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

[Clell65619]

"Um. Caution to the wind, then? Can you give me five minutes to grab an engagement-?"

And then heavily armoured soldiers break down the door and tase us both.

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Oh No! Not Mr. Sinister's elite Cock Blockers! The bain of horny mutants everywhere.

 

[BrotherofaStudio]

If the tasers even succeed in knocking them out, Rogue is going to be in a really bad mood. Nice to see this universe again. How long has it been since this Paul first helped her?

 

[Doccer]

"Um. Caution to the wind, then? Can you give me five minutes to grab an engagement-?"

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Are you sure it's her who is religious?

And then heavily armoured soldiers break down the door and tase us both.

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Then again God does work in mysterious ways!

He is such a nice boy, isn't he? Even if he's so dense he could win a headbutt contest with Krogan...

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Fixed!

Paul, this is sweet and all, but I'm pretty sure all you're doing is getting Rogue even more hot and bothered than she already was.

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You say that like that's a bad thing!

 

[Finagle007]

> Earth 534834

Gotta be honest, my first reaction was to check certain websites.

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No joy, it's a 404.

 

[Impartial Panic]

And then heavily armoured soldiers break down the door and tase us both.

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It's the Cock Blocker brigade!

Looks Like Gambit isn't pulling punches against Paul!

Even if Rogue wasn't wearing the Mandarin's ring at the time, this Rogue does have Ms Marvel's powers, tasers would do as much damage as playing laser tag.

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And that's why the fine Engineers at Advanced Ideas Mechanics present you with the Super Shock 9000.
The finest in Anti-Hulk non lethal armaments.

Shop A.I.M. for all your advanced weapons needs.

 

[Stsword]

Since it's Genosha they might have Wipeout with them, relying on his ability to suppress mutant powers.

No reason to believe that would do anything to a power ring, so the Genoshans should be in for a nasty surprise even so.

 

[Cuchulin]

The Man With No Name (due to an unexplained effect having erased his old name from his cosmic character sheet.

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So he is Clint Eastwood?

 

[Mr Zoat]

1st January 2013
14:58 GMT -5

"I can't…" Oliver glances at me and then looks away pensively. "I can't help feeling that we're playing into Mannheim's hands, here."

"Yes. You are."

He jerks his head back around. "What? Why didn't you say something earlier?"

"Because he wins coming and going. If human society descends into collapse and misery then it's easier for him to finish his work and take over the planet. But if you arrest that collapse by fitting into his paradigm then it increases the chance that he'll get you along with the planet, just a little later. And maybe give his master a greater insight into that part of the Anti-Life."

His mouth hangs slightly open for a moment, then he masters himself.

"He really does. So all we can do is hang in there, try and keep ourselves together and work out how to stop him before it goes too far."

"That's the best option we've been able to come up with. The alternative is evacuating Earth with as many people as we can and then bombarding it from orbit."

"Half right." He reaches back with his right hand to rub the fresh tattoo on the back of his neck. "And this isn't reliable."

"You won't be able to know how to act without being able to feel some things. But if you want to work towards enlightenment-" I look over to where Connor Hawke is talking to Paula Nguyen. "-then he's probably the best person to talk to."

"I only got into Buddhism for the girls."

"Bald girls, huh? So does Canary still wear a wig..?"

"Whu-?" He blinks. "No." He blinks again. "Sometimes. She's not bald, that's her hair, but..." He shakes his head. "Okay, you got me out of the spiral, good work."

"The perils of living with a psychologist. I-."

"Chime!"

I nod, Oliver looking first at my ring and then at my face. "Time for you to go?"

"Yes. Excuse me."

I walk over to where Paula is sitting cross-legged on the floor in front of a small statue of Buddha. I never really… Asked about her religious beliefs. I've nagged Jade about picking one and I.. know that I mentioned the utility to Paula once. I just assumed that she'd go with Vietnamese not-Shinto. I nod to Mr. Hawke, but his eyes are closed as he… Prays, probably. Or centres himself for the trying times to come because there isn't much more antithetical to Buddhist ideals than the mission he's about to undertake.

Paula on the other hand has open eyes, staring at the incense stick burning just in front of her. Of course, I… Don't know that she isn't praying too, but unlike Mr. Hawke I actually do need to speak to her.

