Chapter 109 : Rage cannon
Author note : hey guys ! It was pretty difficult to write the chapter for Patréon this time. Actually, it's becoming more and more difficult… I'll put it in his story on hiatus as soon as I finish this arc. Hopefully, I'll write a satisfying ending of sorts in the future. But that's a problem for future me to worry about !
Please check out my Patréon page by searching for Cathbel on the website or use this link : https://www.patre*n.com/user?u=66371596.
You'll find up to ten chapters ahead for both my current stories (Squib who became Iron Lad in DC and Marvel : the Author). You'll also find other things to read. I'm always open to suggestions, comments, reviews and, of course, stones !
Enjoy the read !
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The Red light of rage works best with blood magic… Who would have thought ? Constantine and Ned discovered this as they worked alongside John Henry Irons III, AKA Steel, on the ship's weaponry. It was a pain, both figuratively and literally for the three to design the weapons since blood magic was one of those magic that didn't work very well with technology. At least, that's how the magic users of Earth saw it…
Ned didn't have that preconceived idea. In fact, he openly rejected every preconceptions, preferring to conduct the scientific method on anything he worked on. Granted, it sometimes gave him very weird results… For example : with the same given variables and experiment parameters, he sometimes ended up with completely different results each times. So much so, that he had to amend the scientific method for these kinds of cases… Because 'magic'… Not the smartest amendment. He was still trying working to find a better one.
Anyways, the reason why they had so much trouble was :
1 : Because, as the name implies, blood magic requires… blood. Preferably from the same source if they want to enchant one item. But the canons, torpedoes and other weapons on the ship need a lot of blood to be properly enchanted.
2 : If magic were to be compared to a living thing, blood magic would be a wild and rowdy predator. It doesn't like to stay in one place and on something like a spaceship, it could mess with the rest of the systems, possibly stranding them or worse.
While Constantine focused on the magic and J.H. Irons on the technology, Ned needed to figure out a way to build a bridge between the two. Needless to say, it took a while. Creating the power source based on his designs for his own mana reactors was the most difficult part. Especially since he didn't want his allies finding out how they were made.
Steel was an okay guy. And since he was pretty clueless about magic, there was little chance that he'd be able to replicate his technomancy. Moreover, his technology was simply incompatible with it. Anyone who didn't know about enchanting or how to smith goblin silver or Eighth Metal would simply be unable to make full use of his mana reactor.
Therefore, John Constantine faced a similar problem. However, he was a knowledgeable wizard. Not to mention an untrustworthy character. Sure, he fought on the side of the angels, but he believed that the end justified any and all means he had to use. In the comics, he stole Shazam's power for himself, he sent a powerful supervillain to Gemworld by fooling Princess Amethyst… And that was just what Ned could remember of his shady dealings.
Ned dreaded what the man would do with a power source like his mana reactors…
The trio was currently standing behind reinforced glass as one of their cannon was propped in the middle of the adjacent room. Since they didn't have access to one of the Green Lantern's power rings, they used magic to build a Will-powered golem. Theoretically, it would be on par, at least defensively, with a standard GL. And they were about to see whether or not their weapon would be effective against them…
« Here goes… » J.H. Irons muttered as he pressed the command button.
The weapon started to whirr, glowing red at the tip as the Rage built up. Ned noticed how liquid seeped out of the cannon and fell on the ground, melting it. The next moment, the shot was fired and instantly, the golem exploded in a rain of shrapnel throughout the room. The blast was so strong that even the magically reinforced glass was cracked after the shot.
« Bollocks ! That was wicked ! » Constantine exclaimed, speaking much too loud, probably because his ears were ringing.
Steel took off his own noise cancelling headphones and commented :
« It works, but… »
« Yeah, it's not something you want to use in close proximity. I'm guessing the blast probably damaged the cannon. » Ned paused before he continued with a frown : « I'm more curious about the by-product… »
« What by-product ? » J.H. asked.
« Right before it fired, there was a red liquid coming out of the barrel. With the light, I couldn't tell whether it was because the weapon itself was melting or… for some other reason. »
« Oh ? I didn't notice. What other reason could there be ? »
Ned shrugged and explained :
« Red Lanterns, the users of the Red light of Rage, have their hearts burnt out by the powerful emotion that assail them when they don the ring. After that, the ring assumes the organ's function and fill their veins with… a substance akin to lava. At least, that's how I understand it. They use it to attack by spitting it at their opponent. »
« And you think that's what happened here ? »
« We'll have to find out… Nevertheless, we didn't build the cannon with this by-products in mind. They won't last long if they melt from the inside out. »
While Constantine had no idea what the other two were talking about, he saw them head for the door of the testing room where the weapon laid. He followed them, his ears buzzing. Maybe he should have accepted J.H.'s offer of noise cancelling headphones. Ned didn't have the same problem since he wasn't human to begin with.
Constantine would have loved to study his golem body, seeing how elaborate and human-like it was. However, it was a good thing that Ned didn't allow anyone to study his creations. Constantine still dreaded the idea that his technomancy could become widespread. What if some of his enemies got a hold of them ?
The British wizard watched as the two mad scientists pulled apart their prototype and gushed about stuff that went over his head. He wasn't like them : he didn't like to build things. His expertise liked in magic. Well, he also played the guitar decently, even if his music style might not please everyone. And of course, he was also pretty good at manipulating people. Still, the subject he took the most pride in was his knowledge and mastery of magic.
Ned pointed at the tip of the barrel and John Constantine noticed how it had melted. It was too be expected : Blood magic was a volatile form of magic. However, fueling it with an emotion such as rage ? It was akin to lighting a match in a room full of gas. What they were doing was actually pushing the gas through a thin tube and holding the match at the tip. The comparison wasn't good, but the idea was there : these kinds of damages were expected for the British wizard.
It was at the time when Constantine's hearing started to get back that the Dark Knight, in all his bossy glory, came to enquire about their progress. Steel explained :
« We've got a somewhat working prototype. The problem is… it won't last very long. Given the extent of the damage one shot did, I would say… At worst, we could fire half a dozen shots. At best, a dozen. We need more time to find the perfect alloy to use for the barrel, and then conduct another round of testing. »
« We don't have the time for that ! » Batman interrupted. He then turned toward Ned : « Have you managed to connect to your… other self, recently ? »
In a very human-like gesture, which Constantine found funny, the Silver Lad scratched the side of his head, avoiding the scathing look the Batman was giving him.
« To be honest, I've been working around the clock on this… I haven't had the time to see what the OI was doing. Last I checked, he arrived on Oa but hadn't been able to make contact with the Malthusians. » Ned sighed. « But, you're right… We don't have time for the weaponry to be perfect. I guess we'll just have to make sure it doesn't blow us all up and pray that whatever damage it deals our enemies, it'll be enough to stop the Third Army and Metal-Ned. »
He gazed at the spaceship in the other room and commented :
« If only there was enough space on the ship for us to work while in transit… »
As if he realized something, he tilted his head before straightening it and striking his fist into his open palm.