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

[Darko]

moment and then dulls, translucent violet crystal

Click to shrink...

Link appears to be broken.

 

[Dur'id the Druid]

If you mean when Paul accidentally permanently killed Teekl, that happened in Episode 52: Last Supper.

Click to shrink...

Thank you so much.

Click to shrink...

Anyone else look how far back that is, and then see the 2380 Threadmarks?

 

[Bud-E]

How is Donna immune to mind-control? Is it one of her blessings?

 

[Darko]

How is Donna immune to mind-control? Is it one of her blessings?

Click to shrink...

She can call upon the power of various gods and titans.

A few chapters ago she called upon the power of Metis to clear Paul's mind in case he was being influenced.

She's also metaphysically powerful herself, so she may be able to resist him.

 

[The Chosen One]

How is Donna immune to mind-control? Is it one of her blessings?

Click to shrink...

She might have one from Metis, but I think they're mostly banking on her being something of a New God herself, with a baseline awareness and control of her own metaphysique that the others don't have.

 

[TheOneTrueDemonLord]

I miss Thundercat Paul. Is his story over?

Also, Zoat, probably asking alot, but can you make the alt paths a seperate thread? Repeat viewing is very hard with them so seperated.

 

[Mr Zoat]

I miss Thundercat Paul. Is his story over?

Click to shrink...

There isn't much else for him to do, really. Other than invade Earth Beta.

Also, Zoat, probably asking alot, but can you make the alt paths a seperate thread? Repeat viewing is very hard with them so seperated.

Click to shrink...

Could, probably. Going to? No.

Aside from anything else, they're not any easier for me to find than they are for you to find.

If you list them in a post I can link to your post at the begining of the thread.

 

[TheOneTrueDemonLord]

If you list them in a post I can link to your post at the begining of the thread.

Click to shrink...

Wym?

 

[Galacticplumber]

Wym?

Click to shrink...

He means find all the side stories, and list them with proper ordering, and he'll link that post on the first page effectively allowing people to read them in order. One person does the work and no one has to ever again. Is it worth that to you?

 

[TheOneTrueDemonLord]

He means find all the side stories, and list them with proper ordering, and he'll link that post on the first page effectively allowing people to read them in order. One person does the work and no one has to ever again. Is it worth that to you?

Click to shrink...

Zoat has written 2 Million+ words. As nice as it would be to have links. Its not THAT worth it.

Can we start it with new alt chaps at least?

 

[earlyriser]

I use the recap pages legend on Tvtropes to find the alts, then click into the individual drop down menu for the episode on the first page here.

For example, Common Sense Paul POV appears in:
Judgement Day
Wing and Dagger
Realigned
Jiggity-Jig
Maladaptive
And That's Okay

Recap vids are being planned out... I'm thinking each video starts with an overview of the events of the episode, then specific timeline/character relationship details (with a visual), then review of the episode. I'm also thinking of starting of with a video called "What is With This Ring?" to serve as an intro to new readers.

 

[Steelplaza]

I was looking at the DC fandom wiki entry on Sleez. Not a lot, he has basically three appearances and he dies in two of them. (The last one is him showing up to immediately die again to show an Event is Serious Business, the fate of all zed-listers.) Still, these two lines describing his first appearance in 1987 Action Comics really make me laugh when put next to each other.

Sleez took the brainwashed Superman and Barda to Grossman, an adult film director, so Grossman could make and adult film with Barda and Superman.

Click to shrink...

Oh wow, this is gritty and adult, just like comics should be after Watchmen. Forcing Superman to star in a porno, clearly comics aren't just for kids anymore. So by the way, let's read the next sentence and see how this fits into his greater plan.

Sleez figures the film will make enough money to where Sleez can use the money to build an army to get revenge on Darkseid.

Click to shrink...

Hmmm, hmmm, yeah... that pornographic movie will surely make enough... earth money... to.... build an army that can fight Darkseid?

What a perfect blend of "this doesn't have to make sense" bronze age giving over to "this is needlessly edgy" of the late 1980s/early 1990s. It's great!

Darkseid showed the tape to Mister Miracle, who immediately went searching for Barda.

Click to shrink...

