Well, if I'm going to call myself 'AstoundingTales' I feel like I should start making some tales. So, I've decided to see about trying to start entertaining myself (and perhaps others) with a group of stories I shall attempt to write.

So... here's the first one. It... it isn't 'good' per se... but, perhaps you'll find something worth enjoying in the story.

My first story is a plot idea I've had rattling around for a while. And so, for the hero I chose someone I've played on another board... and the father of Jamie and Wyatt. Consider this as being veeeeeeery early in his career... because wow.

----

The Chariot of Helios


A sunny cloudless day hardly seems appropriate for disaster to strike, but it does strike just as often on sunny and cloudless days as it might on your cloudy, stormy days and nights. It simply affords a better view of the disaster. S.T.A.R. Labs’ Dayton, Ohio branch for instance. A simple building of wood, brick and rebar, a building purchased and refurbished at some considerable cost… erupted into flames in a single moment. As if it were kindling, there was silence one moment and then roaring flame the next.

Notably, it was, in fact, the first of several fires that would rage throughout the day, taxing the fire department almost to breaking as they rushed hither and tither. Two branches of a local bank had been next, several minor retailers, likewise erupted into flames and a single residential home, where the fires quickly spread to engulf several others. All this had started in the early morning and by midday the city was in fever pitch of terror.

But, while most had chosen to stay indoors, avoiding public places out of fear for their safety a few were out on the streets. Police, fire brigades… and one curious individual dressed all in green...

“It’s pretty obviously arson.” The young man remarked, pushing back blonde hair away from his face as he picked his way carefully through the burned out wreckage of the S.T.A.R. Labs reception area. The masonry shell of the building had survived well enough, but fire damage was evident on the interior. “We aren’t exactly prone to wildfires around here, after all.” He added, glancing around himself. His bright green clothes made a natural contrast to the more somber white of his companion’s labcoat. The other man, both older and greyer watched the younger with some curiosity.


“And how could someone even get close enough to commit arson?” He demanded, stuffing his hands deep into his own pockets, fumbling with whatever happened to be within them. “We’d have seen someone setting up gasoline or anything. The building is staffed 24-hours…”

“I don’t think they HAD to get close.” The blonde shook his head, ignoring the soot and occasional crunch as he walked further down the hall, glancing at a door hanging crookedly on its hinge. Once more he cast a glance over his shoulder, allowing the lab-coated gentlemen a good look at the mask, also green, that hid his face. “Dr. Foster, does this stairwell go straight to the roof?” He inquired, pushing the door out of his way without waiting for a response.

“It-It does-” Dr. Foster confirmed, picking up his pace to catch up with the younger man, turning the corner quickly enough to register surprise that the wiry, somewhat sedentary looking man had already managed to make it almost to the first landing, taking the stairs three at a time and without any apparent trouble breathing. The older scientist required somewhat more time to reach the top of the building with him, but paused in the frame of the final door as he saw the man in green kneeling down almost at the perfect center of the rooftop, tapping a blackened circle with his index finger.


“Bingo.” He declared triumphantly, grinning as he stood up, clapping his hands together to expel some of the soot he’d collected. “Unless I’m completely out of my element here, I’d say your fire did NOT start inside the labs themselves. It started up here. Or… more precisely, something started up here.” His voice had fallen from an exultant declaration to a quiet mumble as he tapped his chin in thought now, clicking his tongue once or twice. “There’s still no sign of an accelerant. Nothing to have got things going. Unless-” He paused again as inspiration struck at last, the grin returning to his face. “Unless he simply kept… raising the temperature around the building until the more flammable materials hit their combustion point! Doc-” Already the man in green was rushing back for the doorway, a flurry of excited energy as he did so, nearly knocking Dr. Foster on his rump as he pushed past the thin man. “-do you have anything keeping a record of the building’s temperature?”


“Of-Of course we do.” He declared, surprised by the younger man’s sudden energy, but nodding nonetheless. “The thermostat is electronic, if we reach above certain temperatures it turns on to balance the-” But already the other man was bounding down the steps, three at a time once again. With an exasperated sigh, the scientist followed his interviewer once again, eventually leading him to a centralized hub, slightly less burned out than most other parts of the building due to its location being more central and protected by brick and mortar.

The man in green simply nodded his head several times over before he began tapping at the keys, growing more satisfied with each keystroke that he was pursuing the right trail as he rocked back and forth a few times. “Well… that is interesting. You had a HUGE temperature spike on the surface of the building just before the fires happened. Do you mind if I make a copy of these records? And, if its not too damaged, I’d like to get the security recordings of, say, the three hours before and after the fire.” He added, once more beginning to type away at the keyboard without waiting for a response, much less consent, to get the information he wanted. “Thanks, Doc, I’ll make sure to get back to you with what I figure out.” He asserted, pulling a drive from one of the computer’s outlets, tossing it up and down once before stuffing it in his pocket.

“I’m… still not completely sure what you’re getting at but… I suppose you’re welcome er…”

“You can just call me ‘Lantern’. I suppose the ‘Teen’ part is kind of awkward to keep saying.” The green clad youth remarked with another green, a flash of white teeth before he was off down the hall again. “But, I’ve got a theory- now I need to confirm it!” He shouted over his shoulder while dashing down the hall and back towards the exit.

---------

Later that same evening, the ‘Teen Lantern’ found himself in his own secluded alcove, a large computer screen, somewhat disproportionate to the size of the rest of the system, provided a light glow as he reclined in his chair, fingers steepled under his chin a moment. The mask removed from his face as he eyed the screen. Divided into eighths, it showed the different surveillance footages that he had been able to obtain playing simultaneously. Some had been stopped, some still playing as the youth leaned steadily forward, his lips pursed a moment. “It’s the same in all of them. Every. One. Of. Them.” He emphasised to himself glancing from square of footage to square of footage. And in each one, floating lazily enough through the skyline was the oblong shape of… of what?

“It’s not a plane.” He told himself simply, working through the problem slowly. “Probably a blimp the way its moving. ...Who owns a blimp anymore?” The Lantern remarked to himself with a shrug. “I guess I’ve got two options: blimp rentals and aerial patrol… aerial patrol it is.” He grinned to himself.

-------

As one might have expected, the ‘Lantern’ found his patrol to be a strange combination of both ‘hectic’ and ‘boring’. After all, there was a lot of skyline to be dealt with and he couldn’t be everywhere at once. But, on the same token, there seemed to be nothing to be found either. But, he continued his efforts. The viridian energies enveloping his body as he hovered slightly higher into the air, shifting impatiently. He’d seen a handful of blimps already, but of them had been the proper shape.

It had been almost three hours by the time he’d had any sort of a lead. (Certainly a short patrol, or stake out to anyone who’s had to deal with them, but for the impatient man in Green… it was simply intolerable.) It was hard to call the object itself a ‘blimp’ in the conventional sense. It was, essentially, a flying cylinder, an elongated frame with considerable airtight material around it. Bulging from the center was a ‘cockpit’ of sorts, and from the tops a series of propellers allowed for maneuverability. Within the ungainly device, the Lantern was just able to make out a glinting of glass. Angling itself in the bright sunlight, the Lantern was able to see the beam of focused sun pass through the lens… slowly narrowing. Focusing until it began to strike the top of a nearby residential building… a house. Below the plastic siding was already beginning to buckle and melt as the seconds ticked by.

‘It’s like killing ants with a magnifying glass.’ The blonde man concluded, changing the posture of his body. Emerald energies propelling him forwards and towards the malevolent miscreant at the helm of blimp. His first effort to move the object, a shoulder check coming in at his standard cruising speed was enough, at least, to unfocus the beam of sunlight a bit, allowing some slight reprieve from the would-be arson.

But the machine itself seemed to hit its counter-attack. Spinning wildly, the Lantern was able to see the motors propelling it into its dervish-like assault… and more than that, he could see the chains, the ropes, and the straps… all of the objects used to anchor the device when it was bound to the ground. He saw them now lashing at his body as if they were whips, striking off of the energies forming up his shield and bouncing away mostly harmlessly, a grin was spreading across the young man’s face as he realized the advantage was still his own. With the slightest thought and exertion, he was able to form up a megaphone to call out to the pilot.

“You’re going to need weapons a bit more powerful than that to hurt me,” He called out through it. “And your little solar beam wont do the trick either. I’m not going to let you have time to focus it. You could just surrender now or-” Whatever his ‘or’ was the Lantern never got to it, as the next sound he was able to take in was the ‘crack’ of a gun being fired… and hanging from the opened cockpit was… the pilot. A man dressed in loose-fitting clothing and with a pair of tinted goggles to cover his eyes, no doubt from the glaring sunlight; in his hand was held a simple pistol. One he was clearly having trouble aiming.

Triumphantly, the Lantern began propelling himself forward. Elation at the quick end to the other man’s rampage, though, quickly turned to concern as the Lantern realized that what his foe held wasn’t a regular pea-shooter. Instead, while just barely remaining sized for a single hand, the gun had a ludicrously enlarged barrel. The handle seemed attached to a hose leading back into the cockpit. Before the glowing green hero was able to make more sense of what he was seeing, another shot was fired. Shaped like a mortar shell, the ‘bullet’ broke against his chest releasing, almost immediately a strangely colored gas.

There was little time to solidify his shielding more. Nor to hold his breath as the whipping winds all but forced the concoction down his throat. A concoction that the Viridian Flyer realized all too quickly was clearly anaesthetic in nature. Lungs beginning to burn even as his mind felt sluggish, his body drowsy, the Lantern began to descend.

‘I hope the newspapers don’t get hold of THAT story. “Lantern gets shot at. Flies away in fear!” They’d have a field day with it.’ He thought with bitter annoyance, his flight becoming shakier still as the blonde began to realize just how badly he had timed his activities… as the glow around his body dissipated entirely. His muttered curses came to a single shouted word which was cut off as he landed onto a fire escape with a notable ‘thud’. Body stingin and ears ringing.

“Okay…” He conceded aloud, trying to regain his breath even as he continued to force himself to keep moving. To shrug off the worst of his foe’s gas.. “That’s… the story I hope the newspapers don’t get.”

-----

It had taken longer than the Green Gladiator had wanted to dwell on to return to his home. Longer still to forget his agitation as he attempted to charge his ring. Even this fleeting moment of ‘peace’ such as it was was interrupted however by the sounds of the young man’s radio. The music terminating quickly to the sound of a broadcaster.

“A breaking news bulletin for the city. Only minutes ago we received a letter, from a man claiming responsibility for the recent string of fires. While the police have warned us against reading the entirety of his letter the substance of his desires are simple: He demands what is ‘deserved’ by him, insisting that the city pay him a ransom of $500 million or face be burned to the ground by his fury, the signature is solely ‘Helios’.”

