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

Earth 534834

8th February 1992
15:31 GMT -5


I walk in through the front doors of the Mansion, carefully closing the doors behind me.

Haaaaaa…
Yeah, heck of a day, huh? From busting up Genosha's exploitive system to a frank romantic discussion with Rogue to reconnecting some of the most tangled family trees of Mutantkind. And you still have to pop the actual question. x3

I shouldn't complain, but it seems like I helped a few people in some really emotionally significant but practically minute ways. Mr. and Miss. Maximoff have gone twenty years without a father, and if they're working as superheroes -or at least as legal private security officers- then I doubt that they've got anything to gain from actually getting back in touch. I'm sure that Lorna would have worked out that Alexander was Scott's brother eventually, she's not an idiot.
Admittedly, your way headed off multiple battles caused by misunderstandings that would have tanked the X-Men's already poor public image...

Ah, speaking of. Scott's standing by the hallway telephone, looking a little stunned.

"Good afternoon. Has the team-?"
I don't think he's too worried about much of anything right now, Lantern.

"That was my.. brother."

His voice wavers slightly as he says it, glasses not pointing towards me. I walk closer and pat his left shoulder with my right hand.
Yep, sometimes, all it takes to show solidarity with someone is a touch.

"Bit of a shock, huh?"

"Yeah. Yeah. I'm… We're going to meet up tomorrow. I haven't seen him in… Since the crash."
Which is suspicious in and of itself, isn't it, hmm? :sneaky:

"Do you know what..? Happened there? I mean, even if you landed in different places, you would have both told the authorities that you had a brother in the crash, right? Wouldn't they have..? Checked?"

"I don't know. But I'm going to ask some people." He seems to come more fully out of his fugue, turning to face me. "Thank you. If you hadn't found him, I might never have found out that the was still alive."
Why do I get the feeling Mister Sinister is about to be discovered well in advance of canon?

"I'm happy to help, but I… Wasn't actually looking for him, so… I don't want to claim too much credit."

He favours me with a small smile. "It still counts as far as I'm concerned."
+Reputation: Cyclops. Not really why you ran this little subquest, sure, but every bit counts. :p

"Hey, bit of a shame we destroyed the mutant registration database. If we hadn't, they'd probably have matched you up weeks ago!"

That gets a weak laugh.
And Alex would have been on it, given that he's working for the government... Honestly surprised Lantern didn't grab a copy for himself. Not like anyone could hack his Ring.

"Hah. You could be right." He takes a deep breath. "I never asked, but exactly how far away can your ring detect things?"

"In theory, there's no limit. In practice, it depends on what I'm looking for. Do you have any other brothers I don't know about?"
...One or two. One or two... Just not in this timeline, though.

"No, but… I guess one of the reasons why social services didn't ever put the two of us together is that no one ever found the wreckage. I never got to bury my-. Our, parents." He shakes his head. "I couldn't even tell you exactly where it happened."

"Ah… I could scan for it, but honestly… It… Sounds like if would be easier for you to do it."
I mean, it's not like there were two plane crashes in the same area on the same day, regardless. Definitely smacks of outside interference, doesn't it? ;)

I… Double check that I shut the door, then do a quick scan to check my surroundings. Seems safe.

I slide the ring off my finger and offer it to him. He doesn't take it.
Wise man. It takes a very distinct mind to wield an Orange Ring...

"Jean told me about what happens when you lose control with that thing."

"That was the Professor deliberately provoking me. Something like this shouldn't trigger that. Or I can… Try if you prefer."
...Let's not put that kind of power in the hands of a man as repressed as Scott Summers. Last thing we need is giant bugs or something running around.

He nods. "I think that would be best."

"Alright." I slide the ring back on my left ring finger. "On an unrelated note, I don't suppose that you know any happily married couples, do you?"
Being dysfunctional seems to be a required trait for any superhero in this universe, really.

"Jean's parents? Ah… A couple of guys I knew at the orphanage got married, but I haven't really kept in touch. Why do you ask?"

