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

"No, I went to the Indigo Lantern Corps voluntarily in order to… Earn redemption, I suppose

So in this universe they're criminals and psychopaths/sociopaths who want to become better and use the Indigo Light to ensure that they don't relapse.

The essence of life-? That doesn't sound like a good idea."

Yeah, life isn't necessarily always a good thing.

"No, I mean, bringing that sort of power into the universe. There must be all sorts of ways that something like that could go horribly wrong."

"Look, there'll be seven Lanterns, one of whom will be me

That's not a ringing endorsement, renegade.

"She is serving the Corps as a Penitent. I assume that Amon Sur is shouting about how much he wants her dead?"

"Actually, he's being-"

"She's alive?! I want her dead

Beaver boy must have some premonition.

requested the use a device

"the use of a"
 
21st January 2013
10:57 GMT


"Stop."

The small beaver-like alien before me both looks and sounds serious, but I admit that I'm having a little difficulty taking someone the size of an actual beaver entirely seriously. I mean, sure, that's an indigo staff and power ring and he's probably had them both for a while, but…
Ah, Ub'x. Well, Doctor Ub'X, to use his full title. And the one Indigo Lantern we've previously seen, over in the Paragon timeline, way back when. It seems the Renegade's investigation is hitting close to home if one of them has come to meet him...

But he'd fit right in on the Equestria side of the portal without changing shape.

"So they do come in other colours. I thought you were chasing starlight."
The joy of a universe where there are actual cartoon-style talking anthropomorphic animals. Hell, multiple worlds of them.

Amon Sur's ship is hanging back a little. That… I'm not sure what to do about him in the longer term. The Earth Defence Force is probably going to have a hostile encounter with the Black Circle eventually, and then we'll have to exterminate them. But for now we just don't have any interstellar trade, so there's nothing for them to raid. For him personally? Once I've completed this task, I'll have enough time on my hands that I could offer him an orange ring and an apprenticeship.
Better than letting him join his uncle. But he'll need fairly constant supervision to make sure he doesn't backslide.

Might be worth killing off the rest of the Black Circle first

Wait a minute. This beaver looks… Wasn't there a beaver who fought against Lantern Ch'p? I don't remember what he was called
Yup. That's his in-universe origin. I can't find anything suggesting he was ever a canon Indigo Corpsman.

Sinestro?

The only beaver-like creature I have a file on is one Doctor Ub'x. He was a criminal technologist. My organic self bought equipment from him on two occasions.
Of course, that was in Earth-50. But most things tend to be consistent between parallels, outside of Earth.

I smile. "Lantern Ub'x, I presume. What is it that you want me to stop?"

"I want you to stop trying to find us. Did you really think that we don't keep an eye on Lantern Jordan? And Amon Sur?"
Given one is the successor of Abin Sur's Ring, and the other is his son? I'd be disappointed if they weren't.

"The first, I wasn't sure. The second, I assumed that you didn't, because if you did then it would have been logical for you to offer him a ring."

"No it wouldn't. You know that we exist but you clearly don't know what we are."
Huh, they don't forcibly recruit irredeemable sociopaths, serial murderers and complete monsters?

"You have power ring, which is indigo. Therefore-."

"I mean that you don't know why Abin Sur created this organisation. Or why I'm part of it."
Evidently there are some differences, then. Care to elucidate?

"According to my sources you used to be an arms trader. It seems like you'd be the sort of person due for a little indigo light based reformation."

"No, I went to the Indigo Lantern Corps voluntarily in order to… Earn redemption, I suppose. I went of my own free will, which is why I can have this conversation with you. How do you know I exist?"
...Interesting. I have to wonder how many other recruits did so voluntarily.

"I've had access to parallel universes. The Indigo Lantern Corps isn't secret in all of them."

"No, not the Corps. Me, personally. Though I suppose that the answer is probably the same."
Perceptive, isn't he? No doubt he's fully aware the Renegade is packing both Orange and Yellow Rings... And there's only one wielder of the Yellow Light in this universe so far.

"Yes. Why, is there something special about you?"

He snorts with amusement. "I suppose not. So, what do you want with the Indigo Lantern Corps, Grayven of Apokolips?"
He's certainly well-informed, at least.

"I'm trying to help a pony corrupted by evil magic."

"I might be able to help, but our rings are only intended for particular types of people."
...Not sure it'll really help in that sense, sadly.

"No, no, I'm not suggesting him as a candidate. I need someone who can blast them with elemental compassion at the same time as six of us fire other colours of ring at him."

