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

thebishop8 · Apr 28, 2024

Part 1 and 2 can be read here. It happened over 100 episodes ago, so it's not shocking that some people don't remember it.

ArchAngelGundam · Apr 28, 2024

thebishop8 said:
Part 1 and 2 can be read here. It happened over 100 episodes ago, so it's not shocking that some people don't remember it.

Thanks.

Mr Zoat · Apr 28, 2024

moralrelativity said:
candle -> candles

Thank you, corrected.

Ngamer11 said:
Mr Zoat, that comment about Azula not being his girlfriend has me wondering if Paul has decided to be celibate due to his longevity.

Dating patients is a no-no for therapists.

Was he able to find a similarly long lived life partner the way the Renegade did with Luna?

I haven't decided.

ArchAngelGundam said:
So, this is part 3, but I can't find parts 1 and 2. Did I miss something, or are they just in another place?

First Year, Reign of Fire Lord Zuko, Mid afternoon
Avatar: Legend of Azula (part 1)
First Year, Reign of Fire Lord Zuko, Morning the following day
Avatar: Legend of Azula (part 2)

Chojin Patriarch · Apr 28, 2024

Mr Zoat said:
Third Year, Reign of Fire Lord Izumi, Midwinter

I frown as I consider the date. No, they don't do it like that anymore, do they? It should be '170 After Genocide', but that makes me quite uncomfortable. Planning a calendar after a brutal extermination campaign conducted by one still extant group against another? Even dating it from the start of the Great War has that problem, even if the phrasing would be a little more neutral.

I pull the oars again, while to the bench across from me Azula sniffs as she considers the map. And if I was more invested in the events of this world I might well sniff as well.

Oh-ho, a return to the world of 'Avatar', with Orange Lantern Azula in tow? (First part here, with second below it.) I'm guessing this is sometime just before the beginning of 'Legend of Korra'. Which makes me wonder what sort of butterflies could be set in motion with two near-deity heroes poking around.

Firelord Zuko gave up every gain the Fire Nation made in the Great War, regardless of how long the region in question had been integrated into the Fire Nation, the ethnicity or disposition of the people living there and whether or not anyone living there wanted to go back to being ruled by whatever Earth Kingdom royal family used to rule them. An actual revolt in the oldest settlements resulted in one city and its surrounding rural region gaining theoretical independence as Republic City, but it only got actual independence after some sort of mass revolt by a non-bender paramilitary led to the council made up of appointees of the four nations being disbanded.

As depicted in a sequel comic series. One that made a lot of fans annoyed by the events and character relationships laid out.

It beggars belief that the system lasted as long as it did.

Azula rolls the map up. "This isn't helping."

To be fair, the old 'Elemental nation' system was a bit loose anyway. While they largely stuck to their own territory, there were travellers.

"Oh?"

"I thought that Zuzu might have grown into being Firelord."

Well, he's still kicking around, isn't he? Why not track him down and ask him about it?

"He made the decision to decolonise almost immediately after Aang defeated Ozai. There wasn't much time for him to gain more experience."

"Then he should have given the throne to Uncle Iroh." She reties the cord around the map and returns it to her satchel as we come up to the beach. "I don't think this is helping."

I have the feeling Iroh didn't want the throne. Even if Zuko had offered it to him, he'd have begged off with 'I'm too old for a crown. The world needs youth now.'

"On the contrary. I think this is exactly what you need."

She takes hold of the mooring rope and jumps, easily passing over the intervening patch of water and landing on the dark volcanic sand of the beach. I give the oars two more strokes before stowing them, then I stand up and jump into the knee-deep water besides the boat. The water feels entirely too warm for this latitude and time of year, which is the main reason that I wanted to come here once I heard about it.

Hmm... Not using their Rings openly. Presumably OL learned his lesson about throwing around his Light in unfamiliar worlds after the incident with the realm from Gate.

Azula pulls on the rope and I push the hull, and between us we get the boat up past the high tide line before the guards reach us.

"Hey! You can't be here!"

Tough luck, they are now. And you aren't going to be getting them to leave.

Azula's eyes narrow immediately, but she calms herself a moment later. She's come a very long way in the last seventy years, but I must admit that I'm a little worried that reinstating the earlier context might cause her to relapse. Which is essentially why she suggested this journey: she is as well. That and the obvious.

The guards red and black leathers, and carry shields and cudgels rather than spears or swords. Armed for dealing with street criminals rather than a serious fight. It's rather nice that someone issued that order.

