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

21st January 2013
16:31 GMT


The doorway opens before the axe can strike it, allowing Orion to charge through. Kalmin glances at the abandoned astro-harness for a moment before marching after him, with Jade and I flying along behind.

"What's the chance of a full-on manifestation of the Butcher Entity?"
I suppose that depends on how much it hates Draan. If it can overcome the memories of battling his in his prime, and see how weak he's become... While there's too much Red in it to truly feel fear, it can understand how dangerous Draan is to it...

"Given how it fled last time it was here, it seems unlikely. They have memories, as well you know."

I remember the… Strangely calm Red Lantern version of me I met at Vanishing Point. He said he achieved that state by accepting his anger rather than trying to hold it in check or channel it. And he had to connect to the Butcher first.
Not an option here, alas. Mostly because Orion is likely not in the same place mentally, nor as interesting to an Entity as one of you is.

"Should we leave Orion to fight Draan and head for the bridge?"

Kalmin snorts. "Draan is a maltusian with some sort of connection to Erdammeru. He can find us wherever we go, and unless your exo-mantle has been considerable improved since I reviewed its capacities, you don't have any way to evade him."
...If that's true, then why hasn't he killed you lot yet? It's not like you're really much of a threat to him right now.

Unless…

It used to be the case that maltusians could directly relay their own energy to Darkstars. The practice fell off because the new generation of suits were powerful enough that it wasn't really needed anymore, but…
But the systems still exist, because why remove a perfectly functional capability that can prove useful in an edge case like this?

"Jade, is your suit designed for direct empowerment?"

"It can be empowered, but we can't contact anyone outside of this place. And I doubt that Draan will-."
...Not willingly. But if he doesn't realise he's empowering your systems...

"Oh, well done Illustres." Kalmin's smiling. "That hadn't even occurred to me."

Jade considers for a moment. "You think you can drain his innate powers the same way you drained his rage?"
Ha! Kalmin probably didn't think of it because it would be too crazy for him. Not direct enough.

"Um."

"DIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"
I mean, it's not like he has a bottomless reservoir of energy in his symbionts?

"I'll have my passion back, now."

"Honestly, I was going to ask Kalmin if he could build something."
True, he could probably gimmick up something with a box of scraps OL pulled out of his subspace...

"I could pull power out of him and into her, but I can't force him to express it."

"I don't think-"
This is going to be a DBZ-scale fight. There's going to be plenty of energy flying about.

A wave of energy shoots towards us down the corridor, and Jade and I duck behind a construct barrier I erect.

"-that's going to be a problem."
I notice that Kalmin didn't duck. Presumably his own barrier handled it.

Something in the waves tries dragging at the power in my construct, but fails to get a grip. I wait until the feeling stops, then drop the barrier and accelerate to-.

Draan is in the air, twisting around an axe swing and then ducking under a gout of fire breath as Orion flies after him with construct wings. Wait, why is Draan dodging? He took the axe fine during their last fight. Because he doesn't have a reservoir of red energy to work from? Because Orion's too powerful for it to work? Because the forge is a couple of miles back?
Hmm... Interesting. Maybe he's already burnt out a lot of his reserves just stealing the Red back? And what he stole is only going so far, especially with Orion trying to kill him.

Draan gestures, and Orion is suddenly a fraction of his size-. Distance, he's warped the distance. He's flying back towards us, but Draan just sneers at his effort-.

Then shudders as Kalmin taps his hammer against Jade's energy intake.
And conduit opened. Should be more careful with your AoE effects, Draan.

"I-. How have you-?"

He makes a throwing motion with his right hand and I interpose myself, shield constructs, armour plates and the best spatial warps I can manage. Those last just a fraction of a second as the dull grey lightning-.
Qwardian know-how says 'fuck you.' OL just needs to hold on long enough...

Fzm!

Jade uses the boost to fire a more powerful maser bolt than her system can usually manage. Draan jerks his head away, but doesn't look injured.
...For Draan to spend his reserves.

"I won't miss the fool who designed that energy-."

Fires erupt around him as Orion appears, axe raised! Chains leaps out of the inferno and drag at his wrists and ankles as Orion brings his axe down!
Key rule of a fight like this, boyo: Don't get distracted.

