• The site has now migrated to Xenforo 2. If you see any issues with the forum operation, please post them in the feedback thread.
  • Due to issues with external spam filters, QQ is currently unable to send any mail to Microsoft E-mail addresses. This includes any account at live.com, hotmail.com or msn.com. Signing up to the forum with one of these addresses will result in your verification E-mail never arriving. For best results, please use a different E-mail provider for your QQ address.
  • For prospective new members, a word of warning: don't use common names like Dennis, Simon, or Kenny if you decide to create an account. Spammers have used them all before you and gotten those names flagged in the anti-spam databases. Your account registration will be rejected because of it.
  • Since it has happened MULTIPLE times now, I want to be very clear about this. You do not get to abandon an account and create a new one. You do not get to pass an account to someone else and create a new one. If you do so anyway, you will be banned for creating sockpuppets.
  • Due to the actions of particularly persistent spammers and trolls, we will be banning disposable email addresses from today onward.
  • The rules regarding NSFW links have been updated. See here for details.

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

Which is the next Bombshell this Paul should drop along with the possibility of a third and fourth Summers brother.

And a fifth possible "brother."

In X-Men the End, which is supposed to be a potential future instead of an alternate universe, Gambit was revealed to have been engineered by Mr Sinister with his DNA and Scott's. A nod to Gambit's original intended origin, where he was going to be a mole for Mr Sinister. But then people liked Gambit so they decided to not upset the fans.

So Vulcan, the half brother the half Shiar Adam X, and Gambit.

Although if Gambit is a Summers here, this Paul is going to feel silly for not scanning.
 
Do Boom Tubes make a sound that propagates in a vacuum? Or is his ring transmitting booms as part of "inform Paul" operating procedures?


Hmm. Paul almost certainly won't retrieve Diana like Renegade!Paul did given the state of Earth. She just hasn't developed her divine powers enough to toss hands with a clever New God. And he probably won't feed anyone here to the Rhea ritual below. Heh, I'm amused what a renegade reach soldier and an imprisoned Themysciran space pirate could accomplish after Paul leaves this planet.
 
And a fifth possible "brother."
In X-Men the End, which is supposed to be a potential future instead of an alternate universe, Gambit was revealed to have been engineered by Mr Sinister with his DNA and Scott's. A nod to Gambit's original intended origin, where he was going to be a mole for Mr Sinister. But then people liked Gambit so they decided to not upset the fans.
So Vulcan, the half brother the half Shiar Adam X, and Gambit.
Although if Gambit is a Summers here, this Paul is going to feel silly for not scanning.

I suspect this Paul has already scanned Remy partly because he has had so many opportunities and it'd would be unusually foolish not to have done so.
 
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.
Do try to resist that urge, OL. No telling what Best Snek having a taste would do to their ritual, or the thaumosphere that's laid open right now. Fortunately, the Reach and New Ascendants' metaphysical weight is likely too small to have any effect in turn...

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 of 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.
And do you want the headache that having so many experiences downloaded would cause? At least the question of how they'd interact with his Ship Master Construct Lantern has something of an answer.

BOOM!

For a moment I tense, then Allyn's patrol flies through with the Grayven-aligned battlecruiser being towed between them.
Oh, yes. Given what else might come through a Boom Tube, it's only fair to be jumpy.

"Allyn, how did it go?"

"Well enough. No deaths on our side, though several marines will need some time to heal."
Well, good for you. What of your foe?

"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?"
...OH, right. Even if they might have seen his Construct Lanterns before, I doubt the knowledge of what they are and how they're made has been distributed...

"Your people project their souls outwards, through objects made with New God technology. Orange powers 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…"
Don't worry, everyone has that reaction when they hear of it. Well, everyone who isn't a sociopathic bastard, anyway.

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

"Yes, I see."
...And yet you've been resorting to it more and more often. Usually on bad people, but still...

"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'?"
I mean, if it's information you'd make available without restriction... Things that would be in children's lesson books, basically.

"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."
Though that attitude is probably not the norm, I bet.

"Are you allowed to say that?"

"Who would stop me?"
Other Ascendants, but they might have similar doubts. Who knows?

"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."
In part, it comes down to the amount of mystical power at their command, really.

"How old are you?"

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

"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."
:oops: ...How's that boot leather tasting, OL?

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."
Or a particular kind of Wizard. Ultimately, it probably depends on where your divine gifts are focused,,,

"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 does 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."
Might makes right. Even if it's not solely physical might, eh?

Oh dear.

