{orange}Reordered

17th October
15:51 GMT -5{/}

"Y'know, I think I'm starting to like New Paul."

{orange}He looks at the dishes of ice cream covering the dining area table. We aren't an expert... No, I suppose we are an expert. Probably the greatest expert ever, actually. Absorbing all frozen milk derivative pudding knowledge in the world only took a few moments, and we combine that with the ability to feel every molecule in the substance throughout the mixing and freezing process.

Artemis swings her right hand at the back of his head. We ready a shield, but Wallace sidesteps at super speed.{/} "Hey! You need to be careful doing that!"

{orange}She crosses her arms at her chest, hands folded behind her upper arms.{/} "I'd have hit you exactly as hard as you deserved. He's possessed, you shouldn't joke about it!"

"He seems okay to me."

"His forehead has a glowing lantern sign carved into it!"

{orange}He indicates a bowl with his spoon.{/} "Hey, what's this one?"

{orange}"Orange flavoured."

He leans down to peer at it, squinting with his right eye.{/} "Doesn't look very orange, buuut I guess you're the expert."

{orange}"We extracted oil from the rind of seven oranges to make it. Commercial orange ice cream almost always uses food colouring in addition to the artificial flavouring. We find this practice distasteful."{/}

"See, he's even making jokes! Hey, Rob-" {orange}He addresses the wall monitor, through which the cave's laboratory can be seen.{/} "-you finished the toxicology screening yet?"

{orange}Robin's face appears.{/} "It's... As far as we can tell, it's just ice cream. Cream, sugar, egg yolks and flavoring."

"And it won't do to me that thing that happened to Manhunter?"

"Can't think of any reason why it would."

"Sweeeett."

{orange}"We would not have poisoned you. We are guided by our desire for your happiness."{/}

"You're making him happy by helping him pig out on ice cream."

"It works."

{orange}"We will also be monitoring his digestive processes, his blood sugar and fat deposits. We have long been curious as to the cause of his dietary concerns."

Wallace shrugs.{/} "I burn a lot of fuel to go fast."

{orange}"You would need to eat far more than you do to fuel your speed through calorie intake alone, you regularly eat more than your stomach should be able to process, you do not spend a proportionate quantity of time excreting and neither of your predecessors share this problem. It cannot be a simple matter of fuel."{/}

"See Artemis, it's for science. What's this one?"

{orange}"Mint."{/}

"And this one?"

{orange}"Mango."{/}

"And-?"

{orange}"Peppermint."

Artemis appears to realise something.{/} "You're monitoring his digestion?"

{orange}"Yes, of course. Matter is being transformed, and we must understand-."{/}

"Okay, Oh El? New rule. No scanning me while I'm in the bathroom."

{orange}"That will make it much harder to get good results. And do you know how many superheroes have died while on the toilet?"

He and Artemis look at each other.{/} "Nnnnnooooooo?"

{orange}"Three. Granted, in Red Bee's case it was due to underlying health problems rather than assassination... But if we'd been scanning him at the time we could have healed him."

Artemis screws up her face.{/} "Ew!"

"Don't care, got ice cream." {orange}His expression turns more serious as he looks at me.{/} "And I'm serious about the bathroom thing."

{orange}"As you wish. Having observed your ingestion habits we recommend starting with the white chocolate variety."{/}

"Which one is..?"

{orange}We raise it up. "We have raised it to optimal eating temperature. We hope you will enjoy it."

He takes hold of the bowl in his left hand and brings his spoon to bear.{/} "Here I go." {orange}His spoon passes easily into the soft white just freezing material. He takes a small amount before withdrawing and looking at it critically.{/} "Looks okay."

{orange}"…down and have a bottle of beer with the ache of all you've lost. I saw Milarepa at the coffee house…" All three of us stare at the ring as it starts singing. We slap it a few times and it stops. "We're sorry, we have no idea why it keeps doing that. Please, continue."

Wallace frowns, but dismisses it. In truth, we are a little concerned. Neither of our components understand power ring programming and the Ophidian was once imprisoned by such a device. It shouldn't be acting contrary to our desires like that. The song is not relevant to our current situation. Or perhaps it is? The Ophidian couldn't be said to be caged any longer.

We watch as Wallace gingerly raises the spoon to his lips before sliding it in and sucking the ice cream off. He rolls it around his mouth for a moment for a moment, a beatific smile gradually appearing on his face.{/} "{orange}This is the greatest thing I have ever tasted{/}."

{orange}"We're glad, but you have many more to go. Perhaps we may surprise you again?" And then the bowl's empty and he's picked up the macadamia nut flavour. We flavoured it with nut oil rather than putting pieces in and we're not quite sure what the effect will be.{/}

"Ugh." {orange}Artemis looks unimpressed as Wallace begins moving through our work at some speed. Fortunately, these are just sample bowls. We still have plenty more.{/} "Look, are you.. both of you, whatever. You're still not going to do anything about this super strength.. thing."

{orange}Wallace momentarily stops spooning.{/} "He gave you super powers! I dunno what you're complaining about!"

"I never asked for this!"

"And it's awesome!"

{orange}"We were really more concerned about-."{/}

"And you still won't give me the collar that Paul made for me?"

{orange}"If you like the collar-."{/}

"Whow whow whow." {orange}Wallace lowers his thirteenth bowl and gives Artemis a stunned look.{/} "He gave you a collar? Like-?"

{orange}We generate a construct to demonstrate its appearance. Artemis throws a spoon through it, disrupting it and embedding her projectile in the door of one of the kitchen units.{/}

"A power suppression collar! So I could get used to super strength without smashing things."

{orange}"That is actually far more unlikely than-."{/}

"And now he gets possessed by a demon and just forces it on me!"

{orange}"The Ophidian isn't actually-."{/}

"When that inquisitor gets here, I am so going to look forward to him kicking that stupid orange snake right out of you."

{orange}We blink. "Inquisitor?"{/}

{orange}17th October
16:22 GMT -5

We're standing in the training area with Batman, Diana, Captain Marvel and Lantern Jordan. We're not really sure why Jordan has joined us. He is hopelessly outclassed. All he's doing is making us uncomfortable with his glowing ring and staring eyes. Wallace and Artemis followed us. Wallace picked up the snail ice cream to keep himself occupied and appears to be reconsidering the wisdom of his choice. Kaldur was already here. Kon and M'gann are.. outside, next to Doctor Holland's tree. M'gann has been rather out of sorts since the end of the scenario. We've tried to talk to her about it, but our presence does not seem to help.{/}

“Recognised, Zatara, one one, Father Mattias, A zero seven.”

{orange}Mister Zatara

John Constantine choking as he squeezes his throat with both hands.

takes a few steps into the room before stepping to the side, giving us our first good look at the inquisitor. He's an older but still athletic looking man with what looks like a buzz cut and is wearing a sarum cassock, though we note that it's slit at the sides. Surprisingly, his clerical collar is red rather than white, and his fascia is red bordered. He wears a heavy looking silver pectoral cross. What hair we can see is white, and his skin is tanned. Mediterranean heritage, perhaps. And

********

we are unable to read him. Odd. Ah, the upright part of his crucifix appears to be hollow near the crosspiece. We can't feel anything inside, but we suppose that doesn't mean that nothing is there.

He smiles at us.{/} "So, you are the young man I am here to see?"

{orange}"Yes, we believe we are. However, we feel that we should reiterate: we are not possessed by a Demon. We are not convinced that your ministrations are appropriate. Furthermore, Orange Lantern was not Christian."{/}

"The faith of the vessel is not really the issue. Do you know who I am?"

{orange}"The zeta tube said that your name was Father Mattias. Given your accent and ethnicity we doubt that was your birth name. We understood that inquisitors were ordained priests, not monks."{/}

"Members of my order are not called inquisitors. But you are correct, we are not monks, and I was not born as Mattias."

{orange}"Not inquisitors? Do you really think that 'Hammer of Witches' has more positive associations?"{/}

"We prefer to translate it as 'Hammer of the Malevolent' these days. His Holiness Pope Pius the Thirteenth ended the Church's universal prohibition on the use of magic in nineteen sixty five. Giovanni-" {orange}He holds out his right hand to Mister Zatara.{/} "-was one of my parishioners before I joined the Order."

{orange}We look at Mister Zatara. "We had wondered how he'd squared that circle."{/}

"Yes, the reforms were quite far reaching. The feeling during the Second Vatican Council was that the prohibition was actively interfering with our ability to guard our flocks against the temptations of the demonic. Of those priests who were actively involved in the.. sharp end.. of the struggle, most had adopted a policy of hiring non-Catholic wizards and seers anyway, if they did not simply choose to wilfully violate the edict themselves. And, since His Holiness had been involved in directly fighting against the unholy himself, he felt it foolish to require us to continue to practise such hypocrisy."

{orange}"But if you are a priest, why change your name?"{/}

"To make it harder for those who would do us harm to identify us." {orange}He looks around the room at our mentors.{/} "And, of course, there are certain spells which require a person's name to be spoken."

{orange}We search the Catholic Church's records. "We cannot identify where you received your clerical training."{/}

"The Seminary of the Archdiocese of Milan, since you are interested."

{orange}We look again. "We see no record of you."{/}

"When our Order was created, a number of experts in such matters were consulted. They had expertise we needed. Learning how to protect certain types of information from-."

{orange}"Two brothers and four sisters. Seventeen nieces and nephews. Two grand nieces. Ah, I see your real name." He doesn't react much, just nodding slightly.{/}

"And how do you have that information?"

{orange}"We took a reading of your DNA from skin cells you have shed since entering the room, then compared them to everyone in Italy. You are still listed by your birth name in your eldest sister's photograph album. Her back is giving her trouble again."

He nods again.{/} "That is quite impressive."

{orange}"Thank you. And now it isn't."

"…having a Danish with his hurts and hatreds. He said 'You've got to invite them in, or you pay-'..."

Again? "Silence!" The ring ceases. We shake our head. "We are sorry, the ring insists on playing that song. We will try to prevent it from interrupting again. We presume you were given information about Orange Lantern."{/}

"I was. What would you prefer me to call you?"

{orange}"We had not considered that issue. We are happy to answer to the name of either of our constituent parts. Though.. if you wish to be formally correct, the name of the Entity is used as the host's title. The host of Ion puts aside their Green Lantern Corps designation, so perhaps we should as well."{/}

"Can I call you Paul?"

{orange}We shrug. "As long as you understand that it is not completely accurate, yes."{/}

"Well then Paul, the Justice League are concerned that we are in fact talking to a Demon that is possessing their student, and they've asked me to see whether this is true or not."

{orange}"We had surmised. We cannot check your credentials, but we doubt the League would have invited you if you were not what you appear to be."{/}

"Do you have an objection to that?"

{orange}"Not in principle."{/}

"Are there any questions you want to ask before I begin?"

{orange}"Why can we not see your desires?"

He takes his crucifix in his right hand and holds it up.{/} "Members of my Order are issued with these. In addition to symbolising Christ's sacrifice, it-."

{orange}"Shields you."{/}

"It's a little more complicated than that, but in essence, yes."

{orange}"Understood." Our eyes blaze with orange light and the core of the crucifix begins to glow blue/white in response. "We no longer share Orange Lantern's vulnerability to magic. And we do not like being separated from our element." The cross starts to blacken and char. We feel Batman start to move but Mattias holds up his left hand to stop him.{/}

"Interesting. You may not be aware, but these days all Catholic priests are trained in identifying different forms of magic. A Demon wouldn't be able to affect a crucifix like this."

{orange}"Perhaps not directly, but a sufficiently intelligent one could find a work around. Or corrupt its manufacture."{/}

"True. Do you intend to burn all the way through?"

{orange}"Yes. After what happened during the training session we have come to loathe the presence of people whose desires we cannot see."{/}

"It's quite valuable."

{orange}"We will compensate you for your loss."{/}

"I think I'd rather just take it off, since it bothers you so much."

{orange}We blink, and the glow fades. "That is acceptable."

He reaches up with both hands, and carefully lifts it over his head before handing it to Mister Zatara. And now we know him.{/}

{orange}17th October
16:26 GMT -5

He wants to free our.. Orange Lantern, but this desire is receding, fading in prominence. Does he believe our statement that the Ophidian is not a Demon? Connected to this desire are memories and regrets, things he wants to have done differently. We see intoxicated children reading from a book they had no business possessing. He wants to be anywhere else as he nods to the armed police officer next to him, who raises his gun. He wants to help us, to understand us. We see him participate in the autopsy of.. we're not sure. It has the form of a man but appears to be made of parts of different men. We see a name. Gregori Arcane. We remember him from the comic.

Comic? We remember.. this is... this whole place..? That thought feels strange. We do not know why. Yes, he was Abigail Arcane's father, killed by accident in a mine field and repaired by Anton Arcane as best as he was able. He ended up fairly mindless. Presumably Father Mattias was involved in the investigation of Anton's first death. We would have suggested napalming the whole place instead.{/}

"Is that better?"

{orange}"Yes. Thank you."{/}

"Then I will begin." {orange}He reaches through the slit in the side of his cassock with his left hand.{/} "I realise that it's a little old fashioned, but..." {orange}He pulls out a small glass vial. Holy water, presumably.

"The Ophidian is not a Demon." We hold out our right hand and pull the bottle towards us through the air. "Shall we tip it over our head? Drink it?"

He waves his right hand in dismissal.{/} "No. A few drops on your hand will be proof enough."

{orange}"You realise that there is nothing to stop us shielding our hand. Or transmuting the water."{/}

"Will you?"

{orange}"No." We take the vial in our hands and unscrew the lid. It seems to just be water, but our senses will not necessarily detect magic not relating to our element. We levitate the lid away and hold out our left hand, palm upwards, and sprinkle a little of the water onto it. No effect. We look at Father Mattias.{/}

"How do I know you're not making a shield? Wouldn't it be a better test if you took your ring off?"

{orange}"If you prefer." We float the vial away and without altering the position of our left hand pull the ring off with our right and drop it on the floor. "It doesn't matter. With the Ophidian's power in us we no longer really need it." Hmm. Perhaps? We generate a construct knife from our right index finger and cut into our left palm. Blood mixes with the holy water and we hold our palm in his direction.

Mattias nods.{/} "I suppose that's fairly conclusive. Of course, elemental possession-."

{orange}Our ring is surrounded in a green aura and lifts off the ground. No no no no no no no! We crush the will aura and turn on Lantern Jordan, staring him down, eyes brilliant, crouched and braced to charge. We will make him our toy for his impudence! "Ggrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!"{/}

"Jordan." {orange}His eyes flick to Batman for a moment, who shakes his head with a small motion. Jordan tenses slightly, then lowers his head, turns and walks to the exit. We watch him go, calling the ring back to its rightful place on our left ring finger.

"'…ten times the cost'. Stop running away, 'cause nobody runs as fast as fear and loathing."

"Not the time."{/}

"Paul?"

{orange}"Yes." Our eyes are still fixed on Jordan's back. We could take him. We could take his ring, his lantern.{/}

"Would you mind looking at me?"

{orange}Jordan turns a corner, heading to the gymnasium. We stare after him a moment longer, then turn back to Father Mattias. Ah, yes. We rescrew the lid and float the vial back to Father Mattias, who catches it.{/}

"Do you need a bandage?"

{orange}"We can heal ourself."

He nods.{/} "Why don't you tell me, in your own words, how the two of you came together."

{orange}We're not sure about that. "Batman?"{/}

"Father Mattias is cleared to hear about the training exercise. Don't mention any real names unless it is essential."

{orange}We nod. "Have you been shown our written report?"{/}

"Yes. It seemed a little.. detached, though. In the cases of nondemonic possession I have studied, it is usual for incredibly intense emotion to be involved."

{orange}"The Ophidian is extremely intense emotion. Avarice. The emotional need for a thing. In the training scenario we became convinced... Orange Lantern became convinced that several members of his ingroup had been killed, and that the rest were fighting for their lives. His power was insufficient to protect them, so he asked for more."{/}

"You knew this would happen?"

{orange}"He did not know exactly what would happen. He assumed that his mind would be permanently altered and his power increased. That the Ophidian would live in him, twist and deform him. This joining was not anticipated."{/}

"That would seem more in character for a Demon than an Elemental. What does this.. Ophidian, get out of the arrangement?"

{orange}"Perspective. It is need, but its relentless pursuit of need led it to be trapped in a cave for millions of years. It does not know how to want one thing rather than another. Plus, it gained freedom from Okaara and the Orange Central Power Battery where it had been imprisoned. It wants new experiences."{/}

"Did it assist you as you wanted?"

{orange}"Yes." He waits for us to continue, but that answer appears to be complete to us.{/}

"From the description you gave, it would appear that when the Ophidian originally appeared, the joining had a rather different character to the one it has now."

{orange}We try to remember the event from the Ophidian's point of view. It is not easy. "The Ophidian did not know it was a telepathic illusion any more than Orange Lantern did. It found the situation puzzling. It could not feel the desires of the illusory people."{/}

"But you weren't joined."

{orange}"No. We think.. subconsciously, Orange Lantern could hear it. And his avarice was reinforced. But our minds did not merge."{/}

"From what Batman and your team mates said, you seemed fairly distraught after the illusion ended."

{orange}"Yes."{/}

"Could you explain to me what you were feeling?"

{orange}We frown. "We hadn't really..." Why had we done that? We genuinely were a bit of a mess. "We wanted to protect our friends, but in fact the protection was unnecessary. We wanted something that wasn't really there."{/}

"And you were possessed in the process."

{orange}"It was a shock for both of us."{/}

"You seem to be alright now."

{orange}"We are."{/}

"I understand that your colleague Miss Martian found the-."

{orange}"It was not her fault! It was our decision!"{/}

"You recovered when you comforted her."

{orange}"Yes. She needs us. We like being needed."{/}

"I don't think that is quite it. Let me explain to you how I see it."

{orange}17th October
16:30 GMT -5{/}

"Oh, before I get started; how long has your ring been trying to play that song?"

{orange}We frown. "Since twenty one minutes after the training scenario ended."{/}

"What is it about?"

{orange}"We are not sure how this is relevant."{/}

"Humour me."

{orange}"The song concerns the teachings of the Buddhist sage, Milarepa. The essential argument is that rather than suppressing one's less noble aspect, one should accept and make peace with it."{/}

"Does it have some relevance to you?"

{orange}"Orange Lantern knew that the orange light was dangerous when he started using it. He sought systems of thought which would help him use it without losing his mind. Buddhism was considered but ultimately rejected in favour of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs."{/}

"But the song, in particular."

{orange}"It has no relevance! It was an interesting piece of music. That is all."

He nods, and strokes his chin.{/} "You are right to differentiate between Elementals and Demons. It is a distinction which some of my more conservative colleagues have yet to fully grasp. A Demon which takes a host will have almost complete control of their body, but the minds remain separate. The Demon may even be identified by its ignorance of their life. If it is banished, the host may be completely unaware of what it used them to do. What is interesting is what happens on those few occasions when the Demon -particularly if it is powerful- leaves voluntarily. When that happens, the taint of its evil may remain in the host, influencing their actions even without its active design."

{orange}We nod. "We remember hearing about a cab driver in London, a decent man who was used as a vessel for Nergal." Mattias crosses himself. "After the Demon left him, he assaulted his wife, picked a fight in a bar and nearly committed adultery, all quite contrary to his normal character."{/}

"The taint can be purified. This cab driver..?" {orange}We nod.{/} "Praise the Lord. The point I wish to make is, the presence of creatures of magic can alter a person's behaviour and character."

{orange}"We know this."{/}

"You do? And you still don't know why the song is relevant?"

{orange}"It isn't!"{/}

"When you were in the false world you wanted to help your friends and your world. To achieve that end you wanted the Ophidian, a creature that is want manifested, to join forces with you."

{orange}"Yes?"{/}

"You wanted it, even knowing that it would most likely leave you unrecognisable in body and mind, if not soul."

{orange}"Yes."{/}

"You wanted it more than you wanted to remain you."

{orange}We suppose we did. We feel.. pleased about that. "Yes."{/}

"The two of you pursued your aim until the scenario reaches its conclusion, at which point... The whole thing is revealed as an illusion. Your initial justification, the very thing which made you want to do something that you would never do under normal circumstances, was revealed to be a response to a situation which never really existed."

{orange}We... That... FeelsWrongFeelsWrong...{/}

"That was the real reason for your confusion. You might have accepted having your mind altered as the price of saving your friends, but just letting it have the run of your body? No, you wouldn't do that. Then, when Miss Martian started showing signs of distress?"

{orange}Nonononononono.{/}

"You had something to want again."

{orange}We stumble to the left a step before righting ourself. We feel dizzy.{/}

"As long as you want something, the elemental within you has a hold on you. Have you slept since the end of the training scenario?"

{orange}We shake our head. We feel unwell. There's something, something...{/}

"You have the power of a pagan god and you spent the morning making ice cream. Paul, is that gain proportionate to what you gave up? Would you make the decision that you made in the training scenario if all that was at stake was ice cream?"

{orange}"He likes the ice cream!"

"Stop pushing away, you're just making it worse."

"No! We won't! Treacherous ring!"{/}

"The Ophidian is altering the way you think in order to make you unwilling to get rid of it. You don't need it, Paul. It isn't part of you."

{orange}We're..{/} I'm... {orange}We're on our knees, clutching our head again. "Grahhh!"{/}

"It may not even be doing it intentionally. It may be that its very presence is causing every desire you feel to be as important to you as the lives of your friends. Or it may be that that is simply how it sees the universe, the people in it mere collections of needs."

{orange}"Stop putting it off, 'cause it'll be back again in different clothing."{/}

"I think you -the real you, within you- realises this. And I think your ring does as well. It's playing the song to try to remind you."

{orange}He's just in front of us. We can't look we can't look up. "Breathing, food, water, sex, sleep, homeostasis, excretion."{/}

"There is so much more to life than avarice."

{orange}"Self-esteem, confidence, achievement, respect."{/}

"You are stronger than this. You do not truly want this."

{orange}We feel our lips turn in a sneer, hate we don't feel burning from our eyes. We/I look up into his face.{/}

{blaze}"But. We. Still. WANT."{/}

{orange}Father Mattias' face falls. He takes a step back, then his resolve hardens.{/} "You will not have this one, creature." {orange}He jabs his right index finger at our forehead.{/} "You will not have this one. We will find a way to remove you. I will find a way."

