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

[Mr Zoat]

I've been wondering, considering how Paul has rebuilt his body twice and has been in contact with those who have pushed their body to peak and super human, along with having access to multiple super serums. How is his baseline abilities compared to a normal human, without his rings or armor?

Click to shrink...

About the same. His unusual soul structure means that magical augmentative formulae don't work properly for him. His concept of self combined with an orange power ring means that cybernetics are out. And as for mundane chemical augmentations... You saw Tangseid.

Physically, he's a perfected version of his pre-ring self. But other than fixing his eyes and removing heavy metals he hasn't really done anything to his body, because... How strongly can you feel about getting a slightly more effective liver? What would that even be like? Getting rid of things that shouldn't be there was easy. The eyes were harder because he actually had to study the relevent biology and firmly decide 'this is me'.

 

[PDV]

About the same. His unusual soul structure means that magical augmentative formulae don't work properly for him. His concept of self combined with an orange power ring means that cybernetics are out. And as for mundane chemical augmentations... You saw Tangseid.

Physically, he's a perfected version of his pre-ring self. But other than fixing his eyes and removing heavy metals he hasn't really done anything to his body, because... How strongly can you feel about getting a slightly more effective liver? What would that even be like? Getting rid of things that shouldn't be there was easy. The eyes were harder because he actually had to study the relevent biology and firmly decide 'this is me'.

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Didn't he rework things so that he has the stamina to run a marathon without the usual muscle damage cascade, and similar strength and other enhancements? At Diana's insistence, while she was giving him training assignments?

Which is still technically human but in the sense Captain America is human.

 

[Mr Zoat]

Didn't he rework things so that he has the stamina to run a marathon without the usual muscle damage cascade, and similar strength and other enhancements? At Diana's insistence, while she was giving him training assignments?

Which is still technically human but in the sense Captain America is human.

Click to shrink...

There's a rather good quote from Batgirl (the comic) where a couple of agents are observing her fight. One suggests that she has to be a metahuman, which provokes the other into listing what a peak human can do and pointing out that nothing she does is impossible.

He can set his ring to repair him, even oxygenate his blood so that he never has to use anerobic respiration. But as far as I remember I've never written anything about his going into full augmentation territory.

 

[PDV]

I'm reasonably certain that you did. Specifically added musculature, possibly within technical human limits. He ran long distances as training without ring assistance, someone asked in the thread how, and you clarified that he'd made himself weakly superhuman.

 

[Mr Zoat]

I'm reasonably certain that you did. Specifically added musculature, possibly within technical human limits. He ran long distances as training without ring assistance, someone asked in the thread how, and you clarified that he'd made himself weakly superhuman.

Click to shrink...

...

I wanted to put the 'oh, I may have' gif from Waterworld here. Unfortunately, Google has been invaded by something called Yarn and image searches aren't working properly.

Honestly, the difference between 'unusually strong' and 'mildly superhuman' isn't that big and almost certainly won't matter.

 

[Cuchulin]

There's a rather good quote from Batgirl (the comic) where a couple of agents are observing her fight. One suggests that she has to be a metahuman, which provokes the other into listing what a peak human can do and pointing out that nothing she does is impossible.

He can set his ring to repair him, even oxygenate his blood so that he never has to use anerobic respiration. But as far as I remember I've never written anything about his going into full augmentation territory.

Click to shrink...

It seems likely to me that Paragon will never get exhausted as long he has a Ring with a decent charge level, that is he will never get to the point where he is covered in sweat and stats gasping for Air because he doesn't want to. That would in theory allow him to do things like run a marathon at sprint speed with out collapsing.
That said it's hard to picture any version of the SI getting into a situation where they would need to keep up that level of physical activity for any length of time.

 

[Mr Zoat]

23rd July 2013
11:09 GMT

"I had thought-" The voice emerges from a cavern at the end of the tunnel. The tunnel is just too short to walk upright, while not short enough to force me to crawl. It's also made of something which resists phasing. "-that you were told last time that you shouldn't just walk!"

