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

That should say 'Aztec'.

 

Or this place has some defense against it.

You really can't be bothered to even give a shit.

He does, but he has no fucks to give.

Wonder if the laugh is because he knows that his revenge is pointless.

Though he may also indulge sometimes, just not as much.

 

Dang, another delay for the big finale. Do you enjoy our suffering, Mr Zoat? ...Eh-hem. Back onto the matter at hand: So, cross-dimensional portal. Apparently leading to Themyscira. What new impediment will appear to mess with OL's mission this time?

Spoiler: Commentary spoilered for length

I mean... I know Sheeda are tough, so he's likely running on a spare heart or something silly like that. But just leaving it gaping like that can't be healthy.

Next question then: What landmass are you on? Is there anything recognisable about the local geography to offer an answer?

And? Sorry, you get no sympathy, being a slave-raiding invader from the future.

Good to see they're not giving this loon their full attention. OL can handle him.

Because wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey stuff. ...That's mostly Time Trapper's fault.

And 'poof' goes any sympathy. Calling someone 'not a person' isn't going to win you any prizes.

Though he may need some patching up, given that hole in his chest.

Joy. Blood magic. I doubt whatever he's calling up will be friendly.

That may prove a tougher ask than you think it'll be, friend.

Unless it involved bodily harm to said elvish lady, I don't think they consider you enough of a threat to worry.

...Whose presence is still to be explained. Though hopefully Kon can visit with his grandma while they're here.

...Right, Brand away, OL. Enough kid gloves.

...Well, there goes your hope of backtracking. Let's hope there's some easily accessible way out of here otherwise.

Just from the description, this may be <clears throat> ...Tlaltecuhtli. A gender-ambiguous deity (and embodiment) of the Earth. That would be the Aztec connection, then.

Not anyone good, that's for certain. Apparently this one likes their human hearts. No hearts, no world.

More a case of who doesn't? Presumably their missing heart is part of the creation myth.

Methinks they don't like that name.

Since this one is not exactly the top of the pyramid.

Probably best to save the discussion for when there's not a blood-crazed murder deity scowling at you.

Nifty trick. Presumably sucking the 'food' right out of their bellies.

And that is apparently a thing they can do. Probably what's about to happen is not anything good...

Hmm... Psychic attack?

Anyone else, that might have been fatal.

To them, or to Themyscira?

Oh, boy. The Aztec pantheon is involved now. Things are going to get very messy, methinks. Let's hope this is a misunderstanding, because some of said deities have quite a temper. Still, hopefully they can get to Themyscira as a safe haven. It'll be curious to see how they've been handling things in the meantime. Constantine must be getting a bit worn thin by now, if he's still warding the island...

 

Sounds and looks to me like some members, elements or parts of the Aztec pantheon may have been co-opted, subverted or coerced by Mannheim or Apokolips. If the elf abduction was recent then the portal itself was created recently as well; a method to arrive at the hidden Themyscira. What's on the island that they want?

Also, since Bast mentioned the recent contact, is the resurgence of the Aztec Pantheon a result of Mannheim as well? Did he need something from them or did he want some Old Gods as allies? Seems contrary to his Darkseid-lite nature to seek allies but who knows. I really can't see where this sidequest arc came from or where is it going.

 

Aztec

 

Sigh, I really should look into Mesoamerican religion more because I haven't the faintest clue who this is. It's a really interesting spectrum of belief as well, but I know almost nothing about it.

'sits'

 

‘headdress’? Not sure if it’s a deliberate inconsistency.

This and the maybe-feminine nature of the deity and the wearing of a woven headdress make me think that this might be the sin-eater goddess that was mentioned earlier, although my Googling seemed to indicate that she didn’t look like a frog, so I don’t know.

’spires’?

 

Thank you, corrected.

No, I think that's okay.

 

So they're basically facing a Titan.

Great.

If you were torn apart and made into a big pile of dirt, would you like hearing about the one that had a hand, or well tail/wing in the process?

 

Yeah, it’s not grammatically wrong, I just wasn’t sure if it was a deliberate inconsistency with the earlier use of ‘spires’ to describe the rocks.

 

Black text? Hmm, I wonder if she has a similar domain to that dimension of oblivion that was connected to this realm. Alternatively she is infected by anti-life.

No sign of our missing elf. Sacrificed/eaten? Also, I guess the blood of a diminished god of travel would help one reach Themyscira through the magic barrier. Easier than breaking it.

 

For the Sheeda, that was the day their future ended.

For Paul, it was Tuesday.

 

Quetzalcoatl doesn't do human sacrifice at al. Worship for him was animal sacrifice.

