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

[Mr Zoat]

Life
=
Pain
Self=Darkseid
I sit on the beach, turning away from the ragamuffins as Diana takes in my little speech. And I can see it in her face, in the slight frown and tightening of the skin around her eyes as she almost manages to master her expression that I have spoken unwisely and alienated an admirable woman merely by being me. I didn't want to do that. Why did I..?
Self=Darkseid
I smile as I put my right arm around Wallace's shoulders, being happy that I just deliberately made a fifteen year old boy who of his own free will fights armed criminals for no greater reward than knowing that he did the right thing… Made him feel bad.
Self=Darkseid
Lawrence Crock looks at his own arms in horror as they turn orange and I permanently alienate myself from all of my peers and create a secret I can't tell my… The woman who might have become my mother in law. Did my parents not raise me better than this? I felt satisfaction, joy at my victory… But now…
Self=Darkseid
I smile at Artemis' expression after I made a tentacle sex joke to a fifteen year old girl while alone with her in a darkened corridor.
Self=Darkseid
I chased Jade across the country because I found the fact that I could scare someone like her so easily pleasant. I apologised later, but looking back I can see a little of the damage I caused in every part of our interactions.
Self=Darkseid
Jade sits on my chest, smiling down at me as she runs her hands over my naked chest and by every gesture I am reminded of the time eleven months hence when she will reject me and slash at me with a knife.
Self=Darkseid
I turn away from Theodore Kord's office, already knowing that the fool will misuse my technological gift for something puerile. Why did I bother?
Self=Darkseid
N-no. Jade-!
Self=Darkseid
She will reject me and slash at me with a knife.
Self=Darkseid
I… I don't…
Self=Darkseid
She has rejected me and slashed at me with a knife. She never wants to see me again.
Self=Darkseid
M'gann is still dazed by Artemis' apparent death. She's my friend, and I torture her to break the illusion because that's just how things are.
Self=Darkseid
Life…
Self=Darkseid
Ms A'Daire shakes with fear as I drive away yet another group I could so easily have befriended.
Self=Darkseid
I reach out to Richard in order to improve our relationship but can't resist sabotaging my own efforts for momentary amusement.
Self=Darkseid
The Justice League, people I believe to be better and more moral than myself, stand around like garden gnomes as Mister Zatara goes to put the Helmet of Fate upon his head.
Self=Darkseid
Diana is so concerned about my possible actions that she takes the time to confront me, ignoring the bleeding world outside. Poor threat assessment? Could she not stand it? All that…
Self=Darkseid
I lift away a heap of rubble to reveal the mangled remains of the family of the woman who followed me inside. She collapses with a wail, sobbing 'why? why?'. She cared, and she suffers for it.
Self=Darkseid
My team mates are genuinely conflicted as I make every effort to turn them from their mentors. They're children! They shouldn't have to-!
Self=Darkseid
Kon vaporises Luthor's drugs because he's learned to behave that way from me.
Self=Darkseid
Lynne, shaking and sobbing on the floor as Father steps towards me.
Self=Darkseid
I was trying to turn them into me. No higher reason. Just because.
Self=Darkseid
Because I'm me.
Self=Darkseid
Because that's what I do, what I am.
Self=Darkseid
I strove to crush the idealism that I can't feel myself.
Self=Darkseid
Alan gave me his lantern in a gesture of trust and hope and I've done everything I can to make him regret it. I made the greatest hero of the greatest generation cry with joy finding out that I wasn't a supervillain! How low were his expectations of me!?
Self=Darkseid
Life… Equals…
Self=Darkseid
I get to spend time with Jade and I'm happy, even though in nine months' time she will reject me and slash at me with a knife until I discover that a single careless phrase has made her cry and doubt my love.
Self=Darkseid
I sit down to eat with Jade's family while eight months in my future she slashes at me with a knife and I killed Paula's husband and I can't tell her.
Self=Darkseid
My pretence at being Grayven nearly gets my friends killed by Apokoliptian soldiers. Jade lies broken and bleeding while eight months in my future she slashes at me with a knife.
Self=Darkseid
I try and help a world avoid its destruction and I get shot, beaten and nuked for my troub-.
Self=Darkseid
No! That was-! I did-!
Self=Darkseid
Fire all around me as the worthless fools who I've been trying to save don't help me as my flesh evaporates.
Self=Darkseid
That's not-! I… I helped!
Self=Darkseid
Kara In-Ze casually suggests killing me after I twice saved her world and am at her mercy. Why do I help these people?
Self=Darkseid
Life… Equals…
Self=Darkseid
Doctor Robbins served the greater good her whole life and ended up a gibbering incontinent in a home for people no one cares about.
Self=Darkseid
Doctor Robbins..? What happened to-?
Self=Darkseid
Lines of staring Genomorphs, unseeing as Father's presence does its work. They trusted me to show them the world and I wanted to. And that is what they received. Lynne, curled up on the floor and sobbing.
Self=Darkseid
She's probably the same.
Self=Darkseid
Lynne comes through the portal, smiling and running towards me as she sees me and she's sitting on Father's knee as the living repository of the Anti-Life reads to her.
Self=Darkseid
She throws her arms around me and collapses, hugging her knees to her chest and it's my fault. I brought this on her!
Self=Darkseid
We fly a kite and she collapses, hugging her knees to her chest and it's my fault!
Self=Darkseid
I love Jade and it made me vulnerable, made me hurt.
Self=Darkseid
Life
Self=Darkseid
I love Lynne and it hurts! He wouldn't have come here but for me! It must have been even worse than when she was in the SHADE facility, she'll never feel safe again!
Self=Darkseid
=
Self=Darkseid
Graaaaaagh, no! No! It doesn't! I don't believe-!
Self=Dar-. No! I'm Grayven! God of Conquest! And you won't-!
Father looks down on my broken body with disappointment. He knows.
Self=Darkseid
Even if I recover… Lynne will never recover. Lynne will never forgive me.
Self=Darkseid
No! Even… Even my pain! My pain is mine! Whatever you do-.
Self=Darkseid
Even if I lose everything, I can rebuild. It will hurt, and that is right, but I tried to repair my relationship with Richard and only drove him away more strongly.
Self=Darkseid
Help me! Someone, please!

 

[Mr Zoat]

3rd July
14:43 GMT

I stand on my newly built stage facing the relatively small crowd gathered to hear me speak. Quite a bit smaller than the number who gathered to watch me work, but I suppose that was the interesting bit.

"As you can see behind me, the Pitsea Waste Management Site… Or if we're a bit more honest with ourselves, the Pitsea Landfill Site… Is now clear not only of all waste material, but also of any toxic or poisonous chemicals that might have leached into the soil." A disgruntled looking Gull lands on the right edge of the stage and takes a look around. "Most of the site is going to be handled over to the RSPB for development as a bird sanctuary, and the rest will be used for housing."

I step aside from the podium for a moment, looking back at the piles of material which ring-sorting through the colossal piles of rubbish generated. Plenty of metal in rubbish, and recyclable plastic and any number of useful chemicals. It's just not efficient for them to be reclaimed at Earth's current level of technology. I've left them stored neatly by element and material and the site's employees are going to be occupying themselves selling it and transporting it to places that can use it. Recycling levels in London are… Okay, these days. Most of this mess is historical.

I return my attention to my audience. "The refined material will start being shipped out-" The ground rumbles as a large lorry drives past the stage. "-right now to its new homes. Now, I imagine a number of you are wondering why I'm doing this. Not exactly.. typical superhero work, is it?" I smile at a few faces I recognise from... Some of them from other parts of Boris' work program. A couple of others from the Dolmen Gate reveal. "One of the projects that I've been engaged in has been an attempt to increase the range of what can be done with technology Humans already possess. My friend Ted Kord is already mass producing arcanotechnological orbs which can control clouds. Most of the technology involved in that was taken from work done by Doctor Thomas Morrow… So we're only seventy years behind the times there."

"I'll reiterate, for those of you who missed my last complaint about poor technology application regarding zeta tubes. We've had the technology to control hurricanes for seventy years, and it's only just now being applied to something that isn't a weapon."

