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

Reader mode
Mr Zoat said:
21st year of the reign of King Randor I
Season of Chill
307th day, 16th bell

The Basophil amulet glows as it sustains the simple levitation spell I've cast to carry my load.

One staff, temporarily bequeathed to be by Sorceress Teela Na.
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And not likely to be shared again anytime soon, if things go poorly. Please tell me you took at least a moment to send a message to certain ears. Because this can still go entirely ploin-shaped. All it takes is one wrong word...

Another staff, this one topped a crystal ball which allows her to call upon 'blue crystal magic', a title which makes me long for some sort of guide to pre-invasion magic use. Is the colour coding significant? Is it a matter of authorisation to use part of a planet's magic system? Does the colour indicate that they're better at certain tasks but the energy field itself is undifferentiated? Are their racks of crystals sitting somewhere, ready for use?
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Easy there, magpie. ...Heh, there's another amusing name that would fit into Eternia or Etheria...

One plate of pastries and another of fresh fruit. I have no idea where Teela Na gets them from. The forest outside of Castle Grayskull does contain some fruiting trees, but nothing like enough to sustain the larder I visited. She hasn't show me any sort of hydroponics system, so maybe there's a matter re-sequencer of some sort? If she was just conjuring it she wouldn't bother building up a store…

And the device Teela Na attached to Evelyn's staff to neutralise it, which I'm going to drop off there, just outside of the library, because I might want to grab it again really quickly.
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I'm guessing it's a little too big, or conspicous, to tuck into a sleeve or pants pocket. As for the larder... Who's to say there isn't some spell of endless replenishment on it, that replaces anything taken with an equivalent item within a day.

I knock, though I know perfectly well what they're doing and what they've been talking about. Evelyn's plan appears to involve me -as the total unknown- staying in the background as a subservient character while she takes point.

"Come!"
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So of course you've had a construct ear listening in to every word... Well, I would. Got to be properly paranoid in such a situation.

I gesture with my right hand and the door opens, allowing me to walk in, calling Evelyn's staff into my left hand. The two of them are sitting at the table I was occupying, Despara's helmet laying next to her right elbow and her face. Blonde, short-cropped hair and brilliant blue eyes are accentuated by dark eyebrows and a black curve painted along the bottom of her eye orbits. I think the Ancient Egyptians did that to reduce the effect of the sun's glare. Perhaps the part of Etheria where she was stationed was equatorial?
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Or to look mean and badass. At least it isn't blood-red. Amusingly, she's got shorter hair than her brother.

"Polished up nicely, Evil-Lyn."

And just in case, I did actually polish it.
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...And here I thought this Paul might be straight. x3 Polishing a wizard's staff and all? Do we need to break out the naughty Discworld shanty?

She glances at me from the corner of her eye, then raises her right hand and summons it to her in a flicker of purple light. She catches it without looking, briefly makes the head glow and then lowers it to lean against the table, her left hand resting against the shaft.

I take the opportunity to sit down next to her, though I note that she put the staff on the opposite side from me. A wave of my right forefinger and the plates deposit themselves on the table between them.
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Though I have no doubt she's fully aware of the magical leash you're still holding over her.

Despara regards the pastry selection blankly. Alright, her armour probably has all kinds of protective enchantments on it, but now that her helmet is just sitting on the table the seal to the interior has been broken. The air of this room should now contain just enough dead skin cells and hairs for me to be able to read her genetic code…

Match found.
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Matches that are currently partying in the Eternian royal palace, of course.

So unless she's a clone or Hordak's genetic engineering technology is a lot more advanced than anything I've seen -and given that Sir Duncan didn't know what a gene was until I told him I rather doubt that- or this is indeed Princess Adora of Eternos. And her armour didn't appear to detect my scan, which is nice to know.

Evelyn picks up the bread roll that had Adora's attention. "It's not poisoned, if that's what you're worried about."
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Ah, the old, hokey Filmation animation. That takes me back. I was more of a Transformers fan (still am) but He-man had its charms.

"What is it?"

"Bread. Ground grains mixed with yeast and water and then baked in an oven."
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Let me guess, she's used to bowls of nutrient-laden gruel? If something that pleasant.

"And you eat it?"

