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

noun
noun: fastness; plural noun: fastnesses

1. 1.​
   a secure place well protected by natural features.
   "a remote Himalayan mountain fastness"

 

*immediate enemy.

 

That gets easily taken down in cartoons.

The only time he was a real menace in a cartoon was in that Superman Animated episode.

 

Sure but Young Justice isn't exactly known for being fluffy lighthearted stories. If there was a DC canon where Sinestro is ten pounds of fuck in a three pound bag, it's probably this one.

 

Against Green rookies? Sure?

Against a guy so good with the orange light that he is basically made of it and is freaking hard to kill and keep him dead?

 

Hey remember that time Paul was all "lol it's just Bane and a hostage, it's no big deal"?

Don't underestimate a guy you've never met. Paul is powerful, but it's never the obvious things you can prepare for that get you.

 

For all we know he's got Parallax on tap right now and has for years, waiting for the moment that the other embodiment's emerged.

 

That or he wants to get a feel on the burgeoning Orange Lantern Corp and its leadership; he's already been contacted by Vril and Paul has been making waves across space, the orange light deals in avarice and they been mostly recruiting people who are greedy or have strong desires but aren't the most morally righteous, and whether they can be influenced in helping him destroy the Green Lantern Corp.

I figure he tries to get a bead on Paul by kidnapping one of his own, then discuss what exactly does Paul aim to accomplish, then depending on things go it devolves into a fight where Paul may or may not kill Sinestro as it would cement Kalmin in his corner as well as show of strength. Or he keeps him alive to better understand the Yellow light and ring if they decide to expand the current corp into a multi-light wielding organization, at the very least to be used a peace offering to the GLC to smooth over any future problem with them, and removes a possible future threat.

Plus even if Sinestro could call upon Parallax to aid him in a fight Paul can easily channel the Ophidian not to mention his enlightenment, and that time helping Siskin take control of the Horror Thing, makes Paul resistant into being cowed into defeat with pure fear.

 

Well, they really should have realized that taking the Ophidian's stuff would end poorly.

 

The Yellow Ring abandons it's previous owner and seeks out Paul. "Illustres Pa-" and the ring promptly short circuits.

 

God damn OL, from fucking spiders to really fucking spiders.

 

You know, if I recall right, the Sinestro Corp Rings don't power themselves off of their wielder's fear, but draw more so from the fear of their opponents, though mastering their own fear certainly helps them in cases where they can't draw on the opponent...

 

Given how far it is that may take time.

Unless they have a way to go there in a fast manner.

So he's recruiting.

Power rings could multiply in the comics, so maybe his can too.

Or he figured out how to make his own, like Abin Sur did in the comics.

'happily employed'

'who could'

'through the monastery'

The abbot who may be Sinestro.

You're learning.

"But be quick"

 

Yep, yellow rings and their constructs become stronger the more afraid the opponent is, but they don't recharge through that manner.

Blue rings can recharge by the hope around them.

 

I'd have gone with a giant serpent constricting or piercing it, myself. Seems more on-brand.

 

So... What's keeping the Spider Guild... Who 100% know where Earth is... From doing the same thing right back to Paragon?

 

Remember when Paul had a hard time making energy blasts because he didn't want to destroy things?

Honestly I'm pretty sure Chapter 1 Paul would be a bit horrified by Illustres Paul here.

 

The Spider Guild (the one Queen and her group aside) are unrepentant cannibal slavers.

They've aligned themselves with Sinestro and kidnapped one of OL's Corpsmen.

They have chosen death.

 

That's why it's such good horror fuel.

Knowing that there are circumstances that could lead to you, personally, being willing and able to scour multiple worlds of life.

 

So the assault was definitely not bloodless.One more thing to add to Sinestro's ledger. Presumably whoever did this had assumed that any aid would take some time to arrive, even a Lantern, and they could be long gone. Even OL took a few seconds to arrive after Onik's signal went dead. Very quick movement on the attacker's part, certainly.

Spoiler: Commentary spoilered for length

If the attacker, Sinestro or otherwise, knew what they were doing, Onik would be kept in some sort of catatonic state to prevent him forming desires. That will make tracking him via the Honden difficult.

