LNH: Classic LNH Adventures #48: The Crimes of the Brotherhood the Conclusion

[Drew Perron]

On 2/11/2018 4:03 PM, Arthur Spitzer wrote:
<snip>
> And for the last part, we have Martin Phipps penning the epilogue
> for this crossover with System Corruptors #22b.  Is Mr. Homage's
> tenure as Boss Supreme of the Brotherhood over?  And if so who can
> ever possibly replace him.  (Hint:  Rhymes with Wagneto).

Dangit, this isn't on the timeline in the right place either... *fix fix*

>                           TWEEDLING TWENTY-SECOND ISSUE!

Tweedledee and Tweedledum - so which is CC? :3

> CC learned the missing
> secrets of his past from the Drizzt, even as the Drizzt was secretly shown
> to be more... MUCH MORE... than meets the eye.

I mean, we already knew he was a big ol' cosmic being.

> 	He was known as Mr. Homage, and he was at the height of his power.

This is true! In that he's never quite gotten back to this state. X3

> After its recent profit-making binge

I mean, they did make *some* profit.

> "I must say, you've
> certainly done well since the last time we met face to face, Lie-fild.  Of
> course, you always were a two-bit crook back then.  Last I saw of you, the
> LNH had had to leave you trapped in that extremely distorted parallel
> Looniverse.  You had some disease, too... Plague 501 Blue or something like
> that.

I wonder which story this is a reference to...

> "Now, I know you've made your living at
> surviving, at cutting deals that let you get by.  I could take you in right
> now and turn you over to the authorities.  You'd be spending a lot of time
> in prison, I think.  But then I wouldn't know exactly what I want to know.
> So, here's the deal: you tell me what I need to know, and I won't wipe the
> floor with you.  That way, we both get what we want, and we both walk away."

Mmmm... I feel like this is kind of an anticlimactic way to end the crossover, 
especially as...

> 	"Don't tempt me.  What I want to know is, who put the price on my
> head?"

...it's mostly focused on resolving something else.

> 	Homage muttered and cursed as he slammed his helmet-mask back on.
> He ran out the doorway, hoping to find escape.
> 
> 	His reign had lasted almost four minutes.

Wonk waaa~

> 	The Bingham Building had opened in the late 1930s, on the eve of
> World War II.  In those days, it had been home to the Net.ropolis Gaz.net,
> the city's up-and-coming periodical.  When the Gaz.net had gone under and
> been shut down in 1979, the building remained abandoned and fell into
> disrepair.  No one went there now.
> 
> 	And this particular no one was armed with planet-shattering might.

That's a good turn of phrase.

> he felt the power sing to him in a way he could not remember having
> occurred in years.  Life was sweet, every second a gift, when you knew that
> you were dying.

Huh. I don't really emotionally connect to it, but sure. X3

> And it was then that Darryth realized he knew her.
> 
> 	"Mirriam?"
> 
> 	His mind flashed back to that fateful night centuries before.  He'd
> been appointed a Knight of Continuity just years previous, given increased
> might to protect and defend his adopted dimension and world.  Things had at
> last begun to look up for Darryth Rath.  He even had a steady girlfriend.
> 
> 	Her name was Mirriam.

Hmmmm...

> 	"What are you talking about?  My becoming Dimwiticus' herald saved
> them from him!"
> 
> 	"And your betraying him in this dimension made him return for us!
> He destroyed my world, Darryth!  *You* destroyed my world!"

...huh. I mean, yes, irrationality and all, but on the other hand, he saved you 
and then went off into space, he's not really the first person I would have 
blamed o3o

> 	"Ha!"  She sliced at him again.  "I don't care about the others, you
> idiot!  You ruined *my* life!  I had everything, and now I have nothing!
> Nothing, and IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!"

Yeah, her argument is coming off as really weak, which weakens this Final 
Ultimate Conflict a fair bit.

> But now
> he understood; this was no avenging angel before him, but a petulant child,
> angry that she hadn't gotten her way.

Yeah, see, that's *over*selling how weak her argument is, and damages it 
further. There's an "of course our hero is right" feeling which makes this 
confrontation fizz out.

Anyway, on to the epilogue!

> NOTE: I don't know if this is "canon" because I haven't heard from
> either Drizzt (who's characters I'm using) or Jeff (who's storyline
> I'm writing into) about the final draft.

Ah. Well. ^^; I guess this was about the time Jeff was drawing down.

> It's a bit of a tricky
> situation, especially seeing as how you'd think they'd have read it
> by now.

*sigh* Bit of passive-aggressiveness, anyone? >.>

>   "Because I've been studying your personality profile: you're
> essentially an information conduit; any little bit of gossip that
> comes your way, you feel the need to pass on.  Now, in this case,
> there's something you know that I'd be interested in hearing about
> and, as a result, you're dying to tell me about it.  Am I right?"

Reasonable thinking.

>   "I heard about Mr. Homage being captured."
>   "You... you can't possibly be sure about that."
>   "I heard two guards talking about it in the hallway."
>   "How could you have heard that?  The walls to your cell are soundproof."
>   "I'm a good listener.

A good extension of his powers.

>   "You think I'm loyal to Mr. Homage out of fear?  Tell me, Lieutenant,
> is that how your superiors keep control over you?"

I mean... it's Mr. Homage, so yes. He's not really the kind of person who's good 
at inspiring actual loyalty.

> Last night I came up with the way to outwit Rumour Monger: to use his
> own methods against him.  With any luck, he wouldn't suspect a thing
> until it was too late.
> 
>   "I must say I'm impressed."
>   "About what?"
>   "We never suspected that you were the _real_ mastermind behind the
> Brotherhood."

Not a bad tactic.

>   "Look, I don't know about any documents implicating me but if you want
> the official Brotherhood financial records they're kept in a safe in our
> far away secret base."
>   "I'm afraid I can't just take your word for it."
>   "OK, fine: our far away secret base is located along the Eastern coast
> of the Malaysian peninsula, ten miles north of Net.ripore."

*snerk*

>   "We can't allow this embarassment to continue," Grim solemnly told
> his fellow Net.Villains.

What, not grimly?

>   "Verily if we don't act we will regret it for the rest of our lives!"
> Angst angsted.

Verily? X3

>   Grim of the Brotherhood of Net.Villains was the first to come out
> of the plane.  "Oh, great Lagneto!  We seek sanctuary here against those
> who would hunt us down."

That's pretty, um, forward. X3

>   "YOU WERE WARNED!" Lagneto screamed.  "DO NOT THINK I CAN'T SENSE
> WHERE YOU ARE!  NO GOVERNMENT AGENT WILL SURVIVE SHOULD HE TRY TO
> APPROACH ME!"  Lagneto looked down at Grim.  "Do not fear: I will not
> forget how you tried to save me."

Though I will be confused as to why, since we don't really know each other and 
you're not the kind of person who saves people a lot.

>   Lagneto watched them leave, heading towards the flight.thingee that
> would take them home.  As the new leader of the Brotherhood of
> Net.Villains, he would find soon find himself in conflict against the
> Legion once more.  His own daughter would be his enemy.  He didn't like
> to think about that scenario... so he didn't.

Yeah, there's... the structure for characterization here, but nothing really 
filling it in, I'm afraid. Ah well.

Drew "let us continue" Perron