With This Ring (Young Justice SI) (Thread Fourteen)

[Mr Zoat]

I thought he took down his environmental shield so the insect guy could smell him?

Edit: Ripples part 9:

So all the talk of "getting through my environmental shield" was confusing.

Click to shrink...

You're right. That was a reference to something that didn't happen in the original version of segment 9. Edited.

 

[Ryumancer]

Wouldn't call the Deep Six immune, the x-ionised blade still cut them... unless those weren't constructs and I misread it?

Click to shrink...

As far as I'm aware, they're not constructs, no. They're just something he has in the ring's dimensional pocket.

 

[Old Knife]

When Paul finally regains humanoid form... Does this mean he will be a new God?

Took him long enough.

 

[The Chosen One]

Wouldn't call the Deep Six immune, the x-ionised blade still cut them... unless those weren't constructs and I misread it?

Click to shrink...

Paul's x-ionised blades aren't constructs, he keeps a variety of physical ones in subspace.

 

[Lord Ernest]

Paul's x-ionised blades aren't constructs, he keeps a variety of physical ones in subspace.

Click to shrink...

If I recall, he can also apply the x-ionization process, since he learned how to do it when he 'came across' that secret. So I think he can just transmute some metal from the air and apply the process to get new x-ionised blades whenever he needs them?

 

[Mr Zoat]

23rd July 2013
12:13 GMT

We float over the ocean, looking down. Down there is the edge of the continental shelf, which now I compare it to other planets on record is too deep. There's no reason in conventional geology for such a sharp drop-off in a place like this. And it's giving me a slightly worrying feeling about how tall S'ivaa is likely to be.

"Are you gunna send the construct lanterns down first?"

No, I'll deploy them when we get down there. They'll be more useful for shock value than as a distraction.

I try to sigh, but it turns out that octopuses can't do that.

Arsenal, Jafar is trying to release-.

"Yeah, I get it. Stopping them takes absolute priority. Stop the giant evil god getting out, then worry about taking prisoners."

That's a relief. I don't want to try insisting that my friends and allies kill people, even if the balance of utility is clearly in that direction. But after experiencing the Anti-Life… I think they all get it. And… I didn't kill Mannheim, so… I guess we all grew a little.

"So what's going on right now?"

I generate a construct image, Trok kneeling before Jaffar, Jaffar laying one hand on his forehead as if in benediction while his other reaches out for a giant fingertip-.

We're going down. Two.

Abandoning subtlety, I manifest a column of orange light downwards, heedless of power consumption or stealth. In position, bubbles.

One.

The sea fizzes.

Drop.

I deactivate my ring's flight system and fall through the foam, Roy following half a second later.

Fuckfuckfuck. Are they actively trying to let S'ivaa out? That wasn't the aim as far as Shaligo knew, but perhaps the team's biomancer had other ideas? Or perhaps this is a desperation move, and they just weigh the whole 'letting out an Old God' differently to how I do? If Canis is anything to go by, Apokoliptians have a very high degree of faith in the power of Darkseid. They might well be assuming that he can deal with it if something goes wrong.

It could well be true-.

We hit the bottom, releasetheconstructlanternsandsendthematTrokconstructarmourandevade-.

A short distance from me, Roy viffs around any potential fire and aims his positron ray.

"I got this!"

He fires as Jaffar pulls back and Trok leaps upwards through the water, drawing his axe. Roy-.

His beam hits the Apokoliptian machine sitting on the flat stone area in front of-.

I see the fingertip, poking through a hole. But it's not a hole in the rock, it's like-. Like someone-.

Take two pictures drawn in different art styles. Tear a strip out of one and stick in over the front of the second. Except the one at the back is in three dimensions and has a finger sticking out. A big finger. Or-. No, it's more like many translucent images draw in different styles are stuck one on top of the other, and the finger reaches through all of them. The tip is about four feet fall and the finger nail is disconcertingly sharp, but worse, behind and above it I can just about make out the glowing, glowering yellow eyes of S'ivaa himself. The eyes are only open a crack, but…

He can see me.

He can see everything.

Wait, if I assume that's-.

The tear is the right size and shape to have been made by his nail, assuming that the fabric of reality can be persuaded to act like actual fabric.

So-.

Roy's shot hits the Apokoliptian machine. It doesn't do much damage, but the glowing tron lines around the point of impact flicker and die.

S'ivaa's eyes open very slightly wider, and his grimace a little more eager.

Stop shooting that-! / "Are you mad-?!" / "No-!"

