actually someone important. She's probably still down there. Talak still held up in my left hand I fold my right arm behind my back, turn and walk back into the communications room. Every step… Eeerah. Okay. The Nth metal discharge from the grenades is still in the corner I swept it to. I'd collect it up if it weren't such a pain to manipulate with constructs. I generate a construct vault door, scan the room just in case I've missed someone… Then deposit Talak on the ground, generate a construct armchair for myself and collapse into it. A-ahhhhh! Take over the world tomorrow.

"John, good work with the hyperdrive. The Thanagarians are abandoning ship. I'm going to talk the fighter craft into evacuating as well."

"You might want to hurry. Kara, Rayner and Marvel just arrived on site and they're cleaning up."

"Lethally or non-lethally?"

"Rayner and Marvel are pulling their punches, finding out how much force the Thanagarians' shields can take. Kara's just trying to take them down as fast as she can."

"Right. Any chance you could get inside the launch bay and keep an eye on things? I'm a bit of a wreck at the moment."

"Yeah, I can handle that. You sure you don't need anything?"

"Just time. Grayven out." I flop back for a moment. Okay.

…

Eeeerr. Um. Think I… Think I spaced out a bit there. Ring. Link to the communications computer.

Link established, Corpsman.

I focus on the shape of the chair, turning it into something a little more professional looking. I also remove most of the helmet, making the rest look like an armoured collar. They need to be able to see me, but I'm still shivering inside my armour and can't risk them seeing my jaw shake.

Ring, open communications with all Thanagarian vessels and personal communication units.

They can both hear and see you now, Corpsman.

"Thanagarian vessels and personnel. I am Prince Grayven of Apokolips, and I am speaking to you from the communications suite of your own command carrier. It has fallen to me. Your commander-" I hoist Talak up using chain constructs. "-has been removed from office. Your scheme to bypass my world's defences has failed, and you are now confronted by a force your fighters cannot withstand: your mothership's own weapon systems. If you wish to avoid that fate, return to the construction site, evacuate your remaining personnel and rendezvous with the ship's shuttles at Lagrange Point two for the trip back to Thanagar. There's no deadline, but if I don't see movement in the next two minutes I'm going to start shooting the slowest of you dead." End.

Communications off, Corpsman.

That it? I was waiting for you to give me marks out of ten.

You're not home free just yet, Corpsman. Impressive as it is that you've retained consciousness there's still the little matter of ensuring that the fighters don't just come up here and destroy the ship with you on it.

It would be inconvenient, but by the time it's suffered enough structural damage to be 'destroyed' I could easily have escaped. Once I get back out into space I can just boom tube around a bit, hole up in the Watchtower until my wound knits back together… Three members of my new League just worked together without me having to lock them in a room… Nightwing can clue them in about the President. Shame Eliza didn't turn up, but I suppose it's not a big deal. And the fight took place in the air after all. The Flash can't fly.

And… I'm on the floor. Aaagh. Okay. Quick check, and the Thanagarian fighters appear to be behaving themselves. I take a look at Talak. Yep, that's some nasty internal bleeding. Before I lose consciousness I should probably fix that up a bit. Ring, do the thing.

What for? He tried to kill you and billions of others.

Because his death would hurt Shayera, and I've put too much effort into her to be willing to alienate her. And it's not like the Gordanians and.. me won't kill him anyway. Killing huge numbers of people for a plan that won't work offends me on an intellectual level… But he's no threat like this and he isn't worth killing. Let him know for the brief remainder of his life that he owes it all to me.

Yellow light flickers over his body as blood is drained from internal cavities, holes and leaks are plugged and some ribs are put back into place. I'm not stupid enough to make him fighting fit again.

…

Ugh. I need to get a watch. I think I lost more time there, but I'm not-.

"Grayven." I blearily look around as Shayera flies in. Her eyes dart to Talak for a second, giving his state of health a quick assessment. "John said you were injured. We should get you to the ship's medical bay."

"The evacuation?"

"They're clearing out. Earth's militaries are letting them go." Her eyes linger on her ex, presumably making sure he's not about to become ex.

Heh.

"You heard what he said, right?"

"He wasn't always like that. I don't know what changed-."

"You hadn't seen him at his worst. It's easy to be nice when everything's going well." I float to my feet. "I can't afford to let the ship's crew see me weak. Dump Talak on a shuttle, then come back for me. I doubt medicine will do much for me, and I can lie on the floor here as easily as I can in the ship's sick bay."

She nods, and the last thing I see before my eyelids betray me again is her lifting Talak into a fireman's carry.

 

[Mr Zoat]

Stars, Crossed, part 2

24th February
11:56 GMT +3

Kandake stares in amazement as her right ring and little fingers reappear. After my first few healing sessions Sadeh suggested that I make a bit more of a drama about it. Just making it 'wave of orange and your arm's back' was weirding the Amazons out too much, particularly in the case of old or ancient injuries. So I've suppressed the nerves around the affected area and I'm taking it slowly. First, the scar tissue and the skin covering the place the fingers used to be dissolves. There's a slight intake of breath as it starts -despite what I tell them most of my patients expect it to hurt- but she looks more fascinated than anything else as a construct takes the shape of the missing bones before gradually filling in from the hand end with transmuted material.

Next come the nerves, blood vessels and tendons. Amazons had a surprisingly good knowledge of the internal structures of the Human body. She knows what the parts I'm regrowing are. Oh, she's trying to keep her hand completely still. I did tell her… With those parts complete I cover the whole thing in construct skin, taking care to match her skin pigmentation as the uppermost layer goes on. Match the length of the nail to her others… And, done.

I take hold of her fully restored hand in both of mine. "Now, I'll tell you the same thing I tell everyone else. To lose your fingers may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose them twice would start to look like carelessness." I lean forwards a little. "Do try and be careful."

I release her hand and she holds it in front of her face, staring at her restored digits. She closes her fingers into a fist and the new ones lag a little behind their compatriots. She swallows, then touches her new fingers with her left index finger. "I can't… I can't feel them. Is that… Wrong?"

"No, it's to be expected, really. I've been…" I glance at Sadeh. "Well, actually, Sadeh's been keeping records on Amazons who've had body parts restored. With recent injuries there isn't a problem, but a substantial portion of those with older injuries experience numbness and a lack of responsiveness. Did you ever experience phantom limb pain?" She looks blank. "The sensation that the fingers were still there, did you ever feel like they were touching something?"

"They… Ached, sometimes."

"Right, that's pretty common. There are several theories about why that sort of thing happens… The one that I remember -and I don't know whether it's true or not- is that without any sensation, the part of your brain that used to interpret input from the fingers connects to other things. "

"Is this.. perman-?"

"No, it's not… It shouldn't be permanent. For obvious reasons there's not a lot of research on restored body parts, but from what the first few people whose old injuries I fixed have told me, you should experience a gradual restoration of sensation as your brain adapts to the new source of data. Human brains are remarkably clever things. Now, we think.. the best way for you to speed this up is to keep using them. Basically, we want you to-" I pick up a foam ball from a nearby table. "-take this, and we want you to spend an hour each day squeezing it in your formerly injured hand. Here."

