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Did Mr Zoat say why this ring seems to have more personality than normal?
The needlessly evil Paul.
Is it still minting when you use a nanoforge assembler?
Did Mr Zoat say why this ring seems to have more personality than normal?
He should put some thought into the fact that he is one of only two Pauls who's ring is actively trying to kill him
...Oh, dear. Is this Tangseid again? The Alt!Paul that took the morality-relaxing Evil Formula, and goes on to basically rule the world from the shadows? It has been a while since we've seen him, I think. Though in his early days here, yes?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!
I see the Ring is doing some work, keeping him on track and aware of certain legalities...Ah. Yes. Narcissism. The believe that the universe revolves around you. Artemis is a woman-
Girl.
Man... Imagine having to make an alien VI do the work of playing conscience because you erased yours...-with her own responsibilities.
I don't think you should lose sight of that age difference.
Well, Artemis does take her work seriously, for the most part. Initial belly-baring costume aside...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.
This Mia? Speedy the second? I wonder where she is in the Paragon Timeline, actually. Edit: Ah, okay, Cir-El, eh?-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.
...Because maybe you should take note that your Ring is being more moral than you are at this point? And possibly smarter.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.
The Evil Formula giving him enhanced physical ability at the cost of, well, being evil. And we all know how early Alt!Pauls go looking for enhancements.I stop in mid-air.
What makes you think I'd agree to that now?
Oh, is light dawning over marblehead? Finally starting to realise this is a bad thing?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.
<snaps figners> Dangit!I scan the area around Artemis, making sure-. Ah.
Carry this on later.
...Is it weird to feel sympathetic for this Ring VI? Because it is clearly being overworked.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.
Oh, that's worrying...
...Oh, they've had this conversation before, haven't they?
And it's a little hard to stay on the good side of the League if you start getting a reputation for lethality.Because I know that Artemis heard those shots, and because I want to remain within my established moral bounds-
Good.
And this is why you do not mess around with mind-altering formulas, no matter how useful they seem.-without undoing the Formula.
Less good, but okay, I'll take it.
Oh, that 'Hey' has so many ways it could be taken...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."
Yes, that's a quite reasonable excuse for missing a date. Especially for teenage vigilantes."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…"
After all, a night out chasing criminals is easily as good as a nice meal in.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-"
...Okay, for all his lack of morality, that is a good detail to point out. Lone heroes tend to get themselves killed, after all. All it takes is one guy you didn't spot."What, you're pissed 'cause I didn't tell you I'd be-"
"-I could have watched your back."
And really, there's no backup like a Lantern for easy takedowns."-late..?"
She looks at me for a moment, then looks away. "Oh. Yeah. I guess that-. Ah… Yeah."
I mean, Kid Flash could easily have gotten there quick. And he'd happily let you take the lead."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."
Ah, yes, her 'cover story' of being Green Arrow's 'niece'..."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."
I mean, assholish as he is, he does care for you, in his own twisted way..."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.
Though they still have to manage the task of hauling whatever they're shipping overland. Truck rental cuts into the profits, after all."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.
...Honestly, I'm surprised the Guardians haven't given"No Green Arrow?"
"Just because he's my uncle doesn't mean we do everything together. Green Lantern doesn't follow you around everywhere."
...That he knows about. Or at least openly admits to knowing about. (Since he did know he had a son at some point.)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."
Two words: Power. Ring."No, he… Does. His name's Connor Hawke, and he lives-."
"What?" She blinks. "How do you even know that?"
Gee, you think, Hagrid?I shrug. "I know everything about everyone."
Her eyes widen. Ah. Maybe I shouldn't have said that?
Well, overworked or not, this Ring VI is damn snarky about it. I like it.
Well, at least he recognises the creep factor. Not that it would stop him."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?"
Volume! Just because the crooks there are bubbled up, doesn't mean the neighbourhood is."Can you narrow it down? I know he's a nasty piece of work-."
"He's a SUPERVILLAIN!"
And now you know something even Kaldur doesn't necessarily know.
...Okay, 'Mia' is not Speedy II, then. I'm guessing said villain AI is Brainiac, though."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."
To be fair, the way you said it, it was easy to assume the more criminal alternative."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."
As if he'd let someone else prepare his food, huh?"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-."
At least he's still able to keep himself in check a little at this stage... Even if he is still calculating how best to seduce her.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."
Yeah, kind of not a romantic spot, no matter how you dress it up."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..?"
Getting a little possessive there, Tang. Easy.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?"
At no time has this character consumed faecal matter.
Thank you, corrected.
No, the ring was going to say 'what I think you should say is...' but got interrupted.
Ah. I think so?
He shows up in:To be honest, I do not remember this guy. Anyone have links to his other chapters?
The ring wants to reformat his brain to think differently, functionally killing the person he currently is and replacing him with a new person. Specifically a copy of the person he was before taking the evil formula.
Yes.