Roy fires again reflexively before letting go of the gun like it burned his hands, and I order my construct lanterns to stop mid-lunge.

I forgot I had that many.

Jaffar and I sort of look at each other as the area of the machine that isn't glowing grows.

Truce?

He nods sharply as he dives towards the machine. "You face S'ivaa, I'll repair the machine."
Cut Through
The space around the fingernail flickers, as if another layer has been peeled off. In the distance that isn't anything like far enough away, S'ivaa becomes a little more…

Real. A part of the material universe.

I jab his finger with a construct blade just to check, and it does nothing. Extruding an x-ionised blade… Does nothing, and the finger has come a few millimetres further into reality.

Crumbler rounds, nothing. Kahuuite rounds-.

An extra layer slews off S'ivaa.

Not using that.

"Make an effort, Lantern!"

Arsenal lands next to me. "What-?"

Not your fault, but please don't distract me.

I can't risk using a singularity beam in a situation like this, but maybe if I distort gravity manually..? I raise my tentacles and generate a space warping construct and… It doesn't make the situation worse, but it doesn't look like S'ivaa is being forced back at all.

Ring, transmit update to Lantern Rrab.

Compliance.

Alright, alright, there's clearly some sort of metaphysical structure here that I can't properly perceive. If I interface with it-. How do I interface with it?

The broken machine.

I jet towards it just as Jaffar takes part of a panel off, orange tendril reaching towards-

"What are you doing? Focus on the Old-"

-the inner workings and I reach out for the desires of whoever stuck S'ivaa in there in the first place and manifest.

"-God-. No, keep working!"

Parts of the machine light up orange and I don't really know if it's working but all I really need is an interface so I can feel whatever it is keeping it out of the world. And…

And I think I can feel something. I don't know exactly what it is, but if I link that to the desires I feel-.

The hole shrinks, just a little, and S'ivaa gives me his full attention.
CAST IN SHADOW

 

[AmericanNumbers]

Oh boy. Is Paul about to accidentally ascend to Godhood?

 

[Mr Zoat]

Oh boy. Is Paul about to accidentally ascend to Godhood?

Click to shrink...

No. I'm probably not going to make him be an octopus for the rest of the story, if that's any good?

 

[Chojin Patriarch]

23rd July 2013
12:13 GMT

We float over the ocean, looking down. Down there is the edge of the continental shelf, which now I compare it to other planets on record is too deep. There's no reason in conventional geology for such a sharp drop-off in a place like this. And it's giving me a slightly worrying feeling about how tall S'ivaa is likely to be.

Click to shrink...

If it's anything like the Morrison-era Wonderworld stuff, 'Titanic' may not be enough to accommodate his immensity... (That blue flicker by Adam One's finger in the wiki page image are humans inside a protective field, for reference.)

Spoiler: Commentary spoilered for length

(Once again, filtering OL's 'speech' in a distinct font.)

"Are you gunna send the construct lanterns down first?"

No, I'll deploy them when we get down there. They'll be more useful for shock value than as a distraction.

Click to shrink...

Smart. That way, they won't require making the area you need to supercavitate larger.

I try to sigh, but it turns out that octopuses can't do that.

Arsenal, Jaffar is trying to release-.

Click to shrink...

Ah, broaching the subject of using lethal force outright? This is a reasonable case for not holding back.

"Yeah, I get it. Stopping them takes absolute priority. Stop the giant evil god getting out, then worry about taking prisoners."

That's a relief. I don't want to try insisting that my friends and allies kill people, even if the balance of utility is clearly in that direction. But after experiencing the Anti-Life… I think they all get it. And… I didn't kill Mannheim, so… I guess we all grew a little.

Click to shrink...

I assume he was saying that bit out loud, anyway. It's an understandable lament to make.

"So what's going on right now?"

I generate a construct image, Trok kneeling before Jaffar, Jaffar laying one hand on his forehead as if in benediction while his other reaches out for a giant fingertip-.

Click to shrink...

Yeah, that would be a bad idea, whatever the hell he's doing. His metaphysical oomph is probably like a gnat's fart compared to Sivaa's.

We're going down. Two.

Abandoning subtlety, I manifest a column of orange light downwards, heedless of power consumption or stealth. In position, bubbles.

Click to shrink...

Bring the rain.

One.

The sea fizzes.

Click to shrink...

Or in this case, the foamy briny beverage.

Drop.

I deactivate my ring's flight system and fall through the foam, Roy following half a second later.

Click to shrink...

I would have been flying downwards, but I guess that would just leave you likely to overshoot or hit the water just coming back inwards...