From what we’ve been told so far, the Mayor is not only intending to refuse to give in to these demands… he has even asked the Governor to send in the National Guard to help maintain the peace and to, if lucky, detain ‘Helios’ when he’s captured…”

The green clad man grunted a moment as he began descending the steps into his workshop, clicking his tongue in thought. “Helios, eh? ...It’s as suitable a name as any, I suppose.” He conceded.”

----

The next two days passed in solitude for the Lantern, encapsulated as he was in his ‘workshop’ of sorts. He hesitated to call it a lab, just yet. A collective of various tools he’d obtained here and there. Some scavenged, some built wholesale by himself. But, his project was also too simple to be made in a ‘lab’. A ‘workshop’ however was wholly appropriate as he settled at the bench. Picking carefully his materials. Powders and liquids. Sifting through cans of paint amongst other things. A grin crossed his lips as he listened to the weather forecast. Clouds for the next few days.

“Even Helios,” he found himself remarking to nobody in particular. “Is at the mercy to the caprices of weather.” He chuckled before pausing. “‘Caprices’? Who still talks like that?” The Green Clad man chided himself, shaking his head in amusement.

While the weather may have raised the young man’s spirits, unfortunately the news did nothing of the sort. Even if there was relatively little that could be done several units of the national guard had, in fact, been mobilized within the city for the sake of maintaining public order. Although for the most part they seemed mostly to just serve as a highly visible sign that something was worth being worried about.

-----

There was, however, more work to be done than just building his device. Investigation was necessary; reading into the goals of ‘Helios’ the Lantern had spent time once again pouring through public records until he found what he wanted. All roads, as it were, lead to Rome… or rather, to a certain Doctor.

It was early in the morning of the third day since the cloud cover had started and Dr. Foster was kicking his way through the burned out shell of the S.T.A.R. Labs building. He nodded his head towards the clean-up crews he passed on the way before jiggling the doorknob on what remained of his office’s door. It took some effort to actually get the singed wooden structure to budge but eventually he was able to push his way into his old workspace… and shouted in surprise to find the Lantern sitting behind his desk (what there still was of it) when he entered.

“You nearly gave me a heart-attack!” Dr. Foster gasped, emphasizing his point by clutching a hand to his chest, eyes wide.

“Better than a fever, huh?” The Lantern retorted, doing his best to convey a raised eyebrow behind his mask. Eventually, he simply gave up and folded his hands on top of the crumbling desk instead.

“What do you want?” The other man sighed, looking around until he found a chair that was still somewhat usable and sat behind it, feeling somewhat incensed at not being able to take up his own space.

“To talk. Or… moreso to confirm a hypothesis.” The Green Guardian hummed pleasantly as he pried open one of the drawers. The handle coming off in his hand as he did so. Eventually, he settled a handful of manilla folders on top of the desk. “I’ve been looking into some things and it’s very curious, really. Are you familiar with the phrase ‘Angering all the wrong gods’?” He inquired.

“I am. I’m guessing it has something to do with ‘the fires of Helios’?” Dr. Foster grumbled, folding his arms over his chest defensively.

“Close. It has to do with why he’d be wanting to burn YOU so badly.” The blonde shook his head once again, drumming his fingers. “I had some down-time, and decided to start looking into our friend’s targets and imagine my surprise to discover ALL of them have a connection to you.”

“I’m sure a number of other people have connections to them as well.” Foster shook his head, squirming in his seat.

“Not like this. You were named head of this branch of S.T.A.R. Which is now just a few pegs short of ‘ruins’. Your bank went up in flames in the middle of an armored car delivery. The cash was incinerated even if the sprinklers saved the building. The residential targets? Your house was first, then a handful of other S.T.A.R. Labs personnel.” The Lantern asserted, opening and closing the folders as he spoke. “Now spill.” He demanded, making his voice as commanding as a man dressed entirely in bright green can manage without adding the term ‘Drill Sergeant’ to their title..

“It’s-” Dr. Foster hesitated, apparently debating the wisdom of his next course of action. In the end, however, he sighed and nodded. “It’s not exactly complicated, I admit. There is one man I could think of that would go to this kind of extreme. Ervin Brown; he was a researcher here. We were… partnered on a project for the military and…” He hesitated further growing somewhat uncomfortable. “...I may have taken more than my share of credit. And used that to springboard my career to bring me here… But that’s still no reason to be trying to-”

“To systematically dismantle your life?” The Green Clad Custodian asked, inclining his head a bit. “I dunno, depending on the project… and the fact that you were able to use your reputation from it to put yourself into such a comfortable living, well formerly comfortable living I suppose… I could see my way to it. Although, I’d probably have just went to a scientific journal.”

“If it is Brown, he always did have a flare for the dramatic.” Dr. Foster admitted, slumping down in his seat. “A bit of a histrionic personality, really…”

“Uh-huh.” The Lantern sighed, not sounding fully convinced. “Enough of a flare to try and threaten to burn down an entire city because you slighted him?” He demanded. “Because if there’s any more to this story, you might as well tell me now. Because once this goes to court, he’s going to make sure the world knows.”

“I-I swear, that’s it!” Dr. Foster shook his head. “As it is, my career prospects aren’t going to be helped any if nobody is willing to collaborate, you know.” He sighed.

“It’s nice to be so concerned for the wellbeing of your fellow man.” The Lantern remarked derisively before pushing open the window and slipping through it. Green energies enveloping his body once again as the blonde took to the skies.

----

The two day respite seemed to be all that The Lantern was getting, however, as he took to his patrol of the city. With the sun shining back through once again it was only a matter of time before he caught site of a plume of smoke rising like an inky hand to the sky from one of the buildings the National Guard had been employing as a command center of sorts… and a familiar cylindrical ‘blimp’ hovering near it. Like a shot, The Lantern pushed forward until he once again slammed his body into the object, knocking it off-course with his momentum while the people below worked to douse the flames.

It was a near repeat of their first encounter, the ‘whips’ and chains lashing from the structure at the Emerald Guardian’s energy field; except this time he darted below them, circling rapidly around the airborne terror. “You’ve got a nice toy!” He shouted, generating a megaphone once again to call out his taunts. “But, it has a serious problem: it’s not very maneuverable. Only any good against a stationary targ-” He tried to continue speaking only for a gunshot to ring out again.

Clutching one of the chains, leaning partially from one of the openings on the cockpit of the blimp, the man remained… pulling back the hammer again as he aimed at the glowing green hero once more. But, rather than dodge, or even make noise, the man in green merely smiled and reached into the pocket of his jacket and slowly produced a fist sized ball, green naturally.

“Who are you to defy the will of a Titan!?” The man shouted boistriously, snaking the chain he clung to around his arm. Holding the familiar firearm in his hand.

“Well, I suppose if you’re Helios I’m Odysseus. Or Apollo. Taking claim to the Chariot of the sun.” The man in green laughed melodramatically until he saw the ‘mortar’ attack coming towards him once again. He braced this time, though, sucking in a deep breath.

This time the crack was audible, striking the Lantern square in the chest. “Fool me once shame on me.” The man in green retorted to nobody as he ascended higher into the air to get away from the gas attack. “But then get ready for me to fool you.” He added, pulling his arm back like a pitcher. Carefully taking his aim before hurling the colored ball as hard as he could at the underside of the cylinder and… most importantly: the pristine, clear lens at the bottom, still shimmering from the heat of the focused sunlight.

Time seemed to slow for a moment, the Lantern grinning while Helios let out a shout of shock and anger, leaning further from his basket and swinging towards the lens in a manner similar to Tarzan. “I wont let you take this from me!” He screeched above the winds that were enveloping both men… and the ball struck him in the side, bursting into a green powder, smearing everything with the residue. Still cursing even as he reached up with a free hand, attempting to wipe the lens clean to the best of his ability… and then it happened.

A slow slide or a quick one, it was all essentially the same. With the residue of the Lantern’s assault, the chain that the man hung from was simply too slick to keep a grip on… and the inevitable occurred as he dropped, yelling in both fear and an impotent fury. Hundreds of feet between himself and solid slabs of concrete…

But, as fast as he fell, the Lantern was able to move much faster. Like a jet made of flesh he rushed down from his ‘perch’ in the sky and managed to seize the falling man about the waist, giving his best smile as he did so. “Funny,” He remarked as he settled onto the ground, police cars and fire engines as well as one or two ambulances already beginning to encircle the block. “I always thought it was Icarus who flew too close to the sun, not Helios.”

“Oh be quiet.” The man groaned, the entirety of the fight seemed to have been taken from him now as pulling the goggles entirely from his head and dashed them on the ground. “That… that thief will get everything now! He already did… running S.T.A.R. labs, his name raking in cash from MY work! And all I’m going to get out of it is prison time! With that money I could have restarted anywhere on any project. My name would have-”

Ervin continued his ranting even while the police slipped the handcuffs around him and lead him into the car. For his part, the Lantern was quick to depart as well, seeking to collect Helios’ Chariot before anyone else had the idea to make it their seat. As simple a device as it was, there seemed as if nothing would be wrong with him letting the air out and perhaps safeguarding it. One never knew what emergencies would arise. And besides… it would be a shame to just let the device crash and the lens shatter.

------

In the days and weeks that followed, The Lantern found himself in his workshop again, occasionally glancing at the news. With S.T.A.R. rebuilding its Dayton facility, Dr. Foster had plenty of time, it appeared, to deal with the consequences of a legal battle over the royalties to a certain satellite design, of which the technical details were kept largely away from the general public.

“Seems like everything wrapped up pretty well, then.” He mused, spraying glass cleaner on the lens that currently rested against the wall of his workshop, grinning as he caught his own reflection in it.

Menace of the Machine Men
A Teen Lantern Adventure

----

Though the conference room was thronged with men and women in everything from labcoats to t-shirts proclaiming that old adage 'Danger, Will Robinson!' one youth stood out (or, liked to believe he stood out). A mop of blond hair moved hastily through the scene, with a a green backpack slung carelessly over one shoulder as he looked around. Taking n the numerous devices on display. There were the old standbys (necessary at any such gathering of science enthusiasts) giant sparking coils of dubious purpose, the occasional Jacob's Ladder and so on. But the real prize of these exhibits wasn't something so simple. Complex machinery surrounded the young man. From devices scurrying across the floor baring every resemblance to small metal centipedes to more humanoid, albeit clunkier, mechanical men. In short, this exhibition was all about progress in robotics.

