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

Chaoswind · Dec 17, 2022

Darko said:
I don't think it was mentioned if they supplied Grayven and his troops with food.

The Citadelians at first and then the time he bombarded that Spider Guild planet.

They convert the snakes biomass into food, the charitable interpretation is that they are at least supplying Grayven and his troops with food because otherwise they ended three and a half entire civilizations in a few months (and the biosphere of the planets they were in) to only supply themselves.

You are missing quite a few, the Citadel Starbase, fleets and cloning facilities account for at least a few million, then he did a lot of work to end the eye gouging nation that was the primary hegemon super power of their planet and Paul mentioned that involved killing a lot of people that were too set on their eye gouging "culture" to make an honest try at changing. There bunch of people he had as collateral when he recruited Ranx (he vented atmo), with the ortillery and other space fleet engagements his kill count gets even higher to the point the Shadows and other humans he has killed are a rounding error.

However, billions is still a stretch, his inaction and the cascade effects of his actions has killed billions, but not in a way that could be reasonably placed directly on his feet.

Edit

Speaking of Ranx. Mr Zoat are Ranx and mother of mercy going to be showing up to fight off the Reach fleets? Ranx is the command Starbase of Dox and one would think Mother of Mercy would make for a very good mobile supply base and field hospital for the troops.

Mr Zoat · Dec 18, 2022

1st January 2013
22:10 GMT

For a moment I experience the disconcerting feeling of having my ovaries clench.

Then I see breasts and realise that it's not Lobo that I'm going to be fighting. Same chalk-white skin, same dark grey dreadlocks and similar musculature. Similar weapons, too; thick metal chains and… A comedically large and poorly-balanced machete-cleaver sword. So unless Lobo missed one, this is a velorpian.

Which means… No shapeshifting, and… Slightly less strong. And there's minimal chance that Lobo himself will barge through the wall. Still not an easy fight, not if I want to keep the fight in this arena, which is only… Fifteen metres across?

"So you're the bastich bitch who thinks she's got what it takes to be a Citizen."

Different facial markings, but the voice is about the same when adjusted for chest volume. Aramis spins her sword around on one of her chains.

Now, as far as I know, the psions never gave the velorpians super speed. Technically. The thing is that sufficient quantities of super strength can sub in for super speed in a lot of situations. So, program… Evasive path. Because I don't think she can fly any faster than that Citizenry flight system will let her, which is a lot slower than she can run or jump.

"If I'd realised that there were people of your calibre here, I might have moderated my tone. I didn't think there were any other czarnians left."

"You got a purty mouth. Shame-"

And then I'm in the air with an aching left shoulder, her sword blade falling to the floor with a 'thonk' as it fails to get a grip on my rerebrace. I'm not sure how it transmitted any force through my defences… Or rather, how it did without tearing my arm off, because there are ways to bypass my defences and if she's using one of them that's what should have happened.

She grins as she pulls on her chain to recover her sword.

"-if something happened to it."

"My mouth isn't in my arm."

"Will be when I'm finished with yeh."

"What?"

"'cause I'm gunna rearrange yeh body parts and stick 'em back together in the wrong places. I'm gunna make yeh a fraggin' modern art exibition!"

"And yet you're somehow less fucked up than everyone else here. Have you considered running for office?"

"Okay, you've reached the end of yeh one dodge banter credit." Program dodge and angled construct armour. "So nows I'm gunna-"

Clang!

I stabilise before I hit the stands behind me, having taken the flat of the blade across my chest. Ring records show… My construct knocked it off true, but shattered before it could just knock it aside entirely.

"-smack yeh around some."

"What's that made-"

Whitefacedownwardpressure-.

CLUNK!

"-of-?"

Uhh!

I hit the ground, cratering it.

Positron bomb.

And then I fly in a prone position, moving out of the way about half a second before Aramis lands from her fists-first dive and doubles the size of the hole I made.

Which explodes.

