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

Stsword · Dec 22, 2023

Prince Charon said:
Is anyone else getting a blank page for this link?

Yep.

Darko · Dec 22, 2023

Mr Zoat said:
Day 5
16th March 2013

Zoat, you forgot to add the date over the link in the spoiler box.

Mr Zoat · Dec 22, 2023

16th March 2013
09:37 GMT +2

Filippos Sachinidis, the current Greek Finance Minister, stares at the machine that so much of Greece's economy will be based on.

"And you say this can make anything?"

"In theory, yes. In practice, it's only really good at making simple things. Pure ingots of metal, perfectly regular wooden beams, regular stones or bricks, things like that. You can put anything in, but it's more efficient if what you put in is mostly contains what you want to take out." I shrug. "Put an old mostly steel tractor in and you'll get out steel ingots faster than if you put in random waste."

"But we… Can put in random waste?"

"Yes, certainly. As I said, it won't be as efficient, and it would be better if you could compact it down first, but it would work perfectly well."

"And it is safe? I have heard horror stories about nanotechnology."

"Science fiction nonsense, for the most part. A little over two years ago the League of Shadows used a nanotech weapon that was about ninety five percent airborne coolant, and they still lost most of their cloud in a two minute attack. If they'd been trying to kill people then using the nanobots to transmute explosives would have been more efficient. These nanobots are designed to be more vulnerable to changes in temperature, so that they need the fabricator's cold field to remain functional. If they leave that area-. You see the yellow line?"

I point inside the fabricator, and he nods cautiously.

"Then they melt the moment they try to do any work, get exposed to sunlight-." I point upwards. "You see the ultraviolet lights up there?"

He peers upwards, then nods.

"Those will destroy them. Or if they get exposed to electricity or radio waves or the human body."

"The.. human body can destroy them? Surely they are too small for the immune system to attack."

"Oh, far too small. But human bodies are hot and filled with reactive chemicals. Without something cooling them, they can't cope."

"Can the cooling system from this machine be removed?"

"Yes, but not easily. It's built into the whole thing to keep the field strength even and prevent people detaching it and weaponising it. Leonard really doesn't like people doing that."

"Leonard Snart."

I raise my right forefinger. "Doctor Leonard Snart."

"Who is the American supervillain 'Captain Cold'."

"He was. Between what we're paying him and the respect he got for fixing the icecaps… And the reports of the prison's counsellor, we're confident that he's happier doing legitimate work than he would be robbing places."

A decision that's aided by the collapse of quite a few currencies. Mildly pleased to be ahead of the curve there. I mean, they were based on faith anyway and governments were constantly inflating their supply with their overworked printing presses… But faith is gone after the second global crisis in two years. Barter has become even more widespread, particularly given that Mannheim focused on America which made it through the Sheeda Incursion mostly intact.

"But the Justice League's funding comes from the United Nations. Doesn't it?"

"Ah… No. I mean, it did, but we spotted pretty quickly that with the… Collapse, that wasn't going to work."

It's interesting. In the American context, the ability of Congress to control military funding is supposed to restrain the President's ability to make war. It adds a new dimension to something like Command and Conquer when you realise that the Global Defence Initiative has the ability to be completely financially self-sufficient through tiberium refining. A military that isn't funded by taxes but by expanding into new territory, that is technically incentivised to let the tiberium infestation of Earth get worse, would have been profoundly disturbing to the Founding Fathers.

He looks at me in an interrogative manner.

"The Justice League is… Issuing its own precious metal-based currency."

"Can the Justice League do that?"

"Legally or practically?"

"Practically."

"We have several members and associates capable of casual space travel. There's basically no competition for space mining, and… I already had a big pile of gold I was using for my own expenses." Plus the stuff I took off Larfleeze. It was still a big pile after I returned everything I could identify as coming from a specific place and giving all of the pieces of technology which Dox wanted to him. "Honestly, choosing a design and a weight was more difficult. I wanted a full metal coin, but Mister Atom pointed out that was excessive, and that with so many currencies in freefall any precious metal would be a stabilising influence…"

"And legally? Does the treaty between the Justice League and the United Nations allow the League to issue currency?"