"So when Grayven rolls in…"
The question is, how well will his metaphysique fit in with theirs? It seems to work well enough with the New Ascendants he commands, but there might have been some rough edges to smooth out...

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

"Do you know what he's doing right now?"
I suspect anyone with a modicum of metaphysical perception can feel the changes being wrought upon Minosyss' thaumosphere...

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

"If you… Haven't been told, then I probably.. shouldn't…"
Interesting that it hasn't been widely spoken of. Ulterior motives? Concern for some misunderstanding of intentions? Fear of some cocky pup trying to wrest command?

"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?"
Big Gray might well have felt a tickling on the edge of his perception... Maybe it depends on how invested he is in his soldier's fighting success?

"Almost certainly."

Aah. It's unlikely that he'll treat it as being his peoples' fault, even though they attacked first. The 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…
This is why you need more information about the nature of New Godhood, of what a Godname means to a New God, and how it expresses itself in them...

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…
Heck, with the right confluence of conditions, Grayven might well be able to overpower Mannheim and replace him in the centre of the Anti-Life's focus.

Oh, here's trouble. Speak of the Devil...

-not-

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
...And he shall appear?

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

BOOM!
Even with the advantage of Boom Tubes, it's never a tactically smart move to drop right on top of an unknown location.

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.
Now, who's in charge, though? Astarte? Or her much more aggressive daughter?

Sounds like they might need a war god or two soon. Hopefully the ritual finishes swiftly, and they can get proper leadership and empowerment back amongst the Ascendants. Because I doubt that those already present will be able to hold off the Citizenry's assault without serious aid. And just after OL had a win... Let's hope this doesn't set the tone for the rest of the year.
 
As one who enjoys both Paragon and Renegade storylines, I'm very excited to finally see OL's take on this plot line. Though I have the feeling he's both over leveled, and unwilling to 'play along' with it.
He is much more likely to shoot them all and let the new-New Gods sort them out.
 
Well, Paul does have a a Demon Lord, a fungoid elemental, and a New Ascendant construct lanterns. That should help against the Citizenry, right?

At least two of those three should... probably...
 
"Your people project their souls outwards, through objects made with New God technology. Orange powers rings
'power rings'

Or his being here may result it Athyns seeming… Lesser."
'in'

Doning the Seeds once more, perhaps?"
This could be a specific term, or perhaps you meant 'donning'.


Well, Paul does have a a Demon Lord, a fungoid elemental, and a New Ascendant construct lanterns. That should help against the Citizenry, right?
Right, he lost the Hellwraith, didn't he?
 
Even with the advantage of Boom Tubes, it's never a tactically smart move to drop right on top of an unknown location.
Enh, sort of depends on the drop. 'Scry and die' is a trope for a reason. That said, it helps if, unlike Boom Tubes, your teleport method is one way so it doesn't expose your staging area to counterattack as readily. And for varying definitions of 'unknown location'.
 
I hope Paul bluntly tells Diana about her aunt after all of this is over. Then he can reveal to Hippolyta what happened to her little sister and the monster she's become.
 
Orange powers rings can consume souls and turn them into constructs.
'power'
"That's terrifying. To deny-. Deny a soul the peace of the grave…"
To be fair, don't souls normally stick around as miserable ghosts unless they die in a thaumosphere or get captured by something like those shrines Paragon built? Not very peaceful, although I suppose as demigods it's pretty likely that Ascendants are an exception.
It does just work best when an Ascendant controls it, it also works better when there is an ultimate authority whose power flows through our civilisation.
'doesn't'?
Doning the Seeds once more, perhaps?
He's giving blood to the Seeds? Or is it meant to be 'donning'? I still don't know what it means in that case.
Well, Paul does have a a Demon Lord, a fungoid elemental, and a New Ascendant construct lanterns. That should help against the Citizenry, right?
I think he still has Nabu-666 somewhere, right? Or did something happen to him that I don't remember?
 
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

Or he didn't want to risk getting Assimilated.

I hope Paul bluntly tells Diana about her aunt after all of this is over. Then he can reveal to Hippolyta what happened to her little sister and the monster she's become.

That may not be the best thing to do when Earth still has Anti-Life.

I imagine the shock and horror vould undermine their resistance.
 
Considering Kevin MacTaggert had it better in the X-Men Animated Series, I wonder if the same could be said of David Haller, aka "Legion", son of Charles Xavier, if he exists.

I honestly wonder what Paul would suggest to help the lad with his Mind Hive issues. Get Doctor Strange involved and induce a Trance Healing, Internal Alchemy process?
 