Because while it's perfectly possible to create a construct positron gun with a power ring, it's also perfectly possible -if energy inefficient- to just restructure some electrons. You can then contain them using a construct rather than a magnetic field like a positron gun would. When the construct is destroyed they inevitably encounter electrons and explosively neutralise one another, which means that while you don't get the 'cut' from neutralising an electron that's part of the target, you get an explosion that's just as big.

And because I don't feel like being her punching bag when she inevitably walks out of the smoke to the cheers of the crowd, I adopt an evasive pattern.

"Heh."

And she walks out of the smoke to the cheers of the crowd, the painful-looking burns on her face and shoulders knitting themselves back together as I watch.

"Tricksy one, ain't yeh?"

Calculating… Use four times as many positrons next time.

Compliance.

"Isn't every drop of your blood going to-."

"Naaaaah. Psions thought that would make us 'dangerously uncontrollable'."

"It may amuse you to know that the psions are extinct."

She perks up slightly. "Oh yeah? Who got'em?"

"I think most of the firepower came from the Crown Imperium, though by the end just about everyone in Vega still standing contributed a little."

"Guess my species is going extinct, then."

"Don't worry, I've scanned your genetic structure. Once you're dead, I can make more of you."

She looks unimpressed. "Now, what'd you have ta go and say that for? Now I gotta kill yeh."

"I don't follow."

"After people started callin' me 'Fembo', and I started killing the bastiches, I got thinking. Keezy mal's got a rep. Powerful rep. So it ain't exactly an insult to get compared to him. And if he's the last czarnian, maybe I could be the last velorpian. Had to kill a few blood-copies, but it's a good gig. And now you-" She points her sword at me. "-tell me you can make more of me?"

"Fair point."

She brushes some carbonised skin off her shoulder.

"So now I gotta make an effort."

X-ionised blades, defensive-

CLANGClunkunk.

-pattern.

The sword blade falls to the ground, having spun after I severed the chain and hit me with the hilt.

Aramis stares at the cut end of her chain for a moment, and there's a collective intake of breath from the crowd.

"That. Was expensive."

Chains lash out in a blur of grey metal, blades sparking and being knocked out of the constructs holding them! I form shields and maser cannons, trying to draw a bead on Aramis while dodging myself. It's a matter of mathematics; we're both moving too quickly to calculate where the other is going so we're calculating most likely arcs and lashing out at that area. I try recovering my blades but they represent fixed targets and so points where I become more predictable and so take more hits.

I wince as my construct armour gives up the ghost, but I can see lengths of severed chain on the ground as well.

Right, fine, new approach-.

I hit the stands behind me with the afterimage of a grey fist in my eyes.

New construct armour, over shield, underground plasma initiator and gamma-

BOOM!

-radiator. Let's see how tough the rest of them are.

Wait, w-?

Mr Zoat · Dec 18, 2022

Chaoswind said:
Speaking of Ranx. Mr Zoat are Ranx and mother of mercy going to be showing up to fight off the Reach fleets? Ranx is the command Starbase of Dox and one would think Mother of Mercy would make for a very good mobile supply base and field hospital for the troops.

Ranx probably won't, because he's content as a shipyard. Mother of Mercy is, and I'll try and give her some screen time.

Ngamer11 · Dec 18, 2022

That was a very quick and confusing fight. I think Paul should just accept that the only way for him to kill this enemy is to assimilate her.

Darko · Dec 18, 2022

Mr Zoat said:
And there's minimal chance that Lobo himself will barge through the wall

Never underestimate the main man.

Mr Zoat said:
"'cause I'm gunna rearrange yeh body parts and stick 'em back together in the wrong places. I'm gunna make yeh a fraggin' modern art exibition

Weird that she'd know what modern art is, or that an alien species' version of modern art would be the same as human modern art.

Mr Zoat said:
"And yet you're somehow less fucked up than everyone else here

Not that it's that difficult.

Mr Zoat said:
"After people started callin' me 'Fembo', and I started killing the bastiches, I got thinking. Keezy mal's got a rep. Powerful rep. So it ain't exactly an insult to get compared to him. And if he's the last czarnian, maybe I could be the last velorpian. Had to kill a few blood-copies, but it's a good gig. And now you-" She points her sword at me. "-tell me you can make more of me

She doesn't want the competition.

