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

Discussion in 'Creative Writing' started by Mr Zoat, Jan 27, 2019.

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  1. Austin Pharos

    Austin Pharos Know what you're doing yet?

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    It's a good question.
     
  2. BlueMangoAdea

    BlueMangoAdea Alive. For now.

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    I wonder where the mass and energy went. Probably has something to do with what made Starbreaker so hungry in the first place.
     
  3. Agent Orange

    Agent Orange Experienced.

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    All of it went into the Sword. Along with the mojo of all the entities it depowered. Usually it has time to digest it and emit all that mojo in form or relatively harmless radiation (Narrativium particles mostly) but Grayven - being a stab happy maniac he is - has been overfeeding it! If he keeps this pace up, at some point the Sword will barf all of that half-digested mojo all over the place and probably blow one giant plot hole in the universe in the process. A plot hole so massive that its gravity will attract all of the nearby plot holes into itself and just keep growing exponentially.
     
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  4. Darko

    Darko Connoisseur.

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    I'm picturing something similar to what happened in Dragon Ball GT.

    Basically they overused the Dragon Balls so much that they collected so much negative energy the Balls made a bunch of evil dragons.
     
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  5. Assblaster5000

    Assblaster5000 I trust you know where the happy button is?

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    Huh, since the sword is actually made from two evil entities that could actually happen.

    As to the sword not getting drained from being anywhere near Starbreaker? My best guesses are that the enchantment on it is so stupidly powerful and ingrained into it that, while potentially weakening it, The Entropy Field couldn't drain it fast enough to stop it from working, or the sword's got some exotic physical effect that makes it do the things it does, no real magic involved.
     
  6. Darko

    Darko Connoisseur.

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    The New God tech renegade and Artemis had with them didn't break down after they showed up, so certain materials are resistant to it, and the Sword was made from some very, very powerful demons.
     
  7. Vaermina

    Vaermina Well worn.

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    The sword isn't some super-weapon built by the god of enchantments over the course of decades or anything.

    It was crafted by a low powered succubus in about 10 seconds.
     
  8. BlueMangoAdea

    BlueMangoAdea Alive. For now.

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    The material that the sword was made out of was pretty decent, however.
     
  9. King of Frost

    King of Frost Wishing I was somewhere colder no doubt.

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    Sportsmaster is reminding me more and more of one Saotome Genma from the classic anime Ranma1/2. That is absolutely something he would do to his kid.
     
  10. Prince Charon

    Prince Charon Just zis guy, you know?

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    The main difference being that if Sportsmaster found 'a training technique that would only be used by an idiot,' he would not use it. Genma did, because the warning was on the next page, and he didn't bother to read that far (also, Sportmaster would have read farther).
     
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  11. Threadmarks: Summer's End (part 20)
    Mr Zoat

    Mr Zoat Dedicated ragequitter

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    Where They
    Stop


    "Ah!"

    A grinning, human-looking figure on one of the lower gantries grins broadly as Artemis and I approach, carried through the air on our aero-discs. We're a little way away from Caereglwys, the city that used to be the Sheeda capital before the war… Well, the place sent the largest proportion of its populations with the Harrowing fleet and then its rulers tried to lord it over the other cities…

    It didn't go well.

    "Hello! You must be the caretaker-management!"

    He… Does actually look familiar-. Ah! Yes.

    "And you must be ex-king Melmoth. I hear that you're immortal."

    "Indeed I am. And I hear that you disposed of that blight in the middle of our sun."

    Artemis's eyes narrow slightly. "And exactly how did you hear about that?"

    "I didn’t rule this world for centuries by being second with the news. I had beacons set in place to transmit that information to me whenever I was whenever it happened. You're…" He looks at me with condescending curiosity. "Grayven, aren't you?"

    "Guilty as charged."

    "And… A female archer with the powers of a goddess..?" He raises his eyebrows. "Artemis?"

    Artemis looks away. "I need a new name."

    "If it's any consolation, Donna's isn't much better." I look back up at Melmoth. "Look… What do you want? We've just gotten this place working properly. We were just about to grab Starbreaker and put him to work rebuilding the universe."

    "Do you like this era so much that you no longer wish to leave it?"