"Paula?"

I need to speak to her because she was in Gotham when the Anti-Life hit and she didn't have any particular resistance. She didn't kill anyone, but the area around her home is a good deal less riotous than other places due to the fact that she… 'Established control'.

"You are leaving."

Her face is fairly blank as she says it.

"I am. How are you doing?"

"Attachment is the source of all suffering. So I am putting all of my attachments away in a box in my mind, that I will open when this is over."

I.. nod. That might work, or the Anti-Life might eat the box.

"Does that help?"

"It means that I no longer mind. I will be able to help Batwoman more effectively this way."

Because Batman's going to be spending most of his time organising our counterattacks, he's left Gotham in the care of his wife. She knows how to be a cult-leader, and she won't hesitate to dominate in the way most reliable Justice League-affiliates might. And if she could move away from the League of Shadows despite all of their indoctrination then she can probably manage Anti-Life exposure better than most people.

I think.

I hope.

"Okay, well I'll… I'll let Jade know that you're managing."

She nods. "Once this is over, I will appreciate that you did that."

But it doesn't exactly reassure me, seeing how she's dimmed her own lights.

"I'll leave you to your meditations." I take a step back. "Orange Lantern to Mister Miracle. Tube to low Earth orbit, please."

BOOM!

I turn and fly through the tube, looking down at Earth.

Damn it.

The Hawk family are conquering North Africa in the name of Teth Adom. Not that that involves much actual fighting. Hopefully, that will be an Anti-Life compliant way of throwing off the Anti-Life. Between Adrianna and Euanthe, the situation with the Earth's plants should be handled.

Everywhere else I looked…

It's going to take a very long time to fix this.

But I don't have time for this any more.

I warp space, accelerating towards the edge of the system. Without really thinking about it I end up flying past the corpse of the Mother Star, its dead eye staring towards Earth.

That's a… Nice image to leave with.

Alright, stop. Can't really feel any of the Anti-Life aura out here, though it's disturbingly easy to look back and see where it's focused. I

step out

and reappear over Sereaven. Six months ago I rescued all of their eggs from a Reach booby trap cum amnion extractor and moved them into a N.E.M.O. incubator. Since then the locals have wholeheartedly converted to N.E.M.O. and created underground fortifications to contain the new generation of incubators designed and built by them. The defence platforms and docking gantries are a bit primitive at the moment, but they're expanding constantly and the first locally-build ships should be completed within a year.

The L.E.G.I.O.N. fleet in system wasn't built here, but as a testament to the strength of our alliance it's here anyway. Virtually all of the ships are L.E.G.I.O.N. standard pattern designs with only a small amount of variation to take into account differences in preferred living conditions of their crews. Darting hither and thither or just hanging in space are my Lanterns. Not… As many as there were in the earlier stages of the war. This is really supposed to be a job for the fleet, with Lanterns only around to deal with Scarab Warriors. It doesn't do to get dependent, especially when we know that the Reach are working on anti-Lantern weapons. Darkstars will be on the planet to assist the garrison in the event of a landing, or at teleport stations ready to board enemy ships should an opportunity become available.

We look ready.

Let's find out if we are.

 

[iamnuff]

booby-trapped cum extractor

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Lol.

 

[Bud-E]

The Hawk family are conquering North Africa in the name of Teth Adom. Not that that involves much actual fighting. Hopefully, that will be an Anti-Life compliant way of throwing off the Anti-Life. Between Adrianna and Euanthe, the situation with the Earth's plants should be handled.

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Who are the Hawk family and why isn't Khandaq army doing that

I warp space, accelerating towards the edge of the system. Without really thinking about it I end up flying past the corpse of the Mother Star, its dead eye staring towards Earth.

That's a… Nice image to leave with.

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And why has nobody moved the giant Star Conqueror's corpse? I can't imagine the Guardians like it just floating in space.

 

[BR549]

Who are the Hawk family and why isn't Khandaq army doing that

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Hawkman and Hawkwoman, and because this is a (reluctant) job for Justice Leaguers, as explained.

 

[Darko]

designed and build by them. The

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"built"

 

[Darko]

Who are the Hawk family and why isn't Khandaq army doing that

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Hawkman and Hawkwoman, and because this is a (reluctant) job for Justice Leaguers, as explained.

