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

Whenever Possible · Feb 19, 2022

If Paul just died, then this time he might actually end up in Erebus instead of getting forced to the Silver City or just discorporating in space until a clone body shows up.

Vaermina · Feb 19, 2022

I like how this proves beyond argument that Paragon has taken the lives of innocents.

Alasnuyo · Feb 19, 2022

The clone body with the lich ring is still around, yes? He'll probably pop into that body and be back on Earth in a few minutes.

Stsword · Feb 19, 2022

Vaermina said:
I like how this proves beyond argument that Paragon has taken the lives of innocents.

In the comics she went after Wildcat for framing a man for a murder he didn't commit after he did murder three other people.

The guns' definition of innocent is wordgamed into a meaningless buzzword.

Ngamer11 · Feb 19, 2022

What are the odds Paul is going to accidentally talk Crimson Avenger II into committing suicide?

hance1986 · Feb 19, 2022

Mr Zoat said:
"Ah, no, not well. Met him a couple of times in the war, but he was from my dad's generations, and he never joined the JSA."

' generation '

Also, maybe I wasn't paying attention. When did Diana become more powerful or a demigoddess? Was this during the Sheeda invasion arc? Or in relation to what Paul was stirring up with the Titans and how Diana and Donna were created?

Vanbers · Feb 19, 2022

Whenever Possible said:
If Paul just died, then this time he might actually end up in Erebus instead of getting forced to the Silver City or just discorporating in space until a clone body shows up.

I mean, I may ahve forgotten in the MASS of content for the story, but, uh, can Paul truly die?

Like, does the Ophidian have claim on his soul? Would the Ophidian settle for Hades or some other god dictating where he goes?

Is there some sort of Avarice Afterlife he's unknowingly going to go to if he dies fully, that he doesn't know about because he hasn't fully died yet, and nobody with true Avarice Enlightenment has died/been besties with the Ophidian?

The lore of this ABSOLUTE BEHEMOTH is tough to keep straight sometimes.

Vaermina said:
I like how this proves beyond argument that Paragon has taken the lives of innocents.

Ehhhh, maybe? Maybe not, though, IIRC guns aren't infallible, and basically twist the meaning of 'innocent'.

Stsword said:
In the comics she went after Wildcat for framing a man for a murder he didn't commit after he did murder three other people.

The guns' definition of innocent is wordgamed into a meaningless buzzword.

^^^^ This.

Darko · Feb 19, 2022

Mr Zoat said:
What am I, a monkey?

Well, sorta.

Mr Zoat said:
I disintegrate my own shoulder, the bullet falling into a construct-supported metal tray. Then I reconstruct my shoulder, and test the motion. Yes, good

This was ... a way to get rid of the bullet.

Mr Zoat said:
You mind.. warning me next time you plan something like that?"

I don't think that'll happen, Ted.

Mr Zoat said:
She's the one who shot at me and Dana. Or someone with those guns did. I suppose that the multiple layers of shielding dealt with the penetration spell-effect. But why only one shot? Why didn't she maintain the attack

If she was there the first time then she may have gotten spooked when it didn't work and retreated.

hance1986 said:
Also, maybe I wasn't paying attention. When did Diana become more powerful or a demigoddess? Was this during the Sheeda invasion arc? Or in relation to what Paul was stirring up with the Titans and how Diana and Donna were created

We saw Diana use more of her powers during the training episode.

Vanbers said:
I mean, I may ahve forgotten in the MASS of content for the story, but, uh, can Paul truly die?

Like, does the Ophidian have claim on his soul? Would the Ophidian settle for Hades or some other god dictating where he goes?

Is there some sort of Avarice Afterlife he's unknowingly going to go to if he dies fully, that he doesn't know about because he hasn't fully died yet, and nobody with true Avarice Enlightenment has died/been besties with the Ophidian

Paul has died and his soul went to an afterlife.

Granted, him going to an afterlife was a work of a third party, but he can very much die.

Whether he'll go to Erobus or the Plane of Avarice when he dies is up for debate.

Heck, he may still go to Heaven or Hell, since according to the angels a person needs to actually participate in the worship and rituals of their gods in order to go to an afterlife that belongs to those gods.

Paul may not do too much of that, or at least lacks sincerity, so he may also end up in the Abrahamic again.

Vanbers · Feb 19, 2022

Darko said:
Paul has died and his soul went to an afterlife.

Granted, him going to an afterlife was a work of a third party, but he can very much die.

