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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. TheMidnightRook

    TheMidnightRook Well worn.

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    I can actually see a certain logic to it. They probably intended for it to cause him to start expending energy faster than he could drain it, at least while in combat, and thereby wear him down to a point where he could be contained/killed. A solid plan, in theory, they just fumbled the execution.
     
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  2. Darko

    Darko Connoisseur.

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    This wouldn't exactly be the first a comic character has had a conflicting backstory.

    Galactus had been said to be everything from the balance between Eternity and Death, to the guy that will give birth to the new universe, to the guy that was made to keep Abraxas, an embodiment of destruction, sealed away.

    He was also apparently meant to be a devourer of worlds and the reason they managed to change him into a life bringer was because the universe just underwent a major shift after the whole God Emperor Doom thing.
     
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  3. Assblaster5000

    Assblaster5000 I trust you know where the happy button is?

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    Welcome to Marvel, consistency is for nerds, hubris is a cowards word, and resetting the universe or branching out into new ones is for those losers that have the word comics in their name twice.
     
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  4. Threadmarks: Summer's End (part 19)
    Mr Zoat

    Mr Zoat Dedicated ragequitter

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    Where They
    Stood


    The Ender of Days reappears on the platform where I'm waiting.

    "I've thought about it."

    I raise my eyebrows as-.

    "Sorry, none of the files I read had your name."

    "You didn't tell me yours, either."

    I didn't, did I?

    "I apologise. My name is Grayven. I'm from Apokolips, but you probably already know that."

    "No. All Source-bound creatures taste too similar to me for the difference to be worth mentioning. Apokolips was memorable, but its inhabitants? Hardly."

    "Lots of tasty misery? Father considered himself something of an expert."

    "He was a virtuoso in a single note. I've played entire orchestras. He defined himself by the lives of others while I define myself."

    "And what name do you define yourself as?"

    "I have been called many things. 'Starbreaker' was the name the Justice Legion used for me. It serves as well as any other."

    "Alright, Starbreaker. Got to say, you're sounding more and more like a high-end New God. Godly powers, a God Name-."

    "I am not so pathetic."

    "You never met my grandfather. There was always a wide range of power levels amongst my kind. You're not that out there."

    His lip curls.

    "I didn't come here to be insulted."

    "Alright, alright. So what's your answer?"

    "My answer is 'no'." He smiles faintly. "I can still live a very long time. You seem like the cautious type. I think you will try everything you can to survive without risking yourself. And I think that you're a good deal more imaginative than the near-human refuse that litters the Earth today. I think there's a good chance that you'll be able to work something out before I'm dangerously weakened-."

    He frowns.

    "Where's your knife?"

    "By now?" I raise my eyebrows. "About six inches into your primary body's right ear."

    I step up to him and grab him around the head! He counters by extending claws and stabbing at my forearms. He's strong enough to go through my armour but between my resilience and the regeneration he can't do enough damage to break my hold.

    "You really shouldn't have told me that your powers don't work on things with your genetic template."

    I hook my fingers together and squeeze.

    "Though if it's any consolation at all-"

    Ruby beams blast from his eyes, biting into the flesh of my forehead as I duck my head slightly but swiftly cutting out as I move my thumbs to crush his -argh!- eyes. I feel the flesh being stripped from my thumbs and the disconcerting feeling of my own bones falling off, but the beams cut out and his head… IsCompressing

    "-you achieved far more than any other New God."

    His head-. Doesn't exactly burst so much as come apart, his body decaying into grey vapour a moment later.

    I step back from the platform where I'd been waiting for his response… No real pain from my thumbs, and though the stumps are a little disconcerting I can already see them starting to regrow. No need for mana infusions when I'm in full conquering and ruling mode, I take it. No, irrelevant. I turn away and walk back into the station proper.

    "Anything from Artemis?"

    A shimmer of rainbow light, and the woman herself strides back into the command centre, along with her retinue.

    I grin. "Dead?"

    "He kinda turned to dust. Yours?"

    "Dusted." I smile. "When did you get this sneaky?"

    "Ah, some time between Dad dropping me in a forest at night next to a pack of wolves with a rucksack full of bacon, and working as a superhero in Gotham."

    "Right, but I thought you were learning Tao's abilities."

    "Tao's… Kinda the God of Warrior Heroes who Happen to use Bows. I'm more like the God of Bow-Ninjas."

    "Great, so-" Outside of the station, the sun goes out. "-now there's literally nothing in the universe that can stop us."

    "Unless he kills himself as a mortal."

    "Yeah, someone who was prepared to endure torture through starvation for this long isn't going to kill himself just to spit in our eyes. Mother Box?"

    "Ping!"

    "Glad to hear it. Glad to hear it."

