With This Ring (Young Justice SI) (Thread Twelve)

[Mr Zoat]

31st May
11:32 GMT -6

I had thought that I'd developed fairly thick skin-.

Heh. I smile a little at my own inadvertent joke.

I had thought that I'd developed a fairly strong stomach. When you stop blinding yourself to the horror of day to day life, when you clean out the insides of blood-soaked aircraft as I did in the aftermath of Roanoke, your capacity for visceral disgust simply stops being what it once was. Things are a bit strange for a little while… Then you adjust to the new normal.

Either that, or you have a psychotic episode.

Turns out that despite everything I can still be unsettled. The files Ra's gave me… This is some next-level stuff. I remember… There was a comic, the style reminded me of 2000AD. There was some sort of parallel universe invasion, and one of the super predators the attackers used would inject stimulants into its victims so that they wouldn't pass out from pain or blood loss as it ate them. Looks like it would have fit right in at the Caligula Club. Ra's -bless his cankerous soul- has really come through for me here. Pictures and video in decent resolution, far superior to what I'd been able to collect for myself. With this, having actual court cases and riding the wave of public horror to get things sorted has become a far more realistic option.

The meat of the investigations is even more interesting. Ra's had his people investigate the Geotroniks matter at the time, though things had already started to settle down before they got involved. Some poor sod called Julian Marrack apparently took the fall for the whole magic-side of that mess, and is currently a guest of her majesty. Seriously, Britain is sufficiently ignorant of what a magic user can and can't do that they bought the idea that a neophyte could cause nationwide rains of blood. As a former-Brit, that level of ignorance embarrasses me.

Wonder what Mordru would think about the idea of opening a school?

I mean, I think it's entirely too hopeful to think that he'd be up for it… Come to think of it, I know next to nothing about his resource base. Something to ask about when I speak to him.

Anyway, having evidence to support my accusations against the current elite is only half… Okay, more like a third of the equation. I've forwarded a list of names to Doctor Robbins and she can share it with the field team. Should narrow down the breadth of the investigation a little. Though… From what I've read, no one senior enough to become Prime Minister post-coup isn't implicated herein. Oh, I might accept a merely moderately guilty person I could control with an offer of a pardon, buuuut… I don't like it. If I'm making a clean sweep, I would want it to be a clean sweep. At the moment, that leaves me with a choice between my old friend the Member for Croydon North for the Conservatives, or some doddering old back bench socialist from Labour who probably shouldn't be let anywhere near the levers of actual power even in a caretaker role. Obviously the former is better… I just really don't want to give it to her. Particularly since I don't know that she'd respond in a positive way to being offered the role and it's something I'd need to plan with the lucky individual. Really, I'd rather offer it to Mister Talbot himself. The caretaker part at least, keeping the government running while the purge takes place. After that I don't really care all that much who-.

"Iname to Master. Come in Master."

I reach over to my desk's intercom. "M-. Grayven responding. Go ahead."

Curious about SHADE's involvement in the Centre for Paranormal Research, I detached Miss Amane from the ongoing mission in Britain and had her spend some time getting to know the children at the Centre. She really does have a wonderful way with people. The fact that she's about the same age as Miss Selton also serves to make them hanging out together seem less suspicious.

"We are being followed by a man with a very bad fake beard."

I frown. "Are you certain that he's not just a homeless person?"

"No, he is too healthy and the holes in his coat are too regular. And it really is a very bad fake beard."

I deactivate the computer I was working on. "Alright. Do you think he's going to try picking you up?"

I hear a giggle. "Master! I do not go with old homeless men or evil secret agents! That is a lewd suggestion!"

"'Pick you up' in the sense of kidnapping you. I don't want you taking unnecessary risks. You're fast, but you're not particularly resilient."

"No, Master. I do not believe so. We are in a public place."

"Alright, carry on. Let me know if anything changes."

"Yes, Master. Iname out."

Hmm. More likely a random agent rather than anyone significant. Still… "Grayven to Manchester Black." No immediate response. I suppose that if he's reverted to UK time it isn't quite-.

"Vera here."

"Chester not around?"

"He's not likely to be up much before midday. I'm not exactly fresh as a daisy meself, come to mention it."

"Completely out of it, or just grumpy?"

"What's this about?"

"I've located a SHADE operative who looks like he might be more in the know than the ones we've encountered so far. I'd like to have my field telepath around to do a little mental eavesdropping, but if he's completely non-functional..?"

"I'll 'ave to wake him up, won't I? Probably best you give him half an hour if you want anything intelligent out of him."

"Late night?"

"Werkin'. Talkin' to witnesses. Not somethin' we can do during the day. They might not be able to recognise us but I'm shuwer they keep tabs on their victims. And their families."

"Alright, give Chester a prod for me. No massive rush, but he needs to be available."

"Right you are, then. Vera out."

I deactivate the communicator from my end as well. Hmm. If this is just routine surveillance then I suppose that I shouldn't be too worried. SHADE -or at least this Agent Gallagher- must have known this was coming. I haven't made any effort to hide my interest in the Centre, so the fact that this might happen should have been on their radar. Or… Maybe it wasn't? If General Lane has forced the pure-SHADE parts of SHADE into hiding then their data-sharing might have been significantly impaired.

Someone assigned to tail a person of interest is unlikely to be particularly important. Would this Kurt Gallagher still be in the area? The tailing agent must have a way to contact his higher ups. If he does then I can trace it with my ring… Probably. Chester can't telepathically puppet people in a way that's even slightly convincing, so that's out. Orange… Uhhhh. Maybe? It would take a more subtle application of power than I'm used to, and I'm not… Hugely keen on using power I can't get back for at least another month…

I look down at the Sword of the Fallen where it sits in the sheath at my waist. Or… I could nip over to Okaara and kill Larfleeze right now, take the Orange Central Power Battery for myself… No. Still feels like losing.

I tap the computer again. "Call General Lane." Given that SHADE firmly lies within his area of responsibility I really should let him know what I'm up to. Is it worth checking in with my fellow enlightened about SHADE? No, I'm sure they'd have said something if I was getting in their way.

"General Lane's office."

"Grayven here. Is the General at home?"

"One moment, sir. I'll check for you."

Ah, the busy life of an éminence grise. You give yourself super strength and within a few months you're reduced to playing phone-tag with your allies. I most sincerely hope that I haven't risen to my level of incompetence…

"Grayven, what can I do for you?"

"I told you that I was taking over funding the Centre for Paranormal Research attached to the Metropolis University, didn't I?"

"That's where you're sending your daughter, right?"

"Yes. It seems that SHADE might have had an interest in the place. One of the students who will be graduating high school next year was being leaned on to sign up with them."

"That's outside their normal mode of operation."

"Quite. I was going to prod them a bit, see what falls out. I have a telepath in my employ…"

"Can you do it covertly?"

"No complete guarantees, but that would be my aim. Obviously, only senior agents are worth overt action against…"

"Did they threaten this student of yours?"

"She firmly turned them down yesterday and now there's someone tailing her."

"Alright then, go ahead. Keep me posted on what you find out."

"Will do. Grayven out."

 

[Mr Zoat]

31st May
12:41 GMT -5

"Seat's taken, fook off."

Chester doesn't even look around as he says it, though I do detect a little pressure on my mental barriers which suggests that he's trying to give me a suggestion. Or an aneurism. Or possibly both. He does have a record of lashing out at bystanders who interrupt his work.

"Yes, Chester, by me."

His head whips around. "The-?!" His eyes widen. "Gray?"

I smile. "What, you thought I only had illusory disguises for yourself and your sister?" A waitress wanders over with a notepad. "Tea, please. Darjeeling if you have it, Earl Grey otherwise." She nods. "Thank you."

Chester has his wits a little more about him as she walks away. "Wot, you not gonna go full ponce an' ask fer a slice a' lemon?"

"I'm trying to be a little more realistic." The work of Queen Clea's finest artisans can't quite disguise me fully. I still weigh two thirds of a tonne, and a sufficiently observant person might spot that objects I pick up move in ways they shouldn't as it tries to work the location of my hands and mouth into the illusion. But I look nothing like the Grey Hulk look-alike contest winner that I am, and I intentionally avoided looking like my pre-transformation self as well. My skin is dark brown, my hair and beard dark and curly and my suit is of a conservative cut. "Any news for me?"

