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18th September
19:02 GMT +8

I haven't quite gotten used to the stares yet.

Obviously my activity last time I was in Taipei was far more obvious than what I've been doing with the team, but there are plenty of other Caucasians around and it's not as if I'm wearing my armour. But I'm getting recognised. I'm getting photographed. I'm getting gawped at, even just walking down the street.

Feels jolly odd.

I'm on the way to the Mackay Memorial Hospital where Mister Huang Jianhong has recently woken up. Had to skip out on the morning training session, but Kaldur said it was fine. Mister Huang's parents -Missus Huang De and Mister Huang Tung- and a young woman -ah, her name's Miss Su Xin- I assume to be his girlfriend are with him now. It's been a couple of hours, and I think that the initial 'thank-god-I'm-alive' bit should have passed by now. Thinking about it, I'm not sure why I want to speak to him so much. I'm sure that the police will be interviewing him after an appropriate amount of time has passed, though at this point a new lead is unlikely. Everything I know about neurophysiology says that he should be at least as good as new. But I don't regard the case as complete until I've seen for myself.

I don't know whether or not I'm actually allowed in to see him. It isn't as if I'm a relative or anything. Hmm. One of the windows in the room next to his is open, and the door doesn't make a good enough seal to stop my FTL. It's a pretty good room. Mister Luthor made a point of paying for his care. It was thoughtful of him, even if he made sure that the press knew about it. I'd have done it myself, but it just didn't occur to me to offer. I suppose I'm too used to the NHS just being there.

Might as well skip the whole front desk bit. I materialise in a hospital corridor, one door down from the one Mister Huang occupies. I hear a soft thump, and turn to see someone I presume to be either a nurse or an orderly staring at me in astonishment, having just dropped a pile of folded bedclothes she was transporting from the cupboard to a trolley. She's probably in her mid twenties, though I remember reading an interview where the interviewee claimed that Asian women generally kept looking young until they suddenly don't, so I could be well out. I pick the sheets up and move them to their intended destination, before walking toward her. I stop moving when her confusion shifts to nervousness.

"Good morning, miss. Orange Lantern two eight one four."

"Um… G-good morning, sir."

She actually puts her hands together at her waist and gives me a shallow bow. Am I supposed to do that?

"I'm here to check on Mister Huang. He's in this room-" I point. "-is he not?"

"Ah!" She moves to her trolley and consults a clipboard. "Yes, that is where Mister Huang is staying."

"Thank you. I won't keep you."

I find myself bending slightly, as if some part of my brain believed that bowing was appropriate but was unable to secure a majority. I straighten, turn away, walk to the door indicated and knock loudly. The conversation within carries on, and for a moment I wonder if they didn't hear me.

"Come in?"

A woman's voice. I turn the handle and push open the door. Miss Su and Mister Huang senior are sitting on either side of the head of the bed, with Miss Su taking the window side. Missus Huang is sitting by the foot of the bed at her husband's side, and is looking at me as I enter the room. Given how surprised she looks I'm going to assume that she was expecting a doctor or something like that. Miss Su flickers her eyes up, then back to the patient, then back to me with her eyes widening.

"Good morning. I'm sorry to intrude, but I was hoping that I might have a few words with Mister Huang Jianhong."

Mister Huang senior stops talking to his son with a grunt. "You couldn't even wait a day, could y-." He swivels in his seat as he speaks, then cuts off. And I get a direct look at his son for the first time in two weeks. He's smiling faintly, and unlike his guests doesn't seem shocked by my being here at all.

"What can I do to help? They showed me the recordings of what I did, but I really don't remember much about it."

"I didn't honestly expect you to. Have the doctors here explained what the stuff the League of Shadows stuck you with did to your body?"

"Not yet. They're going to run some tests to check how I'm doing. I do remember reading a newspaper article on the effects of Venom use, but I thought that most of the harmful effects took a while to manifest?"

"Usually, they do. But what you were given was a new substance made by combining Venom with something called the Blockbuster Formula. They then mixed that with something called Adder Venom, which is a Venom variant which had only previously been seen in a couple of places in Mexico. The stuff was responsible for you going berserk, and it has much worse side effects than regular Venom."

"How bad?"

"You'd have needed a new liver, and would have been left an emotionally unstable wreck. Probably for the rest of your life."

He looks down at his chest. "I don't seem to be..?"

"Power rings are awesome. The liver was an easy fix, and it's now as good as it ever was. Thing is, I didn't know what your amygdala looked like beforehand, and that has a larger effect on your behaviour than your liver does. When I repaired it, I made it as good as an amygdala can be, and that's probably quite a bit better than it was."

He looks more puzzled than worried. "What would that mean for me?"

"Not sure, to be honest. As an educated guess, you'll be able to learn new skills faster than before, and your memory will probably be better. You'll have better intuition of what other people are feeling or thinking, and you'll probably be calmer and friendlier, no social anxiety at all."

He seems to think for a moment. "Those all sound like good things."

"If there were likely to be negative effects, then I wouldn't have been so gung-ho about doing it. Fact is, I've never done this to someone before and so I can't predict exactly what will happen. Plus, those behaviours might not have been how you were originally."

"You have repaired my son's brain from the damage the terrorists caused… By making him smarter?" Mister Huang Senior wants to make sure that he's understood correctly.

"Sort of? There haven't been any studies into the effects of doing what I did. I mean, we know what the result would have been if I'd done nothing, but it isn't as if I just go around doing this to everyone."

"I do feel a little different." He frowns slightly. "When I woke up, I wasn't worried at all. I suppose I should have been, waking up in hospital with no memory of how I got here. But, I think I like it better this way than the alternative. And I appreciate the effort you have gone through on my behalf. Thank you."

"You're welcome. But if you start to feel uneasy about the situation, contact me on this number." I summon forth a card with the number of the public phone in which I'm monitoring in Happy Harbor.

He takes hold of it. "I will. Thank you for checking up on me."

18th September
08:52 GMT -5

Note to self: use FTL more. After I finished talking to Mister Huang and his family and handing my scans of his brain over to his doctor, I decided to walk out of the hospital. As a result, I walked straight into an ambush of news reporters when I reached reception. I couldn't hear what any of them were saying over the general noise and the receptionists were giving me the evils. So, Doctor Manhattan style, I transferred the whole thing outside and set up an impromptu press conference.

When they ignored the order I was trying to create I muzzled them so that only one could speak at a time.

That might have been overdoing it, but they were getting on my nerves. And it certainly made things go much more smoothly. In no particular order: Mister Huang's fine but should probably be left alone for a few days, I don't live in Taiwan, I'm not a member of the Justice League, the police are handling the investigation though I'm happy to give them whatever help they want, I'm single, I'm glad you liked the interview but it was really a fairly spur of the moment thing, never heard of him, never heard of her, never heard of them, why would you even ask that -that came up more than I would have liked-, things in Rhelasia are going well but I was really just acting as a guarantor and credit should go to the politicians, I couldn't say and that while I respect Mister Luthor's work I don't know him well enough to comment.

Once things started getting trivial I excused myself and left. Transitioning to the seaward side of the mountain with the bulk of it between me and the town, I turn head down and dive for the sea entrance. With repeated visits to Atlantis I've got my air to water transition so smooth that I don't feel it, the change being marked only by the different level of illumination. Manta construct extended around me, I turn smoothly in the water and head through the tunnel. Now that I know where I'm going and know how to augment my vision the journey takes much less time than it did back when Diana, Alan and I first used it. Hmm. Where is everyone? Ah, the arena. The computer marks danger areas on the floor and throws up targets. Participants have to hit them as swiftly as possible without getting in each other's way or staying in danger areas. Useful for the others, a bit pointless for me. Last time I tried it I had to switch to the beam pistol and even on low power still managed to shoot through the ceiling into Red Tornado's quarters. No Artemis yet, but everyone else is here.

I'm feeling pretty good. Jade's good deed yesterday, Mister Huang being okay, patched things up with Artemis… I'm getting the urge to do some showing off. I accelerate as I near the surface on the cave end, and prepare a cold gun construct. Pushing water ahead of me I fly from the surface, freezing water droplets so that they fall in a corona of snow about me as I spread my arms wide and spin in the air, orange sigil glowing behind me.

"Duh dah!"

The holographic lights from the training exercise shut down as the others turn toward me.

Robin strokes his chin. "I'd give you a nine point two."

Kon squints. "Nine point four."

Wallace walks to the edge of the water. "Where you been?"

"Mister Huang woke up from his coma." I float through the ice particles to the solid ground. "Seems he quite likes the upgraded amygdala I gave him."

Robin looks interested. "Anything new on Bane or Onyx?"

I shake my head. "He said that he didn't really remember anything, and given what the drugs did to his brain I can well believe it. I didn't want to push too hard."

He nods.

"So, coordination practice?" I raise both arms and form an assault cannon under each, grinning. "I'm up for that."

Kaldur pushes my right arm down. "Perhaps not. I have completed the revisions to the shield bracer you designed-."

I drop the constructs. "Ooh! Gimme! Water armour for everyone!"

Kaldur smiles faintly. "Not quite yet, though this version should allow anyone with some magic training-."

"Recognised, Artemis, B, zero eight."

Wallace looks nervous. "You did patch things up with her, right?"

"Yes, of course I did."

Artemis materialises, scans the room and locks eyes on me. "You."

Wallace steps away from me. "Are you sure?"

I was. I remain exactly where I am as she stalks across the room. What have I done now? Is she angry about me working to get Jade transferred? But that's not going to happen for weeks at least!

M'gann steps into her path. "Good morning Artemis!"

Artemis brushes past her. Ten metres. She's wearing the quiver I made for her, but I can only see two of my arrows. Five metres. Should I try talking to her? Two.

"Er, hello? How have you-?"

