sum of their parts

[overcame_fear]

[After this.]
 
Hal is still partly stunned by what happened out on the streets, but inside the headquarters of the Doom Patrol, things are not getting much easier to digest. Whoever this Niles Caulder is, the tech he uses includes things Hal hasn't even seen on Oa. And considering how twisted a lot of it seems, GL is very glad of that.

And yet... as Hal watches Caulder grafting a bizarre metal arm to his shoulder, he wonders if they really have much choice but to depend on the man if they hope to make things right again. Even Caulder seems to think so:

"Cliff's spare Robotman parts are a poor substitute, but I'm making do."

When told he should be glad his sensory nerves aren't part of the graft, he figures Caulder is probably right. But at least operating the arm depends on willpower. Hal has plenty of experience with that. Provided he can keep the arm's energy blast from killing them all.

Comments

[raptorcanaria]

They split into teams for the assault on the Brain, who in the meantime has built himself an impenetrable fortress out of Green Lantern energy. Dinah, J'Onn, and Elasti-girl scout around to the south, and Dinah was just figuring out how to say 'we can attack with something yellow' without betraying Green Lantern's weakness, when the sky erupts into a series of red flashes, and Locus' flying machines appear around the fortress.

"Lookzzz like they feel betrzzayed by the Brain, J'Onn," she observes. "We czzcould hang bzzback, but I fight my own --- bzzzt -- battles."

Every word she says not only sounds wrong, but feels like she's talking through a hive of angry bees.

"God, lizzten to me, I feel like a freak."

"Been there," Rite remarks dryly, and Dinah can't let it go.

"You? Rita, you're beautiful!"

"Thanks, but that didn't count for much in my movie career, not after I got size-changing powers. That's the way Hollywood works/ They love to hang labels; image is everything."

Dinah has plenty to say to that, but J'Onn speask up in that quiet way he has that commands attention.

"Which is what puzzles me most about Earthlings, How they can perceive such differences between themselves. Even with my eyes, I could see that people were distinct, but not truly different. Not enough to drive such wedges between them. Some days I fer I will never understand the artificial divisions you create among yourselves. Other days... I fear I shall.

"I've been meaning to tell you, Miss Farr, how disappointed I am that you're no longer making films."

It surprises Dinah and touches her deeply to hear her favourite Martian explain to a classic Hollywood actress who much her movies meant to him when he first came to the planet and used television and movies as a gateway to language and culture. When she sees the delight it brings to Rita, she could hug J'Onn, even as Elasti-Girl kisses him on the cheek.

So of course such a moment has to be interrupted by Monsieur Mallah, because touching bonding moments just aren't complete without talking apes wielding fully automated pistols.

Dinah, angry at the interruption, doesn't think twice before unleahing her Canary Cry.

"EEEEEEEEZZZZZZZZZZEEEEEEZZZZZZZZZTTT!!!!"

The feedback from her artificial voicebox makes her usual precision weapon uncontrollable, and she hurtles backwards under her own power, leaving the ape unaffected. J'Onn throws a punch, but even with his extra sense, without his eyes his aim is way off. It's Rite who steps up the the rescue of the Justice League, lifting Mallah up in one huge aim and huruling him into the sky, where he collides with one of the Locus flying machines, officially becoming their problem.

"J'Onn, Canary, let's move!"