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

Discussion in 'Creative Writing' started by Mr Zoat, Jan 27, 2019.

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  1. Gilhelmi

    Gilhelmi Know what you're doing yet?

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    When I read the earlier parts when Graven was on Earth-50, I suspected as much that Graven-50 was the SI.

    Just the something about people "recognizing" Graven-16 as a Graven seemed a bit to quick.

    Mr. Zoat, have we seen the original (non-SI) Graven yet?
     
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  2. Mr Zoat

    Mr Zoat Dedicated ragequitter

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    No, you haven't seen Graven yet.
     
  3. DAT_NOOB

    DAT_NOOB Accused of writing in a far away land

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    wasn't the leader of the citadel in communication with real grayven?
     
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  4. AverusBlack

    AverusBlack AKA Aisling

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    Yes indeed. Grayven even taunted him a bit with some of the anti-life.

    Yucky, that. Depression - especially severe depression - feels like black light, or anti-life to me. But it feels like Grayven can broadcast that feeling if he chooses to and that's what he did. It also nearly made the Zamarons beat the hell out of him but, y'know, learning experiences.
     
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  5. jmartinez8089

    jmartinez8089 Getting out there.

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    Yes but we still haven't seen Graven yet. Now I don't know who that is since I've read the whole story and don't remember him ever being mentioned anywhere but he must have something to do with Grayven or Earth-50 since Mr Zoat is being asked about him now.
     
  6. Stsword

    Stsword Versed in the lewd.

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    I do believe that Zoat is having a little fun with the typo and responding with a mathematician's answer.

    Grayven has shown up, Graven hasn't.

    The fact that DC doesn't have a character called Graven that I'm aware of might have something to do with that. :)
     
  7. jmartinez8089

    jmartinez8089 Getting out there.

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    Aw did you have to spoil it? I wanted to see how long it took until they realized.
     
  8. Pinklestia

    Pinklestia Well worn.

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    "Conquest of Earth never ends well, why don't you ask Trigon about that?"
     
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  9. PDV

    PDV Revelation That Uncertainty Is Itself An Answer

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    I'm thinking this is 70% likely, maybe? MrZoat are you willing to confirm/deny the Renegade ever learning that his god nature isn't Conquest?
     
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  10. DAT_NOOB

    DAT_NOOB Accused of writing in a far away land

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    I had considered that and went 'nah, it's probably not that'
     
  11. Old Knife

    Old Knife Not too sore, are you?

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    Yes he has. This love right here.
     
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  12. Threadmarks: Conqueror's Moon (part 19)
    Mr Zoat

    Mr Zoat Dedicated ragequitter

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    I beg
    Your pardon?

    "Yes, you should."
    "At the risk of hypocrisy…"

    "I may have left Apokolips long ago, but that doesn't mean that I'm ignorant of what occurs there. Darkseid wanted Earth, valued its acquisition enough to spend significant amounts of time focusing his efforts and those of his Elite in attacking it."

    "He got fixated on Kal-El, and took it personally when he didn't easily win. A poor decision on his part." Responsibility of Sagacious Rulership.

    "Yes, one of many. But Kal-El is hiding powerless in his arctic hermitage."

    "He was hardly the only reason."

    "Yes. Kara In-Ze thwarted Darkseid's effort to destroy human civilisation with a comet. But Kara In-Ze is stranded on Thanagar, along with the rest of her Stormwatch colleagues. Not to mention several of the surviving Justice Lords." He gestures to me with his right hand. "And you dealt with SHADE and their Anti-Life fragment. And as for whatever's left… I have a fleet."

    "Rayner could get Stormwatch back in plenty of time to attack your ships."

    "Yes, and if I hadn't picked him up at the same time I did you, I may have had to hunt him down in person."

    "What have you done with him?"

    "I have secured him in a cell some distance from yours. Separated from his ring he's little threat."

    "Not that I'm ungrateful, but why leave him alive?"

    "If I were to kill him, the Guardians would simply anoint a replacement. And most likely revenge themselves upon me. No, far better to hold him incommunicado until after my conquest is complete."

    "And… You think that will prevent him acting against you?"

    "The Guardians have a record of acting against interstellar conquerors which can at best be described as 'patchy'. Once I establish myself, so long as I do not behave in a completely monstrous manner, it is unlikely that they will take any direct action. Lantern Rayner is far more manageable as a solo agent."

    I catch myself about to nod, then nod anyway. Not like I would behave differently if I had his objectives.

    "You're conquering Earth because Father couldn't?"

    "Why would you assume there to be a single reason? Yes, when I conquer Earth I will prove myself to be a more capable ruler than Darkseid, but more than that: the authority I gain will bring the fools burning Apokolips down around them to heel."

    "I suppose that will make it easier for you to kill them."