Chester looks me over once more and then appears to shrug it off. "Fook all, cock. No one 'around 'eyeh's thinking about them."

"Ah. I suppose we must have missed him." Bothersome, but oh well. Sinestro, run a quick check would you?

The description was somewhat vague, Corpsman, but I can detect no one obviously observing either Miss Selton or Miss Amane.

A cup of tea in placed on the table in front of me. I look up at the waitress. "Thank you."

She smiles. "Enjoy your tea."

Sinestro, sound deadening.

As you wish.

"Grayven to Iname. If your tail has vanished then you may as well escort Miss Selton back to school. Remain on hand in case of incident."

"Master? He is still there."

Sinestro?

Nothing, Corpsman. Perhaps she's imagining it.

Show me her location.

An image appears in my mind: a map of the local shopping centre with two markers, one for Miss Amane and one for Miss Selton.

"Iname, where is this person relative to your location?"

"He is sitting at a table outside the restaurant opposite the clothing shop we are in."

A second 'window' appears in my mind. I see the restaurant, the people sitting both inside and out… I take a sip of tea. No one matching the description Miss Amane just gave me. But there's a gap where it looks like it would have made sense to put a table. Someone's being clever. Clever worries me.

But.

Whoever it is, they're just observing at the moment. It's worth knowing that they can duck both telepathic detection and power ring detection, but it isn't proof that anything else is going on.

"Grayven to Doctor Robbins. Put the Mountain in lockdown and give me status reports on all of my people."

"Why, what's going on?"

"Someone has found a way to duck my detection and I'm worried where else they might be."

"You wot? I left Vera back in-."

"Chester, panic is unbecoming."

He shoves his chair back, rising rapidly to his feet. "Open up a fookin' portal."

"All Genomorphs have reported in, Grayven. The Sphere is here with me. All bulkheads and energy shields are active."

"Good. Chester, I'm not doing that. They may be under observation, we may be under observation and my unarmed, unarmoured daughter may be under observation."

That gets through. "But we don't even look like us."

"If I can get a magic user then so can the opposition." I take another sip of tea. "Doctor Robbins?"

"Mister Tawny growled and Doctor Williams says he and Lynne are fine. Sunset's in her laboratory. Nothing from Vera yet."

Go or no-go. Go or no-go. In America I can count on government support. In Britain, that very much isn't the case. On the other hand, I feel much less hesitancy about hitting people I might encounter in Britain. Miss Selton told me that Agent Gallagher's people don't usually tail her. Ugh, I don't even know for certain that this person is from there. Of course, if Vera's just gotten into the shower and put the radio on…

I rise to my feet and put a twenty dollar note under my teacup. "Chester, go and talk to Iname's stalker. I'll check on Vera."

Chester strides away in the direction of the bothersome agent. "Yeah, I'll fookin' talk to him."

Nearest concealed location… I walk in the direction of the closest stairwell. Sinestro, show me Vera.

I would like to do that very much, Corpsman. Regrettably, I am unable to find her.

Last known location?

A picture of the house they're renting appears. No sign of damage… Nor of Vera Black or Geoffrey Talbot. Vexing.

Any spy satellites in position to take a look?

Not presently, Corpsman. I would also advise that acquiring one might tip our opponents off as to our ally's location.

They do bug sweeps whenever they return to the house. With the equipment I provided. So either I'll be hush tubing into a combat zone or I'll be hush tubing into a safe spot. I move behind the stairwell and out of sight of the rest of the shopping centre. Father Box, hush tube.

Ploong.

I stride through the portal, actively scanning my new surroundings.

31st May
17:45 GMT

A… Castle..? What?

"Who's this supposed to be, Kipling?"

Two men. One in military fatigues and the other in a trench coat. The military fellow is well muscled with pale skin and short, curly blonde hair. No weapons that I can see. The one in the trench coat has dark brown hair which is slicked back with oil and from the way one of the sleeves is lying against his side I'd say that he has only one arm. He's also wearing a long green scarf.

"This is the person who tried to portal to the target location. The spell isn't selective."

I take a moment to try to make my voice sound unlike myself. "Whom do I have the pleasure of addressing?"

The man in fatigues steps forwards. "Major Derek Kelly. And you're under arrest."

 

[Mr Zoat]

31st May
17:46 GMT

Okay, something just threw the hush tube terminus off. Derek Kelly is Chester's former boss and squad leader with the jewel which makes him invulnerable embedded in his chest. And the other fellow… Willoughby Kipling. The arm is a giveaway. Chester didn't know much about him. From the way he described the man, I'd guess either 'intelligence operative' or -given the trench coat- hedge wizard. How best to handle this? My disguise is still functioning, so…

I switch to an American accent, and do my best to mimic an expression of outrage.

"On whose authority? Where the hell am I?!"

"On the authority of the British government, specifically the authority granted by The Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act of 2001."

"I'm not a terrorist! I'm a child psychologist! What the hell is this?!"

Think I've got the American exceptionalist-entitlement thing down. It's so hard to judge…

Anyway, two people and what looks like a solidly built stone room. Nothing about Chester's description of Major Kelly made it sound like he'd be hard to evade. Or drop into a star. The man himself takes a step towards me and I step backwards… No, the hush tube isn't there any longer. Not a huge problem. This is presumably some sort of secure site and I'd have to come here and wreck it eventually anyway.

"And what exactly was it that led a child psychologist to meet a known international terrorist?"

"I don't know any terrorists, you crazy limey!" I take a step forwards, taking care to have a little fear under the outraged affront. "You let me get in touch with the American Embassy right now!"

Bit much? No, I'm going to assume that they aren't going to expect someone in this situation to be entirely rational. It would make more sense in their position to assume that any oddities could be explained by stress. Okay. Sinestro, scan our environment. I want to know where we are.

…

Sinestro?

…

That's.. not.. good. I rub my hands, taking the opportunity to feel my right ring finger. Yep, he's still there. Can't feel any damage… Hope it's temporary, whatever the problem is. If I were on my own I'd just call up the lantern, but that isn't really possible here.

"We aren't obliged to notify your embassy until you've been charged with something."

I cross my arms. "Well you're not getting anything from me until you do."

Father Box?

…

Oh, Humans are fucking hax! They somehow shut down a power ring and a Father Box? I want this technology! Or.. magic. It's probably magic. Okay, door is.. over there. Looks heavily reinforced but I'm strong enough to arm wrestle Kal-El. I shift my shoulders a little… Feels like my daiklave is still there. And -slight movement of my hands- so is the Sword of the Fallen. Would that bypass his invulnerability? Um… No idea, actually, and since his way of injuring me would involve him grappling me and then ramping up his strength Bruce-Willis-in-Unbreakable style until he can actually hurt me, I don't really want to stay within stabbing distance if I can possibly avoid doing so.

"Look, Mister..?"

And I'm actually wondering if I'd need to cover myself in grease to break his hold.

"Daniels. Calvin Daniels."

"We were expecting someone else to come through that portal. If you could just explain how you came to pass through it, we should be able to send you on your way a little quicker."

"I have absolutely no intention of-."

"One person on Earth possesses a portal like that, and his name is Grayven. Grayven is a known associate-."

I frown. "The big grey guy who killed Klarion? He's a superhero, not a terrorist."

"He's been associating with a known super criminal, and we believe that he intervened to rescue him from British police. We would very much like to know why."

"I don't see what that's got to do with me."

"You just walked through one of his portals. He isn't in the habit of opening them at random. This indicates that you have some sort of relationship with him, and that's more than enough to justify us holding you."

"That's just an assertion on your part, Mister Kelly. I don't intend to incriminate myself by discussing the matter."

He advances a few more steps, to within easy reach. He's probably trying to intimidate me, and if I were the civilian I appear to be it might work. He's a little shorter than my illusory shape but a good deal more muscular and moves like a man with a great deal of combat experience. I think he's going for 'reasonable, with a hint of menace'.

Bawhaahaa.

"The right against self-incrimination is a protection extended by the American Bill of Rights and that, Mister Daniels, does not exist in Britain. Now, come on. I'm not asking for much here. Surely you didn't just happen upon an alien portal device?"