"But can anything on Earth do what I just did?" I shake my head. "Not just yet. But we're working on it. In the KordTech laboratories now is Earth's first nanotech disassembler. Its co-inventors are the nano-robotics expert Doctor Serling Roquette and cryogenicist and recovering theme criminal Leonard Snart. The current version could do what took me a couple of mornings in… About… Two months. Nothing like as fast, but controllable, reproducible and made entirely with Earth technology. That point cannot be made strongly enough. This is a world of technological wonders the likes of which.. just don't exist on other planets."

"I didn't do this because I have some burning desire to work in waste disposal-." I cut myself off and half turn in the direction of the nearest group of orange-clad workers. "No offence, guys!" A couple of them look around, but they don't otherwise respond. I turn back to my audience. "I did it because I wanted to-" Take my mind off what I'm doing next week. "-demonstrate the capacity of super-advanced technology to change the world for the better.. in ways that directly and immediately affect people's quality of life for the better. It isn't all about… New ways to blow things up and… People in ridiculous costumes finding new ways to shoot at each other." I shift from my suit to one of my more garish armours. "And I know what I'm talking about on that last one."

…

No? No one?

I switch back to my suit.

"I mentioned in my last speech on this subject that Doctor Thaddeus Sivana's story made me the most angry. But it wasn't until I had the chance to see some of the things he's invented since then, and… Well, meet the man, that I discovered the full extent of humanity's loss. And that's why I'm announcing today that KordTech is opening a scholarship program for… Let's call them.. angry scientists. Had an idea of revolutionising a field of industry, but lackwits and fools-" I ham it up, clenching my fists and railing at the heavens. "-refuse to give you the time of day? We want to hear from you. We want to help you. Preferably before you feel the need to.. go on a rampage to.. prove how wrong they were to doubt you. You can't revolutionise anything from in prison."

I make a shrugging motion with both hands. "Alright, I'm done. Any questions?"

Several hands go up, but an angry-looking man with an RMT badge on pre-empts them. "Why do you hate the British railways?!"

"I used to go to work by Southern Rail. The management's incompetent and the employees think they belong to the National Graphical Association. The trains are a natural monopoly and the unions have taken full advantage, becoming so cocky that people are willing to use teleportation portals rather than put up with them any longer. We can replace a fifth of the network for less than the cost of High Speed Rail Two with a form of transport that's safer and quicker. So begone, all of them."

"You think it's okay to destroy workers' livelihoods?!"

"On the contrary, the Atlantean artificers who make the Dolmen Gates are extremely well paid. Next question." I point to a woman at random.

"Dominique Westlake, ITV London. Are you planning on clearing up any other landfill sites?"

"No. I did this to show that it can be done. I'm of the opinion that having superheroes clean up every social or economic problem is like a fit and healthy adult who still has someone to wipe his arse for him. I've only just been on this planet for a year, and already I've helped develop a technology that could do what I just did. You get one, you can do the rest yourself."

"So you're saying that you could?"

"Without a greater purpose to work towards I'd get bored before long, and I can't use these rings for things that bore me. It doesn't work. But no, I probably wouldn't be willing to even if I could do so reliably. Next."

"Nigel Smith, BBC. Isn't Doctor Sivana a wanted criminal?"

"Yes. We met under flag of truce at a family dinner and I'm a man of my word. If it makes you feel any better, he claims to be mustering resources to fight against future alien invasions because he doesn't think that superheroes offer enough of a challenge."

"That doesn't sound reassuring."

"I find it reassuring that the greatest scientist of the age isn't focusing on fighting other Humans any longer. Next!"

…

3rd July
15:08 GMT

I stroll into the Mayor's meeting room. "What did you think?"

"The press bit meandered around a bit. Usually best to just-" He makes an odd sort of pouncing motion with both hands. "-keep things focused."

"I'll bear that in mind in future. So, are we square?"

He nods. "Yah, yah. You've done your week, and I think we're all set for tomorrow. Oh, have you met-" He gestures to the uniformed man sitting a little way down the table. "-Bernard?"

I nod. "Commissioner. A pleasure."

He nods back. "The cordon won't be a problem, and we could do with an evacuation drill. I'm still a bit puzzled by your request to join the Met. Could you explain that?"

"I don't have arrest authority. I don't imagine for a moment that the Lich will actually yield, but best practice requires that I at least try to resolve the situation in a lawful and orderly manner. Or as close to it as possible. Obviously it'll be an on-paper thing and I'll resign as soon as the matter's resolved, but it would be a help."

He nods. "If you say so. I can swear you in as a Special Constable. It will be entirely above board, if a little.. odd. Obviously there's no way our regular police could confront a powerful sorcerer."

"Thank you, Commissioner. That's just what I need."

 

[Mr Zoat]

3rd July
21:02 GMT -5

"…the topic of discussion tonight, please welcome our first guest, Orange Lantern."

Ms Manning turns towards the side of the stage as I walk on. Unlike my first television piece, this one is going out live. And I'm… Actually more nervous about this than I was about confronting Klarion. There, I was pretty certain that I'd covered all the angles. Here, once the initial discussion is underway the audience can throw out pretty much whatever they want.

There's a polite round of applause, and I smile and nod in the direction of the audience -and the cameras- as I take the first seat opposite the presenter. Ms Manning is a favourite of Diana's due to being an oddity amongst American anchors: a woman working in television who remained employable after she stopped being hot. She's a presenter and an interviewer rather than an investigator, which is… Actually the way these things normally work. Huh. There are a statistically improbable number of investigative reporters associated with superhero work, aren't there?

"Orange Lantern, thank you for joining us tonight."

"A pleasure to be here, Ms Manning. Thank you for inviting me."

That particular greeting went through several revisions during rehearsals. In the end, she ruled that it should stay in. Everyone else is told to call her Marla from the start, but 'formal and polite if a little stiff' is perfectly fine for a superhero and because she can't really use my name. There's no way to explain why I can't introduce myself by name in a way that makes any sense on television, so by skipping the whole issue there's no implied power inequality or disdain.

"Perhaps I should start by asking you exactly what your religious beliefs are."

"Well… That's a little complex. I worship Eris, the Ancient Greek Goddess of Chaos. However, as I'm sure-" I glance towards the cameras. "-everyone here knows, Eris is part of the Ancient Greek pantheon. This means that I -theoretically at least- acknowledge their authority even if I don't worship them on a regular basis."

"That sounds fairly straightforward."

"The problem arises due to the use of the word 'belief'. I've met Eris; I've spoken to her in person on several occasions. I don't have 'faith', there isn't anything I need to believe that I can't prove… Or at least could prove if she felt like cooperating. I may believe things about her which aren't true, but I would be perfectly happy to revise those beliefs once I… Proved that."

"When did you start worshipping Eris?"

"I'm a citizen of Themyscira, and it is.. customary, for a citizen to choose one god to… Follow, to study. When I first visited Themyscira back in January, I was asked if I intended to do the same. I thought about it, thought about… What I wanted to do with my life, and realised that she was the best fit."

"What religion were you before that?"

"I was… Sort of an atheist. A year ago today I was firmly an atheist, but since coming to this world… I've been confronted with overwhelming evidence that certain… Classes of being demonstrably do exist, and that denying that would be… Daft."

"But you still considered yourself an atheist?"

"Just because they exist is no reason to go around believing in them. It only encourages them." There's a very faint laugh from some parts of the audience. "I used to refer to things.. other people might have called gods, as 'jumped up elementals'. Sentient magic-based life forms that had ideas above their station. I.. grew up in.. Britain, a monotheistic society… And once I'd convinced myself that the God of Abraham didn't exist, there just didn't seem like much point worshipping anything else."

She presses a button on the control panel and the screen behind us shows one of the pictures the Justice League released of Oceanus. "What exactly was that?"

"What you're looking at there is the body of an entity called Oceanus."

"Is he a god?"

"That really depends on what you mean by 'god'. If you mean, 'are there people who worship him', then yes, the Saremite renegades we fought on Santo Porto do. If you mean, 'is he a sentient magic-based life form'-."

"A 'jumped up elemental'?"

I nod. "Quite. He is, as far as we can tell. If you mean, 'is he very powerful', clearly he is. If you mean, 'is he inherently deserving of worship', I'd say not. I suppose that might be the biggest leap for a monotheist; when I say that a god exists, I don't mean either that I worship it, or that I think people should. Most Christians believe in Satan, but they don't worship him."

"But Satanists do."

I shrug. "Nothing about being powerful necessitates that you're a good person. My job would be a lot easier if it did."