It's her home, I suppose. I scan -a small chamber with one old woman in it- and then attach a filament to Mantis before transitioning us both forwards-

"I-."

-just in time for her staff to hit me on the top of my helmet.
Rebuke of Wisdom
"Ow."

I reach up to rub my head as she turns away from me to stare at Mantis-. I'm still wearing my helmet. Which doesn't appear to have been damaged. And my environmental shield and inertia shield are still active. And while New Gods are uniformly stronger than their muscles suggest that they should be, those muscles are an approximate guide to how much their strength is a part of their divine nature. Someone built like a pipe cleaner in the way that she is wouldn't be strong enough-.
Rebuke of Wisdom
"Ow."

Oh, it's New God magic bullshit. That makes perfect sense.

"Hades already told you that you shouldn't keep people waiting just because you think you should walk."

I frown. "How did you see that? You shouldn't be able to see me."

She swivels around from Mantis and golly gosh she has not aged gracefully at all. "I can't. But I know everything around you. I can see the waves you make."

"Hm." Hard to do, but certainly plausible. I wonder if there's a way-.
Rebuke of Wisdom
"Ow."

"You came here for a reason, human. A cure for the disease."

Two clicks from Mantis. "Yes. A cure. For the disease. What is it?"

"First, I need to explain why your peoples are afflicted." She cranes her neck towards me, staring into my eyes. "To understand your role in this."

Ah. "Is it because I messed with Orion? I know that red rings can be spiritually corrupting, but I don't see how the knock on effect would be a disease epidemic."

Mantis glares at me, clicking. "You caused the disease?"

"I didn't think that I did, but if Mistress K'Zandr is about to tell me otherwise then I may be mistaken."

She hobbles back towards the room's central pool, leaning on the staff held in her right hand and waving her left hand at me-.

"I get enough of that from Controller Hinon. Just tell me."

She scowls at me. "I live on my own in a cave and I get a visitor once a century. Let me have some fun."

"Hang on. You're a New God. This isn't a false personality like Hinon uses to let us short lived species communicate with her. This is the real you."

"Yes, I get to live honestly. And if you want to skip the ceremony-."

"You want to skip the ceremony. You told me that I shouldn't walk for the sake of reverence. So this is irreverence."

She turns back, regarding me for a moment. "Fine. Watch."
Traumatic Revelation
"What w-?"

The world vanishes, and a-. Ugh, that-. Anti-Life. How it felt from inside the network. But this time I'm.. outside, watching it, looking at the nodes which I know to be broadcasters… And the smaller ones representing the City Bosses and… All the people who resonated and were taken in by it. And… The world itself, drifting towards ruination and union with the soul of Darkseid.

I look for myself, because I should be visible, but I can't see-.

Then the light comes, radiating out from a point in the network-. Washington, I recognise the positioning of the broadcasters. And the light is rushing out through the network and purifying-.

Wait. Why did-?

The background sort of… Wobbled? Feedback of some sort? I suppose that I shouldn't be entirely surprised, given the amount of power we threw around to make that happen, and…. Given what happened, it would have been prohibitively difficult for any Earth-based magician to detect it beyond 'yes, a lot of stuff happened'.

The wobble… Stops-. No, weakens as it spreads out-.

Aaaaaah. What did that do? I try to pull back from whatever this vision is, but it.. doesn't work and I don't want to force it. Okay, so-.

The point of view changes, and I get to watch as it moves through the universe, and… That's Apokolips, and it doesn't appear to make the worst place in the universe any worse, and that's New Genesis where it… Parts of the place… Wobble? And some wobble harder than others, and some of them sort of.. vibrate…

"Fine. Fine. Something happened here as a result of-."

And the wobbles are… Gone? No, wait, something-.

Eyes open-.

And I'm back in the room, Mantis making menacing scraping noises at me.

"Something happened here because we removed the Anti-Life from Earth. Fine, I'll cop to that. But that didn't show me what it was, or how it relates to a disease that can infect New Gods and insectoids."