Maintain the illusion… I look at his face, then around the bare room, then back to him. "Alright, I… Suppose there's no harm in telling you. Mister Grayven is employing me to help with his daughter. The.. portal.. thing was supposed to send me straight home. I've got no idea how I ended up…" I look around again. "Wherever this is. You people keep your supervillains in the Tower of London, don't you?"

The brickwork doesn't look right for the Tower, but nowhere else comes to mind.

"This is a… Little awkward, then." Major Kelly smiles uncomfortably at me and then turns away. "Just sit tight while we confirm your story and.. then.. we'll let you go."

"Don't you dare pretend you're being reasonable about this! This is kidnapping! I am gunna sue your ass so hard your children get born in debtor's prison!"

"Crown immunity, Mister Daniels. Questioning you was a perfectly reasonable step in our investigation." He walks over to Mister Kipling and the two of them put their heads together. "What the fuck?"

Ah, the joys of enhanced hearing.

"The spell was set up to transfer the terminus of any portal that formed at their safe house to here. There wasn't any way to know in advance who would come through. Just fire a cruise missile at the house and stick this man on the next flight back to the US."

Interesting. If it was him who turned off my technology then he clearly doesn't know that it's happening. I think that can happen… Or maybe it's a property of the room?

"I'm not prepared to authorise anything that overt. Not yet. Our friends aren't keen."

"Then use the Left Eye on him, pump him for information and then dump him somewhere. This isn't complicated. He knew Grayven was a killer when he got involved. I'm surprised you're being this squeamish about it."

Left.. eye..?

"I'm not being squeamish, but there are practical concerns here. Father T-."

"Oh, shit or get off the pot, man. Are we questioning him or letting him go?"

Major Kelly's fatigues rustle slightly for a moment and then he turns around. OBEY.

"Just one or two things, Mister Daniels." OBEY.

"Oh, what now?" I don't think so.

"Are you aware of any action Mister Grayven may be planning or have planned against the British government?" OBEY.

"Ahh… No?" The pressure to obey, to supplicate myself before him continues. But I'm a god, damn it. My metaphysique is stronger than this enchantment. And compared to the Anti-Life…

"Are you aware of any of Mister Grayven's activities outside of public knowledge and your professional relationship?" OBEY.

I shake my head. "No, not really."

Mister Kipling's eyes widen. "He's faking! Praecantatio terminalis!"

The stone around my neck holding the illusion enchantment cracks and falls to the ground, revealing my true form.

Ah well. I draw my swords.

 

[Mr Zoat]

31st May
17:51 GMT
OBEY!
Major Kelly takes a half step backwards. There's no fear, I'm simply too big for him to see all of me while that close.

"Fuck."

Mister Kipling is a good deal less sanguine. His eyes dart towards the heavily fortified door before deciding that, no, he can't make it.

I lunge forward, bringing my daiklave around to slash at Major Kelly's face. I know, invulnerable, but people say that about Kal-El and I know for a fact that he isn't-.

The sword is nearly jarred out of my hand as the blade stops dead the moment it connects with the left side of Major Kelly's face. The man doesn't even move.

Then his eyes narrow, and he smiles. "Incomplete briefing, alien?" He raises his right hand and then moves it across his face, palm touching the edge of my sword and pushing. I…

I try holding it in place as he continues smiling, calmly looking me in the eyes as he pushes. I.. can't. Sinestro. you there yet? No? Fine. I take a half-step closer and he rolls his eyes, putting his left hand out to arrest my motion. My own left hand darts forwards and shoves the Sword of the Fallen into his abdomen.

"Ttttth' fuck?"

His left hand drops as he doubles over, suddenly a great deal less confident. Okay, good. I pull the Sword back before stepping around him and heading towards Mister Kipling. "I want some answers, and an exceedingly good cake."

"Hyaah!"

He shoves his right arm forwards, some sort of amulet in his hand. Thin bands of pale blue light flicker out, washing over me. I feel my daiklave getting pulled away from me towards the small red gem in the middle of the amulet, and I'm going to assume that if it gets there that I'm not getting it back again. There's a slight… Something across the rest of my body, a vague poking, as if something were trying to get a hold of me but not being able to grip... The spell effect. I stopped bothering wearing a ward because my ability to resist external magic with my own spiritual resilience outstripped the defence that a ward could provide me with. But my daiklave incorporates Apokoliptian technology; it should be just as resistant as the rest of me.

I narrow my eyes as he tries wiggling the amulet as one might twiddle an aerial in an area of poor reception. "Informative." Wizard on standby and advanced xenotech mysteriously failing suggests magic based preparation. Which means… All I need to do is push my nature into the daiklave harder. The drive to dominate, to conquer, to tear my foes' works asunder and supplant them with my own!

The tron lines on the daiklave glimmer, and the blue strands from the amulet collapse.

"Oh bloody hell."

"I'm told it varies from case to case." I raise the daiklave. "But I'll happily send you to check unless I start getting some answers." I smile cruelly. "And that ca-."

Arms around my neck! Squeezing!

"Shouldn't have taken your eyes off me, alien."

Fuckingfuckeronmyfuckingback!

Mister Kipling drops the amulet, backing away from me as fast as he can without taking his eyes off me. I stagger right, twisting around and throwing myself backwards against the door to the room. There's a clang, but Major Kelly's stranglehold on my neck doesn't weaken. Alright, not a magic life form and that wasn't an immediate kill-stab. He could still be bleeding out but -eugh- his grip is still just fine. Environmental shield's down, which means that I do actually need to breathe.

I reverse my grip on the Sword of the Fallen and stab behind my back, trying to cut him again. He squirms, trying to keep away from it. I think I'm nicking him, but my own bulk is working against me! I can't get a good hit! My throat's not in danger of being crushed until he can move, but I'm still gasping for air!

I turn, swinging the daiklave through the metal of the door and the stonework surrounding it.

"Kipling! Stop him!"

"Oh, and exactly how am I-" I lean backwards and kick with my right foot, sending the door skidding backwards into the vaguely insectoid guards on the far side and bowling them over. "-supposed to do that?"

"Not going to plan, boss?"

A female voice, emanating from all of the… Robots, the guards are robots, fine. I lunge, grabbing Mister Kipling by his coat and throwing him at them. Another stab and by pure fluke I think I hit an artery in Major Kelly's leg. Blood sprays outwards for a few moments and the man's grip weakens still further. A quick look around the room and-. The amulet Mister Kipling tried using on me. It's on the floor. Doesn't look damaged.

"Whenever you're ready, Dolmann!"

I make it two steps towards where the amulet lays before the first robot cannons into me, jet engine firing from the wing unit on its back. I'm thrown across the room, Major Kelly still clamped around my neck. The force of the impact is nothing like enough to injure me, but it does force me to stop stabbing the bastard. As I fall I clumsily swing the butt of my daiklave around and score a glancing hit on the robot, knocking it aside. Either the pilot or its own AI recognises that they're not on target any longer and they cut the rocket motor as they plough into the wall a little way to my left.

Then my face hits the floor. Gah, gruh! I push myself up onto my knees and immediately am forced to swing the daiklave to cut through another robot. The blade passes through its carapace cleanly, piercing the -bah!- fuel tank, which is immediately ignited by its own rocket flame! I blink, trying to get the burning liquid out of my eyes but not able to drop my weapons to use my hands. Through the smoke I see two more humanoid outlines as-

"Attack!"

-a pair of robots charge through the smoke, riot shields in their right hands and some sort of spray gun in place of their left. I charge, rising from my crouch like a sprinter as the fucker's hands go over my eyes aaaagh!

Can't… Fucking…

I keep going, turning sideways and slashing at where I remember the robots being. I think.. something is coating my left side, but I feel the feedback through the daiklave as blade meets metal. Another slash gah! Turns out… Having someone with super strength fiddle around inside your eye sockets is quite painful! Okay, think I hit the second one there. Amulet should be that way…

I hear the roar of another rocket and slash… Agh! Missed! Something, probably another of the insect robots, strikes me in the chest. I brace and bring my daiklave's hilt down on it, smashing it to the floor and causing another explosion to wash over me. This won't work. Okay, hopefully the amulet is still roughly where I think it is. Need to get there now. I leap upwards, twisting in the air so that my feet meet the ceiling and pushing off while upside down. Half a second later I crash down in what I hope is nearly the right place, stone shattering beneath me and I listen.