Chojin Patriarch · Dec 18, 2022

Mr Zoat said:
1st January 2013
22:10 GMT

For a moment I experience the disconcerting feeling of having my ovaries clench.

Then I see breasts and realise that it's not Lobo that I'm going to be fighting. Same chalk-white skin, same dark grey dreadlocks and similar musculature. Similar weapons, too; thick metal chains and… A comedically large and poorly-balanced machete-cleaver sword. So unless Lobo missed one, this is a velorpian.

...Oh, crap. Lobo's species, 1.0 Pre-crisis patch. And since they're not retconned, this female is going to be basically Lobo, rule 63 edition. And while that can be interesting, it's also dangerous as hell.

Which means… No shapeshifting, and… Slightly less strong. And there's minimal chance that Lobo himself will barge through the wall. Still not an easy fight, not if I want to keep the fight in this arena, which is only… Fifteen metres across?

"So you're the bastich bitch who thinks she's got what it takes to be a Citizen."

No, merely that 'she' can kick every one of their asses.

Different facial markings, but the voice is about the same when adjusted for chest volume. Aramis spins her sword around on one of her chains.

Now, as far as I know, the psions never gave the velorpians super speed. Technically. The thing is that sufficient quantities of super strength can sub in for super speed in a lot of situations. So, program… Evasive path. Because I don't think she can fly any faster than that Citizenry flight system will let her, which is a lot slower than she can run or jump.

And at the mention of chained weapons... I am picturing her swinging the Blades of Chaos. They seem like a good fit for a female Lobo.

"If I'd realise that there were people of your calibre here, I might have moderated my tone. I didn't think there were any other czarnians left."

"You got a purty mouth. Shame-"

Ah, reconsidering your bravado, OL-chan? I expect she's pretty tough, to be this high a rank.

And then I'm in the air with an aching left shoulder, her sword blade falling to the floor with a 'thonk' as it fails to get a grip on my rerebrace. I'm not sure how it transmitted any force through my defences… Or rather, how it did without tearing my arm off, because there are ways to bypass my defences and if she's using one of them that's what should have happened.

She grins as she pulls on her chain to recover her sword.

Because Czarnians, and their pre-crisis predecessors, are bullshit. They were a threat to Superman.

"-if something happened to it."

"My mouth isn't in my arm."

I mean, if your power armour is all-covering, how would she have known? After all, not every keeps their stuff in the same place.

"Will be when I'm finished with yeh."

"What?"

...Well, that's her intentions made clear.

"'cause I'm gunna rearrange yeh body parts and stick 'em back together in the wrong places. I'm gunna make yeh a fraggin' modern art exibition!"

"And yet you're somehow less fucked up than everyone else here. Have you considered running for office?"

...Very clear. Honestly, she probably considers being in charge too much work, though.

"Okay, you've reached the end of yeh one dodge banter credit." Program dodge and angled construct armour. "So nows I'm gunna-"

Clang!

Might need more than that, OL-chan.

I stabilise before I hit the stands behind me, having taken the flat of the blade across my chest. Ring records show… My construct knocked it off true, but shattered before they could just knock it aside.

"-smack yeh around some."

Damn, whatever she's swinging, it's badass.

"What's that made-"

Whitefacedownwardpressure-.

First rule of fighting a Czarnian (or equivalent): Don't stand still.

CLUNK!

"-of-?"

Uhh!

Seriously, they are overpowered...

I hit the ground, cratering it.

Positron bomb.

Oh, that sounds nasty.

And then I fly in a prone position, moving out of the way about half a second before Aramis lands from her fists-first dive and doubles the size of the hole I made.

Which explodes.

...Like that's going to stop her? She probably eats grenades for breakfast. It gives the slop a certain flavour.

