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

Coda · Mar 31, 2023

Mr Zoat said:
Other Luna's eyes widen as she look up at me.

looks

Mr Zoat · Mar 31, 2023

Coda said:
looks

Thank you, corrected.

Mr Zoat · Mar 31, 2023

21st January 2013
13:21 GMT

Other Luna peers out across the frozen landscape.

"You're sure that he's there?"

A variety of Lanterns holding construct magnifying glasses nod without looking at her. I just create a construct to display the mad king's position. And… Sound.

"Crystals…"

He appears to have taken refuge in a disused mine, and indeed there are quite a few crystals both exposed and embedded in the rock.

"Nice thing about being a Lantern. We can pretty much just appear next to him using lightspeed transitions, without any of the confusion that comes with teleport assaults. Or the risk that he's put up anti-teleportation wards. Koriand'r, Sombra can turn into a cloud of mist, so if you could please place a spherical shield around us all when we arrive?"

She nods happily.

"Thank you. Jordan, please help her out if something goes wrong. Everyone else? I've got no idea what hitting someone with white light does so I'm going to be feeling it out as we go. If I shout an order, please obey it unless your connection to your own light gives you a very good reason not to. If that happens, please explain as quickly and simply as possible."

Jordan frowns. "If we don't know what it does, why aren't we testing it first?"

"Because I don't want to clue in Nekron. You met Nekron, right?"

"… Yeah."

My Luna… She's looking at me, but the mask means that I can't see her ex-.

"I'm frowning. Who is 'Nekron'?"

"Really powerful undead… God?" I glance at Jordan, but he just shrugs. I'm not really sure how to classify him. Normally, immaterial gods are limited to a single thaumosphere but that doesn't appear to be a problem Nekron has. If I had to guess, it's a property of the Land of the Unliving itself… But I don't know for certain, and that's one scab I haven't felt like poking. "Has a few billion undead slaves, and would rather like to murder the concept of life. I don't think he has any presence here, but if we tried this back home it would be like catnip to him. Plus, there's a good chance that we're all going to be a bit out of it afterwards, or… There might be some other cost."

In the comic, that was just for bringing people back from the dead. There was no extra cost for Sinestro to just shoot with it. Not sure how it'll work here, or if that was just for using the white light directly rather than combining the other colours.

"Point is, it should be fairly instinctive, but… I don't think that we should use it more than we have to." I frown. "I don't remember you ordering test firings of the Elements of Harmony."

"We did not. But your practical aspect is rubbing off on Us."

I look away from King Sombra's hiding place and towards her. Oh, if we were alone-.

"We know what you are thinking and ask that you stop."

Other Luna raises her eyebrows as I lean in and kiss my Luna. The mask makes it a little awkward, and suddenly I find myself thinking of nothing but the cave in which King Sombra-.

I pull away. "Alright. Consider my ardour doused, oh equinoid temptress."

Now back to Sombra. Interesting. He still fears what he's become and what he might do, but it's not clear that he remembers why. And my work is made a little easier by the nation that both fears his new form and fears for his former self.

"On 'one'." Plot course.

Honestly, Lantern Grayven, I just want this to be over. If you ever encounter your reality's version of Sinestro, please omit this from your records.

"Three."

The rings around me start to glow.

"Two."

I tether myself to Luna, and make eye contact to make sure that she's ready. She nods.

"One."

I transition, appearing just in front of Sombra, yellow beam lancing out as I amplify his fears and share with him those of his people. He rears up, kicking helplessly at the air as the glowing green and purple of his eyes is momentarily replaced by yellow. Next to me, Luna's eyes glow and Sombra grips his head as the conflicting emotions give him a nasty case of cognitive dissonance.

And then Guy hits him and he appears to rally for an instant before Geoffrey does the same. His eyes actually clear when Ghia'ta forces him to remember his love of Celestia, and I actually see her face made of violet light over his head. And then Komand'r hits him and the green and purple is sort of back until Ub'x hits him as well.

It doesn't seem to be doing much other than bewildering him.

Alright.

The white light isn't just all the colours stuck together, it's their synthesis. And only two of us have experienced it, so…
I guess it's up to me.
The white light is life itself, all the things that give existence substance. It's the opposite of Anti-Life, which claims that existence is self-defeating. With whatever 'evil' that stuff infesting him is, Sombra isn't living as himself at the moment. He's being made something other than what he is by an external force. His true self was a monarch devoted to his people. For a thousand years he served as their protector and sovereign, instilling purpose and virtue.
And from the feel his soul imparts in mine, I wouldn't mind him becoming my brother in law.
He gave up Celestia rather than have her suffer on his behalf, but Ghia'ta can still feel his love for her. Despite that cursed presence telling him to act out, under it all he's still tenaciously striving to live.

Oh my.

There's a surge of light and-

Error.

-the rings blasting Sombra shut down even as the stallion himself falls to the floor.

