25th June 2012
11:44 GMT
"Oh El?"
"Good morning, Kid Flash.
"
"So was the other dimension full of really hot girls or something?"
I take a moment to consider my answer as I continue fabricating barricades around the perimeter of the park. No, humour probably isn't the way to go.
"No, it looks like time moves at different rates. For us, it was a few days.
"
"Really? 'cause you kinda missed World War Three."
I look over to where army engineers are checking which structures are safe for people to re-enter.
"Doesn't look like I've missed it. What happened?
"
"Lots'a things. Not a lot happened for a few weeks, then they started trying to kill us. The team just had to fight some weird monsters, but the League had actual super-Sheeda coming after them."
"Did anyone die?
"
"No one on the team. But… Civilians. People who were just around when we were on missions. They-. We couldn't always get everyone away in time."
I nod.
"I understand. We had a few fights with creatures like that as well.
"
"I got a pretty cool-looking acid burn out of it. I think
everyone on the League got injured at some point. Flash got both his shins shattered. He had to get Angelica to fix them or he wouldn't have been able to run again."
"When did they escalate?
"
"Back in May. A big.. space ship got sighted in a bunch of different places at once, then… A lot of people just… Disappeared. We found out later that they were dropping invisible commando teams into places they didn't think anyone was defending and then… They were…"
"'Harvesting' them.
"
"Yeah. We actually… I mean, the League managed to get on board one of their harvesting ships. I… I kinda wish I hadn't watched the recording."
"So what's the state of play now?
"
"They've got more ships, and they've got all kinds'a ways to hide them. Every so often they attack someplace they think is undefended, and… Drag a load of people away. I don't even know how many attacks we're just not hearing about."
"How are governments responding?
"
"Jd-I… I'm not really the guy to
ask. We've got a whole lot more surveillance satellites than we used to, and they put up that magic detection network you wanted. But the Atlanteans say that the way the Sheeda use magic means they can't track them easily. You didn't… I dunno-."
"Come across an expert in Sheeda magic? Yes, yes we did.
"
"R-
really?"
"The Columbians learned magic from Melmoth. And I captured both
him and one of the Harvest fleet's scouts.
"
"Dude."
"Orange Lantern Corps. When only hearing the lamentations of their women will do.
"
"Where
are you?"
"Ipswich.
"
…
"Where
are you?"
"It's a large town in England. We arrived just in time for a Sheeda attack. Some prisoners taken. I… See that the Sheeda got Dolmen gates.
"
"Not… Exactly? It's more a time.. manipulation… Thing. Batman's got Rip Hunter and Jason Goldstein working on trying to block it. So far, no luck."
That's probably at least in part because we can't trust either of them with a working time machine.
"How is daily life being affected? Are you still going to school?
"
"Yeah, I..
am. It's kinda weird? When the attacks first started a lotta places went into total lockdown. But that mostly stopped, because it didn't really help and it was wrecking the economy and making it harder to
actually fight them. The Sheeda don't really care whether you're in your house or not, and they only attack a few places at once. So we've got the army and the national guard out on the streets almost all the time now, and…
Some people are still living in their basements… But mostly we're trying to live normally."
"And since the Sheeda have burrowing worms living in the basement just means that when they take you no one will know about it.
"
"I was thinking more about a metaphorical basement? Oh, hey, Oh El? Didn't you say something about a fleet heading this way?"
"There should be a L.E.G.I.O.N. fleet coming here from Maltus, yes.
"
"Any chance they could get here faster? I'm not super-eager to see a whole lot of guns in space, but we could really use a whole lot of guns in space right now."
"I'll give them a bell. See you when I return to America.
"
"Catch you later."
I drop the call, then generate an actual holosuit construct before transmitting to the L.E.G.I.O.N. command ship. I wonder how Dox meant for me to take the fact that there aren't any Lanterns coming? It could be because the last one didn't work out and he doesn't want to irritate me by sending someone else who doesn't meet my standards. Or it could be because he doesn't want the senior captain to think that I'm in his chain of command.
"Illustres to L.E.G.I.O.N. theatre command.
"
A grey-skinned humanoid who looks a little like a
yautja who had a run-in with a disc sander appears on in the holoprojector in front of me.
"Illustres."
"Earth is presently under attack by time-travelling magic-using harvesters. I am requesting that you make best possible time to Earth. We need your sensors and strike-weaponry.
"
"My orders make no mention of this. My flotilla is simply coming to protect one small city."
"That's Earth for you, I'm afraid. The bizarre doesn't stop.
" I sigh.
"I'm not in your chain of command, so I can't issue you orders. If you think that your ships can't meaningfully assist, or that your orders don't give you the authority to make that decision yourself, I can't gainsay them. However, if that's the case, then I'm going to suggest that you turn around and fly back to Maltus, because you clearly aren't up to being in this system. Time travellers, psychics and weapons far more advanced than the locals should have just
happen here. What's it going to be?
"
"We will require additional information."
"I'll relay it to you as I receive it. I'll look forward to your arrival, captain.
"