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

RichardWhereat · Jun 4, 2021

Mr Zoat said:
We have a complicated security protocol for dealing with shapeshifters and illusionists, and having reviewed the data on the damage the can cause I assure you it is no laughing matter."

they

Chojin Patriarch · Jun 4, 2021

Mr Zoat said:
24th August 2012
14:08 GMT

"So… How are you finding it on Maltus?"

Nauca hesitates me moment then-.

Probably finds it a bit odd he's not at risk of execution for failing at something. Or saying the wrong thing at the wrong time. It's probably liberating, if a bit unsettling for him, I bet...

A roar echoes through the air and the ground shakes!

He hesitates a moment longer, making sure that there's not going to be a follow up. Then he uncringes. Slightly.

Like I said, probably finding the lack of immediate punishment for things odd. To be fair, though, given the presumed Qwardian upbringing... That expectation is probably deeply ingrained.

"So far, I like it. I'm a lot safer here than I was on Qward, I've got access to better materials to work with and… I don't know, I kind of like having an objective to work towards beyond 'do this and we don't kill you'."

"You don't get that from Kalmin?"

...Honestly, I'd be worried about Kalmin if he didn't at least threaten them once or twice. Just for old times' sake.

Nauca shakes his head as a little way away Orange Lanterns move in to cover the evacuation and warn people away from the combat zone.

"He's trying to work out how to teach Weaponers so that they'll turn out like he did, rather than the way most Weaponers did. We're trial runs. He won't kill us accidentally because even if we don't turn out how he wants us to, he still needs to understand what went wrong."

...Man, how big is the little spat between Daciya and Tad getting? If they start breaking out personal atomic weapons, we'll know it's serious... And I'm surprised Kalmin is looking into the social sciences like that. Guess he believes Qward needs a better class of Weaponer, given how what's-his-face turned out.

"You.. are aware that you don't need to stay with him, right? Maltus actually has a civilian economy, along with the organisations that make up N.E.M.O., and you're perfectly welcome to train for any position."

He nods.

"Thank you, but… I really like destroying things. I just want to know that I've achieved something by destroying those things, you know?"

Heh. Do what you love, and you'll love what you do.

"We need people like you in the Orange Lantern Corps."

"I know, but I think I should finish school first. And… I don't really like the idea of using a weapon an alien made."

What if he manages to develop his own Orange Ring from basic principles? Would he be willing then?

I shrug. "It's your life."

He looks back towards the combat zone as golden lightning leaps skyward.

...If this were Earth, I'd be worried that Tad had somehow replicated the Wizard's Lightning. Which the Sivanas have done in the comics, forming their own villainous little group. Briefly.

"Who was that human? I think I recognise the dimensional overlay defence he used, but I've never heard of a human with something that advanced."

"That's Thaddeus Sivana, and… A small proportion of humans are vastly more intelligent even than normal 'very clever' humans. He's one of them. He's also… Tends to regard everyone and everything around him as a potential experimental subject."

Congratulations, kid, you've just had your first scrape with Earth's particular brand of Malign Hypercognitives...

And you even survived unharmed!

"He's a Weaponer?"

"No, because human social structures don't have that title. He isn't part of our ruling elite, he doesn't make weapons for our soldiers, and I don't think he's old enough to qualify. And he's never used qwa matter."

I can understand his confusion, given everything Tad's done has been just like a Weaponer would...

"He's… That young?"

"Where we're from he can't legally drink alcohol or drive a motor vehicle."

Not that he'd bother with such mundane options. Why drive a car when you can just build a mag-lev speeder? And I doubt he sees alcohol as anything other than a waste of valuable braincells.

"Who enforces that?"

I nod. "Yes."

"I see. Are there others like him?"

The implication being that Tad does what he wants because no-one can stop him from doing it... Besides his parents.

"His sister's on Maltus now, if you want to speak to her. She wanted to talk to the asylum wardens, but she's probably-."

My ring shimmers.

Admittedly, speaking with Georgia would probably be an enlightening experience if he was wanting insight into the social sciences... Especially their ability to be weaponised.