On the other hand, Darkseid showing Scott Free a video of his wife being raped is totally on-brand for many versions of Darkseid. He may be occupied ruling the planet of evil, but he makes time for those personal torments. Don't do evil to work, work so you can do evil, is Darkseid's motto. Perfect, no notes.

 

[Stsword]

Hmmm, hmmm, yeah... that pornographic movie will surely make enough... earth money... to.... build an army that can fight Darkseid?

What a perfect blend of "this doesn't have to make sense" bronze age giving over to "this is needlessly edgy" of the late 1980s/early 1990s. It's great!

Click to shrink...

This was before the DC writers started riding Darkseid's dick because they are too chickenshit to stop milking Kirby's legacy despite the bazillion times Darkseid has been defeated over the decades.

Kirby based Darkseid on Hitler and Nixon, he wasn't a nigh unbeatable cosmic force, he was a lying liar who lied who knew that if he wasn't careful he'd be put face first against the wall during the glorious Lowly revolution.

I am aware of at least two other times that a New God thought that resources from Earth would be enough to bitch slap Darkseid and claim the throne of Apokalips- Godfrey tried to claim the Helmet of Fate only for Nabu turn his brain into that scrambled egg from that don't do drugs commercial, and a Parademon kidnapped some Earth supervillains, although since that guy kidnapped Z listers like Guy's clone Joe Gardner I think we can just dismiss that guy as an idiot.

 

[Steelplaza]

Kirby based Darkseid on Hitler and Nixon, he wasn't a nigh unbeatable cosmic force, he was a lying liar who lied who knew that if he wasn't careful he'd be put face first against the wall during the glorious Lowly revolution.

Click to shrink...

I do know and even agree with that, but even with that version of Darkseid I think we got to raise an eyebrow at this porn-for-guns plan.

Sleez my man, if you can mind control Superman, maybe you should just use mind-controlled Superman to attack Darkseid and cut out the middleman!

 

[Lord Ernest]

Maybe Sleez's mind control isn't that extensive in the comics? Maybe it just empowers base impulses or puts you in a drug-like state or something like that. So he could put Barda and Superman in a pornographic scenario but couldn't just order them to fight for him?

Sounds stupid, but the whole premise of Sleez sounds stupid anyway.

 

[CrazyNoVa]

Kills or turns into a construct? But either way that was a while ago. Teekl finally dies at the end of the first year, but gets turned into a conbstruct about a third of the way through the first six months.

Click to shrink...

You know, this raises an interesting question: What would happen if Paul tried to make a soulless, mindless and nonsentient clone of a living creature (kind of like those clone creatures that were never alive that we saw in that Future Paragon post where he visited the Captain Planet world), and then tried to assimilate it? Would he get a free construct minion? If that works, it could be an interesting and relatively ethical way to aquire more construct servants.

I miss Thundercat Paul. Is his story over?

Also, Zoat, probably asking alot, but can you make the alt paths a seperate thread? Repeat viewing is very hard with them so seperated.

Click to shrink...

There isn't much else for him to do, really. Other than invade Earth Beta.

Could, probably. Going to? No.

Aside from anything else, they're not any easier for me to find than they are for you to find.

If you list them in a post I can link to your post at the begining of the thread.

Click to shrink...

That is a good question: What did happen to Lord Protector Paul after he met Skitter? Did they team up? Are they allies?

That aside, I don't know if it counts, but TV Tropes does have a recap page here that lists all the chapters containing POVs of alternate universe Pauls, as well as which version of Paul got featured where. I usually use it whenever I want to read about a specific Paul. Heck, there's even indications for when a chapter contains a POV of non-Paul characters listed there too:

With This Ring (2013) - TV Tropes

Warning: Official policy states that no spoiler tags should exist on recap pages. Read at your own risk. A - Angelic Paul Ad - Teth Adom Ak - Anarky An - The Ancestor Paul Ar - Artemis Crock Av - Avatar universe (future Paragon) B - Blue …

tvtropes.org

 

[topin89]

I'll be optimistic and think it's just a big misunderstanding. Probably not, sometimes ugly bastard embodiment is just that. Still...

So, Sleez as he described on the Fandom page is a powerful psychic who was able to control Big Barda, a New God. And ridiculously dumb. Make porn to hire goons to get revenge on Darkseid, really?