"I realised that I didn't know any. Okay." Scott's a friend, and while I very much doubt that I'll find anyone alive, this would at least put his mind at ease. "Scan."
Surprised he doesn't retain some meta-knowledge of Corsair. Or is that why he doesn't expect to find anything, eh? ;)

Report available.

"Oh."
Naturally quick. Even if it's only 'please narrow selected criteria...'

"Did you find anything?"

"No. Ah. I can't… Hang on."
Wonder if he'll pick up Cable? This is still some time before he was revealed to be Cyclop's time-displaced son...

Ring, in case that's us, scan for matches for Logan.

Report available.
And how many people will that pick up, I wonder. Old man Logan's had a few kids here and there that he never knew about, after all.

Okay, I'll let him know. That's probably… Important.

"Ah, not… Sure what this means, exactly-."
Ah, I see he did ping a few relatives, then?

"You haven't..? Found..?"

"Oh, no, no. Sorry but… No. Ah. I haven't found anything."
Not anything that's his business to tell, anyway.

"You did say that-."

"No, I checked the range. Unless my relationship with… Logan is much better than I thought it was, you parents… I can't find either remains or living people. If range is the limiting factor, wherever your plane went down would have to be further away than Alberta."
Of course, if there was any trace of them on Earth, then he would have found it. Even if his initial scan was limited to just Alaska and north-western Canada, he could probably add a 'global' modifier with a though...

He shakes his head. "No, that's… Too far. But there aren't any bodies, you're sure about that?"

"Their remains might just have been removed later?"
They'd have to have been pretty decisively destroyed to leave no trace, though...

"Maybe, but why?"

"Where either of them mutants?"
Unlikely, but worth asking...

He shakes his head. "Not as far as I know. Not all power are obvious, so that doesn't mean that they weren't, but I never saw them do anything unusual."

"Then I don't know. I'm sorry. I can-."
I'm sure they'll get into space sooner or later. Lilandra is Xavier's soul-mate, after all, and she'll be along eventually.

"No, no, you've done more than enough." He looks away slightly, smiling. "It doesn't really seem real. Look, if there's anything I can ever do to repay you, just ask, okay?"

"Ah, well there was… You and Jean, are you planning to get married any time soon?"
Looking to make it a double wedding, Lantern?

"Why? Are you planning to ask Rogue?"

"Yes. I thought waiting a little while would be better. She disagreed, so I've been flying around to distract myself while I try to work out how to actually propose properly… She hates her parents, but I got her foster parents' approval-."
And when a lady like that insists, you don't argue.

"'Foster'-? You mean Mystique?"

I nod. "And Destiny. Point is, you and Jean have been together longer, so if you had something in the works, we can just-."
And they are part of the founding group of X-Men. Guess Lantern doesn't want to show them up...

"That's-" He shakes his head. "-not-. You don't need to do that."

"Okay. Um. Any… Suggestions?"
...Real amusing dynamic, given that Lantern is probably older than Scott by a few years. Even with Ring rejuvenation...

"I was just going to take Jean to a restaurant. What were you thinking?"

"Ah… I half-thought the moon? Only… I'd have to provide the air, because her ring would protect her from the low pressure but it wouldn't let her breathe… And it's hard to prepare a meal on the moon, and the low gravity isn't as much fun when we can both fly anyway."
Hey, you could even discover the Blue Area early. Though I suspect the Watcher might not want visitors.

I look at him hopefully.

"I don't think that… That the exact situation matters quite that much. I think somewhere that means something to the two of you would be better than that sort of… Grand gesture."

"Huh." I nod, fabricating simple gold and diamond rings. "You know, I-. I think you're right. Somewhere… Yeah, okay. I'm going to go and do that now."
Let's keep it simple, yeah. You're superheroes. Sometimes you need to stay grounded about these things.