Because while it's perfectly possible to create a construct positron gun with a power ring, it's also perfectly possible -if energy inefficient- to just restructure some electrons. You can then contain them using a construct rather than a magnetic field like a positron gun would. When the construct is destroyed they inevitable encounter electrons and explosively neutralise one another, which means that while you don't get the 'cut' from neutralising an electron that's part of the target, you get an explosion that's just as big.

A fancy way of saying 'anti-matter land-mine'.

And because I don't feel like being her punching bag when she inevitably walks out of the smoke to the cheers of the crowd, I adopt an evasive pattern.

"Heh."

At least you're still that genre-savvy about cape fights.

And she walks out of the smoke to the cheers of the crowd, the painful-looking burns on her face and shoulders knitting themselves back together as I watch.

"Tricksy one, ain't yeh?"

You ain't seen nothing yet, hon'.

Calculating… Use for times as many positrons next time.

Compliance.

I don't think there's any good amount of positrons to do sufficient damage to her without blowing up the whole ship...

"Isn't every drop of your blood going to-."

"Naaaaah. Psions thought that would make us 'dangerously uncontrollable'."

Gee, you think?

At least they had some sense when it came to experiments.

"It may amuse you to know that the psions are extinct."

She perks up slightly. "Oh yeah? Who got'em?"

Who didn't? Quite a big boom when their planet got blasted back to the primordial stage.

"I think most of the firepower came from the Crown Imperium, though by the end just about everyone in Vega still standing contributed a little."

"Guess my species is going extinct, then."

...That's honestly a good thing.

"Don't worry, I've scanned your genetic structure. Once you're dead, I can make more of you."

She looks unimpressed. "Now, what'd you have ta go and say that for? Now I gotta kill yeh."

...Admittedly, making more of them might smack of irresponsibility.

"I don't follow."

"After people started callin' me 'Fembo', and I started killing the bastiches, I got thinking. Keezy mal's got a rep. Powerful rep. So it ain't exactly an insult to get compared to him. And if he's the last czarnian, maybe I could be the last velorpian. Had to kill a few blood-copies, but it's a good gig. And now you-" She points her sword at me. "-tell me you can make more of me?"

...Maybe you could arrange a licensing system?

"Fair point."

She brushes some carbonised skin off her shoulder.

Well, I guess she's finished warming up...

"So now I gotta make an effort."

X-ionised blades, defensive-

...Lots of blades. All the blades, in fact.

CLANGClunkunk.

-pattern.

I hope that's a good sound?

The sword blade falls to the ground, having spun after I severed the chain and hit me with the hilt.

Aramis stares at the cut end of her chain for a moment, and there's a collective intake of breath from the crowd.

"That. Was expensive."

...Is it too late to apologise, and remake it for her?

Chains lash out in a blur of grey metal, blades sparking and being knocked out of the constructs holding them! I form shields and maser cannons, trying to draw a bead on Aramis while dodging myself. It's a matter of mathematics; we're both moving too quickly to calculate where the other is going so we're calculating most likely arcs and lashing out at that area. I try recovering my blades but they represent fixed targets and so points where I become more predictable and so take more hits.

Yeah, probably don't wants the Citizenry getting their hands on infinitely-sharp knives. Who knows what they'd get up to?

I wince as my construct armour gives up the ghost, but I can see lengths of severed chain on the ground as well.

Right, fine, new approach-.

Scorched earth? Because that's about the level of firepower you'll need to put her down temporarily.

I hit the stands behind me with the afterimage of a grey fist in my eyes.

New construct armour, over shield, underground plasma initiator and gamma-

No kill like overkill against her. And with a Power Ring, reloading is not an issue.

BOOM!

-radiator. Let's see how tough the rest of them are.

Wait, w-?

...Oh, that doesn't sound good. Friendly backup, or hostile?

So, who's this turning up via Boom Tube, I wonder? Friend or foe? Though I can't think of any Ascendant with enough power to beat Aramis... Unless the ritual resulted in someone becoming a war goddess. But if it's an enemy, then who? I doubt Grayven would make an appearance. Theana or Astarte, coming to check out a possible threat given that OL-chan has lasted more than thirty seconds in the ring with Aramis? I'm sure we'll see soon.