    "Ah…" The Vat Lord hesitantly approaches. "My lady? My lord? The sun is… Gone."

    "To be expected, really. That wasn't the sun; that was a synthetic sun generated by Starbreaker using his stored power. But without him around draining everything, we can build artificial gravity generators strong enough to stop the Earth crashing into the Source Wall. With a little longer we can build an energy to matter converter and use that to build a proper sun. And once the spine riders have finished with Starbreaker's mortal form we can get busy expanding the universe and rebuild the star system."

    Artemis looks mildly concerned. "And… How long do we have until the planet crashes?"

    "Well, the Earth was barely moving, and while the universe is small compared to its old size it's not small in absolute terms. We should have plenty of… Time…"

    "What?"

    For the first time in a while I take my rings out of their pouch in my armour. No glow, but… That's probably just as well. If Starbreaker had released all of his stored energy in one go there probably wouldn't be much left.

    "If we can find a way to give my rings even the smallest spark of charge, I can bring my personal lanterns out of subspace. At that point things become simplified to the point of absurdity. Do you know any Sheeda who specialise in emotional magic?"

    "Yeah, I've got… One city where they do that. They're kinda weird, though."

    "Sounds like just the ticket. The time machine thing is still at the speculative stage, but-."

    One of the Sheeda manning the consoles jerks in surprise.

    "My lord and lady… A Harvest Dreadnought has returned from the past, directly over the old capital!"

    I frown.

    That… Can't be right. Sivana… Checked. The Dreadnoughts don't have their own time drives.

    Artemis walks over to the console as its operator calls up an illusory image of the Dreadnought.

    "Just one?"

    "Yes, my lady. And no sign of the Castle Revolving."

    "Does the Dreadnought have any kind of identification? Do you know which one it is?"

    "Not… From the last Harrowing fleet. I don't… Know."

    Artemis looks at the image for a few moments, then turns to face me.

    "We need to get down there."

    I nod. "Indeed we do."
     
    Last edited: Nov 6, 2020
  5. Darko

    Darko Connoisseur.

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    Wow, way to insult old stone face there Starry.

    This sentence feels a bit weird.

    Maybe 'Anything from you Artemis'
     
  6. B.B. Rain

    B.B. Rain I trust you know where the happy button is?

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    Will Paragon and Renegade finally meet?

    Probably not, but I can dream...
     
  7. Vaermina

    Vaermina Well worn.

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    There's this thing called "being wrong"...

    On that note, your plan wouldn't actually work, so it's a good thing a dues ex machina has shown up to get you out of there.
     
  8. Fellow

    Fellow Know what you're doing yet?

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    I'm guessing it's Melmoth
     
  9. The Unaligned Player

    The Unaligned Player Agony that desires to meet Extinction

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    Why are you like this?
     
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  10. RichardWhereat

    RichardWhereat Aia airëa Fëanáro.

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    My guess is Paragon Pavlos.
     
  11. Handlewithcare

    Handlewithcare Versed in the lewd.

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    Wait, why did he generate a sun?
     
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  12. Agent Orange

    Agent Orange Experienced.

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    This went waaay too easy. My paranoia Genre Savvyness tells me something is off. But I really want this episode over and done with so I'll take an anti-climactic big bad disposal.

    Ok, now you're just thumbing your nose at Murphy :D Seriously what the fuck Grayven, I know you went native but thought you were at least a little better than Paragon.
    Oh yeah, the frickin' Sun went out in the background! Maybe do something about it pronto.

    Maybe my brain is just too slow (pre-morning coffee) but how do these two conclusions connect? Why is no glow good and how does that connect with Vamp-Ra Starbreaker blowing everything up?

    A time ship just happens to pop in just as they defeat the big bad and comment on the lack of time machine... How... contrieved convenient. Fuck it I'll take it! Anything to put an end to this episode must be a good thing.

    Well he failed a spot check apparently. Just shut up and take it! 'Board the ship and sieze it for your Lord and Lady! Take no one alive!'
     
  13. webxro

    webxro Benevolent Bystander

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    My guess is Fairy King, IDK why, but that's why my hunch is saying.
     
  14. Mr Zoat

    Mr Zoat Dedicated ragequitter

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    He's asking the crew if she's sent a message. She only returns a moment later.
     
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  15. Chojin Patriarch

    Chojin Patriarch Veteran Lurker

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    It's been a while, I suspect. No hurry when time itself is playing silly buggers with perception.

    Ah, in all this time, you still haven't caught his name? Sloppy, Grayven.

    Well, rudeness on both sides. The real Fair Folk would be horrified.. and Pissed.

    Would you care overly about the name of an ant trying to bite you as you smash its home? Because that's what he's seeing you as...

    Bet the firepits were spicy. You'd expect him to remember the Omega Effect, at least.