CRUNCH!

Orion rips the axe out of Draan's head at once, and-. On any normal being, a skull wound like that would be fatal. But Draan's eyes are still focusing, still-.
Again, maltusians don't exactly need their meaty bits for survival. It's more like wearing an old pair of pants for comfort.

Orion exhales, red flames flowing over Draan's body! And this time it takes, his skin blackening and his yellow blood boiling away.

"Wonderful rage…"
...Anyone else smell jerky?

Orion brings his axe down once more, and Draan is cleaved in twain.

"RAAAAAAGH!"
Okay, that should force him to...

Orion brings the axe down again and again and again until it embeds in the floor. Then he stamps and stamps until-

Ping.
"Orion, Sweetie! That's enough, you got him." ...Well, I guess that's going to be enough to keep him down?

-there isn't a great deal left of Draan's body.

Ping.
"Oh, my goodness. Orion, sweetie, you can stop now, dear."

One more gout of flame, and Orion stops, standing… Very visibly not becalmed.

Ping.
"Orion! Young man, that's enough. Calm down, please."

"Excuse me? Young man, you had better have a good reason for backtalking-..."

"No. I will not turn back having come this far."

He reaches down, running his right forefinger and middle finger through Draan's remains, scooping up a blob of Draan's… Internal liquids. He then reaches up to his bone-plated forehead and… Draws the red sigil with it.
...Ew. But evidently he's got something in mind.

"I have hatred and focus. My hate is for my father first of all. LANTERN!"

"Yes?"
Yeah, when someone in this condition barks an order, you don't stop to argue.

"I will forge the ring. Do not follow me."

No fear.
After all, you are getting what you wanted.

"Right, ah… Kalmin? We should probably head to the bridge."

"And do what? None of us can commune with Erdammeru."
...Orion stomping its would-be master into chunky salsa doesn't count?

"Is there a communication system at there?"

"Yes, but using it requires that Erdammeru has accepted a master."
...Oh. It's just being a picky puppy, then.

"Alright. In that case, we should go back to the exit and try to-."

A side door opens, and Captain Chance of the Free Lancers strides in.
...And is immediately shockcrowned? :confused: No?

He stops when he sees the remains on the floor.

"Bollocks. No bonus then, I take it?"
...Okay, now Shockcrown him. Do not let him get away this time, OL...

Honestly, that was kind of anti-climactic, but if Draan was exhausted from stealing the Rage out of Orion, I can understand him going out like a needy bastard. Now, If OL is smart, he will cuff the Free Lancer captain and not let go until Orion has the Ring forged and safely on his finger (and hopefully de-monsterised.) Hopefully he can provide some helpful exposition into Draan's scheme.
 
Draan Del Dar was literally suicidal: he was deliberately going to go on a rampage until someone killed him so that his final living moments would be a snapshot of Perfect Passion, preserved for eternity in death.
It's a shame he never met Canis they could have been Terrible great friends.
 
Hopefully Hinon will be understanding when she learns that Paul helped a New God kill a maltusian.

Bah, what's there to blame Paul for? Draan Del Daar clearly just took part in an ancient and noble Maltusian tradition, harking back to the very start of the universe itself.

Fucking around and Finding Out.
 
Hold up

"No Bonus"???

What bonus would the Freelancers get for what???

Helping kill OL? Backing Up Draan?

...Did they find yet another piece of The Butcher?
...a bonus for activating Erdammeru?
...a bonus for staying to witness Passion Unleashed?
 
Could Mother Boxes always read minds freeform from non-gods and communicate through telepathy?
I honestly have no idea.
Your memory has been good throughout the years, but at this point, given the length of the story and the fact that you've been writing for almost a decade, it might be a good idea to keep more extensive notes.
been considerable improved
considerably
Are the red quotation marks here on purpose? The subsequent ones don't have them.
 
Butcher's Blood (part 26)
21st January 2013
18:13 GMT


Harrow shrugs, his expression suggesting a casual acceptance of events and an easy-come-easy-go attitude. He waves with his manacled hands.

"Illustres! Might I prevail upon you to release a group of honest traders caught up in events far larger than them?"

