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

Mr Zoat · Apr 26, 2023

Bramble Thorn said:
Nice to know we found Zoat's secret weakness.

Bullet Points.

Wolves.

Bullet wolves?

wolf bullets?

The inevitable vengeance of Mother Nature for his callous disregard for mans upset of the natural ecosystem.

We were fine without wolves for 500 years.

And I just learned that there's a place in California called Placentia.

Artemisnemo · Apr 26, 2023

Artemisnemo said:
By the way. Mistress is probably Holly and or her Girlfriend, because that would be suitably ironic.

Called it.

RoninSword · Apr 27, 2023

So it only just occurred to me. When the Earth was first Anti Lifed, Barda was missing. In Robin's PoV, he starts to think Barda, then he cuts himself off. Still missing or direct Anti Life exposure from Mannheim.

Cuchulin · Apr 27, 2023

Mr Zoat said:
But I don't care about rivers. I care about not getting eaten by a wolf pack when I go for a walk in the woods. We wiped those things out for a reason.

Wolves don't attack people (at least not in North America) and they keep the Deer from being fat/lazy as well as eating themselves out of house and home. People wiped out Wolves out of blind fear and hate.

Mr Zoat · Apr 27, 2023

Cuchulin said:
Wolves don't attack people (at least not in North America) and they keep the Deer from being fat/lazy as well as eating themselves out of house and home. People wiped out Wolves out of blind fear and hate.

In 1450 wolves invaded Paris and ate 40 people, not even mentioning the people they ate on the way there.

And I don't care in deer are lazy. The fat is where the flavour comes from.

Mr Zoat · Apr 27, 2023

6th February 2013
13:12 GMT -5

"You want work, worms?"

We talked about it, and Dick taking the lead would probably look wrong. He's still in the middle of a growth spurt and looks younger than he is. Mitchell can't look spooked convincingly. Not by physical threats. Even if he's not much tougher than Dick and me right now, we've both been in that sort of situation.

I shrug my right shoulder. "We want food and to be somewhere safe, so, yeah?"

The guy we're talking to used to be part of one of the Chinese street gangs. Now he's just standing around outside one of the Mistress-run food halls. Lunch was sandwiches made from long-life bread and cheese slices and most of the people who made it this far look like they were homeless before the Anti-Life.

Guess they were used to keeping going while feeling this way.

"There is nowhere that is safe."

"Why? Do we have to, like, join your weird religion or..? Whatever, first?"

"No. If you did then you would not want to leave and would be entirely inappropriate to send."

He looks at us for a moment longer and I start to get worried that he-.

Shit, I think this was one of the guys I busted before Ollie and Batman recruited me. I don't think he got a good look at me back then, but I-.

"Two things. Then you can go and wait in the truck with the others."

I look sullen, channelling how I used to feel when Dad did something like this.

"You want us to give up our weapons?"

He wrinkles his nose like he's just smelled the dog shit on his shoes. "No. Keep them if you like. Use them and you will certainly be killed so it doesn't matter to me."

"'kay, so, what?"

"This is one way. You will not come back."

"Why would we want to?"

"We were all worms, once. Crawling in the earth, with no comprehension of it. If exposure to the great universal truth only makes you want to run… That is cowardice."

"And sticking around in a crazy, starving city is bravery?"

I don't need to act to get my voice to sound completely dismissive. Though I do make it sound like I'm a bit more scared than I really am.

"Accepting reality takes more courage than retreating to a fantasy." He shakes his head. "But my words will not convince you."

"Fine. So what's the second?"

"You are a product. Whatever there is in you that makes you flee the truth, we don't care, and neither do the people you will work for."

"Slaves."

"Perhaps you will be slaves. Perhaps you will not. But if you still have some hope of being 'free'..." His face screws up like he just tasted the dog shit. "Then go back to hiding in your hovel and waiting for someone to save you."

I make a point of looking at Mitchell and Dick, and they both nod.

"We'll take our chances. Thanks."

"Then go. Outside. The truck is waiting."

Everyone else in the lunch hall is… Huddling in their cliques, only its based on what streets you live on rather than what school clubs you go to. None of them even look at the gang members, and most of them try sitting away from them.

People used to surviving on the streets say 'avoid'. Normal way to relate to gangs, but gangs don't usually run soup kitchens.

The truck's outside. The only thing in the lot. There's a woman in the driver's seat, but she's just staring ahead. We could try asking her some things, but every time we do, we risk standing out. I glance at Dick, but he just nods at the back of the truck. I climb up carefully, then turn around to help Dick up while Mitchell pulls himself up.

Gotta pretend we're not super strong. Or maybe if they didn't care about knives or guns, they wouldn't care about that?