Ub'x is the first to reach him, performing basic checks by hand while scanning him with his ring. Around us… Komand'r's holding her head while Geoffrey looks the most relaxed he's been since I first met him.

"Sister?"

Koriand'r looks at Komand'r in concern, a look that doesn't change when Komand'r turns around and hugs her. Doesn't stop her hugging back, though.

Sombra groans, prompting Ub'x to look at me and nod. I grin, and-. There they are. I motion Other Celestia and Other Luna closer. Other Celestia gets closest, her muzzle closest to his when his eyes blearily open.

"C-celestia?"

"Yes, I-. Not your Celestia, but-. You freed me from the evil magic possessing me. Thank you."

"I'm-." He appears to take stock of himself. "I appear… To be myself. Is this..?"

I nod, grinning. "Permanent, and I've got a portal available. You can nip back and forth as much as you and Celestia want."

"Really?" He smiles, taking in the people surrounding him and noticing my Luna for the first time. He looks at her for confirmation, and she nods.

Actually, why delay the reunion? Mother Box, boom tube to wherever Celestia is.

Ping!

Ngamer11 · Mar 31, 2023

I'm interested as to how this exposure to the White Light will affect the lanterns who took part in the procedure.

NightmareWarden · Mar 31, 2023

Victory! Hopefully it didn't cost them seven or eight rings.

Let's celebrate! Sugar cubes for the ponies, a steak for the dog, krill for the octopus, sugarcane for the dire beaver, catnip for the Tamaraneans, and a gullible, trauma-free boy for Oni!Ghia'ta to enjoy a coming-of-age plot with. Maybe a cookie for Motherbox too.

Signaller · Mar 31, 2023

How many rings could be needed to generate white light in the universe with 14 colours? All of them, or any seven, or the main seven?

Vaermina · Mar 31, 2023

Mr Zoat said:
Actually, why delay the reunion? Mother Box, boom tube to wherever Celestia is.

Ping!

Handlewithcare · Mar 31, 2023

A bit anti-climactic. I expected a bigger Light show.

Also, does that mean the Harmony Rainbow Lazor is like a precursor to White Light? Can it be upgraded?

Chojin Patriarch · Mar 31, 2023

Mr Zoat said:
21st January 2013
13:21 GMT

Other Luna peers out across the frozen landscape.

"You're sure that he's there?"

Certainly seems the safest place possible, especially if he's running in 'evil monster shadow-cloud' like his main-line counterpart. No-one to harm, barring some very brave wildlife. Or well-deserving spirits.

A variety of Lanterns holding construct magnifying glasses nod without looking at her. I just create a construct to display the mad king's position. And… Sound.

"Crystals…"

...I find it amusing all of them went to 'magnifying glasses' as a scanning construct.

He appears to have taken refuge in a disused mine, and indeed there are quite a few crystals both exposed and imbedded in the rock.

"Nice thing about being a Lantern. We can pretty much just appear next to him using lightspeed transitions, without any of the confusion that comes with teleport assaults. Or the risk that he's put up anti-teleportation wards. Koriand'r, Sombra can turn into a cloud of mist, so if you could please place a spherical shield around us all when we arrive?"

And in a place like this, there's very little chance of any FTL interdiction systems, or magic that does the equivalent.

She nods happily.

"Thank you. Jordan, please help her out if something goes wrong. Everyone else? I've got no idea what hitting someone with white light does so I'm going to be feeling it out as we go. If I shout an order, please obey it unless your connection to your own light gives you a very good reason not to. If that happens, please explain as quickly and simply as possible."

Some very sensible advice. And I get the feeling the Lights' Embodiments will be paying attention.

Jordan frowns. "If we don't know what it does, why aren't we testing it first?"

"Because I don't want to clue in Nekron. You met Nekron, right?"

And anything involving Nekron is a bad thing. Comes of being the Embodiment of the Black Light.

"… Yeah."

My Luna… She's looking at me, but the mask means that I can't see her ex-.

"I'm frowning. Who is 'Nekron'?"

Ha! Lovely that she can read him so well.

"Really powerful undead… God?" I glance at Jordan, but he just shrugs. I'm not really sure how to classify him. Normally, immaterial gods are limited to a single thaumosphere but that doesn't appear to be a problem Nekron has. If I had to guess, it's a property of the Land of the Unliving itself… But I don't know for certain, and that's one scab I haven't felt like poking. "Has a few billion undead slaves, and would rather like to murder the concept of life. I don't think he has any presence here, but if we tried this back home it would be like catnip to him. Plus, there's a good chance that we're all going to be a bit out of it afterwards, or… There might be some other cost."

Honestly, the White Light Entity is rather easy-going about things. If it realises that you're doing this for a good cause, you won't be punished...