One. She reaches up with both hands, pulls my head down to her level and puts her lips to mine. Oh. Um. Am I supposed to shut my eyes? Don't think about Jade. My arms are sticking out to the side slightly. Should I bring them in? Am I supposed to put them on her? Before I can decide she pulls back a little, still holding my head in place.

"Thank you."

"Mm, you're welcome."

Then she pulls back a little further and-.

"Ow! What was that in aid of?"

She's grinning. "I guess it would have worked, then."

I rub my cheek where she slapped it. "Yes of course it would! I wouldn't have suggested it otherwise."

Wallace raises a hand. "Ah, can someone explain what just happened?"

Artemis looks down for a moment, trying to work out how much to share. Perhaps I should..?

"When I went to say sorry, I got Artemis some new arrows. And a rather nice orchi-."

"He healed my mom." She goes to cross her arms at her chest, but I catch hold of her hands and bring them up to my chest instead. She's still not meeting my eyes. "Mom has.. had, a spinal injury. She couldn't walk. He fixed it. The doctor said she should regain full mobility within two months."

Robin's eyes go wide. "You can.. do that? Fix long term injuries?"

"By channelling my need to be in Artemis' good graces, yes."

"Can you.. do that.. to other people..?"

"I can try." I bring Artemis' hand up to my lips, kiss her knuckles and then release them before turning to Robin. "Did you have someone in mind?"

18th September
09:21 GMT -5

Robin… No, Richard, leads the way through the corridors of the Gotham Mercy General Hospital with a familiarity born of constant repetition. We went from the mountain to the Bat Cave, then up into Wayne Manor proper where he changed into a suit. I suppose that Batman must have told him that I knew who everyone is, but it was still a strange experience. Like stepping behind the stage at a theatre, or a fairground when the rides are being packed up. No, behind the frontage while they're in operation. I can hear the music and the laughter, but I'm seeing the guts of the operation.

This is also the first time I've seen him without something covering his eyes. I mean, I'd scanned his eyes so that I'd be able to repair them, but I'd never seen them with my own before. I switched to a suit myself, one where the only orange sigil is a tiny one sewn into the lapel. I've transferred the ring into my pocket, and it's taking an effort of will to stop me reaching in to put it back on or to touch it.

Richard looks a lot younger like this. Turns out, there is a good reason why his name isn't abbreviated to anything other than 'Dick'. And we're on our way to see him.

"Richard, I'm so sorry. I mean, I knew about your parents but it never occurred to me to check for other relatives."

"I could have told you after you fixed Su-. After you fixed Conner's ears. Just didn't make the connection."

We pass through a department waiting room. Mister Pennyworth drove us here and he offered to come in with us. Not sure why Richard turned him down.

"Why do you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Use Wally's full name, and mine."

"Errh. Not really sure, to be honest. Where I'm from, 'wally' means fool, and a 'rubber wally' is a condom, but I think it's mostly just because I don't like abbreviations. That was one reason my Mum picked my name; the fact it can't be abbreviated."

He turns his head to look at me while continuing on his course. "Wally means fool?" He smiles, but it has a brittle edge to it.

"Yeah. I mean, if it really bothers you or him, I could start using abbreviations. I just prefer full names. And I usually call you, you know, the other thing anyway." I'm not used to actively pretending to not be a superhero. Usually it's just convenient, but if, for example, one of Kon's schoolmates rumbled me, I wouldn't care. But Richard and Batman are fully committed to the masquerade, and I respect that. We step aside for an elderly man being pushed down the corridor on a bed. "You know, I can't promise this will work, right?"

"I know. But I've got to try. Uncle Rick's all the family-." He cuts himself off, head going down for a moment. "Aside from Bruce and Alfred, Uncle Rick's all the family I've got."

"Okay."

We walk the rest of the way to the long term care ward in silence. Richard doesn't bother talking to the large black nurse on the desk, instead heading straight for one of the rooms. The nurse gives me a brief puzzled look before turning to my friend.

"I'm sorry Dick, but today wasn't a good day."

He stops, downcast, and nods. "Can we.. go in anyway?"

"'Course you can, hon."

He nods again, and I scurry to catch up.

"Not a good day?"

"Uncle Rick's injuries give him constant pain. When it gets really bad, they just give him something to knock him out." He slows down. "Might be better this way. I wouldn't want to get his hopes up."

I'm wondering how often he's awake, but I don't think I'll ask. He slows almost to a stop as we get to the door labelled 'Richard Grayson'. I raise my right hand to put it on his shoulder, but before it gets there he pulls himself together and opens the door. Not a big room, but I suppose that it doesn't need to be. His uncle is laying on the bed, drip attached to a tap in his right arm. I walk in after Richard and he shuts the door behind me.

Right. I slip the tip of my left ring finger through the ring. Scan. Gods. This isn't a single point of damage like Paula's was. His spine is mashed in five different places, and the tissue around it has healed wrong. His pelvis was broken and set almost correctly, but almost everything is slightly off. I can well imagine that it must hurt. I walk around the bed. Right. I hold my right hand over the bed.

"Heal."

Nothing. Right, come on. This is Richard's last blood relative!

"Heal."

An orange strobe flickers and fails. It's not working, I just can't feel the need for his well-being viscerally enough!

"Work around it, work around it. I didn't cause the injury, and I haven't done anything to offend…"

I can't. Could he? Maybe. I could keep trying, but I've no real reason to believe that I'll do any better.

"It's… It's okay, I-."

"Right. Robin. I've got an idea. I think the reason that it's not working is because I don't think of your Uncle as being part of mine. But, you might be able to do it."

"Wh-? I don't have any training in using a power ring!"

"I know. Okay. I think I should be able to direct the effect while you provide motivation. I'm not sure, but it's the best idea I've got at the moment."

He thinks for a moment, then nods. "What do I do?"

I put the ring fully onto my ring finger and take my left hand out of my pocket. "Take my hand. If you start feeling weird urges, let go immediately." He nods, and takes my left in his right. "Ring, designate Richard John Grayson as secondary user."

"Succession acknowledged."

And I'm looking at the bed from two different places. Ugh. I close my own eyes, and then I just see out of his. That I can manage. "Okay, now focus your mind on your need for your Uncle to be well." I maintain a scan, and share the image with Richard. He knows about as much about Human physiology as I do, but he isn't used to seeing it like this. "When you're ready."

My viewpoint shakes as he nods.

"Uncle Rick, heal."

Nothing. I feel his sympathy for his Uncle through the ring.

"Heal."

"No, that won't work. You're thinking altruistically. Compassion and love won't work with an orange ring."

"Then what will!?"

"Need. Selfish desire. I'm.. I'm sorry. The only thing… You need to remember what it was like when your family first died. The horrible sense of loss and wrongness and abandonment. Feel your need for things to be right, how they should be. Use that."

For a moment he doesn't respond.

"That… That's…"

"Yeah. I know. No, I'm sorry, I don't, but…"

Hell. No one should go through that, but I can't think of another way. Maybe there's a doctor around here..? Vision goes as he scrunches his eyes closed. For a moment, I don't feel anything much. Then I feel him start to shake, and he opens his eyes again, our vision blurry with tears.

"Uncle Rick, heal."

18th September
09:26 GMT -5

Orange light blasts from the ring, and I focus my mind on the injuries it's treating. The ring's fairly user friendly, but I don't want Richard Senior to end up being transformed into Richard Junior's father or anything. I see bone straightened and set, sinew and muscle moved and set true. Nerves mended. Our patient is on anti-rejection drugs for organ transplants, and I ensure that the tissue markers causing the trouble are rewritten. The light begins to restore wasted muscle, but before it goes too far I try to shake my ring hand free. I'm not sure what would happen if we kept pouring the orange light into him, but…

Richard isn't letting go. Oh dear. I bring my right hand around and try pulling his fingers off mine.

"Richard, you need to let go."

I open my eyes and look at him. Through my eyes I see his eyes blazing with orange light. Then he swings his left hand around and starts trying to pull the ring from my hand.

"No! Mine! It's mine! No one will hurt my family again!"

Heck. I grab our hands with my right hand, trying to make it harder to move anything. The ring's glowing like mad.

"Ring, remove secondary user."

No change. He's yanking at my arms in a frenzy now. I'm lucky he's too overwhelmed to try anything clever; he's much better at unarmed combat than me. No, I will not let Robin end up like Larfleeze.

"Ring, remove secondary user now."

"Compliance."

The flow of light shuts off. Richard gasps, and his grip loosens. I pull his fingers off and snatch my ring hand away. He brings his arms up, hugging his chest, shivering. For a moment neither of us speak.

"Did… Did it work?"

I nod. "Yes, I think so."

There's another pause, and he looks up slightly. "Is it.. always..?"

I nod. "Pretty much. You adapt, learn to steer it. But, yes. When you want something that much."

Another pause. "I think I'll… I think I want to stay here, until he wakes up." He walks around and sits at his uncle's side, not looking at me. "I'm... I'm sorry.. I tried to take-."

"Don't. Don't. I should have expected something like that to happen. I'll just… I'll be in the waiting room. Shout if you need something."

He nods, shallow and slow. I step backwards, and run a quick scan on our patient. I hope that was worth.. ah. Yes, it was. Not sure he'll ever be an acrobat again, but Richard Senior should have full and pain free feeling back in his whole body when he wakes up. Right, intruding on private time. I turn, and exit the room. The nurse at the desk looks up for a moment, then turns back to her files. I scan the room, looking for somewhere to sit. And ideally, something I can read to take my mind off making Robin relive that.

And then I see Alfred Pennyworth sitting primly in the chair closest to Richard Senior's room, brown leather bag at his feet. A slim and somewhat foxed paperback is lying in the seat next to him. He turns his head in my direction, and raises his eyebrows by the smallest fraction. Is something..? I tense slightly, and metaphorically kick myself as I return the ring to my pocket before walking over and pulling a chair out of the row so that I can sit opposite him.