Though they're probably firebenders, which gives them a decent amount of ability to punch above their weight class.

I smile broadly, walking past Azula to greet them. "Hello!"

The leader of the trio sighs. "Look, sir, this island is off-limits for as long as the volcano is acting up. It's for your own safety. So it's really best if you and your…" He considers Azula for a moment, presumably attempting to divine the nature of our relationship. "Girlfriend, try another island."

Azula takes another claming breath.

Heh. I suppose there was a time he'd already be knocked on his ass before he finished speaking. She has improved.

Azula has similar attitudes towards personal decay that I do, her eighty-five year old body looking perhaps a third of that. She only started allowing her hair to grey in places when people assuming that she was a lot younger than her true age began to irritate her. I on the other hand have far more experience with looking like an old man I have allowed myself to become; a slightly more withered version of the face I wore when I first met her.

But not too old, in her case. After all, old men look wise, old women look... Well, it takes a certain character to look grandmotherly, rather than witchy.

"Yes, that's why I'm here."

"Sir-."

If he was free to use his Ring, he'd probably already be probing the volcano's geology, looking for blockages and options for safe release of pressure.

"To commune with the spirit of the island and try to calm it." I point my right thumb at Azula. "She's my assistant, not… That. Hah! Not at my time of life."

"Oh! Ah, sorry, sir. Ma'am."

Interesting. OL's given up the desire for long-term companionship, or has he got someone waiting back in Earth Sixteen...

Azula makes a show of rolling her eyes and shaking her head, before turning away to pick up our bag from the boat.

"Ah, you're a Fire Sage?" The lead guard looks me over sceptically, no doubt noting my plain dress. "Lord Bao did send for one, but we weren't expecting a reply for a few weeks."

Ah, the joy of a world barely growing past Industrial Revolution levels of communications.

Radios, they have. Radios with good reception in isolated areas next to- I look up at the ash column. -powerful sources of electromagnetic interference, they don't have. And a traditionalist like Lord Bao would probably feel a little off about expecting the Fire Sages to respond to a radio call anyway.

No doubt a little wary of this newfangled 'wireless' stuff.

Give him a good fast steamship any day.

"No, merely a humble wandering shaman. But I've been talking to spirits most of my life-" Certainly true by now. "-and I was closer."

The lead guard looks up at the volcano, sucking in air through his teeth.

Heck, he's even been one, a few times. Wonder what the local spirits make of him?

The island is usually inhabited, but the villages have already been evacuated. The locals wouldn't be happy about having to rebuild from scratch, but they could do it and the Fire Nation is well accustomed to the idea that sometimes volcanoes erupt. The problem Lord Bao is more worried about are the neighbouring islands, where the falling ash and obscured sunlight is killing off the tourism from people trying to get away from the colder weather in other parts of the world, and the damage it will do to the next tourist season.

Not illogical. A nasty volcanic eruption can change weather patterns globally. Especially if there's a spirit involved.

That actual problem is a good deal more serious, but he doesn't know that.

He doesn't want to let me up there. He has orders, and he knows how dangerous active volcanoes are and he doesn't want me to come to harm. But he also doesn't want to pass up on an opportunity to get this problem fixed. So 'we'll take you to our officer' in two, one-.

Impressive, reading his desires without any effort. OL certainly has come a long way in, what, a millennium or so?

He turns back to me. "I'll take you to our Captain. He can decide if it's alright for you to go up the slope."

"Splendid!" Azula passes me my pack and I shrug it over my shoulders. "Lead the way."

Pity two glowing orange people would probably get some attention, or they could have snuck about.

The guard nods, then turns to his more slender compatriot. "Jin, take them back to base camp. Bo and me will keep watching the shore."

Jin nods with a smile, while Bo slumps slightly. "Aww…"

Well, someone was hoping for an easy job, I see.

"You can do the next escort." The two of them start to walk off. "Seriously, you're getting paid to go to the beach, how do you..?"

"This way back to camp." Jin leads us in the opposite direction, towards the evacuated settlement. "So what's got the volcano spirit riled up? This island hasn't gone up for centuries."

Beach isn't any fun without the pretty folks to look at.

"I don't know yet. Was the shrine at the peak in good repair?"

"I have no idea. Is that it?"

If it's anything like Exalted, it might well be. Kami not given their arranged due can result in trouble in Creation...

"Some spirits can be fairly sensitive about that sort of thing. Or traditional festivals being abandoned. Or made more touristy."

