[24th December 2010]
[Secure Room, Bunker Complex, Beneath Temple of the Shrouded Lord, Tropico]
It was a good day so far I had to admit, work at playing at El Presidente for a few hours aside. For good or ill that position was now more of a figurehead/part-of-team-of-actors role now that my own government and the British had stepped in. Not unsurprising really, most people didn't let someone not at drinking age run a country superpowers aside; and in truth all one really wanted was certain 'vital' projects such the Temple above, and the laboratories below it here. It certainly was more spacious here than in the small cramped underground bunker beneath the army barracks in Athlone-; thank you very much Doctor Roquette for your efforts I thought once more.
Now it was a slightly awkward family dinner I was currently attending, the Nyugen family at Jade's 'in jail but not fully in jail' dinner. Dressed up in an actual dress rather than the orange jumpsuit she'd normally attired in, though the shock and tracking collar remained in place, albeit hidden by a black frilly choker thing over it, for reasons of her being a deadly ninja assassin. Even if she had settled into a 'good' mood after an initial period of uncomfortable silence between sisters and mother...which was good I found drinking at the glass of wine. One really didn't want to spend the day stuck with family issues and my solution of plying her and Paula with wine had eased tension somewhat.
'Or could lead to a fight later, but I'll live with that compared to long drawn out silence and glaring at me' I mused resting back in the chair and watching as the two sisters actually spoke to each other. Albeit over fighting techniques, but of course; this was not a normal family, and apparently did not do 'normal' small talk and instead settled on 'neutral' matters such as the best types of bows, and how to best knock someone out. Well, at least I knew my own ninja-maid-bodyguard was skilled and remained focused on growing her skills even on her down time. Even if she seemed intent upon training in Cheshire in as her future helper/replacement/minion now Jade had spilled the beans so to speak on the battered and beleaguered League of Shadows.
That was at least a while away, paperwork granting the murderer, that Jade was proven by law to be, a pardon & immunity depending from the US was working its way down the line...political cluster-fuck that the place was right now slowing that down. Of course after the Belle Reve debacle it had left ninja-kitty in our service, and so far she seemed eager to earn her way out the cell by whatever means necessary. Hells, if that masked lunatic Bane could be kept in line, for the moment, then I suppose Artemis's sister could be 'reformed'...into our skilled ninja fighter...
--
[24th December 2010]
[Upper Atmosphere, Above Glastobury Tol, Somerset, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland]
Lantern Laira Omoto felt...strange...she had to admit to herself as she hovered high up in the clouds shimmering within a crimson force-field. Of course she felt such RAGE deep within her; thoughts of what that THING had DONE TO HER burning like a reactor at the heart of her being now. Her fellow...former fellow Green Lanterns did not understand, could not understand, at losing her friend and mentor and then having that THING as her MASTER and FORCING HER to be its little PUPPET. Trapped within her own mind after seeing Ke'hann DEVOURED; screaming and raging against the bounds...only the torn and ruined corpse of the THING bringing any JOY to her battered psyche till the Red Ring had flown to her finger.
Now though...it was so strange, so very strange as she gazed at her ring a moment before glancing down at the two humans as they rose up at long last to hover across from her. Their escort, Lanterns Kilowog and Rrab in attendance to 'help' with training it seemed; at least Kilowog could do that, in reality Lantern Rrab was there to look pretty and smile at the two human males in an attempt to ensure they didn't go off the deep end. Or something to that effect she guessed judging from the Guardians; they didn't understand either, not truly, that she...and they...had a RIGHT to their RAGE, that JUSTICE WOULD PREVAIL, and the EVIL ONES WOULD BURN IN CRIMSON FLAMES.
"Excellent Trainee Moore, Trainee Talbot" she stated controlling and banking the flame inside that roiled and roared from her ring "...control is the key, thought becomes action and the ring responds to your command so long as the fire burns. It is a might tool for Justice is it not? Just do not forget what it is gives you the strength to wear this mighty tool"
'Thankfully the Ring itself seems to aid' she mused to herself having mere days to understand the differences between this and her former Lantern Ring. Waking up from her nightmarish prison to feel the constant tug of RAGE in her veins, and to demand the CONTROL needed to command it, or hold it at bay. ANGER fueled it, siphoning off her RAGE and that of those around her, storing it away while also somehow simmering constantly on her awareness with fiery strength. Unfortunately it had made her a little more irritable that she had remembered but sometimes some people were JUST IDIOTS and needed to TOLD AS MUCH like LANTERN GARDNER for instance.
Lantern Geoff Talbot nodded coldly looking down and then around him calmly; already trained as a member of this world's, or at least the territory beneath their bodies, law enforcement his HATRED for lawbreakers BURNED around him like barely controlled flames. Lantern John Moore was more of a problem, glancing darkly at Lantern Moore a moment before shaking his head and focusing on her; he was a blazing inferno of RED LIGHT, a bottomless abyss of RAGE held in check only by the tightest of bonds; GREEN with flickers of YELLOW over the FURY of the RED. Unfortunately that RAGE was directed at members of the local law enforcement, corrupt and currently nearly dead members, and would take some time to handle along with his HATRED of INJUSTICE and COWARDICE...
--
[24th December 2010]
[Thanagarian Warship Medley of the Nighsong, Orbit between Earth and Luna]
"Vice Wing Nul it is an honour to be in your presence" both of them stated from behind him as he kept his wings folded and gazed 'out' impassively at the world below them. Of course the image was merely projected unto the screens, but it fully realistic and at allowed the illusion of relaxation while he imposed his authority over his two subordinates out here in the wild. On such a dangerous, yet somehow primitive at the same time, world such as this, one of those strange worlds with its easy access to the Bleed, and savants of unusual technologies at hand.
