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

Hey Zoat, have you read the Simon Spurrier 2019 run of Constantine? I know you don't usually read modern comics, but just read it for the first time, and a lot of it wowed me. It's got more realistic, fairly trippy art done by Aaron Campbell, reminsiscent of some of swamp thing. It got cancelled due to Covid after 12 issues, but what's there is really good and is back to being darkly comedic in tone, especially the above mentioned issues illustrated by Aaron Campbell, and is almost entirely separated from the rest of the current DC universe, except for the one scene in the dreaming which the same author is also currently doing a run on. It even comments on real world modern politics, something I haven't seen a comic do in years.

81E7FA6F-8566-4AB4-94BF-F82F3112FFB7.jpeg
 
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You know... I'm not so sure Grayven!OL is Conquest anymore. Not sure what he is, mind you, but Conquest always felt a bit off, and it's been getting more and more off point since he got friendship beamed.
Isn't obvious? Grayven!OL is fascism. That is to say the actual definition back in the day before it became a generic insult.

"Fascism is a form of far-right, authoritarian ultranationalism characterized by dictatorial power, forcible suppression of opposition, and strong regimentation of society and of the economy"

It's on his cutie mark and everything and it has been his general governing theory. You just don't notice because he makes a habit of conquering hell holes where a strong central government is actually an improvement even if that government is oppressive by normal standards.
 
Veganism (part 12)
1st September 2012
15:40 GMT


She lunges at once, my usual grip meaning that the daiklave is out of position to ward her off. Fortunately the daiklave is soul bound, and so grasping the blade with my left hand and pulling downwards to point the tip at her doesn't cost me my palm. She tries to duck under it but there's my knee.
Implacable God-King's Dismissal.
And she's gone, gore fountaining in her wake as she flies backwards through the late Citizens who had been in the stands.

Hm. So either she can't fly, didn't have it turned on or she hasn't inherited her mother's abilities. She survived, and I can see her pulling herself out of the pile of broken body parts, so she's clearly more than conventionally tough, but… Lack of mystically active planet?

Pass.

"You're not planning on just running at me-"

I glance left, noticing the stunned Legs who was just outside out the hecatomb. I extend orange cables to forcibly restore her legs.

"-again, are you?"

I lean down slightly as Theana gets back to her feet.

"Run."

Legs scrabbles back, discovers that her legs are working and then twists to a sprinting crouch before rocketing away from us. Along with the rest of the crowd.

Theana doesn't look happy, but she does look satisfied as she draws an oddly bulbous short sword and her forearm mounted blaster activates.

But I don't just shoot her. Because that won't solve the problem.

I'm a passable fighter. But I'm also the God of Conquest, and whatever some writers seem to think a war doesn't just stop just because someone on your side beats someone on the other side in single combat. I remember a Warhammer battle report where Prince Imrik fought Egrimm van Horstmann. The Chaos player aimed all of Egrimm and Baudros's attacks at Imrik's dragon, because unlike most ridden monsters in those days Imrik's dragon would reliably stick around if its master died. They failed and Egrimm died, but Baudros was still able to munch the elvish army's flank and chase off Teclis without its rider.

So what if Diana kills Astarte? So what if I kill Theana? There's no way that Artemis can sabotage enough of a fleet this big to stop it hitting Vega. There's no way I could kill this many people by myse…

Ah…

No, there's no way I could kill this many people by myself. It wouldn't be practical. Sure, they'd all die eventually, but all of my work in Vega would be undone. Try talking them around? Yeah, no. So what, then?

Well it turns out that I'm a god.

Theana looks around dismissively for a moment and then charges oh she's fast! A short lived construct shield blocks her bracer shot and then I block her cut and-.

And my fist meets hers and I feel my gauntlet crack! Fortunately she's not wearing a gauntlet and I think I just heard her fingers go. Keep the sword away knife! Knife in the reverse side of the bracer blaster like a misplaced bayonet. Who designed that?