Evelyn raises her eyebrows slightly, then tears off part of the soft roll and puts it into her mouth.
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Not always by itself, of course. But best to start the girl out simple before you drop something like jam on her palate.

I nod. "Yes, Force Commander. Bread is a very common foodstuff in this part of Eternia. Most farmers bake their own, and any settlement of any size will have at least one baker. Hordak's horde does not?"

"We eat ration bars, made in the Vittles Factory."
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Ah. Not nearly as pleasant as gruel, indeed. I bet they quickly developed the consistency of shoe leather, and some of its taste too...

I shake my head. "Eternia lacks the technology to produce nutritious ration bars. It's usually easier for armies to carry flour, jam, sausage… Easily portable preserved food, and feed on that. Or to provision themselves through forage. Though with an army of any size, that can rapidly starve a region."

"The logistics must be complicated."
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Oh, you have no idea, honey. Ever heard the saying 'An army marches on its stomach'?

I nod. "Hordak's horde did a number on the place. Even paved roads are something of a rarity. Much of what was once farmland has returned to nature."

Her eyes narrow. "You speak treason!"
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...Girl, Hordak left this place. Not willingly, either. Sometimes you lose. Not that Hordak or his chief flunkies would admit to it, I bet.

I shrug. "Hardly. I'm sure that Hordak had a plan for the place, and starving an enemy is usually more efficient than meeting them with equal force in the field. I merely observe that moving an army is easier in a place with good infrastructure. Or with a way to supply by air."

I gesture to the pile of books still on the table.
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True, more than one great tactician noted that the field of battle is the last place you want to be. After all, then the enemy knows where you are.

"I was attempting to study Hordak's invasion, to learn from his example. Sadly, few quality records survived. Does the horde have better records?"

Adora appears to have calmed slightly. "Not that I have seen."
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But she is a lowly Force Captain. Hardly part of the strategic elite.

"That's a shame. It's usually worth knowing what hasn't gone according to plan in the past in order to avoid repeating those mistakes. Well!" I reach over and pick up a fruit that looks like a cross between an apple and a passion fruit. "Perhaps -time permitting- I could ask Hordak himself for his recollections at some point in the future. I'm sure that future generations would benefit from his wisdom."

I bite down and… Yes, pleasant taste, kind of messy. Puts me a little in mind of a peach in that regard, except that rather than dribbling juice it dribbles seed-rich slime.
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Oh, imagine that reaction.
:mad: "Hordak makes no mistakes!"
:p "Then how'd you end up where you are, Big-ears?"

Evelyn finishes her roll and reaches out to push the plate a little closer to Adora.

"Are you sure that you're not hungry?"
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I'm sure the armour would prevent them hearing the rumbling of her stomach. But the look in her eyes would be unmistakable.

I nod, lowering the dripping fruit from my mouth and swallowing. "If this is a trust issue, I'll gladly eat a bit of whatever you're worried I might have poisoned."

Adora stares at me for a moment, then grabs a roll apparently at random and tears it in half, hard crust cracking and depositing fragments onto the surface of the table. She looks at the soft interior for a moment and then awkwardly bites at it as if the crust was an inedible fruit skin and only the interior was for eating. Her chewing motion is a little awkward, which… Would make sense if she's really been subsisting on ration bars for her entire life.
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To be fair, not everybody enjoys eating the crust. Especially young children.

Though from the way she's chomping it down as if she's afraid that someone will take it away from her, I would guess that the experience is a pleasant one.

I take another bite of fruit as Evelyn leans forward. "Have you been to Eternia before, Force Captain?"
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Hmm... If she's only ever eaten ration bars... I foresee a little bit of gastric discomfort in her future...

Adora needs a moment to swallow, and I notice Evelyn looking my way out of the corner of her eye again. I nod, apparently to myself, and Evelyn returns her full attention to Adora.

"No. I was born in the Welping Chambers in Hordak's domain on Etheria. I have spent my entire life until this day on Etheria."
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Suuuure you were. Boy, is she in for a surprise.

"Are you certain?"

Adora's eyes narrow for a moment, before putting the crust down and grabbing a fruit a little like a small pineapple.

"Yes. Shadow Weaver told me, and so it is true."
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:rolleyes: Oh, I'm sure she's always truthful about everything...

