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

It wasn't shown onscreen. The Renegade thought about mercy killing Nabu, and then at a later point it was mentioned that it happened. Mr Zoat later confirmed that the Renegade did indeed stab Construct Nabu with the Sword of the Fallen. The Renegade only learned what the sword actually did after he did this.

 

Since it was mentioned that Luthor is avoiding the problem by hiding in a demiplane, I am guessing that the gods and demons are mostly doing the same thing, since I think pretty much all of them should have access to demiplanes.

 

Ohh, wonderful.

This asshole is here.

 

I hope Paul can find a way to deal with him permanently, because he's honestly more annoying than anything else.

 

On the other hand, he's just the right kind of target for OL to practice using his shiny new Yellow power ring on.

 

Ah, yes. Explosive in small space plus metal plating between them and the blast equals shrapnel. Never mind the no-doubt-plentiful amount of fire currently trying to find the path of least resistance in order to expand. Which is right through them.

Spoiler: Commentary spoilered for length

OL really struggling to get that construct strength going, I see. And quantity may have a quality all its own, but not when he has limited charge. No doubt these constructs are very energy-inefficient too.

The shaft must be quite large, given that the flames haven't reached them yet. Fortunate for them.

Ah, good to see OL actually struggling to pull out techniques he's so used to.

Don't celebrate while you're still in the line of fire, OL...

Something that probably would have killed a less paranoid group of adventurers, really.

Tough luck for the Dhorian. Not everyone can make their reflex save against the fireball...

So, he just synthesised, what, pain-killers directly into his system? Useful, if a little concerning.

It's doubtful that the Dhorians have any exotic bioagents likely to affect humans, after all. Especially since unleashing them might damage their captives too.

Now, something similar to a non-physical TASER...

Right. No need for overkill when simple kills are sufficient.

Cameron, I know you're worried, but please, stop pointing out the worryingly obvious concerns. Just for a minute?

And sadly, at the moment, OL is not up to his usual Tank role. That construct armour is probably not going to prove all that useful...

Reasonable assumption, certainly. But best not to take it for granted that it's accurate.

And by the same extent, Eiling will be able to pull the bars out, then.

Hey, Kadabra's the squishy wizard, Eiling, you're the tanky fighter. OL is the Cleric, and Cameron's... The rogue? Sorceror? Hard to categorise that cleanly when to comes to capes...

I mean, just because he looks like DC's answer to Iceman...

Old British joke punchline.

Honestly, that kind of ice armour would be overwhelmingly heavy.

No, they're just holding out on someone who was in jail until all this started. Also...

...Yes, I suspect anyone capable is a little distracted. Either by being affected by the Anti-Life, or being part of the efforts to stop it...

I mean, the forcefields probably make the cells sound-proof.

...Random homeless guy. That's not suspicious at all...

Ah, good work, Abra. I guess this guy is just a sample of 'an interesting memetic weapon'.

Ah, good. Alive and well, if a little annoyed by her circumstances.

An amusing way to get the Ring working.

...<pinches bridge of nose.> Of course it is. This day just can't get any better, can it?

Honestly, if it were me? I would just leave Nylor for the Dhorians, but we all know he'd make even more trouble somehow. The question is, how did they even get him? How did they find him, even, given that he's basically human with a slightly exotic trace of gene-mods. ...Oh, hell, did he bring them here somehow? Quick call on a interstellar comm-link, maybe? Time to interrogate him, and OL is perfectly equipped for it.

 

absolutely nothing of interest

 

You can also never have too many meat shields.

 

I'd say sorceror.

Rogues are usually subtle and Jr. isn't subtle.

He's not necessarily homeless.

After AL everyone will look disheveled.

Maybe he tried to hijack them to get off the planet.

Or they didn't get him and he just showed up.

 

Kill him. Immediately and wordlessly.

 

’then awkwardly’

 

Though the unsubtle rogue can be a fun diversion. Leaving no witnesses counts as a successful stealth check, after all. The 5e barbarian/rogue using Reckless Attack to generate its own advantage, raging, and charging and enemy while bellowing "SNEAK ATTACK!" is just great imagery.

 

Only one appropriate response.

"Nylor Truggs of Earth, you belong to the Orange Lantern Corps."

 

Unfortunately, Paul can't access his rings at the moment. And even if he could, there's no pressing enough reason to assimilate Truggs.

 

He's RIGHT THERE, presumably without anything that would let him resist assimilation. That's all the reason in the world. And assimilation is the one weapon in Paul's arsenal that can take the smug bastard out of commission for good, since resurrection exists and I doubt Paul has anything on hand capable of destroying a soul.

 

Even if Paul was petty enough to do it, he wouldn't use rings infected with the Anti-Life.

 

Fine. Then at least he can lobotomize the SOB, and quick.

 

Thank you, corrected.

 

You mean the Subspace pocket that you just spent the better part of year trying to keep other sources out of?

 

Unlikely. Paul doesn't fear him. He'd have better luck with red.

 

Truggs is back, finally! He's a great villain, I love to hate him.