    Getting back to the point. Although that is a sick-ass burn on Darkseid.

    Which you are about to take away from him, depending on his answer.

    Oh, you love poking the nigh-omnipotent entities, don't you? I wonder what body part you're about to lose this time?

    No, you're planning to do the insulting. But you're up against the New God of Trolling here.

    Ah. Well, I won't say it was nice knowing you, we've hardly seen you at all. On the upside, you are about to get a second chance at gathering power...

    Boy, did he ever fail his spot check. Too bad you aren't omniscient, Starbreaker...

    Why attack the 'projection'? Because There's no telling just how much of himself is in there. Better to kill him in every possible way.

    Now when did that happen? Last chapter? I must have missed that little factoid... <Checks> Ah, yes, his comment about the one place his powers see as part of him...

    Probably a little hard to hear with your palms covering his ears, assuming he uses them at all...

    And that would be a great tale for Darkseid if you ever see him again... But that would just make him go looking for Starbreaker in the here and now...

    Ouch. At least his Godhead is so rampant he's not impaired by the damage.

    Ah, the assassin returns. I wonder how she feels about using the skills her father taught her for their intended purpose...

    Which is a little concerning. The Sword releasing his power must have caused one hell of a breakdown in his cellular structure, or whatever equivalent he had.

    Formative experiences play a big part of a New God's soul's nature, Grayven. You're only Conquest because Father Box set that mold around you as yours formed.

    Sneaky and silent... Until the target sprouts an arrow somewhere vital. Lovely image.

    :eek: ... Grayven, no. Even you know better than to taunt that Sod Murphy like that! You are going to get everything you deserve now!

    How do you know, Grayven? Could you read his mind? See his fears and wants? Never underestimate someone's spite.

    Ah, she's feeling much better without the draining effect now? Excellent.

    Such a well-thought-out plan, Grayven... So many places for something to go wrong. I can hear Murphy cocking his Chekhov's Gun right now...

    True, an Astronomical Unit is a fair distance. Even if the real space is smaller thanks to Starbreaker's artificial sun, there's still a chance...

    Yes, it would have been quite the Big Bang... Thankfully he went out with a fizzle.

    That's saying something, by Sheeda standards. Probably because their own emotions have been stunted for so long...

    Oh, what's that noise? Sounds like a gunshot! :D

    Sounds like someone failed their spot check there. I mean, I don't expect Thaddeus Senior put any skill points into Perception, just relied on naturally high ability scores...

    Is it too soon to say "Heeeeeere's Melmoth!"

    Oh, this is going to be amusing. Melmoth with all his variant Sheeda-beasts and the Columbians, dragged along by blood-based mind control or sheer desperation...

    Looks like that shoe's made a commitment to dropping now. And they're right in the way of a stomping.

    And Melmoth's just sitting there going "What. What. What! What the hell has happened to my planet?!"

    While I doubt this is Paragon's Melmoth turning up (they're truly separate timelines thanks to Time Trapper) I doubt he's going to be happy about the changes Grayven and Artemis have wrought. Things are about to get shouty...
     
  16. WereDragon

    WereDragon Bookwyrm

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    Wonder what Green Arrow’s specialisation is. God of archers who happen to be heroes?
     
  17. Vaermina

    Vaermina Well worn.

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    Oh hey, plot hole, why wasn't the swords magic eaten along side everything else?
     
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  18. Aabcehmu

    Aabcehmu Confusion As a Natural State of Being

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    Tastes Bad /s
     
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  19. Darko

    Darko Connoisseur.

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    Me thinks not.

    Renegade is probably going to just take the knowledge he has to fix everything up and then just kill him.

    She has technically been using the skills he taught her, like stealth and such things, but now she's using them for killing, which she may have gotten used depending how long they've been gone.

    Well that and he acted like Grayven to convince others he was Grayven.

    Since when has renegade known better.

    No, but it's a fairly logical assumption to make.

    He may be happy since now he can destroy the hopes of the rest of the Sheeda, who may have thought their civilization will be saved.
     
  20. Agent Orange

    Agent Orange Experienced.

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    That it does. Even if Vamp-Ra completely drained the Planes of [insert Emotion] I bet that with enough time and effort (and desperation) a large group of mages specialised in emotion magic could probably kludge together an approximation of one [at least something close enough to power a single power ring]. Should be plenty of Fear going around what with the sun puffing out of existence. And Yellow rings are good at working of ambient emotions. Even if they end up having to continually maintain it so Grayven can use his ring, it should be worth it.

    Deal with young Melmoth. If Vamp-Ra helps him get in power and maintain the sun he will arrange for his people to be miserable and feed Vamp-Ra over time. Sustainable food energy source really :D Win-win for everyone! And by 'everyone' I mean Vamp-Ra and Melmoth. Fuck the Sheeda or the humans I guess.