    Artemis and I glance at each other. I incline my head slightly, prompting her to field the question.

    "No, we want to leave."

    "Then I have just the thing. A small quantity of the liquid which the Castle Revolving uses to travel through time. And unlike my ex-wife, I actually understand how to use it. Would you like to return to your own era? A little before? A little later? The very instant you left? I-."

    "Sorry." I raise my right hand. "Sorry to interrupt. What year is it?"

    "I have no idea. And given that we don’t have a sun, and that the Earth never exactly 'orbited' the Vampire Sun, I don't see the relevance."

    Artemis throws her hands up. "Oh, come on! How can you be a time traveller if you don't know what the time is!?"

    "By aligning my chronal sensors to known temporal events. I don't need a calendar to follow a beacon. Though if it's troubling you this much, we're approximately one billion years from the Last Harrowing. Does knowing that make you happier?"

    "Actually-" Artemis nods. "-yeah. Yeah, it does."

    "Then I'm happy to be of service. But as I was saying, I can send you home. That's what you want, isn't it?"

    "Yeah." She nods again. "We do, and thanks for telling us there's a time machine on your ship. And I'm guessing you want us to hand over Earth-now to you?"

    "It would help. But in all honesty, both of you leaving would be quite adequate. I'm more than confident in my own ability to rise to the top of whatever civilisation you've built here."

    Hm. We have created a House of Lords analogue, but Artemis and I have a firm grasp on executive authority and we haven't… Put in place a system for Sheeda civilisation to govern itself fully after we leave. That was something we were planning on doing, obviously, but it wasn't urgent enough to prioritise just yet.

    Of course. He can't let us entrench a new planetary ruling elite. Taking over is easiest when there isn't anyone with a vested interest in keeping the job themselves. They served us and they can serve him. They might be mildly peeved not to get the power Artemis and I implied that they would, but they won't be losing out. Nothing would be taken away. The moment they get their new power, the moment one of them gets it and the system is there for others to peacefully receive it in turn… Suddenly, they aren't inclined to let anyone take it away from them permanently.

    Artemis nods. "And what happens if we say 'no'?"

    "Then… I… Simply take it from you. My Harvest Dreadnought has been extensively converted, and I picked up a few willing assistants before I returned to the present. Unlike the people who serve you, they're used to fighting in an environment where they're not having to carefully avoid being drained of all life. Their raw power is really rather impressive."

    I'm… Not sure whether that's an actual risk or not.

    "I know we haven't been focusing on our military force recently, but we did fight a world-spanning war not all that long ago. Not only do we still have all of the weapons and warcraft of that era, but we've got plenty of veterans who think well of us. And big as this ship is, I… Don't think you've got the resources to carry out a coup de force."

    "And I don't want to carry out a coup de force. I'm afraid.. that.. I don't understand your hesitation. You've achieved something wonderful here. You've freed Sheeda civilisation from the need to feed upon the past. You've given it a chance to build a new future, a chance that it didn't have before. A chance I've never had before. And I'm grateful; we're all grateful. And I'm offering you a chance to go home."

    "How exactly are we supposed to trust you not to just dump us back with the dinosaurs?"

    "Well, that wouldn't kill you, and would put you in the perfect position to disrupt our Harrowing of the sauriods. And since I don't remember you being there and since I don't want to risk erasing myself, I can't risk it. If you want to ask about another era, I can open a portal -briefly- and you can send through such probes or use such magics as will satisfy you as to its authenticity. Really…" He chuckles darkly. "It would be far more effort for me to produce a convincing fake than it would be to just send you away, when I know that doing so will result in your death… As.. evidenced by the fact that you're not here now. Some time in the next billion years the universe takes care of things for me, so whether it happens a mere million years one way or the other makes no difference to me at all."

    He tries an earnest smile, and even if he's genuine it comes off as completely dishonest.

    "I honestly just want you gone. Tell me what I can do to convince you, and I'll gladly do it."



    I think I've been here too long. I'm feeling… Possessive, in a way I wasn't when I let Myand'r continue ruling Tamaran. I didn't feel this way when Armstrong gave me orders. I didn't feel this way when Jon asked me to do things or when Batman used to… It could be the… Time that's passed, or the closeness of the Source Wall, or… Just how dominant I am here. Or how attached I've become. I could hand over to Artemis without a moment's hesitation, but… This man…

    Artemis comes to a conclusion while I'm still mulling it over.

