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

KharnTheBrotrayer · 2026-07-09T14:29:30+0100

Jankl said:
Do you have the threadMark for it? I would appreciate it very much.

With This Ring (Young Justice SI) (Story Only) [Archive]

2nd September 09:45 GMT -5 First time I've seen Mister Adam since the fight in Louisiana. They've clearly made some effort to keep him clean; the mud that coated him as we crashed through the swamp at speed isn't there any longer and he hasn't become covered in dust or anything. His cuts and...

forum.questionablequesting.com

Just before and after is some more hopecore stuff but this is Kalmin giving OL the Blue Power Ring.

Ngamer11 · 2026-07-09T14:58:06+0100

Mr Zoat said:
"It's a curious approach, motivating people like that." He nods. "I never bothered while I laboured for the Anti-Monitor. But I think I like it."

"I'm.. glad it meets with your approval-."

"What have you got there?"

@Mr Zoat, I was rereading this part and found an error. That sentence in the middle is Paul, so only the quotation marks should be in orange.

Mr Zoat · 2026-07-09T15:15:05+0100

Ngamer11 said:
@Mr Zoat, I was rereading this part and found an error. That sentence in the middle is Paul, so only the quotation marks should be in orange.

I was just looking at that myself.

Vaermina · 2026-07-09T16:04:42+0100

Mr Zoat said:
He doesn't quite smile, but he does look satisfied. "Diataria Lysis. My former apprentice. We were never able to find anyone who could survive using the red ring without irreparable psychological damage. We only made one, so if you have it that should be an end to the matter."

He gestures, and a mote of light flies from the ring and lands on mine. Ah. Yes, that makes sense.

"Thank you, Kalmin. Keep the ring."

He's totally gone back to his normal Evil ways and is lying to Orange Lantern here.

RoninSword · 2026-07-09T18:06:47+0100

@Mr Zoat Same chapter as the one that was just sent to you.

Mr Zoat said:
"Having trouble letting go?"

I exhale, then lower my lantern to look at Hinon. "No. Just thinking."

"Is it likely to take long? I realise that Clarissi Dox is supposed to be the brains of the outfit, but I do like to think that the number two man can spark a couple of neurons now and again."

Bolded is the Illustres, not Hinon.

Mr Zoat · 2026-07-09T18:47:08+0100

RoninSword said:
@Mr Zoat Same chapter as the one that was just sent to you.

Bolded is the Illustres, not Hinon.

Well it's fine in my version.

Darko · 2026-07-09T21:17:08+0100

Vaermina said:
He's totally gone back to his normal Evil ways and is lying to Orange Lantern here.

He never really left his normal evil ways.

And we did see way back that his former apprentice is active. She gave a yellow ring to a surviving Citadelian.

Mr Zoat · 2026-07-10T06:18:12+0100

29th May 2284
00:31 GMT -7

Edward sits in front of the computer console in a trance, the screens flickering in front of him.

"I have it, Chief. There's no direct connection, but I can bridge the gap."

I lay my right hand on his left shoulder. "Good work. Show us."

Colonel Shaw watches the screens impassive as they start showing footage of the Enclave portion of the base. He's confirmed that he wasn't even really aware of the Enclave being a thing back before the War, but he's the closest thing we've got to someone who might be au fait with their mindset.

"Huh. Uniform's right, and so's the armor. Those poor bastards."

The Circle of Steel operative doesn't look quite comfortable with dealing with a super mutant, but a quick eye-flick my way is as far as that goes. "Do you know this facility? Can we trap them, or irradiate the whole area before they can ship out?"

"American army bases were build to resist radiation, not welcome it in. There should be a lock down system, but it'll be one they can override from inside. It can-."

He cuts himself off, blinking rapidly as he stares at the screen. He's looking at… Top left monitor, where an officer is giving instructions to his senior non-commissioned officers.

"Can you zoom this thing in on him?"

Edward doesn't say anything, but the officer's face expands to fill the screen.

Shaw blinks slowly. "I… Know that guy. Major Nate Moines. He was-. Huh. Enclave. I guess that explains it."

I raise my eyebrows. "Colonel?"

"He was who I was reporting to while I was moving the F.E.V. prototype. And now I know why."

"So he went in cryo..? After the War ended?"

