5th May
17:53 GMT +4
"And that's where we are, sirs.
"
With Batman, Mister Allen and Mister Garrick in here as well as as many members of my team as are available, things are starting to get a little crowded. I used a construct zeta tube to bring them in without the loud
bang that a boom tube would generate. Kaldur had been away for consultations on how to proceed, given how political the situation was becoming. But for this they wanted to review the situation first hand.
Mister Garrick nods as he straightens up from where he'd been lent over a monitor. "That's him alright. I'd recognize that getup anywhere."
Batman's standing back a little. "Have you run an analysis of his facial expressions?"
Richard and I look at each other for a moment, then I make a small gesture with my right hand. He nods, then activates his arm computer. "There aren't enough recordings of Max's face from his previous periods of activity for a conclusive analysis. Vocal analysis doesn't
quite line up, but.. that could be natural change. It
has been forty years."
"Hn." Mister Garrick shakes his head. "Not for
him it hasn't. He found a way to use his speed to take himself out of time. From his point of view it might only have been a few days since he and I last spoke."
Mister Garrick is in a suit rather than his Flash gear. From what Wallace has told me that was most likely down to Missus Garrick's influence. Apparently she didn't have a problem with him
being the Flash but she shares Alan's opinion that superheroing is a young man's game.
Mister Allen sighs. "Whether Max is there or not, I don't think I'm okay with an ex-Soviet General developing a super speed formula."
Batman's eyes narrow slightly. "There's been no further sign of the Demon."
Kaldur draws himself up a little. "There has not."
Batman turns his head slightly towards Kaldur. "How far do the wards extend?"
Kaldur presses a button on the display. It changes to show an image of the property, a line around the outer edge of the boundary. "So far as we have been able to tell, it extends all of the way around the property at uniform strength. Since we could not penetrate it without revealing ourselves I do not know if further areas inside have their own protections."
Batman studies the image for a moment, then nods. "Team. Your objectives are to locate and recover Christina Molotova, and to capture The Demon Constantine, ideally without being detected by any local group. Any political consequences of General Kerimov's actions are a problem for the League."
Kaldur and I both nod. That's a relief, though I'm a little worried that 'problem for the League' really means 'we're not going to do anything about it'.
"Orange Lantern, zeta tube."
I nod again and create the required construct. Batman walks into it immediately. Mister Allen steps towards it, then hesitates when he realises that Mister Garrick isn't following him. "Jay?"
"You go on home. Think I should stay on for a bit. I knew Max best…"
"Okay, but I'm gonna catch hell from Joan if anything happens to you."
"I'll be fine. Get going before you're late for work again."
Mister Allen nods and dashes into the tube, disappearing in a flash of light. I dismiss the construct as Kaldur moves to address the team. "We have our task. Tempest, Aquagirl, how quickly can you perform a scrying ritual from inside the wards?"
Garth's eyes dip as he considers the question. "If we're not worrying about anything else, we should be able to locate a Demon within… Six minutes. But if they've got any sort of defences up it might not work. The Demon Constantine is a demonic copy of the man who invented Orange Lantern's tattoos, there's no way to be certain that he isn't protecting himself in a similar way."
I shrug.
"The next best option is walking around with rune stones and hoping one of them starts glowing.
"
Kaldur nods. "Then that is what we have to do." He half-turns to the image of the mansion. "The easiest point of ingress for people who cannot walk through walls appears to be the wall at the rear of the property."
Richard nods, pressing a button on his arm computer to bring up a closer view. "There are lasers and razor wire at the top of the wall and another set of lasers right at the bottom on the inside, as well as cameras on the external surface."
Roy crosses his arms across his chest. "I can deal with the cameras. Being able to turn invisible almost makes it
too easy."
Tula takes a closer look at the hologram. "If the cameras are down, our kinetic belts can get us over the walls easily. But that still leaves the guards and their dogs."
Raquel frowns. "Can't you just wear Orange Lantern's invisible armor stuff?"
Garth shakes his head. "We haven't practiced with it. Our water armor is usually more useful."
"Canis-?
"
He grins. "I am not so subtle as Kanto, but I think myself able to kill a
few Human guards without alerting their fellows."
…
"That's good to know, but I was actually going to ask if you could collect a bucket of Brut's urine.
" And now everyone's staring at me.
"It was on
Mythbusters? Wolf urine made guard dogs hesitate and Brut is far bigger than a Wolf.
" Still staring.
"We could use a sonic device instead if urine makes you uncomfortable. If the dogs are acting up it's more likely that the guards will ignore them.
"
Richard brings up the patrol routes. "There are four moving patrols, but it looks like they're trying to keep them out of sight of the guests. If you go in
here, unless they actually see or hear something you shouldn't have a problem. Will the spell make your tattoos glow through your clothing?"
Garth shakes his head. "Not for something simple like this. Demons stand out a great deal against background magic. Casting the spell won't take much power."
Kaldur nods. "Robin, Speedy. It is extremely unlikely that General Kerimov would keep anything incriminating in his home. Once the cameras have been neutralized, you and I will travel to the offices of his private security company and gather any intelligence that could lead us to Miss Molotova." He warded
that place, too. "Canis, Kid Flash, Orange Lantern and Rocket. You will remain outside of the mansion and either move in to capture The Demon Constantine when he is located or assist Garth and Tula in evacuating if he is not."
Wallace nods. "Oh El? Anything else you can tell us about what sorts 'a magic this Demon can do?"
I shake my head.
"Sorry. John can perform a wide variety of minor magics but I've got no idea how becoming a Demon has changed his abilities. Still-
" I shrug.
"-the chains can hold him and bind him and I've seen no sign that he's become anything like as fast as you.
"
Raquel points her right thumb at the picture of Max Mercury. "What do we do about
him?"
Kaldur sighs quietly. "If we are fortunate, he will never know that we were here. Otherwise, he can be fought using the anti-speed techniques which we have practiced before. Your force field will hold him off indefinitely and he cannot fly. Kid Flash can fight at near his speed, Orange Lantern has a supply of Vertigo Inducers and Canis is extremely resilient. But if that
should happen, the priority is to disengage. We have nothing to gain from such a fight."
There's a round of nodding, though Canis' head remains still. "And if we are detected and identified?"
"Then we were acting on legitimate intelligence on the presence of a dangerous criminal. General Kerimov may well not be aware of the Demon's presence, and even if he is I doubt that he will be willing to affirm an alliance with a Demon in public."
Grayven's team needs a name!!!)]