Kandake takes it from me, feeling the texture. They don't have plastic on Themyscira, for obvious reasons. No rubber either. They could grow rubber-producing plants in this climate but they don't currently have much use for it. "Like this?" She gives the ball a squeeze.

I hold out my right hand and open and close it as if repeatedly squishing the ball. "Like that." She nods and repeats the motion. "We'd also like you to keep a written record… If you start getting any feeling back, if it hurts at all…" She nods. "After about a month, if you still haven't felt anything, there are other things I can do, but they involve fiddling with your brain and I'd rather avoid that if at all possible."

"I will do as you ask." She squeezes the ball hard. "Thank you." She turns and walks away to rejoin the small group of Amazons from her village who made the journey with her.

I turn to Sadeh. "Is that it?"

She nods. "Everyone who came. I don't think there's a single woman left carrying a wound on Themyscira now, thanks to you."

I smile. "Glad to help."

She frowns as I get up to leave the Temple of Apollo which doubles as Themyscira City's hospital. "Oh, I was thinking yesterday… Have you heard of Baroness Paula von Gunther?"

I nod. "Yes, Diana fought her during the Second World War. She.. came to live here afterwards. Died about thirty years ago."

She nods. "Yes. What you've been doing… It reminds me of one of the things she designed here."

"She… Built something that could regrow-?"

"No, no. She showed me once. It could regrow flesh and.. reattach severed body parts, but it could not restore them from nothing as you can."

"She built it here? That's amazing! Where is it, does it still work?"

"It's probably still in her workshop. As far as I know the last person to have seen it would have been the Princess."

"Still in her workshop? Why isn't it in.. here? If someone comes in injured..?"

She shakes her head regretfully. "It seemed very complicated. How would I know it was working properly?"

"Okay, that's… Reasonable. If you could show me where her workshop is I could-. I'm sorry, just a moment. Ring, what time is it?"

"Eleven fifty nine local time."

!!!

"TerriblysorrybutI'msupposedtobespeakingattheSenaterightatmiddaysorry."

I see her frown as the ring calculates the route. "We don't keep time that precise-."

I transition to just outside the small amphitheatre of the Themysciran Senate. It's at the centre of the city just to the left of the palace. The guards look my way, but they're become fairly used to me appearing and disappearing by now. No cry of alarm goes up at least. Right, right, ahhh… My usual armour disappears into subspace, being replaced by what I keep wanting to call a toga but isn't. Mala was quite clear about that and I have no desire to sit through another lecture on Amazon fashion. Fortunately, she was a good deal less certain about clothing for men so I'm cheating and wearing a himation rather than a peplos. The colours gave me some trouble. My signature colours are grey, black and orange and Amazons generally favour lighter colours for their clothes. I could just do grey with orange trimmings but I need to appear as a part of the group rather than as an external force. In the end I went for pale orange cloth with a darker orange border. Since they don't have an orange dye it draws the eye, but the style is more familiar while still being distinctively mine.

I hurry up akgh!

I walk slowly and carefully up the steps, nodding politely to the two guards on duty by the doors. "Haven't started without me, have they?"

"Probably." I vaguely recognise the guard who answered, but I don't think we've been introduced. "But I wouldn't worry. We don't keep a tight schedule here in the way you're used to." She looks past me towards the entrance to the palace. "In fact…"

I turn to follow her gaze. The royal party are approaching. Two guards to the fore, then Queen Hippolyta, High Priestess Menalippe, Captain Philippus and the two guards bringing up the rear. I recognise Zosime by her reflective skin. Should really see if she still wants to keep that at some point. The group climbs the steps and Hippolyta smiles at me. I bow… Well, as much as I can in this dress thing. "Majesty."

"Paul. I'm glad that I haven't missed anything. How were things at the Temple?"

"I think I've run out of people to heal. And Sadeh said something about a healing machine Baroness von Gunther built?"

"Ah, yes. I think I remember it. You're welcome to go through her workshop. I imagine that she would be pleased that someone is making use of it. Now." She nods to her escort at they open the doors. "Shall we?"

 

[Mr Zoat]

24th February
12:03 GMT +3

I hold my hands out to the side and bow my head. "How may I serve the Senate?"

I'm facing Queen Hippolyta, but by long established custom this is a place for the Senators to discuss and interrogate. Aside from a few areas the reigning monarch is expected to stay above the debate. Similarly, while Philippus and Menalippe are here, they're here in case the Senate need their specialist knowledge of war or divinity. They sit on the Queen's right, while the Senators sit to her left by order of length of service. I only know two of them. Acantha gave me a friendly smile when I walked in. Clyemne just narrowed her eyes slightly. The others -Margarites, Paraskeve, Xenia, Eupheme and Cyanea- I don't know at all. Still, Diana did say that they're supposed to behave with a degree of comportment while in the chamber. Clyemne's actions when we first met were fine while in the forum but she'd soon get sat on if she tried that in here. The arc of chairs they occupy is actually quite small, unlike the huge hundred plus chambers I'm used to seeing at the higher levels of government in the rest of the world. Puts me more in mind of one of the old style autopsy lecture theatres, really.

"Thank you for answering our summons, Pavlos." As longest serving Senator, Paraskeve has a chairman-like role. Since the Themysciran Senate predates the modern committee and since all Senators are equal it isn't quite the same, but she'll do the initial announcements and has the right to ask questions first. "I do hope we haven't called you away from your work at the Temple of Apollo?"

"We ran out of patients." I spot my own inadvertent wordplay and smile slightly. That wouldn't translate, of course. "Anyone I haven't seen either can't travel or doesn't want my help." I'm told there are a few who feel that way. It still strikes me as odd when even Philomela of The Circle was quite happy to get her eyes back. It's interesting how reasonable those four are being with me these days. Even Alkyone barely hisses at me at all anymore.

Paraskeve nods. "There are several matters we wish to discuss with you. Firstly, your offer to assist any women of Themyscira who wish to become pregnant to do so… With other women."

"What would you like to know?"

"I'm told-" She glances at Clyemne. "-that you gave a technical explanation as to how that was possible in the forum during your first visit, but I'm afraid that most of us were not in attendance. For our benefit, would you mind repeating yourself?"

"Of course not. I was worried at the time that it might go over the audience's heads. There is a thing called 'Deoxyribonucleic acid'… usually abbreviated to 'DNA'. It is a chemical mechanism which -under certain circumstances- can build a.. person. I can provide a full written explanation as to how it functions, but.. if you could just take it on faith for this discussion?" She waves her right hand in a 'carry on' motion. "Usually a person gets half the mechanism from their mother and half from their father-. Again, I can-."

"Please assume that we are willing to read up on this afterwards. We are aware that natural philosophy has advanced somewhat in Man's World."

"Sorry. Um, essentially, aside from the chromosome -the component- which determines gender... Men have a 'Y' chromosome, women don't. Aside from that, it really doesn't make a difference if the DNA comes from two women or a woman and a man. Or two men, really, though obviously they'd have to have someone willing to carry the child to term. Other than the obvious difficulty in getting them to combine when, ah, the Human reproductive system isn't really designed to work in that way." I shrug. "With a power ring, it's fairly simple for me to merge them manually, trigger the.. process and implant them into a womb."

"How many children have been born this way?"

