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

[Darko]

Complete disagree: Cochrin's power is a living horror story, if you placed him in an isolated room he would quickly go hollow.

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I don't think that would happen.

Granted, there is the possibility that a Flowers for Algernon situation could happen.

Cochin is a scientist, even if his intellect actually comes from others, and he's probably surrounded by other highly intelligent people for long periods of time, so he may not be accustomed to thinking at a slower pace anymore.

Though if he lives alone and no genius is near his range then he may be able to cope being without people since he's used to losing that power.

 

[Jirachi]

18th July 2013
06:11 GMT -8


"Hey, Pawl? Every one a' these guys really had their brains dun?"

"So they tell me. And-" Empathic vision-. Ugh. "-as far as I can see, they're telling the truth."

There's barely anything there. Any formative memories are gone, stripped of emotional significance and suppressed to the point where they may as well not be there. I'm… Reasonably confident that they're still there somewhere, encoded into the structures of their brains. But they're not really doing anything. And…

Oh. I get it. They need an A.I. telling them what to do because… They've been stripped of everything that could motivate them. They must be… Rather suggestible. Which…

Someone or something would have been giving Mr. Blank instructions. Otherwise he'd just have gone along with what we said because he.. wouldn't have an attachment to anything that would make him behave one way or another. So… Did the A.I. not know about us, or..?

Speculative.

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I'm confused? Batman described it a good bit differently here:

11th July 2013
08:04 GMT

There's a slight… Shimmer, to his left, and… That's the Mohican that I remember. He's back in his juiced up mode, but his clothing has had a substantial upgrade. The orange brown trousers and blue torso parts are now clearly armoured, and there's a thick belt unit with what looks suspiciously like a piece of Apokoliptian… New God technology on it. The gold boots, gauntlets and neck piece also look like there's more to them than you initially see. On his chest is a sort of stylised eye symbol, a gold outline with a small red pupil.

Mr. Blank takes a confident pose, chin forwards and hands on hips. "Orange Lantern."

"Mister Blank. Or… If you're in costume, should I use your nom de heroique?"

He grins, and-. For a moment I'm reminded of something, but I can't-. Superman. His face is obviously different, but if I adjust… It's modelled on Superman's public confident-and-reassuring smile.

"That's quite alright. You hadn't been read into the Global Peace Agency initiative, and I treated you like a regular intruder." He steps forwards and holds out his right hand. "How about we let bygones be bygones?"

"Certainly." I take his hand, and his grip is… Firm, but in a reassuring and confident sort of way. "But I've… I've got to ask… What..? Was that?" I glance at Batman before returning my attention to him. "With the robot fake parents, and… Shrinking down when I destroyed the transmitter?"

He glances at Batman for permission, and receives a nod. "I take it that you analysed the samples you took?"

I nod. "Yes. They empowered you using some sort of radiated power?"

"Which cut out when you destroyed the transmitter. Batman didn't have enough Apokoliptian equipment to make-" He taps the belt-mounted unit. "-one for all of us. And since all I was doing was guarding a disused augmentation facility, I wasn't exactly high priority."

"And the synthetic parents?"

"I think that's something-" He takes a step back and glances at Batman. "-that Batman should tell you about."

Batman inclines his head slightly. "The drawback to the 'big League' model that you outlined in your report is that it simply isn't possible to be as confident in the quality of members as we can with a smaller group of people. I may disagree with Green Arrow or Doctor Mist on some subjects, but I can be sure that they're working towards the same goal that I am. With a hundred people, having that level of confidence is difficult, to say nothing of the number we'd actually have to bring on board to make a global impact."
[...]

"You wiped his.. mind."

"Not completely. What he lost were specific memories. He doesn't remember what his name was, where he was from, what his employment was or similar matters. The same link that provides him with power can also provide him with information, but as that link can be disrupted I thought it best to leave the volunteers with the basic skills to navigate the world."
[...]
"In the wake of the Anti-Life, I haven't been short of volunteers. Sometimes people stepped forwards for the greater good. Others felt that they had nothing to lose. Regardless, the process doesn't remove the basic human need for social interaction."

"So they get housed with robots?"