Major Kelly swinging forwards over my head distracts me, but I think I heard the noise of metal against stone to my right. Before he can recover his position I slam my daiklave point down into the floor, push him forwards with my now free right hand and slash with the Sword of the Fallen.

"Huuuuuurhhh!"

Wetness and meat fall past my left hand in the Sword of the Fallen's wake, Major Kelly finally being forced to release me. Okay, based on past experience it could be hours until I get my eyes back. Too long to wait. I toss my head, hoping that some of the burning fuel in my eye sockets is shaken free. Then I sheathe the Sword of the Fallen and start feeling around on the floor for the amulet.
Heal.
I can't tell quite how hot the room is, but it should be hot enough to throw off infrared sensors. The fire should also make it impossible to see me normally. Conventional munitions aren't a worry even now; being blinded is a pain and it hurts but it doesn't threaten my existence. I feel an edge-. No, just a stone fragment. Okay, and… That's an intestine.

…

I yank it as hard as I can, then throw what's torn off in my hands towards the other side of the room.
Heal.
I feel around some more. That's robot debris… Not sure if making noise is really a problem here, but ahah, got it! Probably. I stand, sliding my feet around and trying to feel where whatever's left of Major Kelly ended up. The intestine was there and-.

"Not that easy, alien!"
Heal.
OOF! I'm down on my back. I think he grabbed my foot.
Heal.
"Been a while since anything's hurt me, but you can't keep me-!"
Heal.
I thrust what I hope is the amulet in the direction of his voice. "Hyaah!"
Heal.
I feel… Something from the amulet.
Heal.
"Oh, motherfu-!"
Heal.
His voice cuts out suddenly, the amulet vibrating in my hand.
Heal.
I take a deep breath, tasting the burning fuel and smoke around me.
Heal.
Then I rise to my feet and grab my daiklave.

 

[Mr Zoat]

31st May
17:54 GMT

My eyes are shut, but something is trickling down my face. Eye goo? Blood? I don't think it can be rocket fuel; it isn't on fire. The heat isn't really a problem for me… Not yet at least. I might suffer from oxygen deficiency eventually but my insides are nearly as heat-resistant as my outside. My neck aches and I'm sure that if I could see it I would see Major Kelly's fingerprints gouged into my flesh.
Heal.
Fortunately, the pain from my abused neck is being drowned out by… Agh… The pain from my eye sockets. Not at unanesthetised autodisembowelment levels yet, but the day is young.
Heal.
Stay here or get moving?
Heal.
I'm in what I presume to be a castle. One maintained by the British government as a black site. The castley bits of castles aren't usually all that big, so charging out of the doors and smashing my way along the corridors is certainly a viable option. On the other hand, there are almost certainly more robots out there. There may also be regular Human soldiers -only a concern in the sense that killing them might make me look bad- and metahumans of various sorts. I.. am.. in no shape to fight someone in my weight class.
Heal.
I'm not sure exactly how much of the British super-establishment is on board with Project Evil, but… Even those who aren't would probably be on board with assisting in stopping me if they find me rampaging around a secure facility. Doubly so if I'm dripping with the blood of their countrymen. Of Chester's associates, the only one who really worries me is Tri-man. Super speed and super strength are difficult for me to overcome at the best of times, and.. now… Isn't. Fortunately for me, he has Thundermind's problem of being too much a public figure to be able to disappear for long periods of time. A call has probably gone out, but it'll take him a while to get away from whatever's occupying him and.. then travel here…
Heal.
On the 'stay put' side I've got Father Box and a power ring that are currently non-functional. If I can change that then I can either escape or -my preference- wreck havoc upon the deserving. Sinestro?
Heal.
…
Heal.
Nothing.
Heal.
Okay then. "In blackest day or-. Uhuh-uhuh."
Heal.
I wince, then gasp as that involves putting pressure on the damaged tissue around my eyes in a way they are not shy about sharing with the rest of me. OWFUCKINGOW!
Heal!
Okay. Talking out loud is a no-go for now.
Heal.
The flames… I think they're dying down a bit. I don't remember seeing any flammable material in the room, so it's just the quick-burning fuel, robot remains and… Probably Kelly-remains and my eyes.
Heal.
When this is over I'm going to be on my third pair of eyes! Thirty years I lived with one perfectly good pair but I'm on this stupid Earth for a couple of months-!
Heal.
I stab my daiklave into the floor and check myself over with my hands. Something stuck on the left side of my torso… Maybe on that side of my face as well, but I have no intention of prodding it to make sure. The robots had some sort of glue spray? It's still sticky in places while in others it's set like rubber and.. across my left arm it appears to have been burned and crystallised. Heh. If I could see what I was doing, I could use it to put a protective cover over my eye sockets, but then… If I could see what I was doing then I wouldn't need to.
Heal.
No other injuries in evidence. I pick the daiklave up once more and cautiously make my way towards the door. I'm getting a little short of breath as well. The room.. didn't look well-ventilated. Can't hear anything much from the far side-. I nearly trip as my right foot bumps into something. I crouch down, feeling… Part of a robot, I think. There's no chance I could repair it or use it as a weapon like this, but maybe… I grab hold of something on the chassis that feels load bearing. As a shield, it's inadequate. As a projectile, it's… Better than nothing.
Heal.
I rise to my feet. Okay, door should be about three metres that way, nearest wall should be there. I could just stride out of the smoke looking like a killing machine, but I'm.. just not feeling it at the moment. I swing the daiklave slowly, trying to use the flat of the blade to determine exactly where the wall begins… There. I stop to listen again.
Heal.
Nothing.
Heal.
I swivel my waist, preparing for the throw. One… Two… Three. I bring my left arm around and hurl the remains of the robot down the corridor outside. Then I listen. No shots, no yelps and no frantic scurrying to the side. Either whoever is there is exceptionally well disciplined or the corridor is empty. Right then, best foot forwards. I step to the side so that I'm standing directly in front of the opening. I should be visible now. No, still nothing.
Heal.
I step forwards one pace. Then another. As I pass through the opening there's a slight drop in temperature and an equally slight rise in air quality. Running my left hand along the wall I can feel the lumps of stone I sliced through when I cut through the door's anchor points earlier and that is the door itself. Worth picking up? I crouch down, feeling it with my left hand. It's not resting flat on the floor, there should be a handle… My probing hand encounters a wheel mechanism. That should do for the moment. I heave it upwards, metal scraping against stone as it comes upright. The wheel turns under the door's weight before stopping at its furthest extent.
Heal.
Mm. Very awkward. I'm just about strong enough to hold it in place, but the grip is decidedly suboptimal. No, have to make do. I hold it so that it covers a good deal of my chest, then extend my daiklave like a blind man's stick. Which it literally is, I suppose. Tap, wall over there. Tap, wall there too.
Heal.
With me removed from the field, command defaults to Doctor Robbins. The Mountain itself should be perfectly secure, with both technological defences and with the muscles and claws of the Genomorphs. I may have sent Chester to assist Miss Amane but I'm reasonably confident of her ability to look after herself if it comes to it.
Heal.
The one I'm really worried about is Lynne.
Heal.
The Centre for Paranormal Research isn't a military institution. There are a couple of security guards, but they're there to throw out nuisance visitors or protestors, not fight paramilitary units. Against untrained and unarmed metahumans, walking up to them with a gun and shooting them dead before they know what's going on is a perfectly viable technique. And if they can shut down a Father Box they can almost certainly shut down her telepathy.
Heal.
Tap. Tap.
Heal.
And sure, if anything happens to her then this country can forget about a smooth transition of power as I run through Westminster like a blender… But that wouldn't bring her back.
Heal.
Tap. Tap.
Heal.
Why did Major Kelly refer to me as 'alien'? I mean, yes, I am… Father Box?
Heal.
…
Heal.
Okay, I'm not an alien, but I've been telling everyone that I am and I certainly look like one. Why the heck is that a problem for him? Everything these people know about Apokolips comes from me. Doesn't it? They wouldn't know that they should be worried about an Apokoliptian unless I told them, and if they don't trust me why would they trust my information about us not being trustworthy.
Heal.
Tap. Tap.
Heal.
Maybe he's just speciesist. I mean, alien is three syllables, saying my name would actually have been-.
Heal.
"Hello, alien."
Heal.
I stop, turning my head in what I think is the direction of the voice. "Miss Dolmann." Owowow. Fight through. "Would you be so good as to point me to the exit? I've been kidnapped by men of low character and I fear for my safety."
Heal.
"We're going to get you. You're in a secure facility and extra forces are en route. You can't escape."
Heal.
For a moment, I consider doing the 'I'm not locked in here with you' line. But my throat really hurts. "'Kay."
Hea-. No. I try pushing my essence into Father Box, the resolute unflagging drive to conquer married to the intellect to do so intelligently. Nothing.
Tap. Tap.
Heal.
I start walking again. I wonder if I can sense the magic in this structure? Maybe get some idea of where things are? My magic-sense is pretty much limited to 'there is a concentration of power here', but even that-.