"Um… Similar techniques have been used by any number of species across the galaxy. If you're talking about Humans… To the best of my knowledge, no children have been brought to full term having been conceived in this way. Earth's technology simply isn't advanced enough to replicate what I do, and it would be very difficult to do with a green power ring."

"Have you had any volunteers?"

"Yes. Five couples and two groups. It's not really much harder for me to merge DNA from multiple individuals."

She raises her eyebrows. "Who?"

Ah. "There's a custom in the country of my birth called doctor-patient confidentiality. I'm not supposed to talk about their medical situation without their express consent. Also, it's considered unlucky to talk about it in the first twelve weeks of the pregnancy anyway because that's when most miscarriages happen." Though I've done my best to eliminate the genetic causes I've been clear with them and with myself that things will go wrong in a small number of cases. "If you'd like me to ask them if they're willing-."

"That's quite alright. They can hardly conceal themselves indefinitely." She looks at me for a moment. "Why are you doing this?"

"Seeing yellow dolls everywhere was weirding me out. Queen Hippolyta explained the situation with the.. whittle-babies to me." Faces tighten and eyes are averted. "It seems to me that having actual children is a much better idea. The island can easily support a population… What, twenty times what it is now? So there's no worry there. I'm making it available to everyone, so none of the, um-" I glance at Queen Hippolyta. "-jealousy that arose from Princess Diana's creation should occur. It just seemed like an obvious solution to me."

"Did you consult anyone before making the offer?"

"I.. read up on Amazon society in general and spoke to Princess Diana about it. And Eris may have egged me on a bit."

"I see. It did not occur to you that it may be wise to consult us, for example?"

"No. No changes in the Themysciran legal code were required, having babies isn't a crime… As you said yourself, you're going to have to do a lot of reading before you can really understand what I'm doing… There didn't seem to be any point."

"Hpf." That came from Clyemne. The others ignore it.

"Traditionally, the Senate has taken an active role in overseeing potentially.. disruptive social shifts. While I appreciate that you may simply have been ignorant of this fact, it really would have been better for you to have come to us first."

"No, with all due respect I don't think it would. Princess Diana was created eighty five years ago. You've had eighty five years to talk about this. Well, no, you've had three thousand years to talk about this, but that should have given you a nudge. If you haven't reached a conclusion yet, I'm forced to assume that you're just not going to. And if you're not going to…" I shrug. "I'm leaving the planet in four months' time. There's a limited window for this to happen. I realise that Amazon society isn't big on urgency…" I shrug again.

"The conditions of Princess Diana's birth were unique. We never reached a consensus on whether it would be wise to try asking Gaea to use her magics in that fashion again."

"That's the problem, right there. If there isn't a consensus in favour, nothing happens. The system favours conservatism and the need I see, the need I perceive directly in the souls of so many of my fellow citizens, goes unanswered. I am not a conservative individual. After three thousand years… Two thirds of which have been in near total isolation… I think we need a metaphorical kick up the arse." I create a sandaled foot construct and have it making a kicking motion before dismissing it.

"I suppose I can understand that point of view. Secondly, your request for a theatre troupe to travel with you to the United States of America."

"I didn't actually say 'America'. I said anywhere, though there is a certain logic to going to America."

"Why a theatre troupe?"

"Because theatre is one of the few areas where Themyscira has something… Where it can approach the other nations of the world as an equal. There are plays here no one else in the world has ever seen, and millions of people are positively salivating at the idea of having access to Sappho's work. There's already an interest in Amazon culture, and… It would let the players get a look at a foreign country in a professional setting. I should probably say that I want to sneak Io away-."

"Again." Clyemne's interjection goes unremarked. She has a point.

"I had her permission in advance, and I think that she found the meeting with Hephaestus rewarding."

Menalippe looks down at me with the air of a mother forced to scold her offspring for eating soil again. "Lord Hephaestus, Paul."

"He said he was cool with it?"

 

[Mr Zoat]

24th February
12:21 GMT +3

"I'm not saying that there aren't military applications or that I don't want to use it for making weapons or armour at all. What I'm saying is that I'm mostly focused on industrial applications at the moment."

"And how long do you intend to maintain that focus?"

"I don't know enough about the properties of orichalcum to answer that with any certainty. But I will point out that as far as I know the only Human on the planet who knows how to make the stuff is Io. Anyone else who learns will have to be taught by her."

"And they in turn could teach others."

"Having not been taught the process myself, I can't say for sure. I assume so. King Orin's armour was made using an inferior form of the metal, so I assume that the Atlanteans used to know how to do it. But that might have been Vulcan teaching one of his devotees. Please understand, most of the world doesn't forge weapons like you do anymore. A lot of the skills involved either don't exist or are extremely rare."

Clyemne rolls her eyes. "Really."

"I would of course be happy to show you how most places make weapons. Or you could use the foreign currency the trade would generate to upgrade your weaponry… Use the industrial contacts to upgrade your own production. My… Opinion? Is that unless you're building orichalcum automata -and as far as I know you're not- the actual advantage you get from forging weapons of orichalcum wouldn't be significant in the event of actual hostilities with another country. Orichalcum just... It takes too long to make."

Xenia raises a hand to attract my attention. "Where do you intend to have Io give this instruction?"

"Wherever she likes. I'd like it to happen here, and for metamaterials to become a major Themysciran export. It would be faster to train people with an existing understanding of forging processes, women Io could explain what she does to in a way they'd understand. But, if you prefer, I'm sure I can find other places happy to host the production facilities."

Clyemne turns her head towards the royal box. "Captain, would you care to give a less biased view of the extent to which sharing this technique would weaken our defences?"

Ah. Interesting approach Clyemne is taking this time. Interesting in the sense that she's clearly assumed that the royal box is in favour of what I'm doing -as I understand it, they're not, they just don't want to stop me- and is trying to manoeuvre Philippus into a position where she feels obliged to criticise me. Also interesting in that it's showing that she has no idea at all how modern armies fight. I remember seeing an old film set in ancient Egypt, where the Egyptians were using bronze weapons and it was a major intelligence coup for a physician to get an example of a neighbouring nation's iron swords.

Philippus thinks for a moment. "I'm not qualified to talk about the wider economic issues. But it took us three thousand years to create as much orichalcum as we have now. Our warships are made of wood. Now that we know Lord Hephaestus approves I was planning to ask Io to start teaching other smiths anyway. And traders have always been a useful way of keeping track of what our trade partners are doing with what we sell to them."

"The main reason why it takes so long to make is that Io was forced to use magic to get the gold to a high enough purity. If you want to move rapidly to a wholly orichalcum-equipped military I'm perfectly happy to give you enough pure gold to do that. Though I should point out that several countries have mechanical purification techniques they would be perfectly happy to trade with you."

While 99.9 percent pure gold produced noticeably worse orichalcum than the 100% pure stuff I provide, Io admitted to me that she usually only gets what she uses to about 98% pure anyway. Or she was. Since meeting Hephaestus in person she's started going over her techniques from scratch to see how she needs to improve them. I gave her a couple of translations of Sephtian's books but she told me that she can't really relate what she knows to what's in them. From how she was talking about looking forward to meeting him despite having to leave Themyscira to do so I'm starting to worry that she's going a bit fundamentalistic. I'm not even sure how that works with Olympians.

If she starts building mechadendrites I'm pulling the plug.