In the comic, that was just for bringing people back from the dead. There was no extra cost for Sinestro to just shoot with it. Not sure how it'll work here, or if that was just for using the white light directly rather than combining the other colours.

"Point is, it should be fairly instinctive, but… I don't think that we should use it more than we have to." I frown. "I don't remember you ordering test firings of the Elements of Harmony."

To be fair, using the Elements is less 'fire a weapon' than 'call forth the spirit of Harmony itself and hope it solves the problem.'

"We did not. But your practical aspect is rubbing off on Us."

I look away from King Sombra's hiding place and towards her. Oh, if we were alone-.

Save it for later, Lothario.

"We know what you are thinking and ask that you stop."

Other Luna raises her eyebrows as I lean in and kiss my Luna. The mask makes it a little awkward, and suddenly I find myself thinking of nothing but the cave in which King Sombra-.

At least Ponies are a little more... Subdued in their instinctual displays of such feelings. I'm not sure the others could look you in the face if they saw that.

...For various reasons.

I pull away. "Alright. Consider my ardour doused, oh equinoid temptress."

Now back to Sombra. Interesting. He still fears what he's become and what he might do, but it's not clear that he remembers why. And my work is made a little easier by the nation that both fears his new form and fear for his former self.

The evil energies are that primal, eh? I'm guessing they're trying to drive him into doing what they want, but he's resisting with all his strength

"On 'one'." Plot course.

Honestly, Lantern Grayven, I just want this to be over. If you ever encounter your reality's version of Sinestro, please omit this from your records.

Aw, don't be such a sour-puss, Ringnestro.

"Three."

The rings around me start to glow.

...For a second, I wondered about Hope, then I remembered...

"Two."

I tether myself to Luna, and make eye contact to make sure that she's ready. She nods.

...They're having to make do with the off-brand model.

"One."

I transition, appearing just in front of Sombra, yellow beam lancing out as I amplify his fears and share with him those of his people. He rears up, kicking helplessly at the air as the glowing green and purple of his eyes is momentarily replaced by yellow. Next to me, Luna's eyes glow and Sombra grips his head as the conflicting emotions give him a nasty case of cognitive dissonance.

Especially since Hope and Fear are direct opposites on the Spectrum.

And then Guy hits him and he appears to rally for an instant before Geoffrey does the same. His eyes actually clear when Ghia'ta forces him to remember his love of Celestia, and I actually see her face made of violet light over his head. And then Komand'r hits him and the green and purple is sort of back until Ub'x hits him as well.

It doesn't seem to be doing much other than bewildering him.

So, looks like the Medusa Mask is doing enough for Hope right now. So Cephelopodus is able to save his power for emergency backup.

Alright.

The white light isn't just all the colours stuck together, it's their synthesis. And only two of us have experienced it, so…

Acting as a natural prism, then, to recombine them through your Godhead?

I guess it's up to me.
The white light is life itself, all the things that give existence substance. It's the opposite of Anti-Life, which claims that existence is self-defeating. With whatever 'evil' that stuff infesting him is, Sombra isn't living as himself at the moment. He's being made something other than what he is by an external force. His true self was a monarch devoted to his people. For a thousand years he served as their protector and sovereign, instilling purpose and virtue.

Impressive. I wonder how he managed to live that long as a regular Unicorn? Simply deciding to not die? Wouldn't be the first time Death respected someone's wish in that regard.

And from the feel his soul imparts in mine, I wouldn't mind him becoming my brother in law.
He gave up Celestia rather than have her suffer on his behalf, but Ghia'ta can still feel his love for her. Despite that cursed presence telling him to act out, under it all he's still tenaciously striving to live.

And hasn't tried to rip and tear at them despite all of the warm-side emotions filling him. Impressive self-control.

Oh my.

There's a surge of light and-

Ah, did he get a glimpse of something beyond, eh?

Error.

-the rings blasting Sombra shut down even has the stallion himself falls to the floor.

But has it worked? Is he cleansed of the Evil? ...Is he still alive?

Ub'x is the first to reach him, performing basic checks by hand while scanning him with his ring. Around us… Komand'r's holding her head while Geoffrey looks the most relaxed he's been since I first met him.

"Sister?"

Interesting reactions to their experience. Hopefulyl it hasn't damaged Geoffrey's Enlightenment or anything like that.

Koriand'r looks at Komand'r in concern, a look that doesn't change when Komand'r turns around and hugs her. Doesn't stop her hugging back, though.

Sombra groans, prompting Ub'x to look at me and nod. I grin, and-. There they are. I motion Other Celestia and Other Luna closer. Other Celestia gets closest, her muzzle closest to his when his eyes blearily open.

Ah, I see. They're all feeling a bit of emotional crossover. Geoffrey's probably soaked in Hope, while Komand'r is overwhlemed by Love.

"C-celestia?"

"Yes, I-. Not your Celestia, but-. You freed me from the evil magic possessing me. Thank you."