Now, look at "Simon Leas". Extremely low profile. His job is basically the most constructive thing a depraved apokoliptan god can do. He even worked with that evil metawoman making one less active villan. And J'aarkn (a telepath with deep understanding of human emotions) said his talents were healthier in general.
And on top of that, he was
lifed not so long ago, which may change him just like Canis was.

For all I know, Sleez just panicked and genuinely means no harm.

Well, it's not very likely, but it's possible.

 

[Someguy Somewhere]

Panic does not come with premeditated weapon stockpiles for your mind control mooks to kill their friends with.

The demo charges I could see laying about a new god bunker, but the bow? That's more to order. And she's got arrows to match.

No, this was planned ahead of time long enough for specific preparations. That means the actions were also premeditated.

 

[Mr Zoat]

21st July 2013
11:12 GMT -6

So hurrying up…

There's no room between my clothes and the inner surface of the resin. But if I remove part of my arm while ensuring that the flesh is replaced by a kinetic barrier-. Good. The resin presses the barrier just enough to activate it, maintaining the space behind it. I don't even lose feeling in that part of my arm: the sensation is just relayed by ring rather than nerves.

Artemis glances at where Wallace is encased in resin, appears to realise that she wouldn't be able to cut him out, then lunges at me!

Correctly calibrated sonic emitter just behind it and activate!

WzzzEEEEN!

And that arm is free, can I-? No, can't step out or transition-. Shield!

Artemis stabs toward my face! I form the shield below her arm and try knocking it upwards, but she jumps and kicks off the shield into a flip to avoid getting caught, her left hand already going for her quiver-. And those crumbler arrows I made for her.

New sonic emitter, aim at my shoulder and activate!

WzzzEEEEN!

Arm free! Point defence construct, shoot the arrowhead before she can hit my shield construct! Move the emitter!

WzzzEEEEN!

She alters the angle of her swing as the arrowhead fizzles, smashing it at full strength into my arm! My filament connections are severed by brute force, constructs failing-! She releases the shaft, grabbing a replacement and stabbing for my arm with her knife! Catchitcatchit-! Okay, thatNO!

AGH!

I caught her hand, but she flicked the knife forwards and it went through anyway! X-ionisation may not trump construct shields but it's a big strength multiplier! I've-. Barely got any connection to that ring and I don't have time to free my other arm. Pneumatic ram construct, aim for her stomach, she can take it.

I knock her back a little, but she grabs her crumbler arrow and hits it before it can exert its full force. But that buys me a little time. Sonic emitter aimed at my chest, fire!

WzzzEEEEN!

Point defence-!

She's drawing and loosing at full speed, but my point defences can keep up with it. She isn't running back in… Okay, good? I move the sonic emitter to my left arm and trigger it again-

WzzzEEEEN!

-leaving me with just my legs encased as she draws and looses more-.

Behind her, Wallace's cocoon shatters! How did-? Arrows on the ground, she shot holes in his prison while I was focusing on me-.

Wallace materialises in front of me, a vial of Essence of Vitriol aimed at my face-!

He blinks, tension leaving his body. He takes a breath, looking at his hand in puzzlement and returning the vial to his belt. Then he makes eye contact with me, and he's himself again.

"Oh El? We fighting Trickster? Because.. I..." He looks around. "Don't remember exactly how we got here."

"One moment."

WzzzEEEEN!

I pull myself out of what's left of the resin, feeling decidedly better about the situation. "Orange Lantern to Troia. Get him?"

"Knocked him out. He was trying to give me… Disturbing ideas."

"Good work. I'll-."

"Are we..? Calling this in? If he's.. working with… You know who…"

"Look, I don't know what everyone is expecting me to do here, but the situation with Nabu was a personal failure for me as well and I'm not trying to repeat it. Unless Robin objects, call it in as normal. If Batman is using his expertise then he can do it in the open with Scott Free watching. If he's not, there's no problem."

"I-. I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to say that I thought you were planning on killing Batman."

"Of course I have a plan for killing Batman. I'm just not enacting it." Over to my right Artemis shakes her head, banging the heel of her right hand against her temple. "Unlike Nabu, I respect Batman, and I know this… Isn't his normal character. Ri-. Robin, has Arsenal found anything?"

