2014.05.01 - The Cube: Highfather's Wrath

It took a few hours to calibrate the Continuum Cortex passports to reach New Genesis. Even then, the engineers weren't sure it would work, so Adam decided to go alone. Of the Guardians, he has the best chance at getting out alive of whatever weird place a passport mishap would drop a passenger.

But there was nothing to worry, he arrives to the planet's surface safely, and the flying city of the New Gods is within line of sight. Chances are good he set off a few alarms, because that wasn't a Boom Tube, but it wasn't an announced arrival either.

Hopefully they don't shoot intruders first and ask questions later, like humans tend to do. Because Adam takes off and flies directly towards the sky city.

Reaching the Source is incredibly difficult. The only way to do it safely and reliably is to use the Source itself. Warlock was right to worry, as many who make the trip through alternative means can be destroyed, shrunk, ripped asunder, cast across dimensions, or worse. It's lush and forested as far as the eye can see, filled with life. Although not all of it 'nice'. Parastitic humanoids are hissing out from the underbrush when Adam takes to the air and flits off.

However, it seems indeed that more than a few alarm bells went off. Huge, beautiful golden vehicles roar out from all directions, pointing weapons at the man. Crouching atop each like they were some manner of vehicle is a muscular figure, finely armored. "Two intruders upon New Genesis in one day...? What is this?"

The second? Hal managed to get here, somehow, a couple hours ago. Only Supertown, the monolithic floating structure that never lands to keep New Genesis pure (And the lowly race of demihumans from which Mantis sprung from crawling around on it), is surrounded in a barrier. A 'thou shalt not pass, screw thy cosmic might' barrier. Opposite it, a number of figures standing upon chariot-like devices are... it might be negotiation.

"New Genesis is the sacred home of our kind. You cannot simply walk into Supertown!" Assuming Adam was a willing subject, he'd be lead over to where the Green Lantern is being barred access.

"The matters with Earth are already settled and formalized with Apokolips. You are on your own, and we have sworn no interference of any sort."

Hal Jordan is annoyed.

With arms folded across his chest he hangs mid-air the green barrier enshrouding him barely perceptible to the naked eye, "I'm not planning on walking." the Green Lantern responds tersely to the warding of the guards, "I don't know if you fellas noticed but I'm a Green Lantern." His right hand breaks its fold and thumps the symbol at the center of his chest, "So, I'm not asking you to interfere with /Earth/.." He says with confidence, "..I'm not even asking you to assure me that when all this shakes out I'm not going to have to make sure Wolf 359 doesn't become a paradaemon factory."

"You don't have to let me in. Just run back into Supertown and fetch the person who can read this.." Nearby a green cardboard box hovers. When Hal gestures at it the top tumbles off and a document drifts upwards with a faint glow, "..the Guardians allows you folks a certain amount of latitude so long as you keep your feud localized. Right now, I feel like about to run a whole lot further than Earth. Now, do you wanna find me a translator or do I need to figure out how many rings it's gonna take to crack this egg?"

Adam makes no threatening moves, letting the guards take him wherever. Yes, he came from Knowhere, using Celestial technology. Yes, he is a native of Earth - just not a resident. Yes, it is all about Darkseid's cube. How nice, even the New Gods have a detention area for illegal emigrants. Some things never change. "Well met," he greets Green Lantern. "You must be the spectrum warrior from sector 2014 Motherly Diplomat #1 mentioned. Jordan, correct?"

"Green Lanterns have no authority in this dimension, adjacent to the Maker's lifeblood. Guardians have none either, those ancient breakers of reality. They can atone for their sins wherever they please. We have none. Our planets have existed in harmony since the very Maker's eyes opened to flood light upon the rest of the multiverse. Do you wish us to prove it?!" It's apparent those on the other side of the barrier are getting aggravated. Once Adam warlock is brought over, the flying ships pass through the shield without a ripple and turn to face them. Nobody is being detained. They are just... not being allowed in. Although it's probably a much more polite reception than one would recieve on Apokolips.

"I see what you have in your hands. It is the word of the Highfather, ruler of New Genesis, and the word of Darkseid, ruler of Apokolips. Coming to an agreement. I have answered your question. Now begone!!" 'Well, Met.'

Hal twists half-expecting the translator he requested but what he finds is..

..'Jordan?' the Green Lantern's brow knots together at that word and his mild annoyance with the guards becomes more pronounced. His right hand knots itself while still across his chest, "Adam Warlock.." He says as if reciting the other's name won him some measure of victory, "About time.." he says firmly, "..I've been floating here for an hour."

Twisting he points at the guards behind the field, "Good." He says to Adam, "How far out is Thanos with the gem? I think the four of us can get in there, no problem." but loud enough the guards can hear.

