Young Justice: The Gold Corps: Shattered, Chapter 16: Relationships

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I don't own either Young Justice or the Green Lantern Corps. Wish I did. Please read and review.

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Chapter 16: Relationships

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The creature humans had recently come to call Brother Smith drifted on the air currents overhead. He went over the previous night's incident carefully, even as he maintained his focus on both the dark warrior, the hunter from out of time, and Rose and Ragnar. He wasn't through with any of them yet.

In a way, he really did appreciate that they hadn't destroyed his collection. I really should put them somewhere safer than that, he thought, but it's never really needed to be, before. But I suppose that now, if I begin to draw the wrath of those called "super heroes," I'd best step up my security measures. Now. What to do about those two who'd tried to infiltrate his organization?

Brother Smith saw no reason to change his goals regarding them. The female, Rose was her name, would make an excellent parent, and eventually, an excellent host. Now, the boy wasn't strictly speaking human, but that most probably didn't matter; he was close enough. There were other males she associated with, ones who were completely human, and it would certainly make matters much simpler if he could work with and through one or more of them, but no. He was too stubborn and set in his ways to take the easy way out. No, he'd see to it that Rose got impregnated by the one called Ragnar a few times (how many times? He didn't really know; as many times as it took, he guessed), and produced some truly remarkable children (and what a bloodline that would be! Brother Smith was almost giddy with anticipation at the thought). He could guide them, shape them, forge them into a tool to truly and effectively manage the chaotic patterns of life on this planet. Under his guidance, they'd easily surpass any of the so-called "super-heroes," becoming a force to be reckoned with, unlike the heroes, most of whom had merely fallen into their way of life, by sheer accident, and were only bumbling about, combatting this ephemeral nonsense called "crime." To Brother Smith, this was about as high a priority as an overdue library book.

And he'd get to be the godfather! Imagine that! In a sense, these children would almost be his own! And oh what heights they could reach….together…this would be especially true if the young man did indeed have genes from this destroyer of worlds, this "Doomsday." From what Brother Smith had been able to find out, this alien superscientist, Bertron, had taken a baby, a baby of a man, and, over time, turned it into a monster.

He, Brother Smith, would take a monster and turn it into a man.

But before he could begin, there were some troubling issues he had to resolve. For some time now, he'd sensed the presence of an extraordinarily powerful mind somewhere on the planet, a mind of such power as to rival, if not exceed, his own. It was not the mind of one of the various enhanced beings on the Earth. It was not one he could feed upon, because of its intrinsic nature, and anyway, that would have been too close a call. Rather analogous to an Earthly lion attacking an elephant. It might work, especially if the lion knew what it was doing, but there was easier prey.

So, to this end, he'd arranged with this Sinestro to have the asteroid impact the Earth. It wouldn't, of course, but its mere presence could produce the answer to many questions.

Just out beyond Earth's moon: Sinestro and company had shepherded the asteroid expertly, concealing it from the Justice League's sensors. Now Sinestro "stood" back, arms crossed, feet together, and waited. Lyssa Drak wondered what he was waiting for. "My Lord?"

"Yes?"

"At what point do we drop the illusion, and let the Earthians see the peril looming in their skies?" Arkillo overheard the exchange, and eagerly waited for the answer. It would be such fun to cause such sweet terror…

"If my suspicions are correct, Lantern Drak, that will not be necessary."

Even as he spoke, a beam of light shot forth from the center of the continent
Earthians called Antarctica. The beam was no mere phenomenon such as light, which wouldn't be visible in space, anyway. The beam shone forth, tracking back and forth, and finally settled on the asteroid. "Master! The cloaking illusion is still in place! How can this be?"

The beam zeroed in on the asteroid, pinpointing it exactly. Then it contracted, focusing itself, becoming a laser-thin beam of indescribable brilliance, too bright to look at ….

The asteroid blew apart as if someone had set off a multitude of nuclear bombs in its interior. The three yellow lanterns threw up shields against the flying debris, none of which was larger than a man's fist.

Sinestro led his people away. He could detect the Justice League scrambling to deal with the fact of an exploding asteroid they hadn't even detected yet. "Come, Lyssa Drak, Arkillo. There is nothing more to do here, and one of my questions has been, if not answered—at the very least, reinforced."

"What might that be, my lord?"

Sinestro smiled. "In due time, my archivist, you will inscribe it in the Book of Parallax. But not today."

Once again, so confident were three of their invisibility, that they neglected to scan for a solitary green figure. "G'wan, you bastard," Guy Gardner checked his ring. Yep. Right on schedule a, a tracing signature of his own devising tracked the trio out into deep interstellar space...

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The Justice League team deployed by the League to Antarctica had included Doomsday, at his eager request. Considering the power of that beam, they had certainly seen the benefits to having the Monster of Steel along with them.

Doomsday, Superman, Fire, Ice, and John Stewart, members chosen specifically due to their ability to withstand the harsh environment, had teleported in as close as the triangulated coordinates allowed them to. The sheer outpouring of energy from that one spot had bollixed up their sensors, but they still managed to get a fairly accurate fix on the location—just a little off from magnetic south.