Use for times as many positrons next time.

Use four times as many positrons next time.

BR549 · Dec 18, 2022

Chojin Patriarch said:
So, who's this turning up via Boom Tube, I wonder? Friend or foe? Though I can't think of any Ascendant with enough power to beat Aramis... Unless the ritual resulted in someone becoming a war goddess. But if it's an enemy, then who? I doubt Grayven would make an appearance. Theana or Astarte, coming to check out a possible threat given that OL-chan has lasted more than thirty seconds in the ring with Aramis? I'm sure we'll see soon.

It's almost certainly not, but the 200-quatloo wild-card bet is Renegrayven.

moralrelativity · Dec 18, 2022

Mr Zoat said:
When the construct is destroyed they inevitable encounter electrons

inevitable -> inevitably

Darko · Dec 18, 2022

Chojin Patriarch said:
First rule of fighting a Czarnia (or equivalent): Don't stand still

Second rule: don't let them bleed.

Chojin Patriarch said:
Like that's going to stop her? She probably eats grenades for breakfast. It gives the slop a certain flavour.

And washes it down with some acid.

Mr Zoat · Dec 18, 2022

Chojin Patriarch said:
Use four times as many positrons next time.

moralrelativity said:
inevitable -> inevitably

Thank you, corrected.

mastermenthe · Dec 18, 2022

BR549 said:
It's almost certainly not, but the 200-quatloo wild-card bet is Renegrayven.

Who? Which one do you mean again?

FourthPear · Dec 18, 2022

Ngamer11 said:
That was a very quick and confusing fight. I think Paul should just accept that the only way for him to kill this enemy is to assimilate her.

Crumbler effect to every cell in her body at once.

Duke Long · Dec 18, 2022

Mr Zoat said:
"If I'd realise that there were people of your calibre here, I might have moderated my tone. I didn't think there were any other czarnians left."

'realised'

Mr Zoat said:
My construct knocked it off true, but shattered before they could just knock it aside.

'before it could'?

Mr Zoat · Dec 18, 2022

Duke Long said:
'realised'
'before it could'?

Thank you, corrected.

_The_Bomb · Dec 18, 2022

Mr Zoat said:
Ranx probably won't, because he's content as a shipyard. Mother of Mercy is, and I'll try and give her some screen time.

Any chance we're going to be seeing more of Lantern Yat any time soon?

Ngamer11 · Dec 18, 2022

_The_Bomb said:
Any chance we're going to be seeing more of Lantern Yat any time soon?

Considering he's probably one of the most powerful Orange Lanterns with or without a ring, I would hope so.

Mr Zoat · Dec 18, 2022

_The_Bomb said:
Any chance we're going to be seeing more of Lantern Yat any time soon?

He's a child, so not if the SI can help it.

Ngamer11 · Dec 18, 2022

Mr Zoat said:
He's a child, so not if the SI can help it.

I forgot that Paul recruited him in the middle of his origin story. If he won't be going up against the Reach, what will he be doing for the OLC?

Mr Zoat · Dec 18, 2022

Ngamer11 said:
I forgot that Paul recruited him in the middle of his origin story. If he won't be going up against the Reach, what will he be doing for the OLC?

Growing up into a mentally healthy individual. His adoptive mother is currently hoping that he gives his ring up, though that doesn't seem very likely.

Zig · Dec 18, 2022

Darko said:
Weird that she'd know what modern art is, or that an alien species' version of modern art would be the same as human modern art.

Ring translation is really good.

FreeGod · Dec 18, 2022

Darko said:
Weird that she'd know what modern art is, or that an alien species' version of modern art would be the same as human modern art.

I am just going to assume that the ring is very good at translations so when she mentions a alien art style that happens to look like modern art Paul hears modern art.

Doccer · Dec 18, 2022

Mr Zoat said:
"That. Was expensive."

"Clearly not expensive as mine."

_The_Bomb · Dec 18, 2022

Mr Zoat said:
He's a child, so not if the SI can help it.

