=====A=====
"So… what did you think?" I asked Kori, the two of us walking past the bleachers. The autumn chill of November had settled into the air, and a handful of colorful leaves blew across the football field on our right. The game had just ended minutes ago, so there was a fair crowd of parents and teens we had to navigate our way through. "Of the game, I mean."
Kori hesitated for a long moment before she replied "Well, I'm sure they were trying their best."
I chuckled. "Yeah, I guess human sports would seem kinda dull to you." Most Tamaranian sports involved the third dimension and/or much heavier equipment, so a high school football game would have a hard time measuring up. I think she enjoyed being in the crowd more than the actual game itself. Which was thanks in part to her not being the center of attention in public for a change.
I had finally gotten around to improving my hologram tech for Kori to use. Though to be honest, it became a lot easier when I remembered that, physiologically speaking, Kori was just a pallet-swapped human. So all the disguise actually had to do was change the colors reflected by her skin, hair, and eyes. And a few bits of cleverly disguised jewelry allowed for just that. At the moment her skin was a tan, mediterranean tone, and her eyes were a normal human green (with some thin glasses for good measure). Her hair, which she had done up into a thick braid, was a more normal auburn.
Of course, that wasn't to say no one noticed her. Combined with the snug sweater she wore, Kori had gone from a superheroine to 'merely' an incredibly statuesque librarian. As we walked I saw her smile at a teen boy who, I could tell by the way he stopped dead in his tracks and gaped, had immediately and helplessly fallen in love with her.
Yeah, I know that feeling, I thought ruefully.
Eventually we spied our actual reason for coming to this game, standing amid a cluster of cheerleaders. M'gann was in her human form, and was dressed in the same white shirt/blue skirt combo the rest of the cheerleaders were wearing. When M'gann had first gotten to Happy Harbor high school, she had wasted no time in joining the school's cheer team. An odd choice to be sure, but I guess it suited the cheerful girl. And Kori had expressed an interest in seeing her in action, so here we were.
But as we walked closer, I stopped as I suddenly felt something connect to me. Something I hadn't thought about in a while. [Machina, I request your attention.]
I looked to the north, where I could tell the connection was coming from. [Motherbox?] I asked. [Where have you been? You and the Frees went to New Genesis months ago!]
[Apologies for the long wait, but there were… complications.] Her tone sounded truly apologetic.
"Jacob, what is it?" Kori asked, her body tensing.
I made a gesture to calm her down. "It's Motherbox. It looks like the Frees are finally back." I glanced at M'gann before I looked back at Kori. "Go ahead, I'll meet up with you in a minute."
She nodded and trotted over to the cheerleaders. "Megan!" She called out, drawing the attention of the assembled teenagers. "Did you see my sign?"
M'gann put a hand out to stop the other woman, a light blush creeping over her face. "Yes thank you I saw it." She said in a bit of a rush. The reason M'gann was a bit embarrassed was likely due to how Kori's sign had cheered on
her specifically
, reading out 'You can do it Megan!'. When I pointed out that people made signs to typically root for the sports team rather than their cheerleaders, she retorted that she didn't care about the sports team, she cared about M'gann. Her logic was flawless.
I reached into my pocket and 'pulled' out a cellphone, which was really just some Mask nanites made to look like one. I put it to my ear and tried to look inconspicuous as I talked. [So, what happened?]
[They did not go into it during your last meeting, but the Frees were not in the best of standing with Highfather. Nothing too serious, but Scott's decision to marry one of the former Furies was not popular. When they came to beseech aid on your behalf, Highfather sent them on a mission to prove their loyalty. It was supposed to be a simple matter, but external forces complicated matters.]
Yeah, I know that feeling, I thought tiredly. I kept an eye and ear on the group of people nearby, and I caught Kori answering one of the cheerleaders "-friends of the family." She gestured back to myself. "We're going to college together."
Shifting my focus back to Motherbox, I said [Alright. What did you want to talk about?]
[Not I, but Highfather.] She said, [The Frees were ultimately successful. Highfather has requested the presence of your Justice League, to discuss the threat of Apokolips to your world.]
The way she said that implied a certain positiveness, which I felt the need to clear up. [They're not 'my' Justice League. We do work together, but I'm part of a different organization entirely. I will pass the message on, though.]