"Could not she be mistaken? Forgive me if I'm wrong, but a place called a 'Welping Chamber' hardly sounds like a position of high honour. Would they really bother keeping track of every welp?"

"Yes. How else would they judge which bloodlines were worth cultivating, and for what purpose? Though… I suppose that the tracking only starts once they arrive." She looks mystified at the fruit, so I take a small knife out of subspace and offer it to her, grip first. She takes it and cuts into the flesh of the fruit. "What do you think that you know?"
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And here we go...

"You have a certain physical similarity to a local notable. Tell me, Force Captain. Have you heard of He-Man?"
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I rather suspect not, given her probably low rank. Though I wonder how much information Skeletor passed about him back to Hordak... But I'm sure we'll see soon.

Well, this is the critical moment of the affair. Will she know that name? How will she react if she does? :p Will she be too distracted by the taste of the fruit to answer? I'm sure we'll see soon enough. Let's just hope the fellow in question doesn't barge in the door, sword drawn and expecting the worst. I don't think Adora will take too kindly to that.
 
I'm going to say when she started, she didn't, and then she got.... 'reminded' and found some way to get a shapeshifting layer that could be called 'clothes'.
 
About M'gann (and Martians) - One has to wonder exactly when they started wearing clothes. They couldn't have evolved with shapeshifting clothes; that's just silly. It's something they must have later invented. The question is... why? Would they worn traditional clothes prior to that? They are shapesnifters, and in their native form, they all look the same from what I've seen. Wearing anything would interfere with their physical abilities, so it's unlikely they would wear anything. And... clothing is traditionally worn for two reasons: protection from the elements and for modesty.

Martians generally live in caves/underground, so them needing protection from the elements is unlikely, especially with their shapeshifting abilities (we've seen M'gann survive being frozen solid, and I doubt it was her Martian clothing that saved her). And Martian males and females look the same.

We see (in S2, I believe) when she's talking with her brother an image of their parents, and they are both wearing different clothing in their native form. I would argue that clothing was introduced simply because M'gann is a female and a main character. We see other non-humanoid races running around naked, like the Genomorphs (other than Dubbilex who is perhaps too human to be naked) and the Kroloteans.
 
Pez said:
About M'gann (and Martians) - One has to wonder exactly when they started wearing clothes. They couldn't have evolved with shapeshifting clothes; that's just silly. It's something they must have later invented. The question is... why? Would they worn traditional clothes prior to that? They are shapesnifters, and in their native form, they all look the same from what I've seen. Wearing anything would interfere with their physical abilities, so it's unlikely they would wear anything. And... clothing is traditionally worn for two reasons: protection from the elements and for modesty.

Martians generally live in caves/underground, so them needing protection from the elements is unlikely, especially with their shapeshifting abilities (we've seen M'gann survive being frozen solid, and I doubt it was her Martian clothing that saved her). And Martian males and females look the same.

We see (in S2, I believe) when she's talking with her brother an image of their parents, and they are both wearing different clothing in their native form. I would argue that clothing was introduced simply because M'gann is a female and a main character. We see other non-humanoid races running around naked, like the Genomorphs (other than Dubbilex who is perhaps too human to be naked) and the Kroloteans.
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My guess? Observqtion of humans.

Megan can telepathically reach from Earth to Mars at some times. She's an incredibly powerful telepath, but presumably not the strongest in history. Some Martian in the past felt the alien minds on earth, looked around, noticed the local, saw the clothes they were wearing, and was inspired.
 
I think about it this way- What does her organic clothing look like in her true form? A bandolier. An item of clothing for holding things like a tool belt.

So I think its largely for being able to have pockets without having to grow a marsupial-like pouch to use as a purse, which might be unpleasant, inconvenient, or maybe requires more skill than one can safely assume every Martian is capable of.

So I think the answer is that despite Martians being shapeshifters they still want pockets.
 
Stsword said:
I think about it this way- What does her organic clothing look like in her true form? A bandolier. An item of clothing for holding things like a tool belt.

So I think its largely for being able to have pockets without having to grow a marsupial-like pouch to use as a purse, which might be unpleasant, inconvenient, or maybe requires more skill than one can safely assume every Martian is capable of.