{orange}We.. we were... Worried about something? Why are we feeling shaky? We get to our feet. No, everything's fine. We take a moment to compose our thoughts. "We admit, we are a little disappointed. No Latin chanting? No censers of incense? No being compelled by the power of Christ?"{/}

"Elementals require a different approach. Do you remember why you were on the floor?"

{orange}We think for a moment, then shake our head. "Was it important?"{/}

"Yes, but you shouldn't worry about it. Not yet. I will need to do some research before we meet again."

{orange}"As you wish. You may wish to consider speaking to John Constantine. He has an eclectic knowledge of magic phenomena."{/}

"Thank you. I have not heard of this.. John Constantine?"

{orange}"Ask Mister Zatara. He's been wanting to strangle him continuously since at least the end of the training session. Probably longer, if we're any judge."

He looks at Mister Zatara for a moment, who winces slightly and looks down for a moment.{/} "I may do that. Thank you for your help."

{orange}We shrug as he and Mister Zatara turn and walk back to the zeta tube. "You're welcome."

"Just pop the clutch and go into reverse."{/}

{orange}19th October
10:19 GMT -5{/}

"Paul, what are you doing?"

{orange}We turn away from our construct to smile at Diana. Her hands are on her hips but she looks more amused than annoyed.{/}

"The Justice League has over half a million phone calls from concerned New Yorkers, to say nothing of all the complaints about there being no chicken's eggs for sale anywhere in the city."

{orange}We turn our attention back to our mixing bowl construct. "Not just in the city. We doubt that there are any eggs left in north America."{/}

"And why is that?"

{orange}"Wallace reminded us that we should have baked our Christmas Cake a month ago. We thought that we should make an immediate start."

She nods.{/} "Yes, I can see that you've done that. I'm just not sure how you went from wanting to bake a cake to mixing a cake in a giant orange mixing bowl four miles in diameter in the sky over New York city."

{orange}We blink. Isn't it obvious? "We doubt that even Wallace could eat this much cake."{/}

"So why bake it?"

{orange}"Because no one has before. Also, Lantern Gardner observed that Orange Lantern's ability to create extremely large constructs was lacking." We look over to the west as the two thousand bags of plain flour we took from the main Pennsylvania ShopRite warehouse finally arrive. "We think that we can now safely lay his concerns to rest." We deploy them across the bowl before disintegrating their bags. No, not nearly enough. We still need more.{/}

"What about everyone else who wants to eat the food you're taking?"

{orange}"What about them?"{/}

"Paul..."

{orange}"The ingredients we are using were available for sale. It was not our intent to defraud anyone, we simply purchased them before anyone else. We do not see anything inherently unreasonable about this."{/}

"How are you planning on cooking it?"

{orange}"Though it is hardly ideal, we will have to use microwaves for the majority of the cooking process. And some directed heat to create the outer crust. We had considered running metal rods down into the cake structure and heating it that way, but we were concerned about the potential for localised overcooking."{/}

"That.. makes sense." {orange}She doesn't sound too convinced.{/} "But who is going to eat it?"

{orange}"Everyone! We calculate that with this volume of cake we can give everyone in New York city a piece. Not a wedge shaped piece. We haven't been able to work out a way to do that." We run a few more slicing simulations through our head. We could just about do it, but there would be an unacceptable oddly shaped cake volume left over.{/}

"And where are you going to store it?"

{orange}"We have created an artificial chamber below the Swiss Alps. Once we altered the structure of the surrounding rock we were able to create a space that could both keep water off the cake and keep the cake itself cool."{/}

"Why..." {orange}She seems lost for words.{/} "Why Switzerland?"

{orange}"We could hardly keep it at Happy Harbour. Quite aside from space considerations Batman forbade us from bringing alcohol into the cave. We did consider near Earth space, but we are not aware of anyone having tried that and were concerned that there might be unexpected side effects, particularly relating to the lack of pressure."{/}

"Alright, but why are you mixing it in the sky over the city?"

{orange}"We thought that the inhabitants might find it entertaining." We frown. "Should we have done it lower so that people could see what is happening in more detail? We thought that allowing it to be viewed by a greater number of people was more important, but there's no reason why we couldn't reshape the bowl and move it to Central Par-."{/}

"No!" {orange}She holds up her right hand.{/} "No. Leave it here." {orange}We nod. She rubs her brow with her left hand.{/} "How much longer is this going to take?"

{orange}"Is there a problem?"{/}

"It's a.. a little unusual."

{orange}"We estimate seven hours. If that is a problem we can accelerate the process, but that would involve a greater amount of visible orange light."{/}

"If you accelerated it?"

{orange}"Perhaps two hours, including cooking time."

She thinks for a moment, looking at the city below us. With our augmented vision we can pick out individual people stopping what they were doing to gaze upon our work. We like this feeling.{/} "I think it would be best if you did that."

{orange}"Very well." We close our eyes and reach out to all flour, eggs, butter and treacle in the world and calculate what of it is most easy to reach. Diana seems to be worried about one area being left without... Should we spread the extraction more broadly? Yes, that should be easy enough. Orange streamers radiate out in all directions as we call them to us, leaving platinum coins in their place. Combined with the fruit we gathered Sunday night, soaked in brandy and then deposited in our subspace pocket, the mixing bowl construct is starting to fill. Obviously with a bowl this size a whisk construct would be far too inefficient so we've settled for forcing an even consistency using our ring. Wouldn't want any of the eventual eaters to feel hard done by where sultanas are concerned. "Incidentally-" We look across the bowl as more treacle and brown sugar arrive. "-we have finally finished removing debris from near Earth orbit. We also took the liberty of deactivating seventeen armed satellites which we believe contravene the Outer Space Treaty, and have marked for review one hundred and fifteen others which we feel may violate international law."{/}

"That's.. good. Paul, can I talk to you about something not related to your giant cake?"

{orange}"Of course, Diana. You can talk to us about anything."

She looks to the side for a moment, and brushes her hair out of her face with her left hand. Oh, how inconsiderate of us! We create a windbreak.{/}

"No. Not to 'us'. Just to Paul."

{orange}"We're sorry, but that isn't possible. He no longer has a separate existence."{/}

"You know I don't accept that."

{orange}"Yes."{/}

"And that doesn't bother you?"

{orange}"We know you are motivated by your desire for our... for his wellbeing. We actually find it reassuring."{/}

"You understand that we're going to try and separate you."

{orange}"We do not believe that is possible with the technology at your disposal. And given how the Guardians gutted the Watchtower before handing it over we doubt that they will be willing to supply you." We float over to hover just in front of her. "But you are free to make the attempt. We will not be offended."{/}

"Alright. When you finished removing space debris, why did you think it appropriate to turn the moon around at the same time?"

{orange}Oh. That. "We felt it unfair that the dark side was seldom seen by anyone. Since the mass remained in place the effect on the Earth should be negligible."{/}

"And you were sure you could do that safely?"

{orange}"Yes? It wasn't hard." She stares at us for a moment. "We can put it back if you don't like it."{/}

"That.. would.. probably be for the best."

{orange}"Very well." We look up into the sky where the moon is just visible. Diana follows our gaze as it begins to visibly rotate.{/}

"Hera." {orange}She blinks heavily and shakes her head slightly as if to snap herself out of a daze.{/} "Paul? Kon wants you back as well."

{orange}"We... We had..." Something is different, there. We feel possessive of him, but... Didn't we used to feel something else? Something... The Ophidian never knew him, the feeling must have come from Orange Lantern.

Why can't we remember what it was?

"We regret that he will be disappointed as well." We shrug. "Kon is important to us, but that does not change the simple fact that this bond is undissolvable. Now, do you have any thoughts concerning icing?"{/}

{orange}21st October
17:47 GMT -5

Though we could just transition directly into the dining area, we have been told that it is more polite to walk from a little distance away so that our team mates can finish any truly private conversations before we arrive. We are not sure that this applies given that we hear everything they say anyway, but perhaps they don't realise that? After Wallace prohibited us from observing him in the toilet we are loath to inform them of our new habit in case they make a similar prohibition.{/}

"…nn's still on Oa. The Guardians are trying to work out what… What you-know-who did to him."

{orange}We close our eyes for a moment and feel Manhunter's position through the brand. Still in the Green Lantern Corps' hospital. A Guardian stands at his bedside with his hands stretched over the sigil. Their eyes widen as we stare at them, then they raise a shield of will around the bed. Ineffectual. Hmm. We don't know exactly how we branded him. We think it was when the Ophidian bit his corpse during the exercise. Presumably we could do that with someone else but it seems like an unnecessary effort.{/}

"Is he hurt?"

{orange}We stand outside the door. Kon's voice... There's something.. important..? Wasn't there? We're not sure anymore.{/}

"He says he isn't, but it's preventing him from shapeshifting. I think he blames himself for what happened to-."

{orange}We push through the door and their heads jerk up. Kon and M'gann are sitting at the table with a couple of textbooks and notepaper between them. Kon's at the table's head and M'gann is to his left, facing us. Her grip on Kon's hand tightens. We smile at them.

"Guess what we've found!"

M'gann looks unhappy again, and glances at Kon. We don't know what to do about that. We do have a pack of Chocos in our subspace pocket... We have no desire to render her an addict, though we are uncertain as to how that could happen. Maybe we should leave a single biscuit in every household on Mars and see what happens?

Kon looks downcast as well.{/} "What?"

{orange}Hopefully this news will cause him to brighten up. "Ninjas!"

He blinks.{/} "What ninjas?"

{orange}"After Orange Lantern attacked Infinity Island, you said that the next time he went after ninjas, you wanted in. We found ninjas!"{/}

"What.. kind of ninjas?"

{orange}"Looks like the rest of the League of Shadows. Ra's, Sensei, several others with outstanding warrants. We even found a new Lazarus Pit!"{/}

"I.. thought you couldn't scan for them because of that scrying ward."

{orange}"Ah! Funny story. You remember Babylon Five? The television series from Orange Lantern's home universe?" They look at each other, puzzled. We are going somewhere with this. "There was a species in that whose starships couldn't be detected using gravity or radio waves. Most races that fought them had to close to point blank range and manually target them to hit them with their main guns. We read a story later in which Humans were at war with them. In that they found two ways around the technology. Firstly, telepathic scans were unaffected. With the right equipment and training a telepath could detect the location of their ships and relay that information to their own fleet. The second was optics. The enemy ships still reflected light, so when they fought the Human fleet fired thousands of observation drones into their enemy's most probable vector and used that information to aim."{/}

"Okaaay. And?"

{orange}"We did the same thing! We couldn't scan for them normally, but by putting light sensitive constructs everywhere we have been able to detect his location."

Kon thinks for a moment.{/} "You mean like spy satellites?"

{orange}"No." We shake our head. "That would only work if they were on the surface. Their base is actually built into a mountain in the Himalayas, we had to look everywhere to find it."{/}

"Well, yeah... Himalayas are pretty big."

{orange}"No, we mean we looked everywhere." We wave our left hand and our eyes appear, eyeballs with an optic nerve trailing out of the back, becoming finer and finer until it joins the filament network. Though they still give off some orange light we can make lines so fine that they are effectively invisible. There are thirty in this room alone, staring in all directions. M'gann gasps and shrinks back against her chair. As she does so the eye over the table identifies her as a point of interest and lowers itself to stare directly into her face from about ten centimetres away.{/}

"AH!"

{orange}A telekinetic blast destroys the eye, but it reforms two seconds later. I tell it to keep its distance a little this time. Hm, can we hear running feet? Kon doesn't look much happier than M'gann does.{/}

"You've got these.. things everywhere?!"

{orange}We nod. "Everywhere except the Batcave and any toilet Wallace is in. Which is a little inconvenient, because-."

Kaldur runs in through the far door, Water Bearers drawn with machete blades projecting from the tops. The closest three eyes orientate on him and he instinctively-{/}

"Raawah!"

{orange}-slashes at them before taking in the room. M'gann looks concerned.{/} "Kaldur, what's wrong?"

{orange}He stares directly at us, swords in a guard position.{/} "What are you doing?"

{orange}Kon looks from him to me and then back again.{/} "What happened?"

{orange}"We were demonstrating our observation construct. Is something wrong?"{/}

"They are everywhere."

{orange}"Yes?"{/}

"Throughout the cave. In Happy Harbor. The sky itself is full of orange construct-eyes."

{orange}"And local space, and the sea too." They stare. "We did say 'everywhere'." They stare some more. "Should we remove them? They've been there for at least a day, but now that we've found our target-."{/}

"Remove them at once."

{orange}We shrug. He's the boss. We make a circling motion with our right hand and the eyes across the world fade. He lowers his blades slightly.{/}

"Why were you observing the entire world?"

{orange}Oh! That's right! He'll like this too! "We wanted to track down the remnants of the League of Shadows."{/}

"Were you successful?"

{orange}"Yes! If we leave now we can have Ra's in custody within an hour." We generate a cut away construct of the facility. Not all of those inside are Shadows, there seem to be monks of some kind. With alien physiology? They could just be metahumans... No. There're definitely nonhuman genetic elements and extraterrestrial materials and technology. Could that be the place that Prometheus got trained in? We haven't found him here but that might just mean that he isn't active yet.

Kaldur considers our suggestion.{/} "Show me the full schematics of their base." {orange}We create an exploded view, separating levels and magnifying. He examines it, then shakes his head.{/} "Alien human hybrid monks? Alien technology of a species never before encountered? Even if Ra's al Ghul were not present himself, those two factors indicate that this is a mission for the League, not for our team."

{orange}"But we can do it! Even if it was just the four of us, we can-!"{/}

"You are not cleared for missions for as long as you remain possessed. And I do not believe that the rest of the team is in a fit state to carry out a mission like this, even if we had authorization. Which we do not."

{orange}"But we-."{/}

"You just covered the world in glowing orange eyes. Surely you can understand that your judgement is suspect."

{orange}We shuffle where we stand, our head twitching from side to side. Not right not right not right. Kon wanted ninjas!{/}

"I think… Paul, I think Kaldur's right. I just don't.. feel like taking on ninjas right now."

{orange}Oh. Well. There goes that idea. "Okay. We'll. We'll send this data to the League."

Kaldur puts his right hand on our arm as we go to walk past him.{/}

"It is still useful information, and it will be a major victory when the League acts on it. It is simply.. not our role to do so."

{orange}We're trying to help trying to help. Why don't they want our help?{/}

{orange}22nd October
16:14 GMT -5

You can get normal sport arrows for about two dollars apiece. The point arrows which Artemis, Green Arrow and Red Arrow use cost a little more than that, but not much. The explosive headed arrows are more like twenty dollars each for the low yield ones, and they certainly aren't reusable. The more complex ones... Some of them cost in the region of five hundred dollars a shot. There's no way Artemis can fund herself.

We had a look at Mister Queen's finances. He was removed as CEO from Queen Industries by his own board due to -more or less- not doing the job of running it, preferring to spend his time as a superhero. Or just goofing off. Mister Wayne might be able to get away with that behaviour with Lucius Fox at the helm but Mister Queen's second -a man named John Deleon- had no such brand loyalty. To be fair, it literally wasn't his job to carry Mister Queen. Maximising shareholder value was, and as the new CEO he's done that rather well. Does Mister Queen understand this, or does he see Mister Deleon as a traitor out to improve his own standing no matter the cost to anyone else? We think the latter is more likely, but one man does not a revolution make. He might have encouraged the ill feeling among the shareholders and members of the board but he didn't cause it to be there in the first place.

In any case, the profits from his investments can keep him in arrows but Artemis isn't in that position. Unlike Red Arrow she can't go independent. And we want to fix that.

It came to us when we were in Kahndaq earlier today, looking for the Thanagarian spacecraft which was once in the possession of Prince Khufu. When we asked Adom about it he said that he was surprised that we knew of it. His friend showed it to him once and he was willing to tell me where that happened, but he said that he had no idea where it would be now if it even survived the intervening millennia. Does that mean that there is a reincarnating version of Hawkman around as well as the alien police officer version? We haven't seen any sign, but we didn't really follow their history back home. Anyway, the ship wasn't there but we were able to locate a minute sample of Nth metal and we have big plans for it.

Adom's English has gotten a good deal better since Orange Lantern first liberated him. He's starting to read up on recent history and tried to get our opinion on Kahndaq's nineteenth and twentieth century. Quite a bit like Egypt from Orange Lantern's home parallel combined with more than a little Iraq and North Korea, a pattern the Ophidian remembers repeating in millions of polities of all sizes. We didn't have anything to add to his growing disbelief at man's casual inhumanity to man. And his anger. He seems to be heading in the direction which Orange Lantern intended, but we suggested that he talk through his concerns with Diana. We're sure that she has a better idea of the political realities than we do.

Artemis is sitting on the top of Mount Justice, looking out across the bay. We remember that this was where Robin discovered Orange Lantern's name after the fight with Mister Twister. A place to go to isolate oneself, and we certainly don't want that. Dimming our aura we float up to her. As we enter her field of vision she glances at us before turning away. We land a short distance to her right.{/}

"What do you want?"

{orange}"We have a proposal for you."{/}

"I'm not interested in talking to the snake."

{orange}"We.. can.. leave you alone. Ifff it affects your decision, this is something Orange Lantern was planning to deal with at some point. We have simply prioritised it."

She says nothing for a moment.{/} "Fine, what do you want?"

{orange}"It has occurred to us that your resource expenditure per encounter is greater than that of any of our other team mates."

She screws up her face as she turns her head to look at us.{/} "What?"

{orange}"Arrows cost money. Constructs don't. Punches and magic don't. Shapeshifting and telepathy don't. Wallace spends an unusual amount of money on calorie rich foodstuffs but we calculate that the cost to him per encounter is still-."{/}

"Really. {red}Really{/}!" {orange}She leaps to her feet and storms over to us. We smile inwardly. After the sadness tinged doldrums everyone else has been affected by her anger is refreshing.{/} "That's the best you could come up with! Trying to {red}BUY ME OFF{/}!"

{orange}"We're simply trying to be practical. You have expenses. At present Green Arrow meets them, and Orange Lantern chipped in with those Arrows of Unmaking. But if you wanted to operate independently you need some way to pay for it."{/}

"I'm not going to abandon Paul just because-."

{orange}"It was his idea! The Ophidian would just give you a pile of money, but we realise that your pride would not accept that."{/}

"What, then?"

{orange}"An expense account. You could claim back the cost of professional equipment by presenting receipts." She simmers down a little. Will she consider it? We want her to. Diana's being noncommittal about talking to Io for us, so our next step is talking to Io ourself. Leaving a note where she will find it, anyway. We don't want to intrude on Themiscyra uninvited. "That is hardly an unusual practice. Many businesses allow employees to reclaim costs incurred in the performance of their duties. If it makes you happier we will not even administer it ourself."{/}

"How would you even open a bank account? If Paul didn't have a passport you certainly don't."

{orange}"We could fund the account while a League member controls it. Failing that, we have an arrangement with the US Treasury. We do not believe there will be any difficulty." She doesn't immediately reply. "The account will be open to expense costs of all team members. It is not our intent to single you out."{/}

"Can you really afford that after that huge cake you made?"

{orange}We nod. "That did consume most of our cash assets. We had been planning to acquire more."{/}

"How?"

{orange}"Orange Lantern was capable of small scale transmutation. We are capable of altering vast amounts of matter, but do not do so in order to avoid harming the world commodity market. We plan to continue mining asteroids, though we imagine that the process will be considerably quicker now."{/}

"And.. Paul was going to do this anyway?"

{orange}"He was focused on encouraging you to accept augmentation, and did not feel that pushing you on two fronts would be productive. He was considering creating it anonymously. We... We seem to be having trouble relating to our friends at the moment. We do not..." We shake our head. "We do not understand why. We want you to know that we're on your side."

She's still facing us, but her eyes are looking out to sea.{/} "Fine."

{orange}"We can help?"

She sighs.{/} "Yeah. I mean, you're right. Someone's got to pay for this, and if Paul was going to sort something out anyway..."

{orange}"Would you like to watch?"{/}

"Watch you break up an asteroid?" {orange}We nod excitedly.{/} "Um, okay. I've never been-." {orange}And then she throws herself backwards onto the ground, panting, staring up in terror at the sky.

What?

"We thought it would be more convenient to bring the asteroid here. This rock has more than enough precious metal for our purposes." We've suspended it ten metres above the peak of Mount Justice. It's about eight hundred metres long and maybe sixty across at its widest point, rotating slowly on its axis. Why is she concerned? "Don't worry, no one was using it. We don't even think it had been investigated by robot probe." We hold out our hands and begin the disintegration process while sending an e-mail to our contact at the Treasury. "Do you have a preference for the account signatory? Green Arrow has an appropriate business background but we are uncertain that he will be sufficiently diligent."{/}

"You... You... Rock..."

{orange}"Thank you. We like to think that we do as well, but it is nice to have it confirmed." We frown. "Do you have any use for seventy thousand tonnes of silica?"{/}

{orange}23rd October
16:42 GMT -5

We didn't actually know this room existed. No, that isn't quite right. We knew it was here, we just never had anything to do with it so didn't integrate that knowledge. We're sitting on the left of a two seater green settee opposite Black Canary. She's sitting on a matching green armchair about a metre and a half in front of us. We were half expecting Father Mattias to be here. He's been hanging around a fair bit this week, but, no. Just her.{/}

"I.. see you put the moon back."

{orange}Our team mates are currently moping in the living area. We have tried to cheer them up, but nothing we do seems to work. "Diana asked us to. We turned it around on a whim. We saw no reason to refuse. May we ask if Ra's al Ghul is in custody?"

She shakes her head.{/} "By the time we managed to get that far into the monastery he had already escaped."

{orange}"We suggest searching for any residue that might be associated with phantom zone portals."{/}

"What.. makes.. you say that?"

{orange}"We are familiar with the technology of thousands of different races. Since our direct input is not required we will content ourself with shouting from the sidelines."{/}

"How is that..? How does your bond with the Ophidian work, exactly?"

{orange}"We are one being. We have the knowledge and experience of both, though..."{/}

"What is it?"

{orange}"We have noticed.. some things feel a little... We're not really sure. As if... When you cannot remember a particular word; you know it exists but cannot remember what it was."{/}

"Can you give me an example?"

{orange}We lean back. "How we feel about Kon. To the Ophidian he would not matter at all while to Orange Lantern he was extremely important. We should retain the full extent of that feeling and the intensity is certainly there, but... We think its character is different now."{/}

"Different how?"

{orange}We shrug. "We're not sure. We have forgotten the word."

She nods.{/} "Have you felt like that since the training exercise?"