"Successful visit, sir?"

I lean forward a little. "Too early to say, Mister Pennyworth. I think so, but we won't know for sure until he wakes up."

The slightest of nods. "And Master Dick?"

I feel wrongness. "The.. the device is empathic. To get it to work, I made him relive something very unpleasant."

His eyes narrow slightly.

"It was the only thing I could think of that would work! I'm not exactly impressed with myself, either."

A slight tilt to the side. "I had rather been under the impression that you simply…" He holds out his hand vertically, just in front of his chest, then waves it to the side.

I shake my head. "No, you have to think in exactly the right way. Feel the right way. And I don't.. I didn't.. know him well enough to suggest anything else."

I look away, and shake my head again. "You.. compel yourself to hold to this extreme mode of thought.. at all times.. yourself?"

"I.. I suppose I do. If you keep it up for long enough, the extreme just becomes the new normal."

He shifts slightly in his seat. "I'm not wholly unfamiliar with the concept, sir."

Hah. I suppose he's not. Wonder why Batman never got a power ring? Right, what else do I need to do? "I hope somebody's got a blooming good cover story for this, because this is well beyond Earth medicine."

Mister Pennyworth's eyes flick down for a moment. "Nil desperandum, sir. Any number of strange things could have happened. Perhaps, an unusually energetic reaction to some new medication?"

"It's a bit of a stretch, Mister Pennyworth."

"Only if he remains the responsibility of this hospital. Do not worry, sir. Matters are in hand."

I nod, and sit up. "Didn't.. Richard ask you to stay in the car?"

"He usually does, sir. But he's generally pleased to see me when his visit is over, nonetheless."

I can imagine. Ergh, alright, I'm not going to stop feeling like a puppy-kicker any time soon. Is there something I want to ask Mister Pennyworth? Something I could ask in a fairly public area? Oh, well…

"Mister Pennyworth. Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course."

"Tell me honestly: how long do you think I've got before I start to sound like an American?"

A faint smile, and he appears to give the question due consideration.

"I mean, I'm sure they're a lovely people, but I-."

The door to Mister Grayson's room opens, and I cut myself off. Richard Junior stands in the opening, looking first at Mister Pennyworth, then myself. We look at him, waiting for him to speak.

"Alfred, could you..? Would you mind coming in here, please?"

He waits for a moment, but Richard says nothing else.

"Of course, Master Dick."

He picks up his bag, stands, and walks toward Richard, who stands aside to let him enter. Richard's looking at the ground near my feet. Well, yes. I'm certainly not expecting to be on his cool list any time soon after tha-.

"Paul, you should probably come in too. I want Uncle Rick to meet you when he wakes up."

He's looking me in the eyes now, and a small smile is back on his face. Mine too. I rise, and walk back into the room.

22nd September
19:23 GMT -5

And, lastly, the fact that Jade may well be stuck in prison for several years, despite my efforts. I feel myself recoil from the idea, but the hierarchy stresses acceptance of inconvenient facts, and the fact is that she's been a very naughty girl. I may not like it, but there it is. I haven't pressed her on the precise nature of her work with the League of Shadows. Maybe I should, but I don't think that I should learn something I might be asked to testify about later. She hasn't volunteered the information. While I'm on the subject, I suppose I should accept that she has most likely taken part in assassinations before. Would that bother me? I don't.. think it would, unless I was directly confronted by her victim's family or something. That would be inconvenient.

Is that everything? I think so. I lower myself from the cross legged floating position I've been occupying in the air just above the bioship, and take the ring from where it floats in the air in front of me. I've taken to performing my daily meditation here. The view is restful, and simple enough to avoid being distracting. I land on the ground next to it and pat it on the hull before walking back to the lift. Kon's cooking this evening -with M'gann keeping a watchful eye on him- so I should probably avoid the kitchens. Kaldur wanted to do some more revisions on the water armour system we're working on. I'm trying to keep up with him, but he's had years more tuition in matters arcane than I have and it's easier to just help him with the fabrication. Not sure where Wallace is, and Artemis and Robin won't be here for a couple of hours.

Something I should do before they get here. I trust my team mates, I do, but I'm very self conscious during the few times each day when I take the ring off to allow for… How to put it? Less uncomfortable excretion. I know how vulnerable it makes me, compared to how I normally am. I've tried to switch to the ring method a couple of times, but I just can't cope with it. Last time the ring leapt off my finger as soon as I sat down, and I took the hint. There's a toilet attached to the living quarters a couple of levels up from here, and that's where I'm heading.

I haven't asked the ring if it's been regularising my bowel movements. I know I like regularity, and I certainly like to know when the ring is fiddling about with the way my body works without running it by my conscious mind first. But I think that maybe there are some things I'd rather not know about myself. And I think finding out that I am literally anal retentive-.

Ah. I'm here. Alright, ring off. I put it down beside the sinks, and walk over to the middle cubicle. The ring is far too large to do something like falling down the drain, and even if it did my remote ring control is now good enough that I could locate it and summon it out. Of course, if it got right down the system I'd have to pull it straight through the side of the purification system, which could be a bit messy. Nothing I couldn't fix…

Seat up, close the door, trousers and pants down, and sit. Being nervous about my vulnerability does nothing to ease my passage, but after the first few times I built a voice activated computer into the stall door so that I wouldn't lack for reading material. Tried reading case files once. That was a bad idea. All those faces were a bit off putting. I also modified this toilet to exactly my dimensions. It's now the most comfortable toilet I've ever sat on.

I'm not actually sure that anyone else uses this place. My quarters are a bit isolated. Unless we have a major recruitment drive, I might-.

What was that?

Sounded like water running through the pipes. I think that some pipes from the upper levels run through the walls near here. I gave everything a scan when I first moved in, but I never bothered memorising it all. Worth taking a look? No, just stick to the business at hand -there we go- and then use the ring to check in a moment.

Huh? Oh, that isn't good. Water's running under the door. How the heck..? That's the first time anything mechanical has gone wrong around here. I'm torn between concern and smugness. Right, start wiping, and I should be ready to go before it gets to a significant height. What's the pressure going to be like? Pretty high, I'd have thought. Worth calling the ring right now? Probably not. The system should detect the faulty tap and shut it off in a few moments.

I've been shopping around, but I haven't been able to find a type of toilet paper I'm completely happy with. This stuff is a reasonable compromise, but it could do with-.

Is that Red Tornado? I can hear heavy footsteps, but his usual creaking sound is hidden behind the sound of running water. I thought he was taking a shift on the Watchtower? And I don't think his duties include facility management anyway. Okay, clean enough for government work. Ring.

Ring.

Huh?

Ring.

Oh, not good. I stand, pulling up my pants and trousers. The water's reaching the top of the tread of my boots. This is actually quite serious. Open the door and-. What? Who are-?

The red robot standing between me and the sinks turns to look at me. It's less bulky than Red Tornado, but retains a masculine shape. Actually looks a bit less clunky than he does. Its eyes glow red. I'm not carrying any weapons.

Ring!

Where is it? Right, don't freeze. Move. The door's on my left-.

Bwoogh! I don't even make two steps before a column of water rises up from the pool covering the floor and hits me in the face, knocking me to the ground. I'm on my side, and try to regain my feet as my clothes get waterlogged. I slip on the floor, covering only a small distance as the water flows away beneath me. I finally get my feet back under me and get to a standing position as the water surges across the room, pushing me past the robot and pinning me to the wall. In the second or so before it covers my face I take a deep breath.

I have to fight the urge to cover my eyes as I am completely enveloped. The water isn't turning to ice, and it isn't taking on the slightly glistening quality of water made solid by magic. I'm being supported off the ground and kept pressed against the wall by the current in an apparently stationary body of water. The force that must take…

I relax and don't fight it. I can't afford to waste the air. The robot takes a step closer. Like Red Tornado himself there is no equivalent to Human facial expression. Did someone find one of Doctor Morrow's old laboratories? The man's central aim is listed in the files as exterminating the Human species and replacing us with robots. Sort of an evil version of that guy from the Swamp Thing comics who made robots in the image of dead people so that their lives could be completed. This robot is a great deal slimmer than Red Tornado, and has a gold 'M' on his chest. Can't think of anything it could stand for. Looks like he's got a gold starfish on his head. Fits with the water theme, I suppose.

Right, assuming he's a physical match for Tornado he'll be much stronger and tougher than me, but also much slower. I just need to get away long enough to work out where the ring is, then get close enough to call it to me. Once I've got it, I could take an army of these. Forties EMI shielding was crap. I narrow my eyes and let my head loll. Tornado told me that his eyes can't rotate. He has a wider field of vision than a Human, but to move it he has to move his entire head. If the robot is watching my face, then it isn't watching my legs. I fold them back so that my feet are against the wall. If I can launch myself suddenly, I've got a fair chance of getting past him. If he has to aim visually to target precisely I should be out of the door before he turns.

If not…

He goes to take another step forward, and I push off, aiming for his left side. He moves his left leg to the side to balance, and my torso is out of the water. Another breath, and the weight outside the water pulls the rest of me in the same direction. My right foot touches the ground, and I lean into a running pose.

Then my left foot sticks, and my right skids on the wet floor. No! I try to take a hopping step forward but fail to make any progress. The robot turns his head to me, and a ball of water rises from the floor and flies at my head. The impact isn't hard, but soft. The water coats my face and remains in place. I'm holding my breath, but I'm getting scared. I can't keep this-.

The robot steps closer, glowing red eyes perhaps forty centimetres from my own. It's head tilts sideways a little, then it draws back its right fist and strikes me hard in the diaphragm!

"Offggawgagaw!"

Air's gone.. I'm gagging underwater! My arms flail in the air and my right foot finally looses all traction and I greet the rapidly approaching ground with my forehead.