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It's also possible that they're his reincarnated friends.

 

[Lord Ernest]

Damn, guess saving Earth has to be on pause then. Time to see what new evils the Reach has come up with and hopefully beat them back. Unless this is another shoe to drop and the Illustres and N.E.M.O. are about to suffer their major defeat and reversal, which is possible as well.

Hasn't been good days for the good guys in a while, eh?

 

[m_d]

The Hawk family are conquering North Africa in the name of Teth Adom. Not that that involves much actual fighting. Hopefully, that will be an Anti-Life compliant way of throwing off the Anti-Life. Between Adrianna and Euanthe, the situation with the Earth's plants should be handled.

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Who are the Hawk family and why isn't Khandaq army doing that

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"We hev… A plan. It is not a plan which makes me… I do not like it. But it is all we hev."

"Okay? What don't you like about it?"

"The Anti-Life encourages people affected by it to behave according to certain patterns. Scott Free spoke to us of the Lowlies of Apokolips."

I nod.

"It seems that if a person acts as a New God, the Lowlies will instinctively treat that person as one. Even if they are not the source of the Anti-Life broadcast."

"Even if they're not a New God?"

"So it appears."

I can't help but smile. "So the League are going to act like New Gods. In order to stabilise their home cities."

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That's why Khandaq's army isn't doing it. The New God Anti-Life paradigm that's been thrust upon Earth's inhabitants means that they'll fall in line and yield to sufficiently strong individuals more readily than to armies. Now, once North Africa are following them, there might be benefits to being absorbed by Khandaq if that means that Adom's efforts to shield his territory from the effects of Anti-Life can be extended to them, but it depends on whether the increase in population/territory means that it becomes harder by virtue of that increase, or whether it's more a matter of the degree to which the people and lands are his. There's also the possibility that the growth might mesh with New God narrative power and decrease the power of the Anti-Life locally making that shielding easier. Hard to say.

 

[Chojin Patriarch]

1st January 2013
14:58 GMT -5

"I can't…" Oliver glances at me and then looks away pensively. "I can't help feeling that we're playing into Mannheim's hands, here."

"Yes. You are."

Click to shrink...

It's inevitable, as the result of him flipping the table and setting up a new one in one smooth movement, thanks to his Anti-Life broadcasts. Until you can learn to cheat the rules of his game, you're stuck having to play it for now. But you will learn, and you will win.

Spoiler: Commentary spoilered for length

He jerks his head back around. "What? Why didn't you say something earlier?"

"Because he wins coming and going. If human society descends into collapse and misery then it's easier for him to finish his work and take over the planet. But if you arrest that collapse by fitting into his paradigm then it increases the chance that he'll get you along with the planet, just a little later. And maybe give his master a greater insight into that part of the Anti-Life."

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At least this way, he doesn't win immediately. Which he was damn close to, if not for a few resistant heroes.

His mouth hangs slightly open for a moment, then he masters himself.

"He really does. So all we can do is hang in there, try and keep ourselves together and work out how to stop him before it goes too far."

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But you do have some of the craftiest, sneakiest minds on Earth working on the problem. Sooner or later, they'll work out the loopholes and exploit them mercilessly.

"That's the best option we've been able to come up with. The alternative is evacuating Earth with as many people as we can and then bombarding it from orbit."

"Half right." He reaches back with his right hand to rub the fresh tattoo on the back of his neck. "And this isn't reliable."

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I'm guessing it serves as a ward against the Anti-Life, then. But a ward they have to focus on to hold steady, rather than relying on it to passively resist.

"You won't be able to know how to act without being able to feel some things. But if you want to work towards enlightenment-" I look over to where Connor Hawke is talking to Paula Nguyen. "-then he's probably the best person to talk to."

"I only got into Buddhism for the girls."

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Ah, the original Huntress has resumed her heroic role? I can't remember if she's augmented, but it would be a good idea, if only to prevent a repeat of the injuries that got her into that wheelchair first time around.

"Bald girls, huh? So does Canary still wear a wig..?"

"Whu-?" He blinks. "No." He blinks again. "Sometimes. She's not bald, that's her hair, but..." He shakes his head. "Okay, you got me out of the spiral, good work."