"You're going to die, alien!"
Heal.
"Y-. Yep. You said."
Heal.
I rest the knuckles of my right hand against the corridor wall and try relaxing my grip on my own body. Can I.. feel.. anything..? Ugh, sort of. There's power here, but it appears to be all around in more or less uniform strength. It probably isn't, but the distinction is too subtle for me to detect. Drat. I bring my daiklave back to the ready position and start walking again.
Heal.
Then I hear the roar as another rocket fires.

 

[Mr Zoat]

31st May
17:57 GMT

I turn side on, holding up the door-shield and bracing the metal against my shoulder and left leg. I didn't really get a good look at the corridor when I cut the door free, but I think it was straight-.
Resist.
FSHOOM.
Resist.
The first rocket hits the door, flames exploding against the metal and expanding outwards around the edges. Incendiary? That won't be a problem, then. I inch forwards.
Resist.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Resist.
More air is displaced, but there's little heat. Not sure what that was. Smoke, maybe?
Resist.
BANG!
Resist.
Something strikes me on the cheek. Not.. hard… I bring my right hand around and feel the inside of the door. There's a noticeable dent on my side adjacent to my face. Anti-armour? This door must be pretty darn well armoured to take that. Okay, anti-armour rockets can hurt me, but they would need repeated strikes in the same place to do much more than bruise.
Resist.
Hitting my face right now… That would be bad.
Resist.
I try picking up the pace, but the fact I can't see where I'm going is constantly making me hesitate. I hear another 'fwoosh' and move to the side, raising the door-shield slightly in the hope that if it's another anti-armour rocket it'll hit somewhere else.
Resist.
Instead, there's a comparatively slight impact and then a slight pushing. Don't know what that is. Push forwards-. Ah, there's some sort of sticky material on the floor. Nothing like strong enough to hold me in place but it's slowing my already glacial pace even further as I'm forced to push harder and shove.
Resist.
Some sort of hard foam? More of that glue stuff? No idea. But I think I'm.. past it.
Resist.
Tap. Tap.
Resist.
Okay, take a risk. I accelerate to actual walking pace, daiklave dragging along the wall. Hopefully, when I reach an opening it'll be one on both sides.
Resist.
A different noise this time, followed by a hissing I know indicates a gas weapon. I'm pretty much immune to conventional poisons but I still need air. If all of the air around me gets displaced and I can't get my environmental shield back up I'm as stuffed as anyone else. Faster, then. I accelerate to an awkward jog, my right foot kicking what I think was a gas grenade forwards. After two more steps I encounter it again and this time kick it harder, listening for the sounds of it striking something. Klink, klink, roll and klunk as it stops. Assuming that was in more or less a straight line…
Resist.
This could hurt.
Resist.
I run forwards, trying to judge the distance.
Heal.
"I can see you, alien."
Heal.
The daiklave stops scraping as I try to zero in on the voice.
Heal.
"Let's see how you handle this!"
Heal.
Okay then. I leap in the direction of the voice, daiklave thrust forwards. There's a series of fwooshing sounds from my direction of travel. Someone's dumping their rockets.
Unstoppable!
I can feel the backwash as the majority go wide and the thump as two don't. More than a few people have assumed that someone my size would have to be slow and clumsy. In actual fact, divine aura plus super strength means that I'm pretty darn fast!
Triumphant!
I bring the daiklave around where the voice was coming from, feeling it bite into metal and shear through! Excellent! And… Now I'm falling? The daiklave is still cutting through something..? I strike out with the door-shield, getting a 'clank' sound for my trouble. Okay, something big and-.
Heal.
And that's the floor. I hit it at a fair old clip with no warning to allow me to bend my legs. The brick comes off worse. There's a feeling of space around me but no movement from the air in front of me. I lunge and slash with the daiklave. The edge bites metal and slices through, the slight jarring sensation being easily absorbed by my hand.
Heal.
I have no idea what I'm fighting. Big robot? Mech? Golem? No, not a Golem, I can hear electricit-.
Heal.
Doouf! Something heavy just… Landed on me.
Heal.
"I'm going to kill you, alien!"
Heal.
"Good for you."
Heal.
Still hurts. Okay, she didn't sound particularly shaken up so I'm going to assume giant robot full of missiles. I push upwards, trying to either find an edge or at least push it aside. Risk of self destruct? Eh, it's probably got a scuttling device around the clever stuff but I doubt it has a built in nuke or anything. If it has, it would have fired it. And the rockets activating within their launchers won't do much more than knock me across the room… However far that is.
Heal.
Still, better safe than sorry. I bring my daiklave around and slice at what I believe to be the chest of the probably-robot. The blade passes cleanly through, then I stab it into the stone floor and feel inside the groove with my right hand. Armour… Half an inch thick. Okay, stab with the daiklave, then shove hard.
Heal.
I hear clanks and the shriek of metal against stone followed by a sudden bang. That must be where the wall in that direction is. Okay, so the cell was… That way…
Heal.
"OPEN YOUR GOD DAMNED EYES AND LOOK AT ME!"
Heal.
I could respond with 'TOGTFO', but that would involve talking. And using internet memes as banter is beneath me.
Heal.
I can't hear any 'fwooshes', so I'm going to assume that nothing else is in position to shoot me. Instead I stalk in the direction her shout comes from, swinging my daiklave back and forth in a way which I hope looks like I'm being menacing instead of just trying to stop myself walking into a wall.
Heal.
"LOOK AT ME!"

Door-shield up.

"LOOK AT ME!" / "LOOK AT ME! / "LOOK AT ME!"
Heal.
From different places that time. Okay, either there's three more robots or she's worked out that I'm navigating by sound. My left foot brushes against a decent-sized piece of debris and I stab the daiklave into the ground, dip down, pick it up and turn, hurling it in the direction of the furthest of the voices. One , t-. There's a complex sound, a crumpling followed in quick succession by a smash. Okay, that was most likely a wall-mounted speaker. And… More debris. She knows that I'm not looking…
Heal.
I pick up pieces of debris and throw them in a compass rose, trying to get an approximate idea of the shape of the room. A few dozen clangs and clunks later I've worked out that I'm in a rectangular room about ten metres by twenty. From the sounds of it there are other doorways, but from their placements I'm going to guess that they just lead to other cells. This definitely isn't the Tower of London. Those cells are far more cramped.
Heal.
Clang, clang, clang.
Heal.
Ah, excellent! That sounded like it hit a stair and bounced down a few steps. Sword waving again I head towards them. A bit odd that a room this big doesn't have any furniture, but I think I'll assume that they cleared it out. Nothing… Nothing… Wall. Okay, run the sword along the wall until… There!
Heal.
Heh. I'm feeling rather pleased with myself here. Ambushed, blinded, and I'm still going to get out of this okay.
Heal.
"You're too slow, alien!"
Heal.
She needs a new hobby. Advanced robotics are something I'd like it if Humans did more work on, but if all she's doing is building weapons I think I can live with myself if I kill her. I tap the daiklave against both sides of the staircase. Stone walls, and fortunately not spiralled. Plenty of room for me. Steps are… Okay, feels like the distance is even. I can afford to go a bit faster.
Heal.
"Now you're going to be trapped in here forever!"
Heal.
…
Heal.
…
Maybe I should go a little faster.