I rather suspect her nemes makes that obvious enough. But still, I doubt she ever expected to be able to thank him...

"I'm-." He appears to take stock of himself. "I appear… To be myself. Is this..?"

I nod, grinning. "Permanent, and I've got a portal available. You can nip back and forth as much as you and Celestia want."

Wait, you're going to leave them a Boom Tube generator?

Or some way to call in a request to yours on Earth?

"Really?" He smiles, taking in the people surrounding him and noticing my Luna for the first time. He looks at her for confirmation, and she nods.

Actually, why delay the reunion? Mother Box, boom tube to wherever Celestia is.

Hey, now. Let's not be hasty. Still no guarantee that it worked.

Ping!

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

"All right, sir. Just a moment... Um, are you sure? Because..." Let's hope she's not doing anything embarrassing right now. Or in a meeting or something.

Well, then. A bit early to award the prize, but the Renegade just locked in the "By Our Colours Combined!" Achievement for sure! Sombra might need a little time to shake off the lingering effects of his possession, but so far, he's looking good. And a little private time with Celestia might be just the tonic for his aching soul...

Duke Long · Mar 31, 2023

Mr Zoat said:
And my work is made a little easier by the nation that both fears his new form and fear for his former self.

'fears for his former self'?

Mr Zoat · Mar 31, 2023

Duke Long said:
'fears for his former self'?

Thank you, corrected.

DAT_NOOB · Mar 31, 2023

Mr Zoat said:
Koriand'r looks at Komand'r in concern, a look that doesn't change when Komand'r turns around and hugs her. Doesn't stop her hugging back, though.

Huh, what's that about.

I'm sure it has no future implications

Pinklestia · Mar 31, 2023

DAT_NOOB said:
Huh, what's that about.

I'm sure it has no future implications

Well, the Renegade versions of them do get along way better that the Oh El versions.

Darko · Mar 31, 2023

Mr Zoat said:
You met Nekron, right?"

"You've met"

Coda · Mar 31, 2023

Mr Zoat said:
imbedded

embedded

Mr Zoat said:
even has the stallion himself falls

even as, I think?

Darko said:
"You've met"

Not required. The original text wasn't wrong.

That is: "You met Nekron?" asks if the event of meeting Nekron occurred in the past. "You've met Nekron?" asks if you already have the experience of meeting Nekron. There's no meaningful difference in nuance, so either is valid.

Mr Zoat · Mar 31, 2023

Coda said:
embedded
even as, I think?

Thank you, corrected.

Ciber · Apr 1, 2023

Zoat was taking to long, so I borrowed the AI Zoat that the mods use as a footstool and it cranked out this before exploding!
22nd January 2013
15:42 GMT

After the emotional reunion between Celestia and Sombra, I find myself sitting with Luna on a bench in the royal gardens. The sun is setting, casting a warm orange glow over everything, and I can't help but feel a sense of peace and accomplishment.

It's rare that we get moments like these, just sitting together and enjoying the quiet.

"I never did thank you properly for helping me with Sombra," Luna says softly, her eyes fixed on the horizon.

"You don't need to thank me," I reply. "I did it because I wanted to, and because it was the right thing to do."

"But still," she insists, turning to face me. "It means so much to me, and to Celestia as well. You've given us our friend back, and you've helped bring some closure and happiness to a very dark chapter in our lives."

I smile at her, feeling a warm glow in my chest that has nothing to do with the sunset. "Well, when you put it like that, I guess it does feel pretty good."

Luna leans in closer, resting her head on my shoulder. "You're a good man, Grayven. I know I've said it before, but I truly am grateful for everything you've done for me and my sister."

I wrap my arm around her, pulling her close. "And I'm grateful for you too, Luna. You've shown me a side of myself I didn't even know existed."

We sit like that for a while, watching as the sun dips below the horizon and the first stars begin to appear in the sky. It's a beautiful moment, made even more special by the knowledge that we've done something truly good today.

But as the darkness grows deeper and the stars shine brighter, a nagging thought begins to creep into the back of my mind. We may have helped Sombra, but there are still so many others out there who need our help, so many battles yet to be fought.

The universe is a vast and dangerous place, filled with countless threats and challenges, and the work of a Lantern is never truly done.

But for now, at least, we can enjoy this moment of peace and happiness.

As I pull Luna closer, I can't help but think that maybe, just maybe, we're making a real difference in this world. And that's a feeling worth holding onto.

Luna must have felt the shift in my thoughts because she raises her head from my shoulder and looks at me with concern. "What is it? What's troubling you?"

I sigh, not wanting to bring up the weight of our responsibilities in this moment, but knowing that I can't keep it from her. "I was just thinking about how many more people there are out there who need our help. There's so much darkness in the universe, and sometimes it feels like we're only making a small dent in it."