Seven other people in the back. Two look like bums, a family of four and… Some guy in a dirty suit. He's the most alert and… 'Alive', but he pulls himself away slightly when we make eye contact.

So we copy them, forming a huddle as far away from the others as we can, with a 'safe' distance between us and the back of the truck.

And then we wait.

No one else is talking so we can't really talk. I can look out the back, but desolate and abandoned Gotham streets got old a decade ago.

I wonder what Jade's doing?

Not like I think fighting a huge war is better than this, but at least what you're supposed to be doing -what you need to do to win- is clearer. And you don't feel the Anti-Life the whole time. She gets to sneak around for a few days and then go back someplace where the people are living normal lives. Space-lives.

I wonder if Mom would let me take a year out after High School to go space-backpacking? That's something Wally would want to do, right? See a bunch of super-advanced societies? Or maybe space-backpacking isn't really a thing?

Of course, what Paul's doing is something that will fix the problem. And if we're lucky, won't create another problem. Maybe get a bunch of different color power rings together and summon Captain Power Ring?

Heh.

Footsteps-. The Justified guy from inside closes the truck door without looking at us, then I hear his footsteps moving around the side and the passenger side door open. A moment later the engine starts up and there's a slight jolt as the truck accelerates. No seat belts in the back of a truck, but since there's no traffic there isn't a lot of speeding up and slowing down.

I think… Yeah, we're going to the closest warehouse. No real reason why we wouldn't be.

"Hey."

Mitchell leans over, so his mouth is right next to my ear. He'll be able to hear whatever I say with super hearing.

"Yeah?"

"You think we could use this? Send people through ourselves?"

Go through, beat whoever controls the portal generator and then start doing mass evacuations without leaving Earth? Sure, we could do that. Except Mannheim might find out about it and send his super robot through to the other side with a boom tube. The only way it would work is if he couldn't find out about it, and I don't… Think it's-.

Is this why he's coming here? That could be a real problem. If Mistress doesn't know she wouldn't warn them-.

"Mannheim might want the portals. We might have to get them shut down. I don't think we can risk other Earths getting infected."

He tenses slightly.

"I hadn't though-. Yeah, you're right."

I feel the truck pull off the road, and a few seconds later it applies the brake.

Let's find out where we're going.

_The_Bomb · Apr 27, 2023

Mr Zoat said:
Basically, I usually split a quote with multiple questions so that I can put each answer right after each question. When you try and do that with things tagged as bullet points by the forum, it doesn't go well. Making a numbered list is fine, but please, don't do it as bullet points

Alright, I'll try this again with the other topic that's been on my mind for a while; getting Koriandr a Blue Ring!

Mr Zoat said:
"Yes, but I suppose that answers the question of which colour suits her best."

"You sure you can't get her another blue ring?"

"Sure? No. I'll definitely be asking Kalmin about it after we're finished, but…" Hm. "You know that Lanterns are perfectly capable of making new-"

Mr Zoat said:
"I haven't yet. I probably can. But… I can get as many orange power rings as I want, and I can't make a new ring without already having a ring. Making a lantern is useful because I can do it when I have some charge but don't have access to my personal lantern, which is.. why I learned to make one."

"So you can't coach me."

I shrug. "Sorry."

"Oh, no. It could be an interesting change of pace. You know, back in the forties, Ted asked me how my ring worked. I guess he thought I made it myself."

1. Has Alan made any progress on learning to craft a Blue Ring?
2. Paul might not be able to coach him (yet), but would Kalmin, Hinon, or one of the other controllers be able to?
3. Did Kalmin make Alan a Blue Ring in addition to the Blue Lantern, or did the Blue Lantern convert his damaged Green Ring into a Blue Ring?
4. If it's the later, could more Blue Rings be generated like this? They wouldn't be able to recharge without going to Alan's lantern, but that wouldn't be a problem for Koriand'r if she stayed on Earth.

Did I do that right, Mister Z?

_The_Bomb · Apr 27, 2023

Mr Zoat said:
Not like I think fight a huge war is better than this

Should be "fighting"

Cuchulin · Apr 27, 2023

Mr Zoat said:
In 1450 wolves invaded Paris and ate 40 people, not even mentioning the people they ate on the way there.

1. I said none in North America.
2. That was effectively pre-firearms.
3. It was during a utterly BRUTAL Winter where people were starving.
4. I'd bet good money that people in France were eating people that Winter.

A better example is the Wolf attacks that happened in 1917 on the Eastern front of WWI where Wolves supposedly attack and ate wounded soldiers in the middle of battle.
But that was another horrible winter (the worst in a century) and the war had driven off or killed the Wolves food. So the conclusion is that (as with almost every other carnivore) humans are only on the menu when there is basically nothing else to eat.
We hate them because we recognize ourselves in them.