Adam reaches for the document, red eyes narrowing at the unfamiliar glyphs. They couldn't have written it on Interlac, could they? Still, if he had a few days... but they only have hours. He looks up to Hal, "indeed," he replies evenly. He has been around Pip long enough to recognize the incoming half-baked plan. But hey, all he needs is a translator device with the local languages programmed. A little confusion might be just what is needed.

When the name Thanos is spoken, hardness falls upon the faces of all those present. Adam, who is likely a bit more diplomatic, might realize the catastrophe of the situation. The apparent leader of this group, the only one to have been talking to Hal, speaks simply.

"Highfather. Intruders have threatened New Genesis."

A moment later, there's an eruption of golden energy. The force of it flies out, and would be overwhelming to those with any less will than the two opposite the shimmering field. A man well into six feet, white hair whirls around his head. Golden armor of simple design is worn over a blue tunic. To those present, it is likely the closest possible to feeling like one stands before a God, as it is traditionally thought. A power so deep as to humble, and make the mighty feel insignificant.

Gripped tight within his right hand is a long, simple golden staff. Yet within it swirls so much condensed energy, that the Cube upon Earth seems the battery of a watch in comparison.

Those of New Genesis are kneeling now, shifting away upon their flying objects. This man is the equivalent of Darkseid in power. And his eyes are not kind.

"Oh? So mortals representing Earth went as far as to travel here in person. One of them an arrogant fool. The people of Oa would be shamed to see you wear that ring, so-called Green Lantern...!!"

His eyes flash white, and his staff lifts. A heartbeat later, every single ounce of charge in Hal's ring would vanish. Whether he plummets naked to his death or not is probably dependant on Adam Warlock. "You, a man chosen by fate and not worthiness... you, who might one day rip this universe apart... I see all, through the Source. I can see your heart. And I cast you OUT!!"

In another incredible rush of power, he would then aim his staff at Hal, an eruption of white that leaves the sky. Unless Adam Warlock used every ounce of his power, it would end in the Green Lantern landing naked with nothing but his ring in some random fountain of New York City.

Adam realizes it was a BAD IDEA pretty much right away. Because he senses Highfather angry arrival a second before the New God's arrival. "No. Wait." Not even enough time to think a spell to get them out of the way or bend space. Instead he summons every erg of his cosmic power to attempt to neutralize the Highfather's blast.

It works, barely. At least Hal is still there and breathing. Adam falls down to a knee, looking as if he has aged ten years in an instant, the light gone from his eyes, energy shimmering from his golden skin. "Please... listen," he wheezes. "We ask only for information, not alliance."

"Now wait.." Hal begins the authority of the Green Lantern Corps unimpressive before the Highfather of New Genesis, "..we're only here to.." No one can even hear him above the thunderous magnificence, "..protect Earth.." A staff is leveled, "..you know what's going on!"

The green construct evaporates leaving the documents within unprotected from the long fall to the ground and scatter.

Hal, for his part, tenses as the magnificent blast enshrouds him but as there was no real force behind it he's still pointing at the Highfather when it fades. Looking a bit confused he raises both hands in submission, "We do not come here lightly." Hal concurs reaching out to Adam Warlock to try to help him to his feet, "We're just trying to protect our people -- the exact same as you -- from the same thing you are -- the /exact/ same as you."

The Lantern's uniform begins to flicker like an old TV set with bad reception. He loses a jolt of altitude, releasing Adam, and barely manages to recover, "Great.." He mutters to himself but takes his attention off the Highfather. It's all he can to do get enough of the juice left to slow his intermittent falls enough that he does not splat.

"..." Adam Warlock having the power to stop the inter-dimensional blast to remove the Green Lantern is impressive. Although he still looks aggravated, he does not press the attack further. "You wish information? Then know this. Darkseid desires Earth. At the behest of Orion, and Orion alone, I extended my protection to it. He believes it to be important. And the Source agrees with his wisdom. I forged a treaty of peace. And for some reason, Darkseid still honors it. Why...? And I realized. Earth. Whatever his plan might be, it cannot succeed if both I and Earth oppose him."

But the glowing figure gestures, and a golden disc appears for the pair to thump upon, before Hal's ring is fully out of juice and raise him back up to his level. "You wish to protect Earth. But I wish to protect New Genesis. For hundreds of thousands of years, we waged war with Apokolips. A constant stalemate, with no victor. It was harmony. As it was meant to be. But each death from Darkseid's side brought him a smile. And each death on ours, thousands mourned. We are not creatures of war, crafted to crash and die in an eternal battle. We wish a peace and harmony that we have for the first time in eons. Even if it is for the best... even if Fate and the Source demand me to... I will not return to another eternal war for a single planet in another universe until my hand is forced."