 

[Mr Zoat]

31st May
18:04 GMT

"Let me out!"
Heal.
Tap. Tap.
Heal.
Not sure exactly what was supposed to happen that would result in me getting trapped, but as far as I can see it hasn't mat-. As far as I can hear it hasn't materialised.
Heal.
Tap. Tap.
Heal.
The pain in my eye sockets has died down considerably. That might mean that I have eyeballs again, but the pain hasn't gone and it still doesn't… Feel quite right. Think I'll leave it for now. My throat on the other hand feels hunky-dory.
Heal.
"You utter arseholes! Let me out of here!"
Heal.
Tap. Swish.
Heal.
Open air? I swing the sword around a few more times, feeling out the edge of the space. There's an opening in front of me which appears to emerge out of a wall. There's a slight movement in the air, though whether it's from a well-ventilated room or from the outside I genuinely can't tell.
Heal.
Hmm. So, my choices are: one, follow the wall around until I find out the size of the space or two, call out to the desperate-sounding Mister Kipling and have a chat. Jumping towards his voice sounds unwise; he's my only source of input since Miss Dolmann stopped taunting me. And he's nothing like as tough as her robots, far more squishable.
Heal.
"Excuse me, Mister Kipling." I take a few steps forwards, door-shield held to my side. "May I have your attention for a moment?"
Heal.
"Oh, it doesn't matter. What do you want?"
Heal.
"A cake would-."
Heal.
"I'm not getting you a cake! Don't you understand what they've done?!"
Heal.
"No. I'm not even entirely certain who 'they' are. I didn't start any of this."
Heal.
"What do you mean, you didn't start any of this?"
Heal.
I shrug as best I can with both hands occupied. "I thought I was going to be fighting SHADE today. I had my lure, I had my people in place… And then one of my operatives fails to report in and the next thing I know, here I am."
Heal.
"Vera Black is a wanted fugitive and her brother is a serial killer! You're planning on overthrowing the government and taking over the country!"
Heal.
Hm. Yes, yes, yes… No. Not even in the short term. Why.. would.. he.. think that? Actually, why would he think that I was planning on overthrowing the government? Sure, I threatened to do that if whatshername didn't buck her ideas up during that committee hearing but that's about as far as I got. How closely have they been keeping tabs on me? Okay, so they might know that I've been investigating things, but Ra's has had people doing that and they don't think he's planning to take over the country. They're just paying him the hush money.
Heal.
"No I'm not. I mean -no offence to your country or anything- but that's a bit small potatoes for me."
Heal.
"Then what are you planning?!"
Heal.
"I'm planning on taking over the planet."
Heal.
"Ha! Then maybe it's for the best that we're trapped."
Heal.
"Not sure I follow you."
Heal.
"We can't get out, you fool! All your plans are for nought!"
Heal.
"No, I got that. What I don't understand is why me becoming ruler of the planet is a bad thing. If you could just… Talk me through the reasoning…"
Heal.
"You-? You want to discuss it?"
Heal.
"Do you have somewhere you need to be?"
Heal.
"I was planning to try and find the wine cellar and drink myself to death, actually."
Heal.
"It's actually quite.. hard to kill yourself in a short timeframe by drinking wine. I mean, spirits, sure. But with wine..? If no one was helping you, you'd probably lose consciousness before drinking enough. You'd certainly lose the hand-eye coordination required to open the next bottle."
Heal.
"I'm going to try."
Heal.
"Alright, fine, but.. my question?"
Heal.
"What's so hard to understand? Mankind does not want to be enslaved to an alien tyrant, to have our home world used as the base for an alien empire!"
Heal.
"Okay." I put down the door-shield, propping it up against the wall behind me. Then I return my daiklave to its clamp on my back. "This is just me, right? I mean, my brother and sister in law were here when I first arrived and I haven't brought any other Apokoliptians with me."
Heal.
"And?"
Heal.
"So: I, the Emperor of Earth, would be an alien. But all of my lieutenants would be Human… All of my military officers, all of my directors of industry and all of my civil servants would be Human. Research scientists: Human. My own daughter and heir: Human. So how exactly is this Empire that is made almost entirely of Humans.. an alien empire?"
Heal.
"What?"
Heal.
"I mean, you're basically saying that an alien can't be Emperor because he's an alien." I take a small risk and frown slightly. "Are you a racist, Mister Kipling?"
Heal.
"J-." There's a pause as he tries to come up with an answer. "No, of course not. But you're still trying to overthrow the British government and it's our job to stop you."
Heal.
"Mister Kipling, if either Father Box or my power ring were working right now I would show you the sorts of things that your government officials get up to, and it would turn your stomach."
Heal.
"Is that enough to justify Black killing our Members of Parliament?"
Heal.
"Four rapists, two paedophiles and a cannibal? Yes, I'd say so."
Heal.
"W-? No, that's preposterous. They can't possible have covered up so many criminal acts."
Heal.
"They didn't. They hushed it up. I've got the evidence. I just wouldn't be able to find anyone to do anything about it. That's why I'm sheltering Chester Black. And preventing him going off half-cocked."
Heal.
"Prove it."
Heal.
"Alright. Unlock my power ring and I will." He doesn't immediately respond. "If you're so sure that we can't get out -and while you're drinking yourself to death I will be making an attempt- then it can hardly hurt."
Heal.
"It-." I can just about hear him sigh. "I can't. I worked the spell I used to interrupt your portal into the castle's defences. Hostile artefacts that it has been applied to won't function while they're in here."
Heal.
"So I can't show you the thing I need to show you in order for you to help me get out until we're already out." I nod. "Tricky."
Heal.
"Oh, no. Screw 'em. I'll help you get out regardless, as long as I'm included in the escape plan."
Heal.
"Oh. Bit of a.. change of heart there."
Heal.
"Thought I might as well put a brave face on a hopeless situation. I'm actually fairly self-interested."
Heal.
"Drinking yourself to death?"
Heal.
"If I go down then I'd take you with me. But -between you and me- I'd rather not go down at all." I hear another sigh. "I mean… Look at that."
Heal.
"Look at what?"
Heal.
"Maybe it would help if you opened your eyes."
Heal.
"Sadly that's impossible. Major Kelly crushed my eyeballs. Could you please describe it?"
Heal.
"You ever see the film 'Labyrinth'? With David Bowie?"
Heal.
"Yes?"
Heal.
"Like that, only made of castle. The man who first enchanted this castle designed it so that it could disassociate itself from reality if it ever became overrun by one of his enemies. It's castle to the front of them, castle to the rear, castle to the up and the down and the round and round. An infinitely repeating mile cubed."
Heal.
"Oh. I'm rather sad to be missing it. Sounds like an amazing visual spectacle."
Heal.
"It's just stone. The problem is that nothing in here can affect the outside."
Heal.
"Can things outside affect.. this..?"
Heal.
"They can turn it off, but they're not going to. I'm sure that I'm perfectly expendable."
Heal.
"But things from outside can come here?"
Heal.
"Some things, yessss…"
Heal.
"Then we may as well keep ourselves busy seeing if we can scavenge parts for a radio from Miss Dolmann's robots."

 

[Mr Zoat]