In spite of himself, Jay patted his left pocket for the umpteenth time, assuring himself that his own exhibit hadn't yet escaped. Rodney, as he'd come to call the device, had proven to be strangely tempermental and, frankly, he was hoping to see if anyone could pick up on bugs he might have missed. Blue eyes scanned the crowds as he began picking his way through the exhibits and tugged the backpack more tightly against his body. As he stepped forward, though, all plans of navigation were knocked thoroughly off-course as the entire building seemed to shake. A number of the attendees had been thrown, without dignity, on to their rear ends... the young man in question among them.

"The heck-?" He caught himself asking as he began scurrying to his feet. Another vibration shook the building and Jay only barely retained his balance this time... cheating a little bit as he stuffed his hand in the pocket opposite of Rodney. Flexing his fist a moment he focused the energy from the green ring that adorned his digits to send a pale brace of the same emerald color down his legs, keeping him steady. Outside, he could hear car alarms going off and this time was able to see the lights flickering around him.

The third shake, it seemed, was the charm as nearly the entire wall furthest from him gave way, crumbling inward and crushing the, currently empty, speaker's stage. Panic filled the auditorium at that. There were those who merely yelled out in fear, but more dangerous were the ones who had attempted to run for the exits. Pushing and shoving, knocking one another down in fear. It was this mad mob that finally broke Jay's focus and sent him careening to the ground as well. With a grunt, he rolled to the side, barely managing to pull himself beneath one of the remaining tables and away from the group.

The dust had, by then, settled and revealed the reason for the collapse. A quartet of odd figures stood with the sun to their backs. One, a large, rotund man with an extremely bushy reddish-brown mustache. It was the only hair on his face, and he tugged on it almost obsessively as he looked about the room. Beneath him, for this appeared to be his mode of transportation, was a strange looking... thing. A gleaming metallic giant, easily topping ten feet tall and possibly twice as wide at the base. The bottom half of its form bore every resemblance to a tank, while the top appeared vaguely like an armored knight. Giving the odd impression of some sort of cyborg centaur overall. Flanking this 'centaur' on either side were a man of more normal proportions, except for his pale features, features that appeared to be shining like chrome rather than flesh, strangely juxtaposed over this vision of shining metal was the dress uniform of a redcoat, the sort one might have found in any children's book about the British Empire. The last of this strange cadre made no more pretensions about humanity and appeared, simply, to be a large ball, about the size of a grown man if he were in the fetal position, with eight spindly legs extending from the top and to the ground. An equal number of glowing red dots seemed to represent the eyes, leaving the 'face' of the mechanical spider otherwise featureless.

"Vell, isn't dis interestink!" The mustachioed man called out, retrieving from some unseen compartment on his centaur a simple microphone. What it was broadcasting to was uncertain, but it allowed his voice to boom across the auditorium. Some of the panic quelled slowly, being replaced with confusion. Others continued pushing their way for the exits. In the distance, Jay was certain he could hear a fire alarm going off, and the cacophany of car alarms continued to pain his ears as well. "De Dayton robotics exhibition-" he declared into the microphone, waving a free arm to emcompass the entirety of the assemblage. "here to show de vork and honor de efforts of de greatest minds in der field uff robotics!"

He'd begun to walk from the top of his centaur, by that point, hopping with some effort to the ground and walking into the room in earnest. Jay thought of trying to confront him, but the combination of the crowd, and the 'redcoat' now walking beside him, musket aimed and ready to fire, caused the youth to decide that discretion was the better part of valor for the moment. While Jay had managed to get to his knees, he stayed below the table he'd slipped beneath.

"Und yet, when I look at de names of your guests, I find one name missing entirely!" He was still speaking into his microphone, but the sudden change from speaking to shouting caused an ear-splitting screech from whatever was broadcasting his statements. "De brilliant. De incomperable... de magnificent Doctor Von Kremmler!" By this point the mustachioed man, Von Kremmler apparently, as jumping up and down where he stood like a child throwing a tantrum. "Naturally, I can to rectify dis mistake forthwith!" He finished, his voice much calmer.

"And," He added with a sudden manic grin. "to take to task your negligent hosts. If you'll calmly point de way for me, I shall take dem und be on my way, yes? Very reasonable." He laughed into the microphone. The redcoat emphasized Von Kremmler's point by aiming his musket towards the ceiling above himself and firing it. Rather than any sort of lump of metal or, really, any physical projectile, a quick burst of red energy emenated from the barrel showing and smashed through the ceiling panels as if it were a physical force. The whole scene was somewhat enhanced by the lack of response to the rain of debris that tinked against its body.

The spider-bot had also begun to clamber over the remnants of the bricks and begin finding its way into the building, picking its way through the crowd, alternating patterns of brightening and dimming from its eyes as it moved about the crowd. Last was the 'centaur', simply rolling forward and crushing any remaining building materials in its path.

From his hiding place, Jay swallowed a lump in his throat, but knew precisely what he needed to do. Freeing his hand from his pocket, he pressed the face of his ring to the floor beneath himself. "I don't think a little more property damage will bother anybody..." He whispered, and as he spoke he pushed his will through the ring, imagining the desired process of a 'blade' of pure viridian energy cutting through the floor beneath him. The sensation of weightlessness as it gave way brought a smile to his face in spite of the situation and it was only a minor effort on his part to slow down his descent before he threw off the backpack and began rummaging around in it on the basement floor.

Fishing around in his backpack, Jay eventually pulled out a green jacket with a peculiar, and clearly hand drawn, 'lantern' symbol drawn on the front of it, split in half by the zipper. This, he quickly pulled over his arms and zipped about halfway. The last touch he needed was another pulse from his ring, beginning at the bottom and seeming to 'dye' his pants green with the energy, his shirt remaining an untouched black and finishing with a dully glowing domino mask forming about his eyes. Jay Andrews' transformation to 'Teen Lantern' completed, he bent his knees and launched himself upwards again, carried by his momentum... and a boost from the power ring itself.

"You know," He shouted above the din of the cadre of machines attempting to bully and intimidate the crowd at the insistance of the rotund roboticist. When that failed to get sufficient attention, the Lantern focused his will again and soon found his ring to be the handle of a bullhorn he began shouting through. "you could have just bought tickets like a normal person!" He shouted though it, finding himself pleasantly satisfied when the bushy mustache (to say nothing of the face it was attached to) whipped in his direction and Dr. Von Kremmler gawped in surprise at the sight of the glowing green teen.

The surprise didn't last long, however before he recovered, furiously pulling at his mustache once again in agitation before he pointed the microphone he'd been holding in the Lantern's direction and shouted shrilly. "Spider-Bot, deal viss him!" The spherical robot obeyed quickly, picking its way through the debris and, much to Teen Lantern's surprise, actually managed to jump from the ground and wrap its spiny legs around his body. "Redcoat! Viss me. Ve haff business to complete!" Von Kremmler reminded the more humanoid of his companions as he pointed to a door to the far end of the room. The red clad robot began dutifully marching forward, his (laser) musket held forward to deter anyone with the courage, or foolishness, to try and impede him.

Meanwhile, Teen Lantern found himself in his own predicament. He'd managed to turn the glow that surrounded him into a more-or-less solid barrier as the spider-bot had leapt upon him, but that wasn't helping him much. It may have looked like an arachnid, but its tactic was much closer to a constrictor, and with the shield up and a face full of metal sphere, the young hero found it difficult to see, let alone walk! Fortunatley, he didn't have to rely on his legs to get around.

"It's a good thing," he mused, launching into the air like a viridian rocket. "that I'm not afraid of spiders. Otherwise this whole thing would be a lot harder." he remarked, twisting his wrist about until he had the ring facing towards the body of the spider... twisting a bit more and focusing his thoughts at the green ring on his finger he was able to project the energy from its face again, this time taking the shape of a crude, nearly cartoonish, buzzsaw. THe moment it made contact with the point that the 'legs' connected to the spider, however, the saw began doing its business as effectively as any other and easily cut through the sturdy metal, sending the legs of its left side plummeting to the ground, even while the spider, now unable to maintain its lopsided grip was hurled away as Teen Lantern began spinning himself in mid-air.

The whole process would have been a total success if not for one miscalculation: in all of the furor, the emerald rookie had forgotten entirely about the 'Centaur'. In contrast, the mechanical beast of myth had not forgotten about the Lantern and kept its gaze trained on him silently, until the careening cavalier was within reach... and with the speed and force of some sort of pnuematic wrecking ball, swung its arm in a full 360 degree arch and swatted the Teen Lantern from the air like a badminton birdie. The blow held enough force to rattle the poor boy even within the protective cocoon of his shield, and furthermore, he was sent crashing through one of the walls of the room, laying beneath a layer of brick, mortar and other assorted building materials as he groaned.

"That's... going on the blooper reel." He found himself mumbling in a half-daze, the glow surrounding his body becoming noticably thinner and dimmer as he tried to clear his head from the impact. The weight of the bricks on his body wasn't doing him any favors either and he out it difficult to move. The sounds of the kidnapping in progress were thoroughly muffled by the pile as well. All in all, it was embarrassing and more than a little painful but on the whole it wasn't the worst environment to regain one's barings.

---

On the other hand, Dr. Von Kremmler pursued his own objective much more efficiently, walking behind the advance 'guard' of his redcoat until they had, at last, reached a doorway with 'Staff' scrawled hastily on a piece of notebook paper and taped over it. The rotund roboticist looked disdainfully at the door itself, then the handle before nodding to the redcoat. "Open it." He ordered the machine.

Rather than speak, the redcoat robot shuffled its musket to one side before drawing a cavalry saber and in two strokes of the blade had neatly cut the door in quarters, which tumbled quickly to the ground. As the sword was re-sheathed, Von Kremmler was already entering the room to find two men huddled within.

Of the two, one had huddled himself as far into the corner as he could, his head tilted down as if hoping that somehow hiding his eyes behind his bangs would invoke that childhood rule of 'If I can't see you, you can't see me!'. To his credit, he was not, at least, cowering behind a blanket.

However, the remaining occupant of the room stood up straight and tense. Caught between the 'fight' and 'flight' reflexes as he clenched his hands. He was not only his companions opposite in demeanor, but appearance, a stoud man of middle-age with dark hair and a swarthy complexion, he met Von Kremmler's eyes as defiantly as he could given the situation.

Without waiting for either man to speak, Von Kremmler cleared his throat and performed an exaggerated, mock bow. "Professor De Moines," He asserted, walking slowly into the room, the redcoat crouched by the doorway now, kneeling on a single knee with the musket alternating between the fearful man in the corner and the more defiant 'Professor De Moines'. "I am disappointed zat you haff put so little real effort into zis event. After all, you haff completely neglected de greatest expert in robotics in de vorld. Me!" He laughed, pulling harshly at his mustache once more.