"It's not impossible that you will be released once our investigation is complete, and we will be expediting matters."

"Not all that reassuring, but it is better than what I was expecting."

Jade shoves him to the ground next to his colleagues, just in front of their ship.

"Alright, you don't have to say anything, but it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned something that you later rely on in court."

I look over the three of them, Risque's arm bandaged from where Jade shot her when she resisted arrest.

Yes, I could fix it, but I'm not feeling all that companionable right now.

Harrow grins. "Was that a quote?"

"Standard arrest script from my home country. We're stuck on a planetoid-sized war AI built by a being whose primary goal was the conversion of all reality into energy he could consume and the only way to get out is with the help of a rage-maddened war god. I'm not feeling good about that. Are you?"

Chance nods. "We were working on technology to manipulate the lights, like your power rings do. A lot of qwardian stuff on the market right now, if you know where to look for it. The Controller came-."

"He wasn't a Controller. Same species, but it's a political distinction."

Chance shrugs. "Daar came to us. Told us where we needed to be and how to get there. Someone built a couple of long range faster than light-."

"I know, I oversaw their construction."

Harrow nods approvingly. "Help a lot of people, those will."

"And we pick up some stuff for him. Even offered to fix one of the planets."

"Oh, I know. Good work. I completed your plan."

Risque glowers weakly at me. "We haven't done anything wrong and it was one of your people who hired us. What's your problem?"

"You're rapidly getting to the point where we can't risk you treating with our enemies, and given that Draan Del Daar was planning on using this place's primary weapons to destroy Maltus, this counts. Regardless of your criminal status, we might have to confine you as a strategic threat."

Harrow looks away, sighing. "That's the reward for hard work, I suppose."

Kalmin walks out of their ship, looking unimpressed.

"Their workshop isn't terrible, but the ship is severely undergunned. We can't get out that way."

Risque grimaces. "It's not supposed to be a warship."

"Alright. Please, keep an eye on the Free Lancers while I go and talk to Orion."

I fly back towards the forge room. I'm going to need to talk to Hinon about some sort of mental health check for unaligned maltusians when we get out of here, because Draan was clearly suffering for a very long time.

And the other two were supposed to be worse.

I hear the ringing of hammer on anvil as I approach, and I… I can feel it as well. It's… Oppressive, squeezing out other thoughts while somehow being unable to replace them. In my case, at least.

Ping.

"…my father's face."

As I fly in, Orion sets his hammer down… And picks up a red power ring from the forge.

"Done. A more perfect refutation of my father I cannot imagine."

"It's done, then?"

He holds it up to admire it.

"Yes. With this, every trace of my father shall be expunged from the universe." His face turns just enough to allow him to look at me. "And then I can deal with any other vermin."

"Snakes are not, technically, vermin. Just… Just a ring?"

"What else do I need?"

"A personal lantern, if you want to recharge it."

"I am a New God aligned spiritually to the Butcher." He slides the ring on his right ring finger. "I am beyond such limits."

Ping.

"Alright. We're still stuck in here. You're the only person in here angry enough to interface with Erdammeru. Would you mind giving it a go?"

He clenches his right fist, a floating red sigil appearing over his chest.

"I hear it. I will bring it to heel."

Ping.

"It will make an excellent weapon against Darkseid."

He stalks out of the forge chamber, and I assume that he knows where he's going. Nothing much I can do to help him.

That's my red ring, I suppose. Not sure what Izaya's going to say about the physical or psychological state he's in, but I won't exactly be sad if he does tear Apokolips apart with Erdammeru's primary weapons.

I vaguely remember the comic version of this place from a Crime Syndicate comic, and the Syndicate and League beat it because it was stupid enough to focus all of its weapons at a single point in their formation. I also remember it being quite good at blowing up planets.

So. Waiting for yellow. Now I need indigo, and I've got no idea where they hang out. I seem to remember that their homeworld had indigo compassion crystals on the surface, so maybe it's listed in old maltusian records? Ub'x didn't seem to want to talk to me last time, but maybe he was acting on incomplete information? I'm-

We feel the moment that We reconnect to the rest of the universe.

-not that hard a man to work with.

"Orange Lantern to Hinon."

"Done already?"

"Did you know that there was a giant battle station on Turi?"

