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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. Threadmarks: The Other Half (part 18)
    Mr Zoat

    Mr Zoat Dedicated ragequitter

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    13th July 2012
    10:00 GMT -4


    Director Armstrong is glowering at me the moment I walk in the door.

    "Agent Grayven, what-?"

    And that's when she sees Sam as he walks in behind me.

    "General Lane."

    Sam nods politely. "Director Armstrong. Grayven called me in due to the potential military ramifications of what happened yesterday, and the attacks on US service personnel."

    I shrug. "There's no sense in having the same meeting twice, is there?"

    And maybe you'll learn from this and be less of a bitch to your own secretary in future so you actually get some warning when I turn up with the Head of Future Warfare.

    I mean, I'm not hopeful, but it could happen.

    I generate a construct chair and sit down on this side of her desk, while Sam pulls over the room's other chair. I'm sure that this sort of debriefing is supposed to happen in a meeting room along with a panel of analysts and.. probably someone from the Department of Energy. And Larissa, of course. But Director Armstrong made it a one-on-one in her office because she wanted to have a mare at me. I'm not sure what she thought that would achieve, but she's got the soul of a terrier and doesn't let go even when she should. I agreed to be an agent. I did not agree to be a chew toy.

    "So." I take a holoscreen emitter out of subspace and put it on her desk. A moment later it switches to showing highlights of Aberrance. "Had a busy day yesterday. Aberrance got attacked by someone I strongly suspect to be Ahri'ahn, the founder of Atlantean civilisation."

    Sam frowns. "Atlantis sunk thousands of years ago. Shouldn't he be dead by now?"

    "According to a few unageing people I've spoken to, he got into the habit of.. skipping periods. Time travelling forwards. He might be unageing as well, but most ancient magicians do that by binding themselves to a greater power and all the records I've seen say that he finds the idea of doing that revolting."

    Sam raises his left eyebrow.

    "All of them?"

    "Circe had a pact with Hecate, Doctor Mist is supposed to have made a pact with the Spirit of Earth… Humans can't live indefinitely, but they only have to become a little bit inhuman to dodge that." I shrug and shake my head. "Or they can take a running jump into the deep end. But being really good at magic doesn't automatically make you unageing, otherwise Atlantis would have a lot more archmages."

    And probably own the planet.

    "Anyway, I've genomorphs doing interviews, but my provisional summary is that Ahri'ahn arrived in Aberrance around about mid-morning local time. He used a minor mind affect spell to encourage people to go along with what he wanted and took a tour of the place. We're still trying to map his actual route and make sure that we disenchant everyone he touched. We've got him on camera, so I'm not sure if he doesn't know about cameras or just didn't care."

    The holoscreen displays a selection of the recovered images. He doesn't look like Mr. Knightley at all. His expression appears to be one of the same blank disinterest that he wore when I saw him, though he's clearly taking everything in.

    "The actual attack started closer to mid-day, local time, when various objects began self-animating. Concrete, rock, in one case heavily radioactive material and in a couple of others transparent aluminium. Ahri'ahn combined this with a couple of automatic attack spells which my colleague Sunset Shimmer is still picking apart to see how they worked. As a result, a number of buildings including the chirurgical centre and the Uncorporation building were attacked. The current death toll stands at a hundred and fifty three, however due to Cranius's efforts most US service personnel will eventually make full recoveries."

    Sam nods. "Were they the focus of the attack?"

    "It didn't look like it, on the grounds that the building wasn't completely flattened and there were survivors. On the basis of what he said to me I'm tentatively concluding that he just wanted the augmentation process shut down, but he certainly wasn't shy about attacking military personnel."

    The holoscreen shows images taken from the centre's cameras, as well as a diagram of the stages of the attack as best as we've been able to recreate it.

    "As you can see, while not exactly well organised, Ahri'ahn was able to bring overwhelming power to bear on.. what is essentially a civilian installation very quickly. The survival of so many soldiers can be attributed to Cranius's quick thinking and triage skill."

    Director Armstrong nods slowly. "What exactly did Cranius do?"

    "Cut off their still-living heads and attached them to functional bodies, sometimes several at a time."

    Sam's mouth drops open. "Seriously?" I nod. "And he made that work? No, of course he did. So they're just.. heads?"

    "He's going to be creating new bodies for them as soon as he has the facilities. For the moment they're transferring them to temporary bodies so they can at least move around."

