Uncomplicated Good Works (part 10)
Mr Zoat
Dedicated ragequitter
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12th December 2012
15:23 GMT -5
"Do you kids-"
The cluster of children standing around the power transformer look up in astonishment.
"-own that fence?"
"Superman?"
I frown slightly. Alright, I haven't bothered actually researching the statistics on the whole 'broken windows' thing, but I can't help but think that this isn't an efficient-.
That's not the point.
"That's my name." I can hear him smiling as he says it, arm folded as he comes in to land. "Listen, kids. I can understand wanting an outlet for your artistic talents, but electric substations like this are dangerous. There's enough power in these wires to give you a serious injury."
In Gotham, even today, I'd give even odds that they'd be pointing the cans at… Say, Batman, with the aim of temporarily blinding him so they can either escape or stab him. But with Superman the children are lowering them or half-heartedly trying to hide them behind their backs.
"Sorry, Superman."
"Not as sorry as your parents would be if you ended up in the hospital. Why don't you kids head home?"
Eyes downcast, the children head out through the wooden gate and back onto the street. Kal-El watches them go for a moment, then looks up at me.
"You mind fixing the gate?"
I nod, scanning… Huh. The padlock is lying on the ground, still connected to the hasp. Looks like the screws just pulled out of the wood of the gate. A little odd, but over a sufficiently long period of time…
I repair the structure of the gate, reattach the lock mechanism and close it up.
"Do you think it's worth putting netting over the top?"
"No, that should do it. Kids will walk through an open gate, but mostly they won't break into a place like this."
"Unless they kick a ball over." Hm. "I could add a sign outside with the number to phone if they do kick a ball over?"
"That's a thoughtful idea."
There's a glow of orange as it appears.
"So what's your mobile number again?"
He looks mildly amused. Very mildly amused.
"We call them 'cells' on this side of the Atlantic. And I think the Metropolis Power Authority would be the people to call. I wouldn't want to disappoint someone because I was fighting a monster when they wanted their kite back."
"Yeah, okay."
"Do you do home repairs as well?"
"My maintenance is really more perfective. And I don't like cheating tradesmen out of the business. Unless you want something interesting done covertly that they couldn't do?"
"No, I was just making conversation."
"Because while there's no such thing as kryptonian proof, my time with Kara has given me insight into kryptonian resistant. If you and Ms. Lane are planning on having children, you might find it advantageous to make sure they won't wreck the place."
He looks slightly awkward, perhaps remembering collateral damage from his own childhood.
"I'll keep you in mind. What did you think?"
"It probably wouldn't have occurred to me to mention their parents."
"Not going to say that it's not a good use of my time?"
"Ah… It's not, but given the time it would take from noticing they were in here, to phoning the police or Power Company, and them sending someone, it's actually pretty reasonable in terms of efficiency."
"And..?"
"And?"
"Guy told me it was usually worth asking you what you weren't including in your first answer."
"And… It's worth expending quite a lot to keep you motivated and on an even keel. Good social bonds are an essential part of a person's psychological wellbeing, human or kryptonian, and this sort of activity makes you a part of Metropolis's community."
"I suppose that's true. I hadn't really thought about it in those terms before. I mostly just think of it as 'being nice'."
"And that's exactly why I'm here."
"I'm.. not sure why that's so hard for you."
"It's not. It's just that I'm aware of all of the things I could be doing instead of being nice."
He folds his arms across his chest. "Such as?"
"Fighting the Reach. My presence would reduce the fatalities amongst N.E.M.O. forces significantly in any fight I involved myself in. Dox prefers it if I stay as a reserve so the Reach can't develop a counter to me as easily, and so our side doesn't get dependent. And I can't fight them all by myself. But it would mean a lot fewer people on our side dying in the short term. Maybe even on the Reach side, if I can disable ships without destroying them more easily than anyone else on our side."
"Can't do much about Apokolips, but the Dominion and other parts of the Spider Guild are good targets. Or I could track down Sinestro. Killing or capturing him would improve relations with the Green Lantern Corps and stop whatever he's planning. Or just find a random planet trapped by Avleb's Wall and give them a few bleed torsion generators to get them started."
"I'm sorry, what's that?"
"Avleb's Wall? That's when a planet doesn't have enough accessible fuel for industrial civilisation to develop."
He nods. "I remember you bringing up the concept in your talk. I just didn't know the name. Are they common?"
"Yes, very common. Honestly, I've.. sort of wondered whether Krypton was in the same place before the Vrang arrived."
"Krypton didn't have a fuel shortage."
"No, but your forebears might have needed technology more advanced than they could develop without it to access it. Technologically sophisticated technology took off on Krypton after the Vrang were defeated. I know the official history says that that happened because everyone saw the necessity, with a few rogue historians implying that it was copying Vrang technology that made it possible for it to happen so quickly. But-."
"But it might have been fuel." He nods. "Because they brought in mining equipment."
"Yes." I shrug. "But all those children might have gotten electrocuted due to their own foolishness while I was busy saving billions. So what's next?"
