In a darkly lit office of one desk spot light, Amanda Waller sits behind the desk. Across from her is Sigma..
Amanda: We have Supergirl.. we know you care about her.. you know we have the ability to kill her.. we have some questions about your people.
Sigma: This will be the one and only time you use someone against me..in the interest of understanding decreasing fear and so reaction or over reaction I will deign to your questions.
Amanda: 'One and only'.. we will see about that,
Sigma prime switches to Fire Sigma and uses his heat vision to burn a hole through Amanda Waller's right hand. She is alarmed but does not scream.. sweat pours from her forehead She stares at Sigma with alarm, holding her right burn hand with her left.
Sigma: Do not mistake me. If by your hand you kill someone I care about, it is upon you.. not me. It would be sad and I would miss them & mourn them. But this is the one and only time you will question me.
Amanda still holding her hand: I understand.
Sigma: Now what are these questions so urgent you would risk your life?
Amanda: We have been told your people are.. peaceful..? Monastic and you threaten death?
Sigma: My people have been through many changes since 'The War of the Source Wall' with the controllers.. besides, I may not even need to kill you, my 'boss' is the Spectre, I speak to him at least once a month, if I recommend you should be taken to Hell.. it well may be that, he listens to my advice.
Amanda: I understand. Without further needless questions, who or what is PhiAtom?
Sigma: Ohw! I heard she came to earth.. I was a little.. nervous when I heard. She is thee most serious amongst my people.
Amanda: Serious.. how.. serious threat? serious powerful? seriously evil? how?
Sigma: Ohw she's not 'evil'.. she goes to weekday meditations with my mother, they attend weekend services together.. but to put it in terms you might relate to.. she makes Darkseid look positively jovial. They have actually fought before.. I only heard about it second hand from my mother.. but apparently Phi used her 'sonic punch' move against him.. I don't know how accurate the information I have is.. however when I met Darkseid he seemed visibly uncomfortable to be the presence of a Netherwer..
Amanda: What are her abilities? How much of a threat is she?
Sigma: Ohw.. I don't think a threat per-se..she has the ability to absorb atoms and atomic energy and turn it into sound energy..
Amanda: In space there is no sound..
Sigma: Not the way Netherwer do it.. we vibrate the very fabric of space itself..
Amanda: What is her job amongst the Infinite Atoms?
Sigma: well.. Phi is our..last resort..
Amanda: what is that supposed to mean?
Sigma: Chill your tone Ms.Waller. My people are secretive.. I did not deign to answer questions for you to be rude to me.
Amanda looks at her burnt hand: I understand.
Sigma: Phi's job amongst our people is.. a world eater. If all is lost and the extra-dimensional artifact/creature cannot be retrieved/destroyed in person.. we send her in. However..this isn't very likely, but I wouldn't rule it out completely.. She has always had this thing about killing Eclipso.. this is much more likely, with the imbalance, she has finally decided to come and kill him.
Amanda: From what we gather.. he seems to be unkillable.. but your people seemed to be this also..
Sigma: You just watch her go! She isn't the type of person to take 'no' for an answer. She was part of the Rhonym Guard in the revolt.. wow.. she was second in charge behind Rho himself in the War of the Source Wall, man.. Rho is a great guy! but they did some pretty messed up things to him in the internment camps.. the Malthusian Controllers knew he was invulnerable, so they used him in many obscene experiments.
Amanda: I see.
Sigma Prime switches from Fire to Mental.
Sigma: I realize your thoughts.. in fact I can read your mind, memories and memories of thoughts you have had. You are looking for ways to manipulate and kill us. I will continue to answer.. but only in the interest of expanding your understanding; that we are in no way a threat and cannot be manipulated.
Amanda: I acknowledge your answer.. may I ask where the Atoms were during Infinite Crisis or the Nth Metal Crisis?
Sigma: HA..hahaha.. you think.. ohw.. hahaha.. you think these crisis only happened when you experience them?? That's funny! .. [underbreath] I have been around humans too much..
Amanda: please clarify..
Sigma: The Anti-Monitor rises every 6 months or so.. with equal threat to the multiverse as it was for the first time. The reason you do not experience this.. the Atoms, The Spectre, The Otherworlders and the Monitor band together to defeat him. Our job is the maintain the integrity of the Source Wall.. to maintain order so that sin and evil and virtue and good can be seen clearly by all observants of Heaven.