"Probably available. Excuse me." I raise my ring. "Illustres here."

Dox's face appears.

"It's time. Come to my office for briefing."

Ah, another mission? Right back into the saddle, eh? I guess things went well enough on Yuna that Dox isn't rethinking OL's deployments...

"With you momentarily. Ah, Georgia's on Maltus. Is-"

"I know."

Where it anyone else, I'd be concerned that he's not interested.

"-it alright if she turns up?"

"If it wasn't, I would have told you the moment you appeared."

But this is Dox we're talking about. Mister 'Social skills are irrelevant' himself.

"I meant, comes with me to your office."

Dox frowns slightly. "Of course. I would value her input."

...Wait, what?

I narrow my eyes slightly. "Who are you, and what have you done with Vril Dox the Second?"

"That turn of phrase isn't as funny as humans seem to think it is. We have a complicated security protocol for dealing with shapeshifters and illusionists, and having reviewed the data on the damage the can cause I assure you it is no laughing matter."

I'm guessing it involves long annoying waits in secure containment while people prod you with sensors and probing questions? Kinda like Worm's 'Master/Stranger Protocols'...

"Right. Sorry."

"And neither is the fact that I like Georgia. Both Ratchet and Brande regard this as 'progress' on my part. Do you disagree?"

...Are we really sure this is the actual Dox? Then again... Learning to actually like people is good.

"No, just.. a surprise. A pleasant surprise. Good for you, both of you. I'll go and find her now."

"E-." Dox hesitates. "Thank you. End."

Impressive progress. He actually remembered basic politeness.

He disconnects, and I lower my ring.

"Is there any chance that Daciya will negotiate a ceasefire?"

...OL, think about what you asked. Weaponer logic has only one kind of ceasefire: When one party is dead.

"What's a ceasefire?"

"A temporary succession of hostilities while both sides rearm."

"That's an odd concept. Why would you let an enemy live to get stronger?"

"He was going through her equipment. I don't think she thinks she has anywhere else to go to in order to rearm."

"Then I suppose that I'll have to stop them. Excuse me."

Welp, time for the giant orange hands of restraining?

I wrap myself in armour, construct armour and the stuff of desires and drives and fly at speed back to the vault. Fortunately, the building is designed to withstand quite a lot of force being directed at it, so it's unlikely that a Controller will feel the need to involve themselves. A stray plasma bomb detonates on my defences, but otherwise I'm able to convey myself through the somewhat-ravaged corridors into…

Daciya has recovered several of her abandoned projects and is hastily assembling them into something that's greater than the sum of their parts, a cracking golden bubble shield holding off some sort of flash-fabricated probe that Thaddeus is poking at it. There's some radiation, but it doesn't look that dangerous.

Okay, kiddies, time to stop flirting. Things are getting a little too noisy.

"Alright, knock it off. One-"

Golden energy arcs towards me and fails to penetrate my construct.

"-warning."

Good thing that was you. I suspect anyone else, other than Kalmin or a controller, might have had trouble surviving that.

"She started it."

"I'm not your mother, Thaddeus. And this isn't a duelling arena."

In other words, kids: Stop making all that noise and get a damn room.

"I don't duel with-. Actually-."

"Daciya, this is a draw."

Huh, looks like she's been getting into it. Nothing like a rivalry to spark some inventive use of parts, after all.

"But I'm-." I glare at Thaddeus, who appears to recognise that he might have gone a bit far. "She still started it."

"And he's challenging you to a duel. You can fight him again later, somewhere where it won't inconvenience anyone else. Stand down, now."

Preferably somewhere well away from anything valuable, or fragile. Like a city...

Glaring, she twists a linkage into place, before nodding.

"Two days, in the southern duelling grounds."

Thaddeus nods. "Agreed. Try a little harder next time."

It's a date, then. Ah, young love. Or hate. Well, they're two sides of the same coin, after all.

Well, then. Time to collect Georgia for her own meetup with a sweetie. Knowing she's older than I was thinking (I figured the younger twins were like 15, tops) makes her and Dox just a little less awkward. Who knows? Maybe her skills at the social sciences can help him break out of that crusty shell he's got. It's already got a few cracks forming, after all...