He winces. For the most part, spirits don't actually care much about how the humans who live near their holy places live. The issue is when there was some pact or other than requires that the humans do certain things at certain times, and then the humans forget about it. Most spirits do not handle that well, and just about everyone is raised on stories of why traditions are important...

Of course, traditions can get disrupted by thing like, say, a century-long war and its cultural fallout. Makes me wonder how many Air Nomad-adjacent spirits got narked off by their genocide.

And then the tourist money starts coming in, and that goes right out of the window.

"But I imagine that between us, we can sort this out. A quick refresh of the shine, a few candles, a little chanting…" I smile reassuringly, while Azula remains po-faced. "We should be able to calm things down within a day."

And, if it comes down to it, punching an angry mountain kami in the face (or equivalent) until they decide to play nice.

Within A Day

And I didn't do any of those things. But things are a good deal calmer now nonetheless.

Better than 'The mountain was on fire, and it totally wasn't my fault...'

Well, this is a bit of a trip down memory lane. About one hundred episodes (and about 7 real years) to get a follow up on one of the more interesting future Orange Lantern recruits from alternate universes. Wonder if we'll see any other future OL segments revisited in future. Meanwhile, giving Azula a chance to visit home and see what's changed in seventy-odd years will be fun to watch.

Corrections:

I pull the oars again, while to the bench across from me...

I pull the oars again, while on the bench across from me...

The guards red and black leathers...

The guards wear red and black leathers...

Azula takes another claming breath.

Azula takes another calming breath.

...experience with looking like an old man I have allowed myself to become...

...experience with looking like the old man I have allowed myself to become...

A quick refresh of the shine...

A quick refresh of the shrine...

ArchAngelGundam · Apr 28, 2024

Mr Zoat said:
Thank you, corrected.

Dating patients is a no-no for therapists.

I haven't decided.

First Year, Reign of Fire Lord Zuko, Mid afternoon
Avatar: Legend of Azula (part 1)
First Year, Reign of Fire Lord Zuko, Morning the following day
Avatar: Legend of Azula (part 2)

Thanks.

Mr Zoat · Apr 28, 2024

Chojin Patriarch said:
I'm guessing this is sometime just before the beginning of 'Legend of Korra'.

No, it's between series one and series two. Amon was recently defeated, though that news hasn't percolated through to everywhere yet.

Though they're probably firebenders, which gives them a decent amount of ability to punch above their weight class.

No, just regular guards.

I pull the oars again, while on the bench across from me...
The guards wear red and black leathers...
Azula takes another calming breath.
...experience with looking like the old man I have allowed myself to become...
A quick refresh of the shrine...

Thank you, corrected.

WereDragon · Apr 28, 2024

Mr Zoat said:
Third Year, Reign of Fire Lord Izumi, Midwinter

I'm honestly surprised Paul, and the Orange Lantern corps more generally, are doing the whole Prime Directive thing. Does Azula not care at all about her people having only primitive technology?

Sockmonkey · Apr 28, 2024

RichardWhereat said:
I agree. Iroh should have become fire lord until Zuzu was in his mid twenties at least.

In the show, Iroh went explained why he didn't.

Darko · Apr 28, 2024

WereDragon said:
I'm honestly surprised Paul, and the Orange Lantern corps more generally, are doing the whole Prime Directive thing. Does Azula not care at all about her people having only primitive technology?

She may want them to develop it themselves and to not be dependent on an outside source like the OLC.

Mr Zoat · Apr 28, 2024

Sockmonkey said:
In the show, Iroh went explained why he didn't.

I remember Iroh explaining why him defeating Ozai wouldn't work. According to the wiki he did take over when Zuko went to look for his mother. I don't remember Iroh saying why he didn't stick around in the animated series, rather than going back to running his tea shop.

WereDragon said:
I'm honestly surprised Paul, and the Orange Lantern corps more generally, are doing the whole Prime Directive thing. Does Azula not care at all about her people having only primitive technology?

They haven't been her people for seventy years.

Darko said:
She may want them to develop it themselves and to not be dependent on an outside source like the OLC.

That too. Orange Lanterns -and fire benders- focus on the fulfilment of their goals. Someone else just giving you stuff is off-putting.

Impartial Panic · Apr 28, 2024

Mr Zoat said:
"We should be able to calm things down within a day."

Within A Day

And I didn't do any of those things. But things are a good deal calmer now nonetheless.