    New God of Arrow Projectile Crafting?
     
    Last edited: Oct 17, 2020
  21. Chaoswind

    Chaoswind Lord of nonsense

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    Would be fun if this is Paragon Paul coming to end the episode by finally meeting up the Grayven (him) he has been hearing about, but it will probably be Melmoth..
     
  22. Agent Orange

    Agent Orange Experienced.

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    Which Melmoth is the question.

    One of the Melmoths is currently Paragon's bitchboi and presumably in the middle of defending the puny humans from the nasty Sheeda (what a plot twist!/s).

    The other Melmoth... we never actually saw him did we? He would've been playing Sims with the Columbians around the time the Harvest happened (the only reason he revealed himself as alive after all was because Paragon made a mess of his sandbox). So the Renegade side Melmoth should still be doing his side project right?

    Where did he have even get himself a Harvest Dreadnought? All he had was the orbital base/ship thing last time we saw him? Did he portal to Earth during the Harvest/invasion and stole a Dreadnought during the fight? Grayven/Sivanna would've been a little preoccupied at the time to pay attention. Big problem with this is that the IFF didn't show it as a part of the last Harvest fleet.

    Ofc this is all a big IF. We don't know it's Melmoth.
     
  23. Darko

    Darko Connoisseur.

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    Melmoth, assuming it is him, could have built himself a Dradnought after he finished with the Columbians.
     
  24. Agent Orange

    Agent Orange Experienced.

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    Knowing him he probably built it out of Columbians [brings a whole new meaning to 'human resources' doesn't it] and crewed it with the Warlocks.

    "Captain Mel! We're here! The sun is gone! Why is the sun gone!"
    "What?! But my deal! Put it on screen, now! And open hailing frequencies."
    "...But Captain, Sheeda have no space magic radio. You said so."
    "Shut up, Wesley!"
     
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  25. jasonh23761

    jasonh23761 Not too sore, are you?

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    Big knife op, pls nerf.

    In a seriousness though I did quite enjoy this arc. Paragon is interesting, Renegade keeps me coming back.
     
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  26. Pinklestia

    Pinklestia Well worn.

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    Actually with the universe being so small and with so few beings left there is literally hundreds to thousands of not quite cosmic powers to claim.

    Alternatively just do a song and dance with Grayven pony powers.
     
  27. FeepingCreature

    FeepingCreature Not too sore, are you?

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    I also really like this arc.
     
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  28. Agent Orange

    Agent Orange Experienced.

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    Yeah. It would've probably given him a heartburn if he tried./s
    Alternatively: the sword eats magic/powers itself. It was just a better at depowering than Vamp-Ra was.
    Or it was just the fact that Artemis used a sneak attack for double crit damage. You know how OP Stealth Archers are :p

    Oh btw! Re: Melmoth and the Columbians

    Did we ever find out where/when the Columbian planet is?
    In another galaxy? In prehistory? In some pocket dimension/realm?

    1. Power rings worked mostly fine so we know that it wasn't post-Starbreaker Earth .
    2. It wasn't immediately pre-Sheeda Earth because Paragon had to greedport through time (and maybe space?) to get to Melmoth's orbital base/ship thing (which was orbiting pre-Sheeda Earth).
    3. Paragon tried but failed to summon/channel Ophidian for... reasons? It doesn't tell us much except that the Best Snek was not responding the call for whatever reason (it could've just been napping/sunbathing for all we know - you know how reptiles are without catching some sun)
    4. Original Subspace Pockets Inventory was unavailable for whatever reason but freshly generated one worked just fine.
    5. None of the Lanterns even tried to call home for unexplained reasons nor could their rings determine their position (it time or space apparently).

    The only conclusion that makes even remote sense to me is that Columbian "planet" is in some sort of magical pocket demi realm a la Morgaine le Fay's "Britain". With some sort of magical buffer/jamming powerful enough to prevent easy communication with the Emotional Embodiments (which is bullshit).
     
  29. Coda

    Coda Versed in the lewd.

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    No glow isn't directly good, but it's better than the opposite extreme -- no glow means that Starbreaker didn't release all of the stored energy he'd consumed in one big death-burst. Which would leave the ring glowing... as well as the rest of the lethally-irradiated remains of the universe.
     
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  30. Agent Orange

    Agent Orange Experienced.

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    Ah! But think of all the 'space' the blast would result in! All that energy his death released would've inflated the universe back into it's proper size. A mere dozen billion years later and stars would've coalesced out of the pre-stellar soup. If Grayven and Artemis just toughed it out for a little while the laws of physics would've stabilized and they could've just opened a portal home! But no. Vamp-Ra fizzled out and now they have to do it the boring way. :/
     
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