"They are also assigned an A.I. partner. The aim is to provide the emotional stimulation necessary to enable optimal psychological health while not giving them any reason to deviate from their responsibilities."

"Huh-oh… Kay? That doesn't sound… Healthy."

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Seems like the idea was to leave the - emotional structure and everything but mitigate pre-existing attachments as a one time thing, rather then generically get rid of their psychological drives and ability to have long term motivations or anything like that.

How many assets are there, exactly?

Global scan for those parallel universe heat sink connections.

Compliance.

And there they are, all across the world. In just about every country. How did he..? Find them all? I… Suppose that finding them by power ring would be.. possible, if the user knew exactly what they were looking for.

So… Next step. Do I open a portal to Earth -14? After what happened last time President Luthor might just have someone blocking it… No, we've still got Dame Carol. They'd probably be on the lookout, but I doubt that they'd have a planetary barrier in place. And if they do, it's not like I can't fly to Mars and open the portal there. I should see if the two surviving O.M.A.C.s want any messages sent through… Or if they just want to go back themselves.

I'm not exactly excited to be-.

Incoming telephone call.

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I do hope he tries to just like... politely ask batman for further information about the technical capabilities of the peace agent soldiers and the magic involved in the memory wipe and everything. Feel like he's sort of leaning a bit too hard on his rooting out skullduggery training.

 

[Mr Zoat]

What would happen if he tried to copy OL for too long? Would Cochin's mind eventually become permanently altered and allow him to achieve his own version of orange enlightenment?

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It's helping nudge him in that direction... But he's used to the way his mind functions changing based on who's around him. He doesn't set too much store by unusual insights that he knows that he's not going to keep.

Which is pretty odd, because considering how power-hungry Tangseid is, you'd expect him to have at least tried to contact the Ophidian to gain more power.

Which begs the question: Did he?

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Contact the Ophidian? He barely leaves Earth. 'Never consume an energy field larger than your head'.

Complete disagree: Cochrin's power is a living horror story, if you placed him in an isolated room he would quickly go hollow.

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Right up until some idiot -looking at you Superman- flies past and gives him the power to escape.

I'm confused? Batman described it a good bit differently here:

Seems like the idea was to leave the - emotional structure and everything but mitigate pre-existing attachments as a one time thing, rather then generically get rid of their psychological drives and ability to have long term motivations or anything like that.

I do hope he tries to just like... politely ask batman for further information about the technical capabilities of the peace agent soldiers and the magic involved in the memory wipe and everything. Feel like he's sort of leaning a bit too hard on his rooting out skullduggery training.

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Agents and Operatives can form new attachments. They haven't had that ability removed. They just loose the ones that they had. But humans are social animals and need attachments to function properly.

 

[Stsword]

Complete disagree: Cochrin's power is a living horror story, if you placed him in an isolated room he would quickly go hollow.

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Zoat has changed his powers (since radion shouldn't have meant shit to him by the comics), but normally his powers don't replace his natural abilities, they add to them.

Put him in a room with Batman he wouldn't be as smart, athletic, etc, as Batman, he'd be as smart, athletic, etc as himself and Batman combined, making him Batman's superior.

In the comics he built his "kill all the idiots" bomb by combining his own scientific prowess with that of Green Arrow (he was making all his own trick arrows in the comics) and Prof Martin Stein from Firestorm.

 

[Mr Zoat]

18th July 2013
09:16 GMT -5

Kai and another youth are waiting in front of the address he supplied as I land, Kai smiling and nodding to me and the other fellow backing away a step. Kai notices, frowning in puzzlement.

"Nah, man. I told you, it's cool."

I smile politely. "Is there a problem?"

"Ah…" The youth looks awkward. "I shot you a few times."

"Am I dead?"

"Huh?"

"Do I look dead to you?"

"Ah..? No?" He looks toward Kai for some sort of guidance.

"Then there's no problem. As I told Kai, I'm not going to hold what they did while Anti-Lifed against people."

He shifts awkwardly.

"Or, what they did before that, so long as they buck their ideas up."

"Yeah, man. No problem. I just-"

"Doesn't matter."

