[Archive] With This Ring (Young Justice SI) (Story Only)

[Mr Zoat]

23rd July 2013
08:39 GMT

Roy looks towards where Supertown stands out like a wart against the verdant forest below. "Is that actual gold?"

"I didn't check. Probably not, but once you get matter transmutation technology gold isn't really anything special."

"I wasn't thinking about the cost. It's just… Gaudy." He turns to Arisia. "Is this some sort of space thing?"

She looks a little confused for a moment. "No, we..? Don't cover buildings in gold on Graxos Four." Something occurs to her. "Except-. I think some places around the equator use gold film to reflect light away from their windows. But not for decoration."

Roy look towards the local star, probably working out the amount of sunlight Supertown is likely to get. Yes, that's not why. "How about other planets?"

"W-. I haven't been to all that many planets, but I haven't seen anything about other planets having gold buildings in my planetary database."

Donna shakes her head. "Is this really important?"

"Different species perceive colour and shape differently. Understanding why the New Gods of New Genesis coat their buildings in gold might reveal something fundamental about their psychology."

She throws me a quizzical look, and I manage to keep a straight face-

"Snrk."

-for a good ten seconds. It gets a chuckle out of Roy and Arisia as well.

"No, it's probably… Either someone made their buildings gold when they first got the ability to make all the gold they wanted, and now it's tradition… Or the gold thing is incidental and it's just a facet of New God technology that we can't perceive."

Donna nods. Okay, we're well inside the atmosphere here…

"Roy, flight systems?"

"Finally. All systems green." I release our tether, and he's flying on his own. "Thank you."

"Okay, I'll drop you from orbit next time. Your inertia belt system should let you survive."

He thinks for a moment. "I know you just said that 'cause I'm whining about being a passenger, but-."

I nod. "You actually want to try skydiving in power armour."

He tries to shrug. "Eh."

"I'll drop you when we go back to Earth." I slow to a halt. "Alright, this is it. Troia, you and Lantern Rrab have Supertown, Arsenal, you're with me." I clench my left fist. "Connect." My rings and Arisia's ring start glowing faintly. "If we get interrupted, that'll stop. Direct communication every half-hour."

Three nods, then Roy and I peel off while Arisia and Donna fly onwards.

"Alright, now-."

"If they react badly to us showing up, retreat. If they complain about my armour, check for threats and then get out. I got it."

"Good show. New Gods have a sort of.. magical translation assistance so you shouldn't have any trouble understanding them-."

"But the armour's got a translator program for a bunch of alien languages just in case, I got it. Seriously." I nod. "Were you serious about the woad?"

"No."

"Uh."

"Woad is a plant native to Earth. It isn't cultivated on New Genesis. You won't recognise many plants here, though the underlying evolutionary logic which gave rise to Earth plants still applies so you might see a lot of things which look a bit like plants you're familiar with. Eating them is probably safe, but you should make sure that I'm around before consuming just in case."

"Right. Uh…"

"I don't have files on Primitive culture, but based on what I know about tribal societies in temperate environments it's entirely possible that they haven't discovered shirt technology yet."

"Okay."

"If that's what you were working up to asking about."

…

He sighs. "I need a girlfriend, dude."

"Even though I can assume female form, I'm-"

"Huh?"

"-taken."

"No, that-. Wasn't what I meant. Ah. Arisia. Is she..?"

"Other than the slightly off skin colour, she's basically human. Physically and culturally compatible. She's going to want to move back to Graxos Four when her training is over, but that's only in the Sector next door so the travel time isn't that bad."

"Okay, but you know her better than I do."

"Well, yes, and if you want me to tell you her tells for what construct she's going to make then I can certainly do that, but I've only really interacted with her professionally."

"But don't you know what everyone around you wants?"

"I can see what they want, and-" I make a point of looking at him, and when he doesn't complain… "-if you're looking for normalcy then you've completely missed the boat. But I generally don't share what I know with other people due to respecting their privacy."

"I-. No, that's fair."

"Also, she's got a massive crush on Lantern Jordan."

"Huh?"

"That's not a privacy violation; she's not exactly subtle-."

"But he's her teacher." I give him a look. Come on, we were both teenaged boys, don't be a hypocrite. "And like, twenty years older than her!"

"Twenty two, to be precise. Ah. Have you seen the Disney film 'The Hunchback of Notre Dame'?"

"Yes?"

"Esmeralda was sixteen. Want to guess how old Phoebus the Guard Captain was?"

"Twenty two years older than her?"

"About that. So it's not a lost cause, and I think that Jordan would thank you for trying because he finds it creepy too… But it's not that weird that she'd find a mature man attractive."

"Okay. You got any better suggestions?"

"Ah. Catwoman's single?"

 

[Mr Zoat]

15th August 2000
09:39 GMT

Senior Agent Blaze shudders as we appear next to the standing stone circle closest to Dublin.

"Sir? Are you alright?"

"Aye… Jus' takes a little gettin' used to, oi'm tinking."

"Sir, there isn't much data on what happens when banshee are exposed to power rings. Sir Percival told me that he was always careful in case something that advanced… Accelerated things faster than human technology."

"Oi already went t'rew the Iron Death once, t'ank you very much. Oi'm not likely to forget how it goes."

"As you will, sir." I step forwards, runic entry token raised, at the same time as she rises off the ground. "Ah."