15:23 GMT -5
"Do you kids-"
The cluster of children standing around the power transformer look up in astonishment.
"-own that fence?"
"Superman?"
I frown slightly. Alright, I haven't bothered actually researching the statistics on the whole 'broken windows' thing, but I can't help but think that this isn't an efficient-.
That's not the point.
"That's my name." I can hear him smiling as he says it, arm folded as he comes in to land. "Listen, kids. I can understand wanting an outlet for your artistic talents, but electric substations like this are dangerous. There's enough power in these wires to give you a serious injury."
In Gotham, even today, I'd give even odds that they'd be pointing the cans at… Say, Batman, with the aim of temporarily blinding him so they can either escape or stab him. But with Superman the children are lowering them or half-heartedly trying to hide them behind their backs.
"Sorry, Superman."
"Not as sorry as your parents would be if you ended up in the hospital. Why don't you kids head home?"
Eyes downcast, the children head out through the wooden gate and back onto the street. Kal-El watches them go for a moment, then looks up at me.
"You mind fixing the gate?"
I nod, scanning… Huh. The padlock is lying on the ground, still connected to the hasp. Looks like the screws just pulled out of the wood of the gate. A little odd, but over a sufficiently long period of time…
I repair the structure of the gate, reattach the lock mechanism and close it up.
"Do you think it's worth putting netting over the top?"
"No, that should do it. Kids will walk through an open gate, but mostly they won't break into a place like this."
"Unless they kick a ball over." Hm. "I could add a sign outside with the number to phone if they do kick a ball over?"
"That's a thoughtful idea."
There's a glow of orange as it appears.
"So what's your mobile number again?"
He looks mildly amused. Very mildly amused.
"We call them 'cells' on this side of the Atlantic. And I think the Metropolis Power Authority would be the people to call. I wouldn't want to disappoint someone because I was fighting a monster when they wanted their kite back."
"Yeah, okay."
"Do you do home repairs as well?"
"My maintenance is really more perfective. And I don't like cheating tradesmen out of the business. Unless you want something interesting done covertly that they couldn't do?"
"No, I was just making conversation."
"Because while there's no such thing as kryptonian proof, my time with Kara has given me insight into kryptonian resistant. If you and Ms. Lane are planning on having children, you might find it advantageous to make sure they won't wreck the place."
He looks slightly awkward, perhaps remembering collateral damage from his own childhood.
"I'll keep you in mind. What did you think?"
"It probably wouldn't have occurred to me to mention their parents."
"Not going to say that it's not a good use of my time?"
"Ah… It's not, but given the time it would take from noticing they were in here, to phoning the police or Power Company, and them sending someone, it's actually pretty reasonable in terms of efficiency."
"And..?"
"And?"
"Guy told me it was usually worth asking you what you weren't including in your first answer."
"And… It's worth expending quite a lot to keep you motivated and on an even keel. Good social bonds are an essential part of a person's psychological wellbeing, human or kryptonian, and this sort of activity makes you a part of Metropolis's community."
"I suppose that's true. I hadn't really thought about it in those terms before. I mostly just think of it as 'being nice'."
"And that's exactly why I'm here."
"I'm.. not sure why that's so hard for you."
"It's not. It's just that I'm aware of all of the things I could be doing instead of being nice."
He folds his arms across his chest. "Such as?"
"Fighting the Reach. My presence would reduce the fatalities amongst N.E.M.O. forces significantly in any fight I involved myself in. Dox prefers it if I stay as a reserve so the Reach can't develop a counter to me as easily, and so our side doesn't get dependent. And I can't fight them all by myself. But it would mean a lot fewer people on our side dying in the short term. Maybe even on the Reach side, if I can disable ships without destroying them more easily than anyone else on our side."
"Can't do much about Apokolips, but the Dominion and other parts of the Spider Guild are good targets. Or I could track down Sinestro. Killing or capturing him would improve relations with the Green Lantern Corps and stop whatever he's planning. Or just find a random planet trapped by Avleb's Wall and give them a few bleed torsion generators to get them started."
"I'm sorry, what's that?"
"Avleb's Wall? That's when a planet doesn't have enough accessible fuel for industrial civilisation to develop."
He nods. "I remember you bringing up the concept in your talk. I just didn't know the name. Are they common?"
"Yes, very common. Honestly, I've.. sort of wondered whether Krypton was in the same place before the Vrang arrived."
"Krypton didn't have a fuel shortage."
"No, but your forebears might have needed technology more advanced than they could develop without it to access it. Technologically sophisticated technology took off on Krypton after the Vrang were defeated. I know the official history says that that happened because everyone saw the necessity, with a few rogue historians implying that it was copying Vrang technology that made it possible for it to happen so quickly. But-."
"But it might have been fuel." He nods. "Because they brought in mining equipment."
"Yes." I shrug. "But all those children might have gotten electrocuted due to their own foolishness while I was busy saving billions. So what's next?"
Last edited:
Best day ever.