    Bodies made in a rush by Mr. Fiendstein. Most of the soldiers found it funny… At least after checking that they were getting human bodies back at some point. But a few completely freaked out and had to be anesthetised.

    Director Armstrong's eyes narrow slightly.

    "Cranius can create entire human bodies."

    "Cranius can create entire inhuman bodies. They're not going to get back exactly what they lost."

    "Will they still be human?"

    "They'll be made of human tissue, certainly. It's not a perfect fix but the alternative was death. May I continue?" She nods. "Shortly before my arrival Ahri'ahn attacked the Uncorporation building directly and forced entry into the secure vault where they keep the insectoids. They got out and immediately began attacking everyone they encountered. We haven't been able to identify everyone due to how the.. conversions go, so we probably won't know exactly who they turned until people are reported missing."

    "Can it happen again?"

    "There are levels of power against which static defence matters very little. There were armed guards throughout Aberrance, and the insectoids are kept behind metres of steel-reinforced concrete. But stopping magicians as powerful as Ahri'ahn isn't something that 'reasonable' measures can do. Cranius is going to get some magic protection, but this is like…"

    Sam nods. "Trying to stop Superman."

    "Superman still gets hard-countered by kryptonite. Sufficiently capable magic users can't be stopped by anything other than another thing like them."

    Director Armstrong's jaw tightens. "Like Black Adam."

    I nod. "He's a friend of mine. Since he's quite good at dealing with powerful magicians-."

    "And Circe."

    "Like Circe, yes. Another friend of mine I asked to assist. Wonderful things, friends. You might want to look into it."

    Sam flashes me a warning glance.

    "So how do we stop this happening again?"

    Director Armstrong's expression is more 'hard' than 'concerned'. "And how do we kill Ahri'ahn?"

    "Stopping it happening again would involve putting an archmage in every location you want to protect, with more on standby. After a certain point… All you can do is make attacking a place more trouble than it's worth. Killing Ahri'ahn would just prevent him doing it again, it wouldn't stop anyone else."

    "That wasn't why I asked. He killed US servicemen and women. He's signed his death warrant."

    I shake my head. "The US doesn't do those, I asked. And so I'll thank you not to imply that I should violate my oath of office. But to my mind killing him would involve bringing to bear power of a sort we don't have in a place with no bystanders. We need more magicians."

    Sam nods. "Think Atlantis will be willing to help bring this guy down?"

    I shrug. "We can always ask."
     
    Last edited: Nov 12, 2021
  2. Idkusername

    Idkusername Versed in the lewd.

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    once -> one

    do

    We be needing subject verb agreement.
     
  3. moralrelativity

    moralrelativity Recovering pendant.

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    He -> He's
     
  4. Darko

    Darko Connoisseur.

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    Immortals Sam, they're a bitch.

    The White Light Entity to be specific.

    And it wasn't so much a pact as it was him seeing how some of it functioned and altering his soul to match.

    At least from what I remember Zoat saying once.

    Well that's fucking. terrifying.

    Perfectly understandable.

    He's even racist with god's and higher powers.

    And powerful ones at that.

    I'm sure they will be.

    Unless some people decide that because their founder did this then they should help him.
     
  5. jasonh23761

    jasonh23761 Not too sore, are you?

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    While doing my best to steer clear of the current politics rule, I would point out that the US, like most nations, takes a very long view of the concepts of "active threat" and "imminent threat." Simply because it is not legal domestically does not mean equivalents do not exist. Ahri'ahn is, technically, a foreign national who attacked United States' civilians on United States territory before retreating to presumably non US territory in order to escape from justice and demonstrated a willingness to use lethal force while evading authorized legal agents of the US government, which Grayven technically is..

    Yes that doesn't quite line up with his in character motivations but it would be trivially easy to spin that way.

    An alternative would also be extraordinary rendition "gone wrong."
     
  6. Ngamer11

    Ngamer11 Experienced.

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    Paul only knows that because he's talked to Doctor Mist. The Renegade hasn't, so he isn't privy to that information. Mr Zoat, has the Renegade done anything to confirm for himself if the White Light Entity is on Earth?
     
  7. DrThoth

    DrThoth I trust you know where the happy button is?

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    I can accept typical comics logic (or real-life governmental bureaucracy logic, for that matter) but is there any specific reason that Armstrong was hired as director? I believe Zoat did answer this after her initial appearance, which I've naturally forgotten, but I'd like to ask that of her comics incarnation too.

    Only tangentially related to your post, but the Renegade should really actively try to track down the Spear of Destiny at some point, either directly or through his allies. In terms of advanced magical potential risks to the US (or world in general), that seems like a big one.