"The subject wasn't really covered. Technically, the League can get income from other sources of appropriate moral probity, and while 'commemorative tokens' it issues aren't legal tender anywhere we've got to the point where the dollar isn't accepted in most of the United States."

I mean, it is, but only at Weimar Republic inflation levels, and you better have actual coins or notes. Coins actually trade slightly better than paper money. There was a period in British history where the old pure copper 1p and 2p coins were worth more as metal than their face value, but the metal value of modern coins is nearly nothing. But without anyone leaning on them, people seem to value them more highly than paper.

It's like they've overcome one level of nonsense only to get tripped up by another layer of nonsense that's an exact copy of it.

"Is that a good idea?"

"Having a stable currency? Yes, it's an excellent idea. I've checked the records of millions of civilisations and Mister Atom ran a lot of simulations." And used more than the egg cup full of common sense that most economists in government seem to share between them. "Apropos of nothing, if Demetrios Prokopios could be found and returned to-."

"Do you know where he is?"

He's staring at me with an expression of pure desperation.

"Um. Only approximately. I'm trying to track him down, but stabilising the world is more urgent. So… If he came back, you'd-."

"I was always clear that I was taking this job as a caretaker. Is he a demigod? Is that how he did it?"

"I'm afraid that I'm not inclined to betray confidences in that way."

"We're losing physical currency, did you know that? People know that the Justice League are working on something here and the drachma is suddenly in demand in other countries. That is not something that Greece has had to worry about since the City State period. I don't know how to handle it. We need him."

"Then… I will make that my highest priority." I look over to where a forklift truck has carried in a pallet of scrap metal. Excellent, they're ready for the demonstration. "Do you want to see it in action?"

"Yes. Yes please."

Darko · Dec 22, 2023

Mr Zoat said:
"And it is safe? I have heard horror stories about nanotechnology."

"Science fiction nonsense

You live in a sci fi universe.

Mr Zoat said:
Can the cooling system from this machine be removed?"

"Yes, but not easily

Now I can't help but think that it'll be removed.

Mr Zoat said:
"Leonard Snart."

I raise my right forefinger. "Doctor Leonard Snart

Good for him.

Mr Zoat said:
"The Justice League is… Issuing its own precious metal-based currency."

"Can the Justice League do that?"

"Legally or practically?"

"Practically

Good focus.

The legal side may still be trying to put itself back together.

Mr Zoat said:
if Demetrios Prokopios could be found and returned to-."

"Do you know where he is?"

He's staring at me with an expression of pure desperation

Well he'll be glad to know that he's wanted.

Mr Zoat said:
Is he a demigod? Is that how he did it?"

Close enough.

Bloodalchemy · Dec 22, 2023

Mr Zoat said:
"I was always clear that I was taking this job as a caretaker. Is he a demigod? Is that how he did it?"

I'm only am elected official, I can't do this by myself!

EgyptianDio · Dec 22, 2023

Mr Zoat said:
lira is suddenly in demand in other countries

As a Turkish man, I never thought that I would read something like this.

Oglymogly · Dec 22, 2023

Darko said:
You live in a sci fi universe.

Yeah, I laughed at that too, because he immediately goes 'don't worry, they only work because we got a freeze ray pointed at them'.

Chojin Patriarch · Dec 22, 2023

Mr Zoat said:
16th March 2013
09:37 GMT +2

Filippos Sachinidis, the current Greek Finance Minister, stares at the machine that so much of Greece's economy will be based on.

"And you say this can make anything?"

Ah, the Nanofabricators are finally operational, now that Doctor Roquette has stopped trying to bury her PTSD? I expect that all necessary safety measure and security setups have been undertaken. This stuff could go badly in the wrong hands, after all.

"In theory, yes. In practice, it's only really good at making simple things. Pure ingots of metal, perfectly regular wooden beams, regular stones or bricks, things like that. You can put anything in, but it's more efficient if what you put it mostly contains what you want to take out." I shrug. "Put an old mostly steel tractor in and you'll get out steel ingots faster than if you put in random waste."

"But we… Can put in random waste?"

Well, I suppose the nanites can manage some measure of subatomic-level reconfiguration, but I expect that's far more energy-intensive.

"Yes, certainly. As I said, it won't be as efficient, and it would be better if you could compact in down first, but it would work perfectly well."