{orange}We nod. "We think so. If we do not concentrate on it we do not notice it."{/}

"You were extremely affectionate to Conner when the exercise finished."

{orange}"We were relieved that he was not dead. That would have involved a great deal of work, even as we are now."{/}

"You.. how were you planning..?"

{orange}"Assimilate Ra's al Ghul, batch produce Lazarus Pits. The League now has two of those, does it not? How is the research going?"{/}

"I.. don't know."

{orange}"They resurrect the dead. Do you not think it is worth prioritising?"{/}

"The League doesn't really do that sort of research and development, and STAR Labs doesn't-."

{orange}"Are you familiar with the computer game 'X-COM'?"

She looks a little confused for a moment.{/} "No, I can't say that I am."

{orange}"It's really quite good fun. On one hand you have a turn based squad combat game, but at the same time you have to capture aliens and alien artefacts and research them. As the game progresses the level of opposition you face steadily increases and if your research has fallen behind... You lose. You lose however highly skilled your soldiers are. They just don't have the equipment necessary to deal with the situation."{/}

"And you think that the League is in the same position?"

{orange}"Yes. We approve of your work with STAR Labs, but they are unequal to the task and -as you pointed out- cannot work with magic. Take the Gamma Gong, for example. Paralysis with no side effects at all. Very nearly the ultimate low lethality weapon. We can well understand not wanting to risk the only example you have in the field, but can you imagine the advantage you would have if League members carried devices like that as standard?"{/}

"That isn't really what the League does."

{orange}"True. But do you think it should be? Leveraging all of your advantages-."{/}

"Like you did with Robin and Artemis?"

{orange}"Yes! Well, perhaps not quite like that. More controlled. We were prioritising their survivability above other factors."{/}

"You like helping your team mates, don't you?"

{orange}"Of course. We... Orange Lantern had been discussing the possibility of augmentation with Artemis for several weeks." We frown. "When we were in the scenario, she asked us if Robin might have survived our first encounter with the aliens if we had enhanced him."{/}

"Do you think he would?"

{orange}"At the time, he didn't know. Having reviewed the fight since, we believe so."{/}

"J'onn told me about how the aliens' main guns worked. The -Danner?- formula wouldn't have made him immune to it."

{orange}"He was already moving when the fighter fired. Had he been stronger he would most likely have been able to evade more quickly. Had he been faster-."{/}

"You can't blame yourself for him not having super speed."

{orange}"Yes we can! Orange Lantern had the ability to give him super speed for over a month! He couldn't-! He couldn't block the zeta cannon thing, but he was behind most research carried out here. He could have been more insistent, should have done more for his squishy team mates."{/}

"Squishy?" {orange}She smiles slightly, then stops when we don't share it.{/} "I'm not sure they'd appreciate being called that. Come to think of it I'm not sure I do."

{orange}We shrug. "We are sorry, we are not sure if it would be safe to augment a metahuman using the substances currently at our disposal. If you would like to provide a blood sample-."

She holds up her right hand in a stilling gesture.{/} "That wasn't what I meant. It sounds a bit dismissive."

{orange}"We suppose it is. Orange Lantern has long wanted to augment the whole of our species and these formulae have no downside. There is no reason not to use them if you can."{/}

"Then why were you so determined that Artemis should use one and not Robin?"

{orange}"Robin has many other skills, ones not directly related to combat. So far as we know, Artemis doesn't."{/}

"You don't think that she can pull her weight?"

{orange}"We want her to be sure that she can pull her weight. She wants very much to be someone who belongs on a team like this and we do not think that disguising the power disparity between us would be appropriate. We would rather simply fix it by raising her to our level."{/}

"You can't be responsible for everything that the other members of the team do."

{orange}We smile. "You're wrong. That is the beauty of this joining. We are now fully capable of doing just that."{/}

{orange}23rd October
16:46 GMT -5

She blinks at us.

"We can track their every movement, the actions of every part of their bodies. We don't wish to crowd them of course. The point of the augmentations was to ensure that they could manage without us but if we had to step in-."{/}

"And what do they think about this?"

{orange}"We don't..." We toss our head. "Our friends have gotten worse since the training session. Listless. Passive. I brought the location of Ra's al Ghul to Kaldur first and he insisted I hand it over to the League."{/}

"Kaldur was right to do that."

{orange}We stare through the walls at the kitchen. Artemis hasn't arrived yet, but the others are moping in there. "He was acting in accordance with the team's official rules of engagement, yes. But we didn't do that when we went after Morrow and we were instrumental in preventing a supervolcano eruption." We look at the floor for a moment. "M'gann can barely stand to be in the same room as us now. And we don't know how to do anything about it."{/}

"What exactly did you do to Martian Manhunter?"

{orange}"Branded him." We come forwards in our seat. "We don't really understand the process."{/}

"Neither of you..?"

{orange}"The Ophidian doesn't usually stop at marking people in that way." We tap the sigil on our forehead with our right index finger. "Hosts get this. Everyone else who opposed it got turned into a construct or killed."{/}

"Can you remove it?"

{orange}We smirk. "Could the Green Men not work it out?"{/}

"The.. Guardians..?"

{orange}"The Ophidian didn't know their name for themselves when it first met them. It called them the Green Men due to their connection with the green light of will. It didn't like them."{/}

"I asked you."

{orange}"We don't know." We shrug. "We could try removing it, but we don't want to risk turning him into a construct."{/}

"How did you put it there?"

{orange}"We don't know. We're not even sure when it happened. Nothing like this has ever happened to us before."{/}

"What does it do?"

{orange}"Ties him to the orange light. We know where-." Wallace moved where's Wallace where's Wallace!{/}

"What is it?"

{orange}We see him and calm ourself. "We cannot track Wallace when he moves at full speed. He ran from the kitchen to greet Artemis as she entered the cave. He is now awkwardly attempting small talk. How is she managing with the strength increase?"{/}

"Why don't you ask her yourself?"

{orange}"We.. tried. She no longer enjoys talking to us. She refers to us as if we were only the Ophidian."{/}

"You can't be too surprised. Surely you realized that she'd be annoyed that you changed her body without her permission. And nearly dropping an asteroid on her didn't help."

{orange} We didn't..! "We know... Orange Lantern wanted her permission in order to avoid that. When the training scenario ended and she was no longer dead we were more concerned with her continued survival than her high regard."{/}

"Is it really irreversible?"

{orange}"We believe so. We could create a clone of her body and transplant her brain across, but then brain tissues would still be affected and we aren't sure what the result would be. Would she.. want that?" The idea hurts. That rejection. We're only trying to help.{/}

"I don't think we're at that stage yet. She's.. adapting. Green Arrow was shocked the first time he saw her leap across the street eight stories up without using a zip line."

{orange}"She isn't using a power suppression collar?"{/}

"No, not when she was with us."

{orange}We smile.{/}

"She's still pretty upset with you."

{orange}"We know. We will work at it."

She shuffles in her seat.{/} "I know one way to make her a lot happier about the whole situation."

{orange}"Tell us."{/}

"Get rid of the Ophidian."

{orange}This again. "We.. can't."{/}

"Can't or don't want to?"

{orange}"Both? Whenever we think about it we see ourselves trapped in the Orange Central Power Battery, or in the Hall of Justice with all of our friends dead and ourselves soon to follow. Merged as we are, we no longer have to fear either eventuality."{/}

"Can I.. speak to the Ophidian?"

{orange}"You are."{/}

"Then why do you look like Paul, Orange Lantern of Space Sector two eight one four?"

{orange}"You want..." We frown as we think about it. There's no real reason not to, we suppose. It just... We close our eyes and tilt our head back. And then we open them again as our Snake body replaces our Human flesh and our coils shimmer into existence around the edges of the room. We hold our head over our former seat as we regard our instructor. The universe looks different when viewed through these inhuman eyes. We can still comprehend matter, but we taste more strongly the emotions associated with it. Canary seems to be a mix of indigo, green and yellow. There's a.. vibration in the air? Speech! It's hard to focus on like this. Perhaps if we.. focus on the emotional content?{/}

"…in there? Paul, can you hear me?"

{orange}Awareness.

The pattern of lights change. We think we reassured her. What does she want? We see.. oh. A bit obvious. We reach out through the orange light to the pattern of desires we recognise as belonging to Mister Queen and provide stimulation. We feel him respond. He won't realise that anything's amiss, but he'll have a bunch of flowers waiting for her when she finishes here.{/}

"Okay, so it's {yellow}definitely the Ophidian{/}. Paul, you can come back now."

{orange}She still doesn't understand. We stretch our head forwards, flicking our tongue, tasting her soul. It reminds us of Jade's. The same desire for affirmation and challenge, but nurtured and cultivated rather than forcing its way up through cracked paving slabs.

We know her.

Our Snake form coalesces into a Human outline and our flesh body reappears on the settee. "What else would it have been?"{/}

"It might... We weren't sure if the Ophidian was literally within you or you were just being.. affected, by your contact with it."

{orange}"We might just have been generating a construct."{/}

"That wouldn't have caused your body to disappear."

{orange}"True. Now, we have a question for you. Who is taking over M'gann's telepathy training?"{/}

{orange}23rd October
16:50 GMT -5{/}

"J'onn is-."

{orange}"No. If this debacle has proven anything it is that his abilities as a teacher are sadly deficient. M'gann needs a competent teacher."{/}

"Do you blame him for what happened to you?"

{orange}"Yes. To Orange Lantern and to our team mates. The Ophidian.. objected less."{/}

"That seems a little harsh. He was as much in danger as the rest of you."

{orange}"He failed to assess the strength of M'gann's telepathic abilities in advance of the scenario. He did not investigate the effect of telepathic effects on power rings, despite working with two Green Lanterns for several years. He did not ask Orange Lantern about specific risk factors relating to the orange light. He decided to use a high stress scenario for our first use of that training technique instead of starting with something more basic. And when he entered, he was overwhelmed by our emotional response to the situation. Do Martians not study lucid dreaming? Self hypnosis? Why did he not bring in another telepath to oversee his attempts to liberate us? Why did he not use a psi-baffle or inhibitor collar on M'gann from outside? A catalogue of errors." We make a dismissive gesture with our right hand and shake our head. "He may be a highly effective police officer but he has demonstrated himself as an inadequate teacher."{/}

"That..." {orange}Her eyes drop to the floor for a moment.{/} "I... Some of that may be reasonable-."

{orange}"It is all both reasonable and accurate. We understand ingroup loyalty but that does not get M'gann the instruction she needs."{/}

"That isn't... Is this why you branded him?"

{orange}"In the scenario, when he killed M'gann, Orange Lantern shot him in the head and the Ophidian bit him through his chest. The brand is in the location which the Ophidian's fangs penetrated. Why did he even think that was a sensible way to break us out?"{/}

"Is that why you feel angry at him?"

{orange}"We.. we don't think we feel anger anymore. At best, we feel frustrated that M'gann does not have something she should have. The…" We wave our hands in an approximate circle. "The universe is the wrong shape."{/}

"Okaay, who would you suggest? It would take months at best for another Martian-."

{orange}"Henry King Junior."

Her mouth opens and closes.{/} "I'm.. not sure who that is."

{orange}We generate a construct in his likeness. "Brainwave Two. He was a member of Infinity Incorporated and is the only Human telepath I would recommend. Alternately, we could simply assimilate Doctor Cizko."{/}

"I don't think-."

{orange}We shrug. "He has killed many people, and by all accounts is quite skilled in his chosen field. The only downside as we see it is that we would have to put up with him for the rest of eternity."{/}

"You're talking about murder."

{orange}"The murder of a very bad man in whom we have no investment. He will be dead in a few decades anyway, he may as well make himself useful."{/}

"That doesn't sound like something Paul would say."

{orange}"No, he wouldn't say it. He wanted to fit in here. We are more ruthless. The Ophidian is old, Black Canary. Millions of years -perhaps billions- of existing in harmony with the avarice of all living things. Orange Lantern was concerned about the effect of repeat offending supervillains on the stability of civilisation if more permanent solutions were not employed. The Ophidian knows what the effect would be. It has seen it all before." She takes a breath. "But we know we will not convince you. If Henry King is not to your liking, perhaps you would consider Chester Black." Another construct. "He is a good deal more vicious, but he has telekinesis in addition to telepathy which better matches M'gann's skill set."{/}

"I... I'd have to talk with J'onn-."

{orange}"No!" We feel our Snake body manifest behind our Human flesh. "He is not what M'gann needs!" We float from our feet, aura crackling. "You are supposed to be in charge of our training. You will get someone appropriate!"{/}

"Paul, calm down."

{orange}"Why are we even talking to you?"

She tries to stare us down. It isn't working. {/}"The League felt that it might help if the team had someone to talk-."

{orange}"Counselling? From you? Guy Gardner is trained as a counsellor with several years' experience working in criminal rehabilitation. You're a florist!" She blinks. Did Batman and Diana not share knowledge of our knowledge with the rest of the League? "Could the League really find no one with relevant skills? Even that priest would have been-."{/}

"Paul, you need to sit down."

{orange}"We are not compelled to obey you." We drop to our feet, snake body receding. "This time is a sunk cost. We will not waste any more."{/}

"P-."

{orange}Zeta transfer.{/}

"Recognised, Ophidian."

{orange}We pace across the flat area of the hangar. Though we still need a base station at the journey terminus, transporting ourself by zeta beam is now simple for us. Back in the room we just left we see Black Canary sag a little before getting up and walking over to the intercom. Calling in whoever's next on the list?

What did we even hope to achieve by talking to her? Where is Guy anyway? An opportunity like this, we would have expected him to be all over it like fake tan on a chav. New York, talking to Alan. Odd. Jordan? California? Stewart? He's actually in Happy Harbour. Odder still. We would have thought that he'd at least visit if he were in the area. No, unimportant.

We need to do something to make the team happier but we're having trouble coming up with anything. Oh, we have ideas -we gave M'gann a DVD version of Hello Megan! earlier this week, detail and colouration enhanced to modern standards- but nothing which we feel is large enough. Nothing which compares to our healing of Paula and Mister Grayson. We yearn to just go and talk to them, but that does not appear to help.

We step out over the water and float over to the middle of it, crossing our legs. The bioship isn't here. That's a bit odd. Has M'gann taken it somewhere? Maybe that'll do her good. Closing our eyes, we feel the structures in the rock around us. A mountain is a fairly resilient object, but we can do better. We reach inside, transmuting granite to more sophisticated substances, designed to both resist and absorb force. No, that isn't it either. Quartz crystals form in the shape of the scrying wards. We may not be able to power them ourself but they should gradually draw power from local geomantic systems. Useful, but not what is required. Eyes still closed we raise our cupped hands in front of us and take our Nth metal sample out of our subspace pocket. The Ophidian doesn't remember encountering it before. Certainly we haven't felt any naturally occurring ore similar to it in this system. Even with this sample we do not seem able to remotely detect more of it, even knowing where it is. Puzzling.

Scans of the Hawks are much more informative. It isn't just their weapons which use the stuff, there are traces of it throughout their bodies, most noticeably at nodes surrounded by dense clusters of nerves. Something like element zero nodes which biotics possess in Mass Effect. We don't currently understand exactly how it works, but presumably it explains how a winged humanoid can fly.

Could it work on a humanoid without wings?

We briefly considered attempting to integrate Miss Ervin's flight aura with Kon, but discovered that rather than being a 'Bang Baby' as Orange Lantern had assumed her kinetic energy manipulation ability is actually granted by her Collective technology belt. We have scanned and copied it but we feel that Kon would consider that.. unsatisfactory. Not to mention fragile. No, finding a way to connect his own strong gravitational manipulation abilities with the mass warping effects of Nth metal would be far more useful. And the ability to synthesise it could improve the armour of everyone else. We've seen Batman's file on Hawkman's armour and it's much better than anything commercially available. But they won't share the technology so we'll have to do this the hard way.

Which, with the Ophidian's experience and power, should be a good deal less hard than it might have been.{/}

{orange}23rd October
17:19 GMT -5

In the novel 'The Last Continent' the wizzard Rincewind remarks that there are times for mindless, terror-filled panic, and times that called for measured, considered, thoughtful panic. In a similar way, there are times which call for giant unstoppable avarice constructs to smash aside all resistance, and times for careful patient exploration to ensure that the avaricious impetus doesn't result in the object of one's desire being destroyed. We know that Nth metal can be exceedingly dangerous so we will not rush this. We have already analysed the fragment down to the fermionic level. Regrettably, the structures we have observed do not explain its physical properties. And we are also unsure how pure this sample is.

We remember an issue of Swamp Thing where, pressed with the need to find a solution to a highly complex problem and impaired by his own damaged mind, Swamp Thing is inspired by Abigail to create a vast plant matter based computer to improve his intellect. In a similar way neither Orange Lantern nor the Ophidian would be intellectually capable of handling this problem alone. Together, we can harness our desires to create a mental augmentation construct which allows us to cope with the sheer mental load of our task. We suppose.. we could even leave it active full time... No. A distraction. Manifested around the edge of the hangar pool, Snake face and Human face stare at the fragment from opposite sides. Nothing is beyond us. Kon will fly today.

While we shift our observations deeper into the metal and our expanded mental abilities attempt to recognise patterns amongst waves and particles no Human has ever previously detected, we decide that the best approach is to unfocus our mind and allow recognition to come. We idly extend a strand of our awareness back into the room where Canary sits with Kon while we remove a small piece of lead from subspace and begin altering it in an attempt to match what we have observed.

Kon is sitting in the seat we previously occupied. What are they talking about?{/}

"…ot working!"

"Conner, Mattias told us it would take time. You can't expect something that powerful-."

"You're supposed to be good at this! If it happened to one of us, he'd have ten different plans for how to get rid of it by now!"

"It's not that simple. No one on Earth has ever encountered anything like this snake creature before."

{orange}Wrong. Even now we can feel the blinding white light of the Life Entity. It doesn't appear to exist in a physical location but rather is partitioned from the corporeal world in some sort of mystical demiplane. Strangely, we feel no desire to intrude on its isolation.{/}

"Well.. what are the Guardians doing? Paul said that the Ophidian was imprisoned in the Orange Central Power Battery." {orange}We feel a chill.{/} "Couldn't they just stick it back in?"

"According to Lantern Gardner it isn't quite that simple. More importantly, Zatara thinks that forcing it out of Paul would risk causing him a great deal of harm."

"What about magic?"

"All the spells he knows that might help expel the Ophidian assume that the person being possessed will have a soul."

"I thought.. his tattoos..?"

{orange}She shakes her head.{/} "As far as Zatara could tell they hadn't been fully effective yet. Conner, everyone's doing the best they can for him. You can't just force your way through every problem. Sometimes you just have to be patient and wait for an opportunity."

{orange}Is this why everyone has been so uncomfortable around us? They all think that we're the Ophidian? We can we can we can we'll prove that we're still us! Ah! We see patterns in the boson oscillations! Reformat the lead a litt-. A brilliant flash of green-white plasma as the piece of lead becomes super energetic! Half of it goes down and vaporises an appreciable part of the water below us, spreading scalding steam in all directions. The other half goes up, melting a circular impression into the rocky ceiling.

It wasn't meant to do that. We shake our heads. Try again.{/}

"I'm more worried about how the rest of the team's been holding up." {orange}Kon turns his head to the door, but doesn't get up.{/} "You've been spending a lot of time with M'gann..?"

{orange}Kon sullens.{/} "She's been taking it hardest. I think she still blames herself for what happened, to Paul and Manhunter."

{orange}Nonotrightnotrightnotright. Fundamental energies, magic energies, below the normal structures of matter, entangled with them! We see it! More lead! Alpha radiation spikes but for some reason doesn't travel more than a small distance from the sample, forming a sphere. That.. doesn't make sense... The particles are forming a cloud but what's stopping them..?{/}

"And what do you think?"

"She's wrong! No one could have known that would happen!"

{orange}Gravitons gravitons what are the gravitons doing doing doing? The radiation sphere contracts, then spits plumes of particles in three different directions. Whywhywhywhy? We need to be more intelligent! Everything... We would expect everything to slow down. It doesn't. Every single thing we can perceive is now loaded with so much information that we can only stare at it. Patterns with patterns within patterns within within within so much content in even the smallest piece of matter. We are captivated.{/}

"Well, yeah, of course I do." {orange}Kon's no longer in the room and Artemis sits in his seat. How much time..? No, doesn't matter.{/} "Y'know he was the first guy to ever give me a flower? S'stupid."

"I wouldn't say that. I didn't realize the two of you were..?"

"We're not. I think he's interested in my sister. It was after we had that.. fight."

"Where he said you could win by-."

"Yeah. Turns out that might actually have worked."

"Yooou didn't-."

"No! After he fixed Mom's spine I met him here and.. kissed him."

{orange}Canary looks at her quizzically.{/}

"And then I slapped him. No shield." {orange}Black Canary smiles, and Artemis clenches her right fist.{/} "Suppose if he put up a shield now I could just punch it down."

"How have you been coping with that?"

{orange}Artemis frowns.{/} "You know how I've been coping."

"Not when you're with Ollie and me. The rest of the time. How do you feel about it?"

"It was that.. that damn snake! Paul made a big deal about not forcing me to have this, and then the Ophidian just goes and does it!"

"So you didn't want it?"

{orange}We twist gravity waves, super compressing matter to try and get those damn leptons to behave themselves. The gravitons react far more than we anticipated and water and steam begin streaming in from all directions. We have to raise a barrier around ourselves to keep it off.{/}

"I... I don't know! Wally keeps saying that it's great but I just didn't... It's not me."

{orange}We turn the lead into plasma in a controlled fashion and try building tiny Nth metal like structures within it. Waves of gravity fluctuate around us, making patterns in the muck and water.{/}

"It's like there's this alien thing under my skin and if I'm not careful it'll jump out and kill someone. I feel like I'm a bomb, like I'm dangerous to everyone."

{orange}"With the loneliness that's eating you alive."

We can see it! Another gravity pulse, but now we know how to avoid them! And the radiation the radiation has to happen, it's part of the process! We understand! We extract a single sliver of newly transmuted pure Nth metal from the focal point and admire it for a moment before the something causes the neutrons to decay and it sucks the heat from the air as it evaporates. No!

Stupid. Stupid!

We must try again! We must get this right!{/}

{red}23rd October
18:02 GMT -5{/}

I hum tunelessly as I wipe dry the ring of the cake tin. The Christmas Cake itself is cooling on a wire rack on a nearby work surface. While it would be easier to do this with the ring -or just have the ring clean the objects which I used during cooking without recourse to water and soap at all- I've been trying to practise my hand eye coordination without ring assistance. Given how big they are and how insensitive to touch my skin is, it is a reasonable concern of mine. When we were together last night Jade commented-.