Mr Zoat · Apr 27, 2023

_The_Bomb said:
Should be "fighting"

Thank you, corrected.

_The_Bomb said:
1. Has Alan made any progress on learning to craft a Blue Ring?

No.

2. Paul might not be able to coach him (yet), but would Kalmin, Hinon, or one of the other controllers be able to?

A little bit.

3. Did Kalmin make Alan a Blue Ring in addition to the Blue Lantern, or did the Blue Lantern convert his damaged Green Ring into a Blue Ring?

Just the personal lantern.

4. If it's the later, could more Blue Rings be generated like this? They wouldn't be able to recharge without going to Alan's lantern, but that wouldn't be a problem for Koriand'r if she stayed on Earth.

Yes, but they don't have more green rings and Kalmin doesn't want to.

Did I do that right, Mister Z?

Yes.

Chojin Patriarch · Apr 27, 2023

Mr Zoat said:
6th February 2013
13:12 GMT -5

"You want work, worms?"

We talked about it, and Dick taking the lead would probably look wrong. He's still in the middle of a growth spurt and looks younger than he is. Mitchell can't look spooked convincingly. Not by physical threats. Even if he's not much tougher than Dick and me right now, we've both been in that sort of situation.

Little hard to be afraid of things like a beating when your skin is as tough as steel. Never mind the 'more powerful than a locomotive' or 'leap tall buildings in a single bound' aspects of the Danner-enhancile or young Kryptonian physiques...

I shrug my right shoulder. "We want food and to be somewhere safe, so, yeah?"

The guy we're talking to used to be part of one of the Chinese street gangs. Now he's just standing around outside one of the Mistress-run food halls. Lunch was sandwiches made from long-life bread and cheese slices and most of the people who made it this far look like they were homeless before the Anti-Life.

Not many places to go down when you're already that low, after all...

Guess they were used to keeping going while feeling this way.

"There is nowhere that is safe."

I mean, technically true. Any alien invasion could get you killed in DC. Heck, even a sloppy super-hero fight can have bystander casualties...

"Why? Do we have to, like, join your weird religion or..? Whatever, first?"

"No. If you did then you would not want to leave and would be entirely inappropriate to send."

So Mistress is aware that those who have given in, who are speaking with Black text, are potentially contagious?

He looks at us for a moment longer and I start to get worried that he-.

Shit, I think this was one of the guys I busted before Ollie and Batman recruited me. I don't think he got a good look at me back then, but I-.

To be fair, with your costume back then, I doubt he'd have been paying too much attention to your face, Arty.

"Two things. Then you can go and wait in the truck with the others."

I look sullen, channelling how I used to feel when Dad did something like this.

At least you've got plenty of practice...

"You want us to give up our weapons?"

He wrinkles his nose like he's just smelled the dog shit on his shoes. "No. Keep them if you like. Use them and you will certainly be killed so it doesn't matter to me."

And I have no doubt he cares whether he's stepped in any or not. What's one more insult to his dignity these days?

"'kay, so, what?"

"This is one way. You will not come back."

At least, not without causing some kind of slave revolt. And given what people are fleeing from...

"Why would we want to?"

"We were all worms, once. Crawling in the earth, with no comprehension of it. If exposure to the great universal truth only makes you want to run… That is cowardice."

Boy, the Chuunibyou is strong with this one.

"And sticking around in a crazy, starving city is bravery?"

I don't need to act to get my voice to sound completely dismissive. Though I do make it sound I sound a bit more scared than I really am.

Yeah, he is a bit of a dick, isn't he?

"Accepting reality takes more courage than retreating to a fantasy." He shakes his head. "But my words will not convince you."

"Fine. So what's the second?"

Better to fight that reality than accept it and bend your knee... But he's already drank the krazy-juice, no convincing him...

"You are a product. Whatever there is in you that makes you flee the truth, we don't care, and neither do the people you will work for."

"Slaves."

Or indentured workers. Refugees aren't really gonna be given much of a choice, are they?

"Perhaps you will be slaves. Perhaps you will not. But if you still have some hope of being 'free'..." His face screws up like he just tasted the dog shit. "Then go back to hiding in your hovel and waiting for someone to save you."

I make a point of looking at Mitchell and Dick, and they both nod.

Pity smacking this guy around wouldn't get them into the warehouse. But I bet it would feel really satisfying.

"We'll take our chances. Thanks."

"Then go. Outside. The truck is waiting."

Well, lucky for them.

Everyone else in the lunch hall is… Huddling in their cliques, only its based on what streets you live on rather than what school clubs you go to. None of them even look at the gang members, and most of them try sitting away from them.