I'll be honest given that this is Paul and with his luck I almost expected things to go off the rails.

"I thought we were supposed to stop the volcano from blowing it's top?"

"Alas it seems the spirits are even more temperamental that you were in your youth."

"Please this is barely a six on my rage scale."

"I'm pretty sure you never demolished an island."

"Never really got around to trying, maybe we should swing by the cabbage corp's island."

"MY CABBAGES!"

Ardy · Apr 28, 2024

Mr Zoat said:
I haven't decided.

MELINOE MIGHT STILL HAVE A CHANCE?!??

ForeverShogo · Apr 29, 2024

The way the comics set up the establishment of Republic City was really stupid and disappointing. As I recall, the colonies as presented should have stayed in the Fire Nation given that's what the people living there largely wanted.

Of course the comics also had Ursa turn out to be a pretty shitty mom in her own right.

Prince Charon · Apr 29, 2024

ForeverShogo said:
The way the comics set up the establishment of Republic City was really stupid and disappointing. As I recall, the colonies as presented should have stayed in the Fire Nation given that's what the people living there largely wanted.

It's possible that that's what the writers wanted to communicate, but they may not have done the best job of it.

Mr Zoat · Apr 29, 2024

13th April 2015
15:31 GMT

The Chief Superintendent extends his right hand to me across the desk, and I carefully take it and shake it. To my surprise, I spot him being careful as well. Enhanced strength? Some sort of on-touch ability? Not sure. Interesting, though. I'd had the impression that this place had started sprouting superheroes only recently, but the chance of a senior member of the police getting useful powers and ending up here while still maintaining a secret identity is astronomically small.

I also have to be a bit careful because I'm not shaking his hand with my actual hand. I'm huge, and while my illusory ward might be able to cover a lot of things physical contact isn't one of them.

"I'm Chief Superintendent Jim Grey, and this is Doctor Dominique O'Brien."

He turns slightly to indicate the careworn fifty year old woman next to him. I smile and extend my right prosthetic hand to her. "A pleasure."

She manages a wan smile, and her grip's even weaker than his is. Something's not right there…

She gestures to the seat opposite them, and I nod and smile and crouch down in front of it in a way which I've learned causes my ward to display my fictional alter ego to look as he's sitting in it.

"Thank you for coming in, Mister-" She glances at the binder which I'm going to assume contains a print out of my curriculum vitae. "-Grayven. How did you find getting in?"

"Not as bad as I'd feared." When you look a fraction of the size you are, navigating a densely populated city is not a good idea. That's why Himon invented hush tubes. "And the security in this building was a good deal less than I was expecting."

"Direct attacks against the intelligence services are -thankfully- quite rare." Chief Grey smiles, bringing his hands together in front of him. "So… Why don't you start by telling us what interested you in this position?"

I nod. "Well… I retired a little while ago, and my wife was getting annoyed with me hanging around the house-."

"This is intended to be a full time role."

I shake my head. "I'm fully physically fit. And I'd rather... Make myself useful. And given how narrow my.. speciality is, I was rather pleased to hear that you were recruiting."

"Yes. Ah…" He glances at Doctor O'Brien for a moment, then returns his attention to me. "We'll get to your past experience in a moment. Firstly, do you have any unspent criminal convictions?"

"Hah! Oh-" I raise my right hand. "-no, but… After a certain point they stop being crimes and start being policies, don't they? I'm sorry, would you mind-" I move my right hand to my neck. "-if I took this off?"

He shakes his head. "Not at all. We haven't got the air conditioning sorted out quite yet."

I take hold of the necklace carrying my amulet, pull it over my head, lay it on the desk and release, and there's the double gasp as they see my real appearance. More from him than from her. She's… Thoughtful. "I apologise, but when I saw the trouble that the minotaur chap was having, it seemed to be for the best. The-" I point at the folder. "-physical description I wrote there is entirely accurate."

"Yes, that had rather caught my eye." Chief Grey crosses out one of his notes. "Thank you for clearing that up."

"How does this-" Doctor O'Brien indicates the amulet with her pen, carefully not touching it. "-work?"

"I'm afraid that I'm not sure of the precise details. Fundamentally, light is a form of energy, and therefore can be manipulated. Shorten a wavelength here, lengthen it there…"

"And it doesn't affect the mind of the person looking at it?"

"No, I never really had much truck with glamours. Irritating things. Some of them gave me a bit of a headache."