31st May
18:23 GMT

"Which doesn't help me at all, because I don't know what a germanium diode looks like!"
Heal.
"Okay, that's fine." I nod. Not unreasonably, Mister Kipling's background is in magic -and English literature, curiously- and not electronics. I only know how to put an ersatz radio together because Richard thought it might be important for us to know. "I don't suppose the robots have aerials anywhere on them, do they?"
Heal.
"I'd have spotted that."
Heal.
"Wall mounted communication devices?"
Heal.
"There are tannoys on the walls in a few places. Are they any use?"
Heal.
"Might be. I don't know much more about this than you."
Heal.
"Oh, what good does it do? Do you really think that something as simple as radio waves could breach our dimensional bubble?!"
Heal.
"No, not really. But once we have a working communications device of some sort I can wire in the Transferral Node from my sword and that will allow us to listen in to my allies' communication devices."
Heal.
"Transferral Node? What's that when it's at home?"
Heal.
"Apokoliptian technology. It lets me connect a device to my soul. Did you notice how your amulet thing pulled my sword for a second or two and then lost its grip?"
Heal.
"Not specifically. I was busy trying to plan out my next move."
Heal.
"Alright, well, without that, my big sword is a nasty bit of kit but it's still basically a sword."
Heal.
"What's so special about it?"
Heal.
I reach back with my right arm and take hold of the hilt before releasing the clamps and bringing it around to my front. "X-ionised edge with Nth metal chasing. Nothing sharper or more resilient in the universe, and that's leaving aside the force field disrupting properties. The Apokoliptian construction of the rest lends resilience and resistance to magic and reality warping. Usually."
Heal.
"The spell should have stopped that."
Heal.
"Yes, it did. Fortunately I was able to extend my soul into it and push the effect away. It reactivated at full power immediately." I stab the daiklave into the stone floor. Alright, let's assume that the radio idea is a bust. "Do you think that you could funnel additional raw magic into me?"
Heal.
"Not enough to make a damn bit of difference. The castle is designed to keep all of its magic to itself. It took me months just to work out how to extend the weapon-nullification effect."
Heal.
"Can you reset it? Having my ring and Father Box back would give me a lot more options."
Heal.
"No, it's designed to resist that. Adding, yes. Taking away is a little beyond me."
Heal.
We both spend a few moments in silence, thinking the problem over.
Heal.
"Where exactly is this castle?"
Heal.
"At the moment? I believe it's a semi-stabilized portion of the Dreaming, though I could be wrong. The owner wasn't around to consult when our little company took possession."
Heal.
"No, I mean... Normally."
Heal.
"Western Scotland. Used to belong to a man named Cursitor Doom, but he was declared dead decades ago."
Heal.
"Any way to get in touch with him?"
Heal.
"Not as far as I know." I hear him move. "Not a bad idea, if we get desperate. If there is a way to get a message out, it would almost certainly go to him."
Heal.
"Why would we have to be desperate?"
Heal.
"He wasn't declared dead on a whim. Britain doesn't have enough competent wizards that we could easily afford to lose him. We searched, with means both conventional and arcane. Not a sniffle. What sort of weaponry does your Father Box have?"
Heal.
"None, so far as I'm aware. Why?"
Heal.
"Oh, it just sounded like an odd thing to call a gun. The spell should only affect weapons."
Heal.
I almost ask Father Box if he's been holding out on me. "He has an extensive database of weapons of various sorts. Would that set it off?"
Heal.
"No, or it would have shut off your brain as well. And mine, come to mention it."
Heal.
"Boom tube generation?" No, doesn't sound like it. "Matter reorganisation?"
Heal.
"Probably. If you remove the component that performs that function then it may start working again."
Heal.
"If Himon or Desaad drop by I'll ask them to do that."
Heal.
Hm. I suppose that now is as good a time as any. I hold out my right hand.
Heal.
"In blackest day, in brightest night,
Beware your fears made into light,
Let those who try to stop what's right,
Burn by my power, Prince Grayven's might!"
Heal.
…
Heal.
I wait.
Heal.
No, nothing. The ring's totally dead.
Heal.
"Poetic. What was it meant to do?"
Heal.
"Summon my personal lantern. But with the ring dead, it can't connect to the subspace pocket where I keep it."
Heal.
"And the fact that we're stuck in a pocket universe of our own doesn't help." He's not wrong. "I may have an idea. How much 'communication' has to be going on for your Transferral Node to function?"
Heal.
"No idea. Honestly, it was chancy with a radio."
Heal.
"Does it need to be physical, or would a spell suffice?"
Heal.
"Um. A spell might be better, actually. But I somehow doubt that you're powerful enough. No offence intended."
Heal.
"No, but… We have an intact speaker, we have bits of robot which presumably communicate with each other somehow, and we have a network of spells hardwired into the stones of this place. Given the dimensional nature of the trap, their size is effectively infinite. I hear that large aerials are useful in these matters."
Heal.
"Might be on to something there. Of course, we still need to actually find a way out, but it's a start."
Heal.
"With us trapped here Penny lost access to her drones. We don't have to worry about them attacking us. A few months ago she had me charm a couple of the smaller ones. I don't understand the circuitry but I remember her description of the components. If you cut one open then I should be able to salvage what we need for that."
Heal.
I nod. "Is there a nexus to the spell network on the castle? That would be the ideal spot."
Heal.
"Yes, Doom's workshop. We can set up in there after we get the parts we need." I hear his clothing rustle as he gets to his feet. "This way."
Heal.
Yes, a physical cue to the direction. Very helpful. Ah, fuck it. I have to open them sooner or later. My eyelids stick together as they haven't since last time I had an eye infection. I can feel some parts sticking more than others, and the slight tearing sensation as some of the stuck parts become unstuck. Flashes of brilliant white light stab at my brain through the narrow opening.
Function as I demand!
"Come on, y-. I thought you said Derek blinded you?"

"I undo my own injuries. Slowly." I keep them as near to closed as I can, peering around me. Slight degrees of differentiation appear, brown-grey and… Light brown-grey. "How do they look?"

"Like you had cataracts, then someone stabbed you. Can you see anything out of that?"

"Not much, but at least I don't risk walking into walls." I nod at the moving blob. "Lead on, MacDuff."

"The line is 'lay on'. Lay on, MacDuff. And since we're not charging an enemy it doesn't apply."

"Alright. Lead on Mister Kipling. And remember that I can survive longer than you without food or water."

 

[Mr Zoat]

31st May
18:32 GMT

"What did you actually… Ugh."

I try making out what Mister Kipling is working on. The image is a little clearer now, but I'm a way off getting fine details. "Problem?"

"No, no, done. I don't know how you plan to wire your sword in, but the robot and the speaker are thoroughly bodged together."

"Right." I reach back with my right hand, take hold of my daiklave and spin it before jamming it point first into the stone floor.

"Hey! Less fancy swordplay when you can't see what you're doing!"

"Not an option. I'm the Apokoliptian God of Conquest. When I perform spiritual acts I must do so in a thematically appropriate mode, leaving my mark on the stone." I bend down, feeling along the blade. Open.

"What did you do to Derek? I didn't think anything could hurt him any more."

"See the little sword in my scabbard?" Ah, Apokoliptian technology. The wires exist purely to convey the idea of connection. I detach one from the Transferral Node and then gently feel around for a suitable connection point on the object Mister Kipling has put together.

"Yes. Wasn't that what you used to decapitate Klarion?"

I nod. "It was made to slay the First of the Fallen. Sabbac Two used it to cut off Captain Marvel's arms. I have yet to encounter a creature it can't harm."

"I thought he was invulnerable."

"I don't believe in invulnerability. I was a bit surprised by how much punishment he took-."

"Oh, the Eye knitted him back together after every hit. I was wondering how you finished him off. Stab to the brain as you did with Sabbac? Or was separating his head from the gem enough to prevent further regeneration?"

"No idea. I was blind at the time, so I just used your amulet." I find a suitable attachment point and stand, both hands going around my daiklave's hilt. "Okay, I'm probably going to need your help making this work. Watch what I'm doing and nudge it along if you see an-."

"My amulet?"

"Yes. Is there something wrong with that?"

"Puts us on a bit of a clock, yes. That thing is only designed to keep someone contained for a few minutes. The only reason why he isn't already free is because we're on our own demiplane."

"So did he get wiped or will he reappear the moment we break out?"

"The latter. Give it here, I'll see if I can-."

I shake my head. "I don't trust you that much."

"He'll know I've helped you. He won't consider saving myself to be an adequate excuse!"

"So are you.. going to ask me for sanctuary, or are you just planning on hiding and hoping it blows over?"

"As long as he doesn't see us together I'm sure that I can come up with something. He wasn't expecting me to actually fight you."

"I'll think about it. Now, let's focus on the job at hand." I tighten my grip around the hilt. This is the first time I've tried anything this complicated…

He was right. I can feel the daiklave, the robot parts and -dimly- the castle itself. Ugh, the minuscule nature of this false universe makes me feel unwell as I try to make sense of it. No, no. I'm not the God of Intellect. Think like a conqueror. I stop feeling out the pattern and pull. I have taken this castle! Slain or subjugated its defenders! By Right of Conquest this is my domain!

The speaker crackles slightly as I feel the castle trying to resist. Doesn't feel directed at me in any sort of complex way, just the resistance of any system already in motion.

"Allow me, Mister Grayven. Just a… Little… Alteration…"

And everything snaps into focus. I still don't know what the parts of the system do and I'm not about to try fiddling with them. I might hit whatever it is that is keeping my ring inactive and I might hit whatever it is maintaining this demiplane and dump us into the Dreaming. Or worse, the Bleed. Instead, I try feeling outwards, letting my Conqueror's Ambition run wild. I will take all that is out there! Summon My Vassals!