People used to surviving on the streets say 'avoid'. Normal way to relate to gangs, but gangs don't usually run soup kitchens.

Not profitable, after all. And no street cred in being nice.

The truck's outside. The only thing in the lot. There's a woman in the driver's seat, but she's just staring ahead. We could try asking her some things, but every time we do, we risk standing out. I glance at Dick, but he just nods at the back of the truck. I climb up carefully, then turn around to help Dick up while Mitchell pulls himself up.

Gotta pretend we're not super strong. Or maybe if they didn't care about knives or guns, they wouldn't care about that?

Heck, it might be a benefit to their buyer.

Seven other people in the back. Two look like bums, a family of four and… Some guy in a dirty suit. He's the most alert and… 'Alive', but he pulls himself away slightly when we make eye contact.

So we copy them, forming a huddle as far away from the others as we can, with a 'safe' distance between us and the back of the truck.

The hardest part of an infiltration: blending in.

And then we wait.

No one else is talking so we can't really talk. I can look out the back, but desolate and abandoned Gotham streets got old a decade ago.

The second hardest part: waiting for important stuff to happen.

I wonder what Jade's doing?

Not like I think fight a huge war is better than this, but at least what you're supposed to be doing -what you need to do to win- is clearer. And you don't feel the Anti-Life the whole time. She gets to sneak around for a few days and then go back someplace where the people are living normal lives. Space-lives.

Ah, if only. But being the Illustres' partner has its benefits and drawbacks...

I wonder if Mom would let me take a year out after High School to go space-backpacking? That's something Wally would want to do, right? See a bunch of super-advanced societies? Or maybe space-backpacking isn't really a thing?

Of course, what Paul's doing is something that will fix the problem. And if we're lucky, won't create another problem. Maybe get a bunch of different color power rings together and summon Captain Power Ring?

...That is a good question. Never really seen any sort of tourism in DC space stories. Then again, there's usually no downtime to be had...

Heh.

Footsteps-. The Justified guy from inside closes the truck door without looking at us, then I hear his footsteps moving around the side and the passenger side door open. A moment later the engine starts up and there's a slight jolt as the truck accelerates. No seat belts in the back of a truck, but since there's no traffic there isn't a lot of speeding up and slowing down.

And few enough people that you don't really have to worry about being crushed.

I think… Yeah, we're going to the closest warehouse. No real reason why we wouldn't be.

"Hey."

So there are multiple sites. Probably makes it less likely to lose your access if a site is attacked.

Mitchell leans over, so his mouth is right next to my ear. He'll be able to hear whatever I say with super hearing.

"Yeah?"

"You think we could use this? Send people through ourselves?"

Only if you can be sure of getting them back. Remember what the guy said? 'One-Way'.

Go through, beat whoever controls the portal generator and then start doing mass evacuations without leaving Earth? Sure, we could do that. Except Mannheim might find out about it and send his super robot through to the other side with a boom tube. The only way it would work is if he couldn't find out about it, and I don't… Think it's-.

Is this why he's coming here? That could be a real problem. If Mistress doesn't know she wouldn't warn them-.

Oooh, that's a bad possibility.

"Mannheim might want the portals. We might have to get them shut down. I don't think we can risk other Earths getting infected."

He tenses slightly.

Yeah, there is that aspect to it too. Unless you plan to keep the refugees isolated from locals. And even then, there's no guarantee that it wouldn't slowly infect the destination's thaumosphere.

"I hadn't though-. Yeah, you're right."

I feel the truck pull off the road, and a few seconds later it applies the brake.

Let's find out where we're going.

And Lady Luck is getting ready to dance all over their plans, I bet...

Well, so far so good. Still not a great plan, but hopefully three super-strong, super-tough teens can get themselves out of any trouble they might get into. Especially if it's Earth -16, where Ultraman is dead, and the rest of the capes on his tier aren't quite as powerful as he is. Still, they've got to get there first...

Vaermina · Apr 27, 2023

Mr Zoat said:
Of course, what Paul's doing is something that will fix the problem. And if we're lucky, won't create another problem. Maybe get a bunch of different color power rings together and summon Captain Power Ring?

Eh, he's not doing to well with that plan.

_The_Bomb · Apr 27, 2023

Mr Zoat said:
Yes.

Yay!

Mr Zoat said:
Yes, but they don't have more green rings and Kalmin doesn't want to.

Does it have to be a Guardian-crafted Green Ring (or even Green specifically) or would one crafted by Lord Malvolio work?

EDIT: Ah, did you mean "Koriand'r" instead of "Kalmin" there?

In that case, why exactly is Alan trying to make Blue Rings at all? Koriand'r would be amazing with a Blue Ring but she wouldn't be able to recharge it without staying on (or repeatedly going to) Earth to use Alan's Lantern or having one of her own.

dw7thdoctor · Apr 27, 2023

_The_Bomb said:
Yay!

