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It's explained that he's been time travelling forward. He just happened to stop at this point in the Renegade timeline because he thinks he can succeed in his plans here, plus his distaste for what the Un-Men are doing.Has it ever been explained where this Ahri'ahn has been for the last few millennia? Was he just messing around, did he fake his death, or did he come back to life to make Atlantis into a powerhouse?
Thank you, corrected....so we're kind of coming in at the low ebb of his tolerance for tomfoolery.
"Okay, well let's get it out of the way: what happens if we nuke them?"
Daniel is still human in this timeline. The Renegade hasn't checked, though.He should be. By the time the SI happens, Morpheus has not only been freed, he has already been replaced if I remember correctly.
Still a lot of assumptions about what Morpheus might be thinking about this. It could be that he simply hasn't noticed what Ahri'ahn's doing, or dismissed it as a momentary disturbance in his realm.
Dream was directly involved with that. So far, there is no implication that the same can be said for Atlantis. I hope we'll get to see one of the Endless do something truly impressive/terrifying because of this.The Mandated version of Dream Baghdad seemed to exist without Dream having a problem with it, so maybe he just doesn't care about something like this.
It wasn't the Fisher Kingdom, whatever that means. It was her refusing to believe a truth expressed under the lasso's influence.Ah Grayven forgot about that comic were Diana "Truth" intereacted in a weird way with that Fisher Kingdom and reality started to breath apart?
"Do you have anything that will allow us to act within Atlantis without being ensnared?"
"Any New God could do it. The Source defines us, not dreams
Fisher Kingdom is a trope. Though a more accurate trope is Fisher King.It wasn't the Fisher Kingdom, whatever that means. It was her refusing to believe a truth expressed under the lasso's influence.
That should say 'here'."He can only remain her for a few seconds before the link loses stability. Highfather believes that duration will improve as our recovery continues."
In other words, can you get him to stick around longer than an early Final Fantasy Summon? Because if he can exert himself against the Anti-Life, that's a big force multiplier. Especially if he can reclaim his 'bot.14th February 2013
18:03 GMT
"…ready."
I nod to Vykin. "I appreciate that. How.. is it working with your team and Prince Drax?"
In other words, how many daily uses can you get out of the spell?"He can only remain here for a few seconds before the link loses stability. Highfather believes that duration will improve as our recovery continues."
"How soon can you re-establish a link?"
Urgh. I hate once-per-day powers... Still, I suppose the robot is safer than pouring yourself back into the universe in person..."Perhaps once each day. That is unlikely to improve, and it is why he constructed Infinity Man in the first place. It is far less… Disruptive to send a robot rather than a New God."
I nod. "Is he going to build another robot?"
So, no luck there. Still, you did improve your reputation with the New Genesis faction, OL. That'll pay off in future, surely."Infinity Man was the work of many years. He is endeavouring to construct a replacement, but it will not be ready in time for your return to Earth."
I nod again as I stare out across the New Genesis forests.
Presumably he has hidden backdoors that the people who hacked it didn't find."Will he be able to purify the old one?"
"He is uncertain. If the Anti-Life broadcasters are destroyed, then he believes that he can. If they are not, he does not think that he can do more than stun it for a few moments."
I suppose there's only so much prep work you can do against a boss this tough."And against Mannheim himself?"
Vykin shakes his head. "Your original plan was judged to have the highest chance of success."
Unless Ub'x chooses to make an appearance at the last moment, no.So we can't get a cheap win against Finality Man without dealing with the network. And on the other hand, we can't purge the Earth without the network, and frankly I'm a little… Uncertain about deploying the Forever People close to something that dangerous.
"But you were unable to secure a source of the indigo light."
No plan is perfectly reliable, kid. Random chance is always a factor."There's a way around that." Probably. Not like I tested it. "But it's going to be a little difficult, and a ring would have been more reliable."
"You would risk not just your life, but the life of Orion and my team, on a plan you do not think it reliable."
The joy of having a subtle time limit to these things. And no time to respec."If there was a good or certain option, we'd be taking that instead. I don't have a better idea that doesn't involve taking years to learn entirely new skill sets, and I don't… I'm not sure that Earth has that long."
Vykin nods solemnly.
I hope so, this is not going to be easy."I'll signal when it's time to go through. Should be at least two days."
"We will be prepared."