"What? No? What are you talking about?"

"Sir, I request that you come here in person. You're going to want to see this."
 
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Chance shrugs. "Daar came to us. Told us where we needed to be and how to get there. Someone build a couple of long range faster than light-."
That should say 'built'.

"Did you know that there was a giant battle station on Turi?"

"What? No? What are you talking about?"

"Sir, I request that you come here in person. You're going to want to see this."
The fact that Hinon didn't know about this hopefully means that the Controllers will consider this a big threat to their defenses. After all, they can't really claim to truly control Maltus if a planet destroying superweapon has been hiding in their system for so long, can they?
 
21st January 2013
18:13 GMT


Harrow shrugs, his expression suggesting a casual acceptance of events and an easy-come-easy-go attitude. He waves with his manacled hands.

"Illustres! Might I prevail upon you to release a group of honest traders caught up in events far larger than them?"
:rolleyes: Gee, are there any around here? Because I'm sure you can't really be talking about yourselves. Perhaps the captain simply has no fear in him, merely a Joy at living. Or he's simply a simpleton who can't understand things like laws. :p

"It's not impossible that you will be released once our investigation is complete, and we will be expediting matters."

"Not all that reassuring, but it is better than what I was expecting."
And at least you are going to investigate their business dealings. I was worried you'd just let them go.

Jade shoves him to the ground next to his colleagues, just in front of their ship.

"Alright, you don't have to say anything, but it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned something that you later rely on in court."
Ah, the British statement of the Right to Silence. More or less what you yankees' Miranda Rights are equivalent to. He's taking this seriously.

I look over the three of them, Risque's arm bandaged from where Jade shot her when she resisted arrest.

Yes, I could fix it, but I'm not feeling all that companionable right now.
Play a stupid game, honey, win a painful prize. Let her enjoy her object lesson about pressing her luck.

Harrow grins. "Was that a quote?"

"Standard arrest script from my home country. We're stuck on a planetoid-sized war AI built by a being whose primary goal was the conversion of all reality into energy he could consume and the only way to get out is with the help of a rage-maddened war god. I'm not feeling good about that. Are you?"
...Does Harrow and company not really understand the situation they're in? Idiots. Lucky idiots.

Chance nod. "We were working on technology to manipulate the lights, like your power rings do. A lot of qwardian stuff on the market right now, if you know where to look for it. The Controller came-."

"He wasn't a Controller. Same species, but it's a political distinction."
Which is probably not a commonly known fact in the galaxy at large, I bet.

Chance shrugs. "Daar came to us. Told us where we needed to be and how to get there. Someone build a couple of long range faster than light-."

"I know, I oversaw their construction."
Still, their benefits outweighed the drawbacks. Like letting yahoos like these three travel further.

Harrow nods approvingly. "Help a lot of people, those will."

"And we pick up some stuff for him. Even offered to fix one of the planets."
And no doubt got well-paid for that, I bet.

"Oh, I know. Good work. I completed your plan."

Risque glowers weakly at me. "We haven't done anything wrong and it was one of your people who hired us. What's your problem?"
Draan Del Daar was not one of his people. Merely an associate. There is a distinction between the things.

"You're rapidly getting to the point where we can't risk you treating with our enemies, and give that Draan Del Daar was planning on using this place's primary weapons to destroy Maltus, this counts. Regardless of your criminal status, we might have to confine you as a strategic threat."

Harrow looks away, sighing. "That's the reward for hard work, I suppose."
Swindling people and stealing dangerous artefacts is hard work? Sheesh.

Kalmin walks out of their ship, looking unimpressed.

"Their workshop isn't terrible, but the ship is severely undergunned. We can't get out that way."
Oh, don't be sour, Kalmin. Not everyone has your high standards for their weaponry. :D

Risque grimaces. "It's not supposed to be a warship."

"Alright. Please, keep an eye on the Free Lancers while I go and talk to Orion."
...Though he would like them alive by the end of all this, intact is optional.

I fly back towards the forge room. I'm going to need to talk to Hinon about some sort of mental health check for unaligned maltusians when we get out of here, because Draan was clearly suffering for a very long time.