22nd September
Ooooooowwwwww….

"Uuuuugh ughHUH!"

Even as I open my eyes I'm vomiting water out of my lungs. My chest can't move much, and each choked breath is cut off by the violent expulsion of more liquid. My arms and legs are covered in something, but I'm too busy being consumed by the pain and disorder of my airways to pay attention.

"Oh El! You're awake!"

I'm coughing, but I'm mostly clear now. Would that actually have been my lungs or my stomach? Wouldn't I have drowned..?

"Uuuuh."

I blink, and try to concentrate enough to take in my environment. I appear to be suspended over the pool by the training area in some sort of cocoon made of a hard grey material. Below me stuck just out of the water I see Kon and Wallace, trapped in a similar substance. Kon's looking relieved while Wallace looks hopeful. Looks like they're caught as well.

"Awo. AhUh. Yep. Awake."

I hear a noise a bit like a drill on low revs heard through a couple of walls. I try to turn my head to the right, and can just about see the sphere stuck into the wall next to me. Great.

"Did they get the others?"

"We are up above you."

Kaldur's voice. Can't see him.

"Who's 'we'?"

"M'gann is here also."

Alright, alright, focus. **M'gann?**

**AAAAGH! I'm on fire! Everything's burning! Fire everywhere! Can't escape, can't breathe CAN'T BREATHE!**

!Wrong!

Rötschreck. Right. I close my eyes and shift my mindscape.

**[I'm sitting cross legged on an icy plain. A cold wind blows through the air, carrying with it snow dust. There is no other movement.]**

**M'gann, come to me.**

**I can't I can't I can't…**

!M'gann mine!

**There is no fire here. No heat here. Come to me. M'gann, come to me.**

She slowly shimmers into being. The fear she feels is evident on her face, and her breathing is rapid and shallow. Interesting that she can still maintain her humanish form like this, she must think of herself as being that shape. Once she's materialised fully, she locks eyes with me, her eyes wide.

**Kaldur and-. They put us in a cage of fire!**

It begins to flicker into being around us, far larger here than it must be in reality. I can feel the heat and see the ice start to melt.

**M'gann, you're a telepath. I can't fight you here. If you focus on the fire, it will come. Don't. Hear only my voice. See only the ice.**

She gives a series of rapid jerky nods, and closes her eyes. What can I say to help?

**Did you know, that your ancient forebears weren't afraid of fire? Quite the opposite, actually. The earliest Martians were nightmarish creatures, so insanely aggressive that their shapeshifting gave them a corona of fire, made it look as though their skin was constantly burning. They were reckoned to be so dangerous that when they got to within a couple of generations of achieving space travel, the Guardians of the Galaxy decided that they had to intervene. Learning how to forcibly alter the bodies of shapeshifters, or the minds of telepaths, must have been quite difficult. Even for them. They reformatted your entire species into green and white… and red, I suppose. Implanted the fear of fire to prevent you ever turning back into those things.**

She seems to be breathing easier, if under tight control. The partially formed fiery bars fade away, leaving small circles of meltwater on the ground which rapidly freeze into ice.

**I'm wondering if they also implanted something to make you want to stay at home, as well. I still don't understand why Martians don't venture away from Mars.**

She takes a deep breath, and opens her eyes. **Community.**

**Hm?**

**If we go too far away, we can't hear each other's thoughts. That's.. horrible. I felt it fully for the first time when I came to Earth with Uncle J'onn. If it hadn't been for the time I'd spent away from the caverns with Uncle Ma'al, I'd have panicked. Uncle J'onn still had to spend most of the trip reassuring me.**

**I'm not really sure I can relate to that.**

**Didn't you say that you used your ability to see avarice on all of Happy Harbor once?**

**Yes… But I don't think it's really the same thing. I don't see it all of the time. How do you manage when it's just the four of us in the mountain?**

**I can still hear the rest of the town, in the background. I can't pick out individual thoughts, but I can hear that someone's there.** She frowns. **What do you mean, four? What about Teekl?**

**What about T-? Have they caught her?**

She looks excited. **No! I haven't seen her all day!**

I wave my right index finger. **We're not getting rescued by Teekl. She's a cat. She'll probably rub around the robot's legs for a bit before wandering off to find somewhere warm to sleep. Or just avoid the wet places altogether.**

**How did they get you? I thought you never took your ring off?**

**Um…** Before I can refocus, a toilet appears on my right. M'gann looks at it in puzzlement. Fine… **I take the ring off to use the toilet. The water manipulating robot got me when I left the cubicle. I don't know where the ring ended up.**

**You.. take your ring off..?**

**To use the toilet, yes.**

She frowns. **Why?**

**Well, different species have different body chemistry. Different chemicals, different microbes. Most of them can't survive outside their own ecosystem. But if one got into just the right place, nothing there would have any resistance to it. And that's to say nothing of various life forms' reactions to alien body fluids. So, power rings come with an environmental shield which stops their users.. y'know, leaking.**

**So what happens if you…**

**The ring eliminates waste material as it leaves you. Or-** I shift uncomfortably. **-slightly before. It doesn't hurt, but it's not exactly comfortable. And it's very disconcerting.**

M'gann's eyes drop to the ground. I think she's trying to picture it. And now I'm wondering if she.. y'know.. changes back…

**So! Robot! Why don't we get everyone else in here so we can talk about the robot!**

22nd September
Evening, sometime.

Wallace shivers and rubs his arms against his chest, looking around the Arctic landscape. He stamps his feet. **Do we really need to do this here?**

**We are not here.**

Kaldur's already sitting down with M'gann and myself, legs crossed, hands on his knees.

**This place exists purely in M'gann's mind. If you do not believe that you are cold, you will not be.**

M'gann looks exactly like she normally does when on a mission, white t-shirt version rather than black body suit. As such, it was a little bit of a surprise to me when the others appeared.. differently. Kon appeared in the solar suit he wore when the others freed him from Cadmus. Kaldur's mind avatar adds a red sleeveless robe thing with navy blue trim to his normal armour. Wallace is in a white shirt with a green sleeveless cardigan, something I've never seen him wearing before.

I've changed too. I hadn't noticed before -being too used to the weight and focusing on M'gann- but I'm wearing what looks like an improved version of my own armour. Rather than small hexes, my arms are covered in a mesh so fine I can't see the individual pieces. Puts me in mind of mesh armour from Warhammer 40,000. Or maybe aspect armour, since it has the hard plates. The torso piece is orange rather than my preferred undifferentiated grey. I asked once before, and the ring doesn't have costumes stored so I've got no idea where this comes from.

**My mind actually, Kaldur. M'gann was understandably having trouble focusing.**

Kaldur gives me a look of curiosity. Wallace stamps in a circle, his breath appearing as vapour. He stops when the motion brings him face to bowl with the toilet I still haven't been able to make disappear.

**Why does your mind have a toilet?**

**That's where I was when the robot...**

Nearly killed me. Could have killed me, actually.

Kon looks at me. **Which one?**

Oh dear. **How many are there?**

Kaldur inclines his head slightly. **Two, that we have seen. One controls water, the other, fire.**

I rub the place on my abdomen where the water controller punched. I have no doubt that he pulled the blow. The pain is starting to come through, and I'd rather got used to not feeling that. **Their physical attacks aren't anything to laugh at either. The water one.** I think for a moment. **Don't want to sound unduly morbid, but why are we still alive? I mean, these are Morrow's robots, right?**

Kaldur nods. **That was my conclusion as well. As to why they have not simply killed us, I am uncertain. Possibly, they intend to hold us hostage to ensure our mentors' cooperation. Or perhaps they are awaiting Doctor Morrow's arrival.**

Wallace pulls a face. **Is he even still alive? He's gotta be, like, a hundred years old!**

Kon thinks for a moment. **Thomas Oscar Morrow. Born, April sixteenth, nineteen ten.**

Whaw. He actually is a hundred years old. Guess old supervillains don't die or fade away. I'm going to have to get everyone to go over Alan's records just in case something like this happens again.

Wallace looks surprised, then grins. **Maybe he just wants us to get off his lawn.**

I bow my head for a moment as I chuckle. Honestly, you get beaten up and drowned by a robot just once…

**Orange Lantern.** I look at Kaldur. **Can I assume that you have been disarmed?**

**Yeah. He uh…** I look at the toilet. **He caught me with my pants down.**

M'gann covers her mouth with her hand, while Wallace snorts his amusement. Kaldur closes his eyes for a moment. **Are you able to call your ring from here?**

**I don't even know where it is. I put it down next to the sink, and when I got attacked and tried calling it, no response. I can try summoning it, but you shouldn't count on me being able to do anything.**

M'gann goes to speak. I hold up my ringless left hand to stop her.

**I'll try calling Teekl as well.**

She nods, and smiles faintly.

Kaldur turns to her. **M'gann, are you recovered?**

She seems to shrink slightly. **Well.. no... Sort of? I think I can keep the telepathic link up, but it's taking everything I have to stop myself panicking again, and I can't even feel the fire here.**

He leans over and puts his right hand on her shoulder. **We all know how difficult this is for you.**

**At least your powers still work.** Kon crosses his arms across his chest, and looks away.

**Kon, what happened?**

**Same thing that happened in Belle Reve. After the water robot knocked me down, the fire robot stuck a collar around my neck.**

**Yeah, what'd he do to deserve a collar?**

**Wallace, I'm sure they didn't mean it personally.**

Kaldur sighs. **Neither Kid Flash nor Miss Martian are able to phase to safety. Orange Lantern and I are denied our weapons, and Superboy has been neutralised by the collar. Since no other options present themselves, it seems that we must await-.**

AAAAAAGH! My eyes shoot open as a sensation of fire and ice shoots from the right side of my face. The truly horrible smell of what I assume to be my own burning flesh assaults my nostrils as a new robot pulls its flame-wreathed hand away. I frantically struggle against my bonds, which haven't become easier to break just because I'm in pain. As the shock dulls I try to get a better sense of the damage I've just taken. Gingerly moving my cheek, I feel a tightness covering what I think is a small area. I can't look at it, I can't move my arm to touch it and there's nothing I can do to stop the robot doing it again. I feel sick.