In the physical world, Kori had quickly found herself in the center of the group. "Undeclared," she responded to another question. "There's just so much to learn, I'm not sure where to start. Though I have been thinking about learning about human- I mean, political science. I want to learn more about how, you know, people work together. Learn how government works, and see what I can do to help."
The cheerleader she was talking to, a black girl with a pair of buns on her head, looked back at my girlfriend pityingly. "...Oh honey, no," She said. "They're going to eat you alive."
I felt curiosity coming from Motherbox. [Oh? I had thought you were a part of the Justice League.] She gave a contemplative hum, an odd thing to hear from a box. [In that case, I formally extend the invitation to yourself. The assumption was that you would be in attendance as well.]
I was about to ask why when a thought occurred to me. [Yes, I'll be there, but I'll likely won't just be there to represent the heroes of Earth.]
[What do you mean?]
I smirked. [Remember how I said I wasn't a Prime last we met? Well, funny story...] With a thought, I sent a data packet crafted with the Silver's power her way. It was actually something Calculus had come up with when we talked about running into foreign AI. It was a sort of digital business card that allowed other machine entities to understand what the Silver was about.
Motherbox took a moment to process what I sent her. [Oh. Oh! Fascinating. You formed your own machine spirit hierarchy in such a short time. And you wish to represent the Silver to New Genesis?]
[Specifically the machine life of New Genesis. We're interested in other machine spirits and how they operate.]
Again Motherbox took a moment before responding. [I see. I cannot guarantee you'll find what you're looking for, but I will let New Genesis know what to expect. Let me know when the Justice League is ready.]
[Will do.] I closed the connection. With that conversation over I was about to walk over to Kori and M'gann, but stopped when I saw the group of cheerleaders wandering off. I spied M'gann giving Kori a look I didn't quite get before she joined with them and left.
Kori walked back to me and I opened my mouth to ask, but before I could she said "Jacob, I'm your bae!"
My mouth hung open for a few seconds before I replied "These are true facts, yes, but why are you bringing that up now?"
"I just learned it from Karen, one of M'gann's friends," She said. "I like the sound of it."
I stared for a moment before I sighed helplessly, leaning in to kiss her. When we broke apart, I said "Only you could be so happy about learning a new way to say you're my girlfriend." I smiled for a moment before my brow furrowed. "So, why'd they take off?"
"M'gann said they had a party to get to, but...." Kori shook her head. "She was upset about something, but denied it. There are still some things I don't understand about human social behaviors. I suppose M'gann would know better than me by now."
I looked back at the teens as they disappeared from sight, and all I could do was let out a sigh. "Well, I'm not exactly a social butterfly, so I can't help you there." I motioned with my head. "Anyway, seems I'm going to have to talk to the Justice League. New Genesis wants to meet."
-----------------------
It wasn't long after M'gann's game that I found myself along with Superman, Wonder Woman, and Batman back in that same park in Bailey, the one I had met the Frees in all those months ago. And like last time, our resident New Genesphere was with us too. [It will be nice to see home again.] Rommie beeped next to me. [For a time, at least. I have much to report on this wonderful planet!]
"I hope your report's a glowing one." I remarked. "By the way, how have things been going at Yellowstone? You're spending a lot more time there than at the Mountain lately."
[Because there's so much happening there! Discussion, creation, growth of new minds! Watching a new collective of machine spirits grow something I never thought I would witness.] Rommie tilted her eye up at me. [To be honest, it seems odd that
you're not around as much.]
I rubbed my chin. "Well, you're not wrong, but I have my own goals I need to look after." I said. Ever since Vulcan had woken up from his nap, he had been hard at work refining his method of creating new machine spirits, along with bodies they could inhabit. Calculus would also spend a good deal of time there (in a manner, they liked to remain in their infomorph form most of the time). I would pop in regularly to see what they were up to, but most of my time was spent with the Titans and in the Mountain.
And in New York. For a variety of practical, technical, and thaumaturgical reasons (that last of which in no small part due to my stand against the Dweller), the Silver had decided that its seat of its power would be the Big Apple. But it wasn't quite suitable yet, it needed to have a bit more of our infrastructure put in place. Which was something I had been doing as I helped out with the rebuilding process. So, until New York was ready, the heart of the Silver would beat in Yellowstone.
From behind me, Batman spoke up. "Machina, how long are we supposed to wait?"
"Not long," I replied. "Motherbox said they were trying to-"
Then, almost on cue, there was a low boom followed by a burst of light, and a telescoping portal appeared right next to me.