"Weren't you paying attention. The eyes."

"Yes, they were very ominous. They also aren't a disease."

She makes a quiet grunting noise in the back of her throat. "Do you know what an Old God is?"

"It's what Canis calls the second most powerful class of arcane lifeforms which arose from my world's thaumosphere. Powerful, and with human-like intelligence."

She shakes her head. "Those aren't Old Gods, though I see why an Apokoliptian would make that mistake. Do you understand what makes us New Gods?"

"You're physical beings with extremely powerful metaphysiques keyed to a particular concept."

"Yes. A material equivalent to the beings your species worships. An Old God is similar, though more like the primordials who sired them."

"They exist as flesh?"

"More or less. And in almost all cases they should be referred to in the past tense."

"And I woke one up."

"No. Not fully, or all reality would know about it. But he stirs, and even that has effects."

…

"I can't analyse the disease because it's not a disease. It's part of his body. Alright, so I need to either kill him or send him fully back to sleep. How do I do that?"

She rolls her eyes. "If I knew that, do you think I'd bother talking to you about it?"

…

"No. I suppose not."

 

[Ngamer11]

Hopefully Mantis won't try to attack Paul from what little he was able to comprehend from this conversation.

 

[Zig]

But he stirs, and even that has affects."

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effects

 

[AmericanNumbers]

So this disease is an energy drain? And it's a consequence of them messing with the Anti Life and the White Light?
Oh, good lord did the whole black ops experiment Darkseid is running with Pauls and the response wake Yuga Khan?
That is very much no bueno.

 

[Darko]

staff to him me on the top

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"to hit"

 

[Chojin Patriarch]

23rd July 2013
11:09 GMT

"I had thought-" The voice emerges from a cavern at the end of the tunnel. The tunnel is just too short to walk upright, while not short enough to force me to crawl. It's also made of something which resist phasing. "-that you were told last time that you shouldn't just walk!"

It's her home, I suppose. I scan -a small chamber with one old woman in it- and then attach a filament to Mantis before transitioning us both forwards-

Click to shrink...

Probably fairly-sized for the madame of the 'house'. 'Last time', though? Interesting that she should call back to OL's first visit to the Hellenic Underworld, where he walked all the way down, much to the ire of those waiting...

Spoiler: Commentary spoilered for length

"I-."

-just in time for her staff to him me on the top of my helmet.
Rebuke of Wisdom
"Ow."

Click to shrink...

Ha! At least this one has the spirit to wallop him for being stupid.

I reach up to rub my head as she turns away from me to stare at Mantis-. I'm still wearing my helmet. Which doesn't appear to have been damaged. And my environmental shield and inertia shield are still active. And while New Gods are uniformly stronger than their muscles suggest that they should be, those muscles are an approximate guide to how much their strength is a part of their divine nature. Someone built like a pipe cleaner in the way that she is wouldn't be strong enough-.
Rebuke of Wisdom
"Ow."

Click to shrink...

Watch what you're saying there, OL. Even what you're thinking. I have no doubt she's aware of it.

Oh, it's New God magic bullshit. That makes perfect sense.

"Hades already told you that you shouldn't keep people waiting just because you think you should walk."

Click to shrink...

Hmm... Simple psychometric 'past-viewing', or is she somehow analogous to one of the Hellenic deities, such as the Grey Ladies?

I frown. "How did you see that? You shouldn't be able to see me."

She swivels around from Mantis and golly gosh she has not aged gracefully at all. "I can't. But I know everything around you. I can see the waves you make."

Click to shrink...

Unlike some immortal women, she embraces the aspect of the Crone. Probably the only way to get respect from some of the younger New Gods.

"Hm." Hard to do, but certainly plausible. I wonder of there's a way-.
Rebuke of Wisdom
"Ow."

Click to shrink...

That's never going to get old... For us readers, at least. I suspect OL's getting a little sick of it already.

"You came here for a reason, human. A cure for the disease."