Whether he'll go to Erobus or the Plane of Avarice when he dies is up for debate.

Heck, he may still go to Heaven or Hell, since according to the angels a person needs to actually participate in the worship and rituals of their gods in order to go to an afterlife that belongs to those gods.

Paul may not do too much of that, or at least lacks sincerity, so he may also end up in the Abrahamic again.

Well, clearly, the next time Paul dies:

Death: "Right, you're kind of a weird case, so I've gotta bring in a specialist here."

Paul: "...But you're... Death? Isn't his your entire thing?"

*Curtain raises, Delirium walks onstage, Audience made up of afterlife representatives claps confusedly*

Delirium: "WELCOME ONE AND ALL TO THE FIRST ANNUAL AFTERLIFE ROULETTE-"

Paul: "I'd rather this wasn't annual, to be honest."

Delirium: "-ROUND AND ROUND THE WHEEL GOES, WHERE IT STOPS, NOBODY KNOWS!"

Paul: "Then again, considering the world I live in, maybe I could get one of those sundae cards?"

Delirium: "Ohhhh, and it just passed Plane of Avarice!"

Ophidian: *HISS!*

Delirium: "Oops, looks like it's gonna be Hell-"

Mammon: "Shit, really? Can I just give him away instead? Or sell him, maybe?"

Delirium: "OH! What an upset! And it lands on... SILVER CITY! Come on up and take your prize!"

Angels: "...do we have to?"

Old Knife · Feb 19, 2022

So spirit of vengeance trapped inside the guns?

Chojin Patriarch · Feb 19, 2022

Mr Zoat said:
20th October 2012
15:10 GMT -5

GrabTedandconstructshield!

The bullets sent at Diana hit her bracers and stop dead, flattened metal discs falling to the ground with a 'tink' noise. The ones fired at me punch straight through my construct and through the wall behind me and I think it's only due to the fact that she wasn't ready for how fast I move that it didn't go through me.

Yeah, best to get the squishy 90-year-old out of there. Target or not, he's the most at risk. Though... Doesn't that behaviour with the construct shield seem familiar? Looks like you might have found that mystery sniper.

Diana lunges forward, jinking out of her line of fire to strike with her extended right fist-. Which meets only mist, Crimson Avenger becoming intangible as it intersects with her face. I have my rings handle evasion, keeping Ted and myself out of her line of fire even as she adapts to my evasiveness.

Ring, scan her face and try to find matches-.

At least he's faster than she can keep up with. Downside is, she's too tenacious to give up, thanks to the Guns' curse.

Jill Carlyle. Lawyer. Reported missing three months ago.

Diana imposes herself into Miss Carlyle's mist, blocking her eyes with her own head and striking at both guns with her hands. And it's working, she can't fire when the guns are intangible-.

Unfortunately, that doesn't mean you're safe.

The plume of mist wafts across-

Evade!

-the drawing room, Miss Carlyle calmly walking out with her guns raised. There's a very slight delay before she fires again, and I'm already moving-.

Slippery as an eel, with a hell of a bite.

Ring, are those bullets punching through the walls?

Yes.

...Makes me wonder if she's tried to shoot him at other times, only for him to Exit, Honden Right and causing the shot to miss him...

I get a sudden mental picture of their flight path. The Themysciran embassy isn't fortified enough to block high powered bullets, and I seem to remember that these ones are demonic or something? There are people working here, and being Amazons they're rushing to arm up.

I need to get Ted out of here.

Good idea, because I don't think the other ladies have quite the same talent with 'Bullets and Bracelets' that Diana does.

I fire energy pulses at Miss Carlyle's face and hands and another at the window. She doesn't bother evading, her outline rippling faintly as the pulses pass through. It does prevent her shooting for a moment, and I use that to extend a filament outside and transition both of us into the sky.

"Who the hell was that?!"

Long story short? Supernatural assassin with ghost powers... The usual thing.

"Her name's Jill Carlyle. She's a missing person. Did you recognise the guns?"

"Colt Nineteen elevens? Yeah, I recognise them."

The sidearm of choice for American military forces for most of the Twentieth Century.

"No, those specific ones. The decoration on the grip. They're Crimson Avenger's old guns."

"I don't know if his guns were custom jobs."

They'd kind of have to be, but I suspect the mystical aspects are something else entirely.

"Her bullets punched through my construct and-."

And there's a hole in my shoulder. We're a mile up, how is-? Doesn't matter. She can teleport and has unearthly aim. Transition again and keep moving.

