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

Butcher's Blood (part 11)
21st January 2013
10:49 GMT


There's little fanfare as the soldiers and civilians leave my large transportation construct and enter the city. I had to excavate a passage through the ash piles, but there's air and light inside so they'll live.

Though to be honest this sounds more like a mistake than an act of malice, the local ruler's bias notwithstanding.

I exhale slowly.

How do you..? Alright, we had the Year Without A Summer, so no one was stupid enough to test-nuke a supervolcano on Earth. And they almost certainly bought the weapon from outside, so… So they knew there was a volcano there, because they had to know where to put the explosive. But maybe they didn't fully grok it? Because… They didn't have that experience. That exposure. The only thing they could compare it to was one of the continent's smaller active volcanoes.

I wonder-? I mean, I'm never going to agree with Starfleet or anything, but I can't help but wonder how many inhabited worlds… Die, like this. A supervolcano goes off, or there's a mutation in a virus or bacterium that sends it rampant, or… I don't know, a geomagnetic reversal on a world inhabited by a species that has a magnetic sense. And everything.. just… Dies. Selling tactical weapons wouldn't really matter, even… Strategic weapons. But a seller probably wouldn't think to say 'don't put this on a supervolcano'.

I wave as Razer and Ilana approach.

"The Dal was kind enough to give me a lead. Did you learn anything?"

Ilana smiles. "It's interesting to meet people from so far away."

Razer grimaces. "It seems strange that so many people go to fight and die for so little."

I attach filaments to them and rise into the air. "Perhaps it seems like a big deal to them."

"No, it didn't. They just seem to think it was inevitable that war would be the result."

"On my world, two cities once went to war over a bucket. Though we've pretty much phased that sort of thing out."

Ilana looks interested. "How did your people do that?"

"We developed an economy where buckets aren't so valuable." She looks at me uncertainly. "That-. That was a joke. It was a combination of very deadly weapons being commonly available, and our economies becoming so interdependent and fragile that killing large numbers of fighting age men risked completely destroying the participating civilisations. Ah, plus nationalism, which increasingly made compelling a conquered population to obey too expensive to countenance because people would rather die than give their conquerors anything. You have to really hate someone to invade them under those circumstances."

"Oh."

"And we do, just less often."

She bows her head slightly as I fly us out of the force field, everything going dark as we leave. "You were serious about interstellar space not being 'peaceful'."

"Is that sort of ruthlessness common?"

"A-ah…"

I look up into the blackness as we accelerate.

"I can't.. claim.. to have studied every extant civilisation, but yes."

Ilana looks understandably downcast. "That's terrible."

"You can't really assess terribleness in isolation. I mean, we've got this universe, but if we don't have another universe to compare it to, we can't really say that it's worse. Maybe this is as good as it can get."

Ilana looks understandably more downcast. "That's terrible."

Razer nods. "And now I'm imagining somewhere worse."

"It's good practice. Before today, I'd never seen a supervolcano go off. I mean, I've seen worlds bombarded to death from orbit, but there's something about the sheer scale of nature's wrath that marks it out."

She frowns. "What happens if someone does this to the other three after you leave?"

"Hopefully by then you have a Green Lantern assigned to this Sector, and they step in and fix it. More hopefully-"

Orange light strobes out, projecting a display of the canyon we're flying over onto the clouds below us.

"-everyone learns enough from this to know that blowing up supervolcanoes is a bad idea for everyone. Please bear in mind that this is the best lead I have on the Butcher's blood, and the people here may not be entirely rational."

Razer makes a very quiet exhalation. "When compared to everyone else?"

Ilana favours him with a curious look, which prompts another exhalation.

"I thought that the people who intended to invade our homes were in some way unique. I thought that joining the militia was the best way to protect you. And I would have killed them, and then travelled to their city to ensure that they could not send another army."

She takes hold of his hands. "They probably felt the same about their wives."

"It's harder to kill someone when you know their name. Perhaps we should make more of an effort to get to know our neighbours."

"Good idea. Going down now. Oh, and-." I take a book out of subspace and translate it into their language before passing it to Razer. "This is how my planet's first global war happened a hundred years ago. You may find that some parts sound familiar." He cautiously takes the book. "Basically, don't do any of that."

"Thank you. I will make sure to avoid your planet a hundred years ago."