"And it is safe? I have heard horror stories about nanotechnology."

Heh. Asking the important questions, eh? Even if you ignore the Grey Goo scenario, there's always the possibility of the nanites forming some kind of hive-mind AI. Which actually happened in... 'Assimilation', I think. The machine-guy YJ SI over on SB.

"Science fiction nonsense, for the most part. A little over two years ago the League of Shadows used a nanotech weapon that was about ninety five percent airborne coolant, and they still lost most of their cloud in a two minute attack. If they'd been trying to kill people then using the nanobots to transmute explosives would have been more efficient. These nanobots are designed to be more vulnerable to changes in temperature, so that they need the fabricator's cold field to remain functional. If they leave that area-. You see the yellow line?"

That's one way to limit them, I guess. Since their work would produce dangerous amounts of heat.

I point inside the fabricator, and he nods cautiously.

"Then they melt the moment they try to do any work, get exposed to sunlight-." I point upwards. "You see the ultraviolet lights up there?"

Well, wasting no option to keep them safe, I see.

He peers upwards, then nods.

"Those will destroy them. Or if they get exposed to electricity or radio waves or the human body."

...I expect the fabrication unit is built like a tank, then, to keep them safe inside it.

"The.. human body can destroy them? Surely they are too small for the immune system to attack."

"Oh, far too small. But human bodies are hot and filled with reactive chemicals. Without something cooling them, they can't cope."

And that's if they can somehow get into your system without meeting any of the other failure states.

"Can the cooling system from this machine be removed?"

"Yes, but not easily. It's built into the whole thing to keep the field strength even and prevent people detaching it and weaponising it. Leonard really doesn't like people doing that."

No doubt it's also so distributed that converting it into any kind of recognisable weapons system would be challenging. Like, part of it here, part of it there...

"Leonard Snart."

I raise my right forefinger. "Doctor Leonard Snart."

Heh. Fast-tracked, I see. And given the technology he created, it's about bloody time.

"Who is the American supervillain 'Captain Cold'."

"He was. Between what we're paying him and the respect he got for fixing the icecaps… And the reports of the prison's counsellor, we're confident that he's happier doing legitimate work than he would be robbing places."

Even if it lacks the occasional excitement of super-powered combat.

A decision that's aided by the collapse of quite a few currencies. Mildly pleased to be ahead of the curve there. I mean, they were based on faith anyway and governments were constantly inflating their supply with their overworked printing presses… But faith is gone after the second global crisis in two years. Barter has become even more widespread, particularly given that Mannheim focused on America which made it through the Sheeda Incursion mostly intact.

Well, there goes any remaining hope of this resembling the real world that much any more.

"But the Justice League's funding comes from the United Nations. Doesn't it?"

"Ah… No. I mean, it did, but we spotted pretty quickly that with the… Collapse, that wasn't going to work."

And given that several of its members are basically one-person post-scarcity civilisations...

It's interesting. In the American context, the ability of Congress to control military funding is supposed to restrain the President's ability to make war. It adds a new dimension to something like Command and Conquer when you realise that the General Defence Initiative has the ability to be completely financially self sufficient through tiberium refining. A military that isn't funded by taxes but by expanding into new territory, that is technically incentivise to let the tiberium infestation of Earth get worse, would have been profoundly disturbing to the Founding Fathers.

It's also kind of disturbing to us players, now it's laid out like that. Sort of explains why the series went where it did over the years.

He looks at me in an interrogative manner.

"The Justice League is… Issuing its own precious metal-based currency."

...Okay, that's a thing. Wow.

"Can the Justice League do that?"

"Legally or practically?"

"Practically."

Well, hit up a few unclaimed asteroids with the right mineral compositions...

"We have several members and associates capable of casual space travel. There's basically no competition for space mining, and… I already had a big pile of gold I was using for my own expenses." Plus the stuff I took off Larfleeze. It was still a big pile after I returned everything I could identify as coming from a specific place and giving all of the pieces of technology which Dox wanted to him. "Honestly, choosing a design and a weight was more difficult. I wanted a full metal coin, but Mister Atom pointed out that was excessive, and that with so many currencies in freefall any precious metal would be a stabilising influence…"

So in effect, they've made the JLA's coins the new gold standard?