Ah, Adrenaline. Also the Ring's ability to disable pain reflexes.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes, it's just a-. I don't really feel pain and I fight by ring, so getting shot in the shoulder doesn't really do all that much. I'll fix it now. Did you know Crimson Avenger One?"

I doubt they moved in the same circles. Likely not the same city, either.

Since my armour's not doing anything I send it back into subspace, along with my shirt. Whatever magic causes it to bypass armour doesn't seem to otherwise increase the amount of damage it causes. That's a pretty normal bullet wound, and the bullet is lodged in my scapula. If it was punching through brick walls and my constructs then it should have gone in the front and then out the back.

"Ah, no, not well. Met him a couple of times in the war, but he was from my dad's generations, and he never joined the JSA."

Figures. The bullets aim to do the most damage possible. So a hit to just meat will punch through. But bone? He's lucky it didn't fragment.

"Okay, so do you think she was aiming for you or for me?"

"You're the one with the bullet in his shoulder."

He was in the way. No doubt the Guns have little consideration for collateral damage.

"Yes but -no offence intended- I was the priority target. If I died then the fall would probably kill you."

It's not healing. Okay, attach a construct to the bullet-. Naturally it falls apart. Okay, create a-. Create a tool for fishing around inside myself? What am I, a monkey?

Hey, if the banana fits, Ook Ook...

I disintegrate my own shoulder, the bullet falling into a construct-supported metal tray. Then I reconstruct my shoulder, and test the motion. Yes, good.

"You mind.. warning me next time you plan something like that?"

...Same old OL. No idea of restraint. Good thing Ted has a damn strong stomach.

"Oh. Ah, sorry."

I use my newly reconstructed shoulder to move my hand to a pouch and take out a rune stone. Bullet is… Weakly magical, and the intensity is decreasing. So the magic effect is generated by either the gun or the shooter. Might explain why it tapers off. Good for one surface only?

So you need to get the Guns away from the cursed wielder. Good luck with that.

"Orange Lantern to Blue Lantern."

His face appears almost immediately. "You and Ted okay?"

Sounds like he hauled ass to the Embassy.

"Yes, one little bullet wound. I've saved the bullet. Has she left the embassy?"

"Yeah, about five seconds after you did."

...Maybe her teleportation has a height limit. Or requires something to stand on when landing. Like Reaper from Overwatch.

I turn my head to look directly at Ted. "Five dollars says I was the target."

"I'll take that bet. You know how many enemies I've made?"

And how many of them are still around? I'm guessing not a lot.

"You know how many of them are still alive?" Ah. "Sorry. Alan. Was anyone else hurt?"

"Diana's got a grazed hand. Whoever it was teleported out just as the other gals charged the room."

Ow. That says a lot about the bullet's lethality, then. Diana's basically bullet-resistant, isn't she?

"Jill Carlyle. And I think she was using Crimson Avenger's guns."

"You noticed that? You been staying after class with Batman?"

Heh. I'm guessing Alan still hasn't really looked at what his ring can do, has he?

"No, of course not. It's an image stored in my ring from when I did research on old superheroes. I just compared the two."

He nods. "Yeah, that makes more sense. Not all of us are Batman. Okay, Zatara's going to come by and try and work out what sort of magic she was using, then we'll see if he can block it. I'll pass her name on to Batman."

Sounds like the whole League might get a bulletin about her. Though some might not want to stick around. Looking at you, Barry. Icon and the Hawks probably have a bit of blood on their hands too...

"She's-."

"A missing person." Closer inspection of his projection shows that his eyes are glowing. "I can learn how to do interweb searches too, you know."

Ah, old people with new toys.

I don't know whether that was intentional or.. not.

Wait.

Yes, OL. Who else has been shooting at you lately, hmm?

I float the flattened bullet up, and calculate what it looked like before it flattened… Add a little abrasion from the force field…

She's the one who shot at me and Dana. Or someone with those guns did. I suppose that the multiple layers of shielding dealt with the penetration spell-effect. But why only one shot? Why didn't she maintain the attack?

So, that question's solved. Presumably she assumed she'd only need or get one shot off.

"We'll need to go over the police interviews. See if she was acting strangely before she vanished."

"And look for other gunshot victims. If she's been gone three months there's no reason to assume that we were her first targets."

Almost certainly not. Hell, her origin is using the Guns on a particular asshole she failed to successfully prosecute.