"…ast as me, but he is far stronger than I am."

My eyes snap open as I hear Miss Amane's voice. Come on, keep talking.

"Iname, the man you are fighting is almost certainly the British superhero Tri-Man."

Glad that Doctor Robbins is keeping things organised.

"A superhero? No, tell me what he can do!"

"Enhanced speed, strength and augmented vision. Don't bother trying to hide."

"Understood."

"And avoid lethal force if at all possible! The last thing we need is a fight with Superman as well."

"Yes Ma'am."

I raise my eyebrows at Mister Kipling. "Anything you feel like sharing at this juncture?"

"Compartmentalisation is the name of the game, I'm afraid. I didn't even know other offensive operations were being planned."

"Mister Tawny, report."

"Tawny?"

"My Tiger." Actually, what exactly does she expect him to say?

"Forgive my taciturnity, Doctor." What? That's.. his voice, but without my ring I shouldn't get a translation. Since when can he speak English out loud? "Fighting giant invisible robots is not as easy as I make it look."

"You have a talking Tiger?"

"Apparently." And how is he working a radio with paws?

"Is Miss Selton safe?"

"Giant robot, so, no. She's not injured, and-. Ah, one moment. Bally blighter's trying to get clever."

I turn my head towards Mister Kipling. "Giant robot?"

"The Brain has a monstrous chassis. I've no idea why they thought it was a good idea to deploy it in Superman's home city."

He's not that hard to distract. Had one or two plans to arrange for that to happen myself. "Giant invisible robot?"

"Presumably they want plausible deniability. Oh, you mean 'how is it invisible'?"

"Yes."

"Technology derived from Crandell's gauntlet. Not really my department."

This sounds like a fight I should be involved in. I mean, I suppose the point of having competent subordinates is that they can fight without me watching over them the whole time… "Do you know where Vera Black is?"

"As far as I know she's still in the house you were trying to get to. With Chester around we were limited to using robotic drones for observation and couldn't risk a strike team being anywhere near the place."

"Would anyone else using a hush tube to get there end up here?"

"Not now, no. Why, did someone come through before you?"

"No." Find My Heir. "How about someone leaving it?"

"Wouldn't affect them."

"Attack a fooking school fulla fooking kids, will yeh?!"

Ah, good. Sounds like Chester's in fine form. And looking after Lynne. Must remember to thank him. "Any idea why your people are going after the Centre for Paranormal Research?"

"None."

"Alright, sounds like my people are managing. Any ideas on getting us out of here yet?"

**Daddy?**

 

[Mr Zoat]

31st May
18:35 GMT

I drop my customary mental shield immediately.

**Lynne!**

"Ow! What are you..?" I ignore Mister Kipling, trying to focus instead on the flicker I feel from the soul now so similar to my own. "That's not going to work. Nothing gets out."

"Could you recreate this place from scratch?"

"… No?"

"Then clearly you don't know everything there is to know about it. Now, where would whatever arcane device is used to bring us back to Earth Sixteen be kept?"

"Earth what?"

"There are parallel universe versions of Earth, ours is Sixteen, don't question it. Where?"

"Ah… Either the Queen's House in the Tower of London or GCHQ. Or, maybe somewhere else. It was in the Tower when I saw it, but that was last year and they might well have moved it since."

"What, Grayven's heeyuh?"

"If he is, he's keeping dashedly quiet about it. LOOK OUT!"

"Manchester Black, if you don't have something useful to say then keep quiet. Mister Tawny, don't shout warnings over the radio. Lynne, what do you mean?"

"You know how he does that thing with Uncle Scott and Aunty Barda, where there's two different types of speech happening at the same time? It felt like that."

"What did he say?"

"I-. I didn't get any words. Just… I felt him."

Okay, good. Getting somewhere.

"How the hell did you do that?"

"I gave my daughter part of my soul. I had thought that doing so might mean that I count as being both here and there. Not that it does a lot of good if I can't get a clear message across."

"Curious. I didn't think that would…" Mister Kipling quietens for a moment. "But that could mean… Alright, if we're isolated from everywhere but the Dream -and that's testable- we should still be able to use that to send messages to the waking world. If we're careful."

"And if we're in the Bleed?"

"Then we can't, but as I said, it's testable. We just have to go to sleep, and I'm already trained in lucid dreaming and dreamstate manipulation. Of course, if we're in the Bleed, and we have no source of additional power, then this place will experience planar collapse once the protective spells decay. In which case we'd be fucked."

"And if we're in a little fold in the Earth's own arcane planes?"

"Thhhhen it will either naturally decay and return us to our starting location -though that could be over a very long period of time- or it could be permanent."

"I might be able to survive the Bleed for a little while, depending on when my power ring reactivates. But still, suboptimal."

To put it mildly. Apparently Desaad actually tried throwing lowlies in a few times to see what happened. He stopped because it didn't produce good data, but according to Father Box his studies suggested that a New God should be able to brace themselves against the raw chaos in much the same way we ordinarily reinforce aspects of ourselves. Sinestro's input on the matter covered what the Weaponers and Guardians knew: power rings can maintain your coherence, but it sucks the energy out of the ring very quickly.

"Do you have a magician working for you?"

"Yes, with contact details for more."

"Okay." I hear his footsteps as he starts pacing. "So, communication is possible. We just need to find a form this place isn't designed to prevent. Keep trying."

"Lynne, this is… Your father speaking. Can you hear me?"

"Have you felt him again?"

"No, not yet. I've tried talking like that before and I can barely do it. I'm not as powerful as he is."

Yet. Communicate My Will! "Lynne, hear-."

"I heard him again!"

"Okay, the trick is for me to be at my most-" Grayveny. "-godly. I have to be absolutely in tune with my domain, but I can get through."

"Morse code! We could try Morse code."

"Lynne's twelve! She's not going to know Morse code."

"No, but Chester will."

"I mean, she's probably not going to know that Morse code is a thing."

"Whatever are you teaching her?"

"I'm trying to teach her how to be a child." I squeeze my eyes shut in an attempt to ignore the visual distraction of blur-o-vision. "Look, I'm connected to the castle's magic networks. Can you make sense of any of it?"

"Even if I could, I don't have the power to-."

"Teamwork, Mister Kipling. You can use me for power. Do not abuse this privilege."

"Very well." I hear the sliding of cloth and a slight bump as he sits down. "Can I just point out the incongruity of trusting me with your soul and not with my own equipment?"

"Heard and ignored. Get to work."

He exhales steadily. "Yu Mo Gui Gwai Fai Di Zao. Yu Mo Gui Gwai Fai Di Zao."

"Was that Uncle from Jackie Chan Ad-?"

"Concentrating here. It's a perfectly viable Taoist-."

"Fine. Sorry." I focus as well, expanding my awareness around My Bulwark. It takes a moment, but after a little effort I begin to recognise the patterns in the infinitely repeating sets of spells. Speak Plainly. And then… It's like they aren't infinite. I see it as one thing in infinite places, each…

That's actually quite beautiful.

"A-hah! Found something!"

"A way out?"

"No. But. Once I took a look at your connection to your daughter, I checked to see if there was anything else similar. And there is."

"Is there someone else here?"

"No, it looks like it's set to trigger automatically. If we're lucky, it's the thing which is connected to the system which triggers the isolation."

"And if we're unlucky?"

"Well… This place does have working toilets."

Ah. "Are there any other such triggers?"

"There are thousands of triggers. But it's the only one which looks like the one you made. It's probably a communication channel of some kind and I could spend the rest of… However long I've got until I die of thirst, trying to make sense of everything else."

"So the choice is..?"

"Unless you can subvert it in some way? Leave it on or turn it off."

Control The Communication!

I feel that part of the magic network become more… Quiescent, but that doesn't tell me what it does.

Answer Your God!

The link shimmers, telling me that it is working just as well as it can. That appears to be the limits of my ability.

"Turn it off."

I feel a slight tug as Mister Kipling uses my connection to cut the string.

"Notice anything?"

"No. Feel anything?"

A vague disquiet that my domain is now slightly smaller. "No. Let me know if-."

And I collapse to the floor as the whole network is yanked away from me.