"That seems like a rather convoluted way of killing someone."
Hey, it works for the Ponies, they've done it a few times over recent years and no-one's died from it. ...They might wish they had, but it's largely non-lethal.

"No, no, no, it won't kill them. I'm pretty sure that combining the colours together will produce white light, the essence of life itself. And that will hopefully do away with the evil magic."

"The essence of life-? That doesn't sound like a good idea."
If only for the fact that that power unleashed will draw the attention of things you don't want to have the attention of.

"No, it's perfectly safe. No risk of supercharging bacteria or giving people super-cancer."

"No, I mean, bringing that sort of power into the universe. There must be all sorts of ways that something like that could go horribly wrong."
Especially when said power seems to operate on its own recognisance more often than not. Seriously, the White Light seems more... Alive than most of the other lights, naturally.

"Look, there'll be seven Lanterns, one of whom will be me. Plus whatever escort I think is worth taking. If you're not going to use your power to help people then what's the point of even having it?"

"That's something that I never thought-"
And annoyingly, the light of Compassion is probably whispering in Ub'X's ear even now.

"Ask him about my sister's murderer!"

"-I'd hear an Apokoliptian say."
He's got a point. Inheriting Grayven's reputation hasn't always been beneficial, after all.

"I've had an interesting life. So… What happened to Iroque? I assume that Abin Sur used her as a lab rat."

"She is serving the Corps as a Penitent. I assume that Amon Sur is shouting about how much he wants her dead?"
Ah, you can see his Rage all the way back there? Good eyes.

"Actually, he's being-"

"She's alive?! I want her dead!"
Hush up, sonny. the adults are talking.

"-surprisingly.. restrained. I assume that she's brainwashed by the indigo light?"

"That's not precisely how it works. She can only feel compassion, but that doesn't change her underlying thought processes. Not directly, anyway. It's more a form of exposure-therapy, while her body is essentially… Little more than a puppet of the indigo light."
o_O ...Fascinating.

"Ah." I nod approvingly. "Slavery. To be maintained until the real mind learns to rejoice in obedience. I think that we should ensure that my father never reaches Nox."

"She's a slave?"
...That's probably a good point. And I'm suddenly reminded of the third Lego Batman game, which featured the Lanterns as a major part of the plot...

I smile at Dr. Ub'x.

"Would you excuse me for a moment?"
A little hard to hold a pleasant conversation with Amon barking in your ear?

"Oh, so he is demanding her death."

"Yes, obviously."
Quite loudly. Honestly, I'm amazed he hasn't damaged his throat yet...

"Then by all means."

I raise Sinestro to my mouth. "Yes, she's a brainwashed slave doing eternal community service."
Though I do wonder if it's by her own choice, or if Abin Sur forcibly signed her on...

"Does she suffer?"

"How often was your father wounded in the line of duty."
...I'm guessing often. Abin didn't seem the sort to back off in the face of personal danger.

"Hm."

I lower my hand and return my attention to the magical beaver. "So are you willing to help with the pony, or do I have to track Nox down and ask someone else?"
And the way he's going, he'd have managed it sooner or later.

"How many colours do you still need?"

"Ah… Depends whether Ganthet gets back to me or not. I don't actually have anyone for blue, but assuming-"
And whether he's willing to admit to working on it.

Incoming message-. Ow. Ow.

"-that he comes through… Excuse me a moment again. Yes?"
...Interesting reaction. Whatever's coming through must have some serious gain on its transmitter.

The face-. Of an elderly man stares back at me. Can't see the body, but the eyes… There's a sort of placid focus to them, unmoved but not unconcerned by the universe.

"Grayven. You have requested the use a device that you should not know exists. How did you hear of it?"
Why, hello, Ganthet. :p Were your ears burning? They were just talking about you.

"Not all parallel universes run to the same timeline. One of your alts has got it working."

"Did he have a Lantern?"
Or rather, a Central Power Battery? The latter would make things much easier on that front.

"Think he gave it to Jordan, actually. And some guy called Bro'Dee Walker, but he won't have undergone the trials that turned him into a good Blue Lantern yet. Ah… There was a guy called Warth, don't know if he's in the right mental place."

I shrug.
Warth, for the record. If you've seen a Ganesh-looking fellow in pics of the Blues, that's him.

"So how about it?"

"My research has not yet yielded a prototype, but I shall certainly bear those names in mind."
...Well, shit. Hey, Renegade, how's that connection to Earth-50 looking?

"Are you likely to be able to get a prototype..? Anytime soon?"