Explains the Guild bots. But how did they get a Yellow Ring? Has Sinestro already begun the work of making a Corps? Is this guilder exceptional, or is there a whole Spider Guild base of Yellow Lanterns out there? Multiple? This bodes ill.

So no ersatz Fantastic Four in this timeline... And hopefully not ever, since it didn't end well for them. Only Terri Henshaw survived... As for the Weaponers... Varnathon could easily have made arrangements in the brief time he ruled...

Probably as part of pursuing a code 1963 ('Subject escaped into an interdimensional vortex.') Though I doubt the Guardians would have appreciated him poking the Anti-Matter universe.

Plenty of them to be wanting greater power... It's a plausible theory.

Yes, indeed. I have to wonder who knew Onik was coming here. Surely he'd have mentioned it to the abbot of the Lanternist monastery. Big honking red flag...

'Once is happenstance', sure... If another of your Lanterns is attacked, then you've got a case. Still thinking the abbot was involved, for my part.

To be fair, I rather think it might have been hard to hear in the noise of combat.

That is an especially good question.

Or he surrendered to protect his old friends, since he came from this monastery. Don't discount the possibility of hostages. The problem is the sheer speed of the defeat, though. Onik was talking to OL, after all, and didn't sound worried or panicked...

I see Xor caught up. But no sign of Dul or Toren? They didn't think to tell them about this? I would expect the Sector Green Lantern to at least want to know this happened.

The joy of having one of the seven biggest sticks in the Spectrum... And she likes him, for good measure, unlike some of the Embodiments...

The question is, where would Onik have been taken? Would the leadership of the local Guild worlds want that kind of attention?

And too many desires to clearly pick out Onik, even if he were conscious. Because if he was conscious, you'd expect him to be resisting his captors...

Playing bait it is, then. Make a big showy entrance, get everyone's attention, and see what crawls out of their holes.

Bonus: plenty of freed slaves who will be very confused as to why their captors turned around...

I rather suspect it would be hard to speak the Spider Guild's native language without multiple tongues and jaws... Thankfully, you don't have to try.

And here come the fireworks.

Only a 7/10 from the judges, I'm afraid. Not the fanciest orbital drop (I prefer the Sydney Colony Drop from Gundam, personally,) but style points for throwing it bodily rather than using manoeuvring thrusters.

Sounds nasty, sure, but the guilders are not nice people. Remember, perfectly willing, able and happy to eat other sophonts. Not much of a moral hit from working over that sort of jackass.

Well, it might take a few minutes for their chain of command to sort itself out, since you smashed their (presumed) capital. With their flagship...

To quote Tony Stark: "Don't take my stuff." OL getting straight down to business in getting right on the trail of Onik's captor. I hope he does look back on the abbot's behaviour, and asks Lantern Toren about it when he inevitably shows up to see what the hell is going on. It's just a matter of who gets there first: Green or Yellow.

 

One interesting thought here.

OL wanted to keep the ring because of shit like this happening to Earth, and now he, himself, is the thing that is happening.

 

I've said it before, but it's hilarious to me that Paragon Paul ended up less human than Renegade Paul; at least where it counts.

 

Thank you, corrected.

Snakes have terrible throwing arms.

 

Weird how he isn't particularly orange-level possessive about "his lantern".... would have though orange would have imparted some effect on his words in that last line of dialog

 

Paul doesn't really have orange text anymore after his enlightenment.

He does have it when he's merged with the Ophidian, but that's it.

 

Has he, like, confirmed it? Cause it would be extremely awkward if the offending spider isn't from this sept, and they have no clue.

 

The problem with enlightment plus an orange ring is that there isn't any of space between Want and Do.
Or a lot of space for doubt.
Paul's qualified the Guild as "expendable enemy attacking mine and aligned with Siniestro" and is so easily inclined to a show of force as the shortest and most appropriate response.

Basically? I don't think Paragon Paul can feel guilt. It reminds me of Jade's objections to wearing an Orange ring actually.

 

We know for a fact he would be horrified via JLAU Paul.

Paul willingly mind fucking himself to various forms of insanity because he thinks he's smarter then everyone else is a rather prominent theme in these stories.

 

The Justice League?

Also Paul! what would your girlfriend (the spider queen one) this of this! you could have just asked given she was interested in making spider lanterns.