Ah, perfect, I thought as I turned my sensors on it.
It had been a few months since I had last been in the presence of a Boom Tube, and in that time I had gained more knowledge and mastery of that Psion scanner equipment I had eaten so long ago. As a result I had a lot more (functional) exotic sensors this time around. So I was able to get a good 'look' at just what was going on with the Boom Tube. Figuring out how it worked would be a good first step to making my own portals.
But as I analyzed the rippling portal of light… I was surprised just how simple it was. As far as I could tell, the Boom Tube was just bending space to the point of connecting two points in reality together. And that was it. Which, I mean, was possible, but without any other trick or exotic properties I could detect that would require literally astronomical amounts of energy.
Bloody New God tech, I thought sourly, remembering the deeper look I had once taken at Rommie's systems. It turned out New God technology was a lot closer to magitech than I originally thought. If Rommie was to be believed, the Source does a lot of heavy lifting. To the point where their tech doing anything can be described as a two step process:
1: The tech draws a circle.
2: The Source draws the rest of the fucking owl.
Ok, it wasn't that bad, but still, it made analyzing the technology a nightmare.
Striding out the portal was Big Barda, her armor a bit more scuffed than I remembered it. Though her scowl was about the same. "Well? Come on, Highfather is waiting." And without anything else she turned around and headed right back through the Boom Tube. I looked back at the Leaguers and shrugged before following after Barda, Rommie on my heels. I still kept my sensors running as I stepped onto the ramp of light, figuring I could still get some decent data from the trip across the universe.
It was about 8 steps from one side of the portal to the other, all the while I felt an oddly tingly sensation through my entire body. The sensation faded as I set foot back on the ground, and I got my first real look at a futuristic city.
It's like Metropolis taken to 11, I thought as I looked at the massive curving spires that were the buildings around me. The structures were best described as a mix of art deco and retro futurism, painted in radiant colors and massive in scale. The way the shining sun's light split and reflected off the buildings and arches gave the impression I was standing in a massive art installation, one meant to show all that was bright and good in the world.
I was only able to take it in for a few moments though, as I nearly reeled when I was hit with an overwhelming presence. For a few seconds I couldn't parse anything other than something huge standing right beside me before it started to lessen. Coming up behind me out of the portal, Superman noticed my distress. "Machina, are you alright?"
I waved him off. "I'm fine, fine." I looked down at the 'ground' as I got a handle on just what the presence was. "It's just someone saying hello."
[
SUPERTOWN BIDS YOU WELCOME, MACHINA.]
[Thank you.] I replied to the apparently sapient floating city. Once it finally got a handle on the communication protocols I used for New God technology, it connected me to the local network. In moments I was flooded with information about the city; it's layout, the function of various components, even a basic registry of important people. It was all very general information, the sort of thing you give someone visiting a new city for the first time. Or rather...
I took a few moments to process this before I said "I think… the machines of this city consider me a visiting dignitary of sorts. Which I guess I am."
Superman said nothing to this, though Wonder Woman had floated off the ground a little to better take in our surroundings. "Such grandeur… if not for the architecture I would liken it to Olympus."
" 'City of the Gods' tend to be like that." I remarked.
Batman, of course, was unimpressed. Or at least didn't show it if he was. "So, where is this Highfather?"
Barda gestured. "This way." She led the way towards a dense cluster of raised platforms and walkways, nestled in a ring of tall buildings. It almost looked like a hanging gardens, with the amount of plants draped off of them. As we got closer I noticed several people floating around the structure tending to the plants. Some were flying on their own power, others were standing on those strange floating disc things that New Gods sometimes used. Aero-Discs, I think.
After a few minutes we arrived at the tallest platform, a surprisingly wide and open space. From our new elevation I could see past the rim of Supertown to the planet below, the contrast between the shining gold and silver of the city and the lush green jungles below making the divide all the more apparent. In the center stood Mister Miracle, though most of our attention was drawn to the man rising off of the wide, curving throne.
Highfather was younger looking than I was expecting, the man having the appearance of a very fit looking 50 year old with short salt and pepper hair and a chin strap beard. He wore a simple black uniform with red trim, and a golden breastplate that accentuated just how big his chest was. The only other decoration he had was a pair of shoulder plates. He regarded us evenly with his hands behind his back as we approached.
Actually, the combination of his outfit and stance… High Father was reminding me a lot of Darkseid. Which I guess made sense since they were related.