Ah, that explains things. I was picturing him around the age of 15-17, like the team. How old is he actually?

Mr Zoat · Dec 18, 2022

_The_Bomb said:
Ah, that explains things. I was picturing him around the age of 15-17, like the team. How old is he actually?

I've been imagining him as about thirteen.

_The_Bomb · Dec 18, 2022

Mr Zoat said:
I've been imagining him as about thirteen.

Ah, gotcha. Young enough that he really shouldn't be involved in fighting the Reach, so we're probably not going to see him unless he's meeting Kon or Kal-El.

transhumansage · Dec 18, 2022

i googled velorpians. on the dc database page it says lobo is a velorpian. is this a typo or was he really velorpian at some point in publication history? also velorpians look like they are clones of czarnians.

https://dc.fandom.com/wiki/Velorpians

Mr Zoat · Dec 18, 2022

transhumansage said:
i googled velorpians. on the dc database page it says lobo is a velorpian. is this a typo or was he really velorpian at some point in publication history? also velorpians look like they are clones of czarnians.

https://dc.fandom.com/wiki/Velorpians

Czarnians were retconned into existence. Originally, Lobo was a velorpian and the rest of his species were killed by the psions. Then it was retconned, he'd always been a czarnian and velorpians never existed.

In this story, the velorpians were an attempt by the psions to create a more controllable czarnian. It wasn't successful and they scrubbed most of them.

transhumansage · Dec 18, 2022

Mr Zoat said:
Czarnians were retconned into existence. Originally, Lobo was a velorpian and the rest of his species were killed by the psions. Then it was retconned, he'd always been a czarnian and velorpians never existed.

In this story, the velorpians were an attempt by the psions to create a more controllable czarnian. It wasn't successful and they scrubbed most of them.

what the hell?! the original story with the velorpians makes more sense than lobo killing of his own species. why would they retcon it into a more ridiculous story?

Someguy Somewhere · Dec 19, 2022

Beacause Lobo Runs on Ridiculous parody of 90's comics.

Mr Zoat · Dec 19, 2022

1st January 2013
22:02 GMT

Captain Astarte closes the communication channel with one of the local leaders…

Lieutenant Aroeite experiences a moment of confusion. The natural distaste at seeing a man in a position of authority, or anywhere other than the breeding chambers or provider troughs. But Captain Grayven valued them, and…

And she remembered the fight between him and the Captain. The almost casual way he handled himself, the way he didn't treat the Captain as a… No, not that he didn't treat her as a threat, though he did not. The way he treated it as an entry test, such as the Citizenry held for women seeking to join them. Though in their case, letting women in after losing was almost unheard of.

The Captain fell, and… Grayven let her live. Even approved of her skill. There had been many challenges after that, and she had shown them that she was no weakling. For a time she decorated the halls leading to the arena with their corpses, so that anyone who was considering making a challenge would have to walk past everyone else who had tried.

Lieutenant Aroeite wasn't… Sure how she felt about it. She considered herself to have value, and she knew that she would not be able to best the Captain. So there being someone who could beat you didn't make you worthless. That was unarguable. But seeing Captain Astarte, supreme leader of the Citizenry, defeated by someone…

They had stopped being independent after that, and that too did not feel right. Even if it changed little in practice.

It was a shame that the women of the Reach were unwilling to even try to become warriors. Their beetle-warriors at least had the pride to die well.

"Lieutenant Aroeite. You will take a squad of shock troops to the surface and recover Sparta." I Command Here.

"Yes, Captain."

Aroeite's jaw still had a slight click from the blow Captain Astarte dealt her for responding too slowly to a command.

"Did they acquiesce?"

"No. They did not respond at all. I felt their fear as our souls touched, and the one who received it was far too weak to be Athyns. So we will not trouble ourselves with that. Sparta can explain her failure to Grayven. Perhaps he will put her in the breeding pits."

As far as Aroeite knew, Grayven's gordanian and Karakkanian followers did not breed in that way. Perhaps the Captain just found the juxtaposition of the way things should be and how Grayven made them amusing? There was a rational reason for having a powerful male impregnating many women; if Grayven had lost to Astarte he would have been drained by as many women as possible before being fed to the providers.