"Back in February, Fawcett City was literally besieged by Demons. In the aftermath, there was a major increase in attendance in churches across the city, and across the country." Another button press and a graph comes up on the screen. That.. is quite an increase. "What do you think that says about religious faith in America today?"

"We've all seen the recordings made in Fawcett City during Sabbac Two's attack. I don't think that anyone doubts the existence of Demons any more. The existence of Demons was documented well before that of course, but the attack on Fawcett made it apparent that Demons were a thing that could affect everyone. This means that people now have.. what they believe to be evidence for the truth of some part of their faith. Demons exist, therefore so does the Abrahamic God and that has immediate relevance."

"You don't think they're just going there looking for protection?"

"I hope not. While the Catholic Church has got its act together with regards to magic since the Second Vatican Council and the Anglican Communion has.. a degree of institutional knowledge, a lot of Protestant and Orthodox denominations treasure their ignorance of magic. There's nothing about wearing a crucifix or.. being a priest that makes you proof against magic in general or Demons in particular. The priest I worked with in Fawcett City -Father Mattias- was able to hold Sabbac Two off, but he did it by.. using magic to manifest his faith in the world around him, not by channelling part of his god. That's why he's Father Mattias and not Saint Mattias."

"Now for the million dollar question: does God exist?"

"That's a tricky one. If you mean in the sense of the Sistine Chapel roof, elderly man stretching forth his hand to Adam, almost certainly not. A being that is at one with the entire universe.. would not be anything like that Human. On the other hand… May I..? Borrow the screen?" She nods, and I bring up an image of a part of the Source Wall from John's old database. "This is called the Source Wall. It sort of.. bends space around it, but there are several places in this galaxy from which it can be accessed. Once you can see it, you can't fly around it; it just stretches up to infinity. A lot of alien monotheistic religions believe that God exists behind it in some sense. Certainly, Angels and saints get their power from somewhere."

"I don't recall there being any mention of Angels in Fawcett City."

"I didn't see any. But they do exist."

"Do you have any idea why they didn't get involved when Fawcett City was under attack?"

"I'm afraid that I don't. The one person I know who has met them didn't have much good to say about them, but he isn't exactly on their Christmas card list either. Possibly they believed that we could handle the situation. Perhaps it was part of some larger plan the rest of us aren't privy to. Angels don't really feature in the Hellenistic religion."

"In that case, we should speak to someone who knows a little more about them. Please welcome our second guest, Father Mattias."

 

[Mr Zoat]

3rd July
21:28 GMT -5

"…and I imagine that the Coca-Cola Company is prepared to acknowledge the existence of other cola brands, while still maintaining that theirs is the only cola you ever need to drink."

Mattias bows his head with a chuckle. "I am not.. entirely sure that is an appropriate metaphor. The Lord God created the universe and everything in it. Mister Pemberton may have combined ingredients in an original fashion, but he did not create them ex nihilo."

"The Guardian Krona's time travel experiments allowed him to witness the creation of this universe. From what little I know about what he saw, it would be .. difficult to link the event to Genesis in any literal way. The Earth made in six days, with the rest of the universe coming into being on..? What, the fourth day? As an offhand act?"

"Without having seen Krona's records, I could not comment on what he saw. In such matters, the line which was reinforced at the Second Council was that doctrine cannot contradict reality. What is real is real, and any fault lies with those who recorded the relevant biblical text or with those of us who misinterpreted it."

The audience member who asked the question looks none the wiser. "So how literally should we take the stuff about heaven?"

"The.. existence of the Silver City has been confirmed by various mystics… Including those who have no reason to have heard the Christian accounts. So again: something exists, but I don't know how closely it resembles what you believe."

"We can be a little more certain than that. The Church has records of communication between Angels, saints and various visionaries. While.. not all accounts can be assumed to be completely accurate, there are enough trends that we can conclude that practicing conventional Christianity honestly will get you there, and that it is a place of glory and wonder. Though.. that goes back to what we were saying earlier about the difference between professed faith and actual faith. You must accept Jesus Christ into your heart and soul and genuinely repent your sins. Simply going to church once a week is not the same thing as being a committed Christian."

That appears to be a little more helpful. "Okay, but, ah… Orange Lantern, you said that you're not Christian, right?" I nod. "Doesn't that mean that you're kinda… Stuck? I mean… What happens to you?"

"No one knows for certain. I've simply had too many influences at work on my soul to predict it. The most likely thing to happen is the conventional Hellenist afterlife; I'll.. become conscious of myself entering Erebos through the Gate of Shades, cross the river Styx and be judged by Lord Hades. Alternatively, I could earn the favour of enough Olympians to pass straight to the Elysian Fields. From there, I understand that reincarnation is possible, though I don't know the precise mechanics." Should probably find that out, actually.

"The Elysian Fields… Is that like… Greek Heaven?"

"No, Heaven is a reward for faith and good behaviour. You live a good life and you go there automatically. Getting into the Elysian Fields requires personal sponsorship. You can live a good life and still not get there."

"Sounds like a raw deal to me. Ah, thank you." He starts to sit, passing the microphone back to a member of the crew.

"No, it's not so bad. Asphodelopolis has a far higher population than the Elysian Fields. If I've got to spend eternity somewhere, I'd want to make sure that I've got interesting people to talk to."

Ms Manning gestures to the left of the audience. "The lady over there?"

Another member of the crew heads toward her, passing a microphone over.

"Thank you. I guess.. the question goes to both of you. How do you excuse the bad things that your gods have done?"

"Specific acts, or the nature of the world in general?"

She hesitates. "Both, I guess?"

"Well, I'm confident in my own mind that the Olympians didn't make the world, and that was either creative advertising on their parts or a mistaken belief on the parts of the Ancient Greeks. So I don't blame them for the built-in stuff. As for particular acts… Ah…" I glance upwards. "How well earthed is this building?"

Mattias turns to me with an expression of utter solicitousness. "Are you concerned that the being you worship will express their displeasure at your answer?"

"It's a valid concern. To answer the question: I recognise them as bad. The Olympians aren't anybody's ideas of paragons of morality. They're more… Mortals writ large. There are.. some moral rules they regard as absolute, but for everything else… There's a reason why Zeus and Hera aren't married anymore."

"Wasn't Eris the one responsible for the Trojan War?"

"She kicked off events, yes, but pride and ego played a far greater part. If Paris had said 'you're all equally lovely', or if Aphrodite hadn't tried to bribe him, or if the other two had shrugged it off… If Helen had decided to stay with her husband and not start a war, if Menelaus had given her a divorce on the grounds that no mortal could prevent Aphrodite making them fall in love… Time and time again, everyone had the opportunity to choose differently. And if they didn't, then that's their fault."

"Okay, I guess… And Father Mattias? What's God's excuse?"

"Once Adam and Eve ate from the Tree of Knowledge… Whether that was a literal tree or more of a metaphor, all Humans gained the capacity for good and evil. God gives us independence to act on that capacity, and respects that independence even if he sometimes weeps for how we exercise it."

"Yeah, I respect the free will thing, but what about the stuff he did directly? Killing the firstborn son of every Kahndaqi household, even if they were babies who'd never hurt anyone, the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah and everyone who lived there… I mean, if he's omnipotent, why didn't he just teleport all the Israelites somewhere, or just kill the bad people?"

"In the case of the Israelites, they had a compact with God that guaranteed them both protections and a particular area of land to call home. When the Kahndaqis enslaved them, they trespassed against that protection. If you ask 'why the firstborn?', I cannot say for sure. The Bible gives no specific reason why they were targeted, but I would point out that that was the last stage in a series of escalating punishments, and at each stage there was a clear warning that they would continue to grow worse if the Israelites were not freed. Kahndaq at the time did not have modern mass communications, each plague had to be something that could not be explained as a natural phenomenon. It had to be clear that the usually remote God of Israel was so enraged that he was prepared to interfere in the natural course of the world in order to protect his followers."

"Or Moses was a wizard."

"Hm?" Father Mattias jerks his head my way, blinking in surprise.

"Like you said, we don't have good records of the event. If… Moses was a wizard who either claimed that God was acting through him, or… Was in modern terms a saint empowered by God's magic, he'd be the one deciding what level of punishment was correct himself."

Father Mattias considers that. "I do not myself believe that, but I suppose it is possible."