Chief Grey frowns. "I.. shook your hand. What was I-?" I hold up the prosthetic arm and wave it at him. "I… See."

"Physical contact doesn't interfere with the light manipulation, but anyone feeling something they couldn't see would realise something was up fairly quickly."

"… Right. Are you able to produce more of these devices?"

I consider asking if he's talking about the arm, but decide that's not an appropriate route to follow during a job interview. "No, but I know people who can make them and I'm happy to put you in touch. Regardless of whether my application is successful or not. I, ah…" I gesture to the folder with my open right hand. "Listed my innate abilities.. in.. that…"

Chief Grey flicks through. "Yes. I see here you say that you don't know precisely how strong you are."

"I can bend steel girders, but… Super strength is quite a good deal harder to measure than people realise. For example, I have no innate way to spread pressure around. If I tried to lift a.. passenger plane, for example, the plane would most likely break around my hands as it failed to support its own weight. Similarly, I can't punch at full force because I'm still held in place by the friction my feet generate against the ground." I make a circling motion with my right hand. "Equal and opposite reaction… My experience is that unarmed super strength fighting is all about grappling."

"Resilience… Immune to small arms. Immune to infantry support weapons. Highly resistant to anti-tank weapons."

"Immune, if I'm wearing armour."

He looks up at me.

"'Survived a point blank nuclear explosion'?"

I nod. "A suitcase device. It was a while ago and I've gotten tougher since, but I felt that a familiar point of reference would be more useful to you than… Talking about some of the more exotic weapons I've been hit by over the years. If you want me to stand in front of a wrecking ball to demonstrate..?"

"I.. don't think that will be necessary." He checks his notes again. "And… 'God of Conquest'?"

"I can enhance the offensive, defensive and administrative powers of those around me."

Something about that gets Dr O'Brien's attention. "'Administrative'?"

"If the administrator and I are aligned in purpose, I can… Grant them a greater instinct for organisation. A greater understanding of processes and a resistance to distraction."

"You can affect their minds?"

"Ah… Indirectly, yes. Essentially they.. gain part of my capacity. I don't get any direct control. They aren't even compelled to use it."

She leans forward, regarding me rather intensely. "And where does your capacity come from?"

"That's.. a bit.. difficult to explain. Essentially, I have a very small fragment of something call 'the Source' as.. the core of my soul. My capacity comes from the fact that that capacity exists in the universe. I just have.. more than my fair share of it."

"And is this 'Source' aware of you?"

"Ooh… Now you're getting into theology. I think the answer is: 'yes, but not much more than it is everything else all of the time'. I've never spoken to it-." Ah. "Alright, I shouted at it once, but I've never had any direct communication back."

She's still watching me intently, but I think I see a confused frown directed her way by Chief Grey. She looks away, leaning back slightly to allow him to take over.

"And I see that you have listed extensive law enforcement experience."

I nod. "Yes, particularly in the area of people with exotic abilities. In the case of this job, I believe that my practical experience of dealing with threats outside the normal range of human abilities will be particularly useful to you."

"Would you mind explaining that?"

"Humans -for the most part- fight using their hands. Guns and knives are hand held, handcuffs are the normal way of limiting their ability to fight. But when you're fighting someone who can -for example- shoot fire out of their eyes… And may have other abilities, immobilising their hands does not mean that you've won. You ask them to surrender, they raise empty hands, you step forward and fwoosh! The Met need a new Chief Superintendent."

"Ah." He chuckles nervously. "Yes."

"Similarly, disabling injuries do not necessarily mean that the assailant is not still a current threat. Any number of exotic abilities are not weakened by a lack of physical strength. On a more upbeat note, I also have experience in training and coordinating people with exotic abilities, helping them get the best out of their abilities and how to be most effective in the field. And as you can see from my CV, I'm used to fighting in that fashion."

He nods. "Thank you, Mister Grayven. Oh, ah, just one other question. I notice that you're not a British Citizen. Do you already have a tier two visa?"

…

Darn.

…

On my way out I send in the minotaur and stab the lizardman in the face with the Sword of the Fallen. I can't believe I just washed out of a job interview for a job I know more about than the interviewers!

I mean, what's not to like about me?

Ostentatiousnessness · Apr 29, 2024

Mr Zoat said:
If I tries to lift a

Should be try.

Osserumb · Apr 29, 2024

I believe they should've asked Grayven whether he can do high-level maths calculations in his head e.g. string theory or instinctive comprehension of quantum phenomenon's. Only then they would know if he could be one of possible events leading to CASE NIGHTMARE GREEN.