Same deal with Nth Metal.. well not exactly but similar..although word from back home, Omega said if he was to take a guess, the Lord would probably be rebuking Dream for allowing his ethereal self to slip..
We Atoms can't stop extradimensional objects from coming here.. we do try though...but we are the 'clean up crew'.. much to John Constantine's chagrin.
Amanda: How then does the Anti-Monitor break through?
Sigma: The first time you experienced it, it was due to Superboy Prime .. he killed his future self causing a massive paradox that 'broke time', this disrupted the Otherworlders and in turn disrupted us, which disrupted the Monitor.. and it all fell apart.. and Mobius got in.
Without disruptions like that.. we are strong enough to stop it.
Listen being honest.. I am not the sum of what you see before you..one of the parts of me is a time traveller and takes with him many of my traits.. so if say me, Sigma Prime is Green Lantern Sigma and Quantum Sigma with Mental Sigma travels to the future when I remerge, I know all of those thoughts of those people of the future..I can combine and gain advantage. Now why tell you this?.. I can do this with the Anti-Monitor.. and even yourself.. IF you ever successfully did something that was not in the interest of me or my people, I would have the ability to undo it. It would be.. I hope I say this without arrogance..it would be simple for me.
The Atoms are designed to be this powerful.. so in fact, they cannot be blackmailed and can complete their job.
Amanda: But here we are.. and by that I mean, I aimed to blackmail you and here you sit answering my questions..
Sigma: I look at it like this.. this is me paying my taxes, I do not have a US passport or any other of the earth..and now I think about it, I would enjoy that you provide me with a passport at the end of this.. interview.
Amanda: It will be arranged. Although the picture will be.. strange. I cannot help that.
Sigma: ermm .. thank you.
Sigma continues: We are.. significantly powerful, every Atom has even alone enough power to beat the Anti-Monitor themselves and has at least once.. Mobius is quite the determined sort, and he knows each Atom by name.
Amanda: Then tell me about each of the Atoms..their powers and abilities, personalities and background.. and who is Captain Atom to you?
Sigma: I amn't very comfortable sharing too personal a detail with yourself.. however I will attempt to 'walk the line' due to your company being more pleasant and such efforts have put me at rest.. that you should be rewarded in convivial conversation.
Amanda: You speak like.. well an Angel would speak.. or at least how I imagine one would.
Sigma: Very kind, thank you.
Sigma continues..
Sigma: Captain Atom is an honoured member of the Infinite Atoms and welcome at the Lighthouse, in fact, when I was novice he would come to the area between the arboretum mediation gardens and the launch dock, I first met him there.. we would sit on the lower pillar watching the ships come in while smelling the apple trees scent on the breeze.. we'd chat and he would share his wisdom with me. Think of him like.. what Alan Scott is the the Green Lanterns.. Cpt. Nate Adams is to us.
Amanda: What exactly is a 'novice'?..
Sigma: as it sounds, we are in training.. we are learning everything we can about our society culture and The Lord. I was told to visit Krypton while a novice as they have scriptures there about The Lord, whom they name as 'Rao' the Lightbringer revitalizer of souls. After this, I visited Krypton many many times, as I enjoyed their society and culture. It was very advanced.. and I feel many Netherwer if they had visited would have not found it too uncomfortable. Human culture.. has an addictive quality though.
You begin your induction around 100 years old, but from a small child until that time your parents have been training you, after 900 years induction, you are tested.. the test is secret and I will not talk about what its factors are ever. If you pass the test you are accepted as a novice and sent to serve the secondary principals.. if you fail, you have the option of going home or being nomadic.. there is no shame in any of this.. and our people are very supportive to those who fail.
We have a very unique society, everything is geared towards peace, calm and seeing the truth.. our hierarchy is a pyramid with an inverse pyramid for the secondary principals with the novices surrounding the outer court.. we are diametric in society, which is meant to promote peace through expression..
Amanda interrupts: I'm afraid you've lost me Mr. Sigma.. not an easy thing to do by many peoples measure.