"Wait, so you're saying that when Greek gods do bad stuff, that's their fault but other people can make things worse, but if the Christian God does bad stuff, that's always someone else's fault?"

"No. I am saying that God does not make mistakes. So, if something happens that looks like a mistake, then it was either the best thing that could have happened, there were events occurring that we are not aware of which He was, or the fault lies with some Human agency. It is easy to blame some supernatural event when things do not go as we would like them, but more often the cause is something far more mundane."

She doesn't look all that impressed, but sits and hands the microphone back to the crew member.

Ms Manning looks around the audience again. "Gentleman over there?"

"Ah, thanks. So, I get that some… Or, I dunno, all? Pagan… Things pagan religions worship are real, and God is definitely real-."

"In some sense, yes."

"Right, so… Are Angels real?"

I nod. "Unfortunately, yes."

"Unfortunately?"

"The last well documented incident of Angels interacting with Humans was about twenty years ago where they made contact with a Millennialist Evangelical Christian sect called 'The Resurrection Crusade'. They were active in the southern states and in a couple of places in Britain. They rather fell apart after their leaders died during a magic ritual in Glastonbury; the crater's still there if you want to look. Actually…" I glance at Ms Manning and she nods. I wave my right hand at the screen and put an aerial view on display. "Like a lot of supervillain organisations, they were quite stupid. They thought it was a good idea to create a new messiah and end the Human capacity for free will. Then they made such a mess of the ritual that the Angel they called up killed them all."

"Or…" Father Mattias glances at the image. "The Angel was so disgusted at what they were attempting that it rendered judgement upon them."

John was pretty confident… But I suppose that an Angel angry over one thing is much like an Angel angry over another. "I suppose that could be the case. If I ever meet it, I'll be sure to ask."

 

[Mr Zoat]

4th July
14:54 GMT -5

Artemis looks at me over the kitchen counter. "You sure you're not gunna feel left out?"

"Of course I'm going to feel-" I scrape the last of the cake batter into the cake tin. "-left out, but that's my own silly fault for not having a secret identity, isn't it?"

Since Kon does actually have friends at school who aren't part of the superhero community, he wanted to celebrate his birthday in a way which involved them. Which is fine for most of our team, even if explaining how he knows people from Gotham and Central City is a little tricky. But for those of us who don't have secret identities -or who couldn't convincingly pretend to be Human for five minutes, Canis- that means that we can't go. I'm a bit surprised that none of the people who spotted me around the school last year ever made the connection. I'm even more surprised that no one appears to have spotted Kon. He does.. have a secret identity, but his face is uncovered and he doesn't really change the way he talks.

On the other hand… Superman, glasses…

Wallace nods. "And going on TV a whole lot. Think The Resurrection Crusade are gunna make sure no one forgets what you look like."

Yeah… While most of the central leadership did die in Glastonbury, a lot of lower level leaders who weren't in the know survived. I'd actually missed that the Crusade was still a going concern… After a fashion, at least.

I shake my head. "I don't think that lawsuit is actually going to go anywhere."

Artemis frowns. "They can't sue you for having an opinion. And that stuff actually happened!"

"No, they can. They probably can't do it successfully, and... Since I'm leaving the Earth for an extended period in three days, I wish them all the best actually serving me."

A construct oven glove pulls open the oven and I start putting the cake tins inside. With how big the team's got, plus Diana and Dubbilex, this had to be a wedding cake sized affair. Perfectly within my abilities, but I'm going to need to get this done before I start on dinner proper.

The left side of Wallace's face twitches. "How long you gunna be away for?"

I close the oven and straighten up. "No idea."

"Know where you're going?"

"Roughly. I mean… There's places I need to go for professional reasons, then there's places I just want to see. I'm going to Thanagar because Ms Thal wanted me to take a message to her mother and Mister Hol gave me their reports to drop off… Tamaran, because-."

Artemis smiles. "Orange bikini babes."

Wallace nods. "It's a good reason."

The skin around my right eye tenses sceptically. "Orange.. third world planet.. horribly oppressed by the local imperial power. They probably have bikinis as well, but that's not why I'm going." Two slightly awkward grimaces. "J Five Eight Six, where Lantern Medphyll comes from. They have city trees. And they're fully sentient!"

Wallace nods. "So you're gunna be Earth's first space tourist. Take lots of photos!"

"Second, actually. Adam Blake beat me by about fifty years. Heh, maybe I'll bump into him."

Wallace gives me a flat look. "Oh El, you know that thing you do where you mention someone no one else has heard of and expect us to know who they are?"

"Oh. Sorry. Ah, Captain Comet, superhero active in the fifties and sixties. Red uniform with a-" I point to my upper chest with my right hand. "-comet on it? Had telepathic and telekinetic abilities? Bit of a shame Mister J'onzz wasn't out-and-proud at the time, actually. He could probably have dropped him off back home."

Artemis nods, starting to move away. "Say 'hi' to him for us."

"Will do. You two have fun."

"Oh El, it's a beach party." He and Artemis link hands as they head for the exit. "I don't think we could not have fun."

I watch as they leave the room, then find myself sagging slightly. I'm.. not going to be seeing them for a while. After the seventh, I mean. Even assuming the thing with Nabu goes better -much better- than expected, it could actually be years before I'm back on Earth. I'm not going to know.. anyone, the food is going to be weird… I exhale. Before I came here, the idea of spending long periods of time on my own and only really interacting with people for professional reasons would probably have been something I'd have found satisfying. Now, I've… Rather gotten used to there always being people around. And for the most part I've gotten over the feeling of creepiness I used to feel about being nearly twice their age.

And on the subject of creepiness…

I take my Will out of subspace. In case things go really badly… I've been intentionally running down my cash reserves, because.. it wouldn't be any use to me where I'm going. Heh, win or lose. One useful thing about Blume eating so much of it was that I actually don't have a giant mountain of gold waiting for me any longer. I don't know, I'm probably just going to endow the Sivana Super Scientist Scholarship fund. There isn't really any other cause I feel strongly about that needs it.

Thing about being an Orange Lantern is, when you feel strongly about something… It doesn't tend to need further attention afterwards.

Equipment? That's easy. Roy and Ted can split that, superhero stuff going to the former and other stuff going to the latter. Don't want Ted getting distracted, and I don't want Roy unable to keep his equipment in working order.

The ring… S…

I hold up my left hand. "Ring, in the event of my death, make best possible speed to Maltus and report to whoever the senior Controller is."

"Compliance."

I lower my left hand and raise my right, studying John's old ring. Sending the original ring to Maltus discharges my responsibility to the Controllers. I could set this one to go anywhere I want. Unfortunately, the comics didn't show anyone who could use orange rings without going mental. There's a slight but statistically significant chance the Controllers are going to take one look at these things and flip the heck out.

Under happier circumstances I might be setting it to go to Lex-.

"Paul?" I look up and Rob walks in. "You got a minute?"

"Yes, but… No offence intended? I don't think you're well known enough to prevent you heading to the beach if you want."

"No, I just… It's about… You know, Thursday?"

Ring, internal monitoring gets nothing.

"Compliance."

I reach into my upper right pocket and toss Rob an anti-eavesdropping stone. He catches it with a nod. Then I put up a sound nullification field with the ring. "Shoot."

"It's just… Is this whole thing necessary?"

"Not sure what you mean by 'whole thing', but I believe so. I don't want to hurt-" Bearing in mind that this is a facility that has had Batman in it. "-the target. I told you what I intend to offer him as my preferred option."

"You really think he'll take it?"

"No, but I've underestimated people before. Rob, going into a fight with no way to win is a stupid thing to do. I'd rather-. "

"But you already beat Klarion! I just thought… Didn't that box guy say that if you did that, he'd tell Nabu to get lost?"

"No. No he didn't. He offered far less, and if there's one thing I'm not prepared to do it's rely on the goodwill of a being who probably doesn't have any. As with a lot of things… People I could tell, I don't do so in case the target gets tipped off. And I don't feel inclined to trust someone who used that as a negotiating tactic. Robert, I've done everything I can to make sure that we don't end up needing to kill the target. If you've had an idea since our last talk about it, I'm all ears. Do you?"

He shakes his head, and I raise my hands in a shrug.

"Then the plan is still going ahead. If you want to back out, that's fine, I'll under-."

"No, I'm not-. Backing out, I just-. I really… I really don't like this."

