Do Or Die Time (part 21)
Mr Zoat
Dedicated ragequitter
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17th February 2013
20:51 GMT
"Messing with Batman's brain for the sake of a mission." Mr. Crock hasn't joined in the relief effort, and is standing a few metres away with his arms hanging loose at his sides. "Didn't think you had it in you."
"I thought I convinced you that I was willing to kill you."
"Some men will go a long way for pussy-."
"Please don't refer to your daughter like that. I love Jade, she isn't just a sex-object to me."
He mockingly holds up his hands. "I'm so sorry I hurt your feelings."
"If you're trying to make me go back on the 'not killing you' thing, keep talking."
"That's just it. You honestly had me convinced, but here I am, still alive."
"I know. I broke my word. I think it was the first time. Probably won't be the last. Not exactly impressed with myself, but that's true of a lot of things today. Did you want something specific?"
He shrugs. "You put the mission ahead of everything and you got it done. I was fine running around for Bats and Atom, but they obviously didn't have an actual solution to what was going on. You did. And you did something to Batman that meant you had to fix his brain afterwards."
Oh no.
I turn around, and a ring scan shows him smiling underneath his mask
"Really?"
"Some guys would be happier getting the approval of their girl's old man. You lose some points for not killing me, but I guess no one's completely reliable."
"Did you want something?"
"What happens next?"
"Not up to me. Rough guess… Hell, even a rough guess, I can't-. Okay, agricultural areas are probably least affected, and there are plenty of people who can take over unused plots. We don't have to worry about mass starvation-."
"To us. The Suicide Squad. The way I see it, there's an unusually high need for my services right now."
"Supply chains are still messed up. Even if money still had value, you'd struggle to buy anything. My advice? Volunteer for relief work and build up your résumé while living in the Tower of Fate in better conditions and eating better food than just about anyone else in the world. Once the Federal Government is working again, use your record to negotiate. Personally, I wouldn't let you out because I know full well that you're about as reformable as a weasel, but I could probably be persuaded to give you a job matching your skills that had you under constant observation."
"Is that an offer?"
I exhale sharply. "Strange thing is, I know Batman had you here in case we needed a new yellow ring user, but as far as I can tell the color you match best is orange. You're a man of your word, but it's purely as an acquisition strategy and not a sign of any actual morals. You kill and steal without any sort of ideology-."
"I've met plenty of people who killed for ideology. I don't think you'd like them any better that you like me."
"Not for impersonal reasons, no. But it's a matter of what gives life value, isn't it? Kobra cultists may be lunatics, but they're happy being lunatics. Kill them and they die happy. But for a man like you… As far as I can tell, it's just acquisitiveness."
"It's not just that. I like the work."
"Have you given any thought to how you want to retire? You're past your physical prime. You've got a decade or two before it becomes a serious problem, but you really should have thought about it."
"Got something in mind?"
"If you were working for the Orange Lantern Corps it would be simple. You could use an orange ring, you've already got good combat instincts. We could use you to train up our navy's special forces units, so that your skills aren't wasted in Belle Reve. Our medical technology is top tier, and once the full intensity gets a bit much you could demob to any of a hundred friendly planets. Heck, if you made yourself really useful we could just give you your own planet." I shrug. "At our level of technology, it's not that big a deal. And let's be honest, having alienated your whole family there isn't really anything keeping you on Earth."
"Huh. I might actually-."
"I mean, I'm obviously not offering you that, because Jade hates you, Artemis hates you and I don't like you, but it would be logical."
I rise into the air.
"Don't make me come looking for you, Mister Crock."
What's the next priority? Working out how to get Atlantis to unshield itself, working out how to bring Themyscira back…
I look down at Washington, District of Columbia.
Malvolio's getting people off the ships in the bay. But-.
No command and control. Not for the billions of people who could fix a lot of problems. Communications-.
No. Short term. Food. Transportation hasn't happened. Roads are blocked. How do we keep people fed in the short term, given that there aren't anything like enough Justice League members to run a worldwide supply network?
Brazil. Euanthe and Pamela could create food plants fast enough… It would damage roads and pavements as they made the vines burst through, but it would be easier to make highly efficient food plants readily available than it would be to get shipping and hauling working again. Depending on how long each one takes to set up…
But a planet is huge. Even if we only do the most densely populated cities, it would take…
I don't even know.
They've got a few druids… Can't contact Persephone, if she would even want to help. And if Dr. Holland didn't take any action while the Anti-Life infected the world then I doubt that he'd be interested in getting involved now.
Medical…
There's no great reserve of human physicians that I have access to-.
I
raise my right hand to my forehead and vanish,
reappearing on Maltus, just outside of Dox's office and knocking on the door.
The doors slide open. "Come in, Illustres." I obey, and the doors close behind me. "I take it that the Earth is no longer under the affect of the Anti-Life."
"Yes. The Atlanteans. Can I take them home for a month or so?"
"That would not disrupt any critical operations. And it would encourage them to keep working for us in the long term." He nods, once. "You have my permission."
I nod, and take the red ring out of my pouch. "Can you find somewhere safe to put this? My hiding places have a poor track record."
"Certainly. Leave it on the desk. And keep me updated on your progress. In the long term, N.E.M.O. will need to fight Apokolips as well."