So I think the answer is that despite Martians being shapeshifters they still want pockets.
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Or it could have some cultural significance, like them just thinking it looks nice or it could have served as some status symbol.
 
I assume it started as a cultural thing, perhaps even religion. There's a meaning to wearing a robe, or cloak. To a shapeshifter that act of covering yourself with something that isn't of you would have significance to the race. And then there is the practical aspects of it. Belts and pockets are handy for carrying things, gloves are good for things you don't wish to touch. Some folks aren't that great at shapeshifting, John and Megan are particularly good, and combat able shifters, and aren't a great example of the average civilian.

Then you get to the really practical stuff. Martian Scientists needed to make tools to advance their tech, and shapeshifting doesn't make you resistant to chemical, biological or radiological risks. Protective garments would be needed for experimentation and research. There may even be protective shapeshifting armor for true combat operations, because shapeshifting isn't likely to stop some of the hightech weapons martians could come up with to shoot each other. Why focus on shapeshifting armor when you can just make it?
 
Vantavendi (part 13)
  • Threadmarks
    • 21st October 2012
    08:21 GMT -5

    "Ah…" Wallace shifts uncomfortably as Richard and Raquel look at him. "Yeah…"

    "Blitzen has agreed to be our woman on the inside. She has the heroic inclination and… Dubious history that puts her in the victim profile. And her super speed means that she can probably react to an attack and dodge gunfire fast enough to stay alive and call in reinforcements."

    "Paul…" Raquel switches her attention to me. "How many Nazis you gunna bring over here?"

    "Be fair, Raquel. I didn't bring this one. This was the Overs."

    "Uh-huh. Least Kid Flash is looking after this one."

    "Actually? Jay Garrick is." Wallace squirms. "I have a secret identity, he doesn't, and she really wanted to meet him…"

    Richard looks sceptical. "Isn't Mister Garrick ninety years old?"

    "Ninety three. But.. he's in good shape, y'know, running everywhere..."

    "Orange Lantern." Kaldur regards me patiently. "Did Blitzen have any way to deceive your empathic abilities?"

    "Not that I could detect."

    "Do you believe that her claims regarding her motives are true?"

    "Yes. In our society, you have to be a nasty piece of work to identify with National Socialism. In hers it's just normal. She genuinely wants to have some sort of relationship with Jay, and she's not acting in accordance with the ideals she's 'meant' to hold. My only concern would be the fact that she doesn't really have a life outside of being 'Blitzen', so-."

    Artemis has raised her eyebrows. "That's a concern for you?"

    "I had a life before I got my ring. She's been raised to be a superhero from infancy. I have friends outside of the community. She doesn't. She didn't even have a name until she chose one for herself. That said, this mission shouldn't involve her dealing with members of the public all that much."

    Kaldur nods. "This is something of an expansion on the mission which Batman set for us, but I agree that it could produce valuable information. Were you and Supergirl able to find anything useful out from Pied Piper?"

    "He-."

    "He's curing cancer!" She beams for a moment, then her face falls about as far as it ever does. "And Mexican people can be really rude!"

    "Cancer?" Wallace blinks in surprise. "Really?"

    "Sonic energy can be used to precisely destroy cancerous cells." I shrug. "There's more money in a novel cancer treatment than in rat-charming."

    "Hey, that's great!" He smiles. "Next you're gunna tell me that Captain Boomerang's going back to Australia."

    "I didn't see anyone from the Immigration Service, so, not as far as I know."

    "Getting a real job?"

    I shrug awkwardly. "Some people just like… Throwing bent s-. Pieces of carbon fibre-reinforced plastic. Ah, I can talk to Marcus today, see if he's got anything."

    Kaldur nods again. "My efforts to speak with Vigilante's friends and family produced little benefit. As far as they knew, he was not undertaking any kind of unusual investigation, and we already knew that he had become less murderous."

    Richard frowns. "Maybe that's the issue. Have you looked at who he didn't kill who he might have before he met the Alliance?"

    "I did not. It should be a simple matter to compare his arrest records and the criminal records of those whom he arrested. Have you done that for White Dragon?"