Khettien · Jun 4, 2021

Mr Zoat said:
A temporary succession of hostilities

Cessation - https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cessation

Sockmonkey · Jun 4, 2021

If Thaddeus figures out qwa matter, does he get to call himself a weaponer even though he's not Qwardian? It's really never come up before.

Darko · Jun 4, 2021

Sockmonkey said:
If Thaddeus figures out qwa matter, does he get to call himself a weaponer even though he's not Qwardian? It's really never come up before.

Given the Qwardians xenophobic culture, I doubt they'd be all that pleased that he's calling himself a Weaponer.

Prognostic Hannya · Jun 4, 2021

Mr Zoat said:
"You know… I'm.. honestly not entirely convinced that special talents aren't sinister."

"Grayven, do you not recall how astonished We were when first you told Us how long humans spend in full time education?"

"Yeah, and I'll admit that it's convenient, but at least they know where the knowledge is coming from."

Holy shit Zoat did you just turn this into a Worm crossover

goricnac · Jun 4, 2021

Is this how Thaddeus flirts?

Mr Zoat · Jun 4, 2021

RichardWhereat said:
they

Khettien said:
Cessation - https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cessation

Thank you, corrected.

goricnac said:
Is this how Thaddeus flirts?

No one knows. It's never come up before.

DrThoth · Jun 4, 2021

This is what Star Sapphires should be doing, finding unlikely matches that could have incredible (and ideally positive) impacts on the world. It's weird saying that in regards to a Sivana/Weaponer potential pairing, sure, but there is an interstellar war going on after all, so it makes a weird kind of sense. And more importantly, makes for every entertaining reading. I hope Ghi'ata is doing something similar (in either/both Paragon and Renegade timelines).

Edit: And it would be nice to see them championing other forms of love too; the Found Family trope is pretty popular for a reason, and it would give them more nuance.

Hell's Razer · Jun 4, 2021

Mr Zoat said:
No one knows. It's never come up before.

I suspect that includes Thaddeus himself.

Inbetweenaction · Jun 4, 2021

Hell's Razer said:
I suspect that includes Thaddeus himself.

"It is a socia.." "SOFT SCIENCE!!!!"

nick012000 · Jun 4, 2021

Mr Zoat said:
"Where we're from he can't legally drink alcohol or drive a motor vehicle."

"Who enforces that?"

I nod. "Yes."

A better answer would be "The government will fine any store they catch selling it to him."

WereDragon · Jun 4, 2021

Mr Zoat said:
"Alright, knock it off. One-"

Golden energy arcs towards me and fails to penetrate my construct.

"-warning."

Good to see he remembers how to not be a pushover.

"Daciya, this is a draw."

"But I'm-." I glare at Thaddeus,
-
Thaddeus nods. "Agreed. Try a little harder next time."

I would love to see how Thaddeus would react to knowing that he, a contender for Greatest Human Inventor/Mad Scientist, was gloating about having almost defeated a high-school dropout.

BlueMangoAdea · Jun 4, 2021

WereDragon said:
I would love to see how Thaddeus would react to knowing that he, a contender for Greatest Human Inventor/Mad Scientist, was gloating about having almost defeated a high-school dropout.

Thaddeus also isn't an adult yet.

Ngamer11 · Jun 4, 2021

Mr Zoat said:
Ganthet nods politely in our direction, while next to him Sayd regards me with undisguised curiosity. Appa Ali Apsa actually smiles at us, and that's it as far as positive responses goes. Herupa Hando Hu, Pazu Pinder Pol and Ranakar are more neutral, adopting what I had assumed was the Guardian default mode for dealing with mortals: looking stern and sober but not actually aggressive. Dennap regards us with polite disinterest, Kontross looks at us like we're an undesirable chore and Broome Bon Baris looks like she's giving some serious thought to dissecting me.

And that's it. Nine survivors where once there were dozens. A few million years of fighting the good fight will do that to a people, and the Guardians have been doing it for far longer than that.