"Really?" Professor De Moines asked, arching an eyebrow as he slowly began to loosen his stance, although not to relax. "I had no idea you'd put on so much weight, Dr. Magnus."

The assertion was enough to send Von Kremmler into another jumping and stamping fit as he shook his fist at De Moines, while the man in the corner cried out and attempted to tuck himself further into it. "I am Doctor Jurgen Von Kremmler! You know my name... or you vill. All of de vorld vill!" He shouted, pointing to the redcoat. "Keep dem here." He commanded the mechanical soldier with sudden calm. "I shall get our friend and we can depart quickly."

The redcoat simply nodded, paying no attention to the sounds as the 'Centaur' began rolling up to their position. A panel on the front of its base no opened up to reveal a single room with one long bench... not unlike a prison cell.

"In!" Von Kremmler ordered his captives sternly, the instructions emphasized as the redcoat gestured to both of them with the barrel of his musket.

It took the cornered man three tries before he was able to produce words from his opening and closing mouth, but in the end all he really said was a short 'Anything you say.' De Moines remained defiant longer, only moving when physically prodded by the redcoat's musket.

-------

It had taken Teen Lantern longer than he wanted to admit to finally get his head on straight enough to push the debris from himself. By that point, by and large, the hall had been emptied of most of its patrons, the braying panic of the crowd was replaced instead with the slow crunch of the centraur-like machine rolling away on its treads. The triumphantly crowing roboticist clinging to the back of the thing's top-half. Dutifully, the redcoat marched next to it, keeping pace well enough.

On his hands and knees, still coughing and forcing the dust from his lungs, Teen Lantern struggled up to his feet, reminding himself that, next time, he'd have to consider an air-tight seal for just such an occasion. But, he was up, alive, and seemed to have no broken bones. All in all, it was a good sign, he realized. Slowly, the green glow began to surround his body again, albeit still not as bright as he'd started with. It was enough, though, to bring him airborne again and in pursuit of the remaining trio, who by this point were getting nearer to a minor cordon of police cars. Officers yelling futiley for Dr. Von Kremmler to stop, or they would be forced to take action.

Although unable to hear the mustachioed man's response, it was clearly in the negative as the redcoat opened fire on one of the police cars, causing it to erupt in a shower of raining metal and bits of glass as the red beam penetrated the engine. The young hero couldn't help raising an eyebrow at that, wondering just what it was set on. Through it all, the centaur continued rolling impassively over the next police car, like some strange monster truck.

"Alright, this has gone on long enough," The Green-Clad hero asserted, more to himself than the group. He rose a bit higher into the air before surging forward, nearly skidding to a stop (somehow) when the entire torso of the redcoat spun to face him, taking aim with the musket once more.

Even as his legs continued moving forward, the mechanical soldier calmly aimed and fired with its reversed upper body. The first shot missed by a decent amount, but it was still enough of a warning to have Teen Lantern begin juking and jinking in an effort to become a harder target. The second laser sizzled through the spot where the young aviator had been only moments earlier. Still, he kept moving forward... moving at a slower pace, however. Uncertain how well his head had recovered from his earlier encounter with the wall and unwilling to test the limits of his situation against the redcoat's laser.

The choice would cost him, unfortunately as the centaur continued to make more progress in the distance.

A third time, the redcoat's body spun, this time only his head, to determine the progress of Dr. Von Kremmler's escape. Rapidly, the torso alone began to spin, taking pot shots at the remaining police cars in the blockade. What had started as disarrey became a total route as each vehicle burst open one after the other, sending the uniformed officers diving and running to avoid becoming collatoral damage of their efforts. His work done, the redcoat faced the whole of his body forward and began marching, picking up a speed until, like the centaur by this point, he was clearing what most would consider 'highway speeds' in fleeing the scene.

The Lantern could, he was sure, have caught them. Later, he would even swear that if he'd just taken the chance it would have been simple. But as soon as the cars began exploding again, his priorities had changed and he immediately switched from 'pursuit' to 'protection', soles touching the ground in tandem with his arm pointing straight up and as if it was being launched from the ring itself, a glowing green dome was cast over the cars themselves, working to keep any further shrapnel from bursting out, as well as to smother the flames left behind by the attack.

As the havoc calmed to a dull pandamonium the green clad youth glanced around himself and saw the police beginning to come to their senses. It wasn't hard to realize that what would come next was a number of questions that he neither wanted to deal with, nor was particularly capable of supplying answers to, he merely offered the assemblage his very best 'I know exactly what I'm doing' smile and inclined his head in their directions. "He slipped past me for now, but I promise, I'll bring that mad machinest in by the weekend." He declared, before surging back towards the skies with a noise somewhere between a laugh of embarrassment and a chortle of amusement. In spite of everything, he couldn't help but realize what he'd done.

"So now I'm alliterating my villains, am I?" He asked rhetorically, staying high up as he navigated the way back to his home. He dropped carefully down into the back yard before slipping through the door and finding the way towards his preferred room. The basement that he'd not to recently claimed as his informal lab. The mask fizzled away almost as soon as he reached the floor of said room, and he began pulling at his jacket in frustration.

"I'm talking a good game, but face it, Jay," He was forced to grumble to himself, balling up his jacket in frustration and tossing it carelessly towards a mostly empty table. "you're kinda sunk. You need to figure out how to track Von-" Likely, Jay would have continued verbally berating himself for his lackluster performance if not for the 'clang' that interrupted him. Another huff of agitation followed before he approached the green garment, eyes widening in surprise when he lifted it in his hands... and a small length of metal, perhaps three fingers in circumfrance and blunted at the tip fell from the pocket and onto his floor again. The coloration and cleanness of the cut made it clear from the start what it was: a piece of the Spider-Bot.

"Well," Jay admitted to himself, turning the fragment over in his hands as he walked idly towards a desk he'd set up. "it isn't a lot to go on, but at least it's the beginning of a clue." he declared, reaching to the far end and drawing over a stand with what appeared to be a magnifying glass on it. With somewhat more care, he settled the device upon it before drawing a small cord from the base and plugging it into a nearby computer, watching the image come up onto the screen.

Some seconds were spent studying the metallic fragment in detail as he looked it over, spinning it and turning it before he finally stood up, whooping triumphantly.

"Ooh, this-" He told himself, pumping his fist into the air. "is perfect." For, upon the screen of his computer, with some uncertain, but high level of magnification, was displayed the word 'Rossum', and he knew precisely what that meant for him.

The Rossum Company, on the distant side of the city had been, at one point, a well respected manufacturer of high tech tools, particularly those needed for an automated workforce. For a moment, Jay was left to wonder if it was intentional or simply convenience that this place would be connected to Von Kremmler.

"Well, I have a likely hideout," he admitted, hesitating as he began reaching for his jacket again before shaking his head. "but charging in again without a plan might just see me slapped through another wall. I think... yeah, I think a little research is in order." He acknowledged, reaching for his chair once more and taking a seat in front of the computer, fingers tapping away at the keyboard. "Know thy enemy, etcetera..."

On the far side of the city, however, things were proceeding with considerably less fanfare and far less excitement as the rolling centaur finally came to a stop in a wide rom, albeit one lined in concrete and the remnants of old assembly line systems and a handful of other machines of various types. All of which appeared to have been, in soe way, dismantled, harvested... cannibilized to give life to the machines that were now within its walls. Dim lights flickered back on and hummed with the surge of electricity as the Centaur opened his compartment once more.

With some minor flourish, Von Kremmler hopped down from his perch atop the mechanical knight's body and gave his captives a mocking boy before smiling at them. "You vill, I am hoping, forgive ze accomodations? Dey vere de best I could do on such notice." He chortled as the Professor and his counterpart, now looking ghostly pale, emerged into the room. For his own part, Professor De Moines folded his arms across his chest in an effort to keep some degree of dignity and, perhaps, control in the situation.

"What do you want?!" The whole effect, though, was promptly ruined by the plaintive wail of the man next to him. A fact De Moines made apparent as she shot an annoyed glare towards his cowering cohort. The man as keeping himself safely behind the Professor even while the redcoat passively remained behind the man himself.

"Ah, a man to de point. I suppose zhat is to be expected from one of ze members of our illustrious fifth estate, hm?" Von Kremmler declared, speaking as if he were entertaining guests rather than kidnapping a scientist and a reporter. He made a gesture towards the redcoat, who responded by inclining his head and strolling off, returning a few moments later with a rather comfortale looking chair. One Von Kremmler quickly placed himself in, not yet bothering to offer such luxury to his captives. "It is as I haff told der professor. I am a man of some ego, it is, if I am quite honest, my sole flaw." He remarked, tugging at his mustache before raising his gaze upwards. The light relfecting off the top of his bald head. "Und I haff spent a great many years researching machinery. Achieving mein doctorate, buildink a name for myself within de scientific community. Vhen I hear of a robotics symposium. A convention for der enthusiast und der expert, I expect a path to be beaten to mein door!" His voice was rising now, although he remained seated. "But nobody comes to me!"

"Nobody has even seen you in nearly a decade." Professor De Moines challenged him with a scowl. "Even if we had wanted to extend an invitation, we'd have had no way to do it." In spite of the situation, the Professor found himself taking some pleasure in watching the rotund roboticist's head turn red with anger at his captive's continuing argumentativeness.

"And I'm sure they would have!" The reporter added quickly, nodding his head. "But whatever this is about... well, I'm not really involved. The 'Sun' just sent me to cover the story and-"

"And I am givink you a much bigger story." Von Kremmler interrupted, magnanimously, studiously avoiding glancing at De Moines. "Mister Albert Duchasne," He declared, finally pushing to his feet again, the chair toppling over behind him. "you und Professor De Moines are to find yourselves as der vitnesses und word-carriers of de return of der greatest genius in de field of robotics! I vill demonstrate to all who haff doubted me vhat I cam capable of doink. Vith machines created from der scraps of forgotten factories, I vill hold dis city hostage!" The (mad) scientist was shouting now as he raised his arms into the air. "After that... I vill be able to name mein own price for those who vill vish to back my research. Every country vill be trippink over der own feet in order to supply me vith a lab und assistants."

"I suppose it's good to dream big." Professor De Moines snorted, keeping his arms crossed. "But in case you forgot, one of your toys were already broken in the kidnaping. You've got two left and probably a superhero on your tail. That sort of thing never ends well for guys like you."

Von Kremmler's bald pate flushed a red once again in anger as he reached for his mustache, stopping himself seemingly only by an act of will before curling his lips into as vicious a smile a man of his appearance could manage. "Ve shall see, den." He intoned, walking slowly out of the room. The centaur and redcoat providing cover for him to leave before they, too, slipped out.