"Could be. Or it could be that he went in after he checked out the chumps doing their legwork; I didn't need him holding my hand for a simple supply run."

"Would be recognise you?"

He stares at me, baffled. "What the Hell do you think I used to look like? This?"

"Ah. But to you think he'd remember Lieutenant Andrew Shaw?"

He thinks, then nods slowly. "He seemed like the type."

"Alright… Edward, can you reach his-."

Major Moines checks his Pip-Boy, and then turns around… He head out of shot. Edward pulls the camera back to its usual position to follow him a moment more… No, gone.

Shaw looks down at the Circle of Steel operative. "You got a map? Any chance I can sneak in?"

"Yes, and no. The goods elevator has no cover, and you're too heavy for the regular elevator. So even if you grabbed a stealth boy off one of your…" He turns his head to glance at Pittman, a nightkin commander who followed him from the Troll Warrens. Pittman doesn't react. "Colleagues… They'd have to be idiots not to see you coming."

Another screen zooms in as he passes by another camera, exchanging salutes with another officer.

Ah. It's probably not relevant, but… They're all soldiers. To put a finer point on it, they're all men. This wasn't an attempt by the Enclave to preserve a viable population, they just wanted muscle. Or maybe they didn't have a way to make a thousand women disappear whereas hiding exactly where a company's worth of men were wouldn't have been that hard.

Major Moines turns off a corridor, and… We don't have a camera.

Edward makes on of the screens display a plan of the interior. "As far as I can see, that's an office. Probably his office."

I nod. "Can we talk to him?"

"There's an internal phone line. We won't be able to see him, but I can put our picture on his screen if you want."

Colonel Shaw carefully picks up the phone on our console. "Not 'us'. Just me."

I frown. "Wouldn't it be better to just use your voice?"

"You think I used to sound like this? My chest's five times the size of what it used to be. I wouldn't recognise me."

He's got a point. "Edward, could you-?"

He shakes his head. "Sorry, Chief. I'm at my limit now."

Colonel Shaw nods. "It's better to be honest. Doesn't make much difference if he shoots us for the Washington Brotherhood or for himself. Start with sound only, give him video when I say."

"Okay, Colonel. His phone's ringing-"

"Moines."

"-now."

"Major, this is Lieutenant Andrew Shaw. I don't know if you remember-."

"Yeah, you were in charge of the anti-radiation shipment transportation. I didn't know you made it into the bunker."

"I didn't."

"And it sounds like you got one hell of a cold."

"Also negative."

"Is this a prank call? Because I am absolutely fine with having you flogged before we set out. Your ass will heal on the way over.""

"You know us and China had a nuclear exchange?"

"Hard not to."

"Right, well, we got caught outside. Miles away from shelter. We didn't get hit or you wouldn't be talking to me, but after a couple of days the radiation started killing us off. So on the positive side, I'm happy to report that the anti-radiation treatment works just fine for its stated aim." Colonel Shaw moves his mouth away from the handset. "Camera. Just on me."

"Done."

"Jesus."

"The downside being… This."

"'Downside'? Shaw, the fact you can even remember your name is a breakthrough! And yeah, now I look at you I can kinda see you-. The outline of your face."

"You've… Seen faces like this before, sir?"

"I got sent reports." Colonel Shaw's left hand clenches. "Alright, Lieutenant, what's the plan, here?"

"I'm with… The California National Guard. We're here to liberate you and kill The Immortal and his cyborgs."

"We were going along with him because the reason we're here in the first place is to attack China in the event that the nukes didn't finish the job. I take it that our mission has become irrelevant?"

"No hostile contact with the Commies in two hundred years."

"Alright. I'll go explain things to General McMahan. Get the… 'California National Guard' into position by the freight elevator. I think we're gunna need to see a few things ourselves before we make any decisions."

Ngamer11 · 2026-07-10T06:21:52+0100

I doubt all of these guys will just suddenly decide to not attack China, but every little bit helps I guess.

mastermenthe · 2026-07-10T06:22:34+0100

View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3YmMNpbFjp0

BR549 · 2026-07-10T07:14:37+0100

Sometimes, just actually talking with someone is enough to head off a lot of problems.

Of course, odds are not everyone's gonna be fine with the stand down order...least of all The Immortal.