"And legally? Does the treaty between the Justice League and the United Nations all the League to issue currency?"

"The subject wasn't really covered. Technically, the League can get income from other sources of appropriate moral probity, and while 'commemorative tokens' it issues aren't legal tender anywhere we've got to the point where the dollar isn't accepted in most of the United States."

Well, isn't that a kick in the bollocks...

I mean, it is, but only at Weimar Republic inflation levels, and you better have actual coins or notes. Coins actually trade slightly better than paper money. There was a period in British history where the old pure copper 1p and 2p coins were worth more as metal than their face value, but the metal value of modern coins is nearly nothing. But without anyone leaning on them, people seem to value them more highly than paper.

It's like they've overcome one level of nonsense only to get tripped up by another layer of nonsense that's an exact copy of it.

The Weimar Republic being the immediate post-World War I German government. At it's worst, one American Dollar was worth 4.2 billion Marks. And that's the Long billion, with twelve zeroes. It sank that far in three years (1920 to 1923).

"Is that a good idea?"

"Having a stable currency? Yes, it's an excellent idea. I've checked the records of millions of civilisations and Mister Atom ran a lot of simulations." And used more than the egg cup full of common sense that most economists in government seem to share between them. "Apropos of nothing, if Demetrios Prokopios could be found and returned to-."

Ploutos' modern ID, before anyone asks.

"Do you know where he is?"

He's staring at me with an expression of pure desperation.

Job proving harder than you thought it was, huh? To be fair, it would take a god to handle this shit.

"Um. Only approximately. I'm trying to track him down, but stabilising the world is more urgent. So… If he came back, you'd-."

"I was always clear that I was taking this job as a caretaker. Is he a demigod? Is that how he did it?"

Sort of makes recovering Olympus even more important, huh?

"I'm afraid that I'm not inclined to betray confidences in that way."

"We're losing physical currency, did you know that? People know that the Justice League are working on something here and the lira is suddenly in demand in other countries. That is not something that Greece has had to worry about since the City State period. I don't know how to handle it. We need him."

Hell, at this stage, Ploutus could probably become the world's accountant at this stage if he had to.

"Then… I will make that my highest priority." I look over to where a forklift truck has carried in a pallet of scrap metal. Excellent, they're ready for the demonstration. "Do you want to see it in action?"

"Yes. Yes please."

Anything for a chance to forget all this trouble and just 'ooh' and 'aah' and the fancy technology, huh?

I suppose this is what OL's going to be up to for the in-universe month or so the Renegade will be using for the episode. Less interesting reconstruction stuff that can also serve as a little bit of a time-skip for the rather abused state of the Paragon time-line's Earth. Though if important stuff like Atlantis or Olympus get sorted off-screen, it will be rather vexing...

Agumentic · Dec 22, 2023

It's kind of silly to talk about precious metals having any relevant intrinsic worth when they are standing near a nanofabricator that makes printing them not much more difficult than paper, but that's human psychology for you.

Mr Zoat said:
People know that the Justice League are working on something here and the lira is suddenly in demand in other countries.

Greek currency before Euro was called drachma.

Mr Zoat said:
when you realise that the General Defence Initiative has the ability to be completely financially self sufficient through tiberium refining

It's Global Defence Initiative.

0zymandias · Dec 22, 2023

With the Justice League now printing their own global currency, a lot of people are going ask why not just take control. It seems very obvious that it's quite literally just the League which is holding the planet together. This has got to push some kind of pressure for the League to start make more radical reforms. Maybe we go for the big League Model ala Justice League Unlimited

Stsword · Dec 22, 2023

MacShimi said:
snip

You posted in the story only thread, you need to delete that.

Duke Long · Dec 22, 2023

Prince Charon said:
Is anyone else getting a blank page for this link?

Works fine for me.

Mr Zoat said:
As I said, it won't be as efficient, and it would be better if you could compact in down first, but it would work perfectly well."

'compact it'

Mr Zoat said:
General Defence Initiative has the ability to be completely financially self sufficient through tiberium refining. A military that isn't funded by taxes but by expanding into new territory, that is technically incentivise to let the tiberium infestation of Earth get worse, would have been profoundly disturbing to the Founding Fathers.