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'Sometimes'? When you and she feel a bit nostalgic for her pre-dye-job days, eh?

"The perils of living with a psychologist. I-."

"Chime!"

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Whoops, that'll be the NEMO deadline. The league will just have to handle the rest of this crisis themselves.

I nod, Oliver looking first at my ring and then at my face. "Time for you to go?"

"Yes. Excuse me."

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I wonder if any of them think of it as him cutting and running, even though they know he has other obligations...

I walk over to where Paula is sitting cross-legged on the floor in front of a small statue of Buddha. I never really… Asked about her religious beliefs. I've nagged Jade about picking one and I.. know that I mentioned the utility to Paula once. I just assumed that she'd go with Vietnamese not-Shinto. I nod to Mr. Hawke, but his eyes are closed as he… Prays, probably. Or centres himself for the trying times to come because there isn't much more antithetical to Buddhist ideals that the mission he's about to undertake.

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Wonder if Ollie knows who Connor actually is? He'd honestly have to be blind not to, and it was more or less confirmed in the comics when they met... (By way of Ollie having an old photo of baby Conner from back in the day.)

Paula on the other hand has open eyes, staring at the incense stick burning just in front of her. Of course, I… Don't know that she isn't praying too, but unlike Mr. Hawke I actually do need to speak to her.

"Paula?"

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To be fair, she could well be considering her current place in things, and her part in super-heroic society. She wouldn't be the first villain to reform and become a hero... Especially with OL's involvement.

I need to speak to her because she was in Gotham when the Anti-Life hit and she didn't have any particular resistance. She didn't kill anyone, but the area around her home is a good deal less riotous than other places due to the fact that she… 'Established control'.

"You are leaving."

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...Hopefully Holly and Karon are in her area of influence. So many minor characters whose fate we still don't know...

Her face is fairly blank as she says it.

"I am. How are you doing?"

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I'm guessing she's got something Zen going on to resist the Anti-Life...

"Attachment is the source of all suffering. So I am putting all of my attachments away in a box in my mind, that I will open when this is over."

I.. nod. That might work, or the Anti-Life might eat the box.

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Hopefully, it doesn't come to that. But it's her decision.

"Does that help?"

"It means that I no longer mind. I will be able to help Batwoman more effectively this way."

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Ah, Talia's handling things in Gotham, then. Batman clearly trusts her to keep his city safe...

Because Batman's going to be spending most of his time organising our counterattacks, he's left Gotham in the care of his wife. She knows how to be a cult-leader, and she won't hesitate to dominate in the way most reliable Justice League-affiliates might. And if she could move away from the League of Shadows despite all of their indoctrination then she can probably manage Anti-Life exposure better than most people.

I think.

I hope.

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<Fingers crossed.> Or she may end up breaking, and going full cult-leader in turn... Which would probably be worse for batman...

"Okay, well I'll… I'll let Jade know that you're managing."

She nods. "Once this is over, I will appreciate that you did that."

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Let's hope you all come out of this in one piece to be able to fulfil that promise, then.

But it doesn't exactly reassure me, seeing how she's dimmed her own lights.

"I'll leave you to your meditations." I take a step back. "Orange Lantern to Mister Miracle. Tube to low Earth orbit, please."

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Since Mannheim seeing him leave Earth normally would probably be dangerous, eh? And it's not safe to greediport directly out of the exposure zone.

BOOM!

I turn and fly through the tube, looking down at Earth.

Damn it.

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Heh. An odd symmetry to both his arrival and his first time leaving, back at the end of that first year...

The Hawk family are conquering North Africa in the name of Teth Adom. Not that that involves much actual fighting. Hopefully, that will be an Anti-Life compliant way of throwing off the Anti-Life. Between Adrianna and Euanthe, the situation with the Earth's plants should be handled.

Everywhere else I looked…

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So, is that just the alien Hawks, or does that also include the reincarnated Hawks? The joy of sharing a heroic mantle...

It's going to take a very long time to fix this.

But I don't have time for this any more.

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...As frustrating as it is, you have other obligations, other duties. You can't shirk one set in favour of the other...