"Ah, also, don't go there now. We've got this thing with suicide magic-"

A volley of arrows fly in our general direction from the walls, either missing due to the ash or hitting my construct shield. The ash fall is much less bad here, and I can see where the air currents are diverting the majority of it around the mountains. Still not easy to see, but it's 'foggy' rather than 'Kahndaqi insect plague'.

"-and a giant robot god. Hello! We come in peace!"

Razer raises his new book slightly.

"Nearly! We'd really appreciate the opportunity to talk to whoever's in charge about the volcanic eruption!"

"No room here!"

Ilana puts her right hand on my left.

"He thinks we're here for shelter. There is no need to fight him."

"The great thing about being really strong is that it's not really a fight. I am strong enough to disable most of my opponents without causing them lasting injury. But you are correct."

I thicken the shield a little, just in case they've put an anti-air weapon on the walls, then float us into easy visual distance of the people on the top of the wall.

"And when I say 'appreciate', I mean 'do it now'."
 
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"On my world, two cities once went to war over a bucket."
So, does the MC not actually know that he has just lied*, or do you not look at the links you post?

* To be more accurate, Wikipedia doesn't quite say "Some places say that the war was started over a stolen bucket, but this is obvious bullshit as made clear in the more reliable sources". Wikipedia is more weasel-worded than that, but given the options of "war over bucket" Vs "war where bucket was taken as trophy after it was won" it's pretty clear that the latter is the more plausible while the former makes a better story.
 
21st January 2013
10:49 GMT


There's little fanfare as the soldiers and civilians leave my large transportation construct and enter the city. I had to excavate a passage through the ash piles, but there's air and light inside so they'll live.

Though to be honest this sounds more like a mistake than an act of malice, the local ruler's bias notwithstanding.

I exhale slowly.
Never make a final conclusion before you've gathered all the facts, OL. For all you know, Dal Cryoncus losing his son (presumably his eldest?) drove him mad. Reasonably possible, given the way he threw aside his wife and their children together...

How do you..? Alright, we had the Year Without A Summer, so no one was stupid enough to test-nuke a supervolcano on Earth. And they almost certainly bought the weapon from outside, so… So they knew there was a volcano there, because they had to know where to put the explosive. But maybe they didn't fully grok it? Because… They didn't have that experience. That exposure. The only thing they could compare it to was one of the continents smaller active volcanoes.
And there may well have been worse periods in the past when weather observations weren't so well-recorded. Earth's slightly irregular orbit does lead to periods of long cold or hot conditions, after all.

I wonder-? I mean, I'm never going to agree with Star Fleet or anything, but I can't help but wonder how many inhabited worlds… Die, like this. A supervolcano goes off, or there's a mutation in a virus or bacterium that sends it rampant, or… I don't know, a geomagnetic reversal on a world inhabited by a species that has a magnetic sense. And everything.. just… Dies. Selling tactical weapons wouldn't really matter, even… Strategic weapons. But a seller probably wouldn't think to say 'don't put this on a supervolcano'.
The hard part for some of those would be even identifying that they're imminent. Some, you might now even learn about until long after they're underway...

I wave as Razer and Ilana approach.

"The Dal was kind enough to give me a lead. Did you learn anything?"
No local legends of mysterious 'rage places' or the like?

Ilana smiles. "It's interesting to meet people from so far away."

Razer grimaces. "It seems strange that so many people go to fight and die for so little."
Boy, their outlooks couldn't be more different, eh? She's all 'wow, so interesting' while he's 'damn, people are stupid everywhere.'

I attach filaments to them and rise into the air. "Perhaps it seems like a big deal to them."

"No, it didn't. They just seems to think it was inevitable that war would be the result."
I mean, sometimes, you can see the avalanche coming, and all you can do is try to dig in and wait it out... Or sometimes, you can strike first and make it happen in a way beneficial to you.

"On my world, two cities once went to war over a bucket. Though we've pretty much phased that sort of thing out."

Ilana looks interested. "How did your people do that?"
...Still not the strangest war anyone's fought.

"We developed an economy where buckets aren't so valuable." She looks at me uncertainly. "That-. That was a joke. It was a combination of very deadly weapons being commonly available, and our economies becoming so interdependent and fragile that killing large numbers of fighting age men risked completely destroying the participating civilisations. Ah, plus nationalism, which increasingly made compelling a conquered population to obey too expensive to countenance because people would rather die than give their conquerors anything. You have to really hate someone to invade them under those circumstances."
Sooner or later, we'll work out that it's easier to just turn it all into a sport...

"Oh."

"And we do, just less often."
And thankfully never on the same scale since.