The Captain puts her hand on the… Sensor device that Grayven had gifted to her. Supposedly, it expanded her awareness of certain things because she was… Like Grayven in some way, and his people commonly used such devices.

Lieutenant Zusen frowns, receiving a message on the ship's normal communication systems. "Captain! There is a member of the Orange Lantern Corps-."

"I know, Zusen." Know My Contempt.

"He is challenging us. Insolently."

"This is where the Illustres fled, then. Accept. Keep him here. Pit him against Aramis. If she falls… Anyone who has been slovenly lately."

"Yes, Captain."

"If the warriors of these people are too pathetic to dare speak to us, he is the only obstacle of any significance. Our sensor masking will prevent him receiving communication while inside this ship, even with his ring."

BOOM!

"Aroeite, go now."

Aroeite lowers her head and charges, gun in hand. The portal feels like nothing, and she raises her gun at once to shoot the first native soldier she sees in the chest. The weak armour gives way at once, metal and flesh burning-

"Yaargh!"

-through the torso, life leaving the body almost immediately. The locals were primitives, and in some places lacking technology led to the people having far greater personal resolve than could be found in other places. But no, a single mortal wound and this man cried out in fear and confusion.

More shots blast out from the rest of her squad, and guard detail of this… Prison, not having time to organise themselves even slightly. All men. All worthless.

Somewhere, an alarm sounds. Perhaps they have portals of their own that they will use to send in more capable soldiers? Perhaps she will get the opportunity to discover why Grayven values them so highly.

"I can hear you! I can feel his touch on your mistress's soul!" "Let me out!"

But first, she has a failure to free.

1st January 2013
22:08 GMT

"Athyns has the Seeds, yes."

Astarte doesn't let her contempt at the mess in front of her show on her face. Dimly, she feels the Orange Lantern defying Zusen, and the churning potential of her fight with Aramis.

"Muuuust-. Must get them."

Sparta was a capable enough warrior, before. Astarte would have gladly welcomed her as a Citizen, once she passed the requisite tests. Seeing Sparta like this makes her glad that it did not happen. Her mind was clearly too brittle for the role if this is her response to a single setback.

Losing to Grayven was humiliating. It made her think of the distant time when she was new to the Citizenry. When she was still weak. She… Vaguely remembers weeping as she struggled through the training exercises the ones who recruited her put her through. Grudgingly, she was pleased at her own response to Grayven's training. In the fanning of the divine spark in her into something greater.

It might be time to try having another daughter.

Open The Way.

BOOM!

After using the Seeds to defeat Grayven.

The strike squad charges through, the slightly dulled sound of their weapons firing coming back a moment later. Aroeite has to grab hold of Sparta's armour to prevent her leaping through the moment the boom tube opened. No, Sparta lives for the information she can give on the Seeds' nature. She will not touch them again or gain glory through combat. She has proven herself unworthy.

Astarte gives the strike squad a moment longer to establish a beachhead and then strides through, blaster and falchion at the ready.

Blood. Burning flesh. It-.

She sidesteps as a plasma beam flies past her, her own gun coming up and snapping off a shot that burns through the Karrakanian's faceplate and into their skull. A fair shot from them, and sound tactical positioning. Lesser soldiers are frequently distracted when moving though the portals, and looking down she sees that at least two of her Citizens fell in the same way.
Choose The Slain.
She makes a note to check whether the soldier she shot survives, and to offer them citizenship if they did. Or the option to sire children before being consumed, if they were male.
"Challenge!"
She snarls as one of the Karrakanian godlings tries to get her attention. "This is battle, fool."

Five Citizens who were not being pressed aim and fire, the godling being blasted off their feet. Interesting that they didn't die immediately. Odd that there aren't more of them. This tower is supposed to be their fastness-.

BOOM

Who dares-?

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

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This is filth! FILTH!!

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Mint Thistle

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Not too sore, are you?

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