1st May 2013
07:25 GMT -8
The somewhat weather-beaten car pulls up to the industrial unit car park with commendable haste and compliance with driving ordnances, a man of Hispanic extraction getting out a moment later. He's staring at me with a combination of surprise and nervousness on his face.
"Hey, ah… I wasn't sure it was really
you."
"I assure you, I'm really me. Your colleagues?
"
"I…" He shakes his head. "I couldn't get hold of Seamus, and my boss should already be here."
"He doesn't appear to be inside.
"
He shrugs. "Could be out getting breakfast or a cigarette. I can let you in..?"
"Please do so. And tell me about your employer.
"
"
Mister Levi used to be a quality checker in a pharmaceutical company. Did chemistry in college." He inserts his key into the door, and then takes out… That's not a fob key, that's a fetish. He waves it around the door frame before turning the key. "He said he was always kind of interested in magic, but then…" He turns back to me. "Huh. I guess it figures you'd be-."
I raise my eyebrows.
"I'd be..?
"
"It was that talk you did, about how not using new technology and not using magic was stupid. He got really into it. Got a grant to do scientific magic research. Ended up quitting his regular job-. This was all before the Anti-Life thing."
"Okay, that sounds respectable and productive. But there's a
lot of human fat in there.
"
"Oh, that. Yeah, it-." He pushes the door open and beckons me inside. "We're not doing anything that needs that much human fat. Not anymore. But we needed a standard medium for testing-. We do hundreds of tests with tiny variations to try and find out what exactly works the best. It was easier to get standardized fat than blood. And…"
"Go on. You're doing fine so far.
"
I follow him as he leads the way inside.
"When the Anti-Life…
Happened, he… Kind of managed to ward it off. Just a..
little. But the fat went bad real fast. We ended up raiding clinics and stuff." He raises his hands defensively. "And I know we-."
I shake my head.
"Perfectly fine, under the circumstances. Weapons, medicine and reagents are all acquisitionable during major crises like that. If you'd taken cash or jewellery, that's
not okay, but vital supplies are fine.
"
"Including human fat?"
"You might need to prove the efficacy of your ward in court, but in principle, yes.
"
He
exhales, sagging slightly. "That's a huge load off my mind. Ah, thanks."
The interior… 'Work space' is
basic but up to code. There's a nitrogen tank I remember from… Work on Earth Prime, and a clean room with a fume cabinet, and a work bench covered in equal parts scientific equipment, magic books and alchemical reagents. More of the same fills three shelving units set against the walls, and power is provided by…
I think that's a magic-based generator.
"There are more efficient ways to check the law than asking a superhero, but we'll do in a pinch. However, that doesn't explain the fat you've got
now.
"
He pulls out a chair and sits down, gesturing for me to do the same. Since he's being so helpful, I comply.
"Turns out we took more than a month's worth. And it's not like the clinics need it
back. I mean, how would we even do that?"
"In theory, if you were complying with the law, you would walk up to the front door, announce that you'd taken their property during the emergency and were now returning it, and then hand it over. But I wouldn't worry about it.
" I frown.
"Have liposuction clinics..? Reopened..?
"
"That's the other thing; a lot of 'em haven't. Some places are just abandoned, some are shut down…
Some have reopened, but we weren't all that careful about exactly what came from where."
"As I said, don't worry about it. Now, the
main reason that I'm here is that I want to ask about whether-. No, let's not pretend that I don't know. Some people came here and had a spell cast to erase their records. I want to know exactly what happened.
"
"Huh?"
"I'm assuming that your work includes pure casting as well as alchemy?
"
"Uh, yeah?"
I take a hologram projector out of subspace and activate it, showing the faces of the five roof attackers. And then I add my most recent scan of Lonnie Machin's face.
"These gentlemen. Do you recognise any of them?
"
He makes a point of looking the faces over, then shakes his head. And his brain activity suggests that he's not lying.
"I didn't even know there
was a spell that could do that. Like… Every record?"
"I'm not sure of the exact reach it has, but it looks like it gets every paper or electronic record. The Justice League has warded computers and my rings are a little special, but otherwise a person can erase everything except memories with it.
"
"Jesus. Is it hard to make it work?"
"Not sure. It doesn't require much raw power or expensive reagents. And I don't think it needs
that much skill.
"
"Got a few parking tickets I wouldn't mind making go poof."
"Alright, but you'd also lose your passport, driving licence, mortgage or rental agreement, contract of employment, banking records and school certificates. It's really for people willing to live off the grid only.
"
"Oh." He nods. "So, what now?"
"Well, I'm waiting for my colleague to get back so that we can more precisely trace-.
"
"…already here. Seamus!? Marquez!?"
Mr. Agua half turns to the door. "In here!"
A man… Mr. Levi, walks in, followed by Mr. Bierce, who briefly rolls his eyes at me.
"
Orange Lantern. Ah, hello, hello!" Mr. Levi walks up to me, offering me his right hand. I politely shake it. "Ambrose was just telling me-. Your tattoos! Do they
really make you immune to all magic detection?"
"Virtually all of it. Two-stage indirect attempts can still work. Listen, I need to know about-.
"
"The boy you're trying to find, yes. I've never met him, but anything I can do to help, just say the word."
"Ah. Ah, thank you. Let's see if we can narrow down what happened and go from there.
"