Also, fun fact: Quetzalcoatl isn't even an Aztec god. He was worshiped throughout all of Mesoamerica and existed a long, long time before the Azetecs did. The Mayans called him Kukulcan or Gucumatz

 

Karl Franz's sister, Isabella, is going to be FURIOUS when she finds out her brother basically gave her daughter away to be a concubine.

Not to mention all the grief he'll get from everyone else who will either be outraged, or worse, AMUSED, by the whole debacle.

KARL: HOW WAS I SUPPOSED TO KNOW THE MAN WAS ALREADY BETROTHED?! AND TO A TOMB QUEEN NO LESS?!

 

Aww man. Looks like it will be a bit before Go Time.

 

He didn't. Aranei is completely misreading the situation.

 

yeah yeah, whatever you say Zoat.

 

Well you do have tattoos that absorb magic, so that may explain why it affected you.

Cernunnos is probably resistant to it and Kon's blessing could protect him, or he's spiritualy deaf enough that it would be like trying to use loud sounds on someone that can't hear.

 

Operation Surprise Valentine's Day is Go!

 

I don't think 'worrying' is the right word here?

 

I'm not quite sure what this is supposed to be, but it doesn't look right.

 

I think that should say 'hates'.

 

Nah, worrying is fine. It's like "A dog worrying at an old bone"

 

Because of course this dimension doesn't follow the rules of physics. Evidently whatever else they are, their abilities include energy absorption like an Orange Lantern Feeding. So unless it's larger than they can stomach, they'll gobble it down.

Spoiler: Commentary spoilered for length

Because OL took a solid hit from the scream. Yet it appears not to have had the same effect on Kon or Cernie. Different soul, different result?

I'll admit, that would be a nasty move, though. Stun or blind someone then smash with giant rock.

Okay, it definitely has something to do with OL's tattoos or non-standard soul, then. Because if it didn't hurt Kon's Kryptonian weakness...

...It must be something specific about you, OL.

Oh, boy. Opening with the big guns, huh?

Who knows, man? This might not even be related to Mannheim. That likelihood isn't great, but still...

Again, the laws of physics are only suggestions here...

Okay, that worked. brace for a flash, kiddies.

See, that's one thing Superman's Heat Vision can't do, is it? No charge-up option, unless there's a Torquasm trick for it.

Still, that's nothing to whatever it;ll do the the deity...

Ah, the drawback of big blasts: cloud cover.

Oh, that's just rude. It's like a blanket damage-over-time effect, I bet.

Maybe he's simply tougher here, as an aspect of both his Kryptonian nature and his Titanic blessing?

...What's the bet the damn deity is unharmed when the smoke clears?

...Damn. I'm betting that's the equivalent of 'mildly dusty' for them.

I suspect it would require quite a bit more spiritual oomph than you can manage to apply, OL.

If nothing else, it might confuse them a moment, long enough to retreat?

Intent should be enough to halt it, as long as you go through the motions.

Fingers crossed for luck, done.

The wave? Already done. The deity? that's a little more uncertain.

Confidence. That's good, especially in a place where intent and metaphor are more potent.

When in doubt, apply more force.

Like the world's most awkward Bass Cannon.

Okay, Amazons still alive and kicking, that's good. Fighting undead soldiers, that's bad.

Give him a second. It's probably going to be tricky.

A long shot, but to be fair, I don't see any better ideas coming along.

Ah, thinking like Antaeus? The problem is, if they are the Earth embodied, than that's like trying to pull off a fingernail.

Well, the episode is opening with an exciting battle, if nothing else. The kind that, on television, would probably eat up most of the animation budget for the episode. Good thing this is text, and there is infinite budget. As for all this... I'm guessing Themyscira got shunted into this space to keep it safe, bot the local deities took offence. Hence the massed invasion.

---

The boom-slap as the water Kon cleaved in two...

 

I mean he kinda can do it.

At least making it weaker.

He's used it to weld pieces of metal, shave, even basically perform types of surgery.

Kon's hear vision ranges from being able to melt a tank at its lowest setting and a full planetary apocalypse at its highest setting.

 

Have I forgotten what time of the year that's in again?

Verb meaning 2.

Thank you, corrected.

 

Huh. Given that in Mesoamerican Mythology the gods NEEDED all those blood sacrifices in order for everything to keep existing, what happens when that need is removed, and the deity is fully stabilized/sated by receiving a heart of it's very own...

 

OL: "Alright, Plan A is Anti-Murder."

Cernunnos: "What's Plan B?"

OL: "Regular murder."

 

Honestly If I was Marius I would preserve my own head in alcohol and go around using it to freak people out, eating it freaks people out for a day, but carrying around your own decapitated head freaks people out for a lifetime.