Two clicks from Mantis. "Yes. A cure. For the disease. What is it?"

Click to shrink...

Good, at least one of you knows how to follow the script.

"First, I need to explain why your peoples are afflicted." She cranes her neck towards me, staring into my eyes. "To understand your role in this."

Ah. "Is it because I messed with Orion? I know that red rings can be spiritually corrupting, but I don't see how the knock on effect would be a disease epidemic."

Click to shrink...

I think it goes deeper than one New God, OL. In some continuities, the White Light and the Source are connected...

Mantis glares at me, clicking. "You caused the disease?"

"I didn't think that I did, but if Mistress K'Zandr is about to tell me otherwise then I may be mistaken."

Click to shrink...

At which point Mantis may feel the need to commit some vengeance on you.

She hobbles back towards the room's central pool, leaning on the staff held in her right hand and waving her left hand at me-.

"I get enough of that from Controller Hinon. Just tell me."

Click to shrink...

Dammit, OL, stop hitting the 'Skip Cutscene' button!

She scowls at me. "I live on my own in a cave and I get a visitor once a century. Let me have some fun."

"Hang on. You're a New God. This isn't a false personality like Hinon uses to let us short lived species communicate with her. This is the real you."

Click to shrink...

And it's evidently one she enjoys. How else does she get away with bonking foolish young heroes on the head with a staff?

"Yes, I get to live honestly. And if you want to skip the ceremony-."

"You want to skip the ceremony. You told me that I shouldn't walk for the sake of reverence. So this is irreverence."

Click to shrink...

Time is of the essence here. Every moment that passes may mean the death of Primitives or Foragers.

She turns back, regarding me for a moment. "Fine. Watch."
Traumatic Revelation
"What w-?"

Click to shrink...

Ah, time for an oracular vision, eh?

The world vanishes, and a-. Ugh, that-. Anti-Life. How it felt from inside the network. But this time I'm.. outside, watching it, looking at the nodes which I know to be broadcasters… And the smaller ones representing the City Bosses and… All the people who resonated and were taken in by it. And… The world itself, drifting towards ruination and union with the soul of Darkseid.

Click to shrink...

Very picturesque, if somewhat horrifying.

I look for myself, because I should be visible, but I can't see-.

Then the light comes, radiating out from a point in the network-. Washington, I recognise the positioning of the broadcasters. And the light is rushing out through the network and purifying-.

Click to shrink...

Blinding, but visible because burning his eyes out won't exactly get the message across, of course.

Wait. Why did-?

The background sort of… Wobbled? Feedback of some sort? I suppose that I shouldn't be entirely surprised, given the amount of power we threw around to make that happen, and…. Given what happened, it would have been prohibitively difficult for any Earth-based magician to detect it beyond 'yes, a lot of stuff happened'.

Click to shrink...

The discharge echoing through the Universe at large? Rippling all the way to the Source Wall and back...

The wobble… Stops-. No, weakens as it spreads out-.

Aaaaaah. What did that do? I try to pull back from whatever this vision is, but it.. doesn't work and I don't want to force it. Okay, so-.

Click to shrink...

What it did was send a clear message. Someone used the power of Life itself to cast out Anti-Life...

The point of view changes, and I get to watch as it moves through the universe, and… That's Apokolips, and it doesn't appear to make the worst place in the universe any worse, and that's New Genesis where it… Parts of the place… Wobble? And some wobble harder than others, and some of them sort of.. vibrate…

Click to shrink...

I expect the more spiritually inclined New Gods, like Highfather, felt quite the jolt from it.

"Fine. Fine. Something happened here as a result of-."

And the wobbles are… Gone? No, wait, something-.

Click to shrink...

Ah. The shockwave got something's attention, did it?

Eyes open-.

And I'm back in the room, Mantis making menacing scraping noises at me.

Click to shrink...

...Something powerful.

"Something happened here because we removed the Anti-Life from Earth. Fine, I'll cop to that. But that didn't show me what it was, or how it relates to a disease that can infect New Gods and insectiods."