She bows her head slightly as I fly us out of the force field, everything doing dark as we leave. "You were serious about interstellar space not being 'peaceful'."

"Is that sort of ruthlessness common?"
Razer asking the real important questions.

"A-ah…"

I look up into the blackness as we accelerate.
I mean, OL was that ruthless for a while. Then he decided to try and be nicer.

"I can't.. claim.. to have studied every extant civilisation, but yes."

Ilana looks understandably downcast. "That's terrible."
Such is life.

"You can't really assess terribleness in isolation. I mean, we've got this universe, but if we don't have another universe to compare it to, we can't really say that it's worse. Maybe this is as good as it can get."

Ilana looks understandably more downcast. "That's terrible."

Razer nods. "And now I'm imaging somewhere worse."
...Well, it's not like OL's really bothered to look at the Anti-Matter universe in any detail outside of Qward and maybe Earth -16.

"It's good practice. Before today, I'd never seen a supervolcano go off. I mean, I've seen worlds bombarded to death from orbit, but there's something about the sheer scale of nature's wrath that marks it out."

She frowns. "What happens if someone does this to the other three after you leave?"
Referring to the Psion Wombworld's glassing, eh? And as I've said before, Mother nature is scarier.

"Hopefully by then you have a Green Lantern assigned to this Sector, and they step in and fix it. More hopefully-"

Orange light strobes out, projecting a display of the canyon we're flying over onto the clouds below us.
...Let's hope the rookies don't wash out, then.

"-everyone learns enough from this to know that blowing up supervolcanoes is a bad idea for everyone. Please bear in mind that this is the best lead I have on the Butcher's blood, and the people here may not be entirely rational."

Razer makes a very quiet exhalation. "When compared to everyone else?"
I mean, you haven't really met anyone from elsewhere other than OL yet, have you? And individuals can be plenty sensible. It's just people that are... Idiots.

Ilana favours him with a curious look, which prompts another exhalation.

"I thought that the people who intended to invade our homes were in some way unique. I thought that joining the militia was the best way to protect you. And I would have killed them, and then travelled to their city to ensure that they could not send another army."
And now we see how he could have called down a Red Ring in his grief and rage...

She takes hold of his hands. "They probably felt the same about their wives."

"It's harder to kill someone when you know their name. Perhaps we should make more of an effort to get to know our neighbours."
See, that sort of attitude is how you unite a race. A pity not everyone feels the same way.

"Good idea. Going down now. Oh, and-." I take a book out of subspace and translate it into their language before passing it to Razer. "This is how my planet's first global war happened a hundred years ago. You may find that some parts sound familiar." He cautiously takes the book. "Basically, don't do any of that."

"Thank you. I will make sure to avoid your planet a hundred years ago."
And yes, the origins of World War I are as messy and confused as they appear. An ugly combination of alliances, racial tensions and two lucky gunshots that ended up killing millions of young men... :(

"Ah, also, don't go there now. We're got this thing with suicide magic-"

A volley of arrows fly in our general direction from the walls, either missing due to the ash or hitting my construct shield. The ash fall is much less bad here, and I can see where the air currents are diverting the majority of it around the mountains. Still not easy to see, but it's 'foggy' rather than 'Kahndaqi insect plague'.
Ah, yes. This is why they thought they could get away with it, eh? Natural defences against both mortals and weather.

"-and a giant robot god. Hello! We come in peace!"

Razer raises his new book slightly.
I mean, a nice, thick history book could stop an arrow...

"Nearly! We'd really appreciate the opportunity to talk to whoever's in charge about the volcanic eruption!"

"No room here!"
...The Ring translator is working right, isn't it?

Ilana puts her right hand on my left.

"He thinks were here for shelter. There is no need to fight him."
If they pissed OL off, it wouldn't be a fight. It'd be a stomp.

"The great thing about being really strong is that it's not really a fight. I am strong enough to disable most of my opponents without causing them lasting injury. But you are correct."

I thicken the shield a little, just in case they've put an anti-air weapon on the walls, then float us into easy visual distance of the people on the top of the wall.

"And when I say 'appreciate', I mean 'do it now'."
Ah, yes. Nothing like being intimidating than casually flying through hostile fire and asking nicely.

Now, let's see how they respond to a polite request. Because even the dumbest city guard isn't going to argue with a flying, glowing Lantern. Even one of an unfamiliar colour. So it's a safe bet we'll get to meet the leader implicated in this bit of genocidal idiocy, and get to see him get a stern talking to.