"He's breaking in now."

"Great. Artemis? Kid Flash? How are you feeling?"

"Ah." Wallace shrugs. "Fine?"

Artemis winces. "Like I just got done with one of Dad's exercises. What happened?"

"It seems that there's been an Apokoliptian living on Earth for several decades. Not completely sure what he's been up to, but given that his occupation was sourcing actors for pornographic films I doubt-"

Wallace splutter-laughs. "Seriously?"

"-that it was anything beneficent. That's the legal work he was doing in his public identity, yes."

He meets my eyes for a moment, then he sharply sucks in a breath. "But if he could make us his minions in a few minutes… How many of them were actually…"

He nods to himself, and I nod back.

"And that was just his public identity. He's a New God whose powers relate to covert corrup-tion." Ooh. "Robin…"

"Yeah, I thought of that." He snorts with amusement. "Sure would be convenient, huh?"

Artemis frowns, looking at me. "Huh?"

"If Batman went looking for New God technology on Earth, ran into Sleez as he was doing the same and got his mind altered. We get Sleez, Mister Miracle shoves him into some sort of influence removing machine, and we can all stop worrying."

She nods. "Buuut you don't think that's gunna happen."

I hold up my right arm-. Repair it, then cross my fingers. She snorts.

Wallace looks around. "Are you good cleaning this place up? Because if that's Trickster's gunk I can't do anything with it."

"Yes, I've got this. Troia, what are you securing Sleez with?"

"My lasso, your magic suppression manacles and Big Barda's New God restraints."

I frown. "Do they all fit?"

"Kind of."

"Okay. I'll-" I recover Artemis's knife and pass it to her. "-deal with this, you go and help Troia, and then I.. guess we'll go and see Batman."

 

[Kurai]

It would be a nice solution - but like Artemis (and Paul), I doubt it will happen . . .

 

[Ngamer11]

"If Batman went looking for New God technology on Earth, ran into Sleez as he was doing the same and got his mild altered. We get Sleez, Mister Miracle shoves him into some sort of influence removing machine, and we can all stop worrying."

She nods. "Buuupt you don't think that's gunna happen."

Click to shrink...

Those should be 'mind' and Buuuut'.

 

[Chojin Patriarch]

21st July 2013
11:12 GMT -6

So hurrying up…

There's no room between my clothes and the inner surface of the resin. But if I remove part of my arm while ensuring that the flesh is replaced by a kinetic barrier-. Good. The resin presses the barrier just enough to activate it, maintaining the space behind it. I don't even lose feeling in that part of my arm: the sensation is just relayed by ring rather than nerves.

Click to shrink...

Ooof. There's that inhuman willingness to casually mutilate himself again. All that so he can squeeze in something to break the resin, too. Hopefully Troia can get to Sleez before Artemis starts carving him up like a Christmas dinner.

Spoiler: Commentary spoilered for length

Artemis glances at where Wallace is encased in resin, appears to realise that she wouldn't be able to cut him out, then lunges at me!

Correctly calibrated sonic emitter just behind it and activate!

Click to shrink...

Well, not cut him out quickly, and if the resin can re-liquefy when it's cut away, she'd likely trap herself.

WzzzEEEEN!

And that arm is free, can I-? No, can't step out or transition-. Shield!

Click to shrink...

So the jamming effect is across the general area, rather than anything in the resin itself. Good to know.

Artemis stabs toward my face! I form the shield below her arm and try knocking it upwards, but she jumps and kicks off the shield into a flip to avoid getting caught, her left hand already going for her quiver-. And those crumbler arrows I made for her.

New sonic emitter, aim at my shoulder and activate!

Click to shrink...

A crumbler would probably be more effective against the resin for sure, shield or no shield. Goes to show how canny she is when she's motivated. Even if they're a bit bad at the moment.

WzzzEEEEN!

Arm free! Point defence construct, shoot the arrowhead before she can hit my shield construct! Move the emitter!

Click to shrink...

Multi-tasking at the speed of thought. Classic OL.

WzzzEEEEN!

She alters the angle of her swing as the arrowhead fizzles, smashing it at full strength into my arm! My filament connections are severed by brute force, constructs failing-! She releases the shaft, grabbing a replacement and stabbing for my arm with her knife! Catchitcatchit-! Okay, thatNO!