Mr Zoat, I know you originally said there were nine Guardians, and then later changed it to eleven. However, this still says nine. If you will make it eleven, will you use the last two Guardians that are Maltusians that I found on the Green Lantern wiki that aren't from after the New 52: Guardian 7 and Scar? If so, are you taking requests for what their names will be?

Edit: Also, looking up the wiki, the Guardian who was assimilated by Larfleeze is just known as the Orange Lantern of Space Sector 3001. Will you be making that the Space Sector where Maltus is instead of leaving it ambiguous?

WereDragon · Jun 4, 2021

BlueMangoAdea said:
Thaddeus also isn't an adult yet.

Qualifications, not age.

Thaddeus believes there is no one, aside from possibly his father, who could teach him anything. Daciya knows she isn't even close to matching the average Weaponer. Yet the two found themselves relatively evenly matched.

Mr Zoat · Jun 4, 2021

Ngamer11 said:
Mr Zoat, I know you originally said there were nine Guardians, and then later changed it to eleven. However, this still says nine. If you will make it eleven, will you use the last two Guardians that are Maltusians that I found on the Green Lantern wiki that aren't from after the New 52: Guardian 7 and Scar? If so, are you taking requests for what their names will be?

Neither Guardian would be called those things, due to Scar not having a scar and the Guardian not being a number.

Edit: Also, looking up the wiki, the Guardian who was assimilated by Larfleeze is just known as the Orange Lantern of Space Sector 3001. Will you be making that the Space Sector where Maltus is instead of leaving it ambiguous?

Probably not.

Ngamer11 · Jun 4, 2021

Mr Zoat said:
Neither Guardian would be called those things, due to Scar not having a scar and the Guardian not being a number.

Just to confirm, you will be editing that part to say eleven Guardians and then think up of names for them yourself?

Mr Zoat · Jun 4, 2021

Ngamer11 said:
Just to confirm, you will be editing that part to say eleven Guardians and then think up of names for them yourself?

If you could please link to where I said there were eleven?

Ngamer11 · Jun 4, 2021

Mr Zoat said:
If you could please link to where I said there were eleven?

Here they are:

Mr Zoat said:
**A total of eleven actively participate in running the Corps. There might be others around, I don't know exactly what the membership requirements are.** I recognised some names on the list; Ganthet, Sayd and Appa Ali Apsa exist here. According to Lantern Stewart's ring the others mostly disdain the use of names. It only knew Sayd's because Ganthet once used it in Stewart's presence. The two of them appear to have the personalities I was expecting. Appa on the other hand appears to be some sort of social scientist. A quick check showed that he was frequently absent from briefing sessions.

Mr Zoat said:
"Eleven. Only eleven of them left."

"The.. Guardians? Yes."

"When we parted company there were thirty three. Even after the Manhunters did their level best to kill us." She winces, her right hand going to her forehead. "I should have.. realised that some of my old colleagues would have been killed. It simply shocks me that it's been so many."

Mr Zoat said:
"There are eleven Guardians left to cover the entire universe. I doubt that they could make enough ships to be worthwhile. We will be operating over a far smaller area. I already have enough data to begin the design work but I need a fleet in the field as quickly as possible, far faster than tributary shipyards can be brought into alignment. As things stand I'm not certain that I understand what it is that the Controllers bring to this arrangement."

iamnuff · Jun 4, 2021

Chojin Patriarch said:
And I'm surprised Kalmin is looking into the social sciences like that. Guess he believes Qward needs a better class of Weaponer, given how what's-his-face turned out.

Before you can build a better bomb, you need to build better bombmakers.

I like it.

Chojin Patriarch said:
"That's an odd concept. Why would you let an enemy live to get stronger?"

So that you can continue to test yourself against them.
Remember, the objective isn't to crush your enemies and rule unhindered, it's to produce the greatest destructive technologies possible.

For a duel, they probably wouldn't, but for a 'friendly spat' like this, letting your competition retreat for a bit to step their game up also gives you the chance to step your game up. So that the next clash can be even louder and more destructive.

PDV · Jun 4, 2021

BlueMangoAdea said:
[Shipping Goggles]It's a date.[/Shipping Goggles]

The goggles do nothing.