"Good point." He smiles. "Welcome back to Earth, I-."

BANG!

Sorry, Alan, no time to chat. It looks like she found a vantage point.

Thankfully, the Ring is still on auto-dodge, right? Right? Still, this could be a lively couple of chapters. And hopefully more than a little frustrating for the spirt of the Guns. Imagine having to try and chase down someone as slippery as OL is. And she's stuck pursuing him until she either kills him, or tries to kill herself (which simply aborts the 'case' she's on...) I wonder which is more likely.

Ngamer11 · Feb 19, 2022

Chojin Patriarch said:
Ow. That says a lot about the bullet's lethality, then. Diana's basically bullet-resistant, isn't she?

Actually, she uses her bracelets to block bullets because they can penetrate her skin. Something about her being tough enough to take blunt attacks, like punches, but not tough enough to stop piercing attacks, like bullets.

Darko · Feb 19, 2022

Ngamer11 said:
Actually, she uses her bracelets to block bullets because they can penetrate her skin. Something about her being tough enough to take blunt attacks, like punches, but not tough enough to stop piercing attacks, like bullets.

That always felt weird.

Then again, it's far from the weirdest weakness she's ever had.

moralrelativity · Feb 19, 2022

Mr Zoat said:
through my construct and

construct -> constructs

Stsword · Feb 19, 2022

Ngamer11 said:
Actually, she uses her bracelets to block bullets because they can penetrate her skin. Something about her being tough enough to take blunt attacks, like punches, but not tough enough to stop piercing attacks, like bullets.

In the comics, yes, at least until the nineties, where with her death she was turned into an Olympian and gained invulnerability that covered piercing attacks like bullets.

Here, since that doesn't make sense to Zoat, she is bullet proof, and those guns hurt her anyway.

Mr Zoat · Feb 19, 2022

hance1986 said:
' generation '

Thank you, corrected.

Vanbers said:
The lore of this ABSOLUTE BEHEMOTH is tough to keep straight sometimes.

To quote MacBeth, 'Tell me about it.'

Old Knife said:
So spirit of vengeance trapped inside the guns?

You'd rather it be in a bike?

Ngamer11 said:
Actually, she uses her bracelets to block bullets because they can penetrate her skin. Something about her being tough enough to take blunt attacks, like punches, but not tough enough to stop piercing attacks, like bullets.

Yeah, I'm not using that particular piece of canonically stupidity. Originally, Diana needed to use her bracers because she was only as strong as an peak fitness human woman. As her strength has been constantly amped up they've kept the bracers, but they don't serve the same function any longer.

moralrelativity said:
construct -> constructs

I don't think so?

Stsword said:
Here, since that doesn't make sense to Zoat, she is bullet proof, and those guns hurt her anyway.

These particular guns are mystically empowered.

Ngamer11 · Feb 19, 2022

Mr Zoat said:
Yeah, I'm not using that particular piece of canonically stupidity. Originally, Diana needed to use her bracers because she was only as strong as an peak fitness human woman. As her strength has been constantly amped up they've kept the bracers, but they don't serve the same function any longer.

So she only uses them to control where bullets ricochet, and in case whatever is shot at her is tougher than a normal bullet. Could she one day do that big shockwave attack from the DCEU by slamming her bracers together?

Oglymogly · Feb 19, 2022

Stsword said:
In the comics she went after Wildcat for framing a man for a murder he didn't commit after he did murder three other people.

The guns' definition of innocent is wordgamed into a meaningless buzzword.

If I had to put money on it, I would bet that the guns 'logic' looks for spirits whom died unjust deaths. In the canon Wildcat example, the man was sentenced for a crime he did not commit, to punish the man for other crimes he did. But my guess is that if Wildcat killed the man with his own hands, Crimson Avenger II wouldn't have targeted Wildcat.

I can think of at least one time OL killed someone for a unjust reason, very early in his career. Sure, Al Ghul got better, but isn't he suspected to be actually factually dead now?

Prince Charon · Feb 19, 2022

Oglymogly said:
I can think of at least one time OL killed someone for a unjust reason, very early in his career. Sure, Al Ghul got better, but isn't he suspected to be actually factually dead now?

I'm not sure whether the guns would consider his killing of Ra's al Ghul to be unjust.

nick012000 · Feb 19, 2022

Oglymogly said:
If I had to put money on it, I would bet that the guns 'logic' looks for spirits whom died unjust deaths. In the canon Wildcat example, the man was sentenced for a crime he did not commit, to punish the man for other crimes he did. But my guess is that if Wildcat killed the man with his own hands, Crimson Avenger II wouldn't have targeted Wildcat.