Does it have to be a Guardian-crafted Green Ring (or even Green specifically) or would one crafted by Lord Malvolio work?

I was just wondering if it even had to be a green ring could he possibly convert an orange ring? Paul converted green to orange.

Darko · Apr 27, 2023

Chojin Patriarch said:
To be fair, with your costume back then, I doubt he'd have been paying too much attention to your face, Arty.

He'd have been looking at her kegs after she knocked him down.

Chojin Patriarch said:
Boy, the Chuunibyou is strong with this one.

Darkseid is basically King Emo, so of course thjse exposed to Anti-Life would be like that.

And I can't help but think that the reason he kidnapped Black Orchid was to make plants that turn people emo.

Mr Zoat · Apr 27, 2023

_The_Bomb said:
Does it have to be a Guardian-crafted Green Ring (or even Green specifically) or would one crafted by Lord Malvolio work?

Alan's ring being able to do that was a result of a series of unusual circumstances and his own nature. Any ring that was the same at the start and went through the same process would end up the same. Good luck with that.

EDIT: Ah, did you mean "Koriand'r" instead of "Kalmin" there?

In that case, why exactly is Alan trying to make Blue Rings at all? Koriand'r would be amazing with a Blue Ring but she wouldn't be able to recharge it without staying on (or repeatedly going to) Earth to use Alan's Lantern or having one of her own.

Alan isn't trying to make blue rings. He's theoretically capable of learning, but he's an old dog and lacks the SI's expansionist mindset.

Chojin Patriarch said:
To be fair, with your costume back then, I doubt he'd have been paying too much attention to your face, Arty.

Pre-costume. She was wearing jeans and a hoodie.

_The_Bomb · Apr 27, 2023

Mr Zoat said:
Alan isn't trying to make blue rings. He's theoretically capable of learning, but he's an old dog and lacks the SI's expansionist mindset.

He isn't?

Mr Zoat said:
"I haven't yet. I probably can. But… I can get as many orange power rings as I want, and I can't make a new ring without already having a ring. Making a lantern is useful because I can do it when I have some charge but don't have access to my personal lantern, which is.. why I learned to make one."

"So you can't coach me."

I shrug. "Sorry."

"Oh, no. It could be an interesting change of pace. You know, back in the forties, Ted asked me how my ring worked. I guess he thought I made it myself."

Mr Zoat · Apr 27, 2023

_The_Bomb said:
He isn't?

He was just asking.

PDV · Apr 27, 2023

Mr Zoat said:
I do make it sound I sound a

Duplicated repetitively

Vaermina · Apr 27, 2023

Mr Zoat said:
Alan isn't trying to make blue rings. He's theoretically capable of learning, but he's an old dog and lacks the SI's expansionist mindset.

Which under your own rules should only matter if Alan's ring was Orange.

Mr Zoat · Apr 27, 2023

PDV said:
Duplicated repetitively

Thank you, corrected.

SotF · Apr 27, 2023

Cuchulin said:
Wolves don't attack people (at least not in North America) and they keep the Deer from being fat/lazy as well as eating themselves out of house and home. People wiped out Wolves out of blind fear and hate.

There had been human kills by wolves in North America, just not for a long while. But the NA Wolves tend to only do that when pushed into it via injury, starvation, or disease...the European and Asian varieties, however, are ones that would go after people.

Mr Zoat said:
In 1450 wolves invaded Paris and ate 40 people, not even mentioning the people they ate on the way there.

And I don't care in deer are lazy. The fat is where the flavour comes from.

You also had at least one pack that was going after soldiers and corpses in WW1's no mans land that, occasionally, invaded, or attempted to invade, the trenches.

Mr Zoat · Apr 28, 2023

3rd November 1999
23:56 GMT

I watch from on-high as the armed police continue to patrol the area of the fire fight. The Alliance did a reasonable job of cleaning up after themselves before fleeing in their remaining transport vehicles, but the signs of a fight like that don't just disappear and the police have clearly picked up on them.

The first carbonised tree could have been written off as a freak lightning strike, but there are a lot more black marks on the foliage and soil that could be explained by anything short of an electrical storm that would require a dust cloud of a sort that just doesn't occur in Britain.

The fused lumps of metal look like they could be cars, but once the Scene of Crime officers get here they'll quickly realise that they aren't any sort of car that's actually been sold in any country in the world. And that their owner hasn't paid road tax. If they then reach the conclusion they were some sort of prototype electrical vehicle meant for testing on private land -which would be perfectly legal- they'd still have to explain the odd design choices from the mech-shifting technology that are still visible.