"Greetings, heroes of Earth." Highfather said in a courteous tone, giving a slight nod of his head. "I have heard much about you from Scott and Barda, along with your rather… interesting world." His brow furrowed. "Among them, how it is being threatened by our mortal enemy."
Superman stepped forward. "Yes, we've encountered criminal organizations that have been using Apokolipian technology, and we have proof that they are collaborating with them."
"Still in the initial stages then..." Highfather muttered before readdressing Superman. "And what havoc have they wrecked thus far?"
"So far, minimal. We managed to more or less shut down the first crime syndicate. But they seemed to have moved on to another one. We're managing the problem as best we can, but it's looking like it will be difficult for us to deal with permanently." Superman held out a hand. "We're here because we're looking for a way to stop Apokolips from interfering with Earth. If there is any aid you can offer, or even just advice, we'll gladly take it."
Highfather considered this for a moment, before he said "I am not sure how much you've been told, but you should be aware of the tenuous state between ourselves and the other New Gods. In times long past, New Genesis and Apokolips suffered a long and devastating war at one another's hands. So much so that we had to agree to peace, lest we both be destroyed. This has continued to this day, and we still do not have the power to rid the universe of them without destroying ourselves in the process. As such, we cannot take overt action to help you."
"But at the same time, you can't let them get too powerful." Wonder Woman pointed out. "Otherwise, your inaction will lead to your own ruin."
Highfather looked at her and nodded. "Just so. With that in mind, any help we give will require a deft touch. And for that, we need to know exactly what the forces of Apokolips have been doing on Earth."
"We have been keeping records of their activities," Batman said evenly. "But I'm reluctant to hand Justice League data over to an extraterrestrial power we just met."
"...I see that trust is something we'll have to build." Highfather shook his head. "I understand your reluctance, but we simply must know of Apokolips's actions before we act ourselves. To act without knowledge or Wisdom is the height of foolishness."
"Perhaps it would help," Wonder Woman said, "If we had some idea of what you planned to do. Even if it is just the broad strokes."
Highfather looked at each of us in turn, his brow furrowing slightly. "From what I have been told of your Justice League, you are exceedingly capable, and by your own admission have thwarted the Great Enemy yourselves several times. Albeit their initial subversive attempts." He made a gesture. "As such, I had planned to start with exchanging information. You provide what you have on their movements, and we will provide proper counter strategies. Scott and Barda will be returning to Earth with you, and they will serve as your point of contact to us."
"Just don't expect us to fight for you." Barda said roughly. "We're still trying to avoid Apokolips's attention, and them realizing we're on Earth would only increase their attention on it."
The other three superheroes exchanged looks with one another, before Batman addressed Highfather. "That is… acceptable, in broad strokes. Though the specifics will need to be worked out."
It was at this point I decided to enter the conversation. "When you say strategies, will that include information on the technology they use? Or perhaps the technology you use?"
The leader of the New Genesians focused on me. "Ah, you must be the machine spirit. Normally I would assume that the workings of New God technology would be beyond other species, but I have been told you may be different."
"You should meet the actual hyper-cognitives our planet has." I remarked.
He wasn't quite sure how to take that, so instead he said to the group "If no one objects, perhaps he should go and converse with Motherbox about more technical matters. I suspect the rest of us will be here going over 'specifics' for a while."
I shrugged. "Works for me."
Rommie beeped excitedly. [I know the way, I'll take you!] The sphere folded outward into her trike configuration and moved next to me.
As I moved to hop into Rommie's cab, Superman called out "Wait, Machina, where are you going? Motherbox is right there." He pointed to the box on Mister Miracle's belt.
"No, not Motherbox, he said Motherbox."
Every non-New God looked at me blankly until I reviewed what I had just said. "Oh, right. Uh… he meant a different one."
"How could you tell?"
"...I'll meet up with you later." I said, before hopping into Rommie's cab and she lifted into the air.
---------------------
The ride was a short one, though it did allow me a great view of Supertown. I had first thought that the city was on a simple floating disc that flew above the planet's surface, but flying through the towers allowed me to see differently. Rather, Supertown was built in a series of hubs and spirals, close to what a spiral galaxy looks like. And in between the gaps in the 'arms' I could see just as many windows and entrances as the buildings that sat on top of them. The base of Supertown was used just as much as the surface.