"Katar, Shayera, it is good to see you again. I see your voyages have brought you to any unusual world it seems, one you have done much to aid in saving in your time upon it" he began keeping his hands clasped behind his back and gaze forward before turning back towards. Smiling, bringing his arms in from of him and motioning for the two kneeling Hawk-Police to stand and be at ease "...please my friends, stand, be at ease, you have done Thanagar great honour by your courageous actions and it would not do to be so humble now"
Not when this world had proven itself both capable of fighting off the scourge of a Starro infestation, as well as attracting the attention of the Guardians of Oa and their pets. Nor when the next planet over was filled with a species of telepathic shapeshifters; this whole system was rather problematic all in all, even more so because certain idiots under his command had not being passing along the reports sent home by these two loyal soldiers of Thanagar. If such had been the case then he would not be attempting to adjust the stellar diplomacy while in flight, without years of ground work in preparation, to stall such a potentially dangerous world falling into the orbit of the Oans, or far worse the ever advancing power of the Reach.
"Thank you Vice Wing, we had not expected one as such rank as your august rank to come to head the delegation to a world...not ranked so highly as this"
He gave the briefest of nods in response to Katar, maintaining a calm demeanour despite the reminder of incompetence he'd had to weed out of his nest "Ah, my friends that I must apologies for, failure of part of my staff to understand truth from what they had referred to have been...exaggerations on your part" tall tales and lies had been several of the references used to classify in fact, but best not anger them "...but do not worry, such misunderstandings shall not happen again"
'Because reassignment of idiots to the front-lines means time training in competent replacements' he mused to himself as he offered the two, Super Heroes as the locals called them, refreshments while Ambassador Rayn Ital waited to give his report on negotiations that had occurred till his arrival in system. Securing up this flank of the Empire was vital now with the revelations of this 'Meta-Gene' as the local species called it, Red coloured Lanterns, and of course Extra-Dimensional incursions by species that lived by eating the minds, knowledge intact worryingly, of others. All very concerning, and conquest for a protectorate status seemed a terrible idea at this stage, so supporting Uplift alongside a Pro-Thanagar, Anti-Reach, Anti-Gordanian, stance would be for the best; a buffer on this flank to halt the expansion of the Reach would allow greater focus on blunting the growing enemy offensives after all...
--
[24th December 2010]
[Secure Bunker, Headquarters of the United Nations, New York City]
"...so while we can all admit we have other places we might rather be on this night there are many matters still to be discussed, so shall we continue" James Ellis-Pierce Junior continued after taking a sip from his glass of water as the night continued to roll ever onwards towards midnight. It seemed he had already missed the children's bed time, and perhaps it was best to aim to for being able to reach home for a few hours rest before they awoke in the morning, early, to open their presents. Daddy having 'important meetings' rarely went over so well after all when he missed such important personal matters he'd found; even after the world nearly ending...or perhaps it was so sacred seeming because the world had nearly ended so badly, so often, of late.
"Yes, and I'd like to focus upon item eleven on the agenda as we have spent far too long on the minutiae of the next general meeting of the Security Council...something that cannot be truly agreed with matters in your own nation as they are James" Yulia Popov replied tapping her painted fingernails off the document before her. James sighed at the glances and brief nods amongst his colleagues, giving a tired sigh and nod of his own to do as she'd indicated. President Rickard's position of late...was insecure at best, not with all the protests-turned-riots against his, and Congress's actions during the various crisis; only the fact martial law persisted in one or two states of the Union, and the desperate focus by the public on the holidays, had put a temporary stop to the political chaos within his home nation.
"So...overturning the Outer Space Treaty of '66" he muttered pulling up the more detailed reports drawn up by the militaries of the five permanent member states of the Security Council currently present in the 'Secure' bunker of the Headquarters. Jade Liyuan of the People's Republic motioned with her hand in a dismissive motion.
"Not overturning...updating and centralising what exists, for the benefits of humanity as a whole. Such fine motivations held little help when our world was being overrun by mind controlling aliens, nor not when alien vessels, or people so powerful they do not require spaceships to travel between the starts, hover above our world...and creatures thought to be myths or illusions sit amongst our people with little fear of us, or our protectors"
"Even the Justice League admits they are overstretched"
James sighed at the input of the British representative Ian MacDonald, it was true but the British and their allies had been seemingly preparing their own organisation of superpowered beings to counter his own nation's more America-centric culture of the Justice League "True, and as such why our political masters will agree to all they have requested for expanding their ranks, for support personal, and more in the next meeting. Not that I would disagree that the various treaties covering space require modernising thanks to events of late, though I fear our protectors may object to proposals to militarise space in the days to come"
"And for once...we do not have to bow their commandments" Francois Bayard muttered, once more making James glad of the 'secure' nature of the bunker thanks to the extensive work of each of their nations militaries and members of the magical community of late. One learned not to speak ill of their 'protectors' for fear of their response, even if just one of give opinions; a few words from Superman and political careers had cratered in Delaware more than once in the past few years.
"Yes, these measures have broad public support in all our nations..." MacDonald stated bringing up said surveys taken over the last week apparently "...so there is little need for them to raise to object to such initiatives. It is not like anything we could do would put a dent in what hovers above us now, and merely puts in writing that we shall cooperate as one united body for all efforts into space. What is so wrong with wanting to defend ourselves?"
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