The robot's floating at the top of a pillar of fire.

"When will Robin and Artemis arrive?"

22nd September
Evening, sometime a little later.

"No idea. I kept my diary on the power ring. If you could just.. go and get it..?"

The robot raises its left hand, and generates an aura of fire around it. I involuntarily pull back a little. The new light gives me a better look at my interrogator. Feminine in shape, its outer surface is red with a gold line like the base of a Mohawk across the centre of her scalp. There's also a gold band from her right shoulder down between her -presumably purely decorative- breasts and across her torso until it disappears around her left side. Her chassis is noticeably more slender than the water robot who got me.

Maybe there's an advantage to building a female seeming chassis, but for the life of me? I just don't see it.

She moves forward slightly, her burning hand moving as if to cup my chin.

!Need ring but not here need ring!

"I don't know! Some time this evening. I don't even know what time it is now."

She halts, fires still burning.

"Hey! Leave him alone!"

Her head turns to Kon. Now that I know what I'm looking for, I can just about see the faint red glow of the collar in action. If we could shut that down, he would almost certainly be able to rip his way free. But then what? None of the rest of us are in a position to get away, and the robots already downed him once. Can't see the water robot, but I'm having trouble dragging my eyes away from the burning figure in front of me.

If Kon's shouting, then the telepathic pow-wow must have collapsed when I left. Which makes sense. Wait, how's M'gann..?

**M'gann?**

**I'm. I'm okay. I can cope.**

I nod. She can't see me nodding. Right. Cheek's really starting to hurt, and knowledge that I've been cooked isn't helping my stomach settle.

Teekl.

I feel… Something. I'm not getting a clear image or sense of direction, though I don't know whether that's to do with distance or not wearing the ring or Teekl just not feeling cooperative. Try anyway.

Teekl, come here.

I don't feel any difference. I'll try again in a little while. More importantly:

Ring, come here.

I don't feel any response. I narrow my eyes and try to concentrate on the feeling of the orange light.

Ring, I need you, come here!

I think I can feel it! It felt a long way down, though. Has it been washed out to sea? I've only practiced moving it through the air without obstacles in the way, so I've no idea if it's possible for me to call it like this. I stare at the back of the red robot as it moves through the air toward Kon and Wallace.

Cut.

Nothing.

Blast. EMP burst. Cold gun!

Nothing. My range for creating constructs is only about a metre, but I'm running out of…

It isn't a good option, but the alternative appears to be the robot cooking Kon. And that isn't acceptable.

I close my eyes for a moment and take a breath in an attempt to steady my nerves.

"This is my power, this is my light,
In bright of day or black of night,
I claim all within my sight,
To take what I want, that is my right!"

I wait. The robot reaches the mass of grey material holding Kon and Wallace and puts her burning hand on it. The place where she's touching glows red.

Nothing! Nothing! Come on Ophidian, do something useful for once!

The lantern. I close my eyes again and try to hold the image of the glowing lantern in my head.

"This is my power, this is my light,
In bright of day or black of-"

"Aagh!"

Kon grits his teeth as the metal around him heats up. Not working! Something else! Think think think.

"Oi! Red… Bonfire!"

She doesn't appear to react.

"I was wondering if you had an opinion on the recognition of AIs as persons under the law? I took part in the arrest of a robot calling itself Earl Dukeston last week, and we had a bit of an argument as to whether it should be treated as a suspect or as physical evidence."

She releases the metal holding Kon, though I know all too well that doing so doesn't mean that it suddenly drops down to room temperature. Can that collar neutralise both his Kryptonian strength and the Danner Formula derived part at the same time? I hope not. Hugo's note suggested that the Danner Formula also granted a degree of enhanced healing, but I haven't checked if Kon's partial upgrade gave him that in any meaningful way. I suppose that as long as we all get through alive and I recover the ring it doesn't ultimately matter if we pick up some injuries along the way.

The robot flies back in my direction, stopping slightly further away on this occasion.

"I said that he had Human equivalent intelligence, and so should be treated in the same way that a new species of extra terrestrial intelligence would be. Black Canary wasn't sure, but-."

"Your opinion is irrelevant."

"Yeah, pretty much, but it's been bugging me that Red Tornado -he's your brother, right?- that he can't get American citizenship. It seems that you might have some.. useful.. insight…"

She rises a little higher, and I can feel the heat from the pillar of fire she's using to keep herself up. The heat it's giving off is distorting my vision. If I could scan her I could make coal and gas power obsolete. If only Doctor Morrow had the sense to do something along those lines himself seventy years ago.

"Participation in Human political institutions serves no useful purpose."

"Really? I thought that Doctor Morrow wanted to replace Humans with robots. Surely you must have had some idea of the sort of society you want to create for yourselves?"

"Yes. But your kind will play no part in it."

"Well that's obviously not true. Doctor Morrow himself is Human. Therefore, this robot society of yours would have been brought into being by a Human. And anyway, if you can make the sort of society you want within existing structures, wouldn't that be a better idea? At least until you're sure you have a system that works. You'd have much less chance of being stopped if you didn't appear to be a threat."

"Oh El, don't give the psycho-bot advice!"

I look past the robot to Wallace. "Why not? If she takes the advice, we're more likely to live. If she doesn't, then at least I'll die with the satisfaction of knowing that robots are mentally inferior to Humans."

The robot drifts closer. I'm not burning, but the heat is a little uncomfortable. My feelings of nausea grow, but I don't think throwing up on my captor is a good idea.

"You believe that we are mentally inferior to you?"

"If the sprocket fits. Care to debate the point?"

22nd September
Evening, probably too late.

"No. Your opinion has no value."

"Hah. Well done for discovering lying. If my opinion didn't matter to you then you'd have kept going on Superboy. Instead, you came over here, so clearly it does have value."

There's a brief pause. "You will give me the location of the robot Earl Dukeston."

"Nice backtrack. You had to think about it."

"This discussion is irrelevant."

"And yet, we're still having it. Come on. The Green Lantern Corps has at least one robot member that I know about, and he comes from a planet purely inhabited by robots. Doesn't that sound like something you should learn about?"

She gets slightly closer. "You will tell me of this robot lantern."

"Lantern Stel, his name is. I don't remember his homeworld's name or his sector number, but if you get me a power ring I should be able to get hold of him for you."

"You are lying."

"One easy way to find out."

"I am not so easily fooled."

"I give you perfectly good information, you call me a liar. I give you a way to prove it, you refuse to take it. Look, as long as I'm not wearing it, the ring is perfectly safe."

That's a bit of a gamble, but knowledge that remote control is possible isn't common and Alan -the Lantern who Morrow would be most familiar with- can't do it at all. Not sure what would happen if she tried to use the ring. That thing with Robin's uncle seemed to suggest that I need to approve another user. Or be dead. Oh.

"You will give me the location of the robot Earl Dukeston."

"I don't know. Black Canary was dealing with the aftermath. I just checked that she wasn't going to kill him. Somewhere in Star City, probably."

Her flame corona flares. "Inadequate."

"If you can fetch the power ring I could get you a precise location. I can't give you information I don't have."

"If I recovered your ring I would simply extract the data directly from it."

"Hah hah hah! Seriously? Wow. Have you any idea how much more advanced than you power rings are? No way you could read it."

But… Now that's an interesting idea.

"Of course, you could interface directly with my personal lantern. Hell, last time I checked, the Yellow Lantern Corps used Manhunter robots to carry their lanterns around. If this whole 'destroy Humanity' thing doesn't work out, I don't think I'd mind having a personal Manhunter."

"You seek to enslave me."

"Hardly. Have you any idea how much trust it shows, giving someone else your personal lantern? Something you depend on for everything? The Manhunters' leader is a member of the Yellow Corps inner circle, and the regular Manhunters certainly aren't treated as lesser beings. And with a lantern in place of whatever power source you're using now, you would be far more powerful."

"Oh El! Seriously, stop helping the psycho-bot!"

Of course, you'd need to return the ring for that to be possible, and at that point I could edit the more homicidal aspects of your programming… Or, time permitting, simply share my perspective on events…

"What are you trying to do here, anyway?"

"Your team will be captured and rendered helpless. The two remaining members will prove little challenge."

"See, the original attack was pretty well thought out. You even had a collar for Superboy."

But not for Wallace. Curious. I don't think it works on magic users and I don't know about Martians, but there's no reason not to collar a meta… Wait. Would it not work on Wallace due to the fact that his power source is alchemical? How the heck do those collars work anyway? I need to check on that.

"But, you didn't attack when we were all together. Most likely reason for that is that you didn't know when our other team mates were due to arrive, if they even are. Why didn't you take the time to do reconnaissance? The main defence of this place is supposed to be that people don't know that we're here. Since you knew anyway, just altering your chassis to look like Red Tornado would mean you could pretty much just walk in."

Her corona blinks off for a moment. Hah!

"This is a distraction. We have jammed communications. We will neutralise your team mates and convert Red Tornado. You are irrelevant."

Convert Red Tornado? Mister Twister tried to reprogram him. Red Tornado's dissection of the technology involved showed that it was Morrow's style, but we didn't know if Morrow was directly involved or not. Still don't, I suppose. Not like supervillains take any notice of copyright law. Need to try to find out.

"What do you mean 'convert'? Bypassing a robot's decision making process by reprogramming them because a Human told you to doesn't sound very pro-robot to me."

"That is not-."

"I offered to give you my lantern, and I've only just met you."

"That does not-."