"-figured working for Bane was better than nothing-."

Scan.

He freezes as the orange lights strobe over him. "Ah..?"

"You're fortunate. I can't seen any signs of venom-related damage to your brain."

"Nah, man. I said 'no'. Also said no to going to China, so they weren't really putting the pressure on me for long."

"In case China didn't broadcast it, most of the people who went with him were either killed or given life sentences." I nod. "So that was a good decision on your part."

Kai looks confused, and a little worried. "You guys got some beef you wanna talk about?"

"It seems that… Ben Jameson here was one of the people who assisted Bane when he came very close to killing me. Seems like a long time ago, and to be honest I'm completely over it. Now, about your Justifier friends-." I frown. "No, wait, how did you go from working for Bane to joining the Alliance of the Just?"

Ben shrugs awkwardly. "Guess I'm a joiner, y'know? I didn't have like a… Like a code name or anything, but I did the first aid and law training stuff…"

"Orpheus. He recruited you?"

"Yeah. Saw me hanging out with the wrong crowd… Don't think he knew what I'd done. I'd been thinking the Justice League was gunna jump me, so I figured… Y'know…"

"Get a positive character reference so that a lawyer could argue that you'd reformed." He nods. "Well, it's a step in the right direction. Good habits can be habit-forming."

He watches me cautiously, as if not quite believing what I'm saying.

"Ah. Do you need me to pretend to be Batman and break a few of your bones? I can do that if your need for punishment-."

"Nah, I'm-. I'm good."

"Or I know a couple of women who punish professionally?"

Kai snorts with laughter. "Women usually hit him without him paying for it!"

"One fucking time, man!"

"I don't think that Warden Amanda Waller of the Belle Reve Penitentiary would expect to be paid, but I don't think there's a rule against voluntary contributions. Now, about your missing colleagues..?"

Kai nods. "Well, the first guy we found out was missing was Stan. He was.. part of our.. group? Don't think he was in a gang or anything. Orpheus knew him from… Somewhere." He looks at Ben. "He ever tell you?"

Ben shrugs, shaking his head. "Nah. Just said he knew him."

Review Alliance of the Just membership records, people who used their real names, based in Gotham… "That would be Stanley Adams?" They both nod. "Last seen..?"

"'bout six weeks ago." Ben looks awkward. "Guess we shoulda kept in touch more, but we all been kinda caught up in our own sh-stuff, and…" He glances at Kai.

Kai nods. "We all remember what we did. And being around each other… Makes us think about it more. I mean, what are we going to talk about? 'Hey, remember that time we joined an evil army to take over the world'?"

"Was this reported to the police?"

Kai looks awkward. "His family didn't make it. And it's not exactly-. I mean, no offence or nothing, but it's a struggle getting food and stuff sometimes. No one's hiring…"

I nod. "Social networks have broken down. No work colleagues, no family… The people who'd usually make a report aren't in a position to do so."

"Yeah."

"Okay. I think you should-."

"Yeah, I'm gunna make a point of calling everyone… I dunno, once a week or something? We went though all that, survived it, and then they just disappear like none of it mattered?"

I nod. "Who else?"

"It was Orpheus. Ah… do you know his name? I don't know how we're supposed to do this bit."

"Do you?"

"Yes?"

"Gavin."

He nods, looking a little relieved. "Last time anyone saw him was a couple of days before I got grabbed. He wasn't at the place where that little fuckhead had me, but if it was him, then he had to have had us both at the same time. Maybe he was… Maybe Hatter wasn't with me the whole time because he was with Orpheus?"

"The sample size isn't big enough to draw a firm conclusion, but it is possible. Are your other former colleagues well? None of them fought off attempted kidnappers or anything like that?"

They shake their heads.

"Okay. I'll check the Alliance of the Just membership rolls against reported disappearances and start looking in earnest."

Kai nods. "I know… You're a superhero… Is there anything we can do?"

"Ask around. I don't really know anyone in this part of Gotham, but if anyone's seen anything… Where they've been since January, if anyone saw any Alice in Wonderland themed anything around during the period they vanished, anything like that..." They nod again. "Thank you. You've got my number if you find anything, and I'll let you know if I locate them." I nod politely as I rise into the air. "Good day."