Heh. Some interesting implications about that scan of Logan's relations. And planting some interesting seeds of doubt in Scott's mind about his youth. So many potential plot derails ahead for the bad guys... At least Lantern is getting himself psyched up to pop the question, which is probably what we're going to see tomorrow. I, for one, am looking forwards to the upcoming adorable awkwardness... x3


Logan is much better than I thought it was, you parents…
Logan is much better than I thought it was, your parents…
"Where either of them mutants?"
"Were either of them mutants?"
Not as far as I know. Not all power are obvious...
Not as far as I know. Not all powers are obvious...
 
What was that thing with Logan?

OL instructed his ring to scan for extra Summers. It didn't find any, so he ran a comparison scan based on Logan instead of Scott, to double-check that the issue wasn't his level of MINEship with Scott.

And he seems to have found an extra Howlett.
 
Ring, in case that's us, scan for matches for Logan.

Report available.

Okay, I'll let him know. That's probably… Important.
Just off the top of my head, this could be Daken, Laura, the various members of the Mongrels, or the feral children that were taken in by Romulus. Or any combination thereof.
 
"Do you know what..? Happened there? I mean, even if you landed in different places, you would have both told the authorities that you had a brother in the crash, right? Wouldn't they have..? Checked?"

"I don't know. But I'm going to ask some people." He seems to come more fully out of his fugue, turning to face me. "Thank you. If you hadn't found him, I might never have found out that the was still alive."
With all the wacky comic shenanigans, I'd be amused if this was something really mundane.

Like the guys who found Alex were poachers, hunting deer out of state without the appropriate licence. So they didn't want to report finding this unconscious kid HERE, because they'd get in trouble. So they drive him back home and say they found him THERE instead.

The kid still gets help, so it doesn't matter, right?
 
"Ah… I half-thought the moon? Only… I'd have to provide the air, because her ring would protect her from the low pressure but it wouldn't let her breathe… And it's hard to prepare a meal on the moon, and the low gravity isn't as much fun when we can both fly anyway."
Not to mention the "Man on The Moon" will be there watching everything, and I do mean EVERYTHING.
 
"Were either of them mutants?"
Not as far as I know. Not all powers are obvious...
Thank you, corrected.
Aw. Scott Summers actually giving good and helpful advice.
As far as I'm concerned, that's his role. Having had to be responsible for himself for most of his life, he's developed into a solid and sensible man.
What was that thing with Logan?
He located what he believes to be the remains of Logan's natural parents. He doesn't know who they are, but given Logan's memory issues he realises that they might help.
 
Relations could also, technically, mean Sabertooth there

Or Dog, his half brother. He and Sabretooth had a funny little exchange in the comics. "So you're the runt's brother?" "So you're the guy who wishes he were his brother, eh?"

Avery Conner, who had Wolverine's DNA grafted into her own.

John Jr, his older brother.

Kouen, another clone.

Reine du Rien, a mutant witch born in a timeline that got erased. She and Rachel should form a support group.
 
Logan is going to be told about his clones and his natural son, and who knows who else Zoat is going to pull off his hat. X23 is the one that survived the whole ordeal and inherited Logan powers at full, but if we mix up the comics with the animated timeline, then some of the other cloned sisters/daughters should be still alive at this point in the timeline so Logan probably has around a dozen sisters/daughters to rescue from being experimented on, so that is probably going to be a mission for the Xmen in the near future. Daken should also be around at this time, so Paul is probably going to drop all these bombs on Logan at the same time.

Fun times ahead.
 
Logan is going to be told about his clones and his natural son, and who knows who else Zoat is going to pull off his hat. X23 is the one that survived the whole ordeal and inherited Logan powers at full, but if we mix up the comics with the animated timeline, then some of the other cloned sisters/daughters should be still alive at this point in the timeline so Logan probably has around a dozen sisters/daughters to rescue from being experimented on, so that is probably going to be a mission for the Xmen in the near future. Daken should also be around at this time, so Paul is probably going to drop all these bombs on Logan at the same time.