"I swore to Darkseid that we would only watch, the moment the cube fell. We would say nothing and do nothing to help or hinder. But we did not abandon Earth. We are watching closely. This is a trial for you. I left you the pieces I could. Show me that you can endure the machinations of Uxas, and perhaps in the future, you will have greater favor."

Slowly, energy coalesces into the end of his staff. Before it drops down. A pillar erupts from the golden disc. Casting them between worlds, between existence. And then, gentle as a feather, they would land within the quarters of Adam Warlock...

"It is not... just the Earth," protests Adam, "the universal axis is..." too late. This Highfather is serious about not getting involved. The Guardian's quarters in Knowhere are rather Spartan, since they only spend time there when they are making plans. Mantis was the only one that tried to make them look livable, and she has been busy on Earth business for a while.

Standing up, Adam tosses the treaty documents to a table and glares at Hal. Here in Hyperspace he is recharging quickly, but it is going to be almost an hour before he is back to normal.

"A test, then. A test to all humankind, like the Manhunter suspected," he states. "The cube won't hurt anyone directly, but it will bring out strife and conflict from within."

When the energy in his ring fades the uniform of the Green Lantern does as well leaving Hal Jordan in a plain patchless flight-suit. He reaches to the front pocket and dons a pair of dark aviator sunglasses over a look that is very perturbed at the whole affair.

What can he do at this point but listen? So that's what he does and when it's all said he's left stranded in the middle of Knowhere with Adam Warlock.

"That could've gone better." He mutters darkly, "Mind if I use your com-array? Thanks." Striding across the room then he accesses the controls and transmits a simple hyperspace message out towards Sector 674, "I thought we'd brought one of the clues with us." He admits grouping you into his mess just like that and turns around to look as Adam sets the treaty document upon the table, "Oh. Good.."

"J'onn said that?" He asks, "Well, let's not get all philosophical here. I saw it hurt some folks yesterday. So I guess its real good at justifying its madness by saying it's everyone else's fault.." Unconsciously he reaches to the ring on his finger and scowls, "A lot like someone else we just met."

"The legends say the Watchers are sworn to watch and not acting forever, because when the universe was young they shared their technology with less advanced races." Explains Adam, looking over the documents. "They had all the good intentions, but the young races used the technology to build weapons and destroyed themselves. The Watchers agreed never again to interfere."

Is the treaty even important? If the New Gods fear to go to war with Darkseid, they won't help them even if there is a way around the treaty. And Adam doesn't know even know what the cube real function is.

"It is a legend. But the story exists in all galactic civilizations. If you give the atomic power to uncivilized barbarians, they will use it to destroy their own world. If you give them space flight, they will attack peaceful planets. And if Darkseid gives Earth a device of such power, he expects you humans misuse it."

Hal Jordan smirks, "Yeah?" He weighs that a second without the benefit of a galactic encyclopedia, "I think this is a little more forbidden fruit than it is the gift of fire. A powerful being drops something desirable on Earth and says 'no touching'."

"I guess J'onn is right.." He agrees, "..that's only gonna end one way." Finding a seat he helps himself to it, "Sorry to impose but my ride will be here soon." He explains leaning back in the chair, "So what about the pulsing and the Independence Day countdown?"

"Is that just to get everyone jumpy?" Then, "Think that'll work better than a flying island manned by a guy who can make the Earth spin the wrong way?"

"Yes..." cultural references aside, which Adam is not getting. "I suspect it is designed to be intimidating, perhaps to draw metahumans to attack it, to make political leaders to covet it. But Darkseid will appeal the darker passions of humankind, I doubt his assessment of human nature is completely accurate. Highfather said he left clues, he believed there is way out."

"Clues..." Pause, Good thing I happen to know the world's greatest detective." Hal reaches up and pulls the sunglasses down a bit on the bridge of his nose so that he peers over the frames and directly at Adam with his baby-brown, "There's always a way." Jordan says without a whit of sarcasm to his voice, "We'll find it or die trying because it's all we can do."

He pushes the glasses up his nose again.

The com-system chimes and clicks on, "Adam. Adam is Operations Control. A Green Lantern.." There's a long beat, "Kilo-warg? Who just entered the area. He said to tell your friend that he brought a...lantern?"

Hal rocks forward in the chair and comes to his feet, "Kilowog." He says, "It's Kilowog." Tipping his head then he gives Adam a two-fingered salute, "I appreciate the hospitality and.." His expression hardens, "..thanks for saving me earlier." He says seriously, "I owe you one."

With that he exits the room and the scene. He'll be charged back up in no time.