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With This Ring (Young Justice SI) (Thread Fourteen)

Home Field (part 5)
6th February 2013
08:53 GMT -5


"Recognized, Match, B Two Five."

A flash of light, then I'm in a Gotham back alley blinking spots out of my eyes. It's not that I can see zeta radiation-. Though I can. It's more that I see all the other radiation, and then the techniques I use to stop myself getting blinded by all the colors and shapes mean that when it stops and I'm in a street somewhere, the contrast of the new much more simple lights makes it like a normal human just walked out of somewhere with blinding lights and into a pitch black room.

Superman said he didn't really find it a problem. I don't know if that's because he grew up normally like this, or if there's… Something left over from Cadmus that means I can't. Guess I'll find out in a few years.

There are a couple of zeta tubes in Gotham, but the one Artemis usually uses got spotted by Mistress's gang last month. They didn't do anything to it except watch it, but that amounts to pretty much the same thing. The clothes I'm wearing should let me fit in, though we've noticed that people who've… Let the Anti-Life in and.. not killed themselves, can generally notice when they're talking to someone who isn't… Who hasn't gone that far. And we know that because in a lot of places the people in charge send teams out to kidnap them so they can break them.

Mistress hasn't really done that. Might be because she used to be a good person. Or it might be because she figures that Gotham's going to do that for her.

I mean, something about this place was driving people crazy-.

I spot a security patrol. Four Anti-Lifed people under Mistress's control, wearing handcuffs double cuffed around their left wrists. Other than that they're just wearing gang clothes… One of them looks like he used to work for the Joker, but the rest look… 'Normal'. No sign they're afraid of me, or even bothered about a potential outsider being on 'their' street.

I tap my communicator, telling them it's not clear to come through. Until the enforcers move away, the rest of the team will have to come in through Wayne Manor. And then I walk over to them.

Like I'm walking to the chopping-.

Huh. Been a while since I've felt like that in a city without a transmitter. Robin was right about people broadcasting it without help.

"Hey."

Four sets of eyes staring at me. They're armed, but they don't have anything that could hurt me. I'm not even sure if open carrying is illegal in Gotham or not, but if it isn't then they're not actually breaking the law.

"Worm."

One thing people don't know about Superman is that he's a great actor. Even when you know that he's Clark Kent, he acts like a totally different guy. Except when he's around his parents and he acts like himself. But it's not genetic or anything. He had to study to learn how to do that. I haven't. I can fit in most of the time, but I know I don't respond to situations that would be dangerous to a normal guy in the way normal guys do. I probably should be nervous about talking to them, but I'm not.

Not that they're reacting to it. I take a quick look at the electrical activity in their brains, and it's… It's zen-like, like they're perfectly fine with whatever's happening around them. Or to them.

"Hey, can you..?"

They keep staring at me. That's probably intimidating to normal people.

"Tell me..? What does Mistress want?"

They stand a little straighter when I say her name.

The clown guy's eyes narrow a little. "What do you mean, worm?"

"Mistress rules the city."

"And you better remember it."

"So what does she want to do with it? What does she want us to do?"

"Surrender yourself to her."

"Like, just go to wherever she-."

I see his fist coming a mile away, and I turn my head with the punch so he doesn't break all his fingers.

"No, worm. You have felt the despair. The desolation."

"Yeah, that's… That's why I'm asking, man. You guys… You guys look like you're fine, so… Is that it? We just..? We do what she says-."

"You do not understand."

The clown points down the street, where there's a-.

Someone killed themselves by sitting in a car while it filled up with exhaust fumes. The body isn't fresh.

"Attachment is the root of all pain. Ego. Self. That man killed himself because he saw how flimsy his pathetic self was and couldn't cope. He fought the truth. He fought Mistress."

"So she killed him?"

"So he rejected her by ending his own life, rather than accept truth and transformation. It was the realisation that he wasn't what he thought he was and his attachment to that which killed him."

"So just… Don't be attached?"

"It's not that simple." He takes off his purple top hat and waves it at me. "I used to work for the Joker, you know?"

"I… I guessed..?"