So: faster than me, but not by enough to overwhelm me. Weaker than me, but not by enough that I can squash her. Her weapons can cope with mine but her armour's worse than mine. Unfortunately, I need to use my god powers to cow an entire civilisation because I suspect that Diana's going to try and be civilised.
Inexorable Assault.
I swing my left fist, turning her knife aside with my vambrace and managing to strike her face.
Soldier Supplants Warrior.
I need to break her. I need to break her people through her.
My Grand Purpose.
She kicks out, and I half-turn to let my leg armour take it before reaching out and punching down on her right shoulder, sending her to one knee!
Know Your Place.
A stab from her knife gets blocked by a construct shield and the tip of my daiklave -which is now effectively just a sharp-edged shield- opens a small cut on her breastplate.

Ring, contact Diana.

Unable to comply, Diana has no earpiece.

Of course.

Theana takes advantage of my distraction and gets a clear shot at my chest, environmental shield shimmering and armour straining to defy the attack. The tip of my daiklave slices into the mechanism and wrecks it, but my chest is burning and I can't afford to show it.
Common Purpose Methodology.
Start using your damn god-powers, Diana!

Theana grimaces, I assume due to her lack of visible progress. Her fingers appear to have healed though I didn't feel any magic being used. Nanotech, or some sort of alchemy..? Don't know. I assume her anger is due to the fact that she's not used to this sort of fight happening without visible progress. And… Yes, the pain in my chest is getting less. Her gun isn't stopping my regeneration.

She tries to stamp my left foot and I bring my daiklave down, nicking her thigh before she can withdraw it. I then lunge forward while she's off balance, forcing her to awkwardly hop back-. She punches, accepting falling to the ground in exchange for just being able to hit me, a blow I take on my shoulder armour. I feel it, but she's not anchored and it doesn't hurt, merely serving to send her flying further away from me.

I rapid-fly into her direction of travel anchor myself and punch down, sending her crashing down-. Through the deck and down into the service corridor below.
Imagine My Boot Stamping On Your Face, Forever.

Ring, how's Diana-.
Who Is Your Truer Self?
Never mind. I mean, that wouldn't be my approach, but if it-.

I generate another shield to block a rushed volley.
Powerless Before My Might.
And then I slam down, left heel landing on her wrist -which doesn't break, but does cause her to lose her grip on her sword- and right foot landing on her throat. I stow my daiklave as she aims her blaster, but the damage I did a moment ago meant that those shots-

The gun explodes!

-were a bad idea.

I flick the sword away with a construct and then rise up slightly, Theana not missing a beat as she pulls her legs under her-.
Know Your Better.
I twist, going head down and using my aero-discs to anchor myself in position as I grab her neck in my left hand and punch her in the face. Her hands latch onto my hand almost at once but between the burned arm and head trauma she's not working at full strength or coordination.
Know Your Better.
I punch again, tightening my hold slightly so that whatever force doesn't go right into her brain jerks her spine!
Know Your Better.
She tries to kick at me, but at this angle she can't get meaningful force behind it.
Know Your Better.
Another punch, and she gives up on removing my hand from her throat and tries to reach for my face. But her arms are too short, and the best she can do is grip my vambrace and try weakly to tug it off.
Know Your Better.
Another punch and her eyes lose focus.
Know Your Better.
Another punch and her hands come loose.
Know Your Better.
Another punch and her body goes limp.
Know Your Better.
Another-

240px-Paragon_Interrupt.png


-punch…

I haul her unconscious body up, right myself in the air and then fly upwards.
 
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Hm. So either she can't fly, didn't have it turned on or she hasn't inherited her mother's abilities. She survived, and I can see her pulling herself out of the pile of broken body parts, so she's clearly more than conventionally tough, but… Lack of mystically active planet?

Astarte would have had the opportunity to grow up on a magic active planet.

Her daughter, not so much.


Such a Zoat thing to say.

Also missing a . at the end.


'civilised' or 'civilised'

Theana grimaces, I assume due to her lack of visible progress. Her fingers appear to have healed though I didn't feel any magic being used. Nanotech, or some sort of alchemy..?