 

[Darko]

"Ah…" The youth looks awkward. "I shot you a few times

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Oh, who hasn't.

 

[Chojin Patriarch]

18th July 2013
09:16 GMT -5

Kai and another youth are waiting in front of the address he supplied as I land, Kai smiling and nodding to me and the other fellow backing away a step. Kai notices, frowning in puzzlement.

"Nah, man. I told you, it's cool."

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I'd say someone has a guilty conscience. Since most people know Lanterns as 'space cops' and even OL does have a reputation as a crime-fighter, when he's not doing weirder things.

Spoiler: Commentary spoilered for length

I smile politely. "Is there a problem?"

"Ah…" The youth looks awkward. "I shot you a few times."

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Heck, why let a little thing like shooting at someone immune to bullets get in the way of business?

"Am I dead?"

"Huh?"

"Do I look dead to you?"

Click to shrink...

It's hardly the first time someone had shot at him, after all.

"Ah..? No?" He looks toward Kai for some sort of guidance.

"Then there's no problem. As I told Kai, I'm not going to hold what they did while Anti-Lifed against people."

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Especially if they hold what they did against themselves.

He shifts awkwardly.

"Or, what they did before that, so long as they buck their ideas up."

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I suspect that's the issue here. That dude-bro was on the wrong side of the law before...

"Yeah, man. No problem. I just-"

"Doesn't matter."

"-figured working for Bane was better than nothing-."

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Oh-ho? Which time, I wonder?

Scan.

He freezes as the orange lights strobe over him. "Ah..?"

"You're fortunate. I can't seen any signs of venom-related damage to your brain."

Click to shrink...

Eh, that would probably be limited to trusted members of his crew anyway, I suspect.

"Nah, man. I said 'no'. Also said no to going to China, so they weren't really putting the pressure on me for long."

"In case China didn't broadcast it, most of the people who went with him were either killed or given life sentences." I nod. "So that was a good decision on your part."

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Ah, that time, when Bane used a telepathic transmitter to disrupt OL's control of his Ring and it got stolen from him...

Kai looks confused, and a little worried. "You guys got some beef you wanna talk about?"

"It seems that… Ben Jameson here was one of the people who assisted Bane when he came very close to killing me. Seems like a long time ago, and to be honest I'm completely over it. Now, about your Justifier friends-." I frown. "No, wait, how did you go from working for Bane to joining the Alliance of the Just?"

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And I suspect it would be much harder these days, given he can maintain focus against telepathy, and has multiple levels of Ring defences.

Ben shrugs awkwardly. "Guess I'm a joiner, y'know? I didn't have like a… Like a code name or anything, but I did the first aid and law training stuff…"

"Orpheus. He recruited you?"

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Ah, the minor Gotham vigilante? Good to see he handled that sort of thing, making sure any would-be vigilantes knew their stuff.

"Yeah. Saw me hanging out with the wrong crowd… Don't think he knew what I'd done. I'd been thinking the Justice League was gunna jump me, so I figured… Y'know…"

"Get a positive character reference so that a lawyer could argue that you'd reformed." He nods. "Well, it's a step in the right direction. Good habits can be habit-forming."

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And better to be on the side of the angels when shit hits the fan.

He watches me cautiously, as if not quite believing what I'm saying.

"Ah. Do you need me to pretend to be Batman and break a few of your bones? I can do that if your need for punishment-."

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After all, he can also heal him afterwards.

"Nah, I'm-. I'm good."

"Or I know a couple of women who punish professionally?"

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It does probably involve a bit of dressing up in leather, mind.

Kai snorts with laughter. "Women usually hit him without him paying for it!"

"One fucking time, man!"

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There's hitting, and then there's hitting, though... Some guys enjoy the latter.

"I don't think that Warden Amanda Waller of the Belle Reve Penitentiary would expect to be paid, but I don't think there's a rule against voluntary contributions. Now, about your missing colleagues..?"

Kai nods. "Well, the first guy we found out was missing was Stan. He was.. part of our.. group? Don't think he was in a gang or anything. Orpheus knew him from… Somewhere." He looks at Ben. "He ever tell you?"