Fun times ahead.
Neither X-23 nor Daken exist in this setting, both first appearing in the comics long after the series stopped.
 
Neither X-23 nor Daken exist in this setting, both first appearing in the comics long after the series stopped.
X-23 first appeared in X-Men: Evolution...though there are rumors that she's going to be in the continuation of the series along with several other more popular characters, same as how the original X-Men:TAS run did
 
Neither X-23 nor Daken exist in this setting, both first appearing in the comics long after the series stopped.


Really? That seems like something odd considering how fucking old Logan is and how many times he has lost his memories, if the clones are a no go then one would expect children to be a thing. Unless the dude is sterile.
 
Please recall that the OG material for this is the x-men 92 cartoon....logan's preference for red heads and shagging his way across the last century or two got a bit of a clean up for a Sat. Morning Cartoon from the days of 'won't someone think of the children!'.

Zoat is adding pre-existing connections in a bit earlier then they show in the material, but they Are there to be had. Unless the more recent comic book continuation of this continuity has added in Logan's 'we can't say bastards due to station regulations' children, then they aren't going to be there.

Perhaps he was a wiser man then his 616 alternate when it came to protection, maybe fewer ladies on this earth were in to short hairy foul tempered canadians.

The Closest thing that comes to mind from the cartoon was the Age of Apocalypse episodes with an Alternate Logan wedded to Storm, and the possible implications for that pair once Jean and Scott settle the 'it's a love triangle if you happen to be a few (canadian) beers in and squint a bit' with him.

Oh Jumped Up Elementals, stopping to think about Jean, I've just realized how much of a short circuit this Paul is to the cartoon's Phoenix Saga....
 
Unless the more recent comic book continuation of this continuity has added in Logan's 'we can't say bastards due to station regulations' children, then they aren't going to be there.

About 80% of both paragon and renegade is stuff that was never been established to exist in YJ. Stuff from new earth. Vertigo. Pre-crisis. Even the occasional tidbit from post flashpoint. Other cartoons. Comics that were part of their own continuity.

So we should believe Zoat suddenly feels constrained by that which was actually established in a setting because why exactly?
 
Please recall that the OG material for this is the x-men 92 cartoon....logan's preference for red heads and shagging his way across the last century or two got a bit of a clean up for a Sat. Morning Cartoon from the days of 'won't someone think of the children!'.

Zoat is adding pre-existing connections in a bit earlier then they show in the material, but they Are there to be had. Unless the more recent comic book continuation of this continuity has added in Logan's 'we can't say bastards due to station regulations' children, then they aren't going to be there.

Perhaps he was a wiser man then his 616 alternate when it came to protection, maybe fewer ladies on this earth were in to short hairy foul tempered canadians.

The Closest thing that comes to mind from the cartoon was the Age of Apocalypse episodes with an Alternate Logan wedded to Storm, and the possible implications for that pair once Jean and Scott settle the 'it's a love triangle if you happen to be a few (canadian) beers in and squint a bit' with him.

Oh Jumped Up Elementals, stopping to think about Jean, I've just realized how much of a short circuit this Paul is to the cartoon's Phoenix Saga....
The old comics did reference the possibility of hm having kids...old comics meaning the ones tied directly to the series, there was a short one, same with a spider-man one, and they'd planned an Iron Man and Avengers thing that never happened. One of the stories involved finding several old things related to Logan, a picture from WW2 of him with Fury and the Commandos and a portrait that's mainly obscured that's described as a family portrait in an old cabin that gets burned down due to Sabertooth and then Sentinels showing up
 
Because Mr Zoat has already stated that the clone characters are not included? That they're not included because they were added long after the show was off air? That most of Logan's 'kids' stories are post cartoon era as well? Seems to follow the same logic to me.

It shows that he's going to stick, if not to the exact script, to at least what has and has not been established in the specific setting, same as he did for the mainline stories. I'm sure the butterfly effect of having this Marvel OL around will lead to similar levels of divergence to that of Paragon and Renegade has, but that's unlikely to retroactively effect the starting conditions of the show he's chosen as the base line for this side story.