Impartial Panic · Jun 4, 2021

Mr Zoat said:
"Two days, in the southern dueling grounds."

Thaddeus nods. "Agreed. Try a little harder next time."

Two and a half days later.

What the hell did my brother do to the southern dueling grounds?

"Daciya and Thaddeus had a disagreement, I'm sure the damage isn't quite that bad."

Illustres we're getting massive energy discharges and seismic shocks from the area.

"ok so maybe they may have gone overboard."

A few minutes later

"Getting real tired of running into sylvana's in the middle of sexual activities."

Brother what are you doing?

That should be rather obvious now if you'd kindly leave I am not preforming for an audience.

Both of you leave and never speak of this or I will kill you without a second thought.

"your destructo nookie is destabilizing the region."

(Georgia and Paul run from a hail of Qwa bolts.)

"Well that's going to be an interesting day when he introduces her to your mother."

Yes I almost feel bad for her.

"I'm Sure Venus will be alright."

I wasn't talking about mother.

DrThoth · Jun 4, 2021

Are we going to find out the history of the Reach? I'd be interested in the process of how the Writ was, well, written.

Did Sephtian ever figure out how the Zatara family magic works? Is anyone else researching the issue?

Mr Zoat · Jun 4, 2021

Ngamer11 said:
Here they are:

Thank you, corrected.

Pinklestia · Jun 5, 2021

Omake: Greed for SCIENCE!

"Red Tornado had six decades dealing with people trying to control him and or wanting to tear him apart to see how he works, did you honesty think he didn't take any precautions after the first few times?"

While Braniac is distracted by me talking and also fighting the League and the five countermeasures he has not fully neutralized, he gets hit by a spell by Doctor Fate specifically designed to remove anything "not from this Earth" and guess what? Braniac is an alien.

While what it looks like a screaming creature of blue plasma flies away into space, Red Tornado robotic body finally does an emergency shutdown.

Then I hit the body with my "neutralizer gun" just to be extra safe. Took me a whole two months to make the gun neutralize anything but Red Tornado programing and soul. The results before that... well... good thing the robots I tested the gun on are not legally people.

And then I hold my hand up for a minute telling everyone else to wait. Then I lower it when nothing happens during said minute.

"I think we can be 89% sure Braniac is gone. Me and the others in the Science team are still going to look over his code just to be safe but by cost benefit analysis the Red Tornado robot tech is too primitive compared to what Braniac prefers so... good job?"

Everyone, even Batman seemed to relax, this could have gone quite badly. Braniac could have taken over anything electronic connected to the Internet, so we literally would have toasters trying to kill people... and all the nukes falling down the sky... because why not?

How the "Internet of things" exists in a place like this Earth still astounds me. Then again it has been proven repeatedly that no matter were or when humans do tend to do stupid things.

Living over two years in a universe with a Batman that actually gets along with people yet is nowhere as ridiculous as the 60s TV show version has been... interesting.

Sure maybe things would have been easier for me if I had decided to keep using the power ring instead of using it to make me as superhuman as I could be while still being technically human and then destroyed it. But being depending on a power ring instead of making my own things? Being Doc Brown, instead of a kid with a weapon I don't know how it fully works and that can be remotely shut down? Give me being Doc Brown any time.

Granted I did make myself eighteen but this was a fresh start so why not?

And yes I have been called an idiot more that once for destroying the ring instead of trying to figure how it works but screw power rings, they come with too many complications. And I couldn't find a replacement Power Battery without stealing from a Green Lantern anyway, so I decided to do the smart thing and don't fight against someone way better at using a power ring that myself and that could actually recharge the darn thing.

Plus, I think I might be able to make something like the Ultimatrix from Ben 10 in a few decades more...

But that's on the future, for now we have to go over Red Tornado to make sure he is 100% Braniac free, and it will also give me a chance to study if he is some kind of elemental in this reality or not.

I want power, but I want to do it my way and I want to know what I am doing and how it works.

Also is nice to have fellow (Mad) Scientists to hang out with.