Luna looks thoughtful for a moment before responding. "I understand what you mean. It's a burden we all carry as Lanterns, and as rulers in my and Celestia's case. But we can't let the enormity of it all overwhelm us. We must take solace in the small victories, like today."

She gestures to the sky above us. "Look at the stars, Grayven. They may seem small and insignificant on their own, but together they create a vast and beautiful tapestry that lights up the night sky. Each victory, each life we touch and change for the better, adds another star to that tapestry."

Her words strike a chord within me, and I find myself nodding in agreement. "You're right, Luna. I guess I just needed a reminder of why we do what we do."

Luna smiles warmly at me. "That's what I'm here for," she says, giving my hand a gentle squeeze.
Just then, we hear laughter coming from a nearby path, and we turn to see Celestia and Sombra walking towards us, arm in arm. They look so genuinely happy that it makes my heart swell to see it.

As they approach us, Celestia speaks up. "We wanted to thank you both again for everything you've done. Our lives are so much brighter now because of it."

Sombra nods, his eyes shining with gratitude. "Yes, I don't know how I can ever repay you for this second chance at life."

I exchange a glance with Luna before responding. "You don't need to repay us. Just live your life well, and be there for each other. That's all we could ever ask for."

Celestia smiles, tears glistening in her eyes. "We will, I promise."

We all stand there for a moment, basking in the warm glow of friendship and gratitude. It's a rare moment in our lives, one that we'll all cherish for years to come.

But as the last vestiges of sunlight fade from the sky, the reality of our responsibilities begins to set in once more. We are Lanterns and rulers, and our duty calls.

With a final round of hugs and heartfelt goodbyes, we go our separate ways – Celestia and Sombra to rebuild their lives together, and Luna and I to continue our work as protectors of the universe.

As Luna and I walk away hand in hand, I can't help but feel a renewed sense of purpose. It's true that the universe is vast and filled with darkness, but as long as there are people like us – people who are willing to fight for what's right – there will always be hope.

And with that hope comes the knowledge that together, we can create a brighter future for everyone.
A future filled with love, friendship, and endless possibilities.

One star at a time.

Postscript: I did not read this before posting. I blame GPT.

Does this count as recursive fanfic if I didn't write it?

If noone wrote it ??!!!

moralrelativity · Apr 1, 2023

That's a long way from Mr Zoat's writing style. With so much source material (2 million words?) I really thought the large language model could have done better.

Ciber · Apr 1, 2023

moralrelativity said:
That's a long way from Mr Zoat's writing style. With so much source material (2 million words?) I really thought the large language model could have done better.

I prompted it with just the previous chapter and two random words for the chapter name.
Soon they will unlock the model with 4x the capacity. I think seeing an example of two chapters might work better.
Also Zoat's writing style relies ALOT on external context. To the point that it's rare that I don't need to google something to understand what's going on. So that makes it extra hard to replicate.

Anyway, is there a plain markup download of the full story? I can embed it and use an itterative contextualizer to try and get better results. Might take a few days.

LZB1285 · Apr 1, 2023

Ciber said:
Anyway, is there a plain markup download of the full story? I can embed it and use an itterative contextualizer to try and get better results. Might take a few days.

I believe that there is a epub linked in the main index. You should be able to unzip it to get something useful.

Mr Zoat · Apr 1, 2023

21st January 2013
15:57 GMT

And… Done.

It's interesting, watching the response of the locals to magnetic fields that I can't ordinarily see. When they recover, they'll sort of crawl up to a barrier as if to check that it's really there and then collapse. Either from relief or the need to sleep. And they'll do that even if they're right next to someone who was trying to beat them to death only a few minutes before but is now doing the exact same thing that they are.

I've brought peace to a world at war with a few million miles of conductive cable.

I take a moment to sigh, then fly back towards the government building.

"Illustres to Orion and Darkstar Nguyen. I'm mostly done. Any news?"

"Liana was happy to hear that the planet was getting fixed."

"Good show. I don't suppose-."

"She's also taken advantage of her open schedule to start a family."

"So that's a 'no' to joining our Corps?"

"She didn't sound interested. We might have got her if there was still work to do…"

"If she doesn't want it then she doesn't want it. And it's probably best not to leave a rookie to their own devices with an orange ring, especially with young children. Did she know anywhere else she might have found Butcher's Blood?"

"I got her to forward me psychology surveys from the more developed worlds in this Sector. No obvious signs. And there aren't any reports from the rest that stand out either. The Free Lancers haven't been here long, but I've got logs of their movement in case it's relevant."

"Suspicious activity on their part?"

"Nothing that anyone's reported on. I can't track everything they've done, but there weren't any anomalies in the local crime statistics. What are you planning?"

"We don't have a cooperation agreement with any local government and it's not clear that they've committed a crime. We need to find out what the heck they're doing with the Butcher's residue… How they're containing it in the first place. Depending on the answer we either monitor them or remove it from their possession. And… Maybe try and find some work for them, because they're clearly highly capable people."