Rommie went low and took us between two of the spiral arms, turning into a tunnel midway through the structure. As we went deeper, the tunnel changed from the more artistic style of the rest of the city to something more technological, with pipes and circuit patterns all over the walls. A service tunnel, perhaps? It wasn't long before the tunnel opened into a cavernous room, filled with platforms of various sizes and heights. Each one had a different set of devices on it, and I could tell from a glance they were types of lab and manufacturing equipment. There were no New Gods in the room, so everything was running autonomously.
The platform in the center of the chamber had a techno-monolith which glowed with a soft white light. Rommie set us down right next to it. As I approached I saw, embedded in a depression in the side of the monolith, the person I was here to see. [Ah, so you are Machina,] The lines of the motherbox glowed as she spoke. [Motherbox told me much about you, but seeing you in person is a different matter.]
Her tone was both similar yet different from Scott's motherbox. Just a little more bright and energetic. It reminded me, fittingly enough, of Rommie. This was the motherbox that had created the New Genespheres.
I wonder if being part of her technological line means Rommie inherited a bit of her personality, I wondered. [It's a pleasure meeting you. There's a lot for us to talk about.]
[I am sure there is, but if you could indulge me for a moment.] I felt the box's attention shift to my companion. [Hello, my little one. What have you learned?]
[So much!] Rommie exclaimed. [Earth is so much more interesting than my assigned planet! There are mortals with special abilities, machines that actualize themselves, old gods, electronic music, battles for the fate of the planet- ]
As Rommie rambled, I felt a large volume of data flowing between her and Motherbox that I couldn't quite make out. I had thought I had worked out all the protocols I needed for communicating with New God tech, but it looked like they were passing data in the New God equivalent of an assembly language. This went on for about a minute or so before Motherbox returned her focus to me. [Apologies for that, it has been some time since I have been able to connect with her. And truly, you come from a fascinating world. Now, let us talk.]
I felt an invitation to connect, and after a moment of shifting my focus I was in Motherbox's dataspace. Well, more like the space she had made for me. It resembled a wide open platform floating out in space, stars twinkling all around us. My dataform was sitting in a high backed chair, a strange amalgamation of metal and stone that was perfectly sized for me. Nearby was Rommie, whose dataform looked to be a collection of spheres clustered together in the shape of a trike.
Opposite me, and taking up the majority of my vision, was a
massive wall of New God circuity lines. Stretching farther than I could see in every direction. It flowed and pulsed with data, and behind those lines I swore I saw something…
alive. Something that blazed with potential and power, but I couldn't make it out.
This was Motherbox, and the part closest to me pulsed in time as she said [I hope it is prepared to your liking. I understand you are a formally organic intelligence, and as such like chairs.]
I shifted around in my seat. [It's certainly an interesting choice of seating… Though this arrangement does make me feel like I'm in a cosmic movie theater.]
[Hmm?] Motherbox was confused for a moment before she gave a start (don't ask how I could tell). [Oh, yes, I suppose I stand out a bit. Let me try something...]
The wall of lines shuddered before folding into itself. In a few moments the infinite expanse collapsed into a more defined shape, a humanoid one. I was left looking at a figure that mirrored my own dataform, if more feminine and made of New God circuitry.. [Ah, there we are.] Motherbox moved her arms around in a less than graceful manner. [Oh, limbs. This is certainly novel.] Her head tilted in my direction. [So, Motherbox informs me that the rest of your compatriots are still speaking with Highfather, but you wish to learn about the tools of the Great Enemy.]
I nodded. [Correct. Anything you could tell me would be helpful. Though I do have another purpose in speaking with you.]
[Oh? What would that be.]
[Superheroes aside, I'm also here as the Avatar of the Silver, functioning as emissary for the elemental Kingdom of Machines. We like to establish a formal dialog with the machine spirits of New Genesis.]
Motherbox was silent for a long moment before she responded [Understandable, though I am not the person to talk to about such things.]
[Right, I'm still unfamiliar with how your particular hierarchy works. Who exactly would I need to talk to for this?]
[Highfather is in charge of-]
[I meant a machine spirit.] I clarified. [The Silver would prefer to deal with one of their own. Who among the New Genesis machine spirits leads you?]
[...We don't 'lead' ourselves. Understand, the organization that exists between the machine spirits of the New Gods is there to help us serve our purpose: to aid and love the New Gods. We do not take any action without their approval.] Her body moved in an awkward shrug, the machine unused to the gesture. [While I may act a bit more independently than most, I am still fulfilling the purpose of my creator. If you wish to have an arrangement independent of the New Gods, I don't believe we can give the Silver what they're looking for.]