Doomsday seemed transfixed. "Superman? Do you see what I'm seeing?"

"If you're seeing a large golden dome, then, yes, I am. You recognize this?"

But Doomsday was too busy being awestruck. It couldn't be. It just couldn't be…

He waded through the snow up to the side of the sphere, running his hand over the side. It just couldn't be….

All at once, one section of the side of the sphere wavered, like a heat mirage in the desert, and disappeared, leaving a large oval entrance into the interior of the station. A staircase apparently made of the same substance as the exterior of the sphere extended down to the surface. The others looked uneasy. What was all this?

Numbly, Doomsday walked up to the entranceway. Part of him knew exactly who he'd find. Exactly who.

"Well, don't just stand there. Come on in, son. And bring your friends. It's quite cold out there," said Bertran.

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Mt. Justice: Rose was making Ragnar's life a living hell.

She wouldn't leave him alone. No matter how many times he'd told her, no matter how forcefully he'd expressed himself, she just nodded and kept right on doing whatever it was she happened to be doing, which usually involved him in some way. He was wondering if he should speak to Nightwing about it.

Right now, her stated reason for intruding on his life was examining him to make sure he wasn't transforming. Even though he locked his doors, securing them as well as he knew how, she always found a way in. He'd just turn around and there she'd be, already feeling up under his shirt, feeling his shoulders and back for spikes. "Rose!"

"Shuddup." Her standard greeting. She felt over his shoulder blades, not forgetting to check out his elbows. Doomsday had had some formidable bone spikes there, too. "I don't feel anything yet. No mood swings? You remember, this Doomsday's rage was encoded into his genetic nature. He couldn't help but be angry."

"No." Tensely. But sometimes when you're around, I feel myself getting close.

"Say, you always wear these snap-on button-downs? I've never seen you with anything else, except at that shelter."

"Yes. Megan liked them, so that's what I always bought."

Rose grinned. "Oh, Megan liked them, did she?" Her grin grew bigger. "You know why, don't you?"

"I think this is one of those things I'm better off not learning about from you."

She put her hand up against his chest, leaning against him, her head down, chortling. "I can't help it. You're just such a virgin."

"Get your hand," he growled, "off me."

One day he came back to his quarters to find Rose already there, waiting for him. He rolled his eyes. Why didn't she just move in? He'd find other quarters. Maybe a nice broom closet…

But she was holding a box in her hand. "Here," she said, "This came for you."

"What, you mean you didn't open it already? You're slipping."

"Shuddup. G'wan and open it. I'm curious." He glared at her, halfway tempted to put it off 'till later, but, truth was, he was curious, too. He never received mail.

Inside the box was another box, holding, in its center, a brightly shining ring. "Er, what's this?"

She took the ring out of the box, an expression of something close to shock on her face. He looked on admiringly. Even if nothing else, this gift had served to knock her out of her attitude of smug superiority. It made her face almost pleasant to look at. "You know what this is, Ragnar?"

"It's a ring."

"It's a promise ring! The kind you give to a very special person!"

He digested that. "Well, who would have sent me…wait, there's a note." He read the note. "M'gann? I…this is great!"

"Wrong. This is a great laugh. Ragnar, girls don't send guys promise rings! It's the other way around!"

"So…what exactly are you saying?"

"You're gettin' played. Someone wants you to think M'gann sent you this. Why, I'm not too sure. Where's the return address?"

"There isn't one."

"Use your ring, idiot. Analyze it."

He did so, too mesmerized by the occurrence to resent her. "I'm seeing traces of beach sand, dried algae, sea winds, and the scent and sound of fighter jets in action. Seems like Coast City."

"I knew it!" Rose smacked a fist into her palm. "Ragnar, I'm smelling a rat. Or rather, a gerbil. A cute, adorable gerbil with a green power ring."

"You're not making any sense. As usual."

"Think about it. We know M'gann's only allowed a very few visitors. And not many people here on Earth even know where she is, let alone have the requisite power to get there. But a Green Lantern could."

"Somehow I can't see Hal Jordan or John Stewart as sending me this gift for any conceivable or even inconceivable reason."

"Not them. Someone who's connected with the issue, but maybe not all that familiar with Earth customs. A female. Needless to say."

His eyes widened. "Arisia?"

"Yeah, you're catching on. You're not as stupid as you look. Now come on." She grabbed him by the arm and pulled him out of the door. "We have to make sure."

"And we're going to do that exactly how?"

It turned out not to be that hard. They cornered Hal Jordan just as he was coming off duty at Ferris Enterprises. Ragnar used his ring to neutralize Jordan's, while Rose administered Tasmanian Tickle Torture until he broke, and told them about Arisia's dragooning him into sending Ragnar the ring. "I knew it!" said Rose, again smacking her fist into her palm.

"Okay, granted, Arisia's behind all this, but why?" The two had left Ferris Enterprises, and found themselves on the Coast City beach. The sun was setting.