"He liked keeping his people off-balance. One time he gave a guy a gag cigar. Blew his head right off. At the time it scared the shit out of me, but I needed the money. And it was kind of funny when it happened to someone else."

Man, Gotham sucks.

"And not funny when it happened to you. But after a while, it was just part of life. Not really worth talking about. One time, Joker was pissed about something and pointed a gun at my face… I just didn't react. He didn't like that so much."

"He shot you?"

"No. Said there wasn't any point. But right it that moment, when the gun barrel was an inch from my eye? I wasn't scared or angry. I wasn't thinking about all the things I could have done. I wasn't thinking anything except 'huh, okay'."

That's… Messed up. Most of Joker's henchmen are just regular criminals or people who are desperate and out of work.

"And now… It's like that, all the time. If Mistress pointed a gun at my face, and pulled the trigger -or didn't- I wouldn't think much of anything either. Or if she told me to walk out into traffic. Or eat my own intestines. 'Huh.' 'Okay.'"

One of the other henchmen nods. "It's inspiring, really. He got that far before Mistress even took over."

"But how do you get like that? I mean-."

"You just… Get used to it. To not mattering. To just… Being, as part of Mistress."

Four near-identical nods.

"I don't think I get-."

The clown draws his pistol-

The guy he's pointing it at smiles. "Huh."

"I get it-!"

"Okay."

-and the clown shoots him in the head.

There's no particular expression on his face as his body falls over. The other two don't look bothered, either. On their faces or in their brains.

Damn it. I could probably have stopped him, but then my cover's blown and there's nothing to stop them killing someone else when I'm not here. Which is what usually happens when someone from the Justice League tried talking to these people.

"That-."

"It's a demonstration. For you, and for whoever you're asking for. Do you want to learn more?"

If I say 'yes' then he'll probably shoot one of the others, and then himself. The last one will report back to whoever's in charge…

I don't need to know what they know that badly.

"I-. I think I'm good. Ah, thanks."

"Then you're not ready for Mistress. Scram."
 
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"Recognized, Match, B Two Five."
I suppose it's natural for Match to join the Team at a time like this. Hope he becomes a regular member even after Mannheim is defeated.

"Attachment it the root of all pain. Ego. Self. That man killed himself because he saw how flimsy his pathetic self was and couldn't cope. He fought the truth. He fought Mistress."
That should say 'is'.

"He liked keeping his people off-balance. One time he gave a guy a gag cigar. Blew his head right off. At the time it scared the shit out of me, but I needed the money. And it was kin of funny when it happened to someone else."
That should say 'kind'.

"And now… It's like that, all the time. If Mistress pointed a gun at my face, and pulled the trigger -or didn't- I wouldn't think much of anything either. Or if she told me to talk out into traffic. Or eat my own intestines. 'Huh.' 'Okay.'"
That should say 'walk'.

An interesting insight on how the Justified become what they are. Now I hope the Team will succeed so Mistress can be taken down faster.
 
6th February 2013
08:53 GMT -5


"Recognized, Match, B Two Five."

A flash of light, then I'm in a Gotham back alley blinking spots out of my eyes. It's not that I can see zeta radiation-. Though I can. It's more that I see all the other radiation, and then the techniques I use to stop myself getting blinded by all the colors and shapes mean that when it stops and I'm in a street somewhere, the contrast of the new much more simple lights makes it like a normal human just walked out of somewhere with blinding lights and into a pitch black room.
The drawback of enhanced senses. Especially since Match is much closer to full Kryptonian than Kon is. Wonder if they've been changing their appearance to not be identical or not? :confused: ...And now I'm picturing Match with a long, late-90's Superman mullet...

Superman said he didn't really find it a problem. I don't know if that's because he grew up normally like this, or if there's… Something left over from Cadmus that means I can't. Guess I'll find out in a few years.
Yeah, he probably does the equivalent of closing his eyes. Or he simply recovers faster.

