20th June
11:24 GMT
I…
**Superboy,
explain.**
Black Canary sounds irritated. Given how Greek deities behave I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that Helios' offer of help was eleventh hour… Or so cryptic that Kon only just got it.
…
If that's actually what happened.
**I don't think I
can. I just know-.**
**Irrelevant. Sir, do we stay or go? If
go, you'll need to call in Green Lantern C for the evacuation.
**
She screams in the direction of a block of Saremite infantry sheltering from arrows and more exotic blasts behind
water shields of my design, breaking their formation and leaving them vulnerable to fly by strikes from the Hawks. **Go!**
I transition to Kon.
**Ready?
**
His jaw tightens slightly. **Guess I have to be. How long-**
I put a construct barrier over his eyes, then warp.
Warping towards the sun is..
not fun. Quite aside from the problems you get with intervening obstacles -which is why standard Green Lantern Corps protocol suggests using it for inter-system travel only- and the time distortion effect, you're essentially getting hit in the face with a laser for the entire journey. There are about 150 million kilometres between the Earth and the Sun and I need to cover that space in a few seconds. The sun's output at that distance is usually about
1.361 kilojoules per square meter every second, so if I do it in a second that's about two hundred billion joules right in my face. Even in the thirty seconds I'm
planning to do it in, that would still be a constant 70 million kilowatts for the duration. And that's
ignoring the fact that it actually increases as I get closer.
Sure, I'm not dumb enough to actually do
that. Since I'm bending space/time
anyway I also bend sideways, slipping through space like a mouse down a snake's throat. The warped pocket where Kon and I are is merely
bright; the area towards the edges of the pocket is blazing white sunlight. I've tried this once before under Guy's direction and I'm.. still not sure I understand the description of what's actually going on. Still, if it-.
The warp stops, and the sun is…
Hah.
It's a wall of fire obscuring space. If I turn my head, it's like… It's too big for me to be able to see the curve. Somewhere to my left, a plume of plasma that must be…
Gods…
That's amazing.
"Alright, we're here. What next?
"
"I'm.. not sure."
"Is there anything I can do to help?
"
"No. Just.. give me a sec." He takes a deep breath, then closes his eyes and bows his head. His lips are moving silently in what I assume is some sort of prayer.
Okay. Well, warping back is a good deal easier. Here to the outer atmosphere in one second is no problem at all. I shake my head and turn away from the sun, looking out in the general direction of Earth. A tiny amount of the sunlight that reaches it
is bounced back this way. If I look in the right direction I can see what was going on eight minutes ago in really low resolution.
Hm. I know that Earth is unusually active, mystically speaking. I know that Mars has magic users. I
don't know how that applies to the rest of the system. Is the idea of the sun as it exists in the Earth's arcane systems the same as the sun-as-it-is? Not like there's anyone
living down there who could be using… Sun-magic. He's not… Helios turning up in person -even if he
is more personable- probably wouldn't be much healthier for north-west Africa than Oceanus. Unless he's in Human-seeming mode. No, he'd have to
fight at full power… Wouldn't h-?
"Warning: plasma density increasing."
When you say 'increasing'-?
"Warning: plasma density increasing significantly."
"Ah… Kon..?
" I turn back towards him.
"Are-?
"
A coronal mass ejection about a kilometre wide is reaching out for us, launched by… Well, they're usually launched by the sun's natural magnetic activity. This one… I slide my rune stone out of a pocket. Yep, there's a reaction. This was
aimed.
Kon himself is wreathed in white fire. It's a little like when he attacked Deacon Blackfire, only more… All-consuming.
Ah. I think I understand the plan. Ring, contact Green 2814 B.
Link established.
The image forming over the ring appears, then glitches in and out. Yes, I suppose that making an orange ring show Ion was asking a bit much.
"Guy-. Ion, Oceanus has moved away from the East Coast. The wall is no longer required. We're going to hit him with a coronal mass ejection.
" I think.
"Please move to where he is and create a barrier cylinder around him.
"
"The wall is no longer required."
"That's right.
"
"We understand."
"Okay, but
did you get the res-?
"
He disappears. Oooooh, that could be a problem.
"Paul?" Kon looks at me with eyes that are glowing white ovals. "Can you take me back to the edge of the atmosphere? I need to be right above Oceanus."
"Yes. Yes, I can do that. Ssssstand by.
"
Cross my metaphorical fingers.
Aaaaand
warp.
The sun vanishes and the Earth appears behind us. Kon and I reorientate, me creating a construct marking Santo Porto's location beneath us. Oceanus himself is… Not visible to the naked eye, but with a little magnification I can spot him. He's nearly there, the League having mostly evacuated the island. Ms Lance and John are standing at the entrance of the cave…
And Kon's not next to me any longer. There's a plume of burning white as he dives through the air towards his target.
Um.
"Orange Lantern to Justice League..? Superboy's heading for Oceanus and I
really think everyone should be standing well back when he hits.
"
"Wonder Woman to Orange Lantern. What do you mean, 'hit'?"
"Helios set him on fire. It doesn't seem to be hurting him, but he's flying directly towards Oceanus at-
" Quick check.
"-maximum acceleration. I don't know exactly what will happen when he hits, but I don't advise being there when he
does. Has Guy arr-?
"
There's a flare of green around Oceanus, followed by a surge of white as he unleashes lightning in all directions.
"Never mind. About… Ten seconds to impact.
"
"Batman to Justice League. Fall back to five miles' distance."
John and Ms Lance aren't moving. I warp again, appearing at the entrance to the cave as Oceanus… I'm shorter than his fricking
toenail! He's walking through the shallows now, stabbing at Guy's barrier with his trident and
here comes Kon!
"
For Heliooooooooos!"