---

By the time Jay's research into Doctor Von Kremmler had concluded, he knew about as much about the man as anyone with an internet connection and access to various academic sites could know... and it told him precisely nothing of use. But, it had given him, at least, time enough to gather his wits and shake the last of the problems from his focus before he picked his jacket up again and flexed his fingers. Donning the costume once more, he grinned and began walking towards the staircase of the lab and back to the house above.

"Teen Lantern made a promise." He told himself after a moment, the mask, now more clearly in the shape of a sideways 'Green Lantern' battery symbol covering part of his face before he took flight once more, ascending into the sky and zipping off at a break-neck pace. He knew where he was going, he knew what to do. His previous encounters hadn't gone his way, but he was confident enough that this time... he would emerge triumphant.

Actual travel from his home to the facility he'd determined Von Kremmler was making use of was a quick affair. He was, after all, capable of propelling himself at supersonic speeds. Easily the equal, or superior, of any transcontinental flight before even pushing himself that hard. A cross-city jaunt was nothing in comparison. He landed quietly on the rooftop of the building, creeping along slowly as he let the lights surrounding him dim into nothingness. He even held his breath as he felt loose material crunch beneath his shoes. Approaching slowly towards a doorway leading from the roof and into the building proper.

"The most potent element of all," Teen Lantern mused to himself as he reached the door, using his ring to produce a small cylinder of green energy, pliant enough that as he pressed it to the lock it filled the space easily, shaping itself to the needs of the lock before he turned slowly. Unsealing the door for himself. "is surprise. Shortest half-life, too." He added, creeping into the building as he allowed his ring to resume glowing, albeit more dimly. Just enough to be aware of his surroundings and not tumble down a flight of stairs.

The building was devoid of other sounds than the young hero's breathing and the gentle creek of his steps; as well as the gentle 'thump'ing of something walking a path through the building. Wait... that last one wasn't supposed to be heard! His heart picking up, the Teen Lantern intensified the glow of his ring as he pointed it towards the sound finding...

A palm-sized robot of the approximate dimensions of a roombah, albeit possessed of its own set of long spindly legs.

"Well, that could be worse." The Viridian hero considered... right up until it emitted a glass-shatteringly high pitched squeal. Teen Lantern's hands flew up to his head so quickly that he almost boxed his own ears! He could almost feel his bones rattle as the pitch began to descend, taking on more bass as the treble left its 'voice'. Soon, even the walls were shaking from it.

His teeth grinding as he tried to shut out the noise, Teen Lantern hit upon the idea of using his shield again, sound-proofing it as best he could this time as he took his barings once more. Peace and focus restored, at least within his immediate vicinity, the Emerald Champion did the simplest thing he could think of... and a cartoonishly triangular pryamid baring the 'Ten Tons' warning of cartoons of old began to fade into being above the screeching 'bot before smashing down and flattening the device completely.

A low trilling whistle was the death rattle of the device as Teen Lantern let his shield drop and considered the circumstances.

"They definitely know I'm here now..."

--

Deep within the catacombs of what had once been a factory, Teen Lantern's predictions were certainly coming true. Von Kremmler, seated at a desk and tinkering with some small device or another felt his body shudder and vibrate as the soundwaves moved the entire factory. His head jerked up from the task as he looked around before pulling out another object, looking somewhat like a 1980s era cellular phone and immediately punched down a few of the buttons. Examining a small screen at the top of the device, he spoke into a receiver. "We've just had an intrusion on der top floor. Find out who it vhas and terminate dem." He ordered whatever was on the other end of the line. ALthough there was no response, he seemed satisfied enough that his instructions would be carried out to resume his work.

--

Teen Lantern had given up on creeping by this point and was sprinting down the hallway, cursing the fact that he hadn't thought to examine the building schematics in more detail. THen he'd know, at least, whether or not he could have tunnelled his way through the walls without incident. Instead, here he was, running for dear life down a hallway with a single exit at the far end. Outrunning, he knew, becoming trapped.

Unfortunately, he ran too slowly. Just as the staircase he wanted was coming into view, the redcoat had ascended it and was already taking the kneeling position of his namesake while he aimed his musket at the glowing green hero. The first shot struck true, knocking the would-be rescuer off his feet and onto his back. But the shield provided by the glow around his form held strong and the young man was already pushing back to his feet as the second shot jarred his shoulder and spun him around.

'If I don't do something-' The Lantern thought to himself with clenched teeth. A third shot struck him in the back, he stumbled forward in response and part of his shield began to flicker. Whether through agitation or the power of his attacker didn't matter. Focus was a fleeting thing, particularly when one was under attack my a laser wielding robot. 'he's going to punch through the shield eventually!' He realized before attempting to take flight again. The low ceiling was an issue, but at least he had gotten high enough off of the ground that the fourth beam missed him completely.

Rapidly spinning his body as he glowered at the mechanical soldier, Teen Lantern extended his ring hand while he hovered, the beam coming from it creating a thich, semi-transparent and shining green 'wall' that filled the hallway roughly halfway between himself and the redcoat. "I don't lose three times in a row." The Lantern intoned confidently as he grinned, the wall rapidly pushing forward towards the redcoat, who fired off a number of additional potshots as it began rising to its feet. Evidently intending to retreat from the situation it had encountered.

It was only a minor effort of imagination that allowed the rookie superhero to curl the 'wall' until it all but completely enveloped the redcoat's musket, even while it continued to pull the trigger in a futile effort to carry out its orderes. The barrel, jammed as it was with an impenetrable barrier of energy was overwhelmed by its own force... and burst in its hands, one of which was destroyed completely by the explosion. The concussive force of which was enough to send the machine tumbling backwards down the stairs it had previously walked with a loud 'crash' as it hit the floor.

"I'm getting better at this." The young man declared with a grin, setting feet back to the ground as he strolled towards the stairwell. Using his ring as a flashlight once more, he peered this way and that in his search for the wreckage of his opponent-

and was momentariy startled as a gleaming blade thrust out of the green tinted darkness at him.

Teen Lantern stumbled back rapidly himself now, acting more on impulse and whim than on any actual plan as he flicked his hand out and, from the ring, generated a cylindrical beam of energy. One that emitted a very distinctive 'vmmmm' as he did so.

Its face as impassive as ever, the redcoat continued its advance, thrusting and swinging its blade in quick, tight formation. The green clad hero was hard pressed to keep up with the situation, realizing quickly that... well, he had no real idea how to fence.

'Wait,' He was forced to ask himself at last, shuffling to the side just in time to avoid the blade biting down into his shoulder. Instead, it left a thin cut through his shirt, and a ribbon of red blood sliding down his chest. His thoughts were interrupted by his own yelp of surprise and pain as the Lantern backed up slowly. Realizing he was now, quite literally, with his back against the wall. 'Wait!' His mind tried again as he watched the advancing swordsbot.

'You have a ring that can create anything. Why are you trying to swordfight that thing?!' He finally demanded, and in that moment it was as if a lightbuilb went back on.

Why HAD he switched tactics? A fit of pique? An idea of fair play? Whatever it was, he wasn't particularly willing to die over it... instead, he drew his arm back, the blade he'd forged vanishing quickly...

And then he punched, as hard as he could. A second fist, the size of a full grown man burst into reality from his ring and smashed into the redcoat, this time not simply sending it falling down the stairs, but smashing it against the wall hard enough that parts of its body crumpled from the impact, limbs twisted in various unnatural ways and hydraulic fluids leaked from what passed for its mouth and eyes.

Still, it attempted to drag itself forward to complete its ordered, but the damage was, clearly, to severe for it to do much at all.

"That... looks incredibly creepy." Teen Lantern mused as he glanced down the stairs before starting to run again. He could muse about the tangled wreck of a machine all day if he wanted. After he saved the hostages.

--

"Did you hear that, Al?" Professor De Moines asked, his ear pressed to the door of the room they'd been left in. His first several minutes of captivity had been spent seeking an alternate exit, something Von Kremmler had overlooked. As it was, he'd found nothing. But the sudden, jarring, noises that were coming from the higher floors of the building were inspiring hope. "Might be the police." He suggested. "Or National Guard?"

"Or Von Kremmler getting more of those robots of his ready." The reporter responded sullenly, sitting in the middle of the barren room, his arms wrapped around his legs.

--

The rotund roboticist would have certainly preferred that idea as he checked the device he had sent his orders from minutes ago. He looked to the screen, glanced back to his project, then jerked his head back to the screen, jumping to his feet with a frenzied shout. He lashed out, kicking his chair in a fury. All at once he snatched up the device and began shouting into it.

"Everybody, converge on der prison room!" He shouted, knowing that the time had come to set up his last stand.

--

It took the Teen Lantern longer than he wanted to admit to to reach the section he was looking for. In the end, he'd managed to rig up a system with his own ring that allowed him to follow the electrical impulses within the building. Following along behind them curiously. On the job training at its finest. When he had reached the doorway to the large section of building, likely the actual assembly floor for most of the equipment, he was rather impressed. It was definitely not the original doorway and heavily reinforced to boot.

However, in an unknowing repeat of the redcoat's own efforts, the young hero recreated his 'blade' from earlier and slashed his way through the barrier with relative ease. Smiling as it collapse in front of him. He worked his jaw until he got precisely the tone he wanted. First impressions being what they are. Even though this technically, was his second impression. "I'm here to investigate a noise complaint." He asserted, before kicking himself at the terrible line.

"De only ting you vill be investigating, is de circumstances of your own demise!" Doctor Von Kremmler's voice echoed throughout the chamber as he stood atop the centaur's back. The doorway into his body closing with the Professor and Reporter inside already. "You are too late to stop me!" He shouted, tugging at his mustache in a manic way.

The Centaur charged. Its arms swinging again. But, Teen Lantern realized, when he was actually paying attention the machine was actually quite lumbering. Slow. Strong, sure, but it was a workhorse. It wasn't meant for anything like the sophistication of the redcoat.

And, the blonde hero realized, it had one especially glaring weakness.

As he dodged the smashing fists, watching them pulverize the floor where he'd stood, Teen Lantern focused his gaze upon its tank treds and smiled. At once, he threw out his hand, and along the entirety of the floor spread... a long green spike-strip. "Come and get me, then!" He teased the machine and its master as he floated away at a leisurely pace.