There are a couple of zeta tubes in Gotham, but the one Artemis usually uses got spotted by Mistress's gang last month. They didn't do anything to it except watch it, but that amounts to pretty much the same thing. The clothes I'm wearing should let me fit in, though we've noticed that people who've… Let the Anti-Life in and.. not killed themselves, can generally notice when they're talking to someone who isn't… Who hasn't gone that far. And we know that because in a lot of places the people in charge send teams out to kidnap them so they can break them.
No doubt every would-be warlord has their own methods. Even the omnicidal types, who might find themselves running out of slaves fast.

Mistress hasn't really done that. Might be because she used to be a good person. Or it might be because she figures that Gotham's going to do that for her.

I mean, something about this place was driving people crazy-.
Yeah, that's pretty much Gotham in a nutshell, really.

I spot a security patrol. Four Anti-Lifed people under Mistress's control, wearing handcuffs double cuffed around their left wrists. Other than that they're just wearing gang clothes… One of them looks like he used to work for the Joker, but the rest look… 'Normal'. No sign they're afraid of me, or even bothered about a potential outsider being on 'their' street.

I tap my communicator, telling them it's not clear to come through. Until the enforcers move away, the rest of the team will have to come in through Wayne Manor. And then I walk over to them.
Interesting affiliation symbol with the handcuffs. Nice visible way of signifying allegiance, without being a significant handicap or drawback if they need to fight. And they can take them off later, unlike tattoos.

Like I'm walking to the chopping-.

Huh. Been a while since I've felt like that in a city without a transmitter. Robin was right about people broadcasting it without help.
And Gotham is generally bad enough that it probably hit critical self-sustaining mass quicker. I mean, Bludhaven or Hub Ciy were probably worse from the start...

"Hey."

Four sets of eyes staring at me. They're armed, but they don't have anything that could hurt me. I'm not even sure if open carrying is illegal in Gotham or not, but if it isn't then they're not actually breaking the law.

"Worm."
And it's not like the Gotham City Police are doing much of anything at this point...

One thing people don't know about Superman is that he's a great actor. Even when you know that he's Clark Kent, he acts like a totally different guy. Except when he's around his parents and he acts like himself. But it's not genetic or anything. He had to study to learn how to do that. I haven't. I can fit in most of the time, but I know I don't respond to situations that would be dangerous to a normal guy in the way normal guys do. I probably should be nervous about talking to them, but I'm not.
Eh, Clark did have years to get it right. Early on, I doubt he was anywhere as good as he is now.

Not that they're reacting to it. I take a quick look at the electrical activity in their brains, and it's… It's zen-like, like they're perfectly fine with whatever's happening around them. Or to them.

"Hey, can you..?"
Ah, Super-Vision. Reminds me of the 'Superman: Birthright'-era origin, where he could see the energy of life around living things. And when it faded away as they died...

They keep staring at me. That's probably intimidating to normal people.

"Tell me..? What does Mistress want?"
Pity Match has a really weird reference point of social interaction, due to his origins.

They stand a little straighter when I say her name.

The clown guy's eyes narrow a little. "What do you mean, worm?"
Yeah, he's realised Match's not normal, hasn't he? Still, they aren't attacking him. Yet.

"Mistress rules the city."

"And you better remember it."
Eh, she only rules it until someone stronger comes along...

"So what does she want to do with it? What does she want us to do?"

"Surrender yourself to her."
...Then what? I mean... It's not like she needs everyone bowing to her, right? :p

"Like, just go to wherever she-."

I see his fist coming a mile away, and I turn my head with the punch so he doesn't break all his fingers.
Yeah, that would pretty much blow the con.

"No, worm. You have felt the despair. The desolation."

"Yeah, that's… That's why I'm asking, man. You guys… You guys look like you're fine, so… Is that it? We just..? We do what she says-."
Sadly, not everyone is the sort of person to be comfortable bending their knee...

"You do not understand."

The clown points down the street, where there's a-.

Someone killed themselves by sitting in a car while it filled up with exhaust fumes. The body isn't fresh.
Ech. o_O Yeah, that doesn't sound pleasant at all. World's gonna have a lot of clean-up to do after all this is over...

"Attachment it the root of all pain. Ego. Self. That man killed himself because he saw how flimsy his pathetic self was and couldn't cope. He fought the truth. He fought Mistress."

