Yue

 

Dedicated ragequitter

25th January

01:32 GMT +3

Natasa nods as she takes the urn from me. "I will ask after the man whom Mother of Mercy spoke of. And I will of course treat this in the same way as I would any other funerary urn, but I am uncertain if this will… If it will work."

I smile and shrug. "I don't think anyone is. But… I don't control that. And I don't plan on re-enacting Antigone."

She turns away to take the urn to an appropriate storage shelf within the Temple of Hades. "Did you consider him to be an honourable foe?"

"No. In the few minutes that I knew him I began to truly detest him. He proudly proclaimed himself to be a traitor. He killed billions merely because he felt that wanton violence was proper."

"Then I suspect that Lord Hades will send him to the Punishment Fields."

"There is some question as to whether he was in his right mind, but… Probably. It's up to Lord Hades. My part is done."

She glances back with a curious expression on her face, then nods approvingly before continuing onwards.

I'm probably making Eris jealous, aren't I? I need to come up with something chaotic. Either that or man up and call it off. Whatever 'it' is at the moment. But the thing about Hades is that there isn't anything I want from him that I don't think he'd willingly give to me now. Having him as my primary deity doesn't get me anything… Apart perhaps from the aid of whatever shades feel like involving themselves in the world of the living, and even that…

Vulcan's unhappiness about being woken up late at night was forgotten the moment I handed him most of the fragments of Devlos Ungol's armour which Hinon was willing to spare. I don't know if they'll discover anything new, but magic is the one avenue of investigation which the Maltusian brain trust probably haven't tried. I've got to deliver the rest to Welsh John, see if his arcanist approach yields any better results.

But for now, my work here is done. I turn and walk out of the temple.

24th January

17:34 GMT -5

John Stewart looks up as I stroll into the bar. Guy notices him doing so and turns around on his chair, makes eye contact with me and waves. Martin creates a flame construct hand to wave for him and Xalitan doesn't really react as I walk over and take my seat. Guy's got some sort of construct book open in front of him, and takes a sip of his beer as he flicks through it.

"What's that?"

"One time, I asked Hal if Guardians ever had dick-waving contests. Guess I just found out." He dismisses the construct and looks at me. "Guardians have ordered me to start doin' research on techniques and stuff Green Lanterns used to do. See if I can recreate them."

"Sounds like you're getting more responsibility."

"Hey, I got to the top and I had to stop and it don't bother me at all. I don't want Salaak's job." He hesitates. "I was gunna say 'not for at least twen'y years'. But I actually don't think I'll ever want it."

"Is that stuff you can do on Earth?"

"I dunno, maybe? Probably be harder without other Lanterns around-." He cuts himself off, then looks around the table. "Yeah. Yeah, you could be onta something there." He leans back, smiling. "Have ta check with Chaselon, but I can probably swing it."

"Good show. Martin?"

"Yeah, I talked to my folks."

"And..?"

He shrugs. "They calmed down. You know, eventually."

I take a moment to check his injuries. The outward damage is completely gone, though I suppose there could be lasting internal damage that I can't see. "Anything from Jevek?"

"Think I'm kind of in the shit for not doing more when we fought Devlos." He frowns. "What was that they were saying about you being able to beat him without me?"

"They think my energy absorption would have worn him down in the end. Personally, I'm not sure he wouldn't have shot me first, so I'm grateful."

He doesn’t look much happier. "It's just… I got these flame powers and I figure… No problems, right? I can block bullets, fly through space, tear giant ships apart..? And then there's this guy and he's just shrugging everything off?"

"There's always a bigger fish."

He frowns. "I'm not fighting fish."

"I mean, there's always someone more powerful than you."

"Yeah." Guy nods. "Like us."

"Guy, can you… Not?"

"Not what?"

"Not Guy."

A breath hisses between John's teeth. "No."

"The point is-."

"The point is, it was your first job an' you had no training. You even know how your flame-thing works? What it can do?"

"Telekinesis? And burn stuff?"

"What stuff? How dense stuff? You got any idea how to disable someone without crippling them? Can you make tools like we do, or is it all burning shapes?" Martin just sort of freezes. "Does your telekinesis have t'be on fire, or can you do the regular kind? You threw Devlos inta the force field thing with a space warp. Can you do more stuff like that?"

"I dunno. I mean, Jevek-."

"Yeah, guy's a prize ass." Guy takes another sip of his drink. "Tell y'what. I need a test dummy, you need training. What's say we meet up tomorrow an' sort something out?"

"Ah… Yeah, okay. Thanks."

And now my student. Who is carefully holding a glass that is almost comedically small in his hand.

"Xalitan? Have you had any ideas about what you'd like to study next?"

"I think I need work. Just to fight, against a simple foe. A fight where I do not need to think, so that I can think on what has already happened."

"John? You need a partner for clearing out the rest of the pirate bases?"

John looks Xalitan over for a moment, then nods. "Sure. You up for that?"

He thinks for a moment. "Yes. I think Paul intends for me to perform the duties of a police officer. But fighting pirates is more like being a soldier. It is not complicated. It is a useful transition exercise."

"Okay. Tomorrow good for you too?"

"No. I will go today. I want to see what will happen to those we have already captured. I will undertake no new strikes until you arrive."

"Fine with me. Could try asking your ring, though. There's a ton of info on there about things like this."

"No. Words are not enough. I need to see actions. To see how real things happen. Not how they should happen."

"I'll read up on your homeworld. See if I can spot parallels to things you might run into around here."

Guy looks around the table.

"Done?" Nods all-round. "Alright, no more work-talk. How 'bout them Stallions