"Weren't you paying attention. The eyes."

Click to shrink...

An ancient power of... Disease? Weakening and Illness?

"Yes, they were very ominous. They also aren't a disease."

She makes a quiet grunting noise in the back of her throat. "Do you know what an Old God is?"

Click to shrink...

...Oh. Oohhh. Shiiiit.

"It's what Canis calls the second most powerful class of arcane lifeforms which arose from my world's thaumosphere. Powerful, and with human-like intelligence."

She shakes her head. "Those aren't Old Gods, though I see why an Apokoliptian would make that mistake. Do you understand what makes us New Gods?"

Click to shrink...

They're the successors to what came before. A tale familiar to Hellenic and Norse myth, certainly. Though via different methods.

"You're physical beings with extremely powerful metaphysiques keyed to a particular concept."

"Yes. A material equivalent to the beings your species worships. An Old God is similar, though more like the primordials who sired them."

Click to shrink...

And whatever the White Light disturbed is something of that tier. Hooo boy.

"They exist as flesh?"

"More or less. And in almost all cases they should be referred to in the past tense."

Click to shrink...

'That which is dead can eternal lie...' Being Capital-D Dead doesn't exactly stop them from doing things.

"And I woke one up."

"No. Not fully, or all reality would know about it. But he stirs, and even that has affects."

Click to shrink...

...Why do I get the feeling it's Nekron, or something analogous to him.? Not fully awakened yet, but the White Light gave it an itch it's scratching here on New Genesis... By killing a lot of lesser beings.

…

"I can't analyse the disease because it's not a disease. It's part of his body. Alright, so I need to either kill him or send him fully back to sleep. How do I do that?"

Click to shrink...

Be careful what questions you ask of an Oracle, OL. You might not like the answers you get.

She rolls her eyes. "If I knew that, do you think I'd bother talking to you about it?"

…

"No. I suppose not."

Click to shrink...

So if she knew, she'd have gone and done something about it, just to keep the figurative noise down? How crotchety of her.

So, then. The dream of an Old God is wending its way across New Genesis, leaving sickness in its wake. I have to wonder what's happening in Supertown right now. Would have though the other team would have called in at some point by now to compare notes. If nothing else, maybe they could offer some assistance in locating and pacifying this ancient Power...

 

[genkumon]

If the effect is localized to New Genesis...well, hello there S'ivaa. Good morning!

 

[Duke Long]

"I had thought-" The voice emerges from a cavern at the end of the tunnel. The tunnel is just too short to walk upright, while not short enough to force me to crawl. It's also made of something which resist phasing. "-that you were told last time that you shouldn't just walk!"

It's her home, I suppose. I scan -a small chamber with one old woman in it- and then attach a filament to Mantis before transitioning us both forwards-

Click to shrink...

'resists'
I'm surprised it's not scan proof. Though knowing New Gods it's plausible that it is scan proof, but only when K'zandr wants it to be.

"Hm." Hard to do, but certainly plausible. I wonder of there's a way-.

Click to shrink...

'if'

"Something happened here because we removed the Anti-Life from Earth. Fine, I'll cop to that. But that didn't show me what it was, or how it relates to a disease that can infect New Gods and insectiods."

Click to shrink...

'insectoids'

 

[012345]

"I can't analyse the disease because it's not a disease. It's part of his body.

Click to shrink...

So if every infected have parts of that Old Gods body on them would mass healing of symptoms by Purple Ray shooting affect somehowe Maine body of it? As Purple Rays boost not just person shot but also infection?

 

[Neruz]

Congratz Paul you accidentally woke up Shub-Niggurath.

 

[Darko]

Probably fairly-sized for the madame of the 'house

Click to shrink...

At least it's not like that cave in the Dune movie where they had to crawl.

Ha! At least this one has the spirit to wallop him for being stupid.

Click to shrink...

And thousands are jealous of her.

I think it goes deeper than one New God, OL. In some continuities, the White Light and the Source are connected

Click to shrink...