Well, it's better therms than he first arrived on.He offers me his right hand and I take it, shaking it solemnly.
"I'll see you later."
Where to now, OL? Maltus to check on the Yellow Battery? Go looking for a replacement for the Indigo? Little side-trip for some last minute nookie?I fly upwards, leaving New Genesis behind in a matter of moments. Minimum safe distance and
step out, aiming at…
This could just mean Robin is off-planet, possibly in Minus Sixteen...
To be fair, it does take a lot of energy to kill a planet, after all.Focus on the desires of humanity and appear a little further away. And step
out. Okay, the solar system is still there-.
Uh-oh. Some random pirates sticking their nose into Earth's business?There are ships in orbit around the moon. I don't.. recognise the design-
Design not on file.
Or it could be one of the many, many one-shot alien races seen in the comics. Like the 'Bloodlines' event aliens.-and I can't think of a good reason for them to be here. They're not Apokoliptian, not unless they've had a radical change in style. Direct scan-. Blocked. That's a cause for concern. Not a reason by itself to destroy them, but…
I hadn't thought about what else might turn up to take a swing at Earth while we're… Distracted. Or they could be space red cross. There are Source-worshipping charity organisations in this Sector.
Appropriately hopeful, OL. The alternatives are a lot worse, after all."Illustres to Lantern Scott."
My left ring shimmers for a moment, but I don't get a response. Not too surprising. If he's in the Tower of Fate or otherwise outside normal reality I wouldn't expect him to reply. Or he could just be asleep.
Okay, now it's time to worry a little.
Motherfucker. They're pirates, most likely..."Illustres to Xenon base? Har-Zod, are you there?"
"Orange Lantern." Har-Zod's face appears over my ring sigil. "This base has been boarded and they're accessing my database."
Oh, things just keep getting better and better."Okay, I can-."
"They have also planted explosives. I'm not entirely familiar with the design, but they look powerful enough to destroy this outpost."
I doubt these people would destroy the base until they have what they came for. Presumably all that tasty kryptonian science knowledge...And the last thing Earth needs it a small moon falling to earth.
"Are you at risk?"
Well, keep playing dumb. Hopefully you can turn the tables at an opportune moment."No, they isolated my system early in the attack and they've ignored me since. It's possible that they thought that I was the outpost's AI and aren't aware of what I am. I suspect that will change if I act intelligently."
"Who are they?"
Damn. That still covers a lot of alien races... Most of them in fact."They were wearing heavy armour. All I can tell you is that they're humanoid."
"Can you tell me anything about the charges?"
Hopefully their sensors don't extend far enough to have spotted you before that."No. I no longer have access to internal sensors."
Darn it. I reduce my environmental shield and engage my armour's stealth systems.
Yes, good distinction to make, thank you."Can you update me on the League's progress on Earth?"
"Not fully. Superman is still alive, and… While not happy about the situation he appeared to be coping with it. In the sense of continuing the fight, not I the sense of accepting the truth of the Anti-Life."
A bad day all round for humanity, then."Are you affected?"
"I don't think that it's reached this far from the planet's surface yet. I feel a little down, but I think that's a normal reaction to the last surviving members of my species being in such a situation." He virtually sighs. "Mannheim has tightened his grip in some areas. In others… Local strong men who can function under the Anti-Life have taken control, for the most part nominally paying Mannheim homage."
Why kill those you can enslave, after all?"Have any League-associates died?"
"No. But from what I understand of Mannheim and Apokolips, killing them was never the aim."
Heh. Get some kryptonian help to speed-blitz the pirates. Assuming they can be spared."True. Right, it sounds like it would be a bad idea to try to liberate you at this time."
"I agree."
"I'm going to head down to Earth to link up with the League. I'll contact you when I have news."
...on a plan you do not think is reliable."
And the last thing Earth needs is a small moon falling to earth.And the last thing Earth needs it a small moon falling to earth.
...not in the sense of accepting the truth of the Anti-Life."
This could just mean Robin is off-planet, possibly in Minus Sixteen...
Uh-oh. Some random pirates sticking their nose into Earth's business?
though.Pretty sure it's not the Black Circle group, since OL went through them before during that situation with the Anti-Monitor armour fragment... Assuming I remember it correctly.
'Red Cross'
"He can only remain her for a few seconds before the link loses stability.