AN: Basically Mad Science Paul.

DrThoth · Jun 5, 2021

Has Paragon-timeline Ghi'ata tracked down Chantinelle yet, or trying to? I'm assuming she knows she exists, but I don't think that would be improbable.

Mr Zoat · Jun 5, 2021

24th August 2012
14:18 GMT

"Do you think I should have brought something?"

I shake my head as we walk along Ranx's corridors in the direction of Dox's office.

"He's an Orange Lantern. If he wanted a material object, he could make it himself."

"Yes, but if I'd saved a project we would have something to do."

"He's running a major war. I'm sure that he'll appreciate any insight you…" I frown. "No, honestly, I'm not sure of that, but according to the two people closest to him you're the first person Dox has expressed a desire to see for personal reasons."

"Make up?"

"Unless it would help bolster your confidence, I'd say no. Georgia, why are you this worried?"

She wrings her hands.

"I don't have a great deal of experience with this sort of thing."

"You've been talking to Dox for months. With full two-way holographics. He knows what you look-. Georgia, you haven't been using someone else's face, have you?"

"Of course not. He'd see right through that."

I wave as we walk past a couple of L.E.G.I.O.N. officers, and get respectful nods back.

"So, just be-. Maybe tone down the overtly psychotic evil a little, but otherwise just be yourself."

I field Lantern Ratchet in a construct baseball glove.

"Sorry Lantern Ratchet, not today. We've got company."

He rises out of the glove, orientating himself on Georgia who already has her scanner out. "Hello. I'm Lantern Ratchet, Clarissi Vril Dox's aide."

"Yes, he's mentioned you once or twice. How do your species naturally locomote?"

"We swim. Out of the water we tend to use a combination of gripping and pulling, and looking pathetic and hoping someone takes pity on us."

She frowns. "Does that work?"

"Oh yes. Our tentacles are quite strong, and we are fairly light."

"No, the pity thing. It seems extremely chancy to me."

"That was a joke."

"Oh, a.. joke." Georgia fidgets. "Yes, I… Should have spotted that."

"We use robot suits. Before we had those, we could use picks or simple mechanisms. Can I touch you?"

She frowns. "Why?"

Ratchet deflates slightly. "Clarissi Dox didn't mention me at all, did he?"

"No, he mentioned you. He just didn't actually tell me anything about you."

"Just…" He sags in the air slightly. "Never mind. You can go in. Both of you."

Ratchet turns around and floats back to his work station. Georgia watches him go.

"Why did he want to touch me?"

"He's a social deviant from a zero tactility culture. He really likes touching people."

"And you indulge him."

"Yes. It's harmless and it makes him happy."

"Is that..?" She frowns. "You have a girlfriend, don't you?"

"Letting people touch you isn't cheating. It's fulfilling a basic psychological need we get from our monkey ancestors."

"I don't think our primate ancestors would have found being grasped by tentacles fulfilling to their grooming requirements." She gives her head a small shake, then marches straight-armed towards Dox's door.

The door opens, and…

And.. someone -I'm going to assume that it wasn't Dox- has decorated. His minimalistic hologram system is still here, but now it's been joined by… Potted plants. A soft seating area. A wooden desk. Carpet. I'd.. guess.. Brande was responsible, but I don't think that this is something that anyone could sneak by Dox without him noticing. So he's approved it, and the first I'm seeing of it is when Georgia appears.

Well paint me pink and call me Star Sapphire.

"Doctor Sivana."

Dox isn't wearing his normal uniform jacket. Instead, he's wearing a lab coat, though his posture is exactly the same.

"Clarissi Dox."

Georgia is awkwardly looking him over and… It looks like she's trying to work out whether or not she should adopt a similar pose.

"You have a mission for me, sir?"

Dox's eyes move from Georgia to me for a heartbeat, before returning to Georgia.

"Yes. Would.. you.. both.. like to take a seat?"

He gestures to the seating area, and… That's a tea service.

I think I need to get out of here before they start holding hands or something.

Georgia stiffly takes a seat, and I take the position next to her. Dox sits down rigidly opposite us, using his ring to call up a holographic image.