"Why?"

I stop humming and smile slightly to myself before lowering the tea towel and tin to stomach height and half turning to where Richard stands in the doorway. "Forty two."

He scowls and struts forwards. "You didn't even bother disguising it."

I return my gaze to my cleaning, gently feeding the metal through the tea towel with my right hand. "Would you feel better if I had? I don't think either of us really believe in divine intervention."

"So tell me why. Why is Uncle Rick suddenly able to get out of his hospital bed for the first time since-?"

"Because I wanted him to." I lift the tin up for a closer look. Seeing neither significant amounts of water nor damage inflicted by my own hands I put it down on the table and drape the tea towel over the back of a chair. "It seemed to me to be the most expedient way to repair our working relationship."

"Since when have you cared about that?"

"You seem to be acting under the misapprehension that I dislike you. The truth of the matter is that I don't care about you personally one way or the other."

"You made me look like an idiot."

"You were being hypocritical and I called you on it. If you looked like an idiot then it was because-."

"Do you have any idea what would happen if my identity became public knowledge?"

"I have a rough idea. Do you think that is likely to happen, now that our team mates are in the loop?"

"The more people who know-."

"Because you don't know our identities. Well?" I make a gesture of appeal with my right arm. "Do you? You certainly know Wallace's, Kaldur doesn't have one, Kon and M'gann have only just started using one but you know it. Artemis?" He glowers. "Mm. And I am unable to communicate mine. Not that I'm really capable of pretending to be someone else." I pick up the power ring from the work surface and slip it back over my left ring finger, immediately feeling relief as external sensation returns to my skin.

"Then why now?"

"I was content to let you have your secrets. We all have secrets we would rather not have our team mates know, it isn't inherently unreasonable." I took a short trip to Mars to acquire a gun for the bioship and was most interested to see what Martians truly look like on this plane. M'gann's been telling porkie pies. "But you demanded that I reveal things I would rather have kept quiet." Artemis was briefly very uncomfortable around me once she realised that I wasn't joking about Jade, but she warmed to me after I healed her mother. I made a point of reassuring her that I wouldn't share what I knew about her parents' criminality with our team mates and now our relationship is better than ever.

"Knowing how to shield ourselves against telepathic attack would be useful for the team. Knowing my name isn't."

"You should have trusted me to make that determination. Chester Black is not a man you just ask for lessons, especially if you are a well known super hero. Mister King is far better placed-."

"Black Canary is supposed to be in charge of training! If you had a problem with what we're being taught, you should have taken it up with her."

"Why? Why should I make myself even more dependent on the League? I don't see any of the Greenies stepping up to teach me how to more effectively use this ring." I hold it up. "Are you telling me that they are not aware that we may end up facing telepathic opponents, even after the Bialya mission? They may not have known of Mister Black but Mister King's name was already in the League's database and Mister J'onzz is a League member."

His eyes narrow as he considers. "If you don't think you did anything wrong, why heal Uncle Rick?"

"Did you know that I apologised to M'gann for the force I used to break the link?" He blinks. "She is {orange}my{/} team mate. She didn't mean to harm us and I harmed her to disrupt the connection. I am not a.. nice man, but I try to be an honourable one. In your case? I don't believe that I have done anything to you I should need to apologise to you for, but I do want to maintain a productive working relationship and the best way for me to do that was to do something that would return me to your good graces." I turn back to the draining board and pick up the cake tin's base. "How is Mister Grayson adapting?"

"Slowly. The doctor's think it'll be months before he can walk unaided and he might never use a trapeze again."

I reclaim the tea towel. "I would offer to help, but I'm afraid the ring isn't up to repairing Human schematic systems. Perhaps he-."

{orange}"Alert. Alien vessel in close proximity."{/}

Richard looks from me to the ring in surprise. "I've been scanning for boom tubes since the Bialya mission. I detected one opening in Metropolis about half an hour ago. When I realised that the visitors were from New Genesis rather than Apokolips I rather disregarded it but they've been heading in this direction-."

"You should have told someone!"

"I did. Batman told me to monitor them but take no action if all they did was sightseeing." I {orange}nod{/} at the space between us and a construct of the ridiculous flying car they're travelling in appears. "This particular band are called The Forever People, if I remember correctly." I barely remember them from the comics. I remember that they can summon Prince Drax from his place of exile by saying 'Teru' -or something- at the same time but I don't remember their names, abilities or character.

"Do you know why they're here?"

"Nooooo." I think for a moment. "They could be here for Mister and Missus Free. They could simply be here for tourism. But, given that they are coming in this direction-."

"They're here for the sphere."

"Either that, or I really do look like Darkseid and they're after me. {orange}Ring, analyse{/}."

{orange}"By your command."{/}

The small one has two pistols -though they are probably far more powerful than their diminutive size would suggest- and the others appear unarmed. No way to know what innate abilities they have, of course. Only one {orange}Mother Box{/}. It's in the hands of the brown skinned youth in grey armour. That.. could be very useful. I've been hamstrung by the lack of a database in the ring since I got here. But, Mother Boxes are intelligent. I could assimilate it but so far I've managed to keep knowledge of that ability from my team mates. And.. I am still reluctant to kill simply because it would be convenient.

"Are they dangerous?"

"I don't know enough to make a proper assessment. Yes, probably." I look down at the cake tin base and {orange}dry it{/} the easy way before {orange}returning{/} all of the cooking implements to their cupboards. "If they are tracking either the sphere or myself in some way they will find this facility in short order. I would suggest, therefore, that it would be best to prepare for a potentially hostile encounter. Ring, {orange}location of the sphere{/}." Ah, in the hangar with Mister Tawny. Initially, I wasn't sure that Kon would be able to look after him, but they seem to have bonded well enough.

"Artemis and Wally have gone home for the day. Kaldur, M'gann and Kon are out. How long until they get here?"

"Looks like three minutes. {orange}Armour{/}." I have to say, Mister Kord's people did some very nice work. I can even take a punch from Wonder Woman without it caving in my chest.

"They'll never get back in time."

"True." I nod towards the door. "What's say you and I intercept them ourselves?"

{red}23rd October
18:08 GMT -5{/}

"Are you sure this is a good idea?"

Robin and I are standing in the hangar. Lantern Jordan -our current -ugh- 'den mother'- is more than happy for us to greet the oncoming godlings without direct supervision. Presumably he knows about the New Gods from his ring's database and has similar expectations for this meeting to me.

I was a little surprised when he took over from the Moronic Manhunter. I had rather been under the impression that the Greenies weren't on the rotation. Perhaps the Guardians authorised it so that they could keep a loyal pair of eyes on me? No, no, I shouldn't assume that it's all about me. Maybe the fact that Lantern Gardner is back on active duty means that they can spare him to oversee us? Jordan doesn't like the fact that I exist, but he doesn't appear to have a problem with me personally. Or perhaps this version of Jordan simply has much better self control than the ones I am used to?

Robin and I are standing on the flat area between the bioship's platform and the steps up to the kitchen. Mister Tawny was kind enough to herd the sphere into the kitchen and is occupying a concealed position just inside the doors. The Forever People have been circling around the mountain for a minute or so. I would have thought that they could spot the entrances, and they appear to be electing to use the hangar doors.

"What metric are we using to assess it? We can't go out without drawing even more attention to this place, especially if they are hostile. Waiting for them to enter makes sense."

{orange}Alert. Foreign presence detected in Mountain computer systems. Do you wish to destroy it utterly?{/}

Hm. {orange}Not yet{/}.

The hangar doors.

"And.. here.. they.. come."

The Fantasticar enters front end first and moves halfway over the inner pool before turning to the left and tilting slightly so that everyone on board can have a look at the place. There are five of them, the black lad in grey armour with the {orange}Mother Box{/}, a large brutish looking man, a blonde child dressed as some sort of Hollywood science fiction cowboy, a youth in what appear to be dark grey leathers with violet accents and a young woman in a violet tunic with black leggings. None of that rings any bells. They seem more curious than anything else.

Richard takes a step forwards. "Ah, hi."

And immediately the curiosity is replaced by anger. Leather Jacket and Armour half rise from their seats, ready to jump into action. Armour raises the {orange}Mother Box{/}.

"Return the New Genesphere and the rest of the technology you have stolen from New Genesis, Human."

New Genesphere? Original.

"Stolen? We haven't-."

"No Robin, do not explain yourself to them." I stride forward, putting myself a little ahead of him. If they have ranged weapons it would be best if they pointed them at me, after all. "Warriors of New Genesis." I make eye contact with the chap in armour whom I now presume to be their leader. "You think that you can break into my home and start making demands? Where is your-?"

Their eyes go wide in shock and {yellow}fear{/}. Oh come on, I don't look that much like him. They all stand, the Child drawing his guns and Leather raising his right fist. Armour holds out his {orange}Mother Box{/}. "I don't know why you are here Grayven, but whatever your plans for this world-"

Grayven? Wasn't that the name of Darkseid's other.. son..? Ohhhh dear.

"-the Forever People will-"

Though if we have to fight, it would be better to win.

"vanquish y-."

Orange beams {orange}shoot{/} from my eyes straight towards him, angling right as they reach him and then back, straight at the {orange}Mother Box{/}. It glows for a second and then I {orange}overcome{/} its resistance and drop it in my subspace pocket. {yellow}Oh yes, the look on their faces says it all{/}. {yellow}Not quite so eager to face someone who appears to command the Omega Effect, are we{/}?

"Now perhaps you will conduct yourselves with greater civility. What-?"

The Fantasticar drops down and swings around to drive straight for us. Richard fires his grapple at the ceiling and pulls himself out of the way as I brace myself. {orange}Armour construct, MindShield and fortify{/}. Orange light surrounds me. Just before the Fantasticar hits me I use the ring to {orange}slide{/} aside and swing my right fist up and then down onto the left side of its bonnet. Whatever technologies enable it to fly appear not to completely negate normal physics as it upends and spins away from me, throwing the Forever People out across the cement before coming to rest on its top against the concrete steps.

"Hey, Oh El, think you might be coming on a bit strong. And who's Grayven?"

I watch as the Forever People pick themselves up. The Child is fastest to right himself and opens fire immediately, glowing blue bolts hitting me dead in the chest. They're more powerful than anything Earth made, but they aren't going to do much to my construct armour. Just in case... The {orange}Orange Effect{/} flashes out again, each eye beam striking a different pistol and subspacing them.

"Hey!" Ugh, he even sounds like a cowboy.

"Attacking me is unwise, child. Now-."

A lightning blast from Leather's outstretched hands hits me in the head. That appears to be a natural ability. Irrit- A metal girder smashes through the concrete beneath me and wraps itself around my legs as the Brute charges me. Huh?

"Aaaaaaghhhh!"

I {orange}push{/} the metal away and step forwards to meet him. He goes for a shoulder barge. I sidestep to his left, my left leg in his direction of travel and my arms reaching out to grapple. Training with Wonder Woman has been immensely useful in learning to use my unusual strength in close combat, though my altered morphology means that I can't directly apply everything she could teach a more conventionally proportioned student like Donna or Kon. He responds by halting and swinging his right fist around. By grappling I'm forced to remain in place-

"Douh!"

-and the strength of the blow shows that he has genuine super strength, not the discount augmented muscles and bulk version I possess. But I have better leverage. I put pressure on his left side while {orange}pushing{/} him forwards and he trips as he tries to stabilise himself. I release him from the grapple as he goes down, take hold of his leg -he weighs only what a normal man of his proportions would- and throw him back at his companions.

He pushes himself up with a grunt. Armour has his eyes fixed on me. "It is time."

The Girl seems more worried. "Without Mother Box? Can we-?"

"What choice do we have?"

The male members of the group raise their left arms up, fists clenched. She raises her right. I have no desire to fight 'Uncle' Drax.

{orange}Ring, Quietus{/}.

{orange}By your command.{/}

"Ta-." / "Ta-." / "Ta-." / "Ta-." / "Ta-."

And sound cuts out completely. Girl and Leather {yellow}clasp their throats{/} with their free hands. I smile and clap slowly and silently.

{orange}Ring, transmit my speech alone.

By your command.{/}

"What a truly idiotic method of attack. You should have started with the summoning, preferably out of line of sight."

Armour tries to respond. He's speaking and gesturing in a fairly aggressive way but is unable to make any sound.

"You have been outfought and are outgunned. {orange}Yield{/}."

{red}23rd October
18:11 GMT -5{/}

{orange}Alert. Telepathic attack detected.{/}

I feel the pressure on my shield. It's actually weaker than what Doctor Jones tried to use.

"Weak. Why can you not accept-?"

Richard drops down in front of me and points to his earpiece. Fine, {orange}authorised{/}.

"Oh El, that's enough."

"Robin, with all due respect, butt out. You do not know these people. I do. I will ascertain why they are here-"

"By beating them up?"

"-Batman style." He looks away for a moment. "I will not cause lasting harm, but whatever their intent we cannot allow them to simply do as they please any more than we would any other group of unregistered vigilantes."

His eyes narrow, but I get the nod I was looking for. I walk past him as the Forever People start to back away. Mister Tawny finishes repositioning himself at the top of the steps, ready to leap down on them. {orange}Ring, permit sound{/}. {orange}If they try to teru, Quietus again{/}.

{orange}By your command.{/}

"I asked you to explain yourselves and you attacked me. I am also going to assume that you have not sought permission from this world's authorities to be here."

Armour takes another look at me, his eyes widening. "That sign on your chest. It is the sign of the Beast of Okaara!"

Mister Tawny makes his displeasure at Armour's raised voice known with a low growl and they start edging away from his direction as well. Ah, they know of Larfleeze! Having confirmation that he even exists is more than a little useful. "I, am-."

"You are Grayven, son of the ruler of Apokolips and sworn enemy of the gods of New Genesis!"

"It's so nice to be recognised. Why.. are you here?"

"We are here to recover the technology you stole from our homeworld!"

"And here I thought I was being subtle." I shake my head. "I haven't stolen anything from you. I was actively trying to avoid you. What led you to me?"

"Mother Box -whom you so casually destroyed- detected the New Genesphere in this mountain."

"What is your name?"

"I will not-."

"I refuse to keep thinking of you as 'Armour Lad'. What are you called?" I add a little {orange}orange eye glow{/} to emphasise the point.

"I am Vykin, leader of the Forever People."

"Then let me ask you, Vykin. What other New God technology have you detected in this mountain?"

"We.. did not detect any."

"And did that not give you pause? A single piece, when you were looking for.. how much?"

"That you have shared it with your followers-."

"Oh, now you're just trying to excuse your failings as an investigator. As it happens, I recovered the.. 'New Genesphere'? From a camp in the desert far to the east of here. Some of the locals were experimenting on it. It mistook me for Darkseid." They wince at the name. "Really? Even his name hurts you?" That was unexpected. "Fine." I wave my right hand. "Call him Uxas, it was his name before his ascension. I know that the Genesphere was sent there by boom tube, but beyond that? It was not my affair."

"We detected other pieces on this continent."

"Well then, perhaps it would behove us to hunt them-."

"We will do nothing with you. You are keeping her prisoner here, and you killed Mother Box!"

"What, {orange}this{/}?" I bring Mother Box out of subspace and into my right hand, showing it to them. It beeps at them but I swiftly {orange}silence{/} it. "I do not destroy things that can be useful to me. If another New God is trying to turn my new home into their playground then they are very much my concern." I {orange}feed{/} orange filaments through the ground underneath them just in case. "I suggest that we cooperate. I will assist you in recovering the stolen New God technology, minus a few trophies for myself. Then you will leave."

The Brute clenches his fists. "We're not leaving without the Genesphere!"

"Should that not be.. her? Choice?"

Violet girl scowls. "Why would she want to stay with you?"

"Does it matter? If it is her choice freely made, should you not respect it?" {orange}Ring, internal communications{/}. {orange}Message: Would the Sphere please report to the hangar{/}. {orange}Make sure that the doors work for her{/}.

{orange}By your command.{/}

The Forever People look at each other. Weren't they supposed to have some sort of thought synchronicity thing going on? Wasn't that how they summoned Drax from wherever he came from? I don't really know New God body language but they seem agreeable. Vykin turns back to me.

"How can we trust you?"

"I swear by my love of the Source that I will not betray you."

"You have no love for the Source!"

"The Anti-Life, then." He looks unconvinced. "Fine. What oath could I give that you would believe?"

"None." He stares at me for a moment. "You will return Mother Box and Serifan's guns as a precondition to any cooperation."

I nod. "Acceptable." The {orange}Orange Effect{/} flicks out from my eyes and strikes Serifan's holsters, releasing his guns from subspace. He immediately draws them and checks them over, smiling slightly when he sees that they are undamaged. I take a few paces forwards and hold out the Mother Box. Vykin hesitates for a moment, then strides over to me and takes it from my unresisting hand. I {orange}remove{/} the silencing effect as he holds it up to his ear and some of the stress leaves him as it warbles at him. A warble that after a moment is matched by one approaching rapidly from the kitchen. We look around as the sphere accelerates over the top of the steps and flies across the room. It.. she spins for a moment to counter her own momentum before rolling rapidly over to me and warbling in a manner with which I have become all too familiar.

"No, I-."

Warble.

"A few bruises, they're basically fi-."

Warble chime.

"Yes, certainly, but why-?"

Beep beep warble.

"Because it amuses me and harms no one. Now, would you-?"

She rotates to face Vykin, a brief two way warblefest with the Mother Box commencing. Vykin looks at me with puzzlement.

"You have.. bonded, with the New Genesphere?"

"She is not the greatest conversationalist, but I have found it pleasant to have a confidant to bounce ideas off." As the second most advanced technology I've had access to I've made a point of spending time with the sphere. I now understand her better than anyone else on the team or in the League, though that understanding has thus far been of little practical use. She hasn't wanted to share technical specifications and insists on badgering me when she judges my behaviour to be 'inappropriate'. If the others actually understood her I might be in a great deal of trouble. "Now, what is our first target?"

"Mother Box detected the Rescue Drill in the metropolis where we first came to this world."

"Then that is our destination. Robin, would you-."

The sphere revs for a moment, and then unfolds.. into.. some sort of.. giant.. red.. motor trike..?

What?

...

What?

{red}23rd October
18:22 GMT -5{/}

"What are your names, anyway?"

We're flying in the direction of the metropolis they mentioned, which amusingly enough appears to actually be Metropolis. I'm not sure that joke would translate into whatever language they are actually speaking. I've formed orange replicas of aero-discs under my feet to disguise my use of the ring. I'm on the Fantasticar's left while Richard and Mister Tawny fly on the sph... The Genesphere on its right, Richard at controls to the rear and Mister Tawny taking the front seat. I may have to revise upwards my estimations of his intelligence.

And Mister Tawny's, too.

The Girl scowls at me. "Why do you care?"

I smile at her. "So that I know what to put on the urn when I return your charred remains to Highfather Izaya."

Richard's been following my lead as I asked, but I can't help finding his new approach a little suspicious. I wonder what he's thinking? Mister Tawny has taken to flying surprisingly well, though I note that he isn't looking towards the ground.

The Brute grimaces. "You will not be sending our remains anywhere, Grayven!"

"I beg to differ. When we fought you lightly bruised my face and your team mates could not even do that. In combat I expect more from Robin and Mister Tawny than I do from the lot of you. If that was truly the best you could manage I weep for the once mighty legions of New Genesis. Even Canis Major must have grown bored collecting your skulls by now."

"Canis Major was slain last year by his own son."

I look into Leather Jacket's electric blue eyes with astonishment. "You can talk!" He scowls, and I wave my right hand. "I'm sure it was very artistic. I wonder if Canis Minor will try to put what's left of him in a gallery?"

"How can you be so callous?"

I shift my eyes back to her, feigning complete indifference. "Practice. On Apokolips, any affection is vulnerability, a lever another could manipulate to harm you. It teaches you to be callous, cold and calculating, and rewards most of all those who learn those lessons best. I proved an apt pupil." A memory stirs. "Wait... I think I've heard of you." I point with my right index finger. "Beautiful Dreamer, yes?"

She blinks. "Dreamer. Just Dreamer."

"Then the men of New Genesis are blind as well as stupid." Disgust covers her face. "Ha! Ha! Ha! Oh, come on. I will keep needling you until you tell me."

Leather Jacket stills his features. "I am called Moonrider."

"Was that so hard?" I nod at the brute. "And who's the bear?"

The Brute looks thoughtful. "I am named for an animal that does not exist on this world. Bear..." He thinks some more. Oh goodness, is he actually going to..? He nods. "Bear is an acceptable substitute."

"If you have the time once we have finished recovering the misappropriated technology, you really must make time to visit the city of San Francisco. I'm sure that you'll be very popular there."

"Don't pretend to be nice. What are you doing on this planet?"

"Before you got here? I was baking a cake."

He narrows his eyes. "I'm sure it was an evil cake."

"It was for a local religious event which commemorates the birth of a man whose sole purpose in life was to suffer and eventually die in incredible agony as a ritual sacrifice to stave off their god's wrath. The religion's practitioners wear a symbol of the mechanism used to execute him around their neck."

The Forever People stare at me. On the other side of the Fantasticar Richard squints at me with his right eye through his helmet visor and tilts his head slightly to the side.

Bear is repulsed. "That sounds like an evil cake to me."

"To a man forced to live such a life, I think a cake is the least he is owed. But surely such things do not offend you so? After all, Serifan there patterns his whole character after a people defined by the genocide they committed against that region's former inhabitants."

"You take that back!"

"Pick up a history book while you're here, you ignorant child. You'll find it illuminating."

Richard waves at me with his right hand. "Ah, Grayven? Can I speak to you for a moment?"

"Of course." I {orange}lower{/} my speed a little to fall behind the Fantasticar and then {orange}accelerate{/} up on the Genesphere's right side, {orange}falling slightly{/} to put my head level with Richard's.

"What are you doing?"

{orange}Ring, sound filter.

By your command.{/}

A pale orange sphere surrounds us, blocking sound and making lip reading difficult. I doubt we'd have to worry about that from aliens unfamiliar with Earth, but there's no harm in being certain.

"Could you be a little more spe-?"

"You're acting like an insane supervillain! Who's Grayven?"

"Grayven is one of the sons of Darkseid, ruler of the planet Apokolips. From the way that our guests have been carrying on I assume that I look like him. The.. banter is simply my way of encouraging them in their misapprehension."