Bigking321 · Apr 29, 2024

I am very confused. Where is he now?

Mquz · Apr 29, 2024

The source existing in the laundry files would likely just get conflated with the sleeper or something. Considering at least one of the superhumans they're interviewing is the black pharaoh, I do wonder if Grayven is gonna get in now or get contacted a few books later when shit really hits the fan.

For those confused, Grayven is now in the laundry files book series, which is a universe where superpowers have only appeared very recently - in the 4th or 5th book exclusively, in fact, as a consequence of the walls between realities growing increasingly thin. Before that everyone had to rely on running rituals as software in their portable computing devices.

Razorfloss · Apr 29, 2024

Bigking321 said:
I am very confused. Where is he now?

Book series called the laundry files. Think call of Cthulhu but worse so much worse. The Lovecraft mythos are real and governments have agencies to deal with them to various degrees of success.

Bigking321 · Apr 29, 2024

How is renegade traveling the multiverse so casually?

I didn't think about the dcu at all because it was part of the April fools thing.

But did he crack traveling to other realities whenever he feels like it at some point?

Equestria was because of the mirror existing and them getting the data from the already established connection right?

thebishop8 · Apr 29, 2024

What does "retired" even mean for Grayven? Is he supposed to have beaten his universes Darkseid by this point in time?

Chojin Patriarch · Apr 29, 2024

Mr Zoat said:
13th April 2015
15:31 GMT

The Chief Superintendent extends his right hand to me across the desk, and I carefully take it and shake it. To my surprise, I spot him being careful as well. Enhanced strength? Some sort of on-touch ability? Not sure. Interesting, though. I'd had the impression that this place had started sprouting superheroes only recently, but the chance of a senior member of the police getting useful powers and ending up here while still maintaining a secret identity is astronomically small.

Interesting. A Renegade segment, so soon after his last little adventure? I honestly have no idea of what universe this one might be, but I get the feeling it'll be amusing.

I also have to be a bit careful because I'm not shaking his hand with my actual hand. I'm huge, and while my illusory ward might be able to cover a lot of things physical contact isn't one of them.

"I'm Chief Superintendent Jim Grey, and this is Doctor Dominique O'Brien."

Names don't ring any bells, sadly.

He turns slightly to indicate the careworn fifty year old woman next to him. I smile and extend my right prosthetic hand to her. "A pleasure."

She manages a wan smile, and her grip's even weaker than his is. Something's not right there…

Heh. Getting around the physical limitations of his physique in such amusing ways.

She gestures to the seat opposite them, and I nod and smile and crouch down in front of it in a way which I've learned causes my ward to display my fictional alter ego to look as he's sitting in it.

"Thank you for coming in, Mister-" She glances at the binder which I'm going to assume contains a print out of my curriculum vitae. "-Grayven. How did you find getting it?"

A job interview? How mundane. I guess Luna was serious about him finding something to do.

"Not as bad as I'd feared." When you look a fraction of the size you are, navigating a densely populated city is not a good idea. That's why Himon invented hush tubes. "And the security in this building was a good deal less than I was expecting."

"Direct attacks against the intelligence services as -thankfully- quite rare." Chief Grey smiles, bringing his hands together in front of him. "So… Why don't you start by telling us what interested you in this position?"

Well, quite rare when the Renegade isn't involved yet, anyway.

I nod. "Well… I retired a little while ago, and my wife was getting annoyed with me hanging around the house-."

"This is intended to be a full time role."

He's not going to have any trouble commuting, at least.

I shake my head. "I'm fully physically fit. And I'd rather... Make myself useful. And given how narrow my.. speciality is, I was rather pleased to hear that you were recruiting."

"Yes. Ah…" He glances at Doctor O'Brien for a moment, then returns his attention to me. "We'll get to your past experience in a moment. Firstly, do you have any unspent criminal convictions?"

'Unspent' as in not served? Not in this universe... Yet.

"Hah! Oh-" I raise my right hand. "-no, but… After a certain point they stop being crimes and start being policies, don't they? I'm sorry, would you mind-" I move my right hand to my neck. "-if I took this off?"

He shakes his head. "Not at all. We haven't got the air conditioning sorted out quite yet."

...Ah, they think you mean a jacket? Oh, are they ever in for a surprise.