"He thinks were here for shelter.
"He thinks we're here for shelter.
 
So, does the MC not actually know that he has just lied*, or do you not look at the links you post?

* To be more accurate, Wikipedia doesn't quite say "Some places say that the war was started over a stolen bucket, but this is obvious bullshit as made clear in the more reliable sources". Wikipedia is more weasel-worded than that, but given the options of "war over bucket" Vs "war where bucket was taken as trophy after it was won" it's pretty clear that the latter is the more plausible while the former makes a better story.
He likely knows and doesn't care.

This MC likes to make himself out to be the smartest person in the room by pulling up stories using historical and or comic information that support whatever point he is trying to make when he is giving a superiority lecture because nobody is able to fact check him on said stories to call him on his bullshit.
 
She bows her head slightly as I fly us out of the force field, everything doing dark as we leave. "You were serious about interstellar space not being 'peaceful'."


"Is that sort of ruthlessness common?"
Is the extra empty line deliberate?
"It's good practice. Before today, I'd never seen a supervolcano go off. I mean, I've seen worlds bombarded to death from orbit, but there's something about the sheer scale of nature's wrath that marks it out."
Didn't he see Yellowstone go off? I guess he stopped it quickly so maybe it doesn't count.
 
If this doesn't make them want an Orange ring. Nothing will.

Razor for Red Lantern!
 
The effect of the Butcher's blood might make every just a tiny bit more terse and prone to anger and that may be affecting Paul.
 
"He thinks we're here for shelter.
Is that on purpose? Or should that say 'imagining'.
Thank you, corrected.
So, does the MC not actually know that he has just lied*, or do you not look at the links you post?

* To be more accurate, Wikipedia doesn't quite say "Some places say that the war was started over a stolen bucket, but this is obvious bullshit as made clear in the more reliable sources". Wikipedia is more weasel-worded than that, but given the options of "war over bucket" Vs "war where bucket was taken as trophy after it was won" it's pretty clear that the latter is the more plausible while the former makes a better story.
He didn't read the full article, but he's also saying it for emphasis.
 
Just my 2c Mr Zoat, don't just give them a book leading up to the world wars, but at least cover the political and social aftermath after they ended. Don't just be a downer and what not to do, but how to recover and what to do after.
 
Which book is it? The Guns of August?
 
Just my 2c Mr Zoat, don't just give them a book leading up to the world wars, but at least cover the political and social aftermath after they ended. Don't just be a downer and what not to do, but how to recover and what to do after.
He didn't give them both World Wars, just the first one.
And the "how to recover and what to do after" the winners did there is what set up the second one.
 
Workhorse

20th September 2012
17:11 GMT
I think I've somehow skipped this update once or twice when doing a reread. Or I'm tired enough that it doesn't really register. But looking at it now… I find it to be quite sweet! It is nice to see this side of Paul and the back and forth with his partner. I don't know how proud you are of your dynamics between Paul and Guy or Paul and Alan, but this update's relationship beats are just as lovely as those.
 
Butcher's Blood (supplementary, Renegade Option)
21st January 2013
10:57 GMT


"Stop."

The small beaver-like alien before me both looks and sounds serious, but I admit that I'm having a little difficulty taking someone the size of an actual beaver entirely seriously. I mean, sure, that's an indigo staff and power ring and he's probably had them both for a while, but…

But he'd fit right in on the Equestria side of the portal without changing shape.

"So they do come in other colours. I thought you were chasing starlight."

Amon Sur's ship is hanging back a little. That… I'm not sure what to do about him in the longer term. The Earth Defence Force is probably going to have a hostile encounter with the Black Circle eventually, and then we'll have to exterminate them. But for now we just don't have any interstellar trade, so there's nothing for them to raid. For him personally? Once I've completed this task, I'll have enough time on my hands that I could offer him an orange ring and an apprenticeship.

Might be worth killing off the rest of the Black Circle first

Wait a minute. This beaver looks… Wasn't there a beaver who fought against Lantern Ch'p? I don't remember what he was called

Sinestro?

The only beaver-like creature I have a file on is one Doctor Ub'x. He was a criminal technologist. My organic self bought equipment from him on two occasions.

I smile. "Lantern Ub'x, I presume. What is it that you want me to stop?"

"I want you to stop trying to find us. Did you really think that we don't keep an eye on Lantern Jordan? And Amon Sur?"