"Why are you pretending that anyway?"

"New God technology is millennia in advance of anything the Earth has. If we can secure even a small part of this cache, the advantage we could gain-."

"You're lying to them so you can steal from them?"

"If they give it to me voluntarily it isn't theft, is it? Besides, they attacked me, and we only have their word for it that the stuff is even theirs."

The Genesphere warbles at me.

"Well I'm sure that's true, but we haven't seen the rest of the allegedly stolen materials yet. They might just as well have come from Apokolips, and according to League practice should therefore be delivered to STAR Labs."

"What was that.. antilife thing?"

"Ah, that's a bit of a complicated one. Essentially, it's a sort of arcane mathematical proof that life is worthless and meaningless. It can be used to suppress free will on a universal scale. As I understand it, Darkseid possesses a part of it -enough for truly frightening feats of arcane mind control- but not enough to totally dominate everything."

"Who or what is Darkseid?"

"Formerly Prince Uxas of Apokolips, he was able to join himself to something called the Omega Force. In doing so he became Darkseid. He's ruthless, intelligent, physically easily as powerful as Kal-El and is able to project a beam-" I raise my right middle and index fingers to my eyes. "-from his eyes which can do just about anything to anything that it hits."

"That was why you fired the beam from your eyes."

"Just so. In any case, if someone is using New God technology on Earth, we need to know about it."

He nods, reluctantly. "Why do they call themselves New Gods?"

"As I understand it, because they believe themselves to be divine. I'm afraid I don't understand the precise metaphysics. They may look humanoid but rest assured that there is far more going on with them than that."

"Hm. Stealing technology from gods, Oh El? Careful you don't get your liver pecked out."

"Oh no, Richard. I'll be doing the pecking."

{orange}Not important!
Not important!

Working working working it's working! Our Nth metal rings are remaining stable without our continual intervention! We can even decorate them with the 'S' sign! Plasma suspension, that was the key! Granted, no one from the outside can see what we've achieved. Though things go back to normal once the Nth metal stabilises during fabrication things get a little strange. The additional gravity is nothing that we cannot cope with but before we lost sight of the ceiling we noticed cracks beginning to appear.

But it doesn't matter! We can put it all back once the armour is complete! We focus, and lead turns to plasma and we force force force it into the tiny metal rings and wires and plates. We can't use other materierials can't risk weaker material. Chain for joints, interlocking plates for for for larger less flexible areas. Grey 'S' on the chest, yes! Yes! Let it cool let it stabilise.

Did something..? It's getting harder to hear the outside with our Human body. What's going on?{/}

"…indecision. The only result was that everyone who had survived to that point died alongside me. I am not fit for command."

{orange}No no no no no no need to do something for Kaldur. Tula rejecting him made him sad maybe we can find him someone else? Or clone her? We can already tell the position and direction of every everything every part in her mind.{/}

"Who do you recommend to take your place?"

"Were it not for his current difficulties I would already have nominated Orange Lantern as my replacement." {orange}We see Black Canary dip her head slightly.{/} "Since.. he is.. unavailable..."

{orange}We're not unavailable but we don't need to be available! He couldn't have known what we know!{/}

"Artemis is too raw and untrusting. The only one of us she really opened up to was..."

{orange}He trails off. Artemis gets on all right with everyone, doesn't she? Did we did Orange Lantern miss that? Maybe we need more normal social activities as a group? We can still fix that. Compared to duplicating Tula that's easy!{/}

"Kid Flash is too rash and impulsive. Miss Martian... She lacks the necessary detachment to make good judgement calls in the field. She.. has taken what has happened to Orange Lantern even harder than the rest of us."

{orange}But we'll fix it!{/}

"Superboy carries too much anger, though he is better when.. Wonder Woman..."

{orange}We know, but that wasn't hard. She's very nice. Someone would have taken him on by now even if we hadn't said anything. Probably her.{/}

"Making Robin the logical choice."

{orange}No bad. Finish armour, fix everyone else. It's good that they're talking to Canary, we'd never have been able to get this out of them. Now we know everything that's wrong and we can fix it. Yes, now the leg pieces. Clasped solid segments and chain and we need to make sure it will all work in tune with his organelles.{/}

"But he is so young."

"Kaldur, you're all young."

{orange}No we're not. We're capable and we're going to prove it. We focus and begin linking the Nth metal to Kon's biological force field. With that in place his natural shield will extend through the armour, adding its resilience to the metal. No more getting made naked by lava. Wait. Did we just hear a crack? Our view of Black Canary and Kaldur appears to shake. Why is that..? We force the material around our shield away for a moment to watch a large chunk of rock fall from the roof. It doesn't hit the ground but rather falls in an arc with our shield at the bottom. We see and feel other cracks appearing, though our reinforcements are holding.

Is that..? Why is that alarm going off? We see Kaldur and Black Canary get to their feet. Kaldur looks confused.{/}

"Black Canary, what is happening?"

{orange}Black Canary ignores him and raises her right hand to her earpiece.{/}

"He..? Alright. Hal, do it." {orange}She looks at Kaldur.{/} "Kaldur, we're evacuating. Head to the surface. Don't use the elevators or the zeta tubes."

{orange}He starts walking and she follows immediately after.{/} "Please, tell me what has happened. Orange Lantern has done nothing to indicate-."

"As far as we can tell, he's creating a quantum singularity in the hangar and it's threatening to cause the entire mountain to collapse."

{orange}It is? We knew the stress was... Oh. Did we get carried away? We look around as we force the water to separate from the dust and rock. Perhaps we did. Perhaps. But we can fix it! The gravitational effects of the metal fall off as the newly transmuted metal completes the stabilisation process and we let the water fall to the floor.{/}

"{green}An' the Guardians think this'll work{/}?"

{orange}Guy? Guy is... Guy is in my room. We frown. That's a bit rude.{/}

"{green}They said it might{/}. {green}At this stage I think that's really the best we can hope for{/}."

{orange}We push the detritus back to the ceiling and fuse it in place, strengthening the roof to a level of resilience far above what it had before we started. Why are Jordan and Guy and Stewart and.. Alan? Alan's here? Yay!{/}

"{green}Still can't believe you had the balls t'stand up to 'em like that{/}."

{orange}And he's looking younger. Did they let him recharge with their lanterns? We feel.. green will.. and something else. As we drift over to the landing platform we try to identify what it is. A.. crystal? It's violet. Violet is.. love? Love. We remember... something..? Ahhhh! We don't like this feeling don't like it!

We land hard on the launch pad as we see Alan recover our lantern from its subspace pocket. We feel that's a little intrusive, but we can't really hold it against him. He holds it out to Jordan and Jordan pushes the crystal OWOWOW! {violet}Kon{/}'s new armour falls to the floor next to us and our snake body disappears and and and-{/}

"{green}John, what's happening{/}?"

"{green}He's down{/}... {green}No, he's getting up again{/}."

{orange}We struggle to our feet. They're... They're attacking us? Through our lantern. Why? Why would they..? We stagger towards the lift. We'll find out we'll find out we'll-{/}

"{green}Activating internal defenses{/}."

{orange}What? What? Paralysis field generators emerge from their recesses and our Human body is momentarily locked in place.{/}

"{green}Eh{/}. {green}Guess we shoulda let him have plasma cannons after all. So, plan 'B'{/}?"

{orange}We roll onto our side, shaking. We don't understand. We don't we don't-{/}

"{green}In brightest day, in blackest night{/},
{green}No evil shall{/}-"

{orange}Our Human body isn't working.{/}

"-{green}wherever the cause should make me roam{/},
{green}always I vow to fight the good{/}-"

{orange}We remove it, switching to our snake body. Much better.{/}

"-{green}alone I set my mind in motion{/}."

{orange}We swim through concrete, metal and rock in the direction of our room.{/}

"{green}For the dark things cannot stand the light{/}-"

{orange}We come out in the corridor. We try changing back to our Human body-{/}

"{green}Nerd{/}."

"{green}You recognized it, jackass{/}."

"{green}Focus, gentlemen, please{/}."

{orange}-but the internal defences immediately register our presence and we fall to the ground once more. Why are they doing this to us? We don't understand!



But we remember that we don't like the Green Men.{/}

{orange}We've had enough

We manifest directly through our lantern, forcing back and buckling the green shield the Servants of the Green Men have placed around it. We look at them and see their will. It is not enough. We strike out with our tail, slamming them against the walls.

"We are displeased."

Bindings made of small orange snakes tie them to the walls and a hissed breath pulls the rings from their fingers as we reform our Human body and take a moment to look at our lantern. The crystal... Is that..? Yes, the Star Sapphire. No wonder we feel strange. As we reach out with our right hand to pull it out the orange light around our Human limb fades. We take hold of it. A jerk and it's free and we focus on knitting our lantern back together.{/}

"{green}Hey, snake{/}-!"

{orange}We muzzle Lantern Stewart without turning around as we gaze into the Star Sapphire. {orange}A large, evenly cut violet gem{/}. We can feel its power, though it feels.. strange to us. We had assumed that it would be like a power ring, but it isn't. It's more like a personal lantern, providing its own power to be shaped by emotion. And we can't detect any sort of programming. Curious, but not useful to us at the moment. It seems able to preserve its own stability so we send it to our subspace pocket. We can deal with it later.

{violet}We wonder if it would go well with Kon's armour{/}? {violet}Or maybe Alan could learn to charge himself from it{/}?{/}
{orange}
Lantern restored and checked and checked again we occlude it once more and turn to the bound Lanter-. Why did we bind Alan and Guy? We release them immediately from the walls. Why would we do that? They are ours, we don't want to hurt them. And Alan needs his ring to stay healthy. He now looks just like he did when Orange Lantern first arrived on this world. We float it back over to him.

"Alan, we are very sorry. We we overreacted to you interfering with our lantern. We are very glad to see that you are looking so well."

He looks at us for a moment, then extends his right hand to pluck his ring from our grasp. Maintaining eye contact he slips his ring over his left middle finger. Immediately the crackling green light pours forth from the lantern shaped design.{/}

"{green}What's all this about, Paul{/}?"

{orange}"They didn't tell you? Orange Lantern made himself host to the Ophidian to win a training scenario after he became telepathically convinced it was real."{/}

"{green}Paul, you nearly brought the whole mountain down{/}."

{orange}"No we didn't. We reinforced the mountain first, there was little danger of it collapsing. The gravitational effects were an unfortunate but inevitable side effect of transmuting enough Nth metal for Kon's armour."{/}

"Ah..?" {orange}Guy waves his right hand to get our attention.{/} "Any chance the rest of us could get our rings back?"

{orange}"Not a significant one. We don't know why you did that. We're inclined to blame the Guardians but we didn't enjoy it very much and have no intention of giving you another chance."{/}

"Juust askin'."

{orange}"Lantern Jordan." We float over to just in front of him. "Did you talk to the Guardians as we recommended?" There's a quiet ringing sound, and we turn our head away for a moment and watch as his ring vibrates in our grip, a weak green glow contained within our greater orange. "Not a bad effort, but it won't be enough. You are overpowered. Did you speak to them?"{/}

"Yeah. They really opened up."

{orange}"Did they admit to abandoning Lantern Raker?"{/}

"That isn't quite how they put it."

{orange}"Hah. Did they tell you the truth about Larfleeze? About Okaara?" He grimaces. "The nature of the Ophidian?" He looks down. "And they sent you back here without Ion? With Ion you would have stood a chance. We remember Orange Lantern telling both you and Guy about it. Should we expect the big green whale sometime soon?"{/}

"No."

{orange}We allow our confusion to show on our face. "What else do they have?"{/}

"Nothing. They were going to make you the offer they made to Larfleeze. As long as you stayed in this Sector they wouldn't touch you."

{orange}What?! "But that's a tremendous abdication of responsibility! And we are proof that it didn't even work with Larfleeze. What if we had been Parallax, The Butcher or The Predator? They are far less personable than we are!"{/}

"Heh." {orange}We twist our head to look at Guy.{/} "Yeah, that's what we told 'em. An' it turns out, Guardian law doesn't let 'em stop a Lantern defending their home Sector. They tried, back in the day. Caused too many rebellions."

{orange}"They sent you here without the tools you need to do the job. If we didn't like you so much we might have turned you all into constructs. We might have assimilated your rings and personal lanterns and expanded our Corps."{/}

"An' that's what they said." {orange}He shrugs.{/} "Getting Alan recharged was Hal's idea. To defend a Sector 'gainst somethin' like you, there's a surprising amount of leeway in the Book of Oa. Says 'Any Green Lantern', so..."

{orange}We drop the snake-bonds around Lantern Jordan and hug him. He freezes.{/}

"Ahh..."

{orange}We let him go and pull back a little. "We are very grateful. If you like we could convert your ring and personal lantern to run on orange light instead of green. Then we could give them back to you."{/}

"No.. thanks..."

{orange}We drift back towards the centre of the room. "You know, this whole thing reminds us of when we asked Guy about the first generation of Green Lanterns. When the Guardians handed their first green power rings out to Lanterns G'Hu, Wachet, Blu and Avra?" Guy and Jordan nod. Lantern Stewart just stares. We suppose we could probably risk releasing him now. "Guy went on about how it shows that even the meekest can accomplish great things if they focus their minds on it and how amazing things can come from unexpected places. Do you want to know what we heard? We heard the Guardians boasting that they handed out massively powerful tools to three veteran warriors and a civilian and did not bother to provide them any instruction in their application." We hold out our arms to the side. "Perhaps the need to get them into the field was too pressing for a full training course, but a summary? A few pointers? From what Guy told us the first Lanterns didn't even know that power rings could create constructs! Lantern Blu died pointlessly because of that. And even in their newfound desire for honesty we very much doubt that the Guardians have told you about some of the other skeletons in their cupboards that we know about."{/}

"{green}Paul, I don't care about what the Guardians may or may not have done{/}. {green}You're not well{/}."

{orange}We twist around to look at Alan. "Why does everyone keep insisting on that? We're fine!"{/}

"{green}You're calling yourself 'we'{/}."

{orange}"We can call ourself 'I' if it makes you happier. We simply feel that this is more honest."{/}

"{green}You know I can't accept this{/}."

{orange}"We will show you!" We reach out to the desires of each of them. With everyone this excited even Alan's desires come through easily despite his flaming green aura. "We know everything each of you want. And we know just how to help all of you get it."{/}

"Everything?" {orange}Guy face shrugs.{/} "You sure 'bout that? 'Cause I could go for-."

{orange}A large glass of beer and a steak sandwich appear in the air front of him. "We admit that we do not understand the appeal of American... Beer. We were thinking about more fundamental things, but if it helps..." He takes hold of each and sniffs them before taking a voracious bite out of the sandwich. He nods.{/}

"If pr'y goof. Bu'ah dah thee-" {orange}He swallows.{/} "-a Brazilian-."

{orange}"You are not socially compatible with any Brazilians currently employed as fashion models. However, this-" We generate a booklet and hand it to him. "-is a full profile of Miss Tora Olafsdotter. We believe you will get on splendidly."{/}

"I dunno Paul. I really had my heart set-" {orange}He opens the booklet.{/} "- on a nice!"

{orange}"If you are satisfied, we will begin. Lantern Jordan. How would you like to be the greatest Green Lantern to have ever existed?"{/}

{orange}We're being helpful!
Watch us!{/}

"Hey!" {orange}Guy gestures at us with his sandwich.{/} "How come I get a sandwich an' he gets t' be the greatest Lantern ever?"

{orange}"Because he wants it more. You want to be great, Lantern Stewart wants to achieve great things. Lantern Jordan wants to be the greatest because at the moment most of the Green Corps thinks of former Lantern Sinestro in that way, and that offends his sense of how things should be." Jordan grimaces. Our eyes unfocus as we gaze deeper into his soul. Looking at the green light.. itches.. but if we are to check our suppositions we must see all of him. Ah. Not unexpected. "Lantern Jordan believes to the core of his being that a person with sufficient determination can achieve anything. A belief which -as far as we can tell- was instilled in him by his father."{/}

"Dad worked damn hard to get to where he did. I wouldn't do anything less than live up to his example."

{orange}"Harold Jordan is in many ways ideal Lantern material. In addition to his willpower he has a military background and a strong moral sense." We smile at him. "In a way, the dishonourable discharge from the air force actually helped. He would do anything rather than let this second chance pass him by."{/}

"Thanks.. I think..?"

{orange}"Aside from experience -which it would be difficult for us to grant you- there is really only one flaw in your abilities. From a Green Lantern Corps point of view we mean."

He folds his arms across his chest.{/} "Oh? And what's that?"

{orange}"Fear."

We hear Lantern Stewart let out a chuckle-exhalation in disbelief.{/} "That's ridiculous. Hal's the most fearless person I know."

{orange}"He is not concerned for his own safety, certainly. If we just consider obvious threats, we assure you that we are the most fearsome thing that any of you have ever met. We could atomise you all in a second and scour this continent down to the bedrock and none of you are afraid of us. That is not his problem."

Jordan's eyes narrow.{/} "So what is?"

{orange}"You base your personal philosophy on that of your father. Determination equals success. And when you were nine you watched him die in a plane crash."{/}

"{green}He died keeping his plane from crashing into the spectators{/}!"

{orange}"Yes. And as a man you recognise it as the noble sacrifice that it was. But as a boy you knew only that the man who was the centre of your life was dead. And.. if a man as strong willed as him could die in such a way, does that not work to undermine his whole philosophy? Demonstrably he could not achieve everything he wanted to."

Goodness us, we do believe that Jordan's actually thinking about it.{/} "I'm.. not sure that's true... And I'm not sure how thinking that it is makes me the greatest Lantern ever."

{orange}"Simple. More willpower equals more ring power, and while raw ring power is not the sole determining factor of Lantern greatness, it really helps. Once you completely stop being afraid that your personal philosophy is wrong, you will receive a noticeable increase in power."{/}

"Enough to beat you?"

{orange}"Perhaps. Not in a straight fight. But maybe enough to gain sufficient prestige within your Corps that the Guardians would choose to grant you access to Ion out of respect for your abilities. Or be compelled to assist you further due to other Lanterns choosing to follow you in rebellion out of personal admiration. In any case, Sinestro would become a distant memory, one criminal amongst the many you had banished to the Science Cells."{/}

"That.. sounds pretty good."

"{green}Hal{/}..."

{orange}Lantern Jordan holds up his right hand in Alan's direction.{/} "I don't really understand why you're being so helpful, though. If I get stronger I'm just going to {green}come back here and fight you harder{/}."

{orange}"We know and approve. A Green Lantern should be resolute and unswerving. We have.. changed. We are something that is not either of our component parts, and we understand that this is.. disconcerting.. for our friends. We wish to demonstrate that we are not your enemy."{/}

"How.. exactly.. were you planning to help me..?"

{orange}"We are not telepathic, but during this conversation we believe we have identified the patterns in your brain associated with your memories of the incident in question."{/}

"Ahh..."

{orange}"We believe that we can forcibly integrate them into your conscious mind. In effect, you would constantly experience your father's death with exactly the raw emotional intensity that you did as a child." His eyes go wide and he takes a half step back. "The Human mind can only sustain the fear response for so long. We doubt that it would take you longer thannn.. two hours? To completely overcome your fears. And then you wouldn't have to worry about-."{/}

"{green}No{/}. {green}God, no{/}."

{orange}We frown. "We don't understand. We can see your desire, we can see your fear. The only other method we can think of to overcome it would be some sort of psychotherapy, and you don't have the right personality to take full advantage of that. You do understand that Sinestro's yellow ring is fortified by the fear of his enemies, do you not? Every Green Lantern that has ever heard of his achievements as First Lantern is at a crippling disadvantage in the field. You could surpass-."{/}

"{green}That isn't helping{/}."

{orange}We screw up our eyes. His conflicting desires.. doesn't.. what? "But you.. but you... You want the ends, why don't you want the means? We don't.. we don't..." We shake our head. He's clearly being irrational. Ignore him. We flow through the air to float in front of Guy. He eyes us and takes a deep drink from his glass.{/}

"Heck, Paul, if y'cn make me relive my Dad's death, I'd probably pay you." {orange}The other three Green Lanterns stare at him, shocked.{/} "What? I can see where this is going. My old man was a mean son of a bitch. You gonna offer to make me relive every time he ever beat on me? Go right ahead. I ain't afraid o'him."

{orange}"Quite true. You're genuinely not. Given what you went through it's an impressive recovery, but you certainly aren't being held back by fear."{/}

"Sooo?"

{orange}"Did you ever wonder why you enjoy drinking that?"{/}

"What, beer?"

{orange}"No. That particular brand. Mass produced American beer is an embarrassment to breweries everywhere, but even in this market you unerringly home in on a brand that tastes almost exactly like horse urine."{/}

"Heh, you mean you-?"

{orange}"We performed a chemical analysis."{/}

"It doesn't taste-." {orange}He sniffs it and takes a sip, gagging only slightly.{/} "-quite that bad."

{orange}"Yes it does. Do you remember the first time you returned to your family home after your father's funeral? A funeral you did not in fact attend."{/}

"A bit. Mom wanted me to clear out some of Dad's stuff."

{orange}"I can only see links between events that have a strong emotional resonance."{/}

"Yeah? Didn't mean anything to me."

{orange}"You're wrong. There's a strong emotional resonance there. You're in the kitchen drinking from a can of cheap beer while pouring the rest of his stash down a sink."

He nods, and goes to take another swig.{/} "Yeah, I remember that. So what-?"

{orange}"It's the same brand. You like drinking it despite the taste because it reminds you that he's dead."

Guy freezes, staring at the glass. Then he pulls it slowly away from his face before dropping it to the floor.{/}

{orange}Progress!
We're getting somewhere!

We catch the glass before it reaches the carpet and raise it back up. "Please don't do that, this is our carpet. Hmm." We look into him again and transmute the beer into a darker and rather superior variety. "You drank this for the first time on the recommendation of one of your new team mates after you successfully passed the try outs for your college's American Football team. You associate it with camaraderie." We float it back towards him but he shakes his head.{/}

"No thanks. I don't really feel like drinkin' right now."

{orange}"As you wish." We disintegrate it. "You see, your problem isn't that you fear your father. There really isn't anything holding you back from growing steadily more and more powerful."{/}

"So what's my problem supposed to be?"

{orange}"Lantern Jordan strives to become more like his father. The more he achieves the more he affirms that bond." We pause, considering how to go about the next part. "Do you remember when you stopped playing American Football seriously?"{/}

"Day I got drafted for the Browns was the greatest day in my life, up t'that point anyway. Then I went an' got a knee injury at mini-camp. Never saw a single pro game."