    I blink, but now that I've said it… Yes. I could use a Fury, perhaps even all of them. But Granny Goodness, if she fell into my hands? Desaad? Even if they made willing noises, even if they actually submitted spiritually… They're just too… Not-With-The-Program. They'd take the initiative in stupid situations, monster it up for the heck of it.

    Grayven 50 smiles. "Yes, it will. This is genuinely fascinating; I've never encountered anyone quite on my wavelength like this before."

    "You implied there was another reason."

    "I know what you did for former Green Lantern John Stewart. Humans can become as we are, their souls reforged by the power of the Source. You were right; Apokoliptian technology requires New Gods to use to its fullest extent."

    "Human lieutenants can do more for you than gordanians or thanagarians. Lizarkons?"

    "No better than the gordanians, and less reliable. It will be a generation before I will be able to trust them with anything significant."

    "But do you know how humans get their god-names?"

    "Not yet. But there are six and a half billion of them. I'm certain that I'll work it out before their population drops to unsustainable levels."

    "Or you could ask for volunteers, which would generate less unrest and make it easier to control the independent variables."

    He frowns. "That doesn't sound like me. Why are you so hesitant?"

    "Because I'm permanent; here for the long term. Yes, grabbing people off the streets makes a bigger impression but it doesn't get you the solution any faster. With six and a half billion potential volunteers you're not going to run out of willing participants any time soon, and with no other New Gods working with you you'll have to do everything yourself anyway."

    "But making an impression makes it easier to ensure compliance with my domain powers."

    "Not being an arse about it means that you don't have to use them in the first place."

    "That explains your relative inability. Still… There may be something in what you say. How much of the Earth of your parallel have you conquered?"

    "I don’t directly rule any of it. I've deliberately tried to avoid doing anything so divisive. I'm heavily invested in a few places, but making it look like local work prevents other interested parties complaining too loudly. Ultimately, I want people to acknowledge me as their sovereign because I represent a more appealing prospect than their alternatives. How did you take over the gordanians?"

    "I made an offer to the survivors of a small clan, educated them, built them up and then used them to dominate others until I was hailed as Chief of Clan Chiefs."

    "You were recognised as legitimate because you co-opted their social conventions. Human society does not have an equivalent mechanism."

    "Then I'll build one." He shakes his head. "I'm really not sure why you're so insistent on soft-pedalling them."

    "Every time you wilfully, unnecessarily make an enemy, you create an extra opportunity for things to go horribly wrong. Why are you in a hurry? What do you lose by soft-pedalling them?"

    "Pride." "Military conquest."

    "My Lord Grayven." At the very edge of my vision I see a… Tamaranian woman? "The fleet is ready."

    "Good." He turns away from me and activates a view screen. "I am aware that you have been augmenting the Justice Lords' home with Apokoliptian technology. No doubt that was how you arrived on Thanagar without me immediately feeling it." The screen shows a view of space as seen from his ship's approximate position. "And of course that could be used to bring your allies back."

    A giant, ship-scale-. No, fleet-scale boom tube opens in the region of space directly in front of the point of view. Through the tube and off to the right I can just about see Earth and its moon, while the foreground is rapidly filled with gordanian ships. Hro Talak's prediction coming true a few months late.

    "Target acquired, my lord."

    "Charge and fire."

    Nothing happens for a moment, then there's an explosion in near-Earth space an instant before a red beam connects it to this ship. The firing pattern of the hyperblaster main gun.

    "Advance."

    The point of view leaps forward an instant later, the gordanian ships falling aside and…

    The wreckage. There isn't all that much left, but… There were only two things of any size in near-Earth orbit. And those parts aren't Thanagarian. He just shot the Watchtower. Rex, Batman, the genomorphs.

    Sunset.

    I try to stretch out my arms, pushing against whatever energy field is keeping me here! I Will Overcome!

    "No, you won't."

    Grayven smiles smugly as I make no progress. "Fond of them, were y-?"

    "Life=Pain."
     
    Last edited: Sep 24, 2019
  13. Simonbob

    Simonbob Really? You don't say.

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    Oh, dear.

    Yup, that about sums it up.
     
  14. Razorfloss

    Razorfloss I trust you know where the happy button is?

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    Ohhh that's not good. He may have inadvertently recreated darkseide or darkseide light at least momentarily and that won't end well for anyone.
     
  15. Zig

    Zig Not too sore, are you?

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    Guess Renegade is gonna have to send Darkseid 16 a thank you basket when he gets home.
     
  16. RichardWhereat

    RichardWhereat Aia airëa Fëanáro.

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    Oh good. Grayven is using the Anti Life. This can only end well.
     
  17. Ngamer11

    Ngamer11 Experienced.

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    Grayven 16's Godzilla Threshold has been reached. I hope this messes up Grayven 50 and Doctor Impossible beyond anything they could possibly do to Gryaven 16. Would Grayven 50 be horrified or jealous that someone he sees as a sort of inferior version of himself has such power at his command?
     