Philippus nods. "That would be useful. But I understood from Princess Diana that the manufacturing techniques employed in Man's World required large amounts of fuel. Themyscira has wood and charcoal but little coal and no…" She frowns. "Oil?" I nod. "Becoming dependent on our neighbours for fuel seems unwise."

"There are alternatives. I…" Oh, I have no idea how to begin explaining Bleed Torsion Generators. "One of the things I'm working on is a box about this big-" I hold my hands out. "-that can power pretty much whatever you want. Use that and you wouldn't have to worry about fossil fuel dependency. Alternately, we're also going to be working on magic based energy production. Atlantean society has developed magecraft to a very sophisticated level and I'm sure arrangements could be made for them to provide tuition to any Themysciran citizen who wanted it."

"And where do you intend for this tuition to take place?"

That's the first thing Margarites has asked. "Wherever those involved want it to. Assuming that a substantial proportion of the population would rather not encounter foreigners, we could build a school on one of the smaller islands. Alternately, we could set up a Dolmen Gate-."

"Are those the things the Justice League use? The Senate's position on those is quite clear."

"No, Senator Clyemne. The League uses Zeta Tubes. A Dolmen Gate is a purely arcane device and isn't prohibited by current law. It doesn't require a conventional power source-. Ah, a power source that would be considered conventional in most places. We could put one Gate somewhere on Themyscira and its paired Gate in an air room in Atlantis or.. just about anywhere, really."

"And other people could use them to come here? They would bypass the goddesses' wards?"

"I… Yes, the Gates are a two-way thing. I haven't checked, but I assume that they would bypass the wards. Obviously we'd have to either expand the wards-."

A few eyebrows go up. What? "You wish to alter the wards?"

"I'd… I haven't planned that particular part in any detail. Based on what I know about the way the wards work and the way the Gates work it seems likely that the effect could be extended to the Gate on the far side. If we actually went down that route I'd try talking to the goddesses who created it about it first. It's quite possible that they would be willing to extend it. In fact, it's possible that the far end would be covered anyway. Just… Point out… Three thousand years and no one here has the slightest idea how those things work."

"They work very well!" Don'tlaughdon'tlaughdon'tlaugh! "Regardless of the nature of your relationship with your own patron, most Olympians expect the reverence that is their due."

"Really? That's not been my experience."

Menalippe looks a little uncomfortable, but she raises her left hand to forestall Clyemne's aggressive rebuttal.. "What.. exactly.. do you mean by that?"

"Since the first time I came to Themyscira I've met-" I count on the fingers of my left hand with my right index finger. "-Eris, Hera, Hephaestus, Gaea-" There's an intake of breath. "-and Ploutos."

Hippolyta leans forwards, her eyes wide. "How did you meet Gaea?"

"Bumped into her when I dropped Euanthe off." That doesn't appear to be sufficient. "A demon by the name of Nergal was using her as the Earth-side anchor point for a portal between Earth and Hell. A couple of my friends and I destroyed the portal and freed her and.. brought her back here." No one says anything for a moment. "She seemed nice."

Menalippe recovers first. "When you asked me for a list of missing minor divines I thought that you were being facetious. I hadn't realised that you were actually undertaking rescues."

"I was a bit, but if there are any..?"

"Aaaahhh…" She blinks. "The Muse Calliope has not been seen for some time, but her sisters assume that she has simply-."

"Muse?"

"Yes. They are spirits of-."

"Inspiration." And I know of only one story in DC canon featuring them. I don't remember the name of the Muse in question… But I did hear a television news report of a dead author recently… "For how long?"

"About sixty years, but for an immortal being-."

Is it her? Can't take the chance. "Excuse me... I'm sorry, but I need to attend to this immediately."

 

[Mr Zoat]

24th February
05:29 GMT -4

Global population six point two billion. The target… What do I remember? Male, so half that. Three point one billion. Caucasian… Assuming he hasn't been race lifted. I haven't noticed that happening to anyone here, so let's assume that it holds true. Ring, I can barely believe that I'm going to ask this, but what proportion of the world's population is Caucasian?

Approximately seventeen percent of the Human population possess the physical features commonly assigned to that ethnic group.

Seventeen percent of three point one billion is five hundred and twenty seven million. Was he American? I don't remember. No, that isn't going to work, I can't just eliminate… The dead author… Erasmus Fry. Assume he was the older man from the comic. Ring, professional-? No. They didn't have anything to do with each other after the exchange. Translation conventions mean I can't even be sure he was writing in English. Ring, top selling white male authors of the last… Um… Twenty years.

A list appears in my mind.

Narrow by… He came out of nowhere, didn't he? New authors. Ignore doorstoppers, look for things that are both popular and well reviewed by professional critics. Okay, I… I think there was a film? Wait, would Morpheus have freed her and then just left her? Any authors committed to asylums? Oh. That's a depressing figure. Access patient records, any matching..?

No patients in requested category matching stated symptoms.

Okay, film. Ring, narrow list by authors with at least one adapted work. A little better. What else can I use? If he were supercharged with inspiration… His work would be similar to what he wrote before, but it would be… Better developed. Would it? Could I detect that sort of tonal change? Ring, can you do literary analysis?

This ring can cross-reference the contents of known works but is incapable of detailed analysis of thematic content without significant user involvement.

Okay. He lived alone. Otherwise he would have risked someone finding her. Ring, narrow list. Right. I think he was near the beginning of his career. Arrange by date of first publication, most recent to oldest. Still more names than I'd like, but I should be able to get through them in a few hours. He wasn't a magic user, was he? No, it was the other fellow who trapped her, there's no reason to assume that his home would be warded. Eh, I can add sonic scans anyway. And it's not like it's a bad thing if I find a different woman chained up in a basement.

First on the list, Joseph Camden. Apparently he's quite popular… When was the last time I read a book? My last work of fiction… Four months? I've only read a couple since getting to this Earth. With these surroundings, fiction's a bit obsolete. Transition.

24th February
01:31 GMT -8

A block of flats in Los Angeles. Scan. No chained up woman. Next, Douglas Alexander. Transition.

24th February
17:31 GMT +8

Another block of flats, this time in Hong Kong. She's not here. Next?

24th February
21:31 GMT +12

No. Next?

24th February
01:32 GMT -8

!!!

Got you. Ring, where's Diana?

Unable to detect. Accessing Justice League zeta tube records. Diana is presently located in Mount Justice.

I look down at the home of Mister Richard Madoc. He's sleeping the peaceful sleep of the guilt free, a half filled notebook on his bedside table. Inside him… He wants fame, success and.. he wants to write. She… Rape is usually a power thing, violently enforcing a control dynamic. As far as I can tell he doesn't think about what he does in that way. He regards her as a thing, a vessel for him to get what he wants. He's a remarkably orange individual.

The woman I'm assuming is Calliope is bound by a thick leather collar, linked by a chain to an iron ring set in the basement wall. She's presently asleep as well, though her rest is far more disturbed than his. There's a… A bucket for her to excrete into, and a hose which I presume-. And the residue of his most recent assault.

I lift my left hand to my ear. Ring, contact Diana, would you?

Compliance.

I hear a ringing tone, though I know the ring is just providing that for my benefit. Half past four in the morning where she is so unless there's been some sort of emergency I imagine that she's asleep. I think she'd want to be woken for-.

