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

"Orange Lantern, just how the hell did you cause Magento and the X-Men to have an international incident in Europe, as well as half a dozen family reunions with people who thought their families were dead, or just happened to have secret kids they never knew about?"

"I'm really good at inviting people to weddings."
 
Earth 534834

8th February 1992
11:55 GMT -5


"Ah… Look… Buddy." The guard at the gate doesn't look unsympathetic, but he's also carrying an assault rifle and I've switched to normal clothing. "Even if there was someone by that name here, without some kind of authorisation I can't even let you make a phone call."

"Okay, so…" Um. "Okay, if I wrote a letter, would that get delivered, if it turned out that there was someone on the base by that name?"
Now who's Lantern looking for? I'm pretty sure he's hit up all the usual suspects. And what X-men affiliate or foe would be on what I presume is an American military site? Well... Let's watch and find out. :D

"We check all the letters for explosives and chemicals, and anything that shows up gets destroyed."

"And I applaud your thoroughness, but if it's just pen and ink?"
...What about advanced nanotech? Stuff that seems like paper until it gets inside, and then...

"Oh, that'd go through. And even if the person it was addressed to wasn't on the base, we'd try and track 'em down so they get it."

He nods in a reassuring way, still smiling, still with his finger about a centimetre from the trigger of his rifle. Sure it wouldn't do anything to me, but it would be unnecessarily confrontational for me to set him off. And it might genuinely change popular opinion on people with super powers at a time when attitudes are… Under stress.
Very sensible of you, Lantern.

Now, I know perfectly well that Ms. Dane is on the base. I can literally see her in training with… A couple of people I vaguely remember from… Some Marvel comic I once read. Set after… M-Day, I think? Multiple Man threw himself of a building, and something about Layla McGuffin? Can't remember what the team was called, though it is interesting that even while the legislature and executive are pounding the table about 'unstable mutations', whatever part of the military-industrial complex is sponsoring this place is… Well, sponsoring this place.
Ah, X-Factor. In particular, the Government-backed version of the team that existed during the animated series' heyday.

"What if it was a matter of life and death? Or-. Nonono, not me, not me. Not me." He'd started to raise his gun slightly, though now he's just frowning. "I mean, if a person had particular information about a threat, and wished to relay it to a trusted party."

"Listen… You're not getting in. If you've got some sort of intelligence you wanna pass on, I can get you a number to call? But that stuff won't get dealt with here."
Sadly, whatever he's got to say probably can't wait for some analyst in Washington to go over it with a fine-toothed comb...

I sigh.

I could just fly in there. In testing anti-tank weapons would break my barrier, but even American military bases don't have those laying around the place ready to go. But… No.
And starting a punch-up with the super-team you can to talk to is probably not the smartest idea. I mean, it's a long-standing tradition, but that's no reason to live up to the cliche.

"Alright. Thank you. Sorry for making your life unnecessarily diff-."

"What seems to be the problem here?"
Ah, someone with actual authority? Well-timed.

A blonde man in fatigues walks up to the gate from inside the base. I don't recognise him, unlike Ms. Dane who like her boyfriend and fellow ex-X-Man Mr. Drake has pictures in various places in Professor Xavier's mansion.

The guard draws himself up. "Nothing to worry about, sir. The guy's just leaving."
Blonde, huh? One guess who that might be. Hopefully this version hasn't suffered through the convoluted history that his comics counterpart suffered from.

He regards me for a moment, then recognition dawns. "Don't you usually glow orange?"

"It's not compulsory."
Though I imagine he's focusing really hard on not lighting up.

"I'm gunna need a little more than that. There's a mutant terrorist known as Mystique, and she's a shapeshifter. For all I know, you could be her."

"That's a fair point." I hold out my left hand, ring glowing. Then I float off the ground. "I don't believe that Ms. Darkhölme can replicate non-physical abilities?"
Got that right. Heck, her abilities tend to be inconsistent about what she can even turn into.

"That works. What did you want?"

"To speak with Ms. Lorna Dane. Current X-Man to former X-Man, concerning a matter which I believe concerns her."
Ah, yes. The whole 'oops, I just let your daddy know he might have a couple more kids he didn't know about.' moment we saw yesterday...

"There a reason why you couldn't phone ahead?"