In part, it comes down to the amount of mystical power at their command, really

Though it may also be connected to how they're structured, so it wouldn't be just power, but how it looks.

Plus, there may be a mental component involved.

If I remember correctly, I think it was mentioned that some of the member from the Renegade Team weren't as strong as others because they didn't embrace the fact that they're gods but just thought they were more powerful.

The question is, how well will his metaphysique fit in with theirs? It seems to work well enough with the New Ascendants he commands, but there might have been some rough edges to smooth out...

That does bring up the question of how New Gods differ from other demigods.

We know New Gods draw their power from the Source, but what about others?

Zoat, where do demigods that aren't New Gods draw power from?

The Dream, or does their Old God parentage allow them to connect to the Source?

Now, who's in charge, though? Astarte? Or her much more aggressive daughter?

Didn't think of that, but she did seem eager to kill her mommy.
 
That may not be the best thing to do when Earth still has Anti-Life.

I imagine the shock and horror vould undermine their resistance.
I know that. I was thinking after the Anti-Life disaster is over, just because Paul thinks they deserve to know after he's fought them personally.
 
That does bring up the question of how New Gods differ from other demigods.

We know New Gods draw their power from the Source, but what about others?

Zoat, where do demigods that aren't New Gods draw power from?

The Dream, or does their Old God parentage allow them to connect to the Source?
'Draw' is probably the wrong term. They exist differently within the material universe.
 
Do Boom Tubes make a sound that propagates in a vacuum? Or is his ring transmitting booms as part of "inform Paul" operating procedures?
You know I wouldn't be surprised if you can hear the boom in space because New God Tech is just that bullshit.

How the hell can I even hear that in space sound doesn't travel in a vacuum.

"My ring is allowing us to hear the boom tubes."

And here I thought it was using the same mechanism that Batman uses to breath in space.

"Batman can't breath in space."

Supes and Diana claim he does and she was holding her lasso of truth when she repeated that claim.

"How would he even be able to do that?"

He's Batman.

"What?"
 
um i thought all us government was hostile to mutants. what army base is this? i didnt know the us gov was training mutants....

X-Factor is a team funded by the US military because superpowers are usually a massive force multiplier. The 90's show was also written better than most comics interested in taking a slightly more... nuanced, let's call it, take on how people with an active X-Gene would interact with a, still largely Marvel-like, society.

Which is to say that, as with all things large and small, The United States Of America's Armed Forces tried to see if they could make it kill someone. Been a hot minute since I watched the show though, so I have no idea if it went better than the Nerf football plan did.
 
people's

Do Boom Tubes make a sound that propagates in a vacuum? Or is his ring transmitting booms as part of "inform Paul" operating procedures?
How the hell can I even hear that in space sound doesn't travel in a vacuum.
I had assumed that the boom was the result of the spatial distortion inducing a shockwave in nearby matter.
 
Fleet Traction (part 21)
1st January 2013
21:59 GMT


"That doesn't match the description of Grayven's ship-."

"No, that's one of his allies. They call themselves the Citizenry. Sending file now."

"I have it-. Grandmother!"

"Yes. I suggest a dispersed formation. In the event of an attack, I'll try and intercept the 'providers' at the source, but if they head for the planet you're going to need all the point defences you can get."

"Why would Grayven send… Her?"

"My guess would be 'pressure'. He wants compliance but can't come himself. Therefore, he sends his most godly subordinate."

"Then he has no intention of allying with us honourably."

"Probably not. But on the plus side, we only need to keep her busy until-"

"Uh."

"-Athyns completes his ritual."

"She is attempting to communicate with me. Their… Leader, Astarte."

"My records don't suggest that she has any sort of speech impediment. She's usually quite good at announcing her-."

"Her speech is clear. But from the sound of it, she is unused to speaking to people who aren't her subjects. Or chattels."

"Oh, it gets better. They give sufficiently bloodthirsty women the chance to become citizens. If men they capture are lucky then they might get raped before they're eaten. They really are the worst of the worst, and I speak with some expertise on the subject."

"Why has-? She's confirming what you just said. I didn't ask her, she's… Volunteering the information."

"At least she's honest. 'Why has' what?"

"Why has no one hunted them down and exterminated them?"

"Ah, that's a simple one. There isn't any sort of universal army of righteousness that might be inclined to take that job on. Generally, they pick fights with polities they can beat, and don't leave any survivors. At this point that includes all but the strongest stellar nations. Any allies their target might have are cowed into neutrality, and no one who could is prepared to send the sort of military force that would be required outside of their own territory."

