"I would be happy to help. My search of the continent has not turned up any giraffes. My friend would like to help, too. May I introduce Hawkgirl."
Swift makes a courteous gesture from the gorilla to Hawkgirl.
Hawkgirl gives one of those elaborate curtsies they do on her home planet where honor is everything and medieval weapons are favored.
"Charmed, to be sure," she says demurely. Then she clears her throat.
"I have detected a strange--dare I say bizarre--presence in the center of the greening."
She bites her lower lip. "Jack--I mean Starman--says the usual way to beat Bizarro is with trickery. In other words, don't let him get close enough to punch you or stay in one place long enough for him to use eyebeams or anything like that... I wonder what he's up to?"
"They have left the continent? Oh dear!" says Valendar.
"Or could they, perhaps, be on a near-lying island, such as Zanzibar or Madagascar?"
Valendar says, "Bizarro? I do not know of this one. We in Gorilla City generally only know Flash villains. Could it be the Weather Wizard?"
"Have you heard of Superman?"
"Mmm ... the strong one? One of Flash's Friends?"
"Yes! He wears red, white and blue. And he flies. Sometimes."
"I suppose any friend of the Flash is ... nice. Nice to have."
Then Valendar has a troubling thought.
"Why, are we only getting him, not Daughter Flash?"
Sheilandra AKA Hawkgirl tries to explain. "Oh, no. Bizarro probably isn't here to help you. Probably. He's doing his own thing. I wouldn't say he's a friend of the Flash, would you, Swift?"
Swift says decisively. "No. Bizzaro is definitely not a friend! The is the enemy of another hero."
Swift says, "I am here to help you. While I have searched the continent diligently...they could be hidden inside or...underground!
"Or, they may have been removed entirely...and it is not just giraffes. Others are missing, too."
HAWKGIRL:
"I wonder why he's creating now..."
She flies in for a closer look.
In the center of all the lush flowering fruiting greenery is a strange man. Massive, pale, slab-sided as though hewn from a massive block of chalk, he sits upon an impromptu throne of limestone, holding a butterfly in his granitic palm.
"Goodbye!" he greets Hawkgirl. "Me am Lightseid, imperfect duplicate of Darkseid. Me am sad to see you. Get out of your country, the worst place on Earth!"
Hmm...
ReplyDeleteClarification...when Hawkgirl flies to talk to opposite-speaker Lightseid, where is he compared to where Swift and the gorilla are?
(In other words, do the gorilla and Swift here this? )
He's at the base of a hill next to the hill on which Swift and Valendar are. So perhaps 100 yards away, but there's no noise beside the chirp of contented birds, so sure, they can hear him.
DeleteSwift says to the gorilla. "I have heard that the villain Bizarro always says the opposite of what is true.
ReplyDelete"He is...dangerous."
"I'm Hawkgirl!" she says cheerfully enough. "Beautiful place you have here. But we seem to be missing some giraffes..."
ReplyDelete(The other part of Hawkgirl's brain is contemplating how to adapt Google translate so people always hear what Lightseid means instead of what he says...)
"The giraffes hate it here! Take them away!"
ReplyDelete"May I see them?"
Delete"No! Don't look over there!"
DeleteLightseid gestures grandly to the hill beside which he sits. Giraffes, among many other animals, are grazing and wandering peacefully, trying new foods and making new friends. Lions are combing the hair of small tasty tapirs.
"This is really impressive! What happens now?"
Delete"No is ready yet for my master stroke, where I hide the Life Equation from NOBODY! Neither here nor on all the other planets! For my bitter enemy Bizarro-Brainiac was no help at all in finally solving the Life Equation, which I care NOTHING about!"
Delete"It looks like paradise... but are you leaving the animals and plants here or taking them somewhere else?"
Delete"Nothing will be happy and free, nowhere! Life will be cast down and abolished!" says Lightseid.
Delete"That's villain talk," confirms Valendar. He unlimbers his nine-barreled science shotgun.
"These guys always say the opposite of what they mean... so Everything will be happy and free, everywhere. Life will be uplifted and thrive."
Delete"Unless we stop him!" says Valendar.
Delete(The Google to Lightseid idea is quite amusing.)
ReplyDeleteSwift listens to hear what is said about the giraffes (if anything.)
Swift points excitedly, gesturing from the gorilla to the giraffes. "Look, there they are!"
ReplyDelete"Who is this Lightseid, and why is he taking our animals?" says Valendar.
DeleteSwift replies, "I think...he is trying to remove all life? I am...not sure. Let's go join Hawkgirl and ask him."
ReplyDelete"Let's stop him!" says Swift. To Valendar, she says, "Are there more people back where you come from who might help? I could run there and spread the news...if there's a way to run there."
ReplyDelete"Gorilla City has a whole city-full of gorillas!" says Valendar. "But no one can see the city unless the Flash is with them."
ReplyDelete"Hmm...we'd better go solve this ourselves, then!"
ReplyDelete