"There are elements of the United States government that are a bit down on people with the x-gene at the moment, and I didn't want to say anything that might be overheard."
Probably a very wise decision. And even just coming here suggests he can know more than he lets on, since this is presumably a covert base.

"That shouldn't be a problem here. I'm a mutant myself."

"Would you mind if I verify that?"
Tit for tat, golden boy. (And seriously, what is with that hair?)

He raises his right hand and… A field of golden plasma manifests around it.

I shake my head. "There are other ways to do that. Do you mind? The ring is perfectly capable of detecting the x-gene."
Heck, Lantern could do it, if he wanted to...

"Like a handheld Cerebro." He shrugs. "Go ahead."

Ring, show me his DNA. Ah, yes, that's the x-
I bet that makes it a lot easier to locate new mutants. Cerebro gets the initial ping, then Lantern can go a-roving for a more detailed scouting run...

Partial match found.

-gene-. Ah. Who?

Scott Summers. Most likely relationship: sibling.
Hello there, Havok. Quite a few episodes before his official debut, no less...

I blink. Oh, sometimes you pull a thread and the whole world comes apart.

"I'm… Sorry, this is probably going to… Sound like it's coming out of nowhere, but… Is your name Alexander Summers?"
Ah, the Summers family tree. It and the Grey line are two of the most convoluted lineages in the comics. Especially where they merge.

"It was. I changed it to Alex Blanding after I got adopted. Do you..? Know me?"

"I work with your brother." I find myself smiling. "He thinks you're… You died in the plane crash. He'll-."
Heh, a nice bonus. Scott's jaw is going to hit the floor...

"Scott-!" He gawps for a few moments. "Wha-? What d'you mean, he's-. He's not dead?"

"No. Look." I take a team photograph out of subspace and hold it up to the gate. "The big bloke in-"
How recent a photo? At least the original costumes had masks.

His hand is shaking as he takes it.

"-the blue and yellow, with the visor. Um. I'm a bit surprised that Ms. Dane didn't mention him, actually. They were on the team at the same time."
And it wasn't that long ago, even in-universe.

"Cyclops is… Ah."

"Yes. Um, do you want his number? I… Think he's probably at the Mansion right now. Did-? Did you know who Cyclops is?"
Oh, that's going to be a hell of a reunion.

"Lorna…" He shakes his head, eyes fixed on the photograph. "Lorna called him 'Scott' a couple of times. I didn't-. I didn't think it was him."

"I guess that's understandable."
She never mentioned his last name? Sheesh.

"I haven't-. I haven't spoken to him for… Not since-."

"Well…" I generate a card with the Mansion's number on it. "Take a moment to get yourself together, and-" I pass it over. "Phone him."
Heh. So much for checking anything coming in. :p Different rules for the field operatives, huh?

"Right. Ah." He stares at it for a moment, then shakes his head. "We.. can't let you on the base, but I can… Ah. Go see if there's anyone called 'Lorna Dane' inside who's willing to come out here."

"Thank you, I'd appreciate it."
At least trying to keep up the illusion of operational security, I guess. :rolleyes:

He sides the card into his fatigues, and points his hands downwards and blasts off, falling with style towards the building where Ms. Dane is exercising her powers.

The guard's just sort of staring at me.
...Interesting move. I expect he has to give a corresponding burst before he lands, to equalise his momentum and avoid, you know, breaking an ankle or something.

"This sort of thing happens a lot is this job. You just sort of learn to roll with it."

"Uh-huh. Don't suppose you're actually authorised to view classified information, are you?"
It's amazing how closely related some X-Men characters are when you start poking around... Especially outside of the comics.

"I'm not even authorised for a green card."

"Is that legal?"
Son, he isn't even from this universe. I'd like to see the immigration process for that.

I shrug. "I'm here on a student visa, and British people don't actually need-."

Ms. Dane flies out of their training room and heads in our direction.
Ah, the classic Nineties look: spandex, short jacket and huge hair.

"Don't need visas for short stays. Polaris!"

"Orange Lantern." She shakes her head. "I can't believe I didn't realise that Scott was his brother. Ah, you wanted something?"
Hold on to your shiny butt, ma'am, because this might be a surprise...

"Speaking of brothers, can I assume that you aren't aware of having a half-brother and a half-sister living in Europe at the moment?"