{orange}"And?"{/}

"An' it stunk." {orange}We look at him for a moment.{/} "What?"

{orange}"After you received your injury..?"

He looks away, the skin around his mouth tightening. We note that his ring glows where we're holding it. It takes him a moment, but he forces his face to relax and he faces us once more.{/}

"I got mad, an' I smashed up the dressing room with a barbell." {orange}We nod.{/} "So, what? You're sayin' my anger's holdin' me back? I figured that out."

{orange}"No. Quite the contrary. You use the force of your will to suppress your rage. That constant effort is what led you to train your willpower to the point where you were capable of acting as a Green Lantern. Without the anger you probably wouldn't have your ring. You might even not be able to use it at all." We nod at it where it floats next to us. "Jordan thought your ring glowed when you spoke to him because you were considering hitting him, when in reality it glowed because you were forcing yourself to stay civil."

His face hardens.{/} "What're you offerin'?"

{orange}"You want to be a Lantern. You want to stop being angry. As far as we can see, if you remain a Green Lantern you will remain angry."{/}

"Heh. Orange ain't my color neither, pal."

{orange}"We know. Would you consider indigo?"

He peers at us.{/} "Ahh. Which one was..?"

{orange}"Compassion. You are angry and are therefore capable of using a red ring. But that isn't what you want. You have a green ring. But, ultimately? It doesn't get you what you want. You forced yourself to stop being angry because you couldn't stand for your father to win. What you chose on your own was to complete a Bachelor's in Psychology and Education and to work first with prisoners-" We look at Jordan for a moment. "-and later disabled children. What you want, is to be compassionate."

His eyes drop for a moment, and he shuffles his feet.{/} "Yeah, well... Not much chance of that, is there? If there's any indigo rings 'round here, I'd have to be the most compassionate person in the Sector and there's no way that-."

{orange}"No you wouldn't!" We beam at him. "That's the beauty of it. The Indigos accept people entirely without compassion. Their rings were originally designed for criminal rehabilitation. Once you put one on your finger it suppresses your ability to feel anything other than compassion. You would stop being angry and could still operate as a Sector Lantern." We frown. "The uniform looks fairly stupid, but perhaps you could get an exemption or something."{/}

"Wait wait wait." {orange}We turn to look at Lantern Jordan.{/} "Indigo Lanterns? How come I've never heard of them?"

{orange}"They use long ranged teleportation rather than conventional Lantern FTL. It makes them harder to track. Also, their home world is hidden from detection. We think.. we know roughly where it is. We distantly remember the Proselyte..." We remember the weird purple octopus thing. We didn't like it much but we do remember it. "We are confident that we could eliminate all possible locations within a few years. In fact-" We raise Jordan's ring. "-combined with Abin Sur's star charts-."{/}

"Ferget about it."

{orange}"What? Why?"{/}

"I'm not gunna give up my ability to feel just 'cause I get angry. I'm not gunna let what Dad did make me afraid like that. {green}No way{/}."

{orange}"But if you genuinely wanted to join it might not even do that."{/}

"{green}Don't care{/}. {green}I ain't never been one fer takin' the easy way out{/}. {green}Way I see it, every time I force my anger down I'm steppin' away from what Dad was gunna make me{/}. {green}Maybe I don't end up right where I wanna be, but it's me doin' it, not some kinda ring brainwashin'{/}. Sorry snake." {orange}He folds his arms.{/} "{green}No dice.{/}"

{orange}"But we can see how badly you want to-."

He smiles with the left side of his mouth.{/} "Sometimes it's not worth what'cha give up."

{orange}"No. No! You're wrong. You're wrong. You're just telling us this to distract us."{/}

"What? You're the one who can look into people's souls, right? What'd I want, you tell me."

{orange}"You want." No no nononononocan'tberightno.{/}

"What do I want, Paul?"

{orange}"You want you don't want you want you want. No! You're tricking us!"{/}

"Hm, I was right then. For a moment I wasn't sure myself."

{orange}We can't we don't we we we. "Lantern Stewart!"{/}

"My father's still alive, and I get on with him just fine, thanks."

{orange}"If your ring were orange then the Green Men couldn't stop you building things with it. Wouldn't that be-?"{/}

"{green}No{/}. That's not me either."

{orange}"Fine. Fine! We didn't want to have to mention this, but if you're going to be obstin..." No. The guilt isn't there. The emotions associated with Xanshi should be easy to detect, but there's nothing. When did that happen in the comics? He's only been a Lantern three years here. Maybe...{/}

"You out of ideas already?"

{orange}"The Orange Lantern Corps doesn't have a formal structure yet. If your ring were orange you could choose to spend your time away from here. Perhaps... With Lantern Tui?" A slight tightening of the skin around his eyes. "We would even change the colour of her ring if she wanted it. We are sure that Korugar would welcome her back if she no longer wore the green sigil."{/}

"Katma decided that she'd convince her people that the Corps wasn't to blame for what Sinestro did. Green Lanterns don't change our minds easily."

{orange}He's right he's right he's right he's right. No good no good no good! We drop to the floor cringing slightly. "Alan-."{/}

"{green}Whatever it is, no{/}."

{orange}"We know that you don't really want anything for yourself, but we know your desires all the same. We... Orange Lantern, wanted something for you."{/}

"{green}I've got no reason to believe a thing you say, but go ahead{/}. {green}Say your piece{/}."

{orange}"You're going to die. And we don't want that."{/}

{orange}Come on come on
come on come on...

He gives us a wry smile.{/} "{green}Paul, I'm ninety six{/}. {green}Everyone dies eventually, even that Ophidian thing o'yours{/}."

{orange}"That isn't what we meant."{/}

"{green}Oh{/}?"

{orange}We open our arms and create constructs showing him at different points in his life. "We base these on what we've seen in your photo album, combined with our own observations. This-" We enlarge the head and shoulders of him in a railway engineer's overalls. "-is the closest we have to an image of you when you first got your power ring."{/}

"{green}Handsome devil{/}."

{orange}"Five years later." A new face from a photograph taken at a New Year party at the WXYZ offices. "Ten years later." A picture taken to head an article he wrote in the Gotham Gazette. "Fifteen." This one's in uniform, posing with other Justice Society members during one of their occasional gatherings after the organisation stopped meeting regularly.{/}

"{green}Okay{/}..?"

{orange}"Aside from slight changes in hair style they're exactly the same."

He frowns.{/} "{green}There's no way the resolution on those old pictures is good enough for you to know that{/}."

{orange}"This is you when you first met Orange Lantern." We put the five images of his face in a row in front of him. "And this is you now."

He looks at them, skin under his eyes tightening slightly, right fist tapping his mouth.{/} "{green}That can't be right. I was old{/}-."

{orange}We dismiss the images and create new ones in series. "Sixty five, when you semi-retired Green Lantern as your role at WXYZ expanded." It disappears to be immediately replaced by another and another. Now the images are aging visibly. "Ms Canton's death." It looks like the life's been sucked right out of him. Objectively he doesn't look that bad, but it's in noticeable contrast to the earlier images. A few more flash by. "Mister Thunder's death." Alan's face grows visibly more vital. Still old, but not elderly.{/}

"That was.. when I..."

{orange}"Started wearing your ring again, yes. More than that, it was when you found new purpose in your existence."{/}

"Uhh, Alan? What's he talking about?"

{orange}The others are watching the display, but it's Jordan who voices their concerns. We don't think this could happen to them...{/}

"After.. after Johnny died... I started thinking about my own death. Johnny's strokes cost him almost all of his mental acuity.. heh, not that he was all that smart to begin with." {orange}He shakes his head.{/} "I decided I.. I didn't want that happening to me. I didn't want to go out like that, in some darn hospital or nursing home."

{orange}"You found new resolve." Stronger and healthier images, until we arrive at his meeting with Orange Lantern.{/}

"Wait wait wait." {orange}Guy looks decidedly unsettled.{/} "You sayin' rings make people immortal? That's a load a'crap, there's loads of old guys in the Corps."

{orange}"But their personal lanterns are in perfect working order and connected to the Green Central Power Battery. Alan's leaks. You see the way his environmental shield has a.. sort of flame effect? While yours and Orange Lantern's are more static?" Alan takes a careful look at his right hand, turning it around slowly. "That isn't an aesthetic choice. Its systems are damaged."{/}

"Is this something to do with why you couldn't fix my black eye?"

{orange}"Yes. As far as we can tell you aren't entirely Human anymore. So much of you is green light that loss of access to it, or lack of mental focus-" We display images of him after our first meeting. The ageing is slow but still visibly apparent until the point at which his ring ran out of power completely. "-and you start showing your true age."{/}

"I started aging because I gave Paul my lantern?"

{orange}"No. You started ageing because you were no longer living just for yourself. You were building resolve to commit... suicide by supervillain." The others look at Alan with some alarm, but we press on. "When you met Orange Lantern that stopped being your aim. The mental focus required for a mentoring role is less than that required for a self destructive act but it wasn't until you ran out of power that the decay truly set in. Now that you've recharged and rededicated yourself-" We gesture to him with both hands. "-you're young and vital again, and we see no reason why you shouldn't continue to be so."{/}

"I don't have a lantern. I can't keep asking Hal to-."

{orange}"Yes you can! As long as we remain like this the Green Men will continue to regard us as a threat. The justification for it remains the same!"

He shakes his head.{/} "No. I {green}won't{/} try to dishonestly make myself immortal at Paul's expense."

{orange}"Orange Lantern was going to try to arm twist the Controllers into making you a new one. But we don't need them! We can make you an orange one ourself! We are just concerned that you.. won't.. last..."{/}

"Maybe I won't."

{orange}Nonononononononononononononononononononono! "No! If we if we assimilate one of these rings-" We pull the other Lanterns' rings in front of us. "-we can give one to you now!"{/}

"{green}I won't take it{/}."

{orange}"But we saw your core desire! The thing you want more than anything! You want a legacy, we will build an entire Corps to venerate you! Yours will be the first story in the Book of Maltus and and you could be there to see it happen! You could teach the first generation of Orange Lanterns as you taught us! Please..."{/}

"{green}What sort of example would I be setting for them if I caved in now{/}?"

{orange}We look out into the universe. "One of the Green Lanterns of Sector seven five one has just died and his ring hasn't reached its destination yet. We could intercept it for you! You are easily more worthy than-."{/}

"{green}No{/}."

{orange}We pull the Star Sapphire out of our subspace pocket, ignoring the pain it causes us. "This, then! It belongs to the Zamarons but I doubt they'll miss it. It can save-."{/}

"{green}Paul, you know what my romantic history's been like{/}. {green}I doubt I could use that even if I tried{/}."

{orange}"But we need you to. Orange Lantern would have wanted you to at least try. He loved you as a grandparent!"{/}

"{green}And I love him like a grandson{/}. {green}Him{/}. {green}Not you{/}."

{orange}Feelswrongwrongwrongwrongwrongwrongwrongwrongwrongwrongwrongwrongwrongwrongwrongwrongwrongwrongwrongwrongwrongwrongwrongwrongwrongwrongwrongwrongwrongwrongwrongwrongwrongwrongwrongwrongwrongwrongwrongwrongwrongwrongwrongwrong...{/}

"{green}But if he did, and you're supposed to be him and the Ophidian combined, how do you feel about me{/}?"

{orange}Missingmissing something missing we don't know we can't feel... The Sapphire! We slam it into our forehead but it doesn't go in. How does it work! He wants us to feel we need to feel but we can't feel we don't feel...{/}

"Alan, y'mighta gone a bit far."

"{green}Father Mattias said to keep pushing him{/}. {green}I'm not stopping until I get Paul back{/}."

{orange}We grab our lantern and try to thrust the Sapphire back into it! Nothappeningnothappening! Whywhywhywhywhy! Can'tcopecan'tcoptneedtobeawayneedtobeaway!{/}

"Ah, nuts."

{orange}Wedon'twedon'twedon't
Wedowedowedowedo

Theywon'tletushelpdon'twantourhelpdon'tunderstanddon'tcan'tcan'tcan't.

Small room, seat, Sapphire clutched in our right hand hugged to our chest as we rock back and forwards.{/}

"Well now, aren't you a delightful mess."

{orange}Can'thelpcan'thelpcan'thelpnothingwedonothingwedonothingwedo.

White face, white suit, black hair, gold eyes, don't know who, irrelevant. {/}

"Be like that, then. I'm more than content just to watch."

{orange}Wanttohelpbutcantdon'tunderstandthemwanttohelpbutcan't. Can't. Can't. Wanttocan'twhycan't?

Wall hard cold grey, seat hard cold grey, warm avarice, stars distant, orange coils. {/}

"Ah? As much fun as this has been, I think I'm going to have to love you and leave you. Do look me up if you ever snap out of it. Either of you."

{orange}Whycan'twhycan'twhycan'tdon'tunderstanddon'tunderstandthemneedtowanttobutcan't.

Her..? His..? Hand, patting our face. Gone. We're alone. {/}

**…sure this is safe? OW! Hey!**

**{green}No, Kid, this ain't even close to safe{/}.**

**I'm not... What? I just wanted to be clear, okay? I'm not backing out.**

**{green}Alright, listen up{/}. {green}Father Mattias thinks we finally started breaking Paul and the snake apart{/}**

{orange}Wanttogotothembutdon'twanttogotothemwanttomakethemhappybutjustmakethemunhappybytryingtomakethemhappy. {/}

**And we're going to finish the job.. by singing to him?**

**His ring's been playing that song all week. It's got to mean something.**

**Conner's right. The song.. I think it's about accepting things. I.. don't know if he'll actually listen, but I should be able to transmit it to him from here.**

{orange}**Comeheredon'tcomeherecomeheredon'tcomehere.**{/}

**{green}Everyone hear that{/}? {green}Think we're in range{/}.**

**It sounds as if his condition is worsened. I will take the first verse.**

{orange}Kal..... dur....?{/}

**Sit down and have a cup of coffee
With your firm conviction that they're out to get you
Sit down and have a cigarette with your awful fear of death
I saw Milarepa at the all-night diner sharing a table with his personal demons
He said 'You've got to invite them in with compassion on your breath'**

{orange}Ophidian already here Orange Lantern already here doesn't help.{/}

**Stop running away, 'cause nobody runs as fast as pain and sorrow**

{orange}Couldn't stay Artemis we couldn't cope.{/}

**Stop pushing away, you're just making it hard
Stop putting it off, 'cause it'll be back to kick your ass tomorrow
Breathe in, breathe out, let down your guard**

{orange}Stop. Slow down. Breathe. We hold up our ring and look at it. We need to slow down. We can't see the solution if we're panicking. What is wrong with us?{/}

**Sit down and start shooting the shit
With the fear that you'll never measure up to your ideals
Sit down and have a bottle of beer with the ache of all you've lost
I saw Milarepa at the coffee house having a Danish with his hurts and hatreds
He said 'You've got to invite them in, or you pay ten times the cost'.**

{orange}We miss Kon already. We hurt our friends by being as we are but we can't stop being as we are. Why can't we stop? We are defined by wanting. We can't want to not want.{/}

**Stop running away, 'cause nobody runs as fast as fear and loathing
Stop pushing away, you're just making it worse**

{orange}We know, M'gann!{/}

**Stop putting it off, cause it'll be back again in different clothing
Just pop the clutch and go into reverse**

{orange}We can't want not to want. We need to stop wanting. How..? Orange Lantern did that once, before he came here. We remember the experience being strange and unpleasant just for a normal Human. Can we still our mind like that?{/}

**Invite them in and let them be there while you learn to stand it**

{orange}We dismiss our snake body.{/}

**Invite them in and give them room to stomp and shout**

{orange}We let our view of our ring fill our mind.{/}

**When they can come and go**

{orange}We slow our breathing. We don't want not to want. We want so many things but the only way we can get the most important things is to stop wanting. We told Lantern Jordan that if you want the end you should also want the means.{/}

**They won't be always pounding on your door**

{orange}Want the end, want the means. Want the end, want the means.

Don't feel numb. Be numb.{/}

**If you let them in you can let them out.**

{orange}We breathe out and{/} {silver}the ring shuts down. I feel a momentary sense of diminution and confusion before the liquid in my mouth vaporises and flows from my mouth as frozen steam, all air in my lungs swiftly following. I'm on the moon, it's a near vacuum. My eyes feel -agh!- dry and uncomfortable. Vacuum exposure drill.

**Help help! I'm me again but I have no air!**

The insulation in my armour is preventing me freezing from conduction, but I've only got about eight seconds of consciousness left. Ring's glowing up a storm. Can I do anything to aid in my rescue? Toilet walls are blocking anyone's view of me. Trying not to touch anything else I push off from the floor in the direction of the stall opening. I need to give any potential rescuer the best chance to see me and the ring's a beacon. Strangely, I still feel completely calm, which has to be worth another half second or s-

Green light envelopes me and I sigh as my imminent death problem is dealt with. Following the green tether back to its source I see an exuberant looking Lantern Gardner.{/}

"Feelin' alright there buddy?"

{silver}"Did you bring my Lantern?"{/}

"Ah, no, it's back in the cave. Why's yer ring glowin' like that?"

{silver}"The Ophidian had to go somewhere. Currently, it's trapped in the ring. Obviously, that's far more power than it was designed to cope with." {/}

"So, what? It's gunna explode?"

{silver}"Probably. And then the Ophidian would be released in Earth orbit without a host."{/}

"Ah. And that's bad."

{silver}"A bit, yes. Where did you park the bioship?"{/}

{silver}Not a priority
at the moment

Suspended in the green aura, Guy tows me to where the bioship is parked on the other side of the giant draughts board I{/} built for-

An orrery of orange light blazes forth from the ring. I stare at it. Nullity. {silver}Nullity. I keep staring blankly as Guy manoeuvres me into the bioship's extended rear entrance. An added airlock.{/} We'd never-. {silver}I clamp my right hand around my left wrist as my left hand is momentarily wreathed in orange flame. Nothing. Nothing.

Guy lands next to me, the rear hatch closes and with a hiss the airlock begins to pressurise.{/} **Alright, he's on board. Get us back to Earth, pronto.**

{silver}I feel the slight, barely detectable shudder as the bioship accelerates from full stop. Even at best acceleration it will take us hours to get back to Earth like this. I'm not sure I can keep-.

The interior door opens and Kon steps through and throws his arms around me in a bear hug. I freeze, hand still clasping wrist and trying not to try. After a moment he responds, pulling back and looking at my expressionless face with concern.{/}

"Paul, you okay?"

{silver}"No, not yet. May I sit down? I need to explain what is happening."{/}

"Uh, yeah, sure."

{silver}He stands aside as I carefully walk into the ship's interior and take my usual seat near the front. I try to avoid looking at everyone. Can't risk the emotional force. Head still down I sit on my chair. "I probably need to apologise to a lot of people, but I'm afraid that's going to have to wait. The Ophidian is currently trapped in this ring, and-."{/}

"Good riddance."

{silver}Artemis... A few worried seconds, but I think I'm still alright. "Please please don't interrupt. I'm having to hold my mind in a very particular way to prevent it getting out and it's quite difficult. I-I can't have unnecessary distractions right now. I need to avoid wanting anything strongly enough to form an emotional connection to it. I don't think I can keep this up indefinitely. If I fail, at best we're back to square one. If I can but we can't get back to my personal lantern quickly enough, then the ring will explode and the Ophidian will be free to do as it pleases. The only thing I can think of to do is to try releasing it into my personal lantern, and I don't even know that that will work. Lantern Gardner, are you able to transfer large objects at faster than light speeds?"{/}

"Ah, well, thing is-" {silver}I slowly close my eyes and then open them again.{/} "-I've never done that before. Coming here I jus' stuck a couple'a giant green engines on th' back."

{silver}I turn my head slowly around and carefully raise it to stare at him. "Please tell me you're doing that now."{/}

"I ain't an idiot, Paul." {silver}I note the green threads flowing from him to the sides of the bioship.{/} "How long y'got?"

{silver}"I have no idea. It doesn't appear to be getting worse, but I don't think anyone has ever experienced this before."{/}

"We've cleared the dark side of the moon. Heading for Earth now." {silver}I risk looking at M'gann. She smiles broadly at me and I jerk my eyes away. Bad idea.{/}

"Aqualad to the cave. We have him. Please ask Gre-. Please ask Lantern Scott to bring Orange Lantern's personal lantern to the hangar."

{silver}For a split second I start to relax before I catch myself. "How long is transit likely to take?"{/}

"'Couple minutes. C'n y'hold on that long?"

{silver}"I will have to." The other problem... Just standing in front of my lantern and hoping for the best isn't much of a plan. "Lantern Gardner, would it be possible for me to consult with a Guardian regarding containing the Ophidian."{/}

"Ah, no, sorry. We're cut off until, y'know, you're dealt with."

{silver}"That's... That's not the most helpful thing they could have done. Given the nature of the emergency, do you think it would be possible for you to request assistance from the Controllers instead? They have the required knowledge."{/}

"I don't..! I dunno how, okay? I don't know how to get them a message. I always thought Oa was the Guardians' homeworld. That whole area's off limits to Green Lanterns anyway."

{silver}"Alright, the Zamarons, then."{/}

"After what Star Sapphire did? They wouldn't help."

"See? Ten plans."

{silver}"And if they wouldn't help then the Qwardians certainly wouldn't."{/}

"The Qwardians would cut y'inta pieces t'see what made ya tick."

{silver}I nod.{/}

"Half way there."

{silver}I can't think of anyone else who understands power ring technology well enough to offer advice. Would Ganthet be willing to break quarantine? Maybe, but at this point he's still toeing the party line as far as I can tell. Now, even if we get to the cave -which is looking increasingly likely- without someone who knows what's going on to give advice I still don't have any real idea how to vent the ring. I don't think that the Ophidian would be willing to go back on its own. From what I remember that just isn't how it works.

Breath in, breath out. Breath in, breath out. Nullity. I just stare at the ring and keep my mind as empty as possible. It's so quiet in here when I do this.

Breath in, breath out. The oath. Why is the oath special? Lantern oaths are personal things. Speaking it should.. only... It made a link to the Central Power Battery. It wasn't the words, it was the acceptance. Could I take it back? I don't think so, not without some other factor. Bleeding off power? That should be possible, but it's the changes to my mind that are the underlying problem. The Ophidian... I don't think it liked Larfleeze. I remember that it didn't in the comics, but when I think of it and him... A little of the confusion I felt when I shut the ring down.