"Hm. Not sure…it's not, I don't think, her idea of a joke. No, this wouldn't be a good joke, no matter what your sense of humor. Hm." As they walked, Ragnar took the time to admire the beach, and the setting sun, the soothing sounds of the surf. He'd never taken notice of such things back on his old world. There, the fight to survive had required all his attention. "Maybe…maybe she's playing Little Miss Matchmaker, trying to get you two together. Or, you know, more together than you have been, before…before all this came up."

"'Little Miss Matchmaker'?"

"Trying to get you two closer together. Maybe even get you to propose. Or something."

"Propose? Propose what?"

"Marriage, you numbskull! A long distance proposal, yeah, but a proposal's a proposal."

He was shaking his head. "I still don't understand."

"For a guy who's good with puzzles, you are so dense, sometimes. I guess you just aren't used to human customs or ways. Look. Arisia and M'gann are friends, right? And you're her friend, too. Two friends who, who've had some problems. None of 'em were your fault, but, but sometimes problems like this drive people apart. In fact, they often do. And you can't tell me it hasn't been a strain on you, knowing how you feel about her, and how she feels about you—but being unable to even communicate."

"Okay…" It had been. He hadn't known Rose was that perceptive.

"So she's trying to, to get you two closer, even though the problems haven't been solved yet. Just as these kinds of problems sometimes drive people apart, she's trying to drive you two together. Understand?" Cause I don't know any better way to express it.

"Well, all right, granted everything you say is true. So?"

"So? Ragnar, you are such an innocent. All this is a great chess game designed to manipulate the two of you. Maybe for the best of reasons, but still."

"I can't believe Arisia is just trying to manipulate us like that. I don't see why she'd do a thing like that. What would she get out of it? I mean, seriously."

"Yeah? How much you wanna bet M'gann got a promise ring, too? From, supposedly, you?"

"Oh, come on…"

"How much?"

"This is ridiculous."

"How much?"

He drew back slightly. "I'm not about to, to wager money on something like this…it's far too…personal. To bet money would be…crass."

She studied him for a moment, hands on her hips. Then, "Okay. So not money, then. So…" she narrowed her eyes at him. "Something you really don't need in the first place, then. Something you won't even miss. How about your virginity?"

"WHAT!"

"Keep it down. You're better off without it, one way or another, anyhow. What about it?"

He stared at her for a moment. Then, he turned away. "You're joking. I can never tell when you're joking…"

"Who's joking? You don't wanna bet money, okay, I guess that is a little materialistic. So this: if I'm right," and here she poked him in the chest; he backed up, a bit nervously. How was it Rose always seemed to have this effect on him? "You and me. One on one. Night of my choosing."

"You can't even stand me!"

"We wouldn't be standing. Trust me."

He stared at her a moment longer, his temper rising. He could almost feel the spikes starting to protrude from his shoulders. "And if you're wrong? What then?"

She stood her ground, hands on her hips, an unreadable expression on her face. "Then I'm yours for twenty-four hours. I'll do anything you want—er, within reason. I mean, I won't eat shit or anything like that. But anything else…you name it, you've got it. Sexual? I'd be yours for the asking. Clean your room? Done deal. Wash your back in the shower? Got it covered. Massages? No problem. All of the above plus."

He stared. "You're crazy. You know that? Absolutely insane."

"You just now figuring that out? Come on." A sly grin. "You're not afraid of me, are you?"

"Of course not!"

"Then it's on." She stuck out her hand to shake his. "Unless you really are afraid of me, I mean?"

He was so angry he could barely see straight. Almost without realizing it, he took her hand and shook it, savagely.

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Arisia was patrolling her usual areas when the call came through. The green ring on her finger signaled: she was getting a communication from Oa.

She stopped, there in the airlessness of deep space, and activated her ring. A green hologram sprang from it, a hologram of a Martian she'd never seen before. Although Martians, in their natural state, tended to look alike to many humanoids, Arisia got the impression that this one was female. "Yes? This is Arisia Rrab. Can I help you?"

"Very possibly. I am Mistress O'nzz, of Mars. I am one of the Martian Mystics who have been attempting, lately, to help your friend, M'gann M'orzz."

Oh. Okay. "Oh, yes. I don't believe we were even introduced. Er, how do you do?"

"Well enough…for the present. But the reason for this call, which I'm routing through the Guardians, is to request that you come to Mons Olympus as soon as you can. It concerns your friend."

Arisia gasped. "M'gann? Is…is she alright?"

"Physically, yes. But…and understand, there is much I am not allowed to tell you, by our policy, so this message is, in part, a violation of that code, but…" The green figure paused, seeming to take a deep breath. Then, "Student M'orzz is being discharged from our program."

"'Discharged? You mean, she's cured? You guys got the horror meme out of her? That's great!" But something in the back of her mind nagged her….

"No, she is not cured, as you put it. The horror meme remains fully active. But she is being discharged." Another pause, another deep breath. "Perhaps it would be more accurate to say she is being expelled from our program." To Arisia's shocked expression, Mistress O'nzz added, quietly, "And I really think she could use a friend right now."

To be continued…