"What?"
Just... Dropping it all on her at once, huh?

"Because I told your natural father and it appeared to come as a shock, so…"

"What?"
...She did know Magneto is her father, right? :oops:

Well, talk about pulling the sticky plaster off all at once, huh? And all this not even a day after overthrowing Genosha's exploitative government. Lantern moves fast when he's trying to, doesn't he?Probably a good thing we aren't getting more than glimpses, if this is typical of his speed resolving crises. What next, I wonder?

Was Havock in the 90's X-Men cartoon? I don't remember him also is this some type of military base?
Animated Havok. Alongside the Government-backed version of X-Factor.
 
Was Havock in the 90's X-Men cartoon? I don't remember him also is this some type of military base?

Yea, he and Cyclops got into a fight during the episode Iceman showed up. They were surprised their powers did not work on each other, not knowing that siblings cannot hurt one another with their mutant abilities. And thus they ended up not putting two and two together during the series. Hopefully X-Men 97 on Disney + fixes this, but I holdout no hope for that show. Even though the show runner seems to be anti ESG Rating approved material.
 
Yea, he and Cyclops got into a fight during the episode Iceman showed up. They were surprised their powers did not work on each other, not knowing that siblings cannot hurt one another with their mutant abilities. And thus they ended up not putting two and two together during the series. Hopefully X-Men 97 on Disney + fixes this, but I holdout no hope for that show. Even though the show runner seems to be anti ESG Rating approved material.
It's not really a thing about siblings being unable to hurt each other, and more that Cyclops and Havok have, essentially, the same power just with blasts coming out different places...potentially due to Cyclops' brain damage that rendered his blasts uncontrollable.
 
I'm just loving this X-Men Animated Paul!
An Orange Lantern just steamrolls through most situations with out of context solutions. Ring Scan is a pretty OP skill in this setting :)
Instantly find out blood connections, find people, and more! All without having to worry about the Light making a blocker and giving it out to everyone and the friends.

Did this Paul also look into improving the tech of this world and spreading knowledge around? Or is he more focused on the Mutant question before any of that?

Personally, I'd be setting up colonies on other planets/moons in the Solar System for Mutants & their friends and then just set up something like the Krakoan Gates that let Mutants teleport through them to wherever they need. Have a fully secure and safe space to put Mutants that is conventionally out of reach of Missiles and Sentinels.
 
It's not really a thing about siblings being unable to hurt each other, and more that Cyclops and Havok have, essentially, the same power just with blasts coming out different places...potentially due to Cyclops' brain damage that rendered his blasts uncontrollable.
No, it was a thing in the animated series. There's a scene where Black Tom and Banshee try and fail to blast each other as well.
 
One of the things that's amusing to me: These are all taking place on 8 February 1992, due to the speed Paul flies and his want to get this done before something interrupts him (and his ring's ability to track people down, of course).
 
Magic is a thing in the various X-verses, so there are things that can be hidden from him, just not to the degree that effective scry-wards have proliferated in the main storyline.
 
Somewhat random question, but how did Scott and Alex get separated? They both went down in the same plane accident I thought, but at that point they thought each other died and nobody ever put together that these two missing kids that reappeared in the same area were related?
 
Scott-!" He gawps for a few moments.

"gasps for"

. Um. I'm a bit surprised that Ms. Dane didn't mention him, actually

She might just not have realized they were related.

"Lorna…" He shakes his head, eyes fixed on the photograph. "Lorna called him 'Scott' a couple of times. I didn't-. I didn't think it was him

Yep.

He sides the card into his fatigues

"slides"
 
It's not really a thing about siblings being unable to hurt each other, and more that Cyclops and Havok have, essentially, the same power just with blasts coming out different places...potentially due to Cyclops' brain damage that rendered his blasts uncontrollable.
In comics, Emma Frost and her sisters are unable to read each other's minds
 
It's not really a thing about siblings being unable to hurt each other, and more that Cyclops and Havok have, essentially, the same power just with blasts coming out different places...potentially due to Cyclops' brain damage that rendered his blasts uncontrollable.

It is an aspect of their powers, so yes. And no they don't have the same power, they have the same power source- photons and other ambient cosmic energy. Cyclops' blasts are extradimensional exotic energy where photon like particles transmit kinetic energy. Havoc generates plasma.