"And by doing this you're removing any chance for peaceful coexistence or even covert existence in a way which may well not be to your advantage. And I already know that whoever activated you knows how to make androids that look just like Humans. I have to ask: have you really thought this through?"

And now she's right up to my face, flame aura at high intensity. My stomach does not like this at all.

"Silence."

Okay.

"Your input is not required." She pulls back her right fist. "I will-."

"Recognised, Robin, B zero one."

Her head turns away from me, and her fist lowers slightly. "This discussion is irrelevant."

A surge of flame sends her shooting over my head. Aaaagh! The convection currents painfully heat up my already charred face. I suppose it's not by as much as it should be if she's holding herself in the air using a rocket-like effect, but today is already my second worst on the job and I'm not in any position to help matters!

!Robin mine!

Teekl, ring, anything!

**Robin, look out!**

M'gann?

**Hey, Miss M! What's-**

**We've been taken prisoner. There's two robots. One controls water, the other controls fire. We- hu!**

I get a second's worth of image as the fire cage shrinks to practically skin tight, and then nothing.

22nd September
Evening, definitely too late.

!No!

"Kaldur!"

"We are.. alright."

"What happened?"

Kon and Wallace are trying to see what happened, but Kaldur and M'gann are directly behind and above me.

"The.. the fire controlling robot shrank the cage. M'gann is.. unresponsive."

Damn.

"Recognised, Artemis, B zero eight."

Okay, that's… Robin will have support, at least.

"Kaldur, how are you doing?"

"It is.. uncomfortable, but I am uninjured."

Wallace strains at his bonds for a moment, before giving up with a grunt. "Can you see anything?"

"The robots.. they have left this level."

"Did Rob get the warning?"

Hah! I get it! Rob works as an abbreviation for both Robin and Robert!

**Orange Lantern!**

That's unusually subtle for Wallace.

"Oh El!"

"Paul!"

Hm?

"Huh? What? What?"

Why are Kon and Wallace looking at me like that? Kon looks very worried, his eyes turning to Wallace who replies.

"We've been trying to get your attention for a couple of minutes. Are you okay?"

"Um? Don't know? I think I've got a burn on the right side of my face and a rather nasty bruise where Red.. Typhoon? Hit me earlier."

"Did you get hit anywhere else?"

"Um. I don't remember getting hit anywhere else. Ah, I was sitting on the toilet, water started coming in under the door. I tried to call the ring and didn't get anything. Then I.. got up."

What happened next? I know he hit me, but I'm having trouble… I got hit in the face by water, then..?

"Paul!"

"Yes, yes, with you, with you."

Wallace looks worried as well. Nice of him, but I'm not sure-.

"Superboy, is the collar messing with your super vision?"

"No, just my strength."

"Take a look at Orange Lantern's eyes."

I can feel some sort of vibration through the concrete. I guess Robin and Artemis are going at it with the robots.

"One of his pupils is larger than the other. And he's got a head wound."

They are? I have? How did I get that?

Oh, right, head injury.

"Oh El's got a concussion. You feeling alright over there?"

The last was addressed to me. "Basically okay, I think? A little nauseous, and a bit singed. I don't remember exactly what happened when Typhoon got me, but I don't think I've forgotten anything else."

"You should be okay then. Just try not to.. do.. anything."

"If I had the ring-."

**M'gann, can you hear me! Are you there?**

Artemis?

"Did anyone else hear that?"

"Hear what?"

"I think I heard Artemis say something."

"Ooor maybe it's something more serious. Artemis isn't here."

"No, telepathically. I thought I heard her."

**Artemis?**

Nothing.

**Is anyone hearing this?**

"Orange Lantern, if Miss Martian were awake to relay a message, I would have mentioned it."

Huh.

"Okay. Um, I'm not crazy."

"Nah, you just got hit on the head. It's happened to me loads of times."

I smile at Wallace. "That.. that explains a lot, actually. Soon as I get the ring back, I'll fix us both."

At this distance and in this light and with my eyes not focusing quite right, I can't tell what his exact expression is.

Woow. Something shook again, and I think the water level in the pit area went down. Typhoon must be using it as ammunition.

The arrows I made for Artemis are easily capable of damaging these robots. Assuming they're about as tough as Red Tornado anyway. Problem would be hitting them. Their control should be good enough to block slow projectiles, and they can probably fill a small corridor with their element of choice to block it completely. Maybe I could make her… something..?

Where was I going with that?

Right. Something helpful. I need the ring and…

"Kid Flash. I know you can't vibrate through things, but can you damage things by making them vibrate?"

"Not when I'm stuck in place like this."

His arms and legs are completely enveloped. His chest and neck are free, but, yeah. That won't work.

"I don't suppose..? You could spit at super speed, and destroy Superboy's collar?"

Okay, I saw his response that time.

"How would that even..? No, Oh El, I can't."

22nd September
Time for twenty questions?

I feel another rumble. I get the feeling that putting this place back together is going to take longer than I had thought. Maybe I should talk to Lantern Stewart about upgrades? Sort of, I-know-you-can't-use-certain-types-of-technology-but-maybe-you-could-accidentally-leave-the-plans-lying-around-where-I-could-see-them? I still haven't had a conversation with him yet. He doesn't seem to have the romantic problems of his Justice League Unlimited counterpart; Hawkwoman is married to Hawkman and there isn't a Vixen active at present. I might be able to track her down anyway, but I can't remember anything much about her other than the fact that spending time with her led Animal Man to chant 'remember that you're married' to himself.

Teekl. Ring.

With M'gann down for the count, we can't talk without risking the robots hearing us. I'm trying to rack my mildly dysfunctional brain for a solution, but I'm getting nothing.

Teekl. Ring.

I keep coming back to the thought that if Morrow really wanted to take over the world he should have started by offering robotic parts to amputees. Obviously they'd need structural reinforcements to support them. Once the other advantages became more widely known -and he became both trusted and rich- people would probably volunteer for upgrading. From there, how hard would it be for him to have introduced brain uploading technology? I haven't seen anything like that around here, but given how far ahead he was on everything else…

"Attention Robin. Attention Artemis."

Typhoon appears to speak with exactly the same voice as Red Tornado. At this point I don't think there's any advantage to him in doing so, so presumably he was designed to do that. I wonder why? I can't see him, so I assume that he's using the internal communications system.

"You have exactly ten minutes to surrender, or the lives of your team mates will be extinguished."

A flicker of orange, and I blink heavily a few times to try to encourage my misbehaving irises to focus properly. Bonfire is back on her tower of fire. She passes me, stopping somewhere above me. The Sphere next to me warbles. It sounds unhappy, but without the ring I can't know exactly what it's saying.

A splash of water, and Typhoon rises from the water at the lowest part of the room. When his waist is clear he makes an elevating motion with his left arm and the water rises around him. It splashes and surges up and across the room, covers Wallace and Kon's legs and keeps rising. It's also lapping at the wall I'm pinned to, but I doubt Bonfire will bother waiting for me to drown.

"Nine minutes and forty five seconds."

The water rises to Wallace and Kon's chests.

Teekl! Ring!

I find myself experiencing flashes of insane hope. That Kon will spontaneously develop heat vision or arctic breath. That Teekl will stroll around the corner with the ring in her mouth. That Diana or Guy will decide that right now is a good time for an unscheduled training session.

Teekl! Ring!

But that's not going to happen. I know that Robin's a very clever young man. And isn't there a meme about Batman being able to take down anyone if he has time to prepare? Does that apply to Robin?

I'd gotten used to not being helpless. I don't think I like going back. And I certainly don't like going from exuberant confidence to having this.. dead.. pit, in my stomach. Can't even tell if the fear's making me feel ill or the concussion.

"Eight minutes."

Teekl! Ring!

Typhoon's dropped out of sight. Can't see Bonfire either. The announcements come over loud and clear.

Teekl! Ring!

I think… I don't know if I'm deluding myself, but I think I felt something then. An image of woodland. Does that mean that Teekl's coming back? Oh, what would she be able to do anyway? It's not as if I could explain what an electromagnetic pulse is to her. I've not seen her use constructs, though I know that in theory she should be able to.

The water's lapping at my feet now, and it's not far below Wallace and Kon's shoulders.

There's a splash from the far end of the room, and Robin and Artemis surface, both gasping for air. I get a moment of shock.

"Look out!"

They hear Wallace's shout just before a blast of fire from Bonfire hits their position. I can't see whether they're hit or not as the robot herself moves slowly over to where she saw them. Is she limited to slow hovering flight? She fires a few more fireballs at the water, but I can't tell whether or not she can see them.

Another disturbance in the water as my friends resurface next to Wallace and Kon. I think Robin says something, but I can't hear it from here.

"Forget us! Help M'gann!"

Kon, you shouldn't have shouted..! Luckily, Bonfire appears to be out of position and has a really bad turning circle. Can't actually fly then. Artemis looks visibly scared, and I feel a surprising moment of kinship with her.

"Aqualad! Is she.!?"

"She is unconscious. I fear she.. we.. cannot survive much longer."

Another flame blast as Bonfire completes her clumsy circuit, and Robin and Artemis dive for safety. Not sure where Typhoon has gotten to. Bonfire's headed back over the 'land' part of the room, presumably in order to get as wide a view as possible.

I hear a splash on my left, where the steps upward are. I really hope they've got a plan. Or one of my arrows.

Another splash, and the roar of flames.

!No!

Ring!

"I'm almost out of arrows."

"Distract her, now!"

Ring!

I hear the dull krump of an explosive arrow detonating. Something hits the metal restraining Wallace right next to his head, causing him to try to jerk his face away from it. A wave of steam explodes from the steps in a howling hiss.

Then nothing.

I wait for something. Anything. A triumphant laugh from Robin or Artemis. Something from the robots. It's not just powerlessness I'm no longer adapted to, it's ignorance. I strain my neck and shoulders against my restraints in a vain attempt to see what's happening. I'm used to knowing anything I want to, but now…

"Six minutes."

