"No." I push outwards with my environmental shield, partially-dissolved crystal crumbling off me as it disintegrates. "Just bypassing a cleverly unclever spell John Constantine cast. Do-?"
No, don't say 'do you need anything?' to the woman that you love. The people on Reformation Island have been fine for three months, they can cope for five minutes.
I think she gets the situation fairly clearly just from you saying 'Constantine'. She should be familiar with his work from OL's stories, at least. And nice of him to at least stop and chat with his girlfriend.
Jade gives her head a small shake. "We're not in immediate danger. This is a Darkstar training centre. Standard picket fleet-"
I send my spacesuit into subspace and embrace her warmly.
I expect it's been a few days since last he saw her, at the least. More likely
weeks. She might well be one of the few humans in existence right now that wasn't touched by either the Anti-Life Event or the White Light Outburst. Be interesting to compare metaphysical scans of her to average people on Earth...
"-and sexual harassment in the workplace, apparently."
She's smiling as I rest my forehead against hers.
Yeah, if she wasn't into it, she'd let you know. With a blow to the delicates, if nothing else.
"This is unprofessional conduct at worst." I change the angle of my neck and gently kiss her forehead.
"I think that's worse."
Well, he
is a talented amateur. Not any kind of professional soldier.
"So does that mean that professional sexual harassment exists? I'll have to talk to Dox about that. Maybe there's a course I can do."
"You'll have to talk to Director Jeddigar about that. Unless you're planning on complaining about the Orange Lantern Corps not having them."
I would expect there are plenty of standing rules about Orange Lanterns and various vices. Mostly consisting of 'do not do this, or at least do not use your Ring while doing so'.
"No, of course not. I would never leave L.E.G.I.O.N. out. They need the help more."
One of the L.E.G.I.O.N. soldiers on duty snorts through his helmet. "Fuck you too, sir."
Ooh,
sassy. I'm guessing he's met Orange Lanterns before and knows how they
work.
"I'm not a professional."
I sigh as I release Jade from my embrace, smiling at her as she smiles back.
No doubt enjoying a little high from the lingering Violet energy from the dissolving crystals.
"How's Earth?"
"About the same. Economists have stopped hanging themselves, but I think we can cope. I just need to-" I hoik the magic beacon into the air with a construct. "-get this thing to Themyscira and we'll get Reformation Island back."
Eh, they'll sort it out. Especially if or when Ploutos shows up for work.
"What about Atlantis?"
"I'm… Happy to make that someone else's problem."
You have enough on your plate to worry about, OL. Don't let the Protagonist's Burden weigh too heavily on you.
She raises a sceptical eyebrow. "Really?"
I exhale. "Really. Sticking Earth's civilisation back together isn't… Something that really… I don't want to say 'interests me', but-."
You didn't think you'd end up working on it the way you expected to come at it.
"You want to fix something, see it get better and then stay fixed." I nod. "Has the Justice League talked about removing governments?"
"I am not allowed to talk about the Justice League removing governments."
Now, is that a general 'no comment', or has he been...
Her eyebrows rise again. "That's oddly specific."
"Batman has learn to be specific around me."
...I withdraw my unasked question.
The dark knight detective has learned!
"Who's the lucky country? Bwunda?"
"Adom's taken that one."
On of Kahndaq's southern
neighbours, I presume. Or at least close enough for him to commute to work.
"Ogaden?"
"There isn't a country there to take over anymore. I suppose we could give it to Mister Atom and see what he does, but the infrastructure's been sufficiently degraded that it might be better just to allow the villages to do their own thing for while."
Another of those small
African nations that only exists in the DC Universe because real countries were a no-go.
"It almost certainly is. Could be a problem if the hospitals aren't working, though."
"Not from a civilisational standpoint. Regular access to really good medicine has really only been a thing in the richest parts of the world for the last fifty years or so. Barely any time at all in the history of the human species."
And in the average DC-Earth African county, not even
that long.
"Are things that bad?"
"Doctors had a reasonable survival rate. It's supply chains that didn't. Most medicines aren't made close to where they're used and the systems of distribution were completely wrecked."
Which I assume some superheroes are trying to assist with, until proper route reopen.
One of the things I remember hearing about the destruction of the World Trade Centre was the ways that some companies had stopped existing. Not because the damage to their infrastructure caused them to lose money, but because everyone who worked there was killed. There was literally no one to continue the company's function.
No
joke. I wouldn't be surprised to learn some brokerage firms had their
only offices in the
buildings.
Doctors have worked their way through the fixable injuries and illnesses by now... Or 'timed out', I suppose But that's not much help to a diabetic with access to insulin. Or foods that they could use to regular their blood sugar in an analogue manner, especially when disposables for blood sugar monitors aren't available.
I also wouldn't be surprised to find a lot of people who needed vital surgeries during the Anti-Life period died because they couldn't have them performed. Or those in pallative or critical care who succumbed because the staff just
stopped working...
And it's… Not worth me fixing that. Even if I was trying to keep particular individuals alive, I'd be better off correcting the condition rather than fixing a factory that makes palliatives.
I frown. Actually…
Another option for introducing Kryptonian technology perhaps. Maybe not outright curing diseases, but providing tech that makes it easier to do so...
"Planning something?"
"Planning how to make the world a better place. And to make sure that I'm more emotionally engaged with the people of Earth."
To be fair, he hasn't really needed to be outside of 'all of this is mine'. But a stronger sense of '
mine' would help him focus on fixing things, perhaps?
She looks at me… Not nervously, but with a degree of concern. Then her expression shifts to amusement. "Do I need to warn Batman?"
"'Need to'? No." I look around. "What have they got you doing?"
I'm impressed that she'd be able to
reach Batman.
"Teaching special forces soldiers from N.E.M.O. worlds how to be Darkstars. A hundred different doctrines, technologies and military histories. Not to mention the ones who have already been to war with the others." A quiet snort. "Half the time I think we'd be better starting with raw recruits."
It's that or brain-wipe the veterans. And thus loose everything that makes them veterans.
"And the other half?"
"Then I'm sure. But that's probably not political feasible." She shakes her head. "I've got a shift to work. Go finish up on Earth before they try sending someone else."
Ah, the joy of inadvertently visiting your girlfriend at work.
I nod. "I will see you later." I smile and-. And turn to the Darkstar who spoke a moment ago. "Since we're not in the same chain of command, you probably shouldn't call me 'sir'."
"Al-right. What should I call you?"
Well, he doesn't need a
cab. Still, at least something respectful might be wise?
"In formal settings, 'Clarissi'. In informal settings, just about anything other than 'sir'."
"Okay… Arsehole."
...If he isn't at least a corporal-equivalent, promote that guy. He's got
character.
The other guard stares at him in alarm.
"Yeah, like that."
I get the feeling that guy actually has met lanterns before and expected a stronger response.
Armour on, take physical hole of the beacon and step
out.
Well, nice visit, back to the day job.