 

Was planning on re-reading the story. I last stopped after they ousted Zeus. The following arc (don't remember its name) kinda dipped in quality and I gave up on this story. Has the story quality gone up since then?

 

Actually it's how certain groups of people would design their cells for prisoner safety reasons.

Except that's exactly what you did when you fucked off to go fight The Reach for a couple weeks?

 

You know Paul, I'm not hearing Truggs say anything useful you couldn't figure out yourself. I wouldn't throw him out the airlock, because that doesn't let you see the corpse and send his soul somewhere it won't be getting out, but I certainly wouldn't be letting him live.

Shame Assimilation is off the table for now.

 

1. Lex Luthor (with a goatee) from that anti-matter universe.
2. Lois Lane (a Danner enhancile, and possibly a few Kryptonian goodies on her person).
3. An affiliate of the Olympians, such as a Themysciran who left home.
4. A non-human-derived sapient, such as the abyssal hermits who survived the last Sheeda invasion. Possibly native to Earth.
5. Um. Considering how they reacted to hellish energies, I don't think the Genomorphs are handling the Anti-Life very well. Though they could have gone into hibernation?
6. A Hellblazer character. Or someone from Sindella Zatara's hidden homeland.
7. A magician or artificer associated with Sephtian.
8. Snake cultists such as the pair Paul talked to on December 31st/January 1st when the Anti-Life took effect.
9. A recovered member of the Alliance of the Just, who was at ground zero for an Anti-Life tower. Who spent who knows how long as a slave to Charity Auction Darkseid.

Okay. I suspect that unusual, competent people might come out of the woodwork in order to help end Earth's Anti-Life problem. Especially if Paul is leading the efforts. A smallscale version of the Infinite Pauls Crisis battle, the one with the kaiju-sized Manhunters. Some of these individiuals will be like Mirror Master- they are skilled with a ring-reproducable marvel of technology and they use it at the right time. Others will be like Cornwall Boy the thaumovore.

 

No promises generally, but I did go back and rewrite that whole encounter.

 

Assimilation would probably be briefly satisfaction for OL. Then he has to sort through all of Trugg's memories before he uses the Sword of the Fallen to kill him, and hope he isn't powerful enough to reincarnate.

That reminds me, sorry if it was explained and I just missed it, but is Paul incapable of calling another orange ring to use until he fixes the old one, or is he just incapable of using orange light period until this whole mess gets sorted out?

 

I expect those of the Light without the ability to simply leave Earth or counteract the Anti-Life somehow are holed up in deep bunkers somewhere. Still, if it keeps them from getting up to mischief...

Spoiler: Commentary spoilered for length

Best to remember that trick, OL, you're going to have to do it again, a lot.

Evidently so, and presumably angry at the Dhorians.

Because even if she is a super-strong young woman, she is still a young woman, and rather slender in places.

Pins and needles of a sort, perhaps? Guess they Gonged her when they brought her aboard, and it has only been a couple of hours tops.

But if it involves punching people, you'll be his first choice. Eiling's a little too violent.

To be fair, if she was Gonged, I doubt she had the luxury of looking around when they lugged her in here.

Because why would you have the thing keeping captives in their cells shut off if interfered with?

I mean, some peoples might think otherwise, but the Dhorians? I don't think so.

Just ignore Truggs, he'll wear himself out. I doubt he can contribute in any meaningful way beyond snark.

If he does that, feel free to freeze his testicles. It's not like it'd be permanent.

Let me guess, you think he has some trick to help out? And really, I doubt he's going to stop /Wave'ing at you.

Gee, how nice. Tell me, those nice bio-modded lungs of yours up to countering that?

Yes, yes. Do catch up to the point where you have a relevant and useful observation?

What, you don't want to break something after what the Dhorians put you through?

...He didn't suggest it to Mannheim, did he? OL, feel free to cold-gun his meat-and-two-veg yourself...

I wonder if OL can work out how to torture someone with their greatest fear by talking to Truggs long enough?

God, I can already see his smug grin. And I want to put a brick through it.

Or better yet, leave off with the winding up and keep your observations limited to useful things.

Stop fishing for information, Truggs. You do realise your continued survival is an optional objective here?

Ah, so it's not just OL he likes to wind up. He's just a mouthy tw@t. With little survival instincts.

This guy isn't worth the effort. Besides, OL has first claim on the eventual arse-kicking.

...Can you discreetly arrange to leave him behind when you leave? Just asking.

Yes, he seems to grab the villain ball at every opportunity and hump it like it's his girlfriend.

And then they'd get dragged right back into the situation they just got out of, and this time the Dhorians won't be overconfident.

I get the feeling they were expecting to be taking live samples home.

...Great, looks like this is going to turn into an escort mission...

Oh, this is going to be so annoying, having Truggs running around dropping snarky comments on everything OL does, isn't it? And he hasn't even got the luxury of doing something permanent to him, because he can make himself useful. At least, until he can get everyone off the ship and safely back on Earth (or at least as safe as they can be.) Then he can get some much-needed stress release.