Either some of her divine heritage or something from her father's side.

pain in my chest is getting less.

'is getting less severe or something like that.

construct and this rise up slightly,

'and then'

aero-discs to a anchor myself in position as

'to anchor'
 
I'm a passable fighter. But I'm also the God of Conquest, and whatever some writers seem to think a war doesn't just stop just because someone on your side beats someone on the other side in single combat. I remember a Warhammer battle report where Prince Imrik fought Egrimm van Horstmann. The Chaos player aimed all of Egrimm and Baudros's attacks at Imrik's dragon, because unlike most ridden monsters in those days Imrik's dragon would reliably stick around if its master died. They failed and Egrimm died, but Baudros was still able to munch the elvish army's flank and chase off Teclis without its rider.
No... He aimed all the attacks at the dragon because it's a big mass of points and it's kill would have guaranteed him the win...

In the game that's called "Tactics", because Warhammer battles don't run on the real life rule of "the survivor wins".

So what if Diana kills Astarte? So what if I kill Theana? There's no way that Artemis can sabotage enough of a fleet this big to stop it hitting Vega. There's no way I could kill this many people by myse…

Ah…

No, there's no way I could kill this many people by myself. It wouldn't be practical. Sure, they'd all die eventually, but all of my work in Vega would be undone. Try talking them around? Yeah, no. So what, then?

Well it turns out that I'm a god.
And your being a god is completely meaningless here because it's Diana who's fighting the actual leader.

Ring, how's Diana-.
Who Is Your Truer Self?
Never mind. I mean, that wouldn't be my approach, but if it-.
You're the King of Bad Ideas, so I will take that as a ringing endorsement of Diana's actual plan.
 
1st September 2012
15:40 GMT


She lunges at once, my usual grip meaning that the daiklave is out of position to ward her off. Fortunately the daiklave is soul bound, and so grasping the blade with my left hand and pulling downwards to point the tip at her doesn't cost me my palm. She tries to duck under it but there's my knee.
Implacable God-King's Dismissal.
And she's gone, gore fountaining in her wake as she flies backwards through the late Citizens who had been in the stands.
Yes, the fun of two super-durable people fighting in amongst those who aren't unusually tough. I rather suspect Theana's little green outfit is now a rather red outfit. And Blue, and Purple, and whatever other colours of blood are present in the crowd...

Hm. So either she can't fly, didn't have it turned on or she hasn't inherited her mother's abilities. She survived, and I can see her pulling herself out of the pile of broken body parts, so she's clearly more than conventionally tough, but… Lack of mystically active planet?

Pass
Probably some benefit from her quarter-divine heritage. Because of course DC demigods get superpowers.

"You're not planning on just running at me-"

I glance left, noticing the stunned Legs who was just outside out the hecatomb. I extend orange cables to forcibly restore her legs.

"-again, are you?"
Heh, a little moment of mercy for one of the little people. Perhaps she'll remember that, when the good guys have won the day.

I lean down slightly as Theana gets back to her feet.

"Run."

Legs scrabbles back, discovers that her legs are working and then twists to a sprinting crouch before rocketing away from us. Along with the rest of the crowd.
...Or she'll spend the rest of her life wondering what made her so special he'd help her... Either way, you get to mess with someone's head.

Theana doesn't look happy, but she does look satisfied as she draws an oddly bulbous short sword and her forearm mounted blaster activates.

But I don't just shoot her. Because that won't solve the problem.
No, this lesson is going to have to be delivered very percussively. Up close and personal.

I'm a passable fighter. But I'm also the God of Conquest, and whatever some writers seem to think a war doesn't just stop just because someone on your side beats someone on the other side in single combat. I remember a Warhammer battle report where Prince Imrik fought Egrimm van Horstmann. The Chaos player aimed all of Egrimm and Baudros's attacks at Imrik's dragon, because unlike most ridden monsters in those days Imrik's dragon would reliably stick around if its master died. They failed and Egrimm died, but Baudros was still able to munch the elvish army's flank and chase off Teclis without its rider.
Which was lucky for the Undead player. There was just as much chance that the mount would simply flee the field. Or sit in place, guarding the rider's body. But, as Vaermina pointed out, the rider was worth less than the mount in terms of victory points (because no Elf Lord is as valuable or powerful as a Dragon, in ingame points....)