"So she killed him?"
I doubt she stood there telling him to do it. But still...

"So he rejected her by ending his own life, rather than accept truth and transformation. It was the realisation that he wasn't what he thought he was and his attachment to that which killed him."

"So just… Don't be attached?"
Makes me wonder how well those involved with Zen-focused orders have handled things.

"It's not that simple." He takes off his purple top hat and waves it at me. "I used to work for the Joker, you know?"

"I… I guessed..?"
It was that or the Hatter, after all. Kind of a giveaway.

"He liked keeping his people off-balance. One time he gave a guy a gag cigar. Blew his head right off. At the time it scared the shit out of me, but I needed the money. And it was kin of funny when it happened to someone else."

Man, Gotham sucks.
And being a Joker goon sucks harder. This is not news...

"And not funny when it happened to you. But after a while, it was just part of life. Not really worth talking about. One time, Joker was pissed about something and pointed a gun at my face… I just didn't react. He didn't like that so much."

"He shot you?"
To be fair, if he had reacted, Joker might have not taken it well either. Guy's kind of mercurial that way.

"No. Said there wasn't any point. But right it that moment, when the gun barrel was an inch from my eye? I wasn't scared or angry. I wasn't thinking about all the things I could have done. I wasn't thinking anything except 'huh, okay'."

That's… Messed up. Most of Joker's henchmen are just regular criminals or people who are desperate and out of work.
And then you get the crazy ones. The weird ones. Like this guy.

"And now… It's like that, all the time. If Mistress pointed a gun at my face, and pulled the trigger -or didn't- I wouldn't think much of anything either. Or if she told me to talk out into traffic. Or eat my own intestines. 'Huh.' 'Okay.'"

One of the other henchmen nods. "It's inspiring, really. He got that far before Mistress even took over."
...Somehow, having Gotham mooks look up to you for that doesn't seem like an honour.

"But how do you get like that? I mean-."

"You just… Get used to it. To not mattering. To just… Being, as part of Mistress."
Ah, so it's kind of a nihilistic thing. "Things can't get any worse, so I may as well be a goon for this crazy lady."

Four near-identical nods.

"I don't think I get-."
Ooh, possibly not the best choice of response, Match...

The clown draws his pistol-

The guy he's pointing it at smiles. "Huh."
Let me guess, he's having his own little epiphany moment.

"I get it-!"

"Okay."
...Yep. Sometimes you don't get it until staring right down the barrel...

-and the clown shoots him in the head.

There's no particular expression on his face as his body falls over. The other two don't look bothered, either. On their faces or in their brain.
And that's Anti-Life for you. Nothing matters.

Damn it. I could probably have stopped him, but then my cover's blown and there's nothing to stop them killing someone else when I'm not here. Which is what usually happens when someone from the Justice League tried talking to these people.

"That-."
Assuming they didn't just start killing themselves. Who knows how they've been ordered to respond to capes...

"It's a demonstration. For you, and for whoever you're asking for. Do you want to learn more?"

If I say 'yes' then he'll probably shoot one of the others, and then himself. The last one will report back to whoever's in charge…
No, in this case, the response is not "I would like to know more."

I don't need to know what they know that badly.

"I-. I think I'm good. Ah, thanks."

"Then you're not ready for Mistress. Scram."
...Well, that little information gathering attempt blew.

Not off to a great start. Still, Match hasn't been at the information gathering game for that long, has he? :p Only natural his Skill Bonus isn't that high yet.Let's hope all the Team's attempts don't roll as badly. ...And we still don't know anything more about 'Mistress' than 'she rules Gotham via Anti-Life.' Though she's probably a better boss than some of the usual Gotham Freaks. :oops:
 
Well, that was interesting, in a disturbing way (which is basically what it needed to be to work).
 
... I know they keep trying to pretend that she has some sort of agenda that is just hard to explain, but this is really coming off like a fetish thing.