Fuckfuckfuck. Are they actively trying to let S'ivaa out? That wasn't the aim as far as Shaligo knew, but perhaps the team's biomancer had other ideas? Or perhaps this is a desperation move, and they just weigh the whole 'letting out an Old God' differently to how I do? If Canis is anything to go by, Apokoliptians have a very high degree of faith in the power of Darkseid. They might well be assuming that he can deal with it if something goes wrong.

Click to shrink...

Which he likely cannot, especially if he's the 'appears all-powerful but isn't that much more powerful than the average New God.' version.

It could well be true-.

We hit the bottom, releasetheconstructlanternsandsendthematTrokconstructarmourandevade-.

Click to shrink...

Amusing to see him thinking so fast when most of his thinking bits are made of Orange Light right now.

A short distance from me, Roy viffs around any potential fire and aims his positron ray.

"I got this!"

He fires as Jaffar pulls back and Trok leaps upwards through the water, drawing his axe. Roy-.

Click to shrink...

Aw, crap. Please tell me he adjusted his aim before...

His beam hits the Apokoliptian machine sitting on the flat stone area in front of-.

I see the fingertip, poking through a hole. But it's not a hole in the rock, it's like-. Like someone-.

Click to shrink...

...Ugh, he probably thought that was a good idea, didn't he? Easy to assume it's forcing the aperture open, after all...

Take two pictures drawn in different art styles. Tear a strip out of one and stick in over the front of the second. Except the one at the back is in three dimensions and has a finger sticking out. A big finger. Or-. No, it's more like many translucent images draw in different styles are stuck one on top of the other, and the finger reaches through all of them. The tip is about four feet fall and the finger nail is disconcertingly sharp, but worse, behind and above it I can just about make out the glowing, glowering yellow eyes of S'ivaa himself. The eyes are only open a crack, but…

Click to shrink...

I prefer to picture it as badly-overlaid 3dcg in a crudely-drawn animation cel. The kind of bad CG from the late nineties or early-noughts. Before the technology could live up to the vision of the artists.

He can see me.

He can see everything.

Click to shrink...

Though I imagine it's like looking into a peephole, the image greatly distorted...

Wait, if I assume that's-.

The tear is the right size and shape to have been made by his nail, assuming that the fabric of reality can be persuaded to act like actual fabric.

Click to shrink...

Ah. Oh, dear. I'm guessing the White Light glimmered through a tiny gap in his seal, and he's been working at it like tugging at a tiny hole in the threads. Only the hole has opened into a rip.

So-.

Roy's shot hits the Apokoliptian machine. It doesn't do much damage, but the glowing tron lines around the point of impact flicker and die.

Click to shrink...

Kirbytech is built ludicrously tough, after all.

S'ivaa's eyes open very slightly wider, and his grimace a little more eager.

Stop shooting that-! / "Are you mad-?!" / "No-!"

Click to shrink...

...Oh, no. It was holding the gap shut, wasn't it?

Roy fires again reflexively before letting go of the gun like it burned his hands, and I order my construct lanterns to stop mid-lunge.

I forgot I had that many.

Click to shrink...

Pick that up, Roy. And be ready to put shots into the big guy's eye if you need to...

Jaffar and I sort of look at each other as the area of the machine that isn't glowing grows.

Truce?

Click to shrink...

Desperate times call for desperate measures.

He nods sharply as he dives towards the machine. "You face S'ivaa, I'll repair the machine."
Cut Through
The space around the fingernail flickers, as if another layer has been peeled off. In the distance that isn't anything like far enough away, S'ivaa becomes a little more…

Click to shrink...

I'm already picturing the sharp, sharp-toothed grin.

Real. A part of the material universe.

I jab his finger with a construct blade just to check, and it does nothing. Extruding an x-ionised blade… Does nothing, and the finger has come a few millimetres further into reality.

Click to shrink...

Doing the equivalent of poking a piece of paper with your fingertip... OL Might have to break the apocalyptic-scale weapons for this.

Crumbler rounds, nothing. Kahuuite rounds-.

An extra layer slews off S'ivaa.

Click to shrink...

Right, let's not do that again. It seemed to actually improve his corporeality. Though make a note of that reaction for later study...

Not using that.

"Make an effort, Lantern!"

Click to shrink...

The problem is the kind of weapons that he could deploy tend to be rather bad for the local scenery, including you three.

Arsenal lands next to me. "What-?"

Not your fault, but please don't distract me.

Click to shrink...