    "What exactly do you want to do with the place?"

    "While I've been away I've discovered new techniques, which can sustain us without needing to raid the past!"

    "And those are..?"

    "Dreams. We can raid the dreams lingering from more prosperous times and manifest them into reality. With this universe so stripped down there'll be no interference as we bring entire worlds from the unreal to the real."

    He might be onto something. Deep Dreaming manipulation hasn't really been an Apokoliptian thing. Which is a little surprising, now that I think about it.

    "Entire peoples, entire civilisations, ours to hunt and despoil, then return to unreality so that we can do it all again tomorrow! I almost wish we'd never bothered raiding the past, but alas, I didn't know this was possible. Such a glorious pleasure it will be!"

    I sigh, and look at Artemis who is in turn looking at me expectantly.

    "Yeah. Okay."

    I raise my left hand, orange power ring shining brilliantly, and brand him.
     
    Last edited: Nov 6, 2020
  12. The Unaligned Player

    The Unaligned Player Agony that desires to meet Extinction

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    I mean really that's the only sane response after hearing that.
     
  13. Vaermina

    Vaermina Well worn.

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    How did he charge up his completely drained ring?
     
  14. Stsword

    Stsword Versed in the lewd.

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    And ironically saved him from what Dream would do to him, which would probably be far nastier.
     
  15. Parzival95

    Parzival95 Not too sore, are you?

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    I feel like he almost had them, but then he sabotaged himself by giving the rings ambition to power them. So why not?
     
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  16. PJCG

    PJCG Getting sticky.

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    Yeah, I don't normally agree with you but, I'd also like to know that.
     
  17. Darko

    Darko Connoisseur.

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    'He looks'

    'look'

    maybe 'hand it over'

    'tries'

    maybe 'anyone'
     
    Last edited: Oct 18, 2020
  18. Darko

    Darko Connoisseur.

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    That's assuming Dream is even still around.

    Given everything that's happened to the universe he may very well be gone, and even if he comes back somehow Melmoth may be able to prevent him from interfering.

    He was once bound by an amateur magician, and Melmoth is a powerful and skilled mage, who has apparently been studying the Dreaming so he may have some way to deal with Dream.
     
  19. Fellow

    Fellow Know what you're doing yet?

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    'A grinning'
     
  20. Stsword

    Stsword Versed in the lewd.

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    The Endless are not gods, but the things themselves.

    So there will be no Dream when there are no more dreams, and not a second before, no matter how many times Dream is killed.

    So yes, Dream is still around, as are all the Endless.
     
  21. Handlewithcare

    Handlewithcare Versed in the lewd.

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    Last (?) update he mentioned explicitly contacting a Sheeda city specialsied in emotion magic.

    Melmoth: Now I only want you gooone...
     
  22. Darko

    Darko Connoisseur.

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    Yeah, but Starbreakers whole eating of the universe and messing around with the Source Wall probably changed a lot of things about that, so there is the chance that Dream may have been one of his victims in his appetite.
     
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  23. Mr Zoat

    Mr Zoat Dedicated ragequitter

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    Joelseph14, you know what you did.
    Thank you, corrected.
    No, that's correct.
    Thank you, corrected.
     
  24. hance1986

    hance1986 A pitiful excuse for a man.

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    should be ' Simply '
     
  25. Nervaqus987

    Nervaqus987 Well worn.

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    It might not have been as bad.

    By this time, Morpheus should be dead and Daniel have taken his place. He in turn might have also gotten replaced, but he's the one we know about.

    I don't remember much of anything about how Daniel is as Dream, though.
     
  26. Vaermina

    Vaermina Well worn.

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    Yes... And this chapter we see him having gone directly to the ship...
     
  27. Darko

    Darko Connoisseur.

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    I think he was a bit unsure of his position at first, due to being new to it, but I think he got better.
     
  28. King of Frost

    King of Frost Wishing I was somewhere colder no doubt.

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    I agree it does seem weird, my first guess is that there was a gap where they hurriedly found a way to give the ring charge and since Melmoth opened with negotiations he probably just let them do it.