I picture for a moment all of the other League members voting Nabu on board. "No. I don't either."

 

[Mr Zoat]

4th July
20:27 GMT -5

I smile as M'gann kisses Kon on the right cheek, a conical party hat with the numeral '1' on the front perched jauntily on his head. I don't.. think about it much, but when you consider how he behaved when we first got together it's remarkable how far he's come. He certainly -Wolf rears up and licks his left cheek, M'gann covering her mouth with her right hand in a half-hearted attempt to smother her giggle- wouldn't have done anything like this this time last year.

The Sphere warbles behind him, having not moved since Beryl put a party hat on top of it. Canis studies Raquel with unsettling intensity as she blows a bubble with her bubblegum. Roy and Kaldur are having a light-hearted conversation about surfing, something they today discovered that they're both equally bad at. Off to the side Brut is engaged in a staring contest with Dubbilex's guest, the G-Pooka twitching its ears in the direction of the conversations at the table. It looks a little like Dubbilex, shorter than him and with a larger number of smaller horns which glow constantly as it uses its empathic abilities to get a better sense of the people around it.

Richard's recounting the story of how he first met Wallace to Artemis. She's finding it hilarious, while Wallace alternates between embarrassed denial and his version of events. Zatanna is talking about magic theory with Tula after she gave up trying to talk to Canis about the subject. Usually he's pretty cagey about Apokoliptian magic practices, but it looks like something about watching Raquel blow bubbles is distracting him to the point that he's forgotten that he's not meant to be sharing.

We don't quite have the full team assembled. Because schools in Britain don't break up until the end of the month Rob had to head home early, and Donna is spending most of the day with her family. Maybe… Maybe next year we could make this a team-members-and-their-family thing. I mean, they're all in the know-.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

I look around from my wool-gathering as Diana enters the kitchen area. "Oh, just… Getting a clear memory of everyone in my head." I shrug. "Going to be a while before I see everyone again."

"I'm certain that you will be back."

"I've nearly died several times on Earth. I'm going to have a whole galaxy of trouble spots to choose between."

"In the interview you gave yesterday, you made it clear that you have little time for faith."

"That's.. an accurate statement of my thoughts on the subject."

"I have faith. You will return from your adventures in space whole and healthy, and if your time on Earth is anything to go by you will have new technologies and allies to show for your time."

"It isn't new technology Earth need-." She raises her eyebrows slightly. "I'll try." And I'll try and keep an eye out for the crazy space Amazons, because as a citizen of Themyscira they're kind of my problem now.

Diana smiles, looking out of the kitchen towards her son. "I also wanted to tell you that you are to be offered a place on the Justice League."

"What, now? Three days isn't really-."

"You may take it up now, or upon your return."

Not.. surprising, exactly. "I.. heard that the voting procedure had to be modified for my benefit. While I do think something like that needed to happen, I wouldn't want anyone to think that I argued for that just so I could benefit from it."

"I doubt that. The change.. which we agreed upon falls well short of what you argued for."

"Anyone except Nabu vote against?"

"No." Hah! "Paul, I also wish to talk to you about your relationship with Lord Fate. Having two members of the League at loggerheads as the two of you are-" I have the ring take control of my facial expression. "-can only serve to disrupt our cohesion. When you join the League you will be working alongside him. I think that it may be worth your time learning to-."

"Diana, I cooperated with him perfectly well when we fought Oceanus. I doubt that I'll ever like-" The bastard Lich. "-him, but.. it…" I shake my head. "Won't be a problem on professional occasions." After the 7th.

Diana smiles, nodding. "I am glad."

Reminds me that I need to double check the arrangements for sending an accurate account of what he is to every journalist on the planet. One way or another he'll be off the Justice League.

"Look, I'm… I know the Greenies are League members despite the fact that they spend most of their time away from Earth, but I could be away virtually full time. Or actual full time. I'd feel bad about taking a position I was never going to occupy."

"I'm a little surprised. Most of your team mates would jump at the chance to join the League. It's surprising how much additional maturity a few years can bring."

"Yes, I… Suppose it is."

"We don't have any meetings scheduled before Thursday, so… If you want time to think about it, you should have plenty while you're away from Earth. Let me know once you've made a firm decision."

I nod. "Of course. Now, do you think… One candle, or a number one candle?"

I hold up the two options.

"I doubt that Kon will care, but personally, I think-." She cuts herself off, looking down as Wolf brushes against her leg.

"Wrf." Wolf sits and stares up at her expectantly, then glances at the cake.

"Wolf, icing is not good for you."

"W-wrf." She glances at me, gives her tail a wag and licks her lips.

I look away. "Number one candle it is." I use the ring to impale it with cocktail sticks and attach it to the middle of the cake before lighting it and picking up the cake tray. "Diana, could you please pick up a cake knife?"

"Of course."

I step over-. I step around the still expectant Wolf, nudging her aside a little with my legs as I walk out of the kitchen area.

"Happy birthday to you!"

Conversation drops off as everyone turns to face me, Kon wincing slightly.

"Happy birthday to you!"

Dubbilex blinks, then turns to look at his G-Pooka aid, whose small horns are glowing as it tries to make sense of what everyone's feeling.

"Happy birthday dear Kon-El!"

Richard and M'gann choke down their giggles as I deposit the cake in front of the birthday boy.

"Happy birthday to you!"

The moment it touches the table he leans forward out of his seat and blows out the candle. With a chuckle I take my seat opposite him as Diana leans across the table to hand him the knife.

"Thanks, Mom." He takes a moment to look at the icing representations of our team mates for a moment before plunging the knife through the cake and cutting me in half. I pass him a small plate as he takes out the first slice. "Oh, hey, I've been meaning to ask." He plates the slice and passes it down the table. "Have you seen Teekl lately?"

A pang. Fortunately, I'm prepared to cover it. "No, can't say I have."

"'cause…" Another slice. "I haven't seen her, and I think Wolf's been looking for her? Do you think she might have wandered off?"

And Diana's right next to me. "I don't know exactly what's happened to her. I haven't been getting.. any mental pictures or anything. I'll keep an eye out."

"Thanks."

And that's the other reason to commit this to memory. Given what I'm planning to do… I can't be sure that I'll ever get invited back.

 

[Mr Zoat]

4th July
21:21 GMT -5

"…gonna make it anywhere.
It's up to you, New York, New Yoooooooork!"

Donna hams it up as she holds the final note on well beyond what the karaoke machine is prepared to support. Of all the people here who were going to bring that up, it would have to be the native New Yorker. She's chuckling as she steps down off the stage, microphone left out in my direction.

"No, no way."

The rest of my team mates are sniggering right along with her. Richard waves his right hand at me. "Come on, Oh El. This is pretty much your signature song."

"No, I've got something else planned. And it's not my turn, anyway." I look past Beryl, who is… Sitting next to Roy with her legs coquettishly curled up beside her. Huh. "Garth, you're up."

Artemis rolls her eyes. "Alphabetical. Really."

Wallace shrugs. "I'm cool with it."

Garth doesn't seem particularly self-conscious as he takes the microphone from Donna and heads up to the stage. I suppose that -given his upbringing- singing isn't that big a deal. Most of his public performances to date would have involved competitive gladiatorial combat… Refereed, of course. Compared to that, singing isn't that big a deal.

Donna plonks herself down next to me. "So? How'd I do?"

Richard smirks again. "I don't think Oh El's too worried."

"I think you were over-actin-." Richard has put the video of my performance on his arm computer so Donna can compare the two.

She snorts, then raises her eyebrows. "Really?"

"Different size venue, it's not the same thing."

Then the music starts.

"Her name is Noelle,
I have a dream about her…"

We do wince, but we're polite enough to cover it up. Mostly, Wallace visibly failing his bluff check.

"Least no one else is gunna feel bad about their song now."

And audibly failing it as well. Fortunately, Garth is too into his song to notice. No, this bit's meant to be quiet-. Never mind.

"…no, sheeee doesn't know she's missssseeeeeehhhhhheeeehhhowowow…"

Never mind. Mercifully, Garth comes to a stop, looking at the audience for some idea of how well he's done. I just start clapping in the least sarcastic way I can manage, Donna and Richard joining in a moment later. He smiles, looking relieved as he steps off the stage. Kaldur is already walking up, and Garth hands off the microphone as he passes.

"So, ah…" Richard nods at me. "How come you're not leaving tomorrow?"