"Life is meaningless, step on me Mommy!"
Especially with the reader-only mystery of who "Mistress" is (everyone in-story seems to know, but they aren't telling US for some reason), I'm starting to picture her as a stereotypical (or Southpark-style) goth kid. Match wants to know what she wants, but she really only wants to sit on her stoop being performatively miserable and writing awful poetry for her Anti-Livejournal.
 
"It's not that simple." He takes off his purple top hat and waves it at me. "I used to work for the Joker, you know?"

"I… I guessed..?"

"He liked keeping his people off-balance. One time he gave a guy a gag cigar. Blew his head right off. At the time it scared the shit out of me, but I needed the money. And it was kind of funny when it happened to someone else."

Man, Gotham sucks.

"And not funny when it happened to you. But after a while, it was just part of life. Not really worth talking about. One time, Joker was pissed about something and pointed a gun at my face… I just didn't react. He didn't like that so much."

"He shot you?"

"No. Said there wasn't any point. But right it that moment, when the gun barrel was an inch from my eye? I wasn't scared or angry. I wasn't thinking about all the things I could have done. I wasn't thinking anything except 'huh, okay'."

That's… Messed up. Most of Joker's henchmen are just regular criminals or people who are desperate and out of work.

"And now… It's like that, all the time. If Mistress pointed a gun at my face, and pulled the trigger -or didn't- I wouldn't think much of anything either. Or if she told me to walk out into traffic. Or eat my own intestines. 'Huh.' 'Okay.'"

One of the other henchmen nods. "It's inspiring, really. He got that far before Mistress even took over."

I have concerns about his working conditions.
 
I wonder if Mistress could be M'gann? Match says she used to be a good person. Maybe she got overwhelmed by the anti-life. Being invisible and intangible would make it pretty hard to find her. She's even called Mistress Martian in the comics at times.
 
Not that they're reacting to it. I take a quick look at the electrical activity in their brains, and it's… It's zen-like, like they're perfectly fine with whatever's happening around them. Or to them

I remember this Lucifer comic where there was a guy who's fiance or wife thought that he was somehow enlightened.

Turns out the guy was just massively depressed and just didn't care about living.

"He liked keeping his people off-balance. One time he gave a guy a gag cigar. Blew his head right off. At the time it scared the shit out of me, but I needed the money. And it was kind of funny when it happened to someone else."

Man, Gotham sucks

No shit.

"And now… It's like that, all the time. If Mistress pointed a gun at my face, and pulled the trigger -or didn't- I wouldn't think much of anything either. Or if she told me to walk out into traffic. Or eat my own intestines. 'Huh.' 'Okay.'"

One of the other henchmen nods. "It's inspiring, really. He got that far before Mistress even took over

You know, the Joker may honestly be one of the more dangerous threats if he can control Anti-Life.

Given his own mental state, it may be possible.
 
And Gotham is generally bad enough that it probably hit critical self-sustaining mass quicker. I mean, Bludhaven or Hub Ciy were probably worse from the start

I think the Sheeda destroyed Hub City.

Though the people in these locations may be doing slightly better compared to other parts.

it was mentioned that 3rd world countries wre handling it better due to having to deal with depressing situations more often, so the same may apply here.

Eh, Clark did have years to get it right. Early on, I doubt he was anywhere as good as he is now.

Though he did have the advantage that many people probably didn't try to look too deep

And then you get the crazy ones. The weird ones. Like this guy.

Good luck staying sane after spending time around the Joker.
 
i may be forgetting, but has there been any description about what the Hellenistic pantheon is doing in/about the Anti-Life? i know we had the episode with the fungus infecting the Green, but i think it would be interesting to hear what new/improved Heph or even Melinoe might be doing about the Anti-Life. or even just how it's affecting them, having so much of humanity spiritually messed up.
 
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Why would you even be a Joker henchman, anyway? Does his pay average out better because he's so mercurial he's quick to give bonuses for good heisting?
Because a random chance of being mogged by a stupid prop cigar of all things makes the idea of chilling with Bane or Penguin or someone else more 'normal' seem much better even if the pay's trash
 
i may be forgetting, but has there been any description about what the Hellenistic pantheon is doing in/about the Anti-Life? i know we had the episode with the fungus infecting the Green, but i think it would be interesting to hear what new/improved Heph or even Melinoe might be doing about the Anti-Life. or even just how it's affecting them, having so much of humanity spiritually messed up.
As far as we know they can't do much, the Anti-Life has created a mostly impenetrable film across the thaumosphere of the planet.