I warp space, accelerating towards the edge of the system. Without really thinking about it I end up flying past the corpse of the Mother Star, its dead eye staring towards Earth.

That's a… Nice image to leave with.

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Heh. I can see it being a nice warning post on the borders. 'We killed this. Do you want to try us?'

Alright, stop. Can't really feel any of the Anti-Life aura out here, though it's disturbingly easy to look back and see where it's focused. I

step out

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Trust the League to be competent enough to handle it themselves, OL. Look to your own affairs now, and what you've made.

and reappear over Sereaven. Six months ago I rescued all of their eggs from a Reach booby trap cum amnion extractor and moved them into a N.E.M.O. incubator. Since then the locals have wholeheartedly converted to N.E.M.O. and created underground fortifications to contain the new generation of incubators designed and build by them. The defence platforms and docking gantries are a bit primitive at the moment, but they're expanding constantly and the first locally-build ships should be completed within a year.

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Nothing like saving a whole planet's next generation to sway their opinion. Well done there, OL.

The L.E.G.I.O.N. fleet in system wasn't built here, but as a testament to the strength of our alliance it's here anyway. Virtually all of the ships are L.E.G.I.O.N. standard pattern designs with only a small amount of variation to take into account differences in preferred living conditions of their crews. Darting hither and thither or just hanging in space are my Lanterns. Not… As many as there were in the earlier stages of the war. This is really supposed to be a job for the fleet, with Lanterns only around to deal with Scarab Warriors. It doesn't do to get dependant, especially when we know that the Reach are working on anti-Lantern weapons. Darkstars will be on the planet to assist the garrison in the event of a landing, or at teleport stations ready to board enemy ships should an opportunity become available.

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Not the first time the different arms of the service have coordinated together... But possibly the largest assembly thus far, I bet. Given what's coming at them, it's understandable.

We look ready.

Let's find out if we are.

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Let the campaign begin!

So the scene shifts, from Earth in peril to the Reach's biggest pushback against NEMO. And with it, the scale of the situation grows. From a single world to dozens in danger from an enemy far larger than they can fight alone. Perhaps we'll get to learn more about OL's local Nemesis, who's no doubt in a highly-valuable position in the Reach fleet's command structure...

 

[Handlewithcare]

Dang Paul, hurry up with bitch-slapping the Reach.

Earth society after this will be unrecognisable.

And also filled with a burning desire to wipe Apokolips of the maps.

 

[Ngamer11]

Wonder if Ollie knows who Connor actually is? He'd honestly have to be blind not to, and it was more or less confirmed in the comics when they met... (By way of Ollie having an old photo of baby Conner from back in the day.)

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Paul already told Ollie that Connor's his illegitimate child. Ollie was previously told this, but this was in his playboy days, so he didn't believe it.

 

[Mr Zoat]

Who are the Hawk family

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Hawkman I, Hawkwoman I, Silver Scarab and Fury.

and why isn't Khandaq army doing that

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Because armies are slow and ponderous things, and needed back home.

And why has nobody moved the giant Star Conqueror's corpse? I can't imagine the Guardians like it just floating in space.

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A number of reasons. Because it's not hurting anyone just floating there. Because they're not sure how dead 'dead' is in a thaumically active system like Sol. Because they don't like exterminating species and are curious to see if they can turn Star Conquerors into something less malevolent in time.

"built"

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Thank you, corrected.

Paul already told Ollie that Connor's his illegitimate child. Ollie was previously told this, but this was in his playboy days, so he didn't believe it.

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Did I just remember something that one of you lot didn't? Oliver made the decision to talk to Connor a while ago. They've been in semi-regular contact since.

 

[Darko]

Damn, guess saving Earth has to be on pause then. Time to see what new evils the Reach has come up with and hopefully beat them back. Unless this is another shoe to drop and the Illustres and N.E.M.O. are about to suffer their major defeat and reversal, which is possible as well

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The Reach seemed to have a deal with Apokalips, so they may have given them some new weapons.

Hasn't been good days for the good guys in a while, eh?

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Nope.

 

[Darko]

<Fingers crossed.> Or she may end up breaking, and going full cult-leader in turn... Which would probably be worse for batman

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Everything seems to be getting worse.