He'd argue both 'rules' and 'shadows', and this is well before that happened.The Alt!Paul that took the morality-relaxing Evil Formula, and goes on to basically rule the world from the shadows?
No. This Mia.
She's about five years old, so she's probably just starting junior school.
Neither of those two are Green Lanterns in this timeline. Abin Sur is still around, having been a regular visitor to Earth since he chased Mister Mind here in 1943 and teamed up with Alan Scott and Theodore Knight....Honestly, I'm surprised the Guardians haven't given Hal or John orders to that effect. What with the 'Orange Ring out in the wild' angle.
Man... Imagine having to make an alien VI do the work of playing conscience because you erased yours...
This Mia? Speedy the second? I wonder where she is in the Paragon Timeline, actually.
Because maybe you should take note that your Ring is being more moral than you are at this point? And possibly smarter.
The Evil Formula giving him enhanced physical ability at the cost of, well, being evil. And we all know how early Alt!Pauls go looking for enhancements.
I mean, Kid Flash could easily have gotten there quick. And he'd happily let you take the lead
Honestly, I'm surprised the Guardians haven't given Hal or John orders to that effect. What with the 'Orange Ring out in the wild' angle.
'belief'The believe that the universe revolves around you. Artemis is a woman-
Thank you, corrected.
Did Mr Zoat say why this ring seems to have more personality than normal?
You forgot?
Paul knew the super soldier crap he was going to use could have mental side effects, so he copied his consciousness template into the ring as a backup to reverse the changes if they went too far off the baseline. Sadly Tangseid didn't want the ring to overwrite the new him, so he is currently working within certain parameters.
We do know how this ends, so it's fairly likely Tangseid eventually manages to overcome the template saved in the ring.
Ah, this is the brainwashing one... but back before he started doing that?
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?"
They're the same guy. Hitting on Artemis is relatively early in his timeline.I thought Tangseid was a different Paul then the one who modified himself and started hitting on Artemis?
Same.To be honest, I do not remember this guy. Anyone have links to his other chapters?
Thank you.check back seat, I believe, his backstory and early evil are intertwined there
Now, is it a simple quirk of the environment, arcane as it is, or has it been made that way as a subtle display of power, a flex upon her visitors? I suppose it adds to the bleak, eerie atmosphere of the region, if nothing else. Like those classic horror comics of DC's...Day 5
16th March 2013
07:56 GMT
I look out of the carriage window, down from the thin and narrow road heading towards Lady Rosacarnis's manor house. It's like one of those cartoon cliff side paths that crumble underneath Wile Ethelbert Coyote just after Road Runner dashes across, but it stretches out far further, has even less support and from the look of the surface has been in use for far longer.
And down below, what looks like a pit of burning spectres, desperately and fruitlessly reaching for relief or escape.
I bet even though he's making a show of handling the reins, the road is as stable and easy to navigate as an empty four-lane highway..."Druoth, what's the point of that?"
Druoth doesn't look around from the coachman's seat. "The point of what, m'lord?"
An understatement on all parts there. I'd be amazed if Neron wasn't basically a eunuch given his grandiose displays of compensation."This road, the pit, the journey… Just about anything I've seen since leaving Neron's penis-substitute of a fortress."
"I couldn't comment on Neron's manhood, m'lord, but as you observed his temper is somewhat uneven."
Ah, this guy enjoys being the gentleman's gentleman, eh? Or at least playing the part.
And more easily defensible in the case of trouble, no doubt."Not in a good way, I just didn't see anything to convince me that there was anything there beyond ego. And.. power. But what about the rest?"
"The location suited my former master, m'lord. It grants access to the city without quite being inside the city. Away from the riffraff, you understand."
On the other hand... You did see the result of his little tantrum, right?Hm.
"No. No, honestly, I'd have thought that being closer to the city would be almost pure benefit. Neron's clearly not intellectually capable of doing anything complicated, and this way anyone who visits your mistress is completely obvious. All Neron would have to do is place one of his least brain damaged minions in an observation position and he'd see all the comings and goings and there's a rear entrance that he hasn't spotted."
See, there's a more reasonable explanation."I cannot give away any confidences of my mistress's house."
"Can he hit it from here?"
Ha! He probably would take that kind of durability as an affront."The topology of the infernal realms is no simple matter, and Neron is capable of more complex spell-casting than his… Demonstration, might have suggested."
"So, yes. Alright, but…" Ah. "Oh… Really? You don't site it in the city so that he doesn't see it tank one of his tantrums and then try focusing on it?"
Atmosphere. Like any good villain, it's all about presentation."I couldn't say, m'lord."
Okay, that's stupid, but it makes sense. "What about the road?"
Heh. Pressing the point just feels like pettiness, eh?"What of it, m'lord?"
'Why does it look so thin?', is what I want to ask. But… Dream Of Infrastructure.