And the other two were supposed to be worse.
Yeah, best to make sure any being with the power of a Maltusian isn't suffering from any mental issues.

I hear the ringing of hammer on anvil as I approach, and I… I can feel it as well. It's… Oppressive, squeezing out other thoughts while somehow being unable to replace them. In my case, at least.

Ping.
"Just about there, Sweetie. Just another couple of hits." Hopefully once it's complete, it won't leak quite so much.

"…my father's face."

As I fly in, Orion sets his hammer down… And picks up a red power ring from the forge
At least it won't forcefully replace the wearer's heart.

"Done. A more perfect refutation of my father I cannot imagine."

"It's done, then?"
A pity the symbol of the Red Light isn't more like a giant middle finger, but I doubt that would have been as marketable. :p

He holds it up to admire it.

"Yes. With this, every trace of my father shall be expunged from the universe." His face turns just enough to allow him to look at me. "And then I can deal with any other vermin."
...How about dealing with your face first? That can't feel pleasant.

"Snakes are not, technically, vermin. Just… Just a ring?"

"What else do I need?"
His soul is a steady dripfeed of Rage, OL. I don't think he's gonna need anything else.

"A personal lantern, if you want to recharge it."

"I am a New God aligned spiritually to the Butcher." He slides the ring on his right ring finger. "I am beyond such limits."
And depending on how you look at it, the White Light and the Source are the same thing. So charging won't be an issue.

Ping.

"Alright. We're still stuck in here. You're the only person in here angry enough to interface with Erdammeru. Would you mind giving it a go?"
"I'm not happy with this situation, but trying to get him to listen to me in this state..."

He clenches his right fist, a floating red sigil appearing over his chest.

"I hear it. I will bring it to heel."
Heh. I rather do picture it as having been sullenly watching them in its half-asleep state, waiting for them to try to get a leash on it...

Ping.

"It will make an excellent weapon against Darkseid."
"And better under our control than someone else's."

He stalks out of the forge chamber, and I assume that he knows where he's going. Nothing much I can do to help him.

That's my red ring, I suppose. Not sure what Izaya's going to say about the physical or psychological state he's in, but I won't exactly be sad if he does tear Apokolips apart with Erdammeru's primary weapons.
I doubt it would be that easy... o_O

I vaguely remember the comic version of this place from a Crime Syndicate comic, and the Syndicate and League beat it because it was stupid enough to focus all of its weapons at a single point in their formation. I also remember it being quite good at blowing up planets.

So. Waiting for yellow. Now I need indigo, and I've got no idea where they hang out. I seem to remember that their homeworld had indigo compassion crystals on the surface, so maybe it's listed in old maltusian records? Ub'x didn't seem to walk to talk to me last time, but maybe he was acting on incomplete information? I'm-
And it escapes him that Hal Jordan still has Abin Sur's original ring, with its logs and files still in place. :rolleyes: Proof the Renegade is a bit smarter in that respect...

We feel the moment that We reconnect to the rest of the universe.

-not that hard a man to work with.
Well, that didn't take Orion long. I was expecting it to be noisier.

"Orange Lantern to Hinon."

"Done already?"
Brace yourself, Granny. You may want to sit down for this.

"Did you know that there was a giant battle station on Turi?"

"What? No? What are you talking about?"

"Sir, I request that you come here in person. You're going to want to see this."
...If nothing else, what's left of Draan could qualify as a nice example of modern art? Adam Smasher would approve. :p

And so it ends with a whimper, rather than a bang. One Red Ring forged, one maltusian turned into chunky salsa for his crimes, and one planetary threat defused. Though I can imagine there being a few arguments to come about the ownership of Erdammeru. And quite a bit of unamused snark from Orange Granny when she finds out about all this...


...caught up in events far larger than them?
Double Space.
... and give that Draan Del Daar was planning ...
... and given that Draan Del Daar was planning ...
 
Pretty disappointed with the end of this, not gonna lie. It was interesting when they were going to the other planets, searching for the Butcher's traces. And then the expected/unexpected betrayal was cool.

But after that? It really did end with a whimper. As anti-climactic as it can get. And I don't think I really understood what was Draan's plan or how he was defeated as easily as it appeared. Not sure I even want to know.
 

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