For the gods to do anything they would have to punch a hole open, and right now their usual channels of worship and divine power are completely jammed.

They could enter the world directly, if they wanted to personally risk the Anti-Life, but then the film would cut them off from their own greater selves anyways, so it's a bad move regardless.

It is implied that there some political drama going on in the Pantheons of the globe, internal strife between the gods who side with The Status Quo or side with Apocalypse or side with New Genesis. Like Marvel Comics Civil War Arc, but for the gods.

No one knows what Hell is up to, they seem to be more afraid of Anti-Life exposure than the Gods.
 
Why would you even be a Joker henchman, anyway? Does his pay average out better because he's so mercurial he's quick to give bonuses for good heisting?

Desperate people will do many things to survive, even if those things have a chance of killing them.

Others may be crazy nd just admire the Joker.

Because a random chance of being mogged by a stupid prop cigar of all things makes the idea of chilling with Bane or Penguin or someone else more 'normal' seem much better even if the pay's trash

Bane seems to primarily operate in South and Central America in this fic, and Penguin is more or less legit.

It is implied that there some political drama going on in the Pantheons of the globe, internal strife between the gods who side with The Status Quo or side with Apocalypse or side with New Genesis. Like Marvel Comics Civil War Arc, but for the gods.

Mist did mention that some gods like the Shinto may work for Apokalips if it's necessary for survival.

No one knows what Hell is up to, they seem to be more afraid of Anti-Life exposure than the Gods.

It would make sense.

The Anti-Life targets negative emotions like despair and increases them by a hundred, and living in Hell likely makes despair very, very present.
 
Mist mentioned that the Shinto may hold themselves back because they assume that Earth will triumph, so why should they waste any power when it'll happen anyways. Not on Apokalips side, but certainly mercenary/strategic.
 
Home Field (part 6)
6th February 2013
09:24 GMT -5


It's morning. We're here in the morning, in the open, and this… Should be a school day. Except there's nothing happening, even at the good schools. Even if the teachers turn up, people don't want to teach. Or get taught.

That's not exactly how it is in places where the Anti-Life hasn't taken over. Wally's still going to school, and so are Conner and M'gann. Mom… Hasn't really said.. anything, but I'm studying in my own time to try and keep up. I could get a transfer, but-.

"Hey… Artemis?"

I look over at Dick for a moment, then go back to watching the Anti-Lifed thugs.

"Yeah?"

"Was this how..? Gotham used to be?"

"How d'you mean?"

"My family travelled around a lot. I'd been on three continents before I ever came to Gotham. And I was pretty young. Even when I started as Robin, I didn't really know how bad things were."

I frown. "Didn't Batman have you following him around every night?"

"Hardly. Training was every day. Fighting crime was one night a week. Maybe three if there was a holiday. I saw plenty of crime, but I didn't know how representative what I saw was of the whole of the city."

He glances at his wrist computer, checking the feeds from the cameras he's planted.

"And I've read up on things since then, but it's not the same as seeing it. Do you remember?"

"Dad didn't encourage me to socialise." But that's not a helpful answer. "No. Thanks to Mistress, there's only one gang in town. Back then, any of the gangs could be attacked by any of the other gangs. So walking around on the street first thing in the morning? That wasn't really something they did. Not outside the middle of their territory. And they walk different."

"Yeah, I know what you mean. These guys… They don't care who sees them."

I nod. "They don't-." Damn it. "They didn't used to walk like that after Batman cleaned up the city, because the cops started doing their jobs and they could get arrested. They didn't walk like that in the old days because the cops were paid off by one of the mobs and they didn't like it when people committed crimes without asking permission first."

"Were there this many?"

"Ah…" I try remembering, but I wasn't all that old either. "I don't know. I think there were more other people around."