...Kind of is, given he shot the device without thinking ahead. But that probably only accelerated the breakthrough.

I can't risk using a singularity beam in a situation like this, but maybe if I distort gravity manually..? I raise my tentacles and generate a space warping construct and… It doesn't make the situation worse, but it doesn't look like S'ivaa is being forced back at all.

Ring, transmit update to Lantern Rrab.

Click to shrink...

In a 'Tell Highfather we need help here' tone or 'Please evacuate the planet as soon as possible' tone?

Compliance.

Alright, alright, there's clearly some sort of metaphysical structure here that I can't properly perceive. If I interface with it-. How do I interface with it?

Click to shrink...

Ah, the joy of trying to work with entirely unfamiliar things.

The broken machine.

I jet towards it just as Jaffar takes part of a panel off, orange tendril reaching towards-

Click to shrink...

Ah, thinking you can reconstruct it? Or at least fill in for the damaged circuits?

"What are you doing? Focus on the Old-"

-the inner workings and I reach out for the desires of whoever stuck S'ivaa in there in the first place and manifest.

"-God-. No, keep working!"

Click to shrink...

...Or that, whatever that is.

Parts of the machine light up orange and I don't really know if it's working but all I really need is an interface so I can feel whatever it is keeping it out of the world. And…

And I think I can feel something. I don't know exactly what it is, but if I link that to the desires I feel-.

Click to shrink...

Ah, acting as a conduit for energies he really has no idea what he's working with, and are quite likely larger than his head, current or original. Always a heroic move.

The hole shrinks, just a little, and S'ivaa gives me his full attention.
CAST IN SHADOW

Click to shrink...

...Oh, don't tell me he's trying to cut OL of from the Spectrum energy flow of the Rings...

Well, this is going to end very well, or very badly. Or possibly both at once. OL's sticking his oar into a field of combat he has little experience in, and with any luck, is about to get a very challenging education in. Let's hope Supertown can get itself together enough to send in the metaphorical and possibly literal cavalry before things go too poorly.

 

[Vaermina]

The hole shrinks, just a little, and S'ivaa gives me his full attention.

Click to shrink...

Which will in absolutely no way impede Orange Lanterns success.

 

[BR549]

That video isn't available in my country, possibly for reasons I can't talk about for 19 years and 11 months.

Click to shrink...

Not here in Australia either, so most likely a copyright sort of thing.

Click to shrink...

Same here in France.

Click to shrink...

The Last Starfighter.

"What do we do?!"

"...we die."

 

[Old Knife]

No. I'm probably not going to make him be an octopus for the rest of the story, if that's any good?

Click to shrink...

At least Jade will be happy

 

[Coltsguy]

No. I'm probably not going to make him be an octopus for the rest of the story, if that's any good?

Click to shrink...

You drive a hard bargain Mr. Zoat.

 

[boo600]

Huh. If Kaahuite causes problems, I'd expect him to use some more angel feather rounds immediately after. Power of the Void Before Time removes energies, Powers of Creation to add them back.

Still, his use of Orange seems to be working. Let's see him fight what energies Sivvy can poke through the hole.

 

[Signaller]

"Couldn't we just get away? If we can't hurt him, there's no sense getting killed."

If he gets completely free, that's the aim. The problem is, I don't know what the dividing line between 'getting out, but we can force him back if we're lucky' and 'he's out, kiss your arse goodbye' is. So I don't know when to give the 'flee' order.

And I do not remember S'ivaa from the comics, so no help there.

"Makes sense."

Click to shrink...

If you're not going to add marks of some sort to indicate OL using sound waves via ring to communicate, then perhaps have the second-last bit here in regular brackets? Otherwise it's like Roy already knows all about the comics and OL's pre-SI life.

 

[Artificial_Icecube]

Roy viffs

Click to shrink...

Viffs?

 

[Mr Zoat]

Viffs?

Click to shrink...

Vectoring In Forward Flight.

Huh. If Kaahuite causes problems, I'd expect him to use some more angel feather rounds immediately after.

Click to shrink...

I think he ran out, or is at least very low.

 

[Radix]

No. I'm probably not going to make him be an octopus for the rest of the story, if that's any good?

Click to shrink...

It was forshadowed all the way back when he first met Jade. Quite impressive how well this was set up.

 

[Nervaqus987]

At least Jade will be happy

Click to shrink...

OL: "Would you still love me if I was an octopus?"

Jade: "Why do I know that's not a hypothetical question?"

 

[LazySloth13]

A shame Paul probably isn't likely to assimilate the rest of the Deep Six just so he could have a ring on each tentacle.

