Mannheim lets go of Karon, and she… Kind of staggers backwards and then sits down. I don't have a good angle on her from here and I can't risk getting distracted by looking at my cameras.
"Aaaaaaaaaaaah."
Especially if said cameras draw his attention while he's savouring...
Whatever he's doing.
Mannheim blinks slowly, fists balling and then relaxing again.
"I see. You keep going, even if you no longer feel the things that caused you to adopt that behavior. You don't need to know right from wrong because it's just you. Thank you, Karon Chase, for teaching this to me."
Oh, shit. He got an
upgrade...
Karon doesn't react. I don't know if I should grab her, try attacking him again-.
"But let me share what you learned with the world." Action W-.
Bugger! Evacuate the place!
WAAAGHWAAAGHWAAAGH!
Ah-! Some sort of..! Sonic weapon goes off, Mannheim's.. hit with something that makes him glow, then-. Then he goes kind of transparent-. He raises his hands and looks at them.
...Okay, I'm guessing that isn't him doing that.
Alexander?
Quick, while he's distracted.
I dart forward, grab Karon-
Her eyes look normal now, and she's.. crying?
Like I said, no-one's walking away
unchanged.
-and then run back into the prison.
"Robin to everyone. It didn't work. Evacuate immediately."
In other words: leg it before Mannheim gets his ass back together.
"Match to team. I'm blowing the bridge now."
CHOOM CHOOM-CHOOM CHOOM-CHOOM CHOOM!
At least that'll slow Mannheim's goons down if they give chase.
"Artemis. I'm taking Canis and Holly to the Batboat. What's Mannheim doing?"
We planned the route through Blackgate. Since they used to bring new arrivals in by boat, it's pretty accessible. We should be able to get away.
Or, given their abilities,
over Blackgate. 'Leap tall buildings in a single bound' and all that.
"Robin. Can't see him."
We didn't win. But no one died, went mad, got captured or even injured. Mannheim learned… Something about the Anti-Life, so maybe the world's going to get a little worse. But we learned that's what he was trying to do, so…
Not a complete failure, but Batman's still going to be
pissed.
"Alexander. He shouldn't be doing much. I used a magic-enhanced phase-shifter. If my thaumic scans are correct, it should take him about three minutes to overpower the effect. Less if he doesn't try that hard."
That's…
Evidently Alexander's encountered New Gods before.
"Robin. How many of those-" I turn down a main hall, using my computer to remotely open the security doors. "-do you have?"
"Alexander. It's integrated into my armour, but as I understand these things, he will gradually become more resistant. How are Karon, Holly and Canis Minor doing?"
As we saw1 with the Renegade and his 'temporary' knockoff Speed Formula dosages... His Metaphysique rejecting changes not in his nature...
"Artemis. They're breathing. Not.. responding to my voice."
"Karon, how you doing?"
All I hear is very quiet sobbing.
That's bad for Gotham, certainly. Without Mistress to hold the Justified back, they'll be dancing to Mannheim's tune.
"Robin. Same. Match, are any of his bodyguards coming after us?"
"No. Do you want me to try grabbing one of them?"
Sounds like a big risk for little payout.
"No. Don't risk yourself."
Mannheim could start moving at any moment and he already hit Match out of the air once…
Too deeply Anti-Lifed, I expect. Not worth the risk.
Out the back of the prison, and Artemis is already dumping off Canis and Holly. She looks back at me as I leap, landing next to the boat and shoving Karon at her.
"Robin. Match, update?"
Fire up the engine, folks, time to haul ass.
"Mannheim is sort of glowing. Bodyguard still the same."
"Alexander. He's about to break out. I'm pulling out. Meet up at fallback point one."
He
did say if Mannheim fought back, it wouldn't last long...
I jump into the boat next to the controls, hitting the ignition and accelerate the jet engine. It's not quiet, but it's fast and responsive. We pull away from the shore and I start breathing a little bit easier.
"Arte, how are they?"
Are they alive? Yes. Are they unharmed? All signs point to
no.
"Canis? Are you okay?"
Blackgate falls away behind us, and a moment later I see Match flying alongside us.
Unless Mannheim or his buddies can fly, they're at least safe on
that front...
A little easier.
"Canis, I'm gunna shoot you with a purple healing-."
Honestly, I doubt it'll do much. He's not
physically damaged.
"Did you know?"
"Ah… About Darkseid kicking you out for real?"
Just
badly emotionally damaged.
"Yes."
"Ah… It's not like Darkseid tells us what his plans are, but it always sounded… I thought he was probably trying to kill you for real. I didn't know he didn't care."
Not sure that's want Canis wants to hear right now...
"I see."
"But… Not having the biggest bad guy in the universe gunning for you isn't a bad thing."
Certainly, it makes it easier to sleep at night, if nothing else.
"You know nothing. I made my art... For him. His…"
"Try shooting him anyway."
If only to stop him from willing himself to
die.
"O-kay…"
"Canis, you haven't stopped being God of Art just because Darkseid is a philistine. It was always kind of a long shot for a guy who wants to crush every soul in existence to like creativity and beauty. I… Know it feels like-."
...But maybe he
needs to hear it. I suspect he won't be feeling great anytime
soon, though.
"Children! Turn out to sea! Turn out to sea now!"
I turn the wheel and push the accelerator right away.
Alexander has that sort of commanding voice, huh? Just like Batman?
"Robin to Alexander, what-?"
"It isn't that easy to escape me." Action Without Passion.
...Well,
that isn't good. I assume that was over the radio, rather than in
person...
Oh.
I reduce the boat's speed and resume course for the fallback point. It's already hit, and this was probably what Mannheim was trying to do. Maybe it will wear off and maybe it won't. I can't risk the drugs again.
Probably a good idea, especially if they're only safe for one dose a
month.
Behind me, Artemis turns off the purple healing ray and drops it to the floor. Holly goes fetal, Karon just sort of lies there and Canis is actually looking a little better.
That should probably mean something to me.
But it doesn't.
So, not good all round.
Shit...