Heck, in the comics Highfather tried to get power rings to fight Anti-Life.

 

[Mr Zoat]

effects

Click to shrink...

"to hit"

Click to shrink...

Thank you, corrected.

'Last tine', though?

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time

'resists'
'if'
'insectoids'

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Thank you, corrected.

 

[Cuchulin]

Congratz Paul you accidentally woke up Shub-Niggurath.

Click to shrink...

Lucky for him, he is to spicey for Shub-Niggurath.

 

[mastermenthe]

If the effect is localized to New Genesis...well, hello there S'ivaa. Good morning!

Click to shrink...

S'ivaa (New Earth)

S'ivaa was last of the Old Gods. After the death of the Old Gods and before the rise of the new, there was a time when monstrous shadow elementals walked the cosmos. The last of them remaining is S'ivaa, the Dancer of destruction, a powerful monster whose dance could destroy the universe. When...

dc.fandom.com

It checks out.

 

[Vaermina]

Rebuke of Wisdom

Click to shrink...

And it's extra effective because Orange Lantern used Wisdom and Charisma as his dump stats.

"I can't analyse the disease because it's not a disease. It's part of his body. Alright, so I need to either kill him or send him fully back to sleep. How do I do that?"

Click to shrink...

You don't, you go tell High Father and he deals with the problem.

 

[WereDragon]

She rolls her eyes. "If I knew that, do you think I'd bother talking to you about it?"

Click to shrink...

Yes. Because knowing how to do something does not automatically mean you are able and willing to do something.
You are metaphysically an oracle. I doubt you can even leave that cave without help.

 

[Darko]

You don't, you go tell High Father and he deals with the problem

Click to shrink...

Highfather is probably already aware that it's waking up.

Heck, he may let Paul fix this both as a way to make up for accidentally waking it up and because he knows that Paul can deal with weird and difficult crap.

He managed to get rid of Anti-Life from an entire planet and fought an Old God equivalent, Oceanus, which are things even Highfather may not have done.

 

[Steelplaza]

Alright, so I need to either kill him or send him fully back to sleep.

Click to shrink...

Or fully wake him up so he can control himself and not be causing a plague on accident.

Not saying that's the best option, but it's on the table. And the SI is usually reluctant to kill creatures before trying to talk to them if he hasn't established they're thoroughly malicious. Look at how he treated Forager. (Yes, I see others suspect it's S'ivaa, but we don't know for sure.)

 

[Mr Zoat]

23rd July 2013
11:31 GMT

Aarden looks disconcerted as Mantis and I walk into the Primitive's settlement. "Is.. that a bug?"

"Yes. His people are suffering from the same disease. Given the physiological differences between your two peoples that should be impossible, but it turns out that it might not be a disease organism in the strict sense."

He actually looks relieved. "Clearly, the oracle has given you a powerful vision. If-."

I nod. "Instead of just telling me, yes. I've got an idea for a cure, but it'll be slow going and uncomfortable."

He nods. "We will endure. What need do you have for me?"

I nod to a stone bench. "Sit down."

He chuckles, shaking his head. "I am steady as a mountain. I do not need-"

"You've been infected by a solution of an Old God's body tissues."

"-a-." He looks at my face to determine whether or not I'm playing some sort of joke. "An..?" Realising that I'm not joking, he makes a clenching motion with his right hand.
Support Me
The ground behind him buckles, extruding as seat of stone. He sits down heavily, gazing sightlessly ahead of himself. "An Old God."

"I haven't seen it directly myself, but that was what Ms. K'Zandr said."

"Such a thing could corrupt our connection to the Source…" He nods. "And that is making us ill."

"Something like that." I generate a construct dialysis machine. "So what I'm going to try and do is assimilate the cells without assimilating the rest of you."

"What is 'assimilate' in that context?"

"That's where I turn things into constructs."

"For how long?"

"About a hundred trillion years, give or take."

"So it's permanent."