Zatanna frowns at him. "Hey."

"I don't mean I'm trying to throw him off the planet. I was just curious. If I could go anywhere in the universe I wanted to, I'm not sure how long I'd stick around."

"I've got some work to finish for Boris… The Mayor of London?"

Richard nods. "Putting in more portals?"

"No, that's… Taken care of. Just some police drills, nothing very interesting."

"Think I can stand missing it."

"And then… I've got to do something with the Ice Fortress." Kaldur appears to have made a selection. "And I suppose I should really let Mister Cobblepot out at some point."

"Whu-?"

"Sittin' in the mornin' sun,
I'll be sittin' as the evenin' come…"

Kaldur's rendition of 'Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay' isn't a masterpiece by any means, but it's far from bad. Curiously, when singing it his accent changes… Actually, he sounds a little more like his father. Family favourite, I guess. Raquel seems to approve of his choice, while Garth seems to be seeking reassurance from Tula about his own performance.

"Sittin' here resting my bones,
And this loneliness won't leave me alone, listen,
Two thousand miles I roam,
Just to make this dock my home, now…"

Kon and M'gann are whispering about.. something as well. Presumably talking about doing a duet, since their turns are one after the other. Kon shakes his head and M'gann huffs theatrically. Maybe he'd already made his choice?

Kaldur lets the music finish, not looking at his audience. Far.. better than average, actually. He starts slightly when the machine stops, then looks up with a small smile and walks back toward the seating. Kon gets to his feet, threading his way through the chairs towards Kaldur, who hands him the microphone as he passes. Kon marches up to the machine, rapidly pressing buttons to call up his song of choice.

Actually, I really should talk to Kaldur… I leave my seat at a crouch and scuttle in his direction. He looks around as I approach. "If you wish to give me pointers..?"

"No, I just realised that I haven't formally resigned from the team yet." He nods in understanding. "Obviously, I'm not leaving right now, but I've only got a few days left and I'm not going to be… Available. Unless you really need me."

"I understand, my friend." He holds out his right hand and I reciprocate, clasping his forearm. "We all wish you well wherever your future duties take you."

"I've paid my dues,"

No musical build up, Kon just launches right into it.

"Time after time,
I've done my sentence,
But committed no crime…"

…

Has he been practising? He's.. really quite… Good. This wasn't part of his original programming, he's learned this himself.

"I've taken my bows,
And my curtain calls.
You brought me fame and fortune, and everything that goes with it.
I thank you all."

He's clearly not Freddie Mercury, but his version is… Slight bias on my part here, but I'd say just as good. I realise that I'm standing straight up as he finishes and the people around me start to clap. I join in, Kon looking slightly out of breath but thoroughly pleased with himself. He starts to walk back to his seat, but M'gann leaps to her feet and swoops over to him.

"You stay right there."

"Ah, okay?" Kon stands there awkwardly as M'gann lands next to the karaoke machine and starts pressing buttons. While she's going that, her dress shifts into something a little more… Mature. Yes. That's the word. Kon's quite a bit closer than me, and I see his eyebrows go up and his mouth fall slightly open. M'gann seems to pick up on his reaction, looking around at him and then down at her own costume. Her white cheeks pink up slightly, and the upper part of her clothing shifts again to include a fur shawl. Finding the selection she wants, she activates the machine and steps back, her hair changing to-. Marilyn Monroe. She's doing Marilyn Monroe.

Taking the microphone in both hands, and with the most… I suddenly feel rather self-conscious about watching, and try to get back to my seat attracting as little attention as possible.

"Happy… Birthday… To you…"

Her eyes are locked onto his as she steps up to him.

"Happy birthday… To you…"

She takes her right hand off the microphone and lays it possessively on his left pectoral muscle.

"Happy birthday… Conner Kent…"

She leans into him.

"Happy birthday to you."

As she quietens he instinctively leans down, putting his in face the perfect position for her to dart in and kiss him on the lips. After a moment's surprise, he leans into it.

I don't think I'll mind if he prefers her version to mine.

…

Okay, guys. Some of us are waiting for our turn.

…

Oh, come o-. They separate, M'gann's clothing shifting back to normal. I hear Kon give a quiet chuckle as they walk back toward the seating hand in hand.

I get to my feet, eyebrows raised in M'gann's direction. After a moment she notices and levitates the microphone over to me.

"Do New York New York!"

"I'm not doing New York New York!" I stride onto the stage area, having the ring bring up my song of choice. Once I reach the middle I turn back to my team mates and friends. "Since this is my… Last team activity… I thought I'd sing my primary school's leavers song. The year I've… Spent here has been a… A unique experience… And a highly rewarding one. You're all…" Oh, I hate getting maudlin. "My friends, I… I wouldn't have missed any of it."

There are a few smiles as the music starts. Unlike my colleagues, I am a perfect singer.

"Tonight the rain is falling,
Full of memories,
Of people and pla-ces.
And while the past is calling,
In my fantasy,
I remember their fa-ces.

The hopes we had,
Were much too high,
Way out of reach but we have to try.
The game will never be o-o-o-ver,
Because we're keeping the dream alive.

I hear myself recalling,
Things you said to me,
The night it all start-ed,
And still the rain is falling,
Makes me feel the way,
I felt when we part-ed.

The hopes we had,
Were much too high,
Way out of reach but we have to try.
No need to hide,
No need to run,
'Cause all the answers come one by one.
The game will never be o-o-o-ver,
Because we're keeping the dream alive.

I need you.
I love yooooooooouuu.

The game will never be o-o-o-ver,
Because we're keeping the dream alive.

The hopes we had,
Were much too high,
Way out of reach but we have to try.
No need to hide,
No need to run,
'Cause all the answers come one by one.

The hopes we had,
Were much too high,
Way out of reach but we have to try.
No need to hide,
No need to run,
'Cause all the answers come one by one.

The game will never be o-o-o-ver,
Because we're keeping the dream alive.

The game will never be o-o-o-ver,
Because we're keeping the dream alive.

The game will ne-ver be o-o-o-ver."

 

[Mr Zoat]

Falling Action

7th July
22:14 GMT

The hopes we had,
were much too high…

"This is my cause, this is my fight."

Way out of reach but we had to try…

"Shine through the void with orange light."

No need to hide, no need to run…

"I've claimed all within my sight."

'Cause all the answers come one by one.

"To keep what is mine, that is my right."

I drop the last of the ten metre tall rampart sections in place, Zatanna strolling over to activate the shielding spells that should serve to protect the rest of London from what we're about to do. Down Mayfair I can see the police barricades and the curious people watching from behind them. On the side streets just inside the police cordon wait ambulances, ready to ferry any of us who fall to St Mary's Hospital to the north. The set up of this has to be reasonably quick. This is going to get televised, and if a member of the League should happen to watch BBC News 24 at the right moment…

That's why I'm mostly using flight auras and null-grav clamps. It makes it that much harder to identify me as 'Orange Lantern', rather than 'some bloke in power armour'. Adom's keeping out of sight as well, for much the same reason. His actions have been enough to prevent him becoming an international pariah, but it would still be 'cause for concern' if he started flying around Britain without prior notice.

I'm.. making fists. I hold my hands out slightly, uncurling my gauntlets before returning them to my sides.

"And you're not conflicted about this at all?"

I look over to where Jade sits atop the already-completed section of rampart. Her new armour is made of mithril, but where Zatanna's version has runes designed to assist her spellcasting, Jade's includes scry wards and the same sort of invisibility generator that mine has. Thanks to Ted and his volunteers, we now know roughly what the safe level of exposure for a person to adapt to it is. Which is good, because this plan revolved around us coordinating precise levels of vengefulness and having her go psychotic on us would be very bad.

"Not at this stage, no."

"I never got this close to killing a Justice League member when I was a villain. You're the most strait-laced guy I know."

"Maybe you should expand your circle of friends a little."

"Are you sure that-?"

"I don't like the fact that I'm-. That we're having to do this. And I'm not looking forward to the arguments I'll be having with.. people I generally admire and regard as friends." Alan in particular, he's going to be disappointed, and I… And Diana's certainly up there. "But I don't doubt that this is the right thing for us to do."

The violet glow around Zatanna dies down as she takes a last look at the runic network covering the rampart. "All done here."

I nod, a gesture probably obscured by my helmet. Jade isn't entirely mistaken, of course. I.. had really wanted to leave Earth on a high note.