But other related mutants have a similar set up, so kinda no too.

It's not even limited to mutants, funny enough.

Captain Britain, Brian Braddock, is magic Superman, he absorbs magic and channel it into being a FISS.

He was once attacked by a male variant of his sister, Psylocke, and he was immune to his telepathic blade.

Which implies that Psylocke's psychic powers utilize magical energy thanks to her Otherworlder heritage.

But there are related mutants who don't have that situation- Vulcan can hurt his brothers Cyclops and Havoc just fine with his powers, presumably because he can control all forms of energy, including energies that his brothers can't absorb.

I suspect that it's an aspect of the mutations that make mutants generally immune or at least resistant to their own powers- Cyclops can't hurt himself with his own optic blasts, Banshee doesn't liquify himself with his own sonic shouts, and if there were dueling Rogues I doubt they could absorb each other.
 
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Well, at least after this he'll be halfway to informing Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch. Since it looks like Quicksilver is also a member of X-Factor.

And I'll second that the stuff with X-Factor made Lorna look like a massive bitch. She truly is her father's daughter.
 
Was Havock in the 90's X-Men cartoon? I don't remember him also is this some type of military base?
He did.


Though at that time Quicksilver had already become a member of the team while Wanda was apparently an Avenger(and before that a member of Iron Man's Force Works(and for a twist that's now deeply ironic, she was romantically interested in Tony)).


Honestly, I'm kinda surprised they are both in Europe at this time instead of America.
 
He did.


Though at that time Quicksilver had already become a member of the team while Wanda was apparently an Avenger(and before that a member of Iron Man's Force Works(and for a twist that's now deeply ironic, she was romantically interested in Tony)).


Honestly, I'm kinda surprised they are both in Europe at this time instead of America.

Zoat's doing his own thing in this like in his Earth's Mightiest Heroes Rouge is still a teenager and Magneto isn't running Genosha. It works but he's only ever loosely adapted cannon works.
 
No, that's correct.
Thank you, corrected.
Somewhat random question, but how did Scott and Alex get separated? They both went down in the same plane accident I thought, but at that point they thought each other died and nobody ever put together that these two missing kids that reappeared in the same area were related?
I can't find a clip, so I'm working off thirty year old memories here. I think they wound up in different places after the plane crashed, but I don't remember why.
Honestly, I'm kinda surprised they are both in Europe at this time instead of America.
Oh, they're with Force Works, but Wundagore is their home.
Zoat's doing his own thing in this like in his Earth's Mightiest Heroes Rouge is still a teenager and Magneto isn't running Genosha. It works but he's only ever loosely adapted cannon works.
It's usually more that I didn't realise that another work was supposed to be in the same continuity.
 
I can't find a clip, so I'm working off thirty year old memories here. I think they wound up in different places after the plane crashed, but I don't remember why.

The traditional reason is that Alex was adopted, and Scott wasn't.

Alex's adopted parents tried to remake him in the image of their dead son, while Scott had memory issues. How much was due to brain damage, childhood trauma, and/or Mr Sinister's mental manipulations is up for grabs.
 
This is an arc I want to see instead of Renegade/Paragon.

That's a first.
 
Fleet Traction (part 20)
1st January 2013
21:55 GMT


None of the Reach… Internees, exactly said 'this cell is bigger than my cabin', but I think they were thinking it. New Cronus wasn't built with a prison, and the New Titans only created one when they wanted to lock up notable Minosyssian chiefs to show off to.

On the planet below we can feel the ritual progressing, and a curiosity that isn't mine is rising up within us. Even knowing that it's the Ophidian, I've been feeling a sporadic urge to flick my tongue out at the planet.

The prisoners on my new ship can stay where they are. With my new Construct Lantern now existing within its soul circuitry I can direct it well enough, but that doesn't let me do anything with the rest of the crew. They don't appear particularly eager to speak to me. Interesting that the ship doesn't have manual overrides but does have a crew. A New God would be able to direct it reasonably effectively without one. They wouldn't be able to make repairs… Ah, 'part of the ship, part of the crew'. The New God would extend their power through members of the crew as well as the ship. I'd have to assimilate them as well in order to pull that off, and I don't think that's a reasonable thing to do to them even if they're not legally prisoners yet.