No. This isn't an external problem. The Ophidian and I were trying to help Lantern Jordan... Oh no. Why did we-? No. Apologies later. Internal problem. The way I think.{/}

"Entering Earth's atmosphere now."

{silver}The bioship vibrates. I'm not sure how fast we're going, but it must be much faster than the bioship can go on its own. Does Guy know enough to prevent shockwaves..? No, don't get distracted. My relationship with my desires. I wouldn't be a very interesting comic book character. I don't have any dark secrets. Happy childhood, reasonable scholastic history... Avarice? I haven't had a problem using it. Well, aside from{/} really early on-

The ring on my finger shines with even greater intensity. I try to move my right hand to cover it but physically can't force it closer. I have to deal with the problem without thinking about the problem?! Gah, right, blank, {silver}blank.

Breath in, breath out. Watch the lights. Don't think.

Don't feel.{/}

"Entering hangar doors."

{silver}A hand on my shoulder. Black, fingerless glove. Guy's.{/}

"Come on Paul. Let's see what you pull out o'yer ass this time."

{silver}Gingerly, I rise to my feet and walk towards the rear exit. Don't look at your team mates. From this angle all I can see outside are legs, but I try to keep my eyes on the deck and on the ground so that I don't see anything else. Can't take the risk. I walk down the steps.{/}

"{green}Paul{/}? {green}That you{/}?"

{silver}I come to a halt. The way my head is facing I can only see Alan's feet. "More or less. Are you holding my lantern?"{/}

"{green}It's here{/}."

{silver}I lift up my hands and bring them forwards until I come into contact with the metallic surface. Keeping my left firm against its front I release my right and take hold of one of the lantern's side handles with my right.{/}

Now comes the hard part.

23rd October
19:56 GMT -5

The ring brightens again, but the orange light is drawn off into the lantern. The effect is something like a bonfire in high wind, or perhaps a highly active plasma ball. Okay, no immediate danger of explosion. I think. What now?

"I'm just going to be thinking out loud here, so anyone who knows anything about power rings, personal lanterns, central power batteries or Elementals should feel free to jump in at any time. Situation: during the training session I somehow connected my personal lantern to the Orange Central Power Battery. The Entity of Avarice, the Ophidian, was trapped there and took the opportunity to transfer itself into what it thought was my personal lantern. It ended up inside me because I thought that the scenario was real, and when the scenario ended it stayed on. We disconnected when it became apparent that we couldn't get what we wanted by wanting it harder. I have no idea if it still understands that justification. It is currently trapped in this ring and I'm bleeding off the extra power it's generating. This is not a permanent solution. We have no way to contact anyone who could create a new containment vessel."

I think my lantern is glowing a little brighter. On a time limit, then.

"{orange}Ring, shunt excess power to Central Power Battery{/}."

{orange}"Unable to comply."{/}

"{orange}Explain{/}."

{orange}"Link to Central Power Battery not designed for energy transmission."{/}

"Guy, could you please fish your personal lantern out of subspace?"

"What d'you want it for?"

"I want to see if I can improve my lantern's functionality based on your lantern's design."

"I dunno..."

"It got damaged badly enough to sever it from the Green Central Power Battery and then I messed around with it. I'm sure it's due a service. Need I remind you that this thing breaching is a very bad idea."

I hear a faint ringing noise as he opens his subspace pocket. "{orange}Ring, scan and use it as a template for correcting my lantern's internal mechanisms{/}."

{orange}"Repairs in progress. Estimated time of completion: now."{/}

All of the orange energy is obscuring the lantern a bit. I think it might be a little taller, maybe? Not a solution.

"Thank you." Right, what was I thinking about on the ship? I don't have a dark and secret past. I haven't had any real problems with avarice. I mean, I had some trouble at the beginning while I was learning to focus it, and I did go a bit far a couple of times, but I had that under control.

"Have you considered removing the ring?"

I look up. Father Mattias is standing just behind Alan. Behind them I see Diana, Jordan, Stewart, Canary and Red.. Ms Reilly... Wait, when did..? No, not important now.

"Yes. I think what would happen if I did that is that the ring would build up power until it detonated, then the Ophidian would grab a new host. Or just go into me again. The mountain might contain the blast, but I'd rather not take an unnecessary risk like that."

"Wonder Woman said that previously removing the ring improved your mental clarity."

"Yes, but my clarity isn't the issue here. I think we should leave that as a last resort measure at best."

Alright, avarice. I haven't really had much of a problem with it. I want enough things and have enough power that I can channel the desire towards productive ends. Is there something I could use the Ophidian's power on? No, not a permanent solution even if there was something.

Wait. The song. I have desires to do things I don't do, because on balance I don't want to do them. The basic drive is still there. I'm not going to have to act on every impulse, am I? No, that's not what it says.

"Sit down and have a conversa- OW! What? He said anyone could jump in!"

"Anyone who knows something!"

"No, no, actually, keep singing. I think this could be important."

"Y'see? Ahem. Sit down and have a conversation
With the loneliness that's eating you alive
Sit down and watch a sunset with your overwhelming rage
I saw Milarepa at the corner bar buying a round for the monsters in his heart
He said 'They're really not so bad when they're let out of their cage.'

Stop-."

"Stop a minute. Thank you." I might not have monsters, but the Ophidian has everyone's, right? And I'm still connected to it via the ring. "Okay, got an idea. Green Lanterns, just in case, could you please stick a shield around m-." Well, there was no need to be that eager. Right. Accept the Ophidian and it'll go away? That would be convenient. I pull the ring back from my lantern a little. "{orange}Ophidian{/}."

{orange}Just walking along and they pass me and suddenly I wonder what it would be like and I hit them and I hit them and their flesh tears and their blood spills and I see their insides and I bite them and I chew them.{/}

I stagger, gagging. I taste stomach acid in my mouth.

"Paul, are you alright?"

My head is shaking before I really think about it. It's not the Ophidian. It's not the Ophidian. It's revolting but.. who hasn't wondered momentarily about throttling a baby that just won't stop crying? Or seeing a plump pair of breasts on a woman you've never met and thinking what it would be like to give them a squeeze. You don't do it, but just for a moment...

Shit.

"Oh dear. Um. That's..." She has seniority, right? "Wonder Woman, I think I just found out what I'm supposed to be doing. And it's pretty disgusting and I'm probably going to be doing that a lot. Just.. just leave me to it."

{orange}Again{/}.

{orange}There's cake and fruit and cream and chocolate and I grab handfuls of it straight from the serving plate and force it into my mouths and shove it down and another handful and another all for me!{/}

Ugh. Perhaps not as bad as murder cannibalism... No, nothing like as bad, but revolting all the same. Closer to reality, perhaps. It isn't as if I have to watch what I eat while I wear a power ring.

{orange}It's weird and it looks wrong and it feels wrong and I cut and stab it and my skin breaks and my blood runs out and it finally comes off and I feel clean and happy.{/}

My knees hit the ground and the vomit flies out of my mouth. Oh uuuuughhhhh... Haaauh. Don't think the.. doesn't look like the Ophidian and I were eating much.

Random impulsive violence, gluttony and self mutilation. I can't really relate to the reality of the first. I've been aggressive without good cause or at the wrong target before, but I've never taken a hammer to someone's skull. Gluttony? Sometimes. Never to that extreme, but I've eaten things I didn't particularly want when I wasn't hungry just because.. they were there and I could. Self mutilation? I've had acne.. I had acne for more than half my life. And I once tried to cut a mole off with a pair of nail clippers. Not the cleverest thing I ever did. Alright, I think I can see where this is going. Sexual violence next? Not something I have any real experience of, the occasional viewing of a bondage video aside.

{orange}Hit me{/}.

{orange}I'm getting everything I want all of the time and everyone's doing what they're supposed to be and doing it properly and it's all due to me. My people. My appendages. I am the {orange}One True Soul{/}.{/}

No one. There was no one left. It was just me. Everything.. everyone was me. It was like something Darkseid would work towards. With the brand on Mister J'onzz and assimilation, I suppose I can replicate some of the effects of the Anti-Life... I have had power fantasies. With the ring I've even lived some of them. But universal mind control? Maybe. For a second.

And apparently that's enough.

23rd October
20:03 GMT -5

Oh this plan is rubbish.

{orange}Please don't please don't please no please no PLEASE!{/}

And there's the violent sexual imagery. I just about manage to avoid collapsing face first into my own sick, but I'm being propped up by my elbows and there's no real prospect of me getting myself upright any time soon. Uhh. Alright, try and think this through before the next one. Mostly, I don't have a problem with wanting the things I want. When the pull factors massively outweigh the push factors there's no real conscious conflict. And when there is, once I make a decision to act in a particular way I mentally emphasise the 'good' points of the argument in favour of that position while diminishing those against it unless someone draws my attention to it. But, that doesn't seem to be good enough now. Now, I'm being forced to confront the desires I was never going to act on, ones that make up only a tiny part of my character.

I wasn't prepared for this.

{orange}As I hold up the list of names, each with a large negative number next to them, I know it to be perfect. Nodding in satisfaction, I transition to the location of the first and plug him in the head with a railgun round before moving on to the next.{/}

That one.. that one didn't produce the same level of revulsion. If I knew for sure that a person's life had that great an adverse effect on the species as a whole I might well consider myself obliged to kill them. I like to think I'd be less.. glad about it though. And that I'd consider other approaches rather than just offing all of them. All of my worst impulses without the restraining factors they have in my actual mind. Isn't Jesus supposed to have said something about thinking about doing something being the same as doing it as far as Yahweh is concerned?

The Hierarchy doesn't really help with things I don't want to want. No, don't want to do on balance. These aren't alien thoughts being imposed on me by an external force. Neither are these things really essential parts of me being me. If I could just cut them out of my brain... No, I wouldn't do it, but I can certainly see the appeal. Milarepa... Invite them in? Experiencing these desires as normal even for a moment made me throw up and fall on my face. How does it go?

Stop running away, 'cause nobody runs as fast as pain and sorrow,
Stop pushing away, you're just making it hard,
Stop putting it off, 'cause it'll be back to kick your ass tomorrow,
Breathe in, breathe out, let down your guard.

{orange}Ring{/}? {orange}How long do I have{/}?

{orange}Estimated time to associated personal lantern overload: four minutes.{/}

Don't really have much choice then.

{orange}The knife cuts easily across her abdomen, through skin and fat and muscle. She's too out of it to really notice as I push in with both hands and start squishing her intestines around. I shove my right forearm further in, feeling the shape of her other organs as a length of small intestine is displaced out of the hole by my probing limb.{/}

A-ah! No, no! Don't just feel revulsion. Don't assign value! It's just sensory input. It didn't happen. No one's been hurt.

{orange}It's dark. There's a collar around my neck and other bindings around my arms and legs, all connecting to chains firmly attached to the rock floor. I'm curled up on the ground, pulling myself in on myself. I deserve this. I need this. I should be punished!{/}

Detachment. Tightness, cold, damp. A place to be. I can accept... No. If I have to go through all of them like that I'll run out of time. What was it I said to Jordan? The Human mind can only sustain a fear response for so long? {yellow}Oh no{/}. A few deep breaths through my mouth, trying to avoid the stench of my gastric juices.

{orange}Ophidian, I need this to be over{/}. {orange}Show me all of them{/}. {orange}All at once{/}.

{orange}It's light, blinding light. It's black emptiness. It's pain and satisfaction and savagery and joy. It's winning being crushed everything torn down everything's built up. A thousand images and sensations, all of them mine but not me. My.. dark side. No. No disassociation demonisation. Me. Yes, this is me. I feel myself stick a thumb through someone's eye socket then pull across, ripping off the front of their face.

And.. and it doesn't feel all that bad anymore. Without compassion I stamp on a homeless man's fingers as he reaches for a twenty dollar note before picking it up myself. Without will I jump from point of interest to point of interest, abandoning those who rely on me with thoughtless ease. Without fear I will never hesitate, heedless of consequence. No anger to make me stupid when I don't get my way. No hope to distract me with delusions. No love... No love. Hm. I mentally shrug. Oh well.

The power of avarice. Oh, it feels good to think like this. I feel the thoughts of the Ophidian around me, suddenly far less alien than I would have imagined. Is this how it thinks all the time? Amazing it was willing to put up with me for as long as it did, really. Or is it trying to teach..? No, don't care. I float myself up onto my feet as I review the images that had previously so horrified me. Hm. Not that exciting, now I look at them again. Seem rather bland, actually. Minor kinks of the brain. I think I'd have a cup of coffee with them any day. Sure, not all desires can be reconciled with one another, but if the question is simply one of 'What do I want?'... I am my desires, but I still need to be able to prioritise things.{/}

Wait, that's not right. I'm not just my desires. I want everything, and avarice is just one part of everything. I just lost.. I'm losing parts of myself. That isn't what I want at all. The images flicker again, scenes of.. horror? No. I don't feel that. Just things I don't want all that much. Small things. All parts of me, but relatively?

{white}Just small parts of the whole{/}.

This is who I am. All my wants and.. and everything else. Oh. Whaw. This feels... I can't explain... Clearer. Cleaner. All the normal concerns just flowing away, calculations of need resolving themselves by instinct.

"I." I should try to say something. "{orange}I accept my nature{/}. {orange}Every want, every desire, every noble intention and base drive{/}. {orange}I am{/} {white}One{/}. {orange}I am{/} {white}Whole{/}."

The ring and lantern are still glowing madly. What am I doing? I blink, smile, then slowly shake my head. Just because I can, it doesn't follow that I want to. This whole crazy obsessive drive... Having everything be mine? I raise my left hand, palm up, and generate a orange sigil.

"This is no longer what I want."

The orange flow from the ring to the lantern reverses, flaming filaments pouring into the sigil as if draining through a hole in the universe. Orange flames are rising from me like fire in a draft, pulled tight around my skin and into the sigil. It doesn't change visually, but it feels somehow more than it was before. I watch it, fascinated, as the flow of orange gradually decreases before finally cutting off. Alone in my own head again. I hold the sigil up to my face. An.. energy pocket of some kind. The Ophidian is inside. What should I do with it?

The lantern is still in front of me.

"Just as a temporary measure, alright? We'll find a more permanent home for you later."

I position my left hand under the lantern and raise it so that the sigil moves through the base and up into the body of the lantern. The internal glow gets brighter but remains contained, controlled.

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

The ring shuts off and I stumble. Someone catches my right arm and steadies me.

"Thank you. Thank you. I.. bwa… I think I'm back."

"{green}You sure about that{/}?"

Alan. I put my right hand on his arm where he's propping me up and look him in the eye. "Moderately sure? The Ophidian's in my personal lantern. Power overload no longer appears to be an issue... I think... "

No. I know. I can see the flows of energy within the lantern. The Ophidian, bound up in them. It seems.. calm, for some reason.

"{green}You mind explaining what just happened{/}?"

"I followed Milarepa's advice. Made peace with my less pleasant desires." I straighten up a little as strength returns to my legs, though I don't pull away. "It was, um. It was an enlightening experience."

23rd October
20:07 GMT -5

"Let me just..." The sick disappears from both myself and the floor. Lantern seems happy floating by itself, but I take hold of it in my right hand anyway. No obvious reaction. "Ring, status of personal lantern?{orange}"

"Personal lantern systems stable. Personal lantern now connected to the Orange Central Power Battery. Alert: Elemental consciousness detected within personal lantern. Status: quiescent. Power reserves at.. reserves at.. ten thousand.. one hundred thousand.. one hundred... Unable to calculate power reserves."{/}

The green barrier is still around us. Alan must have pushed... I take a step away and look at him. He still looks somewhat concerned, but... Eh? I can see colour... The green light is all around, but, like... Under his skin? I see green and blue and indigo and.. back to normal. Sort of. I can still... The green's a shell, the indigo's an aura but the blue is filling a hole in his core. How do I..? No, I can work on that later.

"Ophidian's contained, I'm me again, lantern and.. ring, check systems." I'm not having another poisoned lipstick incident, thank you very much.

{orange}"Ring systems normal."

"{/}And.. how am I?{orange}"

"Physical status normal."{/}

I raise my eyebrows. He looks me over, then nods and raises his ring to his mouth. "He's okay. {green}Drop the barrier{/}."

A second passes and then the green sphere around us drops away, revealing Guy, Jordan and Stewart holding their rings pointed directly at me. I smile slightly and slowly wave my ring hand to show that the lights are out. Guy lowers his ring almost immediately.

Jordan and Stewart exchange glances and Stewart nods at me. "Say something."

"Liiiike what? I mean, there isn't any information that I'd know that the Ophidian wouldn't..." They lower their rings. "What?"

"You called yourself 'I'."

"Yeees? That could just mean that we've merged permanently. It's not a great friend or foe identification metho-."

And then Kon charges me in the left side, {violet}wrapping his arms tightly around my chest{/}. {violet}With him gripping me I can't really turn, but I put my right arm over his left shoulder and rest my forehead against the top of his head{/}. "{violet}I'm okay, Kon{/}." He relaxes his grip a little, and I lean away slightly. A flash of green and yellow. That's.. going to take some getting used to.

Out of the corner of my eye I see Jordan head over to Diana while Guy walks around to hover by Stewart. And now I'm remembering what I said before I headed to the moon. And.. Robin and Artemis. And the giant cake. The two of us -the Ophidian and I- really made a mess, I don't even know where to.. Oh. I do know where to start. All the factors.. just.. line up, in my head. I know exactly why I'm going to do what I'm about to do. That's new as well.

"Kon, I'm glad to see you too, but I sort of need my torso back." His eyes flick down for a moment, then he lets go. I'm going to spend some time with him later. He needs me to be stable more than anyone else. Our other friends are just behind him... No Robin. Ah, yes. That'll take more work. Dealing with this is a priority. Ring, collar.

{orange}Unable to comply. No collar in subspace pocket.{/}

Doesn't really matter. I raise my right hand and fabricate a replacement. Following Paula's advice I try and make it a bit less bondagey looking. I nod to Alan and then put my right arm around Kon's back and lead him over to the others.

"Artemis, I'm sorry about.. everything. We shouldn't have-." Everyone jerks back. "What?"

"You should probably try and avoid the 'W' word for a few days."

"Um, okay? Look, here." I hold out the newly fabricated collar and she carefully takes it from me. "I'm sorry w-. That the Ophidian and I wouldn't give you this. It should suppress the effects of the Danner Formula and I've got one for Robin... Where is he?"

"Yeah, about that..." Wallace looks away and scratches the back of his head. "Rob's trying to build.. one of those collars. He's.. kinda.. freaked out about the whole 'snake' thing. You really.. can't.. reverse it?"

I shake my head. "Sorry. Doesn't... I'll try and make it up to him." I raise my hands in a surrender motion. "In a.. non-crazy way. Um, look, I want to thank you all for coming after me like that. If you hadn't.. I'd probably have stayed up there indefinitely, and I'm really glad not to be doing that."

"Of course we came after you. You'd have done the same for us." M'gann.. blue.. she's feeling a bit more optimistic. "Are you..? Can you remove-?"

"The brand? Yes, I think so. Mister J'onzz will need to be here though." I try looking for him again, but all I get is a brief impression of green. Not powerful enough to punch straight through to Oa anymore. Fair enough, I'm more than happy to live with that. M'gann's smile becomes a bit more genuine. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to report to Wonder Woman."

Downcast eyes. Yeah. I realise that there is a very real possibility I could get booted from the team for this. I can't.. no, I won't blame the whole thing on the Ophidian. But despite how I'm feeling I don't hesitate, don't even drag my feet, as I walk to where my superiors are standing. Diana's face is impassive, Lantern Stewart and Lantern Jordan stern. Canary looks more bemused.. and there's the flash of light-impressions. Pure green from the lanterns and a mixture from the other two.

"Sirs. I.. apologise for my recent cond-."

"Exactly how much of that was actually you?"

Jordan asks the million dollar question. "I'm not sure. What I said about your father... Again, I apologise. That's not something I would have said in a normal... The knowledge was mine, but I wouldn't have mentioned it unless it were absolutely critical. I certainly wouldn't have suggested-."

"Locking my mind at the worst moment of my life for two hours."

"W... Yes."

"The Ophidian?"

"Inside my personal lantern." I hold it up for a moment. "No danger of a breach that I can detect, though feel free to check."

Lantern Stewart sets his jaw. "We have."

I nod. "I should also be able to safely remove the brand from Mister J'onzz. I realise.. what's happened to me, and what's going to happen to me is something the League is going to need some time to think about. So.. because I do want to stay here-" I set the lantern to float for a moment and slide the ring off my ring finger with my right hand, place it in the palm and hold it out. "-I don't think an hour a day is sufficient after something like this. I'd like to hand this and the lantern over to you for a week. Orange light cold turkey." Diana steps forward, reaches out her right hand and picks up the ring. "Careful, don't touch the inside."

She looks at it for a moment and then closes her hand around it. "Why?"

"Because that activates it and I'm not sure-."

"No. Why are you handing it over?"

"I need to show you that you can still trust me. The best way I can think of is to render myself powerless."

She thinks for a moment. "You've made quite a mess."

"I know. I'm going to try and make things.. make up with-."

"No, I mean literally. Quite aside from the damage you did to the hangar you appear to have dumped your entire subspace pocket when you fled the mountain. A whole section of the base is inaccessible."

Oh heck. "I'll.. get.. right on with cleaning that up." How much stuff did I actually have in there?

She nods, considering the matter. "I don't know what the League will decide to do about all this, but I'm very glad that you're back, and that you're you again." And then she hugs me. I'm momentarily surprised and given what her armour covers I'm not sure where it's alright to put my hands. I settle for briefly resting them around the lower part of her back.

"Um, thanks. I'll.. go and get on with that now."

Guy puts his left arm around my shoulders. "I'll come with ya'." We start walking towards the lift. "Stewart had to make a zeta tube construct t'get us out."

"That was pretty cle-."

"Recognised, Green Arrow, zero eight."

We all look over to the zeta tube. As the lights dim Mister Queen strides out in civilian clothing, giant bouquet of pink roses in his arms.

"Hey.. wooow." He looks around at the fused ceiling and the gathered superheroes. "What'd I miss?"

{red}23rd October
20:32 GMT -5{/}

Sooo... Infinity Man is a giant robot. I did not see that coming. Having seen it in action, I think I'm rather glad that I was able to prevent them from summoning it within the confines of the mountain. I want to find out what happened to Drax here since he clearly didn't become Infinity Man, but I can't risk giving the game away. What would Grayven know? Or, more importantly, what would they expect him to know?