Sigma: Ah it'll be that you are unfamiliar with some of these concepts..simply put, and by simply I mean, inaccurately .. all the Atoms have.. replacements should we fail, there are also novices who are being trained. Every Atom has a job.. mine is to inspire co-operation.. Imagine I was faced with a task and my.. companion was weak, by being successful together we inspire that companion to cooperate with others..
Amanda: Ah! We have heard about your.. adventure with John Constantine.
Sigma: Yes, that's a good example.
Sigma continues..
Sigma: I can see your files in your mind.. OmegaAtom Prime Principle of Organization Matter rearranger. Can manipulate all planes of existence. .. you want the blanks filled in right?
Amanda silence.
Sigma:
DeltaAtom Prime Principle of Duty.. Delta is fierce in Duty, he is our internal link to the Speed Force and the Otherworlders, he can absorb Bleed energy and turn it into Speed Force energy, and vice versa.. with this he can absorb universes and make them antimatter universes or the reverse take anti-matter universes and make them matter universes. He has done this three times so far..worlds that were thought destroyed but had counterparts in the anti-matter multiverse, he then translated the energy.
[Amanda Waller is seen writing notes with her left hand]
Of course for his personal use, he has access to teleportation, phase changing and time travel. Like all Netherwer he is strong and cannot be hurt by weapons.
KappaAtom Prime Principle of Discipline.. Kappa is a bit of a 'cheerleader' very happy person, very friendly.. he would enjoy earth although I have never heard of him being here before. Kappa has the ability to place creatures and objects into the Source Wall without going to the Source Wall.. it is a great great honour amongst our people to the Prime Principal of Discipline. He has the ability to materialize anything.. and I do mean anything. If it exists in the multiverse or even if he can design it from scratch..he is working on extending his abilities to the Omni-verse and he's had some success, If I was writing his story.. I might think.. oh he has every mcguffin for every situation, and yes that's correct.
He has the ability for insight that he can read every one of your disciplines past, present and potential.
EpsilonAtom Prime Principle of Community.. Epsilon is a considerate kind person, she was the one that counselled all the Netherwer that came back from the 'War of the Source Wall'..she is our liaison with Heaven.
But not just Heaven.. but everywhere, Netherwer can access the Omniverse, but Netherwer cannot access the other realms, I can access many other realms, through various means, but Epsilon can access anywhere, even the 'Overvoid'.
Amanda interested: So how is that different to Kappa's abilities?
Sigma: Kappa cannot bring living matter into existence, but can sense the location of an object and teleport it to himself.. Epsilon can bring as many people or persons to anywhere she wishes.. she assembles teams and has a similar job to myself.. in fact we have worked together closely when I was a novice training, she taught me many valuable lessons. I look at her as a bit of a mentor.
I told you about Phi.. I remember her when I was little, even then her visiting my mother.. PhiAtom Prime Principle of Self-Enrichment.. she is one of the oldest amongst us, she was and is the original PhiAtom and the post is named after her by the Spectre. I had a different name when I was born, then as a young child my parents consulted the Atoms who consulted the Spectre and the word came down that I would be the replacement for the SigmaAtom, I was only 3 years old, my childhood name was 'Giga'.. my parents were *so* happy.. so proud.. I was to be an Infinite Atom.
I feel weird being around her.. and even worse when Beta is there also..
Amanda awkward smile: What do you mean?
Sigma: Well.. it kind of feels like my girlfriend meeting my aunt..but.. Beta isn't my girlfriend.. Phi isn't my aunt.. in fact I think Phi and my mother are trying to cook up a 'beginnings' which is the Netherwer precursor to courting.. she is an amazing person, but she is too cold for me, too serious..
Amanda: And Beta?
Sigma: Erm, she's warm hearted and intelligent in attitude.. she wouldn't be interested in me.. she's just being kind to me..
Amanda smiling bemused: Why?
Sigma: She has many many suitors.. when she walks into a room everyone turns and looks towards her..
Amanda: does she take interest in any particular suitor?
Sigma: no.. but
Amanda: Not that I take interest in such things.. but you might want to instead of; seeing where everyones eyes turn.. study where her eyes wander to.. who she seeks to greet first when she enters a room..
Sigma: Well after we met.. it would be me she would search out.. but to comfort me and make sure I was well, as I was new.