If they are, the lawyers just solved the problem, as they'll eliminate the Anti-Life in an instant so that the Red Cross can sue these schumucks for illegal use of their logo.
...on a plan you do not think is reliable."
And the last thing Earth needs is a small moon falling to earth.
...not in the sense of accepting the truth of the Anti-Life."
Thank you, corrected.
I don't believe that it was ever tested. Originally, he was supposed to be the one who absorbed the Omega Force, but DeSaad and Darkseid sabotaged the procedure. The idea that he absorbed just as much of it as his brother did but isn't enough of a dick to use it is technically canon-compliant.Can I have confirmation that Prince Drax somehow has a power capable of equalling or defeating the Omega Effect?
Having never read any of the comics, did Drax start absorbing it and then the sabotage sent hom wherever he is, or did Darkseid blast him after.
"Themyscira has… Gone. We are not sure where, though Wonder Woman has said that she is sure that it was not destroyed
Guessing the Olympians overthrew Hephaestus who wasn't doing anything and welcomed Zeus back?"Themyscira has… Gone. We are not sure where, though Wonder Woman has said that she is sure that it was not destroyed."
I think for a moment. "Reformation Island had some sort of shielding spell on it when I left. Is it like that?"
"No. There was a storm and it vanished, and the sea where it once was flowed over the hole it left."
Does any Olympian actually like Zeus enough to go through the effort to do that?Guessing the Olympians overthrew Hephaestus who wasn't doing anything and welcomed Zeus back?
"Hephaestus who wasn't doing anything"Guessing the Olympians overthrew Hephaestus who wasn't doing anything and welcomed Zeus back?
Man, I wonder how far down his list of contacts he got before he finally reached someone. And how worried he must have been getting by that point. Seriously, imagine it: No response from friend after friend...14th February 2013
18:09 GMT
"Orange Lantern to Osiris?"
"Yes? Orange Lantern?"
I'm impressed he can feel that much hope. The situation must be desperate.
...Very desperate."I've got most of what I need. Can I enter Kahndaqi territory so we can talk about-"
"Yes! Of course!"
Since it's a safe bet Adom's capital is the safest place in the continent right now."-it in person." I breathe a sigh of relief. "Coming down now."
I have no idea what the current size of the North African safe zone is, so I aim for a mostly empty spot north west of Shiruta and fly downwards at speed.
And more importantly, how heavily armed. And what composition? Dreadnoughts? Fighter carriers? Troop transports? Or worse, all of the above..."Did you know about the alien fleet near the moon?"
"A fleet? How many ships?"
...Not a big fleet, but still worrying. And that doesn't address smaller craft, either."They were jamming my scans and not trying to move or fight. I'd guess that they had twelve capital ships, but they might just be converted freighters or troop transports. Twelve large ships, certainly."
"What does that mean for us?"
Gee, you think, Amon? Even worse, they're off-planet, so very few of the League could even reach them."Depends on whether Mannheim takes umbrage or not. It's too far for anyone except top tier superheroes or supervillains to attack. I'm a bit worried about what they're taking from Har-Zod's database, but hopefully it's encrypted to the point where no normal decryption tool can manage it."
"We are not ready to respond to attacks."
Not quite kissing the sand, but that can be a bit nasty sometimes. (I would have linked the 'Robin Hood: Men In Tights' moment, but apparently it doesn't exist in clip form anywhere I can find... )"And I suspect that they know that. If it's… Below a certain level then we'll pretty much have to ignore it. Heck, we couldn't even allow them to just do what they like to Mannheim's territory, not if we want to-"
I level off as I reach ground level, and land purely to enjoy the sensation of having my feet down on my again homeworld.
Heh. The joy of dealing with people with supersenses."-reclaim the planet in reasonable condition. Alright, I'm dead on twenty eight latitude and thirty four longitude. I'm stealthed but you can probably hear me."
"Yes." I look up as he comes in to land next to me. "But it would be harder if you were phased."
That'll be a mistake in the end."Is it safe to reveal myself?"
"Earth is not safe at all. But as far as we can tell, Mannheim doesn't care about individual people."
Bah, Adom would have known right where he was. Amon's got a lot to learn.I deactivate my armour's stealth system, and his heads turns just a little from where he thought I was to where I am.
"How is Adom holding up?"