    Also, having read Ryuugi's DC fic Fear fairly recently, I wanted to ask if the Holy Grail is around in the setting, I forget if that's ever been brought up.
     
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  8. Chojin Patriarch

    Chojin Patriarch Veteran Lurker

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    Well, not the General Lane segment I was expecting.. yet. But at least he's involved. And Grayven's nominal boss in the Department of Extra-human Affairs, yes? Not a conversation Grayven wants to have multiple times, eh?

    Nicely summarised. Not wasting any time, I see.

    Eh, Super-Secret Organisational types tend to be too set in their ways to change so easily.

    Ah, optimism. Honestly, it's unlikely as hell.

    Ah, she was hoping to have a good, relaxing shouting session at a sloppy agent. Too bad Grayven isn't that stupid...

    You'd be amazed how long humans can live. Remember the tale of Hob Gadling? Or that cave-man fellow killed off during the Kindly Ones arc of 'Sandman'?

    Explains his manner of dress, certainly. I'll bet that he mind-reaped Young Arion to get updated information on the modern era, including language. And then killed him out of spite for using his name.

    Especially when some of the methods are less than pleasant. Lichdom, for instance. Magic has a price, and that price can change you...

    Probably the latter, depending on how up to date his information is. He struck me as arrogant and cocky. He was the biggest fish in his pond in his prime. And even now, there are few who can match him in skill, I'll bet.

    And working himself up to a proper snit, eh? Getting more and more disgusted inside, until...

    Ouch. Not a good day for Aberrance and the Uncorporation. No doubt there are already families suing them for damages...

    Striking down the guardsmen foolish enough to try and strike against their clear superior? You know, because racist.

    A spectaular, if disturbing display, certainly.

    Using biomancy to make up for things like insufficient blood flow and the like, I expect. Until he could get a few spare lungs and hearts in place.

    Heh. they're either going to love them or hate them. Depending on their tolerance for the 'freakshow shit'...

    Gribbly. And grisly. Wonder if the US would be willing to pay a little extra for some post-human upgrades to the rebuilt bodies?

    Well, what do you expect? He's merely living up to the example of his master, Anton Arcane, and following in the footsteps of Doctor Frankenstein.

    Well, that depends on how narrow your definition of human is. What's your feeling on things like extra limbs, armoured skin or chameleonic fur?

    You do know there's at least twenty, though... At the minimum.

    Imagine someone cracking a walnut with a twenty-pound sledgehammer... For fun. That's about where Arion the Elder stands on that power scale.

    And even then it's a matter of who gets the first spell off, sometimes. For all their defences, mages can be squishy. Or they can be demonically enhanced super-soldier psychics, yes.

    "He said something about practising ahead of settling an old grudge."

    :p Maybe leave some aloe for that burn, Grayven. I though Reds were the experts in incendiary words.

    That's quite the conundrum. After all, if only an arch-mage can fight an arch-mage effectively... Well. Have you tested your soldiers for magical potential recently?

    As they would be well aware of with all the other magical attacks, from Wotan's little sun-blocking attempts to Klarion's world-splitting spell.

    This isn't 'Worm', you know. No kill orders, tried in absentia here. But a bounty on his head, dead only, might be helpful.

    Ooooh, boy. Is that conversation going to be awkward.

    About what I expected from a debrief, though I'm surprised it took so long. Then again, I expect Grayven was busy getting all his T's crossed and I's dotted. Including assisting with Search and Rescue. Seriously, over one hundred and fifty dead? :oops: People are going to be pissed...
     
  9. Pinklestia

    Pinklestia Well worn.

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    Why would he? There is a reason most fans call the thing the "White asshole" and why making the Joker be the entity avatar makes perfect sense.
     
  10. Darko

    Darko Connoisseur.

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    But he's still very, very stupid.

    Yeah the guy tried to brag to Death of how long he lived and she told him he got what everyone else got, one life.

    They're more experts in incendiary spit.
     
  11. Darko

    Darko Connoisseur.

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  12. Mr Zoat

    Mr Zoat Dedicated ragequitter

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    Thank you, corrected.
    The Renegade's never met him.
    My understanding is that even in cases like that, the American military phrases orders as instructions to 'capture if possible without undue risk'.
    Thank you, corrected.
    He tries to avoid even thinking about it.
    She's actually really good at the job. Most of the job. The problem with Grayven is that she can't meaningfully punish him or scare him, and she hates the fact that she was second pick after him.
     
