So I swing my chains around, sending them into the 'sides' of my prison, orange light radiating outwards as I
consume
the alteration-
Let's see a confinement spell hold up to
that...
"How predictable."
-to local-.
And of course Faust expected that. Even though he's not seen OL in action since Roanoke. I see he's exploiting
some part of a Wizard's
expected high intelligence.
The colour vanishes, my surroundings now a featureless void. That… Wasn't supposed to happen. My spell eater isn't heating up so I'm not under the effect of an illusion-.
"Can you still hear me, Orange Lantern?"
At least he's the sort to
monologue. After all, he's not a Good Man.
I turn around, and… The void is still featureless. "Okay, that was actually clever. Some sort of.. tether than only the person trapped can cut?"
"Something like that." Faust's spectral head appears in the void in front of me. "I copied it from the people who imprisoned my sponsors."
Sneaky, but ever emblematic of Faust's methods. Always
copying, never inventing...
"I'm not being your slave for a hundred years, if that's what you're expecting to get out of this."
"Hah! Hardly. That countdown only starts if I draw on your power. If I just drop the crystal I palmed into the ocean, you'll be trapped until the sun dies!"
Don't count your chickens before they're hatched, Faust.
OL's a tricksy fellow.
"Okay. So is this just a boasting session to fluff your ego, or are you establishing a negotiating position?"
He grins. "I'm starting with boasting."
Why
negotiate with someone you
think you have right where you want them to be - Under your thumb.
There we go. Do that some more.
"I'm mildly impressed that you admitted to it."
And OL is smart enough to take
advantage of that towering ego. Some men just love to hear themselves
talk.
"I was imprisoned by Nabu and then subjected to the Anti-Life. I'm honest enough to realise that I could do with something to boost my ego."
"Okay. Then, well done. Klarion fared worse against me than you did."
Admittedly, OL made a
lot more preparations against Klarion. Faust didn't need that kind of prepwork, being only a mere
mortal.
"Some superheroes treat their fellow humans differently." He looks pensive. "I'm not convinced that you've pulled out all the stops."
"I haven't, but my passive defences were supposed to deal with things like that. How did you get around them?"
Just for future reference, you know... Since you're
clearly not going to let him out, are you?
"I know! It's like you don't exist to my arcane senses! Constantine's work?"
"Among others."
Let me guess, Faust, you
want a set? Pity he's not likely to help such an irredeemable
arsehole.
"Clever, but it doesn't stop area effects or manually targetted effects."
"Did you consider using the drain itself as a marker?"
If only in a general 'Okay,
this area is not showing up on my scrying. Maybe it's blank, maybe it's
important.' fashion...
"Of course, but this was easier. Do you have any idea how hard it is to locate the source of a drain when the thing you use to detect it is being drained?"
Interesting. He doesn't appear to have realised that the drain comes from my amulet and not my tattoos. On the other hand, that only became 'common' knowledge in the villain community after he was imprisoned, so it's not really surprising.
Of course, the
possession of said amulets is heavily policed, I expect? With people expected to
report if one goes missing in any way?
"Yes. That's why I designed it like that."
"Not that it does you any good now."
Yes,
do keep talking. Any news about your
cronies?
"You do realise that Mister Zard will be hunting you as well, now that you're free of the Anti-Life?" The floating head pulls back slightly. "It was Zard, wasn't it? When I lost the ability to see my colleagues?"
"… Yes, we were all dispatched once the brownies reported the disruption. But he'll go after your friends first. Anti-Life does not encourage initiative. I simply need to be elsewhere when he's done. So tell me, Lantern: how did you breach the defences of the Tower of Fate?"
Ah, the hook is in the water. Now to see if he bites.
"In the library, there's a window. Through the window you can see a dream storm."
"Those are common enough. What of it?"
Of course, this bit is going to be a bit hard to believe. A man like Faust would never put himself at risk like they did...
"We came in through that."
He gurns. "Non-sense. If you're going to lie, at least make it believable."
Before anyone asks:
Gurning means he's making a disgusted face.
"Sandman's prophetic power comes from Morpheus himself. It wasn't easy, but that's how we got in."
He considers my answer for a moment, then appears to dismiss it.
Well, if the
truth isn't enough for you, you silly git...
"Fine. Don't tell me. With you as a hostage, I'm sure that I'll be able to convince one of your friends to show me the-"
Got you.
Wow, he bit
hard, hook, line and sinker
right down the gullet. I suspect OL is going to
enjoy this bit.
showmetellmeIwanttoknowwanttolearnwanttobecomemorenadbiggernadgreater
"-way ou-."
Gotcha.
I hit him with my armour's taser, then clamp a suppression chain around his neck.
"Gah!"
I can just imagine Faust having a moment of 'what the bloody hell?' there.
"Good effort."
He grabs at the collar, feeling the solid metal with a look of near-panic on his face. "What are you?"
Pity he isn't a Yellow Lantern, or he could actually say 'Your worst nightmare' with a straight face and
mean it.
Sadly, the classic 'I'm
Batman' comeback falls a bit flat if there actually
is a Batman around...
"See, if you hadn't crossed me just then, you'd still have had access to magic while we hunt down Zard and Thorn."
"They'll kill me; I'm defenceless."
Well, tough titties for you, you right old load of
bollocks. You made this bed, now you get to lie in your mess.
"Good. I'm a soldier before I'm a superhero, and after Roanoke you're hostis humani generis. Getting put back in the oubliette is the best thing that could happen to you, and more than you deserve. Your only hope is living long enough for me to link up with Blue Lantern and praying that he talks me down. Now FEED ME!"
An orange wave shoots through the farmland around us, not coming from me but terminating with me. The layout of the vines changes at once; reaching in all directions as Alan slashes at the explosive growth and it tries to envelop him from all directions. Sanderson as opted for a T-1000 approach by replacing his forearms with blades. I can't… I can't see The Demon, but-
Good to see Sandy embracing the
usefulness of his silicate form. But a missing Constantine is a cause for
concern, all right.
Railing and fire.
-Dr. Balewa and Mr. Zard are having a magic duel I can barely perceive, white light glowing from Dr. Balewa as the undulating vines are forced to keep their distance. Zard clutches his face for a moment, meaning that he doesn't even have any chance at all to dodge when my railgun round takes his right leg off at the knee.
Well, cut him off at the knees nicely, that did.
He doesn't cry out, just collapses from the ground as the wound starts pumping out blood. Dr. Balewa glances my way for a moment before dashing towards the fallen Wizard.
"I thank you for shutting down his defensive spells, but shooting him was not necessary."
I don't know, you don't feel a little
glad to see him in pain? He
was trying to kill you, after all.
"No, it was precautionary. The Anti-Life fragment is aimlessness equals purposelessness, and it encourages servitude to those uncertain as to their life's direction."
"Then this will be-" His left hand motions to the wounds, which knits closed. "-relatively easy."
And that'll make it easier to patch himself and Alan up in a second, since I presume he's
still bleeding.
His right hand taps Zard on the forehead, causing his eyes to snap open.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAGGHHH!"
Not an
unreasonable reaction to having a chunk of Anti-Life burnt out of your mind by the power of Life.