If you want to pick at things, the whole collection of marvel 90's cartoons, despite the cross overs that were on screen, were listed as distinctly separate marvel earth numbers and shouldn't have the connections were seeing with Zoats work. But he's already mentioned he's ignoring that facet for the sake of sanity and story telling.

If he wants to add stuff, he'll likely have a good reason. if he wants to remove stuff *cough New52 cough* he'll have reasons, and might even tell us if asked nicely. And as far as I can see Logan's love life isn't exactly in the crosshairs at the moment. There IS some in the cartoon to work with if and when he wants to go poke at it. If there's something that was roughly part of the 90s cartoons or related comics from then or the modern continuation (assuming anyone's reading those) then they might squeek in.
 
Meanwhile on Earth 534834 (part 11)
Earth 534834

8th February 1992
23:43 GMT +3


Ororo looks up as I approach, standing watch over the floodlight-lit beach. People appear to have mostly tried to get back to their holiday. A quick scan shows that most of the staff have been allowed to return to work… Well, it's not like this was a democracy. Either they didn't have any say on what was going on, or they're intelligent enough to know which way the wind has already blown.

I smile as a group of parents try to keep their curious adolescent offspring away from the remains of a crashed robot.

"Things settled down here?"

"Yes, though we have failed to make any progress on deciding what to do with the nation."

"Is that really our job?" I shrug. "We can ferry home everyone who wants to leave and… Hand over everyone in the government who thought that slavery was a good idea to the Hague or something, but beyond that… Is it our job to impose a particular government on Genosha?"

"It is not. But there are risks which come with overthrowing a government, and I would spare these people its consequences."

"Oh, I know. They don't actually teach us about The Partition of India in British schools, but they probably should." Oh. "Um, funny thing…"

"From the way you are expressing yourself, I suspect that it is not."

"Have I ever told you that you speak really good English? Especially considering your background."

"I think that it would be better if you told me your concern."

"I bumped into Magneto and told him about Genosha. Honestly, he seemed more worried about the fact that he had two children he didn't know about, but… He might end up heading this way."

"And he will do to the unpowered humans what they did to the mutants."

"Not necessarily. There's far less advantage in enslaving baseline humans than there is in enslaving humans with powers. And… It's not like Genosha has been settled all that long. He wouldn't be kicking people out of their ancestral homeland or anything."

"In the future, please avoid passing information about our missions to our enemies."

I nod. "Will do."

She smiles faintly. "In your travels, were you able to find the courage to propose to Rogue?"

"Courage wasn't exactly the problem. But Scott helped me see that I was overthinking it. Do you know where Anne-Marie is?"

"I believe that she has retired for the evening."



"Okay, so, I'm not a woman-."

"Please do not ask me for relationship advice."

Yeah, she's right. If she didn't want to wait six months then she's not going to worry about making a decision fully awake. I can-.

Ororo sighs.

"Um, if you want relationship advice from me-?"

"I do not. My powers are tied to my emotional state. Becoming attached to anyone in such a way would put all those around me in dire peril."

"Seriously, your English is amazing. If the superhero things doesn't work out, you should consider qualifying as an English teacher. But I also think that living without attachment is a half-life, and that it's probably something you could learn to adapt to."

"Thank you, but I do not believe that it is worth the risk."

"Becoming a teacher isn't that hard."

I keep a straight face as she stares at me, unamused. I'd make a reference to the Jedi, but Phantom Menace doesn't exist yet so the whole 'no attachments' thing hasn't entered the public consciousness, if it's even a thing at all in canon yet. I don't remember Luke Skywalker hesitating to engage in romance in the old Star Wars novels I read.

"I'll leave you to it. Excuse me."

"Your shift begins in twenty minutes."

I stop in the air, wincing. I mean, fair enough, this is still a mission, but… "What would it take for you to make that an hour?"

"You would have to find another member of the X-Men to provide you with cover."