 

[xSieg]

I'm liking this 'permanent octopus with one construct-ring on each tentacle' idea the thread is cooking up. Sounds like a perfect new form for Paul.

 

[Mr Zoat]

23rd July 2013
12:15 GMT

My connection to the machine vanishes at once, and the finger twitches in my direction.

Jaffar stares at me. "What happened? That was working!"

He did something, using the cells of his that are in my body. Can you-

I recreate the gravity field, but it isn't going to do much.

-get rid of them? Or turn me back into a human?

"I could turn you back, but it would take me hours."

Then get rid of the cells. He's using it to make a connection to me and stop me pushing him back.

"I could…"

I point all eight of my tentacles at the Old God looming above us, including the one which is my penis.

"You make-" Jaffar lays his right hand on my head, and I very carefully monitor the changes he's making in me. "-a very good point."

"Um." Roy is sort of standing there, looking a little awkward. A short distance away Trok appears to be in a similar position. "Do you need me to do anything?"

Jaffar beckons Trok. "Trok, help me with the machine."

Yes. Call Doctor Knight's ship. The integrated Mother Box might let us boom tube S'ivaa somewhere.

Jaffar scoffs as I detect something leaving my tiny cephalopod body. "It is far from that simple. The boom tube cannot open close enough to the Source Wall to prevent him simply tearing a hole in reality to wherever he wants to go."

Could it repair this machine?

"Not faster than I can remove this cell culture. There." He removes his hand and-. Yes! The machine glows orange once more. "Now we have progress."

Trok reaches the machine and pulls some sort of tool out of his belt. He then presses it to the damaged section, which… Shimmers in response.

Roy stands there awkwardly. "Ah-I'm sorry."

Don't worry. Not angry. Just focusing.

Though actually, with those cells removed and that small explosive cancer cell Jaffar tried adding to my brain excised…

No. For some reason I still can't make myself human.

S'ivaa's finger is slowly being forced back by the collective desires of everyone who put him down here, but I-.

Roy points. "Is that.. another hand?"

Ah heck.

Trok finishes one small part of the machine. "He has four."

Um. Right. I recall Pyron and Shaligo to my ring, and search for the desires inside them-. Yes, they didn't want S'ivaa breaking out either. Bring that to the fore and then shove them into the machine!

Jaffar's staring at the Old God. "I just wanted one finger! Why couldn't you leave us alone to work!"

Roy picks up the positron ray and aims it towards S'ivaa's face. "Looks like you're about to get nineteen more."

The other fingers are approaching, and while I try pushing back… There's too much… Difference between the different levels of his prison.

The rock plaform we're standing on cracks.

Who else..? Demon Nabu. It's degraded, but there's just a little of his old desire to keep the universe orderly in there. Reinforce it and shove him into the machine.

The finger begins receeding a little faster but I don't think it's going to be enough. My other construct lanterns couldn't conceive of something like this.

Trok stands, abandoning his work as he considers fleeing. Jaffar gestures to the machine. "Get back to it! Every moment we live is new knowledge we take to Great Darkseid when we respawn."

"I do not believe that thing will let us respawn."

"Then our lord will simply grow a new Trok! What is the difference?"

Roy glances back at me. "Do I shoot, or..?"

Does he? I doubt that it would hurt, but the kaahuite shouldn't have hurt and it did anyway.

Don't bother with the positron ray. Try sonics. We just need him distracted.

He deploys his sonic cannon as Trok grudgingly returns to work, taking careful aim and firing. It doesn't appear to do anything, but there isn't much he can do in a situation like this.

I turn to Jaffar.

What was the plan for sealing this?

"Build more etheric destabilisers until the connection between S'ivaa and the material universe decayed completely. We don't have the parts or the time now."

The tips of the fingernails of the rest of the fingers sharing a hand with the one Jaffar has been studying begin to poke out into normal space, and high above us S'ivaa begines to smile.

Could I duplicate it with constructs? Not worth a damn. Alright, if he's getting out then I need to notify Hinon-.
Divine Mandate
There's a flare of white light from the centre of the platform, and-. Highfather Izaya appears, crook raised high!

"Back, Old God! Back into the dark!" "By the authority of the Source, I cast you back!"

S'ivaa's other arms are thrown back, and the one finger that's on our side flails around trying to find some purchase as it's pushed back too. I find myself sagging with relief -in as much as I can as an octopus- but just in case it doesn't work I maintain my focus on the machine. Jaffar and Trok on the other hand look like they're getting ready to run. I turn to Jaffar.