"Wonder Woman, go ahead."

"Orange Lantern here. How quickly can you be in San Francisco?"

"About two minutes. What's happening?"

"The Muse Calliope is being held against her will in the home of the author Richard Madoc. A cursory examination suggests that he's been raping her for inspiration."

"Hera. I'm on my way."

"Thank you. Orange Lantern out."

Mister Madoc's home is a detached building located in the Monterey Heights area. Not hugely expensive, but certainly indicating someone who is quite comfortably off. He's made good money on… Three extremely popular novels, a poetry collection and a play? They even let him direct the film adaptation. Whoever green lit it liked it so much they didn't even try and do the usual author rip off. I think Wallace told me that he went to see it. Three Oscars.

We actually did training on how to handle rape survivors. I'm not sure how much of it applies to multimillennial demigoddesses… Ring, notify local police and request assistance.

Notification sent.

I want to wait until Diana gets here so that she can be the one Calliope sees first. I remember thinking once that the correct response to situations like that was counter intuitively one of joy, as the fact that I know about it means that I can make it stop while if I remained in ignorance it would still be going on. It turns out that like many things that are philosophically true it doesn't bear out in reality. What to do in the meantime? Certainly, there are all sorts of horrible things I could do, up to, including and beyond killing the feculent piece of Human-shaped excrement. But, no. That's just not the sort of person that I am.

Giant orange claws manifest in the air around me and then rip through the roof and external walls of his bedroom. I don't chuck them away as that would just make a mess and endanger life. Instead, as Mister Madoc wakes up and stares up at me in terror I deposit the rubble gently into his garden. Lights in several neighbouring houses come on as I drift closer. He's… He's got his notebook out. Ring, disintegrate.

Compliance.

There's an orange flare as it crumbles to nothing.

"Whu-? Who the hell are you!?"

"I'm Orange Lantern two eight one four. I'm here-."

"What have you done to my house?"

"I'm here to arrest you for kidnap, rape and false imprisonment." Orange manacles appear on his arms and legs and hoist him into the air. "I will be handing you over to the local police just as soon as they arrive. In fact-." I create a large orange sigil in the air over the house. "-I'll mark the location for them. Oh, and ring?" I look at my left hand. "Notify all the newspapers, would you?"

 

[Mr Zoat]

24th February
13:19 GMT +3

I reappear in the Senate building, almost exactly where I left. The debate has carried on without me, but it comes to a halt as they notice me. "Sorry about that."

Menalippe smiles indulgently down at me. "You show an impressive dedication to duty. Were you able to find our missing Muse?"

"Yes. She's… Diana's.. looking after her in the embassy at the moment."

"I do hope she didn't cause you too much trouble."

"That's not… I wouldn't, um…" My eyes drop to the floor for a moment. "The police will want a statement.. but under the circumstances I don't think they'll actually need her to testify."

Hippolyta's face hardens. "What happened?"

"It turns out... Muses can be... Compelled, to provide inspiration. Her original abductor has.. died, and her most recent… Her most recent captor is in police custody." I feel a slight impulse to apologise on behalf of all men. I know that not all rapists are men and not all victims are females, but by far the majority are. And of the women I'm looking at, any who weren't born on the island would most likely have been on the receiving end when Herakles overran the old city.

"What will happen to him now?"

"He will be detained until a trial can be convened… Given Diana's interest I imagine it will be held sooner rather than later. There's no realistic prospect of him being acquitted… Under the California Penal Code rape is punishable by between three and eight years imprisonment per.. incident. Given the… Situation.. she was in, I don't imagine he'll ever be released."

She showed surprising resilience, actually. When we went into the.. dungeon, I made a point of keeping back, but Diana had me remove the collar and clean… Clean her, with the ring. She recognised Diana and she didn't.. shy away from me. I know from the thing with the League of Shadows that power ring scans are admissible as evidence, and no jury would listen to anyone questioning a sworn statement from Wonder Woman. The CSI people can make do with pictures of her cell. She even came to watch Mister Madoc being taken into police custody, though she clearly wasn't in any state to speak to anyone.

Though that might have been because of the sheer number of people around. I got the exact level of attention that I wanted. It turns out that when someone affiliated with the Justice League requests police assistance they come in loaded for supervillain. I got to meet San Francisco's Special Response Team, a whole chunk of the city got cordoned off and there's no way anyone missed who was being taken away. A few journalists followed the police, which also gave me the opportunity to explain why he was being arrested. Or, 'it is my understanding that he will be questioned regarding', but they spotted Diana leading Calliope away from his house. Doubt it'll make the morning papers but it will probably be… Are there still afternoon additions? And on their websites as soon as they can wake a journalist up to write the article.

This really isn't something I… No, it would have been terrible whenever it came to light, but I hope that Clyemne isn't going to try to-. "And what else?"

No, she is. "I'm sorry, but with Calliope free and the perpetrator arrested and being held awaiting trial, my.. involvement is over. If you are interested in how the American legal system works, I'm sure that Diana-."

"Princess Diana."

I pause for a moment. "I'm sorry. Of course. I'm sure that she would be happy to explain it to you."

"Imprisonment for the remainder of his life? Is that all?"

"Rapists tend to be extremely unpopular with other inmates, but that is the extent of the court-mandated punishment, yes."

"He will not be executed? Or gelded?"

"In the United States, some areas execute murderers, and I believe that treason can be punished by execution in some cases. Rapists are not executed. Removing body parts would be considered 'cruel and unusual' and thus prohibited by their constitution for any offence, regardless of the severity. I'm… Really not the best person to ask about this."

"How long was Calliope subject to assaults from these brutes?"

"The only one able to answer that question would be her, and I didn't think.. putting her to question immediately was the right course of action. But… Most likely, on and off for the entirety of her disappearance."

There's a collective intake of breath. Menalippe blinks as she tries to get her head around the idea. "There are people who would dare to treat a goddess such?"

"There is no deed so foul that someone somewhere won't commit it. And we're going to try to avoid telling people that she is a Muse." Menalippe shakes her head in incomprehension. "If it became public knowledge that raping a Muse gives you supernatural inspiration, I'm concerned that other people-."

Clyemne jumps to her feet. "And this is the nation that you wish us to have further contact with? One where such men-."

"Are punished for the crimes they have committed. No one other than the two people who were holding her knew that she was there. I don't know how they got her into the country, but that will be investigated. She was held in either an isolated place, or in a cell designed to prevent sound from escaping. There are procedures for hunting for kidnap victims but no one knew to look for her. Once I did, she was free inside ten minutes. When information of what happened spreads, everyone who hears about what happened will condemn the perpetrators. What more do you want?"

Clyemne glances along the row of her fellow Senators and then back to me. "I want their names."

I blink and shake my head. "Okay... Erasmus Fry and-."

"No!" Menalippe is staring at Clyemne, her eyes wide. "Do not answer her!"

Clyemne glares right back. "It would only be just. Do you truly not believe that the gods would have an interest?"

"I'm sorry, I seem to be missing something?"

Menalippe keeps staring Clyemne down. "The senator wishes to call the Furies down upon them."

I squeeze my eyes shut. "Oh, no, don't do that."

"You see! This-!"