    Or maybe Zoat forgot.
     
  29. Chojin Patriarch

    Chojin Patriarch Veteran Lurker

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    So it basically stunted itself into irrelevance once the Queen went bye-bye. And I see ol' Swirly-cheeks is as annoyingly upbeat as ever.

    Points for confidence in the face of clearly well-equipped opposition.

    No doubt there were images of him in the Sheeda archives, given how long he's had to browse them over the millennia.

    Haven't you heard? A Rumour can be halfway around the world (or the universe, in this case) before the Truth has even got its' boots on.

    No doubt information culled from contacts on modern-day Earth. We know from 'Seven Soldiers' that he had people all over.

    Just not 'Huntress'? That was your mother's name, and it'll be used by Helena Bertinelli in turn... And maybe Batman's daughter, someday. Really, there are only so many good hero names for your skill-set.

    ...I... :eek: But... :confused: Bugger, he has a good point. :mad: Fuck him for talking good sense!

    It's... I won't say it's a nice place, and visiting was certainly informative, but, no, I wouldn't want to stay.

    To be honest, does it really matter? Starbreaker's presence was basically messing up time anyway.

    Do you need to know where you are, to follow a beacon in the distance? To sight on a lighthouse? As for returning home, presumably when they're done harvesting, they release whatever keeps them in the past and get flung back like a temporal rubber band.

    ...Either Grayven and Artemis got dumped a long time after the Queen's last launch or they have been here way, way longer than they thought. o_O Or is he counting the span of years between the 'present day' and now? ...Yeah, that makes more sense...

    The only question is what he plans to do with the Sheeda now. No constant leeching of resources to maintain their failing lifestyle, Grayven's plans have given them vast energy reserves now... Honestly, if he plans to keep raiding the past, then he really is Stupid Evil.

    And no doubt Melmoth would simply stomp in, pull on whatever psychic strings he had laced through the Sheeda people and slide right back into his old despotic ways...

    Which is why he's shown up right now, before they can set up that new system... The Nobility can't bitch about losing something they were never granted, can they? :rolleyes:

    That would be the Warlock-breed Columbians, eh? I'll bet they're stronger than they appear.

    And the Sheeda have had years of global cooperation now. I doubt Ol' Swirly-Cheeks could drive a wedge into that, short of some very subtle triggers planted in the base of the Sheeda genome...

    A good question. What reason do they have to trust him at all?

    How very... Honest of him. No doubt there's something he's neglecting to mention. Even the fakest Fae knows how to lie with only the truth.

    I'd quote GlaDOS, but Handlewithcare got there first. And boy, the stench of bullshit is strong with this one.

    It feels like being conquered, doesn't it? Surrendering all you've gained to someone without an honest fight for it? I'm not surprised your Godhead is reluctant to let go.

    Good idea. If he's planning to continue the Harrowings... Someone is going to get his smiley ass beat.

    Given he can easily have spent millennia studying, especially since there was no do-gooders barging in on his plans for Columbia, I'm not surprised.

    It's just a matter of what the Endless have to say about it. Even if Dream has passed (unlikely, given that the Sheeda still live and dream,) his siblings Death and Destiny might want words.

    And the orange ring sparks with fresh avarice...

    ...I hate to say it, but Vaermina does have a point. Last chapter his ring was drained, and I doubt they took a side-trip to the emotion-caster city with an imminent threat sitting right there... I mean, I know time is funky here, but really?

    You know, it really does feel like even the Source is getting sick of this plotline, with all these Deus ex Machinae flying around... I suppose not every chapter can be a banger, of course... And how appropriate that Melmoth ends up branded in both timelines. Pity Grayven isn't skilled enough to cleanly realign his desires. But a little mind-rape never hurt a bad guy, did it? Not one word about Identity Crisis!



    So much grinning... Any better way to word it?
     
  30. Mr Zoat

    Mr Zoat Dedicated ragequitter

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    Thank you, corrected.

    Grayven never lost his personal lantern. I made an explicit reference to a technique that could allow him to give him enough power to regain access to it in the last segment. At that point, with Starbreaker no longer draining everything, recharging his ring was something he would obviously do before facing down an intruder.
     
    Last edited: Oct 18, 2020
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