"As I told you prior to your mission to Yuna, the Reach are building up for a counterattack."

A map of the region appears, seventeen locations being highlighted. They're well inside Reach territory, but taking into account travel times… Yes, those would cause significant local problems.

"You want me to destroy one? Or two?"

"No."

A thought and the image zooms in on one of the fleets. Not.. Reach ships. Those are juluuni, a species the Reach overran centuries ago. Dox spots the look of recognition on my face.

"Leftovers?"

"The Reach wouldn't put their own people on inferior ships. We've been working on the assumption that these species were extinct. If they're still alive and the Reach are just… Storing them somewhere, it undermines our credibility. Doubly so if we are the ones who finally wipe them out."

"So I need to board them, find out what's going on and then rescue as many as I can."

"If by 'rescue' you mean 'collect biological samples', yes. The Reach has had them for long enough to overwrite their minds with whatever they want. There's little point in trying to liberate them."

"I don't want to pre-judge that."

"You could just wipe them out." I turn to Georgia with raised eyebrows. "That far into Reach space there are unlikely to be any observers. If you destroy them outright, you could dismiss anything the Reach says as mere propaganda."

"I could. But I won't. If you'll excuse me, I'll start requisitioning resources."

moralrelativity · Jun 5, 2021

Mr Zoat said:
"So, just be-. Maybe tone down the overtly psychotic evil a little, but otherwise just be yourself."

Good advice from OL.

Mr Zoat said:
"You could just wipe them out." I turn to Georgia with raised eyebrows. "That far into Reach space there are unlikely to be any observers. If you destroy them outright, you could dismiss anything the Reach says as mere propaganda."

"I could. But I won't..."

I honestly can't tell if Georgia followed OL's advice or not. She said "You could just wipe them out." Maybe, without OL's advice she would have said "You should just wipe them out."

Darko · Jun 5, 2021

Mr Zoat said:
"Do you think I should have brought something?"

Ahh, worried about what her beau will think.

Mr Zoat said:
"He's an Orange Lantern. If he wanted a material object, he could make it himself."

Well unless the material and a power ring don't interact all that well and it can't make it.

Mr Zoat said:
Maybe tone down the overtly psychotic evil a little

Might remind him of daddy not so dearest.

Mr Zoat said:
She give her head a small

'gives'

Mr Zoat said:
Well paint me pink and call me Star Sapphire.

Still waiting on the Star Sapphire version.

Mr Zoat said:
those his posture is exactly the same.

'though his posture'

Mr Zoat said:
and take the position next to her

'and I take'

Mr Zoat said:
"You could just wipe them out." I turn to Georgia with raised eyebrows. "That far into Reach space there are unlikely to be any observers. If you destroy them outright, you could dismiss anything the Reach says as mere propaganda."

"I could. But I won't. If you'll excuse me, I'll start requisitioning resources."

For a girl that studies people and society she still has a lot to learn.

And if the Reach are able to prove that Paul just callously wiped them out, then the OLC's credibility takes a massive hit.

For some reason I'm reminded of an episode from the 1995 Outer Limits in which a group of shapeshifting aliens pose as religious leaders and convince a bunch of humans to go with them in seclusion, but really they're on the mothership and the aliens are planning to brainwash them to be slaves to be sold.

Maybe the Reach are doing something similar here.

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

Aia airëa Fëanáro.

Veteran Lurker

Perpetually confused

I trust you know where the happy button is?

Connoisseur.

Knight of the Yuri Crusade

I trust you know where the happy button is?

Dedicated ragequitter

I trust you know where the happy button is?

Passive Member

Versed in the lewd.

Bookwyrm

Alive. For now.

Experienced.

Bookwyrm

Dedicated ragequitter

Experienced.

Dedicated ragequitter

Experienced.

Connoisseur.

Revelation That Uncertainty Is Itself An Answer

I trust you know where the happy button is?

I trust you know where the happy button is?

Dedicated ragequitter

Well worn.

I trust you know where the happy button is?

Dedicated ragequitter

Recovering pendant.

Connoisseur.

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