So what if Diana kills Astarte? So what if I kill Theana? There's no way that Artemis can sabotage enough of a fleet this big to stop it hitting Vega. There's no way I could kill this many people by myse…

Ah…
It would take weeks, especially if they scatter. On the upside, as a fleet-based nation, all you have to do is destroy the ships beyond repair... But you don't have weeks.

No, there's no way I could kill this many people by myself. It wouldn't be practical. Sure, they'd all die eventually, but all of my work in Vega would be undone. Try talking them around? Yeah, no. So what, then?

Well it turns out that I'm a god.
:rolleyes: Only on a technicality and a bit of mystical soul-surgery...

Theana looks around dismissively for a moment and then charges oh she's fast! A short lived construct shield blocks her bracer shot and then I block her cut and-.

And my fist meets hers and I feel my gauntlet crack! Fortunately she's not wearing a gauntlet and I think I just heard her fingers go. Keep the sword away knife! Knife in the reverse side of the bracer blaster like a misplaced bayonet. Who designed that?
...Are you sure she's not got some exceptional genes in there? That's pretty nasty strong.

So: faster than me, but not by enough to overwhelm me. Weaker than me, but not by enough that I can squash her. Her weapons can cope with mine but her armour's worse than mine. Unfortunately, I need to use my god powers to cow an entire civilisation because I suspect that Diana's going to try and be civilised.
Inexorable Assault.
I swing my left fist, turning her knife aside with my vambrace and managing to strike her face.
And you're also having to do this basically unarmed because your ego demanded a big, big sword... And in a close grapple like this? It's an obstacle more than a weapon.

Soldier Supplants Warrior.
I need to break her. I need to break her people through her.
My Grand Purpose.
She kicks out, and I half-turn to let my leg armour take it before reaching out and punching down on her right shoulder, sending her to one knee!
Know Your Place.
Yeah, this is going to be quite the beatdown... And since she's so tough, you're going to have to basically dismantle her, one joint at a time...

A stab from her knife gets blocked by a construct shield and the tip of my daiklave -which is now effectively just a sharp-edged shield- opens a small cut on her breastplate.

Ring, contact Diana.
Trying to discreetly coordinate? I suspect that's a bad idea to distract her right now... Her aunt is probably a tough enough fight that she needs every bit of concentration she can get.

Unable to comply, Diana has no earpiece.

Of course.
And even if she did, it would probably have broken in the first few hits...

Theana takes advantage of my distraction and gets a clear shot at my chest, environmental shield shimmering and armour straining to defy the attack. The tip of my daiklave slices into the mechanism and wrecks it, but my chest is burning and I can't afford to show it.
Common Purpose Methodology.
Start using your damn god-powers, Diana!
Oof, there's a hit to the God-bonus. And she's not even engaging him on the Divine-Narrative level...

Theana grimaces, I assume due to her lack of visible progress. Her fingers appear to have healed though I didn't feel any magic being used. Nanotech, or some sort of alchemy..? Don't know. I assume her anger is due to the fact that she's not used to this sort of fight happening without visible progress. And… Yes, the pain in my chest is getting less. Her gun isn't stopping my regeneration.

She tries to stamp my left foot and I bring my daiklave down, nicking her thigh before she can withdraw it. I then lunge forward while she's off balance, forcing her to awkwardly hop back-. She punches, accepting falling to the ground in exchange for just being able to hit me, a blow I take on my shoulder armour. I feel it, but she's not anchored and it doesn't hurt, merely serving to send her flying further away from me.
Yep. Employing super-strength without a solid grounding? Newton's Third Law will make you its' bitch.