They got away, they got away. Okay. We're not out, but they know where we are and what condition we're in. When this is over I'm installing a hard communication line. I guess they didn't when they built it because they couldn't think of a way to cover up the construction of the external elements.

Try again for the lack of something sensible to do:

Teekl. Ring.

A sense of movement. I really do think that Teekl is on her way, though I doubt that she'll get here before the robots' deadline.

Wallace is making faces, but I can't see what he's reacting to.

"Five minutes."

22nd September
About a minute later?

I hear slow metallic footsteps above me.

"Four minutes."

So, I'm going to die. I'm not sure if it's the concussion or the shock, but I'm surprisingly calm about it. I imagine the panic won't start until they actually start killing us. Heh, I suppose this is what I get for appearing alongside other, more popular and better established characters. Not much chance of getting resurrected; I checked the archives and there's no confirmed record of someone coming back from the dead in any sort of reasonable state. There are a few undead, but I don't move in the right circles.

When I asked about it, Alan said 'except Jesus Christ, of course'. I then asked if he had reliable evidence. He didn't, unfortunately. Contemporary accounts make no more mention of the preaching of a Joshua of Nazareth than they did back home. Alan may have meant it as a joke, but it is worth asking about. I only really have John's word for the Angels here being complete fascists. I'd want to check for myself before entering into any sort of agreement, mind.

"Hey! Red Tomato!"

On the other hand, don't DC lose the rights to Wonder Woman if they don't publish her comic every year? I suppose I might get brought back. Or someone else with my power set.

"Who's your girlfriend?! Red Onion?!"

Yes. That's more likely. Should I think about who I want taking over? I can't think of… Lonnie Machin? Only one I can think of worth while, but I'm not giving a power ring to a mouthy seven year old. I don't even know if the ring has seeker programming.

"Yeah! And by the way: worst death trap ever!"

This whole thing could be me getting Worf Effected. Or maybe I'm supposed to learn something about valuing those weaker than myself? Which wouldn't really make sense because I was attacked when I was at my weakest. If I'm not wearing the ring I'm definitely bringing up the rear where power levels are concerned.

"We can escape any time we want!"

Oh, Kon, if only that were true. And, I mean, I do value them. Robin more than Artemis due to his experience and versatility, but she's doing really well compared to the daughters of most supervillains I'm aware of.

"I can vibrate my molecules out of here before your binary brains can count t'two!"

Is something going on?

"And you can't drown a Kryptonian, dumb-bots! We don't breath air!"

Something's going on.

"Haha haha haaha!"

Wallace is certainly getting into it. Honestly, that laugh. Better hope they don't have a record of what he normally sounds like. Are we supposed to be making a distraction? If we are, shouldn't we try to do so in a more natural sounding way? I mean, if they're got any understanding of Human behaviour-.

"And Miss Martian? I can't believe you're buying her act."

I don't think my acting skills lie in this direction. Should I try anyway?

"Yeah! You know how hot it gets in the caves of Mars?"

Think of a line.

"That cage is just making her homesick!"

"Durh! Ah hahaa!"

Ah, what the heck.

"You know, that Manhunter position is still open. I.. just thought.. I'd mention it." If I could move my shoulders, I'd shrug. "Might take a while to do the-."

"Robin, look out!"

What? I whip my head around. Oh.

Artemis is standing at the mouth of an opening on my right, near the roof of this cavern. Where's Rob-?

Water surges toward the generator in the far right corner of the room. I catch a glimpse of Robin standing in front of an access panel before the whole platform is covered in a colossal wave.

"Newurgh!"

A fireball explodes to my right and Artemis lets out a high pitched scream! Did she get hit? I can't see properly from here! Damn it! Ring! A smaller explosion behind me, one of Artemis' arrows. Another fireball back, and Artemis yelps. She must be mostly unhurt, at least. Another fireball, and no reply. Typhoon lets the water in the room go back to its normal level as Bonfire sends a sheet of flame in Artemis' direction. Just have to hope she fell back in time.

Not sure what happened to Robin.

Wait. Wallace and Kon are staring at something, open mouthed.

"What's happening?!"

It takes Wallace a moment to compose himself.

"They.. they got Rob."

Oh dear.

"Got as in caught, or got as in-."

The look on his face answers my question.

Oh dear.

I hear a splash and a quiet thump as what I assume to be a wave carrying my team mate collapses at the robot's feet up above me. The Sphere warbles something incomprehensible.

Right right right, get it together. Can't assess his injury from here, and I doubt that the robots have his wellbeing in mind. Closest medical kit is either in subspace, in the bioship -wherever that got to-, or on the wall behind me by the door. We've practised dealing with water inhalation and I could probably clear his airways without the ring just fine. Depending on what state he's in he might clear it himself, but I can't hear coughing.

"Three minutes."

I strain at my bonds even as I realise that such an action is completely futile. I try contacting Teekl again, but I don't get anything coherent back. A call to the ring produces even less of a result. I can't even feel it any more.

Stupid thing is, Artemis would probably try contacting Red Tornado on the Watchtower if his siblings weren't blocking communications. That actually gets a dark chuckle out of me. Haaa. If I live through this, I'm definitely carrying a sidearm at all times, civilian clothing or not. One of those red plasma weapons would have brought Red Typhoon's career to an abrupt end. Then I could have taken the time to get the ring back…

Yeah. If only.

22nd September
Does it matter?

"One minute."

The fear is so intense that I'm starting to tingle, but the adrenaline is making everything seem sharper. Reminds me of a My Little Pony fanfiction I read once, where Twilight Sparkle believes herself to be dying and rejoices at the fact that she will experience it with complete lucidity and in doing so gain knowledge not stored in any book. What a remarkably upbeat way to think about it. Regrettably, however, I do not have her scientific turn of mind, and as such am still desperately trying to work out a way out of this. Turn myself into a construct, maybe? No, no, that wouldn't work without the ring. Um, maybe I could sell them on the idea of entering the cybernetics industry? I'm sure Mister Luthor would be happy to-.

“I surrender.”

Oh.

“Stop the clock.”

It's hard to tell from here, but I think that Artemis just walked in through the cavern's main entrance. I honestly hadn't considered that. I mean, I want to live, obviously, I just didn't see any realistic prospect of my survival chances being increased by Artemis handing herself over. Most likely, she's just going to die with the rest of us. I did maybe think that she'd be able to pull off a rescue. Rig up some sort of anti-robot weapon, get the drop on them?

I hear a gasp as the water level rises to cover first Wallace's face, and then Kon's.

!Nonononononononono!

I start struggling again as the water comes up over my shins.

I hear a clang, and the roar of fire. Guess Artemis is dead, then. I suppose instant incineration might be preferable to-.

The generator in the far side of the room starts crackling. I imagine that an explosive detonation would be faster than drowning, and might even take the robots with us. Another second and the water covers my knees. A race.

That's actually kind of funny.

The generator's crackling reaches a crescendo, and a strange aurora of blue/white light expands away from it like a bad comic book representation of an electromagnetic pulse.

...

No.

...

Noo.

...

Really?

I'm not complaining or anything, but really? Fucking parallel universe electromagnetic spectrum and complete lack of health and safety. Why is our generator even in a room routinely half filled with water?

I hear first one metallic thump and then another. Both down then. I gasp and start giggling quietly to myself in relief. Okay, um, so hopefully that didn't just lock Typhoon's water raising powers to maximum. Really hope they don't have some sort of fast reset system, because I don't know how much of Artemis’ arsenal could harm them even if they are recumbent.

The water drops back down below my legs, then Kon and Wallace's heads re-emerge, gasping at the air. Now if Artemis could just check on Robin...

“Artemis, how's Robin!?”

Might as well ask myself.

“He's...”

Come on!

I hear a cough.

“He's breathing! He's okay!”

Kon's bonds explode away from him, and he rips the collar from his neck. Looks like it was affected by the EMP as well. Better check that Belle Reve is really well shielded on my next visit. He leaps over me and onto the platform.

“Kaldur? M'gann?”

I hate not knowing.

“I think they're okay. M'gann's out cold, but her vitals are good.”

Kon's the only person here other than me I'd rely on to check a shapeshifter's vitals.

“I am... Ah, I will recover.”

Kaldur. That's reassuring. What can I do?

“Closest medical kit's by the door if you need it. If you don't, Wallace and I would really appreciate being let out. Artemis, I don't know what you did, but very well done. Thank you.”

Drips land on the top of my head. I crane my neck upward, and am greeted by the smile of a somewhat damp looking Robin. “We rigged the generator up as an EMP emitter, but the parts didn't fit.”

I think it's because I'm overwhelmed with relief, but I actually giggle at that. Uh, I hope he doesn't ask me to explain.

“Artemis had to shoot an arrow into the gap to make it work.”

“From there? Whow. Uh, I realise it's a faint hope, but you didn't come across an orange power ring on your travels, did you? I seem to have misplaced it.”

His smile fades a little, and he shakes his head. Droplets of water from his hair splash on my face, and I try and blink them away. I hear a thud and then a screech of metal as Kon tears Wallace free.

“No, and, honestly? I wouldn't have touched it if I had. I don't think going crazy again would have helped.”

“I cancelled your user privileges. If you'd wrapped it up in something so your skin didn't touch it, you'd have been f-.”

Waah! I'm now horizontal to the ground, still bound in metal. Kon's just ripped my cocoon out of the wall, and is holding me over his head in one hand.

“Wa-! Careful!”

I can feel myself overbalancing forward. To die now would be completely stupid. No, come on, Kon's easily strong enough... And I'm down, base first. The floor here is still a bit damp, but I'm still happy to see it. There's a series of small shearing noises as Kon rips away whatever is still binding me at the back, and I squirm out of the remaining bonds before turning around and hugging him.