"Don't do something that would make me feel obliged to protect that bastard. I don't know what the exact right punishment for his crime is, I doubt there is one. But life imprisonment seems to be… At least not completely unreasonable."

Clyemne breaks eye contact with Menalippe to look down at me with distaste. "You would protect this man?"

"Yes. That's my job. There is no.. grave injustice, no colossal and overwhelming need which requires us to throw out every existing law of civil society! You don't get to call in arcane life forms to murder a man because you're unhappy with the sentence the courts pass!"

Hippolyta stands. "And you will not discuss committing murder against a foreign citizen in this chamber. You are overstepping your bounds, senator."

Clyemne's mouth tightens as she gets her anger under control. A moment passes before she nods in acquiescence. "I apologise, my Queen. My disgust got the better of me."

Queen Hippolyta nods, then turns to me. "Under the circumstances, I think a break in proceedings is appropriate. Paul, you have our thanks for liberating Calliope." I bow. "For better or worse, you have given us a great deal to think about. We will reconvene in one hour."

 

[Mr Zoat]

24th February
13:39 GMT +3

"… red numbers represent great fleets of warships?" Myrto picks up the card she was looking at.

I finally found people who will play this game with me. Yes, the fact that they've been in prison for longer than I've been alive might have something to do with it, but I'm not going to look a gift-horse in the mouth. Even with ring-assisted recall I couldn't possibly remember every card in the game, but that doesn't really matter because most of the cards were unplayable rubbish. Recreating the decks I actually used to own wasn't difficult at all. Not that the cards were ever printed in Themysciran Greek.

"Sort of. The card type represents fleets of all sizes, from small groups of vessels on patrol around your people's territory to huge quantities of warships owned by a vast alliance of people. And in a few cases huge monsters."

"And these ships fight between worlds?"

"In this.. game it.. doesn't really matter, since it's more usually about winning a particular face off rather than actually conquering anywhere. And there's not really much point fighting in the middle of nowhere. But, yes, fleet engagements take place outside the planet's atmosphere. Other than the very smallest, they're not designed to work inside one."

She nods. "Green is their skill as a diplomat. Blue, their skill as a spy. Orange their skill as a war leader and purple… Magic?"

"It's not precisely magic, I just said that it was like magic. Telepathy lets a person affect the thoughts of people around them, but it doesn't let them do anything more… Anything more exotic."

She raises her eyebrows. "Affecting a person's mind is not exotic?"

"Compared to some of the things I've seen magic users do on this world? No. They can pick out information if you're not trying to conceal it or muddle your senses a little. Only the strongest can actually attack someone's mind or control them."

She picks up a copy of the Psi-Corps Ambassador. "His magic… His telepathy seems stronger than the skills of the other leaders."

"It has to be, because on the scale the game takes place there are much fewer applications for it. He can control the mind of one person. Ambassador Delenn-" I pass her the 'Grey Council Diplomacy' deck. "-is one of the nine rulers of the people. Her decisions affect the lives of hundreds of billions, both her own people and those they have diplomatic relations with."

"And victory is achieved by leading your people to pre-eminence."

"Yes."

"When you explained it, the sequence of the turns sounded somewhat complicated."

"It… It is, and that… And the time games take to finish is probably why the game never really caught on. It's not too bad once you get the hang of it and… Hey, there are four of you, and since you don't age and you're locked in a couple of rooms… It's perfect."

Charis leans over her Circlemate's shoulder. "Why does the one playing with a strong military not simply win every time?"

"Having a fleet in play doesn't mean that a fleet has been built. It can, but usually it just means that the fleet has become available for your Ambassador to direct. If they went to war, whatever fleets the military player controlled would be met by the full force of the other player's people. That, and the fact that the Ambassadors are not the sole rulers of their peoples. Persuading their governments to declare war, given how expensive that is in both life and money, is no simple matter." She nods. "No group in the setting has the power to overwhelm all of the others. Most of these decks have some fleets in them, so if one player starts getting too aggressive-."

"The other players have what they need to unite against them and put them in their place."

"Yep. That's the main reason I like intrigue -spying- so much. Everyone's got some diplomacy and some military, but a lot of these decks have next to no intrigue. The most reliable military deck I have is mostly about posturing while you build up to the point where you can cow the others into submission."

"The game will have to wait." Myrto and Charis step back as Alkyone approaches, Philomela just behind her. That's unusual. She may not growl at me anymore but she made it clear that she doesn't like me. She usually just sits out of the way when I visit.

I shrug. "None of us are going anywhere. What can I do for you?"

She sits in front of the opening between the cell quarters and the rest of the world, staring at me. "I was told that there was something you wanted to say to me."

"Yes, I want to apologise for the way I spoke to you when we first met. I was rude and excessively aggressive, particularly regarding your desire to-." Her eyes harden. "You know."

Her eyes move to the side and she breathes slowly, as if steeling herself for something. "I… Accept."

"Oh. I.. honestly wasn't expecting that."

Her eyes move over my face and to the cards on the small shelf between us. "You healed Philomela and have faithfully obeyed the Queen's order to communicate with us. I dislike the situation, but I am prepared to entertain the idea that you are not my enemy."

"Thank you." I smile and extend my right hand through the gap. She looks at it for a moment, then takes hold and shakes it. "I was just taking a break down here while the senate calms down. I wasn't expecting to actually get anywhere today."

She lets go and -hah!- she wipes her hand under the shelf where she thinks I can't see it. "You told me when we first met that you would consider it your duty as a citizen to reveal the Dragon's duplicity."

"If any exists -and I'm not convinced it does- then yes, I do."

"What I am about to tell you is an unbroken secret within our sisterhood. If I tell you why we hate her, why we were prepared to go against our Queen to kill her, you will not share that knowledge with another soul. You will investigate and you will bring such evidence as you find to me."

"Queen Hippolyta is my queen and I am oathbound to obey Diana for the next four months. I don't think they will order me to tell them if you have asked me not to, but they might. Otherwise, of course."

Alkyone considers for a moment, then nods. "What do you know of her creation?"

"The authorised version? Hippolyta wanted a daughter, she made a model from the clay of Themyscira and…" I didn't actually ask for details, beyond checking that 'clay model brought to life' was what happened here. "One of the goddesses brought it to life?"

"It was no goddess. The matter from which the Dragon's body was made was taken from the Hekatonkheir Cottus."

"Okay?" She scowls at me. "Is that bad? I'm a bit behind on my Greek mythic cycles, but weren't the Hekatonkheires on the Olympian side during the fight with the Titans? I mean, it's a bit weird that Hippolyta hasn't told anyone, but it's not like Diana is Uranus' daughter or anything."

"Perhaps they were allies once, but they have spent thousands of years in Tartarus. The creature I saw on that night is nothing that should be on Themyscira."

"Since when do Amazons care who a daughter's father is?"

"Since she was given life through magic and not through natural means. He has some inhuman design for we Amazons, and she is part of it."

I sit back. "So, you want me to find out what it is? Or find out from Hippolyta if she's been keeping secrets about Diana's creation from everyone?"

"Yes."

"Okay. I can do that. But… This has got to be an end to it. If I examine everything, and there's no plot... If it was just Hippolyta lying and there's nothing particularly sinister going on… I expect you to apologise to Diana and-" She screws up her face in revulsion. "-accept her as your Princess."