"No, don't-!" Von Kremmler shouted, aware of the plan, even as the centaur advanced. Rolling over the spikes, which snapped and tore at its treds. Ripping it apart to the point of uselessness. Stranding it in the middle of the room. "idiot!" He shouted, jumping on the carrier of the machine. "Should have spent more time on your programming." He lamented, even as the spike strip became a can opener, peeling open the centaur to allow Professor De Moines and Mr. Duchasne to rush out with relieved expressions and exultations of gratitude.

"My genius..." The now fully maddened scientist declared, kicking open a panel on the centaur's back. "cannot be overcome by your brute force!" He asserted, beginning to press a number of buttons, flipping several switches on the panel.

"What are you doing?" The Lantern asked cautiously, already projecting a shield over himslef and the rescued captives. He could hear the humming from the centaur, however.

"Self. Destruct." Von Kremmler asserted, pronouncing each word in unaccented English. The building was shaking again and the Lantern's eyes widened as he began to turn the barriers around the freed hostages into bubbles and started flying straight up, another bubble forming around Von Kremmler himself.

Almost in tandem, as Teen Lantern rose into the skies, the factory burst into flames. The blast from the centaur not caught enough to destroy the building, but certainly there would be nothing left of the interior. More surprising, though, was the bubble containing Von Kremmler had also experienced a shuddering 'boom' as the scientist's body gave out and left nothing more than a burning metal exoskeleton to be turned over to the police.

Almost in tandem, all three blinked and remarked 'He was a robot!?'

--

Far away in another part of the city, or perhaps the country as a whole, a rotund man sat at a computer console, tugging his mustache in agitation. "Destroyed." He remarked. "Each and every one of them."

"Maybe now would be a good time to pick a new hobby?" A bored looking man with a tinny voice remarked. "Since this ended in failure?"

"Failure? Oh, no." The, presumably, real Doctor Von Kremmler chuckled. "As a great man said 'I have merely found 1,000 ways it wont work'. That device the boy carries, however, is most fascinating. The power output combined with the degree of miniaturization... if I coul capture and reproduce it... I wouldn't need to hide myself away and terrorize one city. Consider selling my devices to megalomaniacs with thoughts of world domination... I could BE the megalomaniac with dreams of world domination!" He shouted, laughter filling the room.

Yay! Another story from me! This one starring Wyatt!

I'm really not happy with how the ending came out in this one, but otherwise, I think it was a decent-ish story.

-----

 Journey to the The Frozen Castle



“Not good-” Wyatt Andrews asserted, grasping the steering column of his ship tightly as he attempted to pull it back. With luck, he could avoid barrelling straight down into the planet below and touch down more gently. Or, failing that, survivably. With even more luck, he could, he hoped, skip across the edges of the atmosphere like a stone over a river. From there, drifting to the next habitable (and advanced) world would be a cinch, the human thought. “Not good!” He repeated, tightening his grip until his knuckles whitened.

His luck, it turned out, was not that good. The friction of the atmosphere slowed him admirably, but the angle wasn’t enough to let him bounce, and soon the ship was pulled down by the hand of gravity to the blue and white world beneath.

---

“A shooting star!” A young woman’s voice called to her companions, pointing skyward where the object streaked through the clouds. “Surely if anything is a good sign that is!” She added, casting a smile back in the direction of her companions. Particularly the older looking of the trio.

“Normally, yes.” He admitted, stroking a well worn beard as he watched the object above. Something about it was off, he knew. The old man simply could never recall seeing a shooting star coming so quickly. Or with such a vibrant orange coloration. Nor, he was beginning to realize, from that particular angle. His eyes widened as he reached for the girl, at the same time one of the men behind him began to shout.

“It’s heading AT us!” The larger of the remaining duo declared, rushing forward to place himself between the woman and the old man before any more words could be exchanged. The man spread his arms apart, his body broad enough to provide cover to the both of them.

The ‘star’ landed with a deafening noise, like rending metal and cracking stone, throwing up snow and ice long buried and packed tightly by pressure and age. When the debris settled, the entire party gazed in astonished confusion at what was before them.

“Made of metal…” The final member of the party remarked, approaching slowly, ducking beneath one of the larger man’s arms. “Hot, too!” He noted, pointing a finger towards the melting snow and ice surrounding the object. Further observations, however, were cut off as the object began to hiss, a plume of smoke escaping as the side opened up slowly…

And a blond male tumbled out of the side, falling onto his back in the snow. At first he struggled, apparently patting out a fire he thought was somewhere on his clothes. As soon as he realized he was no longer alone, however, he made a show of nonchalance, crossing one leg over the other and resting his hands behind his head. All of this was done while still laying prone on the ground.

“Hi.” The man greeted them, craning his neck to smile at the group. “I uh… I come in peace?” He added, pausing in thought for a few moments. “Do you have that phrase here yet? Do you even know what aliens are yet?”

“Who are you?!” The largest of the group demanded, drawing a sword and pointing the tip towards the snowbound man, although without making a move to advance upon him.

“What are you doing?” The woman asked, her eyes moving from the new arrival to the ‘shooting star’ and back in fascination.

“I’ll take that as a ‘no’.” The arrival muttered, making no move to change position as he eyed the tip of the blade critically. “Would you believe I’m making snow angels and just like to get a really good bit of momentum going? No?” He asked, looking from face to face.

“Alright, I’m Wyatt. Wyatt Andrews.” Wyatt finally deigned to introduce himself, pushing to a sitting position slowly. Keeping his hands at shoulder level as he watched the larger man. Whatever the local analogue of a ‘Knight’ was, he imagined. “I’m here from… far away?” He added to the story, trying to determine the tech level of the society and what sort of metaphors he was going to need.

“Sent by the skies.” The woman whispered, smiling suddenly at the old man. “He is a sign. A good omen!” She insisted forcefully.

“Or a trap sent to waylay and kill us!” The large man asserted. Finally able to get a look at him, Wyatt was able to determine he wasn’t simply broad (although, certainly this man was) but his physique was much enlarged by the suit of armor he was wearing.

“Awful lot of effort for a trap.” The man pointed out. He was shorter than any of his companions, although not by much admittedly. But, without names, Wyatt needed something to think of them as. So ‘The Short One’ it was. “And a lot of metal, too. Would be better served as cannon fire, don’t you think?”

“Perhaps a misfire?” The large man grumbled.

“Lord Alx, for what purpose would you put a MAN in a cannon ball?” The older man interrupted at last. “But, you are correct, I admit. His presence is… suspicious.” There was a smile behind his beard, and Wyatt could practically see the wheels in his head spinning. “Perhaps, we should bring him with us. On… suspicion of collusion with the enemies of our dear Princess Ca’ani?”

“Wait, what?!” Wyatt demanded, on his feet completely now, and waving his hands before himself. “Nope, no need for that. You all just play through and I’ll get in my ship… thing. I can probably get it running, or call for assistance. Maybe Space Triple-A?”

He’d only finished the sentence before Wyatt realized that ‘call for assistance’ was the wrong statement to make, the knight, Lord Alx, was barrelling on him like a football player encased in steel. His armored forearm pressed to the unarmored human’s throat as he tried to suck in air.

“Lord Alx!” All of the remaining trio cried in unison, with varying degrees of surprise.

“I said take him, not execute!” The older man declared.

“He would use up too many of our resources.” Lord Alx shook his head, pressing more tightly upon Wyatt’s throat. “And may be a danger to the Princess’ safety.” He added firmly.

Wyatt sucked in as much oxygen as he could, attempting to meet his captors eyes for a few moments. “If you don’t let me go, I can promise I’ll be a danger to you!” He asserted, the threat somewhat lessened by the wheezing he performed to make it. Still, if he could just get a few moments of eye contact…

“And your Princess is ordering you to release him.” The woman, Princess Ca’ani, asserted, folding her arms over her chest and looking as imperious as she possibly could. “Are you going to defy my orders?”

“He has yet to prove a threat…” The short one pointed out quietly, keeping his distance from Lord Alx. “If anything, quite the opposite.”

The hulking knight looked to Princess Ca’ani for a moment, then back to Wyatt who, in spite of the shade of blue his face was turning was still managing to glare balefully at him. Another few moments passed before he took a step back, releasing Wyatt from his position against the ship’s hull.

“We shall keep him with us, then.” The older man explained gently, choosing his tones, it seemed, to prevent sending Lord Alx into another rage. “To ensure that he can give no information of the Princess’ movements to others. When we have done our work, he can return to his-” Here, he hesitated, searching for the words he wanted.

“Space Ship.” Wyatt croaked as he sat in the snow, massaging his throat.

“Space Ship.” The older man picked the thread of his statements up once more. “Do what he must to leave, and be away. Does this seem reasonable to everyone?”

While the traveling party seemed quite willing to agree on it, if somewhat petulantly in the case of Lord Alx, Wyatt merely sighed theatrically.

“I don’t think I have a vote here, do I?” He asked simply. “Can I at least go back inside and get a coat? I’m not exactly dressed for planet Hoth.”

“Meekath.” One of them corrected, which one, Wyatt wasn’t sure of as he was already disappearing into his ship to retrieve the coat.

Before any of the assembled group could think to follow their human visitor into his ship to prevent his escape, the blonde male emerged once more, this time swathed in a particularly thick looking coat, a hat pulled forcefully over his head to boot. “Fine,” Wyatt declared as he trundled through the snow. “If we’re doing this, lets do it.” He asserted.

“I still believe this is a bad idea.” Lord Alx grumbled as he resheathed his blade, casting a wary eye in Wyatt’s direction. But, he at least had the sense to realize that the group was against his plan for the moment.

“Where are we even going?” Wyatt asked, falling into step behind the shortest of the men present, although he was focusing his attention on the Princess as he spoke. “And why?”

“You must have come from far away,” the older man remarked, slowing his pace until he had fallen into step beside the young man. “To be unaware of the coronation traditions. We are the escorts to bring Princess Ca’ani to the Frozen Castle, that the ceremony may commence.”

“So, you’re about to crown a Queen,” Wyatt mused, looking around them all. “And you bring one man press ganged into service, one knight, an old man and… I’m sorry, I don’t know what you bring to this arrangement.” He admitted, nodding towards the short man.

“I’m Lord Blin, of the navigators guild.” The short one stated, somewhat indignantly as he crossed his arms over his chest. “I carry the maps. Chart the stars. Perhaps not as glorious as Lord Alx’s contribution, but a necessary one.” He insisted.

“Fair point.” Wyatt sighed, looking up at the sky for a few seconds as he shielded his eyes. Wishing he’d grabbed his sunglasses as well. “So, let me repeat the last part of my question: why such a small group for something so important? Are you a post-apocalyptic hellscape?” He queried, somewhat thoughtlessly.