Be serious. Where would you go?

"I would rather try and fail than go peacefully to the slaughter."

And if you can make him kill you, then you'll respawn. I'll make you another deal. Surrender peacefully, and I won't turn you into a construct once S'ivaa is contained. If I turn you, then you won't respawn.

He looks like he's thinking hard about it.

You can't open a boom tube faster than I can grab you. You literally can't get away. Be realistic.

He and Trok look at each other as the finger finally leaves this reality and the hole snaps shut. I withdraw my power from their machine, glowing orange.

Decide quickly.

"Yes." Izaya turns towards them, hair wafting in the current but otherwise being entirely unaffected by the environment. "Decide swiftly."

Jaffar grunts, then kneels with his hands upturned. Trok follows suit a moment later, dropping his axe to the floor.

Then Izaya looks to me.

"Orange Lantern. We should talk."

 

[Neruz]

And I'm sure S'ivaa will never be a problem ever again.

 

[Ngamer11]

Could I duplicate it with constructs? Not worth a damn. Alright, if he's getting out then I need to notify Hinon-.
Divine Mandate
There's a flare of white light from the centre of the platform, and-. Highfather Izaya appears, crook raised high!
"Back, Old God! Back into the dark!" "By the authority of the Source, I cast you back!"

Click to shrink...

The Godspeech isn't hidden like normal.

 

[NightmareWarden]

"By the authority of the Source, I cast you back!"

Click to shrink...

Should this part be invisible instead?

The area around the portal is a maze of thorns, thick and dangerous. They look like the wall outside of Brasília, but in an even more elemental place I'm going to assume that they're even less constrained by mundane matter.

We stop and wait for a moment, then the thorns shift aside to give us access to the rest of the Green.

It's… Better?

There's grass, and t-. Ah.

They didn't try rebuilding the Green from scratch. They shifted Brasília here. Yes, if they put all the Green energy they could into the city, then shifting in here would be the best way to restore the locus. There's a haze of mist in the air, but now it's regular water vapour in the manner of a damp jungle during summer and not doom spores.

And in the distance, outside the limits of the city, I can see my tree, now by far the tallest structure here.

It's… A sound decision, and Euanthe appears to have demilitarised the place enough that the plants look leafy and fruitful. My only concern is where Swamp Thing is and where the Parliament ended up, because either could form a back door, and… I don't think this is something that we could repeat.

Click to shrink...

I think Robert (Cornwall) or the justice league should look into where the parliament disappeared to. They weren't eaten, and we haven't heard about them going to one of the plant worlds in space. Also, it seems like some plant-focused goddesses should reach out to Brazil sooner rather than later, given how bad things got. It seems like some divine energy could help fortify the last bastion remaining.

"What happened to the Parliament?"

"I don't know. They didn't come to me, didn't stay to die with their charges. The Great Champion is in the world somewhere and I don't know where."

"Things don't go the way they should. They go the way they go. And if you're here, and they're not… If you're doing the job and they're not… Hail Queen Euanthe of the Green."

At that she stops, turning back to me with her hard wooden head staring at me.

"Queen. Eldest sister. I have grown much since we first met, and I wish with all my heartwood that I had never left Mother's glades. I wish I could run carefree through field and glen, troubled only by faun or woodsman. I wish I could be so simple once more. But if there is no one else, then I must."

"Well…" I look over to the tree, where Dr. Isley is checking its health. "You don't need to do it on your own."

Click to shrink...

She nods solemnly.

"…mutant citizens of Gehosha will not tolerate…"

Click to shrink...

Genosha, not Gehosha. "N" is used later in the same chapter. Also, does the name Genosha come from genome, gene, or something? I know it is from the X-men marvel comics, but where'd they get it from?

 

[Chojin Patriarch]

23rd July 2013
12:15 GMT

My connection to the machine vanishes at once, and the finger twitches in my direction.

Jaffar stares at me. "What happened? That was working!"

Click to shrink...

Damn, it did fizzle his Spectrum expression. Or at least what he can extend from his body to the device. It's not going to be that easy then. Any ideas, little fish? Because I suspect Roy is gonna be as much use as a wet fart right now at this level of combat.

Spoiler: Commentary spoilered for length

(Again, changing the OL speech to a different font...)

He did something, using the cells of his that are in my body. Can you-

I recreate the gravity field, but it isn't going to do much.

Click to shrink...

At least he didn't lose his Spectrum connection entirely. SO it's only blocking the device from him.