I rapid-fly into her direction of travel anchor myself and punch down, sending her crashing down-. Through the deck and down into the service corridor below.
Imagine My Boot Stamping On Your Face, Forever.
Ooof. On the one hand, it shifts the collateral damage from the surrounding population to just the ship's systems... But it also takes the fight out of public view, unless some of the spectators have the guts to peek over the edge of the hole...

Ring, how's Diana-.
Who Is Your Truer Self?
Never mind. I mean, that wouldn't be my approach, but if it-.
Interesting. I see she's employing the power of Truth to try and defeat Astarte. Have to wonder just how effective that'll be, since she's spent something like 30 times longer with the Citizenry than she did in her homeland.

I generate another shield to block a rushed volley.
Powerless Before My Might.
And then I slam down, left heel landing on her wrist -which doesn't break, but does cause her to lose her grip on her sword- and right foot landing on her throat. I stow my daiklave as she aims her blaster, but the damage I did a moment ago meant that those shots-
About time. I rather expect her sword was a lot more use in grappling like this than your surfboard-wannabe...

The gun explodes!

-were a bad idea.
That's got to sting. That'll be shrapnel punching into her forearm, at the minimum. Plus burns from the destroyed energy source.

I flick the sword away with a construct and this rise up slightly, Theana not missing a beat as she pulls her legs under her-.
Know Your Better.
I twist, going head down and using my aero-discs to a anchor myself in position as I grab her neck in my left hand and punch her in the face. Her hands latch onto my hand almost at once but between the burned arm and head trauma she's not working at full strength or coordination.
Ah, the shit you can pull off when you don't have to obey the local gravity.

Know Your Better.
I punch again, tightening my hold slightly so that whatever force doesn't go right into her brain jerks her spine!
Know Your Better.
She tries to kick at me, but at this angle she can't get meaningful force behind it.
Probably working on pure trained instinct by now, given how her brain is being bounced around inside her skull.

Know Your Better.
Another punch, and she gives up on removing my hand from her throat and tries to reach for my face. But her arms are too short, and the best she can do is grip my vambrace and try weakly to tug it off.
Know Your Better.
Another punch and her eyes lose focus.
And she's going dark... I feel like the spectators (any who can see) should be counting them off, like in a wrestling match... :D

Know Your Better.
Another punch and her hands come lose.
Know Your Better.
Another punch and her body goes limp.
...Really hammering the point home, huh, Renegade? :p

Know Your Better.
Another-

<Paragon Interrupt!.jpg>
Yeah, don't want to leave her with more dain bramage than she already has...

-punch…

I haul her unconscious body up, right myself in the air and then fly upwards.
Hopefully whatever healing factor she has can cope with the concussion you gave her.

Well, one down for the count. And now to display her beaten body to the crowd. Though I would not be surprised to find everyone not in the splash zone between those two basically ignored the byplay. That sort of thing probably breaks out all the time... Now to see how Diana's doing back in the actual ring. From the sound of it, she was dominating...
 
No... He aimed all the attacks at the dragon because it's a big mass of points and it's kill would have guaranteed him the win...

In the game that's called "Tactics", because Warhammer battles don't run on the real life rule of "the survivor wins".


And your being a god is completely meaningless here because it's Diana who's fighting the actual leader.


You're the King of Bad Ideas, so I will take that as a ringing endorsement of Diana's actual plan.

I'm mostly a lurker and I'm sure you've heard this before, but I remember seeing you comment on With This Ring threads all the way back in like 2014-2015 on SB, You're almost as dedicated as Zoat when it comes to posting daily for this story! :D

There are a few other people that are super long-time posters but you're probably one of the most consistent.
 
Interesting. I see she's employing the power of Truth to try and defeat Astarte. Have to wonder just how effective that'll be, since she's spent something like 30 times longer with the Citizenry than she did in her homeland.

Though in her homeland she may have felt things such as love and safety, while with the Citizenry she may have just felt fear and hatred, so maybe Diana can reawaken that old part of her.
 