"What about the Green Lantern Corps?"

"Don't have the numbers or the doctrine. They're police. Law enforcers. Not executioners. They're the sort of thing I'd like the Orange Lantern Corps to deal with once the war with the Reach is finished."

"She is demanding that Athyns come and pay obeisance."

And he can't even speak to her without disrupting the ritual. And alright, she probably doesn't know what Athyns looks like so we could send someone else…

"Okay. How can I help?"

"I… Was hoping that you would take the lead."

"I'm not a member of your society and you aren't allied to N.E.M.O.. I'm happy to advise you, but it's not really my place to take the lead."

"I fear we need you to."

"Alright. Illustres to Citizenry. May I ask what you're doing-?"

"Are these 'gods' so craven that they cannot answer a simple message?"

Not Themysciran Greek. I've never heard Astarte's voice, but that's not how I thought she'd sound. Could be a subordinate, of course. I'm not a New God or a woman, so she may see no reason to speak with me.

"What do you think I'm doing? Athyns is a busy man. You can't just turn up and expect him to drop everything to tend to you. Am I speaking with Astarte?"

"She would not deign to speak with you."

"Then imagine how Athyns feels about the idea of talking to her. Why are you here?"

"We are here to see if there is anything of this world worth preserving, or if it will all be fed to the providers. The captain had great hopes for Sparta. I assume that she is dead."

"No, she's being held in a secure hospital. It turns out that constantly lying to your subordinates doesn't exactly endear you to them."

"That is disappointing. Citizens have no need for deceit."

"That's a shame. At least people who are being lied to can claim that they didn't know what was happening, whereas you Citizens all know that you're uncultured raiders who subsist on murder and cannibalism. You have no excuse for your inadequacy."

"I will take pleasure in-"

"Not available."

"-gelding you before killing you."

"I'd threaten your ovaries, but you're not worth the time it would take. What does a man have to do to get challenged to single combat around here?"

"Be a woman."

Ah, now isn't the time for a discussion on the discontinuation of the word 'wereman' in Modern English.

"Fine, that'll take me a few seconds. Anything else?"

"What?"

"I can change my body's structure. I've never used it to become a woman, but if that's one of your requirements I think I'll survive. Is there anything else?"

"As a.. woman, you could challenge a citizen for their place."

She doesn't sound certain. I shake my head inside my helmet. She just stated the official default position of the Citizenry, rather than focus on the mission Grayven's set of them. Astarte's an authority-hog, isn't she?

"In case my scathing contempt wasn't obvious, I wouldn't lower myself to join you. I just want you to leave this system and never come back."

"That is not up for negotiation."

"Says you. All I have to do is challenge everyone on your ship to single combat and beat them."

"We won't stop our mission to entertain you, caitiff."

"I speak for Minosyss in Athyns' absence because I have proven my capability as a warrior. Which you would know if Grayven mentioned the fact that I stopped his ship single-handedly during the one confrontation between N.E.M.O. and… Whatever you're calling yourselves. You might well be able to bypass me, but no one here would have any respect for you if you did. Astarte-."

Ugh. I… Do have a design for this. Alright, best fit. Widen hips, narrow shoulders, restructure face… And the rest. It's more weird than uncomfortable, though I'm going to need to rely on my armour's motion AI until I adapt.

"Astarte, I'm a citizen of Themyscira. I serve Queen Hippolyta, and was apprenticed to her daughter, Princess Diana. So I speak with some authority when I say that they would be horrified and disgusted by how far you've fallen and that I'm confident that there's a special place in Tartarus reserved for you."

"Fight me."
 
Last edited:
"I speak for Minosyss in Athyns' absence because I have proven my capability as a warrior. Which you would know if Grayven mentioned the fact that I stopped his ship single-handedly during the one confrontation between N.E.M.O. and… Whatever you're calling yourselves. You might well be able to bypass me, but no one here would have any respect for you if you did. Astarte-."

Ugh. I… Do have a design for this. Alright, best fit. Widen hips, narrow shoulders, restructure face… And the rest. It's more weird than uncomfortable, though I'm going to need to rely on my armour's motion AI until I adapt.

"Astarte, I'm a citizen of Themyscira. I serve Queen Hippolyta, and was apprenticed to her daughter, Princess Diana. So I speak with some authority when I say that they would be horrified and disgusted by how far you've fallen and that I'm confident that there's a special place in Tartarus reserved for you."

"Fight me."
Okay, this is still a good challenge even if he's gender flipping in the middle of it. Though I hope he won't lose access to his ring or the orange light completely in this fight.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top