I take hold of the necklace carrying my amulet, pull it over my head, lay it on the desk and release, and there's the double gasp as they see my real appearance. More from him than from her. She's… Thoughtful. "I apologise, but when I saw the trouble that the minotaur chap was having, it seemed to be for the best. The-" I point at the folder. "-physical description I wrote there is entirely accurate."

...At least they're nominally equal-opportunity employers?

"Yes, that had rather caught my eye." Chief Grey crosses out one of his notes. "Thank you for clearing that up."

"How does this-" Doctor O'Brien indicates the amulet with her pen.\, carefully not touching it. "-work?"

I take it such arcane effects are rather less common around here, and there's hidden dangers involved.

"I'm afraid that I'm not sure of the precise details. Fundamentally, light is a form of energy, and therefore can be manipulated. Shorten a wavelength here, lengthen it there…"

"And it doesn't affect the mind of the person looking at it?"

...Definitely a concern, it seems, if the brief blurb was anything to go by.

"No, I never really had much truck with glamours. Irritating things. Some of them gave me a bit of a headache."

Chief Grey frowns. "I.. shook your hand. What was I-?" I hold up the prosthetic arm and wave it at him. "I… See."

I kind of picture him either holding it in his hand like one of those extendo-grip toys, or having it strapped on sticks underneath his forearm...

"Physical contact doesn't interfere with the light manipulation, but anyone feeling something they couldn't see would realise something was up fairly quickly."

"… Right. Are you able to produce more of these devices?"

Since, going by the mention of a minotaur, they are in need of optical concealment measures without mental effects...

I consider asking if he's talking about the arm, but decide that's not an appropriate route to follow during a job interview. "No, but I know people who can make them and I'm happy to put you in touch. Regardless of whether my application is successful or not. I, ah…" I gesture to the folder with my open right hand. "Listed my innate abilities.. in.. that…"

Chief Grey flicks through. "Yes. I see here you say that you don't know precisely how strong you are."

Except maybe on a relative scale of 'Captain America' to 'Superman (Silver Age)'...

"I can bend steel girders, but… Super strength is quite a good deal harder to measure than people realise. For example, I have no innate way to spread pressure around. If I tries to lift a.. passenger plane, for example, the plane would most likely break around my hands as it failed to support its own weight. Similarly, I can't punch at full force because I'm still held in place by the friction my feet generate against the ground." I make a circling motion with my right hand. "Equal and opposite reaction… My experience is that unarmed super strength fighting is all about grappling."

A matter of physics, really. Just because he is strong doesn't mean the world is too.

"Resilience… Immune to small arms. Immune to infantry support weapons. Highly resistant to anti-tank weapons."

"Immune, if I'm wearing armour."

Force-fields, baby. Between Rings, New God tech and sheer orneriness...

He looks up at me.

"'Survived a point blank nuclear explosion?'"

Note that 'survived' does not mean 'unaffected by'. He was a bit charred afterwards.

I nod. "A suitcase device. It was a while ago and I've gotten tougher since, but I felt that a familiar point of reference would be more useful to you than… Talking about some of the more exotic weapons I've been hit by over the years. If you want me to stand in front of a wrecking ball to demonstrate..?"

"I.. don't think that will be necessary." He checks his notes again. "And… 'God of Conquest'?"

...Somehow, I don't get the feeling they get actual gods turning up looking for work. There's probably a cognito-hazard concern or the like...

"I can enhance the offensive, defensive and administrative powers of those around me."

Something about that gets Dr O'Brien's attention. "'Administrative'?"

Bet that'd be popular in government work.

"If the administrator and I are aligned in purpose, I can… Grant them a greater instinct for organisation. A greater understanding of processes and a resistance to distraction."

"You can affect their minds?"

...Okay, maybe not so popular.

"Ah… Indirectly, yes. Essentially they.. gain part of my capacity. I don't get any direct control. They aren't even compelled to use it."

She leans forward, regarding me rather intensely. "And where does your capacity come from?"

Getting ideas about utilising it for others, perhaps? Magic apparently being a known quantity around here.

"That's.. a bit.. difficult to explain. Essentially, I have a very small fragment of something call 'the Source' as.. the core of my soul. My capacity comes from the fact that that capacity exists in the universe. I just have.. more than my fair share of it."

"And is this 'Source' aware of you?"

An interesting question. If it is, it's probably enjoying his discomfort and occasional suffering.

"Ooh… Now you're getting into theology. I think the answer is: 'yes, but not much more than it is everything else all of the time'. I've never spoken to it-." Ah. "Alright, I shouted at it once, but I've never had any direct communication back."