"Sir, we've got blood down here."

I hear the voice from the radio of the Inspector overseeing the operation, originally coming from the Sergeant who led the team into the now-evacuated bunker.

"Forensics will be pleased. Any sign of a body?"

"No body, sir. Some footprints, and… Looks like animal tracks."

"Animal tracks?"

"Too small and wrong shape for footprints."

"What sort of animal?"

"Dunno, sir. Something with hooves."

The Inspector frowns. Ah, he spotted that. A predator might follow the scent of blood, but a hoofed animal -a herbivore prey animal like a deer- wouldn't.

"Anything else down there?"

"Dust has been stirred up. Someone's been down here recently. Gone n-. Wait one."

The Inspector walks over to a carbonised tree and pulls off his right glove to touch it with his bare skin.

"What the fuck did this?"

"Looks like someone added a rear exit. I've got more footprints and animal tracks."

"No people?"

"Still completing the sweep, but it doesn't look like it."

"Finish your sweep, then pull out. Leave as much for the Scene of Crime officers as you can."

"Yessir."

The Inspector nods to himself, and then walks over to have a look at one of the piles of wreckage.

"Some sort of… Armoured car..?"

"Inspector!"

The Inspector looks around as another police officer hurries over.

"What?"

"It's the Chief Inspector, sir. He wants to know where we are."

"What does he mean, where we are? He's the one-. Give me the phone."

The communications officer hands the puzzled Inspector the phone handset, and he brings it to his ear. "Sir, I received deployment orders that appeared to be from you. Are you telling me-?"

He stops talking, his face growing increasingly grim.

"S-hit."

He takes another look at the wreckage as his superior continues to talk.

"That may well be, sir, but it looks like a good job they did. I've got two wrecked vehicles, scorch marks that look like someone fired… I don't know, some sort of… High powered taser? Or-. Because the damn trees are burnt like they were hit by lightning. Ah, not sure. Wait one." He turns to his squad radio. "Sergeant, how much blood would you say there was?"

"If it's from one person, they're dead, sir."

"Thank you, Sergeant." He turns back to his phone. "One probable, body no longer on-site. And I'm waiting on forensics before we open up the wrecks to see if there are any remains inside. Um. Doesn't seem likely, sir, but it doesn't hurt to ask." He leans forward to tap the armour panels on the wreck he was studying. "It feels armoured, but it doesn't look like any armoured vehicle I've ever seen. How long-? Right, well, we'll do a perimeter check while we wait for them to arrive, and then clear off. Yeah, I think that's one for the secret squirrels."

He hands the phone back to the officer who gave it to him, then takes a step back from the wreck.

"Alright, everyone! Form a perimeter, twenty metres out, and wait for Scene of Crime! Don't touch anything if you can help it!"

Armed officers stop patrolling around the bunker entrance and form up into fireteams, moving away in different directions.

I've led the horse to water. Let's hope it drinks.

The Conduit refugees are miles away, camping out in the wilds of Hornchurch. They've got contingency plans for this situation that don't involve me, and I can't keep this armour up while I sleep. Percival could set up a safe house near his cottage, but there isn't really… Most aliens prefer modern conveniences for pretty much the same reasons humans do, and he's pretty off-grid.

The Alliance soldiers have pulled out. I was kind of expecting them to bombard the area with missiles once their people got clear, but apparently they decided that it wasn't worth it. Their stealth technology is pretty good, but with a little effort I can see their transport aircraft flying back across the Atlantic. I don't know if they all left, but I can't see any other aircraft of that class nearby.

So..? Time to go home? Or back to Percival's place at least? Ring, fuel?

Thirty four percent charge remaining.

I don't want to get into a big fight at thirty four percent, but I could survive one if I had to. And I've got enough cash on me to get a ferry back to Ireland if I had to.

Okay, but what about tomorrow? I could follow the Alliance transport plane back to their headquarters and… Express my displeasure. Except that some of the work they do is actually valuable. And I certainly couldn't sub in for them with regard to their global commitments. I could find them doing something dodgy and wreck it to make a point, but would they actually get the point, or would they just prioritise my elimination?

Prioritise killing me. Like I killed their-.

No. He was about a second from murdering some unarmed civilians. I don't-.

But I've got a power ring. There are ways I could disable-. Learn to disable someone without killing them, even if they did have it coming.

But that's for tomorrow. I'll check the prisoners and Alliance equipment one more time-.

What are they doing?

Darko · Apr 28, 2023

Mr Zoat said:
vehicle mean for testing on private land -which would be perfectly legal-

"meant"

Mr Zoat said:
"Looks like someone added a rear exit. I've got more footprints and animal tracks."

"No people

Well they are people, just not the usual type.