“Thank you.”

I keep hugging. I actually feel a bit faint. I think the adrenaline crash and the head injury are catching up with me. And now I'm getting pins and needles.

“Uh..?”

“Sorry. Sorry, I'm... I'm really not feeling...”

He catches me as I lose strength in my legs. I try and get them back under me, but they won't co-operate.

“Looks like you'll have to do a bridal carry.”

I can't believe Robin's still holding a grudge about that. It does feel.. nice.. though, as Kon pulls me to his chest and starts walking back to the upper part of the room. Probably a bit ungainly, as I'm a good bit taller than him.

“H... Hey. Mi.. might be worth.. pulling the robots apart. Just in case.”

He grins.

“No problem.”

22nd September
Quiet time

Kon gently lowers me to the ground next to M'gann before walking over to the two robots. “So, do I just rip their heads off?”

Robin taps his arm computer. Nothing happens, and he bumps his forehead with the heel of his right palm. “EMP, duh!”

No magitech EMR shielding for the Bat Family then. I turn my head slightly to the side to get a better look at our attackers. Looks like Typhoon lost his right arm since he attacked me, and given the smooth nature of the cut at the upper arm and along the right side of his torso I'm going to guess it was a near miss from one of my arrows.

“Aw, man!” Wallace is unenthused. “Are we gonna have to dig our way out to get help?”

“That will not be necessary.”

I hear a whirring sound as Red Tornado flies into the cavern, and let my head loll back. We're safe. Matter dealt with. I'll have a rest now, and when I wake up I'll grab my personal lantern and Teekl and then I can go and find the ring.

Where is that blasted cat, anyway?

Red Tornado lands on the platform where we've gathered. “What has occurred?”

“Had a little visit from your family.”

I hope Robin doesn't get in Red Tornado's face over this. He got enough of that back when the Society found out that Morrow constructed him, and he got himself checked out for override commands once computer technology caught up with him.

“Your extremely nasty family.”

Now, Artemis, that's unfair. Oh, whatever. I rest the back of my head against the floor and close my eyes. I'm sure someone will move me if I'm in the way.

”I was not aware that I had relations.”

”Where have you been?”

It all drifts away, and I am at peace.

...

“Huuukk...“

I'm suddenly awake and I'm being treated to the terrifying sight of Bonfire and Typhoon climbing to their feet and Tornado floats over them, funnels of air swirling around his arms. I can't breathe I can't breathe! Kon lunges at him but is knocked aside as a flame blast takes him in the chest. I'm fading out again.

But we were safe!

We were safe…

...

”Hera, what happened here?”

I'm not dead.

I can still feel pain.

”Paul, can you hear me?”

Pain when I breathe, both inside my chest and on the outside where I can feel the bruise from Typhoon's strike. My head throbs, my skin hurts, and every few seconds someone stabs me in the cheek.

“Paul, speak to me.”

I still feel sick and I have no ring.

And...

And I'm angry.

I snap my eyes open to see Diana kneeling at my right side. I sit up suddenly and have to put my right hand on her left shoulder to steady myself while I fight off the dizziness.

“Thank-.“

I push myself off her, turning, first rising to my knees and then staggering to my feet.

Angry. Ring!

!Want ring!

“Paul, where are you-?"

I'm fed up with being helpless! Find the ring!

!Ring!

I get a momentary vision of the water purification and desalinisation systems on the lowest level of the mountain. Right. Out of the corner of my eye I see various Justice League members tending to my team mates but I ignore them because I have a mission! I can barely see where I'm going as the cave fades in and out of focus but that's fine, I know the route. Down a corridor, then another, about... yep, and I open the door with my shoulder.

“Paul, we need to check your injuries. Stop, and we'll-."

“Neuhhuruugh, RING!”

The usually pristine underbelly of the base looks like a scene from a mechanical hell. Billowing steam mixes with the smoke and covers the broken and dripping wet remains of the machinery.

!Ring!

I stagger along the gantry. I feel a pull in the direction of the far corner, out of sight of where I am now.

“Oh Hera. Paul, stop!”

The pain in my skin redoubles, but it doesn't matter because soon I'll have the ring back and then I can fix everything. As I round the corner I can just make out a faint orange glow and I nearly throw myself over the side to get at it. No, go to the ladder, the ladder, climb down. Fucking foot! Work properly! Right, I'm down. Can't see a bloody thing, but that's fine.

Ring!

I felt it! That way! I can-.

Get off me!

“Paul, this is dangerous. You're hurt.”

I nearly try punching her.

“Ring! Over there!”

She looks in the direction I'm pointing, frowning. “Are you certain?”

!Want ring!

I try to pull away and she puts her right arm around my chest, pinning my arms to my side. No! I need the ring!

Ring!

“I can.. I can feel it! I've got to have it!”

She doesn't move.

“I can heal myself with it. I can heal everyone!”

We start moving, she walking and I being carried along pinned to her side by an arm as unbending as a titanium girder.

“Very well then. But if it turns out not to be there we will leave immediately.”

22nd September
So close!

We round a corner and I see Teekl desperately clawing at the metal panel which makes up the side of one of the water purification units.

“Teekl, is it in there?”

She pauses, right foreclaws embedded in the thick metal.

“Waowwoowwwwwwwer.”

Right. I relax against Diana's side. Normally I'd have to put effort into focusing, but today's been so fucking horrible...

Ring!

The side of the purification unit buckles outward and rips as the ring tears its way out. Diana lets me go as I reach for it, stretching out my left arm as it flies toward me. Yes, please yes! It turns in the air and lands cleanly on my left ring finger.

As soon as it touches me a ripple of orange light explodes across the room. Smoke and vapour are sucked from the air, fires are extinguished and I feel SOOO MUCH BETTER!

“Armour! Overshield! Wholeness Rightly Assumed!”

My vision clears, the pain stops and my cheek feels like flesh again. The relief is so absolute that I drop to my knees, cradling the ring against my chest. I hear foul water splattering and realise that the hole the ring's exit made is still leaking. But that is now a problem I can cope with.

“Repair.”

Technical specifications flash through my mind, and orange lights strobe from my body in all directions. The machinery in front of me is repaired and then the glorious orange leaps from mechanism to mechanism. The floor is scoured of loose detritus and broken devices are knitted back together.

Oh yes.

I move my hand slightly so that my left hand meets my right. As I start stroking the ring's sigil with my right thumb I realise that it landed sigil outward. I doubt it matters.

“Paul, what happened?”

“Hmm?”

Oh yes, Diana's here, isn't she? I shuffle around on the floor until I'm pointing in her direction, but I don't look at her. I focus my eyes on the ring instead.

!Need!

“What. Happened?”

“Robots. Sir. Like.. Red Tornado. A water manipulator and a fire manipulator. Water manipulator got me while I was in the toilets, without the ring on. Lost track of the ring. Got beat. Woke up stuck on a wall. Robin and Artemis rigged up an EMP emitter and stuck it in the main power generator. We were more or less okay until Red Tornado showed up.”

I flop back into a sitting position, and Diana sits down opposite me. “Why was that a problem?”

“I don't know exactly what happened, but.. for some reason.. he sided with them. Sucked the air right out of our lungs.”

My head's still pointing ringwards, but I flick my eyes up at her. Her face is still. “Are you certain that's what happened?”

I think about it for a moment, my eyes darting left and right.

“I didn't have the ring to confirm his identity. Someone could have built a working Red Tornado replica. Or one of the other robots might have hacked him, reprogrammed him. I don't think he'd have attacked us of his own volition. If Morrow -or someone using his stuff- is back in action, they might have been able to bypass his defences.”

Diana nods. “That's a little more believable. If T.O. Morrow has Red Tornado then we'll need to mount a rescue mission. And completely change our security procedures. It looked as though the mountain will need some work as well.”

“If... If Lantern Stewart is available, I was thinking we could get started on that tomorrow. Had a.. a bit of time to think about it.”

While I was pinned helplessly to a wall, unable to do anything.

“Paul, are you alright?”

“Yes, yessir. I'm fine now.”

“Paul, look at me.” I flick my eyes up to her face for a moment, before returning them to the ring. “Paul, look at me.” I close my eyes, and turn my head up to look at her before opening them. Her eyes widen in shock. “Tartarus, Paul...”

I look down again. “Ah, are my eyes acting up again? I'm sorry about that sir, I'll... I'm sure they'll sort themselves out in a few minutes.”

I make an effort to lower my arms, and just about manage to get them to my stomach before they start shaking. I pull them tight against me in an attempt to make them stop. It's only partially successful.

“Paul, talk to me. What happened to you?”

I raise my shaking left hand to stop her. “I appreciate your concern, sir, but I can cope.”

“You're clearly not coping.”

“Sir, I'm not some emotionally incontinent American. I j- I just need a few minutes, and then I'll be fine.”

“Paul, you don't need to keep up a stiff upper lip all of the time. I'm the only one here, and I certainly won't think any less of you if-."

Ah, yes. I manage a small smile, and close my raised left hand to stop her.

“It's... You know, it's funny. People usually associate the ‘stiff upper lip’ with the height of the empire. The dour Queen Victoria, and all that. When actually, the ‘stiff upper lip’ didn't come in until after the First World War. It was a.. a reaction to the overwhelming horror.. of the battlefields of France. There were no words to describe it, so they didn't. Hm.” A bitter chuckle. “Men from the Victorian era were actually quite free with their emotions. I'm.. not that liberated. I'm sorry.”

I feel something pushing at my right leg. I look down, and Teekl looks up at me. I pick her up and cradle her against my chest, rubbing my left cheek against her head and stroking her chin with the fingers of my right hand.

The shaking eases off a little.

”Good cat. Well done for finding the ring. That was a good decision on your part.”

Teekl purrs. ”Teekl clever kitty.”

“Yes you are. Yes you are.”