'self-sufficient'?
'incentivised'

Mr Zoat · Dec 22, 2023

EgyptianDio said:
As a Turkish man, I never thought that I would read something like this.

How are Turkey's anti-alien defences? Space-alien, I mean.

Agumentic said:
Greek currency before Euro was called drachma.

Oh that's what you meant. My mistake.

It's Global Defence Initiative.

Thank you, corrected.

0zymandias said:
With the Justice League now printing their own global currency, a lot of people are going ask why not just take control. It seems very obvious that it's quite literally just the League which is holding the planet together. This has got to push some kind of pressure for the League to start make more radical reforms. Maybe we go for the big League Model ala Justice League Unlimited

Not printing. That was how we got in this position. Minting.

Duke Long said:
'compact it'
'self-sufficient'?
'incentivised'

Thank you, corrected.

moralrelativity · Dec 22, 2023

Mr Zoat said:
United Nations all the League to issue

all -> allow

Silveraith · Dec 22, 2023

Mr Zoat said:
"And legally? Does the treaty between the Justice League and the United Nations all the League to issue currency?"

Allow.

Mr Zoat said:
People know that the Justice League are working on something here

Is.

The League is a single unit, league vs leagues I suppose my Unless you go with "Justice League members".

EgyptianDio · Dec 22, 2023

Mr Zoat said:
How are Turkey's anti-alien defences? Space-alien, I mean.

That depends entirely on where they land. On most places, we are pretty doomed.

BUT! If they land in Adana, we definitely will win. For the people of Adana are crazy enough to shoot the SUN with a shotgun because it was a hot day!

topin89 · Dec 22, 2023

Darko said:
You live in a sci fi universe.

*Asking not-quite-AI how to fix sound drivers while looking at a robot vacuum cleaner and reading articles how copper ore processed with bacteria and children cured from spinal muscle atrophy with gene therapy*

Don't we all?

RichardWhereat · Dec 22, 2023

Darko said:
Close enough.

For government work.

Mr Zoat · Dec 22, 2023

moralrelativity said:
all -> allow

Thank you, corrected.

Silveraith said:
Is.

The League is a single unit, league vs leagues I suppose my Unless you go with "Justice League members".

It's been suggested to me that this is a English English/American English thing. The Justice League is a group of people, and therefore a plural.

EgyptianDio said:
That depends entirely on where they land. On most places, we are pretty doomed.

BUT! If they land in Adana, we definitely will win. For the people of Adana are crazy enough to shoot the SUN with a shotgun because it was a hot day!

I suspect that if I knew more about Turkish culture I'd be sniggering right now.

Coda · Dec 22, 2023

Agumentic said:
It's Global Defence Initiative.

Oh gdi

Redblood2222 · Dec 23, 2023

Mr Zoat said:
Thank you, corrected.

It's been suggested to me that this is a English English/American English thing. The Justice League is a group of people, and therefore a plural.

I suspect that if I knew more about Turkish culture I'd be sniggering right now.

damn zoat you still on this story i thought you would be done by now you have been doing this story since 2016 it must be the longest story on this site impressive man impressive

Doccer · Dec 23, 2023

Mr Zoat said:
if what you put it mostly

if what you put in it mostly

Cuchulin · Dec 23, 2023

EgyptianDio said:
For the people of Adana are crazy enough to shoot the SUN with a shotgun because it was a hot day!

Sounds like Florida!

Ardy · Dec 23, 2023

Redblood2222 said:
damn zoat you still on this story i thought you would be done by now you have been doing this story since 2016 it must be the longest story on this site impressive man impressive

I believe he actually started in 2013. We just passed the 10 year anniversary. Zoat said he was celebrating by drinking and crying.

moralrelativity · Dec 23, 2023

Ardy said:
I believe he actually started in 2013. We just passed the 10 year anniversary. Zoat said he was celebrating by drinking and crying.

10 years?!? Woah. At about 1,000 words per day that's 3.6 million words. Impressive.

Mr Zoat · Dec 23, 2023

Doccer said:
if what you put in it mostly

Thank you, corrected.

Redblood2222 said:
damn zoat you still on this story i thought you would be done by now you have been doing this story since 2016 it must be the longest story on this site impressive man impressive

Cuchulin said:
Sounds like Florida!

Move over Texas! New most American state coming through!