Who I still have 50 quatloos on being Vandal Savage.

Chojin Patriarch · 2026-07-10T07:24:22+0100

Mr Zoat said:
29th May 2284
00:31 GMT -7

Edward sits in front of the computer console in a trance, the screens flickering in front of him.

"I have it, Chief. There's no direct connection, but I can bridge the gap."

I lay my right hand on his left shoulder. "Good work. Show us."

Thank goodness for technopathy. No need to risk hostile anti-intrusion software when you can slide around it psionically. Plus the whole 'conenct to air-gapped systems' thing, though I imagine that's a drain on his stamina.

Colonel Shaw watches the screens impassive as they start showing footage of the Enclave portion of the base. He's confirmed that he wasn't even really aware of the Enclave being a thing back before the War, but he's the closest thing we've got to someone who might be au fait with their mindset.

Reading ahead, a Super Mutant, then? And a war veteran at that.

"Huh. Uniform's right, and so's the armor. Those poor bastards."

The Circle of Steel operative doesn't look quite comfortable with dealing with a super mutant, but a quick eye-flick my way is as far as that does. "Do you know this facility? Can we trap them, or irradiate the whole area before they can ship out?"

What an unusual team of operatives. Sadly, I suspect it's going to be easier for them to get out of their defensible position than it will be for you to keep them in.

"American army bases were build to resist radiation, not welcome it in. There should be a lock down system, but it'll be one they can override from inside. It can-."

He cuts himself off, blinking rapidly as he stares at the screen. He's looking at… Top left monitor, where an officer is giving instructions to his senior non-commissioned officers.

Ah, he recognises someone he can appeal to? That's handy.

"Can you zoom this thing in on him?"

Edward doesn't say anything, but the officer's face expands to fill the screen.

Very accommodating.

Shaw blinks slowly. "I… Know that guy. Major Nate Moines. He was-. Huh. Enclave. I guess that explains it."

I raise my eyebrows. "Colonel?"

"He was who I was reporting to while I was moving the F.E.V. prototype. And now I know why."

So it was an Enclave project, right? Makes sense indeed.

"So he went in cryo..? After the War ended?"

"Could be. Or it could be that he went in after he checked out the chumps doing their legwork; I didn't need him holding my hand for a simple supply run."

Either way, he's still alive now, so maybe you can appeal to his better instincts for aid with the soldiers.

"Would be recognise you?"

He stares at me, baffled. "What the Hell do you think I used to look like? This?"

"Ah. But do you think he'd remember Lieutenant Andrew Shaw?"

Yeah, I'm picturing Shaw as resembling MCU Professor Hulk compared to regular Bruce: Tall, green and muscle with a chadly face.

He thinks, then nods slowly. "He seemed like the type."

"Alright… Edward, can you reach his-."

No sooner said than done, I bet.

Major Moines checks his Pip-Boy, and then turns around… He heads out of shot. Edward pulls the camera back to its usual position to follow him a moment more… No, gone.

Shaw looks down at the Circle of Steel operative. "You got a map? Any chance I can sneak in?"

Bruv, you need to expand your thinking. You have the aid of psychics here. Reaching out and talking to someone is only a thought away.

"Yes, and no. The good elevator has no cover, and you're too heavy for the regular elevator. So even if you grabbed a stealth boy off one of your…" He turns his head to glance at Pittman, a nightkin commander who followed him from the Troll Warrens. Pittman doesn't react. "Colleagues… They'd have to be idiots not to see you coming."

I'm guessing weighing closer to a ton than not makes his footsteps rather noisy.

Another screen zooms in as he passes by another camera, exchanging salutes with another officer.

Ah. It's probably not relevant, but… They're all soldiers. To put a finer point on it, they're all men. This wasn't an attempt by the Enclave to preserve a viable population, they just wanted muscle. Or maybe they didn't have a way to make a thousand women disappear whereas hiding exactly where a company's worth of men were wouldn't have been that hard.

And given how chauvinistic the pre-war Fallout world seemed, I doubt women saw a lot of service in combat-adjacent roles.

Major Moines turns off a corridor, and… We don't have a camera.

Edward makes on of the screens display a plan of the interior. "As far as I can see, that's an office. Probably his office."

If he got a message on his pipboy, then he'd probably return to his office to read it, I guess?