Mr Zoat said:
The fused lumps of metal look like they could be cars, but once the Scene of Crime officers get here they'll quickly realise that they aren't any sort of car that's actually been sold in any country in the world. And that their owner hasn't paid road tax

The tax one is the worst offense.

Mr Zoat said:
Yeah, I think that's one for the secret squirrels."

Hope they don't flash anyone.

moralrelativity · Apr 28, 2023

Mr Zoat said:
can't see any other aircraft of that class in nearby.

Seems to need another word on the end. Maybe "in nearby airspace"?

Mr Zoat · Apr 28, 2023

Darko said:
"meant"

moralrelativity said:
Seems to need another word on the end. Maybe "in nearby airspace"?

Thank you, corrected.

Chojin Patriarch · Apr 28, 2023

Mr Zoat said:
3rd November 1999
23:56 GMT

I watch from on-high as the armed police continue to patrol the area of the fire fight. The Alliance did a reasonable job of cleaning up after themselves before fleeing in their remaining transport vehicles, but the signs of a fight like that don't just disappear and the police have clearly picked up on them.

Excellent. Back to the Emerald Knight. And of course the police are just a bit late to the party. Still, this should raise some fascinating questions amongst the government circles. Especially if they notice just how odd some of the things they're looking at are.

The first carbonised tree could have been written off as a freak lightning strike, but there are a lot more black marks on the foliage and soil that could be explained by anything short of an electrical storm of a sort that would require a dust storm that just doesn't occur in Britain.

I'm guessing targetting discipline isn't something the Alliance troops need to focus on, then. More of a 'hose down everything and ask questions later' style...

The fused lumps of metal look like they could be cars, but once the Scene of Crime officers get here they'll quickly realise that they aren't any sort of car that's actually been sold in any country in the world. And that their owner hasn't paid road tax. If they then reach the conclusion they were some sort of prototype electrical vehicle mean for testing on private land -which would be perfectly legal- they'd still have to explain the odd design choices from the mech-shifting technology that are still visible.

Like, you know, the legs. If they can even recognise what Roswaul left intact as legs.

"Sir, we've got blood down here."

I hear the voice from the radio of the Inspector overseeing the operation, originally coming from the Sergeant who led the team into the now-evacuated bunker.

That'll be the unfortunate Darwin award nominee who thought shooting unarmed civvies was smart.

"Forensics will be pleased. Any sign of a body?"

"No body, sir. Some footprints, and… Looks like animal tracks."

Surprised they didn't try to clean up by hosing down the stains with plasma.

"Animal tracks?"

"Too small and wrong shape for footprints."

That would be the fauns. And presumably the goblins, too. Which might make their footprints mistaken for a small person or a child...

"What sort of animal?"

"Dunno, sir. Something with hooves."

Hopefully they didn't leave too obvious a trail as they fled.

The Inspector frowns. Ah, he spotted that. A predator might follow the scent of blood, but a hoofed animal -a herbivore prey animal like a deer- wouldn't.

"Anything else down there?"

Lots of little things that don't add up, huh?

"Dust has been stirred up. Someone's been down here recently. Gone n-. Wait one."

The Inspector walks over to a carbonised tree and pulls off his right glove to touch it with his bare skin.

Yeah, no chance of this being an arsonist, eh.

"What the fuck did this?"

"Looks like someone added a rear exit. I've got more footprints and animal tracks."

...Roswaul's work? Or did the golem handle that?

"No people?"

"Still completing the sweep, but it doesn't look like it."

Not if the Alliance grunts knew their shit. No evidence left behind...

"Finish your sweep, then pull out. Leave as much for the Scene of Crime officers as you can."

"Yessir."

Though unlike an episode of 'CSI' they'll probably never work out what really happened, much less in a neat little 45 minute package...

The Inspector nods to himself, and then walks over to have a look at one of the piles of wreckage.

"Some sort of… Armoured car..?"

Half-right.

"Inspector!"

The Inspector looks around as another police officer hurries over.

The joy of being in charge... No time to think for a moment.

"What?"

"It's the Chief Inspector, sir. He wants to know where we are."

Oh, right. They weren't officially dispatched.

"What does he mean, where we are? He's the one-. Give me the phone."

The communications officer hands the puzzled Inspector the phone handset, and he brings it to his ear. "Sir, I received deployment orders that appeared to be from you. Are you telling me-?"

Heh. A little tougher to fake that stuff this early into the information age, but it can be done.

He stops talking, his face growing increasingly grim.

"S-hit."

You realised someone else set this up, didn't you?

He takes another look at the wreckage as his superior continues to talk.