I land in the government… Tower? The three officials are still here, and while they don't seem upbeat, they do look a little less surly than they were before.

"That's done, according to specifications."

The one on the left grunts in grudging acceptance.

"Good. Fine. Leaving now?"

"Just need to pick up the things I came here to get in the first place first. Do you have any legends or stories about members of your species being filled with insane rage?"

"No. Pretty normal."

The one on the right thinks for a moment. "Very old stories. Because magnetic field had two poles a long time ago. And sometimes brain not work right. Can't feel magnetic field properly."

"Right, well, thank you. I'll have one last look around and then get out-. Off your planet. Have a nice day!"

I fly back out-.

"Nothing helpful from them, either."

"No. Goodness knows how I'm going to find anything."

"I haven't found any teleport residue, so it doesn't look like they stole anything."

"But we can't ask the locals. Are you at their landing site?"

"Yes."

"Be with you-"

Alien desire systems stand out.

"-now."

Her helmet turns my way as the robots that were laying the cables begin to congregate and shut themselves down.

"Can you do that to find them?"

"Not reliably. I didn't get a good enough feel for them. And they might have prepared for it."

Wait a.. moment.

"Orion? Are you there?"

"Ping."

"Ah. Okay, but I don't speak Mother Box?"

"I am here. I was trying to ask the Source if there was any of the Butcher's blood remaining, since we cannot detect it directly."

"I didn't know you could do that."

"I am not Highfather. The answers I can get are… Indirect. Impressions of reality."

"Okay. And?"

"There is a diffuse… Presence here. On Volkreg, the anger of the miners drew it out. Here, it doesn't work like that. It's something in the ionosphere."

"I'm not going to argue with the Source. Should be easy enough for me to create a high altitude electrical storm with some of the millions of tonnes of ash I picked up. Do you think that would do it?"

"We shall see."

"Okay, ah, Jade? Do you want to stay on the planet's surface while I-?"

"Release the rage of a mad rage elemental on a planet where a few hours ago everyone was trying to murder everyone else?"

"Yes."

"I'll wait with Orion."

I attach a tether to her and transition us both outside of the atmosphere. And Orion is… There. Another transition and I release Jade. A Darkstar's exo-mantle has a flight system and is tough enough to enable the wearer to survive re-entry, but it doesn't have interstellar capacity.

Hm. Using a standard model of atmospheric activity to work out what effect changing the planet's magnetic field would do… I can easily gather up this sort of quantity of ash after I'm finished. I could use native material, but I'd rather not mess around with that if it might make the locals go crazy again.

Okay, dumping ash over a wide-but-not-too-wide-area… Add an electrical charge to get things moving-. Yes, there we go. And back off a little.

I turn to Orion. "Any good?"

"The Source did not tell me precisely."

Wait… The minister said that their world used to be bipolar, and then changed. But that change would have been long after the Butcher's visit. The planet's bipolar again, but I've just spent hours creating magnetic fields so in effect it isn't.

I send construct magnets outwards, and carefully exclude any magnetic influence that isn't from the north-south-. No, wait, other way around. I exclude everything and imply that there's a south-north system in place-.

And this time the rage comes like a rampaging bull, and I think that I'm seeing an echo of the Butcher itself. For a moment there's RIP and TEAR and PAIN before it vanishes, leaving me-.

"Jade?"

She's-. It looks like she was beating the outside of my armour with her fists.

"Are you alright."

She floats back a little, staring at me.

"I'm sorry."

"No, I should have predicted-."

"So should I. It-."

"Ping."

Orion-. He's doubled over, fists balled and jaw clenched. Slowly, all too slowly, he unclenches and straightens out.

"Done. We are done, and shall return to Maltus. Mother Box!"

Ngamer11 · Apr 1, 2023

Mr Zoat said:
"I am not Highfather. The answers I can are… Indirect. Impressions of reality."

I think that should say 'I get'.

Darko · Apr 1, 2023

Mr Zoat said:
"I'm not going to argue with the Source

But you will one day.

Ganurath · Apr 1, 2023

Mr Zoat said:
Orion-. He's doubled over, fists balled and jaw clenched. Slowly, all too slowly, he unclenches and straightens out.

"Done. We are done, and shall return to Maltus. Mother Box!"

No Common Sense logo?

Bud-E · Apr 1, 2023

Mr Zoat said:
"Orion? Are you there?"

"Ping."

"Ah. Okay, but I don't speak Mother Box?"

I thought everyone could understand New God tech. Something about speaking directly to your souls I think?

RoninSword · Apr 1, 2023

I mean, they still don't have any Butcher's Blood. Did a couple hours really mean they can't catch up to the Free Lancers, or are they just going to wait for where the Lancers must eventually show up.