    "No, it only occurred to me just now." Richard brings up his arm computer. "I didn't get much out of White Dragon's friends, either. There was a lot of speculation, but no real leads. The only thing was when I asked about his racism. They'd noticed that his opinions had changed, and when they asked him about it he'd just brushed them off. Apparently he got annoyed when they kept asking him about it."

    "Had he abandoned his purist attitudes?"

    "No. It's more that he shifted his position a little. He stopped talking about minority groups as things that he needed to get rid of and started saying that he just wanted to keep white people safe."

    I frown. "Getting annoyed about being asked to justify a belief could indicate an unnatural mental influence, but it could equally be that he'd had a bit of a rethink and didn't want to have to justify it to his friends."

    Raquel grumps. "So he was still a racist."

    "People don't abandon deeply held positions in a few weeks. It's possible that he had but didn't want to just spring that on his friends. Or that he'd have kept moving his position the more he actually interacted with people in the Alliance."

    "I've got… Something." Richard looks up from his arm computer. "Some of the serious criminals Vigilante didn't kill had Intergang contacts. They might have been part of Intergang."

    "The head of the Alliance used to be part of Intergang." I shrug. "Most people find killing people they know harder than killing strangers. A few personal anecdotes might have been all it took."

    Richard nods. "Or it could just be him setting an example. If one guy in Intergang could go straight, why not more?"

    Artemis frowns. "Did Vigilante actually meet… What's his name?"

    "Vincent Edge. And he's genuine as well."

    "Right. Did Vigilante actually meet him? Or even know about him? Because I heard of the Alliance last year but I didn't know who ran it or why they set it up 'til I read Paul's report."

    Raquel nods. "And how about White Dragon? Were any of the people he didn't kill members of Intergang?"

    "I don't know." Richard shakes his head. "A lot of them don't have great documentation."

    "And what about Black Orchid?"

    M'gann shrugs. "No one seems to know what she was investigating. I can go check out her old cases, but I haven't learned anything useful."

    Kaldur nods. "Follow up whatever leads you have left. Orange Lantern, speak with Alpha Centurion and then remain available to aid Blitzen whenever she needs it."

    "I assume that Kara's with me?"

    "Unless she feels that the mission would be better served elsewhere?"

    Kara shrugs. "I can fly back from Mexico in a few seconds! It's no trouble!"

    "Then yes. Do you require anyone else to aid you?"

    "No, I can handle it. M'gann, do you need someone who can talk to Black Orchid's plants?"

    "No, Cornwall managed it. They tried to help; they really liked her. But she didn't talk to them about it."

    "Right then. I'll go and speak with Centurion." I raise my right hand to my forehead. "Speak to you this evening."
     
    Last edited:
  • Threadmarks
    • Mr Zoat said:
    "Blitzen has agreed to be our woman on the inside. She has the heroic inclination and… Dubious history that puts her in the victim profile. And her super speed means that she can probably react to an attack and dodge gunfire fast enough to stay alive and call in reinforcements
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    Ahh, using her as bait.

    Mr Zoat said:
    "Paul…" Raquel switches her attention to me. "How many Nazis you gunna bring over here
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    Good question.

    Mr Zoat said:
    I frown. "Getting annoyed about being asked to justify a belief could indicate an unnatural mental influence, but it could equally be that he'd had a bit of a rethink and didn't want to have to justify it to his friends."



    Raquel grumps. "So he was still a racist
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    There's a lot of space between these two paragraphs.
     
    Mr Zoat said:
    22nd October 2012
    08:21 GMT -5

    "Ah…" Wallace shifts uncomfortably as Richard and Raquel look at him. "Yeah…"

    "Blitzen has agreed to be our woman on the inside. She has the heroic inclination and… Dubious history that puts her in the victim profile. And her super speed means that she can probably react to an attack and dodge gunfire fast enough to stay alive and call in reinforcements."
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    Courageous of her. But then, she's probably still thinking of Crimson Avenger as 'a woman with guns'. As opposed to magic Guns being carried by a woman. So we can but hope that she doesn't get caught out by that difference.

    "Paul…" Raquel switches her attention to me. "How many Nazis you gunna bring over here?"

    "Be fair, Raquel. I didn't bring this one. This was the Overs."
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    Top of the to-do list: checking how they sent her here, I would hope. And are they coming direct from Earth-10, or are they having to side-step from Earth-666? Because that has its own concerns.