"No. It has been some time since I have been able to spend time on a side project. It is pleasant to know that I will eventually be successful, but my responsibilities are unlikely to decrease. But don't worry; as a New God you will most likely live to see my project's eventual completion. I will let you know when I am finally successful."
Somehow, I don't think that'll be needed. The Blue Lanterns are likely to make quite the splash when they debut.

His face vanishes.

"No blue light, then? Can I get on with my day?"
...Remember, the Renegade does have access to alternate Earths.

Hm.

"No, I… Think I can still manage."
It might just take a few calls.

So, one (conditional) success, one setback. Looks like the Renegade's search is proving just as troublesome as OL's. Still, I'm sure they'll find a way to manage it. Would be frustrating if they got six of seven, only to get cock-blocked on the last colour. Let's just hope the White Light will be amenable to the uses each plans to make of it...


"You have power ring, which is indigo. Therefore-."
"You have a power ring, which is indigo. Therefore-."
 
He didn't give them both World Wars, just the first one.
And the "how to recover and what to do after" the winners did there is what set up the second one.
Hence why I say to give history to both, and some time after. Wise men learn from others mistakes and all that. Also Paul needs to give them some hope, or they won't need the blood to be just as vicious.
 
Huh, they don't forcibly recruit irredeemable sociopaths, serial murderers and complete monsters

They may do.

Maybe Abin had some standards and didn't want to enslave people.

Or maybe following the creation of the tribe the brainwashing worked too well and the new recruits didn't want to enslave people anymore.

Plus willing recruits are more practical.

If a forced recruit lost his ring or ran out of power then they'd have a sociopath that wants to make up for lost time, but a willing recruit is more likely to embrace the compassion.

, it works for the Ponies, they've done it a few times over recent years and no-one's died from it. ...They might wish they had, but it's largely non-lethal.

True, but their thing was a bit different.

Though I do wonder if it's by her own choice, or if Abin Sur forcibly signed her on...

Judging by the doctor here, it could have been voluntary on her behalf.

Though it's possible that the first recruit was forcibly conscripted and they later changed their policy.
 
"Grayven. You have requested the use a device that you should not know exists. How did you hear of it?"

"Not all parallel universes run to the same timeline. One of your alts has got it working."

"Did he have a Lantern?"
It makes me wonder What he thought about Paragon Paul getting one working.
 
Ganthet of Oa: Spends god alone knows how long trying to make a Blue Lantern Ring, does not even have a functioning prototype.

Kalmin: Makes a Blue Lantern and accompanying power ring over the course of an afternoon, a weekend at most. As a bet.
 
This makes me wonder what the reason for the Guardians not working with their parallel versions is. Has it already been explained in-story at some point?

Maybe they're worried that if they do that then their enemies will also escalate.

It's also just possible that they haven't seen a reason to do so since they can handle their problems by themselves.
 
"I've had access to parallel universes. The Indigo Lantern Corps isn't secret in all of them."
I just realized, the Indigo Lanterns are called the Indigo Lantern Corps instead of the Indigo Tribe in this story? Or is the Renegade mistaken, and Ub'x simply didn't feel like correcting him on his organization's name?
 
I just realized, the Indigo Lanterns are called the Indigo Lantern Corps instead of the Indigo Tribe in this story? Or is the Renegade mistaken, and Ub'x simply didn't feel like correcting him on his organization's name?
Natromo called it the Indigo Tribe because he was from a tribal society. With non-brainwashed Lanterns around, a lot of them refer to it as a Corps. Grayven just assumed, but Ub'x calls it the same thing.
 
Ganthet of Oa: Spends god alone knows how long trying to make a Blue Lantern Ring, does not even have a functioning prototype.

Kalmin: Makes a Blue Lantern and accompanying power ring over the course of an afternoon, a weekend at most. As a bet.
Yes, but he probably sacrificed a planet or two of people to do it.

Note, LePaul never actually asked, and has even shied away from the thought now that he has found out how the Yellow Ring was made.
 
Yes, but he probably sacrificed a planet or two of people to do it.

Note, LePaul never actually asked, and has even shied away from the thought now that he has found out how the Yellow Ring was made.

He didn't.

He used the hope generated by the people of the former eyeball carving religion to forge the ring and lantern.

Link.

And we know if he killed them all off to do so, because there's an Orange Lantern from those people who just showed up a little while ago to fight to defend her people and planet from Parallex.
 