Darko · Apr 1, 2023

RoninSword said:
I mean, they still don't have any Butcher's Blood

But they've gotten the rage from moners and whatever was on this planet.

moralrelativity · Apr 1, 2023

Mr Zoat said:
"Bit with you-"

Alien desire systems stand out.

"-now."

Should "Bit" be "Be"?

Mr Zoat said:
enough to enable to wearer to survive

enable to wearer -> enable the wearer

Chojin Patriarch · Apr 1, 2023

Mr Zoat said:
21st January 2013
15:57 GMT

And… Done.

It's interesting, watching the response of the locals to magnetic fields that I can't ordinarily see. When they recover, they'll sort of crawl up to a barrier as if to check that it's really there and then collapse. Either from relief or the need to sleep. And they'll do that even if they're right next to someone who was trying to beat them to death only a few minutes before but is now doing the exact same thing that they are.

Too spent and relieved to even feel threatened, no doubt. Impressive work, OL. I expect they'll wake up a few hours from now feeling like they have the mother of all hangovers, but with a sense of peace they haven't had since Liana stuck her oar in...

I've brought peace to a world at war with a few million miles of conductive cable.

I take a moment to sigh, then fly back towards the government building.

Frustrated because you lost the lead on the Free Lancers? Or just glad you're done here?

"Illustres to Orion and Darkstar Nguyen. I'm mostly done. Any news?"

"Liana was happy to hear that the planet was getting fixed."

Pity it had to happen in the first place. Imminent risk or no imminent risk to life and limb, she should have checked her records and the local cultures first. A rookie mistake, and she realised that too late.

"Good show. I don't suppose-."

"She's also taken advantage of her open schedule to start a family."

...Huh. wasting no time, I see. Not a lifer, regardless of her foul-up, then.

"So that's a 'no' to joining our Corps?"

"She didn't sound interested. We might have got her if there was still work to do…"

She'll have her hands full enough with children...

"If she doesn't want it then she doesn't want it. And it's probably best not to leave a rookie to their own devices with an orange ring, especially with young children. Did she know anywhere else she might have found Butcher's Blood?"

"I got her to forward me psychology surveys from the more developed worlds in this Sector. No obvious signs. And there aren't any reports from the rest that stand out either. The Free Lancers haven't been here long, but I've got logs of their movement in case it's relevant."

So either they find the Free Lancers - no easy process - or spend days or weeks checking every possible site on Draan's list.

"Suspicious activity on their part?"

"Nothing that anyone's reported on. I can't track everything they've done, but there weren't any anomalies in the local crime statistics. What are you planning?"

To be honest, I don't think the locals were paying much attention what with the rampant, uncontrollable territorial instincts running riot.

"We don't have a cooperation agreement with any local government and it's not clear that they've committed a crime. We need to find out what the heck they're doing with the Butcher's residue… How they're containing it in the first place. Depending on the answer we either monitor them or remove it from their possession. And… Maybe try and find some work for them, because they're clearly highly capable people."

I land in the government… Tower? The three officials are still here, and while they don't seem upbeat, they do look a little less surly than they were before.

Hey. The Free lancers might jump at the chance to snag a cushy government contract. Big pay for work they already do? The only challenge would be not cheating them.

"That's done, according to specifications."

The one on the left grunts in grudging acceptance.

Still not happy with flying, glowing people, eh?

"Good. Fine. Leaving now?"

"Just need to pick up the things I came here to get in the first place first. Do you have any legends or stories about members of your species being filled with insane rage?"

...As in, more rage than the norm?

You've got to remember, these folks have a whole different scale for these things.

"No. Pretty normal."

The one on the right thinks for a moment. "Very old stories. Because magnetic field had two poles a long time ago. And sometimes brain not work right. Can't feel magnetic field properly."

...It couldn't be that easy, could it?

"Right, well, thank you. I'll have one last look around and then get out-. Off your planet. Have a nice day!"

I fly back out-.

I suppose the Butcher's Blood did have some effect on their evolutionary development, then...

"Nothing helpful from them, either."

"No. Goodness knows how I'm going to find anything."

Won't find anything if you don't try.

"I haven't found any teleport residue, so it doesn't look like they stole anything."

"But we can't ask the locals. Are you at their landing site?"

I'm guessing the local spaceports are very well defended, or at least inconvenient for the locals to attack.

"Yes."

"Bit with you-"

No point hanging about, with the locals sick of him.

Alien desire systems stand out.

"-now."

The joy of being more or less the only outsiders on the planet. Everyone else probably got out of Dodge as soon as the yelling started...

Her helmet turns my way as the robots that were laying the cables begin to congregate and shut themselves down.

"Can you do that to find them?"

<Wobbles hand> Ehhh... Iffy. I doubt there's anything specific about any of them that would be remarkable in the Honden.

"Not reliably. I didn't get a good enough feel for them. And they might have prepared for it."

