21st January 2006
09:58 GMT -5
Komand'r beams at me through my communicator.
"And don't forget to say 'hi' to everyone for me! I can't
wait to see them all again when I get back!"
And an uncertain dread begins to creep into my chest where my heart used to be.
"I certainly won't,
darling.
"
Okay, I'm in public and she knows I'm in public. If
that doesn't get a response-.
She
beams wider, breathing in and clutching her hands to her chest.
Then she mimes pulling her heart out of her chest, kissing it and then blowing it to me.
I mime catching it and then pressing it into my own chest. And
now I'm genuinely worried. Setting Vega on fire didn't magically resurrect all of the dead Tamaranean doctors, and the only people who really knew anything about their physiology
were the psions. They're no longer in a position to provide me with information. I mean, it's not
impossible that we missed a data store somewhere, but Red Lanterns are generally pretty thorough.
Or rather, indiscriminate.
"I'll see you this evening.
"
I cut the connection and accelerate towards the giant 'T' of the Titan's tower. Perhaps surprisingly given the crisis that we just went through it's still in one piece, but I don't really get 'surprised' by this sort of nonsense anymore. Goodness,
how many times in the last few years has it been wrecked one week and been fully repaired by the next? I guess one of those Wayne Enterprises warehouses is filled with spare Tower sections, so they can just slot them in when the old ones are destroyed.
I suppose it keeps money in circulation.
Maybe Komand'r's possessed? Miss Roth should be able to identify that with relative ease, and then it shouldn't be hard to exorcise. And what's the chance of her encountering a Tamaranean disease in Jump City that her sister hasn't caught? No, no, it'll be
fine.
I land in front of the tower's main entrance and press the button to request access. While I doubt that Mr. Logan will be awake yet, and Mr. Stone is a coin toss, the other three are probably awake. And we should be on good enough terms that they'll at least
talk to me.
Mr. Grayson's face appears on the screen.
"Hello? What do you want?"
"I have some information I should probably pass on concerning recent events. And… I… May need your help with something. May I come in?
"
"Sure." The doors slide open, granting me access to the tower's antechamber. "Should I call in the team?"
"That won't be necessary. If I could just speak to yourself, Miss Roth and Koriand'r?
"
"I'll let them know you're here."
"Thank you.
"
The screen goes black and I walk inside. I've been here a few times before, and it… Doesn't look like they've remodelled too much. Same clean lines and airy spaces. Dread to think what it costs to heat it, or if it's not much why they don't share the technology.
Mr. Grayson is waiting for me in the lounge, looking completely alert.
"Red Lantern. Raven should be here in a minute."
I nod.
"Thank you. Though I'll let you know that as a result of events last week I've been promoted to Senior Lantern. And… It's fine if you use my name. I think we know each other well enough.
"
He raises his left eyebrow.
"Do you..
have a name?"
Huh?
"Of
course I have a name. Did you think I was
born with a power ring?
"
"No, I guess not. So what-?"
An interior door opens and Miss Roth walks in, a mug of coffee floating along behind her. Her eyes narrow slightly as she looks at me.
"How are you still alive?"
"I understand that we have you and the magic of friendship to thank for that.
"
"I only resurrected the people
Trigon killed. You tore your own heart out of your chest and smashed it into your Lantern. I'm pretty sure you should be dead."
"Blood magic.
"
She nods. "How.. does that work?"
"Lord Atrocitus uses blood magic to make our rings. Mine now pushes blood around my body. I don't need a heart any more.
"
She frowns. "What happens if you get distracted? Your constructs usually stop working when you stop being angry."
"I don't have that problem anymore. I got in touch with my rage and hate in a… Profound way.
" I hold out my right hand and generate a
bit construct, switching it between its two states a handful of times before dismissing it.
"Huh. So what did you wanna talk about?"
"Komand'r and I are leaving Jump City. Long term this time. I originally came here because a seer of my acquaintance claimed that you were going to destroy the world, and since that's already happened I.. don't need to be here anymore.
"
She narrows her eyes at me. "You were supposed to stop Trigon."
"I was supposed to kill you.
"
Mr. Grayson's eye holes widen. "What?"
Miss Roth's face relaxes, and she nods slowly. "That would probably have worked. Why didn't you?"
"You're a good person. I couldn't think of anything you'd willingly do that could cause an apocalypse, and I wouldn't kill you for something someone
else did.
" I shrug.
"You'd have trouble finding demon cultists in North America anymore. They seem to… Have fallen down some stairs.
"
She risks a small smile. "All of them?"
"They were slippery stairs. I'd have done something about Slade if I'd known what was going on there.
" I shrug again.
"But I imagine that Trigon could have used someone else. And if I
had killed you, he'd just have sired a new child somewhere else. It's probably better this way.
"
She nods, a degree of animation returning to her face.
"Still a risk, though."
"You're worth it.
"
She regards me thoughtfully. "Why are you being nice about this?"
"Mostly because I'm not having to remind myself of all the ways you and yours irritate me in order to use my ring. It's a much more relaxing way to exist.
"
"Because you don't have a heart."
"Komand'r finds it weirder than I do. Which… Brings me to the other reason why I'm here.
" I half-turn to face Richard.
"Komand'r has been acting… Strangely.
"
Miss Roth raises her eyebrows. "What, has she started being nice to people or something?"
"Yes, and it's weird. I'm worried-.
" Koriand'r flies out of the elevator.
"Koriand'r, do you know of a disease that makes Tamaraneans change personality radically?
"
"Ah?" She raises her right forefinger to her lips. "There are several things that could do that. Does Blackfire have any other symptoms?"
"She tried to toast some bread with her plasma vision this morning and accidentally froze it instead.
"
Koriand'r stares at me for a second, and then her face lights up in an expression of pure joy! "Oh that is
wondrous news! I will now go to bake the niffka cakes and prepare the funny hats!"
"Okay, thank you, but what does it mean in English?
"
"Blackfire is pregnant!"