That's unfortunate, I thought. I was really hoping to have a benevolent machine collective as an ally. Sure, I wasn't expecting them to help too much, what with New Genesis's non-interference, but any kind of support would help the Kingdom get off the ground. [I see. Would that prohibit us from talking to you directly, as opposed to sending everything through Highfather.]
[That would be up to him, though likely he would assign another New Genesian to oversee our interactions.]
Seems I left the other meeting too early. Crap. [Alright, I'll put that matter aside for the moment. As you said, the other reason I'm here is to discuss the threat Apokolips poses to Earth. I know more than most, but if I want to protect my planet I need to know everything I can.]
Motherbox spread her arms. [Until I receive Highfather's approval there will be some limits, but I will aid you however possible.]
With a slight motion from her, datastreams appeared all around us, and in them I could see data on devices, weapons, ships used by Apokolips. No technical specifications, but observational data on what they could do, their impact, their intended use. They also came with recordings of just how they got that data, and that was far less pleasant.
I watched the feeds of the Apokolipian fleets descending on hapless planets, troop carriers deploying legions of armored Parademons. I saw them swarm over defenses, mercilessly crushing anything that stood in their way. I saw how they occupied afterwards, enslaving the populace and turning anything unique about the world into a grey slab.
I watched for what felt like an hour, taking in as much as I could without being overwhelmed. I saw the same scenes play out on planet after planet. So much so, that I couldn't help but voice a thought. [This seems… weirdly primitive.]
Motherbox turned her head to me, and I elaborated. [The New Gods have technology that's pretty much the most advanced in the universe, and yet the main tactic of Apokolips appears to exclusively be 'Overwhelm with numbers'. Couldn't they just Boom Tube shock troops to key locations? Or do orbital strikes? Or any countless number of things that would require less resources?]
Motherbox tilted her head, and while it was difficult to tell with her blank face, she seemed to be confused. Then she nodded. [Ah, I see the problem. You're misunderstanding the purpose of Darkseid.]
She gestured to the image of the Apokolipian fleet descending on a planet. [The tyrant has his ways of doing things, a brutal and simple method he prefers above all else. But while this may seem archaic for those with the technology of the New Gods, Darkseid is aware of its limitations and is cunning. What you are seeing is not the first action he takes. Rather, it is the last.]
I looked blankly back at her and she continued. [I believe an example will help.] She waved a hand, and the screens winnowed down to a smaller set, the one in the middle featuring a greenish blue planet. [This is the world of Draph, once home to the Draphian people. Isolationist by nature, but possessing advanced technology. Which included a planetary shield which even Darkseid's forces could not penetrate easily, as well as an advanced communication network which could detect threats and spread information quickly.]
The image changed, showing a population of squat brown aliens in riots as she continued. [So, Darksied started by replacing the few Draphian who traveled off world with infiltrators. With them, he smuggled weapons to the most radical factions on the planet. They incited several small wars, and from there he unleashed a minor plague, destabilizing the world further. His infiltrators weakened governments and sowed mistrust. And then, at a key moment when the planet's chaos was at its highest, they shut down the planetary shield. And even though Draph detected the arrival of Apokolips's fleet, no one was in a position to oppose them.]
The screen closed, and Motherbox had a tone of grim finality. [Darkseid does not care for war, or even necessarily conquest. The only thing he cares about is the domination of all life in existence, and he will bend reality to his will to accomplish it. Overwhelming force, as you say, is the method by which he archives this via military action. He would gladly discard his formidable arsenal if it allowed him to beat you into submission with a rock.]
I was stuck silent, considering what she told me. That kind of monomania, when paired with a being as powerful as Darkseid, was terrifying… but it wasn't unbeatable. [So, the best defense for Earth would be to make it difficult enough to conquer so that Darkseid can't get the victory he wants.]
Motherbox bowed her head. [Indeed. That has been the strategy of all worlds aware of the Great Enemy, but cannot oppose them directly. The most successful ones create particularly novel defenses in this vein.]
As I thought of the countless bits of supertech, magic, and metahumans that occupied Earth, I couldn't help but grin. [I think we can manage that.]
=====A=====
Oh boy has writing been kicking my ass lately. I've hard to rewrite this chapter from scratch, and I'm kicking it out the door because I need to move on.