"Put that awey." She raises her hands, the standing stones glowing in response for a moment and then… We're inside. In an adjunct to the main chamber, rather than the garden where I appeared the first time. Probably why she wanted to take the lead; she can actually control where we go.

I follow her as she leads the way towards… Where a small group of three banshee are doing something to a crystal growth. "Is that something that I can learn? Is it something I should learn?"

"Oi've got no idea and no, definitely not."

"Alright. Can I ask 'why'?"

"When uther type o' energy run threw the system, it throws all the energies out of alignment. Oi dread t' t'ink what yewer ring would do to it."

That's a fair point. "But there's no problem with me bringing the ring or lantern through?"

"There hasn't been up 'til now." The three banshee we're heading towards turn away from what they were doing to face us. "Where's Queen Mab?"

The blue-haired one smiles faintly. "You'd do better askin' yon squire about that."

The green-haired one nods. "Moit be gettin' a new princess out 'f it, if we're lucky."

Senior Agent Blaze looks mildly annoyed at the third member of the group. "Bláthnaid, 're you going t' give me a straight answer, or are you goin' three fer three in bein' unhelpful nitwits?"

I wince. "I think I… I worked it out. She's seeing Sir Percival. Um. Possibly amorously."

Bláthnaid… Smirks. "She had a daughter by him. And they've been apart a while." She looks pointedly at Senior Agent Blaze. "You've not been lettin' yers run around on his owen, I hope?"

"Nick c'n look after hisself. Is Sh'rain about, or is she visiting with her..?" Senior Agent Blaze's mouth shifts awkwardly for a moment. "Fahther."

"She's oot, checkin' on some o' the standing stones we haven't been able t' get at fer a while."

Senior Agent Blaze sighs. "Please tell me she's not on her owen."

"Niamh's with her. She'll no' be in any danger."

"So who's in charge 'til they get back?"

The three look at each other for a moment, and then smile smugly.

Bláthnaid shrugs. "Yew? That's how it was last time, and the Queen hasn't made a new Will."

Senior Agent Blaze scowls. "Jus' tell me where Sh'rain and Niamh are exactly."

"You'll not be wantin' t'see Mab then? Could be educational, with you having a new mate."

Blaze… Actually blushes faintly. "I'll not be needin' that kinda education, thank yew very much."

I awkwardly raise my right hand. "Sir, do I need to be here? This sounds like it could be personal."

Bláthnaid smiles... Hungrily. "Could be fer both a' yuhs. Now we're not so worried about hidin' awey, plenty o'bahshees will be lookin' fer mates o' their own."

I raise my eyebrows. "Are you reopening communications with your homeworld?"

She walks closer and… Takes hold of my lapels. "That wasn't really where I was goin' with that."

I regard her flatly. "My home has every modern convenience known to man. It would literally drive you insane."

"Moin doesn't, and yew c'n teleport back to America."

"That's… True." I look Bláthnaid over. Lilac hair, generally pleasing form, superpowers… "Alright then. Dinner? I can pick you up at six, local time?"

She blinks, while her two friends grin at her. "Huh?"

"I don't know what banshee courtship is like, but communal eating and conversation are good standbys amongst humans." I take her hands from my lapels and gently raise them to my lips. "If you're willing."

She blinks, pulling away slightly. "Ah…"

Senior Agent Blaze loses her patience. "Sh'rain. Where is she?"

Bláthnaid backs up a step, retrieving her hands and turning to Senior Agent Blaze. "North. On th' coast. Near the Giant's Causeway."

"Roit." Senior Agent Blaze turns away and walks purposefully back towards the standing stones. "Let's get gowin'."

I follow on behind her, briefly turning back in Bláthnaid's direction. "I'll see you tonight!"

She nods awkwardly, while her green-haired friend gives her a shove.

Senior Agent Blaze gives me a mild glaring. "What was that in aid of?"

"Her or me, sir?"

"I t'ink I know what she were aimin' fer. I thought yew'd have more sense."

"Banshee menfolk may be content to stammer and stutter when a woman shows interest, but that's not really how humans do things. The Alliance is responsible for policing all alien populations but since she's not the subject of an investigation there's no conflict of interest. Is there a problem that I'm not seeing?"

"Oi had t' submerge myself in human society fer a long time t' understand it. She hasn't. She isn't goin' t' have the sloitest clue."

"I know." I smile. "It's going to be fun. And honestly, getting a grasp of the average banshee's grasp of what's going on is probably going to be more useful than your own unusually insightful view." She raises her eyebrows. "Other isolationist communities are going to be in a similar position, and a lot of our work will be with them."

"We'll be back t' shootin' vampires before too long."

She's going to have a fun time when Alliance Personnel Resources gets around to writing a racial equality policy. But I should phrase it diplomatically.

"Oh, I don't think so, sir. I don't think that Chairman Dorn will allow anyone who embarrasses him or weakens his negotiating position to survive the experience. He's making too much money."

She huffs dismissively. "He'll show his true colours soon enough."

"I believe that his true colour is green, sir. I don't suppose that the Giant's Causeway actually has any significance, does it?"

She shakes her head. "Not as far as oi know. If the titani were throwin' rocks at somethin', it's not there any more."

"Good show. Then let's hope this is simple. Oh, and if there's any advice you can give me about courting a banshee female, I'm all ears."