BOOM!

For a moment I tense, then Allyn's patrol flies through with the Grayven-aligned battlecruiser being towed between them.

"Allyn, how did it go?"

"Well enough. No deaths on our side, though several marines will need some time to heal."

"Did you get their ship master alive, or..?"

"Dead. I offered, but he remained faithful." I nod to myself. "What did..? You do to yours?"

"Your people project their souls outwards, through objects made with New God technology. Orange power rings can consume souls and turn them into constructs. Which means that if I can make contact with any in-use piece of New God technology-."

"That's terrifying. To deny-. Deny a soul the peace of the grave…"

I nod. "Yes, and I don't like using it. But it can be very efficacious."

"Yes, I see."

"Look, not… Asking you to give away classified information or anything, just trying to… Get a feel for your society so that I can make our interactions as friction free as possible."

"You wish to gather information… But not 'spy'?"

"Spying would imply that I'm interested in precise industrial or military information. And since there's a good chance that N.E.M.O. will have to fight Grayven at some point, I'd have cause. But no. I'm asking as a Hellenist. It's not supposed to be a theologically complex religion, but there are more Ascendants here than there are gods anyone actually remembers back home."

"I don't honestly think of myself as a god."

"Are you allowed to say that?"

"Who would stop me?"

"Alright, so how do you see yourself?"

"A demi-god. Rhea was one of my ancestors. That is simply a part of history. I unarguably derive certain power from that lineage. But I always thought that being an actual god would be… That they would be transcendent beings. And I'm not."

"How old are you?"

"A young adult. And if you were going to say that what I'm feeling is a normal part of adolescence, then you were going to quote my mother."

"It's more that it's a perfectly normal result of having your entire civilisation upended repeatedly within a short span of time. Though, that too. My respects to your mother."

"If she were alive, I would pass them on."

Ah. "My condolences."

"It was that which convinced me that Sparta was wrong. I could feel her soul leave her body, but not where it went. That seemed like something that a god should be able to do."

"My personal opinion is that there probably isn't any neat cut-off, just different degrees of power. And that power alone isn't a good enough reason to follow someone."

"It is in our society. This technology Sparta-. Sparta traded for. It doesn't just work best when an Ascendant controls it, it also works better when there is an ultimate authority whose power flows through our civilisation. Sparta fulfilled that role, once. Now Athyns does. The most powerful amongst us. And it would feel… Wrong, for it to be someone else."

Oh dear.

"So when Grayven rolls in…"

"We may be able to resist him. He is not one of us. Or his being here may result in Athyns seeming… Lesser."

"Do you know what he's doing right now?"

"Athyns? No. I assume that he is preparing for Grayven's arrival." … "I take it from your statement that he is doing something else? Donning the Seeds once more, perhaps?"

"If you… Haven't been told, then I probably.. shouldn't…"

"No, no, you are correct. Though it gladdens my heart to know that there is a plan. Is it..? Something to do with what I feel-? No, no. I should not ask."

"Does that.. connection to a leader mean that Grayven already knows that we beat his ships?"

"Almost certainly."

Aah. It's unlikely that he'll treat it as being his people's fault, even though they attacked first. They were almost certainly acting upon his orders, and they were attacking Reach ships. And me. So the question is, how much weaker is he after having his ship shot up? What does it take to undermine his magical authority? Loss? Or if it's a more powerful New God…

Not Scott Free. Not Barda. Highfather Izaya, almost certainly. But I haven't had any direct contact with the man. I suspect that Mannheim would, but would just being near to him be enough? I don't… Really want Grayven anywhere near my homeworld, because there's a very real chance that he might point his weapons downwards and fire-. Or would be not want to interfere in Darkseid's field test?

With my new ship, I could open a boom tube back to Earth…

Probably-

BOOM!

-not-

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

It's not-. Not in the immediate vicinity of the planet. Where where-?

BOOM!

There. Some distance from where the confrontation happened-. Because they want to be able to bring capital ship weapons to bear easily. That's… I don't recognise that ship. Small, Batwing-shaped fighters escorting… A very large… Generation ship?

No, wait, that's… That's the Citizenry's mothership. Upgraded with New God technology. Mass-murdering misandrist cannibals.

I guess Grayven was too busy to come himself.
 
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