I watch the red swirl under her skin for several moments. "If… If your investigation is truly exhaustive-."

"It will be, and I'm happy to be Truth Lassoed to prove it."

"Then yes, I will. But it will not come to that."

 

[Mr Zoat]

24th February
16:19 GMT -5

How the hell am I going to do this?

I lean across my table at Rick's Café, forehead resting on the palm of my right hand. Not a lot of competition for tables at this time of year. Happy Harbour isn't set up for winter tourism and locals have the sense to get seats inside. Okay. I'm pretty sure that Diana will cooperate without asking too many questions. Certainly she hasn't been pressing me about all the times I've vanished with Zatanna. Oh no, she doesn't think I'm dating her as well, does she? Ukh.

What do I think might have happened? One, Alkyone might have had a bit much to drink, seen something weird and projected her own internal psychoses onto something external. I know she wants a daughter herself, she saw the woman she's devoted to getting one, she couldn't hate her… Seems like a stretch.

Two, Hippolyta actually made a deal with Cottus for a daughter. Not knowing much about Cottus beyond the fact that he isn't on the 'Have No Dealings' list, I don't know how much of a thing that is. I checked before I left this morning and there wasn't a lot on Cottus in the Library of Athena. I don't know anything about his interests or character. Whatever Hippolyta offered, it's been eighty six years and either payment hasn't come due or it's been paid off and no one noticed. The gods of Olympus have had plenty of time to express their displeasure and they haven't. Several of them have had direct dealings with her.

Why would Hippolyta lie about it? Having Diana be the creation of a goddess would make her more palatable to the Amazons, no doubt about it. Having children is a very sensitive subject now and it was even more so back then. She.. could be ashamed? Maybe there was a deal and she doesn't want anyone to know about it? Mind control is unlikely; she's a demigoddess herself. If it even worked she'd throw it off after a while and someone would have spotted Cottus creeping into the palace to renew it. The guy's huge.

Three… What? She genuinely believes that she had Gaea's aid and happens to be mistaken? She somehow missed the giant form of Cottus looming over the grove while Alkyone didn't? Cottus dumped a load of his own earth over the whole area and that was what got used for making Diana? Oh! Actually, I can test for that one. There's no way he'd be able to remove it all. I can scan the area for chemical differences and take samples for Sephtian to play with. I sit up slightly. Getting somewhere.

Telepathic probes and magic could also reveal memory alterations, though after this much time everyone involved would have replayed the memories so often that there'd be little of the original events left. But John or M'gann might be able to get a trace on any interference. Have to eliminate other instances of interference. I know that Circe has hit Hippolyta with mind effect spells at least once since Diana became active. Might she have..? No, the Amazons had basically nothing to do with her until she started going after Diana. I mean, she might, but it isn't very likely.

Thaumic signatures are a thing. Could I test Diana for similarities with other divine beings? No, that… I don't know of any other offspring of Cottus. Gaea's offspring were the Titans… Bit out of my league. No, wait, Euanthe called Gaea 'mother'. I should be able to find a Dryad and from what I've read they're usually pretty indifferent to what us mortals get up to so I wouldn't have to worry about them spilling the beans. Would it be worth trying to get hold of Gaea herself? Eh, Diana told me that meeting her was extremely unusual and that has been borne out by the Amazons' records. Wouldn't hurt to give it a go but I'm not going to try relying on it.

Talk to Cottus? As far as I understand it, I am allowed to go into the underworld. Hades would expect an offering but it's not like I can't afford something for him. Could be interesting to find out what he actually does with his time now that hardly anyone who worships the Olympians dies anymore. I.. rather get the impression that he's not one of the easy going Olympians so I'd need to be on my best behaviour but as long as I am he's unlikely to do anything worse than say 'no'. Heck, there's a fair chance I'd end up down there if I died.

Weird thing to think, that. I've gone from the firm belief that there is no afterlife to knowing I can just stroll into one. Well… I think I prefer how they run things here.

What else do I need to do? I need to check the Lasso of Truth, find out whether it can be bypassed. And I can't assume that what Diana told me about it is accurate. This whole thing could be settled by just walking Diana in front of the Circle with the Lasso on her and asking if she's up to anything, but only if I can establish that it can be relied upon. If it turns out that the 'rightful owner' or a demigoddess can just ignore-.

"Hey, you're Paul, Conner's friend, right?"

I jerk upright. It's… "Miss Beecher, good afternoon." I look to the chap accompanying her. "Mister Duncan."

"Can I talk to you real quick?"

"Certainly?"

She pulls out a chair and sits down. "Is Conner cheating on Megan?"

Huh? "Um… I don't.. think so? What makes you ask?"

"I saw him getting friendly with another girl before school today."

I shake my head in puzzlement as Mister Duncan joins us at the table. "Could you.. describe her to me? Maybe I know her."

"Aah, white girl, about your height, black hair just past her shoulders at the back-."

"White as in pasty features like me, or a slight tan?"

"Maybe a tan?"

"Then I'd have to see her to be sure, but that sounds like Diana. "

"Oh okay, so-?"

"Kon's mother."

Miss Beecher's face twists into a picture of pure mortification while Mister Duncan turns to her with a very small smile. "I told you there wasn't anything to worry about."

"What exactly were they doing that got you so concerned?"

"They hugged, and she kissed him on his cheek." She puts her right hand to her forehead. "And I'm seeing that in a whole different light now."

I try not to smile too hard. "Glad I've been able to clear that up for you."

"Hope I look that good when I'm… How old is she?"

"She has aged very well."

"Hey, ah…" She appears to recover a little. "Do you know where Megan's vanished to? I've been trying to talk to her all day and she just keeps disappearing."

I shake my head. "I'm afraid not. I haven't.. seen her today. I should be meeting her later, though. If you'd like to tell me what it's about I can pass a message on."

"I'm organizing a school blood drive and I'd like all the Bumblebees to sign up-."

"Ooooh." I hold up my right hand. "Yeah, she's… Not going to be participating in that." I shake my head. "Sorry." I mean, alien blood in general circulation? The wrong type of Human blood can easily kill a person, I dread to think what alien blood would do. I remember the Skrull Cows. Hm, how to handle this? We have discussed the possibility of various types of identity revelation before. I think the appropriate response here is 'minimal information release'. Otherwise she'll just hound the two of them and they won't be able to explain themselves properly.

"Why, is she afraid of needles or something?"

"No, it's a bit more personal than that."

"Oh… Are you, like, Jehovah's Witness-?"

I chuckle. "No, no. Um. But the three of us are ineligible. Mister Duncan, could you… Um, give us a moment?"

He shrugs. "Sure." He pushes his chair back and turns to Miss Beecher. "Want a coffee?"

"Yeah, thanks."

"Wave at me when it's safe to come back out." He gives me a quick sizing up glance, then heads inside.

"So what's the big secret?"

"Well-" I lean forwards slightly and lower my voice. "I'm not really supposed to… Certain types of people are not eligible to give blood. One of the things I do…" A training course Guy and I have done now. "How I met Kon originally… Is counselling for people-."

She looks a little alarmed. "Are they sick?"

