18th June
19:14 GMT -5
A building the robots were preparing to harvest comes alive with Chthonian Young as their
parent bursts forth from the ground and grapples with an apparently implacable Assault Stomper.
"But that's just-!"
A glowing portal opens in the centre of the machine fortifications as a
small tentacle-covered creature plays a strangely shaped flute, the outline of a
vast translucent mollusc just visible in the air above it.
"How did-?!"
Out from the portal pour the
Children of Abhoth in an unending tide.
And Artemis throws up her hands as her structures disappear into their mouths. "How did you even
do that?!"
I lean around the monitors separating us.
"I do play this game almost every day.
"
"But you always play machines!
And you said magic was the hardest strategy to pull off!"
There's a small 'boom' as her Machine Harbinger loses antimatter containment and explodes in a plume of vapour, then a series of other detonations as her Particle Beamers try to hit the Servitor keeping the portal open.
"Oh, it is.
"
And hit just about everything else as the Servitor capers around and lets its big cousin take the few shots that are still on target before the Children reach them.
"The Old Ones are victorious! Mankind is doomed!
Doomed! GEB'L-EE'H YOG-SOTHOTH!"
"
Greh-gruget-grah!" Artemis becomes
somewhat incoherent as Kon leans over her shoulder and takes a look at the full map. "
What!"
"Uh." Kon's eyes flick to me for a moment, and I understand that he knows perfectly well what she did wrong -lack of pressure- but now believes that it wouldn't be a good idea to bring it up. "Umm."
"Ah, babe? Are you ok-?"
"
Okay!" Her eyes widen. "Just give me,
like, two minutes."
"We could do some actual sparring for a bit, if you want something you can actually
beat me at.
"
She turns and walks away from the gaming set up, the index finger of her right hand pointed in my direction. "Two minutes."
Ye
ah, magic focus is kind of annoying to play against. I was a bit surprised that she-.
"Recognised, Aqualad, B zero two."
I half turn in my seat as Kaldur appears, taking in my additional security measures with his usual dispassionate gaze.
"Identification confirmed."
He strides forwards, heading in our direction. Bit of a nuisance that he decided to wear his original Aqualad gear today. On the other hand, having him openly wearing Ocean Master's gear would on most days cause more trouble than it's worth. And, Truggs might just have redirected forces in his direction.
"Kaldur, what new-?
"
"Recognised, Doctor Fate, two one."
Kaldur pauses just inside the security scanner for Nabu to materialise. I get to my feet. If
he's here then there's input from the League. Richard sent everything he had to Batman and then returned home. I forget sometimes… Quite often, actually, that he's only fourteen and that fighting Titans and underwater foes isn't something he's really equipped to do. Batman's attitude appears to be 'this is a League task, we'll let you know if we need you'. Which -to be honest- is pretty reasonable. I step away from the computer and come to an approximate parade rest.
Nabu stares at the identification system, a pale golden aura shining out from his robes. Hm. Either he thinks there might be threats here or he's taken a leaf out of
my book and started having his defences raised at all times. Worth knowing.
"Identification not confirmed. Please lower any exotic defences which may be preventing a complete scan."
"Lantern." I smile slightly, raising my eyebrows attentively. "What is the meaning of this?"
"I decided that the standard Justice League system was too prone to being bypassed, so I improved upon it. I'm afraid that you'll have to drop your shield spell.
"
Nabu pushes his left hand against the barrier, which holds firm. It's as exotic a shield as I could safely introduce and I don't
think it's easy for magic users to bypass. "Lower this shield at once."
"Nabu, that's not how security works. You've been both mind controlled and impersonated before. I hardly think it's unreasonable-.
"
Nabu raises his right hand, a golden ankh flaring into being for a second before it detonates. Golden light radiates outwards, running through the identification arch and disintegrating it in a flash of light.
It would be
so satisfying to
hit him right now.
And I think I'd get away with it. Artemis is still angry about
everything and the game and now someone she doesn't like -though her dislike is hardly on a level with mine or Zatanna's- just wrecked a piece of useful equipment. Wallace is inclined to respect League members, but that's getting a mild frown from him as well. Kon's staring, and it's flat out hostile. Wolf's lip is curling slightly, though she isn't growling yet. I think that I may have put the idea into the zeitgeist that being disrespectful to Nabu is
okay. I could slam him against the back of the vestibule with a construct… Amp up the orange until I can carry out the scan… Batman wouldn't tolerate League members bypassing the security
he's put in place.
My eyes slide over to Kaldur who is watching me impassively.
No. I can wait a few weeks.
"Alright then.
" I pointedly turn away from him and face Kaldur.
"Aqualad, how are things in Atlantis?
"
"Poseidonis is secure, as are all members of the royal family not already taken." There's a tension in his voice that I'm not used to hearing. "Military battlemages have reached the location of Oceanus' temple. It has been long abandoned. At the moment we have no further leads on Ocean Master's location."
Wallace tilts his head slightly to the left. "Well, what about Canada?"
Nabu steps forward. "Orm -or whatever dark entity he now serves- has become quite skilled in covering his tracks. The Batman and I have identified all of his movements while on land. Beyond that, the trail disappears."
Kon's eyes dip for a moment as he thinks. "What about just waiting at wherever the Gods locked up Oceanus? Orm's gotta go there sometime, right?"
"Oceanus' prison is removed from the physical world. There is no location from which it can be readily accessed, and the very act of entering would most likely be enough to release him." Nabu turns his head towards me. "I have learned that you acquired a sample of blood from a Saremite."
I nod.
"Yes. I had intended to take it to Atlantis once the initial panic died down a bit.
"
"Foolish
youth. Time is of the essence. Hand it over to me at once."
The container I put the blood from Ceyx in is currently on a shelf in my reconstructed workshop.
"I.. don't.. believe that I take orders from you, Nabu.
" I smile.
"Try asking nicely.
"
"Orange Lantern." I turn my head in Kaldur's direction. I.. was.. underestimating how angry he is. With me. "This is
not the time. Doctor Fate is this world's premier magic user, and the best chance we have for locating Ocean Master before Oceanus is restored to this world. My family, my entire people, are most likely to be his first victims should that come to pass. If you will not take orders from Doctor Fate, perhaps you will take one from me."
"Alright.
" I nod. Need to smooth things over with Kaldur later.
"Back in a moment.
"