"Well, we won't know for certain for a hundred trillion years, but probably. Now, if I start assimilating you by mistake, that's not a problem. I-."

He looks disconcerted. "It is a problem."

"I can just stop it. You don't become a construct until the process is fully complete."

"And if it is completed?"

"That's… Bad. So far I've only seen one person assimilated where I wouldn't have killed them if assimilation wasn't an option. He acts like himself for the most part, but I'm not sure if that's because he's still alive in a sense or if the ring's just best guessing how he'd behave and making the construct do that. But if this is a viable treatment, then I can remove the contamination matter from the bodies of everyone here, and then Mantis's colony, and then go looking for the source of the infection."

"What if we become reinfected?"

"Well, it should be possible for me to check your food sources. I already know that it's not in the air, so a few scans of your farms or hunting grounds should let me find it."

"And the Old God?"

"Hopefully, it'll go back to sleep. Failing that, some sort of telepathic sleep-inducer?" I nod to the machine. "Ready?"

"Yes."

Two x-ionised cannulae pierce his arm, a small amount of cloned blood being added to the mix as blood flows out of his artery and through my filter. Detect the right particle… And… assimilate.

Identity theft in progress. One percent complete.

"Have you begun?"

"Yes. Ring, announce progress."

Identity theft in progress. Two percent complete.

"Are you feeling anything?"

Aarden frowns. "A pinch, but nothing else."

"Okay, good, let me know if you feel anything else."

Two clicks from Mantis. "I will go next."

Ah…. I give him a quick scan, and there's appreciably less resistance than from Aarden. Shouldn't be any harder. "Alright, I think I can manage that. Though I can't completely guarantee that it will work in exactly the same way. Particularly given that your metaphysique is weaker than a New God's, so you'll be less able to resist if something goes wrong."

Identity theft in progress. Three percent complete.

Aarden looks curious. "Do the bugs have a connection to the Source?"

"I have no idea. Mantis has a stronger metaphysique than the average human, but anything else is outside of my area of expertise. If you need to know, I could call in an expert?"

"No, that won't be necessary. I had assumed-." He looks awkwardly at Mantis, who is quietly clicking to himself as he watches the blood purification process. "No, I suppose that was unfair."

"What's unfair? I knew that the New Gods of Supertown don't like them, but I don't remember hearing why."

"Their forebears come from Apokolips. They were sent here as living weapons. For a long time our hunting parties worked together with warriors from Supertown to destroy them. But if one of them can stand here and not lash out at everyone then they must have gained some degree of restraint."

"Mantis?"

Three clicks this time. "I am not hungry."

"That wasn't-." My ring flashes. "Excuse me." I hold my left hand up to my ear. "Orange Lantern, go ahead."

"Paul, we have a problem."

"Hello Lantern Rrab. Is it a disease outbreak? Because I'm working on that."

"No, there is no disease. But the people here are going crazy! They're picking fights with each other over every little thing and they're laughing about it!"

"Apparently, an Old God is stirring in its sleep. Down here that's having a knock on effect on people's physical health. Perhaps its affecting their minds up in Supertown?"

"That.. is possible. But how do I stop it?"

"Have you tried a telepathy jammer, just in case?"

"Yes. It didn't work."

"Then, try to stop them doing anything permanent, and when I deal with the Old God it should subside. I can-."

Identity theft in progress. Four percent complete.

The ground around us begins to shake!

 

[Signaller]

That definitely sounds like a red light infection. Alternatively, how would we figure out what the waking Old God is themed/keyed to?

 

[Neruz]

That definitely sounds like a red light infection. Alternatively, how would we figure out what the waking Old God is themed/keyed to?

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Sounds like the Flood really.

 

[mastermenthe]

That definitely sounds like a red light infection. Alternatively, how would we figure out what the waking Old God is themed/keyed to?

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Right now it does not matter what it is keyed to. This is an Old God's body performing a genetics-level operation. We can't trust it to indicate anything about the nature of the Old God's Domain. Cthulhu might be the one to stirr in his sleep, and you would still get similar results.