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

19th August 2010
16:08 GMT -5

I study the blood sample carefully.

Hm.

I had assumed that with the wide variety of super powers on offer on this.. crazy Earth, that it wouldn't be all that hard to enhance myself further. Except that when you take out all of the ones which -for some reason- flat out don't work on me, are lost in the mists of time or have… Really unpleasant side effects, there's very little left.

In… Theory, I could have managed the side effects of Venom Buster, but… I'm… Rather more attached to my body than that. It would make me tougher, but not tough enough for… Frankly, I think the ring would turn me back the moment I stopped focusing on the advantages. Who wants to be a hulking grey brute with no feeling in their skin?

My first choice was the General Immortus's immortality serum, for obvious reasons. But the man himself claimed that he only knew how to make it using substances that he'd already used up, and he didn't know what those substances were composed of because he ran out before the invention of mass spectroscopy. Finding a replacement was the whole reason why he became a supervillain in the modern era.

My second choice was that formula Lex Luthor used a few times in the comics to gain kryptonian powers. That would have had the side benefit of helping Mia with her underpowered human physiology, as well as gaining me access to them myself. But alas, it looks like Mr. Luthor hasn't developed anything like that on this Earth. And I've been looking very thoroughly.

Gingold? Like 99%+ of the population I'd die in horrible agony if I tried consuming it in the doses needed to gain the preternatural elasticity Mr Dibny uses it for. Miraclo? Has all sorts of side effect on the human body, and while I could undo them with the ring… 'Addictive' and 'orange power ring' are two things that don't go together at all well.

A veritable cavalcade of disappointments. Honestly, I got a bit desperate. I've been looking in all sorts of places for augmentations that actually work on me… Just about everywhere. The research notes of long-dead mad scientists. Government research programs that have long since been shut down. The occasional alien vivisectionist. And some of what I turned up is useful.. in.. various ways, but almost none of it could do what I wanted.

But this stuff…

I hold up the pale green vial.

This looks like it works. The animals I've tested it on get stronger, tougher and heal faster. And otherwise, neither their behaviour or appearance change. Well, not beyond the more dominant position they take in their social group as a result of being a whole lot stronger. It doesn't have an adverse reaction to my blood, ring simulations predict no negative effects… And if it does have some, it's all mundane so it's nothing that I can't reverse.

…

Right then. No need for anything as primitive as a syringe, but-.

Ring, monitor physiology and behaviour and inform me of any changes from baseline. Confirm command.

Command confirmed!

Right then. Dose me.

Right away!

Usually when I get an injection, there's an uncomfortable feeling of pressure in the vein receiving the injection. And I'm half-braced for that now, even though I know that the actual amount of the stuff entering my body at any one location is far too small for me to be consciously aware of it. If I wasn't.. studying it by ring-.

Yep. Yep. Involuntary muscle spasms-. I collapse to the ground, letting it happen but making sure that the ring protects me from any actual harm. My research showed that this only-. Lasts a minute or so in a human-sized animal, so it's just a matter of riding it out. A little disturbing to not be in control, but the ends justify the means.

Ugh.

Okay. I float up off the ground and back to my feet, flexing my arms as I do so. As expected, there's no outward sign of a change. I need to test it, but… Well, the ring could easily replicate the level of resilience and regeneration that would give me. And will, since I used it to give me something that I want. Which… Means I need to take it off. For actual testing, anyway. For just walking around I should keep it on for a little while, just to make sure that there aren't any untoward consequences in the immediate term.

I walk calmly out of my workshop and head in the direction of the Mountain's gymnasium. I haven't really used it much, but I was curious about how my ring-crafted muscles performed after I first got here and did enough to give me an idea about what my new limits are. Which means that I've got a performance baseline to compare my new abilities to.

Not much going on today. Mia and M'gann should be out of school by now, but they're both involved in after school activities so them not being back yet isn't a surprise. Wallace is.. probably doing something similar in Central City. Kaldur might live here, but unlike me he is a full time 'partner' of his mentor… Though I'm not exactly sad that Lantern Sur doesn't spend more time on Earth. Not that he was rude in the… One, five minute meeting that we had, but I… Don't really want to be exposed to the Guardians of the Galaxy at this point. Of course, of all the Lanterns who could be relied upon to keep the existence of a new Corps quiet…

The gym equipment is exactly as we left it after Mia's last workout session. Kaldur uses it as well, but he prefers simple things like dumbbells and barbells or just straining himself on a mat rather than the various more complex machines. If he wants to run, he goes outside rather than using a running machine. If he wants to get a full-body workout he goes swimming at extreme depths.

Okay, ring off-. Hah. Scan environment first.

Nothing untoward detected!

Then the ring comes off. I crouch and put it down on the ground next to the leg press. The weight… Is something that would be manageable but require effort with my normal muscles. That'll do for a first test. I stand, take off my jumper and drop it down next to my ring. Then I climb on board, laying back and putting my feet on the mechanism of the press. Settle in place and then push-.

Heh.

I push up and down, and up and down, and it's like it's nothing at all. I can barely feel the weight. I put it in a position which causes a continual strain and… Yes, I can hold it easily.

It worked. I mean, of course it worked, I've tested it thoroughly. But seeing -and in this case doing- is believing. I push against the press again and then relax, and then repeat a further eight times to check that it isn't… I don't know, a short term effect or something. No, just as easy as at the start. I'll need to test the added endurance later.

I get up, walking around the machine to move the pin… Did Kaldur ever tell me how much he could push on these? I'm coming up blank, but my memory is only perfect when I'm wearing the ring. That felt like nothing, so… Half again? Double? Double sounds about right. I move the pin and then lie back down.

Push…

I can feel it, but it still feels like less weight than the lower weight used to. Of course, these are standard gym machines designed for fit but essentially mundane humans. None of the records I got on the formula I used suggested that it could grant true super strength…

I do ten repetitions, then try to hold it in an awkward position. Mild burn, but I'm fairly sure I could-.

"Oh. Hey."

I turn my head as Artemis-. The name brings a smile to my lips. As Artemis walks in, wearing black jogging bottoms, a green sports bra and.. she's still got her mask on. She looks around for a moment and then marches over to one of the rowing machines.

"Good afternoon."

"Didn't think you worked out here."

She puts her towel and water bottle down beside a rowing machine, then moves the seat a little forward. She.. is a fine looking young woman, the tight clothing emphasising her athletic physique and secondary sexual characteristics.

"I usually don't, but I want to keep a record of my performance."

I move the plate back to the rest position and sit up, watching her as she takes her seat and reaches forward to grip the handles.

I… Want her.