20th October 2012
17:34 GMT -5
I look up at the long list of superheroes who've died recently from bullets matching the ones Miss Carlyle was firing. The police had already linked the murders, but she doesn't appear inclined to leave witnesses alive to identify her personally.
Batman looks along the line of youth team members.
"Almost all of the dead were newly active superheroes unaffiliated with any larger group. A few had partners, but there were no groups larger than two. It's the three who were members of the Alliance of the Just that interest me."
He expands their records and dismisses the others.
"
Adrian Chase. Vigilante. Noted for using firearms. He had killed alleged criminals on several occasions, but the police ruled those instances justified on the grounds of
defense of another. He joined the Alliance shortly after the Manhattan chapter opened, and there was a noticeable drop in his lethality."
Unlike Marvel, Earth 16 doesn't actually have hundreds of superpeople in New York. I remember that in the Justice League/Avengers crossover they noted that DC's New York was actually considerably smaller, but as far as I could see it just sort of merges into the surrounding urban area so I don't know exactly what that would look like. Neither Diana nor Alan are grade-A criminal investigators, so there's a space for a street level superhero ecosystem to develop. I haven't spent enough time there to bother finding out much about them.
"He was found dead two weeks ago from close-range gunshot wounds. Evidence at the scene suggests that his body was moved before it was found, but the police haven't been able to find out where from. They also haven't been able to track his movements in the two hours prior to his most likely time of death."
He walks along to the next image.
"
Daniel William Ducannon. White Dragon."
A short way down the line I see M'gann cringe slightly at the flames in his image. New Kara spots me looking and waves, smiling broadly.
"He joined the Chicago branch of the Alliance after several confrontations with local police over his use of his flame control powers during his arrests and his apparent racism. Before he died, he had significantly improved his self-discipline to the point that even officers who'd been critical of his actions spoke of him favorably in the press."
"Lastly,
Susan Linden. Black Orchid. Unlike the other two she had no record of excess violence. I haven't yet had time to go through her entire repository of case files, but they appear to be extensive. She also joined the Alliance of the Just recently, and according to their reports did so primarily to gain access to their intelligence-sharing apparatus."
"The Justice League will be pursuing the new Crimson Avenger. I want the team to focus on these three cases. Find out what made them special that she chose to deviate from her usual victim profile. Aqualad, I leave the mission planning to you."
He turns and stalks towards the zeta tubes, leaving us looking at the three holograms.
Kaldur takes a step forward, then turns to face the… Class.
"Orange Lantern, can you brief us on Crimson Avenger's abilities?"
"Recognised, Batman, Zero Two."
I nod, walking out of line until I'm in the middle of the room and then turn, connecting my ring to the hologram projectors and creating an image of Miss Carlyle.
"Miss Carlyle appeared at all times to be surrounded by a cloud of red mist. I can't tell you if that's just because she emits it all the time or because she needs to put it somewhere first in order to teleport there. She can make herself selectively intangible, not sure whether it's at-will or automatic.
"
"Oh El?"
"Kid Flash?
"
"You've got plenty of anti-magic weapons. How come you didn't take her down?"
"My priority was getting Mister Grant to safety, and my anti-magic attacks can be a bit lethal. I didn't know quite how big her kill count was at the time. I'd probably have been able to square an amputation with myself if I did.
"
Canis leaves the line to walk right up to the hologram, staring into its eyes.
Birth of the Author.
"Based on what we've learned, removing her desires probably wouldn't do anything. The guns are talking to her inside her head and she's obeying. With no desires of her own she'd be less able to resist than she is now. Returning to Kaldur's original question, her aim is supernaturally good. She was able to hit me with a round from a Colt nineteen eleven at a range of approximately one and a half miles, her bullet punching through my environmental shield and armour when it hit. There's no way she could have known the wind speed in the intervening space when she fired.
"
Canis steps back from the hologram. "It is hollow artistry."
Kaldur takes a step closer to him. "What do you mean?"
"Her shots. Her nature. A simple machine can create an image, but art requires a direction of passion. She has none, alive but possessing nothing of life."
"Do you believe that she is completely under the control of the guns?"
"No. If the spirits bound to the guns provided purpose, I would see it." He shakes his head. "I have seen more spirit from Lowlies."
"And you can tell all that for sure from a hologram?
"
"The ability lies in me, not in the subject. I can tell."
Richard approaches the hologram, apparently trying to see what Canis saw. "Oh El, can you play it through?"
"Sure.
"
We all move a little further away and I play the whole encounter through. Richard studies it closely while Canis is far less interested, having formed his opinion already.
Richard shakes his head as it reaches the point where I left the room and the image freezes. "I want to say that she's not moving right, but I don't know if that's true. She's not moving right for a
gunfighter, but the guns could be moving around on their own. Or just working the muscles they need."
Artemis shakes her head. "She doesn't think anyone can hurt her. Wonder Woman
couldn't. She doesn't need to minimise her profile if no one can attack her."
Wallace looks curiously at her guns. "I didn't think it was possible to dual wield pistols accurately like that."
Raquel shakes her head. "It's not. You can spray a load of lead if you're using automatics, but the recoil means that it won't stay on target."
A few people look curiously in her direction, prompting her to shift awkwardly.
"I hung out with some bad people."
"I tried that at a range, and she's right. Nothing about how she moved suggested to me that she had super strength, and even with super strength the gun would move a bit. She's moving and changing where she's aiming… Something else is going on.
"
"Hm." Zatanna looks at me. "Did you
know his guns were possessed?"
"Not for certain. And I really didn't know where they were.
"
Richard looks at me. "Where
were they?"
"Pass. Though if no one was using them, that suggests that the voices are fairly quiet.
"
Kaldur nods. "We have three people to investigate. Batman will investigate the other aspects of the case."
"Ah… Do you think that it's worth finding out about the Alliance of the Just more generally? What they're saying to superheroes who come to them with a body count? I know some people who are involved.
"
Kaldur considers, then nods. "I believe that may be useful."