"Orange Lantern to team. Final preparations."

I watch Jade work the mechanism on the Ace of Chaos, check her ammunition and then vanish from view. We don't want her actually shooting Nabu unless something goes badly wrong, but each Chaos-laden shot should disrupt his magics fairly nicely. Zatanna's preparation simply involves her touching the Star Sapphire to her forehead and closing her eyes. Above me, my ring augmented vision shows me Rob just shrug while Adom adopts a more alert posture. John won't show himself unless… Until things get violent. He's too much of a trigger for both Nabu and Zatara, especially given his recent elevation. And as for the other participant…

I float down to the grass next to Zatanna and use a construct to pry open the packing case containing our last best hope for peace. Nabu may have point blank rejected my offer of a golem body, but maybe with a complete one here ready for him to examine he'll feel differently. Unlike the one we made for Mister Siskin, this one is made of the same super-inert metal as Zatanna's staff, threaded through with orichalcum wire. John's not… Capable of using Order-related magic any longer, but Sephtian was perfectly happy to help Zatanna with my 'proof of concept'.

I suppress a twinge of guilt about involving him without telling him what's really going on. The League, I can justify to myself. They brought it on themselves when they voted Nabu onboard. But if this does turn violent, that golem is enough to strongly implicate him.

I breathe in, then out. Just something I'll live with. Like.. whatever it was that happened to Teekl. Like lying to my friends.

Still, there are still some things I can do properly. Diana's at a diplomatic event this evening… This afternoon, to discuss the regulation of magic and arcane technology. Which means that she isn't going to be at the embassy.

Ring, dial the embassy.

Compliance.

"Hello they'uh Pawl. Diana ain't here raht now, if that's who you'uh aftuh."

"No, no, thank you. Could you please pass on a message for me? It's not urgent."

"Sure, sugar."

"Could you please tell her that I'm declining. She'll know what it's about."

"Alraaht. Ah made a note raaht heyuh."

"Thank you very much, Miss Candy."

Ring, hang up.

Compliance.

I turn in the direction of a nearby patch of woodland. "Are you ready, Mister Ondaate?"

The shadows flow into the shape of his face. Our wards don't do a thing to a man who's already here.

"Not all that easy to miss a Lord of Order. As long as one of you is alive, I'll stop him running."

"Thank you for your assistance."

The face nods, and then… All that's there is leaves and shadows.

"Mission starts, repeat, mission starts. John, bait."

There's a slight delay, then it's as if what little colour there is in our environment is gone, replaced by tones of grey which serve to give emphasis to the vivid red lines running across the ground. We don't know exactly what the normal Chaos ascension ritual looks like, but this should look exactly like the sort of big chaoticy thing that Nabu claims justifies his existence. He shouldn't be able to pass up the opportunity. If he does, I could try calling him in… But I'd rather not.

Heh. I'm fine with potentially killing a Justice League member, but misusing a radio is where I draw the line.

Hehehe.

"Okay, we're not waiting. John, apply the skull."

At this point the arrangement in the shed is irrelevant anyway. I don't know if Nabu just wasn't paying attention, but that should-.

A giant golden ankh appears in the air before us, Nabu materialising in the centre. Before his teleportation ankh has fully disappeared he raises his arms, firing a barrage of golden bolts at the glowing ground. The bait-magic fades immediately, colour returning to the surrounding area. Nabu lowers his arms, the golden protective aura in place around his body. He peers around, eyes alighting momentarily on Zatanna and myself before moving on. Having completed his review, he turns back to us, lowering himself to just above the ground. "Explain."

"This is a combination of intervention and ambush. I'm not prepared to tolerate you continuing to use Mister Giovanni Zatara's body. So we're going to have a talk about it, and if I'm not satisfied at the end we're going to take it back by force. Do you have any questions at this stage?"

 

[Mr Zoat]

7th July
22:19 GMT

"Enough of this nonsense!" Nabu spread his arms as a giant ankh forms behind him. It shimmers, then vanishes, taking him with it.

Um. Mister On-?

It shimmers back into being, Nabu being visibly shoved forward as it shatters and fades.

"Nabu, you like me about as much as I like you, but could you not credit me with the intelligence to remember that you can teleport?"

He glowers for a moment, then spreads his arms out again. This ankh is bigger and brighter. Together, they vanish… And a moment later, return. This time, it's a genuine scowl. "Impudent wretch."

"Could be."

He looks upwards, then surges into the sky, far faster than I've ever seen him fly before. He makes it about six metres upwards before his rate of ascent suddenly diminishes. He stops accelerating for a moment, then immediately starts to fall back. The golden glow surrounding him shines brilliantly for a moment as he tries to escape again, to the exact same result.

Looks like Mister Ondaate really came through.

"Done?"

This time, his eyes shine gold as he glares down at me. "You dare."

"Yes. I do. I have no idea why the Justice League has given you such an easy time for what you've done, but we don't intend to go along with it. So you've got a few choices. You can-."

"Zatara is most alarmed by the presence of his daughter."

There's a flare of violet light from beside me. "Oh, like you care about that."

"Zatara also recognises that jewel. It is the Star Sapphire. What is it doing in your possession?"

"Isn't it obvious? I needed to be more powerful in case I had to fight you."

His eyes dim briefly, then return to full blaze as he turns them on me. "The Star Sapphire was in the custody of the Green Lanterns until you stole it. You informed them that you did not know of its location."

"Completely true at the time. We recovered it afterwards."

"It has strongly adverse properties on the minds of those who possess it. Relinquish it at once!"

Another flare of violet. "No."

"Your father wishes you to abandon this endeavour."

"Why don't you take the helmet off and let him say that?"

The air to Nabu's right shimmers, and a translucent image of Mister Zatara appears. He looks haggard and slightly panicked. "Zatanna, this is madness! Please!"

"As if we'd believe an illusion you create-."

"Are you saying you could have let me speak to my dad at any time?!"

Mister Zatara's face goes still and-. I want to say 'pale' and 'ghostly', but he's a translucent illusion already… Then the image of him fades to nothing.

Nabu seems a bit less.. glowy now. "You believe that you can harm me."

"I know we can hurt you. I'd…" My mouth twists. "I'd like to hurt you, for what you've done. But I struggled to come up with a way that would reliably harm you and not your host."

"For how long have you planned this act of infamy?"

"Eight months. Since the night you took Giovanni Zatara." His eyes narrow. "We actually had a word with Kilderkin the day after, to see if there was any negotiating room. We nearly got rid of you at new year, but Captain Nazi grabbed Klarion before the spell could complete. With that off the table, I had to start an arcane technology revolution just to work out how to get rid of you!"

I shake my head. Again, it won't be visible from outside, but I want to keep myself under control. "So, you've got a few choices for a peaceful resolution. Firstly, stop using Mister Zatara. Despite the way you've behaved, it's not impossible that someone might pick you up again. And you could see about building a relationship based on mutual trust and respect."

"No."

"Didn't think you would. You do understand that you're confirming my low opinion of you here?" No response. "Alright. Option two." I pick the new golem up with construct clamps and float it towards him. "I know that you weren't keen when I first raised the issue, but the offer is genuine. A thaumically active golem. You could actually transfer your consciousness out of the helmet into its containment systems. The helmet could then serve as a power source, since it wouldn't be critical to your continued existence. I've got-" I take the book out of subspace. "-the full development log here, since I know full well that you never bothered to read it. If you want to check-?"

"No."

"No? Just n-? Why not!?"

"I would not trust anything delivered to me from your hands. And if I attempted the transfer, what possible guarantee could you give me that you would not simply destroy my helmet?"

I note that he isn't even scanning the golem. "I found out at New Year that my oath to Gaea was rendered unenforceable once I got my warding tattoos up to power. Diana implied that if I wanted to, she'd let me leave. Go to Maltus. I didn't, because that wasn't what I'd sworn. If you take this offer, I won't cheat you on it."

"This from the youth who but moments ago openly stated his desire to harm me."

"It's true, I loathe you. But I don't want to harm Mister Zatara. And I'm going to have to explain what happened here to the Justice League tomorrow. If there's an option for a peaceful resolution, I'll take it."

"There is. Abandon this foolish endeavour and I shall be merciful."

"Should I understand that you're refusing the golem?"