Amanda: hmmm..[giggles to self slightly]
Sigma: Erm.. okay. I dunno.
Amanda: Tell me more about the War of the Source Wall.. what happened.. what age were you?
Sigma: ohw.. it was before I was born..My mother told me the most about it.. she was in an internment camp with my father's grandfather.. my parents had been courting for a while before the incident..
My father wasn't inturned and was running messages for Rho, during the revolt he ended up a private in the Rhonym Guard.
My father doesn't talk about the war.. I think he killed some of the Malthusian Controllers and it upset him.
The remainder of the story I'm not comfortable sharing with you.
Amanda: You mentioned Darkseid..
Sigma: ohw yeah.. I heard stories from my great great grandfather about him trying his Omega Beams on Netherwer..
Amanda: wait.. your great great grandfather?
Sigma: ohw we don't die.. well.. anyway.. Darkseid tried to kill some of us without any success, the beams just bounced around until the Otherworlders put them inside the Speed Force where they could be nullified.
Amanda: nullified?
Sigma: yes.. the Otherworlders redirect the beam back in time to when the beam was created making it nullify itself..first few times they had to do this manually, using our timestream, after that they could do it without disturbing the time stream.
Amanda: wow.. I mean we have our ways of applying pressure to Darkseid as long as it doesn't involve the anti-life equation he can be persuaded to share information..but that is a new one!
Sigma: Actually.. being completely honest.. no one knows what happened when those Omega Beams hit Batman, and why he was transported back in time.. I mean.. seriously, I've asked around and yeah people have theories.. some saying Barbatos.. some saying White Lantern Batman himself from the future.. some saying Lucifer.. some saying The Lord.. some saying Darkseid flinched and did it himself.. I personally asked the Otherworlders.. and while they are good at giving mysterious answers.. I got the feeling they had no clue what went on there.
Amanda: You've mentioned The Bat a few times..do you personally know him?
Sigma: no comment. However I will say my first residence on earth was in Gotham, The Corners Building next to the Millicent Mayne Plaza in Otisburg.. . It's nice.. scenic view.
Amanda: Are there any denizens of Gotham you are willing to speak about.. even in these halls we've had quite a few Gotham delinquents..for interview purposes of course..
Sigma: AND your well known about but often never spoken.. Suicide Squad.
Amanda: You know about that huh?
Sigma: The Flash mentioned it to me.. ohw I can see your mind.. you know Harley??
Amanda: yes.. much to my chagrin.
Sigma: ohw she's wild! Few weeks after I moved into my new place I bumped into her.. because Otisburg is right next to Amusement Mile.. so I would see her out and about.. doing crazy stuff few times I stopped her but this one time.. well
[Amanda looks at Sigma with shocked disbelief]
[Each scene is a flashback]
She was swinging her mallet at me and squirrel ran up her leg, it was the oddest random thing.. she lost her balance and broke her leg.. she sat on the ground laughing but in visible pain.. and she asked me to take her to the hospital.. yeah, same person who takes beatings from Batman and Nightwing.. been shot.. burnt.. all sorts of things.. and randomly this time she wanted to go to the hospital! Well.. I took her to the hospital and waited for her to get some tests and her leg cast.. two hours later she came out in a wheelchair with a big smile..she said 'thanks mr cosmic man '.. 'please don't tell Mr.J.. shhh'
Amanda: wait.. she called you.. mister? The woman that killed 5 of my guards because one said she had 'pretty hair'.. [we flash back to Harley in Belle Reve] Harley: I didn't like the way he said it.. I might be trashy but I'm not that trashy.
Sigma: I am sorry for your loss.
Well.. we had a crazy weekend, until Joker came to look for her.. and indeed us.When he found us on the roof of the Stagg building.. Harley had painted my uniform with crazy designs and a lot of pink, we had pigged out on a load of these crazy cheap hotdogs that Harley knew about, there's a dude up at the Gotham Metrodome who sells them for 20 cents each.. I dunno how he makes any money. And we had decorated Harleys cast with all sorts of crazy art.
true story.. first time I think in his life.. didn't know whether to laugh, cry, be angry or be more confused..
I mean.. Harley had somehow lost her top and was down to her bra.. but this I understand, is a regular thing..?