Wait a.. moment.

Oooh, that's a worrying idea. They might have learned OL can sense them through their desires and found some way to conceal them... Unlikely, but I would not be surprised by anything they could pull out of their arses.

"Orion? Are you there?"

"Ping."

"Reading you loud and clear, Mister Lantern. Orion's a little busy right now."

"Ah. Okay, but I don't speak Mother Box?"

"I am here. I was trying to ask the Source if there was any of the Butcher's blood remaining, since we cannot detect it directly."

That assumes it feels the need to identify it as aberrant or out-of-place, given its mysterious ways.

"I didn't know you could do that."

"I am not Highfather. The answers I can are… Indirect. Impressions of reality."

Heh. Now I picture him getting vague directions with incomprehensible terminology. "Follow the Tangerine Unicorn Zornwards and gloam the bicycle? Are these instructions or a word salad?"

"Okay. And?"

"There is a diffuse… Presence here. On Volkreg, the anger of the miners drew it out. Here, it doesn't work like that. It's something in the ionosphere."

Given how angry the locals are naturally, I'm not surprised it didn't coalesce. But I had a feeling it would be something like this.

"I'm not going to argue with the Source. Should be easy enough for me to create a high altitude electrical storm with some of the millions of tonnes of ash I picked up. Do you think that would do it?"

"We shall see."

You will clean it up afterwards, I hope? Last thing the locals need is a super-hurricane running loose.

"Okay, ah, Jade? Do you want to stay on the planet's surface while I-?"

"Release the rage of a mad rage elemental on a planet where a few hours ago everyone was trying to murder everyone else?"

...Well, when you say it like that, it sounds like a silly question.

"Yes."

"I'll wait with Orion."

And cue unnoticed rolling of the eyes over the fact she had to say it...

I attach a tether to her and transition us both outside of the atmosphere. And Orion is… There. Another transition and I release Jade. A Darkstar's exo-mantle has a flight system and is tough enough to enable to wearer to survive re-entry, but it doesn't have interstellar capacity.

Hm. Using a standard model of atmospheric activity to work out what effect changing the planet's magnetic field would do… I can easily gather up this sort of quantity of ash after I'm finished. I could use native material, but I'd rather not mess around with that if it might make the locals go crazy again.

Especially if the local dirt is as metal-dense at the locals themselves.

Okay, dumping ash over a wide-but-not-too-wide-area… Add an electrical charge to get things moving-. Yes, there we go. And back off a little.

I turn to Orion. "Any good?"

I'd love to see what the reaction on the ground is. "What are those glowing idiots doing now? Haven't they fiddled with our planet enough?!"

"The Source did not tell me precisely."

Wait… The minister said that their world used to be bipolar, and then changed. But that change would have been long after the Butcher's visit. The planet's bipolar again, but I've just spent hours creating magnetic fields so in effect it isn't.

You're thinking that if you replicate the prehistoric conditions, hopefully briefly, it'll come out of the woodwork?

I send construct magnets outwards, and carefully exclude any magnetic influence that isn't from the north-south-. No, wait, other way around. I exclude everything and imply that there's a south-north system in place-.

And this time the rage comes like a rampaging bull, and I think that I'm seeing an echo of the Butcher itself. For a moment there's RIP and TEAR and PAIN before it vanishes, leaving me-.

And yes, the Butcher is a sort of raging bull creature. Heck, the canon Red Light Sigil is basically a picture of it's head.

"Jade?"

She's-. It looks like she was beating the outside of my armour with her fists.

Gee, you don't think warning her you might catch the full force of the Red Light traces right to the chin might have been smart?

"Are you alright."

She floats back a little, staring at me.

Don't blame yourself for worrying about him, Jade. He's a dolt.

"I'm sorry."

"No, I should have predicted-."

And at least he can see how much he worried her.

"So should I. It-."

"Ping."

"Children. Can we leave the pity party for later? Orion might need a hand here."

Orion-. He's doubled over, fists balled and jaw clenched. Slowly, all too slowly, he unclenches and straightens out.

"Done. We are done, and shall return to Maltus. Mother Box!"

...Well, if you think you can spit it out for Drann's equipment to analyse. Sure.

So... Mission kind of accomplished? They didn't get the exact thing their Maltusian techie wanted, but they got... Well, the paint-traces it left behind. Unless they can put an APB out for the Free lancers, that's about the best they can do. After all, OL is still trying to work inside a time-limit here. And this little scavenger hunt wasted a fair bit of it.

Duke Long · Apr 1, 2023

Mr Zoat said:
Alien desire systems stand out.

"-now."

Her helmet turns my way as the robots that were laying the cables begin to congregate and shut themselves down.

What did he do there? Was he doing something to look for the Lancers/Butcher's Blood, or did he alter the desires of the robots to make them want to shut down?

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

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Connoisseur.

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Stand up so I can push you down!

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