    "Uh-huh. Least Kid Flash is looking after this one."

    "Actually? Jay Garrick is." Wallace squirms. "I have a secret identity, he doesn't, and she really wanted to meet him…"
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    I suppose it's harder for a teenager to explain an older woman suddenly hanging around.

    Richard looks sceptical. "Isn't Mister Garrick ninety years old?"

    "Ninety three. But.. he's in good shape, y'know, running everywhere..."
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    Which is impressive at his age.

    "Orange Lantern." Kaldur regards me patiently. "Did Blitzen have any way to deceive your empathic abilities?"

    "Not that I could detect."
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    Which says a lot about her honesty, I guess.

    "Do you believe that her claims regarding her motives are true?"

    "Yes. In our society, you have to be a nasty piece of work to identify with National Socialism. In hers it's just normal. She genuinely wants to have some sort of relationship with Jay, and she's not acting in accordance with the ideals she's 'meant' to hold. My only concern would be the fact that she doesn't really have a life outside of being 'Blitzen', so-."
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    Worried about her losing touch with her humanity? That's an honest concern with powered beings.

    Artemis has raised her eyebrows. "That's a concern for you?"

    "I had a life before I got my ring. She's been raised to be a superhero from infancy. I have friends outside of the community. She doesn't. She didn't even have a name until she chose one for herself. That said, this mission shouldn't involve her dealing with members of the public all that much."
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    Which is probably something to be thankful for, at least. I doubt many civilians would be friendly after they hear 'nazi' in her spiel.

    Kaldur nods. "This is something of an expansion on the mission which Batman set for us, but I agree that it could produce valuable information. Were you and Supergirl able to find anything useful out from Pied Piper?"

    "He-."
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    Eh, hardly out of the ordinary for Team missions. At least this time you aren't facing down an evil Lord of Chaos, or getting your memories partially wiped.

    "He's curing cancer!" She beams for a moment, then her face falls about as far as it ever does. "And Mexican people can be really rude!"

    "Cancer?" Wallace blinks in surprise. "Really?"
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    Well, Kara, you were interrupting them in the middle of what they saw as important things...

    "Sonic energy can be used to precisely destroy cancerous cells." I shrug. "There's more money in a novel cancer treatment than in rat-charming."

    "Hey, that's great!" He smiles. "Next you're gunna tell me that Captain Boomerang's going back to Australia."
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    Fat chance.

    "I didn't see anyone from the Immigration Service, so, not as far as I know."

    "Getting a real job?"
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    ...Maybe he could work security?

    I shrug awkwardly. "Some people just like… Throwing bent s-. Pieces of carbon fibre-reinforced plastic. Ah, I can talk to Marcus today, see if he's got anything."

    Kaldur nods again. "My efforts to speak with Vigilante's friends and family produced little benefit. As far as they knew, he was not undertaking any kind of unusual investigation, and we already knew that he had become less murderous."
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    I doubt he spoke much about his 'work' to them.

    Richard frowns. "Maybe that's the issue. Have you looked at who he didn't kill who he might have before he met the Alliance?"

    "I did not. It should be a simple matter to compare his arrest records and the criminal records of those whom he arrested. Have you done that for White Dragon?"
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    ...Huh. That's an angle no-one considered. Still strange that Crimson Avenger would be doing mod revenge kills, but who knows, someone might have a hold of the Guns' metaphysical leash.

    "No, it only occurred to me just now." Richard brings up his arm computer. "I didn't get much out of White Dragon's friends, either. There was a lot of speculation, but no real leads. The only thing was when I asked about his racism. They'd noticed that his opinions had changed, and when they asked him about it he'd just brushed them off. Apparently he got annoyed when they kept asking him about it."

    "Had he abandoned his purist attitudes?"
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    If they asked in terms like 'You ain't starting to like the <racist slurs of your choice>, are ya?' I can see him getting annoyed, yes.

    "No. It's more that he shifted his position a little. He stopped talking about minority groups as things that he needed to get rid of and started saying that he just wanted to keep white people safe."

    I frown. "Getting annoyed about being asked to justify a belief could indicate an unnatural mental influence, but it could equally be that he'd had a bit of a rethink and didn't want to have to justify it to his friends."
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    Or just learned to express his beliefs in more acceptable terms. Saying he's 'protecting good white folks' doesn't preclude him still hating other groups.