Amanda: yes. I wouldn't worry about what the Joker thought of you.. firstly he is psychopath so his thoughts are disordered anyway secondly he knows well Harley would never be sexually disloyal to him, it's the core of their psychopathic co-dependency..
Sigma: hmm.. thank you..she used it when we got to the Joker's big top in amusement mile and were trying to steal some bunting..
Amanda: WHY did you need some bunting..?
Sigma: Ohw when we were flying up to the top of my building and Harley noticed the bunting on the GCPD blimp was broken so..
Amanda: y'know what Mr. Sigma.. nevermind. I'm good, thanks.
Sigma: One thing I'll say for Gotham.. it certainly isn't boring! Harley showed me that. I wonder how she is doing..?
Amanda: [initial noise of disapprovement] hmm.. Tell me more about TeraAtom..
Sigma: Ohw.. [sadly] he is.. somewhat unique amongst our people. His personality is.. I don't know how to say it. But to sum him up.. imagine if you gave the Joker reality warping powers. Yeah that kind of sums him up.
Amanda: Is he a threat to the earth?
Sigma: no. That's not what he is here for.. he wants to kill me.
Amanda: I don't understand.. help me to understand.
Sigma: I caused an imbalance within the Atoms.. but Tera always had a pent up desire to cause Chaos. I mean.. [super sad] the bell chime was accurate on the meditation hour & we all observed.. Zeta seemed fine.. but he wasn't.. as soon as he snapped.. Tera just let rip with Chaos.. I had never seen anything like it.. Zeta isn't 'evil' we don't have that amongst our people.. but if we did.. Tera would come the closest.. but I suppose with all societies you must have the lowest person closest to something.
It made me reevaluate everything I was taught.. and when I came to earth I met people who showed me the value of cooperation in a new light I had never seen before.
I have answered many many questions Ms. Waller.. I would enjoy to see Kara. now.
Amanda: I'm afraid Mr.Sigma you will see Kara only when I am ready.
Sigma: The Atoms are something other than what you understand..
We are made this way to battle bigger badder monsters than you Ms. Waller. I do not degrade your awesome qualities or resourcefulness.. in fact your commitment to your beliefs are admirable.. however the Atoms are not the simple bear in the woods you might think to hunt.
Amanda: hmmm [Amanda looks at her right hand and thinks on what Sigma said]
Sigma: There are no trophies here Ms Waller.
Amanda: I will have her brought here, she will be here shortly. [She presses a button on her phone]
Is there anything else you would like to impart upon us.. some wisdom?
Sigma: Fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom.
[moments later Kara comes in visibly drained due to kryptonite exposure, she leans on Sigma to support her weight]
Kara: Sigma?? Whats going on here? Are they trying to recruit us for their evil squad?
Amanda interjects: Does everyone know about the suicide squad??
Sigma: no Kara.. they don't want us for anything.. you shush now rest.. we'll be out of here soon.. and never come back.
Amanda: I would be remiss if I didn't say.. this might not be your last time here..
Sigma: Oh it will be our last time here.. or 'here' won't be an option, as I will burn every facility you have to the ground..
[an assistant comes in with Sigma's passport]
Amanda: we got you a dual citizenship.. as we noticed you visit Scotland for pleasure many times..
Sigma: ohw that was nice.. I feel a little bad about the burning thing now.. but not too much.
Amanda: have a pleasant rest of your evening Mr. Sigma
Sigma: And you Ms.Waller.
[END]
Background:
Sigma & Kara dated briefly when he first came to earth.. he was surprised to see a kryptonian, they dated for 2 months.. when Kara found out about how close Sigma was to her great aunt Zana-el.. which Sigma was oblivious about how Zana.. who was a widow.. felt about Sigma.. Kara started to feel strange about the relationship..'Sigma could have been my great uncle.. if he wasn't so oblivious'. The two remained firm and close friends from that point on. Sigma occasionally has a crush on Kara.. and Kara is not adverse to friendzoning some 'help' out of Sigma .. which she really shouldn't do.. that she often feels guilty about.'help' defined as.. drop everything you are doing and come help me fight some super villains .. to.. I need a guys eye on some dresses..can you come shopping with me?
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