Click to shrink...

Sounds like he didn't catch it the way he wanted to...

AGH!

I caught her hand, but she flicked the knife forwards and it went through anyway! X-ionisation may not trump construct shields but it's a big strength multiplier! I've-. Barely got any connection to that ring and I don't have time to free my other arm. Pneumatic ram construct, aim for her stomach, she can take it.

Click to shrink...

...Ouch. Especially nasty considering she flicked that with Dannered strength, so it would hit like a thrown spear or something heavier.

I knock her back a little, but she grabs her crumbler arrow and hits it before it can exert its full force. But that buys me a little time. Sonic emitter aimed at my chest, fire!

WzzzEEEEN!

Click to shrink...

Ah, that Danner reaction speed enhancement at work. Not quite 'faster than a speeding bullet' but dang close.

Point defence-!

She's drawing and loosing at full speed, but my point defences can keep up with it. She isn't running back in… Okay, good? I move the sonic emitter to my left arm and trigger it again-

Click to shrink...

Looks like she's realised with him pinned down, he's an easier target for ranged attacks than just stabbing and hacking. Or Sleez did. Depends on how much control he's exerting, especially with Donna after him.

WzzzEEEEN!

-leaving me with just my legs encased as she draws and looses more-.

Click to shrink...

And if he was desperate, he could sever his lower half, fly off and rebuild before he bleeds out...

Behind her, Wallace's cocoon shatters! How did-? Arrows on the ground, she shot holes in his prison while I was focusing on me-.

Wallace materialises in front of me, a vial of Essence of Vitriol aimed at my face-!

Click to shrink...

Teamwork makes the dream work. Admittedly, a dream of murderising a friend, but...

He blinks, tension leaving his body. He takes a breath, looking at his hand in puzzlement and returning the vial to his belt. Then he makes eye contact with me, and he's himself again.

"Oh El? We fighting Trickster? Because.. I..." He looks around. "Don't remember exactly how we got here."

Click to shrink...

Donna made it, then. And probably for the best he can't remember anything that happened between encountering Sleez and now.

"One moment."

WzzzEEEEN!

I pull myself out of what's left of the resin, feeling decidedly better about the situation. "Orange Lantern to Troia. Get him?"

Click to shrink...

Presumably Artemis froze at the same moment, easing off on her bowstring in confusion.

"Knocked him out. He was trying to give me… Disturbing ideas."

"Good work. I'll-."

"Are we..? Calling this in? If he's.. working with… You know who…"

Click to shrink...

Well, you do have two counts of mind-controlling a League Affiliate on the books now. Even if he claims to have panicked, that's enough to hold him.

"Look, I don't know what everyone is expecting me to do here, but the situation with Nabu was a personal failure for me as well and I'm not trying to repeat it. Unless Robin objects, call it in as normal. If Batman is using his expertise then he can do it in the open with Scott Free watching. If he's not, there's no problem."

Click to shrink...

Now I wonder if Batman or other folks had a sudden moment of confused clarity just now.

"I-. I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to say that I thought you were planning on killing Batman."

"Of course I have a plan for killing Batman. I'm just not enacting it." Over to my right Artemis shakes her head, banging the heel of her right hand against her temple. "Unlike Nabu, I respect Batman, and I know this… Isn't his normal character. Ri-. Robin, has Arsenal found anything?"

Click to shrink...

I like that OL has sort of settled into the 'prep-time god' with Batman moving into more of a relaxed 'Bat-dad' position.

"He's breaking in now."

"Great. Artemis? Kid Flash? How are you feeling?"

Click to shrink...

No... Peculiar aches or pains in private spots?

"Ah." Wallace shrugs. "Fine?"

Artemis winces. "Like I just got done with one of Dad's exercises. What happened?"

Click to shrink...

Not a fun time, then. At least she has a standard for bad shit.

"It seems that there's been an Apokoliptian living on Earth for several decades. Not completely sure what he's been up to, but given that his occupation was sourcing actors for pornographic films I doubt-"

Wallace splutter-laughs. "Seriously?"

Click to shrink...

Oh, wait, KF, it gets worse.

"-that it was anything beneficent. That's the legal work he was doing in his public identity, yes."