Hinon regards the box with polite horror. "A blue personal lantern. Archor preserve me, you actually…" She shudders, and drops the orange sphere. "Go!"
Found an error in the story only thread. That link to the Green Lantern wiki no longer works because its contents were transferred to the DC wiki, and Triarch wasn't included in the transfer.
 
He didn't.

He used the hope generated by the people of the former eyeball carving religion to forge the ring and lantern.

Link.

And we know if he killed them all off to do so, because there's an Orange Lantern from those people who just showed up a little while ago to fight to defend her people and planet from Parallex.
I would point out here that just because the genocidal maniac says something doesn't make it true.

It took billions of people steeped in fear to make Sinestro a Yellow Ring and Power Battery.

But a couple hundred thousand people feeling a little hopeful was enough to make a Blue Ring and Battery?
 
I would point out here that just because the genocidal maniac says something doesn't make it true.

It took billions of people steeped in fear to make Sinestro a Yellow Ring and Power Battery.

But a couple hundred thousand people feeling a little hopeful was enough to make a Blue Ring and Battery?
Paul personally helped those people and brought them to Maltus. Also, two of their species joined the OLC, and were given the job of stabilizing their world after the destruction of its evil religion led to a massive upheaval.
 
Paul personally helped those people and brought them to Maltus. Also, two of their species joined the OLC, and were given the job of stabilizing their world after the destruction of its evil religion led to a massive upheaval.
That's not what I meant...

I meant he likely harvested a planet or two besides that for the hope necessary that LePaul just doesn't know about.
 
That's not what I meant...

I meant he likely harvested a planet or two besides that for the hope necessary that LePaul just doesn't know about.
Also, Kalmin is not one to lie about the terrible things he does. If he did a genocide he'll say so with the same ease as one say's they picked up the groceries.
 
Huh. I guess Ub'x (at least this one) chose not to rebuild the Sucker Stick... or perhaps he did, and it became his staff, or is going to randomly pop up later in the story.
 
Will Grayven use that "Mood ring" that uses all the lights?

How could Gravy use something that doesn't exist because DC stopped publishing comics in 2011? :)

Or seriously, that's a post flashpoint thing, Zoat rarely uses post flashpoint stuff.

So Gravy is unlikely to encounter the phantom ring, the universal ring from Planet of the Apes/Green Lantern, or Spectra, possibly of Earth 8 since she seems to be a Dr Spectrum analog.

Man they've really loved multicolored rings post flashpoint.
 
I suppose it's also possible that he didn't actually have to kill an entire planetary population to make a yellow ring, and just did it because it's the kind of thing he enjoys. Or that after brute forcing a power ring through such over the top means he gained enough of an understanding in how to produce them that he didn't need to resort to such extreme measures for producing a blue ring.

Pretty sure the Qwardians didn't have to sacrifice an entire world every time they made a ring for the Sinestro Corps.
 
Butcher's Blood (part 12)
21st January 2013
10:59 GMT


"A Lantern! Thank the Source! Can you stop this?"

Volkregian society isn't advanced enough to support the level of ostentatiousness that 'throne room' usually implies to a European, but the quality of the stone and woodwork is clearly a cut above what I've seen elsewhere. The Dal's clothing is-. Ah. It's a space farer's jumpsuit with added jewellery, the fabric being something they couldn't produce on planet and as such shows off his wealth and power while also being stain resistant and hard wearing.

Not seeing any red. Not in him, or the rest of his advisors.

"Yes, but there is a matter I have to resolve first, because there's no point in stopping it if someone just starts it up-."

"Yes, I admit-! I wanted to form an alliance with Crelan, so I arranged for the bomb to be brought to-. I just thought there'd be a few earth tremors!"

Interesting that he didn't try and deflect blame. He would have been advised, but where technical matters are concerned, how much advice could someone from Volkreg actually give?

"Do you have any more such bombs?"

He-. Shakes his head. Not the local gesture, but not an uncommon one around humanoid species. He's had more off-world contact, and either picked it up or learned to use it around aliens.

"The people you bought it from. As far as you know, are they in contact with anyone else?"

"They've-. They mentioned people a few times-. I assumed it was a negotiating tactic; no one on Volkreg can afford to have things shipped here in bulk. We're too far away from their workshops."

Accurate enough. Azmah is theoretically advanced enough, but they've got… Other problems. For the Sector's other advanced worlds, sure, they can get here, but Volkreg doesn't have an industrialised society. They don't manufacture anything that it's worth selling somewhere else, and they don't have the equipment to extract raw materials in the sort of quantity they'd need in order to use them for mass trade. Even farm produce is no good, because any merchant would just buy a breeding stock and move it to a world that had chemical fertiliser. So: sporadic visits to trade once they've build up sufficient… Gold, probably. And even then, only small traders.