People aren't really living. They're just going through the motions. I've looked in on a few families when I visit Mom, and it's kinda like they're robots. Not modern robots. Complicated wind-up ones from the sixties, where they stumble around the place without knowing why they're doing anything, and if they're even a little at the wrong angle they'll trip over the furniture.

We're already seeing signs of malnutrition. Even if people aren't killing themselves, they're not taking care of themselves.

And on that subject…

"How are they managing the food supply?"

"Some of Poison Ivy's henchpeople got infected, and they set up some city farm plots. But food doesn't get produced all the time. Harvesting crops in the US doesn't happen for months. It's mostly imports that have shut down, and that was way down anyway after the Sheeda attacks."

"What about interstate trucking?"

"You can order stuff. We're still getting oranges in Happy Harbor. You have to get really demanding about it, but once things are moving, they tend to stay moving." He nods. "If we don't get this fixed inside a month, that'll get worse."

Another… Month..?

"Hey."

He's… Put his hand on my arm. I didn't notice-.

"If we can't get it fixed inside a month we can always do what OL said."

"Move to another planet?" Dick nods. Like a lot of things Paul says, that was somewhere between 'funny' and 'terrifyingly serious'. "But if you're right and people can be broadcasters, wouldn't we just bring it with us?"

"Don't worry about that. With a new colony, we wouldn't have enough food for everyone anyway."

Heh.

"Oh, that's totally wrong."

"No, Mister Atom checked the figures. Plants need all kinds of soil microbes, and if you have to introduce them to a new planet, that takes… A while. We'd actually have to raid about fifty sewage treatment plants for raw material."

I gag.

Right… Fertiliser, and microbes…

"Mister Atom was pretty sure we could fit it all in two oil tankers. We'd just have to reinforce them so Superman could carry them."

"Hah!" I can't help smiling at that image. "Okay. Thanks."

"I got pranked by a robot with no sense of humor this morning. I feel like I need to up my game."

"Mister Atom pranks people?"

"He's got a program for it. Oh, here we go."

I lean over to look at his computer screen, and I see the truck doing deliveries for Mistress. She's set up a food-for-work program for anyone who can drag themselves over there. A lot of the people who take her up on that end up as part of her pseudo-Justified gang, and that's why we haven't wanted to risk getting too close.

Dick moves the screen so I can see its relative position. Okay. I notch a tracking arrow and raise it. Check distance, check wind speed, and… Loose.

Two. One.

"Good shot, Arte. Clean contact."

This type of tracking arrow actually disintegrates after the tracker gets attached. At this time of day, there's no way they wouldn't notice a regular one. This has got a shorter transmitting range, but…

"Robin to Canis. You're good to have breakfast."

"I'm sure that dining with such lowlies will bring back many memories."

"Happy memories?"

"Can I kill and cook them over their own fires?"

"Ah, that's a no?"

"Then merely memories. Canis out."

I frown. "Are we sure this 'Mistress' chick even has an inner circle?"

"Anti-Life makes them loyal to her, but it doesn't give people skills they don't have. There's nothing in her personal history which shows that she knows how to run a gang or rule a city. Someone's helping her. But they're not big on phones, or we could just hack them."

"They don't have Apokoliptian technology, right?"

"They shouldn't, but we've IDed a lot of ex-henchmen with them, and there's a lot of old supervillain tech around Gotham."

"So they could have anything Batman's enemies had."

Dick nods.

"Great."
 
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Hey… Artemis?"

I look over at Dick for a moment, then go back to watching the Anti-Lifed thugs.

"Yeah?"

"Was this how..? Gotham used to be?

Odd that he'd ask, but it makes sense.

He grew up in a traveling circus and even after moving to Gotham he lived in a wealthy part of the city.

"My family travelled around a lot. I'd been on three continents before I ever came to Gotham

Yep.


"the cops"

But food doesn't get produce

"produced"
 
"If we can't get it fixed inside a month we can always do what OL said."

"Move to another planet?" Dick nods. Like a lot of things Paul says, that was somewhere between 'funny' and 'terrifyingly serious'.
I wonder if Paul should start making contingency plans for the Justice League for other potential disasters like this one?
 

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