Mr Zoat · Dec 23, 2023

22nd September 2010
19:17 GMT -5

She didn't turn up. I held up my end of the agreement, and then-!

Warning! Deviation from baseline thought processes detected!

Ah. Yes. Narcissism. The belief that the universe revolves around you. Artemis is a woman-

Girl.

-with her own responsibilities.

I don't think you should lose sight of that age difference.

Her not being where she agreed to be isn't a deliberate insult. It's far more likely that she lost track of time hunting down Gotham hoodlums, or… I don't know. Popular culture tells me that women-

Girls.

-take a long time to get ready, clothes and makeup and whatnot. Not something I know anything about, and Mia didn't want to talk about it for some reason.

Okay, sport? I think that maybe you should me let me handle this.

What? Why? I realised what the problem was, and even if I hadn't I wouldn't have done anything about my thoughts because that would be counterproductive.

No. Not that. The Evil Formula.

I stop in mid-air.

What makes you think I'd agree to that now?

You reconstructed the formula for Vitamin X from Dennis Wilson's body. That means that you don't need it any more.

That wasn't the point. The point is that I'm not the person I was before I got-. Wait.

I scan the area around Artemis, making sure-. Ah.

Carry this on later.

Sigh.

I transition forwards, construct shield easily blocking the high calibre rounds from the two marksmen. They freeze for a moment upon seeing me, and open fire on full automatic at my face and chest. Two orange ribbons remove their guns from their hands, and two pithing needles remove their capacity for movement.

What worthless people.

That-.

No, I'm not killing them.

And I'm glad to hear it.

Because I know that Artemis heard those shots, and because I want to remain within my established moral bounds-

Good.

-without undoing the Formula.

Less good, but okay, I'll take it.

I pick up the paralysed shooters and fly down to where Artemis is pulling some rough-looking types out of a boathouse. She looks up warily at me for a moment.

"Ah. Hey."

"Good evening." I scan the-. "Gosh, that's a lot of guns. And some pretty nasty chemicals."

"Yeah, so I kinda had to drop everything…"

Now what I think you should say-.

"No, no, I quite understand." I land just in front of her, dropping the marksmen on her pile with a pained 'uuh'. "And you clearly did something good here, but I'm not-. If you'd phoned me-"

"What, you're pissed 'cause I didn't tell you I'd be-"

"-I could have watched your back."

"-late..?"

She looks at me for a moment, then looks away. "Oh. Yeah. I guess that-. Ah… Yeah."

"Or -if you really find me that distasteful- you could phone someone else. I want you to not die more than I want to date you."

"Okay!" She gestures upwards with her right hand, left still holding her bow. "Okay. I'll… Get some backup next time."

"Thank you." I look at her pile of goons, then stick a soundproof bubble around them. "So do you want me to fly them back to Star City..?"

She looks decidedly shifty. "A-actually… I.. was working out of Gotham."

"Gosh that sounded convincing."

That earns me a glare. Which gradually morphs into a look of genuine concern, which she then shifts back into neutral.

"What? We all got zeta tube access. I can work wherever."

I look around… What I think used to be some sort of lifeboat station..? Or a fishing boat launch site? It's a good distance outside of Gotham, and they probably used it because it's a little harder to smuggle things in through the Gotham harbour than it used to be.

"No Green Arrow?"

"Just because he's my uncle doesn't mean we do everything together. Green Lantern doesn't follow you around everywhere."

I smirk. "Ah, yeah. I should probably warn you now. When Green Arrow said that, everyone else thought he meant 'illegitimate daughter'."

She frowns. "What-? No, no-. Green Arrow doesn't even have any kids."

"No, he… Does. His name's Connor Hawke, and he lives-."

"What?" She blinks. "How do you even know that?"

I shrug. "I know everything about everyone."

Her eyes widen. Ah. Maybe I shouldn't have said that?

You think, sport?

"You've been spying on me?"

"No, of course not. I've been spying on everyone. Singling you out would be creepy."

"I can't BELIEVE-." She closes her mouth, looking horrified. "Oh no. Ohhhh no. You know..?" I smile and gives my head a small shake. "You know about my Dad?"

"Can you narrow it down? I know he's a nasty piece of work-."

"He's a SUPERVILLAIN!"