    Raquel grumps. "So he was still a racist."

    "People don't abandon deeply held positions in a few weeks. It's possible that he had but didn't want to just spring that on his friends. Or that he'd have kept moving his position the more he actually interacted with people in the Alliance."
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    ...I find that unlikely.

    "I've got… Something." Richard looks up from his arm computer. "Some of the serious criminals Vigilante didn't kill had Intergang contacts. They might have been part of Intergang."

    "The head of the Alliance used to be part of Intergang." I shrug. "Most people find killing people they know harder than killing strangers. A few personal anecdotes might have been all it took."
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    Or some other manner of leverage. That bears deeper investigation, I think.

    Richard nods. "Or it could just be him setting an example. If one guy in Intergang could go straight, why not more?"

    Artemis frowns. "Did Vigilante actually meet… What's his name?"
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    Sadly, the kind of international criminal organisations that tend to turn up in comics tend not to be that friendly to members who are trying to become former members.

    "Vincent Edge. And he's genuine as well."

    "Right. Did Vigilante actually meet him? Or even know about him? Because I heard of the Alliance last year but I didn't know who ran it or why they set it up 'til I read Paul's report."
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    Vincent Edge, to refresh memories. Note the connections to Apokalips.

    Raquel nods. "And how about White Dragon? Where any of the people he didn't kill members of Intergang?"

    "I don't know." Richard shakes his head. "A lot of them don't have great documentation."
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    Of course they didn't. No doubt he focused a lot on illegal immigrants.

    "And what about Black Orchid?"

    M'gann shrugs. "No one seems to know what she was investigating. I can go check out her old cases, but I haven't learned anything useful."
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    Would be interesting if she ran into Black Orchid II while she searched. Yes, Black Orchid is a weird character line.

    Kaldur nods. "Follow up whatever leads you have left. Orange Lantern, speak with Alpha Centurion and then remain available to aid Blitzen whenever she needs it."

    "I assume that Kara's with me?"
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    Alpha Centurion, who's playing a leading role in the Alliance? I wonder what he'll have to say about these killings...

    "Unless she feels that the mission would be better served elsewhere?"

    Kara shrugs. "I can fly back from Mexico in a few seconds! It's no trouble!"
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    Oh, I'm sure the local police are sooo happy with her 'help' so far... :rolleyes:

    "Then yes. Do you require anyone else to aid you?"

    "No, I can handle it. M'gann, do you need someone who can talk to Black Orchid's plants?"
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    So, the gameplan is starting to take shape. Now to see how badly it gets blown apart because luck.

    "No, Cornwall managed it. They tried to help; they really liked her. But she didn't talk to them about it."

    "Right then. I'll go and speak with Centurion." I raise my right hand to my forehead. "Speak to you this evening."
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    So, a dead end there. Let's hope the Centurion can shed some light on this.

    I wonder how things are going on the League side of things. Because things are looking pretty luke-warm for the Team's findings. I wonder if Intergang really is playing some part in the Crimson Avenger's targetting. If they had a decent magician who could 'encourage' the Guns to target a particular costumed vigilante getting too close to something they shouldn't... That sets all kinds of nasty alarm bells ringing.
     
    Chojin Patriarch said:
    doubt many civilians would be friendly after they hear 'nazi' in her spiel
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    Though they may be more receptive of her when they discover she views most of the Nazi philosophy as being crap.

    Chojin Patriarch said:
    Vincent Edge, to refresh memories. Note the connections to Apokalips
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    Though he seems to lack those connections in this story and is apparently mostly interested in making sure he has a good record when he dies so he doesn't go to Hell.

    Chojin Patriarch said:
    Alpha Centurion, who's playing a leading role in the Alliance?
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    Seems like it.

    He seemed to be close to Edge.
     
    Sounds like the demons in those guns is pulling a Black Widow.

    Killing people so they go to Hell, wouldn't want them to have a come to Jesus moment and get to sing kumbaya in fluffy white cloud heaven.

    I don't remember the original Black Orchid being a killer though, but a mistress of disguise. Well when they weren't a collective identity like Tangent Joker.
     
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