"Alright, here's what I want in return. Y-."

"Name it!"

"You will foreswear the use of wars of aggression, both for yourself and your heirs. You will personally accept responsibility at a gathering of your peers which I will arrange. You will provide me with all information that I will need to apprehend the people who sold you the bomb."

"Yes! Yes! I want this to stop! You have to believe me, I never-."

"I do. Ilana, Razer, get the information we need. Excuse me."

I fly on automatic, out of the residence, out of the city and up into near-Volkreg space. From here I can see the full… No, nearly the full extent of the ash cloud. It actually extends over the horizon in the windward direction, even from up here. The plume is still fairly extensive in the other direction as the heat from the volcano pushes the air away in all directions.

I form a large cold gun construct and take aim at the centre of the caldera. There wasn't a great deal of magma, but cooling the ground should solidify the magma reservoirs and bung it up a little. And without the hot subterranean air, the ash should stop being ejected with the current level of vehemence. This much cooling can have some fairly severe affects on the atmosphere by itself, but under the circumstances I suspect that the locals will take a unseasonal hurricane or two over an electrified ash storm.

And fire.

The pale blue beam cuts through the ash plume, air contracting as the ash is frozen. It looks like someone poked a hole in the billowing mass, though this won't do much to the rest of the ash. I'm going to have to clean that up once I've dealt with the source.

You know, there are probably Lanterns who get to spend their entire career doing things like this.

The cold beam hits the ground and the ash ejection stops almost at once. Scans show the temperature of the crust reduce down to normal levels, lava tubes closing… Yes, good, good. Now… A plug. Scan… Yes, that asteroid looks about the right size and composition. I

step out and

reappear next to it, grab it with a construct tether and warp back to the planet.

Convenient, not having an interdiction field.

Then fly down through the atmosphere. The wind has picked up as the cold air starts pulling the hot air inwards and upwards, and that's adding to the lightning show. Not a danger to me due to my environmental shield providing me with perfect insulation, but I'm.. getting slightly uncomfortable Oceanus flashbacks. Now, this rock isn't much above absolute zero, so that should handle any residual heat. And it's a solid enough mass that it should contain any pressure build-up-.

And check the rock for dangerous micro-organisms, because I've seen The Andromeda Strain. And macro-organisms, because I've seen The Empire Strikes Back. No, nothing dangerous.

And down, with enough force to compress the rock and close off some of the fissures, without setting the whole thing off again.

If there was any moisture in the air, this whole area would be covered in frost and rain would be falling from the sky. As it is, the lightning intensifies, striking the newly-earthed iron-rich asteroid with great fury.

Right, that can take care of itself. I have great clouds to deal with. I don't know of any construct designed for…

Huh. John's ring had two records of Green Lanterns dealing with incidents like this. One used a vacuum cleaner construct and was at it for days, and the other sprayed the cloud with sea water, causing it to rain out of the air. That took a day, but caused widespread environmental damage from the salty rainfall and ash sludge and chemicals.

Oh, and Dox has a file on here about using a quantum teleporter to track the average movement of dust in a continent wide cloud and turn them into a solid block. The description seems to show that it's a good fit for this situation.

But I think that I should probably stick to the one I can comprehend.

It's most important to deal with the densest ash cloud closest to the source, and lesser amounts of ash are a problem but not a existential one. To that end I fly up through the rapidly shrinking hole my cold ray made, up until I'm above almost all of the ash cloud. Then I spread my construct downwards. I don't make constructs this size very often due to the overt threat they imply, but at this point it seems to be for the best. I keep going until I've got a tube pointing towards the billowing ash cloud, then add the filters-.

Wait, the ash is electrically charged. That should make this easier.

Add a magnetic field as well as a vacuum, storage tanks for the ash and escape vents for the air. Then -careful to take into account local terrain features and structures- I move it forwards.

The ash cloud goes from impenetrable blackness to dense fog levels as it passes through, and I know that will start to spread out and dissipate without the continual source of heat from the ground. Still damaging, if not quite Year Without Summer bad, but I can go back through with the water method to get the rest out once I'm done.

"Illustres to Jade. I'm dealing with the supervolcano now. Please reassure people that they'll be able to plant."

"I will. Orion has a lead on the Butcher's Blood."

"Oh, I was starting to think that there was nothing here. Good work. I'll go to you once I've finished here."
 
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