  13. Vaermina

    Vaermina Well worn.

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    If he's even half way competent, you don't.
     
  14. Idkusername

    Idkusername Versed in the lewd.

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    Exactly! Just look at Klarion, Nabu, The First of the Fallen...

    ...Wait a minute.
     
  15. Vorian

    Vorian Versed in the lewd.

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    'flattened'
     
  16. Mr Zoat

    Mr Zoat Dedicated ragequitter

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    Thank you, corrected.
     
  17. DrThoth

    DrThoth I trust you know where the happy button is?

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    Why? I thought he had general/eventual plans for white light manipulation. Is he scared that Darkseid is still monitoring him or something?

    My issue comes more from the apparent fact that she's so terrible to her secretary that they don't warn her when the Head of Future Warfare shows up. It doesn't have positive implications for her general competence.
     
  18. Darko

    Darko Connoisseur.

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    Or he's afraid of the Entity itself.

    Or just doesn't want to deal with it because it may be too much hassle.

    That sorta just indicates that she's a bitch, not that she's incompetent at her job of managing metahumans.
     
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  19. WereDragon

    WereDragon Bookwyrm

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    …glare?
    Unless Armstrong is in the habit of throwing ponies at people.
     
  20. Prince Charon

    Prince Charon Just zis guy, you know?

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    Possibly weird British slang, or brony slang.

    Also, I am reminded that Director Armstrong is an idiot, and I wonder if she has blackmail on important people to allow her to get and keep her job.
     
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  21. Darko

    Darko Connoisseur.

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    Zoat did say that she was actually very good at her job.

    She's a bitch yeah, but she's competent at the job.

    And aside from renegade, and apparently her secretary, she seemed to be fairly diplomatic and polite with others.
     
  22. Signaller

    Signaller Know what you're doing yet?

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    So one of the other Pauls who basically took over the world by branding everyone also made that change?
     
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  23. nick012000

    nick012000 Gone for Good

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    Wait, what? When did Joker become the White Light entity avatar? What comic did that happen in?
     
  24. quietwhile

    quietwhile Getting out there.

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    Who is this Sam Grayven brought with him? My memory is not very good with names and there wasn't much characterization to help me remind.
     
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  25. Darko

    Darko Connoisseur.

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    Sam Lane.

    He's a general and the father of Lois Lane.

    Works with renegade from time to time.

    Commired genocide in the comics against the Kryptonians with the help of Luthor.
     
  26. jasonh23761

    jasonh23761 Not too sore, are you?

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    Not really, while there are allowances for if the target actively surrenders, the ongoing legal arguments of the precise definition of "lawful combatant" and "unlawful combatants" make things particularly murky. Worse still is the concept of out and out "outlaws" who are afforded even less legal protections.

    In essence it's the difference between a grab team and a kinetic strike. Risk is very much a factor but so is value and difficulty.

    An individual can't surrender to a kinetic strike after all.

    Additionally, would Ahri'An be considered a citizen of a polity that was a signatory to one of the various treaties and agreements that govern these things? That would be a fascinating argument in court.
     
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  27. Mr Zoat

    Mr Zoat Dedicated ragequitter

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    YES.
    Grayven doesn't actually know that's why that happened. He's just guessing.
    You don't say that where you're from?
    He didn't brand anyone. Branding is far too overt. He either altered their desires a little and left them to their own devices or used the Left Eye of Zoltec.
     
  28. DrThoth

    DrThoth I trust you know where the happy button is?

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    If that's the case, then he's knowingly risked giving Darkseid information on a force in another dimension that feasibly threatens the utility of the Anti-Life Equation, in the form of the Elements of Harmony.

    It's written in a really definitive way, so I'd suggest an edit to make that more clear?
     
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  29. Pinklestia

    Pinklestia Well worn.

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    A fanfic, but no one complained.Everyone was like "of course is the Joker, it makes perfect sense!"

    Considering the Elements of Harmony are in a different universe, Darkseid wouldn't go after them if he can help it. More so knowing how every other villain going after them ends.
     
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  30. Darko

    Darko Connoisseur.

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    I don't think it would be that difficult for him to reach that universe.

    He has access to extremely advanced tech and magic so he can use those to go there, like renegade uses MotherBox.

    Also Darkseid isn't exactly like the villains Equestria has faced, he's much much more dangerous.

    And if he's worried about the AL Equation being destroyed then he may just send a powerful underling to destroy the place.
     
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