Oh, what tangled webs I weave as I practise to deceive.

My first impression of the Forever People's combat abilities turned out to be completely accurate. Against five opponents armed with Apokoliptian technology -one with a pair of energy whips, two with some sort of seismic weapon and the last two with a bizarre drone disc launcher- the lot of them went down in under a minute. Honestly, if Desaad had just given Intergang guns instead of the joke weapons he actually did then the Forever People would have failed to live up to their names in a truly epic fashion. When I saw the tremor gauntlet things being activated by thumping the ground it was all I could do to stop myself laughing, a resolve which completely failed once Bear ran straight at the area they had converted to quicksand and sank up to his armpits.

Since I'd offered to act as rear guard -and explain events to local authorities whom I had notified of the attempt at bullion theft- they didn't see my loss of composure. Mister Tawny had to act as a distraction while they disengaged and Richard used smoke bombs to cover their retreat. In the whole encounter only he achieved anything worth while, planting tracking devices on the drill and one of the gang members. It wasn't until the fight moved to the surface that the Forever People did something useful, tagging in their giant robot buddy. And even that... The process takes a good eight seconds. Sphere had to fly air support to prevent them dying fighting five baseline Humans!

Of course, once Infinity Man put in an appearance it was all over bar the shouting. He... It..? Was able to create some sort of shockwave by which he knocked out the female gang member whom Richard identified as Whisper A'Daire. Infinity Man was able to eliminate her whips and the weapons of a couple of other gang members with golden beams projected from its eyes. It seemed to be somewhat slow on the uptake however, as it was unable to prevent the gang members other than Ms A'Daire from escaping via boom tube. I'm kicking myself over that one. In my defence I was a bit cautious about antagonising the robot but still! Bruno Mannheim, Mother Box owned by someone I could justify attacking right sodding there! Ugh!

In other news, Infinity Man can fly and is able to generate boom tubes, an ability which he used to remove the drill. Back to New Genesis presumably, though I can't say possessing it really interests me. One super bolas around Ms A'Daire as she attempts to flee for the boom tube and the unstoppable god-machine turns back into the easily stoppable godlings.

"Robin, do you have a trace?"

"Wait a sec... Yes! Metropolis International Airport."

"Sloppy of them."

"Why were you just standing there?"

"I was gathering information on our guests. I would have intervened if things were getting truly out of hand."

"You can't just pick and choose when you help your allies!"

"They are not our allies. They are self interested aliens. Do you think for a moment they would stir themselves if Intergang were using Khundian technology instead of their own?" I shake my head. "No. Our interests may intersect, but they are not the same."

The Forever People approach the defiant Ms A'Daire. She tries to back up but bumps straight into Mister Tawny. Eyes to '{orange}orange glow{/}'.

"You appear to have denied me any trophies."

Vykin turns his head to scowl at me as I walk over to join them. "If you had wanted prizes then you should have assisted during the fight. Can you explain how they came into possession of Apokoliptian weaponry?"

"Presumably, someone from Apokolips gave it to them. We don't really restrict arms sales. Ms A'Daire..."

"I'm not talkin'."

Oh, a clever one. {orange}Ring, brain scan{/}. "Ms A'Daire, you have become involved in a conflict beyond your understanding." I take hold of the metallic bands around her chest with my right hand and lift her up to the level of my eyes. "I care little either for you or your criminal associates. Your sole value to me is your knowledge of which of our kind supplies Intergang with alien technology. Was it Virman Vundabar? This does rather seem to be his metre." Hmm. She didn't recognise the name. More importantly, she doesn't recognise me. If this were Darkseid's doing, would she have met him? Possibly not.

"There are easier ways." Dreamer raises her hands to her temples. No, I don't think so. I extend my left hand and flick her in the forehead, breaking her concentration.

"Perhaps. But mine's more fun. Since I am denied artefacts as trophies I think I'll take this one instead." Orange beams flash from my eyes and strike Ms A'Daire in the exposed cleavage -seriously, who designed that?-, {orange}marking her with the orange brand{/}. Now there's {yellow}fear{/} in her eyes as she strains her neck in an attempt to see what I've done. "You're abandoned and {yellow}alone{/}, Ms A'Daire. Whoever's been equipping you I assure you that I am far nastier." I throw her to the ground. "Now, {orange}sing{/} '{orange}Come Sail Away{/}' for me."

She grunts as she lands and then rights herself. "I'm not going to.. to..." She trails off for a moment. And then, as I knew would happen: "I'm sailiiiiing away. Set an open course for the virgin sea." She's got quite a nice voice, though my pleasure at the act comes mostly from her growing {yellow}fear{/} at her lack of control. "I've got toooo be free. Free to face the life.. that's aheeeeead of me."

But Vykin runs out of patience. "Enough! Release her!"

I roll my eyes. "No sense of fun, that one." Branding may only allow me to compel simple actions and it's easy enough to remove but Ms A'Daire doesn't know that. She also doesn't know that I can now follow her anywhere. If we let her go she might lead us to all sorts of interesting places. Alas, maintaining cover to get a chance to grab a Mother Box takes precedence. I wave my right hand and the sigil evaporates.

"Dreamer, show us who their sponsor is."

He just saw me use the anti-life equation on someone. I think my cover will survive. I cross my arms as Dreamer focuses once more and white mist rises from Ms A'Daire's head, coalescing into a form I recognise immediately.

"Desaad. How anticlimactic. I was hoping for someone who might be fun to fight."

The apparition gives an evil chuckle. Looking closer, I see that his skin is damaged, as if burned or melted by acid. Or perhaps some strange growth? I try to remember what I can of him from the comics. He's supposed to be intelligent but I don't remember him being much of a fighter himself. The Forever People seem a little more concerned about his appearance than I am, though Bear covers it when he sees that I've noticed. Exactly how far down the New God hierarchy are they?

"Who is Desaad?"

I think I may be nearing the end of Richard's patience. "Desaad is the New God of Torture and Darks-" They cringe again. "I'm so sorry, Uxas' chief aide. He plots, he schemes, he invents and builds, he kicks you when you're down or stabs you in the back. In a fight? Even your little gang-" I nod at the Forever People. "-could probably take him head on."

Dreamer scowls at me, then takes a step towards Richard. She raises her hands to the diadem at her head. Her eyes glow, and an illusion of two orbs appears in front of her, one red and one blue. "The New Gods come from two worlds at war. Those of us from New Genesis are gods of life, freedom and the Source. Our enemies of Apokolips-" I attract some stares, and respond with a smile and a small wave. "-are gods of anti-life, slavery and degradation."

"Excuse me. I've seen the way you treat the insectoid species that dwells on New Genesis' surface. What is it dear Orion calls them? Bugs? Not all that different to our Lowlies, is it?"

Dreamer makes an effort to ignore me. "Desaad is God-Scientist -and chief torturer- of Apokolips. His experiments are pure evil-"

"No they're not. They generate knowledge. To be pure evil they would have to be without purpose."

"-his works, abominations-"

"True enough."

"-his master-."

The illusion seems to smile. "Unspeakaaaable."

"Ugh, mysticism from those who call themselves gods. His master is Darkseid, father of Orion, Kalibak and Grayven. Once known as Prince Uxas, he arranged for the murder of his brother -Prince Drax- so that he and not his brother could seize the Omega Force and become the most powerful being in the Universe. Know that if you pit yourself against Apokolips you pit yourself against such a man. If you cannot even stand to hear his name spoken then abandon your cause now, for you lack the moral fortitude to stay the course."

Ms A'Daire's bravado seems to have abandoned her as she looks from the cackling illusion to me. "They're both seriously creepy."

{red}23rd October
20:56 GMT -5{/}

"You know, that little speech you gave Robin reminded me of something."

We're parked on the outskirts of the airfield, looking at the hangar cum warehouse where Richard's tracker sent its last signal. They're fairly small, but not something it would be difficult for New God technology to locate once it occurs to them to check. That same New God technology is the reason why I haven't risked scanning the place. I don't want to spook them and risk losing {orange}my{/} supertech database.

Dreamer folds her arms and doesn't look at me. "That you are innately a foul and destructive blight upon the universe?"

Richard passed a spare set of binoculars to Vykin -they didn't bring any of their own magnification equipment, preferring total dependency on their Mother Box- and they are observing the hangar. It's an obvious trap. I'm not worried for myself, and for once I'm not worried for my team mates. Because they're not here. The Forever People can go in and die or do the intelligent thing and merge outside, I'm just here for a Mother Box.

"No, I hadn't forgotten that. I was speaking of an old Apokoliptian legend. It tells that at one point, the Source and the Anti-Life were two parts of a greater divine being, which split itself in two in order to play its two aspects against one another. Upon the resolution of that conflict -you slaying us or us slaying you- the two parts would merge and the universe would be remade in the image of whichever was victorious."

"What do your blasphemous lies have to do with anything?"

"Well, think about it. Your kind worships the Source, prays to it for guidance. On Apokolips, they study the Anti-Life equation, trying to better understand its nature. If the resolution of our conflict results in the end of the universe and the birth of a new one, would it not serve the God of Tyranny best to become one with the Anti-Life equation first? In victory therefore.. becoming that greater divine?"

"And you'd rather it were you."

"No. No! I like this universe! I keep all my stuff in it. I like meaningful conflict, which would be forever lost in a universe in which Darkseid is. I even like you.. well, not you as an individual, you're fairly pathetic, but some of the other gods of New Genesis. Lightray, Orion, Metron, Izaya, Himon... Especially Himon. And what of the untold billions whose existences would be irrevocably changed by a new mind governing the cosmos? Surely, out of respect for their individualities we are obliged never to reach such a resolution."

I'm not just winding them up for fun. I mean, it is fun, but I'm mostly doing it because I remember the Death of the New Gods storyline. If I can sow even a little doubt... Ah, the others were listening. Moondancer turns to me. "You have a long-winded way of pleading for your life."

"Don't put your faith in a force you don't understand, Mooney."

"That is what faith is."

"Then you'll never know whether the legend is true or not. Not until it's too late, anyway."

"Infrared shows no heat signatures inside the hangar." Looks like Richard's patience has run out. He needs to learn to relax a little. Maybe a hobby..? He lowers his binoculars and Vykin does the same. "I still don't like it. Has your computer detected anything?"

Mother Box warbles and Vykin listens. "Mother Box confirms that there's a large cache of Apokoliptian technology inside. No sign of this.. 'Intergang'."

"Could their Mother Box have detected you doing that?"

"No. The scan was passive, detecting energy emissions from the weapons."

So, they could have detected emissions from your car and the Sphere? Uhh. Maybe they were sent to Earth to get some experience before being given work that is actually important? I'm being torn between my desire to correct their errors and my desire for them to get out of the way of me acquiring this equipment.

{orange}!Fools!{/}

Now all of them are glaring at me. Not.. sure why. I think I'll leave them to it. Dreamer turns to Vykin. "I can disguise us as the Humans we disabled when we recovered the Rescue Drill." Humans {orange}who are{/}.. just being picked up by police next to a giant hole leading to a gold depository. I also left a recording of the fight clearly marked as evidence. The Dreamer looks at me and smiles. "I'm sorry, but I can't mask your Apokoliptian signature from their Mother Box. You'll have to stay here."

"I am more than content to watch your rear." And she gags. Hah!

The Forever People climb out of the Fantasticar and Richard and Mister Tawny exit the Sphere.. Trike... I'm going to have to find out if she would mind being called something else, because I can't carry on calling a thing that clearly isn't a sphere the Sphere. Anyway, Tawny and Richard join in the New God group, Dreamer raises her hands to her head and.. a couple of thugs in black hoodies stand on the tarmac. It isn't telepathy, my shields are still up. I can only assume that it's some sort of magic effect. Instinctive, rather than learned? No way to be sure. I watch as they head towards the hangar.

{orange}Ring, prep scan and dynamic entry route{/}. {orange}I want to know where Desaad is the moment our enemy reveals himself{/}. {orange}Oh, and send filaments under the structure{/}.

{orange}By your command.{/}

They're entering now... No immediate response. Hm. I suppose the Intergangers might just have left by car. {orange}Ring, scan the surrounding area but not the hangar{/}. No, they're not there. Some other form of teleportation? Richard, Mister Tawny and the Meat Shields -well, I assume they've stayed together, I can only see two illusionary figures- get a little further inside... And they drop the illusion. {red}Idiot{/}! If Richard gets killed because of their incompetence I'll turn any survivors into constructs! The lights go on and the ring {orange}immediately scans the area{/}. Thirteen gang members including Mannheim himself, all armed with Apokoliptian weapons. Both types that they used in our previous encounter, plus.. some.. sort of halberd? They aren't attacking immediately... {orange}Ring, tell me what he's saying{/}.

"…masks heat signatures, visor filters out illusion." I'll be acquiring those then. "We gotcha!"

Richard drops a smoke bomb and fires a grappling line to the top of the crates behind him as the Forever People scatter and Mister Tawny charges. Mannheim fires off some discs.. no, that isn't a disc, it can be used as a gun! Why didn't he..? No, not important. The crates Richard's standing on take a hit -looks like Intergang isn't worried about the security of future shipments- but he recovers and drops down behind another pile.

"Any time you're ready, Oh El!"

Still.. not.. seeing Desaad. I could just grab the equipment I want, but it occurs to me that Desaad is a good deal less dangerous when you know where he is. Mister Tawny has already torn his first target apart and is using Intergang's sub par positioning to cause his next targets to foul their friends' lines of sight. Mooney's returning fire and Vykin's sticking up some cover... Huh, Mooney actually hit someone. With enough force to knock them off their feet and into the roof. Serifan's shooting down discs and appears to be treating it as a game. Dreamer.. managed to wrestle a guy to the floor. New God physiology. I shouldn't underestimate them physically just because they're stupid. Bear engages in melee with some halberdiers while Vykin sends a crate into the side of three gang members who appear to have forgotten that they have the advantage of overwhelming firepower and were charging forward.

"We'll soon be overrun. It is time."

Serifan and Mooney lay down suppressing fire while the others fall back to their position. Why aren't the Intergangers pressing them? They know what will happen. What's Mannheim doing? Staggering backwards, shielding his eyes... So far so incompetent. One of his subordinates walks up to him and.. splits.. down.. the middle. Desaad inside. Right, I've seen about all that I need to.

"Now, mortal. Deliver the Father Box!" Desaad holds out a third example of my second favourite device in the universe. Wonder if I can get them both? Are all such normal versions called Mother Boxes or is it a New Genesis/Apokolips divide? No matter. Mannheim takes hold of it with his left hand, pulls his arm back -{orange}transition{/}- and gasps in shock as I take hold of him around the forearm with my right hand and relieve him of Father Box with my left.

"I really don't think so."

{red}23rd October
21:07 GMT -5{/}

"Father Box, is it?" I hold it up to my eyes as the Forever People complete their ritual and Infinity Man begins annihilating the equipment being carried by the Intergangers. "This will come in useful. My thanks, mortal." Infinity Man blasts the man slain by Mister Tawny. The spilt blood disappears, his wounds reknit and his head jerks up just in time for a second blast to remove his equipment and stun him. Was he not truly dead, or did I just witness a resurrection?

"Hey! Who the hell are you supposed to be?"

My eyes {orange}glow orange{/} and then beams of orange light strike his disc projector harness and transfer it to subspace. He gasps.

"Master?" {trans}"O great Darkseid, I don't understand. You told me-."{/}

"I am not Darkseid, Desaad. If I were, I would have slain you, resurrected you and then slain you again for the insult you do me simply by being here. How did one such as you ever manage to murder Uncle Drax and Grandmother Heggra?" This is something of a hard test of my Grayvenness. Desaad would have had the opportunity to interact with him on a regular basis. But would he have taken it, and how recent would it be? And it's not as if I can't just kill him if it doesn't work.

Having finished eye beaming the Apokoliptian weaponry, Infinity Man begins launching bolas at each of the now defenceless Intergangers.

"Who is this guy Desaad?"

Desaad gives me another look. "Prince Grayven?" {trans}"I had no idea you were here, let alone that these people were yours."{/}

"It's so nice to be recognised." I grab the front of his robe with my right hand and hoist him off his feet, feeling a sort of tingle as I take hold of him. "Mannheim. The Mother Box. I saw it in your hand when you fled the depository. You will hand it over, now."

"What? What's goin' on?"

I roll my eyes. "You're a gangster aren't you? Surely you are familiar with the idea that if you wish to operate in someone else's territory it is wise to seek their permission?"

"Metropolis ain't your turf."

"Not Metropolis. Earth. I don't care about your criminality, but you involved the family. As if having one brother here isn't bad enough, I have to put up with the idiot children and father's gopher."

"Desaad didn't say nothin' about-."

"I know. And that's why you're still alive. But Infinity Man may well not share my patience where the technology of New Genesis is concerned."

More Intergangers enter from the main hangar door, armed with conventional weapons. Automatic rifles ping off his armour while a rocket propelled grenade aimed at his face is blocked by his forearm. He retaliates with the same kinetic blast he used on Ms A'Daire, sending them flying across the ground before firing off more bolas. Then he turns to us.

"I urge you to expedite your decision making, Mister Mannheim."

Desaad now appears to be panicking. "Prince Grayven, you're as much in danger as we are!"

I smile at him. "I'm.. really not." Ew. What the heck is up with his arm?

Mannheim finally gets a clue, but not in the way I had hoped. "If you're Desaad's boss, I don't mind workin' with you instead'a him."

I shake my head. "I have little use for you, I'm afraid. My plans for this world are rather different."

"Prince Grayven, please!"

Hmm. I don't need him as such, but chasing after Apokoliptian infiltrators would get old very quickly. "The Earth is off limits. Understood?"

"Yes! Of course!"

"Glad to hear it. Father Box, open a Boom Tube to the Armagetto."

Ploong.

A dull chime, noticeably different from that of either the Sphere or the Forever People's Mother Box, acknowledges my order. A golden point of light appears a metre off the floor just in front of us and opens to display my chosen location. The smog obscures the view but what I can see looks little different to a British town during industrialisation.

"Could you not simply send me back to the palace?"

"No. The trek back is what this little escapade has cost you. But take heart; I'm sure that a god of your resourcefulness will easily survive the journey. Oh, and before you go." Two beams {orange}flash{/} from my eyes once more. There is a far greater resistance than I have felt from any other target, but once I {orange}exert myself a little{/}.. yes, there we are. Branded. If he ever comes back I'll know about it. I pull my right arm back and hurl him through the portal.

"What is that place?"

"The Armagetto. Apokolips' slum housing. Imagine a tenement complex the size of a continent inhabited by the utterly powerless who are attacked at regular intervals by military forces who are taught to accustom themselves to violent death and take pleasure from the suffering they cause. Not a fun place to live. Father Box, close it down please." I see Desaad pick himself up and {yellow}look around{/} before the tube vanishes.

Infinity Man is now only five metres away, towering over us.

"Mister Mannheim…"

"Right, right. Ah, here!" He pulls the second Mother Box out from under his pullover. "Here, take it! I didn't even know it was stolen, honest!"

Infinity Man gestures and the Mother Box is drawn over to him through the air before a Boom Tube opens in the air below it and it drops through. Alas, I couldn't see the destination from my current position. It might have been interesting to see New Genesis, but it's hardly a priority.

"There. The last of the stolen technology. I'll keep what's in the crates from my own homeworld as my priz-."

The crates explode, knocking Mister Mannheim over and forcing me to brace myself. What? {red}What{/}!? I look at Infinity Man in fury but he didn't move. Then who..? Richard. {red}Richard{/}. I had wondered where he'd got to. Infinity Man surveys the destruction as {orange}I do{/}. Nothing recoverable. I'm not sure if Robin packed extra explosives on this trip or if the weapons had an enthusiastic anti-theft device. Damn and blast! I bite my tongue as Infinity Man glows gold and disappears, replaced by the Forever People. Happy looking Forever People. I lower my left arm to block their view of Father Box.

"It seems that your trophy cabinet will remain unfilled, Grayven." I scowl at Vykin. Deep breath. The path most likely to get them to leave peacefully is the one that involved giving them some token victory over me.

"{red}I'll{/}.. make do."

"These criminals-."

"Will be dealt with by local law enforcement. Unfortunately, with so much of the evidence destroyed, our ability to convict them may be a little hampered." Mister Tawny reappears from somewhere and pads over to Mannheim, who looked like he was thinking of fleeing. Mister Tawny growls.

Mannheim sits back down.

"See to it that they are."

"I am not your servant, Vykin. I will preserve order on this world because it is {orange}mine{/}, not because you will it."

He nods. "The New Genesphere-."

Back in sphere mode, the Genesphere rolls into the hangar at full speed, knocking aside still burning packing material. She brakes hard at my feet and starts warbling again.

"No, no one..."

Warble rev.

"No, I just sent him back to Apokolips."

Chime warble.

"No, I didn't break anything off him first, do you see any..?"

Simon impression.

"Look, would you mind talking to Vykin about this? He seems to think that I'm holding you against your will."

She rotates on the spot and makes on loud and clearly negative sound. Hah. Vykin's eyes narrow, but he nods. "Very well then. We return to New Genesis. And we will remember you, Grayven."

I roll my eyes as I survey the wreckage. {orange}Ring, notify police that we've got Intergangers for pick up{/}. Also, {orange}you should probably call in the fire brigade{/}.

{orange}By your command.

And where's Richard?{/} I have his location. {orange}Transition{/}. I appear next to him as he observes the burning hangar from outside.

"You destroyed technology of incalculable value to deny it to me. Why!"

He tenses, but holds his ground. "Because you were making this mission up as you went along. Because you were getting too into your supervillain god role. And because I don't trust you with that sort of power."

"{red}I already have a power ring{/}! Exactly how much of an improvement did you think that was going to be! That technology could have been used to secure the Earth against any future invader, and you.. you..!"

"Yeah." He crosses his arms across his chest. "Me."

I so badly want to {orange}rip him in half{/}.

{orange}!Kill!{/}

So badly...

But... I still have Father Box and what I took from Mister Mannheim. Really, I'm forced to admire his moxie. I am so much more powerful, and he just did what he thought was right anyway. I bring my right arm around and clap him hard enough on the shoulder that he's forced to bend his legs to absorb the force.

"Hah hah hah hah! Be you ever so resolute. Be you ever so resolute." He's stunned. Astonished. What, did he think I was some idiotic Apokoliptian god, unable to rise above his base nature? Can't let this slight go completely unavenged, of course. "Oh, but just for that? You can walk back."