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I suspect Orpheus had a few guy like that, with dubious backgrounds looking to change their ways.

Ben shrugs, shaking his head. "Nah. Just said he knew him."

Review Alliance of the Just membership records, people who used their real names, based in Gotham… "That would be Stanley Adams?" They both nod. "Last seen..?"

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Hmm... Wonder how many are still missing today? Could be a place to begin double-checking.

"'bout six weeks ago." Ben looks awkward. "Guess we shoulda kept in touch more, but we all been kinda caught up in our own sh-stuff, and…" He glances at Kai.

Kai nods. "We all remember what we did. And being around each other… Makes us think about it more. I mean, what are we going to talk about? 'Hey, remember that time we joined an evil army to take over the world'?"

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...Probably about the time Batman would have shad to start his preparatory work for the OMAC project.

"Was this reported to the police?"

Kai looks awkward. "His family didn't make it. And it's not exactly-. I mean, no offence or nothing, but it's a struggle getting food and stuff sometimes. No one's hiring…"

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And some of the guys involved are wary of talking to cops, because of street rules?

I nod. "Social networks have broken down. No work colleagues, no family… The people who'd usually make a report aren't in a position to do so."

"Yeah."

"Okay. I think you should-."

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A hard position for guys like these to drag themselves out of, once they start to slide downwards...

"Yeah, I'm gunna make a point of calling everyone… I dunno, once a week or something? We went though all that, survived it, and then they just disappear like none of it mattered?"

I nod. "Who else?"

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There were a few missing guys he mentioned, after all.

"It was Orpheus. Ah… do you know his name? I don't know how we're supposed to do this bit."

"Do you?"

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Heh, people still trying to respect secret identities... Then again, trying to find out a League member's real name might get the attention of people you don't want to be seeing.

"Yes?"

"Gavin."

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Also an interesting detail: He was originally provided with his starting gear by 'a secret organisation.' It's not named in his wiki entry, but I would wonder if it was something related to the Alliance here...

He nods, looking a little relieved. "Last time anyone saw him was a couple of days before I got grabbed. He wasn't at the place where that little fuckhead had me, but if it was him, then he had to have had us both at the same time. Maybe he was… Maybe Hatter wasn't with me the whole time because he was with Orpheus?"

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Seems like a stretch. Not everything happening always relates back to a plot-relevant character at any given moment...

"The sample size isn't big enough to draw a firm conclusion, but it is possible. Are your other former colleagues well? None of them fought off attempted kidnappers or anything like that?"

They shake their heads.

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Those they've contacted, I presume. I doubt they tried everyone they knew. Just enough to see a pattern...

"Okay. I'll check the Alliance of the Just membership rolls against reported disappearances and start looking in earnest."

Kai nods. "I know… You're a superhero… Is there anything we can do?"

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An informal support group for former Justifiers, or the like, might be useful...

"Ask around. I don't really know anyone in this part of Gotham, but if anyone's seen anything… Where they've been since January, if anyone saw any Alice in Wonderland themed anything around during the period they vanished, anything like that..." They nod again. "Thank you. You've got my number if you find anything, and I'll let you know if I locate them." I nod politely as I rise into the air. "Good day."

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Yet more details to check out. This is going to keep OL busy for days, I'm sure.

I wonder how those two lists of names will line up. Contacting Batman about it might be helpful, if OL wants to take that chance, Or Bats might just tell him it's being handled, I don't know... Whatever happens, I don't foresee OL letting go of this. Once he's got a mystery in his jaws, like a terrier, he doesn't release it until it's all shaken out.

 

[Wivk]

Yeah i wouldn't tell batman since he is the one behind it

 

[Coltsguy]

"Ah…" The youth looks awkward. "I shot you a few times."

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"The club meeting is this coming Thursday at six p.m. You've missed the one for today."

 

[Darko]

"The club meeting is this coming Thursday at six p.m. You've missed the one for today."

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Paul: On Friday some of my employees meet up to discuss how they're going to kill me to take my position. You can go to that one if you can't make it on Thursday.