“It is a part of our traditions.” It was the princess who spoke this time, turning in her tracks to face Wyatt, composing her expression into one of calm authority. Or, making enough effort to give the impression at least. “The inheritor of the throne must prove courage by traversing to the Frozen Castle and taking the crown upon their brow in the ancient throne of Meekath. To walk in the center of an army would hardly be courageous.”

“It WOULD be smart, though.” Wyatt offered. “And personally, I’m of the opinion that a clever coward is a bit more useful than a brave corpse.”

“I would watch how you refer to Princess Ca’ani.” Lord Alx growled, resting his hand on the hilt of his sword once more.

“Lord Alx, please,” Blin entreated him, holding his hands apart placatingly. One flexing nervously, the left curiously stationary. “I am certain he did not intend the words as an insult or a threat.”

“True. Just a remark about common sense.” The human nodded in agreement with the Meekathian nobleman. “But, for the sake of my head remaining attached, I suppose I’ll shut up.” He sighed. And pentet trudged on in silence after that as the single, apparently white, star of the planet began to dip low over the horizon.

The assembled travelers only made slightly more progress as day faded into night, the temperature of the already frigid environment dropping lower still until even the stoic Lord Alx was finally shivering. The Princess herself squinted hard in the dimming light, finding her steps more precarious before sighing at last.

“We should make camp.” She finally admitted, turning to face the group. “I can’t see any further ahead. If we try to travel like this, it’s a danger…”
“First sensible thing I’ve heard since you kidnapped me.” Wyatt grumbled, rubbing his hands together and studiously ignoring Alx’s glare.

“We’ll need to separate to find supplies, then.” The Knight declared. “I’ll see what game can be located, perhaps we won't need to dip into our supplies if all goes well.” With his piece spoken, Lord Alx turned his gaze to the rest of the group, as if expecting each of them to declare their particular chore for the evening. One by one the troupe obliged, with the old man deciding to collect what wood he might for the fire. Lord Blin deciding he would find a stream to break the ice and refill their water casks. Wyatt, not feeling especially gracious offered to dig the latrines while the Princess decided she would set up the tents.

More than an hour later found the human captive still struggling with the rocky ground, occasionally glancing over his shoulder in search of signs of a campfire. In spite of himself, Wyatt was growing concerned about its absence. Annoyed as he was, he hadn’t yet wished any harm on the old man.

It was only when he heard Princess Ca’ani shriek that Wyatt finally started running, or as close to running as he could without risking an ice pocket taking him out, towards the noise. His hand deep within the pocket of his coat as he slowed his pace, reaching the camp and the princess and two of her three caretakers.

The first thing Wyatt noticed was the murderous expression on Lord Alx’s face. The Knight drew his blade quickly and lunged at Wyatt who only barely avoided the first swipe. “What in the hell is this!?” He demanded, pushing forward in an attempt to close the distance and keep the blade’s use as minimal as he could. All the armor on Alx made a fist-fight difficult, so instead the smaller human forced all of his weight into a body check, tumbling both to the ground under the weight of Alx’s armor.

“You’ve killed him!” Alx didn’t yell the assertion so much as roar it, attempting to pitch the struggling young man from his body. For his part, Wyatt struggled simply to control the knight’s sword arm and keep the blade from being used at all. “Princess Ca’anis’ advisor is dead!”

“That’s a big claim to lay on him, Lord Alx-” Lord Blin was speaking this time, but his words didn’t seem to penetrate the larger being’s haze of anger. Watching as Lord Alx managed to roll his body to pin the human.

It was Wyatt’s turn to thrash now, attempting to throw the bulk of the man off of him before inspiration struck. With a nimble hand, Wyatt reached inside of his coat and produced a length of corded cloth. In a quick gesture he managed to lasso it around the knight’s neck and jerked his entire body to the side, pulling on the cord until he had unbalanced Lord Alx enough to escape from beneath him, scrambling to his feet and panting heavily. As the knight began to rise, Wyatt took action, rushing to tighten the rope around his neck. He’d had a line on the tip of his tongue ‘I think you need a nap’ or something to those lines before Lord Blin and Princess Ca’ani managed to pull the combatants apart.

The first thing Wyatt realized was how strong Lord Blin actually was to drag them apart. The second was Lord Alx’s continued murderous glare as he placed himself between Wyatt and Princess Ca’ani, sword still drawn. The third was the Princess Ca’ani and Lord Blin’s expressions of horrified shock.

“Do you see, now!? The advisor was strangled and he carries the weapon with him in his pocket!” Lord Alx shouted, gesticulating frantically with his sword. “He must be executed before he can attempt harm to the Princess!”

“A lot of people carry rope and string and cords like this!” Wyatt shouted in his own defense, already wrapping the cloth around his fist into a makeshift boxing glove. Just in case. The idea that he may soon have to make a fighting escape was looming large in his mind. “And I don’t make a habit of garrotting old men!”

“And you expect us to believe,” It was Princess Ca’ani speaking now. Her tone low, careful. But most of all it was suspicious. “That you have not come among us as a spy. The very evening of your arrival, my advisor is killed with a weapon you carry?”

“I’d hope you would.” Wyatt managed to remark, his mind working to figure an escape route. “But then, I have no idea if this planet has the concept of ‘Innocent until Proven Guilty’ or of ‘Beyond reasonable doubt’.” He admitted.

“We can’t let him go, truthfully.” Lord Blin sighed, extending his hands, only the fingers of his right hand spreading as he spoke. “If he is not an enemy of the crown, then we’ll need the manpower-”

“And if he is?” Princess Ca’ani inquired, tilting her head to the side at the navigator.

“It would be far more appropriate to assess his guilt and decide his punishment at the Frozen Castle.” He replied. “After you’ve become the Queen.”

Silence reigned amongst them for long moments that stretched into minutes. Again, Wyatt cast his eyes around. Considering his odds of making a grand escape. In unfamiliar terrain. In the middle of the night. In the dead of what he assumed was winter.
He did not like his odds.

“Very well,” Princess Ca’ani declared, sweeping her arms apart as she issued her ‘decree’. “The interloper will be kept under restraint and supervision until we reach the Frozen Castle. When we arrive, my first act as Queen will be to hear the case and decide punishment in my adviser's death.” She stated grandly, ignoring the irritated grunt of Lord Alx, except for a single glare in his direction.

“If that is your command, Princess…” He ground out, sheathing his sword while glaring daggers at Wyatt.

She nodded her head, turning to face Lord Blin as she spoke. “Lords Blin and Alx, relieve Wyatt of his weapon, you may use it to restrain him if we have no rope of our own. We shall place him in the tent furthest from the rest of camp until tomorrow.”

“And then draw lots for the order of watch.” Lord Alx added, folding his arms across his chest. “We needn’t have any of his possible friends come to finish what he began.

“The weird thing,” Wyatt grunted, attempting to put on a brave face for the situation, deciding not to struggle for the moment. “Is I think I’ve actually had worse sleep overs. And a couple worse kidnappings, too…”

---

Night fell uneasily on the group after that. One of their number gone, and even with the presumed killer restrained, his boldness left the remaining trio with a feeling of unease. The Princess sat quietly before the fire, poking it with a stick as her gaze focused on it.

“You should go to sleep, my lady.” Lord Alx offered after a few moments, resting his hand on her shoulder. Sternness bending as he attempted to smile benevolently for her. “Go and rest, Lord Blin and I shall divide the night up for our watch.” He assured her.

It took some moments for her to agree, but eventually Princess Ca’ani rose to her feet, kicking irately at the snow beneath her. “It was meant to be a simple trip.” She mumbled, vanishing into her own tent.

Lord Blin approached first, settling onto a large rock. Seating himself for a moment. “You should rest as well, I can take the first watch.” He offered. “It would be more likely for someone to sneak in when the night is darkest, right? So best to save our best man for then.” The diminutive noble pointed out with a slight shrug. Apparently seeing some sense in the other man’s words, Lord Alx strode moodily towards his own tent.

---

Morning came with a glancing blow to Wyatt’s ribs, sending him rolling across the ground as he coughed himself awake. Side throbbing in pain. He was reacting more by instinct than any innate plan as he attempted to wriggle his body into a standing position, arms bound behind him with his own ‘combat cord’ as he liked to call it. “What in the hell is wrong with you!?” He eventually managed to grunt as the massive hand of Lord Alx grasped the front of his coat and pulled the human into a standing position for him.

“You! Even now you continue to bedevil us!” Lord Alx yelled, jerking Wyatt around violently as he began dragging him out of the tent. The best the human could do to inconvenience him at the moment was go limp, which is precisely what he did. “In the night, I was drugged! Our supplies stolen!”

Behind Lord Alx, Wyatt could just barely make out Princess Ca’ani and Lord Blin with sleep hazed eyes. Fortunately, his mind was working more quickly as he hopped as best he could, planting his knees into the Knight’s stomach before falling into the snow again when he was released.

“Seriously-!?” The blonde sputtered, forcing his body to inchworm away from his assailant. “You seriously think… I somehow escaped-” and here, Wyatt was forced to ‘defend’ himself to the best of his abilities once more. Snapping his teeth at Alx’s hand when the other man made to reach for him. “Managed to slip some kind of sedative into whatever you were drinking and then, for god knows what reason went back to my tent and tied myself up all over again instead of fleeing!?”

The Knight’s face flushed red in anger as he attempted to kick at the prone human again. “Your allies, then! The ones who launched your craft-”

“Are in another solar system.” Wyatt grunted, pushing into a sitting position at last. It wasn’t the best, but it felt more dignified at least. “And if they were willing to leave me to my death instead of save me when they could pull off what you’re accusing me… I wouldn’t really call them my ‘allies’.” He added, tempted to emphasize his point by spitting on the ground. Only fear that the saliva would freeze to his own face stopped him.

“He does make a reasoned point.” Princess Ca’ani mused, placing her hand on Lord Alx’s shoulder.

“I don’t believe there’s great need to execute him here, at least.” Lord Blin attempted to intercede as well, brushing the fingers of his right hand over his unmoving left.

“Oh, yeah.” Wyatt remarked sarcastically, rolling his eyes as hard as he possibly could. “After all, if things get too bad, you could always use me as an emergency food supply.”

“You accuse us of such savagery!?” Lord Alx was shouting again. Wyatt was actually beginning to wonder if he had a volume control at all. It was, at least, hard to take his threats seriously when it was becoming his default.

“Well, you did just try to kill me on pretty flimsy evidence.” Wyatt managed to get out. Only barely restraining himself from telling Lord Alx how badly such an attempt really would have ended for him. Fingers teasing and tugging at whatever bits of the cord he could reach while he spoke.