"I… Might have been able to do something, but there certainly wasn't anything reliable and safe that I could have done to restrain him. I mean, it's not as if I actually wanted to keep the Sheeda alive. Did..? He jump, or..?"
I originally read this as Barry tried to kill himself and Paul was asking for clarification. But I don't know if it's worded weirdly or uses a British euphemism I don't know?
 
I originally read this as Barry tried to kill himself and Paul was asking for clarification. But I don't know if it's worded weirdly or uses a British euphemism I don't know?
'Did he jump or was he pushed' doesn't literally mean 'did he kill himself or was he murdered', it means 'was this action made of his own volition or was it compelled'.
 
I'm mostly a lurker and I'm sure you've heard this before, but I remember seeing you comment on With This Ring threads all the way back in like 2014-2015 on SB, You're almost as dedicated as Zoat when it comes to posting daily for this story! :D

There are a few other people that are super long-time posters but you're probably one of the most consistent.
Is it not a shame then that for the longest time he has NEVER posted something that is not whining about something in the chapter of the day?
We are talking about literal years of complaining. Daily.
I mean it really is something else to read something you do not enjoy every day just to complain about it.
Especially since you know the author of the story has long had you on ignore due to said behaviour.
It's just sad and annoying, like an abandoned chihuahua yapping at people passing by for not paying attention to it.
 
Is it not a shame then that for the longest time he has NEVER posted something that is not whining about something in the chapter of the day?
We are talking about literal years of complaining. Daily.
I mean it really is something else to read something you do not enjoy every day just to complain about it.
Especially since you know the author of the story has long had you on ignore due to said behaviour.
It's just sad and annoying, like an abandoned chihuahua yapping at people passing by for not paying attention to it.

Now now, that's rather rude of you.

There isn't chihuahua that could ever be as bad as Vaermina.
 
Is it not a shame then that for the longest time he has NEVER posted something that is not whining about something in the chapter of the day?
We are talking about literal years of complaining. Daily.
I mean it really is something else to read something you do not enjoy every day just to complain about it.
Especially since you know the author of the story has long had you on ignore due to said behaviour.
It's just sad and annoying, like an abandoned chihuahua yapping at people passing by for not paying attention to it.


Vaermina input hasn't always been negative, it's just mostly negative.

But let's not derail the fic by talking about the behavior of a few posters.

Liked the update, wonder what is going to happen now.
 
Vaermina input hasn't always been negative, it's just mostly negative.

But let's not derail the fic by talking about the behavior of a few posters.
I'm happy for everyone to enjoy the story in whatever way they chose to. If Vaermina likes it because it gets their spleen going, I'm happy for them.
 
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Ring, contact Diana.

Unable to comply, Diana has no earpiece.

Of course.

I'm a bit surprised he didn't create an earpiece in Diana's ear, but Renegade is a bit less proficient with his rings than Paragon Paul. For that matter, I'm definitely surprised that the JL as a whole doesn't have them already. Maybe she only puts it in for work with that team.
 
I'm a bit surprised he didn't create an earpiece in Diana's ear, but Renegade is a bit less proficient with his rings than Paragon Paul. For that matter, I'm definitely surprised that the JL as a whole doesn't have them already. Maybe she only puts it in for work with that team.

Or she had an earpiece but it was destroyed in the fight.
 
If i remember correctly there was some sort of brainwash component for the Citizenry so Diana's truth attack worked in the original story.

Renegade actually being nicer than Paragon and stopping before beating her to a pulp (or makimg her eat an Arm). He did rebuild his soul with Friendship.

While Oh-El did so with greed and lost his humanity.
 
If i remember correctly there was some sort of brainwash component for the Citizenry so Diana's truth attack worked in the original story.

Not exactly.

Rather what was getting to social darwinist Theana was that Diana speaks softly while carrying a big stick.

Diana wasn't an inferior asking for mercy because she was afraid to die, she was a stronger opponent offering mercy because she was giving Theana the opportunity to live.

So really it was about respecting Diana's strength, and that her ethos, as alien as it was to Theana, was the ethos of a warrior who was stronger than her.

It might have turned into more, but Astarte had Theana shot in the back, which royally pissed off Diana.
 

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