Or she honestly is busy and can't get away, or she simply wants more time to take your measure.'It looks thin because Hell is stupid' isn't an answer I'm happy with, but the road clearly is solid. So… Something to do with the lake? Power source? I sit back in the carriage, which looks like a standard aristocrat's coach but actually has the internal dimensions to contain a man of my size. I'll ask the lady of the manor.
And here we are. Demonic gothic castle with.. an actual… Eighteenth century manor sticking out of it? Suggests a degree of civility at least. Rosacarnis herself isn't waiting for me. I suppose I just don't rank..? Or perhaps she wants me to see her hard at work to give the best first impression.
I bet it's like Wizarding houses. If you see a servant, either you called for one, or they've fouled up somehow.Druoth pulls open the door, and I step outside.
"How does it work in Hell? Does the house employ many servants, or is it just you?"
I suppose it runs smoothly. And it makes sense that she doesn't want to see the lowest castes, disgusting as some of them can be.He leads the way towards the heavy wooden doors which guard the front entrance, and they open at his approach.
"Many demons work in the background. Few are allowed to present themselves before the mistress."
No doubt running the full breadth of human art, I bet. People can be very imaginative about the supernatural, especially monstrous things.Decoration is… Medieval with a demonic twist. Friezes of demons decapitating angels and laughing at burning sinners. Images of saints where each shows some hidden vice. Paintings of hunting scenes where the pray are intelligent creatures, or where the huntsman falls to temptation and is slain, damned and his soul is taken by the demon who distracted him.
And there are some natty banners with interesting runic designs. And-.
Woven, grown or assembled, I wonder? Though all three would make you shudder at the logistics of it.I stop, looking down at my feet and the… Muscle tissue?
I snort, shaking my head as I start walking again. A demonic red carpet. Touching.
No doubt designed to intimidate visitors into submissive attitudes... Pity the Renegade laughs at that sort of thing.Druoth reaches a large and impressive-looking double door and then turns bowing.
"The lady is within."
All about presentation. There's just a certain style about these things..."Thank you."
He pulls open one side of the door and steps aside, gesturing to the opening with his free hand. I walk-.
Still, the offer is a good show of character."Am I supposed to tip you?"
"That won't be necessary, m'lord."
Right, well, I offered. Arms folded behind my back, I strike through… Huh. Not actually that big.
Well, let's not keep the lady waiting.Rosacarnis herself is a relatively plain woman, black hair, Caucasian skin… Doesn't look like she's been getting much sun. Human-looking in general, without any of the bestial traits or exaggeration I'm used to seeing in demons. She's sitting in a plush chair, a glass of something that's probably magic-enriched wine on a nearby side table. The other chairs around the table are noticeably less nice, but still good quality. Seats for subordinate allies, then. And she's waiting for me to say something.
Well, word is spreading, I see. At least some are paying attention.I bow a slight degree. "Lady Rosacarnis, I am Grayven, here at the behest of the First. Your butler intimated that you wanted to speak to me?"
"You are here to test our efficiency? Our effectiveness?"
Everything, of course. Both the visible things and the intangible.
That father would be the demon Nergal, of course. I suppose she takes more after her mother's looks."Whatever is it that you do."
"I was trying to take revenge against the wizard who killed my father."
It's still the principle of the thing. Like a criminal organisation. "They put one of ours in the hospital, we put one of theirs in the morgue!""Okay, one, you hated your father. Two, I'm pretty sure that you killed him after he came back here."
There's a very slight twitch. Surprised I knew about that? You did order him tortured to death in front of quite a few lackeys.
Ah, she's a master of at least one talent: Delegation."And three, your personal fixations are your own problem. How are you at damning mortal souls?"
She waves her right hand dismissively. "I don't answer general summonings myself. I have people for that."
Of course it is. But the First has something the Renegade wants, and, well..."Ah! Good, good. I'll want to go over your training scheme, pricing, that sort of thing. Neron had an episode before I could get that far with him."
"You do realise that this is a scheme of some sort, don't you?"
The wanna-be demon lord Stecorax, before anyone asks. A bit player in the grand history of Hell..."Yeah, and I don't care-." Hm. "Though while we're on the subject, you've got a load of information about Neron's doings, right?" She shrugs. "Share them all, and I'll kill your uncle for you."
"My uncle is immortal."
After all, the Renegade does have something very good at separating powerful things from their power. And without that power... They're very vulnerable things indeed.I smirk. "No such thing. Your uncle is merely very tough, as you yourself demonstrated. Come on. I'm giving you security in exchange for information on your enemy. What's the problem, here?"
She considers me for a moment, then nods. "Very well. I will show you to his resting place myself. I believe that I will find this educational."
Amen.To be honest, I do not remember this guy. Anyone have links to his other chapters?
'prey'?Paintings of hunting scenes where the pray are intelligent creatures, or where the huntsman falls to temptation and is slain, damned and his soul is taken by the demon who distracted him.
'turns, bowing'?Druoth reaches a large and impressive-looking double door and then turns bowing.
Thank you, corrected.