Hah! Joke's on her. Hopefully. Ring, is Cable still around?

Location available.

Because I definitely saw an 'X' on his costume, and even if he only inherited it from his father I'm pretty sure he'd be willing to help. I-.

Actually, ring? Don't make me appear right next to him.

Compliance.

I appear… Near the prison where they're holding the high value prisoners. Cable-. He's below me, moving his binoculars up to see what the glowing orange thing above him is. I wave down, lowering myself slowly towards him so that he can object or leave if he doesn't want to talk.

He lowers his binoculars and picks up his gun, but he doesn't actually point it at me as I drop to his level.

"What?"

"Cable, X-Man from the future. Needed a break from fighting Apocalypse?"

His eyes narrow. "Something like that. How do you know me?"

"Parallel universe thing. Look, I need an X-Man to police the beach, and-" I point to his collar. "-you count. Help me out and I'll help you out."

He snarls as he looks towards the prison. "This place reminds me of Apocalypse's breeding pens. Every one of them deserves to die."

"People seldom get what they deserve. I'm afraid that they'll probably just get life imprisonment. Also, none of them are going to be in a position to hurt anyone else ever again."

"And you'll owe me."

"I can introduce you to your father's younger self. I haven't tested myself against someone in Apocalypse's weight class before, but I think I can make myself useful. If that's what you want. Food and equipment, to transport back to the future?"

He considers, then nods. "I can do guard duty. But don't tell my father about me. I don't want to erase myself from time."

I nod as I send out filaments. "Transporting now."

We appear on the beach, and I detach my filaments from Cable before flying back to… Her original room. She didn't move, because her stuff was already in here. I land on the balcony and walk into the room.

"Anne-Marie?"

"Uh?" The shape in the bed stirs. "Paul, hun? That you?"

"Yes."

Anne-Marie blinks, then yawns and stretches and my goodness, yes, those are magnificent breasts.

Right then.

I walk to the side of the bed, then kneel and hold out the rings. Her eyes widen and I hear a sharp intake of breath as she becomes very awake.

"I love you and wish to spend the rest of my life with you. Marry me."
 
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"Yes, though we have filed to make any progress on deciding what to do with the nation."
That should say 'failed'.

"Cable, X-Man from the future. Needed a break from fighting Apocalypse?"

His eyes narrow. "Something like that. How do you know me?"

"Parallel universe thing. Look, I need an X-Man to police the beach, and-" I point to his collar. "-you count. Help me out and I'll help you out."

He snarls as he looks towards the prison. "This place reminds me of Apocalypse's breeding pens. Every one of them deserves to die."

"People seldom get what they deserve. I'm afraid that they'll probably just get live imprisonment. Also, none of them are going to be in a position to hurt anyone else ever again."

"And you'll owe me."

"I can introduce you to your father's younger self. I haven't tested myself against someone in Apocalypse's weight class before, but I think I can make myself useful. If that's what you want. Food and equipment, to transport back to the future?"

He considers, then nods. "I can do guard duty. But don't tell my father about me. I don't want to erase myself from time."

I nod as I send out filaments. "Transporting now."

We appear on the beach, and I detach my filaments from Cable before flying back to… Her original room. She didn't move, because her stuff was already in here. I land on the balcony and walk into the room.
I'm interested in seeing how introducing Cable to the current X-Men will play out. And have any of them asked Paul what else he knows?

"Anne-Marie?"

"Uh?" The shape in the bed stirs. "Paul, hun? That you?"

"Yes."

Anne-Marie blinks, then yawns and stretches and my goodness, yes, those are magnificent breasts.

Right then.

I walk to the side of the bed, then kneel and hold out the rings. Her eyes widen and I hear a sharp intake of breath as she becomes very awake.

"I love you and wish to spend the rest of my life with you. Marry me."
It's nice that this version of the SI is able to propose to the woman he loves. Also, is this a mistake? Or was this version of the SI able to find a way to reveal his name to the X-Men?
 

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