I shrug. "So's Kaldur's father."

She blinks. "What?"

"Yeah, Black Manta. And his step-father -the man who actually raised him- used to work for Black Manta as a pirate. Mia got her powers from a world-conquering alien AI with a seven digit body count who tried to destroy Earth twice, the only other Orange Lantern in the universe has killed thousands of people just to steal their stuff, Superman's grandfather led the isolationist movement that was why almost his whole species died when Krypton exploded and Batman's father once broke into a pharmacy to steal drugs. Your parents' criminal history doesn't say anything about you."

"Um." That appears to be giving her some trouble. "Oh. Ah… Pharmacy? So he-."

"He was a medical doctor, he needed medicine to save a patient and it was closed due to it being the middle of the night. He left a note and payment next to the till. Batman's father was actually a really great guy."

"Okay. Clearly, I… I've been letting this mess me up for no reason at all." She takes a steadying breath. "Guess we… Missed your reservation, huh?"

"Reservation?" I frown. "No, I cook. I-."

No. Don't complain about how much it put you out. Especially as it didn't actually cause a problem. Be magnanimous.

"Oh. Ah, damn, I-. Sorry."

"No, no, I plated it up and stuck it in subspace. No time has passed, so it's all fine. Actually…" I look around. Now that the fighting's over I can hear the lapping waves, quite sounds of the wildlife coming out from hiding… "This isn't actually a bad venue. I could hook up some lights, drop off the gang members, we could do it here." She doesn't look keen. "The site of your victory?"

"Look, I'm… Kinda beat? Can we-? Put it off..?"

I did everything right, and-. And-. And I just gave her an emotional shock, and she's been in a fight. She didn't say no, and she's probably just not in the mood.

It's fine.

"Sure. When's good for you?"

Darko · Dec 23, 2023

Ohh, wonderful.

This shit-eater is back.

Mr Zoat said:
Maybe I should have said that?

"shouldn't"

Mr Zoat said:
father one

"once"

Mr Zoat said:
"Look, I'm… Kinda beat? Can we-? Put it off..?"

I did everything right, and-. And-. And I just gave her an emotional shock, and she's been in a fight. She didn't say no, and she's probably just not in the mood.

It's fine

I'm guessing his segment is going to end when he decides it's no longer fine.

The title of this is just...ugh.

Mr Zoat said:
Artemis is a woman-

Girl.

Mr Zoat said:
-with her own responsibilities.

I don't think you should lose sight of that age difference

Mr Zoat said:
Popular culture tells me that women-

Girls.

Don't think he cares anymore, ol' ringy.

Mr Zoat said:
Okay, sport? I think that maybe you should me let me handle this.

Mr Zoat said:
You reconstructed the formula for Vitamin X from Dennis Wilson's body. That means that you don't need it any more.

That wasn't the point. The point is that I'm not the person I was before I got-. Wait.

I scan the area around Artemis, making sure-. Ah.

Carry this on later.

Sigh

Mr Zoat said:
Less good, but okay, I'll take it.

You know this is actually a wonderful subversion of common literary tropes.

Usually when the weird object made out of greed talks to the main character and tries to take over, it means trouble.

But here I'm pretty sure anyone with anything resembling a decent moral code would root for the greed ring.

Kudos, Zoat.

Mr Zoat said:
Now what I think you should say-.

"Not that"

Ngamer11 · Dec 23, 2023

Mr Zoat said:
22nd September 2010
19:17 GMT -5

Interesting view on Tangseid. Though I'm curious as to who the being this version of OL was talking to.

Mr Zoat said:
"Yeah, Black Manta. And his step-father -the man who actually raised him- used to work for Black Manta as a pirate. Mia got her powers from a world-conquering alien AI with a seven digit body count who tried to destroy Earth twice, the only other Orange Lantern in the universe has killed thousands of people just to steal their stuff, Superman's grandfather led the isolationist movement that was why almost his whole species died when Krypton exploded and Batman's father one broke into a pharmacy to steal drugs. Your parents' criminal history doesn't say anything about you."

That should say 'once'.

Darko · Dec 23, 2023

Ngamer11 said:
Though I'm curious as to who the being this version of OL was talking to.

It's his ring.

This one seems to have a personality.

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

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