-get rid of them? Or turn me back into a human?

"I could turn you back, but it would take me hours."

Click to shrink...

And yet his teammate can perform radical species transfiguration in an instant. Not sure which got the shorter end of the stick...

Then get rid of the cells. He's using it to make a connection to me and stop me pushing him back.

"I could…"

Click to shrink...

No bargaining, fishface. Every moment you delay gives the big guy more time to tear open his prison...

I point all eight of my tentacles at the Old God looming above us, including the one which is my penis.

"You make-" Jaffar lays his right hand on my head, and I very carefully monitor the changes he's making in me. "-a very good point."

Click to shrink...

Heh. Accurate, as the tentacles do a lot of things... Also, good idea, checking his handiwork. Never know what little surprises he might try to leave behind.

"Um." Roy is sort of standing there, looking a little awkward. A short distance away Trok appears to be in a similar position. "Do you need me to do anything?"

Jaffar beckons Trok. "Trok, help me with the machine."

Click to shrink...

Maybe keep your gun on them as a reminder to not try anything funny? True, no-one's laughing right now anyway, but bad guys gonna bad guy.

Yes. Call Doctor Knight's ship. The integrated Mother Box might let us boom tube S'ivaa somewhere.

Jaffar scoffs as I detect something leaving my tiny cephalopod body. "It is far from that simple. The boom tube cannot open close enough to the Source Wall to prevent him simply tearing a hole in reality to wherever he wants to go."

Click to shrink...

Then a bunch of Construct Lanterns get to try and haul his ass the rest of the way.

Could it repair this machine?

"Not faster than I can remove this cell culture. There." He removes his hand and-. Yes! The machine glows orange once more. "Now we have progress."

Click to shrink...

Excellent. That also technically cures OL of any diseases the cells might have caused...

Trok reaches the machine and pulls some sort of tool out of his belt. He then presses it to the damaged section, which… Shimmers in response.

Roy stands there awkwardly. "Ah-I'm sorry."

Click to shrink...

At least it's easy enough to repair the tech. Really only a matter of calling the molecules back to what they were a few minutes ago...

Don't worry. Not angry. Just focusing.

Though actually, with those cells removed and that small explosive cancer cell Jaffar tried adding to my brain excised…

Click to shrink...

Knew it. Seriously, he didn't think OL would notice that?

No. For some reason I still can't make myself human.

S'ivaa's finger is slowly being forced back by the collective desires of everyone who put him down here, but I-.

Click to shrink...

Damn. It must be something deeper than that, then. Perhaps because Slig is still alive, and thus his metaphysique is still actively applied to you?

Roy points. "Is that.. another hand?"

Ah heck.

Trok finishes one small part of the machine. "He has four."

Click to shrink...

Well, at least it's only that few. There are depictions of Vedic deities with dozens or hundreds of hands.

Um. Right. I recall Pyron and Shaligo to my ring, and search for the desires inside them-. Yes, they didn't want S'ivaa breaking out either. Bring that to the fore and then shove them into the machine!

Jaffar's staring at the Old God. "I just wanted one finger! Why couldn't you leave us alone to work!"

Click to shrink...

Let's hope this doesn't destroy the Construct Lanterns outright. He only just got those two!

Roy picks up the positron ray and aims it towards S'ivaa's face. "Looks like you're about to get nineteen more."

The other fingers are approaching, and while I try pushing back… There's too much… Difference between the different levels of his prison.

Click to shrink...

More power, methinks. Throw everything you've got at it.

The rock platform we're standing on cracks.

Who else..? Demon Nabu. It's degraded, but there's just a little of his old desire to keep the universe orderly in there. Reinforce it and shove him into the machine.

Click to shrink...

That one won't really be missed, except as a tool to give OL mystical knowledge. That might be why he's been talking like he knows magic stuff lately...

The finger begins receding a little faster but I don't think it's going to be enough. My other construct lanterns couldn't conceive of something like this.

Trok stands, abandoning his work as he considers fleeing. Jaffar gestures to the machine. "Get back to it! Every moment we live is new knowledge we take to Great Darkseid when we respawn."

Click to shrink...

And where could he run to anyway? S'ivaa was made to dance the entire universe out of existence, after all...

"I do not believe that thing will let us respawn."

"Then our lord will simply grow a new Trok! What is the difference?"

Click to shrink...

It won't be him, that's what. And when you seem to have this sort of 'live on in a new body' trick going on, that's probably a significant thing.

Roy glances back at me. "Do I shoot, or..?"