"That may well be, sir, but it looks like a good job they did. I've got two wrecked vehicles, scorch marks that look like someone fired… I don't know, some sort of… High powered taser? Or-. Because the damn trees are burnt like they were hit by lightning. Ah, not sure. Wait one." He turns to his squad radio. "Sergeant, how much blood would you say there was?"

Heh. Yeah, this was no simple prank or teenage stunt. Which would probably be one of the possible causes they might have come up with without the hard evidence.

"If it's from one person, they're dead, sir."

"Thank you, Sergeant." He turns back to his phone. "One probable, body no longer on-site. And I'm waiting on forensics before we open up the wrecks to see if there are any remains inside. Um. Doesn't seem likely, sir, but it doesn't hurt to ask." He leans forward to tap the armour panels on the wreck he was studying. "It feels armoured, but it doesn't look like any armoured vehicle I've ever seen. How long-? Right, well, we'll do a perimeter check while we wait for them to arrive, and then clear off. Yeah, I think that's one for the secret squirrels."

Which will raise all manner of questions upstairs. This might well end up being handed over to the military...

He hands the phone back to the officer who gave it to him, then takes a step back from the wreck.

"Alright, everyone! Form a perimeter, twenty metres out, and wait for Scene of Crime! Don't touch anything if you can help it!"

...Well, more than they might have already.

Armed officers stop patrolling around the bunker entrance and form up into fireteams, moving away in different directions.

I've led the horse to water. Let's hope it drinks.

Let's also hope it doesn't turn out to be a poisoned well...

The Conduit refugees are miles away, camping out in the wilds of Hornchurch. They've got contingency plans for this situation that don't involve me, and I can't keep this armour up while I sleep. Percival could set up a safe house near his cottage, but there isn't really… Most aliens prefer modern conveniences for pretty much the same reasons humans do, and he's pretty off-grid.

And he lives out there for a reason. I doubt he'd appreciate neighbours.

The Alliance soldiers have pulled out. I was kind of expecting them to bombard the area with missiles once their people got clear, but apparently they decided that it wasn't worth it. Their stealth technology is pretty good, but with a little effort I can see their transport aircraft flying back across the Atlantic. I don't know if they all left, but I can't see any other aircraft of that class in nearby.

So..? Time to go home? Or back to Percival's place at least? Ring, fuel?

Besides, a missile strike in rural England might be a little harder to explain than a couple of odd burns and wrecks.

Thirty four percent charge remaining.

I don't want to get into a big fight at thirty four percent, but I could survive one if I had to. And I've got enough cash on me to get a ferry back to Ireland if I had to.

Just in case you run out of flight charge, eh?

Okay, but what about tomorrow? I could follow the Alliance transport plane back to their headquarters and… Express my displeasure. Except that some of the work they do is actually valuable. And I certainly couldn't sub in for them with regard to their global commitments. I could find them doing something dodgy and wreck it to make a point, but would they actually get the point, or would they just prioritise my elimination?

Prioritise killing me. Like I killed their-.

Yeah, no. Unless you can make peaceful contact with someone willing to talk, best not to poke the eight-hundred-pound gorilla.

No. He was about a second from murdering some unarmed civilians. I don't-.

But I've got a power ring. There are ways I could disable-. Learn to disable someone without killing them, even if they did have it coming.

Again, you were eliminating a threat to unarmed civilians. Don't feel too bad about it. Remember it, try harder to do better, but don't mourn the stupid.

You'll be crying all day.

But that's for tomorrow. I'll check the prisoners and Alliance equipment one more time-.

What are they doing?

Ah, spotted Team Logan pulling their crazy plan, eh?

So, now there's a police record and physical evidence of Alliance activities in England. At least until someone 'removes' the documentation. But more importantly, it looks like the Emerald Knight is about to get to meet the series protagonists. And hopefully prevent some action movie-worthy levels of property damage. Though I bet something will explode anyway.

Darko · Apr 28, 2023

Chojin Patriarch said:
Though unlike an episode of 'CSI' they'll probably never work out what really happened, much less in a neat little 45 minute package

Honestly, most cop shows really shorten the amount of time actual investigations happen to the point that the crime is solved in a day or two, while misy probably take weeks at the minimum.

The only cop show that I think showed a long time passing was Monk, sincer we sometimes had months pass in-universe before they solved a case.

Chojin Patriarch said:
Though I bet something will explode anyway.

Why if course it will.

B00ki5h · Apr 28, 2023

Darko said:
Hope they don't flash anyone.

Better call Harvey Birdman attorney at law

Duke Long · Apr 28, 2023

Mr Zoat said:
The first carbonised tree could have been written off as a freak lightning strike, but there are a lot more black marks on the foliage and soil that could be explained by anything short of an electrical storm of a sort that would require a dust storm that just doesn't occur in Britain.

'than could be explained'

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