He meets my eyes for a moment, then he sharply sucks in a breath. "But if he could make us his minions in a few minutes… How many of them were actually…"

He nods to himself, and I nod back.

Click to shrink...

Yeeeuuuup. I'm just imaging the full-body cringe-and-shudder he may have suppressed there.

"And that was just his public identity. He's a New God whose powers relate to covert corrup-tion." Ooh. "Robin…"

"Yeah, I thought of that." He snorts with amusement. "Sure would be convenient, huh?"

Click to shrink...

Sadly, real life is rarely so convenient. As much as I joked above, I doubt he had anything to do with Batman's current state.

Artemis frowns, looking at me. "Huh?"

"If Batman went looking for New God technology on Earth, ran into Sleez as he was doing the same and got his mind altered. We get Sleez, Mister Miracle shoves him into some sort of influence removing machine, and we can all stop worrying."

Click to shrink...

More likely Batman will tell them 'I tapped his expertise for certain parts of the Peace Agent systems. Nothing more.'

She nods. "Buuut you don't think that's gunna happen."

I hold up my right arm-. Repair it, then cross my fingers. She snorts.

Click to shrink...

Oh, right, the nearly-severed one. Surprised that wasn't repaired without comment. Besides a joke about her losing her x-Ionised blade.

Wallace looks around. "Are you good cleaning this place up? Because if that's Trickster's gunk I can't do anything with it."

"Yes, I've got this. Troia, what are you securing Sleez with?"

Click to shrink...

And is he likely to make snarky comments about it when he wakes up?

"My lasso, your magic suppression manacles and Big Barda's New God restraints."

I frown. "Do they all fit?"

Click to shrink...

At first I though 'Do the restraints actually fit someone that small', but Then I realised they're all on at once. I could definitely see the competing for space, especially on his true form.

"Kind of."

"Okay. I'll-" I recover Artemis's knife and pass it to her. "-deal with this, you go and help Troia, and then I.. guess we'll go and see Batman."

Click to shrink...

And then we get to see what, if any connection Sleez may have to all of it.

Hopefully Arsenal can find incriminating evidence against Sleez at his residence, or this could turn into a case of false arrest. At most, they have two cases of 'mind-control with intent to do harm', and Sleez could claim self-defence if his presence here was innocent. This could be a very messy resolution all round, and find the team members getting managed more closely to prevent them going off by themselves in future...

 

[Signaller]

Not that Sleez would care, but how old are Artemis and KF now?

 

[Mr Zoat]

Those should be 'mind' and Buuuut'.

Click to shrink...

Thank you, corrected.

Not that Sleez would care, but how old are Artemis and KF now?

Click to shrink...

Seventeen, I think?

 

[m_d]

Zoat has written 2 Million+ words. As nice as it would be to have links. Its not THAT worth it.

Can we start it with new alt chaps at least?

Click to shrink...

Please no. It's currently reasonably easy to find alt chapters because they're linearly in mostly one place (more if you include previous threads, but still easy). The index is on one page and I can just Cmd+F threadmark titles. If I don't remember a title, or the alternate is one where there isn't a unique threadmark (for example, the Ambush bug sequence), I can do keyword searches in one thread (well, more if you go back far enough). If you download one of the EPUB compilations that get done periodically (see first page of this thread for links) you can search one of those in one go in most ebook reader programs (Calibre is free). Also I can just reload one page for new updates rather than relying on notifications on over a dozen alt chapter threads. Moreover, having it in one thread means that the chapters are easy to have in posting order. Trying to edit chapters from separate threads into posting order in an epub would be a pain, and I prefer posting order because it's actually important for how the reading experience works in this particular endeavour; there tend to be thematic connections and commentary between storylines both between different alts as well as the sorts of conversations that are happening in the reader comments.

The community has been pretty good about posting links to particular storylines on request in this thread. Mr Zoat has a link in the index post to lars' post with a partial index of alternate settings, though it was last updated several years ago. Mr Zoat has done some, several others have, including me. Tell you what, I'll go back and put one together a post combining at least the ones I've already done, incorporate lars' post, and add things to it periodically. I'm not committing to do it for the duration of the story or keep it up to the minute, mind you, but I'll make a go of making it useful.