"No, no. Um, I believe the phrase is 'non-standard biology'. The blood collection service doesn't think it's worth the risk-."

"They're metahumans?" I make a gesture that could be interpreted as an affirmative. She takes a moment to absorb that. "Wait, is Megan allowed on the cheerleading squad? Metahumans-."

"We checked. Since there isn't any direct physical confrontation between teams the cheerleading association…" I wave my right hand. "Whatever it's called, decided that it wasn't a problem. But that is why Kon's on the chess team and not the American Football squad."

"Yeah, I wondered about that. Okay, I can keep that secret."

"Thank you."

"You know a lot of metahumans?"

"A fair few. They're not particularly common and counselling is only really needed for a little while after the initial manifestation of their ability."

"Are you doing anything Saturday?"

"I.. don't have anything important planned? Why do you ask?"

 

[Mr Zoat]

Uuuuuooooouuuuughhh…

"Uuuh." I open my eyes to blinding light and immediately close them. Uhh. Okay. Last thing I remember is talking to Shayera after… Stupid duel. Without otherwise moving I clench and relax my left hand. Feels like it's healed. My left side still hurts. I'm.. still wearing my armour. Huh. I weigh a lot, but the surface I'm lying on is padded and appears able to bear it. I shift a little to my right. Okay, I… Can't hear anything that sounds like cause for concern. I'm going to assume that the Thanagarian attack can still be filed under 'dealt with'. Father Box, you still there?

…

That's a little worrying. Sinestro?

…

Right. I brace my right elbow against the soft surface of my bed and start pushing myself up. No, too soft. Ow. I open my eyes at a squint and start trying to work out where I am. Looks… Kind of Watchtowery? I think? I didn't see the Thanagarian medical bay and without a power ring I can't just load the appearance of the place into my head.

Hang on. How does that even work if it can't affect my body?

Ow. Ow, oh ow. I don't remember getting hit in the head, but… A-ah. Head… Feels weird. And not in a good way.

"Are you getting up, or are you just going to lie there all day?"

"Haven't… Haven't decided." I tilt my head in the direction of Shayera's voice. Once my eyes aren't pointing upwards anymore I open them a little wider. She's in her yellow blouse and green leggings. "Did someone hit me in the head? Because I feel a little off."

"You were shot with a Thanagarian beam pistol. I'm surprised it didn't completely scramble your brain."

I don't remember that. "Oh, you know. Anything that doesn't kill me…" I screw up my eyes and give my head a little shake. "How long?"

"About two days. You're on the Watchtower. We couldn't do much for you because we couldn't get your armor off."

"Straps are a structural weak point. I don't use them. Is there a reason I don't have Father Box or the yellow power ring?"

"Do you usually wear your computer when you sleep?"

"Okay. No. I don't. And the ring?"

"It's got Sinestro's brain in it."

"He's an excellent teacher. And he doesn't control what the user does with-" I try pushing myself up again and am met with failure. "-the… What am I lying on?"

"We didn't have a big enough bed. You're lying on a pile of pillows."

Right. I rock back onto my bad side, trying not to put weight on the wounds. Then I rock to the right, pushing with my left foot. The pillow under it slips out, but I still manage to get onto my right side. This is the drawback of super strength, particularly when you aren't capable of judging force as well as usual. The surroundings just can't take it. Doubly so when you weigh as much as I do.

"Would you mind helping me upright?"

"Here." She opens her wings and flaps once, rising into the air above me. "Give me your hand."

I hold up my left hand and push with my right elbow. As soon as she takes hold I feel myself get a little lighter. Thanagarians are stronger than Humans, muscle mass for muscle mass, but I weigh a third of a ton. There's no way wings should be able to lift me. She pulls and -Aaaagh!- I come a little more upright. I get my right hand under me and push, just managing to get upright before I start to fall. Aero discs!

Aaand I'm up! "Thank you."

She looks me over. "Are you sure you should be up yet? I wasn't joking about you getting shot in the head."

"Sure." I recover my left arm and float slowly and carefully over my pillow nest. "I don't plan to get into a fight or anything, but-. Ah!" Father Box is resting on a table set against the wall of the room. I drift towards him, land gently and then pick him up and attach him to my armour.

9th January 2004
10:21 GMT

"Ploong."

"Pleased to see you too. How am I doing?"

"Ploong."

"Yeah, I'm not all that happy about it either."

Shayera comes in to land next to me, glancing at the site of my injury. "What did they shoot you with?"

"Radion blaster. Shot me after their fighters pummelled my construct armour down. Completely bypassed my Apokolips tech armour and New God fortitude. Punched through one side and out the other." I shake my head. "I mean, all due respect to them: they had a few seconds when I was vulnerable and they took full advantage. If they shot me in the head I'd be dead right now."

"Are you going to take your armor off so I can take a look at your injury?"

Probably wouldn't hurt. More. "Yeah, hang on. Father Box, uncouple armour."

"Ploong."

Something shifts, and I reach around my left side to lift away the-. Shayera gasps. "When you said they shot you, I thought it would be a narrow beam. How are you still alive?"

"Spite." I look down. Yeah, that.. still doesn't look good. I wasn't able to just close a flap of skin over it, there's still a very visible hole into my interior. Much smaller than it was, though. I shoved my whole hand into it while operating on myself. Now I'd struggle to get two fingers in. "I don't go into shock. Once I cut out the radion-tainted parts-."

"You… Cut out..?"

"Yeah, there's probably some lumps of me left near the commander's station on the bridge. It's not a priority but I'd appreciate it if you could have them incinerated."

"You… Did you have an anaesthetic?"

"No. Sometimes being immune to poison really sucks. Still-" I smile. "-I'm alive!" A sudden stab of pain makes me instinctively try to cover the injury with my right hand. "Ow."

"Do you need a bandage?"

"I'm immune to all disease and I'm not-" I take a quick look. "-leaking anymore, so… No, thank you. I.. could do with… This is going to sound odd, but you don't have a powerful source of raw magic, do you?"

"I don't think so. Why?"

"My wound isn't being repaired by anything so mundane as rapid cell division. It's my own divine majesty, effectively.. rejecting the truth of my damaged state. I am quite literally too important to bleed. In theory, bathing in raw magic should boost it. Speed up my healing."

"I'll see what we can do."

"Where are we at with everything else?"

"All the Thanagarian naval personnel who could have pulled out. I piloted the Command Carrier into a Lunar orbit, so no one on Earth can reach it. Supergirl and the others have torn apart the hyperspace bypass so there's no chance of it being activated."

I nod. "That's a relief. And the robopresident?"

"Still in office." She folds her arms across her chest. "Are you sure he's a robot?"

"Technically, he's a mechanoid. After technology reaches a certain level there isn't the same hard distinction between organic and mechanical. But, yes, I'm sure. Apokoliptian technology… Stands out." I frown. "Where are my goggles?"

She picks up.. the blasted and melted remains and holds them out to me. "I had to take it off your face with a chisel."

"Huh. Good work. Where are John and Batman?"

"John's on the Carrier. Batman's following up on President Horne."

"Okay. So, we're aiming to remove the President of the United States…" My smile broadens slightly. "Again, and create a Justice League. We'll need to put our heads together. And I'm going to need my ring back." She gives me a sceptical look. I respond with a winsome smile. "Please?"