Since Mannheim seeing him leave Earth normally would probably be dangerous, eh

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If the Reach and Apokolips are working together then he can tip them off that he's coming.

And it's not safe to greediport directly out of the exposure zone.

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He'd basically be opening a hole into a realm that connected to every mind in the universe and risking letting Anti-Life into it.

 

[Chaoswind]

Did I just remember something that one of you lot didn't? Oliver made the decision to talk to Connor a while ago. They've been in semi-regular contact since.

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One guy forgot, don't generalize.

It's relevant episode is when Aquaman had his illegitimate son kidnapped by his brother to release Oceanus.

Oliver got told about his son then and has established contact an indeterminate amount of time after.

We also got tangential references to him from Artemis, I don't think Paul has interacted ON SCREEN with him much, but he joined the Arrow Clan and its at least a youth team affiliate.

Speaking of the youth team, what is the current membership of the Team? It's been a long while since you gave us an update and Paul doesn't interact with them so they don't show up anymore.

The fact that the membership is different between Renegade and Paragon just makes the mess even more complicated.

Also you never gave us an update about which characters died during the Sheda harvesting.

 

[Windona]

It will be interesting to see what Earth looks like after. If I'm being optimistic then the heroes will have figured things out and Earth won't be anti-lifed anymore.

For the Hawks, I figure it will be 'lowlies' -> Hawks -> Black Adam and family in terms of established hierarchy.

 

[mastermenthe]

And also filled with a burning desire to wipe Apokolips of the maps.

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Which is only appropriate: The Young Gods of the Fifth World will bring ruin to The New Gods of the Fourth World, just as The New Gods of the Fourth World brought ruin to The Old Gods of the Third World.

 

[FuzzyZergling]

I wonder; would being a nihilist prior to exposure make you more able to function while anti-lifed, or less?

 

[Vaermina]

step out

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And Paul ran away, leaving the most important planet in the universe to it's fate.

 

[Rebu]

Which is only appropriate: The Young Gods of the Fifth World will bring ruin to The New Gods of the Fourth World, just as The New Gods of the Fourth World brought ruin to The Old Gods of the Third World.

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It's all very...Greco-Roman.

 

[Stsword]

Which is only appropriate: The Young Gods of the Fifth World will bring ruin to The New Gods of the Fourth World, just as The New Gods of the Fourth World brought ruin to The Old Gods of the Third World.

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The traditional set up is that the next generation arises after the previous dies on their own.

The Third World blew up, the Fourth World of Apokalips and New Genesis formed from the fragments, and the New Gods evolved from the organic soup that was left of the Old Gods.

And the new Forever People, the Super Young Team of Japan, became the new Forever People with Death of the New Gods, in which the Source had them killed.

There was a post flashpoint story in which Darkseid highlandered the Old Gods, so DC has had a Greek cycle sort of thing for them too.

 

[Mr Zoat]

Speaking of the youth team, what is the current membership of the Team? It's been a long while since you gave us an update and Paul doesn't interact with them so they don't show up anymore.

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The SI doesn't know.

Also you never gave us an update about which characters died during the Sheda harvesting.

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A few minor characters the SI interacted with in Brazil. A couple of the people in the Rocket Red armour. I don't think any significant characters died.

 

[Perchance]

I'm sure it's not but the lingering corpse of the Mother Star looking back at earth feels like a Chekhovs Gun to me. Maybe as an amplifier for Scott's New God of Freedom abilities? Or atleast someone's. Something like "Let No Chains Stand Before My Gaze" or something like that.

It would be one way to A.) Do a mass weakening of the ALE on earth for a cpunter attack/reset of the thaumosphere and B.) Set up later problems by inadvertently weakening the seals/chains/bindings/traps/etc. of the many many nasty things presently bound up hither and thither all over the planet.

Which does admittedly sound like an extremely convoluted plan to out the life entity from its hidey hole.

Sidebar but exactly how long does the planet have before the antilife contagion stops being an infection and starts being an integrated structure of the thaumosphere? Normally I'd guess it wouldn't but since it's effecting everything and everyone barr a few areas, and iirc the thaumosphere is shaped by human beliefs and expectations then wouldn't it eventually become self sustaining? In a vein similar to what Tangseid did to Wonder Woman.