  18. Flux Casey

    Flux Casey The Colonel

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    It's quite impressive that even for a character I hate this worked to make me care about their death by proxy, in other words because I care about the character that cared about them.
     
  19. Old Knife

    Old Knife Not too sore, are you?

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    Oh dear. This universe doesn't have a Darksied.

    So

    It's going to make one.
    :eek:
     
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  20. RichardWhereat

    RichardWhereat Aia airëa Fëanáro.

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    Yeah, I cared about her. I hope he slaps Celestia for her.
     
  21. Old Knife

    Old Knife Not too sore, are you?

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    I bet she teleported. Because paulven teaches competence.
     
  22. Imperator Pax

    Imperator Pax Talon Master

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    In the words Abridged Alcuard: "You dun goofed."
     
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  23. Chojin Patriarch

    Chojin Patriarch Veteran Lurker

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    Ha! Is that the first time someone in-story has responded to the date/time value?

    Well, a strong resistance undermines Tyranny. And Superman is historically a symbol of Hope...

    Hell, Earth really is helpless right now...

    Damn, that's actually smart... Because:

    Ug, this guy is far too sensible.

    If this is referring to Raynor, it's fine, but if he meant the Guardians, it should be 'them'.

    ...Jerkass has a point...

    So, not entirely out of Spite.

    Supervillians gonna Supervillian. It's too much in their nature to be back-stabbing, traitorous chucklefucks unless cowed into absolute subservience. And even then...

    That 'This is another SI' theory's being given a lot of ammo here.

    Oh, he has no idea, does he? The Renegade's actually done it a lot. But He's not going to do it for you, numbskull.

    Give them time to get used to being crushed under a different boot than before, eh? Dumbass, letting his God-aspect do the thinking.

    Oooh, that bodes ill...

    Heh, the fundamental difference between them. Grayven-50 wants Vassals. Renegade wants Followers.

    Acquisition vs Conquest.

    Yes, Humans don't respond well to an outside force attempting Conquest. History has shown that so well on the tribal and national levels.

    Uh-oh.

    UH-OH...

    Oh crap.

    Oh, he done fucked UP! No-one messes with the Renegade's stuff!

    Yup, Godzilla Threshold passed. Things are going to get... Messy.

    And I get the feeling the title of the episode wasn't referring to Sunset at all... Unless she had a sudden breakthrough... It's referring to the Renegade...

    Godspeech:
     
  24. Radiant Knight

    Radiant Knight Phoenix Fire

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    OH BOY IT'S HAPPENING.

    Good to see Paulven breaking out the big guns.
     
  25. BR549

    BR549 This is filth! FILTH!!

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    I'm expecting Gravy to return home to find he owns a new couch, upon which is a note from Darkseid simply saying "you're welcome".

    Also, with regards to the Watchtower...well magic bubbles are a thing and it wouldn't be the first time an Apokalyptian blew up an Earth vessel with no casualties among its crew.
     
  26. Queshire

    Queshire Not too sore, are you?

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    Ohhhhhhh... That was Renegade's piece? For some reason I thought it was Impossible or Grayven using a new piece on him.
     
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  27. BR549

    BR549 This is filth! FILTH!!

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    Context; it cuts off Grayven-50's gloating and if Doctor Impossible was anti-lifed it would have already been obvious.
     
  28. Imperator Pax

    Imperator Pax Talon Master

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    The lesson to take from this for local-Grayeven, Just because parallel version is 'soft pedaling' the primitives doesn't mean he is 'soft' or incapable of taking 'harsh' measures when provoked
     
  29. Azure Mirage

    Azure Mirage Making the rounds.

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    I just finished reading after promising myself to not read for the rest of the week till Friday due to the cliffhanger aspect of these postings. But, Zoat's ability as a writer dragged me out of "read-only" mode to comment:

    HOLY S**T! I loudly exclaimed that as I read the end of the latest part. I mean, wow, and Zoat is known to not pull punches. I hate ruthless non-charismatic characters. Be an ass, but be a charming ass, and I feel that Paragon Paul is too much of an ass at times when doing the old murdering assholes in space thing. Renegade is funny and charming, makes seeing people being brutalized much easier to swallow when he does it.

    Again his whole character is soft balling his power, be subversive as opposed to oppressive. Graven 50 just does not give an F and just wants to let his New God nature rule his decisions.

    And the payoff of this statement comes moments later as he in FRONT of a basically more decent version of himself decides to start his invasion by blowing up the Justice Lords Watchtower while some of what Grayven 16 considers to be his stuff is on-board. And Grayven had stated to Grayven 50 a better methodology that works and he just goes with Military Conquest because of f'ing PRIDE.

    Life=Pain indeed.
     
  30. Handlewithcare

    Handlewithcare Versed in the lewd.

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    See Grayven? This is what happens when you recklessly mess with Apokolips.

    And now he recklessly mess with the Anti-Life.

    Rene-Grayven is kinda compounding his failures right now.
     
    Last edited: Sep 24, 2019
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