I can think of at least one time OL killed someone for a unjust reason, very early in his career. Sure, Al Ghul got better, but isn't he suspected to be actually factually dead now?

I think Paul might be getting his just deserts for the Citadelian genocide he committed.

Darko · Feb 19, 2022

nick012000 said:
I think Paul might be getting his just deserts for the Citadelian genocide he committed.

Paul has committed a lot of other murders that could also qualify.

The Citadelians are far from innocent, but as we know, the guns don't care about innocence.

Oglymogly · Feb 19, 2022

Prince Charon said:
I'm not sure whether the guns would consider his killing of Ra's al Ghul to be unjust.

Paul sniped him just so he could find the Lazurus Pit faster. Not for any act Ra ever took, just so he could find something to steal it. Sure, OL expected him to get back up, but rail gun head shots do count as lethal, and the guns' judgment is infamously spotty.

Ngamer11 · Feb 19, 2022

Mr Zoat, I was rereading, and found some errors. Since there is red coloring due to Red Lantern Paul, I'll mark the errors in orange.

Mr Zoat said:
"You didn't, did you? What was the discussion like? 'Oh, it's just some primitive place. Might as well just fly in, grab whoever we want and leave again, it's not like anyone there can stop us.'" I float closer to hir. "Well done for picking up the wrong woman, by the way. Do all Tamaranians look alike to you? Was an identity scan really too much like hard work you lackadaisical fuckwit?"

Mr Zoat said:
I walk into the centre of the room and flop down on one of the settees. "People from more technologically advanced societies who think they can do whatever they like on our world. They had no right to remove someone from this jurisdiction yet they tried anyway because the people whose job it normally is to stop things like that wouldn't have been strong enough to stop them." I tilt my head to the side for a moment. "Not that I have to tell a Tamaranian what that's like."

Mr Zoat said:
Tamaran 16… What with the destruction of their industrial infrastructure by the Citadel and the siege-like conditions they live in now Tamaranians are never seen outside of the Vega Systems here. They certainly can't fly at faster than light speeds under their own power.

These should all say 'Tamaranean'.

Mr Zoat · Feb 19, 2022

Ngamer11 said:
Mr Zoat, I was rereading, and found some errors. Since there is red coloring due to Red Lantern Paul, I'll mark the errors in orange.

These should all say 'Tamaranean'.

Thank you, corrected.

rkyeun · Feb 19, 2022

Darko said:
Heck, he may still go to Heaven or Hell, since according to the angels a person needs to actually participate in the worship and rituals of their gods in order to go to an afterlife that belongs to those gods.

He's definitely been doing the work of Eris.

Radiant Knight · Feb 19, 2022

Oi, if you know she's magic, and she's already hit you, get out of the Thaumosphere.

webxro · Feb 19, 2022

Goddamn Constantine "avoid me" magic is really good. I mean it not only distracted Paul but it also distracted everybody in the thread too, nobody even remembers that he was the target of the next investigation.

Pinklestia · Feb 19, 2022

Whenever Possible said:
If Paul just died, then this time he might actually end up in Erebus instead of getting forced to the Silver City or just discorporating in space until a clone body shows up.

Paul is an energy snake inside an organic body, it shoulf take full body destruction to kill him.

And wow have orange rings been nerfed; whatever happened to the whole eat anything?

Michael Vonica · Feb 19, 2022

Whenever Paul finally remembers that he has to go find Constantine, someone else remembers that they need to find Paul. In such a chaotic manner that everything from before is forgotten.

Cuchulin · Feb 19, 2022

Ngamer11 said:
So she only uses them to control where bullets ricochet, and in case whatever is shot at her is tougher than a normal bullet. Could she one day do that big shockwave attack from the DCEU by slamming her bracers together?

I am reminded of that one fan explanation of why she uses bracers instead of just standing there like Superman, bullets make her boobs jiggle and that causes gunmen to target them to see them bounce instead of trying to kill her.

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

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Well worn.

I am always here

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Experienced.

A pitiful excuse for a man.

Connoisseur.

Connoisseur.

Connoisseur.

I trust you know where the happy button is?

Veteran Lurker

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Recovering pendant.

Versed in the lewd.

Dedicated ragequitter

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Just zis guy, you know?

Connoisseur.

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Not too sore, are you?

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