I nod. "Can we talk to him?"

"There's an internal phone line. We won't be able to see him, but I can put our picture on his screen if you want."

See, Shaw? No need to go in in person. Probably better this way given your appearance.

Colonel Shaw carefully picks up the phone on our console. "Not 'us'. Just me."

I frown. "Wouldn't it be better to just use your voice?"

"You think I used to sound like this? My chest's five times the size of what it used to be. I wouldn't recognise me."

Makes sense, really. Don't most supermutants have low voices in general? If their lungs and voicebox enlarged with the rest of them...

He's got a point. "Edward, could you-?"

He shakes his head. "Sorry, Chief. I'm at my limit now."

No fudging the voice signal, then.

Colonel Shaw nods. "It's better to be honest. Doesn't make much difference if he shoots us for the Washington Brotherhood or for himself. Start with sound only, give him video when I say."

"Okay, Colonel. His phone's ringing-"

Fingers crossed this works, then.

"Moines."

"-now."

"Major, this is Lieutenant Andrew Shaw. I don't know if you remember-."

Heck, maybe you can blame the voice on a bad connection?

"Yeah, you were in charge of the anti-radiation shipment transportation. I didn't know you made it into the bunker."

"I didn't."

...Which should be making Moines a bit worried, if he knows it's been two hundred years. Sure, he might have found some kind of cryo in the wild...

"And it sounds like you got one hell of a cold."

"Also negative."

Which doesn't leave many options for what happened to Shaw, if Moines knows anything.

"Is this a prank call? Because I am absolutely fine with having you flogged before we set out. Your ass will heal on the way over.""

"You know us and China had a nuclear exchange?"

"Hard not to."

Though I suppose some places got hit less hard than others.

"Right, well, we got caught outside. Miles away from shelter. We didn't get hit or you wouldn't be talking to me, but after a couple of days the radiation started killing us off. So on the positive side, I'm happy to report that the anti-radiation treatment works just fine for its stated aim." Colonel Shaw moves his mouth away from the handset. "Camera. Just on me."

Ah, moment of truth. Let's see how Moines reacts.

"Done."

"Jesus."

I suppose seeing a supermutant is a bit of a shock, especially if he's not seen any yet.

"The downside being… This."

"'Downside'? Shaw, the fact you can even remember your name is a breakthrough! And yeah, now I look at you I can kinda see you-. The outline of your face."

Since earlier versions of the FEV weren't so refined? That's helpful.

"You've… Seen faces like this before, sir?"

"I got sent reports." Colonel Shaw's left hand clenches. "Alright, Lieutenant, what's the plan, here?"

All right, looks like he's on side. That might make what comes next much easier.

"I'm with… The California National Guard. We're here to liberate you and kill The Immortal and his cyborgs."

"We were going along with him because the reason we're here in the first place is to attack China in the event that the nukes didn't finish the job. I take it that our mission has become irrelevant?"

'National Guard', huh? I suppose that's an easy way to simplify the working relationship for the gent.

"No hostile contact with the Commies in two hundred years."

"Alright. I'll go explain things to General McMahan. Get the… 'California National Guard' into position by the freight elevator. I think we're gunna need to see a few things ourselves before we make any decisions."

Good, conflict averted, for now. Let's hope they can cut the Immortals support out form underneath him.

Excellent, matters proceed well. With any luck, the local garrison will agree that trying to hit Chinese territory is a waste of resources. And then they can plan out how to stop or recall the forces already across the strait. The Immortal will likely be in charge of those men, meaning it'll be a lot harder to settle this diplomatically.

Mr Zoat · 2026-07-10T08:32:12+0100

Me said:
but a quick eye-flick my way is as far as that does.

goes

The good elevator has no cover,

goods

Neruz · 2026-07-10T08:57:43+0100

I mean if they really want to hit the commies I'm pretty sure there are still a few Chinese infiltrator cells lurking around the USA.

Mr Zoat · 2026-07-10T10:38:00+0100

Neruz said:
I mean if they really want to hit the commies I'm pretty sure there are still a few Chinese infiltrator cells lurking around the USA.

In Old World Blues, there's exactly one, and they're in Colorado. As far as most of their neighbours are concerned they're just another bunch of ghouls.

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

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