His right hand flicks out, a golden ankh forming in the air before him for a second before the tip buries itself into the golem's chest. The golem shudders as golden light surges through it along the mana pathways, then crumbles and collapses to the ground in pieces.

"You may."

"Have you any idea how long that took to-!?" I bite down my rage. "Fine. Last option. Much as I'd like to be shot of you, I'm willing to-."

"You would offer yourself as a host?"

"Of course not. If I did that I doubt that I'd bother waiting for more than ten seconds before calling the Ophidian and devouring you from within. But I am prepared to delay my leaving the Earth in order to find several replacements. People -magic users- prepared to wear you in sequence, so that you'll have a near constant host."

"Kent Nelson searched for years for someone willing to become Fate. Why should you believe that you can succeed where he failed?"

"Because I won't ask just one person. I know full well that if even he couldn't put up with you long term that it would be foolish to ask any one other person to do so. But a large enough group… Say, thirty? They could probably put up with you for one day a month each, in exchange for you teaching them how to improve their own magic use. It shouldn't be that hard to get thirty volunteers from all of Atlantis."

"You do not already have them assembled?"

"No. I couldn't do it in advance because I couldn't risk you hearing about it. But I'm perfectly happy to swear an oath to that effect-."

"You expect me to believe you?" He says nothing for a moment. "Go. Assemble whatever number you think correct. I will assess their compatibility. If I am satisfied that they are suitable, I will begin the rotation."

"No."

"Explain."

"As I said, I'm not prepared to tolerate you being on Mister Zatara's head for a day longer. I'll swear whatever oath you want, then you come off and I'll gather a group for you."

"Unacceptable."

"I can't trust that you'd stick with a rotation agreement, Nabu. You've had three hosts since Klarion attacked your tower and you've betrayed each of them. As far as I'm concerned, if you can't bend this much, you can't be trusted at all."

"Your opinion is not my concern."

"That's where you're wrong." Can't say I'm surprised. "Nabu of Cilia, I am placing you under arrest for blackmail, kidnapping, false imprisonment, enslavement and malefictum. You do not have to say anything, but-."

"By what authority? You are not a member of the Justice League!"

"No, but I joined the Metropolitan Police a few days ago." I take my identification card out of subspace. "I really am empowered to make arrests while in the Greater London area. As I was saying, you do not-."

Nabu's pose changes, golden ankhs appearing on each hand.

"By force it is then." Construct armour manifests around me. "Queensberry rules until you say otherwise."

 

[Mr Zoat]

7th July
22:25 GMT

The universe around me slows. I'm not sure if Nabu is waiting for us to make the first move or if he just can't cast all that fast. Not that it matters. When we rehearsed this, we did so on the assumption that he was capable of much more than he'd shown to date.

The first attack comes from Jade, the muffled crack of her round's propellant detonation reaching me just as the bullet reaches his right hand. It misses the flesh but neatly hits the ankh in the crosspiece. I see the slight wobble that preludes its collapse in the same instant as I hear the second detonation. The second bullet strikes the left ankh exactly as the first hit the right, which is starting to visibly fragment.

The third bullet hits Nabu in the amulet at the centre of his chest. As expected, it doesn't strike home but it does fracture his protective aura. He's vulnerable.

And that's when Michael Siskin leaps out of the soil beneath him, easily covering the distance between them. His stone arms seize his target, the left looping around Nabu's stomach and the right wrapping around Nabu's neck. The sudden additional weight combined with the shock of having his spells fractured causes Nabu to start to fall from the air, and then comes the yellow. I don't know exactly what Siskin is showing him… Whether it's his fears or other people's… But from the way Nabu is trembling it seems to be working. I stop accelerating -might need that in a moment- and watch as-

"…another Human from a monster's digestive tract."

-they hit the ground, Mister Siskin taking the opportunity to wrap his legs around Nabu as well. The plan involves him trying to see if causing Nabu to have a total mental breakdown allows us to lift the helmet off without doing anything more exotic. I kneel, picking up the restraint chains from next to me and striding forwards. Still, getting him chained up would be-.

"YAAAAAAAAAGHH!"

Golden light outshines the yellow for a moment, then stone fragments rain down from.. the… sky. Siskin… Most of his.. torso is still on Nabu, but… It's cracked and burned out, the yellow runes that once covered it entirely gone. Nabu's still yellow, but there's not-.

He just killed-.

Nabu shoves the torso off and rises to a crouch, Siskin's body fragmenting where it hits the ground.

You shit.

"Orange Lantern to team, lethal force is authorised. Kill the fucker."

Nabu's head jerks to the side as a bullet hits the helmet. My own hands come together as an orange branding beam links the two of us-

"Teg ffo ym rehtaf!"

-and violet light envelopes his head, shining from his eyeholes and the base of his helmet.

"You're mine, Nabu." I start walking closer, intensifying the beam by focusing on my desire to just-! Fucking-! Have this done!

How is he warding this off?

How is he-?!

And I'm…
…flying…
…backwards.

Owfha! Something's gone in the armour, I felt that! I float up from my prone position, desperate to see what Nabu's managed! He's risen to one foot, the air around him filled with hollow golden squares which spin and dance through the air with perfect geometric precision. As I watch, three wink out, shot by the Ace of Chaos.

"Agents of annihilation!" Nabu points both fists to his left, tiny ankhs moving in circles around each wrist. His hands open and the ankhs shoot out, slicing through shrubs, trees and detonating!

"Augh-!"

I hear Jade's yelp over the comms. Right then, ablative shields is it? Six railguns form in the air next to me, mage slayers loading into each one from subspace. Couldn't risk this when he just had the one shield, but now he's got dozens…

I open fire.

"You've sworn yourself to Chaos!" Shields begin to blink out. It looks like they take two hits a piece, and they're moving… Switch targets to individual shields. Create an opening. "Betrayed every bond of friendship that you-!"

"What do you know about friendship, Lich!?"

One fifth of his shields gone; they're reappearing but not fast enough to keep him safe. John, now would be a very good time to-.

"Pag ni eht sdleihs rof Moda!"

The shields shift, still surrounding him but no longer covering the space above him. Nabu starts to crouch, raising his hands as symbols I don't recognise dance around them.

Symbols which part easily around Adom's fingers as he descends from the sky at speed. When we discussed this, he said that his instinct was to fly down as hard and as fast as possible. Zatanna responded that the whole point was to free her father, not turn him into paste. So, rather than focus on Aker's speed or Heryshaf's strength he's reinforcing his spiritual integrity with Atum's power. I send a ping to Jade's armour as Adom bears Nabu to the ground and grasps his foe's helmet with every bit of his strength. I maintain fire-

"Sdleihs nekaew!"

-and the shields evaporate.

"You aren't the Lord of Order I want."

I fly an arc around Nabu, firing at the ones on the far side.

"But you'll do for-"

Nabu gets his hands against Adom's chest, gold light flaring! Where did the suppression-? I see the pool of molten metal where I landed. Okay, the backup set is with-.

"-now."

The golden light dims, and Adom is still there.

"Your magic is-."

Golden light flows from Nabu's helmet and up Adom's arms!

"You have lived too long, fallen champion."

As I watch, Adom's flesh begins to wither and age, his body visibly shrinking! With Nabu's outer shields mostly fallen I throw my arms forward for another brand attempt.

"Think he's doing-" Rob calmly steps up to Nabu from behind him and puts his hands on his helmet. "-alright."

Adom falls back, struggling to rise. He looks like he's aged… At least sixty years. His skin is loose, his hair white and thinning and his uniform hangs off him. But with him out of the way and Rob draining Nabu…

"Brand."

"Noisufnoc!"

Golden light surges again as my beam strikes home, but this time it looks like an uncontrolled mess. I also take a moment to connect a line to the staggering Adom and pull him out of the way. Okay, that's-.

"Nearly there."

"John, we don't have an unlimited amount of time on this." I drop a box of Sivana-brand nutrient bars on the ground next to Adom. Assuming that was a touch attack rather than a lingering curse he should be perfectly capable of regenerating the effect, given sufficient fuel. "Adom and Jade are no longer combat-effective, and-."

"Got it."

John appears in the clearing to my far left, all four of the colossal mana batteries Zatanna and I built just behind him and Nabu's skull in his left hand.

"Alas, poor Nabu."

Then the lights on the batteries light up as they begin draining Nabu in earnest.