Still, in the situation, he saw opportunity to get out. “If you don’t have any supplies, though, I guess you’ll just have to head back and try again, eh?” He suggested, already considering escape methods once he got to his ship again. Behind the hull and with the door sealed he was certain he’d be perfectly safe.

“Impossible.” It was Princess Ca’ani speaking now, her expression perturbed. “The coronation can only be attempted once. The successor must brave the wastes beyond the city and return to the ancient seat within the Frozen Castle.” She explained, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth. “To prove they have the hardiness and cleverness to rule. If I turned back now, I would never be able to return and the next member of the line of succession would be sent.”

“This is a terrible system of governance.” Wyatt grumbled. “Remind me to give you a civics lesson about democracy when this is all over.”

“When this is all over, you’ll be executed for your crimes.” Lord Alx growled, bringing the young man back to reality.

“Was really hoping you’d forgotten about that idea.” He sighed, shaking his head.

“If we can at least make it to the Frozen Castle,” Blin was speaking thoughtfully now, walking a long circle around the group. “Yes, it might work. If we can get to the castle, we would have shelter, at least. And Lord Alx would be able to hunt for game. Perhaps we could even find means to send a signal or messenger back to the city for an envoy to recover us. Certainly, Princess, that would show your worthiness?” He commented with a smile. “Beset by obstacles, you and your party manage to rescue yourselves?”

“It is… the best option we have.” Princess Ca’ani agreed, steeling herself before nodding her head resolutely. “Let it be done, then.”

“I’d congratulate you, but as the man soon to die, I’m not feeling especially happy.” Wyatt mumbled, closing his eyes before flopping back. Intending, once more, to be as unhelpful in his own capture as possible.

The quartet traveled largely in silence after that exchange, the situation weighing heavily on each of them, perhaps. Princess Ca’ani remaining next to Blin, while Lord Alx made certain to walk close to Wyatt, using some of the unfurled ‘combat cord’ as the nearest thing they had to a chain to ensure he didn’t run off. This was the condition they traveled in for the remainder of the day, until the Frozen Castle was finally on the horizon.

It was a structure of clearly ancient origins, if its architecture, for want of a better word, were anything to go by. It may once have been large, but stood only slightly more than two stories high, snow capping the top of it, while the corners and edges had been worn down by the weather of years. Still, while short, it was also stout, encompassing a wide enough area that in its heyday, it likely contained a small court of King and Courtiers. The most striking feature, though, was that the entire structure was composed of ice. Most startling still, that, so far as Wyatt could tell, it had been carved from a single large block, rather than assembled.

“Must have broken off from a glacier, or something…” The human captive mumbled to himself, taking a few moments to push his potential execution from his mind and instead focus on the puzzle of the Frozen Castle. At least, until Lord Alx jerked at his cord again, nearly sending the young man toppling over before he glared in his captor’s direction.

As soon as they were in, the massive knight began to lead Wyatt away from the other two, yanking him down the hall towards one of the rooms. While most of them lacked bits of decorum, such as doors one conspicuously did not. A grey stone stood in front of it, wedged into a slot, the bottom smooth enough to slide.

“You will remain here.” Lord Alx told Wyatt with no ceremony, just another shove into the ‘prison’ of the castle. “Until Princess Ca’ani has finished her coronation, then she will pass her judgement upon you for your actions.” He asserted, keeping his eyes locked with the other man.

“So, if there’s a coronation, why are we here?” Wyatt asked, tilting his head to the side, watching the knight heave and grunt as he attempted to push the stone ‘door’ in to place. “Shouldn’t you be off making sure things go off without a hitch?”

“Lord Blin will see to it.” The Knight declared simply, giving a grunt of satisfaction as the block began to move forward. “As the highest remaining member of the Princess’ court, now that you’ve killed the advisor-” Wyatt had been about to speak up, but bit his lip. Something niggling at his mind. “He will act as witness to the Princess’ ascension to Queen.”

“And what happens if the Princess isn’t the one to sit on the throne?!” Wyatt called out, stumbling towards the exit, pieces falling into place more slowly than he’d have liked.

“If you’ve brought other assassins to the castle-” Lord Alx growled, reaching for his sword as the young man poked his head out from the doorway.

“No, you dope!” The blonde yelled, shaking his head fervently. “The Princess was NEVER going to sit on the throne!” He continued, spinning on the smooth, icy, floor of the cell to slam his shoulder into Lord Alx’s body, stumbling the knight before he could respond.

“Blin is going to kill her!” He yelled, struggling against his bindings even as he began running. Or, as close to running as he could manage on the frozen floors of the castle. It was more of a controlled slide at high speed.

Regardless, he could hear the larger man clambering to his feet, yelling in an incoherent rage as he gave chase. Wyatt grit his teeth as he wiggled, splitting his attention three ways. First to free himself from his own combat cord, second to keep himself from slipping and falling on the worst designed castle he’d ever heard of and third, attempting to actually navigate the worst designed castle he’d ever heard of.

It was, then, fortunate that the squat design of the castle and its lack of doorways worked in Wyatt’s favor. Most of it could be navigated simply by following the path carved through the ice with rooms branching off, and the center, naturally, was home to the court itself.

Within the chamber were a handful of torches, placed carefully enough to provide light and, perhaps, a bit of heat without jeopardizing the chamber itself. A handful of wooden tables and chairs were scattered about, with tapestries hanging from the walls. A high backed throne with animal furs covering it tied the room as a whole together.
The Princess had taken her first step onto the dais holding the throne, Blin standing behind her, rubbing one hand over the other once more. A soft ‘click’ could be heard in the quiet room… and all at once havoc exploded.

Wyatt yelled out something, truthfully he hadn’t put much thought into it. He just wanted to catch the navigator by surprise as he succeeded in unfurling himself from his combat cord, coiling it partially around his fist before lashing out with it like a whip in the other man’s direction. Wyatt’s cry, combined with Blin’s yelp of pain was enough to draw Princess Ca’ani’s attention back to them, who stared at the duo in shock. Almost immediately after, Lord Alx barreled through the entrance, striking into Wyatt’s back with his enormous frame, sending the human sprawling and sliding across the floor… and luckily, into Blin.

The two men fell into a tangled heap of cursing and limbs before Wyatt managed to pin him, rearing back and punching the navigator full in the jaw. The Princess’ surprised gasp and quick footfalls ended the chaos abruptly, as she tried to pull Wyatt from Blin.

“What is the meaning of this!?” She demanded in confused astonishment, looking from Lord Alx to Wyatt to Blin and back to Lord Alx.

“Your highness-” The knight puffed. “The prisoner escaped and-”

“Attacked me, clearly!” Blin complained, holding his right hand to his split lip.

“Because he’s the assassin!” Wyatt shouted, gesticulating wildly at Lord Blin. “And I can prove it!”

“Preposterous!” Blin yelped again, a quiver in his voice as he looked to the Princess worriedly. “I couldn’t- where would I even… how could I strangle a man with but one hand?” He pleaded.

Alx’s anger was boiling over by this point as he gestured with his sword. “He’s attempting to shift the blame, highness! As Lord Blin himself said, he has but one good hand-”

“Tying a rope to one hand would suffice.” Wyatt protested, stalking towards the navigator. Without asking or, indeed, waiting to be acknowledged, he reached out to grab the man’s unmoving left hand.

While Lord Blin cried out in surprise, the Princess gazed in curiosity and even Lord Alx was stilled for the moment as Wyatt pulled at each digit on the false hand one after the next until the ring finger came off with a ‘pop’... revealing to all a small length of metal with a length of thinly spun metallic wire spooled around it.

“I-” Blin had already begun searching for words to defend himself, but whatever he had to say was drowned out by the louder voice of the human.

“See?” Wyatt began, tossing the detached finger idly up and down as he spoke. “Blin had it all. The weapon, and an excellent assassination tool to boot. More than that, he had the TRUST of the your advisor, which would make sneaking up on him an easy effort. More to the point, though, Lord Alx finally told me what I needed to hear… even if it’s still kind of embarrassing I didn’t figure it out quicker: He said Blin was the highest ranking noble around. If you died a mysterious death while in the castle… well…”

“Well what?!” Blin snarled, turning his head upward. “How would that have benefited me at all?”

“She’d have proven herself unworthy, whether through ineptitude or assassination.” Wyatt continued, smiling now at the show of anger. “You, though, would have just conveniently made the journey with her… so rather than letting a new expedition be sent out-”

“He could sit on the throne with myself as witness…” Lord Alx’s voice was, for once, soft as he realized where Wyatt’s statement was going.

“And my death could easily be blamed on you escaping, or your ‘allies’ alluded to by Lord Alx coming to complete the job.” Princess Ca’ani added. “With Lord Blin narrowly escaping the attacks.”

“And your body still here as proof he’d made it to the Frozen Castle with you.” Wyatt finished. “That about sum up the plan?” He asked, no longer smiling.

“I-” Lord Blin stumbled for words. “That is-” He added, fishing through his mind for something, anything. “I… will not accept this!” The navigator finally shouted, pointing at Wyatt. “You were ready to kill him only a few minutes ago, Lord Alx!” He pleaded, looking about himself for allies in his argument only to find none.

With a desperate energy he lunged, not at the Princess but at Wyatt, stabbing at him with the metal ‘finger’ of his false hand. “You! You ruined this! Took my victory from me!” He yelled, rushing at the his foe.

Almost immediately, though, his balance left him. One foot sliding in the wrong direction, the other completely coming from beneath him. His body twisted in the air before landing on the ground with a soft ‘thud’. A low groaning gasp escaped Blin’s lips as he lay there, struggling.

By the time Wyatt and Lord Alx had approached close enough to turn the man to his back all sound and movement had stopped. There was no puzzle as to why, with his arm and wrist bent at an unnatural angle, the metal ‘finger’ had lodged itself deep within Lord Blin’s chest when he’d fallen, blood leaking from the wound and marking the floor.

“Not… exactly how I’d hoped it would end.” Wyatt whispered slightly before standing up, looking around. “I don’t know what burial customs you have…” He admitted.

“I will attend the burial.” Lord Alx finally asserted, looking between Wyatt and Princess Ca’ani as he hefted Blin’s body up and over his shoulders. “With such enemies about, I think it wise to perform the coronation and attempt to signal for assistance upon our return. We’ve no idea what allies Blin may have back home.”

Ca’ani nodded mutely before turning back to the dais, somewhat in a stupor at the events, and with little ceremony she seated herself upon the throne.

For his part, Wyatt hesitated before taking a seat at one of the tables, specifically the closest one near a torch. “Weird,” he muttered to himself. “That such a cold planet would have so many hot-blooded people.” He asserted before wincing internally.

“Even by my standards that was an awful pun.”