Or it might be something to do with his deities. They must be struggling in these times."He lives, though…" He looks pensive. "His strength wanes. Physically, there is nothing wrong with him, but he… Struggles to… Do certain things. To focus his mind. My sister uses her magic to fortify him, but there are may things that require her attention."
Hm. "Channelling that much magic continuously could do that."
That seems to be the answer to a lot of issues on Earth right now. Pity it's easier said than done."With Atlantis still isolating itself there is little we can do if his affliction is magic. Unless… You..?"
"You can have my purple healing ray, but I assume you've tried that." He nods disappointedly. "I can take a look at him, but since I'm not a magician there's not much I can do about it if it is magical. And I'm sure that whatever his problem is will be easier to deal with without the Anti-Life corrupting everything."
Oh, gee, nothing difficult there. Easy as!He nods. "What is your solution?"
"We seize the centre of the broadcast network and used seven different colours of power ring to channel pure life energy into it."
Seems a bit iffy. I suppose there's still hope that Ub'x bothers to make an appearance."You have seven different power rings?"
"No. I've got six. We're going to have to fake the seventh using either magic or the Medusa Mask. Should still work, though obviously it's not ideal."
Putting a lot of faith in an 'I think', OL."And what will that do?"
"The Anti-Life needs to convince people that it's true in order to control them. Once our broadcast goes out, everyone will instinctively reject it. I think."
Oh, yes. That's a given. But they may learn about this plan anyway, once you start carrying it out.He gives me a concerned frown. "How confident are you?"
"Well, there are no certainties, but it… Should work. There's nowhere I can go to test it other than Apokolips, and… I don't want Apokolips to learn about this."
Kind of makes dealing with Apokalips a priority, then. But that can come after you fix Earth..."Will they not find out when we do it?"
"I'm not planning on giving Mannheim a step-by-step guide. He'll know that something happened, and we'll need to watch out for operatives coming from Apokolips for… Forever, probably. But I don't want to give him the specifics."
That's still not a guarantee. He resisted a tiny fragment of Anti-Life. That doesn't mean he's immune to all of it..."But you have told me. Sharing information is a risk."
"Amon, last time they tried Anti-Lifeing you, you told them to go fuck themselves without super powered assistance. I consider you to be completely reliable."
Because every additional person in the know is another point of failure for his planning.He ducks his head slightly. "Thank you."
"But, yes, don't spread it out to anyone who doesn't need to know."
Yeah, OL. You're getting sloppy in your confidence.I should have thought that through a little better. Because he's right, even if it doesn't matter with him. If it was Kon or Richard I'd have told them, and they're nothing like as leak-proof. Would it matter? Probably not, but I didn't mean for Amalak to learn about General Zod and look what happened.
"What else has happened while I was gone?"
It could be a counterpart to the Olympian's plan during the Crisis, when they removed it form the mortal world entirely..."Themyscira has… Gone. We are not sure where, though Wonder Woman has said that she is sure that it was not destroyed."
I think for a moment. "Reformation Island had some sort of shielding spell on it when I left. Is it like that?"
ideally, they'll return when you clean out the Anti-Life."No. There was a storm and it vanished, and the sea where it once was flowed over the hole it left."
That's-. That's annoying.
Ah. So things didn't end well for them after all..."And… Robin, Artemis, Match and Canis were… They confronted Mannheim himself."
Without really thinking I try to feel any of them. I get nothing. "How are they? Are they d-?"
Alive, at least, if not entirely whole... More reasons to fix this shit soon."No. No. But they were exposed to the Anti-Life. They have not yet recovered."
"Not a problem. They'll be purged when the planet is." I frown. "Canis?"
Honestly, I wonder which part hurt Canis more: The truth of his exile... Or the fact his art sucked."Mannheim told him that Darkseid was genuine when he cast him out. That it was not a test. And that he doesn't like his art."
Mildly… Surprised he hadn't realise that. I realised it during our first conversation. I didn't think that I needed to tell him… Perhaps I was wrong. Or perhaps he wouldn't have believed me.
So, Gotham wasn't a unique occurrence, just an abnormal one."The victims of the Anti-Life who have taken control of cities, Mannheim is visiting them and taking something from their souls. It makes his power over the Anti-Life stronger."
"Is that what's making it difficult for Adom?"
Oh, is he going to have words for you, OL..."No, he began ailing before Mannheim began acting as he now does."
I nod. "Right then. No reason to waste time. How do I get in touch with Batman?"