Does he? I doubt that it would hurt, but the kaahuite shouldn't have hurt and it did anyway.

Click to shrink...

Sadly, it seemed to do more damage to the prison than the prisoner...

Don't bother with the positron ray. Try sonics. We just need him distracted.

He deploys his sonic cannon as Trok grudgingly returns to work, taking careful aim and firing. It doesn't appear to do anything, but there isn't much he can do in a situation like this.

Click to shrink...

At this lets him feel useful, I suppose.

I turn to Jaffar.

What was the plan for sealing this?

Click to shrink...

Because I doubt this device could hold him back all by itself.

"Build more etheric destabilisers until the connection between S'ivaa and the material universe decayed completely. We don't have the parts or the time now."

The tips of the fingernails of the rest of the fingers sharing a hand with the one Jaffar has been studying begin to poke out into normal space, and high above us S'ivaa begins to smile.

Click to shrink...

I can't help but picture each of them being the size of a bus or something. And that is existentially terrifying.

Could I duplicate it with constructs? Not worth a damn. Alright, if he's getting out then I need to notify Hinon-.
Divine Mandate
There's a flare of white light from the centre of the platform, and-. Highfather Izaya appears, crook raised high!

Click to shrink...

Ah, the cavalry has arrived! And in the full glory of his Godhead, it seems. If you're picturing Charleton Heston as Moses, that's not far off, I think.

"Back, Old God! Back into the dark!" "By the authority of the Source, I cast you back!"

S'ivaa's other arms are thrown back, and the one finger that's on our side flails around trying to find some purchase as it's pushed back too. I find myself sagging with relief -in as much as I can as an octopus- but just in case it doesn't work I maintain my focus on the machine. Jaffar and Trok on the other hand look like they're getting ready to run. I turn to Jaffar.

Click to shrink...

And it looks like the old man's power is a lot more effective than everything they've been throwing at the problem so far. Goes to show the difference between enhanced mortals and a powerful New God, especially one with a possible type advantage.

Be serious. Where would you go?

"I would rather try and fail than go peacefully to the slaughter."

Click to shrink...

Guy, you can always try to kill yourself later to respawn. Why die tired?

And if you can make him kill you, then you'll respawn. I'll make you another deal. Surrender peacefully, and I won't turn you into a construct once S'ivaa is contained. If I turn you, then you won't respawn.

He looks like he's thinking hard about it.

Click to shrink...

Well, you don't know that for certain. But neither does he, does he?

You can't open a boom tube faster than I can grab you. You literally can't get away. Be realistic.

He and Trok look at each other as the finger finally leaves this reality and the hole snaps shut. I withdraw my power from their machine, glowing orange.

Click to shrink...

Ah, the undivided attention of someone capable of killing you with no effort whatsoever. That's a big bonus to intimidation checks...

Decide quickly.

"Yes." Izaya turns towards them, hair wafting in the current but otherwise being entirely unaffected by the environment. "Decide swiftly."

Click to shrink...

The Ring, or the Crook? A swift death and eternal service, or captivity followed by an execution or being a bargaining chip against Apokalips. Though Darkseid may just leave you to rot or have you killed anyway.

Jaffar grunts, then kneels with his hands upturned. Trok follows suit a moment later, dropping his axe to the floor.

Then Izaya looks to me.

"Orange Lantern. We should talk."

Click to shrink...

...Oh, that's not reassuring at all, is it.

Well, Godzilla threshold safely pushed back. Two more captives acquired. And the implicit awkwardness of a talk with Highfather. Now, will he have words to say about Orion, or perhaps about the way the Deep Six reached New Genesis. Because OL did do his best to hold the aperture shut and prevent an apocalypse from escaping its jail... This will be a fascinating chat...

 

[genkumon]

Edit: Was just a typo after all.

...yeah, assuming the visible godspeech isn't a typo, something big is up. Direct exposure to an Old God may have apotheosized Paul here or something, given he was already trending in nature that way already. Or it may just be a side effect of him existing mostly as orange light at the moment.

 

[Coltsguy]

I see some Godspeak from Izaya, but I honestly would believe that it was noticeable to others with him speaking it directly around an Old God so I wouldn't care if it was left as is.

 

[Mr Zoat]

The Godspeech isn't hidden like normal.

Click to shrink...

Genosha, not Gehosha. "N" is used later in the same chapter.

Click to shrink...

Thank you, corrected.

 

[BR549]

Knew it. Seriously, he didn't think OL would notice that?

Click to shrink...

Oh, he almost certainly did. But it's the principle of the thing, you know?