20:51 GMT
"Messing with Batman's brain for the sake of a mission." Mr. Crock hasn't joined in the relief effort, and is standing a few metres away with his arms hanging loose at his sides. "Didn't think you had it in you."
"I thought I convinced you that I was willing to kill you."
"Some men will go a long way for pussy-."
"Please don't refer to your daughter like that. I love Jade, she isn't just a sex-object to me."
He mockingly holds up his hands. "I'm so sorry I hurt your feelings."
"If you're trying to make me go back on the 'not killing you' thing, keep talking."
"That's just it. You honestly had me convinced, but here I am, still alive."
"I know. I broke my word. I think it was the first time. Probably won't be the last. Not exactly impressed with myself, but that's true of a lot of things today. Did you want something specific?"
He shrugs. "You put the mission ahead of everything and you got it done. I was fine running around for Bats and Atom, but they obviously didn't have an actual solution to what was going on. You did. And you did something to Batman that meant you had to fix his brain afterwards."
Oh no.
I turn around, and a ring scan shows him smiling underneath his mask
"Really?"
"Some guys would be happier getting the approval of their girl's old man. You lose some points for not killing me, but I guess no one's completely reliable."
"Did you want something?"
"What happens next?"
"Not up to me. Rough guess… Hell, even a rough guess, I can't-. Okay, agricultural areas are probably least affected, and there are plenty of people who can take over unused plots. We don't have to worry about mass starvation-."
"To us. The Suicide Squad. The way I see it, there's an unusually high need for my services right now."
"Supply chains are still messed up. Even if money still had value, you'd struggle to buy anything. My advice? Volunteer for relief work and build up your résumé while living in the Tower of Fate in better conditions and eating better food than just about anyone else in the world. Once the Federal Government is working again, use your record to negotiate. Personally, I wouldn't let you out because I know full well that you're about as reformable as a weasel, but I could probably be persuaded to give you a job matching your skills that had you under constant observation."
"Is that an offer?"
I exhale sharply. "Strange thing is, I know Batman had you here in case we needed a new yellow ring user, but as far as I can tell the color you match best is orange. You're a man of your word, but it's purely as an acquisition strategy and not a sign of any actual morals. You kill and steal without any sort of ideology-."
"I've met plenty of people who killed for ideology. I don't think you'd like them any better that you like me."
"Not for impersonal reasons, no. But it's a matter of what gives life value, isn't it? Kobra cultists may be lunatics, but they're happy being lunatics. Kill them and they die happy. But for a man like you… As far as I can tell, it's just acquisitiveness."
"It's not just that. I like the work."
"Have you given any thought to how you want to retire? You're past your physical prime. You've got a decade or two before it becomes a serious problem, but you really should have thought about it."
"Got something in mind?"
"If you were working for the Orange Lantern Corps it would be simple. You could use an orange ring, you've already got good combat instincts. We could use you to train up our navy's special forces units, so that your skills aren't wasted in Belle Reve. Our medical technology is top tier, and once the full intensity gets a bit much you could demob to any of a hundred friendly planets. Heck, if you made yourself really useful we could just give you your own planet." I shrug. "At our level of technology, it's not that big a deal. And let's be honest, having alienated your whole family there isn't really anything keeping you on Earth."
"Huh. I might actually-."
"I mean, I'm obviously not offering you that, because Jade hates you, Artemis hates you and I don't like you, but it would be logical."
I rise into the air.
"Don't make me come looking for you, Mister Crock."
What's the next priority? Working out how to get Atlantis to unshield itself, working out how to bring Themyscira back…
I look down at Washington, District of Columbia.
Malvolio's getting people off the ships in the bay. But-.
No command and control. Not for the billions of people who could fix a lot of problems. Communications-.
No. Short term. Food. Transportation hasn't happened. Roads are blocked. How do we keep people fed in the short term, given that there aren't anything like enough Justice League members to run a worldwide supply network?
Brazil. Euanthe and Pamela could create food plants fast enough… It would damage roads and pavements as they made the vines burst through, but it would be easier to make highly efficient food plants readily available than it would be to get shipping and hauling working again. Depending on how long each one takes to set up…
But a planet is huge. Even if we only do the most densely populated cities, it would take…
I don't even know.
They've got a few druids… Can't contact Persephone, if she would even want to help. And if Dr. Holland didn't take any action while the Anti-Life infected the world then I doubt that he'd be interested in getting involved now.
Medical…
There's no great reserve of human physicians that I have access to-.
I
raise my right hand to my forehead and vanish,
reappearing on Maltus, just outside of Dox's office and knocking on the door.
The doors slide open. "Come in, Illustres." I obey, and the doors close behind me. "I take it that the Earth is no longer under the affect of the Anti-Life."
"Yes. The Atlanteans. Can I take them home for a month or so?"
"That would not disrupt any critical operations. And it would encourage them to keep working for us in the long term." He nods, once. "You have my permission."
I nod, and take the red ring out of my pouch. "Can you find somewhere safe to put this? My hiding places have a poor track record."
"Certainly. Leave it on the desk. And keep me updated on your progress. In the long term, N.E.M.O. will need to fight Apokolips as well."
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