She's still watching me intently, but I think I see a confused frown directed her way by Chief Grey. She looks away, leaning back slightly to allow him to take over.

And that's not as in a 'shouting at the heavens' way, either. I don't remember it, but he has been close to the Source Wall and had a talk at least once.

"And I see that you have listed extensive law enforcement experience."

I nod. "Yes, particularly in the area of people with exotic abilities. In the case of this job, I believe that my practical experience of dealing with threats outside the normal range of human abilities will be particularly useful to you."

"Would you mind explaining that?"

Supervillains, basically. The kind that are immune to bullets, for instance.

"Humans -for the most part- fight using their hands. Guns and knives are hand held, handcuffs are the normal way of limiting their ability to fight. But when you're fighting someone who can -for example- shoot fire out of their eyes… And may have other abilities, immobilising their hands does not mean that you've won. You ask them to surrender, they raise empty hands, you step forward and fwoosh! The Met need a new Chief Superintendent."

That's also an issue. And I bet they don't have the budget for specialised containment gear for those circumstances, either.

"Ah." He chuckles nervously. "Yes."

"Similarly, disabling injuries do not necessarily mean that the assailant is not still a current threat. Any number of exotic abilities are not weakened by a lack of physical strength. On a more upbeat note, I also have experience in training and coordinating people with exotic abilities, helping them get the best out of their abilities and how to be most effective in the field. And as you can see from my CV, I'm used to fighting in that fashion."

...And he has something of an ultimate 'fuck you' for the really nasty threats. Even if it does leave all that power floating about ready to be claimed.

He nods. "Thank you, Mister Grayven. Oh, ah, just one other question. I notice that you're not a British Citizen. Do you already have a tier two visa?"

…

Darn.

<facepalm> Foiled by his immigration status. Kind of embarrassing.

…

On my way out I send in the minotaur and stab the lizardman in the face with the Sword of the Fallen. I can't believe I just washed out of a job interview for I job I know more about that the interviewers!

I mean, what's not to like about me?

Do you want a general list, or itemised? And a bit rude, unless that Lizardman was some hidden major threat.

A little bit confusing, mostly because I hadn't heard of these 'Laundry Files' things before. But seeing the Renegade try to steamroll a job interview by dazzling his hosts with his good character and talents... That's funny. I'm guessing he's going to hang around here for a bit, going by the threadmark, so we'll get to see more of him dealign with these folks...

Darko · Apr 29, 2024

Mr Zoat said:
How did you find getting it?"

"getting in"

Mr Zoat said:
intelligence services as -

"services are"

Darko · Apr 29, 2024

Chojin Patriarch said:
A little bit confusing, mostly because I hadn't heard of these 'Laundry Files' things before

I honestly thought it was the X-Files universe.

Vaermina · Apr 29, 2024

Bigking321 said:
How is renegade traveling the multiverse so casually?

I didn't think about the dcu at all because it was part of the April fools thing.

But did he crack traveling to other realities whenever he feels like it at some point?

Equestria was because of the mirror existing and them getting the data from the already established connection right?

Zoat made it so motherbox/fatherbox can boomtube between realities.

Jack of Olives · Apr 29, 2024

That interviewer is either getting sacked or promoted; and I'm not sure which.

Mquz · Apr 29, 2024

Jack of Olives said:
That interviewer is either getting sacked or promoted; and I'm not sure which.

Well, she's the new head of the department of superhuman affairs. Unlikely to get promoted, and he's not even the strongest superhuman that walks into that room. She's just a little worried about potential mind control and the fact that the "source" he mentions sounds like any number of lovecraftian horrors she knows is trying to invade that universe.

Mors · Apr 29, 2024

Jack of Olives said:
That interviewer is either getting sacked or promoted; and I'm not sure which.

The Eater of Souls isn't being promoted based on how he handled an interview, I promise you. And his wife is an Auditor or something, she isn't either.

Mr Zoat · Apr 29, 2024

Darko said:
"getting in"
"services are"

Ostentatiousnessness said:
Should be try.

Me said:
indicates the amulet with her pen.\, carefully
"'Survived a point blank nuclear explosion?'"

Thank you, corrected.

Jack of Olives said:
That interviewer is either getting sacked or promoted; and I'm not sure which.

Neither. The team they were interviewing for is essentially the distraction team while long-term Laundry associates make up the actual team.

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

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