"The first, I wasn't sure. The second, I assumed that you didn't, because if you did then it would have been logical for you to offer him a ring."

"No it wouldn't. You know that we exist but you clearly don't know what we are."

"You have a power ring, which is indigo. Therefore-."

"I mean that you don't know why Abin Sur created this organisation. Or why I'm part of it."

"According to my sources you used to be an arms trader. It seems like you'd be the sort of person due for a little indigo light based reformation."

"No, I went to the Indigo Lantern Corps voluntarily in order to… Earn redemption, I suppose. I went of my own free will, which is why I can have this conversation with you. How do you know I exist?"

"I've had access to parallel universes. The Indigo Lantern Corps isn't secret in all of them."

"No, not the Corps. Me, personally. Though I suppose that the answer is probably the same."

"Yes. Why, is there something special about you?"

He snorts with amusement. "I suppose not. So, what do you want with the Indigo Lantern Corps, Grayven of Apokolips?"

"I'm trying to help a pony corrupted by evil magic."

"I might be able to help, but our rings are only intended for particular types of people."

"No, no, I'm not suggesting him as a candidate. I need someone who can blast them with elemental compassion at the same time as six of us fire other colours of ring at him."

"That seems like a rather convoluted way of killing someone."

"No, no, no, it won't kill them. I'm pretty sure that combining the colours together will produce white light, the essence of life itself. And that will hopefully do away with the evil magic."

"The essence of life-? That doesn't sound like a good idea."

"No, it's perfectly safe. No risk of supercharging bacteria or giving people super-cancer."

"No, I mean, bringing that sort of power into the universe. There must be all sorts of ways that something like that could go horribly wrong."

"Look, there'll be seven Lanterns, one of whom will be me. Plus whatever escort I think is worth taking. If you're not going to use your power to help people then what's the point of even having it?"

"That's something that I never thought-"

"Ask him about my sister's murderer!"

"-I'd hear an Apokoliptian say."

"I've had an interesting life. So… What happened to Iroque? I assume that Abin Sur used her as a lab rat."

"She is serving the Corps as a Penitent. I assume that Amon Sur is shouting about how much he wants her dead?"

"Actually, he's being-"

"She's alive?! I want her dead!"

"-surprisingly.. restrained. I assume that she's brainwashed by the indigo light?"

"That's not precisely how it works. She can only feel compassion, but that doesn't change her underlying thought processes. Not directly, anyway. It's more a form of exposure-therapy, while her body is essentially… Little more than a puppet of the indigo light."

"Ah." I nod approvingly. "Slavery. To be maintained until the real mind learns to rejoice in obedience. I think that we should ensure that my father never reaches Nok."

"She's a slave?"

I smile at Dr. Ub'x.

"Would you excuse me for a moment?"

"Oh, so he is demanding her death."

"Yes, obviously."

"Then by all means."

I raise Sinestro to my mouth. "Yes, she's a brainwashed slave doing eternal community service."

"Does she suffer?"

"How often was your father wounded in the line of duty."

"Hm."

I lower my hand and return my attention to the magical beaver. "So are you willing to help with the pony, or do I have to track Nok down and ask someone else?"

"How many colours do you still need?"

"Ah… Depends whether Ganthet gets back to me or not. I don't actually have anyone for blue, but assuming-"

Incoming message-. Ow. Ow.

"-that he comes through… Excuse me a moment again. Yes?"

The face-. Of an elderly man stares back at me. Can't see the body, but the eyes… There's a sort of placid focus to them, unmoved but not unconcerned by the universe.

"Grayven. You have requested the use of a device that you should not know exists. How did you hear of it?"

"Not all parallel universes run to the same timeline. One of your alts has got it working."

"Did he have a Lantern?"

"Think he gave it to Jordan, actually. And some guy called Bro'Dee Walker, but he won't have undergone the trials that turned him into a good Blue Lantern yet. Ah… There was a guy called Warth, don't know if he's in the right mental place."

I shrug.

"So how about it?"

"My research has not yet yielded a prototype, but I shall certainly bear those names in mind."

"Are you likely to be able to get a prototype..? Anytime soon?"

"No. It has been some time since I have been able to spend time on a side project. It is pleasant to know that I will eventually be successful, but my responsibilities are unlikely to decrease. But don't worry; as a New God you will most likely live to see my project's eventual completion. I will let you know when I am finally successful."

His face vanishes.

"No blue light, then? Can I get on with my day?"

Hm.

"No, I… Think I can still manage."
 
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